Once through the large doors I tried to persuade Dewey that I could make it the rest of the way just fine on my own. Even with only the short time I had known him, I had a feeling it was a futile effort. Christian was following slightly behind him like he could not believe that his cousin had shown up and completely ruined the day. With much more pomp than was necessary, Dewey led me to the foot of the stairs. I expected him to let go of my hand and allow me to say my goodbyes and return to my room. Instead he continued his speech about how important manners were.

"Fair lady Ebony, I feel that we shall meet again one day. It has been my honor to meet you on this fine day. It is very important that I make my feelings known to you about how sorry I am that I must take away my loving cousin from your friendly company. Had the circumstances had been different; I would have no trouble allowing you to accompany Christian and I on our aforementioned tasks. However, I had been waiting to spend quality time with him ever since I left my home and traveled here with my mother. I don't want you to feel that you are intruding on our family time. Therefore, I feel that the much kinder alternative is that you stay here. I hope you will not be too aggrieved at your day being cut short. One day you may find it in your heart to forgive me now that you know my feelings in the matter. Forgiveness is very important in a young person's life. It builds character and strengthens the soul. I sense that you are of a kind nature and I feel that you have been trained in the importance of forgiveness." I'm sure Dewey would have continued talking well into the night had Christian not pointedly cleared his throat. I was not even sure he knew what he was saying when he spoke or certainly he would have kept his mouth shut.

"Thank you, Dewey," Christian said as his cousin finally released my hand. I resisted the urge to wipe my hand on my dress; his hand had been slightly sweaty. "Maybe you should go and see that the carriage has not wandered off."

He was nearly halfway to the doors when I heard two familiar voices calling mine and the prince's names. Hearing his cousin's name called, Dewey turned back to see Giselle and Victoria bouncing down the wide staircase. They stopped on both sides of me, Giselle to my left and Victoria to my right. As Giselle was greeting the prince and inquiring after his health I saw that Dewey had begun to walk back to us. No doubt he had seen my stepsister's beauty and felt the need to meet them.

"Christian and his cousin really must get back to the castle." I interrupted Giselle as she was telling the prince about her day. I did not want to be in the middle of the strange and lengthy conversation that I was sure would ensue when Dewey met Giselle and Victoria.

Christian looked as if he wanted the same thing but it was already too late. Dewey had joined our little group at the bottom of the stairs once again. "My, what charming and beautiful young women my esteemed cousin seems to be friends with. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Squire Dewitt Dalmer of Maple Hill Manor in the south of Borlah, but my friends know me as Dewey. I do so hope we can be friends."

I was shocked. This was one of the shortest speeches I had heard him speak. I could practically feel the judgment that Giselle and Victoria were passing on the odd squire. In a moment Victoria spoke for them both, "Did you say you were our charming prince's cousin?" They had found him to be inconsequential and only his connection to the royal family could make him worth their time, I was sure.

Dewey nodded vigorously. It seemed this was not the first time he had used his family ties to try and woo women. "You hear me correctly, madam. My mother is the queen's younger sister. I practically grew up with the royal family in the castle."

I seemed to be the only one who caught the small shake of Christian's head at his cousin's proclamation. Dewey must not have spent as much time as he said at the castle when he was a child. Nevertheless, the fact that he was related to the queen made him important to my stepsisters. No doubt they wanted to ingratiate themselves with as much of the royal family as possible, even it was the extended family. Victoria immediately set about making small talk with Dewey while Giselle focused her attention on the prince. I was left in the middle of both conversations. With no one to talk to myself, I set about listening to Giselle and Christian's conversation. They were talking about the weather, a subject that one only goes to if there is nothing else. I found it very dull to listen to and turned my ear to Victoria and Dewey; no doubt their conversation would be more exciting. I was correct. Dewey was outlining his plans for tonight with his cousin and how he was terribly aggrieved that he could not spend time with his new acquaintances. I glanced at Victoria's face. She was having a hard time holding her tongue with the strange boy.

"Lovely Victoria, may I call you by your name with no titles? Normally, it is in the utmost distaste to refer to someone so casually who one has just met, but I feel we have a special connection. While tonight my cousin the prince and I have plans to visit the stables and have a go at archery, if I had known that I would have had to pass up the opportunity to spend the evening with two such young ladies as you, I am sure that I would not have made such plans so hastily. Alas, as the plans are made there is nothing I can do about it now. Perhaps tomorrow we could spend some time together and become better acquainted. Any friend of Ian's is a friend of mine, and I would so like to be great friends with you and your sister. So shall we plan it then, a day spent together in the spirit of friendship?" Dewey ended his speech and I had to cover my mouth with one hand to hold back my laugh at Victoria's face. Luckily, Dewey did not see anything amiss or there would surely be another longwinded recitation on manners.

When she did speak, Victoria spoke slowly and carefully as not to offend Dewey. "As much as my sister and I would enjoy spending time getting to know you as you say, we have planned to go shopping tomorrow."

Not missing a beat Dewey volunteered to accompany them to the shops. Victoria was not expecting such a response. I wondered what she could say to politely refuse him; if she could think of nothing she would have a new shopping companion. "Are you sure, Squire Dewitt, that you want to go shopping with us?"

"Of course, madam, I would enjoy seeing the lovely things you look at in all the quaint shops. I do not go to stores regularly in my home town and I feel sometimes like I am missing out by having a personal tailor make my clothes. Going out with two well seasoned shoppers such as you two would be an experience I would not soon miss." Dewey was looking at Victoria with such earnest innocence and Victoria was very nearly glaring at him. She did not like him one single bit, but in the interest of becoming close with the royal family she would not be rude to him. To me it was quite hysterical.

I could barely contain my mirth as Victoria accepted his offer and felt that I had to excuse myself as I lost my composure right there on the steps. I said my goodbyes to Christian and Dewey and left them with my stepsisters as I returned to our room. Once safely inside with the door closed I fell onto my makeshift bed and laughed until tears ran down my cheeks at the thought of Giselle and Victoria having to endure Squire Dewitt for an entire day. I would not be surprised if after having to listen to his endless talking one or both of them would lose their tempers and yell at him. That would definitely put a damper on their standing progress with the royal family. If I would not also be subject to his speeches, I would want to watch tomorrow's shopping trip unfold with the three of them. My stepsisters would probably not take kindly to me laughing at their torment the whole day either. No, I would go shopping on my own for a costume to wear to the first ball.

Within a few minutes Giselle and Victoria blew into the room in a storm of complaints and exasperated groans. "Why does that little gnat have to go with us tomorrow?" Giselle screeched. "This is all your fault, Ebony." She muttered as she stomped around.

Victoria fell dramatically into a chair. "I didn't invite him. Who would have known that a man would actually want to go shopping? This ruins our whole day."

"He is so stupid and not even nice to look at. He's just all manners this and my mother that. I'm sure he will have some ridiculously long speech to give us whenever we try to buy something. I tried to get Christian to come with us, but would he? No, he wouldn't. I tried to get him to take his cousin somewhere. But would he? No, he wouldn't even do that and now we are stuck playing nursemaid with the little boy." Giselle was still stomping around waving her arms.

I was surprised that Giselle was being so ungracious when speaking about her love the prince. "Dewey is only a few years younger than you." I pointed out. This just seemed to agitate them more.

"And that name, Dewey, have you ever heard a more ridiculous name than Dewey? I cannot imagine what would possess a person to willingly be called anything so dreadful." Giselle fumed. Victoria was slumped in the chair and rubbing her forehead. Talking at length with Dewey had probably given her a headache. I however, quite liked the boy for giving me such a show.

"There has to be some way out if it. Perhaps we can send a messenger in the morning saying we are ill." Victoria said from under her hand.

"Ha," Giselle scoffed. "That foolish flea would probably want to come and nurse us back to health to spend time with us. There is nothing we can do. He has trapped us into spending an entire day in his loathsome company. I can barely spend a few minutes listening to him drone on and on. Now we are forced into spending time with him in a carriage and have him follow us around in shops like a lost puppy. How am I supposed to get anything done while I am tripping over him? I swear if he wasn't the prince's own cousin I would tear him to bits and send him crying back to that precious mother of his."

Victoria stood up wearily. "You know we can't do that. We can only get to sleep so we are well rested and ready to endure the torture of tomorrow."

I could tell Giselle was still fuming but her sister was right. There was no way they could back out of the arrangement without insulting Dewey and possibly even the royal family. Victoria slowly went to her room while Giselle angrily went to hers and slammed the door. Neither of them had even acknowledged me. I was glad it didn't enter their minds as to take me as a distraction for Dewey. I wanted them to spend a day being nice to the prince's odious cousin, not me.

Personally, I thought this chapter was hilarious. I laughed while I was proof reading it.

So anyway, apparently I am at a point in the story where writing a chapter is nothing and if I just sit down and do it I can crank one out super easily. The problem is the sitting down and starting part.

And 100+ reviews! You guys are awesome!