Garen looked smugly at Kol as I hung on his arm. Kol's face had turned to stone and he lifted his chin defiantly. I could see his jaw clench. I didn't understand what was wrong with him. Why couldn't he see that I loved Garen? We left him and together we went on to get a drink.

"Why were you talking to that boy?" Garen asked.

I was afraid that my love would be mad at me so I quickly explained, "Kol came up and started talking to me. He was being really strange and saying that I didn't really love you. I do love you though, more than anything. He was just being stubborn and then he started following me and telling me I was poisoned."

Garen looked at me sternly. "I don't want you going near him again. He is nothing but trouble and a liar."

I nodded in agreement and spent the rest of the ball on Garen's arm. He had told me he wanted to keep me in sight from now on and I completely agreed. We returned to the corner where he and his friends stood and I watched Garen as he talked to his friends. He had such a pleasant voice and spoke so eloquently. I was sure that I could listen to him talk all night.

All too soon Garen said it was time to leave and we returned to the carriage. It was dark as we walked along the palace wall. We had left earlier than everyone else because Garen had wanted to. He was so smart and this way we missed the havoc of everyone leaving at once. It was quiet and I was enjoying walking with my love when he suddenly was slammed against the stone wall of the palace. I yelled when I saw a shadowy Kol slam my Garen against the wall and pin him there with an arm across his throat. One long leg was braced behind him as Kol leaned threateningly against my love's throat. Garen gurgled and scrabbled at Kol, but he was too strong. His eyes matched the night and I had never seen him look so terrifying. He looked murderous – the worst kind of villain.

"Tell me what you did to her?" Kol hissed in Garen's face.

Garen let out a strained laugh and choked out, "I haven't done anything to the girl. She loves me. Don't you, honey?"

Kol leaned further against my love and now he couldn't even breathe. Kol had gone mad and was putting my Garen in danger. I pulled on Kol's restraining arm but it was like iron. "Kol, let go! You're killing him!" I cried. "Please, I love him!"

He was still glaring murderously at Garen and his mouth was pulled back in a sneer. "I will find out what you did to her. If she has so much as one hair out of place, you will have me to deal with."

Garen was finally released and he gasped for breath and clutched at his throat. "Look at you, the brave hero come to save his lady." He jeered. He was so brave to stand up to Kol. I put an arm around his shoulders and glared at the despicable man before us.

"I am no hero." Kol uttered. "Try and remember, Ebb. Don't let him do this to you. I will come for you."

"Don't bother," I spat. "I love Garen and never want to be parted from him. You are a liar and nothing but trouble!"

Kol shook his head but did not answer. With one last murderous glare at Garen and a pleading look at me, he went off into the night. I was relieved that my love was alright and that disgusting excuse for a man had not hurt him anymore. I was sure I hated him as much as I loved Garen. I helped my count back to his carriage and we returned to his house. The entire way he spewed about how much he hated Kol and I nodded in agreement. I could not believe I had ever considered him a friend.

Garen was in a sour mood and ordered me to my room as soon as we returned to his house. I readily complied and stayed in my room for the rest of the night. I worried about my Garen and wondered if he was too hurt by Kol to be around me and had to go straight to bed. He surely needed his rest after tonight. I stayed up late into the night thinking about my Garen and how he was feeling and if he was sleeping well. A servant had come in and helped me out of my dress and into a night gown soon after we had returned home and I wondered if Garen had servants waiting on him.

I was awoken early the next morning to be dressed in a lovely gown with a corset and a high collar. Garen was waiting for me and I felt terrible for having kept him waiting. He told me that we were to go to one of his friend's houses. I was excited to meet one of Garen's friends. We got into the small black carriage and were on our way. His friend lived closer to the center of the city and the royal palace. He lived in a grand house with a large entry way. I entered holding on to my love's hand and smiling. We were greeted by an old servant who directed us to the front parlor. A man was waiting for us there smoking a pipe and reading from a book. He greeted Garen when he entered and we sat down. The men talked while I sat quietly and listened. First they talked about the weather and the previous night's ball then Garen brought up a wager the pair had made a few months back. The other man nodded and then addressed me. I readily answered when he asked if I loved Garen. He stroked his mustache and looked between the two of us. Shrugging his shoulders he pulled out a purse of coins and threw it at Garen. The bet was that Garen would never find a woman to love him which was absurd. There was nothing about him that someone could ever dislike. My love smiled the most charming smile and thanked the man. After that we left pretty quickly. My love claimed he had another friend to go and see.

The rest of the day was spent visiting his friends – he was so popular. Some he was friendlier with than others. We were going from house to house the rest of the night almost. When we finally returned to his house, I was sure that Garen must be tired so I let him go to his room so he could rest. As soon as I sat on my own bed I fell asleep without even getting out of my dress.

The next day went the same as the last. I accompanied Garen as he visited his numerous friends. He had so many to visit and was very well liked. I knew he must have many friends because he is such a wonderful man. A lot of his friends were in the lower city and we even went to a few taverns where he held me on his lap while he drank and laughed with his friends. I loved spending time with Garen and he seemed to be having a good time as well. He laughed with the men in the taverns and made funny jokes. A few of his friends would lay their hands on me, but Garen would gallantly shoo them away. The last place we went was a woman's house on the edge of the lower city. Garen told me that he needed to talk to the woman and together they went upstairs. I waited for Garen until the sun came up. They must have had a lot to talk about, but I didn't mind. Garen knew what was best.

I had dozed off in the armchair I sat in and Garen had to wake me in the morning when we were ready to leave. We only returned to the house long enough to prepare for a party that he said we would be going to. I was stripped of the one dress and strapped into another that the servant proclaimed was one of Garen's favorites. The neckline was a low square cut lined with lace. Naturally it also had a corset that I had to wear. Garen liked me to have a small waist and I was glad he liked how I looked in the dress. The rest of the dress was dark pink with a very wide skirt and sleeves. Garen nodded in approval when he saw me. I smiled happily and we once again went off in the carriage.

The party was held at the first man's grand house and everyone wore large masks. Garen had one for me that was shaped like a rabbit. He wore a lion mask. Inside was crowded and loud with the shouts and laughter of people. Immediately Garen was greeted by some of the people we had seen previously. It was so crowded that with every movement I brushed against someone else, but Garen was happy and so was I.

Wasn't I?

So this is the chapter where I found out it was not very fun to write Ebony being obsessed with Garen so I kind of just sped through this whole part. On the other hand, Garen is on the move a lot because he doesn't want Kol coming after him and if Kol can't find where they are, he can't save Ebony.