"Tomorrow is the big day, Your Highness!"

Nikki sighed as Lucy brushed her hair. Her conversation and kiss with Max the night before had made it easier to sleep, but she knew it wouldn't last. The nightmares would continue to plague her well after he was returned to his family, and he would never be allowed near her again.

"You should be excited!"

"I can't feel excited, Lucy. I… I don't love Prince Edward."

"Love isn't important in a marriage like yours, Princess. What's important is that you'll be elevated from a simple princess to a queen, like your mother!" Lucy tied Nikki's hair back.

"Haven't you ever been in love?"

"Once. Lost him to sickness the day before our wedding."

"And wouldn't you do anything to be with him again?" Lucy bit her lip, then gazed at her mistress.

"You're… you're really in love with your kidnapper."

"He didn't kidnap me, but yes. I'm in love with him."

"After he killed Rosemary?"

"He didn't kill Rosemary. I did."

"You poor girl." Lucy hugged Nikki tightly. "That must've been awful."

"You don't know the half of it. Rosemary actually started rooting for me to make it right before she stopped breathing. Too bad Edward showed up."

"What's it like, out there in the world? I'm stuck here, so I don't get to see it."

"Oh, really? I'd love to tell someone about my adventures out there."

"I'd love to hear it. You've changed since your wedding day three months ago."

"Thank you. I think it was mostly Max's influence. Well, him and his little sister, Lizzie."

"He has a sister?"

"She's a very sweet five-year-old. Unless you make her upset. That's when she really starts to take after her brother. It's hilarious to watch her flip somebody off."

"She did that?!"

"It was a lady who was accosting Max about the two of them being siblings. They both got pissed off and flipped her off in response."

Lucy let out a giggle and Nikki began to relax as she told her maid all of her travels in the world outside the castle. When she was done, Lucy looked extremely thoughtful as she contemplated the tales she'd just been told.

"If… if he truly did all that for you… and you married before a minister with witnesses and a contract… then you can't marry Prince Edward. It would be a blasphemy against God and adultery, however unwilling."

"I don't have a choice, Lucy. Max is locked up. If I try to run, he'll be executed. Captain Baker is the only person who has a key to his cell, so breaking him out isn't an option. Unless—" Her eyes widened. "I have an idea. Would you be willing to take a trip to Sleepy Peak?"

"I'm still not entirely clear on what the plan is," Harrison commented as Nerris packed her spell-books and potions. It was late afternoon now, with the sun sinking ever lower and illuminating Nerris's determined expression.

"I told you, Harrison—Neil doesn't have much of a plan right now. We have to assess the situation in Lilac before anything else."

"Ah. That makes sense. So why do I have to come again?"

"Because you're the only other magic-user we have, and your brand of magic is useful for distractions. Mine is useful for literally everything else you could need in a rescue plan."

"Fair enough."

"Ready to go?" Neil called from the other wagon. "We have a long ride ahead of us—an all-night journey."

"Why didn't we leave this morning?" Harrison asked.

"Because I know for a fact that the royal family has all their weddings an hour before sunset. We have more than a day before Nikki's fate is sealed. It'll take us a bit longer since we're travelling by wagon. If we were, say, a young woman riding a horse by herself and determined to get to her destination, it would only take a few hours."

"Like her?" Lizzie pointed on the horizon, to where a young woman was galloping rapidly towards them. She had long, pale brown hair and wore simple peasant's clothes.

"That's Lucy!" Neil gasped. "Nikki's personal maid!"

"What's she doing here?"

"I don't know." Lucy caught sight of Neil and immediately began to slow her speed. When she'd stopped, she leapt down from the saddle.

"Thank the Lord! It's you, Sir Neil."

"What are you doing here, Lucy?"

"Her Highness, Princess Nicolette, sent me with a message. She's unable to leave the castle herself, but she entrusted me to deliver it." She handed Neil a sealed envelope. "For you and Lady Nerris the Cute."

"Me?" Nerris inquired, confused and a little flattered.

"Yes."

Neil took the envelope and opened it up.

" 'Neil, Nerris, and anybody else who's left in the caravan,

"I know that you've all been worried about me and Max, but I'm letting you know that I have a plan to help us both. I was able to convince my mother to postpone the wedding until after Rosemary's funeral so I could give her a proper goodbye. I was also able to send Lucy with this message under the guise that I needed to be alone.

"Anyway, you all have two weeks to get to the castle. Nerris and Harrison have to come in order for this plan to work. Max is being held in the high-security cell—Neil knows the one. I will most likely be otherwise engaged with trying to convince my mother to call off the wedding entirely. And, speaking of weddings, you need to bring that old guy who performed me and Max's ceremony, along with our marriage contract. It's the best proof we have that the marriage is legitimate.

"Send a message back with Lucy once you get this, and sell the ring I sent in the envelope to pay for a room at an inn in Lilac.

"Good luck and see you soon!

"Love, Nikki.' "

Neil reached into the envelope to find a diamond ring—a ring, he remembered, that was Nikki's engagement ring from Prince Edward. She was using her 'fiancé's' wealth to pay for her husband's rescuers. It was so totally Nikki.

"So, we're still going to Lilac, right?" Nerris inquired.

"Of course! Now we actually have some semblance of a plan." Neil grabbed some paper out of Nerris's bag and a pen. He wrote a response to Nikki's letter and stuck it back in the envelope, handing it to Lucy. "Thank you for coming all this way. Tell Nikki we'll be there tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir Neil!" Lucy curtsied before getting back on her horse. "Meet me at The Lavender Quail tomorrow evening an hour before sunset. That way I know you've arrived and I can inform Princess Nicolette."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

Lucy turned her horse around and took off towards the kingdom.

"Hello?"

Nikki glanced around her surroundings. She was in some kind of forest. It reminded her of the place where she and Max had narrowly evaded being killed by the Children of Zeemug, only warmer and more welcoming. The aura of death and fear didn't hang over the trees like an ever-present miasma. Rather, she felt at home here. Safe and happy, with no bastard prince or overbearing mother in sight. The sounds of the animals reached her ears, a soothing lullaby that made her smile before she glanced back down at the ground beneath her feet.

"This has to be a dream," she sighed. "There's no way my mother would let me out of the castle to a place like this with the wedding so close…"

"Too right, Nickname."

She turned to see a man wearing simple clothes. He had the same mint-colored hair that Nikki did, with a pair of eyes to match. Her heart pounded. His clothes were wrong (at least, as far as she remembered) but there was no denying who this was.

King William.

Her father who had died six years earlier.

"Dad?" she whispered.

"It's me." She hesitantly approached him, touching his hand to ensure he was real before enveloping him in a desperate hug.

"Oh my God! You're actually here!"

"Only in spirit, I'm afraid. Welcome to the Dreamscape."

"The what?"

"The Dreamscape. This is the place where the living and dead can talk to each other without interference or wasting energy. I'm here because you need me."

"Why haven't you come before?"

"Well, you never really needed guidance before, Nickname. You're my daughter, and you have a stubborn streak a mile wide!" He laughed and Nikki did, too. They sat down on a fallen log.

"I've missed you, Dad. Mom hasn't been easy to deal with."

"I know. Your mother has always been a bit high-maintenance. Even back when we got married, she insisted on making it the biggest and best wedding that Lilac had ever seen."

"So, you know everything that's happened?"

"I'm always watching over you. I've seen everything." Nikki blushed as one particular memory came to mind. "Not that, sweetheart, don't worry."

"Since you aren't around in the living realm to tell me, what do you think of Max?"

"He's stubborn, rude, crass, incorrigible, and has an incredibly filthy mouth. Of course, I'm just saying that because I'm your father. I'm supposed to disapprove of the boys you bring home." Nikki laughed again. She'd missed his jokes the most. "If I'm telling the truth, he's loyal, honest, smart, hard-working, and able to keep you in line when you go a little too far. He puts your safety high above his own and will defend you even when you're not around to see it."

"How did you know that?"

"I've been watching over him, too, and he managed to punch Prince Edward yesterday when that asshole was making obscene comments about you. I daresay he would've murdered him if he could've gotten much closer."

"Of course." Nikki smiled and stared at the ground. "I'm so lost. I never would've made it outside the castle without him."

"And a love like the two of you share is hard to find."

"Didn't you have it with Mom?"

"Oh, heavens, no. Our marriage was like that of you and Prince Edward—a business arrangement meant to bring wealth to the kingdom."

"Oh."

"You're lucky to have found it, Nickname. Many people go their entire lives without finding true love, or even love they consider real. Like Rosemary."

"It's my fault."

"No, it's not. Her mind was warped by her birth father's abandonment and a desperation to prove herself worthy to the father she gained. Her death was a result of a chain reaction set in motion the moment she was conceived."

"Poor Rosemary."

"I'd say I didn't get a bad end, all things considering," a familiar voice teased. Nikki looked up to see Rosemary in between the trees. There was no dagger in her chest now—not even a wound. Her clothes were simple, yet comfortable. Her long hair rippled around her shoulders, freer than Nikki had ever seen it in life.

"Rosemary!" she gasped.

"Your Majesty, I believe your time is almost up," the dead girl stated.

"Yes." He gave Nikki a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you soon, Nickname."

"Bye, Daddy. I love you."

The forest rippled and faded.

Nikki sat up in bed, memories of her dream far from fading like the forest had. She felt hopeful for the plan to work out.

Max felt a pit in his stomach as the sun rose and light streamed into his cell.

Today's Nikki's wedding day.

If it weren't for the fact that she was marrying somebody else, he would've been ecstatic. But, as it stood, she was stuck marrying an asshole and he was stuck in prison. Life really sucked sometimes, and he longed to go see Nikki one last time while she was still his in the eyes of the law. Hold her one last time before their marriage was ripped apart by her controlling bitch of a mother and the sniveling little coward who called himself the Crown Prince of Woodland. Deep down, he knew that one wish was impossible to grant.

"Hello, Maximillian."

He let out a low growl as he looked up at Prince Edward.

"Seriously, don't you have anything fucking better to do than torment me?"

"I'd love to be preparing for my wedding, but it's sadly been postponed."

"Postponed?" His heart leapt up with hope.

"Princess Nicolette requested that we wait until after Rosemary's funeral. A proper two-week vigil for a fallen hero. If it weren't for the fact that she was a vapid woman, I'd admire that."

"And you're a patronizing asshole. Your point?"

"Well, the deal with Princess Nicolette as far as you were concerned was to release you to your family after the wedding to minimize the chance for an interruption. That still stands, if you behave yourself. You're lucky I didn't tell her about your attack on me; otherwise, she would've changed her mind about your freedom."

"Nikki has no problem with me punching self-righteous douchebags like you. Ask Jason in Sleepy Peak—he tried to drug and rape her, and I clocked him for it."

"Ha! You only did that to win her favor."

"Trust me, if it were that easy to make Nikki fall in love, you'd have gotten her first."

"Why, you—"

"What? You're going to call me a rude, incorrigible peasant who never should've laid hands on the princess because I'm unworthy? I know I'm unworthy of her. I'm fucking lucky she decided to put up with my disrespectful ass. But you know something? Even if you marry her, you'll never have her heart. She gave it to me and I intend to keep it. No matter what you do, she'll always see you as the man who ripped her marriage apart out of greed and lust."

Edward opened and closed his mouth, unable to respond to that.

"And another thing: as far as I'm concerned, she's got my heart, too. She can do whatever she wants with it. I gave it to her and it's hers forever."

"You… you actually love her."

"Of course! I've been fucking telling you that for the past two days!"

"It doesn't matter. I'm looking forward to that spirit being crushed, Maximillian."

"Suck a dick."

"Watch your mouth." Edward turned and left the curly-haired man alone with his own thoughts once again.

"So, this is the kingdom of Lilac."

Nerris found herself unable to stop looking at the numerous large buildings around her. She'd never been within a kingdom's walls before. Sleepy Peak didn't count; it was a large town, not a kingdom. The castle loomed over everything, the flag flying high and proud. She felt diminished by the sheer size of everything.

"It's huge!" Harrison blurted. Nerris elbowed him.

"Act like you belong here, dummy."

"I know! I've never been in a castle city before."

"Neither have I."

"Will you both stay still so we can get a room?" sighed Neil in frustration. They entered the inn and a woman with a kind face greeted them.

"Room for three?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Neil replied, putting the appropriate amount of gold on the counter. "We're here for the royal wedding in two weeks."

"Of course." She took a key off a hook and handed it to him. "Room 13. Enjoy your stay!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Neil, Nerris, and Harrison headed up the stairs and to the room. There were two beds and a cot, which Neil was quick to claim.

"Hey, why are you sleeping there?" Harrison asked.

"Well, I figured you two could get the beds."

"We share a bed back home," Nerris snorted. "We're engaged, for Christ's sake."

"Oh! I… didn't know that."

"Nobody does except us. They just think we're roommates."

"That's what I thought."

"It's more like we know we want to get married and can't agree on anything," Harrison corrected.

"That makes more sense."

"Fair." Nerris shrugged. "Besides, don't you have to go meet Lucy?"

"Oh, right." Neil picked up his bag and headed out. "Please don't set anything on fire. We're not in Sleepy Peak anymore."

He headed to The Lavender Quail, which was the Lilac equivalent of The Grumpy Butterfly. Lucy was sitting at a table in the corner, isolated from everyone else. Neil headed over and set his bag down.

"How's Nikki?" he asked.

"She's fine. A little shaken up by all that's happened to her, but fine."

"Good."

"She asked me to tell you that Captain Baker is still the only person with a key to that cell."

"I figured. It helps that the lock is supposed to be pick-proof."

"How do you plan to get into the castle, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm still the royal alchemist, aren't I? I'm sure I can get through security without much of a problem. Nerris and Harrison can be two magic-users I captured on my return."

"That's a good plan. I'll be sure to let Her Highness know."

"Oh, and let her know nothing's going to happen until her wedding day…"

"I'm here!"

Nikki looked around, trying to find her father again in this forest of goodness and light.

"Hello, Your Highness," a familiar voice laughed. She saw Rosemary standing there.

"Where's my dad?"

"He needed to visit someone else—the man you love so dearly."

"He's with Max." A smile spread across Nikki's face. "Good."

"I needed to talk to you instead of him. It's important for the future. Your future."

"Okay." They sat down on the fallen log again.

"As you learned last night, we spirits of the dead watch over those in the land of the living. This viewing allows us to see what they cannot and have access to knowledge that is unknown to anybody. I was able to see your wedding to Max because of that. I'm sorry that I interfered."

"You just wanted to prove yourself to Captain Baker."

"I heard what the king said last night, Nikki." Rosemary's annoyed tone had a playful lilt to it that let Nikki know she wasn't mad.

"What do you need to tell me, besides that?"

"There's no easy way to say it, I'm afraid."

"Are me and Max going to die?"

"I'm not clairvoyant. I can't see into the future like that. I can only see what is."

"What is… what?"

"What's currently in existence. I can view the past and the present, but only seers can view the future. I'm no seer."

"So, what's currently in existence for me, oh, All-Seeing-of-the-Past-and-Present Rosemary?" Rosemary took Nikki's hands in hers and sighed.

"Nikki… you're pregnant." Nikki gasped.

"Really? I am?! But it only happened once!"

"Once is all it takes. You're carrying Max's child. In nine months, you'll be a mother and he'll be a father."

Nikki pulled her hands away from Rosemary's and rested a hand on her flat belly.

"How can you tell?"

"There's a spark of life in you that doesn't belong to you. It's very faint, but it's growing stronger with each passing day. Eventually, it'll grow and expand your belly, making itself known to the outside world."

"But… what about Edward? He'll never let me give birth to Max's child."

"Which is why there's one more thing you need to know. It could help save you, Max, and your baby."

"What?! What is it?"

"Edward was the one who poisoned your father."