David felt his stomach twisting as he brought the wagon to a stop outside of Lilac.

Just a few days earlier, he'd watched his daughter-in-law walk down the aisle to marry the boy he'd raised for ten years—only for it all to fall apart the next day. He'd been looking forward to seeing Max being happy and in love that way for a while. Then Rosemary had shown up and that was the last time he'd seen his son. It was the last time any of them had seen Max, other than Lizzie, and she'd been worried about him and Nikki the entire time they'd been gone. And, thanks to the letter from Lilac, they now knew where they both were.

Imprisoned in the castle.

"I'm sure they're fine, David," Gwen assured her husband, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I know Nikki is, but I'm worried about Max. They're not going to believe that he didn't kidnap her and more than likely, he'll be blamed for Rosemary's death."

"Death?!" they heard Campbell gasp. The couple turned to see the burly man—his midsection still wrapped in bandages—staring at them in shock and horror.

"Mr. Campbell… you're awake," David sighed. "Yes. She's gone."

"How… how did it happen?"

"She was killed while she was chasing Max and Nikki. It was after she stabbed you."

"Where is she now?"

"In Lilac," Gwen replied. "According to Neil's last message, the funeral is this afternoon at the royal cemetery. She's getting a proper burial instead of being dropped in a pit."

"I need a disguise." Campbell turned to the wagon.

"A disguise? Why?" Jaspar inquired, confused.

"I was never there for my daughter in life. I have no doubt she endlessly resented me for walking out twelve years ago. But… I'm still her father. I should at least be there to say goodbye, since I didn't see her grow up. I doubt her mother and stepfather will want to see me, so I'll wear a disguise."

"That's actually kind of poetic and tragic," Gwen commented. "A father unable to tell his daughter goodbye as her father."

"And maybe I'll see my son."

"Your son?! You have another kid?!"

"Little Joseph—Rosemary's twin brother. My only living offspring now that Rosie's gone."

"We'll help you," David offered. "Even if your daughter did stab you in the gut before running after my son and daughter-in-law to bring them to the vicious jaws of a kingdom that will never accept their marriage as legal."

"Thanks, Davey!" Campbell slapped David on the back. "I was thinking of a mustache and a cloak."

"You already have a mustache!" giggled Lizzie.

"A different one. One that's less recognizable. Mine was voted 'Best-Looking Mustache' back when I lived in Lilac."

"Seriously?" Gwen groaned. "The cloak should be enough. You're going to your daughter's funeral to pay your respects. Act a little more mature."

"You're right, Grace. My Rosie deserves better."

He grabbed a cloak—black, of course, to match the occasion.

"I'm off to Lilac. I'll see you after the funeral."

Off he went, his companions watching him go.

"I hope it goes well," David told Gwen. "He deserves to at least be allowed to say one final goodbye."

"And he will. Nobody will remember him. It's been three months since he was in Lilac, and I don't think they'll remember him for crashing the wedding."

"I hope you're right."

"Daddy, what's a funeral?" Lizzie asked, looking up at her father.

Both parents stiffened at the question they'd hoped that would take a few more years to be asked.

"Where the fuck am I?"

Max looked around in confusion. It seemed like he was in the bullshit enchanted forest where he and Nikki had narrowly escaped death, but this place didn't seem as menacing or evil. Rather, it seemed welcoming and full of light. The only things he could hear were the sounds you'd hear in any forest—animals, running water, the rustling of leaves. Nikki would've loved it.

"Is anyone here?" he called.

"Yes," a man answered behind him. Max whirled around to see a man with mint-colored hair and eyes. Despite his simple clothing, he carried himself with the grace of a great king.

"Who are you? Do I know you?"

"You never met me when I was alive. It's a pity, really, that I didn't get to do that. No, you don't know me, but you know of me." He bowed slightly. "King William Edward Henry de Gardenia the Fourth of Lilac, at your service."

"King William…? Wait, you're Nikki's dad?!"

"My little girl." Max felt nervous. His knees were weak and his arms were heavy.

He was talking to his deceased father-in-law.

"Sir, I apologize for what I did."

"For what?"

"Taking your daughter away from the kingdom… marrying her without your consent…"

"Don't apologize for that. You're good for her."

"Your Majesty, I'm not good for anyone." Max sank down and sat on a fallen log. "Especially not someone like her."

"That's where you're wrong, son." William sat next to his son-in-law. "You see, you think you're no good for my Nickname because you were raised a peasant. You've had a hard life that led to a lot of hard choices. But, on the day she was to marry Prince Edward, you kept her from getting hurt, and you've continued that the entirety of the time you've known her. You put her safety and well-being above your own and you reel her back in when she starts to go over the edge. You make her smile and laugh, and you legitimately care about her as a person."

"So… you approve of our marriage?"

"I'm your father-in-law. I'm technically not supposed to approve of boys my daughter brings home, but yes. I approve of you."

"Thank you." Max stared at the ground.

"I saw what you did to Prince Edward the other day. You have a strong punch."

"Wait, what?"

"Part of being dead is that we can watch over the living. I've been watching over my daughter since the day I died, and I've been watching you since you met her. You refused to let those sort of obscene comments be made about her. You are a loyal, hard-working, and honest man."

"Not like there's much I can do in prison."

"Well, I'll tell you this—your friends aren't going to let you rot here. And the door isn't magic-proof."

"It's not?"

"It's impossible to defend against magic without magic. Quite the conundrum, don't you think, my boy?"

"Yeah, it is." King William looked at the light in the sky and stood up.

"Well, it's time for me to get going. My time with you is up."

"Thanks for the advice."

"No problem." He started to leave, but then turned back around. "Take care of my little girl and the baby."

Max's eyes widened.

"Wait—baby?! What baby?!"

"You work quickly, Max. It took me and Candy three years to conceive, but you did it in one night." He waved and faded into the trees.

Max gasped as he sat up on the straw mattress.

He was still in his cell.

It had been a dream.

Take care of my little girl and the baby.

Nikki was pregnant. He'd slept with her one fucking time and gotten her pregnant. He was going to be a father before he was eighteen—which, to be fair, wasn't unusual for their time. But still, she was alone in this.

Your friends aren't going to let you rot in here.

On top of that, there was some kind of escape plan in the works? One that obviously involved Nerris and/or Harrison, since they were the only magic-users he knew of. They'd get him out for sure, but what about Nikki? Without the marriage contract, they had no way to get her out of the wedding for good.

What to do?

Nikki sighed as she tied off her braid with a black ribbon.

It was the day of Rosemary's funeral, and as per tradition, Nikki had dressed all in black. Her hair was in a braid as a tribute to Rosemary's typical hairstyle of choice—Lucy's idea. Nikki was grateful that Lucy was on her side now instead of her mother's; Candy would've insisted Nikki wear her hair in a tight bun and a veil. The veil was being left out so that Nikki could view the body without obstruction.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Lucy asked in a quiet voice.

"Ready as I can be, for the funeral of my murder victim," Nikki replied.

They headed downstairs and met with the queen, who was waiting with Prince Edward.

Speaking of murderers who attend their victims' funerals…

It was infuriating, knowing that Edward had poisoned her father without consequence. For six years, the assassination had been seen as the work of an unhappy servant or royal aide. Nobody had suspected that it was a political move by a red-headed bastard prince who was to marry the princess. He'd done it to make Queen Candy unstable and less able to rule Lilac, therefore giving him control once he married Nikki.

Of course, now he had a problem that he didn't even know about.

Nikki knew what he'd done.

Oh, boy, was she pissed and ready to ream him for what he'd done!

Not today, though. Today she had to pay her respects to a girl who'd craved acceptance in life that she'd never gotten. That girl was now considered a hero by all within the walls of Lilac, and Nikki was tempted to agree. Despite the whole ruining-her-marriage thing, because honestly, in Rosemary's eyes, she'd been rescuing a princess from a terrible situation. She'd given her life for a cause she believed in. That was admirable.

"Let's go, my darling," Edward purred, taking Nikki's arm. She pulled it away and walked towards the carriage, her head held high.

Once they got to the cemetery, Nikki sat down on the special thrones they'd set up for her, Candy, and Edward, ready to say one final goodbye. It was then that they brought out Rosemary's coffin, opening it so that they could see Rosemary's peaceful expression. Her bloody clothes had been taken away, replaced with an untorn dress that concealed the wound in her chest. Her eyes were closed and her har was braided, the way she'd so often worn it in life.

"It is so tragic that one so young and strong should be taken from us," said the old man who walked up to the casket. He had a long mustache and a hook for a hand. Nikki recognized him as the Quarter-Minister from Sleepy Peak. "I am the minister of Sleepy Peak, the town where she died, and I was given the privilege of watching her the last two months of her life. She was loyal, determined, hard-working, and willing to do anything to complete a task she's been assigned. She once told me that she'd be willing to lose her life if it meant the princess could be brought home safely. Rosemary Baker was a daughter, a stepdaughter, a sister, a soldier, a guard, and a friend. Those of us who knew her in life hope that now she is at peace, knowing that it was because of her sacrifice that the princess was brought home safely. And now, would anyone from the royal family like to speak?"

"I would," Nikki called. She walked up next to the casket. "I am the princess of Lilac who left the kingdom three months ago, sparking the hunt that led to Rosemary's death. She was the one who chased me down on foot, but I wasn't willing to go without a fight. In that fight… it was me who dealt the final blow to her, and I can never take it back, no matter how much I want to. She was a truly loyal person and I wish I could have known her under different circumstances. We might've been friends. I am so, so sorry to the Baker family for taking her away from you so soon, and I hope you can forgive me for this act." She bowed her head. "Goodbye, Rosemary."

"Nice job, sweetie," Edward told her as she sat back down. She refused to look at him and instead focused on the crowd. She could see a burly man in a black cloak near the back—a man she knew very well.

Campbell? What's he doing here?

Rosemary's mother, brother, and stepfather all approached the body and spoke of Rosemary's earlier life, talking of her sweet nature and willingness to go after what she wanted. They painted the picture of what had led Rosemary to become who she was when she died, and Nikki felt her gut twisting. None of them spoke of the fact that Nikki had killed her, but when the speeches were said and done, the people began to walk up to pay their respects. Nikki happened to be behind Campbell in line and heard what he said.

"Rosie, I'm sorry I wasn't able to be your father in life. You got a great replacement in Captain Baker—an upgrade, if you will. He raised you better than I could've. I understand why you were angry at me, but I hope now that you've passed on, you can see that it was for the best. So… this is my goodbye to you. I hope you found peace in the next life."

Nikki felt her gut twist again. Campbell was Rosemary's birth father. She'd killed the daughter of one of her traveling companions without realizing it. Campbell turned and walked away, leaving the funeral entirely as Nikki approached to say her final farewell.

"Bye, Rosemary. Thank you for your guidance and everything you've revealed to me..."

"No. Fucking. Way."

Neil reread Nikki's latest letter, unable to believe what he was reading.

Prince Edward poisoned King William to gain more control of Lilac?! I can't believe this!

"It makes sense when you think about it," Nerris pointed out. "I mean, wasn't King William well-loved by the entire kingdom and most of the people outside of it? It didn't make sense for someone to poison him in the first place."

"I just always thought Queen Candy did it," Harrison added.

"So did I," Neil stated with a shrug. "But now I'm remembering that Prince Edward was visiting for Nikki's tenth birthday party at the time King William died. It was the perfect opportunity for him to strike."

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Nerris asked.

"Nothing really. The rest is just telling us to lay low for now."

"This sucks," Harrison sighed.

"But the Quarter-Minster is here and trying to get an audience with the queen, remember? If that goes well, we might not have to break Max out at all. And then we just have to find a way to prove that Edward poisoned William so that bastard can't come near Nikki or Max again."

"How did Nikki find out, anyway?"

"She said Rosemary told her in a dream. Which, I mean, come on. The spirits of the deceased revealing secrets? That makes sense to me."

"Aren't you a scientist?" snickered Nerris.

"There are things in this world science can't explain. Where the dead go after death is one of those questions, and I'd like to think that they watch over us from where they are."

"Whatever."

Neil rolled his eyes and glanced at the letter again. This time, he noticed a P.S. at the bottom.

P.S.: Rosemary told me something else. Promise you won't freak out, but…

I'm pregnant. Max got me pregnant on our wedding night.

Neil actually dropped the letter this time. His eyes were even wider as he struggled to find the words to tell his companions what Nikki had added.

"What's wrong?!" gasped Nerris.

"A-According to Nikki's postscript, she's also… pregnant."

"That means we have to get her out!" Harrison declared. "Edward will never let the child live."

"But the baby is more proof that Nikki and Max were married!" Nerris piped up. "And by that logic, Max got her pregnant when they consummated their marriage. Most parents I know don't conceive for a couple of years."

"Well, once is all it takes," Neil sighed. "We can only hope that this plan works…"

Okay, so this chapter went up a little late due to circumstances beyond my control.

As I stated in chapter nine, this weekend, I'm at DragonCon in Atlanta. This is not my home turf where I lock myself in my room and write each chapter out. Instead, I'm walking around and enjoying the different panels and cosplayers, participating in the convention. I'm actually arguing with my mother about taking my computer with me while I'm walking around, and that's going great. If I'm able to, I'll post a second chapter today to make up for the fact that I was late with this one.

Anyway, yes, we're still building up to the royal 'wedding' (we all know that bullshit isn't going to happen) and Max now knows that Nikki is pregnant. Yay!

I'll see you all in chapter fifteen, which should be logically be one of the last chapters. However, no matter how long this story is, I'm doing a long author's note at the end like I did for 'The Final Bell'.

So long and thanks for all the fish!