Estora made her way to the castle gardens, lost in thought. Her father had informed her the previous night that Lords Arey and Bairdly were on their way to Sacor City. She knew why they were coming. Her father seemed ready to do anything to ensure she would be queen, even threaten to use his influence to unbalance the monarchy. Estora was not sure what to think about the fact that he was willing to go so far. She loved her father and had trusted him to do what was right for most of her life. But she also believed that King Zachary truly was a good monarch, and it did not sit well with her that her father was willing to threaten his position.

She started through the gate into the garden, and a black-clad figure she had not seen before emerged from the shadows. Estora recognized him as one of Zachary's Weapons though she could not remember his name. Interesting. That meant Zachary was in the garden somewhere. Perhaps it would be a good chance to talk with him away from prying eyes, to try and figure out what his thoughts were on the marriage contract.

The Weapon seemed to recognize her, and he bowed, sinking back into the shadows. She watched, surprised at how well he blended in with his surroundings. Even though she knew he was there, it was hard to pick him out. She supposed that was his purpose, but in truth, the Weapons' ability to fade into the background made her a bit uneasy. She would have to grow accustomed to it, though, if she were to be queen. There would be many more Weapons in her future.

As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of Zachary. He held the hand of the small boy her father believed was his bastard child. Estora had to admit, she could see why her father believed the two to be father and son. Surprisingly, however, the thought that Zachary had a child did not bother her as much as she had expected. Estora had always wanted children, and having an heir to the throne would take the pressure off her once they married. Perhaps the boy was a blessing in disguise.

Estora stepped closer to the pair, clearing her throat to draw their attention. Both turned, and Zachary gave her a small smile. The boy, however, shrank against Zachary's legs, hiding his face. "Lady Estora, it is nice to see you," Zachary said as she curtseyed. "I don't believe you have met Xavier yet." He placed a hand between the boy's shoulder blades.

"I have not had the pleasure. Xavier is a lovely name."

The boy turned slightly, and Estora saw he had wrinkled his nose. "Not lovely," he argued. "He was a hero in the Long War." Estora glanced at Zachary who shrugged.

"So I am told. Would you like to walk with us?"

"That sounds lovely." Estora fell into step beside him. Though she purposefully chose the side Xavier walked on, hoping to draw him into a conversation, the boy immediately moved to Zachary's other side, almost as if he were avoiding her. Zachary gave her a rueful smile.

"He is a bit shy," he said.

"I understand. I was shy as a child as well. I am sure eventually he will grow more comfortable with me." They began walking, talking of nothing important. Xavier continued to avoid Estora; even when she stepped around Zachary to sniff a particularly interesting flower, he switched sides to stay far away from her. It bothered her more than she liked to admit. She had always considered herself good with children, but no matter how many times she tried to draw him into the conversation, he refused to speak.

A few minutes after they had started their walk, Xavier suddenly stepped away from Zachary's side. For a moment, Estora thought she had finally found a way to draw his interest, but she quickly realized she was mistaken. "Karigan!" the boy shouted, rushing forward. Estora glanced up to see the Green Rider crouch down to meet the previously taciturn boy in a hug. A wave of jealousy passed over Estora as she wondered just how Karigan had come to know the boy as well as she obviously did. After all, Estora was the one marrying Zachary. It should have been her that Xavier was hugging.

Karigan whispered something to the boy, and his eyes lit up. He bounced back to Zachary, even consenting to approach him on the side where Estora stood. "Karigan says they have a new pony in the stables and that maybe the stable master will let me ride! Can I go, Cousin Zachary? Please!"

Zachary chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "I assume you confirmed that Karigan was willing to take you," he said, meeting Karigan's eye. She smiled and nodded. "And did you thank her?"

"I did. So can I go?"

Zachary laughed, and Estora found she quite liked the sound. "Yes, you may go. But be good." Xavier nodded, skipping off towards Karigan. He held out a hand, and the young woman took it before glancing back at Zachary and Estora. Her eyes quickly flitted from one to the other before meeting and holding Zachary's gaze. A question and answer seemed to flow between them, and Estora wished she knew what it was. Before she could puzzle long, however, Karigan had turned away, leading the now chatty young boy out of the gardens. "Would you like to continue?" Zachary inquired. "I confess, I have been meaning to speak with you for some time, so this is a nice excuse to do so."

"Yes, that would be lovely." Estora's heart raced at the possibility of what he might want to discuss. Perhaps he would finally bring up the marriage contract that had been hanging over her for what seemed like ages.

"Excellent." He led her to a bench and helped her to sit on it. "I wanted to talk about the marriage contract." Estora kept her expression neutral, but inside, her heart leapt.

"What about it?"

"Is it truly what you want?"

Estora stared at him in shock for a moment. Why did it matter what she wanted? The marriage was what her father wanted and what the kingdom expected. However, he had not asked either of those questions. He seemed concerned with her wants, her happiness. That realization made her answer easier. She was not sure she loved him yet, not as she loved F'ryan, but she was now sure she could love him in time. "I think I would be content in a marriage with you."

He gave a gentle smile. "Captain Mapstone would tell me that is a true but carefully worded answer."

"What about you? Is the marriage contract what you want?"

"I think you are a lovely woman, and any man would be lucky to call you his wife."

"Now it is you who chooses your words carefully." She thought for a moment. "Do you want to marry me?" she questioned bluntly. He did not respond, choosing instead to stare out across the garden. Estora's heart sank, for that was all the answer she needed. "I see."

"My reluctance has nothing to do with you, my lady," Zachary assured her. "I meant what I said earlier—you are a beautiful woman, and I am sure many men would be happy to call you their wife."

"But you are not one of them? Why not refuse the contract then?"

"Alas, it is not always about what I want. I am sure you know that well. What about you? Do you want to marry me? Could you ever be more than just content with me?"

Estora considered the question carefully. After losing F'ryan, she had assumed she would never love again. However, looking at Zachary now, she saw many of the same qualities that had drawn her to F'ryan in the first place. He was strong, perhaps even stronger than her deceased lover, and she knew he would always do what was right. She remembered watching him in the throne room during Amilton's coup, remembered the way he had faced his brother without fear, ready to do what was best for Sacordia even if that meant the loss of his own life. Yes, she could certainly be more than content with him, could likely even love him. "I think I could," she answered honestly.

"But you do not love me."

"Not yet, but I do believe I would come to love you." His eyes dimmed slightly, and he returned his gaze to the garden. "My parents had never met one another until two weeks before their wedding, and they have done quite well together. I think we could be much the same." She studied him for a moment, admiring the strong line of his jaw, clearly visible now that he was clean-shaven. She wondered idly why he had shaved his beard. It took years off his age. "You do not love me either." Her tone was not accusatory though she did feel a bit of despair at the realization.

"Mm, I always knew I would likely not marry for love," he said. His thoughts seemed far away, and she wondered if he even realized whom he was talking to anymore. Estora's heart sank slightly when he made no mention of coming to love her in time as she had. In fact, he looked almost resigned to his fate. His expression was certainly not one of eager anticipation that Estora would much prefer on a future husband when discussing their nuptials. "Marrying would certainly be the easier option."

"There are many who anticipate a union between us," Estora agreed.

"Yes. However, I have never been one to pursue the easy option." He turned to her with a wry smile, and Estora once more felt a pang of familiarity. He was not F'ryan, but despite their relative positions, the two were much more similar than she had first believed.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He was quiet for so long she thought he had forgotten the question. But he did eventually answer. "I want. . . I want to believe that there is a place for hopes and dreams." His expression was distant again, and Estora realized with a start why he was so reluctant. King Zachary was in love, most likely with someone of whom the nobles would not approve. She wondered if perhaps Xavier was his son despite his attestations to the contrary. Maybe he was still in love with the boy's mother. Of course, that did not explain why he had only recently brought the boy to Sacor City. He was an enigma, one Estora wanted desperately to unravel, but it seemed the more she tried, the more confusing he was.

Sympathy and jealousy warred for dominance in Estora's head. She knew well the pain of a forbidden love, and she certainly did not wish that on him. But if he just gave her a chance, she could make him quite happy. Maybe he would forget about whatever woman he thought he loved. "I think that sometimes, Aeryc knows us better than we know ourselves," she finally said. He looked at her, frowning slightly. "Sometimes, our hopes and dreams may not actually be what is best for us," she clarified.

"And sometimes, they may help us down a path we previously thought impossible to travel." He smiled, but there was a slight challenge to it. He rose from the bench, taking her hand and pressing a light kiss to the back of it. "It was good to see you, Lady Estora. Pass on my best wishes to your father." His words were perfectly polite, but Estora still felt that there was mockery to them. But maybe she was just overly sensitive. Before she could say anything else, he had swept out of the garden. She spent a few minutes more on the bench before rising and leaving more slowly. Her middle sister, Bella, met her as she exited.

"I just saw the king walk out of here a few minutes ago," Bella remarked.

"Yes, we had a pleasant conversation," Estora said, allowing her years of training to hide her true feelings about the encounter.

"Alone? You know father will not like that you met him without a chaperone."

"It was an accidental meeting. I am sure father will forgive me. Besides, we are no longer teenagers. We are both grown adults who are perfectly capable of acting honorably."

Bella sighed wistfully. "I wish I was old enough to marry. You are so lucky. Especially to be marrying him. Not only is he the king, but he's also a very nice man and also extremely handsome. I would love to marry a man like him, even if he was not the king."

"You have a couple years yet. I am sure you will find someone."

"Maybe. But not someone like him. I just love watching him move around. He is so graceful, but there is power in his movement, too. Most men are either too burly or too flabby."

Estora could not stop the chuckle that escaped from her mouth. Bella was at an age where she noticed every man who walked by and felt the need to comment on their appearance. "You are speaking of your king," Estora reminded her sister.

"Yes, but he will be my brother-in-law soon, too."

That brought a fresh wave of jealousy to the surface. Bella spoke with such surety, and Estora was sure many felt the same. They expected her to marry the king. Estora could not even begin to imagine what whispers might follow them if they did not marry. "I do not know that that makes it any better," she said, forcing a teasing smile on her face. She led the way back into the castle, her thoughts still racing. She knew Zachary would be unhappy if they were to marry. In fact, despite the fact that he was an honorable man, she suspected he would be tempted to stray from their marriage bed which could have disastrous consequences. Could she really consign him to that life? Could she force him into a marriage he did not want knowing that there was someone out there who had his true affections? Years before, the answer would have been yes, but her time with F'ryan had taught her that the heart did not always follow convention. But it could be made to change. Perhaps that was the true answer, the one which would make everyone happy. She would help Zachary learn to love her.