It was nearing lunchtime by the time Karigan awoke the next day. She had stayed out late the night before, enjoying the levity brought by the festival and the ability to finally show her feelings for Zachary in the open. She pulled on an old tunic and trousers as well as her riding boots before making her way out of her room, intending to retrieve something to eat. As she stepped through the common room, however, a hush fell over it. She looked up, coloring when she saw the other Riders watching her with expressions that seemed to be a mix of awe and envy.

Mara finally rescued her. "I was wondering how long you would sleep," she said. "We have been holding off on opening presents until you arrived." Karigan glanced at the tree that stood in the corner of the common room, noting that presents still littered the base. In all the excitement over the engagement, she had honestly forgotten about the Rider tradition of opening gifts together every Midwinter Day. Karigan did not know who had started it, but she did think it was a good idea. So many Riders came to them quite young, most on the cusp of adulthood, and the familiar tradition helped ease the transition.

"Unless you find such things beneath you, now that you are to be queen." That, of course, was from Praya. Karigan narrowed her eyes at the other Rider.

"I would love to join though I would appreciate some food first."

Yates stood suddenly, stepping to Karigan's side. He bowed when he reached her. "I must say, my lady, though I am upset you chose not to confide in me, I will be proud to serve you as queen."

"It's about time we had a Rider on the throne again," Tegan added, bowing as well. A murmur of agreement spread throughout the room, and Karigan felt herself smiling.

"Let me get some food, and then we can open presents."

When Karigan returned with a large plate of food, someone had already sorted the presents into neat piles. Mara pointed her into one of the chairs with a small set of gifts. As she sat, Tegan leaned over from a nearby chair. "So, we are dying of curiosity. What is the king like, really? I mean, behind all of the political masks he puts on."

Karigan noted that many of the other Riders watched her expectantly. She groaned inwardly. She had not realized just how interested they would be in Zachary. "He's. . . not much different, honestly," Karigan told them. "I mean, he still has a quiet confidence, and he tends to be careful but decisive when forming opinions, even on non-political matters."

"Come on, Karigan, surely you have more details than that," Tegan said. "What kind of things does he like to do?"

"Does he ever take off the crown?" another Rider questioned.

"What kind of kisser is he?" Karigan looked at Dale sharply, but her friend merely winked in return. Karigan flushed, swallowing hard.

"He likes to ride or play with his dogs. He also enjoys sword practice, especially when he has too much energy from being in meetings too long. He likes to read, especially fiction, though he doesn't get much time for it. Unlike most, he does not mind doing figures and is actually quite good at it, but he rarely has the time. And yes, he does sometimes remove the crown."

"And the kissing?" Dale pressed.

"It's good," Karigan said.

"Just good? Hm, I always assumed kissing him would be better than good. I mean, he's a very good-looking man. All those muscles from sword fighting."

"Do remember of whom you speak," Mara cautioned, her expression a cross between amusement and sternness. Dale gave her a look, and it did not take long for amusement to win out on Mara's face.

"I thought we were opening presents," Karigan said, desperately hoping to change topics. Mara, fortunately, took pity on her.

"And so we were. Bryarly, as the youngest, would you like to go first?" She turned to one of the newer Riders, a girl of only sixteen who had heard the call the previous month. She was quiet, still settling in to her new identity which was a far cry from the farm work she had grown up doing. But at least her experience with farming had given her good experience with horses, something a number of the newer Riders were lacking. The stable master certainly had his hands full.

They went around the room with each Rider opening one gift at a time. It tended to stretch out the proceedings, but no one ever minded, for the Riders used the time more as a chance to enjoy one another's company than anything. Most of the Riders opened gifts that their family had sent along, and the more experienced Riders saw to it that anyone who did not have such gifts received something from them instead. Karigan smiled as she watched the look of surprise on Fergal's face when he discovered that he, too, had gifts to unwrap. His eyes narrowed, however, when he saw the present. Garth leaned over to see what it was, laughing aloud. At the others' urging, he wrestled the gift from Fergal's hands and held it up. It was a thick book entitled Equestrian Care for the Inexperienced Rider. Fergal shot Karigan a glare, but she hid her smile, refusing to admit that she was the one who had bought him the book. He would cheer up later anyway when he opened the chocolate she had bought him as well.

Karigan's presents included a beautiful new gown from her aunts—with a note that made her blush profusely that she refused to let anyone else read. She also opened two new books of short stories from her father as well as a lovely cloak. Noting the color of the cloak, she smiled. It was the same green of her uniform. The gift was his way of telling her that he had accepted that she was bound to the service, much as he did not like it, especially given recent revelations. Good. She was grateful for Zachary's explanation to her father and his understanding of the fact that it was not a position she could easily give up. It would make the marriage much easier.

Karigan's last present puzzled her. It was long and thin and had no indication on the wrapping of whom it was from. She glanced around the room to see if perhaps one of her fellow Riders looked guilty, but they all seemed just as confused as she was. Curious now, she inserted her fingers between the layers of paper and pulled it off. Much to her surprise, a sheathed saber fell into her lap. Karigan drew it partway from the scabbard and examined it closely. It was well-made and obviously quite expensive though it looked to have been used before. The hilt was worn, and the blade, though razor sharp, did not look to be recently forged.

"Whoa, I have never seen anyone get a weapon for Midwinter's day before," Fergal remarked. "Who is that from?"

"There wasn't a name on the package," Dale said. "Just 'To: Karigan,' and I did not recognize the handwriting."

"I'm surprised. You've seen it before." Mara had a knowing smile on her face, and Karigan suspected she knew why. She had not seen the address, but she guessed the script was elegant but precise, easily legible without being overly flowery.

"There's a note," Yates said, bending down to pick up a piece of paper that had fluttered to the floor. Karigan reached out to take it from him, but he was already unfolding it to read. She hoped there was nothing embarrassing in it. Surely Zachary would know that there would be no privacy in the Rider common room. "This was my saber before I became a master," Yates read. "It served me quite well over the years, and I believe it will bring you the same luck. I know most would chide me for not getting you something a bit less practical, like jewelry, but this seemed more fitting. And if you would still like jewelry, you should check the package again." Dale immediately scrambled to grab the packaging, and it did not take her long to find what she was seeking. He had wrapped it separately but in the same paper he used for the sword which meant that Karigan had missed it at first.

"Open it," she said, holding out the small package for Karigan. Karigan did as she asked, peering inside briefly before pulling out the contents so that everyone could see, knowing they would not let her rest until she did so. A number of others leaned closer, and a few of the girls tittered excitedly when they saw the necklace. Karigan had to admit—though she had never been one for fancy jewelry, it was quite beautiful. It was big enough to be noticeable but not too ostentatious. The charm was obviously custom, for it depicted a horse overlaying a crown with a small emerald glistening in the center.

"You will always be my Rider Queen. Love, Zachary," Dale read, and Karigan turned to see that her friend held a second slip of paper, likely one she had pulled from the second package. A chorus of sighs caused Karigan to flush, and Yates arched an eyebrow.

"A charm like that would take a few days to make at least, even if it was for the king. How long exactly have you been planning this announcement?"

"Months," Karigan said honestly. "Zachary wanted to do some political maneuvering first, make sure that he had at least some support from the council."

Tegan gave a small snort. "Hearing you call him Zachary is going to take some getting used to."

"As are the maudlin love letters from him," Dale said, waving the paper she still held.

"It's not maudlin," Karigan said, snatching the paper from her. "And if you don't want to see them, you should not have snooped into other people's packages."

"It is rather tamer than I expected," Yates said, folding the letter he held and handing it back to Karigan. "Given the way you two were cavorting last night, I expected something a bit more risqué."

"Oh, I bet he saves those for when he gets her alone," Garth said, wearing a knowing smirk.

"You are all impossible," Karigan muttered, tucking the letters into her pocket.

"That's a yes," Yates said. Karigan growled in frustration, and they all laughed.

Unfortunately, Karigan was not able to spend all day with the Riders. Zachary had asked her to attend the Midwinter Ball that evening with him, and she knew she could not refuse. After their announcement, everyone would expect her to be there on his arm. She knew that it was only the first of many such occasions, for being a queen would thrust her into far more social events that she wanted. Zachary had promised to help ease her into them, a fact for which she was grateful.

It did not take long after they arrived at the ball for Karigan to decide that she really hated balls. It was not even Harris' callous abandonment that had led to her hatred. No, she hated the way that people felt they had to put on a mask at balls, to be someone they were not. She also hated the way that balls seemed to inspire insipid gossip. Especially the current ball. After Zachary had announced their courtship at the festival the previous day, word had spread quickly. Karigan knew that many of the nobles were judging her, trying to figure out if she would make a worthy queen. She could not help but feel that she fell woefully short of their expectations

She had come in on Zachary's arm, a fact which had caused quite a stir. Fortunately, they had entered during the first dance of the ball, so the room was not yet crowded with people and only a few nobles had to feign happiness for the couple. Zachary had stuck close by her side initially, but a couple Lord Governors had pulled him away only a few minutes after they had entered. To his credit, he had looked to her before leaving her side, only following the Lord Governors when she gave a nod. She had hoped that without him next to her, the gossip would stop or at least slow, but it had not worked. She still saw pointed looks cast her way and heard her name in snatches of whispered conversation.

"Karigan?" a voice suddenly remarked behind her. Karigan nearly spit out the wine she had just sipped, recognizing the voice. Apparently, the gods had decided she must be punished thoroughly on the current night. Turning, she gave a fake smile to Jasmine Arey.

"Lady Arey, how nice to see you." Karigan's voice dripped false pleasantness. Jasmine Arey had been one of her main tormentors at Selium. She had hoped to end all interactions with her once she left the school, but it seemed the gods would not grant her wish.

"I must say, I never expected to see you at such a ball. I would have thought that after Selium, you would never have attended one again."

Karigan forced a smile that showed far too many teeth. She realized that Jasmine had not heard the news or, if she had, had not made the connection between her old classmate and the king's betrothed. Perhaps the meeting was more fortuitous than Karigan first thought. "As I said then, with the right company, I can be persuaded to attend."

"Oh? I was not aware you were keeping company with invisible friends now."

"Not invisible. Merely busy with other matters at the moment."

"Mmm, of course." Karigan could tell Jasmine did not believe her. A simpering smile had spread across Jasmine's face, one Karigan could not help but wish to wipe away.

"Perhaps you would like to meet him?" Karigan asked, voice full of false innocence.

"I would indeed." Karigan nodded, glancing around the room. Her eyes quickly picked out Zachary's form, easily distinguishable in his deep blue coat, the one that had always reminded Karigan of the sea. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up from his conversation, giving her a fleeting smile. She jerked her head slightly to ask him to join, and he gave a barely perceptible nod, excusing himself from his own conversation. She looked back at Jasmine who was watching with bored indifference. Since Jasmine faced away from the king, she had missed the silent conversation. "I suppose we may meet later," Jasmine said. "For now, I must be off to find my own suitor. Lord Mirwell has asked me here tonight. I almost could not believe it, but I suppose our time together at Selium made an impression." She started to turn, but her eyes suddenly went wide. Karigan sensed Zachary's presence beside her, and she forced her face to remain neutral. "Sire," Jasmine greeted, bowing deeply.

"I do not believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance." Zachary glanced back and forth between Karigan and Jasmine. He was not a stupid man and excellent at reading people, so Karigan knew he had guessed that she and Jasmine were not friendly.

"This is Jasmine Arey," Karigan said, gesturing to the woman in front of her.

"Ah, yes, Lord Arey's niece. A pleasure." He took her hand, bowing over it as he pressed a brief kiss to the back of it. It was a more obsequious gesture than he would normally make. Karigan knew him well enough to realize that he made it in jest though Jasmine fairly simpered under his regard. Glancing to the side, Karigan noted that he still maintained the bland expression he always had in court.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sire."

"I did not realize you and Karigan were acquainted?"

"We went to Selium together, Sire. We were actually just talking about some of our memories from that wonderful place. Do you remember your first ball, Karigan? I don't believe you stayed long, but it was certainly a grand event. I cannot imagine why you left."

Zachary chuckled. "I daresay Karigan sometimes finds the events as stuffy and constraining as I do. Aeryc knows it was hard enough to convince her to come to this one." Jasmine's eyes widened, flitting back and forth between the two. Karigan smirked inwardly. Jasmine was not very intelligent, but even she could sense that the king's words indicated Karigan meant something to him.

"Yes, well, as you pointed out, I had no choice."

"You always have a choice. In this case, it just was not a very good one."

"You basically forced me to come."

"Gentle persuasion."

"Coercion."

"I doubt I could coerce you into anything you did not want to do, at least on some level."

"There you are, Jasmine. I thought I told you to wait for me outside in the. . . Sire!" Timas appeared beside Jasmine suddenly, grabbing her elbow with a hint of possession. He dropped it quickly, bowing to his king. His expression was a cross between angry and nervous, and he did not meet Zachary's eye.

"Ah, Lord Mirwell, it is good to see you. I trust you will have a. . . pleasant time tonight." There was a hint of a threat with Zachary's words, and even Timas could hear it. Karigan knew that Timas had opposed the match vehemently, but she suspected that Zachary had not told her the full story of what had occurred when he announced his intention to marry her to the Lord Governors. She would press him on the issue later. Right now, she was deriving too much pleasure from watching two of her arch-rivals squirm. She knew she should not seek revenge, but that did not stop it from feeling good.

"Of course, Sire. And you as well."

"I intend to do just that. Now, if you will excuse me, I have requested the orchestra play one of my favorite songs next. A dance, Lady?" He turned his gaze to Karigan, his eyes twinkling, and she barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the title. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jasmine step forward, her hand extended towards Zachary. One of Karigan's eyebrows arched, and Zachary turned as well. "I apologize, Lady Arey. I was actually speaking to Karigan."

"Oh." She hid her disappointment well. "Perhaps another dance then?"

"Alas, maybe another time. I am afraid my dance card is quite full tonight. You see, I have been informed that my betrothed does not enjoy this type of an event and thus will not be persuaded to attend another. So I must make the most of the time I have."

This time, Karigan did roll her eyes. "I never said I would not attend any more balls. I am well aware that I must endure at least a few a year. I just told you that I would not make a habit of it."

"Music to my ears. Now, you still have not given me your response." He gave a sweeping bow and held out a hand. Karigan suppressed a snort as she took it.

"Do you not think you're overdoing it a bit?" she asked as he led her away.

"Not in the least." He jutted his chin toward Jasmine and Timas. Karigan glanced back at them, noting that they both wore slack-jawed expressions. She smiled. Revenge was sweet.

"You're the best," she muttered, allowing Zachary to pull her into his arms. They stood slightly closer than strictly proper, but there was enough distance between them to avoid gossip.

"Only for you, love," he promised. "Only for you."

They danced three dances together before Karigan expressed a desire for something to eat, having had nothing since her breakfast/lunch after awaking that morning. Zachary immediately volunteered to procure food for both of him, disappearing into the crowd. Karigan moved to the side of the room, breathing a bit easier once the press of bodies no longer surrounded her. A whispered conversation nearby caught her attention. "Yes, that is her," one of the ladies remarked, glancing pointedly at Karigan. "Hard to believe, is it not? I cannot imagine being ruled by one such as her."

"Come now, she will not rule," the woman's companion said. "The king is just using her as a plaything. He is a man, after all. He will string her along and then let her go. He obviously is not going to marry her."

"What do you think will happen to her?"

"Oh, I am sure she will sink back to whatever peasant family she came from once he breaks the contract. She certainly would not dare show her face in the castle again."

"And the king will marry a proper lady." Karigan felt her fists clench at her sides. She longed to storm over to them and let them know just what she thought of their gossiping, but she knew she could not. She would merely feed the flames if she responded to them. No, what she needed to do was hold her head high and ignore the silly court gossip. She also needed to place herself far away from them before the temptation to hit one of them became too much.

Karigan turned, intending to find somewhere else to wait for Zachary, but she ran into his familiar figure before she could move far. "Steady, Kari," he remarked, gripping her shoulder with the hand not holding a plate of food. He glanced at her, brow creasing as he noted her stormy look. "What has you in such a state?" he questioned.

"Nothing," she said shortly.

He glanced around, his eyes resting on the two ladies briefly before turning back to Karigan. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the women creep slightly closer, obviously curious about their conversation. "Ah, Ladies Trenbonne and Grainger," he remarked. "I understand the face now."

"I am fine, Zachary."

He studied her for a moment. "They were some of my more. . . determined pursuers once I took the throne. They practically threw themselves at me, but I did not respond as they wished. I doubt they have ever fully forgiven me for that." She arched an eyebrow at him, skeptical. "You do not think I had pursuers? I assure you, there were plenty, but I was much too worried about my ability to run a kingdom to truly pay them any attention. And now, I cannot help but feel that perhaps fate knew that if I waited, I would find the bride for me." He gave a charming smile, leaning forward to press his lips to her forehead.

"Zachary," she protested weakly, acutely aware of their audience.

"Relax, love, I do not intend to do anything impure." His eyes twinkled as he pulled away, handing her the plate of food he had retrieved. She took it, grateful for the distraction. Her eyes roved the room, noting that many watched them discretely.

"It feels like I am on display," she muttered.

"When I first took the throne, it seemed like everywhere I went, someone was watching," Zachary said. "They were waiting on me to make a mistake, and I was determined to ensure I did not. It was an extraordinary amount of pressure, and it exhausted me. I hated my father for putting me in that position, and then I hated myself for being angry with a dead man who had truly made the right decision." His eyes took on a faraway look, and Karigan watched, captivated by the sight of him, lost in memory. "One day, I had could take it no longer. I had arms practice in the morning, and the master I was practicing against called me the 'boy king' one too many times. I snapped and knocked him out with the hilt of my sword." Karigan glanced at him, horrified, and he gave a rueful chuckle. "Not my finest hour. But I was not exactly thinking clearly. I somehow got to the stables and got on my horse though I do not really remember that part. I rode away as fast as I could, into the city."

"What happened?"

"There was a woman in an alleyway being beaten by a man. Likely her husband. I stepped in to help before my Weapons could stop me, knocked him out cold without even drawing my sword. As you might imagine, there was a bit of chaos after that. Someone called the constables over, and my Weapons tried to hustle me out before anyone recognized me. But it was too late. Someone said something about King Zachary, and then suddenly, all of the people around me are on their knees. Every single one of them, even the constable who had come to investigate.

That was when I realized that my job as king was not to pander to the nobles' expectations of me. They did not truly need my help. The people who most needed it were the people around me right then, the everyday citizens of Sacoridia. And they did not care if I ate with the proper fork at the dinner table or flirted with the proper young ladies at a ball. They cared about making an honest living so they could put food on their tables each night, about being able to walk through the streets of Sacor City without fear for their lives, about being able to travel the kingdom safely. And those are the concerns truly worth addressing.

After that, I stopped worrying about what people thought of me in court. Oh, I still heard the whispers—I had a number of odd habits that I think still confuse people. My love of spending time in the kennels, my desire to curl up by the fire and read a good book rather than attend yet another social function, my periods of broodiness. And, of course, my sword training—most feel it is silly for a king to spend so much time on such a task when he has hundreds of trained warriors sworn to protect him, including the elite Weapons."

"But it has saved your life more than once."

"Which just further proves my point. You are never going to live up to everyone's expectations, so I have found that it is best to ensure you live up to your own. And you'll be surprised to find that when you do so, others' expectations tend to shift as well. Now, kennels have sprung up all over the kingdom with owners who profess that the dogs keep them calm and sane. Many young noblemen these days take pride in their swordmanship, and a couple have even achieved the rank of master."

"But you are the king! Of course they would want to follow you."

"And you will be the queen." He reached out, fingering the charm around her neck, the one he had somehow snuck into the Rider barracks for her to unwrap that morning. "Just wait. A good portion of the noble ladies will come to next year's ball with horse charms around their necks and a dagger strapped to their legs under their gowns."

"How did you know?"

His sudden laugh attracted the attention of a number of nearby nobles. "Because it is you, Karigan," he told her simply. "I would expect nothing less."