Janner sucked in his breath. "Kal, what if she says no?" Janner rounded on Kalmar—who was smacking his lips with satisfaction while eating a plumyum.

Kalmar snorted. "Pfft. Have you even seen the way she looks at you?"

"Well, yes . . . but maybe I accidentally caught her looks for someone else."

Kal sighed. Janner was hopeless. "Well, it's your choice. I ain't gonna go propose for you." Kal jogged off down the hallway and waved back at Janner. "Good luck! Maker be with you."

Janner sighed. Kal was hopeless. Now he had to get his courage up to actually go down to the kitchen where Sara was helping cook dinner for Kal's upcoming birthday celebration tonight.

Janner slowly walked down the hallway after Kal, thoughts going through his head like a whirlwind. What if she says no? What if she doesn't really love me? What if she doesn't want to tie herself to a Throne Warden who has to chase a reckless High King around? Janner shook his head clear. Worrying wasn't going to help. He needed to fill his head with courageous thoughts.

Janner marched purposefully down to the kitchen and knocked boldly on the almost closed door.

A feminine voice answered. "Come in"

Janner entered and promptly stopped dead in his tracks. Sara, his love, was bending over a dough board and kneading butter bread. Flour covered Sara's face and her cheeks were red and rosy from the heat in the kitchen.

She was so beautiful!

Janner almost lost his nerve in the face of such beauty.

Sara turned to Janner and smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling like a star in a stormy night.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail and little wisps danced around her face, the breeze from an open window blowing them.

Janner dropped to his knee in front of Sara and trembly pulled a ring from his pocket. "Sara . . . will . . . you . . . bemywife?" The last words came out in a rush and Janner blushed at the stupid sound of his words coming together so fast.

Sara blushed too, but not from embarrassment. She blushed from happiness. "Oh yes! I will be your wife, Janner! Of course I will!"

Janner jumped up. "You will?" he exclaimed incredulously.

Sara smiled and she thought her cheeks would crack because she was smiling so big. "Yes! I will."

Janner grabbed Sara by the waist and spun her around.

Sara giggled and screamed, "Put me down, Janner! I insist."

Janner put her down, but only to catch her up in a passionate kiss.

Sara melted into his embrace and kissed him back.

After a time—a long time. A very long time—Janner released her and grinned at Sara bashfully.

Sara grinned back and closed her eyes as she leaned for another kiss. Janner met her lips with his and slowly kissed her, relishing the feel of her soft lips against his.

But a gagging sound in the background halted them in their kiss.

Kal swaggered in, plugging his nose and gagging. "Gross! I certainly hope this isn't what we are having for dinner!"

"Kal!" Janner cried in frustration. "You might've knocked first!"

Kal was rambling through the kitchen, peering in pots and pans and sampling the various foods Sara had prepared. Through muttered, "Yums" and "Oh this tastes good" Kal explained he had come to check up on the progress of his birthday dinner.

"This is certainly not what I had expected," Kal complained as he finished his lengthy explanation.

Janner huffed in exasperation. "Kal! Can you just leave now?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I'm going out to jump off a cliff into the Dark Sea. So long!" Kal deepened his voice and said, "In the words of Oskar N. Reteep 'Toodle pip!' I'll see you guys later!"

Kal began to walk out the door, but Janner had to do his job. Janner grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him back.

"Kal. Look, you can't just go jump off the face . . . of . . . well . . . Aerwiar! I have a job and you have an order from the law. Tell what it is."

Kal thought for a moment and slipped his hand behind his back and snuck a sugarberry. "Umm, you follow me and I do whatever I want?"

Janner rolled his eyes. "No. That what you want the rule to be. The real rule is that I stop you from doing dangerous non-throne related things. Just because you're High King doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. You still have to listen to me."

"Aww man . . . " Kalmar started to whine, but Janner cut him off, an idea growing in his mind.

"We'll check out your swimming drop-off and see if it's safe. Lead the way King Kalmar."