Zachary sat at a desk in Hillander Keep, frowning over the latest tax report from his advisers. He felt the numbers were off, and he had just started his own calculations when a knock at the door interrupted him. "A Green Rider to see you, Lord," one of his Weapons remarked.

"Send him in," Zachary said, still somewhat distracted. When the door opened, he looked up, and despite his years of practice, he could not stop the expression of delight from forming on his face when he saw the familiar figure. "Karigan?" he questioned, hardly daring to believe it was her. A quick glance backwards told him that she had closed the door behind her, so they were alone in his study. Of course, that did not mean he could greet her the way he wanted—by throwing his arms around her joyfully. Though he suspected her answer to his query given her presence in Hillander, he could not be sure.

"I. . . have a letter for you." She held out a letter, and he glanced at it only briefly, long enough to recognize his father's seal. However, he did not even spare a thought for what its contents might be, for he was still too focused on Karigan. She was shifting nervously from one foot to another and would not meet his eyes. He wondered if that meant she was planning to answer in the negative, but why would she have taken a message errand if that was the case? Unless Laren had forced her to do so. But that would not have been like the matronly captain.

Before Zachary could speculate too much, he asked, "Delivering the letter. Was it your decision or Captain Mapstone's?" He saw the small smile form on her face, and he knew he had done something right by asking an indirect question.

"My decision."

"I see. In that case. . ."

"I still don't see how it's going to work, but I want. . . I want to try." This time, he did not stop himself from pulling her into his arms. She went willingly, and he held her close for a few seconds before speaking.

"We will find a way," he promised. "As you can see, my father sends letters to me with some regularity, so there are a number of opportunities for you to come. And you won't always be a Green Rider."

"It could be years before the call releases me," she pointed out practically.

"Then it's years. We'll figure it out." He smoothed his hands down her hair, and he felt her relaxing into him. It felt right.

Zachary was not sure how long they stood there, but eventually, she pulled away. "The letter," she told him, pointing to the message he had discarded on his desk. "Captain Mapstone said it was urgent. You should open it."

He sighed, but he did reach down for the letter. He wondered what his father could possibly want—Hillander had been running smoothly and had actually been increasing its taxes to the crown in recent years after some lucrative trading deals. With the next council nearly four months away, it seemed a bit early to begin discussion for it, so Zachary could only surmise that Amigast had once again found some petty fault that he wished to call out. Quickly, Zachary cracked the seal and skimmed the letter, expecting he could set it aside immediately. However, the contents made his blood run cold, and he paused to read it more closely. He did not mask his emotions as he usually did in court, and Karigan obviously saw them on his face, for she asked, "What?"

"Father is dying," Zachary said succinctly, setting the letter aside. He had a slight tremor in his hand, and he placed it on the desk to settle it. "Wasting sickness, he said." He took a deep breath to steady himself.

"He did not look so good when I saw him a couple weeks ago, but I thought it was stress because of Amilton." Karigan frowned and then startled, seeming to realize exactly what the King dying would mean for Zachary. "It won't be safe for you any more here, not with Amilton on the throne."

"No," Zachary confirmed, pleased when his voice did not waver. "There is no way he will allow me to have so much power."

"But he will be king! Surely he can't be jealous!" Zachary simply gave a shrug, his mind already beginning to run through the possibilities. He had started planning for such an eventuality soon after taking over the Lord Govenorship, but he had always thought it would be much further in the future. He had not yet figured out all the details.

"Amilton is not the most rational." Zachary ran a hand through his hair and then crossed behind his desk, opening the middle drawer. He pulled a key from a false bottom there and then opened up the bottom right drawer of his desk. After pulling out a number of papers, he pulled up another false bottom and then grabbed a small stack of papers from underneath it.

"What is it?"

"False identity documents," Zachary said. "I had them made discreetly. I trust the man who did them implicitly, so you bring the total of people who know about them up to three." Karigan sputtered slightly, obviously not having expected such trust, and he gave her a slight smile. "I was serious about courting you, Karigan. I would not be so serious if I did not feel I could trust you with anything."

Karigan nodded mutely, but after a few seconds, she blurted, "I still use magic."

Zachary's eyebrows rose, and he nodded. "Yes, Laren has mentioned Green Rider magic to me. If you ask me, it's too bad more people don't respect magic for what it is—a powerful force that has no intent on its own but simply follows that of its bearer. I am interested to hear more about what your special ability is but perhaps another time might be best."

"Right, of course." Karigan's face reflected the same state of shock that Zachary himself felt though years of practice allowed him to conceal it better.

"I will need to go and attend to my father, for it would be too suspicious not to do so. I can stay through the funeral and then on the way back to Hillander. . . well, I suppose I will need to figure out that part of the story. I fortunately have a steward already named, an old friend of my father's who loves Hillander enough to do a good job governing but is neutral enough to avoid Amilton's notice. I'll have to make sure that however I "disappear" is convincing enough for them to put the steward in place. . ." He trailed off, noting Karigan's face. He was used to talking to himself to work through difficult situations, but he had not considered how his stream of consciousness might affect others around him, for he had not found anyone he trusted enough to confide in before. "Overwhelming, isn't it?" he questioned. "It's only fair that I offer you another chance to back out now that you know you'll be courting a man on the run, not a court noble."

"Truthfully, I prefer it that way." The earnestness of the statement drew a laugh from Zachary, and he once more pulled her close.

"Music to my ears."

"I can help," she offered, once more leaning her head against his chest.

"I couldn't ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering."

"In that case, I'd like a traveling companion for the journey to Sacor City if you could spare a couple days for me to prepare to travel." He tried to keep his tone casual, but despite his years of training, he knew some of his eagerness crept into his tone. He would classify it as downright needy, but she merely smiled at him.

"Take all the time you need. I rode here quickly, so they won't expect me back for at least a fortnight." He gave her a real smile then, clasping her tightly before letting her go.

"I should start preparing to leave. I'll have someone prepare rooms for you."

"I can just stay at an inn," she protested, but he waved her off.

"Nonsense. If it makes you feel any better, I'd do the same for any Rider who came with a message for me. The fact that it's you just means I'll probably suggest the quarters a bit closer to mine." That startled a laugh out of her as he'd intended, and he quickly grabbed her hand for a squeeze before she left. As soon as the door closed behind her, the smile slipped from his face, and he glanced back at the identity documents he had hoped never to need.

The afternoon passed in a whirlwind of activity. He informed his advisers of his travel, and they assured him they would keep Hillander running smoothly in his absence. When he dismissed them all, Tomas, a distant cousin who had been the acting steward for Hillander province until Zachary took over and still mentored the younger man, hung back. "I am sorry to hear about your father, Lord Hillander," he began. He hesitated slightly, an unusual occurrence for the usually eloquent man. "I assume you will be staying for a coronation as well." It did not take Zachary's expertise in politics to hear the unasked question.

"Yes, I imagine I will. I am sure it will occur relatively soon after, so there is no point to even attempt a journey back here."

"And you will return here after that?"

"That is my plan, Tomas, though you, of course, know how dangerous travel can be." The unspoken confirmation hung in the air for a moment, and Zachary wondered if Tomas had understood what he was saying.

But of course he had. "Of course. One never quite knows what will happen on a trip." He paused again. "And the governance during your absence?"

"I have plans in place. We can go over them tomorrow."

"Wonderful. I wish you well on your journey, and I am most sorry to hear about your father." And even more sorry to hear that Amilton would soon be governing the kingdom, Zachary was sure, but Tomas said nothing. Tomas was actually the one who had warned Zachary soon after he arrived at Hillander that he could never be quite certain who in the household was loyal to him and who was more loyal to his father (or at least his father's money). Servants were good at making themselves invisible; even now, three bustled around the corners of the room, preparing for the midday meal. Likely, Tomas would seek Zachary out later in his private study or another room where they could be assured of privacy.

"Would you like to join me for the midday meal today?" Zachary offered.

Tomas's eyebrows rose. "You aren't eating in your study?"

"I am, but the table has room for two."

They walked together into the study, keeping up a steady stream of chatter as they went. The servants had already put out lunch on the table, and Zachary asked them to bring a second plate. One of them quickly returned with it, and he thanked them and dismissed everyone, giving both him and Tomas the privacy they needed. Still, they maintained their caution, talking about nothing of consequence for the first ten minutes of the meal. Finally, Tomas broached the question Zachary was sure had been on his mind since hearing the news. "What are you planning to do?"

"I have to go back first, of course. But I do not think I will be coming back to Hillander afterwards." Tomas's eyes showed regret, but he nodded in understanding.

"What can we do to help?"

"Just. . . help out the new Lord Governor. I would have liked it to be you, but it has to be someone in the succession by law, so I picked out Gregor. He's relatively inexperienced, but I think that will make it easier in some ways since he hasn't had years to build up prejudices."

"I think he will do well."

"And Amilton is unlikely to object."

"There's truly nothing else?"

"I have most of the other details in place. I knew this would be necessary some day though I had hoped for more time. Just. . . don't look too hard for me. And if you can prevent others from doing so as well, that will be ideal."

Tomas nodded. "It truly has been a pleasure working with you, Zachary. I, too, wish we could have had more time."

Zachary gave a small smile. "Do not feel too sorry for me, Tomas. I think that in many ways, I will have an easier time than you will. And perhaps this is not truly a goodbye. There is always a possibility that our paths will cross in the future." Tomas acknowledged the statement with a small smile of his own after which the two men began to discuss more mundane topics.

Zachary had sent a request to Karigan to have her dine with him that night, knowing it would not be overly suspicious, for he often dined with visitors. She had accepted almost immediately, and he had told his servants to direct her to his study for the meal, assuming she would be more comfortable with the more relaxed setting. He was working at his desk when the door opened, trying to put his affairs in order as best as he could given the circumstances. Looking up from his work, he smiled as he saw her step into the room, and the smile she gave in return made his heart jump. Standing, he nodded to the servant in dismissal before approaching the table. "I hope you don't mind the more casual setting," he remarked, pulling out a chair for her. "The dining room has always felt too empty for meals with fewer than half a dozen people."

"This is perfect," she assured him. She sat, and a servant brought the first course for their meal, setting it in front of them with a flourish.

"Thank you, Hansel," Zachary said, giving the man a small smile. "If you could just set the rest of the dishes on the side table, we should be able to serve ourselves."

"Are you certain my lord?" the servant questioned, hesitating.

"Absolutely. I am sure you have better things to do." Hansel hesitated only a moment longer before bowing, leaving them alone in the study. Karigan raised her eyebrows at Zachary.

"Are you sure he won't be suspicious?"

Zachary chuckled. "What you just saw is a routine I perform nearly every night that I don't have some court dinner to attend. Truthfully, I would rather have them just leave the food in here for me to eat when I can, but Hansel has standards that he insists on upholding, so this is our compromise. I have no problem serving myself, and if I'm dining alone, I tend to linger over the meal while I do other work. I feel there is no point in making someone stand around for that." Karigan nodded thoughtfully as they both began to eat. "What have you been doing today?" Zachary questioned after a couple minutes of silence. To his surprise, Karigan's ears tinged pink.

"I went down to the shore actually," she admitted. "It's been so long since I've been near the sea that I wanted to take the chance to see it while I could."

Zachary smiled at her. "I do not blame you. I, too, prefer to be near the sea whenever possible."

"The coastline here is different than at Corsa," she observed, growing more comfortable with the conversation. "Ours is very rocky, and there are a lot of places where sheer cliffs border the waters. The harbor was built in one of the few places that is accessible, and even it can be somewhat dangerous to navigate if you don't know where all the underground rocks are. Here, it seems like you can walk right out to the water basically anywhere and there is nothing but sandy beach for miles."

"You've discovered the secret of the location of Hillander Keep," Zachary said with a chuckle. "When my family built the keep, they purposefully chose the spot in Hillander with the most sandy coastline. If you were to go further north or south, you'd find far more rocks and cliffs."

"Do you get to spend much time enjoying the beaches?"

"I spend what I can, but alas, the duties of running a province often keep me away. What about you? DId you spend much of your time in the water at Corsa?"

"As much as I could. I used to beg my father to take me out in one of his ships. I think I was more comfortable in water than on land."

"I assume there are many sailors in Corsa given the harbor."

"There are quite a few, but there are a couple other merchants like my father. As you probably know, a lot of trade goes through Corsa."

"Hmm. I assume the merchants have the usual support staff as well–traders, warehousemen, people to help with financial and legal affairs." Karigan raised an eyebrow, obviously guessing what he was hinting at, and he smiled at her. "I was just thinking that it would be a nice place to settle. I assume you plan to return once you are finished in the Rider Corps."

"I do. And I do think there are a number of opportunities for someone with the right skills."

"Laren has also always been good about giving out message errands that allow her Riders to visit their families." Karigan was smiling at him now, and he nodded in response to the unasked question. "I think Corsa sounds like a fine place."

"I do as well," she agreed.

"And everything else is just details."

She laughed at that statement. "I'd say it's a bit more than that, but I'm beginning to think that you were right about being able to make this work."

Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands in his and squeezed. "I am beginning to think that the future might be brighter than I feared this morning."

"I am still bound to the Corps."

"Ah, but I will no longer be bound to HIllander. I am sure there are some merchants that would greatly appreciate someone to take care of business details who is also willing to travel."

"You could have my family's support as well," she remarked. "My Da knows everyone in the area, so he'll be able to tell us if there is anyone suspicious around or if there are other problems."

"I actually do not think we should tell your family my true identity."

"They're trustworthy!" she protested immediately. "If I tell them it's important to keep your identity to themselves, they will do so without hesitation.

"It's not their trustworthiness that I'm worried about. Amilton will use anyone he can find against me, no matter the relationship. I've already put you in danger by sharing my plans; I do not intend to put your family in danger as well."

"Are you sure? They could help in other ways as well–finding a house or a job for you."

"As much as I would appreciate some help, unless it becomes necessary, I would prefer to keep knowledge of my true identity to the fewest number of people possible. Believe it or not, I do have some inkling on how to buy a house and ingratiate myself with locals. Political skills are not all useless."

Karigan considered for a minute or two before relenting. "Okay, fine. But if you ever need help. . . "

"I will know exactly who to talk to."

They turned the conversation to lighter topics after that, quickly finishing the delicious meal that lay in front of them. After dinner, they sat by the fire with a glass of wine each, swapping stories still. As they talked and drank, Zachary mused about how different his life was going to be very soon. As much as he enjoyed his current position, however, he could not help but think that he would not mind the difference too much. After all, the change would bring a number of pleasant consequences–most importantly, more time with the young woman in front of him. Eventually, they could delay separation no longer, and they said goodnight to each other. Watching Kaigan carefully for her reaction, Zachary grabbed her hands before she left and slowly leaned forward. Their lips met in a soft kiss. He lingered a bit longer than he had the first time, especially when he felt her start to respond, and his heart was beating quite a bit faster when he finally pulled away. Karigan's eyes were closed, and she did not say anything for a moment. Zachary wondered briefly if he had gone too far, but he relaxed as she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Goodnight," she said again.

"Goodnight," he echoed before walking her to the door.