June 1617

Traveling with two small children along rather boring country roads is not a feat for the faint-hearted. Thankfully, the ducal coach was large enough for four adults and two children, though Hugo and Rolanda frequently chose to ride on horseback rather than inside the carriage. In a way, that was a relief - it allowed a little more room to stretch with two bored children. The stay at the inn had been a little fraught; Anna in particular had found it very hard to fall asleep with the noise from the taproom below, and had spent most of the journey the next day asleep in Leo's lap. But as the carriage crested the hill above Carantan, the capital city, the real excitement of their unexpected journey made itself known.

"Is the castle in the middle of the sea?" the little girl asked, pointing through the open window of the carriage as it trundled down the hill toward the city itself.

"No, sweetling," Leo replied, looking from the girl on his lap toward the window and the capital city not too far in the distance. He had only been there once as a small child, but the memory of it had been deeply impressed upon his mind. It was a unique city and one that had awed the child he'd once been. "The city is on an islet, almost completely surrounded by water, except for when the tide is low, and then there is a causeway connecting it to the mainland," he explained, unsure if she'd understand his explanation. "Imagine an island, connected to the mainland on one side during the day, but surrounded by water at night. Some think it a kind of magic."

Anna's eyes went wide. "It's a magic castle?"

Across from them, Esme laughed gently, her hands steadying Matias as he stood at the window with them. "Some people say it is," she told them. "In the old legends, Rift Fell Castle was a gift from the Goddess, that She raised out of the sea itself to be a home for the kings of Carantania."

"But ....it's just a legend, isn't it?" Matias asked, turning his head to regard the trio. "There's no such thing as magic," he said, like any child, hoping and wishing he was wrong.

"Oh, I don't know," Leo said, looking to Esme with a soft and telling smile. "Sometimes it's just about finding magic in unexpected ways."

Catching his eye, Esme felt herself blushing, her smile rising in answer to his before she tore her gaze away to meet Matias' curious eyes. "It doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it's done," she told the little boy fondly. "Perhaps the castle was built by men, but why would they choose to build it there if the Goddess hadn't put the thought in their minds" Her hand is everywhere, in everything. Even if She didn't raise the towers Herself, they were raised in Her name."

"But the Goddess isn't a fairy," Anna objected. "She's the Goddess."

"That is true," Leo replied to Anna's remark. He would never stop wondering at the wisdom of children. "The Goddess doesn't need magic. Her power is divine," he said. He thanked the Goddess every day for keeping his family safe, but he didn't want to mention that to the children or they might question why She had taken their parents away.

"And, and ....the king is in there?" Anna asked, her curiosity too much caught up in kings and queens and princesses to be too concerned with the Goddess right now.

Ahead of the carriage, the escort that had collected them from the inn that morning blew a horn to announce the return of the princess as the gates to the city were drawn fully open, allowing them passage toward the docks as curious smiles and cheering waves were directed toward the royal and noble party making their way to the castle.

"Yes, the king and the queen," Leo replied, unsure about their court, as the princess had explained something about the courtiers having been dismissed in favor of a new court. He was not sure if there were any children at court to keep them company, but he supposed there might be a few.

"Is the queen pretty?" Anna asked, full of questions even as she shied back from the window at the sight of all those people pausing on their daily business to try and catch and glimpse of whoever was in the carriage the princess was leading along.

Leo reached over to tug the curtains closed. He didn't mind the children peering out at the city, but he didn't like the idea of strangers gawking at them in return. "I don't know, sweetling, but they say she is. I suppose we'll find out soon enough," he told her.

"Not as pretty as Aunt Esme or the princess," Matias put in. As a child, he was hardly a good judge of beauty, but he couldn't imagine anyone being pretty than the two of them.

Esme smiled, hugging the boy to her side fondly. "I'm told the queen is a rare beauty," she told him. "The princess says she feels ugly beside her. Can you imagine that?"

Matias furrowed his brows at that statement. He was clearly enamored of the princess and envious of her knight. He had grown up reading stories and legends of knights and princesses and had high hopes of becoming a hero himself. "No one is as pretty as the princess," he said, his voice brooking no argument.

Beside him, Leo had to bite his lip to stifle a chuckle.

Esme avoided meeting Leo's gaze in an attempt not to laugh herself. "Well, we'll see for ourselves soon," she promised Matias. "Are you looking forward to meeting the king?"

Across from them, Anna was still trying to work out how anyone could call the princess ugly, much less herself.

"I want him to make me a knight ....like Sir Hugo," Matias blurted, saying more than he'd meant to, but he was excited at the prospect of coming to court and meeting the royals. Though he didn't really want to be a king or even a duke, he wanted to be a hero, and the best way to do that, in his mind, was to become a knight.

"It takes years to train to be a knight," Esme warned him gently. "Boys who become knights start out as squires to knights when they are only a little older than you. Perhaps the person you should talk to about that is Sir Hugo."

Anna's little face crumpled. "But Matty wouldn't go 'way?"

Leo frowned a little. He had always thought Matias would take over his business one day, and yet, he could not deny that all their lives were quickly changing, and he would not choose the boy's fate for him. "That depends," he said, in answer to Anna's question. "If he were to become one of Sir Hugo's squires, perhaps he would not be too far."

"It isn't something that would be decided today, or even tomorrow," Esme added, hoping to reassure both of them. "A lot of changes have happened, for all of us. We should get used to them first, before we start looking to make even more changes. Don't you think?"

"I agree," Leo was quick to say. "Let's enjoy our visit to the castle before we go making any more life-changing decisions."

Matias frowned but nodded his head, and Leo wondered if he was ever that impatient. "Yes, Uncle," the boy replied, obediently.

"Rolly said I could have a pretty dress," Anna suddenly piped up. "Can I?"

Esme chuckled, feeling the carriage roll to a halt as the sharp smell of the sea suddenly became very acute. "I think we will all need to spend a little time with the tailors and seamstresses," she assured the little girl. "We don't have any court finery yet."

Leo smiled at the little girl's question, though he felt Esme was more capable of providing a response that he was.

Matias was wrinkling his nose again at the thought of having to stand still long enough to be fitted into some sort of finery. "What's wrong with our clothes" We only had these made a few months ago," he pointed out.

"When you're at court, there are times when everyone is dressed in the very best they can achieve," Esme told him. "When someone is invested with a title, or when the king judges a nobleman for some terrible crime, or when a royal announcement is made, anyone at court is expected to wear the best fabrics in the very latest styles. It's very silly, and rather boring to prepare for, but we will have to do it. After all, we know there will be an official occasion as soon as the court is invited to return. Your uncle and I are to be invested with titles."

Anna had gone very quiet, more than a little awed by everything around them and ever so slightly worried about meeting lots of new people all at once. She inserted her hand into Leo's. "You isn't goin' to leave us on our own, is you?"

"No, sweetling," Leo assured her gently, taking her hand. Not yet, anyway. He had a feeling if they were summoned by the king, the children would either be summoned too, or they'd be left in the care of the princess, though Rolanda hadn't quite said so.

Matias was the first to shove his way out of the carriage, obviously excited to have arrived at the castle at last and eager to explore. "Do you live here all the time?" he asked of the princess.

Helped down from her horse, Rolanda nodded to the little boy as he scrambled out of the carriage, watching as Anna was handed carefully out behind him. "I do," she told him. "I lived in Pomerania for six years, but I came home and this is where I live for now. I won't live here forever, but I do now."

"Pomerania," Matias echoed, eyes widening again. "Have you met the High King?" he asked, the king that governed all the smaller kingdoms that surrounded Pomerania.

"I have indeed," Rolanda told him, offering the boy her hand as Esme and Leo brought Anna to join them. "I was lady-in-waiting to the High Queen, and then the Crown Princess when she arrived."

"Did she really have a bajillion babies what bounced and could fly?" Anna asked excitedly.

Rolanda stared at her for a moment. "Uh ....I hadn't heard that one," she admitted in amusement. "No, she only had three babies at the same time."

Matias had that thoughtful expression on his face again, secretly wondering if his aunt and uncle would have babies now that they were married and what that might mean for himself and Anna, but he kept those thoughts to himself for now.

"That is still a rarity," Leo remarked, holding one of Anna's hands, while Esme held the other. "She is Goddess-blessed."

"They all are," Rolanda agreed with Leo. "It has not been an easy time in Pomerania these past few years, but they came through. And so will we." She squeezed Matias' hand. "So ....shall we find out where the indomitable Frau Schtokken has decided you will be staying?"

Hugo quietly moved to join them, flanking Rolanda on the opposite side of Matias.

Matias made a face as the very mention of that name sounded intimidating and unpleasant. "Who is that?" he asked, with a visible wince.

Hugo laughed. "Do not worry, Master Matias. The housekeeper is intimidating in name only."

Indeed, the housekeeper was not at all as intimidating as her name suggested, being much younger than most people expected a housekeeper to be. She was perhaps in her thirties, red-haired and red-cheeked, and obviously expecting a child of her own in the near future. She introduced herself as Gertruda, waving the princess and knight away to take the little family to their chambers herself. Dismissed, Rolanda promised to come for them herself when her brother was ready to meet them, leaving the quartet in the capable hands of a woman who knew the castle better than anyone.

More tired than they cared to admit, Rolanda and Hugo were relieved to be dismissed so that they could get a little rest of their own before they met with the king and queen. Matias was relieved that the housekeeper was not nearly as intimidating as her name had suggested, but he still didn't think she was as pretty as the princess, though he didn't say so. The little family was quickly given a brief tour of the castle, at least as far as the living quarters were concerned, and invested in what would serve as their home while they remained there.

It was a surprisingly large set of rooms to which they were shown - clearly the housekeeper had been made aware that they were arriving and staying as a family for their duration in Rift Fell. Two bedrooms, a sitting and dining room combined, a small study, and a playroom had been provided for them. The servants had already unpacked the meager belongings they had brought into closets and chests, and light refreshments awaited them. And to Anna's mild dismay, Esme asked for some warm water, soap, and towels.

"We are not going to meet the king and queen still dusty from the road," she informed the children.

Matias had already scampered off to explore their quarters, escaping his makeshift bath, but only temporarily. "Anna!" he called from another room. "Come, see!"

Slipping out of Esme's grasp via the means of abandoning her cloak in her aunt's hands, Anna pattered out of sight as fast as her legs could carry her.

Esme laughed a little helplessly, folding the little cloak over her arms. "It appears I need more practice at being obeyed."

"They're sneaky and fast," Leo remarked with a chuckle. "You just have to be a little faster." And maybe a little sneakier, too, but he didn't say that. He shrugged his own cloak away from his shoulders and dropped it onto a chair, pausing a moment to take a look around, though this was really only to cover his nervousness. "So, what?s he like, the king?" he asked, assuming she'd met him a few times, since she was nobility and friends with the king's sister.

Esme bit her lip, laying Anna's cloak aside to undo the clasp at her throat. "I haven't seen him since I was a child," she confessed. "I remember him mostly as being quite stern and quiet, but very easy to be silent with, if that makes any sense."

"Stern in what way?" Leo asked. Was the man merely serious or did he seem strict and unfeeling, as well" He really had no idea what to expect from the man, other than rumors and gossip. Not even Rolanda had said much about her older brother to give them any hint at what to expect. "It seems he's been generous enough, so far," he added.

Pulling off her own cloak, she considered the question. "I would say ....serious, but not cruel," she offered, though she had no real knowledge to draw on. "When I met him, I was very small, and he was newly married to Queen Elena. He seemed sad, more than anything." She moved to the basin that steamed nearby, taking the opportunity to wash her face and hands.

"Queen Elena," he echoed, recalling that the queen had died some years ago, and the king had recently remarried. But what would have made Esme think him sad, if he had just married" "Perhaps it was not a happy marriage," he mused aloud, more to himself than to her.

At this, Esme quite deliberately covered her face with the towel to wipe her skin dry. As a member of the privileged class, she knew that the king's first marriage had been unhappy, but it was not common knowledge. "We should probably change out of our traveling clothes," she said as she set the towel to one side.

One brow ticked upwards when Esme didn't respond to his remark. It hadn't been a question, and yet, he had expected her to remark on it in some way. He took her silence to be confirmation enough that what he'd said was true or close to the truth. "I'll go find the children while you change," he said, volunteering to leave the room so she could change in peace, without him gawking at her.

She hesitated for a moment, and abruptly crossed to where he stood, reaching up to kiss his cheek with shy affection. "Thank you."

He smiled at the kiss, more charmed by that simple demonstration of affection than by anything else she might have said or done. Whatever the king's relationship had been with his first queen, Leo didn't think he had to worry about repeating it in his own marriage. "I won't be long," he promised her quietly before moving to depart.

"Neither will I," she assured him, taking his cloak and her own onto her arm as she slipped into the bedroom that had been set aside for them.

He frowned a little, realizing it was Rolanda who had suggested their union, and yet, it was Esme who'd agreed, despite knowing him only a few days. What exactly was it he was trying to say' He drew a slow breath before attempting to put what he was feeling into words again.

"The fact is I cannot imagine my life without you anymore."

Her face tilted into his touch, despite the soft flush that colored her cheeks in answer to both his affection and his words. "You will never need to," she assured him gently. "And not simply because this was ordered on us. Even if this had never happened, I would not have abandoned your life. I would not have abandoned you."

"If this had never happened, we may have never met," he pointed out. The "this" meaning the matter of the children, more so than the danger to them and their journey to Carantan. He looked more amused than troubled to point this out though, which was hopeful. "What do you think Ernst and Avila would think of us?" he asked further, his eyes bright with something, though it wasn't just amusment.

Despite herself, Esme laughed. She knew exactly how her sister would have reacted to this situation. "Avila would have been ridiculously delighted with the whole thing," she said with absolute confidence. "She used to say in her letters that it would make her life complete if you and I were to marry; that it would make us all family without a doubt."

"She said that?" he asked, brows arching upwards. She had already admitted that her sister had mentioned him in her letters, but she had not shared the details. "Ernst never said much of anything," he said. "Though he sometimes suggested we meet." From the look on his face, it seemed he was only just remembering that now.

"Avila was a romantic at heart," Esme mused, absentmindedly leaning into him as they talked. "She wanted everyone she loved to be as happy as she was, even when we were children. It was rather annoying at times, to be honest."

"Mmm," Leo murmured thoughtfully. "Ernst was an idealist," he said, though that was not much different to being a romantic, in his mind. "Do you think we stand any chance of being as happy as they were?" he asked, his heart hopeful as he met her gaze.

That shy smile of hers appeared on her face, a smile he had only truly seen in darkness thus far. "I do," she murmured softly, her fingers gently clutching at the fabric of his sleeves. "I-I truly do believe we have every chance of ....of finding love together."

He smiled, his gaze softening at her words. "I do, too," he admitted quietly, already well on their way to loving each other, even if they didn't realize it yet. His fingers grazed her cheek again, before tipping her chin upwards and tilting his head down to capture her lips in a kiss that was reminiscent of the warmth and promise of the night before.

And though her response was still shy, there was an easiness to the warmth she offered back to him, a sense of calmness in her affection as she smiled into his kiss. A kiss that did not last anywhere near as long as she might have liked, because of a small giggle from the doorway.

Leo smiled into Esme's kiss upon hearing those giggles and knowing they'd been spied on and caught by at least one of the children.

"See, I told you, Anna," Matias was overheard whispering. "They're kissing, not licking each other."

"Is that what mamas and papas do?" Anna whispered back, though her volume left a lot to be desired.

In Leo's arms, Esme felt herself giggle softly against his lips, dropping her head to his shoulder as her own shoulders shook with laughter. He drew his arms around her, perhaps for the first time in a gesture that was not only protective but caring and affectionate, even as he tried to ignore the spies who were peering at them from the doorway.

"It's what our Mama and Papa did," Matias replied, a small frown on his face as he remembered their parents, though he was secretly hopeful their aunt and uncle would love them as much as their parents had.

Anna was quiet for a moment. "Matty ....will they make their own babies when they bored of us?"

Wrapped in Leo's embrace, Esme's laughter abruptly ceased, horrified that such a thought would cross the little girl's mind at all.

"Maybe," Matias replied, pausing to think that over a moment. "But that only means we'll have cousins," he told her, refusing to believe his aunt and uncle would grow bored of them and want to replace them with children of their own.

Leo frowned to overhear this part of the conversation, hoping the children never felt unloved.

Esme lifted her head, sadness in her eyes for the turn of the children's conversation, but a smile on her face as she turned toward the door. "How could we ever grow bored with you?" she asked the little faces peering around the door. "We love you."

Matias blinked in surprise to hear those words, especially from someone he had not known very long. But they were words that had once been told him by his mother and even his father - words that he remembered well and felt within his heart. His heart had been broken the day his parents had died, but it was slowly healing, not only because of his aunt, but his uncle, too.

"Mama said she loved us, but she ..." No, he wouldn't say it. He'd already expressed this fear before, and he wouldn't express it again, not in front of Anna. For as much as he teased her, he didn't want to frighten or worry her.

"Children," Leo said, doing more than just turning to face them, but crouching down on one knee. "Come here," he said, with his arms open.

Anna pattered forward without needing to give it a second thought, always obedient even if she complained at times about what she was being expected to do. Esme knelt down beside Leo, her gentle gaze on Matias. He was a sensitive boy, and she knew what he had stopped himself from saying. She had a feeling they would need to talk about it, soon.

Leo drew Anna close, as Matias went to Esme, the four of them close enough to practically be in each other's embrace. "Esme is right. We love you, just as your parents loved you, and we are never going to stop loving you. We're not going to leave you either. That's why we're here, in this place. Because right now, it's safer for all of us to be here than anywhere else, and everything we do and have done is to keep you both safe. There may come a time when we have more children, but that does not mean we will stop loving you. It only means that our family has grown and that there are more of us to love. Do you understand?" he asked as he looked from one to the other.

Anna nodded, more than happy to accept any kind of affection from the people she looked to as parents, too young still to feel much more than the occasional ache when she thought of her lost parents.

Esme looked up at Matias as she hugged her arm about his waist. "Matias?"

Leo tucked a strand of Anna's hair away from her face, a soft smile for her before turning to hear her brother's response.

"And you promise you won't leave us?" the little boy asked, the one thing he worried of most, looking to each of them for an individual answer.

"We are here to make sure that none of us ever leaves the others," Esme promised him fervently. "And don't forget, we are part of the king's family as well. He wants to keep us together as much as we want to stay together."

"It's why we were invited here," Leo added. "Princess Rolanda asked us to come here, but the invitation comes directly from the king and queen. They want us to be here; they want us to be a family; they want to keep us safe."

Matias' eyes widened again to hear Rolanda speak of the king in such a way, and yet, they were siblings, just like he and Anna were. "Anna," he whispered, waving his sister forward. "Come meet the queen," he urged quietly.

"Your lazy brother is late," a decidedly-male voice interjected from somewhere behind them, before a tall, handsome man appeared - older than the others with just a hint of gray touching his hair, eyes gray-green and bright with merriment. He touched a kiss to Rolanda's cheek, a smile on his face. "Better late than never," he remarked further.

"What, no crown" I'm so disappointed," Rolanda teased the king, lifting her chin to kiss his cheek in answer before moving over to the hearth and thumping down in the cook's armchair, hitching up her skirts to warm her feet.

"Your Majesty," Esme murmured, lowering into another curtsy. "Thank you for inviting us to Rift Fell."

Sera, however, was fascinated by the children - by the brother trying to cajole his little sister into the open, even as the little sister shook her head and clung tighter to her uncle's trousers.

"Forgive me, Majesty," Leo said, as he glanced briefly to Anna. "I seem to have a small child attached to my leg," he explained with a small chuckle. A small child by the name of Anna that was preventing him from offering a proper demonstration of respect and loyalty to the crown.

Freddie echoed the younger man's chuckle and moved to a knee before Anna. "Well met, little one. Do you have a name?" he asked her gently.

Much to the amusement of the adults in the kitchen, Anna shook her head, rendered completely speechless by the fact that someone she was fairly sure was the king was speaking to her.

Behind Freddie, Serafina was talking quietly, inviting Esme and Matias to come to the table behind her and decide if the pastry cases were cool enough to add the filling to yet.

"It's all right, sweetling," Leo assured the little girl gently. "No one is going to hurt you," he reminded her, his arm still wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

"I'm told it can be a little intimidating to meet the king," Freddie remarked, from where he was still crouched in front of the little girl. He wasn't sure why it was so important to make friends with the smallest of their company first, but he was too stubborn to give up. "Does your doll have a name?" he asked, hoping to distract her a little from her shyness by turning her attention to that of her doll.

For a moment, Anna hugged her doll closer to her cheek, but finally relaxed enough to show it to the king. "S'called Avy," she mumbled. "Like my mama."

Freddie frowned just a little, not so much out of sadness as out of compassion for the child's loss - a loss that had been deeply felt by all four of those who made up that little family. "I am sorry about your mama. I am told she was a lovely lady," he told her gently, looking to the doll again and reaching out to grasp her tiny hand with two fingers. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope you are enjoying your stay at Rift Fell."

Pressing her cheek to Leo's thigh, Anna watched the king for a long moment in silence, and quite suddenly she burst out, "We sawed the princess licking a knight and a cow being' milked and we had lemmynayed!"

Freddie blinked, a little surprised and temporarily overwhelmed by the little girl's outburst. He was not used to small children, after all, and had not expected her to suddenly break her silence with such a declaration. After a brief moment of astonishment, he chuckled. "I was not aware the princess had been licking anyone," he said, with a pointed look at his sister.

"I wasn't aware I was being spied on," Rolanda countered with a low laugh.

Anna giggled, holding her dolly up in front of her mouth. "You was lickin' Mister Sir," she reminded the princess.

Rolanda's laughter grew a little merrier. "Oh, that. That was kissing, little miss."

"That's what I told her!" Matias broke in, with another roll of his eyes.

Freddie chuckled again, before moving to his feet. "It has been too long since we've had any children in the castle," he said, with a warm smile for Leo and Anna. Too long since there had been any laughter or joy there, but that seemed to be changing.

"But it will not be long before there are plenty of children here," Serafina assured them. "Why don't you come to table, Lady Anna" I rather think I need your opinion, as well as your brother's, to make sure I have made this mousse properly."

"And why do they get to taste it before I do?" Rolanda demanded with exaggerated offense.

"Because they are guests, and you are an opportunist with no manners?" Sera countered sweetly.

Matias was speechless, enchanted by both the princess and the queen, though he did not know either of them well enough to decide which he liked better. "We get to taste the mousse?" he asked, clearly astounded by this.

"By all rights, I should get the taste it first," Freddie interjected, with a smirk that showed he was teasing. "But I think I can make an exception this once."

With Rolanda laughing at being teased herself, Anna seemed to come out of her shell a little, easing from behind Leo's leg as she watched the girl that must be the queen take a pair of spoons from a drawer. Her little hand slipped into Freddie's. "You c'n taste off of my spoo'd," she offered timidly.

"Can I" I am much obliged to you, little lady," Freddie said, with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes, glad the little girl was warming to him a little at last. He secretly wondered what it would be like when Sera gave birth and they had a child of their own. He let her lead him by the hand toward the table where the mousse-tasting was going to take place.

Serafina set the bowl on the table, offering the spoons to Matias and Anna with a gentle smile. "You have to tell me if it tastes right," she told them encouragingly. "And if it does, perhaps you'd like to help me fill the pastries with it."

Esme smiled to herself, helping Matias up onto one of the chairs. "They are excellent cooks, your majesty," she assured the monarchs.

Leo felt a little awkward, watching his little family interacting with that of the royals. He smiled a little to himself as he stood quietly nearby, already missing Anna's presence by his side, but relieved she was coming out of her shell.

Matias seemed to be taking this taste-testing thing very seriously, as he took a spoon from the queen and dipped it into the mousse. He drew the spoon to his mouth, considering a moment as the sweet stuff touched his tongue. "A little more sugar," he said, not finding it quite sweet enough for his palate.

Anna, on the other hand, wasn't bothered much by the taste at all, shoveling half her spoonful into her mouth and smacking her lips happily before offering the slightly spitty mousse to the king.

Esme bit her lips to prevent herself from laughing, looking over to Leo. Her hand opened, inviting him to come and sit beside her as Serafina considered the advice she was given.

"How much is a little, do you think?" she asked Matias, lifting the powdered sugar jar from the cupboard.

"Just a little," Matias replied vaguely, having no real idea how much sugar the mousse needed. "Hilde always adds lots of sugar," he said, though again, he wasn't quite sure how to define "lots".

"It means that if you look for magic, you'll find it," Esme interjected. "And there's nothing wrong with looking for magic, or with looking for the reason behind everything. Everyone is different. What is magic for one person is perfectly easy to explain for someone else. I look for magic, but I also know how some things work. I found the balance that I like. You're still looking for yours."

"I am?" Matias asked, unsure if she was talking to him or to Anna. Anna had been the one to ask Hugo if he'd ever fought a dragon, and while Matias had hoped it was true, somewhere inside him, he knew they were only the stuff of fairy tales.

Leo frowned, wishing there was some way he could bring back the boy's innocence again. He was growing up too fast and had been ever since his parents had died.

"Both of you are," Esme told him with a smile. "And for a lot of people, they stop believing in magic when they are just a little older than you, but they find that belief again as they get older. Your mama was convinced that every flower had its own fairy for years when we were children, and then she didn't believe fairies existed at all for a while."

"But Mama said that there was fairies in our garding," Anna pointed out in confusion.

Matias frowned. He didn't want to tell his sister she was just being silly again. He remembered his mother telling them that, and he had believed once, but now he wasn't so sure. He decided it was better to say nothing than upset her with the truth.

"There are fairies so long as you believe there are fairies," Leo pointed out.

"Oh, that reminds me," Rolanda said suddenly, turning to the children. "Do you remember telling me about your Mama's rose" Do you think we should go and find a gardener, and see if it really is here in the castle gardens?"

Matias' mood had turned, mostly because he was thinking about his parents again. Though he knew his uncle and aunt loved him, he couldn't help but miss them every now and then. It seemed so unfair that they were gone, and though Leo and Esme had promised they wouldn't leave, he knew some things couldn't be helped.

"Do you think the Goddess is magic?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Rolanda blinked, glancing at Leo and Esme as Serafina wisely kept her mouth shut. This wasn't really a conversation either one of them had any real say in.

Esme bit her lip thoughtfully. "In what way, Matias?" she asked her nephew softly.

Matias shrugged. "If the Goddess is magic, I'd give her anything to ..." He broke off. No, there was no bringing back the dead. It was too late for that. "To keep our family safe," he said instead.

"Oh, my darling ..." Esme rose from her seat, moving to crouch beside Matias' chair and wrap him in her arms. She knew what he hadn't wished for; they had all wished for it, one way or another. But how did you explain that some wishes would never come true"

But Leo was thinking a little more practically and turned to regard the queen. "Is there a chapel somewhere in the castle?" he asked, assuming there was, but not knowing its location.

"Yes, there is." Serafina nodded, glancing at the little boy in concern for a moment. "Rolanda, why don't you show them to the chapel" I think we may have overstimulated the children enough for one afternoon."

The princess frowned, a little annoyed at not being the one to make the suggestion, but nodded agreeably. "Of course."

"And the garden," Leo added, thinking the children might like to see their mother's rose, too, but after the chapel. There was a sound in the corridor and the king rejoined them, a sober look on his face. He looked between the small family, sensing this might not be the best time to share his news.

Rolanda nodded. "That sounds like a very good idea," she agreed, rising to her feet. "Shall we?"

Anna nodded with the princess, scrambling down from Leo's lap to sieze his hand and pull him up, as Esme gently released Matias to stand.

"Please excuse us, your majesties."

"Of course," Freddie replied, leaving them to visit the garden or wherever it was Rolly was taking them. He darted a questioning glance at his sister, brows arched upwards, but the question remained unasked. There was news that needed to be shared, but it could wait. Everything was being taken care of as they spoke.

Leo was tugged to his feet and followed as Rolanda led them from the ktichen. Something had happened, but he wasn't sure what it was, and it would have to wait. The children came first.

Serafina watched them go a little sadly, tilting her head back to meet her husband's eyes. "They are still reeling from the loss of their parents, it seems," she told him quietly, rising to open the oven and retrieve the pastries from within. As she set them to cool on a wire rack, she eyed Freddie. "What has happened?"

"Then we shall have to ensure they do not suffer any more loss," Freddie said, once they were alone. Though his expression was grave, the news he had to share was not tragic. "Hugo has learned that the Ansburg city guard removed armed men from Master Kramer's home in the city and that those men were there on Earl Rivers' orders," he told her quietly.

"Oh, no ..." Serafina's beautiful face creased in fear and concern. "Then it seems clear that Rivers' ultimate goal was control over the children. When will he be taken?"

"I've sent Hugo with a small force to arrest him and bring him back here to await trial," the king told her, reaching for her hands. "You need not worry, love. Rivers' scheme is coming undone, and I have a feeling he will do just about anything to save his own skin." Including naming all his co-conspirators.

"And if he exposes your cousin, Albert, as a part of this scheme?" she asked worriedly. "What will you do then?" The spilling of noble blood was never taken lightly, but the Omberto family was known to be descended from royalty. It was not easy to devise a punishment suitable to the crime without alienating the populace in such a situation.

"We will worry about that when the time comes," he replied, not really giving her an answer. He had to talk to Franz first, so that the two men could make a plan. He kissed each of her hands - left, then right. "I promise I will let no harm come to you or those in our care."

"I know you will not allow any of us to come to harm," Serafina assured him. "But I cannot help worrying. It would be better, would it not, if Albert were to confess his part and reveal his co-conspirators first' If he were to acknowledge the futility of attempting to take the throne?"

"It would be better, yes, but we cannot force him to do it," Freddie replied, frowning thoughtfully. "What are you suggesting, love?" he asked. Though he was king, he certainly didn't have a problem with hearing her thoughts and ideas, which sometimes gave him a fresh perspective.

Serafina bit her lip, never particularly sure of herself when it came to offering ideas or suggestions. "Perhaps you could find a way to leak the information that the earl has been arrested to Albert, and that evidence has been found detailing the plot' Surely, in such a circumstance, wisdom would urge him to confess in the hope of distancing himself from the treasonous act?"

"We do not have to worry about that for some time yet," he said, not wanting to rush things too much. At his age, he wanted to savor every moment. The sound of children's laughter could be heard coming from the rose garden, and Freddie smiled. "That is a sound that is pleasant to my ears."

Sera pressed her cheek to his arm as she smiled with him. "It won't be so very long before our own child makes music like that for us to enjoy," she predicted, feeling better about becoming a mother now she had met a pair of small children who didn't seem so very difficult to be around.

"If they stay, our child will have other children to grow up with," he added, in a low voice that was meant for her ears alone. Of course, there was no certainty they'd remain at the castle forever. Someday, he knew they'd return to the ducal manor in Ansburg, but it wasn't so far they couldn't visit court from time to time.

"And there will be others," she murmured in answer. She was looking forward to seeing the new court he had put together with Franz and Rolly's help - this more vibrant collection of people who seemed interesting despite their noble status, who would bring their families with them to populate the castle with warmth and laughter.

"Indeed," he replied, smiling at the thought of the court being a place for growing families, instead of spiteful gossip. "I must confess I am anxious for Rolly to share our joy," he said. It wasn't the child Sera was carrying inside her he was talking about, but a future child for his sister and her knight.

"She has not been married a week yet, my darling," Sera reminded him in amusement. "And it has not been announced. It would be scandalous for her to begin to show very soon after her marriage is made common news."

"Then I suppose we shall have to announce it soon," he replied, with an unapologetic grin. He touched a kiss to her cheek before they reached the others. "I must take my leave of you, love. My chancellor is waiting. Will you miss me?"

"Desperately," she promised, rising onto her toes to kiss him properly, heedless of the renewed giggling from not so very far away as little Anna pointed out the king and queen "licking faces" in the garden.

He smiled into her kiss, amused by the giggles he heard nearby, as well as the answer to his question. "I shall be as quick as I can," he told her, though he could make no promises as to how long that might be. She could be sure he would at least join her for dinner.

"I know." Her fingers were soft against his cheek for a moment before she released him. "Do try to remember to at least drink something while you are talking over your strategy, Freddie."

"I shall try, dear heart," he promised, touching a kiss to both of her hands before taking a step back. He flourished little Anna with a courtly bow and a wink, before turning on a heel to find his chancellor, a whistle on his lips.

Beaming, Anna dropped another of her truly dreadful curtsies to the king, tentatively reaching up to tuck her hand into Sera's and pull her over to where the rest of their group was lingering in the sunshine.

"Dare I ask what I have missed?" the queen asked, her question mainly for Leopold, since both Esme and Rolanda bent almost double over the roses and chattering quietly.

"Oh, nothing much," Leopold replied. "Just women gushing and giggling over flowers," he told her with a smirk.

Matias appeared from somewhere nearby, something hidden behind his back, his cheeks flushed with color.

"As women are privileged to do," Sera informed the man with a sweet smile, glancing down as Anna abandoned her hand to potter forward and insert herself into her aunt's conversation with the princess. The queen, left with the men of the little family, tilted her smile downward toward young Matias, glad to see him looking a little more himself. "And how do you like our gardens, Master Matias?"

"I like them very much, Majesty," he told her, the blush on his face growing rosier.

Leo abruptly got up from where he'd been lounging on a bench and gave her a brief bow. "I think I hear my wife calling. If you'll excuse me, Majesty." Of course, Esme was doing no such thing.

Serafina nodded to him as Leo took his leave, seating herself on the bench in his place with another warm smile for Matias. "Your aunt must have a very soft voice and your uncle, very sharp hearing," she commented mildly. "I am glad to see you feeling a little better."

While it was clear Matias had a soft spot for Princess Rolanda, there was something about the dark-haired young queen that made him blush and stammer, and he had been one to blush and stammer before. He shrugged off her remark, not wanting to think about or explain the reasons he'd fallen into a dark mood. "Are you really having a baby?" he asked curiously.

"I am." She glanced down at herself. "You can't see it yet, but ....come here." She gestured for him to come closer, opening her palm to invite him to give her his hand.

His eyes widened as she invited him closer, but he obediently gave her his hand, the other hand still hidden behind his back. "I don't remember when Anna was born," he told her, furrowing his brows in thought. "Uncle says I was too little to remember it."

"You were only two years old," she agreed gently. "I don't know anyone who remembers anything that happened to them before they were five. And babies are generally quite boring for the first six months or so." She took his hand in her own, laying his small palm over the little bump at her waist that was invisible to the eye. "Can you feel that?"

The small crease between his eyes deepened as he tried to sort out what exactly it was he was supposed to be feeling. "It doesn't feel like anything, except ..." He paused a moment in thought. "It feels a little bit round," he decided.

She nodded encouragingly. "That little bit of roundness will get bigger," she assured him. "Because that is where the baby is growing. A baby who will be your cousin, albeit a distant cousin." The thought flashed through her mind that if she had a girl, a betrothal to this serious little fellow might solve all the problems of succession, but she wasn't going to share that right now.

"Because my mother was the king's cousin?" he asked, uncertainly, trusting eyes meeting hers. He understood a little about his parents' lives, but very little about his own birthright, except what he'd been told only recently.

"Yes, little one." Sera released his hand, gently reaching up to stroke his hair from his eyes. "The king before the king before this one had two brothers. One of them was your great-great-grandfather."

The boy's eyes widened again. This was more than anyone had ever told him before of his family's past before his parents had been born. "Truly?" he asked, though he had no reason not to believe her. She had been nothing but kind to him, and yet, he had always thought of himself as a simple merchant's son.

"Truly." Serafina's smile deepened. "You are more nobly born than I. My father was a poor nobleman in Kediri; my mother was a gentlewoman from Carantania. You have the blood of King Martan the Wise in your veins, young Matias, but you also have the blood of the people he ruled over." Her hand touched his cheek. "And no one can force you to be anything but what you wish to be. You do not always have to do your duty, but I think the world would be less for it, if you decide against the call of your blood."

He furrowed his brows again, as he tried to sort out what it was she was trying to tell him. There were a lot of words there, but he thought he knew what she meant. "But ....I don't want to be king," he said, not for the first time. Mostly because he knew nothing about being a king, and he wasn't sure he wanted to shoulder such responsibility. He was only a small boy, after all.

"Perhaps you should ask him what he would like you to call him," she suggested. "I would not mind if you wished to call me Sera in private, but you should remember to call me 'majesty' in public."

"Truly?" he asked, eyes widen again. He had never called any adults by their first name before, especially not a queen.

"I would not offer if I did not mean it," she promised with a faint laugh, stroking a hand through his tousled hair. "I remember when my little brothers were close to your age. They are almost men now, all of them, but I miss when they were small enough to sit in my lap and listen to stories. Strange, isn't it?"

He sidled a little closer as she drew her fingers through his hair. He missed the affection he'd had from his mother, and he didn't know his aunt well enough yet to expect it from her. "Sit in your lap?" he echoed, eyes wide. Was she asking him to do that"

She laughed softly at the look on his face. "Do not look so startled, little one," she assured him gently. "I am not going to grab you and force you onto my lap simply because I miss my brothers being small enough to do that. But, perhaps, if you want to sometime ....I would not mind it."

He wasn't startled because he thought himself too old to sit on someone's lap, but because he had not expected her - a queen - to offer. "I-I am happy to sit here beside you, if that is all right," he stammered, trying very hard to appear more mature than his age. It was too bad he was not old enough to court her himself, but alas, she belonged to the king. Would he always be too young, he wondered. "What happened to your brothers?" he asked curiously. "Why are they not at court?"

Smiling at his very formal acceptance of her company, Sera let it go, resting back against the upright of the bench as she watched his sister playing among the flowers. "My brothers are in Kediri, with their mother," she told him. "When a woman marries, she leaves her home and her family behind. And when she marries a king, especially a king of another country, she is expected to let go of her family and her homeland. Carantania is my homeland now, and the king and his sister are my only family."

The boy furrowed his brows at that, wondering if she was lonely, but not quite bold enough to ask. He thought he'd point something else out instead. "But if Anna and I are the king's cousins, then we are your family, too," he reasoned. By extension, that family included Leo and Esme and Hugo, as well.

"True, you are," she agreed. "I do not wish to presume that, though. Some people prefer to keep their family small, and I respect that. But I cannot deny that I am not yet fully at home here, and I should very much like to have a larger family."

"I would like that, too," Matias agreed with a small frown, though it was unclear if he was referring to her wishes or his own. "Do you miss your family very much?" he asked further.

Sera's smile faded, her eyes lowering for a long moment. "I do," she told him honestly. "Though it was not the family I had known all my life by the time I left. My father died half a year ago; I was still in mourning for him when I agreed to marry Freddie. A loss like that takes time to learn to live with, and here, I am not among others who mourn with me. But I will learn to love my new home in time."

"Oh," he repeated, that thoughtful expression on his face again. "My parents died a year ago or so," he confessed, though he suspected she knew this already. It still pained him to talk about and probably always would, though it was getting easier with time. He realized this was something they had in common, but she was lucky enough to still have a mother. "But you can visit home sometimes, can't you?" he asked, in an attempt to brighten her mood.

She smiled gently, reaching to take his small hand in hers. "I am sorry for your loss, little one," she commiserated with him, unconsciously curling her arm about his shoulders. "But you have your aunt and your uncle, your sister, and your grandfather. You have many people who love you. You will always remember, but it will not always hurt as it does now." His question made her smile deepen in sadness. "I am the queen of a country different to that of my birth," she told him gently. "They may visit me, but I can never go home."

He leaned against her as she drew him close - close enough to catch a whiff of something feminine and floral about her that had nothing to do with the rose. "Never?" he asked, looking up at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Never," she confirmed. "I might one day visit the royal court of Kediri, but I will never walk the rooms of the house where I was born again. Even if, when my husband is gone and my children are secure, I choose to return to Kediri, I will not live in my childhood home again."

"That's sad," he said, with childlike honesty. As much as he might try to seem older than his age, he was still just a child of six and filled with honest innocence. "I do not think we will be returning home either," he admitted, uncertainly. Even if they did return to Ansburg, he thought it more likely they'd be living at the ducal manor than the house where he'd grown up.

"No, I do not think it is likely that you will go back to your little house in Ansburg," Sera agreed quietly. "But you will make wherever you live your home. Because it is not walls and floors and familiar things that make a home. It is being with the people you love."

"The king loves you," he pointed out, trying to make her feel better and understand that her situation was not very different from his. They were both far from home where they had to get used to new roles and new people in their lives. He did not have to be told the king loved her in order for him to see it.

"He does," she murmured, not willing to share with a child that she was not always so certain of that. She was still learning what it was to be a queen, how much of the day her husband had to spend apart from her and what was expected of her in his absence. She would find her way, eventually. "And I love him, very much."

"I know my uncle loves us, but he does not say it often," Matias quietly confessed. He had learned during the past year that there were more ways to tell someone you cared for them that simply by using words. His small hand sought hers, sliding his hand into hers, almost as if he needed to feel her touch.

"Men find it harder to say the words aloud," Sera told him. "It is what the world expects of them. Women are expected to be soft and warm, to be filled with love and forgiveness for everyone around them, and men are expected to be harder, to protect their families sometimes without ever telling the people they love what is in their hearts. But I think the world is wrong. I think that a man should tell his wife, his children, his parents, that he loves them; I think a woman can protect her family as well as a man can. What do you think?"

"I think it is a brave thing for a man to tell someone he loves them," he told her. "Does the king tell you he loves you?" he asked, convinced by what he'd seen already that it was true.

"Yes, he does," she assured him with a little laugh. "Though he does not do it where anyone might hear him but me. But I do not mind that. It is enough to know that he feels comfortable to tell me so, to my face."

Matias looked over at his sister, as she played among the flowers, all by herself, and frowned, a thought forming in his mind. "People should know if you love them or not," he mused aloud.

"Perhaps we should make it easier for the people we love to tell us they love us in return," Serafina suggested to him, wrapping his hand in both her own for a long moment. "By telling them ourselves. It is easier to say the words when someone has just said them to you."

"You should ask your family to visit," he told her, his eyes still on his sister for some reason, comforted by the queen's touch and encouragement. "They could meet the king and the princess."

"They could, you are right," she agreed. "But it is the custom that my family cannot visit me until I have been married a year. I think it is to make sure that the queen does not have trouble letting go of her old life, and it makes sense."

"Oh, that is a long time," he said, once again showing he was not quite as mature as he might like. A year to a child was a long time, while to an adult, it might seem like nothing. "Will they come to see the baby?" he asked quietly, realizing it was still something of a secret, and feeling privileged to have been told.

Whether they were supposed to get wet or not, it was a given that pairing children with sand and surf would ultimately results in wetness. As for Matias, it had been a long time since he'd felt so free and full of joy as the moment he darted across the sand and skipped amid the waves that lapped up onto his feet. The boy scooped up a handful of water, laughing, and playfully threw it over at his sister.

It was certainly a diverting hour or more, to be allowed just to play and be children, unworried by the quiet conversation of adults nearby trying not to be heard. And the queen joined in with their playing, heedless of her "delicate condition", to splash and kick at the waves with them, and to show them the little creatures that lived in the rock pools uncovered by the low tide.

That hour flew past, filled with joy and laughter, until they were interrupted by the sound of a male voice clearing his throat. The expression on Sir Hugo's face was an amused one, his eyes bright with good humor, a smile on his face to see the children and the queen enjoying the day.

"Oh!" Caught behaving like the young woman she was, and not the graceful queen she was supposed to be, Serafina flushed deep red at the sound of that throat being cleared, turning back toward the sands with an embarrassed smile. She and the children were decidedly damp from the feet to the shoulders, flushed with exertion. "Sir Hugo!

"Sir Hugo!" echoed Matias. "Come play in the sand!" he urged the knight, who was only a few years older than the queen.

Hugo grinned to see the queen and the children having a bit of fun - something he guessed they all sorely needed. "Not today, Master Matias," he replied with an apologetic smile. "Majesty, the king has asked me to fetch you to come speak with him and his chancellor," he explained with a short bow.

"Oh, I see." Flushing still further at being addressed as 'majesty' when her skirt was soaked to the thigh in sea water, Serafina glanced down at the children. "And we should deliver you both back to your uncle and aunt."

Anna pouted. "Can't they come here?"

Hugo's smile widened in obvious amusement at both the look on the queen's face, as well as the little girl's question. "I can stay with them for a little while, if you like," he told them, turning to face both children with as serious an expression as he could muster. "But only for a little while. No pouting when it's time to go!"

The queen's response was forestalled a little by the delighted cheer that rose from Anna, and the splash of yet more water against her back as the little girl celebrated being allowed to play longer.

Serafina laughed a little helplessly, glad that only Freddie and Franz would see her in this state. "Thank you, Sir Hugo. I shall take my leave of you then, little cousins, and see you at dinner."

"See you at dinner, Majesty!" Matias replied, waving an enthusiastic hand at her before going back to his splashing. Hugo chuckled, his voice low so that the children wouldn't overhear him. "I've been reduced to being a glorified nanny," he told her with a smirk.

"If it is good enough for the queen, it should be more than good enough for you, sir knight," Sera countered in amusement, slipping her sandy feet bare into her shoes, rather than hike her stockings to her thigh in front of a man who was not her husband. "The boy wants to understand what it is to be a knight. Perhaps you should enlighten him a little?"

"Does he?" Hugo said, arching a surprised brow at the children cavorting on the beach. "As it happens, I may be in need of a squire," he said, smiling as he looked once more to Sera, as if to gauge her reaction.

She smiled faintly, nodding to him. "I am sure the king will have an opinion on that, and his uncle and aunt, too," she agreed. But it would be better for the boy to learn from someone close to home, rather than to be sent across the country as many other young squires were.

"I am sure they will," Hugo replied, offering a respectful nod of his head. "Thank you, Majesty," he said, as if just remembering that this gentle young woman was also his queen. "I promise the children will be safe in my care."

"You will have to answer to your wife if they are not," she reminded him in amusement, letting her wet skirt hem slap to the sand as she turned to make her way up the smooth steps to the hidden arch and through the garden.

He chuckled again, as if he needed to know that in order to keep the children safe. "I will have to answer to their parents, as well," he remarked, as she turned to make her way back up the stairs. He looked back at the children, making a mental note to speak with the boy later, as well as the boy's parents, but not now - not when they were having so much fun just being children.

It truly was a blessing that the royal court was not in session at the moment, and that the staff of the castle were inclined toward affection for their new queen. Serafina looked nothing like a queen as she made her way back through the gardens and into the castle, pausing in the kitchens to remove her shoes and wash the sand from her feet, abandoning shoes and stockings both to move more quickly in her sodden gown to the study where the king and his chancellor administered law and order to the land.

The king and his chancellor were waiting for her in the king's study, both wearing solemn and slightly weary expressions on their faces. It was a testament to the love and respect they both had for the queen that they had asked her to join them so that they could tell her what they'd decided to do, even before they took any action.

Slightly breathless, more than a little damp, and definitely disheveled, Serafina let herself into the study, curious eyes just a little concerned as she looked at the solemn faces that turned toward her. Franz's expression, at least, flickered with a smile at the state of her, but he didn't mention it aloud. "Majesty."

Freddie, too, noticed that his wife was looking more than a little disheveled and out of breath and was the hem of her dress wet' He only arched a brow at her appearance, not wanting to embarrass her in front of his chancellor, who was also his lifelong friend. "Come, Sera, no need to stand on ceremony with me," he said, waving her inside.

She offered a slightly relieved smile at the welcome, moving to join them. "You seem so very serious," she commented. "I take it the decision has been made?"

The king moved to his feet and offered her a hand to guide her into a chair. He touched a brief but affectionate kiss to her cheek before retaking his own seat, folding his hands in front of him, that serious look on his face. "I believe we have no choice but to arrest Earl Rivers, but as far as cousin Albert is concerned, he will be summoned to court where he will have the chance to tell us the truth of his involvement."

Settled into a chair, Sera did her best to ignore the fact that her skirts and petticoats were wet and cold, smiling at the kiss she was given even as Franz took up the explanation.

"Sir Hugo will take the warrant for the earl's arrest north to his estate, and if necessary, will hunt him down with a contingent of guards who will accompany him," the chancellor explained. "Certain precautions are being taken with Lord Albert - word is being sent ahead to the borders, in case he should decide to attempt escape rather than obedience."

"Shall we bring them all here for questioning, do you think, or ..." He trailed off, another thought emerging. "We could invite them to court, as we are inviting Albert," he suggested, though he wasn't sure he liked the idea of bringing people who might be his enemies to court, where those he cared for lived in relative security and safety.

"Any man under investigation for treason must be imprisoned, Freddie," Franz reminded his friend firmly. "However lenient you choose to be in the end, this must be done as it has always been. They will be placed in the Caranta Gaol until such time as their innocence or guilt can be established."

"Very well," the king agreed. "I trust you in this as in all things, Franz," he said, vocalizing his trust in his friend and giving him permission to do whatever he thought needed to be done. As king, he could not be in ten places at one time, after all.

"With your permission, I will coordinate with Sir Hugo, so that all parties may be taken on the same day, sire," Franz told him. "Preferably after Albert has begun his journey to the capital."

"Yes, very well, Franz," the king agreed, rubbing his temple with a soft sigh. "This has been most trying." And it had only just started, but he hoped that that at least, a plot with tragic proportions had been averted. Everyone he cared for was safe and sound.

Franz paused, looking over at his monarchs. "And may I suggest you change for dinner, sire?" he suggested with a faint smile. "At least dry the queen off before she catches a chill."

Freddie arched a brow as he looked over at his queen. "Yes, of course. Forgive me, love," he said as he pushed to his feet. He drew his coat around the queen, as well as an arm. "Come, love. Why did you not say something" I did not realize you were so wet."

Drawn up onto her feet and wrapped in her husband's coat, Sera found herself blushing in embarrassment once again. "It is my own fault," she assured him. "I left my stockings by the shore as well. I simply ....miscalculated how enthusiastic small children get when they have the leisure to play in the surf, that's all."

"You took the children to the beach?" Freddie asked, his expression brightening. After the last few hours, he needed to hear some happy news, such as this. "I assume they enjoyed their outing, but did you?" he asked, smiling in amusement.

"When I left, they still were enjoying themselves," she admitted with a quiet laugh. "I may have scandalised poor Hugo, however. I am not entirely sure the nobility of this country is ready for a queen with her skirts hooked above her knees being splashed liberally by children who were definitely winning that little battle of ours."

Freddie chuckled at her confession. "I am sure Hugo is honorable enough not to say a word ....except perhaps to Rolly," he added with a grin. "But you did not answer my question," he teased her as he drew her from the study to the bedroom, where he turned to face her, rubbing his hands gently against her shoulders to warm her.

"That is right, I didn't answer it," she teased him in return, aware of her bare feet against the warm rug and the disgracefully heavy hang of her cold wet skirts. Her smile softened. "I did enjoy myself," she admitted almost shyly. "I do not think your queen is going to be the distant beauty you might want her to be in a court that has children in it, Freddie. I enjoy their company too much not to engage in it."

"Is that what you think I want of you?" he asked, his smile fading, turning serious. "What I want is for you to be happy. When you are happy, I am happy," he told her, leaning close to touch a soft kiss to her lips. "Now, let us get you out of those wet clothes and dressed for dinner."

She smiled as he kissed her, though she, too, turned solemn as he drew her away from the window to begin unlacing her gown. "Everyone admired Elena so much," she said softly. "She is their image of what a queen should be. I don't match her, Freddie."

His smile faded again, as he mentioned the former queen. "You are not Elena, and I do not expect you to be. In fact, I am glad you are not Elena," he told her, as he had before. He had not loved Elena. Though the people might have been fond of their queen, they had not really known her. "Give the people a chance to know you and they will come to love you," he assured her, as gently as he could.

"I don't want to disappoint them," she confessed, forgetting that they had already seen her more exuberant personality on her own wedding day, when she had insisted on dancing in the market square with the merchants and commons, rather than the hall with the nobles.

"I doubt you will ever disappoint them or me," he assured her again. "Try not to worry so much, dearest. When they learn that you are with child, they are going to celebrate in the streets," he told her, trying to hide the worry from his voice and his expression. It wasn't the people who worried him, but those who were plotting against them, but hopefully the guilty parties would soon be brought to justice before they could cause any more harm.

Shedding the heavy layer of her dress in a rather unfortunate slap of wet fabric against the floor, she turned to look up at him. "Freddie ....No matter what happens, I am glad to be here, with you," she told him softly. "I love you. I'll try to find my place swiftly, I promise."

He was there to help her with her clothes, as careful as any of her maids, if not as skilled. "I know it will take time for you to feel comfortable here, but everyone who has met you adores you. There is no reason to think the people will not follow suit." What he said was true - Franz, Rolly, Esme, even the children seemed to adore her. It would not be long before Hugo and Leopold followed suit.

She paused, her fingers stilling in the act of untying the ribbons of her petticoat. "Freddie ....is it possible to send an escort for the Duke of Ansburg?" she asked him uncertainly. "I know he is unwell, but a well-prepared escort ready to take their time and care for him on the way would be able to make the journey bearable, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, of course," Freddie replied, a little surprised by her question. Did she really think he expected an elderly and sickly man to make it to the castle on his own" He had already asked Hugo to arrest Earl Rivers; he could not very well expect the knight to escort the Duke of Ansburg there, as well.

"Soon?" she pressed him, remembering the heartbreaking upset Matias had tried so hard not to show her when he had spoken of his grandfather. "The children ....Matias is frightened that his grandfather will die before ever meeting them."

"I will send an escort to bring him here as soon as we are finished here," he assured her. It was a simple enough matter to arrange, after all, and one he had been considering.

"Thank you." Heedless of her undressed state, she leaned into him, brushing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "You should change your coat for dinner. I'm sure Esmerelda will be bullying her little family into changing for the meal as well; we can't let them down."

"I suppose I should," he admitted, with a chuckle, glad to have her change the subject to that of their guests. There had been too much talk of treason, and he longed for lighter conversation. "It is good to hear the sound of children's laughter in the castle," he said, though he had already expressed this thought once before. He smiled at her kiss, knowing that if he let his body choose for him, they might be late for dinner.

"There will be plenty of it, I assure you," she promised, shrugging her way into a fresh chemise. "We will have to bring in tutors for the children after a month or so has passed, to give them some structure to their day while their parents are at court."