I was perusing the dinner plan for the next week when I saw the rock in the courtyard crack with a red line, the door slowly swung open. The colour fell from my face as I saw Edmund walking through followed by Terrance. I turned to Muriel who was watching with fear.

"You know the drill."

"Yes your highness."

I took a deep breath as she disappeared, I could feel the gust of wind pass me.

"Gaston would you be so kind as to alert his highness that his grandfather is here to see him."

"Of course your highness."

I wandered out through the kitchen door, Edmund and Terrance were looking over the kitchen garden. Terrance was trying to buy me as much time as he could.

"Ivy what a pleasant surprise." he grinned "We weren't expecting to find you here."

"I have taken a short break from the administration work to ensure the staff are maintaining the house properly, ensuring the meal plan is adequate." I curtsied "Welcome your highness."

"Thank you Ivy, is Jonah around?"

"He is in his study; would you like to join him in the parlour for afternoon tea?"

"Yes that sounds pleasant. I was just telling my son how wonderful the gardens are; you have employed a talented gardener."

"Oh that is not my doing, your highness. I am afraid that your grandson was the person responsible for the staff choices."

Edmund chuckled "Of course."

"Would you like to see more of Bertie's efforts?"

"Yes I suppose a quick stroll around the garden would be nice."

I led them past the kitchen garden and into the formal garden.

"How long are you staying for Ivy?"

"I haven't decided; will you be joining us as well?"

"No, I have been swamped with paperwork." he frowns. "Today is only a short visit. I suppose in the summer months it might be more pleasant to visit. Is it warm in the summer?"

"In the times that I have been here, yes it has been. I tend to be stuck in the office most days." I grinned "This particular area of land is quite arid and it gets quite hot though the weather tends to be rather erratic."

He nodded as we passed through the highly manicured gardens and into what will be the children's play area.

"And how is the compound going, are you finding that things are working well?"

"It is going very well your highness, we hope to confirm pregnancies soon. The humans are getting used to the blood donation and agree with the idea of selling their blood for our sustenance."

"Ensuring they get to see another day?"

"Exactly your highness."

Edmund nodded with a smile as he looked out over the wall to the buildings that lay in front. Terrance told him what each of the buildings were and the plans for the future areas. I could see movement out of the corner of my eye, turning slightly I could see Muriel with one very relieved look on her face. She gave me a nod and returned into the residence, Jonah moving out the front door after she had left.

"Grandfather, what a pleasant surprise. Hello father."

Jonah bowed slightly and then led them into the house. I stood for a few seconds, thinking that my legs were about to give way. We had been warned that this would happen, I knew that Edmund would do his utmost to catch us out. Now all we had to do was survive the next few hours. If we passed this, I knew he wouldn't return for some time. He was already busy with his kingdom, to be preoccupied with trying to catch his grandson and girlfriend living together was a waste of his precious time.

I left the men to do their thing in the parlour, returning to the kitchen and the menu plan. Muriel was standing by the bench with the relieved look still on her face.

"All good?"

"Yes your highness, is he staying, shall I prepare the other guest quarters for him?"

"No, the king will be leaving."

The door cracked another red line and I cringed, wondering who it was this time. Maybe it was my grandfather, that would really throw a spanner in the works. Natalie stepped through and I sighed with relief and then as the realisation dawned on me, anxiety filled my mind.

"Crap." I hissed, rushing out the back door.

"Hey Ivy! Guess what?" she gushed.

"Before you start, I need to tell you something urgently."

"Me first." she pouted.

"I can't, before Jonah's grandfather comes out here."

"What's going on Iv?"

"His grandfather is a real stickler for no sex before marriage, so I sleep in the guest quarters when I stay over, ok? Still a virgin, still predominately living with my parents, ok?"

"Yeah sure." she frowned. "What business is it of his if you two are?"

"I don't know, but he's worse than our grandfather."

"That's saying something." she scoffed. "Ok, I'm not staying long anyway I just came to tell you the super awesome good news and then ask you something."

"Alright." I grinned.

"Elston proposed. Look."

Natalie held out her hand with one giant glimmering rock on her finger. I stood there very stunned feeling all sorts of anguished thoughts. Sure Jonah and I were in a very solid relationship and we had discussed not rushing into marriage but there was that little niggling thought in my mind that I wished he would.

"Ivy, are you ok?"

I could hear the hesitation in her voice, I looked up at her feeling the tears well in my eyes. Turn it around Iv, don't be like this.

"Oh Nat." I turned the tears into happiness, gushing as I hugged her "That is so awesome."

"You had me worried there for a second. Jeez." she wiped the tears "I was beginning to think things weren't good with you and Jonah."

"We are good, I promise."

"So the question, I want you to be my bridesmaid."

I grinned at her, more tears tripping out.

"I'd love to and that wasn't a question." I punched her arm.

Nat frowned as she faked pain in her arm, rubbing it and then laughing.

"Oh I had to tell you, wedding is going to be real soon so I thought we could do the dress thing tomorrow. His mother is coming with us."

"Ariella?"

"No." she crinkled her face "Jeez it's awful there at the moment, I wish Elston would consider getting a place in mid jump but he likes being with his family."

Nat sighed as she slowly started to walk back to the rock face. I followed behind knowing I wasn't going to like what I was going to hear.

"That bastard Lucian, I swear if he wasn't heir to the entire world she would have gutted him."

"They're over, aren't they?"

"Very much so. She's totally withdrawn into herself, she used to be so vibrant and outgoing. Now she's this cold, ghost like creature. She's more like Lucas in her dark personality than Scarlett in her warmth. It's terrible Iv. I feel like I'm walking around on eggshells, I don't want to talk about the wedding in front of her. Even Elston feels awful, he has this bond with her because they are twins but it's like this is causing friction, their bond is breaking. I just don't know what to do."

"Give her time, the wounds are still raw."

Her teary eyes looked up at me, even though this wasn't her going through the pain, she could feel it just as bad as what Ariella would be. Elston had one very big tie to his sister through their twin bond and Natalie had a bond with Elston because of their mated love. What Elston felt, Natalie felt. If Elston hurt because his sister was hurting, Natalie felt it too. It was like some bizarre bond triangle. I knew Natalie adored Ariella, she spoke of her like she was her own twin. It had taken some strength on my part not to be jealous of their new found friendship but I hid the pangs and remained the same person I always was. Good old reliable Ivy. The go to person when your new found friendship had crumbled into nothing.

"Ariella wouldn't want you to put off the wedding or to hide it from her, it will be hard for her but she loves her brother and she would want him to be happy."

Natalie nodded and wiped the tears.

"I think that you should ask her to come dress shopping tomorrow, even if she isn't in the bridal party she should at least have a new dress."

Something odd entered my mind.

"Are you inviting Lucian and his parents?"

"Scarlett said it would be wise to invite Alina and Alex but as for Lucian." she squinted harshly "I told her that he was not to come anywhere near Ariella or I would stab him with my bouquet."

I laughed. "Oh jeez, could you imagine it?"

Natalie snorted with laughter.

"Yeah, it would be awesome. Anyway Scarlett said she would hand deliver the invitation to Alina and have a pleasant chat with her about her son and the lack of invitation for obvious reasons."

She put her hand on the rock face, the lines cracked the door open. Her face was wrought with confusion, sadness and happiness. As the door swung open, the one person who I wished was far away from us just happened to walk by. Lucian. Natalie scowled hard at him, her teeth grinding with pure hate. I held her arm restraining her, I knew she was seconds away from leaping through the door and knocking him to the ground. And with several burly guards around him, that wasn't wise.

"Ivy, Natalie." he nodded.

"Your highness." I curtsied while still restraining the very angry Natalie.

"Curtsy Nat or he could have your head." I whispered.

Begrudgingly she did as I asked. I could see the look on Lucian's face, he didn't want the curtsy nor did he expect it but accepted it all the same.

"Best you move quickly your highness. She is returning home and I am not going with her."

Panic filled his eyes as he looked at Natalie, he knew she was on Ariella's side.

"Of course." he nodded "Good day."

I put my head through the door, ensuring he was through his gate before I let Natalie's arm go.

"Please do not do something stupid Natalie. I like my cousin with her head firmly attached to her body."

"He is the one that deserves it, not I." she hissed.

"That may be so, but it is not our business what happens in the prince's personal life, regardless of who it affects. Ariella knew of the bizarre arrangement his parents had with their own sexual interactions, apples don't fall far from their trees Natalie."

She nodded wordlessly. I didn't want to think of what Lucian had seen growing up. His mother running off to have fun with Finn while his father had countless women. I couldn't understand how their relationship could work as well as it has been, I was waiting for the cracks to appear. Even though Jonah was reluctant to tell me what went on, his mother wasn't and unlike Jonah, Miranda wasn't bound by a confidentiality agreement. Alina and Alex only had their separated fun times on occasions, when the dark being elders met in the werewolf realm. She would go and stay overnight with Finn and during that night Alex would have his night with whoever he wanted. This only ever happened one night every three months, due to the fact that they met in this realm and the shifter realm in the other two months. But clearly it was enough to make an impression on Lucian.

"Forget about him Natalie, if you linger in despair it will harm your relationship with Elston and Ariella will never move forward if everyone is walking around looking glum."

I hugged her hard, waiting by the door as she stepped through.

"Ten tomorrow ok?"

"Sure." I grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."

************************

"Ahem."

I turned my tear filled gaze to the man that was leaning on the balcony in the dark, watching the crazy woman in front of him. The crazy woman who was like the grim reaper with her hooded cape that covered her body, hiding her sadness as she shot arrows wildly into the scrub. It was lucky there weren't any rogues out here, my eyes were filled with so many tears that I could barely see.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing." I whispered.

"It doesn't look like nothing. Come inside and keep me warm."

I jumped off the wall and walked over the grassed area, climbing the stone brickwork. Jonah had muttered on several occasions that he was going to invest in some rock climbing equipment to ensure my safety. He hadn't done it yet but I knew it was on the list. The list that I had dubbed 'make Ivy's life difficult' and included some kind of tracking device that I couldn't remove so he would know where I was when I should be at the house, restricting my access card to not include the armoury to stop me from raiding it for arrows and of course my favourite, the yet to be chosen replacement kings guard. I missed Danny and I wished now that I could have told him how grateful I was that he protected me, that he was always there for me even if it was carrying the dozens of bags through mid-jump. Every time Jonah tried to replace him I refused to entertain the idea. It felt like I was cheating the memory of my fallen guard. Even though it had been some time, I still felt the pain of his death. And now my cousin was about to get married and I was yet to see anything similar happen to me and Jonah's sudden need to have a child was weighing down on me. It wasn't as if I didn't want children with him, I would but it just made things worse. He never speaks about marriage yet he wants children. My life was hell.

I packed away the bow and arrows, folding my cloak into the box. It was surprising that it was here, I couldn't understand why Jonah hadn't removed it. He was on the lounge when I dragged my sulking body into the room.

"Everything alright?"

I nodded and continued past him, only to have him pull my hand, bringing me onto his lap. His hand moved over the waist of my jeans to the edge of my singlet top, slinking underneath to my skin.

"I know when you lie, more so when you get around looking like you've just watched the saddest movie ever made. And you forget, mated love. You know, I can feel the sorrow that you are trying to pretend you aren't feeling. So how about you tell me what's going on."

He pulled me to him so that I was sitting astride him, looking into his eyes. It was a ploy, I knew it. He was waiting for me to crumble and crumble I did. I burst into tears unable to hide it any longer. Jonah had this magical ability to bring out the emotions in me that were bubbling below the surface. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in, crushing me against his body. I didn't know what to do, he would want to know what was upsetting me and how could I say that I was upset that Nat and Elston were getting married and we weren't? I had to find something terrible that would make me this way. Sitting back, I wiped the tears and then tried to get off his lap. As if I'd be allowed to.

"Not until you tell me what is going on."

"I was just thinking about Danny that's all."

"Just Danny?"

I shrugged trying to pretend that I wasn't hiding something. Lying to him wasn't what I wanted to do but I didn't want to pressure him into getting married. He loved me and protected me, I was stupid, why did I need anything more from him?

"Ivy." he softly chastised "If you need to go and see someone about that day you should. Don't bottle up your emotions, it's not healthy."

He stood from the lounge lifting me with him and walking into the robe. Setting me to my feet, he moved to his section of the robe, rummaging through his draws.

"Bed time, it's been a rough day."

It had been rough and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was only going to get worse.