Ildri remained, not hiding, in her room for the rest of the night. Several times someone banged on her door but she did not answer. Eventually she found the peace of sleep and escaped until the morning.

Her first thought upon waking was that Ty was probably gone. And it was better that way. It really was. It must be.

Her stomach growled loudly. She could not stay in her room forever. She washed her face and changed into a clean dress before making her way to the kitchen.

Chef was moving around the kitchen like she always did. With a raised eyebrow and a kind smile she spoke, "I suspect you're rather hungry."

"I am," Ildri agreed.

Chef quickly procured a plate for Ildri. "Are you feeling alright, dear?"

"Of course," Ildri said in a high, false tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"If you want to keep an argument private it's better not to scream in corridors," chef said gently.

Ildri felt absolute mortification at the thought. Everyone from the king down to the lowliest farmhand probably had heard about it by now. She had been so angry she had not been thinking. She supposed that thinking had never really been her strong suit at the best of times.

"He called Lord Wildwood insipid! And I don't even know what that means, but it was obviously not good. I lost my temper," she tried to explain her actions.

Chef rolled her eyes slightly. "A case could be made for the insipidness of Lord Wildwood," the woman allowed gently. "It means boring."

"Lord Wildwood isn't boring! He's steady and reliable and a wonderful leader!"

Chef smiled. "If you keep going on like that you'll find that Lord Tyson will find Lord Wildwood more and more insipid."

Ildri scowled. "If you're not going to speak clearly, then I'll leave." She grabbed the bowl of food, she was hungry and swept from the kitchen. The door swung shut behind her, but not before chef's resigned chuckles followed behind her.

Ildri finished eating in her room. After she was done there was a loud knock.

"Ildri, open up! We've work to do!" It was Maxine so Ildri opened the door and let her inside. Maxine smiled at Ildri sympathetically. "How are you doing?"

"I'm not dying," Ildri muttered. "I am perfectly fine. And now that the war is over I could not be happier. Everything is going to be perfect," she announced woodenly.

"If you say so," Maxine agreed.

They began to work and Anya joined them after a while and told them she had given the twins the day off. She seemed to be in an annoyingly good mood. Maxine too. Ildri gritted her teeth. It was a wonder she had any teeth left after how frustrating her life had been lately!

Anya accidentally tripped over one of Maxine's rabbits, spilling the nearly completed potion she had been carrying.

"Bloody mess!" shrieked Keziah.

Ildri glared at the rabbit as if it had been its fault and tried not to cry.

She looked up to see the other women exchange glances and then look at her with annoying sympathetic expressions. Ildri felt her pique rise.

Maxine frowned. "I've had enough of this, Ildri."

"What?" Ildri asked defensively.

Anya explained. "This mood of yours. We can barely move without you being angry at us. I know you fought with—"

"I don't want to talk about that!" Ildri announced.

Maxine interjected, "And I think that this sulking has gone far enough. I warned you not to fall for him, but you ignored me. Now, you need to deal with it."

"But—"

Anya spoke next. "It's obvious the two of you want to be together. He's on the road, as we speak. Why aren't you with him? He asked you to go."

"Because it won't work!" Ildri wailed.

Maxine pushed Ildri into a chair. "You're thinking too much. Think about it, Ildri. I know his family since I live in their domain. Ty's always been the rebellious one and they still love him. They lost his father, and they think he is dead. Do you think they are going to care if he comes back from the dead with a commoner he wants to marry? Honestly, they will barely even notice you and by the time they do you'll be a fixture. It's the perfect timing, really."

"And the nobility is being shaken up right now," Anya added. "When I accepted Jim's proposal I didn't realize he'd be getting stuck with a title."

Ildri's lip quivered pitifully. "Ty never actually said anything about marriage."

"Probably because you were too busy turning him down to listen to what he was saying. Talking too much, thinking too much, not listening at all," Maxine interjected.

"But—" she tried to protest.

"He's never wanted a title yet he accepted one from the king yesterday. He probably did it for you, fool girl, so that you would realize he doesn't need his family's permission. Although why you would think that... And then he was in such a bad mood after you two fought yesterday... I've never seen him so angry." Maxine said.

"Almost like the bad mood you're in now," Anya added.

"But I've said awful things."

"So did he," Anya pointed out reasonably. "And from what I've heard it was likely more screaming than saying."

Ildri stared at Anya. "Are you actually enjoying this?"

Anya smiled mysteriously. "I'd like to see you happy, too."

Maxine nodded her head. "Go after him, apologize for being wrong, and shut your mouth. I know Ty. He'll forgive you, and he probably feels guilty, too. It's hardly as if he's innocent."

"Fine, but if he left this morning..."

Anya perked up. "He did, with the king, but luckily I made a new batch of flying potion. You probably did not notice between your bouts of moping. I really must teach you how."

Maxine nodded. "Off you go!"

Ildri could not figure out what she was thinking, allowing Maxine and Anya to practically drag her to the highest part of the castle and shove her off. Even chef and all the other onlookers grinned and waved merrily from the castle wall. It was enough to make Ildri wish the ground—or perhaps the clouds would swallow her up.

And so she found herself flying with no supplies and no planning following a route that she hoped Ty had taken. Keziah was whistling as she flew beside her as if she had not a care in the world. Ridiculous bird, ridiculous friends, ridiculous man.

Ridiculous Ildri.

She had half a mind to turn around and go back, but the thought of what everyone might think and say drove her on. Either way it was a disaster.

And then she finally saw a group of travellers on the road. She felt the nervousness in her stomach as she soared to the ground, then she took the potion that shrunk the wings from her back.

As the potion worked its magic, she hurried forward towards the group. Keziah landed on her shoulder.

The rearmost guard saw her first. "Who goes there and what is your business?"

"Ildri of Wildwood come to talk to Lord Tyson, new Earl of Treblay."

The guard looked at her for a moment and she swore that she saw an amused look cross his face. Had everyone heard of their argument? She wished that she could die on the spot. Today really was the most embarrassing of days. The soldier spoke to another, and then the other urged his horse ahead in the line until Ildri could no longer see it. Ildri jogged along feeling like a fool.

After a few minutes the horses slowed and the travellers stopped. She sincerely hoped that they were not stopping for her. It was too much. She had no doubt that her face was already bright red. She hoped that people would think it was from the exertion of chasing down the travellers.

The bloody boorish knave should have come and spoke with her before he left and saved her this embarrassment. She should not be here.

And then he was there, still on his horse looking ridiculously large and imposing, his wolf dog scowling beside him. His face looked stony. "What do you want?" he asked. He was definitely angry at her.

And she did not care. She was not going to talk to him when he was sitting all high and mighty on the back of a horse. "Come down here and I'll tell you," she said. "Please, my lord," she added to make her words sound more proper. Giddily it occurred to her she had just tried to order an earl around. Whatever was she thinking?

"Very well." Ty dismounted smoothly and handed the reins to an amused looking guard. "Thank you, sir," he said. Then he turned to Ildri and said, "We're breaking for a noon meal. Why don't we walk a ways away, or would that be demanding too much of you?"

Ildri scowled. "I didn't come here to argue. I'll walk with you." She would prefer less audience. The guard was probably hoping to hear them yelling again. So mortifying!

"A nice change then," he commented mildly as they began to move. Ferrel followed them, quietly observing.

Ildri forced herself not to retaliate snidely. Fool man!

After they were out of earshot, Ildri stopped and stood awkwardly beside a tree. She forced herself to say it. "I'm sorry."

He actually looked surprised. "You're sorry. Why?"

Ildri could not quite recall why she was supposed to be sorry. "Uh, for not listening or something? I guess I talk too much? I don't know. They forced me to come." She grimaced. She was obviously bungling this rather badly.

"Bloody mess," agreed Keziah.

"So, you don't know why you're sorry? Or you're not sorry?" he asked, but he sounded more confused and cautious than angry.

"I'm sorry, but... Oh, I didn't want things to end like this. I'm just sorry, all right?"

"You're forgiven, then," Ty said. "For what it's worth, I am also sorry. I've done any number of things you should probably be angry about, Ildri. I did my best to kill Saul, rotten traitor though he was, I stole you from the safety of the walls, dragged you into this war, used your magic to kill the emperor and probably more."

Ildri shook her head. "I'm not angry with you for any of that."

Ty nodded and smiled with a resigned expression. "I'm glad for that. I would like to have peace between us. Would you like to come and have a bite to eat before you head back to Wildwood? We can part as friends."

"Bloody, bloody wretched mess," Keziah added helpfully.

This was not at all how Ildri had hoped the situation would play out. "No," she protested. "That's not what I want."

He looked at her cautiously. "You don't want peace between us?"

"No!" she said again. "I don't want peace between us."

Ty was beginning to look frustrated again. "Then speak plainly, Ildri! I don't know what you want, I can't read your mind. Do you never want to see me again? Do you want to argue? Revenge, another chance to reject me? What could you possibly want? You talk all the time in circles and I never know what you actually mean."

"No, Ty, wait!" she said as he spun around. Ferrel was looking between them curiously. "I don't want you to leave..."

"You don't want me to leave? Well, I can't stay at Wildwood, Ildri. I've agree to responsibility," he paused as if the word was unpleasant, "And I must see to it, now. There's work to be done."

"I know that. But..."

"Ildri, I still don't understand you and I'm not going to force you to explain. I've dragged you around enough, haven't I? Listen, I have to go." He turned again and began to walk back to his horse. "I'll arrange an escort to return you to Wildwood."

Ildri closed her eyes. "I don't want to go back to Wildwood," she said.

"Really?" he did not look at her, nor did he sound like he believed her.

"I do want to go with you, Ty!" she said more loudly than she had planned.

He turned back around. "Why?"

"Because I do."

"You've been saying the exact opposite for days. Why now?"

"I probably always wanted to," she said, swallowing hard.

He looked frustrated and... hopeful? Or was it just Ildri who was hopeful?

He stared at her. "I can't fathom what you're thinking."

Ildri swallowed hard. He wanted plain speaking? "Fine. I care about you, or something. I was worried about you the entire time you were missing and I wasn't just feeling guilty. Are you happy that you've made me say that? That you made me chase you down? That you're a big bloody wretch?" she blustered to cover her embarrassment. "That I'm making myself look so foolish that I wish I'd just sink into the ground?"

He still said nothing. He looked stunned and she felt like her humiliation would never end. She should have known. She was a commoner who was going to kill Maxine and Anya and every other smug faced lovebird back at Wildwood! She should have known better, because nothing ever worked out perfectly for Ildri. Had life not taught her that already?

"Poor pretty lady," Keziah said with what Ildri imagined was sympathy. Even if Keziah did not really understand, the bird knew what she was feeling better than anyone. Perhaps she was not such a terrible familiar after all.

Ty still had not said anything and she needed to get out of there. She fumbled for the potion of flying and took a long drink. She did not want to return to Wildwood, either, where all the irritatingly knowing smiles would dissolve into even more intolerable pity. Maybe she could fly somewhere far away, instead.

The wings sprouted from her back, and she pumped them, feeling her feet leave the ground. Keziah leapt into the air, circling around her.

And then suddenly there was a weight on one wing tip, and she lost her hold on the air and landed flat on her back on the ground. All the air left her lungs and it took her a moment before she realized what was left of her tattered pride had escaped with it. Was she not even allowed to make a graceful exit?

"Sorry," Ty said and she realized that he had grabbed her wing and caused her to make such a fool of herself. She felt like crying.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. He sounded concerned.

"No," she managed to say.

"Ildri, don't leave. I do want you to come with me and stay with me. I don't know why—you've caused me more frustration and worry than I imagined anyone could—but I do love you. I didn't think you felt the same. Why would you after everything?"

"What? You're joking," she accused, not quite believing his words.

"Yes, what I said was so funny, Ildri," he said flatly. He stepped beside her and added, if it was nothing important, "You should probably marry me, if you're going to come with me to Treblay." He extended his hand and she took it, unthinkingly.

"What? Really?"

"And also come meet my mother." Ty pulled her to her feet.

"Your mother?"

"She'll like you. You saved me, remember? She'll be delighted, I promise."

"Very well," Ildri agreed, not quite believing that she was hearing what she thought she was. Perhaps she was unconscious and it was all a dream. She had enough foolish dreams before that it seemed quite likely to be one again.

"Very well? That's it?"

The back of Ildri's head hurt and she rubbed it. "That's not good enough for you?" she asked.

He pulled her closer. "I guess it will have to be."

Ildri looked at his face. She was so close to him. "And this really isn't a dream? You're here, I'm here, and you just said a lot of impossible things. I'm not actually lying on the ground, unconscious, having a wonderful dream that I'm going to wake up from any second?"

"If you were having a wonderful dream, wouldn't I tell you it was real?"

"Seriously?"

"It's real, Ildri," he said, and he kissed her and she believed him.