The soft knock against the door was what woke her. With a sigh, and eyes heavy with sleep, Vara worked herself up in a sitting position. Her eyes searched for Eudemas, but the girl was not there. Perhaps she had gone to retrieve breakfast. Was it morning already?

Slowly Vara moved to the door to answer it herself and stared into a pair of smiling grey eyes. Light brown curls framed a heart shaped face.

Despite the early hour, the girl was cheerful and energetic. "Vara!" she smiled happily and threw her arms around Vara, "how good to see you!" She pushed into the room.

"Ophelia," Vara breathed and she returned the embrace, "when did you arrive?"

"Two days ago," Ophelia answered. She held Vara at arms' length. "Iolaus told me I should come see you. How are you, Vee? I know this wedding must upset you."

Vara sighed. "I know this wedding is good for the kingdom. I have accepted that. I just don't know how to get through the day smiling. I am expected to help Ariane get ready. I have to stand next to Cyrus the entire ceremony and smile at all the guests." She ran a hand through her hair. "He came to see me last night."

Ophelia looked at her startled. "Cyrus came here?"

"I do not know what to do," Vara said, "I am trying to keep a distance, but... I love him, Ophi."

"I know," Ophelia said quietly. She offered Vara a sympathizing smile, "I will ask my father if I can remain at court for some time after the wedding. He will not have objections with my brothers here to watch me. It will help you get your mind of things. We have so much catching up to do."

Vara smiled weakly. She appreciated her friend's gesture. And it truly had been a while since they had seen each other. "What about Iolaus?" she asked, "would you not rather spend time with him?"

Ophelia smiled. "He will be busy with his duties during the wedding and after that he will travel to Tireze with Cyrus. I will see him when he returns. He is worried for you, Vee."

"I know," Vara answered. She smiled bravely. "I should get dressed and see to Ariane."

"I will help you," Ophelia walked towards the wardrobe to bring Vara's gown while Vara seated herself in front of the mirror to brush her hair.

Behind her, Eudemas entered the room, carrying a tray with enough food for two. She placed the tray on the table near the widow. "I took the liberty of bringing in breakfast for lady Ophelia too," she said with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Eudemas," Ophelia smiled, "what would Vara do without you?"

"One can only wonder," Eudemas answered mischievously. She had known Ophelia for as long as Vara had and even if Ophelia was still her superior, she didn't stand on conventions and treated Eudemas as an equal, much like Vara did.

"Come, Vara, let's eat," Ophelia decided, "it will be a long day. Then we will get you ready and go to see lady Ariane. I have yet to meet her."

Vara sighed and seated herself at the table. It would be a long day indeed. The sun had only just risen. The festivities would last for three days. She was glad Ophelia was here. She needed her friend to distract her from her slowly breaking heart.

***

Iolaus sighed when he plucked the goblet from Cyrus' hand. "You shouldn't drink so much before the ceremony," he warned. It was moments like these that he regretted his position as Cyrus' personal guard. The prince was his best friend, but he was incredible pig-headed and when he was drunk he was unpredictable.

This was not a good day for him to get drunk.

Cyrus scowled. "I need a drink to get through this day. It's easy for you At least you are engaged to the girl you love. I am being sold to pay for treaty."

"Yes," Iolaus nodded, "but I am not the crown prince. And truly, Cyrus, Ariane is not so bad a choice. It could have been a lot worse."

Cyrus gritted his teeth. He couldn't argue with that. Dull, yes. And silent. And demure. But she knew her duty and would perform it without protest. That, he thought to himself, was the only thing Ariane had in common with Vara. They both knew what would benefit their kingdoms and they would sacrifice their own wishes for it.

Cyrus waved away the boy that had been dressing him and turned to his manservant and friend. "How do I look?"

"Like a man accepting his fate," Iolaus commented dryly.

Cyrus sighed. "I can't stop thinking about her, Iolaus."

His friend didn't even need any further explanation. ''You can't keep worrying about Vara, Cyrus," Iolaus said, "she will be alright. I told Ophi to stay at her side. You need to let it go. Focus on your wedding, on Ariane. Or do you want the people to get suspicious?"

"They're already suspicious," Cyrus muttered.

"Then don't give them a reason to act upon it," Iolaus said, "I know this is not want you wanted, but look at it from Ariane's perspective. She is the one that has to move to a foreign country to marry a man she barely knows."

Cyrus rolled his eyes. "She'll have the better end of the deal. At least she'll be away from that pompous brother of hers."

Iolaus sighed and shook his head. "They have different customs in Tireze, but he is still her brother, Cyrus. Would it hurt you to at least try to be considerate?"

Cyrus gritted his teeth and stubbornly looked away. Of course he knew his friend was right, but he didn't feel like being considerate today. He was going to marry her with the taste of someone else still lingering on his lips. And it made him consider something completely different.

***

"...Or that time when Iolaus scaled the palace walls because he wanted to pick that flower that grew in the hedge? I thought I would stay in it. He nearly gave me a heart attack."

Voices and laughter found their way through the haze in Ariane's mind. She had barely slept at all and just when she had managed light slumber, these voices woke her. She opened her bleary eyes and blinked when the morning sun peeked through the windows. Was it daytime already?

Immediately her stomach twisted and a nervous knot lodged in her throat.

Today was her wedding day. A few hours from now she would be the wife of the prince of Zeir of the house Aurelios. She shivered. Was she really ready for this?

There wasn't much time for her to collect her thoughts. The door to her chambers was opened and Vara entered the room with her maid. Another young woman Ariane had never seen before was latched to Vara's arm. She was the one that had been talking just now, and still was. "... he was so... "She paused when she noticed Ariane awake. "Ah! Good morning my lady."

Ariane carefully sat up, pulling the sheets around her frail form. Mornings here were so much colder than in Tireze where the desert heat was unyielding throughout the year.
She looked at the three women confused.

"Good morning," Vara smiled at Ariane politely, "a big day today."

Ariane gave a nervous nod. "Yes," she whispered.

The new woman glanced between Vara and Ariane and untangled herself from Vara. "Well then," she said, "no time to waste. We need to get you ready." She clapped her hands and walked up to the bed. "Come on! Rise and shine!"

Ariane looked at her startled and heard Vara's soft laugh, though it sounded tired. "Ophi, "she said, "you haven't even introduced yourself."

"Oh." The woman paused a moment and then gave a sheepish smile. "Forgive me. I am Ophelia of the house Santos. I am a close friend to Vara. You probably met my betrothed. He is prince Cyrus' manservant and his personal guard and friend."

Ariane blinked. This woman was engaged to lord Iolaus?

"The Da Santi family have been valued courtiers for generations," Vara elaborated, "Ophelia's father is on the council and both her brothers serve in the guard."

"Pleased to meet you," Ariane said quietly. The door to her room opened again and Chloe came in with a servant boy. Both were carrying buckets with steaming water.

When Chloe noticed her awake, she put down the bucket and curtsied. "I will draw our bath, my lady."

Ariane nodded and let out a sigh. Her nerves were acting up again.

"No need to look so frightened," Ophelia smiled at her, "Cyrus is a good man. And we are here for you. We will help you get ready. Vara and I will help you dress and Eudemas can do your hair. She has a talent for it, isn't it so, Vara?"

"She does," Vara nodded and Eudemas looked down shyly.

"Your bath is ready, my lady," Chloe stepped back into the room and guided a nervous Ariane behind the large screen.

Shakily Ariane lowered herself in the water. She had to be brave now. This union would be beneficial. If she had to leave her home to help her father's people, then she would do it. It was true. Prince Cyrus was a good man. She had seen how considerate he was towards women. He would not mistreat her. And in a few days from now she would see Tireze again. It would be the last time she'd set foot in her father's home, but she would have a chance to say a proper farewell. After that she would truly be on her own. Torcan would stay behind in Tireze with her brother. And this would be her new home.

It wasn't a bad place, only very different. She would learn to adjust. Lady Vara and lady Ophelia had both been kind to her. Perhaps they could become friends. She had never had friends at home, sheltered as she had been at her father's court. Though, she thought, that wasn't completely true. Torcan had been a friend. But that had been different. He served her brother ad he was kin. She wanted friends of her own. Like Vara had. It was obvious Vara and Ophelia were close.

Ariane sighed and accepted the robe Chloe held open for her. When she stepped from behind the screen, Vara and Ophelia were already waiting for her.

Ophelia held up the dress that had been chosen for Ariane for the ceremony. With the help of Chloe, they managed to clasp and tie all the buckles.

"Sit, sit," Ophelia directed her towards a chair in front of the mirror. She smiled at Ariane's reflection and waved Eudemas over. "So," she said in a conspiring tone, "tell me what you thought of Cyrus when you first saw him."

Ariane flinched slightly at the question. What was she supposed to answer? Was this a test of some sorts? "He is... quite handsome," she said nervously.

Ophelia laughed softly. "Ah that he is. Quite the charmer, that one. And full of mischief. You should get Vara to tell you some stories of when they were younger. They got themselves in trouble all the time."

"Don't speak as if you were not part of it," Vara countered amused.

Ophelia gasped. "Only because you dragged me into it."

"Yes, of course," Vara rolled her eyes, "you would never initiate anything of the kind. It wasn't you at all that convinced the boys to climb the roof of the weaponry."

Ophelia gave her most innocent look. "All I did was suggest it could not be done. It is not my fault Iolaus took it as a challenge."

"Oh, as if you did not know he was head over heels for you," Vara grinned, "he would have done anything to impress you."

Ariane silently listened to their banter. A man trying to impress a woman? From what she had heard, she had gathered Ophelia had been lucky that a good man like Iolaus wanted to wed her, but Ophelia made it sound like it had been her choice. How fortunate she was. She looked at Ophelia again who had a fond smile on her lips. "When were you introduced to him?" Ariane asked, startling herself that she had dared to ask such a personal question.

Ophelia laughed mischievously. "I don't know if you could call it an introduction per se. It was Vara's fault really."

Vara laughed too. "If I hadn't acted, you two would never have met. He was too frightened to go near you." She grinned. "It was amusing to watch. It was the first time the mere sight of a girl scared him out of his wits. He practically begged me not to talk to you."

...

Vara smiled amused as she followed after the two young men. She listened to their usual banter. Currently they were discussing the latest addition to the guard. From there the topic quickly changed to horses and sword's play.

"Let's ask Vara," Iolaus told his friend and he turned to her, "what do you think, Vee? Who is the better rider, me or Cyrus?"

Vara rolled her eyes and smiled amused. "I would say neither. I would beat you both. I think I have proven that in our race last week."

"You only won because you cheated," Cyrus playfully pushed her, "you were already gone before the signal was given."

Vara stuck out her tongue. "If you truly were such a good rider, you would have caught up. Besides, you were only trying to impress the spectators. Or did you think I would not notice you were flirting with the servant girls again?"

"There were girls?" Cyrus asked innocently, "I did not see. You know I have only eyes for you."

"Don't try to talk your way out of it, Cyrus," Vara laughed, "but if you insist, you could always ask for a rematch. What do you say, Iolaus? Should we give the prince a chance to recover his wounded pride?" She looked over at Iolaus only to find his steps had halted and he was staring at something on his left.

No, Vara figured, not something, someone. She smirked and sidled up to him. "That's the first time someone has rendered you speechless," she grinned.

"Who is she?" Iolaus mumbled.

Vara studied the girl who seemed around her age. Long light brown curls delicately framed her face and fell past her shoulders. She had large grey eyes and stood patiently next to a tall man that had his back towards them. He was in conversation with a pair of other men. Vara recognized the man as one of the regular courtiers, but could not recall his name. "I'll go ask," she shrugged and before Iolaus could protest she was already running towards them.

Cyrus smirked and slapped his friend's shoulder. "You lost that one, my friend. You know there's no stopping Vara when she's plotting something."

Iolaus paled. "They're looking this way."

...

Ophelia laughed at the memory. "He was not the only one frightened. I think you started my brothers too."

"They must have seen me before that day," Vara mused, "they had been in the guard for some time."

"Hm," Ophelia mused, "perhaps they had not recognized who you were. They must have thought you were one of the servant children. You don't have any decorum, running around like a boy, hardly befitting a lady."

"As opposed to you, you mean?" Vara teased, "they should have been used to it I would say with a sister like you."

"Oh! You were far worse!" Ophelia mock gasped.

Vara grinned. "Perhaps, but I wasn't raised a lady. I was only brought to the palace when it was far too late to learn proper behavior." She gave her friend an innocent smile and they laughed together.

Ariane bit her lip and tried to picture her brother's wife, Zara, acting like Vara and Ophelia did. Her brother would stay in it and Zara would surely be sent away in shame. Here, this kind of behavior appeared to be acceptable. And Ariane had to admit, independent and rash as Vara may be at times, when in formal company she was every bit a lady.

How liberating it must be to be allowed an opinion.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Chloe went to answer and admitted the visitor. She fell into a deep curtsy when lady Euridice stepped into the room. The old woman hardly glanced at the servant girl. Her eyes were on Ariane and Vara and Ophelia. She smiled warmly. "My, don't you look beautiful." Tears formed in her eyes.

Eudemas had finished pinning the last strand of hair and curtsied too.

Ariane looked away shyly at the praise, but quickly looked up again when lady Euridice took her hands. "My grandson is a lucky man," she spoke, "in time he will realize it too. I wish you happiness, child. And if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Ariane nodded nervously. She felt her own eyes water too at this kindness and she was at a loss for words. Euridice pressed her hands one more time and turned to Ophelia. "My dear Ophelia," she smiled, and embraced the girl tightly, "it has been too long. How have you been?"

"I am well, my lady," Ophelia smiled, "it is good to be at court again. How is lord Caius? Is he well?"

"As well as can be," Euridice smiled, "he will be attending today. You should come visit him with Vara. I understand you will stay at court for some time?"

Ophelia nodded. "If my father allows it, though I doubt he has any objections. With Cyrus and Iolaus both away he will only be pleased if I keep Vara company. I can't leave her all by herself."

Vara gasped. "You say that as if I were to get myself in trouble."

Ophelia laughed. "I think it is very likely," she said innocently.

"Well then," Vara said amused, "it will only be worse if you are here too."

Euridice smiled warmly at the two girls. It was good that Ophelia was here. At least Vara could laugh again and perhaps it would ease her heart a little. "Perhaps I should sent warning to the courtiers," she joined in their banter, "I doubt they have forgotten the last time you two were together."

Ariane watched the scene warily. The three women seemed to have a strong bond. She didn't even know her own grandmother. The woman had passed before she had been born and no one ever spoke of her. She hardly even knew her mother. The memories she did have were vague and mixed with memories of her wet-nurse.

As was custom in Tireze for highborn women, she had been taken away from her mother at a young age and raised by a nurse. But Ariane had not formed a strong bond with the woman that had taken care of her, as the woman was a servant and more a teacher than a caretaker. Only now did Ariane realize what she had missed.

But perhaps she could have it now. Lady Euridice was kind and welcoming and she even treated a girl like Ophelia, who was not her blood, as her own.

Yes, Ariane thought, she would have what Vara and Ophelia had.

Friends.

Family.

And perhaps on due time even love.