Katherine was home sick.

She had been away from her home for almost a week now and she missed it more than ever. Sure she had her own privet room with a personal maid who she liked very much but she still couldn't get it out of her head that this wasn't home. The past week had been pretty uneventful, Katherine had attended all the meals with the Prince and the Queen with her father occasionally present. She'd got the full tour of the castle by Medda and her maid Clara. All in all she'd mostly kept to her room where she didn't have to hold her tongue or sit up straight. She was currently slouched on her bed reading a book when Clara came in.

"Miss Pulitzer, the Queen would like to see you." She said smiling.

She was a very pretty girl, about the same age as Katherine with long blonde hair that was always braided. She wore a simple dress of grey and blue that brought out the vibrant color in her blue eyes. She was just as beautiful outside as she was in, the first day they had met Katherine had accidentally complained about being there when she suddenly found Clara sympathizing with her. She hadn't tried to convince Katherine of what a great place this was to live, she hadn't tried to tell her that she was lucky to have such a great opportunity to marry the Prince. She'd done none of that, if at all she'd encouraged Katherine to let all her steam out. She'd felt so much better after meeting Clara that she felt she might actually be okay. Of course that feeling had diminished as soon as she'd had to put on a fake smile and trudge her way through another day of listening to Medda and her Father plan the great wedding.

Katherine sighed again and sat up off her bed and stood up. She knew exactly why Medda needed her, it was surely to be something about the wedding. That's all anyone was focused about anymore.

"Thank you Clara, and if you would, please call me Katherine." She said walking up to her new friend.

"Of course, Katherine." She said smiling sweetly.

Katherine left without another word feeling vacant of emotion, she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't loose her temper, she wouldn't complain. At least not in front of anybody. If there was ever anything Katherine hated, it was crying in front of people.

Katherine walked silently down the grand staircase trying to remember how to get to Meddas office, the last week had been a nightmare of trying to get from one place to another. She smiled weakly at the helpers in the castle who waved enthusiastically at her. It seemed everyone in the country seemed to know exactly who she was, she had yet to meet someone who didn't. She also noticed with relief that she was pretty popular amoung the people, she hadn't done anything yet and already they were treating her with great respect. She was great full for that, the last thing she needed was to be hated among the people and make her life even more miserable.

Katherine reached the bottom of the stairs and turned in the general direction of Meddas office. She admired the elaborate design in everything and smiled at the diverse paintings on all the walls. They all seemed so unique yet obviously by the same painter, all the pictures held some sort of sadness to them. It was as if the painter was crying as they painted it.

Katherine suddenly found herself in front of a fimiluar looking door and knocked 80% sure his was her office.

"Come in my dear! Come in!"

Katherine opened the door to find Medda at her desk and her father seated opposite her. They seemed to have been in a serious conversation, despite Meddas air of happiness there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere as if they'd been discussing plans for war.

"Come take a seat, Jack should be here any moment." Medda said gesturing to a seat next to her father.

Katherine raised an eyebrow at Pulitzer but he only pressed his lips to gather in response. She made a mental note to ask him what they had been talking about later.

"There has been a few um... unplanned circumstances regarding your wedding." Medda began getting straight to business. Somehow she looked worse today than she had all week, she was obviously tying to smile through it but nothing could hide the true pain in her eyes.

Medda continued "Me, along with your father and my wonderful workers behind the scenes have decided to change the date of your marriage."

Katherine hopes soared, did they decided to wait a year or two? Or there or four? Or five? Five years would be ideal. However her hopes were soon crushed as Medda continued.

"Instead of having it at the end of July we will be moving it up a few weeks... the 18th to be exact."

Katherine wasn't sure how to respond, her whole plan for the next month had been shattered. She quickly did the math in her head... 21 days... 21 days until she was to be married.

"Oh." Was the only sound she could make. "Oh... okay."

"Cheer up Katherine, your to be the next Queen. I expect you to make me proud." Pulitzer said with a low voice. She could tell it was meant to sound relaxed to Medda but Katherine could tell by the under tone of his voice that she needed to change her attitude, and she needed to change it now.

"Oh how wonderful!" Katherine said obeying her father like she was supposed to do.

Meddas face lit up like a Christmas tree at Katherine's "enthusiasm" she almost felt guilty at lying to her, she just looked so happy. Deep down inside Katherine wondered why she was so happy about her and Jack getting married, surely Medda didn't want her Nephew to be unhappy. Plus, why was she so willing to give up her crown? It's almost like she wanted nothing more than to see Jack in the throne, why was that?

Katherine's head teemed with questions that she wanted to ask but knew she couldn't. Although she knew she'd be okay with asking one question to she thought carefully before asking.

"What are these unplanned circumstances?" She asked hoping it sounded casual and not to intruding.

Medda glanced at Pulitzer and it seemed they had exchanged a silent conversation.

"Perhaps I will tell you-"

But before she could continued the door opened reveling a sweaty looking Jack. He was breathing rather hard and seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

"Sorry I'm late." He said and before Katherine could see what he was hiding he had shoved it in his back pocket.

"Jack Kelly, you'd be late for your own funeral if it meant finishing a sketch!" Medda said trying to be mad but failing miserably.

"Forgive me Miss Medda." He said bowing slightly to her and closing the door.

His hair seemed more wild than usual and Katherine wondered if he'd been outside in the wind. His grey shirt clung to his chest slightly as it moved up and down as he steadied his breath. He kissed her hand in greeting and shook hands with Pulitzer like he did every time they met. He then sat down in the seat next to Katherine and ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly.

Katherine looked quickly away noticing that she'd been staring for longer than appropriate. She hadn't been able to talk to him much since the time he'd told her his "greatest secrete" but already he seemed more interesting than anyone Katherine had ever met. She couldn't quite out her finger in what he was but one thing was for sure: he was the most mysterious guy she'd ever met.

As Medda explained to Jack what she'd already heard about the wedding Katherine carefully watched him out of the corner of her eye. She wondered if it would ever be possible to love him, sure it would be easy to be friends with him but, could she ever truly love him?

Katherine shook her head feeling like an idiot for thinking such fairy tale thoughts, there was no such thing as love. Just companionship and equality, despite what people may think people don't just fall in love. The only falling people do is in a trap they can never get out of, that's what love was. A trap.

She knew from then on how her life was going to go, she'd be just like her own parents. Forced into marriage at a young age, forced to have heirs to carry on the name, and forced to love and cherish each other. Of course her mother tried to convince Katherine that she did love her father, just not in the way the fairy tales explained it. She told Katherine that Pulitzer was her best friend, and that she could talk to him about anything. Katherine wondered if that's how her and Jack would be: best friends. Or maybe they wouldn't even be that, maybe they'd be stuck being distant to one another. It was hard to say but all Katherine could do now was enjoy being single and free.

And she only had 21 days left of it.

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Sorry, kind of a boring chapter but hopefully all that stuff has been explained. Anyway, please read and review. Comments make me want to write more!