Aveline’s POV

The next day, I wake up, get dressed, and eat a quick breakfast before heading to the stables to borrow a horse.  I could hardly sleep last night because I was so excited to see Lorand again.  King Morden won't be looking for me today, since he’s going to meet with some nobles, so I can stay with Lorand as long as I want!

“Did you find him?” Harriet asks when I enter the stables.

“Yes!”

Dane, the stable boy, stops brushing a horse's mane and turns to me.  “Where was he?”

“A cottage in the forest.  I'm going to go visit him again.”

Harriet sighs.  “I'm so glad he's safe!”

“Could we come with you sometime?” Dane asks.

“Of course!  Would tomorrow work?”

“Yeah, that'll be good.”

Smiling, I mount one of the horses.  “Okay then!  Bye!”

Lorand's working in the garden when I ride up to the cottage.  He runs over to me and helps me off the horse's back.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“What are you doing?”

“Millie and I are gardening.  Care to join us?”

“Of course.”

We kneel down in the soil.  I know my dress is dirty now, but I don't mind.

“Hello,” the old woman says.  “You're Aveline, aren't you?”

“Yes.  And you must be Millie.”

“Yes, that's me!  Nice to meet you, Aveline.”

“Nice to meet you too!”

I start to pull out the weeds.  There aren't many, but the few that are there are impeccably strong.

“Here, I can do that,” Lorand offers.

“No, I got it.”  It’s just a few weeds, but I don't want him to overwork himself.  “Guess what?”

“What?”

“Dane and Harriet are coming here to see you tomorrow!”

I watch as Lorand’s face lights up.  “Really?”

“Yes!”

“I've missed them so much!  It'll be so good to see them again.”

“Dane and Harriet are friends of yours?” Millie asks.

“More than friends,” Lorand replies.  “They're pretty much my siblings!”

I can't help but smile.

This evening I’m eating dinner with Lorand and his caretakers.  I'm not sure what to call them, but they all sound so pleasant!  I'm excited to meet them all.

“Sit down, sit down!” a woman Lorand introduces as Martha instructs us as she pulls up another chair.

I sit down between Millie and Lorand.  Almost immediately, five old women dash down the stairs and take their seats, chattering excitedly.

“Ahem!” one of them calls out.

Everyone stops talking and turns to her.

“As you can see, we have a guest here tonight.  Lorand, would you introduce her?”

Lorand's face turns red.  “Oh.  Um, this is my friend, Lady Aveline.  Aveline, this is Ruth, Lilac, Nellie, Charlotte, and you've already met Martha, Millie, and Gladys.”

“Nice to meet you all,” I say.  “And thank you so much for taking Lorand in.  I will never be able to fully express my gratitude.”

“He really is a sweet boy,” Charlotte replies.  “We’re so happy to have him!”

“Oh, I…” he starts to reply.

“He's so helpful too,” Lilac adds.  “I don't know how we got anything done without him.”

“He’s the best thing that's ever happened to us!” Martha says.

“Stop, you'll embarrass the poor thing!”  Millie laughs.

I smile at Lorand.  He's so lucky to have people who love him so much already.  I wonder if he realizes that.

I start to eat my stew.  It's one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted!  I can’t stop complimenting Martha on her cooking.  It seems as though everyone wants to talk to me, so I go around the table having one conversation at a time.  The only person who doesn't want to talk to me is Gladys.  I tried, but she just grunted and stared at her bread.  That's all right.  She doesn't have to talk if she doesn't want to.

By the end of the meal, I realize that my hand is clasping Lorand’s under the table.  Thankfully, no one seems to notice.  Does Lorand know?  For a few seconds, the women are all occupied in their own conversations and no one is looking at us, so Lorand take this moment to make eye contact and gesture toward our hands.  I shrug and smile back.

“So,” Ruth says.

Lorand and I snap back to reality.

“Who wants pudding?”

And so the merry chatter and happy feelings continue through dessert.  This is the most fun I've had in years!  I want to stay here forever, but Morden…

“Aveline, dear, are you all right?” Millie asks.

“No,” I reply honestly.  “I'm having so much fun, and I love everyone here, but someday I'll be married to King Morden, and I'll never see you again.”

The women all look at each other gravely, then go upstairs.  Lorand swallows and squeezes my hand.

A few minutes later, they come back down.

Ruth clears her throat.  “It has been decided that Aveline will not marry King Morden.  Three days from now, she will pack up and leave the palace, then come to live here.  Of course, this will only happen if she wants it to.”

My eyes fill with tears.  “You really…”

“Yes.  It will be rather cramped having nine people living here, but…”

I throw my arms around her.  “Thank you so much!”  I don't care how crowded it’ll be here.  I'll be with people that love me.  Here is a place where I can be happy forever!

After everyone has finished eating, the women say goodbye to me and go upstairs to get ready for bed.  Lorand and I stay downstairs to clean up the dishes.

“Aveline?” he whispers.

“Yes?”

He takes a deep breath.  “You’re so brave.”

Really?  He thinks I'm brave?  “How so?”

“You're willing to run away from Morden when it would be easier to stay and marry him.”

“But you ran from him too…”

“I had no choice.  You're choosing to run away.”  He looks directly into my eyes.  “Aveline, you're infinitely braver than I could ever be.”

I understand his words, but I could never believe them.  Lorand's endured countless hours of work and punishment.  He's the brave one.  I look outside and realize that the sky is swiftly darkening.  “I should be going back to the castle now.”

“Okay.  I'll help you.”

As soon as we’re outside, Lorand does something that startles me.  He grabs my face and kisses me.  Oh!  I've never been kissed before… yet somehow I know to kiss back, and I do so.  His lips are sweet and soft, new and strange.

“I love you, Lady Aveline,” Lorand whispers.  “It took me my whole life to realize it, and it's true.  I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too.”  That's all I know how to say.  I want to say so much more, to tell him how much he means to me, how many tears I’ve cried over him, how he's my best friend.  Yet there are no words for how deeply I feel for him.

“Soon we can be together, forever if that's what you want.  You don't have to marry my stepfather.  Instead you can be here with me.  I'll protect you.”

“Lorand, are you proposing?”

“No, but maybe someday.”  He smiles as he helps me onto the horse.  “Until tomorrow, I'll miss you dearly.”

“I'll miss you too.  Goodnight, Lorand.”

“Goodnight, Aveline.”

As I ride back to the castle, I try to measure my love for him, and I discover that I can't.