He didn't think she would come. Maple was notorious for changing her mind. Yet not only was she packed and ready when he descended from his room in the morning, she had the family carriage waiting in the yard, and Rupy hitched.

"I didn't think you were serious," Willow said. Maple stood by the front door, gripping one of her travel bags. She smiled. Her face still looked too pale and thin, but Willow was grateful to see her attractively dressed, with her hair pinned high. Like the elegant lady she was.

"Think we can stand three days in a carriage together?" she asked.

Willow sat on a stool and pulled on his boots. "You know... I once had the misfortune to suffer saddle sores. Now I get to travel inside a carriage with my sister." He smiled at her. "I'll let you know which one was more painful."

Maple laughed. Once they had given farewell kisses to their mother, who looked perhaps too relieved to see Maple go, they climbed inside the carriage and signaled the driver to start.

"Oh, this is going to be so much more expensive than my usual trip," Willow said cheerfully. "Not only do we have to pay Hemley, we'll have to pay for parking the carriage at each place we stop, two chambers instead of one, plus better accommodations than I normally use."

Maple smirked. "You don't think I can rough it?"

"I know you wouldn't like to."

She didn't argue with this. The carriage worked through the familiar streets leading away from their house, crowded with tired-looking manors and townhouses, their stone faces worn smooth after decades of battering sea winds. They would be passing the university on their way out of Grunwold, and Willow hoped it wouldn't distress Maple to see it.

He got past this by giving Maple the script to read, and for three quarters of an hour she poured over it, smiling and chuckling, reading aloud the passages she found amusing.

"This is hysterical!" Maple cried. "I can't wait to watch you make a fool of yourself."

"Thanks," Willow said dryly. "I'm just doing it to be nice. I don't care if I look ridiculous."

"The whole play is ridiculous," Maple said. "But I think that's... on purpose? I think this play is very aware of its audience, which you've told me is mostly peasants? They will like overdone romance and horror. She's written a crowd pleaser."

"Huh." Willow appreciated the subtle compliment for Coralina even if she wasn't his favorite princess.

Maple placed the script on the seat beside her. "Is Maelyn playing a part?"

Willow shook his head. "She's much too busy. I'm sure she'll watch, though."

"You feel nervous about that?"

He shrugged. "Not much. Just hope she enjoys it."

Maple looked out her window for a while. "So, what are you going to do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"To win your lady. What are you going to do next?"

"I've been trying to leave her alone, actually."

"Oh yes! Neglect is the key to every woman's heart."

"I don't think she's feeling neglected. I don't think she's noticed at all."

"But you don't know that, do you? What I'm saying is that you've already decided she couldn't possibly be interested. But maybe... you're not letting her tell you? Stop avoiding her; try to spend some more personal time with her. One way or another, she'll let you know."

Her words sounded reasonable. And Willow couldn't deny the continuous ache he felt when not in Maelyn's company. His sister was giving him an excuse to seek her out again, talk to her again, enjoy her smile and her wondrously beautiful face again.

"Well, you've got a point there," Willow said mildly.

Maple smiled. "Do you love her, Will?"

He startled. "You can't ask me that!"

"Sure I can. I'm your sister."

He looked out the window, suddenly grouchy. "Well, I wish you wouldn't. That's too much for me to answer right now."

"Which means you haven't answered it for yourself. Once you do that, you'll feel a lot more peaceful. And you'll know what to do next. "

Willow frowned, turn to his window, and let his manner show he was through talking for a while. He hated knowing Maple was right. She'd always been like this with him, never cutting corners. Her honesty was a blessing and a curse.

He already knew what he was going to do next. He had a gift he was planning to deliver to the castle as soon as he got back to Runa. And that was only because he'd failed so dismally with the Book Miser. He felt he owed it to her.

He only hoped she wouldn't ask him where it came from.