2018, December 2nd

Zoey hailed from the small town Rosa.

As anyone from Rosa would tell you, the only thing more mundane than Rosa itself was its people. Quaint, little suburbs. One book store. One coffee shop. One everything, ensuring that everyone knew each other. Rosa was what the set of a suburban utopia might look like.

That's what Zoey liked about the place though. Everything flowed like clockwork. Nothing ever changed. Bookish, nerdy Zoey liked her predictable life just fine.

How could she have known that the simple act of opening the mailbox would change all that?

Everything was different after Zoey was handed her mail that day. The world seemed turned on its head. Broken as though in the pieces that the earth came together during the time of creation. And yet, somehow even as it spun on, it spun differently.

With her pretty face and messy curls often hidden behind a book, Zoey grew up a mere commoner. No different to most women in Terres, Somnia. Having always considered herself average in every way, it surprised her to find that she was not.

That she was the granddaughter of an earl who lived abroad was not news to Zoey. Save for the cheque that came in the mail every month, however, that connection was a distant one. Zoey never felt the weight of it.

So when the news of Duke Arden being her father reached her, the young woman had many questions.

"You've spent 23 years avoiding this conversation, mom. Well, not today," Zoey said, handing her mother the letter.

She stood towering over her mom with her hands on her hips. Natalie sat at the kitchen table, sorting through bills. A glance at the letter was enough to educate Natalie.

"Out with it," Zoey insisted through pursed lips.

"Okay," Natalie conceded, gesturing for her daughter to take a seat, which Zoey did.

"When I was about your age, I got involved with the son of a duke. Word got out and the whole thing blew up. Turns out, he was engaged. It turned into a huge scandal. He ended it, but by then I was already pregnant with you. Disgusted with my shameful dalliance, the great Earl Michael Ranger shipped me off to Rosa. A small town where no one would ever know of my connection to the house of Ranger. I had no choice but to accept, as with the move came a monthly allowance which I used to raise you."

The constant fighting between Natalie and Grandpa Michael finally made sense. Zoey just sat there, taking it all in.

"I never imagined he would cut us off," Natalie sighed, picking up a bunch of bills only to throw them back down onto the table in frustration.

As she took a close look at the letter, a glint appeared in Natalie's eye. In it, Duke Arden had promised a handsome sum for a meeting with Zoey.

Zoey, at a loss for what else to say, was about to respond with sympathetic words when Natalie spoke again. The mood went from sombre to sour in seconds.

"You have to do it," Natalie said, jumping at the opportunity.

Zoey could not see herself entertaining the idea even for a moment.

"You were raised as a noblewoman. Where's your pride?" Zoey spat out.

"I gave it up the day I had you," said Natalie with a soft smile. "We need the money, Zo."

Zoey couldn't stand the idea of needing anything from him. She turned on her heel, walked to her room and slammed the door behind her.

Half an hour later, Zoey was lying on her bed with a book. Having read the same page five times now, she sighed. Who was she to talk about pride? Deep down, Zoey longed to see him. Only to tell him off, of course. With any luck, he had a belly and a pretentious moustache. Besides, maybe some time away from her mom and her complicated relationship with Grandpa Michael was exactly what she needed.

When her half-brother Bart came for her a few days later, Zoey found herself at a loss for words. Fortunately for her, Bart talked little. The drive up to Caines happened in an old yellow mustang in mint condition.

The scenery turned from houses to skyscrapers to empty stretches of road. Zoey stared out the window, trying to sort through what was happening.

By the end of the 16-hour drive, she had concluded only two things. One was that they needed money. The second was that this perfect stranger whom she had only known about for a day, would give it to her. The questions in her mind went away, but for two. Could she give him what he wanted in exchange for said money? Was Zoey ready to meet the father who abandoned her and her mother?

It was dark when they got to the huge, imposing mansion. Regardless, it was impossible to miss the armed men stationed at every corner as Bart showed Zoey to a room. Bart told her to be up by five, after which he closed the door on her. The room was as big as the entire upstairs combined of the two-story house Zoey had lived in all her life.

Much like what little of the rest of the house she could make out, the furnishings were loud and arrogant. The way the room came together made Zoey feel, for the first time in her life, the depth of her loneliness.

There were no friends to call, no mom to comfort her and no way to know that she even existed in the world. Zoey threw herself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling until the darkest hour of the night. Too numb to cry, wondering how she'd allowed herself to become so alone.

At exactly 5 AM the next day, a string of women streamed into the room. All talking over each other, all but carrying Zoey to the dressing table like a doll. That morning was a cold day which was bound to bring snow.

Zoey let the words pass right by her as the women gossiped. Now and then they'd say something about The King's Fancy. Stylists and hairdressers and Zoey knew not what else started bustling around her. Pulling at her hair and sticking brushes in her face.

She meant to tell them to stop, but no words came out of her mouth. Still feeling drained from all the surprises of yesterday, Zoey gave up and let her mind wander.

She missed being in a lecture hall, filled with perfect strangers. They expected nothing from her but silence so that they could all attend their lecture. She missed her boring, predictable life. Already she felt so far from it. Like this was always her life and that had been the dream. But that was absurd, of course.

She was only here to pick up a check, tell the duke off and hope never to see him again. As the denial began to give way, Zoey stared at the mirror before her. She was disappearing, bit by bit, right before her eyes.

Don’t think of it. She could barely believe herself to be sitting upright in this chair. Do not think about it. Do not wonder how he looks. Stop thinking altogether. She knew it was him the moment he entered her room.

The duke did not have a round belly. He was a tall man, not as tall as Bart, but still a giant of a man with a dignified presence and a handsome face.

The years had been kind to him. He walked well. Zoey hated how he seemed to do everything well. She drew a breath and braced herself as everyone in the room bowed. The duke glanced disinterestedly at the hired help. Zoey heard his heavy footsteps as he came to stand behind her. He stopped, held her gaze in the mirror a second longer than she could bear and then marched off without a word.

Zoey exhaled, followed by everyone else. Her mind, wherever it had been when she met his gaze, was back in that room.

"Do not allow His Grace to alarm My Lady," said the woman sticking pins into Zoey's hair. "Been that way since the day I got here."

Zoey tried to turn, but the woman steered her forward again.

"Almost done, My Lady," she said in a soft tone.

"Yes, we'll make sure you are a vision for the prince," hummed one of the other women, as she painted Zoey's nails.

"Excuse me?" Zoey asked, confused.

The hairstylist gave the manicurist a look, who then snapped her mouth shut. Now Zoey was curious. Where exactly were they going? She received no information at all.

The King's Fancy was the most important day on the calendar in Caines. This brunch had become the event of the year.

On this day, business deals were made and people spread rumours that would turn into scandals. But this year, The King's Fancy was more than that. On this day, King Henry and his cousin, Duke George Arden had to meet. For this year, The King's Fancy would change the very nation.

"Come on then," said a subdued Bart.

Zoey looked to her right. Even more dashing than yesterday when he came to pick her up was Bart. Her brand new half-brother, all 6'6" of him, standing tall in his tux. He was arguably the tallest person Zoey had ever known. Not that she knew any young men. Those brilliant, dark blue eyes put you at ease and on alert all at once.

His athletic build combined with his stature could not but overwhelm her. And though she knew he was only 19, he hardly looked it. Hardly sounded it as he took call after call on the drive to Caines.

All she had to worry about at his age was getting into her hometown university, The University of Rosa. She could not believe that Bart, somewhat standoffish but ultimately well put together, was Duke Arden's son. Her thoughts turned to Rosa and her mother whom she had left behind. Her mother, who despite herself, loved Zoey. Present circumstances notwithstanding, Zoey thought how her mother's presence might have been comforting.

Bart gave her a half smile that made his stern eyes soften, but for a moment, as she took the hand he offered her.

"Stay with me at all times today," Bart ordered in an authoritative voice that did not suit his youth.

He was only 19 for goodness sake. Just the same, he had banished any thoughts Zoey had of asking where they were going.

"My Lord."

Zoey bowed awkwardly.

He sighed.

"And quit that. We are the Houseare House of Arden. We bow to no one."

Zoey knew little about polite society, but even nobles bowed to the king. Didn't they? She shook her head. Now was the time to ask, before something else overwhelmed her.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as Bart hurried them down the stairs and into the limousine where his parents awaited them.

That same eerie silence from the night before enveloped her. The luxury car was like a tomb. Speech seemed forbidden. Zoey's eyes landed on Duke Arden.

"Stop staring!" Duchess Arden snapped.

Zoey looked down immediately.

Duchess Arden gave Zoey a once over, then looked away with another snort. No one seemed particularly interested in anyone else. They might have been in a vehicle of comfort, but Zoey had had more pleasant experiences riding the bus.

All alone again with her thoughts. How could her mother have done this to her? Why could she not hold her tongue when Grandfather was concerned? All they ever did was fight about the same things anyway. He wanted her to work for him and she continuously refused him. Proud people they were, still holding onto something that happened twenty-three years ago.

Did she not know what this would do to Zoey's plans? If she was accepted as a PhD student at the University of Rosa, they would assign her an advisor for her book next month. Did she not know how the duke had no room for her?

Zoey scrubbed this last thought from her brain.

Silence was an old friend to Zoey. Unfortunately for her, it was all but quiet in her head. Duke Arden had asked for a meeting. She hoped that this would not take long.

Emotion clouded her judgement yesterday, but now something seemed amiss. If Duke Arden intended for them to talk, why bother having her dressed up like this? Better still, where were they going? What the hell was going on?

Get out! Her mind screamed. Danger! It told her, as her eyes darted back and forth between three pairs of frosty, disinterested ones.

Upon arrival at The King's Fancy, Zoey was astounded at the sheer volume of people, all dressed to the nines. Yes, this was definitely bigger than a picnic.

Tables topped with white tablecloths and delicious foods lined the riverbanks. The seating would offer a spectacular view of the shimmering blue river. Its surrounding trees and hills. It was truly a beautiful place. Zoey imagined it might be even more so when all the people had cleared out and it was quiet. The irony of her wishing for the same silence she could not stand moments ago was not lost on her.

They announced the royal family as the House of Arden made their way to the last empty table.

The Ardens received scowls and grimaces from everyone. Undeterred, the men of the house only hastened the women to their seats. They were eager to get past the pleasantries and move on to the business that they had come to The King's Fancy for.

The history between the cousins was a volatile one known to all. Duke Arden last attended The King's Fancy five years ago, after the king's coronation. He would have disappointed King Henry again today, but they had an urgent matter to settle.

King Henry came to power by the last-minute decree of an heirless King Maximus. King Henry had enjoyed a precarious reign. Owing to his being crowned king instead of his long-time rival, Duke George Arden.

Years of awaiting King Maximus' choice of heir left Terres Somnia divided. The Ardens were still hailed by many as the royal family that should have been.

Support for the Ardens was so fierce five years ago, that King Henry the threat of civil war still lingered. The business between King Henry and Duke Arden was a matter of urgency indeed.

Families had come in all their grandeur and splendour. They offered the royal family gifts and flattered them to the best of their ability. They would then go back and find other friends and acquaintances to pay similar respects to. A good many of them looked ready to leave by the end of the first half hour. But stay they did, as stay they must.

How far removed the Arden and Condor family trees were from each other was debatable. Lengthy discussions about the matter could span hours.

Sometime after the coronation, Duke Arden attempted to dethrone King Henry. The house of Condor's claim to the throne was called into question. This did not take, but the two men had been at each other's throats ever since. Until at last, they came up with a compromise.

King Henry dismissed all others as the House of Arden approached the royal table. This greeting would take a good deal of time.

"My Lord," was all Duke Arden offered.

King Henry smiled.

"How are you, dear cousin?"

"I am not here to make small talk, Henry. I'm here, at your request, to settle the matter," said Duke Arden.

Duke Arden was short with King Henry, which brought the latter more displeasure than he liked.

But it was seen for only a moment. A small change in the face only evident to those paying attention. Queen Mary hadn't been or at least pretended she hadn't been, as she expressed displeasure of her own.

"How untoward. Is this to be how you would form such an alliance? We have not even had the opportunity to say hello," said Queen Mary.

With these words, Queen Mary gave a meaningful look to Zoey, whose knees promptly buckled.

Zoey was not a woman easily unnerved, but something was afoot here and she felt she had something to do with it. And although she knew not what, she could not stop the bad feeling from settling in the pit of her stomach. She might have fainted under the queen’s scrutiny, had it not been for her brother's hand on her arm. He gave her a tight squeeze. Her eyes darted to his face, and she glared.

With an eyebrow raised, Bart said, "Your Majesty, allow me to introduce Lady Zoey from the House of Arden."

Queen Mary looked Zoey over as King Henry and Duke Arden continued a silent conversation. The men were locked in a competitive glare as though to stare each other to death.

"I suppose she must do, being that you have no legitimate daughter, born and bred as noble," Queen Mary said, after observing Zoey for several moments.

At this, Duchess Arden started. It was in her nature to see red, but Queen Mary had offended the duchess enough that she might be ash any moment. How dare Mary insult the House of Arden? How dare she mock her for not knowing of the existence of George's love child? Mary, who had herself—

"Then it is done," said King Henry, interrupting Duchess Arden's thoughts.

"Not quite. What about your side? She is my only daughter. I should hope you would pay me the courtesy of presenting to me the man whom you would have me wed her to. Preferably prior to such an engagement," said Duke Arden.

The duke said this equally, without emotion. It was perhaps for this reason that it took Zoey a moment to understand. And when her brain did once again function, she spat out the word engagement like every syllable was a hot coal.

Not too far away, lurking in the shadows, Prince Aaron beheld Zoey. The shadows were not a place he was accustomed to, but this morning it suited his purposes. He watched her go from excited, to hushed, then pale. This amused him. The whole thing did really. He, married to this commoner, who could barely keep herself upright before Queen Mary? His father truly must be in fear for his throne, perhaps even for his life.

"Insolent child!" Duchess Arden exclaimed.

"Forgive my sister, Your Majesty. She is not accustomed to noble society," said Bart.

Bart's apology was swift and elegant, as though practised.

"It's true, Lady Zoey only came to us yesterday," Duke Arden added.

Zoey's head spun. Did this man who deemed it appropriate to call himself her father, just apologise for her?

But wait, that wasn't what was important. They had said engagement, had they not? Should she ask? Who was it that had said the words?

King Henry gave a nervous chuckle and said, "Think nothing of it."

"One might hardly expect anything less," Her Majesty quipped. "If nothing else, she is at least pretty and pretty is all she needs to be."

Wait, wait, wait! Stop! Everyone, slow down a bit. Why had she been brought here? Why were they speaking of her, but not to her? Why would the words they were saying, though crystal clear, not make any sense?

2019, March 4th

It seemed it had been pouring summer rain for months. In truth, it began only yesterday. Lady Zoey Arden's world had come together at last. Only yesterday he looked upon her as though nothing and no one could take him from her. Regardless of all the terrible things happening in the world, she could not but be happy. He had opened up her heart and not just for himself, but for everyone around her.

She would mend fences with her father, if only for the sake of the wedding. Her new life had given Zoey something she had never had before. Two somethings. A brother and a best friend. Bart held her hand as she stumbled through every situation since she arrived in Caines. She wanted to be useful to him. This marriage would remove the burden of the Arden claim to the throne from Bart's shoulders.

Knowing this made Zoey all the merrier that things had worked out for her and Aaron. After all, marriage was a sacred thing. This union had the power to change many lives but would define hers and Aaron's.

Smiling to herself, Zoey even contrived to be less sullen to Duchess Arden. For the present, she must remain the Duchess as Zoey could not yet spare her the kindness of endearment.

Lying on her bed, getting ready to call her mother, how was she to know that her life was about to change again? Zoey rolled over to smell the red roses on her bedside table. Aaron, her fiance, had had them sent over yesterday. The word fiance still made Zoey giddy.

As Zoey got lost in thought, Bart burst into her room, shut the laptop and grabbed her phone.

"Hey! I was about to call my mom," she complained.

His eyes gave way to something she had yet to see in them. Those ever problem-solving eyes. Zoey didn't know what it was, but she found it unsettling.

"Pack for a few days. I have to get you out of here."

He was stern and his tone, though always somewhat imposing, now held urgency in it. She grabbed at his sleeve.

"What is it? What's wrong Bart?"

"Now Zo!" he yelled, marching over to her window to close the curtains.

She jumped up and started packing. Moments later, Duke Arden thundered up the stairs. Heavy feet walked the hallway leading to the door of her room.

"What is this!" Duke Arden boomed.

He shoved his tablet into Zoey's hands. She looked down at the headline.

Heated Royal Elevator Kiss.

Zoey was dumbstruck. She scrolled down hastily. They had been careful not to display affection in public. This couldn't be. Her mind was racing. When had they been this negligent and how much trouble would this commotion stir?

Then she saw it and her heart stopped. Her brain stopped trying to pinpoint the moment the photo was taken. It was the last thing she wanted to know. She felt Bart's thumbs on her cheeks and heard the whoosh of a sigh leave his body.

"We have to go Zo," Bart said, more gently this time as he wiped away the tears.

"Go?" Duke Arden started. "After causing such an uproar you would have her run off somewhere? She must issue a public apology for making such as spectacle—"

"She must do nothing," Bart interrupted.

Bart's tone was firm. He did not usually speak to his father this way.

Then again, Duke Arden did not know what he thought he knew. And Bart, himself enraged, had only enough patience to be swift.

She would want some time and she would not get it here. He hardly knew how they would spin this one, but this he could do for her. He could buy her some time.

It was over for them and Bart would not let her think otherwise a second time. Not when he had gone against his instincts the first time and allowed her to be swayed.

Zoey heard them going back and forth about what to do, but she couldn't move. Had Aaron done this? On the night of their engagement?

She knew there wasn't time for this, but all she could do was fall apart. It hit her what he had done once more and she wished that she could unknow it.

"We're leaving. Forgive me, father," Bart said in parting, having finished the packing.

"I cannot understand you. This isn't like you at all. They are getting married. It's the 21st century. This may cause some embarrassment, but people will understand. You are being too protective."

"If you do think so, then you must truly not understand. She will be safe, this I promise you."

Bart took Zoey's hand and led her through the hallways she had now become accustomed to. Down the endless staircase and past his mother, who had no doubt come to the same conclusion his father had. There was no time. He would reveal it to them later, or someone would. Right now, they had to go.

(Elsewhere in Caines)

Forest green eyes. Soft, jet-black hair. A body made to look good in anything and a face chiselled by a higher power. These were the attributes of Duke James Beaumont. When he walked into a room, he made it difficult not to stare.

Add to this his fortune and it was no wonder Duke Beaumont was well-liked, despite not liking many people.

James could afford this luxury. Corporations from around the world knocked on his door in want of doing business with Copia. Famed for being a separate entity from the crown, Copia's people wanted for nothing. What they could not make themselves, they imported. That was the extent to which Copia had allowed anything past its borders in the last five years.

Newly a duke at age 26, His Grace's mother, Lady Cassandra Beaumont, was adamant that he marry. To her delight, he agreed.

He allowed himself to be confident that he might have Lady Emily Maine as his wife. The couple had gotten engaged. Despite her father needing persuasion, after seven years of friendship, it finally happened.

James convinced himself that this was his due. Now titled, he was her family's equal. His rival had proposed to another woman. This meant that they were in the clear and he might at last love whomever he wanted. How wrong he had been.

He knew the whole of it without needing confirmation. James Beaumont was such a sort of man. Though he could hardly predict how people would behave, rarely surprised by them.

James stared at the monitor, looking at the title millions had read by now. As he scrutinised the photograph everyone had seen by now, James felt his heart break one more time. It was so familiar a sensation that he almost didn't feel it anymore. Or maybe he deceived himself into thinking so. He didn't know.

He knew only what he saw. Caught in the embrace of the engaged Prince Aaron. Their lips were locked. The photo captured her in a coat. It was nighttime. Aaron's body and dishevelled clothes covered her. The lighting in the elevator was poor. These factors contributed to the woman in the photo being mistaken for Lady Zoey Arden. James knew better. He would know Emily anywhere.

Both women were blonde, attending a masquerade ball. It wasn’t such a stretch. Besides, who could imagine them doing something so stupid at Aaron's engagement ball?

James understood all too well what would happen now. The houses of Arden and Condor were already on poor terms. The House of Arden must know about the prince's betrayal by now or soon would.

It would be all about reaction and politics and the dormant feud flaring back up between the two houses. And they were both, King Henry and Duke Arden, merciless men.

Terres Somnia's darkest hour might come soon after all and there might be war. How could Aaron be this reckless? Couldn't he at least have been discreet if he had to revert to a past hubris at such a crucial time?

With one more sip of whiskey to wash down the heartache, James called for his car. He had to leave before his father found him and tried to manipulate him. He knew about the scandal that had resulted in Aaron's fiancee being born the bastard child of Duke Arden. Having been labelled a bastard before, James thought of the girl from Rosa. She would not be treated kindly.

He remembered how he'd spent his childhood being hidden away by his parents. Only to have to go on the run five years ago when The King's Guard came after him and his mother. He recently re-emerged into noble society. That too, not as his father's son, but as the infamous Duke of Copia.

With his grandfather Duke Byron's death, James came back under his mother's maiden name. He risked his now peaceful life to do so. He had done this for Emily. She who had long held his heart. Had he then not enough of hers to prevent this?

She claimed to always love him, but things were always somewhat up in the air between her and Aaron. Still, James had let go of his reservations. In return, she betrayed him.

As he drove down the quiet streets of Caines, he thought about her again. This girl whose golden locks smelled of her innocence. James met Zoey at CC's last birthday ball. And though he was spoken for, he was only a man. There was no denying her beauty.

As time went on and James caught up with Aaron, it became clear that Aaron intended to marry Zoey. Unusual as it was for Aaron to take orders, he seemed so taken with her. James was certain he had let go of his attachment to Emily. How idiotic of him, to make plans for a life based on Aaron's words instead of his actions.

Zoey's big, round, bright, sparkling hazel eyes lit up by her smile would not leave him.

Then suddenly, they were before him again. She was staring out the window of a car in the lane next to his. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears and devastation. They looked as he felt. Life on the run had taught him that his survival had to come first, but the urge to protect was strong as he looked at her.

It was like looking in a mirror. In a moment, he went mad. Being in the public eye would wreck his mother. He didn't need to be part of this war. To disappear again was wise. Yes, it made no sense and yet he could not stop the impulse to stop hiding and help her.

James told himself he was out of his mind as he cut the other car off on the quiet streets of Caines. Zoey started. Bart glared and even bared his teeth in a low, threatening growl.

And if James hadn't had the night he had had, seen the things he had seen, he might've turned back and gone home to pack. But he had seen the fruits of his faith in Aaron and Emily. He had laid eyes on her again. Those innocent eyes would haunt him forever if he didn't get out of the car.

He meant to be thinking of Emily, but Emily's face now brought him pain. Was it so bad that the girl in front of him quieted the dull ache in his heart?

Cautious not to make any sudden moves, he got out of the car and raised his hands in the air as if in surrender.

"Move Beaumont!" Bart yelled, sticking his head out of the window.

The words may as well not have been said, because he was looking at only her. This time she looked back too.

Their eyes met and in a moment Zoey's body heated up. She'd been cold, numbed by the image of Aaron kissing another woman. More than kissing for all she knew.

Those greener than green eyes drew her in until there was nothing but him. His pain, his anguish. They were all so familiar. It comforted her.

When Zoey looked away, James found he could speak again. Bartholomew, being privy to the details of James' upbringing, was justified in his suspicion. James' mouth moved on its own.

"I wish to speak to the lady if she will allow it," said James.

"This is neither the time nor the place, Beaumont. The lady—"

"Will speak with you," she whispered, almost too softly to be heard.

Still, James heard. So focused was he on her. Bart drew his fingers through his hair as he contemplated what to do. He gave Zoey a look before he got out of the car and went over to her side of the car to open her door.

"Five minutes," Bart said to James as he watched Zoey walk over to James' car.

Bart turned his head to his sister.

"I will be right here," Bart promised, folding his arms and leaning against the hood of his car.

Zoey smiled at him and nodded. Why Duke Beaumont wanted to talk to her was another puzzle to be added to the mystery that was him.

After some hesitation, Zoey got into James' car. It wasn't that they were acquaintances at best that unsettled her. It was how familiar he continued to seem despite it. This thought nagged at her.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" she asked.

It snuck up on her. Perhaps she had made a poor decision agreeing to speak with him. The familiar feeling was almost painful.

What was James doing? Even he didn't entirely know. This was new for him. James Beaumont knew which companies he wanted to do business with. What clothes he would buy when he walked into a store. He knew how to solve a problem before it had been reported to him. What he didn't know was what he was doing in a car with Aaron's fiancee. Especially on a night like tonight, when they were both sure to be missed.

He watched her fidget. She played with her fingers, looking for all the world like she would burst into tears at any moment. For the second time in his life and that night, James' mouth worked faster than his brain.

"Marry me."

The words came out, and he wished them unsaid the next moment. Her large, vulnerable, hazel eyes grew even bigger.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

The words continued to flow, as though without permission.

"Marry me tonight," he said, "and I will protect you."