"I didn't seem too shocked, did I?" Victoria asks me in the days that follow Ernest and Albert's arrival to court. "I mean, I would not wish my cousin to dare hope that I would..."

I shake my head, and her face relaxes in my assurance. "You must always remember that you are your own mistress," I reply with ease.

"But do you like him?" Victoria presses me.

I smile at her. "He is certainly better-mannered than that companion of his... Lord Wilhelm somebody..."

"Lord Wilhelm Marquardt," she says patiently. "I must confess after my initial shock of seeing Albert in my court without my formal invitation, I did spy him looking at you," she says with a little giggle. "Mayhap, by the end of next year, you and I shall too make German matches."

"Lord Wilhelm may have saved me from certain attack against O Hum," I reply, albeit a little heatedly, "but I shall not merely submit to him for that. He must learn that anyone he calls certain ugly terms may well speak German..."

"Oh, dear," Victoria giggles. "What did he call you?"

I give a sideways glance at her before turning away, stabbing my needle into the stitching in my lap in irritation. "He said I was not pretty," I replied. "Of course, I was initially grateful for his rescue from O Hum, but I was most angered by his dismissal of me in the following breath..."

Victoria clicked her tongue, to which Dash and Flight immediately looked up at her in attention. "I should think it was perfectly rude of him to say so. Shame on him for speaking ill of you like that..."

"Yet he said so in German," I reply, smirking ever so slightly. "Little did he know that we had that language in common..."

Victoria giggles then, turning and looking outside and immediately shutting her book, getting to her feet. "The prince should be through with riding in the forests by now—or at least nearly." She opened her door then and summoned her maid, instructing her to dress her in her riding habit. "Don't continue sitting there, Felicity," she scolded gently.

"Ma'am?" I asked her, noting propriety since her maid had joined us. "I don't understand your meaning..."

"Go into your rooms and put on your riding habit," she said with a smile.

I get to my feet, folding my stitching accordingly. "Ma'am, I apologize, for even though I do possess a talent for riding, my mother and father discouraged it and I was not permitted to do so. I have no riding habit, nor have I a horse. Perhaps the Duchess of Sutherland would be a worthier companion—"

"Yes, I know, Felicity," Victoria replies with a slight smile as her maid removes her afternoon dress efficiently. "Which is why I've had the court seamstress make you a riding habit, and today we shall walk down to the stables and you shall have your pick of horses—except mine, of course," she says with a slight twinkle in her eyes. "Go on, then—it is a beautiful work of art," she calls over her shoulder as I move towards the door.

"I shall return shortly, ma'am," I reply, curtsying to her and leaving her chambers nearly at the run. I make my way down the corridor, pushing from my mind my first encounter with Lord Wilhelm, as well as my attack by Sir John Conroy. I breeze into my chambers and, to my surprise, find a maid already within my inner rooms as Flight and I scurry in, and she smiles and curtsies to me.

"Will you be wanting your riding habit, Lady Felicity?" she asks.

"Yes, thank you," I reply.

I walk into my inner rooms after her, Flight just at my heels, where the maid opens my wardrobe and reveals a beautiful riding costume; its collar was high to ward off coldness, while the skirts would easily flow over the body of any horse. I moved to a better position for the maid to unlace me from my gown, and stepped out of it as she re-hung it in the wardrobe. She then proceeded with the riding habit, lacing it properly in place before revealing a pair of black leather riding boots, which would go up over my ankle to my calf. After I was outfitted accordingly—including a riding hat with an impressive sheath of green material attached to the brim—I summoned Flight to run with me as we returned to Victoria's rooms.

Victoria's costume was an impressive blue with red lapels and she gleamed with delight when she first saw me. Clapping her hands, she immediately embraced me and brought me out of doors, towards the stables. Victoria's white mare awaited us, and whinnied in recognition when we arrived. Victoria nodded for the groom to bring her forth and outside to wait, while I looked over the many horses the stables had to offer.

"These ones along here aren't spoken for," Victoria informed me helpfully, and nodded towards a few next to the stalls which had occupied hers. "But, if I were you, I'd stay away from that black mare in the back if I were you."

"Why?" I ask her, moving forward. "Is something the matter with her?"

"She's not friendly at all," Victoria warns me as I walk closer to her.

I spot a barrel of apples just nearby her stall, and immediately take one up into my hand as I make my way towards the animal, despite Victoria's warnings. I unwrap my fingers around the piece of fruit, and the horse, to her credit, sniffs at my forthcoming offering. I raise my hand up towards her long and impressive nose and await her blessing, whereupon she leans down and gently eats the apple from my hand, leaving just the core behind. I hand off the core to a groom who does away with it as the horse and I merely stare at one another, almost as if a mutual understanding is passing between us.

"You don't want that one," the groom warns, but I ignore him.

As I reach up towards the mare, Victoria takes in a sharp breath but I manage to get to the mare's nose without her flinching or nipping at me. Her eyes never leave mine as I gently stroke her fur, softer than any silk I'd ever encountered. I walk along her body then, and the mare never takes her eyes off me as I gently run my fingers along it. Then, I see the saddle upon the bridge between stalls and lift it nearly effortlessly, before turning back to the horse and allowing her to inspect it momentarily. Her noises of sniffing cause me to laugh ever so slightly, and her ears flick backwards and forwards at the sound. Once the inspection is complete, I painstakingly strap the saddle into place, making sure it is not bound too tightly around her midsection, and then I am precise with the reigns, looping them gently around her so as not to spook her.

I turn towards Victoria then, who is shocked at what I've done, and manage to lead the mare from the stables, Victoria following behind. I take the mare to where Victoria's horse is waiting, and make a grab for the pommel before swinging myself up onto the animal. She lets out a little whinny at the change in weight upon her, before I tug at her reigns and she walks around the stable yard. Victoria mounts her horse as well, and we make our way towards the woods.

"You're quite patient with that animal," she remarks as we go off at a leisurely pace towards the thick line of trees.

"Am I?" I ask her aloud.

"I declare her to be yours," she declares with a smile. "Call her what you wish, and treat her with kindness."

We continue towards the woods, Dash and Flight following us with ease, and arrive at the first line of trees, just as Lord Wilhelm emerges from them. I do my best to hold my tongue, turning towards Victoria as she moves to speak with him. I cannot understand why she would want to speak to such a beast of a man, for, even though he was raised with both princes, he seems to have taken the negative portion of Ernest's lessons in manners to heart.

"Where are my cousins, Lord Wilhelm?" Victoria asks.

"I'm am afraid they have gone off in separate directions, Your Majesty," Lord Wilhelm replies with mock regret. "I find forests to be lovely pieces of land, but even I fancy a good race now and again."

"What a perfectly wonderful prospect, for Lady Felicity has just gotten herself a new mare," Victoria replies immediately. "I should think a race between the two of you will strengthen the bond between England and Germany—two great and powerful countries. Well, go on, Felicity," Victoria says with an encouraging nod towards Lord Wilhelm. "Mayhap one of you will learn some manners by the end of the day," she says, spurring her horse and taking off into the woods, Dash running at her horses' heels.

"Do you enjoy forests, Lady Felicity?" Lord Wilhelm asks. "For, if you do, I believe I could tolerate some more...looking."

"I do, but there's no need to trouble yourself," I reply in a clipped tone. "I find that riding alone is far better than bad company, Lord Wilhelm."

"Normally, I'd agree with you, Lady Felicity," Lord Wilhelm replies, immediately moving to follow me into the woods from another direction, "and yet I find that situations left unresolved can lead to years of torment."

"Torment, Lord Wilhelm?" I fire back. "I hardly think you know the meaning of the word..."

"My mother died when I was a boy," he replies, and, thankfully, he cannot see my expression of pity for him. "She gave my father three sons—my elder brother Charles, myself, and younger brother Ferdinand, before she died a tragic death," he says, and, at last, I turn to look at him.

"Did your father remarry?" I ask, hardly knowing how one so young would be able to deal with a loss two times over—the loss of a mother, and the loss of her position as his father's only wife.

"He did, to a woman named Eleanor, once an intended bride for my elder brother Charles," he replies. "She was nineteen to his fourteen, so Papa believed her a far more suitable match for himself."

"And did they have children?" I ask, quietly.

"My sisters—Cecilia, Isabella, and Elisabeth," Lord Wilhelm replies, and I detect a fondness at the back of his tone. "I was merely eleven when Papa married Eleanor and, in time, she became Mama to me as well. Although I shall never allow myself to forget my mother, Maria Anna..."

"No, and you shouldn't," I reply, reaching across the divide and taking his hand in mine, my eyes never leaving his. "You obviously loved your mother a great deal, and anyone who bids you to forget her is heartless and cruel."

Lord Wilhelm maneuvers his hand so as one of his is over mine. "She was a beauty, my mother—she would have liked you very much... You remind me of her, Lady Felicity, truly..."

I freeze beneath his hand then. "And yet, you said I was not ziemlich, Lord Wilhelm, and yet you called your mother a beauty. So, which is it, then?" I ask him, pulling my hand from his. "Is your mother hässlich, or am I eine schönheit?" I ask of him.

Lord Wilhelm looks uncomfortable. "I am afraid, Lady Felicity, that you have misjudged me, and I feel that, perhaps, if you were to fully understand where it is I have come from—"

"Don't," I say, my voice firm as Ernest and Lord Alfred Paget ride by, to which the pair of us nod to them.

"Ten guineas!" Ernest shouted at us.

"Can't stop, I'm afraid!" Lord Alfred yells as they ride by.

"Why can you not be kind?" I demand of him then. "Why can you not be kind like Prince Albert? He is soft-spoken and kind, whereas you are—"

"What?" Lord Wilhelm asks, dropping down from his horse and coming towards mine, reaching up—he is quite tall, nearly five inches taller than Prince Albert—and lifting me down from my mount. "What am I, Lady Felicity? What is it you wish to call me? I would know..."

I find that my heart is in my throat, for the way he looks at me is the way I wished a man would look upon me for so long. It was rather daunting when Sir John Conroy did so, but Sir John Conroy was a married man, a tyrant, and an enemy. I found I could not think of Lord Wilhelm in the same manner, for to think so was to compare him to a man who had nearly ruined me. I should think him a gentleman, I saw that now, for Prince Albert was cultured enough that he would not have selected a tyrant to accompany him on a royal visit—

"Felicity?" he asks, and I find that my eyes have been drifting first to his eyes and then to his lips, and I cannot for the life of me remember how to speak. "You have not given me your answer."

I part my lips automatically, and I know what to say, but then I find that the words that come out of me are not something I would characteristically say. "Tell me, Lord Wilhelm, do you consider yourself to be a liar?"

"No," he replies, "that is Ernest. Albert is who I align myself with, and he speaks the truth. That is the way I wish to live my life, Lady Felicity."

"Then why did you tell Sir John Conroy that you believed me ugly?" I ask.

"I may have said what I said, but it was done to protect you," he replies. "I believed if I told him that—having the noble son of a good family, albeit a German one—telling him that a lady which struck his fancy was unattractive, I believed that he would have left you alone."

I force myself not to cry at this unexpected turn of events. "So, I am not ziemlich to you, Lord Wilhelm?" I ask.

"No," Lord Wilhelm replies, a small smile appearing on his lips. "You are a schönes mädchen," he replies.

"A beautiful girl?" I ask him.

"Yes," he replies, as a trickle of wind encounters the pair of us, rendering some of my hair to free itself from my bun. Carefully, Lord Wilhelm reaches down and tucks it behind my ear, and I feel a shiver down my spine. "I apologize," he says quickly, "I should not have... I apologize if my touch revolts you..."

"It does not," I reply. "Sir John Conroy's touch revolted me. Yours... It is unlike anything I've ever encountered."

Lord Wilhelm reaches downward slowly and takes my hand, covered by riding gloves, and brings it upwards, almost as if he is weighing it in his hands. Then, he goes to kiss my hand, but I withdraw it from his immediately. Chastened, he then turns around to return to his mount, but my hand upon his shoulder stops him, and he turns back to face me.

"I misjudged you, Wilhelm," I say, and his look softens at my use of his Christian name without the trappings. I give him a smile to return his and, slowly, remove my glove from my hand and hand it to him. "If you do not have a betrothal in Germany, I would like you to keep it," I say softly.

Lord Wilhelm weighs it in his hands. "I do not," he replies. He takes the glove and unbuttons his shirt, placing the glove over his heart. "I shall treasure this," he says, and I look away, my cheeks flaming at his boldness. "You are at your most beautiful when your cheeks turn rosy," he says softly, buttoning his shirt up again, whilst I skillfully place my lone glove in my pocket.

It is then that hoofbeats sound on the ground then and Prince Albert himself comes at a canter, stopping when he gets to us. "Dash has injured himself," he says in a clipped tone. "I've left the queen in the woods to tend to him, but she will need assistance in getting back to the castle." He turns to Lord Wilhelm then, and snaps his fingers impatiently. "Back to the castle, Wilhelm," he orders.

I manage to get back onto my mount on my own, Flight just beside me, and nod to the prince and to Lord Wilhelm before spurring my mare and taking off down the grove of trees. Once I hear they are out of sight, I feel relief once I come to the place where Victoria has left her mare. Dismounting, I hope my horse will stay there as I go off the trail, hoping that Flight will be able to sniff them out. I duck beneath branches and over logs, wondering what Victoria and the prince could have possibly been thinking, wandering about like this.

"Victoria?" I call, my voice an octave higher than it usually way. "Victoria?" I call out again. "Flight, where's Dash?" I whisper. "Victoria!"

"Here!" she calls, and emerges from some foliage, Dash in her arms.

"Oh, dear!" I cry out, running forward, taking her cap from her and walking alongside her, Flight proceeding to whimper at her friend's pain. "What has happened here?"

"Dash's leg is broken," Victoria replied, her voice choking back sobs. "We've got to return to the palace at once!" She looks through the trees then, and only spots our horses waiting us. "Has everyone else gone?" she asks.

"Yes. His Serene Highness took Lord Wilhelm back to the palace. He seemed a bit short," I said softly, taking Dash from Victoria as she goes to mount, before handing him back to her. I make a grab for Flight next and mount without much difficulty, before spurring my mare and taking off after Victoria. "Did he say something to offend you?" I ask her.

"He was angered by my friendship with Lord M," she replies shortly, looking from Dash to the terrain ahead. Her eyes turn to mine then, and they appear to be quite stormy indeed. "There shall always be rumors, yet I know that you were the only one I brought to Brocket Hall... You heard all that was said between Lord M and I, didn't you?" she asks, her tone bitter.

I nod. "Yes," I reply. "But I shall never breathe a word of it, even if tortured. You are my friend until death, Victoria, and to betray you would bring my death, and I would forgive you," I say quietly, yet my voice is full of determination. "I don't take vows lightly, as I know you do not, and you require honesty first and foremost when it comes to your service, and I shall never waver in mine."

Victoria nods. "I do require honesty," she replies, looking ahead at Windsor Castle with equal determination on her face. "What was said between you and Lord Wilhelm?" she asks.

I pretend to be inspecting Flight, when in actuality, I make sure I do not show my rosy cheeks to Victoria. "Lord Wilhelm and I have come to a mutual understanding or so it seems," I reply.

"Really? How?"

I continue to hide my smile. "I shall no longer loathe him for all eternity," I reply, and turn to look at her. "And that is all I am permitted to say."

. . .

I recall the card games and the small dinners and the grand ball and dancing that I had had with Lord Wilhelm, and how my iciness had withered, as had his alleged impoliteness towards me. Victoria had said more than once that she would wish for my utmost happiness when it came to my marriage, so when I knew she was to propose to Prince Albert, I too wondered if such a thing would come to pass for me at all. The notion that she was proposing to him was such a beautiful thing that I soon found myself wandering the castle corridors until finally it became so warm that I ventured out of doors into the darkness, before finding my way back to the ballroom where Lord Wilhelm and I had shared our first dance.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

Turning, I found my cheeks turned pink as I found myself staring at Lord Wilhelm in the candle-lit room. "What?" I ask him.

"The ballroom when you and I came to an understanding," he replies, "as well as my master pledging himself to your mistress this night."

"It is beautiful," I reply, managing to step towards him.

"I am pleased for my master," he tells me.

"As I am for my mistress," I say with a smile. "I never thanked you properly for saving me from Sir John Conroy. Thank you," I tell him.

Lord Wilhelm's smile broadens. "I did what any gentleman would do. Of course, the temptation to make the better acquaintance of one of the queen's closest companions was nearly too hard to resist. Of course, had I known that you were the lady in question..." He spreads his hands. "One cannot always know who they will end up saving."

"You said that you and I came to an understanding," I say quietly, and feel relief when he is the one to step closer to me this time. "What did you mean by that?" I want to know. "Do you wish from me everlasting friendship?"

"Of course—you are a kind and generous person, Lady Felicity. Of course, I do. I do wish for your everlasting friendship."

"And do you merely wish for friendship?" I ask him, watching his dark eyes for a hidden meaning. "Shall I cease hoping for more?"

Lord Wilhelm smiles and continues stepping forward. "After Windsor, in the woods where you gave me your glove, I asked Her Majesty permission to write to your father," he tells me quietly. "She, of course, asked why, and when I informed her of my intentions, she jumped at the opportunity, even writing a letter herself to help in my pursuit."

"Pursuit?" I ask, my mouth going dry. "Pursuit of what, may I ask?"

Lord Wilhelm finally closes the final steps between us, taking my hands in his as Lord Melbourne had done to Victoria at Brocket Hall. "Pursuit of your hand in marriage," he replies simply, his thumb running over my knuckles. "I realize that I am a second son, with no hopes of inheriting my father's title, due to my brother Charles's marriage and birth of two sons already, but I would be a good and faithful husband to you, Felicity—"

"I'm hardly worthy of you," I reply, my words breaking my heart as much as I knew they would break his. "I am the tenth child of a viscount, with no hopes for a dowry enough to turn your parents' heads..."

"Her Majesty is prepared to give us a manor and a house in London," he tells me gently, not letting go of my hands. "Your father informed the queen that your dowry would be two thousand pounds a year, and my father informed me that, if I do love you as I claim to, then that would more than suffice—"

"Love?" I whisper, the word hanging between us as I stare up at his eyes, deep silver pools of earnest. "You love me?"

"I love you," Lord Wilhelm replies.

I shut my eyes at his declaration, the tears escaping from beneath my lashes and falling down my cheeks. "I love you, Wilhelm," I whisper.

Wilhelm's finger tilting my chin up causes my eyes to fly open as he leans down and brushes his lips with mine. "Marry me," he whispers, his hot breath leaving his mouth and entering mine. "Be my wife..."

"Yes," I whisper back immediately. "Since Her Majesty, my father, and yours have given their consent, then I formally give mine. I shall marry you, Wilhelm... My Wilhelm," I whisper, reaching upwards and taking his face into my hands, and guiding his forehead to rest against mine.

"My Felicity," he whispers back. "I return to Coburg with Their Highnesses in just two days," he tells me softly. "If the prince accepts the proposal of the queen, which I know he shall, I shall return as soon as parliament has accepted the queen's intention to marry him."

"And when will that be?" I ask, not releasing him.

He smiles down at me. "Soon, very soon," he tells me. "But don't despair, my darling, for you need not worry."

"Need not worry?" I ask, shutting my eyes and throwing myself into his arms. "I cannot bear it! Now that I have you, you're to be taken away from me... And you'll likely turn your head at the first pretty blonde you see..."

Wilhelm tightens his grip around me. "Don't think me faithless," he says gently to me in my ear. "I'll not wander. I know it is a custom for men to have mistresses outside of marriage, but I refuse."

At once, I raise my eyes to his. "What?" I whisper.

He smiles tenderly down upon me. "I want nobody else," he assures me. "And now that you are to be my wife, I shall write to you while I am at my home in Coburg at the prince's side."

"You will write to me?" I ask him.

"On my knees, I swear it," he says with a smile. "We shall write of our undying love for one another, and anything you may want for our wedding. We may have it at Pemberley, if you wish."

I smile up at Wilhelm. "If the queen can spare me, and if His Serene Highness may spare you," I reply.

"We shall find a way," he tells me, tightening his grip upon me. "We shall find a way to be away from court now and again—at our country house. I'll want to live there when the children come."

"Children?" I ask, shocked at the prospect of it all. "What children?"

"Yes—our children," he tells me. "For I shall want a houseful of sons and daughters to take our name and to be free to live wonderful lives..."

"Our children," I whisper to him, loving the way those words sounded on my tongue. "Our children..."

"But first a wedding," Wilhelm rules.

"A wedding..." I whisper, never wanting him to stop holding me like this. "My Wilhelm," I say, smiling up at him.

"My Felicity," he replies, leaning down to kiss me again.