Daniela's ladies brought her a pale green dress that shimmered when it caught the light. Flowers were embroidered so delicately in matching thread that you could only see them from certain angles. It felt like she was drowning in fabric when she put it on, but in the mirror she actually looked taller than usual, and rather stately.

Lynnette brought out two long strings of pearls, one to wind in her hair, and the other with a large green gem that hung as a pendant.

"It's called tourmaline," Lynette said.

"That is exquisite. The king is quite generous with you, my lady," Marie smiled.

"It is what a princess deserves," Paulina said stiffly.

"And a queen deserves even more!" Nicole laughed, admiring the jewelry.

Daniela thought it was excessive. But maybe it was how things were done here. Given her upbringing in a convent, she doubted her own ideas on the subject.

"How many new dresses have been prepared for me?" she asked.

"Perhaps twenty?" Marie said. "There is one for each day before the wedding and for all the festivities afterwards."

"Would you like to see the wedding dress?" Lynette offered.

"Oh, yes, please! Let's see it!" Nicole exclaimed, earning a pointed cough from Paulina.

"Very well." Daniela laughed at her friend's excitement. "Please bring it, Lynette."

Lynette returned with a bundle of crisp white fabric. She laid it out on the bed while the women gathered around. She pulled the white fabric back, and they saw that the white fabric wasn't the dress at all. Beneath the white protective wrap were a thousand tiny, diamond-like jewels. Silver thread bound each jewel together, and in the spaces between them it twisted into wispy vines and delicate leaves.

Daniela ran her hand lightly across the surface of the crystalline dress. How could human hands craft such detail? It was bumpy like a thousand little pebbles, but there were no sharp edges or roughness. And the inside was lined with smooth, slippery silk.

Truly, it was all too much. Of course the Ternhaligon family was rich, but surely they did not have this much wealth to throw around. Brasador's royal family certainly did not, and Aramdeau was the smaller of the two countries.

There was no time now to think on the matter; she had an appointment with the dowager queen. As Daniela walked to the queen's sitting room, every hall she passed was buzzing with wedding preparations. There seemed to be many guests staying at the castle.

Queen Imelda smiled openly when Daniela joined her. The table was set with ceramic cups and small bowls filled with dried plants and herbs.

"I hope you are settling in well? Nothing has been overlooked?" the dowager queen asked. As they spoke, she took a small spoon and scooped rose buds into two little cups. She poured hot water over the flowers, then drizzled honey into each cup.

"No indeed, Your Highness, everyone has been most attentive."

"Please, call me Imelda, dear. There are very few people I get to hear my name from." She picked up a square of shortbread and bit into it casually, so Daniela felt at ease to do the same.

"I prefer Daniela, as well. I'm used to it. I think it will be hard for my lady, Nicole, to remember my title."

"Ah, that friendly young woman! Yes, I believe I met her last night. She tried to tell me a joke about a toad and some other animal. I'm afraid I didn't understand it at all."

"Yes, she is outgoing, I hope she was not impertinent."

Queen Imelda shook her head. "You are very lucky to have a friend like that. It will not be easy for either of you to adjust to life here. Having each other will make all the difference."

Daniela hesitated, tasting the floral tea. "What was it like for you when you married the late king?"

Imelda smiled softly. "It was a very different story for me. I met Edmund, Charles's father, at a ball. He asked me to dance, and we talked all night long, like we had known each other our whole lives. We courted for a while, and to make a long story short, we married for love." She sipped her tea thoughtfully. "That love was the most important and wonderful thing in my life. Perhaps I should not say this, but ten years ago I did not think your engagement to Charles was a good idea. Depriving two young people of the chance to find the person that would make them happy is quite cruel. However, over the years, I've begun to think that if two people choose to support and care for one another wholeheartedly, why can't they find the same sort of happiness? That is my hope anyway."

Imelda poured them both another cup. "Of course, Edmund and I had our own share of obstacles to overcome. I may be a queen now, but when we met, he was a prince and I was the daughter of a low-ranked noble family. The only reason I was even invited to that ball was because I was staying with a baroness as her companion. Many people opposed our marriage, and a few even dared to suggest that Edmund shouldn't have been allowed to be king, although luckily that all came to nothing.

"That is a problem you will never have to face. Your marriage isn't just securing the peace; as a princess you are giving Charles unquestionable legitimacy."

"I had not thought about it in that way before. It is strange to me that I can do so much just by existing," Daniela said. "I suppose I have been away from politics for a long time; I am not used to such things."

Imelda looked at her seriously. "Right now, you are the third most powerful person in this castle-in this country, in fact-after Charles and your brother. Never forget that."

Powerful? Daniela had never thought of herself as having power. In Brasador, she couldn't even leave her room when she chose. At the Abbey, she had some freedom, but she had no more power than any of her friends; they'd lived as equals.

Imelda set her cup down. "Forgive me, I have been rambling on for ages now. You should go have some fun or get some rest."

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Your High-Imelda." Daniela curtsied and took her leave, and Lynette was waiting outside the room for her.

"Shall we go back to your room?" Lynette asked, already beginning to walk. Daniela began to follow, then stopped.

"No, take me to the king."

"The king? Surely it is improper to visit without prior notice, particularly when you are not yet wed."

"Well, then, I shall visit him... improperly. Please take me to him."

Lynette led Daniela the other way down the hall. They passed the throne room and banquet hall that she'd seen yesterday. In the banquet hall, some men were enjoying a lively dinner. Daniela caught sight of her brother Frederico as she passed. He didn't see her, but her stomach still flipped. The reminder that he was in the same place as her made her uneasy. Her anger toward her father and mother were obvious to her years ago, but she still had not figured out how she felt toward her brother. She had many memories of his kindness when she was young, even if she had not heard from him in all this time.

They continued to the eastern wing of the castle, where Daniela had not yet been. Lynette pointed out the chambers of various councilors and advisors, the council chamber, and finally the door to the king's study. No one stood outside of it, so Daniela took a breath, and knocked.

"Come in," she heard faintly through the thick wooden door.

"I won't be long," she said to Lynette, and pushed it open.

Charles looked up from something he was focused on on his desk, and then stood up in surprise. "Princess Daniela, I wasn't expecting you."

"Please forgive my coming here so suddenly, Your Majesty, I had something I wished to discuss."

"You are welcome anytime, of course." He stepped out from behind his desk. "I should have gone to greet you today; I have been a little busy." He gestured to the cushioned chairs arranged to the side of the room, and they both took a seat.

"Have you been to see my mother?"

"Yes, I just came from there. She was very kind."

"Good, good." He seemed to want to say something else, but stopped, then said, "And your chambers are comfortable? They are to your liking?" Daniela was fairly certain he had asked her that before.

"Yes... Actually, no," she said a little nervously. "I mean the room is lovely, it is just a matter of the dresses."

"Ahh, they are not to your taste," Charles said quickly. "I thought this might happen with how soon the wedding is. We might not have time, but I can find a dressmaker as soon as possible-"

"No, please, that's not it," Daniela interrupted. "They are beautiful, and I am most grateful."

Charles looked at her expectantly.

"It's just that... they are too much. I am certainly not an expert in such matters, but I have a pretty good idea of how much this sort of thing costs, and I have seen today and yesterday how ladies of the court dress. The jewelry alone is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life, and the wedding dress-"

Charles laughed for a moment, then stopped himself. Daniela flushed. Perhaps she had lived in the countryside for too long, and had no idea how wealthy the crown actually was.

"Forgive me, I do not mean to laugh," Charles said. "I am just glad to hear you say that."

Daniela did not understand.

"You are right, the dresses and jewels were excessively expensive, and there are even more that you have yet to see." He smiled. "As much as you deserve fine jewels and clothes without an agenda, the true purpose of these dresses is precisely as you described: to display wealth. As long as the envoys from Brasador remain in the castle, I hope to show them that Aramdeau has money to spare. I am sorry for using you to achieve that."

"It is a funny way to be used, being given gifts. What will be done with it all once the visitors are gone?" Daniela asked.

"Done...?" Charles looked momentarily confused. "Oh, nothing will be done with them. They are yours."

"Oh." Daniela felt herself flush for a second time. "I see, thank you."

"Umm, I am glad that you came to talk about this." Charles said, seeing her unease. "We actually live somewhat frugally here, most of the time. Most of our funds go to the military, and other things. I would hate to think that you wouldn't understand living that way. Or that it would make you unhappy."

Daniela smiled. "I was raised by nuns, I think I'll be able to handle it."

"Right, of course," Charles said with a slight furrow of his brow. He stood and turned toward the desk, so Daniela rose and went to the door.

"Daniela," Charles said suddenly. She looked back to face him. "Will you join me for a horseback ride tomorrow morning? It is the last day before the wedding."

"I cannot," Daniela answered.

"Oh, of course, you must be busy. It is a hectic time..."

"No, I mean, I cannot ride a horse," Daniela said quickly. "I have never learned."

"Well, that's easily solved." He grinned. "I will teach you. Bring along one of your ladies-in-waiting. And you won't have to dress up."