In the Year of Our Lord, 1684

"It has everything to do with it."

"So, you do not find me attractive," she pouted, trying a different tactic.

"It has nothing to do with whether or not I find you attractive. You should not be talking this way. It is not proper."

"Not proper for whom? Perhaps you should not be here alone talking to me. What would dear Ingrid think about that? I wonder." She placed her finger against her cheek and tried to look innocent.

"She would think nothing of it," Gregor retorted. He was now tiring of Maria and this conversation. "I think she will find it quite interesting when I tell her about it at breakfast."

"You would not dare!"

Gregor smiled, for he knew he had called her bluff and succeeded. He looked at her sternly and said in a low voice, "I think it would be wise of you to concentrate on your wedding and not on ways to make your sister unhappy. In a few days, both of you will be very happy anyway."

"You are not a very nice man," Maria spat out bitterly. "I do not know what Ingrid sees in you!"

"Then, you will agree that is all for the better."

"I agree to nothing you say!" Her eyes and face showed nothing but hate and contempt for Gregor, which surprised him. Perhaps he was the first man to not fall for her charms and beauty, he surmised.

"I believe I would like to walk to in the garden and enjoy your beautiful flowers before breakfast," he said as he turned to leave. He looked back at her. "Perhaps you would like to join me? I certainly would enjoy another wonderful conversation with you."

"No thank you," she replied coldly. "I believe I would like to have an appetite for breakfast."

"Ah, your words sing in my heart," he said sarcastically.

"Leave me alone," she said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

"Gladly," he said as he took a step back. "One more thing," he said.

"What?" she asked, exasperated.

"This conversation never took place."

"And what if I say it did?"

"You will wish you had not said anything."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked bravely, but feeling anything but.

"There is one thing I have learned from my father over the years," he replied carefully. "Never threaten another person. I was merely stating a fact. Take it whichever way suits you the best." With that, he turned his heel and walked away leaving Maria to ponder what he had said.

Ingrid was quiet throughout breakfast that morning, seemingly deep in thought. Even questions from Gregor were answered in one or two terse words. The sparkle in her eyes from the previous evening were no more and Gregor could almost feel the coldness coming off of her. After a second and third round of questions went nowhere, Gregor gave up and decided to talk to her in private later. Although he knew little about the reproductive cycle of a woman, he knew enough from his sisters to know that sometimes a woman just needed to be left alone and not be bothered. Perhaps this was one of those times.

Ingrid knew she should not treat him that way, but she saw them. Shesawthem. She had awakened early from sounds coming from below her window and saw Maria going to the stable. Minutes later, Gregor appeared and went to the stable as well. They were alone for quite a while before Gregor left and headed towards the flower garden while Maria appeared later and went in a different direction. Why were they in the stable alone and what were they doing? Those questions flooded her mind until she could not see straight. She repeatedly tried to tell herself nothing was happening and it was just a coincidence, but what was she to believe? She never thought she would ever doubt Gregor's devotion to her, but now her confidence was shaken.

Now, with him next to her, she wanted desperately to know that everything was innocent between them and that nothing happened, but her anger clouded her thoughts. When breakfast was over, Ingrid politely excused herself and headed towards her room. Gregor excused himself as well and followed. They were alone when Ingrid abruptly turned around to face him at the foot of the stairs.

"I do not wish to speak to you right now," she said, not trying to hide her emotions.

"What is the matter?" he demanded. "What have I done?"

"I do not wish to talk about it."

"If it concerns me, then we need to discuss it."

"Later."

"Now," he insisted. "I will not have you angry at me without knowing the cause." His eyes had turned a steel gray instead of the soft shade to which she had grown accustomed.

"Let us go outside to the garden where we may be alone," she said stiffly. Gregor then followed Ingrid to the garden.

With her arms folded across her chest, Ingrid walked ahead of Gregor without looking back to see if he was following. Her anger was still high as she walked quickly outside to the crisp morning air. She stopped by a small pond and looked at him. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, but she did not wipe them.

"I saw you and Maria at the stable this morning," she said softly, but accusingly.

Now, he knew why she was angry and he could not blame her. He would probably be angry, too.

Gregor said nothing at first, but cleared his throat.

"Do you have something to say about this?" she asked sharply, mistaking his silence for guilt.

"I do," he said calmly, "but I doubt you would want to hear it."

"Why would I not want to hear it?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly from fear. Surely, he had fallen for her sister's beauty and their engagement was no more.

Gregor reached to touch her hand, but she moved back quickly to avoid him. This saddened him greatly, but he would forgive her. "I will tell you everything, but you must promise me something," he said.

"I can make no promises right now," she replied.

"Please," he said softly, "do not do anything drastic when you hear what I say. Think about the consequences before you act."

Ingrid blinked and was clearly confused. There was no malice in his voice and it was one of reason. He did not appear angry, but she denoted sadness emanating from his lips. He did not stammer and stutter as if he were guilty, nor did he look away from her eyes. Could he be innocent? Could it have been a misunderstanding on her part? Did she really want to know?

"Tell me what happened," she said finally.

Gregor took a deep breath before telling her everything. He left nothing out and spoke in a calm, steady voice throughout his explanation. Ingrid listened with fascination, at one point barely able to believe what Gregor was saying, yet believing him wholeheartedly. As angry as she was during his explanation, she was even more sad because of it. She was sad because of the thoughts which crossed her mind over the past hour, sad for doubting Gregor's love for her, and sad for thinking her sister was capable of such a thing. Large tears were now rolling down her face as Gregor concluded.

"So," he said, "I went to the garden to try to let my anger leave. I do not know where Maria went. I did not care at that point."

Ingrid was looking down at her hands by then and could not face him. Filled with remorse and guilt, she remained silent as she thought about how she had treated the only man who had ever loved her. How could she not have given him the benefit of the doubt? How could she think he could ever leave her for Maria? How could she be so stupid? He surely must not love her now because she was nothing more than an immature child who could not trust him.

Her shoulders heaved as the weight of her burden came down upon her. Holding her emotions inside no longer, Ingrid sank to the soft grass and began to cry. Gregor was next to her in an instant and took her hand.

"You must think of me as a horrible person," she said haltingly between tears. "I jumped to conclusions and treated you terribly."

Gregor knelt beside her and hugged her. "I think nothing of the sort."

"I am so sorry, Gregor. I am so sorry," she cried as she clutched his arm, her face wet with tears.

"You are forgiven, Ingrid. I am not angry with you." He kissed her forehead.

"How can you forgive me?" she demanded. "I do not deserve your forgiveness. I cannot forgive myself!"

He hugged her even closer. "Because I love you," he answered tenderly.

"How can you love me after the way I treated you?" she cried.

"My darling," he answered, "you are very easy to love. You are everything to me."

Gregor brushed her tears aside with his thumbs and smiled at her. Looking to the sky, he said, "There has been a lot of foolishness this morning. I do not want to waste another second of this beautiful day."

He stood up and extended his hand to her. She took it and he helped her to her feet. Her crying subsided slowly as arm in arm, they began to stroll the garden.

Ingrid looked at him from time to time, realizing how lucky she was to have him in her life and silently vowed never to doubt his love for her ever again. They stopped at a small pond and watched as ducks and geese swam and fed.

"This is so idyll," Gregor remarked. "Perhaps I can persuade father to have a pond built in our garden as well. It would be a wonderful spot to relax and contemplate."

"I come here to do that exact thing," Ingrid said. "Whenever I need to be by myself and just think, I come here and I always feel so much better afterward."

They sat on a bench near the edge and watched the birds play in the crystal blue water. Every so often one would dive under and pull up a fish for its breakfast, much to the delight of Gregor.

"We will have to stock our pond with fish as well," he said.

They were still holding hands when Ingrid leaned to the side and rested her head against his shoulder. Gregor put his arm around her shoulder and held her close to him. Because he loved her so and she knew that in her heart, she began to forgive herself. In three short months, they would be husband and wife, but those three months would seem like three years and patience would not be kind to her. It would be a very difficult time being apart from him, although an engagement ball would be held in her honour the following month. Another two months would separate them until the wedding and that would try her patience. She smiled to herself. At least she would not have to worry about being around her sister for that time. For that, she was quite thankful.

Maria. What would she say to her about the morning and her contact with Gregor? Should she tear her head off two days before her wedding? No, that would not suffice. She could not hide the body quick enough. It was then she decided not to say anything about it to her, but she also decided she would limit her contact and conversation with her to a minimum. She knew she could not trust herself to say anything civil to her and did not want to stoop to her level and act like the spoiled child she was.

That was probably what infuriated Ingrid the most about the incident. She acted exactly like her sister and she thought that could never happen to her. She loathed that characteristic of Maria and tried to be the opposite to the best of her ability, but Ingrid failed miserably when it might have mattered the most. And for that, at least in her mind, it almost cost her the love of her life.

She reached up and kissed his cheek and felt those strange little stirs in her stomach again. They no longer startled her and she looked forward to their arrival. In fact, she was beginning to expect them whenever she and Gregor kissed. She still wished to know their origin, but maybe she would learn that as well if she talked to her mother.

"You are my life," she whispered as her mouth neared his ear. She kissed his jaw line and downward until their lips met. His hand touched her face lightly as they kissed for several seconds.

"Your lips are so soft," he said. "I think I could kiss you forever and not tire of it."

"I should hope so," Ingrid giggled.

She had to stifle a groan as they kissed. Although it was most improper to let something like that escape, somehow she truly wanted to let Gregor know how much his kissing pleased her. It felt so good that she once again felt little stirs between her legs. For a moment, she wondered how much more she would feel should their kissing become more intense. She wondered.

The morning of the wedding arrived and both Ingrid and Gregor woke early. The wedding was to begin at ten o'clock in the morning at the cathedral and the festivities would last throughout the day and into the evening. King Wilhelm had spared no expense for his daughter's nuptials and it was certain to be a grand time.

Gregor met Phillippe and his family the evening before and he liked him immediately. He, as had Ingrid noted before, felt sorry for Phillippe and could only wish him the best in his marriage to Maria. For her part, Ingrid steered clear of Maria for as much as she possibly could for fear of not being able to control herself. She detested the sight of her and could barely speak a word to her when prompted. Maria sensed the change in Ingrid's attitude, but to her credit said nothing for she knew Gregor had told her.

The wedding was beautiful and Maria looked radiant throughout the day as everyone marveled at her. Ingrid could not help but feel a bit jealous of her because she knew she would not be as pretty on her own wedding day. She stayed by Gregor as much as possible and at times could sense they were being watched by those invited. It was not yet public knowledge that she was engaged for it was not wanted to overshadow her sister's wedding. Anyway, tongues wagged as her ring was noticed, as was the obvious affection they shared for each other.

Wilhelm and Helga confided reluctantly with a few close friends who asked the details of Gregor and their engagement. Even though they were asked to remain silent about the news, soon, it was spread and nary a person invited did not know of it. If Maria knew of the news spreading, she did not show it as she was still the obvious center of attention and she reveled in it. It was her day and nothing, even Ingrid, could take that away from her.

It was towards the late afternoon or early evening when a stranger arrived at the castle where he was met at the gates by Wilhelm's guards. He was let in immediately and led to the ballroom where he and the guard sought Gregor.

Gregor recognized Minister Tschaikov from across the expansive room and a wave of dread swept over him.

"What is it?" Ingrid asked as she saw the look of sadness upon Gregor's face. She looked in the direction where Gregor's eyes were riveted.

"It is Tschaikov," he answered grimly. "Something is wrong with father."

He waited for the minister to come to him as the guests looked on in curiosity. Tschaikov bowed deep and low before speaking.

"Your Highness," he said in a low voice so that only Gregor and Ingrid could hear, "you must come back to Ruudania at once. Your father is gravely ill."

"How bad is he?" Gregor asked in a calm voice that belied his true feelings.

"I am no physician, but I feel you must leave immediately or you may not see your father alive again." Tschaikov looked to the floor and waited for Gregor's response. Ingrid's right hand was covering her mouth in horror while she held Gregor's hand with the other.

"Father will not die before he sees me," he replied quietly, remembering their last conversation before he departed. He turned to Ingrid. "Could you have someone make my trunks ready? I should go and see him one more time."

"Oh Gregor," she cried, "I am so sorry." She hugged him quickly. "I will have it done for you." She hurried off in the direction of her mother.

Gregor guided Tschaikov across the ballroom and could not help but notice the two hundred pairs of eyes watching them. "Wait outside and I will meet you. We shall leave soonest."

"Yes, Your Highness." He bowed once more before departing.

Sighing heavily, Gregor made his way back to Ingrid and her family. Ingrid met him first. "Everything is being taken care of. It should be ready within ten or fifteen minutes."

Gregor nodded solemnly as Ingrid fought to maintain her composure. "I wished to have spent more time with you," he said sadly.

"We will have time together," Ingrid replied. "We have the rest of our lives."

"I will send for you for the funeral," he said as tears formed in his eyes.

"Please do not talk like that, Gregor! Your father will recover. I know he will."

"My dear Ingrid," Gregor said patiently while touching her face, "I will be King Gregor II before the week is done. Father would not have sent Tschaikov if it were not true." He looked into her blue eyes and tried to smile.

"Pack for a couple of weeks," he continued. "Per Ruudanian tradition, my coronation will follow one week after the funeral. I will need you there with me, my love." A lone tear escaped his eye and rolled unmolested down his cheek.

"I will be there, Gregor. You know I will."

Gregor nodded. "Your mother may come, too, if you wish for her to accompany you."

Without replying, Ingrid simply leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She could feel the sadness coming off of him like a great wave beginning to crash against a shore and it broke her heart. Gregor accepted her kiss before looking to the domed ceiling.

"I wish I could come with you now," Ingrid said.

"No," Gregor said firmly. "This day should not be ruined for your family. Stay here and I will send for you." Ingrid accepted this in silence.

"May I walk with you outside until you leave?" she asked.

"I would like that."

Gregor said good-bye to Wilhelm and Helga before seeking out Phillippe and Maria. Maria was curious as for the reason for his sudden departure, mistakenly thinking it was because of her, but she accepted his well wishes with grace, something that caught Ingrid by surprise.

They walked in the courtyard without speaking. All had been said that needed to be said at that time. For the first time, Ingrid now realized she would be a queen after their marriage, yet it did not scare her or intimidate her. There would be a time and a place to think about that. They held hands throughout their stroll with Ingrid glancing at the main door periodically for Gregor's luggage to be brought there. For once, their time together seemed longer than normal instead of it flying by. Within a quarter hour, however, the trunks were brought down and Tschaikov was walking towards them.

Gregor looked at the Minister and held his hand up, indicating he knew it was time to leave. Tschaikov stopped and retreated to the carriage. Now looking at Ingrid, Gregor shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "I must go," he said softly.

"I know. I still wish for the best and hope your dear father recovers," Ingrid replied.

"I hope so, too, but I am being realistic. I know what is to come." He looked to Tschaikov who had an anxious look on his face. "Walk with me."

Arm in arm, they slowly made their way back to the carriage Tschaikov and his party patiently waited. "I will send someone for you within a week. Please be ready for them."

"I will."

Gregor looked at the carriage, then back to her. "I have so much to say, but no time to say it."

"I understand. You must go, Gregor. Please go to your father."

Gregor took both her hands in his. "I need you now more than ever, my dear Ingrid." He drew her close and kissed her one last time. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too, my dearest. I will be ready whenever you call for me."

Gregor nodded before climbing into the carriage. As the Kessian castle disappeared from view, Gregor wept silently as he pondered his new journey.

VI.

Gregor did not know what to expect once he arrived in Ruudania. As he rode through the streets, rich and poor, young and old bowed and curtsied in his direction as if preparing to honour their new king. He waved to them politely and wished it was not this way. He could tell by the look on their faces that they knew the time was near. It did not matter how, but it had been leaked to the people of his father's imminent passing. Gregor did not know if it was right or wrong that they knew, but he did not know much about anything at this point. He only knew he had to be with his father in his last hours.