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the guy.”
    The obsolete girl giggled and replied, “No silly.  You are the queen.  You have to marry him.”
    “ Um...no, I don’t.”  Emma was getting annoyed and handing out directives just like she does.
    The girl giggled yet again.  “Of course you do.  Your father said you have to.”
    And there it was. 
    Emma was searching for answers in my face.  I wanted to lie and tell her it was all long, long ago and just a minor detail, but lies have a way of making enemies of friends.  And loved ones.
    “When you father signed the treaty—
    “The same one you talked about?” she said slyly.  She was scared though.  I could feel it.
    “The same.  When King Warren signed it, he foreclosed any rights to his children marrying out of the realm.”
    Emma speculated the idea, even brought her finger to her lip.  I glanced behind me to see if loserville had resurfaced.
    “I don’t see how a treaty about peace could involve the children of the king or who they marry.”
    Very good Watson.  “It doesn ’t...completely.  But my father didn’t have any daughters and decidedly expected your father to provide him with a bride if he asked.  Your father refused saying his daughter would never marry a Cahn.  He was only looking out for you.”
    Of course, my father wasn ’t aware of what he was asking at the time, but I didn’t want to think about that, the curse that I couldn't prove, or arranged marriages in the first place.
    “How kind of him.  Guess he didn ’t have the fortune teller gift.  If he’d known that his plan would backfire—
    I broke the boundaries and grab both her shoulders.  “Emma, he was just looking out for you.  His little girl.”
    Her disposition changed.  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
    I couldn ’t force her to stay with me if she hated me for not telling her.  I lost all ability to look her in the face, “Because your realm deserves you too.  Caydon deserves a chance to prove me wrong.”

EMMA
     
    I can’t believe Ames just said what he did.  He actually just said he’d leave me.
    “You ’d give me up so easily?” My words stumbled all over the place making different pitches with each syllable.  He didn’t get a chance to answer me, the man with the chance had returned.
    “What ’d I miss?”
    Wiping the tear from my eye away from Ames or Caydon ’s view, I realized the young servant girl who’d been so giddy was staring me blank in the face.  She’d heard it all. 
    Putting on my game face, I stood tall and told Caydon, “What about my parents ’ room?  You said I could see it.”
    “Sure thing.  I just returned from preparing it.  If I ’d known you were coming," his eyes shifted to Ames for a brief second, “I’d have livened it beforehand.  No bother.  It’s all done now.”  Caydon twirled around once and back to me.  “I see they have placed out our refreshments.  Care to take a snack with you.”
    I bounced in my step anxious to get to my only physical memory left of my parents that I can be sure they touched at one time.  Except the orchard. 
    “No, thank you. Let’s just get going.”  I was still hurt from Ames’ comment and needed an escape before I said something stupid which meant the balance between excitement and anxiety was sketchy.
    I took two steps up to where Caydon stood and waited still bouncing on my feet with the fake excitement I wanted them to observe.  Ames could read one hundred percent the opposite, but I was ignoring that.  When we weren ’t moving I tilted my head back to see the hold up.  Caydon and Ames had some kind of male telepathy going on that told me they definitely knew each other more than just strong acquaintances.
    “Very well. I will bring her back to you in fifteen minutes.”
    “You’re not going with me?”  My heart fell.
    Ames nodded fisting his hair into a mess.  “This is your realm.  His realm.  I will let you have it to yourselves.”
    I stuffed the huff back