I couldn't believe my eyes. He kneeled and looked up at me. He started crying. "Loretta…"

I stretched my hands out to touch him and held his face. I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was real. I started to cry too. "Joel! Is it really you?"

He stood up and hugged me close. It was the first time in my whole life that he had hugged me. Before he rarely even talked to me. He embraced me so tight. I just cried. After a while he let go of me and looked at me with curious eyes. He smiled very big. "You're not wearing your veil…" He pet my head while he stared into my eyes. His reminded me of my mother.

At that moment two people came out of the house. "Joel, are you alright?" said a woman who looked like she was in her middle years.

"What's happening? Who is that girl?" a man from behind the woman spoke. He was tall and strong looking. They both stared at me intently.

Joel smiled. "This is my sister, Loretta."

The woman walked slowly up to me with her hand outstretched, "Why, you are the most beautiful thing I have seen…"

I felt my face heat up. My hand reached to touch hers. It was so rare feeling people actually want to touch me… To know that they weren't afraid.

She smiled. "A sweet darling."

The woman grabbed me softly by the arm and lead me inside. "Come on in, you look like you've been through a lot."

"What are you doing here by yourself Loretta? You look horrible…" Joel observed me from top to bottom and the woman brought me a blanket.

I was sitting by a fire place now washed up.

"What… happened to you?" He looked at my face and the bruises. I was still in shock because of who I was talking to. I felt it was just one of my hallucinations of hunger or something.

"Loretta?" he asked once more.

I started to cry as I stared up at his eyes. "J-Joel?" I looked up at his face as I squeaked.

"What Loretta? What is it?"

I stood up abruptly dropping the blanket on the ground. The woman and the man both turned surprised at me.

"I thought you were dead! We all did!" I started to cry even harder. "I was locked up for almost a year! Where the hell were you?!" I sobbed very loudly. The man and woman looked at each other in confusion.

Joel stood up from his seat. "What?! Why?! How did you end up locked up?!" He grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me slowly down.

I could see the woman paying attention as she boiled water.

I told him the whole story. He looked shocked at a lot of things and interrupted with a curse or two. "Albert…that bastard." He put his hand to his chin. I saw his hair was shorter than normal. "So you are here with the servant and this…Hailie Macy?"

I looked at him shyly and spoke. "Well, I was."

"And the reason you ran way was…because you saw Hailie kiss the servant?" I saw a slight mocking smile come from the outer corner of his lips.

I felt the back of my neck sweat. The woman walked up to me and placed a hot cup of tea on the table in front of me, "Here you go dear." She whispered and walked back to the kitchen.

"Thank you." I smiled, she kindly smiled back. I wondered if this is what it felt like to have a mother.

"Well?" he motioned with his hand for me to go on.

I sighed. "Yes. That's the reason."

"You like the peasant, don't you?" he had a slight teasing look on his face but otherwise he didn't look to happy about it. "I mean why else would you react that way towards him and Hailie?" He put his face in his hands. His green eyes curious. This was the first time I got to talk to him this way. I felt happy. "Gosh Loretta, I can't believe this, you turn down every single suitor that comes to visit, but you fall for a servant?"

I felt myself blush. I wanted to deny it but I just couldn't. The veil had covered my emotions for me for so long, I didn't know how to hide them on my own. My thoughts were out in the open. I looked up at him. "You know what Joel? I do love him." I stated firmly. I started to smile when I noticed him begin to frown.

"But, he's a…" He frowned more.

I pushed him playfully on the arm. I was sad that we had to go through so much just to get to act like normal siblings. "I don't care if he's a peasant. Now you tell me how did you get here? Why didn't you come back?"

He smiled. "The day that happened, I swam to shore. I walked for a while until Ulric and Alys found me and helped me get better." He motioned quickly to the woman by the stove. "The wound wasn't very deep but I had lost a lot of blood so I was very weak for a while. But as I got better I thought maybe if I went back I would go back to that life I hated so much. But believe me, I had no idea any of this would happen, or else I would have gone back as soon as I could. I feel so horrible for not going back, I would have probably saved a lot of lives." He put his head in his hands again.

I took his hands and smiled softly. "It wasn't you fault, you had no idea."

He looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you, Loretta." He stood up. "Well you should get some sleep. You look like you need it."

Alys lead me to a small room.

"I had no idea I was harboring a prince." She chuckled and smiled at me. "Now darling, take a rest, you need to recover."

I felt grateful to them for taking care of Joel, I could finally lay down to sleep for the first time in peace. "Thank you so much, Alys." I whispered as I slowly closed my eyes.

My eyes fluttered open but I felt like I was still sleeping. My vision seemed blurred, but as it focused I made out brown hair and big brown eyes staring down at me. Those eyes I longed so much for, the strong jaw... This was not what I had expected to see. Then I saw brown hair and blue eyes, I suddenly sat up realizing that it was not a dream. She wouldn't be in it.

"Calm down, Your Highness." Zechariah motioned with his hands. Hailie just stood there next to him. I noticed a kind of sadness in her eyes.

Zechariah kneeled next to the small bed. "Hailie could you please give me a moment?" He asked over his shoulder.

She hesitated for a moment, but nodded and then stepped outside.

I looked up at Zechariah and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. I couldn't help but stare into his eyes. I had missed him. He took my hand slowly. The touch felt very soft despite their roughness.

His eyes wandered to my bruises and scratches. He shook his head. "Why the hell did you run away?"

I was silent.

"You know how important you are, do you know in how much danger the kingdom would have been if something had happened to you?" I looked towards the open door of the room, I saw Joel peek by the threshold looking serious. Hailie was standing in the hall with her back towards us.

"You don't know how worried I was." Zechariah's words brought me back to him.

I felt so mad that I wanted to scream. I yanked my hand away from his.

He looked startled and slightly confused.

"You know what, servant? I never thought you would be worried about me; I didn't even think you cared for me at all. You only care about getting me to marry Maximilian so you can be recognized by the scholars." My tone got to a slight whisper. "Why would anyone care?" I knew I wasn't the brightest person, I wasn't sweet or funny, most people described me as vain, selfish, boring. Even if I was as beautiful as Alys said, my looks were a waste with such personality.

I looked away so he wouldn't see me cry.

He chuckled. "If I didn't care would I have risked my life to save you?"

"You owed me for turning me in." I whispered as I turned to look out the window.

He pursed his lips. Then spoke. "I did owe you, but even so I wanted to keep you safe at all costs."

"You were kissing Hailie." I turned to look at him.

He made a confused face, "So?"

My expression most likely said it all.

He nodded like he understood. He took my hand again. Caressed it in a way that made the little hairs on my skin lift up. It was a strange sensation. "We'll I admit I was a bit cold, but I didn't intentionally kiss Hailie, and I guess I let her because I needed to get back to reality."

I stared in confusion at my hand in his.

"Your Highness, the truth is I fell in love with you since the first day I was sent to work in the Palace."

I looked at him intently. I suddenly seemed to remember him from somewhere. "How? You didn't know me or know what I looked like."

He lifted the corner of his mouth. "Your eyes." He looked up at them. "Yes, they are beautiful, but I could always see what you were feeling through them. I always longed to walk by you just to get a mall glimpse."

He half-smiled. "I let Hailie kiss me because I knew you and I could never be. I am your servant and you are a Princess of royal blood." His face looked very sad. "You have to marry a noble."

I suddenly reached out to hug him. It was almost involuntary. I felt him tense up a little as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Once he softened, I released him and looked at him for a while. Then I took his face in my hands. His eyes opened wide.

I got off the bed and he pulled me close. His lips brushed against my ear. "I love you, Your Highness."

My skin felt tingly all over. It was the first time in my life I had ever wanted someone. I felt myself turn different shades of red. I couldn't speak at all.

"I don't have to marry Maximillian."

Zechariah said nothing.

"We found Joel. He is of age."

I released him slowly.

He shook his head. "It's against the law."

I frowned. I stepped off the bed and walked out of the room with Zechariah following behind. "Your highness…"

"Stop calling me that." I said flatly as I reached Joel.

I noticed my whole body was sore.

I noticed Joel had a very angry look on his face. He motioned me over. I walked over to him pulling my skirts up.

"I know what you're thinking." He placed his hands on his hips. "It's unorthodox."

Zechariah was about to speak when I cut him off.

"Joel, you are the sole heir now. You can change the law." I spoke sternly. "I will not marry anyone else."

Joel sighed and held his forehead. "Right now, we need to restore Larelle, not dwell on ridiculous marriage nonsense." He looked at me in the eyes. "Besides, you know I can't change the law without discussing it with the Counsel."

He turned to Zechariah. "I'll let you know I don't approve of this."

Zechariah and I were about to object, but Joel kept talking. "But when we get back, you have time to convince me."

Zechariah sighed in relief.

I smiled and hugged Joel. His hands rubbed my back as he buried his face in my hair. "I hate that all this happened to you."

I pulled away slowly and smiled at him. I was glad I had a real brother now.

Hailie rode on a horse that Ulric had lent us with Zechariah while I rode with Joel when she suddenly told us to stop. She got off of the horse and walked forward then turned to us. "It's been a pleasure being with y'all but I think I'll be making my leave." She looked at me and Joel.

"Where will you go?" Joel asked curiously.

She smiled. "Belvia."

Joel nodded. "You may do as you wish."

Hailie smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness." And with a deep curtsy she walked away back towards the Belvian kingdom flashing one last sad glance at Zechariah.