"We're going to be in trouble if we're caught." Tess sounded scared. Of the four of them she had always been the one who least liked to defy Lord Edmund. "He is more powerful than he lets on Max."

"So are we Tess. And let's not forget that Maxwell IS our leader." Isabel was dancing around the tower room, holding up a gold girdle studded with rubies. It matched her red gown perfectly. She pouted her lips in approval and quickly attached it around her hips. She sat on her stool in front of the glass. "Besides, I promised Sir Kyle we would come and watch him win in the archery tournament." Tess quickly came to stand behind her, helping Isabel plait her long blonde hair in two perfect braids. Tess was so short she was only a few inches taller than the seated Isabel. Max watched both of them, an affectionate smile on his lips.

"You really should not be encouraging Sir Kyle," Tess lectured her sister. "I understand from the servants that the announcement of his betrothal to a wealthy heiress is imminent. Not to mention your betrothal to Michael. And what if we're caught by Sir Edmund? He was angry enough when you invited Sir Kyle to feast with us when we met him in the forest." Tess placed a slip of transparent silk on Isabel's hair after having bound her plaits around her head. She added a gold circlet with a ruby winking in the centre to hold the fabric to her sister's head. "Oh Bella! You are exquisite!"

Isabel turned on her seat and regarded Max, who was seated in an alcove in the wall. Behind him the sun filtered through an arrow-slit, lighting up his dark head. His eyes were in shadow. "Max? Will you please tell your betrothed that it will be all right?" She pleaded.

"I promised Bella, Tess. We'll be lost in the crowds in Nottingham today anyway and Sir Kyle will be suspicious if we do not arrive. He was suspicious enough when he stumbled across two unknown ladies in the forest. The Sheriff now knows we are here. We must keep up the pretense that we have only recently arrived in the shire. People are coming from all the neighboring shires for the Fair. I hear that Queen Eleanor herself will be in attendance. It will be strange if we are not in attendance."

Tess did not look convinced.

"But can we trust Michael not to enter the archery competition?" At the sound of his name Michael looked up from where he was sprawled on Isabel's bed, a scowl on his chiseled face. He had been turning an arrow between his fingers pensively, ignoring Tess' concerns as was his usual habit. He now looked offended.

"I know that I can't Tess...I'm not a complete imbecile you know. Even though I could beat any of those upstart lordlings sure to enter with one hand tied behind my back."

"Anyway Tess," Isabel interjected before her sister and her betrothed ended up in one of their usual arguments, "You've wanted to leave the castle as much as the rest of us."

"I meant that I wanted to be able to leave the walls. I didn't mean that I wanted to visit the busiest town in the shire." Isabel smiled at her sister, using the charm that always worked on her...

"But Tessie...imagine what the Queen will be wearing..." Tess smiled despite herself. Isabel always knew what to say to convince Tess to go along with one of her schemes. She sighed, knowing that as usual she would give in....

"Very well. I want to see the Fair as much as the rest of you. But I insist that we bring a guard with us."

Max jumped up from his alcove, light on his feet as always. "No guards. Today we are going to pretend that we are normal people instead of refugees from a planet none of us can even remember." Tess frowned slightly but finally nodded.

"Alright." She pointed a small finger at Michael, who had also climbed to his feet, replacing his arrow in the quiver at his waist. "But I mean it Michael...one word out of you about entering that contest and I'll tell Lord Edmund..." Michael rolled his eyes but nodded.

"What can possibly happen Tess?" Isabel continued to reassure the smaller girl as they left the room, trailing behind the boys. "No one even knows we exist...We'll be perfectly safe."

Nottingham Castle, Nottingham Town - That same day

Lady Elizabeth de Parkville sighed as she descended the stone staircase leading into the great hall of Nottingham Castle. Today was the day that the Sheriff planned to announce her betrothal to his handsome but boring son, Sir Kyle. Elizabeth had been thrilled when Queen Eleanor had decided to include her in her voyage to Nottingham. She had been shocked when her beloved Queen had then declared that her ward would not be returning to London with her. Elizabeth had never felt so betrayed. The Queen had engaged her to Sir Kyle de Valence without even consulting her.

"It's not that Kyle is that bad..."Elizabeth tried to convince herself, "He's steady and loyal and he appreciates me..." She sighed again. "It's just that he's not my ideal."

Elizabeth paused briefly on the staircase, closing her eyes, remembering the dream that had haunted her every night since she could remember...A tall, dark-haired man with dark, sun-burnished hair regarded her across a forest glade. He was dressed in the colors of the trees, all browns and greens and he had a bow slung over his shoulder. His dark hair curled across his forehead, just aching for Elizabeth to brush it back. But it was his dark eyes that claimed her. They seemed to penetrate her soul...He began walking towards her, reaching out his hands..."Come to me my Liz...I will never forsake you..."

Elizabeth knew that the man was only a fantasy. She had never seen him in reality and no one had ever addressed her as anything other than Lady Elizabeth since the day she was born. But she had liked it when the man had spoken that diminutive to her so seductively...it felt like she had heard it many times before...spoken from those same beloved lips.

She shook her head forcefully. Focus Elizabeth! She ordered herself sternly. You are cool, practical, logical. You do not believe in dream men... you understand that you are a wealthy heiress and that as the Queen's ward you are to marry where she chooses. Sir Kyle likes you and will treat you well. His father is the powerful Sheriff of Nottingham...Few girls could ask for better in a marriage...No one marries for love...

Elizabeth patted the veil on her head to assure that it still covered her long, dark hair. She entered the great hall and approached Queen Eleanor, who was seated with the Sheriff, James de Valence, on the dais at the far end of the room. They were watching Sir Kyle practice his swordplay with one of the Queen's men-at-arms. Elizabeth recognized him immediately as her childhood playmate Alexander Delucie of Whitfield.

When Elizabeth had been deposited in the Queen's household at the age of seven, she had been a scared orphan, afeared of her own shadow. It had been Alexander and his twin sister Mary who had pulled Elizabeth from her shell. The three had been inseparable friends from the beginning, constantly falling into one scrape after another...They had amused the elderly Queen with their follies and now the three sixteen year olds were her pride and joy.

Queen Eleanor was watching Alexander soundly whip Sir Kyle in the duel in which they were playfully engaged. The Sheriff was scowling slightly at his son's poor showing, but was trying to hide it. Elizabeth smiled to herself. The Sheriff was an ambitious man. He had arranged an advantageous marriage for his son, but there could be no doubt that Sir Kyle often disappointed him. Elizabeth pitied Kyle for it. She knew that no matter how hard Sir Kyle tried, he would never live up to what his father wanted him to be.

"Ah Lady Elizabeth!" Sir Kyle abruptly stopped parrying Alexander's blows, clearly eager to end the one-sided and humiliating battle in which he was engaged. Elizabeth winced as she saw Alexander barely manage to pull his last sword-swipe in time. Alexander looked horrified by the fact that he had nearly taken the Sheriff's son's head off...The Sheriff had jumped to his feet, terror written on his aging face. Elizabeth was relieved to see that at least the Sheriff loved his son enough to be concerned for his life.

"Kyle! You fool! Never turn your back on an armed man!" Elizabeth could tell that the Sheriff did not mean to be harsh with his son, but his concern rendered him unable to control his temper. Elizabeth saw Kyle tense up immediately. He did not understand this. All he heard was another lecture from his father.

The Queen was watching the exchange, amusement written on her still beautiful face. Eleanor of Aquitaine had once been the most famed beauty in the known world. She had also been the richest. She had divorced the King of France to marry the King of England and she was now the mother of the heroic warrior king, Richard the Lionheart, and his nefarious, scheming brother Prince John. She knew how to mediate with the best of them.

Eleanor smoothly ended the tension before it could take over. "Elizabeth! You have finally arrived! I have some pleasant news." She placed her wrinkled hand on the Sheriff's arm, urging him to retake his seat. James de Valence did so stiffly. "The Lord Sheriff tells me that there is to be a fair in Nottingham town this afternoon. We will all attend."

Alexander had come to stand next to Elizabeth, his dark hair wet from his exertion. He was still white from the tragedy that had nearly befallen them all moments before, but he played along with the Queen. "Imagine Milady! There is to be an archery competition!"

Elizabeth smiled at her friend. He only ever addressed her as "Milady" in front of the Sheriff and Sir Kyle. He was a stickler for the proprieties in public situations. Alexander often called her "Dizzy Lizzy" in private.

"We'll have to be sure that Mary does not bring her bow to the fair then." Elizabeth laughed. "She is sure to win!" Sir Kyle smirked.

"Oh surely you jest Milady! While there can be no doubt that Lady Mary could easily win a competition of beauty, archery is for men." Elizabeth exchanged an amused smile with Alexander.

"I'm sure you're right Sir Kyle." She murmured, her brown eyes twinkling. Kyle is not to blame for the fact that he does not know Mary. It is too bad that she cannot show him.

"Where is Mary, by the by?" The Queen demanded suddenly. "We will be leaving shortly and if she if left behind, she stays behind." Mary exasperated Queen Eleanor on a regular basis with her tardiness. But Mary was irrepressible. The Queen forgave her more often than she punished her.

"Oh, she is feeling unwell Your Grace." Alexander replied airily. "She has requested that she be allowed to stay behind." Elizabeth eyed Alexander suspiciously, but the Queen, the Sheriff and Sir Kyle seemed to accept the excuse readily enough. Elizabeth was unable to reflect on her suspicions however because Sir Kyle had changed the subject.

"I wondered my Lord," Kyle addressed the Sheriff nervously, "If we might announce my engagement to Lady Elizabeth at the conclusion of the tourney, after I've triumphed?"

"I think that is a marvelous idea," the Queen interjected. Alexander was eyeing Elizabeth, a mischievous expression on his face.

"I have an even better idea!" He announced. Elizabeth felt her stomach sink. She knew that she was not going to like whatever her friend suggested. He appeared to be in a teasing mood and she appeared to be his target. "I propose that you announce the betrothal at the beginning of the tourney and offer a kiss from the beauteous bride as the prize for the winner!" Alexander smirked at Kyle. "Then when you win Sir Kyle," Alex winked at Elizabeth, "Think how romantic it will be for you to claim your bride's kiss!"

Kyle looked pleased at the compliment to his athletic prowess. Alexander had played right to Sir Kyle's weakness, his vanity. Alexander knew that Kyle would never refuse the idea now. The Sheriff looked please at the idea as well. Eleanor smiled knowingly. She knew that Alexander was not pleased that Elizabeth was betrothed to Sir Kyle, that he was loathe for he and his playmate to grow-up. He would be most pleased to see Sir Kyle fail and have to relinquish his betrothed's kiss to another.

Elizabeth was simply annoyed.

"I think not!" She announced. "I am no man's prize!" But the warning look on the Queen's face told her that she would be giving in. The Queen appeared amused by the idea. Queen Eleanor wanted to see this little drama play out. Since very little truly interested the elderly Queen these days, Elizabeth knew that she would give in, if only to please her guardian.

Sir Kyle offered her his arm loftily. "Fear not milady. I will win your kiss. It will be a most pleasurable way to end the day."

With that, the Sheriff offered Queen Eleanor his arm and swept her out of the great hall. Sir Kyle and Elizabeth followed, Alexander on their heels, but not before Elizabeth muttered to her friend, "I'll get you for this Alexander of Whitfield. When you least expect it. Revenge is a dish best served cold."