"Lady Kuchen, how are you liking the Pink Palace?"

The Dowager Queen smiled happily at Chammielle's beauty marked half sister.

"It's positively a dream, your majesty."

"A good one, I hope?"

She laughed and it was so delicate it sounded as elegant as the atmosphere around them. Perhaps it was the glinting of the chandeliers, or the pink color of the wine selection, but the night seemed much brighter than the last dinner. Chammielle sipped her wine at her leisure, her wits still entirely about her but relaxed.

"Oh yes of course! I cannot say I have ever been to a place as magnificent as the Pink Palace. Nor will be. Not even if I should be brought before every royal court on the continent."

The queen seemed pleased and turned her attention from Aster to Lady Aconia.

"Would you agree? I hear your father's connections have brought you to some of the most beautiful places. The marble palaces of Versennia even."

Ammorettallia sighed and turned her gaze about the room. The light shimmering off the chandeliers glinting in her eyes.

"Have I? It's hard to imagine such places when surrounded by all this and your excellent company, your majesty."

She caught sight of Prince William and thought for a moment he was suppressing an eye roll. But that was impossible. Lady Aconia had made a very appropriate and flattering remark.

"Lady Kuchen, I hear you're quite accomplished at playing the piano."

Chammielle painted an easy smile upon her face.

"I thank you, your majesty. But who could have told you that I was quite accomplished?"

"Do you mean apart from your sisters? They spout such things off whenever they can it seems."

Her majesty seemed bemused at the three girls. She couldn't be embarrassed by them, however. Chammielle turned to the three in question and they giggled to each other. Perhaps due to the wine.

"I had no idea they had the Dowager Queen's ear."

The slightest twitch of amusement could be seen at the corner of her mouth.

"They can't seem to help themselves. I quite enjoy the piano. I so wished William had learned to play... But perhaps we can all enjoy a concert of the Ladies' talents."

Gladys was back to her cheery self and nodded, along with Lady Aconia and two of the Ladies Phlox.

"Then I do believe tomorrow is too soon for the Ladies to prepare... The day after, at tea. We shall hold it in the grand salon."

Everyone seemed excited and Chammielle kept the feeling of impending doom under wraps. She had nothing worthy of an audience with the Queen. Her pieces were trifling at best. Late afternoon dandies to make the girls dance and sing.

Prince William seemed to be looking at her and she knew he was the one who'd played the little birdy to the Queen's ear. He thought her birdsong piece was beautiful. But was it beautiful enough to be worth these royal halls?

She sipped the rosey pink wine and it came to her.

I am beautiful, I am intelligent, I am strong, I am worthy.

She smiled to herself. She could do this. Whether or not the Queen liked it, she liked her piece or else she would not have written it. It was for her to enjoy and she could share it.

She took another sip of the wine before setting it down once more. Little more than half the glass was left. It would remain that way. She couldn't let herself relax too much.

...

Dinner had been one magnanimous affair once more, and Chammielle had hoped upon hope not to spill a thing on that gown. She'd managed to avoid such a tragedy, and with great relief was back in her usual chemise and bodice and now in the kitchen. Only two had been inside to clean up for the evening, and they'd recognized her and given her free rein. It was a good thing the palace had an extensive supply of the rare cacao.

She was working on the filling. Whiskey in chocolate seemed like an interesting pairing. Her father enjoyed whiskey and said it burned pleasantly, but she'd never tried it. She'd also finished the batter for a bee sting cake, and had it in the oven now for Belladonna.

As she folded in the butter, sugar, and cream, she needed to taste it. It was all fine until she added the alcohol. The whole thing seemed too strong. What Lord Kuchen had so fondly enjoyed a glass of seemed very astringent to her, but also like burnt sugar compared to the wines she'd grown accustomed to.

She tried adding vanilla bean paste and it softened, but then all she could taste was vanilla and it weakened the chocolate. She took out the cake and came back to her work for a fresh start. Fortunately she was doing this in small batches for testing and was not being too wasteful. But the vanilla was very delicious and she couldn't help herself.

That pleasant singed flavor was warming her ears and her nose felt funny.

"My my, burning the midnight oil?"

She recognized the voice but had a slight delay in figuring out her answer. What was he doing here? Had one of the two kitchen hands told him? When did they leave?

She turned and found herself stumbling on the hem of her skirt.

"Steady there...are you alright?"

His arms were cradling her from behind, like they were two paper dolls folded one on top of the other. His hands rested at the ready behind her own, and she could feel his breath at her ear. She turned her head and could smell his breath on her face. It was like basil and rose water.

"Hi, Will."

His face was pristine. Somehow it looked even more handsome up close.

"Are you alright, Lady Kuchen?"

"That's not fair... If I can call you William you can call me Chammielle. It should go both ways."

He leaned in and she felt the heat in her face. His cheek seemed impossibly smoothe. Hadn't he shaved just this morning? Had he shaved twice? She tipped her chin and kissed it.

She found herself back on her feet before the chocolate and shook her head. The room seemed unsteady all of a sudden.

"Right, whiskey bon bons... I'm sure my palate has altered, will Will taste it for me? Ha, Will will."

"You've been having whiskey?"

She turned and felt steadier on her feet this time.

"They're for Lady Aconia, but don't tell her that. I can't seem to taste anything but the whiskey unless I add too much vanilla though. ...Now I can't really taste anything but sugar for some reason."

He stepped forward and took a dollop of the failed filling and took a taste.

"I believe you need to cook the whiskey a bit before adding it. That way it cannot get you drunk and make you kiss unsuspecting gentlemen."

Her eyebrows shot up at that and he had that adorable smirk on his face once more.

"Didn't you want me to kiss you?"

His lips parted and his voice sounded choked. She nodded and turned back to her task.

"That's what I thought. Honestly, Will, what do you expect when you get your perfect cheek so close to my face? If you don't want to be kissed then you ought not give mixed signals. It's your fault."

"You really are drunk. I've never been told off or flirted with so succinctly. I had no idea you had this side to you."

She measured out the cacao and was about to add it when she caught something he'd said.

"I'm...drunk? Oh that won't do. I have to keep my wits about me here."

His finger was in her face with a large dob of the vanilla whiskey filling on it. It looked so very tempting and she didn't even think about it. Her lips wrapped around his finger and she licked it clean.

"And why is that...Chammielle?"

She felt very warm in her nose and the tops of her cheeks as well as in her jaw. Her lips seemed far better at forming words for some reason. She didn't even have to think about it.

"Murder. I can't let anyone get the upper hand this week. You need to be able to marry who you want without Miss Petulia poisoning anyone or Ammorettallia kidnapping my sisters. Its all for you, you see? And my sisters. They're too innocent to such things and I must protect them. So I cannot be drunk."

She stared at the bowl she was mixing and began to have difficulty really seeing what she was doing. The lights in the kitchen seemed dimmer than they did before. Perhaps the oil lamps were running out.

"I think you should be free to do whatever you like right now. You're always the picture of refinement and grace. You have to be able to trust those around you to do their jobs when you need a reprieve."

"Alfrina does a lot. I can't picture her being drunk as a skunk ever. I should like to be like her...she thinks I'm pretty and I don't."

The counter was replaced by the prince's handsome face. She couldn't disagree with her current view.

"Why don't you think you're beautiful?"

She scrunched her face up a moment. There was a reason for it. What was it again...

"Oh, right. I am beautiful, I am strong and smart and something...worthy. I need to say that whenever I feel down. It is working though. I don't think of my freckles and hair as much. ...Oh, right. Those are not pretty."

His lips were on her shoulder close to her neck and she felt the air become still around her. Will was kissing her. But why? That spot had the most freckles. Why would he be kissing something so dirty?

His face was before her once more and she saw a serious look in his eyes. Whatever he was thinking he really believed it. That was the way of these things.

"If you don't want me to kiss those beautiful things, then you really ought to wear more when alone in a kitchen, Chammielle."

She blinked. He thought they were beautiful?

"I'm not opposed..."

There was a sound of a door and footsteps and Will took a step back from her. She pouted at that and was granted the lovely sight of his smug smile paired with his pink cheeks. Had he always been this lovely?

"Your highness, my lady."

Someone was there and she knew who but couldn't think. Just as she was about to greet her a large spoonful of the filling entered her mouth and she felt quiet and ate it happily. She felt like a child with the task of cleaning the batter from the spatula, and she giggled to herself. Will spoke instead.

"It seems Lady Kuchen is having difficulty preparing whiskey liqueur bon bons. I think she is quite tired. Would you escort her back to her room and ask our chocolatier to come make a large batch to be delivered to her room in the morning?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Oh! Bells, that cake is for you. Not sure I topped it off though..."

They kept talking and Chammielle continued to lick the spoon. It was very good stuff. She dipped it back in for an even larger taste of it and nibbled at it happily. Will thought her freckles were beautiful. He'd kissed them. Perhaps they were not dirty after all. Whiskey was wonderful.

"This way, my lady."

"Oh, Belladonna it is you! You know you are my favorite. You acted all cross and such before but I think it just endears you to me more. Have you tried whiskey chocolate? It just tastes like sugar. Or was it vanilla... I'd share some with you but I think it has disappeared. But it doesn't matter. I made you a cake. Oh...where has it gone?"

She chuckled and Chammielle thought it was a wonderful sound.

"You have a beautiful laugh. I wish I could hear it more. Are you not happy?"

"I'm very happy, my lady. I get to have this lovely stroll with you the long way through the castle so as not to wake everyone and let them know you're tossed."

She looked around and her surroundings had changed. She didn't recognize it. Some long hallway.

"Where did Will go? I want to kiss him again."

"Oh? You kissed him?"

"Yes. He put his beautiful cheek in my face and I kissed it. And then he kissed my shoulder and said something about me not wearing clothes...or something like that. He thinks I'm beautiful. Imagine that."

Her eyes darted around and saw they were in a small and stony corridor. Tapestries hung on the walls and she felt like she could hear her own thoughts. Perhaps there was an echo but she could not hear it.

"Donny, I think I like the Prince very much. But I like Will better. It's a good thing the Prince is marrying my sister. I'd be very happy having Will all to myself."

"Who said the Prince is marrying your sister?"

"Everyone knows...oh...nice bench."

She sat and the room seemed to spin less.

"Aster is the picture perfect queen so of course he'll choose her. Prince William will marry her and I shall come visit them often. I don't think Aster wants to be a royal though... But I'd help her. And besides, William is a very capable person. How can I not want both of their happiness?"

"Then why are you crying, my lady?"

Her fingers were wet and tasted salty. She really must be crying. She didn't know why, but suspected if she opened her mouth the reason would come out.

"Will..."

"I don't think you'll remember most of this in the morning, my lady. You've been tripping and dancing the whole way. I'll have to keep it in mind that the future Queen of Garten is a lightweight to hard liquors... But when you wake up in the morning, remember this: Will likes you. He's your Will. And for now, that's our little secret."

She nodded her head and then seemed to feel it falling. She jerked it up and found herself face down in a pillow. Her head ached and she rolled so that her face was at least in the air. There was no light, and her eyes closed once more.

"Here..."

A hand was at her head and a glass at her mouth. She drank the water gladly and realized she was very thirsty.

"There are some hours before you need to be up. Sleep well, my lady."

She nodded and felt herself relax once more.

Belladonna was there with her. Whatever happened, she was safe. Her soothing voice that often sounded so cranky hummed a lullaby and she slipped into the sound and dreamed of walking in the afternoon sun. There was laughter everywhere with birdsong. A boy held her hand and gave her a rose.

It smelled sweet, and a bit like basil.