Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the creative property of Emily Rodda.

1. The Witch & the Thief

※ ※

Marilen hated it here.

But she knew why it had to be this way.

A precautionary measure, the man introduced as Doom—what a name for such an intimidating figure!—had said, just in case something happened to the king, Adin forbid.

And the king! She recognized him—it was Lief! She would have never guessed in a thousand years that the same boy who had freed her people from their curse would end up being the heir to the throne as well.

No, that was not right. Lief—King Lief—was already on the throne. It was she who was now the heir presumptive. She would have laughed at such a prospect had the two travelers from Del not spoken so urgently. And what a sight that must have been, the king and his closest advisor being whisked away to Tora under a veil of secrecy—and to meet with her father, no less!

His cousin. She was His Majesty's cousin—distant cousin, she corrected—a fact that had taken her by surprise. So much surprise that she did not believe them at first. But of course, they had brought proof. It was dubious and far-stretched proof, but she supposed it was the best they could do.

He had asked if she was willing, in such a gentle tone that she could not have refused even if she wanted to. This new king was a curious thing, so young—her age, she imagined—but with the experience of a man far beyond his years. She only hoped that she would be able to get along with him back in his hometown—His Majesty seemed kind enough as it were, and had already more than proven himself in breaking the Torans' curse.

"Just call me Lief," he had said with a small smile. "There is no need for such formalities between us."

Maybe they would get along, after all.

The Torans were proud as they bid her farewell, that much she could tell. But that did not make leaving her birthplace any easier. Tora was where home was. Her family and friends were all here in this quaint, magical city. Tora was warm, comforting, familiar.

Del was not.

She would be a stranger in Del—a virtual prisoner, by all rights. They had insisted that her presence remain secret, known by only a select handful—a group, she suspected, that was infinitely small as even Barda the Bear and Jasmine the Brave were apparently unaware of their plans.

They explained that the Palace would be her new residence, but she would only be allowed to traverse the top floors and the library. She noticed that Lief seemed much more apologetic of this restriction than his imposing companion.

But she was willing. Adin knows that she was willing. There was no way she was going to condemn her people to another restless fate by refusing the Belt's wielder a second time.

Her conviction, however, could not lessen her discomfort in the City of Del.

She had suspected that it would be different from Tora. After all, the people of the Topaz did not possess any magical powers, only endless curiosity and determination—at least, that was what she had read about the Del tribe, anyway.

But these people were nothing like what she read about. The destitute denizens of Tora's sister city seemed to have lost their curious nature, with only a fog of dreary suffering settling over the territory.

Trapped. That was to be her new fate for the foreseeable future. Trapped in a depressing town with minimal human interaction and a heavy metal belt hanging on her waist day in and day out.

Yes, Marilen could confirm that she hated it here.

※ ※

Reading was her only solace.

Her only anchor from being driven mad by loneliness and boredom. No one spoke to her; no one was allowed to. Lief had already left the Palace—in search of the Lady Jasmine and some Jalis knight—and she had not seen Doom since the day they had arrived. Things were lonely in Del, too lonely.

She supposed that was what led her to the Palace Library—that, and because she had already reread every book in her room at least twice.

The first thing she noticed was its size. The library was grand, larger than any such that could be found back in Tora. Then came the splendor. Glimmering gold and polished marble were everywhere, accentuated by carefully painted ceilings and arches.

It was beautiful. It was awe-inspiring. It was—

"Can I help you?"

—not empty.

Her head snapped towards the voice, long straight black hair swishing from the motion. She inwardly panicked at the sight of the wrinkly old man in front of her. How could she have been so foolish? No one was supposed to know about her! She had let Lief down, she had let her country down!

She stayed silent, not trusting the words that would come out of her mouth. The man pursed his lips and rubbed at his chin, scrutinizing her intently with his aged eyes.

"Ah, yes," he said finally. "You must be Marilen."—she sucked in a gasp—"Do not fret. His Majesty had already informed me that you might be visiting us."

He extended a kind hand. "I am Josef."

"Marilen," she replied, taking his shake gingerly. "But I guess you already knew that. If you do not mind me asking, what are you doing here exactly?"

His eyes twinkled with delight at her question. "We have only recently arrived ourselves. The Queen Mother has asked us to care for the Annals as well as watch over the priceless artifacts here in this library."

"I am sorry, did you say 'we'?"

He furrowed his brows for a second, as though indicating he had forgotten something important. Suddenly, he perked up once more.

"Oh! How rude of me. Ranesh!"

It took a while for his call to be answered, but before long she heard another deep voice call back. "Yes?"

"Come meet our guest!"

Out from the shadows, holding a large dusty tome under his arm, came a dark-skinned man. He moved to stand beside Josef.

"This is Ranesh, my apprentice," the old librarian gestured to his companion. Josef then turned to him, "And this is Marilen, the one His Majesty spoke to us about."

Ranesh held a hand out as well, waiting expectantly. For a moment, Marilen was stunned by his appearance. He did not look like a Toran man. He was muscular, but also lean and tall, enough so that she had to look up at him—and she did not consider herself short by any means. His black hair had been pulled back into a band and stray curls framed his youthful face—or at least, it seemed youthful. It was difficult to tell.

He was handsome, she would admit. And he was also still waiting, she realized.

As coolly as she could manage, she slipped her own delicate hand into his. However, while she had expected him to simply shake it like his mentor, Ranesh instead gripped her hand more tightly and gave a deep bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, my lady," he smirked.

Maybe it was not so bad here, after all.

※ ※

She knew it was unwise to be out of her room so often, but it could barely be helped. It was too stuffy in there, not to mention quiet. She craved fresh air and conversation.

Sometime along her first few weeks in Del, the Palace Library had become her default destination of choice whenever she chose to escape her prison cell. It was for the multitude of books, she told herself. There was no other reason, though a small part in the back of her mind knew that was a lie.

"Back so soon, Princess?" a familiar, baritone voice sounded as she slowly pushed the gilded double doors open.

Also sometime along her first few weeks, Ranesh had taken it upon himself to christen her with a new nickname. He claimed that she reminded him of a princess trapped in a tower, a common lore in many of the romance novels he found.

He also claimed that he thought it funny to see her reaction each time.

Marilen had quickly learned many things about Ranesh in the short time they had known one another. One was that he was a former thief—a 'wealth re-distributor' he had insisted, but she knew what he meant. Another was that he was an orphan, the lone survivor from the Shadow Lord's raid on his village of Where Waters Meet.

The most exasperating of all, though, was that he loved humor—even so, whether or not his jokes were actually funny was a different story altogether. Humor helped him to cope with everything that had happened to him, he said. And she had to admit that the quirk was growing on her, even if it did make her roll her eyes more often than not.

"It was getting too hot in my room," she replied flippantly. "Sweltering even!"

"Thinking of me, were you?"

Oh, right. Another thing she had learned—he was a flirt.

He waggled his eyebrows at her and smirked, a ridiculous look given how awkwardly he was carrying the large stack of books in his arms.

"Hardly," she scoffed. "I was also eating luncheon, and had no desire to retch all over the floor."

He feigned hurt. "Such a mortal wound to my pride inflicted by the lady!"

"Poor babe." She moved to help ease the load of old books from his hands and patted his cheek daintily. "You will recover."

"Perhaps a kiss from the princess will speed things along?"

Marilen threw her eyes to the heavens, choosing to ignore both him and the strange butterflies that fluttered in the pit of her stomach from his comment. Making quick distance to the nearest table, she carefully put down her haul and sat with a huff. Not long after, Ranesh's own stack joined hers. He picked up a book from the pile and handed it to her.

"You might enjoy this one," he said simply.

It was a cover she recognized almost immediately. An account on the history of Tora. She raised an eyebrow up at him. He rubbed at his neck sheepishly.

"I, uh, thought it would interest you. You know, with you being a Toran and all."

Her heart warmed at his uncharacteristic shyness, a stark contrast to the borderline cocky personality she had come to expect.

"Thank you, Ranesh. That was very thoughtful of you,"—he beamed at her—"but I have already read this book many years ago. Every Toran child has."

He visibly deflated at her words, and she scrambled to adjust.

"But that is not to say I would not read it again! I have not done so since before the invasion, after all; there might be some things I have forgotten."

"'Since before the invasion,'" he echoed, scrunching his brows together. "How old are you exactly?"

Marilen smiled. "Seventeen," she answered, "but we Torans did not experience time while we were trapped in the Valley, so I suppose I am actually at the ripe old age of three and thirty."

His jaw dropped. Eyes wide, he spluttered comically and flinched backwards, flailing his arms around all the while. A giggle left her lips at the sight.

"R-really?" he stuttered out after finally regaining his composure.

She nodded. A mischievous grin stretched across his face and he leaned forward again, a twinkle evident in his dark eyes.

"Well, that is fine. I always did like older women."

※ ※

The library was quickly becoming her favorite place in the entire palace. It was much preferred over her cold, empty room and it allowed her to not feel so alone anymore; Ranesh was there. He brought color and life to what would otherwise be a cripplingly boring stay in Del.

Granted, she also had an abundance of books to keep her occupied. But it was not like she ever actually got much reading done in the library anyhow—not with Ranesh always around to distract her.

Stupid questions. He always asked stupid, irrelevant questions. One of his favorites was to inquire whether she had finished reading whatever it was she was currently holding yet. She would always reply 'no' and it would seem as though he accepted the answer, nodding once and leaving her alone.

Only to show up again and ask the exact same question a few minutes later. It would have been annoying were it not so charming to begin with.

※ ※

"So, apparently Torans are magic-users. Or at least, that is what Queen Sharn tells me."

She glanced up from her book to where Ranesh sat across from her, maintaining a studious expression.

"What of it?"

"Are you one of them?"

She gave him a quizzical look. "I am Toran, yes. I thought we had already established that."

He shook his head. "That is not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

Boyish excitement suddenly flickered across his handsome face. "Can you show me a magic trick?"

Marilen blinked at him, unsure as to whether he was being serious or not. When she decided that, yes, he was being serious, she was aghast and offended. The nerve of this man!

"A t-trick!?" she gasped in outrage. "We are not cheap illusionists, Ranesh! Torans wield real magic!"

"Really?" He tilted his head, giving an attractive, but skeptical expression.

"Yes, really! Must you question everything?"

"Prove it."

She was stunned speechless again. "What?"

"Prove it," he repeated, poking her cheek with his index finger. "The queen said the same things you just did, but she could not show me when I asked for proof."

She should just ignore him at this point, truly. A part of her was mildly impressed that he was brave enough to be so demanding to the queen of all people, but there was nothing she needed to 'prove'. Torans were magical beings—a fact everyone knew, and if this fool did not want to believe it, then that was his own loss.

Still, there was a stubbornly subtle itch in her subconsciousness that would not go away. One that wanted to give him proof, not because of some insurmountable pride that she held, but because she did not want to see the disappointed look that was sure to show on his face if she refused to.

Marilen glared at her friend. "That was unfair of you," she accused lightly. "Her Majesty is only half Toran, and you should know that our powers weaken the further we are from the Stone."

"Sooo?" he sang liltingly, seemingly unfazed. "That just means you have twice as much magic as the queen does since you are a full-blooded Toran!"

"I do not believe that is how things work."

"Please?"

Marilen saw him purse his lips pleadingly and sighed in exasperation. She supposed it would be alright if she did something simple for him—surely it could not hurt to give him the proof he so desperately desired.

She was wrong. It hurt. Heavens above, it hurt so much. Channeling the power countless miles from Tora to Del took more of her strength than she had anticipated, and it almost sent her reeling from the pain. Closing her eyes and extending out a hand, she summoned the will of her people, though it felt more like those same people were suddenly revolting and stabbing her with tiny pitchforks.

Then, she sensed it. The slowly building current of energy flowing through her veins.

There was a gasp, and a whispered "Wow...!"

Her eyelids fluttered open hesitantly. Sure enough, hovering in the center of her palm was a small, flickering purple flame.

There was only silence as they both watched, mesmerized by its dancing tails which licked at the air with a soft crackle. The heat was noticeable, but did not burn—it was only a comforting glow in her hand, radiating warmth throughout the room like her own personal colored candle.

The pain in her body was still there, but now relatively faint. It was worth it, she decided, to see the look of childlike wonder that Ranesh was currently wearing.

She released her hold on the borrowed energy and, just like that, the violet flame was gone. A wisp in the wind as if it had never existed.

"Wow!" Ranesh exclaimed again, clapping his hands with a laugh. "You are amazing, Princess!"

She flushed at his praise, bowing her head and muttering an indiscernible thanks.

Looking back, though, she should have known that giving him proof would only make him insatiable for more.

"That was truly awesome, Marilen!" he gushed, arms gesturing wildly as he spoke at a million miles per minute. "What else can you do? Can you throw the fire or does it just stay there? Can you fly? Or maybe levitate? What about teleporting? Can you conjure up other things? Like water or gold or maybe even the living dead? Do you—"

She burst out laughing, holding up a hand to stop his inspired rant. 'Adorable' was the only thing that came to her mind.

"Ranesh, please!" she said, still giggling lightly. "I do not think I can do any of those things—I am not a witch. You might have read one too many of your fiction volumes."

He grinned. "Can you blame me for being curious? And you would be the prettiest witch I have ever laid eyes on."

She felt her blush return. "You are impossible."

"At least tell me this," he continued with a teasing smile, "do you make any potions?"—she raised her eyebrow—"Love potions, perhaps? Because I have always wondered how the sweet princess could have captivated me so easily. Could it be that she has drugged me?"

"No, it could not be. But I know of a recipe for poison, if you are so inclined."

※ ※

The Apprentice's Apprentice.

That was his new nickname for her. And it was fitting, really, considering how much time she spent in the library nowadays. Sharn had even graciously offered her the choice of moving into the little cottage space in the library's corner that Josef and Ranesh resided in.

A tempting offer that she politely declined. Doom would certainly have a fit, and even the queen seemed a bit relieved that she had refused.

"That is the last of them. Thank Adin."

Marilen plopped down on the chair next to her with a heavy sigh, arms falling limp at her sides. Make no mistake, she loved helping out at the library, but there were only so many hundred-pound, dusty tomes one could haul around before becoming short of breath.

In that moment, a familiar dark-haired figure stepped out from behind the wooden shelf in front of her. He took one glance at her exhausted form and then at the wall where she had previously been organizing.

"I suppose now would be a bad time to point out that you placed them on the wrong shelf?"

Immediately, Marilen paled and jumped to her feet. "What!?" she screeched, hands flying up to cover her mouth in undisguised horror. Ranesh clicked his tongue and shook his head. He walked over to where she stood, bopping her on the nose with an amused smile.

"Were you not listening, Apprentice's Apprentice? I said the third shelf from the left."

She groaned, running one of her hands down her face. How embarrassing! And if the smug look on his face was anything to go by, he was far from done teasing her. She groaned again.

"What happened, Princess? Was I too distracting"—he flexed an arm and posed for emphasis—"for you to focus clearly?"

She huffed and strode over to the offending shelf, pulling out the heavy slabs of literature she had been filing away just moments earlier. She heard him chuckle behind her and felt a faint blush creep up her cheeks—that flex had not been all for naught.

Before she could finish fixing her folly, however, Josef suddenly hobbled over in a flurried panic from Adin knows where.

"Ranesh!" he admonished in his gravelly voice when he noticed the volume she was currently holding. "I asked you to put those books away, not have the Lady Marilen do it!"

The old man's tone was unexpected, and judging by Ranesh's widened eyes she could see that he was equally as surprised. Josef never yelled at them.

"Please do not blame him, Josef," she placated. "I offered to help."

He frowned and narrowed his eyes at his charge, as though he did not believe her words. Eventually, though, he seemed satisfied and, nodding curtly, he spun around to waddle away without another word.

Left alone again, neither were quite sure what had just happened nor what to do about it. Marilen stole a glance over at Ranesh who simply shrugged in reply. She turned back to her work, replacing the books on their proper shelves.

A heavy silence filled the room for the rest of that day. To Marilen, it had never sounded so deafening.

※ ※

She stared thoughtfully at him as he worked. Ranesh was right, he really was physically distracting—though she would sooner die than admit this to him out loud.

A sharply defined jaw and high cheekbones were paired with dark, playful eyes and equally dark hair. Broad shoulders and a lean waist gave the illusion of strength, despite how quick and cunning she knew he had to be. Her eyes roamed his arms appreciatively as the muscles strained with each large novel he lifted.

"What was it like being a criminal?"

He almost dropped the book. Craning his neck towards her, he looked surprised, as though he had forgotten she was there. "Pardon?"

"What was it like?" she repeated. "You know, being a robber and all?"

"Vigilante," he corrected.

She waved a dismissively dainty hand. "I thought it was 'wealth re-distributor?'"

He frowned. Carefully setting down the book in his hands, he stood next to where she sat.

"I was not a bad person, Marilen," he said in a low voice, crossing his arms. "I only took enough to keep myself alive."

She gave him a soft smile, and it seemed to disarm his defensiveness—but only just a tad.

"You still have not answered my question."

Ranesh sighed. "It was not all fun and games, Princess," his frown deepened. "I was fighting for my life."

He paused and she nodded, urging him to continue.

"It was terrifying sometimes," he admitted with a shrug. "Never knowing when your next meal will be, always hiding to avoid capture, having to take from people who could barely afford to keep themselves fed...it is a life I would not wish on anyone else."

He paused again, eyes downcast, as he recollected himself.

"It was only by pure luck that I met Josef. He was going to be my next victim, but he offered to take me as his apprentice, instead."—he laughed lightly—"And after I had already stolen from him! Can you imagine?"

Tentatively, she placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"Josef has a kind heart," she said softly, before adding, "as do you."

"I am not that person anymore," he whispered in return, as though he were trying to convince himself just as much as she.

"I know."

"Although, I would not mind stealing the heart of the beautiful princess."

She smacked him.

※ ※

Jinks.

He was—had been—a short and stout man, judging from his silent corpse. It did not seem like he had suffered too much, but the sight still made Marilen sick to her stomach. Not because she was saddened by his untimely death.

But because it was supposed to be her untimely death.

And by all rights it should have been, but Jinks had inadvertently taken the fall for her. That, in and of itself, was not a terrible loss by any means—he had been a despicable character, spreading unfounded rumors that had no place in a city that was already wracked with despair.

She did not regret that her last words to this slimy man had been ones of confrontation. A liar, she had accused him—and indeed he was. How dare he claim that Lief was dead! Doom and the Broome woman, Lindal, had already set out for the Os-Mine Hills to investigate the trickster's account, but she knew there was no need.

His words were anything but the truth—the fact that the Belt she wore under her robes had not yet shone for her proved as much. On the contrary, it had only dulled, such as when it warned her of the poison in the cursed cake.

She shuddered as she sat in the library waiting for Queen Sharn to arrive. She stole a glance at the other two occupants in the room. Something had changed between her and Ranesh in the small amount of time since Josef had called his charge down in private—very shortly before they had discovered Jinks' body, she recalled.

The mischief in Ranesh's eyes had disappeared. In fact, they seemed sad, almost...guilty when he looked at her. She did not know what had transpired between the two of them in the kitchens, but she was almost certain Josef had something to do with this as well.

Her eyes narrowed at the librarian.

Though Josef was never rude about it, she could tell that he did not particularly approve of her relationship with his foster son. Still, however, she had never pegged the old man to be dissatisfied enough to turn into an assassin.

It had to be him. Why else would he have been in the kitchens other than to plant the poison in her dessert?

Oh, how she wished Sharn would make haste to see her. Would she believe her? How could Marilen even begin to speak to the queen of her suspicion? Dear Adin, what would she tell Ranesh?

She knew he loved Josef like a father. He would be devastated.

Her pretty face steeled in determination.

No, she decided.

Ranesh could never find out that his caretaker had plotted her murder.

※ ※

She could feel something was amiss the moment she opened the doors.

She crossed the threshold into the library and stood at the entrance expectantly. When there was no enthusiastic 'Princess! You have returned from your tower!' that greeted her, the worry she held increased tenfold.

Why did the normally warm and homely library suddenly feel as cold and empty as her own private quarters?

It was quiet, too quiet.

Ever since the whole episode with Jinks and the cake, the entire Palace had been on edge. Thank Adin her suspicions had been wrong—a woman called Amarantz, they had figured out, was the culprit. How could she have ever thought that gentle Josef would poison her?

She had been silly, Marilen told the librarian privately—she still took care not to mention anything to Ranesh—and he had waved her mistake off with a small smile.

Now, though, the tension in the air was palpable to the moment when she and Sharn had first discovered the Jinks' unmoving body in her chambers.

Apprehension began to worm its way up her spine. The initial uncomfortable feelings she had fought so hard to push away since her arrival in Del were slowly starting to come back. Something was wrong. Where were Ranesh and Josef? Were they alright?

She called their names.

There was no answer.

Fear gripped her chest and she almost turned to alert Sharn in a panic before a noise stopped her. The faint shuffling of crinkled papers and hurried footsteps.

"My lady?"

She sighed in relief, hand over her heart. "Josef, thank goodness!" she greeted warmly. There was a distinct lack of a follow-up greeting she noticed. "Where is Ranesh?"

The old librarian shifted. "Away," he answered vaguely.

She frowned slightly—he was still uncomfortable with her, and she thought she had a sinking suspicion as to why.

"Josef, please," she begged. "If you are still upset that I implicated you to Sharn, know that I am so very sorry. I had no right to believe it was you who had poisoned the cake."

His pupils widened a little. "No, my lady, do not blame yourself. These tired old bones are simply in need of some rest, is all."

Without so much as a warning, she surged forward, long robes billowing behind her as she embraced him—gently, though, so as not to crush his weak frame.

"You have no idea how glad I was to know I was wrong. You have always been so welcoming to me and I betrayed you—without proof. It is a shame I will always carry with me."

She felt a hesitant pat on her back. "There should be no shame brought to the lady on account of this old fossil."

Marilen laughed softly in return before releasing him from her hold. She then looked around in confusion as the passing joke reminded her of why she had come to the library in the first place.

"You mentioned Ranesh was away," she began slowly. "Will he be returning soon?"

She saw him stiffen again. Reluctantly, Josef shook his head and her heart sank to her stomach. "I am afraid not for a while. I had some...tasks I needed him to get done for me."

"Oh."

"But King Lief should be home shortly," he prompted. "Is that not welcome news?"

A noncommittal noise was her response and Josef looked concerned by the lack of excitement. He mumbled a polite excuse under his breath and quietly left to return to his study.

For several minutes, Marilen stood unmoving, the strange sadness she felt threatening to overwhelm her.

Ranesh was gone—for Adin knows how long—and he had not even thought to say farewell.

She knew there was not any reason why she should be feeling such an incredible sense of heartbreak. She was fond of Ranesh, yes—maybe even fancied him—but they had only known each other for a little over a month! Hardly enough time to grow emotionally attached.

The Toran girl sighed in defeat and dragged her feet over to her usual table. Grabbing a random book, she sat and opened the cover in a daze, the faded black script glaring up at her mockingly.

She began to read.

The first time in a long while without anyone to divert her attention.

※ ※

She hated it here. Again.

Having Ranesh around had made it more bearable—enjoyable even—but with him gone, she easily lapsed back into hating it.

She missed him, that much Marilen would admit. She missed his goofy nicknames for her and his insufferable sense of humor. His smug smirk and his embarrassing flirts. Everything.

She did not even frequent the library as much anymore. What would have been the point?

Josef still always treated her like a lady of the palace, but it was just not the same. Sure, the old librarian made for good conversation—if she was ever in the mood for an all-encompassing two-hour spiel on the history of the quill pen—but he never cracked any jokes or called her 'Princess.'

Indeed, Josef could never be an effective replacement, especially not when he kept throwing guilt-ridden glances her way as if he had irrevocably wronged her.

It made no sense, considering how she had been the one to wrong him only a few days prior. What could that sweet old man think he could have possibly done to offend her?

She chose not to dwell on it.

Instead, she found her thoughts straying towards a certain brigand-turned-apprentice. Did he think of her, too?

It was unimaginable. Falling in love so quickly with someone she barely knew was impossible, was it not? What would her father think? Would he tell her it was untenable match—the heir to Deltora and a lowly thief? Would he be disappointed by the shame she would bring? To her family, to her people?

Before they found Jinks, her father had sent a letter saying that he and Zeann would be visiting soon. Normally, she would have been ecstatic to see them again, but at the moment she felt nothing but emptiness. The only person she wanted to see—there was no telling when he would be back.

She did not want to accept these ridiculous, budding feelings—who was to say he even felt the same way? He flirted with her, but as far as she knew, he probably flirted with every young maiden. She wanted to say it was just a silly infatuation, a farce that would pass. But one look down at the fabled Diamond shimmering warmly around her slim waist whenever she thought of him said otherwise.

She knew what it meant—Lief was not the only one to have read The Belt of Deltora.

Marilen the Witch had fallen in love with Ranesh the Thief.

※ ※

Many weeks passed since Marilen had had her personal revelation, and still no word had arrived from Ranesh. She began to grow restless.

What was taking so long? Where was he? What were even these 'tasks' that Josef had sent him to do? Did he encounter trouble along the way? Dear Adin, she prayed he was alright.

From the time Ranesh left, things in the Palace had become rather anxious and full of tension—and it had not been just due to the assassination attempt on Marilen either.

The king was still not home.

Those who were in on her secret knew there was not anything to panic about yet. Everyone else, however, was becoming worried—Josef, most of all. Despite her efforts in reassuring him that Lief was fine, the library keeper still stressed constantly.

The people of Del were fast losing faith that Lief would return.

And who could blame them? It has been more than a few months since the king had initially set out from the Palace.

Marilen had never met the Lady Jasmine, but she could not even begin to imagine how finding one girl and the Jalis knight that had run off with her could prove to be so elusive. Maybe they did not want to be found? Perhaps they had an affair and were eloping?

Whatever the case, it was all very confusing for her. The Queen Mother and Doom were no help—they seemed to know something more about Lief's journey, but were purposefully keeping her out of the loop.

Not for the first time, she wished that she had never agreed to come here. It was a selfish thought, she knew, but it could not be helped. She wanted to be back home in Tora, surrounded by friends and family, not trapped in Del with danger around every corner and chaos run amok.

But then again, had that been the case, she would have never met Ranesh. The charming thief who had stolen her heart.

And somehow that seemed like a much worser fate.

※ ※

Marilen was not just the Apprentice's Apprentice anymore.

Josef had officially offered her tutelage in the art of filing away old books and, soon enough, she became a fully-fledged Co-Apprentice. It was a redeeming feeling, a moment of pride and endless gratitude like no other.

The moment Doom had returned with Lindal to confirm that Lief was indeed alive and well, she had immediately requested his—and Sharn's—undivided audience.

Her demands had been simple: the conditional end of her isolation.

Granted, with limitations of course to preserve her anonymity.

She was overjoyed. Working under Josef was a dream come true, as well as a welcome distraction from her worries. She still prayed everyday for her cousin's—and another certain dark-haired young man's—swift and safe return, but such thoughts no longer dampened her mood to the brink of depression.

Sharn was right. Marilen had certainly grown quickly in a short span of time.

She hummed a light tune as she made her way to the well-known, gilded double doors. Pushing one side open, she called out her usual morning greeting to Josef. Today, however, instead of the solemn response she had come to expect, the girl found her mentor hobbling towards her in a panic.

"M-my lady!"

Marilen frowned in concern when he reached her. He looked nervous—unsure, even. His eyes were wide, thumbs twiddled, and beads of sweat poured down his forehead. A flustered old librarian never boded well.

"Are you alright, Josef?"

She saw his eyes flicker off to the side apprehensively. She followed their gaze to the shelf where a tall, shadowed figure stood silently nearby—a familiar, tall, shadowed figure.

"Ranesh!" she heard herself shouting in joy.

Marilen broke into a sprint—or at least, as much of one as she could in her elegant gown—and jumped at him, eyes closing in delight as her hands flew around his neck in a tight embrace. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist in return, but with a hesitance that escaped her notice.

"Hello, Princess."

She hummed in content, inhaling the scent of clean mint mixed with aged paper.

"You are back!" she smiled into his chest. "It has been so long!"

Praise Adin, he was back! It was such a relief seeing him again, safe and whole. She felt the heavy burden crushing her heart begin to lift. Just like that, the dreary Palace walls suddenly seemed just a smidgen brighter, thanks to the man in her grasp.

"Indeed. I was told you are an all-grown-up apprentice now."

Marilen laughed. "Yes, I am!" she confirmed happily. "Much has happened since I last saw you. Why did you not tell me you were leaving? I was so worried! Oh, and how was your trip?"

"It was...fine." His avoidance of her first question did not escape her notice this time, and she sensed his hesitation.

Opening her eyes, she glanced up at him—and almost gasped out loud at the look he returned. His mouth was set in a thin line, and his normally mischievous eyes now swam in confusion as though he were conflicted.

Somewhere off to the side, Josef excused himself quietly.

Her brows scrunched together. "What is the matter?"

He licked at his lips. "I, uh..." he began slowly, "I would like to apologize for not telling you sooner. It was rather urgent...and Josef thought it best not to inform you."

Her bewilderment must have been evident because he gently moved away from her hug, holding her shoulders out at arm's length. She took a closer study at his tanned face, hidden pain swirling across his pupils. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but could not find the right words with which to do so.

"I know who you are," he sighed.

She misheard him, she had to have misheard him.

"W-what are you talking about, silly?" she said shakily. "Of course, you do. It is just me—Marilen."

"No." A resigned shake of his head. "I meant, I know why you are here. In Del."

Her breath stopped, the color draining from her cheeks. Ranesh knew? But she had been so careful! And especially around him! Was that disappointment she saw in his expression—or something much worse? Was he angry with her for keeping such an important secret from him? When did he even find out, and while he was so far away from her for that matter? How did he even find—

"Josef told me."—she gaped at him. How heedless had she been around these two?—"Are the rumors true, Marilen?"

She bit at her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth until it drew blood. Marilen did not understand why, but he just seemed so crushed by the knowledge that she was the heir. He looked heartbroken even—and it cracked her own in turn.

She wanted to say 'no'. She wanted to deny everything and tell him that palace gossip was just that—gossip.

Anything to take away the pain he was so plainly trying to mask and make it her own.

"Yes."

It was a faint whisper, one that even Marilen was unsure whether it had been real.

But Ranesh had heard it. He nodded, and she could feel him pulling away again. The warmth of his body was leaving hers, but the girl clung to him. She did not want to let him go—how could she?

He had been the best thing to happen to her since she had first arrived in Del all those many weeks ago. Her first friend in a strange, unknown land. Her only beacon of happiness in a city filled with treachery, deceit, and mistrust. Her clever and funny thief who had stolen her heart several times over.

And she had only just gotten him back. How could anyone possibly expect her to let him go now?

"Please," she found herself begging. "This does not have to change anything about us."

"This"—he gestured between themselves—"should never have happened."

Her mouth felt dry, the cracks in her heart growing larger.

"W-why?" she managed to croak. "We have done nothing wrong, Ran—"

"Nothing wrong!? I doubt King Lief would agree!"

She flinched warily from the sudden increase in volume, puzzled by his words. "I am not sure why Lief would particularly care about—"

"Are you mad, woman?" he interrupted again, not quite done. "Of course he would care! It does not matter if he hates me, but the king will be furious with you! I cannot live with that!"

"He does not hate you."

But he was no longer listening to her. Instead, he had gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in frustration, hands clasping at clumps of his hair as he ranted.

"Heavens, how could I have been so foolish—so blind? What other reason was there for someone like you to be in Del, hidden away in that tower of yours? I should have never fallen for you, Marilen!"

Her cracked heart shattered.

Ranesh thought it a mistake—he thought her a mistake. Oh, cruel Fate, to have the man she loved return her feelings, only to destroy them in the end. What terrible sin had she committed to deserve this? Tears sprang in her eyes.

She released him and sniffled, lowering her head in shame. Her shoulders shook as her arms fell limply at her sides.

All at once, warm dark-skinned hands touched her cheeks, frantically wiping at the streams threatening to break free. "No, no, Marilen," she heard him say quietly. "Please do not cry. I should not have said that."

Somehow, his gentle, caring tone only made her snivel harder. Another reminder of her folly in giving all of her affection to an impossible fantasy. His calloused thumbs rubbed softly under her streaked lashes.

"Marilen?"

She stifled a sob.

"Princess?"

The Toran straightened and wiped at her eyes with the back of her delicate hand. The light layer of cosmetics on her face, wet with tears, smeared with the motion. "It was never my intent to be a burden to you, Ranesh. I am sor—"

She never had the chance to finish.

His mouth covered hers, swallowing her apology.

For a split second, Marilen was taken off-guard, but eventually she sank into the contact. His lips were rough and chapped as they moved desperately against her plump, painted ones. It was a magical feeling that could not quite compare to anything else she had ever felt before.

It was nothing like the few painfully controlled, feathery brushes that she had experienced as a young girl back in Tora—no, this was passion. Innocent passion, but passion nonetheless. His hands slowly ran down from where they had previously cupped her face to rest on her hips. Her own slim arms soon reciprocated by wrapping around his neck.

He kissed her fervently, torn emotions and bleeding hearts pouring into it as though it would be both their first and their last. He did not push for anything more, though Marilen knew without a doubt she would not hesitate to acquiesce. Ranesh had always been a gentleman, she realized, despite what his playful nature might otherwise suggest.

Finally, after what seemed like ages to her, they broke apart for lack of air. Heavy breaths permeated the atmosphere as her eyes stayed closed. She felt him lay his forehead on hers as they held one another.

"You are a treasure, Marilen, not a burden," he whispered. "Deltora will be very lucky to have you as the queen."

"So you really do know," she breathed back, still quite dazed from the kiss.

"Yes. Please forgive us, my lady. Josef and I will not tell another soul—thief's honor."

She smiled and shook her head. "It does not matter. It does not change how I feel about you."

"But what about King Lief?"

"What about him? He will not mind you knowing."

He shifted awkwardly. "But would he not mind you...having feelings for me?"

This time, she frowned in genuine perplexity. "Why would he? I do not imagine you have done anything to warrant his disapproval."

"He must be insane! What man would be content with his intended loving another?"

"...What?"

"You are the king's new Toran bride, are you not?"

She blinked. Once. Twice. Then she began to snicker uncontrollably. Ranesh eyed her warily when her snickers built into full-blown laughter. Marilen broke from their embrace and clutched her stomach in giddiness while she continued to giggle. Her eyes began to water again, but this time, these were tears of wholesome relief and joy.

"Is that—is that what you all thought?" she blurted happily, swiping at her eyes. "Is that why you were so upset?"

He narrowed his sight at her in skepticism as she patted his cheek lovingly.

"Oh, poor Ranesh," she teased with a knowing grin. "Lief and I are not engaged—far from it, in fact."

"But...if you are not here as his bride, then why are you here? Not that I am complaining."

Marilen shook her head once more. "That, I cannot tell you, not without Lief's permission. But I can assure you that I have no intention to wed him."

A strangled noise sounded from his throat.

"Do not get me wrong, His Majesty is quite handsome." She paused and her dark eyes twinkled with delight at the sight of Ranesh pursing his lips in contempt. "But as it were, he already seems very set on another girl."

※ ※

Lief's much anticipated return could not have come any sooner for Marilen. She had been mildly surprised to learn that he had actually been in the Shadowlands to rescue the prisoners, but was not so surprised to find out that it had been a successful venture, judging from the cheering mass that had appeared.

At last, all of the heavy secrets that hung in the air could be laid out in the open. It had been the most liberating feeling being able to finally return the Belt of Deltora to its rightful wielder, and she was more than happy to be rid of the dreadful thing.

Seeing Barda the Bear and the Lady Jasmine in person had also been an interesting experience for Marilen, though she suspected the same could not be said of her by the latter. And if what Ranesh had said was to hold any credence, she had no doubt it was due—at least in part—to those rampant rumors that afflicted the Palace daily.

It was not her place, but she had eventually decided to have some pity for her cousin and gave a flippant remark on the gossip before running back into Ranesh's arms. The look on the king's face had been priceless, naturally.

※ ※

In the days to come, on a pleasant summer morning, Marilen made her way into the library, a skip in her steps.

She greeted Josef happily as she passed him by and set to work at her desk, writing and keeping records as her duties demanded.

Things had been going well for her and Ranesh. They were getting closer by the day, sharing a happy, steady relationship that she would not trade for the world. And, despite her fears, her father seemed to be relatively accepting of his courting her—a development that eased her heart to no end.

Lief and the others in Del were also equally supportive of Josef's assistants—in fact, the king seemed almost relieved that Ranesh had taken an interest in her, and vice versa. Love was love, her cousin had told her, and being the heir should not be a deterrent for that.

Ranesh, meanwhile, was still ever the gentlemanly bandit, even if he no longer stole from others. A few—alright, several—kisses here and there, but never a push for anything she felt uncomfortable with.

Marilen always assured that she would be comfortable with him no matter what they did, but he was adamant. She was his Princess, he once said, and he had every intention of treating her like one.

She hummed as she worked by herself, carefully transcribing the worn text of an old tome onto crisp, new parchment.

Ranesh had left Del again—this time to Tora, strangely enough—a fortnight ago. Delegation with one of the Toran councilors, he had claimed, ostensibly at the king's request.

She had asked Lief what this 'delegation' was exactly, but he had only given a knowing smile in response.

Ranesh had offered to take her along, but she had declined, much to everyone's surprise. Josef had cringed at the idea of such a long travel, and knowing that his charge would be worried sick if the old librarian were left alone, she had decided to stay behind as well.

It was not as though she did not want to visit Tora. On the contrary, she dreamed of home every night. But she had a role to play here in Del for the time being. She was still the heir and she refused to abandon her duty.

Ranesh wrote to her every day, giving updates on her friends and family, as well as occasionally regaling her with clearly fabricated stories of his adventures causing a ruckus in the magical city.

It tickled her pink each time.

Thank Adin that Jasmine was kind enough to allow for frequent use of her messenger birds. Every night, before Marilen retired to sleep, she would reply to her beloved and wait until morning for another of his tall tales to arrive.

This morning, however, she had not woken to another letter. It was a slightly disappointing sight, but she did not think much over it. Ranesh had mentioned he would be returning soon—it was only natural that the exchanges would have to cease at some point to allow his journey home.

Long gone were the days of her wallowing in worry and sadness, though. There was no need to feel lonely, not when she had everything to be grateful for.

Suddenly, a caw sounded from outside the window next to her.

A raven.

And it was heading towards her.

Marilen leapt to her feet, dropping the quill on the table. Hastily, she threw open the window just as the bird—Ebony, she recognized—reached her. She extracted the letter cradled in the animal's talons, petting its head affectionately in thanks before it flew off into the blue sky.

More eager than she would like to admit, she unfurled the paper.

There was no warm greeting. No exaggerated words proclaiming her incomparable beauty and kindness. No embarrassing declarations of love. No ridiculous story of how he was able to actually make a crack in the legendary, pristine white walls of the city. Just a few cryptic words.

I asked your father already. C810.

– R

She scrunched her brows as struggled to make sense of the message. The only part she could truly understand was the obvious storage location he had written—but whatever correspondence he had had with her father was lost on her. This was unusual, even for him.

Curious though, she followed the classification numbers as a guide to the shelf he wanted her to find. She pulled out the leather bound volume that had been marked gingerly.

She snorted at the title: The Witch & the Thief. By Ranesh of WWW and Marilen of Tora.

She opened the cover. A large expanse of clean white glared back at her. But there, a small section in the middle, lay his familiarly neat penmanship.

To my beautiful princess,

Turn around and answer me this, will you let me be your prince?

Marilen gasped and whirled on the heels of her feet, clutching the book protectively and with robes swirling around her like a wave. Dear Adin above, she would never become used to how soundlessly the former thief could sneak around. She almost fainted at the sight.

There, bent on one knee in front of her, was Ranesh. A large grin stretching from ear to ear was fixed on his handsome face and stars were in his eyes as he stared up at her expectantly—a look of pure adoration gazing at her like she was his entire universe.

What he held up was unmistakable. A ring.

A pregnant pause stayed between them as his unspoken question hung in the air.

She tackled him with a joyful cry of his name, falling to the ground next to him. He caught her easily and she smashed her lips onto his. He was eager, just as she was, moaning softly when she quickly moved to deepen the kiss. Oh, how she had missed him. Tongues explored and battled for dominance, her hands wove into his dark hair, and she could feel him massage the sides of her stomach lovingly.

After a few more minutes of sucking face, however, he pulled away from her slowly while tucking a stray strand of her silky hair behind her ear.

"You know, my sweet," he chuckled with a wink, "you could do that more often if you only answered my question."

Ranesh held up the ring again, and this time she accepted with a whispered "Yes."

He beamed and reached for her small hand, slipping the ring onto her finger. She then shrieked in surprise when he suddenly picked her up without warning and spun her around in elation, laughing all the while.

When he finally put her down, they gazed at the ring on her slim finger together in wonder. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but one that was elegant all the same. A band of pure silver affixed with a glimmering purple stone—an amethyst, the gem of her people.

It looked beautiful. It looked refined. It looked...expensive.

"You did not steal this, did you?"

A hand flew across his chest in mock hurt. "You wound me, Princess."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"I did not pay for it," he conceded, and she rose an eyebrow. "A gift from your father, with his blessing. It was your mother's engagement ring."

Marilen drew in a sharp breath, cradling her hand as if the ring had suddenly become the most precious thing in the world to her—not that it had not been before.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" she praised.

"I could stand to hear it a few more times than usual."

"And the book?" she prompted, flipping through the pages. "It is almost completely blank."

"That, Marilen," he replied with a smirk, "is for us to write our own story, together."

She felt herself blush, a habit she feared she would never outgrow around him. "You are such a sap, Ranesh."

"But you love it," he sang.

Just then, Josef appeared in the distance, hobbling his way toward them. Ranesh moved to embrace him gently, leading him to the nearby chair to sit.

"Is it done, Ranesh?" the old man asked. His charge nodded, so Josef turned to her. "And what did the lady answer?"

Wordlessly, she held out her left hand to him, and he noticed the new adornment easily. Josef smiled softly and curled wrinkly, aged fingers around her own.

"I already knew how you would answer that question, my lady. What of the other? Did Ranesh not tell you?"

Another suprise? Marilen was not sure she would be able to handle much more. She looked up at her new groom who met her gaze with the same boyish excitement she had seen when she performed that magic 'trick' for him all those months ago.

"Your father wants to arrange the wedding in Tora," he explained. "We have been offered a place to live there."

Her jaw dropped. Home, he was essentially saying—they were going home. Finally, she was going back to Tora! A thousand thoughts ran through her head. This was what she had wanted for so long, and her mind was telling her to be ecstatic. So why did her heart disagree?

"Will you be coming with us, Josef?" she asked as quietly as a mouse.

The librarian shook his head. "I am needed here in Del, but do not worry over this old sack of bones. Someone has already volunteered to become my new assistant, a girl by the name of Paff, I believe."

"But what about Lief? And the Belt?" She was stalling, she knew. For what exactly, she could not tell.

"Lief has given us his full blessing as well," Ranesh answered, "and Doom believes it will be safer if both the king and his immediate heir were not in the same location at all times."

"B-but," she stammered, scrambling for something to say. "But...but what about—"

Ranesh stopped her with a loving squeeze of her hand. "You need not worry anymore, Princess," he shushed. "You can go back home now—back to Tora!"

※ ※

That night, after much fanfare and congratulations, she and Ranesh waved a final time to their friends at the Palace gates. Josef, it seemed, was the one who looked most proud as he watched them depart for the sister city in the west.

It did not take long for her to feel the pull of her people's magic, speeding their journey along. Marilen cast her last farewell glance back at Del, now a shrinking smudge in the vast distance, and it was then that she figured it out. The reason for her hesitation, her chest ache.

She loved it there.

She had not wanted to leave it behind—had not wanted to leave Josef and the library behind. Tora was her home, but Del had been her home away from home. She had her family and friends back in the City of Magic, but she had her new family and new friends in the City of Adventure.

Marilen stole an admiring glance up at Ranesh. He was faced forward with a permanent soft smile as they walked hand in hand. A sliver of moonlight struck his form and he positively glowed.

No, she decided. She was wrong. Tora was her birthplace and she loved Del, but they were not home.

He was home.

It did not matter where she stayed or where she lived as long as she was with him—the orphaned man who had stolen her heart, and was now its fierce guardian, its loving keeper.

Besides, she knew that Ranesh loved Del as well. They were not leaving it behind—not leaving Josef and the library behind.

They will be back.