"Tass! Can't you take anything seriously?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you?"

"I do."

"When?"

"Do you actually think I took Karoy's death lightly?"

"You certainly acted like it!"

"That's because it's happened so often that I know I have to do things quickly. I've learned that I can't stop. Matthan will be back."

"Matthan? Is that the archer?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

Tass picked Danid up and started back towards the clearing they had been in before finding out that Karoy had been killed.

 "Tass!" Rynere got up, running after him. "Answer me!"

"You can only ask me five questions -questions that I answer -before Matthan comes again," Tass set Danid down under a tree, turning to look at her with a half-grin. "Choose wisely."

Rynere was silent for about three seconds.

"Who are you and how did you get that way?"

Tass gave a quiet laugh as he sat down next to Danid.

"Was that one question or two?"

"One."

"Ah." Tass nodded, appearing thoughtful for a few moments.

But just a few.

He grinned.

"I am Tassileriturn Jixi, guard of pretty much every majesty and royal highness in Danid's line since hundreds of years ago. I'm married to the sweet, lovely, patient, and absolutely irreplaceable Kirea, I'm father to ...children enough, and currently I'm your only hope of getting anywhere."

"You didn't answer the second part, and you really didn't answer the first."

Tass grinned again.

"How did I get this way? If you desperately want to listen to a story that occurred over a period of a thousand years, darling, I can oblige -but you'll be here a while."

"What about Kirea -what's her story? Or is that part of the thousand-year tale -"

"Oh no. Hers is only about nine centuries long. I still think I'll skip it. It takes a while." Tass cocked an eyebrow. "You have four more questions, since I'm not going to answer that one."

"Why have you been so devoted to Danid's family line for a thousand years and why are you so ...protective of me?"

"Protective?" Tass's voice was half-amused, half-questioning. "If you see it that way, I guess I could explain it ...you remind me of my daughters, if that helps. Why am I so devoted to Danid and his line? Because they're all so amusing in the fact that they're very formal and do everything by the book. You'll spice it up, trust me."

Rynere stared at Tass, not sure what to say next. He grinned.

"Three questions."

"What is it like, living the same story again and again -and how do you do it?"

Tass half-smiled.

"My, my, all you future princesses are masters of the squeezing of two questions into one. How do I do it? I really have no idea. There are actually plenty of things that have happened to me that are far out of the ordinary and have absolutely no explanation except that someone somewhere with control over everything is orchestrating it.

"What's it like?" Tass shrugged. "It gets boring on occasion, but I like being able to know what's happening next and how to deal with it. It was harder when I was younger. And watching prince and future princess along the journey to the wedding is always amusing."

Rynere glared at him. He grinned.

"You asked. Two questions."

"How do you know who the archer is?"

Tass paused, serious for a moment.

"That's a very loaded question. He's a old enemy of mine."

"Exactly how old of an enemy -and why is he after us?"

"We've sort of been of opposing views ever since we were born -which we did on the same day. He doesn't like me for a certain reason and he does everything he can to get in my way, and, eventually, he hopes to rid the land of me."

"Why?"

"That's your sixth question." Tass got to his feet. "Sit down by Danid."

"Why?"

He grinned.

"'Cause I said so."

Rynere glared at him, but made her way over and sat next to Danid's head.

"Tass," a voice in the trees in front of her made her jump. A handsome young man -at least, he looked young -stepped out, an arrow strung on a bow he was holding.

"Matthan," Tass mock-bowed with a flourish. "Still haven't given up, have you?"

"Of course I haven't," Matthan pointed the arrow at Rynere. "Not until you return what you stole."

"I didn't steal anything."

"Oh yes you did," Matthan said, slowly and deliberately. "You stole my bride."