The past few days was spent researching, no matter how pointless it seemed, they wouldn't give up.

Jake has been a bit more open about his feelings toward me as well, I didn't know how I felt about. I was happy, sad, and shy about it.

I kept pushing away the fact it would all be over all too soon, I wanted these memories to be the only ones I thought about after I was gone, I wanted this happiness to follow me even after I died.

~*~

"What did I hear about the kingdom dying?" A person walked out the shadows between two buildings.

The lower ranking guard was drunk and mad, he had heard everything that the witch had told the king and yet, the girl was still alive while his family was losing everything to this black sicknesss.

Instead of keeping his mouth shut he turned to the man he thought was just another civilian and spilled everything.

"Interesting..." Gyu had heard it all, now he knew how to take down the young king. Gyu didn't care if the girl had to die in the process, he would be glad she was gone. It would hurt the king from what he's heard, the young king has grown to fancy the girl.

Gyu talked to the guard longer and learned he was upset with the king because his family had already lost all their land to this black sickness. Gyu was fascinated that the king was able to keep anyone outside of the kingdom from learning about this curse.

"Will you help me take down the king?" Gyu asked the guard.

"If you can get enough people behind you, I'll be right there with you."

The lower guard was needed for Guy's plan to work, he knew the lay out of the castle, the guards shifts, everything he needed to know.

"I'll have plenty of people behind me soon enough." He would take down the king and then he'll take the thrown. The king of Kiji would gladly give it to him once he heard of Gyu taking down Jake.

~*~

"Shouldn't we be researching?" I ask the king as he drug me out the castle into the gardens.

"We can take a few minutes to ourselves." He said with a bright smile as he kept pulling me along after him.

"In other words, your head hurts and you're tired of the smell of old books?" I had heard it for the past week since we returned, once a day he would complain about those things.

"You don't have to expose me like that."

I couldn't help but laugh, the king has been trying to stay in a good mood and I was glad, seeing him sulk or on edge wasn't the best sight.

My smile turned soft as I saw where he was taking me. He had set up a picnic for us under the willow tree.

"Jake."

He stops and turns to face me, his eyes wide with curiosity. I stepped closer and pulled him into a hug, I took every moment I could with all of them to just enjoy their presence. I didn't let them see it, but I was taking this time to have as many memories of them as I could, I wanted them all to stay with me.

I let the king pull me down onto the blanket and listen to him explain how he had spilt wine on the first blanket he had set out for us.

"Clumsy." I smile as I help him set out the food. It was just small finger foods, cheese, rolls of bread, and slices of fruit. "Maybe I should pour that."

He agrees and hands me the bottle of wine. I pour his and then mine.

"I was wondering... would you be open to us actually courting?"

It took everything in me not to spit my wine