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she still walks your dreams.  As far as I can discern, you have never talked with her long enough to even know what she is truly like.  Why are you so anxious to be with her today if not for your infatuation with her position and her beauty?”
    Traven opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.  The veracity of what his devoted servant had just said rang true in his ears.  He didn’t know much of her personality at all, and the little he did know wasn’t necessarily flattering.  He knew she had often been impulsive, reckless, and haughty.  Those were not traits that he necessarily desired in a companion or friend.  Did he actually have any other reason to desire time with the princess than to bask in her royal beauty?
    He shook his head at the disconcerting thought.  During their imprisonment, he had seen more of her character.  She had possessed an inner strength and had been determined. The princess had also shown him kindness and gratitude.  A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that he wasn’t being completely superficial.  He wouldn’t deny that he found her beauty to be beyond that of any woman he had ever seen.  However, he also wouldn’t concede that was the only reason he wanted to be near her.
    “You can believe what you want to,” he finally said, “but I do have more reasons to be looking forward to this meeting than her beauty.”
    “Just be sure that you remember who you are and who she is and that she is betrothed,” said Darian with a smile.  The elf knew he had gotten his point across.  “I won’t be there to protect you if anything goes awry.”
    “I’ll remember,” Traven replied.
    He left Darian sitting in the antechamber and headed down the hall of the palace.  He knew that Kalista was engaged, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the opportunity of spending the morning with the beautiful princess.  He was nervous to see her but mostly excited.  Even though he was a wielder, he was still a commoner.  It was rare for someone like him to be meeting privately with a person of such noble rank.  He was lost in his thoughts as he turned a corner and almost ran into a young woman.
    “Excuse me,” he said as he stepped to the side to let her pass.  She looked up at him and smiled, but made no move to walk past.
    “No need to apologize,” she said sweetly.  “I do not mind bumping into a grand hero of Kalia.”
    Traven looked at her more closely.  She apparently knew who he was, but he was sure he had never met her before.  She had long black hair, full red lips, and light green eyes and appeared to be about his age.  She wore a fancy dress and held herself in a manner that marked her as one of the noble class.
    “My name is Delia,” she said as she curtsied slightly.  Traven bowed in return.
    “I’m Traven,” he replied.
    “I know,” Delia said with an even larger smile.  “Everyone in Candus knows who you are.  I hope we meet again soon.”
    The attractive young woman winked at him and continued on her way down the hall.  Traven felt his cheeks warm.  He watched silently as she made her way down the hall and disappeared around another corner.  He turned and kept walking.
    He hadn’t gone very far when a group of three women entered the hall not far in front of him.  They saw him coming and curtsied as he passed.  He nodded to them and continued on.  As soon as he had passed, he heard them giggling.  He glanced back and found all three staring intently at him.  He quickly looked forward and hurried out of the palace.  Once among the trees, he breathed a sigh of relief.  He looked around and happily found that the gardens were indeed empty.
    It was exciting to be noticed by others, especially attractive women, but at the same time it made him uncomfortable.  He wondered if the young woman, Delia, had been exaggerating or if everyone in Candus really did know who he was.  He supposed he should expect it after his prominent