The Dark Half of the Sun (The Young Ancients: Timon) by P.S. Power Page B

else, as he opened the box.
    It had a clothing amulet in it. That got him to smile hugely.
    "Exactly what I wanted! Thank you." He slipped the chain over his head carefully, noticing it was real silver and tapped the device, which put him in a plain brown workman's outfit. That was the default for the item. After a few seconds he was wearing a black velvet suit with silver piping on the sleeves. It was nearly as nice as what the King was wearing, but not better. That would be stepping too far above himself.
    Petra smiled, her eyes looking a little sad. Then torture almost had to damage your spirit, even if you didn't break under it. He would have broken. Timon wouldn't have even waited for the pain, he didn't think, just talking freely from the beginning. It would probably have the same thing happen to him in the end, since no one would believe that someone would just talk like that. The woman had to be very brave and strong to have gone through that and lived, much less resisted them the whole time.
    "I'd love to get a shower if that's possible." She didn't have to add anything else, the Queen jumping up to take her to one through a hidden door in the back. That gave one explanation as to how the Royal Guards had gotten past him at least.
    After they left The Princess turned to him and smiled, her face a lot brighter than it had been while Petra was in the room.
    "It's really your birthday? How old are you?"
    "Twelve. So, you know, I can't really back that marriage proposal for a while. We can get engaged if you want. Two years is a little long to wait, but that will give me time to get the business going. You understand." He tried to make it sound very adult and succeeded a bit too well, since the Princess nodded along with him very seriously.
    "That sounds reasonable. I thought you were looking to marry Sara Debri. A wonderful girl, but not really within the three steps. Is that why you're entertaining other options?" It was said with a very polite combination of interest and tact that his joking didn't warrant.
    It was, he realized, "The Rules". Those had taken him by surprise when he'd first heard about them. It pretty much meant that you had to be pretty nice if someone approached you like he'd just done with her. Even if it meant pretending that he wasn't just being annoying. Or as the case was, joking. Just in case he really wasn't.
    "Oh, well, I've come to realize over the last year or so that going around really asking for grown women to marry me isn't a workable option. Plus Sara was a bit cold when we met yesterday, so I figure she's probably found someone. It's fair. I mean yesterday I was a child of eleven and today..." He paused for affect, then hurried into the next line. "I'm a child who's a day older. I shouldn't have teased you with that marriage thing. It was impolite of me." It really was, even if there was also humor to it. Instead of acting hurt by his admission she smiled and looked around the room.
    "Good, I was worried you didn't get reality for a second. I'm not writing the whole idea off however. I have to get married and there really aren't a lot of good options left for me. Everyone is either too closely related or taken. We really would have to wait at least a year anyway, so setting this up ahead of time would just be keeping the competition at bay. A bit at least. If you plan to be traveling around and meeting everyone in the Kingdom that isn't going to be easy I bet. Bet you a silver that you have at least two marriage invitations before you turn thirteen."
    Timon nodded, but didn't take the bet, instead he held up his left and tried to look innocent as he counted off one finger.
    "You're one... But who else do you think it will be?"
    That got a chuckle from the King and a pained expression from Alphonse.
    "If you keep being that charming at school it will be the first girl you meet. Seriously, bring it back a notch or you'll be overwhelmed and get a bad reputation. Not a good thing to flirt