Bright sunlight woke Daniela as they were arriving at the Abbey. It was late morning, perhaps midday. The apprehension of the last few days had given way, and she had been able to sleep peacefully.
Kernwith Abbey was a grand church of light gray stone and surrounded by a complex of buildings. Charles got down from the bench with the driver and one of the guards opened her door. Charles must not have been able to ride through the night and needed a rest, Daniela thought. Maybe she should have told him to stay in the carriage.
In the bright light of day, Daniela's peach dress, now thoroughly rumpled, looked even sillier than yesterday, and she hoped she could change soon. They were brought to a stout gray building and into an office.
"Reverend Mother." Charles greeted a middle-aged nun amiably and kissed her hand. She wore a long gray habit that seemed to be made of miles of fabric.
"Your Majesty," she replied, placing a hand on his cheek. "It has been much too long. I am so sorry for the loss of your father. May the Lord God grant him peace."
"This is Princess Daniela of Brasador." Charles gestured to Daniela, who curtsied, unsure if that was the right way to greet someone of her rank. It didn't seem to matter to the head nun.
"What a charming young lady," the Reverend Mother said, soothing Daniela's fears with her mild voice. "We'll get you to your room to rest right away."
Another nun came for her.
"Goodbye, Princess Daniela," Charles said, and bowed.
"Goodbye, Your Majesty."
Down the corridor they went to a little room with two beds and a big bright window. There wasn't much else besides a writing desk and two small wardrobes. A tan girl, taller than Daniela although seemingly younger, careened down the hall and bounded in behind them. Freckles dusted her nose and her soft, tawny hair hung in two long braids.
"Oh! You're here! Are you the princess? Oh, I am so glad you will be sharing my room, all the girls will be so jealous," she said brightly, without taking a breath.
"Nicole! Mind your manners." The nun chided.
"Oops! I mean-it is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty? Highness? Ladyship?" Nicole stopped mid-curtsy to puzzle it over.
"It's 'Highness'," the nun corrected, "although while she stays with us, she will be known simply as 'Daniela'."
The nun left the girls to get acquainted and for Daniela to rest. She wouldn't be able to do much resting though, given how much energy young Nicole had. The girl had questions about everything and asked them frankly. It was not a restful day, but it was comfortable, in a way.
It was common knowledge at the convent who Daniela was and why she was in Aramdeau. It was strange to Daniela that the news had traveled so fast, since she had only heard about the engagement herself three days ago.
Over time, she got a clearer picture of the reasons behind the arranged marriage, at least from the perspective of the Aram people. Aramdeau had won the recent war against Brasador. When Brasador lost, her father, King Solanio, publicly swore vengeance and swore to one day retake the Western Lands. She also learned that those lands were almost entirely barren and uninhabited.
After the war, when the previous Aram king died, many Brasadoran nobles thought that a disrupted Aramdeau led by a child would be a weaker target, and they may have been right. However, King Solanio felt an attack was too risky, and wanted a way out of the war without going back on his vow. So when the new Aram king offered marriage to Daniela to strengthen the peace between the two countries, the Brasadoran king jumped at the opportunity.
Daniela's father had sent her away solely to save face. The thought inflamed Daniela. At first she did not believe it at all, but she knew he was a proud man, and it was the only thing that made sense. She knew he did not trust her or expect her to hold influence over the Aram court on behalf of Brasador. Her only purpose in existing now was to rescue the pride of a man who did not care about her.
In a way, this new information was almost a relief. She was angry at first, but because she was, she did not miss her family and home as much as she might have. Each day, she spent less and less time missing Brasador or even thinking about it. They never wrote to her once.
Life at the convent was calm, but always interesting. At the school, their focus was mostly on reading, writing, and theology. Many of the girls would spend their whole lives at the convent, after all. Sometimes Daniela had separate lessons with the Reverend Mother where she learned about the Aram government and its history, and about some etiquette that differed from Brasador. The girls also had practical pursuits like needlework and mending, and they did chores around the Abbey. But most of their time was spent out of doors, either tending little gardens or just playing whenever it was warm enough. The northern climate did get quite cold in the winter, but the springs and summers were beautiful.
During one such summer in their teenage years, Daniela and Nicole went picking wild raspberries in a wooded glen near the Abbey. They sat to rest on a soft patch of clover by a little stream. The sun broke through the cold shade, warming their faces.
Daniela stretched out, laying back on the ground, and closed her eyes. "I wish I could live out here."
"An enchanted princess, cursed to hide in a forest and wait for her daring knight to rescue her!" Nicole mused.
"No, no, not like that. I just mean a little cottage tucked away. Where I could grow vegetables and pick berries."
Nicole sighed. "That will be my fate, if I don't take the vows. The nuns will kick me out, and I'll have to live in a little hovel as a spinster for the rest of my life. I'll catch squirrels and chipmunks and scare off small children who wander too far into my woods."
Daniela smiled. "They are not going to kick you out. You know the Reverend Mother cares for you too much to do that. Besides, there are plenty of things you could do, if you chose to leave."
"You don't exactly meet many bachelor's at a convent. And even if I did, what nobleman would have me with no lands and no dowry?"
"Perhaps you could find a governess position, or work as a companion for some noblewoman."
"Maybe." Nicole spread her arms wide and looked up at the leaves. "Would you do it? If you were me, would you take the vows?"
Daniela thought carefully before answering. "Yes, I think I would."
Nicole sighed again. "What I wouldn't give to trade places with you..."
"Really? You'd like to marry some man you don't know and don't love?"
"If he were a king! Of course I would."
"Even if he were old or cruel or hideous?"
"Well, he isn't, is he? They say King Charles is rather well-looking, and you and he are the same age! It's romantic, don't you think?"
"Being the same age as someone is hardly a basis for love. If it were, you would be in love with Friar Andrews," Daniela pointed out.
"Oh, Lord, no! He cannot possibly be the same age as us."
Daniela nodded. "I think he will be seventeen soon."
"No, I could never marry someone so dull. He acts at least ten years our senior. He once described different types of tree fungus to me for about twenty minutes."
"Oh, leave him be. You know he means well. If King Charles is anything like Friar Andrews, I would be more than happy to marry him."
Nicole sat up. "Don't tell me you're in love with Andrews!"
"Come now, Nicole, don't tease. I just mean that there are much worse things for a husband to be than dull."
"Yes, I am sure you are right." Nicole lay back and munched lazily on some berries.
Then she sat up straight again. "Let's run away together, Dani!"
"No," Daniela said firmly. She knew Nicole well enough not to let her get carried away with wild ideas. It was best to nip them in the bud early.
"Must you be so... so dutiful all the time?" Nicole pouted. "I know you won't really run away, I just want to think about it."
"Nothing good could come from me running away." Daniela looked pointedly at her friend. "But... for the sake of conversation, fine, I will entertain the idea. Where would we go?"
Nicole was pleased enough with that answer. "Wouldn't you like to go home to Brasador?"
Daniela shook her head. "They would have less mercy than Aramdeau if they caught me. At least here, the worst that could happen is they would just go on with the marriage as planned. The Brasadorans would probably throw me in prison."
"There are other countries. We could go further north, if you don't mind the cold. I've heard there are places where it is just winter all year long."
Daniela rolled onto her stomach so she could reach the basket of berries. "Should we stow away on a boat? We could become pirates."
Nicole laughed heartily. "You, a pirate? I think not. You would never steal anything!"
Daniela smiled with her. "Then you can do all the stealing. I'll just... swab the deck, or something. Or I'll learn to play the vielle."
"Sister Catherine would love that. She couldn't teach you the pipe organ, but maybe you picked up some musical knowledge after all."
"Not likely." Daniela grinned. "Oh! Sister Catherine!" Daniela remembered why they were out here in the first place. "She's waiting for these berries, we have to go back."
Nicole groaned. Daniela reached out her hand and pulled her up. They hurried back to the convent, refilling the basket as they went.
Over the years, Daniela would occasionally receive a short letter from King Charles, although he never came back to Kernwith Abbey. It was usually near her birthday or during the Days of Merry Gratitude, and he would send a simple gift that she could share with the other girls. Dried fruit, nuts, or some nice stationery. She could not wear fine clothes or jewels at the convent, so there would be no point in sending that sort of gift.
All the girls would ooh and ahh over everything the king sent, and Nicole would beg Daniela to read the letters aloud. They were all more excited about the arrangement than Daniela was, but she did not mind and would play along. They all saw her future like a great romance or a fairy tale. Daniela could not. It was hard to imagine the little boy she had met as a dashing hero. The prospect of marriage was not exciting to her, but no matter how she felt about it, it was her duty to marry him, and she would.
As her twentieth birthday approached, that far away duty was suddenly close at hand. Many of the girls she had grown up with had gone back to their families, and some were now married. Some had taken their vows and joined the order as nuns. Nicole and Daniela remained as they always had, in the same room since the first day she arrived.
Nicole was a nobleman's daughter, but her parents had passed away when she was very young. Nicole had nowhere else to go, and although she was unlikely to marry well in her situation, she was reluctant to commit the rest of her life to the nunnery.
"Nicole," Daniela said one day. "I have just received a letter from Ternhaligon Castle."
"Really? Is it from King Charles?" Nicole asked as always.
"Not this time. It is from a member of the council. They are in the process of choosing my ladies-in-waiting, and have suggested that I might like to choose one for myself."
"What does that mean?" Nicole asked. "You don't know anyone at the castle."
"They don't mean from the castle, they mean someone I've met here. So that I don't have to go alone."
Nicole's eyes widened. "Dani! Do you mean to say-are you asking me-"
Daniela smiled. "If it suits you... if you'd like to, would you come with me and be my lady-in-waiting?"
Nicole squealed. "Of course I will! I can't believe it!" She threw her arms around Daniela, then suddenly pulled back. "Wait, but how can I? My father was not on good terms with many nobles. I will not be welcome there."
"Nonsense," Daniela said. "Your estate paid off all of your father's debts, and if they still take issue with you, they will have me to deal with." Daniela grinned. "And I shall be the queen!"
"Oh Dani, it would make me so happy." Nicole said.
"It won't be easy, you know. You'll have to call me 'Your Highness' in front of other people and help me dress and things like that."
"I'm not worried about that. And don't forget, you will be 'Your Majesty' soon!"