"I stop short of welcoming him into the family," she warned. "You may welcome her into yours, if you care. I'm still nervous enough just getting him into the country without him getting thrown in jail this time." She let out a short, surprised laugh. "Except that now he's going to prison anyway. The only place left for them to meet was the tower."

Marcello chuckled. "I was teasing about that," he said. "Is there really no furniture up there? Should we at least get them a couple of stools and a fire lit?"

"Oh no, the tower suite is a proper suite," she said. "It's exactly like a guest room. Just smaller, and with bars on the windows. It's where we put hostages who can't be trusted with freedom of the castle," she explained.

"You mean hostages who aren't as charming as I am?" Marcello asked cheerily. "Should we send up a bottle of wine or something?"

"Noble hostages," she said. "You would have been put in a cell, except we raked all the straw out to bed the animals, and I didn't think the Admiral would like it if I told him you'd frozen to death the first night." She giggled. "What, should we send up some poor sot with a lute as well? I don't think they made any rose-scented candles this year, more's the pity."

Marcello burst out laughing. "Well, I think that would be a little overbearing," he replied. "That's what we do if we decide we don't like him. I suspect we should probably step back and stay out of it. And...the Queensman said he'd spoken to my mother, and Goneril had, and I think Alessia is well enough with it."

"At least he is going through all the proper channels," she said, nodding her approval. "That's why I let my mother know I was keeping you about well in advance of anything actually happening."

Marcello's eyes lit up. "Did you really?" he asked. "How long in advance?"

She burst out laughing. "She showed up because I told her I was going to Tir-nan-Og! I just happened to tell her you were there!" She gave him a sad look and stretched her hands toward him. "Sweetness, as much as I love you now, as much as I can't but believe I must have loved you then . . . I know I wasn't in much shape to fall in love with anyone. I still wasn't all myself yet. I'm only glad that you e'en bothered to stay."

"I know that, love," Marcello replied, and he took both her hands in his and kissed them over and over again. "I didn't expect it to happen right away. And I didn't mind staying, because even if you hadn't fallen in love with me, I liked your company."