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The day Jacqueline was to depart the court after Danielle's marriage, the new Princess of France caught her stepsister close in her arms, unexpectedly reluctant to see her go.She knew – or at least hoped – that it would not be for long; when the King and Queen had stripped Jacqueline's mother of her rank, they had declared the title in abeyance only until Jacqueline should marry, upon which time she and her husband would be named as the new Baron and Baroness de Ghent. It had partly been meant, no doubt, as further punishment for the former Baroness; Henry had hinted to his parents that it would stick in the woman's craw for the daughter Rodmilla de Ghent had always devalued to now be the one to carry a title. So Jacqueline would only be leaving as far as the manor; then Danielle would see her again as often as she cared to visit, as part of the court.She would miss Maurice and Paulette and Louise as well, of course; they had been with her all of her life. But the manor was still their home, as it would never be for Danielle again. Jacqueline would need their help to restore things to the way they should always have been ... and to support her through the transition from overlooked second daughter discouraged from any useful activity to a woman with sundry duties and responsibilities. Neither Jacqueline nor Danielle had been treated well in that house since her father's death had left its management in his widow's hands, but in the quiet moments – when neither Stepmother nor Marguerite had been watching – they had at least had each other. And now the only lady of the household would be Jacqueline, left to rise and fall by the work of her own hands.But she would not be wholly on her own, not as long as Danielle had any say. They may not have been allowed to call one another sister while they lived under the same roof, but they had that chance now, and Danielle was determined not to waste it. "I will miss you," she said as they pulled apart."Will you really?" Jacqueline gave her a watery smile. "I wish – I wish every day that I had been braver. We could have been sisters this whole time.""We were. We are," Danielle assured her, her own smile a little damp around the edges. "You were brave when it counted. Or was I imagining all those times you saved me food from the table or tended my wounds or shared a smile when one of the others was being ridiculous? You were always kind to me when you could be, and Henry said you were the one to tell him where to find me after I was sold to Monsieur Le Pieu. You deserve to be as happy as I am, and I shall want to see you again as often as you want to see me."She saw Jacqueline's eyes dart past her shoulder, to where Captain Laurent stood with the rest of her guard, then return to meet her gaze with a sheepish smile. "I can only hope to be so lucky as you. But of course I will come. I'm sure I will have ever so many questions to ask, and – do not tell the Prince--" she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "--but how else shall I get the chance to see him practicing at tennis with his guard?"Danielle had missed Henry's tennis match against the Marquis de Limoges, but she was aware of the mechanics of the game ... including the style of stripped-down dress favored by the players. Personally, she was more a fan of fencing, but she did not at all begrudge Jacqueline the prospect of seeing the good Captain at such play. After all, the next time Henry tripped over his feet trying to reach the ball – as Marguerite had so gloatingly described to them after his last match – Danielle fully intended to be the one to catch him.In that, as in every other pursuit. As he had promised to be the one there to catch her. She was not fool enough to believe that the first dramatic flush of love would be enough to carry them to eternal happiness; life was a messy pursuit, and the joy of verbally challenging one another could too easily turn into barbs meant to wound if they did not put in the work of understanding. She had learned the hard way how sharp the embittered edge of affection strangled could cut, and how far a little bit of kindness could go in difficult circumstances."I will be sure to send you his sporting schedule, if another does not get there before me," she teased, in the same warm whispering tone. "I am looking forward to his sword training, myself."They burst into giggles together; then the sound of her carriage approaching to carry her away drew them back to the seriousness of the moment."You're sure Mother won't be able to cause any more trouble?" Jacqueline asked as the laughter faded out of her face."Very sure," Danielle said, firmly. "The staff have her well in hand."She had succumbed to the need for reassurance already herself, despite her declaration to the woman's face that she would never think of her again; it would take time for habits formed over the last ten years to truly fade. So Danielle had made a game of it with Henry, disguising herself in servants' garb once more to traverse the breadth of the castle without being caught. Her welcome back in his room after her efforts at reconnaissance had been as warm as she could have wished for to chase the lingering chill from her limbs.Jacqueline bit her lip. "Because if she sees any opportunity for advancement at all – for herself or Margeurite – she'll take it. The prince would have married my sister, you know; I saw the way he looked at her. If Mother thinks she can still make Margeurite his mistress...."It wasn't an unreasonable fear; many kings and nobles were known to prefer the company of women other than their wives, and even Henry had been rumored to be keeping company with an experienced courtier before his older brother fell ill. The baroness had loudly relished every detail of the court gossip until Henry succeeded his brother as the Dauphin and filled her imagination with the prospect of a crown for Marguerite. But Danielle knew her husband's heart, even on such short acquaintance; he hungered for the love and support he had found in her. Mere beauty would never sway him now that he knew what curdled self-interest lay beneath. Besides...."And who will brush her hair? Who will rouge her lips, and mend her dresses, and rub balm on her cracked hands? They have no friends here, and knowing them, will make none. By the time Margeurite's temper cools and she recollects herself enough to try charming her way out of the laundry, she will be lucky to draw the eye of such as Pierre Le Pieu. And if that be her ambition – or your mother's – well, they are welcome to him."That drew another relieved giggle from Jacqueline, and Danielle gave her another quick hug. "Now go," she said, "that you may return all the sooner.""Or that you may visit me," Jacqueline said, smiling. "You cannot always stay in the castle. And it is your home.""And I know you will take excellent care of it," Danielle replied, waving as Laurent came forward and handed her sister into the carriage with a few murmured parting words of his own.Henry turned to her with a smile as she and her escort returned to the court; he and Signore da Vinci had been deep in discussion on some topic, but he abandoned it to greet her like a flower turning to the sun. Much as she felt, seeing him: in gravitating to his side and basking in the warmth of his regard.Leonardo shook his head, beaming as she communicated the news of Jaqueline's departure. "There is as much pleasure in such construction as in the finest of Roman arches," he said. "Do not let it decay, and it shall serve you well."It wasn't clear which relationship he meant, though it didn't matter, as Danielle agreed with him regardless. "I will heed your words, signore. But I did not mean to interrupt your conversation; of what were you speaking when I came in?"The men exchanged a glance; then Henry cleared his throat and asked Leonardo's opinion of the location for the new university, and they fell back into intent discussion, to which she occasionally contributed an observation of her own.The future held no guarantees. But Danielle had found her match; Henry had found his; and as long as they faced each other with such kindness and passion, she was content.