#4: The Sweetest Gesture

The Marquis and Mel have another "sa-woon" moment when he asks to kiss her! (I feel like I've already wrote about that....) They make a wager; if Shevraeth arrives at the inn first, he wants a kiss from Mel. (I am internally screaming. Screaming for joy.) In the end, Shevraeth takes a short cut and he gets to the inn first.... KISS. But he doesn't kiss her, he is waiting until the perfect moment for Mel is fuming with anger and would punch him if he touched her the wrong way (Not possible!) This next part needs some explanation; when Mel was back at her own palace, she received a note form the Marquise of Merindar, the cousin of Galdren (the evil dictator that Shevraeth killed) saying that she would like Mel to come to court so they could "meet at last." Mel is hesitent because of the Marquise's name and relations so she keeps the letter secret. During the most recent ball, the Marquise arrives with her children; a girl who is tall and thin and very intimidating and a boy, who is extroadinarily beautiful. Both children kept to themselves. During the party the Marquise takes Mel by her hand and leads her into the library; a library the size of three public libraries put together. Mel qawked at the history. The Marquise is trying to win over Mel. Trying to get her on their side, I thought.
This next part gets juicy.
Mel runs into Shevraeth in the palace's library (not he Merindars, but the one in Shevraeth's palace). Mel finds him in a secret room. (I am internally screaming) They get into an arguement, however, and the "sa-woon" moment is nearly ruined. But on his way out, for they were interrputed, Shevraeth says, "I apologize. I also realize trying to convince you of my good intentions is a fruitless effort, but my own conscience demanded that I make the attempt." That night Mel finds a beautiful saphire ring on her pillow; she has no idea who it is from.
SA-WOON.