“It had ended with a battle; Azalea raked the front page, and then the one's after, searching for any familiar names among the wounded."Anyone we know?" said Bramble. "Anyone...at all?""No," said Azalea, relief sweeping over her. "No."Everyone exhaled."Not that we cared, naturally," said Bramble."Naturally," said Delphinium."I mean, I certainly don't.""Neither do I.”

“So suppose Azalea finds the sugar teeth after all," said Bramble, taking Azalea by the shoulders and spinning her. Azalea rolled her eyes but obliged, and let her feet turn beneath her. A lsight push, and Azalea spun to Delphinium."She breaks them," said Delphinium, catching Azalea and pushing her to Hollyhock in a spin, a ball with skirts."Snap!" said Hollyhock.Azalea flinched. Hollyhock fumbled to spin her to Bramble again."And in a burst of fireworks, he emerges from the passage! Burst!”

“Keeper," Bramble said in a syrupy voice, grinning. "Have you met anyone so blasted handsome?""Hush," said Azalea through her teeth. "He can probably hear you!""And so dashing," said Bramble, though her tone was a touch lower."And so perfect.""I've never seen anyone with such...fingers," said Goldenrod.Everyone paused."Well, yes, his fingers, too," said Bramble.”

“I suppose he'll try to court and marry Az. He likes her best.""He arrives at the palace doors, on a fine black horse," Delphinium prompted, picking up Bramble's lost thread, and Eve spun her again, "silver flowers in his hand-""And the King opens the door-" squeaked Flora, who caught Azalea.And then,everyone stopped.Azalea's skirts twisted, then settled. It occurred to all of them what would happen next."And boxes Keeper straight in the face," Azalea finished.Everyone managed to giggle, though it as true. Azalea shook her head, smiling."Well," said Eve as they gathered the sleeping girls up from their cushions. "It would be odd if you married him anyway.""Aye," said Bramble. "Your children would be dsappearing all over the place.”

“Bramble's lips were tight. Her fists still shook."Take it back," she said. She gazed at the floor, but the words whipped. "We don't want the picture. We don't want your charity. Take it back!"Teddie drew himself up to his full, towering taffy height."N-dash it-O!" he said. "It's not charity and I won't take it back! It's a gift! A gift, dash it all! Because I liked your mum! And I like your sisters! And you, Bramble! I love you!"The words echoed. Everyone's hands clasped over their mouths, and they stared at Lord Teddie, who panted but kept a tight chin up. Bramble's lips were still pursed. They were white."Young man," said the King gently. "Your ship leaves soon?"Azalea guessed that, with the fiasco of everything, the King had annulled any arrangements between Bramble and Lord Teddie. Lord Teddie's entire taffylike form slumped. He turned to go, all bounciness dissolved."Do you mean it?"Lord Teddie turned quickly. Bramble's lips remained tight, but her gaze was up, blazing yellow."Gad, yes," said Lord Teddie. "I love you so much, my fingers hurt!""Oh!" Bramble slapped he hand over her mouth and doubled over. "Oh-oh-oh-oh!" She shook. It was hard to tell if she was crying, or coughing, or ill. "Oh!"In a billow of skirts, Bramble leaped. It was a grand jete worthy of the Delchastrian prima ballerina. She landed right on Lord Teddie, who had no choice but to catch her, and threw her arms around his neck. Then, to everyone's shock, she pressed her lips full on his."Oh...my," said Clover.No one seemed more surprised than Lord Teddie who stumbled back under Bramble's assault.”

“Ah,Azalea," said the King. "He's not going to be the one proposing."The springs in Azalea's feet went poioioing."Sorry?" she said."You outrank him, you know." The King shifted, uncomfortable. "It would be highly inappropriate for him to propose to you. The Delchastrian queen had to propose-""I will do no such thing!" said Azalea."Azalea," said the King in a firmer tone. "Come now, follow the rules. Besides, it is your chance to have the final say,is it not?""I always have the final say!" said Azalea. "How horrifically unromantic!""Well,do you want me to send him away?""No!Don't do that!”