Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

rescued by a dashing Prince who'd take me to live in his Castle. And what happened? I got rescued by the most undashing Prince I've ever known, and now I'm at the Castle I can't wait to get out of it.
    'Sweetness ...' said a plaintive voice behind her.
    'Lay a hand on me and I'll tie your fingers in knots.'
    'I hadn't even considered it,' said Harald earnestly, and Julia's mouth twitched. 'Why don't you like me, Julia? Everyone else does.'
    Julia turned back to face him. 'Harald, I don't love you. Can't you understand that?'
    'People like us don't marry for love.'
    'I do.'
    'But I'm going to be King one day,' said Harald, with the air of a man laying down his fourth ace.
    'I don't want to be Queen,' said Julia, trumping him.
    'Every woman wants to be Queen.'
    'I don't.'
    'Then what the hell do you want?'
    Julia looked away. 'I don't know.'
    There was a pause, and then Harald moved forward to stand beside her.
    'It's Rupert, isn't it?'
    'Maybe.'
    'He's only a second son. He'll never be King.'
    Julia whirled on him furiously. 'That's all you can think about, isn't it? You and everybody else in this damn Castle. Well I'll tell you this, Harald: Rupert may not be the eldest son, and he may not be good enough to sit on your damned throne, but he was good enough to make the Rainbow Run, and good enough to stand beside me and the dragon when we fought off the demons!'Julia's voice broke suddenly, and tears started to her eyes. Somehow, she fought them back. She wouldn't give Harald the satisfaction of seeing her cry. When she looked at him again, her eyes were dry and her voice was steady. 'Rupert is the finest and bravest man I have ever known, a warrior and a hero.'
    Harald raised an eyebrow. 'Are we talking about the same person?'
    'He had the guts to go back into the Darkwood again, to summon the High Warlock! I don't remember you volunteering to go!'
    'That would have been foolish,' said Harald. 'It's quite straightforward, if you think it through. We couldn't both go; if by some misfortune we were both killed, it would leave the Forest Kingdom without a direct heir to the throne. At the very least, that would mean chaos, at worst, civil war. On the other hand, it was quite clear that one of us had to go; only a Prince of the line stood any chance of persuading the High Warlock to return. So, it had to be me, or him, and Rupert was the most expendable.'
    'He volunteered. You didn't.'
    Harald shrugged. 'My place is here, defending the Castle from its enemies. Let Rupert run around playing the hero if he wants to, I have more important considerations.'
    'Such as what? Chasing me round the Castle like a rutting billy goat?'
    'I won't dignify that comment with an answer.'
    'Rupert should have been back months ago! He's your brother! Don't you care about him at all?'
    Harald stared at Julia steadily. 'If Rupert dies, I'll avenge him.'
    'I'm sure that'll be a great comfort to him.'
    Harald smiled crookedly. 'Don't expect anything more, Julia. Court life isn't conducive to brotherly love.
    You should know that. How many of your sisters stood up for you, when you were sentenced to death?'
    'That was different. I was guilty.'
    'No more than any of us, Julia; you were just unlucky enough to get caught. When Father dies, Rupert and I could end up fighting on opposite sides of a civil war, to decide who finally inherits the throne.
    We've known that since we were children. You can't afford to get too close to someone you're probably going to have to kill someday.
    'But I promise you this, Julia; if Rupert is dead, I won't rest till I find out who's responsible. And even if it turns out to be the High Warlock himself, I will avenge my brother.'
    Julia looked at Harald sharply. His voice had gradually become cold and hard, quite different from his usual casual tones, and for a fleeting moment, harsh lines showed in his bland, placid features. The moment passed, but Julia didn't look away, holding his eyes with hers.
    'You think he is dead, don't you?' she said quietly.
    Harald nodded slowly. 'It's been five months now. Face it, Julia. He's not coming back.'
    And then they both fell silent, as a guardsman entered the antechamber and hurried past them into the Court, carefully closing the double doors behind him. There was a long pause. Harald and Julia looked at each other in silence. Eventually the doors swung open again, and the guardsman bowed to them both.
    'Prince Harald, Princess Julia, the King will see you now.'
    'Remember