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Alexander dismounted his horse just as the young prince did and walked up to him.

"What do we do now your highness?"

"We search this town high and low he has to be here somewhere."

Both of them walked towards the town Aaron walking a little ways ahead of Alexander. Aaron glanced around at the marketplace already disgusted by what he saw, there was no way he would want to live like this. As he and his knight walked past passersby a few of them bowed recognizing him immediately. Aaron and Alexander stopped in front of a fruit cart and Aaron made a motion as to tell Alex to ask him about Nickolas.

"Excuse me kind sir..." Alex began as the guy saw Aaron standing beside him and bowed

"Your highness to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"His highness is looking for his brother, Nickolas. Have you seen him?"

"No I have not, I am sorry."

"Are you quite sure?" Aaron asked rather angrily

"I am your highness and I am quite sure that if I had seen him I would have recognized him right away. Once again I am sorry."

"Thank you for your time." Alex said politely and walked off with Aaron trailing behind, and the man bowing as he retreated.

When Alex and Aaron were out of sight and hearing range the man's wife walked up to him "I do not like that boy. He is very ungrateful."

"That he is my dear...that he is..."

Aaron and Alex continued walking through the streets of the village with no luck. "Your highness if I may suggest."

"Very well, speak freely Alex." "We might have better luck if we split up, perhaps he has found shelter somewhere?"

"Great idea Alex. I will go this way and you shall go that way, we will meet up once we've found him. And Alexander?" He turns around to his majesty. "Bravery and cunning prowess has proved to me that you are worthy of head knight. I shall make you Lord of Macleania, after your Father, King Maclean VIII."

"Than...thank you, My Liege..." Alex took off in the direction that Aaron had suggested, and Aaron took off in the direction of Chrissie's and Deanna's house.

The sun began to set, and Anna was preparing dinner. She looked in the cupboard, to see that she was out of basil.

"Eric? Could you buy us some basil for this turkey?"

"Say no more, Ma'am." Nick got up, and walked to the door opening it. Upon opening it he saw someone coming towards the house that he didn't want to see: Aaron.

"Eric is something the matter?" Deanna asked

"Um...nothing is the matter, it's---"

"NICKOLAS! OPEN THIS DOOR AT ONCE!"

Deanna walked up to him and went to open the door "Allow me."

"Maiden...don't..." She opened the door "Look whoever your looking for is not he---" She quickly realized who it is and knelt before him "I am sorry your highness, I did not know it was you." She kept her head lowered afraid to look at him.

"I am looking for my brother Nickolas, he is here I know it."

"Well, look somewhere else." Said Christallina snappishly towards the Prince.

"Who is Nickolas?" Asked Anna, walking towards the door.

Nick kept silent for a moment then gave in not wanting to see the wrath his younger brother would bring upon these ladies. He sighed and stepped out from behind the door facing Anna "I am."

The three women looked at Nickolas. The main one that was shocked, was Deanna. "You're Nickolas...Prince of the Cartesan Empire?"

Nick looked over at his brother then at the ladies who had given him a home for the past few days "Yes I am. I lied and for that I am sorry."

"I knew something wasn't right. You could have told us...we would have understood...Right, Mama? Deanna?"

"Unless there was a reason behind the lie?" Anna spoke up

"There was actually..." Nick began "I was tired of being at the palace and I wanted to experience a different life. I wanted to tell you who I was, but then you would have treated me like the prince I am and not the commoner I had posed to be."

Deanna could not say a word, the man that she lusted over was a prince, one that had lied and decieved them.

"So...you do not wish to be prince?"

"No I do not wish to be."

"Nickolas listen to yourself, we have to get you out of here. Mother has been worried sick."

"Do you want to return home?"

Nick walked to Deanna and looked into her eyes "I do not wish to leave." He then held her hands and she blushed.

Aaron looked on at the obvious public display of affection and felt his stomach lurch, he looked from his brother to the commoner not liking what he was seeing "You cannot be serious...Mother would be furious!"

"Oh, silence, you villain." said Christallina. "You have no right to come to our home, and do this...THIS! This is his home now."

Aaron walked to her and grabbed her wrist, saying through clentched teeth "You dare insult me?"

"Let me go! You ungrateful bastard child!"

He twisted her wrist "All hell would have to freeze over before I would let my brother be with that wench. You understand me commoner?" With her free hand she slapped him, but it only fueled the young prince's fire.

Suddenly galloping was heard from the distance, then an arrow was shot, and it hit between Christallina and Aaron hitting the wall of the house. Nickolas stepped away from Deanna and violently pushed his brother back "You will not harm her, you hear me?!"

He then looked up seeing Dorough dismounting his horse. Christallina rubs her wrist, and sees the person that yielded his crossbow.

"You dare harm an innocent young woman?" Dorough walked up to the prince, then placed the bow on the ground, yielding his sword.

"Dorough, what are you doing here?"

"I got lost. I came here to ask for directions to my home, and I saw you..."

"Right on time as always...I take it my brother has caused you trouble?"

"I was banished from the Cartesan Court...Forgive me, my fair Prince..." Dorough said bowing to him. "I could not stay in that palace one day longer."

"I cannot say I blame you, that is why I myself have left it behind."

"My Liege...you are the only one that I serve. But whatever shall you do, now that you have disowned the throne?"

"I shall stay here these ladies were kind enough to take me in and give me a home." Nickolas said smiling at Deanna

"Mother will not be pleased."

"I do not care for her, nor you."

"Silence." commanded Dorough, placing the sword on his neck, Aaron gulped taking a step back.

"You will let him treat me this way?" Aaron asked looking over in the drection of his brother

"After the way you treated Christallina I should say I would."

Christallina jumped back, her hands to her chest, smiling at Dorough's fine swordsmanship. "I...I'm impressed, kind sir..." said Christallina, softly to Dorough.

"Fine I shall make a proposition...you tell Mother I will come back one on condition..."

"And what might that be?"

"That Deanna comes with me. If not then I shall give up the throne and stay here in the village."

"She will not go for such a thing."

"That is the only way...being here has shown me what I've been missing. Anna has been more of a mother to me then ours had for all of my 21 years, Christallina I consider a dear friend, and Deanna has shown me that there are more things to life then just power and jewels."

Deanna was dumbfounded, was he talking about...? She didn't know he felt the same way.

"For your sake I will tell her, I shall return with her news."

"Very well, now go. You are not welcome here."

Aaron quickly backed away walking up the dirt path.

Christallina had not heard of what happened for she was lost in the looks of the Latin Knight. "Kind sir? What is thy name?"

"My name is Dorough...Christallina, I presume?"

"Ye--yes..."

"A beautiful name..." He reached out and kissed her hand, looking into her eyes. She nearly melted at his stare.

"Christallina I take it your wrist is well?" Nickolas asked as Deanna went in the house

"What's that?" She asked in a dream like state.

"I take it your wrist is well?" Nick repeated

"Oh! Yes...it's fine..."

Dorough walked closer to her smiling and touched her face. "Has anyone ever told you, that you have a beautiful face?" Christallina smiled, then fainted, Dorough quickly caught her.

The moon was full, and everyone was in the little cottage, eating dinner.

"I cannot believe him hurting me, and trying to whisk you away like that."

"That brother of mine does not care for others like I do." Nick smiled at her then continued "And Dorough is one of the kingdoms best knights and one of my closest friends."

"That, I am. And you, maiden..." He looked over at Deanna

"Are no wench...I am sorry for the insult he has given you."

"Thank you kind sir it is much apreciated."

"A thousand times welcome. You would make, may I add, a fine princess."

"You made Mama cry when you said she was like a mother to you."

"Well she is..." Nick looked over at the girls mother "Don't you agree?"

"Yes...and you are like the son I never had...you are God's gift to the world, my child."

Deanna smiled pleased with her mother's comment.

"Thank you for saving me, Dorough..."

"It was no problem at all fair maiden..." Dorough smiled and brought her hand to his lips kissing it.

Anna got up from the table and walked into the kitchen but not before stopping in the doorway to admire the sight. Her daughters were not going to be put through this any longer they each had a loving man to look after them. She did not want to see them grow up this way and god had finally answered her prayers. She smiled when she saw Nickolas take Deanna's hand in his and kiss it which caused her to blush. And Dorough sure seemed like a nice enough lad, he was a close friend of Nick's afterall.

"If you will excuse me I must go help Mama in the kitchen."

Deanna got out of her chair and looked back at Nickolas who gave her a smile. She then went into the kitchen to help her mother.