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It felt as if time itself stopped as Buffy and William stayed firmly in the other's grip as they danced. The music seemed to go on forever and Buffy wished it would. She had never felt as completely happy as she did at that moment.



The gathering was joyous and laughter filled the night. Stars hung heavily in the night sky and a gentle breeze flowed across the valley bringing with it warmth that seemed to cause every one's mood to crest.



As the tables were finally filled to capacity with food, Buffy and William were both disappointed when the music stopped and their dance was interrupted. When the elders stood and each raised a glass, Buffy smiled as the hobbits toasted them and thanked them for allowing them the pleasure of meeting them and providing them a reason to celebrate.



As William led Buffy to the table that had been prepared for them, the laughter was once again rising as the feast was served. There wasn't a person in attendance that didn't have something to smile about. As food and drink were consumed, Buffy had to remind herself of who she really was. All too soon, she and William would be on their way to Alcala and her new found happiness would be over.







Prince Angelus grew tired of hearing the old witch and Ethan drone on and on about the Trolothan. The spell which his father found to gain power over the beast had failed, and Ethan with furious with the outcome.



"Everything was right!" Ethan yelled as he threw a book across the room. "What went wrong?"



"A simple mispronunciation could have caused it to fail my lord," the witch said. "We shall try again and all will be well."



"I pronounced it right, you old bat!" Ethan yelled as he stared at the witch before stalking across the room and retrieved the book he had thrown. Opening it back up to the spell, he silently reread the passage again to try and see what had gone wrong.



"It's probably something simple," Angelus offered as he watched his father.



"It needs a catalyst," Ethan said quietly to himself. "The target needs to be defined."



"And that means what exactly?" Angelus asked from his seat next to the fireplace.



"It means, that in order for the Trolothan to collect the princess, he must first be familiar with the target." Ethan said as he continued to read. "Do you have anything that belonged to the princess? A piece of her garment perhaps?" He asked as he looked up from the book.



"No," Angelus said. "I didn't get close enough to her."



"Yes, because you were too busy playing with William to achieve your goal," Ethan said sarcastically. "Why can't you ever do anything right?"



"I almost had him!" Angelus said angrily as he stood. "If Elizabeth hadn't interfered we wouldn't even be having this conversation."



"Well, she did," Ethan said, irritated. "And all you had to show for it was a headache and a stolen horse."



"Yes, well William will have a reminder of that little battle forever," Angelus said, grinning. "He was seriously hurt."



"Not hurt enough for it to matter. You should have killed him."



"The blood," the witch said quietly. "Was it all yours?"



"What?" Angelus asked as he looked back over at her.



"Your clothing. It was covered in blood, was it all yours?"



"Probably not," Angelus told her. "As I said, he was hurt."



"We can use that," the witch said. "If we can't get the Trolothan to sniff her out, we can get him to find William."



"But we don't want him," Ethan said. "How will finding William get us the princes?"



"William will not leave her. Once we have control of the beast, we can direct him to retrieve her then. All we really need is a means to her and William will do just fine."



Ethan smiled as he read the passage again. "That just may work," he said. "Angelus, go grab your clothing."



"They've been washed. The blood is gone."



"I can get it," the witch said as she turned and started pulling bottles from the shelf. "We only need a drop."



"Very well," Angelus said as he turned and left the room.



"Are you sure this will work?" Ethan asked her. "If the Trolothan returns with William, I will be sorely put out."



"Do not fear my lord. All will be well."







Buffy smiled as she watched William dance with the third young lady that asked him. She had to control her giggles as the next one would step up to the small line that was forming and as much as she wanted to be his dance partner, seeing the smiles on the young girls faces was enough to make her still her desires.



The party was joyous and Buffy couldn't remember the last time she had such a wonderful time. The food that had been prepared was a welcome sight from the small amount she and William had been surviving on and laughter and conversation was coming from everyone.



As she sat watching William dance, she smiled as he glanced over at her. They talked through their dinner and Buffy found herself laughing almost constantly. Their biggest topic of conversation was that of the surrounding kingdoms and William had been very animated as he told her of the "sorry excuse for a prince" that lived in each. She wondered how he managed to know them all while she didn't. Being a princess gave her more access to them than he did, but he seemed to know almost everyone of them personally.



The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts went to Prince Edward. For him to allow his page to attend so many personal functions, he must be more relaxed than most. Anytime she attended an affair outside of Parissa, her lady in waiting attended with her, but was never allowed to mingle with the other dignitaries and the fact that William had, made her even that more curious about Prince Edward.



"A pixie for your thoughts," Talia said, smiling as she sat down beside Buffy.



Buffy smiled as she looked over at Talia before she returned her attention back to William. "I was thinking of Prince Edward actually," she said as she continued to watch William. "Just wondering what kind of man my future husband is."



"Ah, that," Talia said. "And what have you learned of him?"



"Well, nothing," Buffy said. "I was to spend the month with him, but by the time we actually make it to Alcala, our time will be almost gone."



"I see," Talia said, grinning. "Time means nothing if the heart is open."



"What do you mean?" Buffy asked as she looked back over to Talia.



"Well, things aren't always as it seems."



"You know, everyone here says that," Buffy said, as she chuckled slightly. "But I still haven't figured out exactly what they mean."



"Well, let's just say that no matter how dreadful things may seem, there is always a silver lining. You just have look in the right place."



Buffy glanced back over at William before she smiled sadly. "I don't think there is a silver lining in my future."



"Well princess, I think what you are seeking is right in front of you. You're just too blind to see it."



Buffy looked back over at Talia as she stood and walked away before she turned her attention back to William. "I see it Talia," Buffy said, quietly to herself. "I'm just powerless to do anything about it."



William was finally able to excuse himself from the small group of girls that had been monopolizing his time for the better part of the night, and was making his way through the crowd toward Buffy. He watched her as he approached the table but slowed his steps at the look on her face.



She was staring at him, but he really didn't think she was seeing him. Her eyes were slightly glazed over and a frown marred her beautiful face. She looked truly sad and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.



Making his way to the table, William sat down beside her, her eyes never leaving their current position. "Hey luv, something wrong?" He asked, softly.



Buffy slowly turned her head to him a few seconds later and it was all she could do to offer him a smile. "I'm fine," she lied.



"You sure?"



"Yeah," Buffy smiled.



William smiled back at her, not believing her before he reached down and took her hand in his. "How about a dance?"



Buffy smiled a true smile at that before nodding her head and standing as he did. She felt an enormous amount of dread as they walked to the makeshift dance floor, knowing that she was only prolonging the inevitable. She couldn't continue to live in a fantasy world of her own making. No matter how much she was enjoying herself, she could no longer pretend things were as they should be.



As she and William took position and started their dance, she moved closer to him as she let her eyes fall shut and enjoy one last dance.



William could sense something was bothering her. The girl he had left sitting at the table was laughing and truly enjoying herself. What he came back to was someone completely different. "Buffy," he said softly, "what's wrong?"



Buffy sighed heavily before opening her eyes and smiling up at him. "We need to continue on our way to Alcala," she said quietly.



"I know this," William said. "And I have every intention on seeing that you get there."



"We need to get there now. The longer we wait, the harder.the harder it will be," Buffy had to look away at that. She just couldn't make herself say what she needed to.



William smiled before hooking a finger under her chin and raising her head. "It doesn't have to be hard."



"But it already is," Buffy told him with tears forming in her eyes. "I can't just pretend that things aren't the way they are. Prince Edward is waiting. Parissa is waiting. I can't deny either of them, no matter how much I want to."



William knew this was it. He had to tell her now. "Buffy, there's something I need to tell you."



Buffy's heart felt as if it hit her stomach as she saw the look in William's eyes. She knew in an instant what he was going to say and no matter how much she wanted to hear him say it again, she couldn't allow him to. "No, you don't," she said quietly before she took a step away from him. "I already know and I can't bear to hear it again."



William watched, stunned as Buffy turned and ran. What had just happened? "Buffy!" He yelled before he hurried after her.



Talia and Bertram were both watching the couple and they shared a worried glance as Buffy ran from the dale with William following.



"Did he tell her?"



"No," Talia said. "Poor thing, she's so confused."



Buffy's tears were flowing as she ran toward Talia's cottage. She could hear William's footfalls behind her and the moment she had been dreading was now at hand.



William grabbed her just as she made it to the small white fence that surrounded Talia's cottage. "Wait," he said breathlessly as he pulled Buffy to a stop and turned her to face him.



"William, you can't do this!" Buffy yelled as she looked up at him and tried to pull herself away. "It's not fair!"



"What's not fair?" William asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"



"This," Buffy yelled. "This thing between us. It's not fair.to either of us. I have a responsibility to my people and you are only making it harder!"



"How am I making it harder?" William asked her, confused. "You're not making any sense luv."



"Stop calling me that!" Buffy screamed as tears streaked her face. "I'm not your love! I'm nothing to you! You are a page and that's all you'll ever be. Now take your leave and be ready to move on first thing in the morning."



William watched stunned as Buffy finally jerked herself away from him and ran toward the house. As the door to Talia's cottage slammed shut he blinked his eyes in confusion. "What the hell just happened?" He asked no one as he stared at the house.



Buffy ran into her room, slamming the door behind her before collapsing on the bed. Her chest felt as if it would explode as tears ran down her face. The pain of what she had just done was nothing compared to the gaping hole that seemed to be ripping through her heart.



Treating William in such a way was unforgivable, but hearing him confess his love for her again was just too painful. She couldn't let him say the words again, not now, not ever.







Dawn was finally approaching and Buffy was staring out the small window in her room. She spent the night in a fitful sleep, alternating between crying and trying to figure out a way to rid herself of the mess she created. She never should have let herself become emotionally involved with William. She knew this now. The thing she wanted more than anything was now going to destroy her.



Talia knocked softly on Buffy's door after hearing her almost tortured cries die down and entered a few moments later. She frowned as she saw Buffy lying on the bed, still in her dress from the party. Her hair had fallen around her face and the small flowers that had been woven through her locks had become dislodged and were now just a messy array of leaves and petals. Her eyes were red and swollen and tears were still silently falling down her cheeks.



"Princess, please don't be so sad," Talia told her. "Things aren't."



"Always as they seem," Buffy finished for her quietly.



Talia sighed heavily as she sat down on the edge of Buffy's bed and lifted her hand, pushing Buffy's hair away from her face. "Please believe me when I tell you that things are as they should be. Everything will be fine."



Buffy didn't have the strength to argue the point with Talia as she continued to stare out the window. She could see the sun lighting the sky in hues of purple and orange in the horizon as it slowly rose, and she sighed lightly before turning her head and looked at Talia. "Can you leave me now?" She asked her softly. "I wish to be alone."



Talia smiled, nodding her head before she stood and walked across the room. She wanted desperately to tell her everything she knew, but Bertram insisted that nature should run its course. Giving Buffy one last look, Talia offered her a silent prayer before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.







William stopped outside Talia's cottage, tying the horse Bertram had given him to the fence post before slowly making his way to the house. He had been moving in slow motion ever since waking that morning and the moment of truth had finally come.



Seeing Buffy again was going to be hard. He knew her distress was his own doing and as much as hated the fact that he was the reason she had cried, the fact that she would probably be angry with him forever wouldn't leave his mind.



Walking slowly to the house, William knocked softly on the door, and gave a tiny smile to Talia when she opened the door. "Mornin' Talia," he said quietly as she stepped aside and let him enter.



"Good morning William," Talia said as she shut the door behind him. "Buffy hasn't come out of her room yet; she didn't sleep very well."



"Figured as much," William said. "Can't say that I did either."



Talia laid her hand on William's arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze before she smiled and started through the house. "Let me go get her for you," she said as she entered the kitchen. "You can wait here."



William gave her a nod and watched as she left before he sighed and looked around the room. Breakfast had been made and already put away and from the looks of it, Buffy hadn't eaten. He didn't know how he was going to face her and not have a repeat of the night before. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to make Buffy happy, but he was almost positive he already messed that plan up.



Talia hurried back down the hall, her heart racing in her chest as she entered the kitchen where William was waiting. "She's gone," she said quickly as she looked at William. "She was there when I checked on her at dawn."



William didn't even give her time to finish before he darted out of the house. He could tell by Talia's reaction that Buffy had done exactly what he feared she would.she ran.







Buffy trudged up the hill and smiled as she saw the wide-open fields before her. It had taken her most of the morning to find the entrance to the cave that William had told her he had been led through to get to Verisha and after walking for what seemed like hours, she was finally leaving the Enchanted Forest.



A shiver of fear slithered up her spine as she stepped out of the confines of the forest and started to make her way across the field. She smiled as she saw a castle off in the distance. The early morning dew sparkled as the sun reflected off of the grass and as she walked, her eyes remained focused on the castle she could see in the distance.



She widened her step, hoping to make the last leg of her journey quick, but knew it wasn't to be. Alcala was still a good distance off and she knew it would be well past nightfall before she made it, and that was only if she didn't stop to rest.



She thought long and hard about what happened since the day she met William and she knew she had a responsibility to her kingdom, no matter how much she loved him. Once the sun had finally risen, she made up her mind and quietly left Talia's. Arriving in Alcala would be hard enough without having to do it with William and the more distance she put between them, the better.



With a heavy heart, Buffy bit back the tears that were still trying to come and straightened her posture as she walked. She would be queen by months end and in her first act as queen, she vowed to rid herself of the one thing that was sure to cause her life grief. William.







William rode to the cave's entrance, jumping from the horse as they neared the entrance. He practically dragged the horse through the cavern, while the sound of the waterfall rang in his ears as they approached.



Quickly guiding the horse down the small path that trailed behind the wall of water, William mounted the horse again and darted off in the direction he hoped Buffy had gone.



His heart was beating frantically in his chest as thoughts that Angelus would be waiting for her on the outskirts of the forest. She had no chance of escape on her own. Pushing the horse faster, William speed through the trees in hopes of catching her before Prince Angelus did.



As he finally cleared the forest, he stopped, looking in every direction for her and he sighed in relief as he saw her off in the distance. She managed to make it farther than he expected and giving the horse a nudge, he was off again.



Buffy could hear the distant rumbles of a horse and fear coursed through her. William had assured her that Prince Angelus would not stop his pursuit of her until they were safely in Alcala. Slowing her steps, she turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a lone horse coming toward her.



As the horseman quickly made his way to her, Buffy released the breath she was holding when she realized that it wasn't Angelus, but rather William, before she quickly turned and started walking again.



William couldn't help but smile as he saw Buffy turn and start marching across the field. She had to be the most stubborn woman he ever met and it was all part of her charm. As he quickly made his way to her, he smiled wider as he called out her name.



Buffy widened her step as she heard him call out to her before she started to walk faster. She knew she couldn't get away, but she wasn't about to just stop and make it easy for him. As she heard the horse stop, she had to make herself not stop as well.



"It's not like you can avoid me all the way to Alcala," William said as he jumped off the horse and quickly jogged to catch up with Buffy.



Buffy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as William fell into step beside her and she rolled her eyes when she saw him smile at her. She didn't know what he had to smile about. There wasn't anything amusing about any of this and she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face.



"Why'd you leave without me?" William asked. He chuckled softly to himself as Buffy jutted her chin out and walked faster without replying. "You going to avoid me all the way to Alcala or is this just your way of saying you'd rather not talk to me anymore?"



Buffy bit her tongue in attempts to still the words ready to fly. He acted as if nothing was wrong! Did he have a mental problem that she was just now realizing?



William sighed heavily before he reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her movements and turning her to face him. He could see fire in her eyes along with the same sadness he witnessed the night before underneath it all. He gave her a tiny smile before shaking his head slightly at his own stupidity. "Buffy, luv."



"I'm not your love!" Buffy practically yelled as she looked at him.



"Alright," William said softly as he looked at her. "Buffy, I've made a mess out of all of this and I'm truly sorry. I never meant for it to get this out of hand. I've never been one to think things through before I acted and I guess it finally came back and bit me on the arse like everyone said it would."



Buffy didn't know what he was talking about but she could tell by his tone of voice and the look in his eyes that he was being sincere. She pulled her arm free from his grasp but didn't turn and leave, like her rational side was screaming at her to do.



When William saw that she wasn't running, he felt it safe to continue. Clearing his throat and bracing himself for the onslaught of anger to come, he took a deep breath and continued. "I've only been in love twice in my life and the first time was such a joke that it nearly destroyed me. I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice and give my heart to someone that didn't deserve it, but I know that you do."



Buffy closed her eyes as his last statement reached her ears and she opened them when she felt his hand softly caress her cheek.



"I love you Buffy,"



"William, please don't," Buffy said quietly as tears filled her eyes. "Don't say such things. It isn't fair."



William let go of the horse's reins before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closely to him. "No it isn't. I should have told you from the beginning. I'm so sorry," he said as Buffy buried her face against his neck and started crying. "Please don't cry princess," he whispered to her as Buffy wrapped her arms around his waist.



Buffy couldn't hold back the flood of tears that fell as her grip around him tightened. He loved her and as joyous as it sounded it was tearing her heart apart. She felt his arms tighten around her and softly spoken words reached her ears before she realized it was her own voice. The one thing she promised never to tell him was spilling from her lips of their own accord and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself stop.



William smiled, placing small kisses across the side of Buffy's face as softly whispered words of "I love you" reached his ears. Buffy's cries were mingled with her repeated confession and as he drew her closer to him he felt his own tears biting at his eyes.



"I love you so much," Buffy whispered a final time as she cried before she lifted her head to look up at him.



William smiled happily as he leaned his forehead against hers and ran his hand over the back of her head. He never thought he would hear anyone say those words to him again and really mean it, but he knew she did. He could see it in her eyes. "And I love you, Princess Elizabeth," he said smiling before capturing her lips with his.



Buffy cried as he kissed her, her hold on him tightening as all the passion she felt for him finally broke through the protective barrier she surrounded herself in. She didn't know how, but she wasn't about to give up what she longed for. A man who truly loved her.



As they both pulled away gasping for air, Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him. A smile curved her lips as she brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. "Marry me," she blurted out as she clung to him desperately.



"What?" William asked with a chuckle.



"Marry me?" Buffy repeated as she pulled him closer to her and buried her face in his neck. "We can just leave; go somewhere where no one knows us."



William laughed as Buffy peppered kisses across his neck. "I can do that," he told her. "But we'll do it when we reach Alcala." William noticed her body go completely stiff and the pleasant kisses she had been giving him stopped before he lifted his head to look at her. The smile that was on his face fell away at the look on her face. "What's wrong?"



Buffy wasn't sure what she was seeing and she vaguely heard William's voice as she started up at the sky. What she thought had been a flock of birds seemed to be so much more as it approached. Fear instantly coursed through her body as William stepped back away from her and turned to look over his shoulder.



"Bloody hell!" William yelled as he grabbed the horse and quickly mounted it. "Come on!" he called out as he took Buffy's arms and jerked her up on the horse then giving a yell before they darted across the field.



Buffy stared wide-eyed as she clung to William and watched with fearful eyes as the creature advanced on them. She had heard tales of the beast, but never thought them real.



William continued to push the horse as they raced across the valley, trying to outrun the beast. He knew it was pointless and hatred coursed through his body, knowing that Prince Angelus and Ethan were behind the creature's pursuit. As the strong gust of wind produced by the beast wings began to descend on them, he held Buffy tightly to him as she finally screamed.







Ethan and Angelus were both smiling happily as they watched the scene play out in the cauldron. The witch managed to produce the catalyst to propel the beast and after a small change, the Trolothan had a target.



The almost sickening scene they witnessed between William and Buffy made them laugh almost hysterically as they saw the beast advancing undetected by the two. As William finally grabbed Buffy and sped across the valley, the laughter died as the creature advanced.



"This is better than front row seats in the torture chamber," Angelus said happily. "I would give almost anything to have seen the look of dear Will's face when he saw that."



"I'm sure it was priceless," Ethan said, grinning. "But the fun has just started."







William held Buffy tightly as the cry from the beast startled the horse and it reared up, effectively throwing them both to the ground. He watched as the horse fled, leaving them sitting before he quickly scrambled to his feet and pulled Buffy with him. "Come on!" he yelled as he practically dragged her across the field. He knew he'd never outrun it and his anger at Angelus was replaced by fear, knowing that he would lose Buffy to him.



Buffy ran as William drug her across the field and new tears were blinding her as she stumbled on the hem of her dress. Her chest felt as if it would explode as her lungs tried to suck in oxygen while they ran. As the silk fabric of her dress slipped from her hand, Buffy tripped, falling to the ground.



William stopped as Buffy's hand slipped from his own and he watched in horror as the large red dragon let out a deafening screech before swooping down at them. The look on Buffy's face as she turned and saw the dragon sent a panic through him as he ran for her.



The massive wing span of the dragon batted him away and before he could even process what was happening, Buffy's terrified scream echoed through the valley as the large clawed feet of the creature closed around her and picked her up from the ground.



Buffy's screams pierced his heart as he watched his love being whisked away before he turned, frantically searching for the horse. Running, William raced toward the now slowly galloping horse as Buffy's terrified screams filled the air.





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