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Buffy smiled, trying her best to not let the scowl threatening to surface show on her face as Prince Angelus went on and on about himself as if she cared.



He had to be the most arrogant man she had ever met. He had been talking for what seemed like forever, not once asking her a single question about herself, all he did was drone on about his land and his accomplishments.



She glanced around the room, trying desperately to see if anyone was available to rescue her from the hulky man who, along with his long winded speech, had a very hard time keeping his eyes from devouring her like she were the main course.



She smiled brightly as Prince Riley gave her a slow smile and her eyes brightened when he moved towards her. She sighed lightly, looking back over to Prince Angelus, who was surprisingly `still' talking as if she were hanging onto every word he had said.



Angelus looked up, his eyes tightening into slits as the Prince of Fannon approached.



"Princess Elizabeth," he said, smiling as he looked down at her. "Prince Angelus." He added, giving the man a nod of his head. "This is quite a spectacular event."



"Yes, the Queen finds no greater joy than entertaining." Buffy said, smiling in relief at her rescuer.



"Would you care to dance?" Prince Riley asked almost shyly.



Buffy smiled, looking over at Angelus. "Would you excuse me." She said as she stood, taking the hand offered to her.



"Yes." Angelus said, standing as Buffy did.



Buffy smiled as Prince Riley led her away. She had never been in such terrible company in her life and she prayed that her mother did not find Prince Angelus as the most suitable to rule her lands. Marrying a man she did not love was punishment enough without that man being a tyrant that she had a feeling he was.



"You look very beautiful." Prince Riley said shyly as he and Buffy made their way to the center of the room.



"Thank You Prince Riley." Buffy said smiling back at him. "You are very kind."



"Kindness has nothing to do with it." He said as he stopped and turned to her. "Rumors of your beauty have been spread throughout the lands, I see now that they were true."



Buffy smiled, a slight blush creeping onto her face. Prince Riley was a handsome man, tall and muscular and he was the first Prince she had spoken with that had actually spoken of her and not himself.



Buffy looked across the room as she and Riley began to dance. It seemed as if the entire room had stopped what they were doing to watch their dance. She felt like a display as the musicians played and the feeling was beginning to become more unbearable than pretending to be enjoying herself.



~*~*~



"Your Majesty, I can assure you your lands will be in the best of hands." King Raine said smiling as he spoke to Joyce. "Prince Angelus has mastered the arts of combat. Your armies will be well led by him with success I assure you."



"The royal army is well equipped to handle themselves." Joyce said smiling. "They have leadership that is substantial for our needs."



"Yes, but a strong leader with a grip on his troop is necessary for success."



~*~*~



Buffy was watching her Mother as she spoke with King Raine. A fear was creeping up her spine as the thoughts of her Mother actually choosing Prince Angelus. She smiled as she glanced back up at Prince Riley as the music slowly came to an end.



"Thank you for the dance Princess Elizabeth." Prince Riley said, bowing as he released her hand. "I do hope to get to speak to you again."



"Yes, that would be nice." Buffy said smiling as she bowed her head and turned away from him.



Willow laughed slightly as she saw Buffy turn and roll her eyes before making her way over to her. "I think she may be having an awful time."



"Well good." Cordelia said, eyeing the Prince of Faulk. "She should have let me take her place."



"Why does the sky not ever open up when you need it to?" Buffy asked as she stopped in front of her sisters.



"What is wrong Buffy, the company of every man in the country to much for you?" Cordelia asked snobbishly.



"Yes." Buffy said irritated. "There is not a single man in here worth spending one evening with, let alone the rest of my life."



"Well what about Prince Riley, he seemed to enjoy his dance." Willow said grinning.



"Yes well, he is also the most boring man I've ever met." Buffy said glancing at him over her shoulder.



"And what about Prince Angelus, he must be more entertaining than most." Cordelia said smiling as she stared at him. "I mean his looks alone should count for something."



"Oh please, I'd rather marry..." Buffy started, looking around the room. "King Rupert before I would willingly married Prince Angelus." Buffy added, seeing the King stand alone by his table.



"You would rather spend your life with an old man?" Cordelia said smiling.



"Yes, if Prince Angelus were the only option, then most definitely."



Willow and Cordelia laughed quietly, stopping when the King of Corsica passed them. The girls looked back at Buffy, smiling at her before their laughter started again.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~





Buffy walked the halls of the castle, the stone walls causing the soles of her shoes to echo its sound. It had been almost two weeks since the ball and her Mother had yet to pick a Prince for her.



She sighed heavily, her thoughts on every King she had seen coming to the Castle over the past weeks. The negotiations were long and she wondered what exactly they were discussing.



The presence of King Raine had been the most difficult. He had spent the entire day with her Mother and the thoughts of what had taken so long scared her. Of all the eligible Princes', Prince Angelus was the last on her list.



She had almost begged her Mother after King Raine's departure to not pick him. She wasn't sure what it was about Prince Angelus, but something was off about him. She had spent a great deal of the evening with him at the Ball and the more she spoke to him, the less she liked him. He was aggressive and quite frankly, he scared her.



"Princess Elizabeth, it is a pleasure to see you again." King Rupert said as he and the Queen stepped out into the hall.



Buffy was brought from her thoughts at his voice and she stopped, smiling at him as he looked at her. "As it is a pleasure to see you again King Rupert." She said smiling. "Did Prince Edward accompany you for the negotiations?" she asked, eager to meet him.



"No, I.I'm sorry he wasn't able to make the journey." King Rupert said smiling. "I do apologize for his absence, the boy..well; he is a little, head strong I guess you could say."



"I see." Buffy said smiling.



"Well then they should get along perfectly, wouldn't you agree?" Joyce said smiling brightly at King Rupert. "Buffy has a very stubborn streak herself, it will be quite an adventure for both of them."



Buffy's eyes widened, looking at her mother before looking back at King Rupert. "We will?" she asked, not liking the look on her Mother's face.



"Yes Buffy." Joyce said smiling. "I have decided to merge our Kingdom with Alcala."



"But.but I."



"Oh, please don't worry Princess Elizabeth." King Rupert said, seeing her concern. "I have arranged for you to come to Alcala early, so you and Edward may get to know each other before the marriage."



Buffy was to stunned to speak. Her mouth was open and a thousand questions and concerns were ready to fly from her mouth, but no sound was being made. How could she marry a man she had never even seen?



"I'll send a carriage next week, that should give them time to become acquainted." King Rupert said. "I look forward to seeing you again Princess Elizabeth."



Buffy stared at him as he lifted her hand, kissing the back of it before he said his goodbyes to Joyce. She watched him turn, walking down the hall towards the entrance hall, her eyes wide and her mouth still open.



"Oh Buffy, don't worry." Joyce said chuckling at her daughter's reaction. "If Prince Edward is any where near as charming as King Rupert, I think you will have a very happy and memorable life with him."



Buffy finally looked over at her Mother when King Rupert was out of sight, her throat finally releasing the knot that had formed. "I...why did, Mother, I've never even `seen' Prince Edward!" she said loudly, her eyes comically wide.



Joyce laughed lightly, the look on Buffy's face amusing her. "Buffy dear, you already suggested that Prince Angelus and Prince Riley not be on the top of my list." Joyce said, looping her arm around Buffy's as she turned and started down the hall. "I have spoken with every King who had an eligible heir and of all I have talked to, King Rupert was the only one who saw to the needs of Parissa.



"But, I've never even seen him." Buffy whined. "What if he's..he's.."



"Hideously ugly." Dawn said, eavesdropping in on their conversation.



"Exactly!" Buffy said, pointing to her youngest sister. "And what if he's mean..or..or worse, BORING!"



Joyce chuckled, walking down the hall with Buffy. "Buffy, King Rupert has arranged for you to spend time with Prince Edward. I am sure you will find something in common with him."



"But what if I don't." she whined, dread washing over her.



"Then I suggest, you be the Queen I raised you to be and treat your King with respect, despite his short comings." Joyce finally said, stopping and looking at Buffy. "I know this isn't how you wanted to marry Buffy, and I am truly sorry, but the Kingdom is of greater need right now."



Buffy felt the tears stinging her eyes. She knew a marriage without love would happen, she just never imagined it would hurt so much. She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears as she smiled weakly at her Mother. "I know Mother. I do understand and I will do what is needed." She said softly before turning and walking back down the hall towards her room.



Joyce sighed heavily, watching Buffy walk away. She hated more than anything that Buffy needed to do this.but they had no choice.





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~





"Come on Buffy, he may turn out to be a major Hottie!" Willow said enthusiastically as she lay across Buffy's bed, watching her sister pack her things.



"Yes, and what if he's a...four eyed toad!" Buffy said, handing Anya another dress.



"Then I suggest you kiss him senseless until he turns into a handsome Prince." Cordelia said, laughing wildly as Willow burst out laughing.



"You two are not helping." Buffy said angrily. "It will be hard enough to speak to him, let alone thinking of kissing him."



"Oh, and what about the wedding night." Willow said, wiggling her eyebrows.



Buffy turned, her face scrunching up at the thoughts. "Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick." She said, sitting down at her dressing table.



Willow and Cordelia laughed loudly, the look on Buffy's face worth more laughs than they had had in a while.



"I think she's turning green." Willow said through her laughter.



"Then she'll match her frog Prince." Cordelia said, the two girls laughing louder as Buffy buried her face in her hands.



Joyce knocked softly on the door before entering Buffy's room. The girl's laughter could be heard through out the castle and she wondered what they were doing.



"And what may I ask what is so funny?" Joyce asked, smiling as she walked into the room.



Buffy looked up, her eyes swimming in tears. "Please throw those two into the dungeon for me!"



Joyce looked over at Cordelia and Willow, frowning as she glared hard at them. "Girls, please go find something to do other than torturing your sister, I need to speak to her alone."



Willow and Cordelia stood, still chuckling as they left the room. Joyce turned, smiling at Anya before looking at Buffy. "Sweetheart, I know this is hard, but I promise you, it will not be as bad as you think."



"How can you say that?" Buffy asked, tears finally sliding down her cheeks. "I am about to go meet a man whom I am going to spend the rest of my life with and.and, what if.."



"Anya, will you excuse us please." Joyce asked, walking over to Buffy.



"Yes, your Majesty." Anya said, bowing her head to the Queen before leaving the room.



Buffy wiped her face, finally looking up at her mother as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She took a deep breath, trying to get the queasy feeling in her stomach to calm as she braced herself for the lecture she knew was coming.



"Buffy, what is bothering you the most about this?" Joyce asked her softly. "I know it has to be more than just the fact you have never seen him."



Buffy looked down at the ground, studying the stones before sighing heavily. "What does it feel like to be in love?" she asked her mother quietly before slowly raising her head.



"Oh sweetie." Joyce said smiling slightly. "Is that what all this is about? Love."



Buffy looked back down, tears filling her eyes again. "What if I never have the chance to feel it?" she asked quietly. "What if Prince Edward never makes me feel the way you said you did when you married dad?"



Joyce smiled, shaking her head before standing and walking over to Buffy. "Do you think I always loved your father that way?"



Buffy turned her head, looking up at her mother, the smile on her face confusing her. "But, you didn't have an arranged marriage."



"No, not in the sense that you did, but it was still arranged." Joyce told her. "I was betrothed to your father since my birth. I never had the option of choosing as we did for you."



"But you said you loved him when you married him."



"I did, very much." Joyce said smiling. "I was able to spend a great deal of time with him before the age of marriage, but believe me; we didn't always feel that way towards each other."



"Really?" Buffy asked surprised.



"Really." Joyce said chuckling. "There was a time when I would have rather ran for the hills screaming than have thoughts of spending my life with him."



Buffy finally smiled, thinking of her mother and father not getting along. "So, you grew to love him?"



"Yes I did Buffy. I loved your father immensely." Joyce said smiling sadly. "But it wasn't always perfect."



"So, you think I could learn to love Prince Edward?" Buffy asked quietly.



"I think if you allow yourself to be open to the possibility, then yes, most definitely."



Buffy smiled, looking over to the chest her things were in before smiling. "Well, I guess we'll see." She said, giving her mother a watery smile. *I guess we'll see*





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~





Buffy stared out the window, the morning sun just peeking its bright rays out over the hill. Prince Edward was to arrive today to take her to Alcala and her heart was beating faster as the minutes passed by.



It would take all day to reach his castle, which gave them time to get acquainted before their month long `courtship' would begin and the actual marriage would take place. She wasn't thrilled about leaving her home or her family for that length of time, but stepping into a marriage with a man she didn't even know was worse.



Her eyes widened, seeing the faint outline of a carriage coming towards the castle off in the distance. She felt as if her heart would break through her chest any minute watching the slow moving carriage coming closer.



"He's here!" Dawn squealed as she ran into Buffy's room. "Are you excited?"



"Oh yeah, just about to die from all the joy." Buffy said sarcastically, turning to look at her baby sister. She smiled in spite of her nervous stomach, Dawn's smile brightening her mood.



"Come on." Dawn said, grabbing Buffy's hand and dragging her towards her door.



"Hang on." Buffy said, pulling her hand back and turning towards her dressing table. "I have to make sure I look presentable."



Dawn rolled her eyes, smiling as Buffy brushed her hair. "For someone who was so worried about meeting her future husband, you sure are awfully concerned about what you look like."



"Well, I don't want to make a bad impression." Buffy said smiling. "Just because he's a troll doesn't mean I have to be."



Dawn went to Buffy's window, bouncing slightly as she turned back around. "Well, looks like you're about to find out. "She said happily. "The carriage just stopped out front."



Buffy took a deep breath, laying her brush down before standing. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to her sister.



"As beautiful as always, now come on." Dawn said, dragging her from her room.



~*~*~



Buffy could see all the movement outside as her things were being loaded into the carriage. She was having trouble breathing as she neared the door, knowing that Prince Edward was waiting.



"Buffy dear." Joyce said smiling as Buffy walked outside. "There seems to have been a slight change of plans."



"Oh, what sort of change?" she asked, looking towards the carriage as a tall dark haired man finished tying her trunk down as he spoke to the man standing by the carriage door. She looked around, not seeing anyone who looked as if they were a Prince.



"It seems Prince Edward wasn't able to make the trip." Joyce said, "He sent his page to see you to his castle."



Buffy wasn't sure if she felt relieved or more anxious at the news. The awkward meeting would have been stressful enough, without the added pressure of spending an entire day trapped inside of a carriage trying to find things to talk about.



Buffy looked over towards the carriage, watching as the two men spoke briefly before the dark haired man walked to the front and checked the harness on the horses. She glanced back to where the other man was, smiling politely as she saw him turn and face her.



Her breath caught in her throat as he finally turned and she saw him. She wasn't sure why her heart seemed to speed up as he slowly walked towards them, but the slow, almost predatory stride as his approached had her breath coming faster as she stared into the bluest eyes she had ever seen.



Her mouth opened slightly, her eyes studying the lean form coming towards her. His dark blonde hair, curling wildly on top of his head only accented the sharp line of his cheekbones. *wow* she thought, her smile widening as he finally stopped in front of her.



"Princess Elizabeth." he said, smiling before bowing his head. "Prince Edward sends his apologies for not being able to see you to his Kingdom personally."



"Oh." Was all Buffy managed to get out. His voice was deep and the sound of it sent a shiver up her spine. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was staring at her and the intensity of his gaze caused Buffy's face to flame as she blushed.



"My name is William and it is a pleasure to meet you." He said, smiling slightly as he reached for her hand, placing a light kiss on the back of it before releasing it. He didn't think he had ever seen a more beautiful creature as he looked at her. Her skin was golden and her hair was like spun gold, flowing down around her shoulder. Her light blue dress only made her honeyed complexion glow and he smiled in spite of the pounding in his chest.



"Will, we must be leaving if we are to make it before nightfall." The dark haired man that now sat atop of the carriage said smiling as he looked over towards them.



William finally tore his eyes away from Buffy, smiling as he turned to the carriage briefly before looking back over to Buffy. "Shall we?" he asked, giving her a smile.



"Yes." Buffy said, returning his smile before turning to her mother.



"I guess this is goodbye." She said quietly.



"Everything will be fine." Joyce said, smiling as she reached out, pulling Buffy into a tight hug.



Buffy hugged her mother tightly to her, closing her eyes and taking in her scent. She smiled as she released her, turning to her sisters.



"I'll miss you Dawnie." Buffy said, hugging Dawn before saying goodbye to her other sisters.



"You know, if the Prince turns out to be a dud, you can always snag his page." Willow said wiggling her eyebrows as she looked over to the carriage where William was waiting.



"Willow." Buffy said shocked, shaking her head.



"What?" Willow said quietly as she smiled big. "I saw the way you were looking at him."



Buffy tried to look irritated at her sisters' comments but failed miserable as a smile crept up on her face. "You're terrible." She finally said, taking a step away from her.



"Maybe, but you have to admit, not bad.not bad at all." Willow said quietly, looking back over to William.



William was watching Buffy say goodbye to her family. He had heard the rumors of her beauty, but never imagined she would look like that. Why a girl as beautiful as she was needed to have an arranged marriage was beyond him.



He smiled, looking at her as she turned as started towards the carriage. He reached for the carriage door, opening it for her as she approached, his eyes firmly locked on hers as she slowly made her way to him.



"Ready?" he asked, smiling as she seemed to blush and shake her head as she looked at him. "Right then." He said, his smile increasing as he took her hand and helped her into the carriage.



Buffy sat, taking a deep breath as William stepped into the carriage. She smiled at him briefly as he closed the door and she looked over, seeing her family wave at her as William signaled the driver.



She waved to her family, the carriage jumping to a start and her fears of meeting Prince Edward were pushed to the back of her mind as her newest fear sat directly in front of her. Never had she seen a man who literally made her heart skip a beat with just a look and the fact that Prince Edwards page had done that caused the butterflies that had been hovering in her stomach all day to set to flight and swim faster than they had in weeks. She glanced up at him, looking away as he was staring at her. She felt her face heat up as she stared out her window, watching her home get further away.



William smiled, watching as the girl in front of him blushed a bright pink when she looked at him. He held back the chuckle he felt rising in him, settling for a wide smirk instead. *This one's going to be fun.* he thought as he settled back into his seat, his eyes still locked onto the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.





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