AUTHOR'S NOTE: God, it's been almost a year to the day since I've updated this. I can't believe it! I kept telling myself I would come back to it once I got over my writer's block but then RL happened. College has been insane, but I'm happy to say that I am officially a college graduate and with all the stuff for Descendants 3 coming out, I will definitely be finishing this story before it comes out. I thank all who have been with me since I started as well as any new readers. I hope you all like this chapter and let me know what you think!

"If you want to talk to him, I'm sure Jay will be back at the Tourney field running laps for the next hour or so…"

Audrey couldn't stop playing Evie's words over and over again in her head, her body still remembering that moment in front of the fireplace and even as she calmly called her driver, she knew she was a mess on the inside.

Should she change her clothes? Restyle her hair? Reapply her makeup?

She shook her head, getting into the car.

She was being ridiculous. Really ridiculous. She was a princess for goodness sake…princesses didn't get nervous over such trivial things like meeting a boy. Princesses smiled and batted their eyes and were cordial and polite about everything and everyone…

That tantalizing flash of brown skin the other day on the tourney field had her blushing all over again and she cursed herself for ever letting her eyes drift. It wasn't the proper thing. A princess would never let her thoughts go down such a…inappropriate path and never for a thief such as Jay-

"Would you prefer a rouge thief?"

"I don't mind that at all, Princess."

Audrey could recall the feel the heat of his skin and the intensity of his eyes as he leaned forward, his expression softened by the firelight… She raked a hand through her hair and let out a long breath. She needed to stop thinking about him for just a few minutes so she could figure out what she was going to do-

"Miss Audrey. We're home."

She blinked as her door was opened, stepping out, "Thank you, Christopher."

Audrey didn't look back as she walked up to the front steps, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she shut the front door behind her. She was slightly surprised to find her mother coming out of the parlor, with the Sultan and Sultana of Agrabah seated with her father behind her.

"Audrey, it's good to see you home."

She returned the hug, "I didn't realize we had visitors. I would've returned sooner."

Her mother waved her off, "It's alright dear. It was a last minute thing."

Audrey nodded, her thoughts quickly derailing into a panicked mess, the rather obvious reminder of that…accursed thief having her eyes flitting from her father to the couple. She was sure her mother had seen the exact instant it had happened, lips pulling down into a frown and a hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

"Sweetheart, what is it?"

"I…I…" She swallowed, suddenly nervous, "I have a date…I think?"

"Oh," her smile was relieved and a little confused, "You think?"

"It's…" She looked behind her mom, putting on a smile when Jasmine and Aladdin waved at her, "it's…complicated."

"Well, Aladdin and Jasmine are just about to leave. Would you like some help?"

Normally, Audrey would've politely turned down the help and just changed into her usual pink dress and cream pumps, but something told her that this meeting was not going to be what was considered the usual… "Yes, that would be great."

"Alright. I will be up as soon as possible."

Audrey smiled, waiting for her mother to return to parlor before practically running up the large staircase and into her room. She shut the door behind her and immediately glanced at the grandfather clock.

She had forty-five minutes until the hour deadline passed.

Audrey took the quickest shower of her life, deciding to pull her hair up into a high ponytail once she'd dried it. It was the hairstyle that finally gave her an idea for what to wear and she had just laid her outfit out when her mom came in.

"I don't think I've seen you wear shorts in a while."

She shrugged, "I thought I'd try something a little more casual."

"If I may ask…who is this boy?"

Audrey froze, "Uh…it's Jay."

"Son of Jafar?"

Audrey nodded, gathering up her clothes and heading to the bathroom. She cracked the door and set her things down on the counter, "Yeah…yeah, that's him."

Her mother was quiet for a couple of seconds, "He's a handsome young man."

She coughed, face burning, "Yeah…I guess so."

Audrey pulled on the low-rise denim shorts and lacy white halter top in silence, applying her usual make-up and perfume before walking out of the bathroom to find her mother seated at the end of her bed.

The queen turned, "Oh, you look beautiful."

Audrey smiled, bending over to strap on her matching sandals, "Thank you, Mom." She then looked over at the clock once more, the calm air shattering at the realization that it was only fifteen minutes until the hour passed. She'd be lucky if she got there on time… Audrey ran to grab her purse and phone, "But I need to go."

"Christopher is already waiting."

She kissed her mom on the cheek, "Thanks!"

"Have fun, dear."

The sandals made it a lot easier to hurry down the stairs and into the car, Audrey breathlessly giving her destination to Christopher before falling back against the seat with a long sigh as she finally took a breath.

He'd seemed to sense her urgency and managed to cut nearly five minutes off their time, pulling open her door, "Here you are, Miss Audrey."

"Thank you, Christopher."

Like the last time she'd met him on the tourney field, it appeared he was still running himself ragged again. She frowned, not really understanding the point of pushing yourself to exhaustion, but it seemed to work for him…so who was she to-

She turned the corner of the bleachers in time to see him pull his shirt off over his head and everything in her halted; her body, her brain, her heart; at the sight of sweat-slick skin glistening in the sun as he resumed his running back and forth across the field.

Her body was still frozen, but her head and heart were going haywire.

She'd been to one or two pool parties in the past, seeing almost all the princes shirtless at some point in the last few years…but none had the effect on her that this thief from the Isle seemed to have. She almost wished she was more artistic so she could capture the play of muscle underneath brown skin…

"Hey, Princess."

She blinked, her eyes lifting to his face, "Hello."

He tied his hair back, "What brings you out here?"

Audrey tried to of something…anything that wouldn't make her sound like one of the many girls that had followed him around at Auradon Prep giggling and sighing, but she'd never been a convincing liar. So, she finally decided on the truth, "I don't know."

Some trained diplomat she was.

He grinned, "You don't seem happy with your own answer."

She shrugged.

Dark eyes travel the length of her body, lingering on her bare legs, "No dress?"

Audrey blushed, somehow managing to keep her voice level, "Thought I'd try something a little different." She bit her tongue before she could ask if he liked it. She didn't want him to think he was the reason for the change…

A lazy smile curled his mouth, "Well, I like it."

She dropped her eyes, pausing when she found a thick, pale scar about three inches long just under his ribs. Her embarrassment faltered as she stepped forward with a hand outstretched, a frown pulling her lips down, "What happened?"

His grip was gentle as his hand caught her wrist, but his eyes were hard, dark…haunted. His voice was a sharp as a blade and just as cold, the polar opposite of the warm liquid-honey tone he'd used before just moments before…it was like he was a completely different person, "Nothing worth recounting."

"Sorry." She stammered out, cheeks flushed once again as she pulled her hand away. "I didn't-"

"No, it's…shit," He sighed, running a hand down his face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She swallowed, "You're alright. I shouldn't have asked about something so personal."

"You were curious is all," His easy smile was frayed as he walked back to grab the shirt he'd slung over the chain-link fence, "I'm guessing scars aren't too common here in Auradon?"

Audrey saw the scar on his lower back that was near identical to the one on his stomach, her heart clenching as she put the pieces of the violence dealt to him years ago together. What had done that to him? A knife? A sword? She was almost nauseous from the thought, "Uh, not really no."

He held the shirt in his hand when he turned back to her, leaning against the fence with that cheeky grin and folding his arms across his chest. His eyes ran the length of her again, "What about you, Princess? Got any scars?"

"Just one. Nothing of that…" she waved at his bare torso, "magnitude."

"Well then. Let's see it."

She held out her hand, baring the inside of her wrist. "Broke my wrist when I was eight."

He took her hand, thumb brushing over the mark.

Audrey was sure her entire body had stiffened except for the arm he held and her racing pulse wasn't helping matters. Her hand felt so small in his, cupped in his palm as gently as if he were holding something made of the finest glass…

Then he pressed his lips to her wrist.

She sucked in a sharp breath, meeting the dark, bottomless depths of his eyes and like that night in front of the fire, she felt drawn toward him. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, climbing into her chest and up her throat as he gently pulled her forward, words unable to pass her parted lips…

The hand that had held hers was now resting on the curve of her hip, the other cupping her jaw and tilting her head back. His eyes bore into hers, dropping to her mouth for just a second, "Tell me to stop."

She blinked up at him, her words coming out barely above a whisper, "I can't."

His fingers tightened on her hips, "Why?"

"Because…" Her hand rested over the scar on his stomach and felt the muscle tense under her palm. She held his eyes as she stepped forward, hands sliding up his chest and twining behind his neck, and watched them darken, "I don't want you to."

He lowered his mouth to hers and warmth exploded in her chest and spread outward, wrapping around her like a blanket until they were chest to chest, her lips parting beneath his with a gasp as fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt.

He tasted of spice and heat and promises…

Someone cleared their throat loudly and before Audrey could even begin to feel embarrassed at being caught in such a position, Jay spun and shielded her. She watched the lines of his back tense and coil, ready for anything.

"What can I do for you, Charming?"

If Audrey wasn't a princess she was sure something…unsavory might've slipped out. Instead, she let out a long sigh and stepped out from behind Jay, frowning at a very flustered Chad Charming and arching an eyebrow. "Yes, what are you doing here?"

"I was trying to call because I hadn't heard from you and I saw your driver leaving the field and…you're with him now?"

She felt Jay move behind her and she held up a hand, grateful that he listened. "Yes, I am."

The veiled disgust was now obvious in his curled lip and his chuckle was disbelieving as he looked between the two of them, "Wow, I…I can't believe this. You're actually serious right now?"

She very nearly face-palmed at his lack of understanding of what he'd just walked in on. She'd actually found him attractive at some point? Audrey put a hand on her hip, shrugging, "Yes. I mean…I could kiss him again if that'll drive the point home for you."

Jay snorted behind her.

Chad was aghast, "Who are you?"

"I am Princess Audrey, daughter of Queen Aurora and King Philip, and heir to the throne of Auroria." With every word, she took a step forward, and stopped when she was within arm's reach of the prince, "Who I decide to be with has no bearing on who I am."

He took one step back, then another, "He's done something to you…hasn't he?"

She scoffed, "Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"He's put a spell on you or…or hypnotized you like his snake of a father." He looked between them, his expression brightening like he'd figure the whole plan out, "That has to be it! I mean, there's no way you'd actually want to be with him-"

The sharp crack of her palm across his cheek was like a shot, snapping his head to the side with the force and leaving bloody scratches behind, "How dare you?! Telling me who I can or can't be with? You have no right to tell me my feelings are not my own!"

"Alright," he wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her back, "let's go Princess."

She spun in his hold, probably to ask him he wasn't angry at what was said, but the easy expression he wore was like the one she'd seen seconds after punching the stone column with his bare hands: his anger was tempered down for now. So, she kept her mouth shut as they turned away, taking his hand in hers.

She had little warning as he stopped and spun her around, drawing her in for another long, deep kiss and didn't regain any coherent thought until he pulled back. She finally registered the faint burning in her lungs when she tried to speak, "What…what was that for?"

He smiled, pulling his shirt back on, "Standing up for me."

She shrugged.

"You know, Mal and Evie will be sorry they missed that."

Audrey smiled, "I'm sure there'll be another opportunity."