Summary: Princess Caitlin of Central Kingdom is being forced to wed against her will, as her mother has seen fit to arrange a marriage between Caitlin and the heir of the neighboring Kingdom of Keystone. However, Sir Ronnie is Caitlin's dearest friend and not about to let her wind up in a loveless marriage with some prince when there is a very lovely, eligible princess Caitlin could wed instead...

Notes: This was originally meant for Femslash week earlier this year, but I didn't have time to finish it then.

The Princess Match

The doors slammed behind Caitlin and she flinched at the sound. Her mother, current Queen of Central, had not taken the revelation of Caitlin's... inclinations, well. As in, Caitlin's inclinations towards being attracted to the fairer sex.

"So it didn't go well?" asked Sir Ronnie, Caitlin's dearest friend and bodyguard. He'd been a knight of the realm for several years and was the first person she'd spoken to over her feelings for women. He'd been of great support in Caitlin's decision to come out to her mother.

"No. It didn't. She... she called me unnatural," Caitlin sniffled.

"I'm so sorry," Ronnie replied, holding out a hand in an offering of comfort.

Caitlin took it and threw her arms around his neck, letting him pull her into a hug. "She said that, for the good of our nation and to preserve the royal lineage, I'm to be married off to a stranger. She intends to enter negotiations with the Wests of Keystone. King West has a prince and a ward descended of the royal line of Allen who survived the destruction of his family's kingdom as a child."

Ronnie gave Caitlin's shoulders a quick squeeze and then released her. Glancing around quickly, he leaned in and said, voice soft so no eavesdroppers might hear, "if you wish to run away..."

She cut him off with a sharp shake of her head. "I couldn't abandon my country like that. Even though the idea of wedding a man is repugnant." The idea of partaking in a wedding night with a man, no matter how kindly he might treat her, was too awful to contemplate. "I'm scared," Caitlin admitted quietly.

"Whatever you need, Princess, I will support you."

"Thank you, Sir Ronnie."

An envoy was sent to Keystone the very next day. Ronnie was assigned to go with the messenger, a handsome looking young man by the name of Cisco Ramon. Caitlin, trailed by Ronnie's temporary replacement, had gone to see them off and quietly teased Ronnie when Cisco said something that made her dear friend and protector blush.

When Ronnie returned, a week later, he came straight to Caitlin and sent away Sir Kaylen. There was mischievous look in his eyes as he said, "King Joseph West of Keystone has agreed to send his children here for the spring and summer so that his eldest might have the chance to court you. Should the two of you be agreeable, then the nations of Keystone and Central may be joined through marriage to make both nations stronger in unity."

"The eldest." Caitlin frowned. "Prince Wallace is the youngest child, is he not? Then it must be his ward, Prince Bartholomew of the fallen kingdom of Allen." She sighed. Tales of Prince Barry spoke of a thoughtful young knight devoted to the people of Keystone. But he was still... well... a man.

Perhaps they could become friends in time, though.

It did not explain, however, the look upon Ronnie's face. "Prince Bartholomew is not the eldest," was all Ronnie would say when asked. Which was irritating and perplexing because the only other child King West had was Princess Iris, his daughter. Perhaps there was another child, lesser known? A cousin of the family, perhaps?

Certainly mother would have taken care to specify Caitlin was to be courted by a male heir to the West bloodline...

But Princess Iris West was said to be an intrepid investigator, who sought out those who would wrong her people and exposed their lies to the light of day. And, despite herself, Caitlin daydreamed of what the lovely Princess Iris might look like.

Princess Iris is more beautiful that Caitlin could have ever imagined. And she's so very kind.

The West siblings and Bartholomew Allen are introduced at court a few weeks after Ronnie and Cisco's return. Caitlin can barely spare a glance for Bartholomew or Wallace; she has eyes only for Iris, looking resplendent in a deep purple gown.

After the formal introductions are made, Iris seeks out Caitlin and asks for a tour of the castle. Caitlin can hardly say no - she can hardly manage to speak at all - but she manages a yes after a bit of stammering. She's so in awe of the other woman's beauty and kindness that Caitlin cannot help but be flustered.

They end up atop one of the walls overlooking the city beyond the castle.

"It's so beautiful from up here," Iris exclaims, gazing upon the view of the sun setting beyond the city's furthest boundary.

"It truly is," Caitlin agreed, unable to tear her eyes away from Iris's face. "So very beautiful."

Caitlin is never alone with Bartholomew ("Call me Barry, please.") Allen. Iris is always there, presumably chaperoning. Except...

Barry is forever insisting that Caitlin and Iris just pretend he's not there and giving Iris some very amused looks. If Caitlin didn't know better... if she didn't know better, she'd think Barry was chaperoning Iris and Caitlin, not the other way around.

Until one day Iris nearly kisses Caitlin and, head spinning, Caitlin drags Ronnie aside. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked, clearly amused.

"When you went to the Wests with Cisco to deliver my mother's request for our nations to be joined in marriage, what did you tell them? I know you did something, you've been far too smug and... Princess Iris..." Caitlin sent a wistful glance back towards the gorgeous princess.

"I told you. The eldest is here to court you. Princess Iris West is the eldest." Ronnie briefly put a hand upon Caitlin's shoulder and gave a light squeeze. "Don't worry about what I may have told his highness, King West. Consider me your fairy godfather and go court the girl."

Giggling, Caitlin returned to Iris and swept her off her feet for an impromptu dance. And this time... they did kiss.

When a thief steals from the city's grain, Iris investigates, taking Caitlin along with her. Barry and Ronnie at a respectable distance.

They discover a young man, formerly of high birth but cast out by his family for his inclinations. Hartley Rathaway, thieving not for himself but for all the city's poor. Caitlin's mother's laws would see the young man branded a thief for life and Caitlin cannot bear it. They let Hartley go and Caitlin begins at once looking into the various city charities, seeking ways to improve them.

Barry starts disappearing after that, perhaps seeking out a handsome young rogue who steals grain. Certainly there had been some quite significant looks that passed between them.

The courtship between Caitlin and Iris continues quietly beneath the Queen's very nose until the end of Summer when it's agreed by all parties that the wedding is to be had in Keystone. Only the Queen believes that there will be a groom instead of two brides.

By the time the Queen realizes what's really happened, Caitlin is walking down the aisle towards Iris and King Joseph is telling Queen Carla how proud he is of his daughter and how important the treaty to unite the Kingdoms is and how much he's looking forward to having Caitlin for a daughter-in-law... and all the Queen can do is sit there, fuming, knuckles turning white as she clings to her seat. To do anything else would risk war that Central could not possibly win.

Caitlin notices none of that, however, as she repeats the words of the wedding ritual and speaks her vows to hold Iris in her heart for all of time, such that not even death could part them.

"My love for you," Iris responds in kind, "transcends all barriers. Nothing shall part us. Not time, nor distance, nor death. My heart beats as one with yours until the end of our days and beyond."

Carla could not make her displeasure known during the ceremony, but afterwards Caitlin fears her vicious glares.

It's agreed that Caitlin and Iris will spend their honeymoon touring the two kingdoms and then come to live in the capital of Keystone for some time. Caitlin hopes the distance from Central Castle will give her mother's temper time to cool or at least afford her some protection from the worst of Queen Carla's wrath.

But Caitlin watches her mother's face grow increasingly red with restrained rage as the wedding celebrations continued well into the evening. And she knew this would not be the end of it. In fact, that very night as Caitlin went to her marriage chambers, she found herself ambushed by her mother and several knights of Central.

"The wedding was a farce and non-enforceable," Carla insists. "We'll be leaving now and you'll have a proper wedding."

"No!" Caitlin refused even as the knights reached for her. "I am married and I will never be unfaithful to my wife. Let go of me!"

Barry appeared as if from thin air, his brother Wally and a rather familiar looking Hartley Rathaway alongside him. Their swords held at the ready and forcing Carla's knights to back off.

"I will not be made a fool of!" Carla shrieked. "My daughter will... she will..." Caitlin watched in horror as her mother's hand pressed to her chest. And then the Queen collapsed.

Queen Carla's death is ruled a heart attack.

It's with a somber air that Caitlin and her new wife return to Central. They bear with them the queen's body for a state funeral. And when the mourning period is over, Caitlin shall be crowned Queen of Central Kingdom.

"I loved her," Caitlin cries, held tightly in Iris' embrace. "I loved her so much, for all that she hated what I am. Is it my fault she's dead?"

"No, love," Iris reassures her. "It was the hatred she held in her heart that killed her. You are not at fault for being true to yourself."

"Her laws forbid relationship's such as ours," Caitlin warned.

"Then your first act must be to overturn those laws. Central Kingdom is now yours to rule as you see fit. As your Princess Consort, I hope to be a source of strength, support, and advice you can count on," Iris offered.

"We shall rule together," Caitlin insisted. "As equals." Iris' responding kiss tastes so sweet, Caitlin knows that following her heart was truly the right choice.

Together, they'll make Central Kingdom flourish.

(Together, they'll create a golden age of prosperity.)