Hi! Oh wow, I'm on a major high right now from finally finishing this chapter that I have been working on now for months whenever I found time. So happy. I have enjoyed finishing it off and I hope you enjoy reading it. I just want to say that it is the reviews I receive that keep me going. Every now and then I would get one and it would give me the push to write a few words. It was RenZombie who gave me the final push tonight and got me to finish this chapter off so thank you, and thank you all so much! Also, it has been so long since being on here that the image thing for stories is new to me. I will work on getting a picture up, but if anyone wanted to help I would really appreciate it!

But without further adieu, enjoy!

Just one more...

The same phrase continued to echo in Ben Finn's thoughts after he settled himself down at the crate the rebels were using for a gambling table. His coin purse was considerably lighter, even through the fog of alcohol Ben Finn saw this and knew he should walk away but the alcohol was just enough to convince him otherwise. Just one more drink, just one more game, just one more playful wink and smirk at the barmaid smiling at him from across the table…

She really was a beauty. With full lips that always seemed to have a natural smile and eyes that demanded attention even from the far side of the room, she was a woman that Ben Finn would normally be found chasing after. It was practically expected of him from his fellow soldiers. By Avo, Ben had actually caught some soldiers betting on which barmaid he would bed last time he was on leave. Of course he grumbled about it but that didn't stop his flirting toward one particularly pretty blonde. Or the slightly smug feeling he got when he saw the disbelieving glances he got off the soldiers when he escorted said blonde from the pub that night.

This one was blonde too. Her eyes were the same as well; a soft blue with a twinkle that couldn't help but to suggest that this particularly barmaid wasn't as innocent as her soft demeanour suggested. In normal circumstances, this would be exactly the type of girl Ben would go for. But as he absentmindedly shuffled the worn and drink soaked cards, he couldn't help but find himself wishing for something else. Maybe if her hair was dark. But not too dark. Red. Colour of fire and passion. Yes, red hair. And her eyes… The blue may be soft, but it also lacks warmth. What I want is chocolate eyes. Sweet and warm. What I want is…

"Rose!"

The cry echoing against the curved sewer walls stirred him from his dangerous thoughts, the cards spilling from his hands. For a moment Ben looked around guiltily; his drink addled brain thinking for a split second that someone knew his thoughts, or that he was mumbling aloud, and called him on them. But when he finally focused after emerging from his daze, recognition came to him and his lips curled down in to a grimace as he desperately tried to find the source.

Of course the cry came from that boy. The boy who broke her heart. The boy who didn't deserve to have the look of anguish that now clouded his soft and pampered features. Ben could just see him over the crowd of greasy heads, his outline distorted by the choking smoke that seemed to cling to everything in the underground camp.

Finding her amongst the mass of men was surprisingly harder. Trying to ignore the rising irrational dread at the thought of her distress, Ben finally spotted her retreating figure disappearing down one of the many abandoned side tunnels.

Let her run, a dark voice whispered in his thoughts, she made it obvious she didn't want you. His bruised pride and the alluring call of the gambling tables, alcohol and the blonde made him falter for a moment, but only for a moment. Within a heartbeat of witnessing Elliot following Rose down the dark tunnel Ben was on his feet, silencing his fellow gamblers' protests by throwing down some of his remaining coins so that when he turned away the sounds of sudden violent scrabbling and some vicious swears followed him.

More grumblings and curses of the rebels followed Ben across the sewer as he carelessly shoved them aside to reach his Princess without a second thought. The only time he faltered was when the mass of scraggly rebels suddenly parted, propelling Ben in to a wandering woman, almost causing her to topple over.

"My apologies, m'am," Ben mumbled distractedly, hoping his politeness and charming smile would earn him a quick exit. He was already turning when her reply made him jar to a halt.

"No, no, no," the woman replied, obviously flustered by the way she was fiddling with the material of her dress and tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, "It was my fault. I was looking for my fiancé Elliot and didn't see you. Oh, but I'm rambling, I-" Maybe she sensed Ben's recognition for she suddenly cut off, a hopeful glint in her eye at Ben's sudden stop as she asked, "You don't know him, do you? Have you seen him? We were meant to have a meeting with Page but I got held up at the shelter."

The woman prattled on, oblivious to the new rage that Ben now felt for Elliot. Without another word he left leaving the bewildered stranger behind, his effects to reach the Princess strangely renewed, sure that now fresh pain for her was guaranteed, and Ben was desperate to help if he could. Ignoring the new shouts from the rebels he shoved from his path, Ben couldn't explain the sense of urgency he now felt, nor could he explain the relief he felt when he finally fell through the last of the crowd and in to the shadows of the narrow side tunnel.

That was until Ben caught sight of what lay before him. The sewers of Bowerstone were a tangle of passages, tunnels, stairs and dead ends. And Rose could be in any of them.

I wasn't fast enough, Ben cursed himself as he started trudging through the abandoned sewers that the rebels hadn't bothered to clear because they were useless to them, I'll never find them. He ignored the question of why he felt the need to find Rose and Elliot. She had shown plenty of evidence of how she could look after herself. But this was a different type of battle, and even with her harsh dismissal earlier Ben couldn't bare to see the same pain in her that he himself had felt so long ago. And then there was the smaller, darker part of him with the selfish reason. For surely if the Princess was hurt she would need a shoulder to cry on and who better than a strong and handsome soldier such as himself?

When he reached the first junction, Ben stalled as she stared down what seemed to be two identical tunnels, one continuing forward while the other curved round and returned back toward the main sewer line. Finally Ben pushed on forward, his instincts telling him that a hurt but prideful Rose would want to get away as fast as possible to avoid any eyes from judging her in one of her rare vulnerable moments. No matter how much Rose dented his pride and injured their budding friendship, he understood her need to appear strong and confident. Her need to appear a queen. Even if that meant that for those moments he was just a lowly solider, not worthy, no matter how he wished otherwise.

It was when Ben plunged his foot in yet another puddle of what was most likely a mixture of near freezing faeces and other waste that he stopped with a heavy sigh and slumped against the slimy bricks. He was lost. He didn't doubt that. What he did doubt was whether pushing forward or retreating back was the best course of action. He would enjoy seeing the sun again. And not becoming a midnight snack for one of the band of hobbs he was now certain scurried around him in the deep and forgotten sewer paths he now tread.

The idea of turning heel was an inviting one. Not far away, he hoped, the gambling tables, barrels of ale and a very willing barmaid were waiting for him. All in the warming glow of the fires the rebels constantly fed to chase away the shadows. The shadows that now haunted Ben. But even if he thought he could retrace his steps, which he didn't, the guilt of leaving Rose behind with him, Elliot, rested heavily on his conscience. Though why exactly still confused the part of Ben's brain that was still in deep denial about his exact feelings concerning the dear Princess.

Still squinting through the fog of alcohol, Ben had to pause and still his breathing at the whispers of a noise. There. Another noise. Definitely. Cautiously Ben restarted his march, careful to dodge any splashes of puddles or the clunk of loose stones that would alert a foe to his approach. Ben's fingers instinctively twitched upward in the direction of his always present gun strapped to his back but then froze. He heard the noise again but clearer. It was a voice. Rose.

Throwing all caution behind him, Ben stumbled through the last of a sewer tunnel, unexpectedly coming to a dingy chamber poorly lit by a slit cut high up in the sewer roof, causing him to skid to a halt but not before literally running in to Rose.

Despite being the one to barrel in to Rose, a woman much smaller and lighter than himself, it was Ben that spiralled backwards out of control, alcohol being against him and Rose's unnatural balance being on her side. Just before he was about to crash against the cobbles a small, surprisingly strong, hand reached out to stable him, allowing him to right himself and take in his surroundings, blinking wildly to try and clear his vision while he gulped for breath.

Meeting Rose's eyes he could have sworn that he saw the same sad guilt that had clouded her vision earlier before she dropped her gaze and quickly snapped back her hand as though Ben's jerkin burnt her. "Ben?" Rose questioned quietly, her voice cracking slightly. She was quick to clear her throat but she was still the smallest Ben had ever seen her. "What are you doing here?"

But his attention had now passed from the beauty and landed on the beast. Elliot did not look a bad man. In fact in another life, another time, he looked the type who was fair, just and friendly, and worthy of Rose. But that time had died long ago.

"You," Ben snarled, hurling himself at the other man, roughly pinning him against the hard bricks earning a pained grunt which Ben gave a satisfied smirk to in response, "It's time for you to leave."

Despite the fear in his eyes Elliot couldn't quite mask, his chin jutted out in defiance and when he spoke his voice hardly wavered at all, "And who are you to tell me what to do, soldier?" Ben didn't miss the look Elliot cast Rose, as though expecting her to put this lowly soldier back in his place, nor did he miss the pained guilt that flashed through Rose at this, but the words still hit Ben deep. Because no matter how much he ignored it, shoved it out of his mind with quips and ale, he was just a soldier. Not even that any more.

But Rose did not come to Elliot's aid. Or at least did not do what Elliot expected and order this soldier away so they could continue whatever they were doing before Ben stumbled in. Instead Rose gently, with obvious hesitancy, placed her hand on Ben's shoulder, trying to gain his attention, "Ben," she mumbled sadly, "Please." That was all she said but her tone spoke volumes and gave Ben a rare view of her inner emotions. And most of all she was simply tired.

"Sure, Princess," Ben replied. After all, he had sworn to serve his Princess and serve her he did. Ben let go of Elliot suddenly and pulled away from him, causing Elliot to stumble forward in surprise, almost landing in the grime of the sewer floor if he hadn't caught himself just in time. But as well as being a loyal soldier, Ben was an angry man. A childhood of hardships and suffering had made him that. The harshness of the army soon taught him that being angry would just lead to more trouble and from there Ben learned to cover up his anger with jokes, drink and women. So Ben couldn't just leave it at that. Especially with the alcohol fuelling his rage. "I wouldn't want to keep Elliot here from his waiting fiancé, now would I?" Ben muttered, almost pulling off the desired breezy tone.

Everyone froze. Elliot seemed torn between worriedly glancing at Rose with a begging look in his eyes and glaring at Ben, hatred clear in his stare. From Rose there was just… nothing. Ben instantly regretted blurting out the harsh truth and not being gentle. She needed to know but not like this. Now she just seemed broken as if her limit to process horrible news had just been reached. Internally cursing himself, Ben stepped forward, a comforting hand reaching out towards Rose but just as he did Elliot did the same, causing both of them to stop and glare at each other.

But the movement seemed to stir Rose out of her current stupor and she lurched backwards, though from Elliot or himself Ben did not know. "Elliot," Rose whispered. Her voice was small and sad but there was a definite harshness to it, "You heard Ben. Your fiancé is waiting." And just like that he was dismissed from her life. He did try to still come to her but Rose pushed him back, her composure finally breaking as she violently screamed, "Just go! Now!"

Elliot was quick to scurry away from Rose, casting one last pained look at her and a vicious look at Ben. Her emotional wall broken, Rose was overcome with wracking sobs. Ben was lost. It seemed like Rose had forgotten he was there in her moment of sorrow with her face in her hands. A scarred soul himself Ben had no idea how to deal with a crying woman never mind a crying woman who also happened to be a Hero and future Queen. There was the temptation of just quietly following Elliot's footsteps, leaving her alone to cry but the thought wasn't even finished before he knew he couldn't do that. Instead he carefully approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

At the contact Rose jumped suddenly as if she had indeed forgotten about him. The fear of letting him see her this emotional was plain in her eyes as she tried to push him away, not quite managing to form speech, her sobs still uncontrollable. But despite her shoves and flailing arms, Ben managed to somehow take hold of her shaking wrists, pulling her in to him until he finally managing to wrap his arms around her slender frame. "No way, Princess," Ben whispered softly in to her hair, "I'm not leaving you. Never." And with that a fresh set of tears clouded Rose's eyes and she surrendered, burying her face in to his chest.

In that moment they both drew comfort from each other. And in that moment both were terrified.