Author's Note - I do not own these characters, so please don't sue.

The story you are about to embark on is a long story with many fun twists and turns. It's rated PG-13 for some of the more adult situations contained in it. I'm posting it here on Fanfiction.net in one big chapter because it was written a while ago, and FF.net doesn't make it easy to break up "pre- written" stories. So this story, if you were to print it out is 160 pages.

I'm horrible at summations, and don't want to give anything away, as I always try and surprise people with my yarns.

I've tried to create fully rich and complex characters in this fiction, and it is really about the strong bond of love, friendship, and ultimately acceptance that we all seek in life, no matter our station. This story will make you laugh and cry. Have fun reading it, and please visit my website http://www.eclipsemagazine.com , and please feel free to email me your comments at [email protected]

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Destiny's Love

Part 1 - New Beginnings

*I'm free - finally free from my gilded cage* thought the young man as he rode off into the thickness of the night. *This time nothing will stop me from escaping* he thought with a huge smile on his face. His heart was pounding faster than it ever did, for the first time in a long time he felt truly alive. He loved the feel of the wind on his face and the sounds of nature in his ear.

He figured he had about a two or three hour head start on his soon to be pursuers and he wanted to put as much distance between him and them as possible. As he forced his horse to go faster and faster his horse stopped suddenly, throwing him into the bushes. Causing the man to fall hard on the ground. "Ouch!"

The man got up and wiped the leaves and dirt off of his clothes, muttering curse words to himself as he walked over to the horse. "Now boy, what's wrong?" The man looked at the horse, trying to figure out what spooked him. He didn't see any snakes or wild boar around, and then he saw the horse shuffle his feet. He looked curiously at the horse's foot. "Oh, no!" His eyes went wide when he saw the horse's shoe lying on the ground over in the bushes.

The man's shoulders drooped, he felt defeated, "there's no way I'm going to get to Genoa with this horse, and Laurent will soon be hot on my trail." "I'm not going back, I will walk to Genoa on foot if I have to!" He thought with determination. The man checked his sword and dagger, and the pouch that was carrying a large stash of gold coins and his ring.

He looked at the ring and smiled, "this ring will get me anything I want if I come upon dire straights. Hopefully I won't need to use it, for if I do, word will surely get back to my parents." The man was feeling pretty proud of himself, this time he thought of everything. He had a pouch full of gold coins that will allow him to live comfortably for several years, as a contingency plan he'd carefully hidden other such pouches throughout his route, just in case something was to happen to the one he was carrying - or if he ran out of money. He had peasant and plain clothes stashed throughout his route. He knew that he had to get out of his Royal clothing and cape if he had any hope of concealing his identity and getting away. He thought of everything but the possibility that something would happen to his horse. "How could I be so stupid as to not plan for that?"

As the man cautiously started to walk off into the night he spotted a manor down the road, "they must have horses!" He excitedly ran towards the farm, he was going to knock on the door and ask to borrow a horse, but decided against it, if the residents of the manor recognized him, his well thought out escape would be over before it started, he decided it would be best to 'borrow' a horse.

He quietly snuck into the barn and looked over the horses, he saw an old stallion that for some reason seemed to fit him. There were younger horses he could've 'borrowed' but he was inexplicably drawn to this older stead. It seemed to need him, to want him. He walked over to the horse and studied him carefully. The horse looked back at the man, he would've sworn the horse smiled at him. The man was curious where he was, so he looked around the barn to see if the name of the owners were anywhere to be found. Strangely enough there were no markings on the barn or on any of the horses.

The man found that strange, as most manors of this size are emblazoned with the family crest of the owners. The man looked at the horse again and walked around the back. The horse he was taking was the only one to have a brand. "AdB." "Hmm, I wonder who that could be?" For a moment, the man felt a pain of guilt for taking the horse he was the only one and thing in this entire barn with a brand, he must be very special to the owner.

However his need to get away overcame his momentary feeling of guilt, for the owner's trouble he left a small pouch of gold coins. "Ok, boy what do I call you? How about Utopia? That name is fitting for you will take me to my paradise of freedom, away from 'specific obligations' and 'royal protocols'".

A huge grin formed on his lips as he mounted the horse and continued to ride off into the night, reveling in the newfound sense of freedom he felt and the adventure that awaits him.

***********************************************

"He does not love her milord" Said Queen Marie of France.

"What does love have to do with anything? I signed a marriage contract with Spain, and that boy is going to darn well live up to it. Even if the Royal Guard have to drag him to the alter in chains." Said King Francis.

"Milord if you continue to put this pressure on him, I fear he will do something foolish."

"What could he possibly do that hasn't already embarrassed and humiliated us? That boy needs to grow up and learn to take responsibility for his actions. He was born to great power and wealth, and with that comes specific obligations!"

"Milord, a sapling cannot grow in the shadow of a mighty oak."

"That boy needs a good whipping. We have spoiled him. If he is going to be King he needs to start accepting his responsibilities."

"Milord, All you are doing is driving him further and further away. He will denounce the crown if you two do not stop this endless bickering and fighting. Is that what you want?"

"No, dear, of course that's not what I want, but what would you suggest. He needs to settle down. He's become too stubborn, it's like talking to a mountain."

Marie touched Francis' arm and said calmly, lovingly, "Dear your son's calling is a voice that only he can hear. All the yelling, posturing and plotting will not drown that voice out. The only solution for you is to become a river."

"A River?" Francis said calmly. He always valued Marie's opinion she had an amazing way of disarming his temper and mediating these disputes between he and their son.

"Yes, a river is much stronger than a mountain." She said casually.

"Really, how, pray tale?"

"Well, a river's strength is derived from its fluid nature. Create a dam and it'll find it's way around it."

"Milady, how do you propose I get around our son?"

"Milord, as I've been saying for the last few weeks, a treaty should be formed between Kings out of trust and friendship. Not using our kids as bait. If there was ever a war, between Spain and France, or France and any other territory whose side do you think Princess Gabriella would be on? She would have no true reason to be our ally."

Francis mulled this over for a few minutes and then looked lovingly at his wife, "perhaps you are right my dear. What would his reaction be to a compromise?"

"Compromise? You?" Marie said with mock horror.

"Now don't you start, if love is what our son seeks, I propose we give him seven days to seek it out, if he doesn't, then I will select his bride." He looked at Marie who was mulling the idea over, "Milady, I need your full support on this or we'll never convince Henry."

"I think it's a marvelous idea."

"Tell me, do you really think he can find love in seven days?" Francis asked.

"No, but at least you are giving him the chance to, and that's all he can expect from you. It's a good start for the two of you." Marie said with pride.

Francis smiled, "Let's go tell him the good news now."

"But milord, it's 1 am in the morning." She chuckled at the excitement in her husband's face, for the first time, she felt like her son and husband were finally going to start having a dialog.

They walked down the long castle hallways and headed towards their son's wing of the castle. He wanted this part of the castle because it was the farthest away from him and his parents, and the Queen let him have it, recognizing that her son needed to have some semblance of freedom.

When they finally got to his chambers, they saw the guard standing watch outside his door as usual. "Is our son in? Is he alone?" Asked the King, the guard shook his head.

King Francis then motioned for the guard to knock the door, when there was no response, the King ordered the guard to knock louder, he knew his son was a light sleeper and when he didn't signal for them to enter, he ordered the guard to open the door.

Francis and Marie barged into his chambers, "Guard! Where is our Son!"

"Is...is he not in his chambers?" The guard asked nervously.

The King barged up to him, "I wouldn't be asking you where he was, if he was? Now would I? Call out the guards, now! Get Captain Laurent!"

Marie looked around Henry's room and noticed that all the tapestries were gone, *Oh, no* she thought to herself as she walked over to the large window that overlooked the back of the castle grounds, she looked over and saw, that someone made a rope out of the tapestries and climbed down the side of the wall.

"Milord, you better come and see this."

King Francis's cheeks went red with anger as he felt the frustration build up inside of him "He's run away! Again!" He looked over and saw his wife quietly sobbing with worry, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

Francis promised himself that this was the last straw, this time when they finally catch up to Henry he would make his son pay dearly and he would strike back at him anyway he knew how. Henry's days of irresponsibility were over.

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Part 2 - New Beginnings Part B

As Captain Laurent headed towards the King and Queen's personal chambers he was lost in thought, dreading the confrontation that was about to take place. When Lieutenant Donovan came and burst into Laurent's personal chambers at 1 am, he knew from the expression on the Captain's face what happened, before he even spoke the words.

The Captain of the Royal Guard was not having a particularly good week, between run-ins with King Francis, and consoling his childhood friend, Prince Henry, he felt like he was a part of one of Henry's and the Marquis De Lamont tennis games, only instead of being a participant he felt like the ball. Bouncing back and forth between King and Prince, Father and son, it was a position he didn't like to be in. If he betrays the Prince's confidence, he betrays his best friend, if he betrays King Francis he could lose his head. Although deep down inside he knew that King Francis thought of him as a son and would never do such a thing, never the less the fear was always there.

King Francis had stepped up his efforts over the past week to force his son to start accepting more responsibility and his latest gambit earlier this week, the marriage contract with Spain would no doubt force Henry to do something rash and foolish, leaving a mess in his wake, which Captain Laurent would no doubt have to clean up.

Henry promised the Captain that he wouldn't run away again and the Captain didn't believe his friend for a second, he quietly doubled the guard around the castle and put lookouts along Henry's usual route to Paris. He knew his friend well and used to participate in these games when they were children, so he knew his methods and tried to anticipate them and plan for the inevitable.

Laurent always thought that these escapes were a childish cry to get his commanding father's attention, the Prince had told him often of his dreams to run away to Paris and always followed the same route. If he really wanted to escape he wouldn't be so sloppy about it. Normally he would order the guard to back off a little bit and let the Prince getaway for about an hour before going after him and "tracking" him down.

He figured these little escapades would allow Henry to get it out of his system, as well as send the message to his father, but something was different about this time. The marriage contract was truly driving his friend mad with anger and frustration.

Before he spoke with the King and Queen he decided to gather some evidence first so he took a little detour to the Prince's room and looked around for evidence. This time Henry was a lot smarter about his escape, when he went into the Prince's room, he was the first to notice that Henry's secret fortune in gold coins was gone.

When Laurent left the chambers and started back towards the King and Queen's quarters, he saw a stable hand standing nervously in the main hallway, stable hands were not allowed to come into the grand hallways of the castle unless they were summoned. Captain Laurent walked up to the man he tried to recall his name, Jean-Paul, that was it. He was the Prince's personal stable hand and Henry seemed to genuinely like the young lad.

"Yes, Jean-Paul, what are you doing inside the castle? You know these grounds are off limits."

The young stable hand nervously looked down and shuffled his feet he didn't know where to begin. "Well, Sir, I heard about the Prince tonight..."

"What do you know!" Laurent commanded.

"I...I...well..."

"Spit it out" Laurent interrupted.

"Earlier this week the Prince asked to borrow some of my clothes, and paid me 20 Gold coins to keep silent. I...I...didn't think nothing of it at the time, and my mother and father really needed the money, so I didn't see any harm in his request and after all he is the dauphin. I didn't want to disobey him..."

Laurent was considering this new piece of information when, Jean-Paul continued, "...a few minutes ago, the Prince's stallion returned to the stables with a shoe missing."

The Captain grabbed the poor frightened man's shoulder's "which direction did the horse come from?"

"A guard said the horse was found over by the west gates" Jean-Paul said pointing in the direction behind the castle.

Captain Laurent digested this bit of information, and was getting ready to mount his horse to go and look for Henry. *He must be heading towards Genoa, unless the Prince took this route to throw them off the trail, all the while thinking of doubling back and heading towards Paris* Laurent was getting ready to call out the guard when he remembered he still needed to speak to the King and Queen.

"This time he's gone to far!" Roared the King.

"Francis, this was bound to happen, you two are like a candle and a flame, something was bound to get burned. When Laurent gets here, try and remain calm, I'm sure the Captain will find our son in due course." Marie tried to calm the King down by playing to his ego, she touched him on the arm "That was a brilliant idea making his close confidant and childhood friend his personal guard."

"Well where is he? I sent for him over an 15 minutes ago!"

Laurent stood outside the door and heard the King's tantrum. He straightened his clothes, and looked at the guard standing outside the King's personal chambers, the guard shook his head, "I don't envy you Sir".

Captain Laurent, nodded his head slowly, breathed deeply, and whispered to himself, "Just Breathe..."

*******************************************************************



Part 3 - The Price of Honor

As Henry rode off into the night, he patted his new horse Utopia, "You are indeed a spirited horse." For some strange reason he had the incredible feeling that this horse was going to hold the key to his destiny. While sitting atop its noble back he felt at peace with himself for the first time in his life.

His life was finally his own, he felt sorry for the anguish that he was causing his dear mother whom he loved more than anything in this world, but he felt like he was left with no other options. "Father drove me to this rash action" he said into the air. He promised himself he would figure out a way to send word to his parents that he's safe, without giving away his location.

"What will I do when I get to Genoa?" He said, thinking, "I'll buy a small little house in the country and breed horses. Maybe once I'm settled in, I'll finally be able to find friends and someone who'll love me for who I am, and not what I am."

"That's going to be a difficult task once my father institutes a full blown search for me, complete with a 'bounty on my head.' My face will be plastered all over the kingdom." He grimaced, Henry figured that realistically he probably had about two or three weeks of real freedom before his father eventually tracks him down and drags him back to the castle. His father, always worried about perceptions, would not institute a full blown public search campaign for about two or three weeks.

As he continued to rise, he smiled as he saw dawn break, and still no sign of Laurent on his trail, he was finally going to succeed in his escape. In the past all his escape attempts were half-hearted at best. "I wanted to send father a message, which he obviously ignored. That marriage contract was the last straw, he's going to have to publicly drag me back, and even then I may renounce the throne. Then where would he be?"

Henry truly loved his father, but they just didn't know how to communicate with each other, part of him dreaded the confrontation that will occur once his father tracked him down, the other part of him is looking forward to it. He looked down at Utopia, and smiled again.

"Help! Help!"

The sound of someone screaming for help jarred Henry's senses, he looked up and saw that a band of Gypsies were robbing an old man's carriage. He was down the road and the man didn't see Henry in the distance. He looked down to Utopia, "I cannot help him, what if he recognizes me? What if he slows me down long enough for Laurent and the Guard to catch me?"

"How do you behave when you know the conventional honors are dross? When you come to believe with Marcus Aurelius that the opinions of future generations are worth no more than the opinion of the current one? Is it possible to behave well then? Is it desirable to behave well then?" Now it is time for Henry to decide which was more important to him, his honor or his hope for freedom.

As Henry's horse continued to head towards the man, as if it had a mind of his own, the old gentlemen, saw Henry and ran up to him, "Please sir, you must help me!" He pointed to the Gypsy who was running off into the woods holding a long circular container.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot" Henry responded.

The man looked at Henry and pleaded, and simply said, "It is my life." Once again he looked at his horse for some sort of guidance. He just shrugged his shoulders and yelled, "yaaaahh!!" Utopia took off like a shot after the Gypsy, Henry caught up to the man in no time, when he got close enough he dove off the horse and landed onto the Gypsy's back, and started to fight with the man.

They were so busy fighting that they didn't notice that they were dangerously close the edge of a cliff, the two combatants lost their footing and slipped down the side of the long tall mountain, both men screamed as they saw the lake below them, both hit the cold water, when Henry came up for air, he saw the Gypsy man scamper away and looked over and saw the long tube float up to the surface.

Henry smiled to himself, "well, I ran away seeking adventure and it looks like it's found me. That was fun!" He grabbed the tube and swam to the shore, where the old man was standing. "Thank you sir."

"Well, old man, your conviction won me over. I hope this was worth the trouble." Henry smiled as he handed the man the tube. The man opened the tube and pulled out a painting, "a beautiful woman always is, Sir". He studied the painting and shrugged his shoulders, "She laughs at me, as if she knows something that I do not." The distinguished looking old man smiled and looked at his new friend, "young man, a woman has many secrets, I only painted one of them."

"How can I ever repay you? What is your name?" The old man asked.

Henry thought for a moment, the man didn't recognize him, and he didn't want to risk discovery or even give anyone the ability to make the connection, so he simply held out his hand and said, "Please call me Francis". The man gladly took Henry's hand "and my name is Leonardo."

His eyes opened wide, 'no it can't be' he thought excitedly, he "Leonardo? Leonardo de Vinci?" The old man smiled and nodded his head. Henry excitedly grabbed hold of the man's shoulders "here I am on my way to Genoa to find salvation and knowledge and I come upon the man who is the very leader in forward thinking. What are you doing in France?"

Leonardo, looked over his shoulders and saw that his three guards who were off chasing the Gypsy band had finally returned. "I've been summoned to be the Artist in residence for the King and Queen." Leonardo said proudly.

Henry winced, which Leonardo picked up on immediately, "well what are you doing taking this route, isn't the castle in the opposite direction?"

"Oh...Francis, are you from that province?"

"Um, yes, but I'm taking a holiday in Genoa."

Leonardo, studied the young man and thought to himself, *what is Prince Henry doing out here in the middle of nowhere, alone, using a fake name?* He'd heard that the Prince and his father weren't getting along, it's one of the reasons Queen Marie personally invited him to come to the Palace. She hoped he could help her mediate this dispute between father and son. It seems it's gotten a little out of hand. *This is going to be a delicate game. How best to play this?* He wondered to himself, then an idea flashed in his head.

"Actually, before I start my residence at the castle, I was going to spend a few weeks with an old friend, the Duke of Avignon. If not to much trouble, would you care to escort me?"

Henry thought about it for a few minutes, he really wanted to continue on his Journey to Genoa, but the opportunity to get to know the great artist and 'thinker' was too tempting to pass up. "Why not. I'm on vacation and don't have anywhere I have to be," he grinned at Leonardo.

Leonardo whispered something to one of his personal guards who nodded his head and smiled, "Well then, since you are now here, my guard will scout ahead for us. Come along, Francis."

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Laurent was annoyed at how much time he wasted having a conference with King Francis, they had lost a lot of ground and Henry already had a huge lead on them. They spent most of the night searching nearby manors and barns. Without a horse Henry would not be able to get far. Just in case, he ordered the rest of the guard to ride ahead while he personally conducts a house-to-house search.

It was taking a lot longer than he thought it would to question the owners of these manors, there was one more home that he had to check, and daylight was starting to break. As he rode towards the old manor his horse was startled by a tree branch, which broke off and fell in front of them, Laurent was thrown off and hit the ground hard.

When he got up and walked back over to his horse he tripped over a metal object. He looked down and saw that it was a horseshoe. On closer examination he saw the royal seal underneath it. "Yes Henry was definitely here." He surveyed the area and jumped on his horse and rode quickly towards the manor.

As Laurent road down the manor's long driveway, he was saddened by seeing what was obviously a once grand estate had deteriorated to its present state. He wondered what happened to the owners of this fine property, and who would allow it to fall into such disarray.

Before he got off his horse and straightened he saw the door fly open and he saw a woman and two of her daughters quickly exit. He recognized the family from court, what was their name? "Ah, the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent" he thought to himself.

She spoke to the Captain, "Captain Laurent what did we do to deserve the honor of your presence? Is Prince Henry planning a visit?" She smiled coyly.

Laurent looked over the threesome there was something about the Baroness that seemed to rub him the wrong way. She had a smug and arrogant air about her. He looked at her two daughters. There was a blonde beauty that was wearing a huge broche in the center of her bosoms obviously the type of courtier who would be after Henry's crown, the type that Henry despised. Behind her he noticed the other sister who had a shy, innocent charm about her that he couldn't resist. She seemed to be the complete opposite of her sister and mother and he was captivated. She looked back at him and then looked to the ground, she seemed equally taken with the Captain.

Henry would think it foolish, but *I think I'm in love, could this be what they mean by love at first sight? I need to create an excuse to come back here later*. He thought to himself. After the momentary pause, he spoke, "Um, Baroness, I'm on official duty on behalf of the Prince. His favorite horse escaped from the castle stables early this morning, and I wanted to take a look in your barns to see if he wondered onto your property."

"Yes, Captain, do whatever you wish. Jacqueline will show you to the stables." With that the Baroness and Marguerite went back inside the manor.

Jacqueline and Laurent walked over to the stables. They stared at each with awkward silence, until Laurent decided to break the ice, "Thank you for assistance. Milady, may I ask you a question?"

Jacqueline was staring at Laurent, thinking, 'my is he dashing can this really be love at first sight?' She saw him looking at her and blushed, "Umm, yes, Captain?"

"Where is your stable hand?"

"He had to go into town and pick up some feed for the horses, and said he would return in a few hours."

"Oh, is there a man of the house?"

"No, my father died before I was born and my stepfather died shortly after my mother married him. I was 7 at the time. He was the kindest, sweetest man that I've ever known. This is his estate."

Laurent's heart went out to the young woman who seemed all alone, "did he have any children?"

"Yes, a daughter who is a year older than me, my stepsister Danielle is wonderful, I miss her terribly when she's not here. She lives with her Uncle in Avignon and spends two - three weeks here every few months to help us bring in the crops."

Laurent wondered how the manor was being maintained, but didn't want to move to fast, "why, thank you for being so open with me. I hope I wasn't prying, I was just curious to find out a little more about you."

"It's not a problem at all Captain, I must confess, that it is rare that a man would take interest in me. Usually they immediately chase after Marguerite my sister."

Laurent was flustered, he didn't think he was being that obvious, "Um, well, um...Madame, I'm sorry for being so forward. Would you mind if I came calling on you again?"

"Yes! I would be most honored!" She said with a huge smile.

Laurent just smiled, "No madam the honor will be all mine, although I must confess, and you must swear not to tell anyone else."

"I swear."

Somehow, Laurent felt that this woman whom he'd only known for a few minutes was completely trustworthy, he felt so comfortable around her, but he couldn't betray the Royal family's confidence either, "well, Royal Duties may take me away for a few weeks, so it may be a short while before I can call upon you again, but I promise you, call upon you I will." He smiled at her.

They finally reached the barn, Laurent looked around the barn for any sign of disturbances he came upon two empty stalls. He looked at Jacqueline, "Do you know if all the stalls where filled with horses?"

"Yes, Captain they were, it looks like my stepfather's horse is missing. Danielle will be crushed if she comes back and finds out he's gone. That's one of her most prized possessions. Please Captain you must find him!"

The captain went over to the stall and looked around, he saw a small pouch sitting on the bench. He held it up to Jacqueline, "Where did that come from?" Laurent new exactly where it came from, and felt guilty for misleading Jacqueline, "I don't know Madame, but it looks like someone borrowed your horse without permission. And then left behind 30 Gold coins as compensation."

"Who would do such a thing? And it doesn't matter, we need to find that horse, my stepsister will be crushed."

"Don't worry milady, I promise I will do everything I can to help you find your horse." He said holding Jacqueline's hands. This move surprised both of them, as it was rather bold and forward.

"Well then, it appears the Prince's horse hasn't shown up here, I must continue my search, but I promise you I will have some of my men out searching for your missing stead. Are there any unique markings on it?"

"It's an older horse, and it has a brand on it's back that says AdB".

With that he quickly walked Jacqueline back to the manor and smiled at her. "Thank you milady, I will look into this, until next time, I bid you adieu."

**********************************************************

Part 4 - New Friends

An entire day had passed and Henry still didn't get a chance to have a real conversation with Leonardo, he looked at Utopia and saw that he was getting tired and decided now would be a good time for them to rest their horses. He rode next to Leonardo's carriage, "Signore da Vinci the horses are getting tired. I think now would be a good time to rest before it gets dark. We are only a 1/2 a day's ride away from Avignon and should get there by morning."

The old artist considered his new friend's proposal. The old artist thought that it'd be best to rest when the light was out, thinking it'd be harder for thieves to sneak up on them. If they waited until nightfall to rest, then anybody could attack them under cover of darkness. At least if they were attacked while moving in the dark their chances of getting away were much better.

"Yes, Francis, that is a good idea. I wouldn't want to call upon the Duke in the middle of the night."

They walked over to a small little lake so that the horses could drink and they could rest their road weary bones. "Well my boy, you never did tell me what you do and what you were doing on that road alone?" *This should be interesting* Leonardo thought, while he studied the Prince's demeanor.

"Well, as I said, I'm on, what you might call a leave of absence."

"A leave of absence?"

Henry was trying hard to come up with a plausible explanation. "Yes, well, um...My duties at my last residence ended rather suddenly. So now, I...um...was traveling to Genoa to see if I could find work."

"What type of trade were you performing back in Dordogne?"

"Well my previous employer owned a small Chateau in Sarlat. You might say that I did a little bit of this, a little bit of that." Henry said.

"So why did you leave your previous employer? Were you not happy?" Asked Leonardo.

"You could say that."

"What are your plans when we get to Avignon?" Leonardo asked.

"To be honest Signore, I don't know. I saved some money from my previous employment and will spend some time exploring and enjoying the province a little before continuing on my journey to Genoa."

"Well, I want to thank you for going out of your way to escort me on the rest of my journey. You must meet the Duke of Avignon he is truly a great man. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to offer a man as talented as you temporary employ and a warm bed for a few days."

Although Henry had heard of the Duke of Avignon, the man was quite powerful and influential in this region. He found it odd that he never met the man before, and doesn't believe that he's ever seen the Duke at Court. He was curious about this wealthy and powerful recluse, but didn't want to risk being discovered.

"That is a kind offer Signore, but I'm afraid, all I'll be able to do is escort you as far as the town limits. Then I'm sure you and your guards will be able to make it to the Duke's estate without my assistance."

*I need to convince the Prince to stick around Avignon long enough to for me to work on him. Otherwise the confrontation between him and his father will be dire for them and France. If I can get him to the Duke's residence, I'm sure my secret weapon will change this young man's life forever, and perhaps change the course of history for all of France* Leonardo thought to himself with a smile.

Leonardo studied Henry, "Well Francis, would you like to see my latest invention?" Henry nodded his head, and watched Leonardo as he walked over to his carriage and pulled out these large wooden shoes.

Henry laughed, "What in heavens name are those?" Leonardo held two large wooden contraptions that were shaped like miniature little boats.

Leonardo smiled, "would you like to try them out?"

"Maybe, if I knew what their purpose was." Henry said.

"Just watch my boy. Watch."

Henry watched the old artist walk over to the lake. He sat down and put those huge wooden contraptions on his feet. They were shoes! His eyes opened wide in astonishment as the old man stood up and calmly walked over to the edge of the water and proceeded to walk on top of it.

This man is truly something, Henry thought to himself as he watched Leonardo literally walking on water! He looked at the site with a mixture of awe and mirth. Leonardo looked absolutely ridiculous wearing those huge wooden clogs, but they seemed to actually work. He saw a small wave come towards Leonardo, which caused the old man to loose his balance.

Henry ran and jumped into the lake and helped the man retrieve his shoes, which fell off, and helped him swim back to the shore.

Leonardo looked at Henry and smiled, "maybe I should leave walking on water in the hands of god."

Henry nodded his head in agreement and laughed hysterically.

After a few moments he asked, "Signore do you believe that everyone has one perfect mate in this world, someone that god put on this earth strictly for you?"

Leonardo wondered when his young friend would bring this subject up. "As a matter of fact Francis, I do."

Henry looked at the old man, "Then how can you be certain to find her? And if you do find her, is she really the one for you, or do you only Think she's the one?"

"Francis, when you find your perfect mate, you'll know it instantly. There will be no thinking required. If you have to think, then she may not be your Perfect Mate, but just a possible mate. But there will come a moment when you will know." Leonardo said sincerely.

Henry thought for a moment "So let's say God puts two people on this earth who are lucky enough to find one another. But one of them gets hit by lightening. Then what? Is that it? Or, perchance, say you meet someone new and marry all over again. Is that the lady you were supposed to be with? Or was it the first?"

Before giving Leonardo a chance to respond, he continued, "And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side, were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first? Or was the second one, really the one you were supposed to be with? How does a person know how things are meant to be?"

"You have to learn to pay attention. You cannot leave everything to fate boy, she has a lot to do, sometimes you have to give her a hand."

"Fair enough." Henry said with a smile.

Leonardo looked at Henry, "why do you ask? A young man like you should be getting ready to settle down. Did you get some poor woman in trouble back in Sarlat?"

Henry sighed, "no my friend, it's nothing like that. I'm just tired of playing the wenching game and want to find that special someone."

"Well take heart my friend, be glad that you are not a Noble or god forbid a Royal, for they truly have a hard time. Did you know that marrying someone for love is a rare commodity among Nobility? It's the one thing we should all strive to do, whether we are Rich, Noble, or even common." He continued, "I was just in Spain and poor Princess Gabriella is having such a tough time." Leonardo watched Prince's face slightly twitch.

"How do you know Princess Gabriella?" Asked Henry trying to disguise his personal interest.

"I've traveled all over the continent, and half the world my boy. I was the official artist in residence to the Spanish Royal family for the past few months, just as I'll start my new duties serving the French House of De Valois three weeks, hence."

"So tell me about Princess Gabriella? Is she beautiful?" Asked Henry.

"Yes, very. Both inside and out, she's extremely intelligent."

Henry chuckled, and asked derisively "Really? An intelligent Princess?"

"Yes, why is it so hard to believe that a Princess can be intelligent? One might say that Dauphins are nothing but spoiled arrogant little children." Leonardo said in exasperation, he quickly added, "Royalty and nobles are a lot like us commoners. Most spend their whole life trying to get people to look beyond their stations." Leonardo looked at Henry and breathed deeply he almost gave away the fact that he knew who he was.

Henry, sheepishly looked down, "I apologize for my assumptions, Signore."

"Apology accepted, Francis."

Henry smiled he thought his royal arrogance had given him away. He looked at Leonardo, "so please continue. Why is Princess Gabriella so upset? The scuttlebutt around my previous employer's home and the region was the Spanish Princess and the Prince of France were getting married." Henry tried to measure his voice so that it sounded like he was just partaking in idle gossip, as opposed to a serious line of questioning.

Leonardo recognized what Henry was up to, and played along. "Well, just between you and I, I wouldn't count on that marriage happening. Princess Gabriella is very much in love with someone else and when I left, I had convinced her father to honor Her Royal Highness' wishes. As long as King Francis doesn't force the issue, Her Royal Highness will be free to marry the man she loves. Her perfect mate."

Henry smiled then frowned, "What makes you think the King of France will not force his son to honor the contract? My former master said that King Francis has a very closed mind and once he makes a decision, he doesn't change it."

"I personally do not want to get drafted into a war because of some stupid marriage contract between two Kings!" Henry added.

"Well, we shall see how this all plays out." Leonardo replied.

Henry thought about this latest bit of information and smile. Unbeknownst to Leonardo, he may have given himself a trump card that he could play with his father, when he finally tracked him down.

"Well it's been dark for awhile now, I think we should get going if you hope to make it to the Duke's residence by dawn." Henry said.

******************************************************************

Part 5 - New Friends Continued

"That boy of ours continues to vex me!" King Francis said angrily to his wife. "Francis, calm down before you have a stroke," said the Queen as she calmly sipped her tea. The two were alone in their private quarters.

"How can you be so calm? Our son has run away again and this time he may actually succeed. It's been two days already and no word from anyone"!

"Dear, I am upset and concerned about Henry's welfare. Yelling and screaming at everyone in sight will not bring him home any faster. You know our son is the best swordsman in the entire country. If he encounters any problems he is well equipped to handle it. You milord, saw to that."

"Yes, well, while he reveled in the adventure that being Commander of the Royal Guard brought him, I wish he spent nearly as much time and focus on enriching his mind, and learning responsibility."

"Milord, you know our son is not stupid. He just wants the freedom to grow and become the man that he wants to be. Not the one you want him to become."

"What I want him to become?" He asked incredulously. "I want him to become a King! Is that such a horrible fate?"

He threw his hands up in the air and continued to pace around their bedchambers, "When I was his age, I looked forward to the day when I'd become King and took my obligations seriously."

Marie chuckled, "Really?" She looked at him, "From what your father has told me you were exactly like Henry, and as I recalled you weren't to thrilled being forced into an arranged marriage! I remember how wild and uncontrollable you were! How many years did it take for us to reach this point in our lives?"

He started to feel guilty for the way he behaved towards his wife during those first few years. "Milady, I want you to know, that as difficult as our first few years were, I never took a mistress." Francis said sincerely.

"Don't be silly milord, of course I know that. I wouldn't still be here if you did."

Francis knew that Marie was right. He had run away numerous times himself and certainly didn't want to be stuck in an arranged marriage. Luckily for him, he and his wife reached an understanding, and have grown to respect and admire each other greatly. He didn't know if he loved her or not, but she was the most important person in his life.

He walked over to her and put his arms around her and smiled, "Well our arrangement hasn't turned out all bad, has it?"

"No milord it hasn't. You will see that our son will grow out of this phase if we learn to give him room to breathe." She gave him a little peck on the cheek, knowing that she won this argument.

"Why do you always take his side?" Francis shrugged his shoulders and asked in exasperation.

"Someone around here has to."

**********************************************************.

Henry was so excited to see the village.

He'd never been here before, because his father was over protective and didn't let him travel the countryside too much. The only time he got to do any kind of traveling was the last time the Nordics attempted to invade his country.

As commander of the Royal Guard, he personally created and executed the battle plan that repelled the "would be" invaders, with little French blood being spilled.

The then 15-year-old Prince became a national hero and was nicknamed the "Warrior Prince, Savior of France". Henry was extremely proud of his accomplishment. For the first time in his life he had the respect of an entire nation and was no longer ridiculed as the spoiled arrogant little "Princeling".

Unfortunately, as quickly as a war can unify a nation, its aftermath can be equally as devastating. Many villages and towns were completely destroyed one of the hardest hit was Avignon. Thanks to the Duke of Avignon and his family the province was brought back to it's former glory.

Henry was amazed that he actually succeeded in eluding Laurent and the rest of the Royal Guard as long as he has. He treasured the time he had with Leonardo it has been an eye opening experience. He could talk to the old artist for weeks and never grow tired of listening to the wise old man's theories.

"It looks like we are at the end of our Journey, Signore. I will be getting a room at the local Inn," he said pointing to the town.

"Francis, are you sure you don't want to meet the Duke?" Asked Leonardo.

"I'm afraid not, there's just to much to see and do here in the village. It was a pleasure meeting you Signore, please come by to say hello. I would love to share a mug of Ale with you in one of the local drinking establishments."

"Sure, my boy, sure. We'll do it tomorrow. Once again, thanks for all of your help Francis." Leonardo held out his hand, which Henry gladly took. "Believe me Signore the pleasure was indeed all mine. I'll look forward to tomorrow night then." With that Henry headed toward the village, and the carriage continued his Journey towards the Duke's estate.

Henry was surprised when he heard a large popping sound, followed by a large bang. He turned around and saw that Leonardo's carriage had lost its wheel. Leonardo got out of his carriage and waved for Henry to stop.

Since Henry had the only other horse, Leonardo's two guards had already ridden ahead to inform the Duke of his impending arrival; Henry knew what needed to be done. There was no way he could leave the old artist stranded on the outskirts of town.

He sighed deeply, he was so close to freedom, but now he would have to personally take Leonardo to the Duke's estate, where he was sure he would be recognized and his little "leave of absence" would be over.

He looked at Utopia and whispered to himself, "Well my boy, we were far away so close, far away so close..."

*****************************************************************

As Henry rode through the town of Avignon he marveled at the sights and smells of the small village. He studied every aspect of it. The town of Avignon was a large enough village where if one really tried hard enough a man could get lost, or a Prince.

It was the last major stop before Genoa, which was two days ride to the east, and Paris, which was three days to west. Because of its prime location, Avignon was a true merchant's paradise and a town that saw a large share of transients and gypsies who exchanged their wares, and to pick up enough supplies so that travelers could continue on their journey.

As you would suspect with such a town, it was littered with little pubs, whorehouses, and the market was large and crowded. It had three times as many people packed into a space that was smaller than the market at Sarlat.

Unlike Sarlat, the Market in Avignon was filled with a wonderfully weird mixture of people from all walks of life, gypsies, nobles, clergy, peasants, etc. Before his father comes and drags him away, Henry promised himself he would spend some time exploring this village.

It took the pair about 20 minutes to ride through the town, not because it was particularly large, but because of the wall-to-wall sea of humanity that was in the crowded market. Once they reached the other side of town, they rode for a few more minutes and saw a very large and elegant castle that sat at the top of a mountain. Henry's mouth fell agape, this property was magnificent it rivaled that of Castle Hautefort.

The estate was well guarded and maintained. The entrance to the castle was located at the bottom of the hill and surrounded by a large man made mote that seemed to stretch for miles. The only way to cross it was through the drawbridge. The gate itself was quite imposing. It was large and made of cast iron steel with the family crest emblazoned on it. It read "CdB". The entire estate seemed to be surrounded by large stonewalls.

As they came before the large gate, a menacing looking guard peered out from the guard tower, "Halt! State your business!"

"Please tell the Duke that Signore Leonardo de Vinci and his escort has arrived. He is expecting us," Said Henry.

The guards immediately opened the gates and pointed up the hill." Certainly sir, the Duke is anxiously awaiting your arrival. A few of our men will escort you to the main entrance." The guard motioned for the two to continue up the hill. Several other guards quickly followed them on horseback. They remained a respectful distance behind Henry and Leonardo.

As they rode, Henry noticed the sentry's who were carefully spread out along the route to the main residence. Henry turned around and asked Leonardo, ""Is this Duke paranoid?" Asked Henry.

"No, he just doesn't like to be bothered by unannounced visitors and his son was kidnapped years ago, so he's understandably cautious. He and his family are beloved by the people of Avignon. He's personally helped many of them in one fashion or another," Leonardo said.

"Kidnapped? Did they find out who did it?"

"No, the Duke paid a very large ransom and his son was returned to him. He always suspected that it was the work of a jealous noble from another province. Which is one of the many reasons he doesn't attend court or trust nobles."

"So what does CdB stand for?"

"The owner of this residence name is Duke Charles de Barbarac," said Leonardo.

"So does this monsieur de Barbarac have any other children besides a son?" Asked Henry.

"Yes, Francis, he has a beautiful spirited daughter."

"Ah, is she another one of those spoiled ditsy courtiers who I used to see chasing after that Prince?" Henry asked.

"No my boy, she's anything but. She's quite spectacular actually, intelligent, passionate, and beautiful. Monsieur de Barbarac is extremely overprotective."

Henry had to admit his curiosity was seriously peeked, between Leonardo, the Duke and his daughter this will indeed be an intriguing few days.

**************************************************************

Part 6

Captain Laurent quickly returned to the castle, after his time at the manor, and the information he's gathered, he's pretty sure that he knows in which direction the Prince was traveling. Before he could go after him, he had to waste precious time informing the King of his plans personally. Because of the Captain's unique status with the Royal Family the King always insisted on hearing information regarding his son directly from Laurent and not from messengers or palace pages.

When he arrived at the King and Queen's chambers, he momentarily paused and straightened his uniform and smoothed his hair, as he always does, before knocking on the door.

"You may enter" said the Queen.

Laurent was escorted into the chambers. Much to the chagrin of the Queen, he bowed his head when he entered their chambers. Since the King and Queen thought of Captain Laurent like a son he wasn't required to bow in front of them, but he did so anyway as a show of love and respect.

"Your Majesties, I believe I know where the Prince is." He looked up at the King to study his reaction.

"Well boy where is he?"

"I believe he's on his way to Genoa, if I hurry I should be able to catch up to him in Avignon."

"How do you know this?" Asked King Francis.

"Sire, at first we thought the Prince was going to take the direct route to Genoa or Paris, but then his horse threw a shoe, and found its way back to the castle. While the rest of the men continued searching all the usual routes, I indiscreetly conducted a house to house search and discovered that he borrowed a horse from a small estate located a short distance to the South of here."

*The boy is clever. He knew we'd be searching the roads to the east and west of the castle* thought the King.

"How could you possibly catch up with our son in Avignon?" The Queen continued "It's only a two days ride from here, and he's been gone for two days now, surely he's there already and will be gone by the time you arrive."

"Well your highness, while the Prince is free of his gilded cage, he will not be able to resist the allure of Avignon. I assure you the Prince will take a few days to explore the village before he continues on his Journey."

"Very well then, Captain call out the Royal Guard and go get our son!" The King ordered.

Laurent bowed his head, "Sire, may I humbly suggest that only I and two other guards go and retrieve his royal highness?"

The Queen thought for a moment and leaned in and whispered in her husband's ear, "dear, the Captain is right, the last thing we need is to turn this incident into a public affair and embarrassment by having a full regiment of guardsmen showing up in the province."

The King thought for a moment, she was right of course, "Ok Laurent, I'll trust your judgment, go bring our son back."

With that, Laurent bowed his head and then headed directly to the stables, as he walked, his mind drifted back the brief moment that he'd shared with the lovely Jacqueline De Ghent earlier that morning. He cursed his childhood friend because if it weren't for his immaturity he'd be able to start courting the raven-haired beauty right away; instead he was forced to chase after his friend. "Boy is he going to get a tongue lashing when I see him." He said to himself.

Then he had to laugh, *then again if he didn't run away I may never have met lovely madam De Ghent.* When he got to the stables he saw two of his most trusted Guardsmen waiting for him, he smiled at them and said, "well gentlemen, we're off to Avignon."

********************************************************************

The more they rode, the more Henry was stunned to realize how vast Charles de Barbarac's estate must be. It took them fifteen to twenty minutes to travel from the main gates to the top of the Hill where the main house was located. Once they reached the top Henry was truly impressed, unlike the closed off secure path up the hill, the Estate itself was amazing. It was a completely open environment with no walls, the grounds were immaculate, and even from this distance, Henry could see how impressive the gardens were. His mother would truly love them, he thought to himself.

As he continued to survey the property, he studied the main house. The manor - who was he kidding, it was more like a castle, was spectacular, but in a strangely understated way. It was huge but seemed to be a real home, a real welcoming environment. It was smaller than Hautefort but more inviting - that is once you make it past the gate and mote. Henry looked around and saw people working in the field and groundskeepers tending to the ground. There were children running and playing in gardens. The place had a real family atmosphere where everyone seemed genuinely happy.

Leonardo noticed Henry's expression, "Francis, unlike most nobles, the Duke treats his servants as though they are part of his family. Most of them have been with him for more than 15 years. When they take up residence here at the estate he allows them to raise their kids on the estate as long as they continue to show him complete loyalty and work hard to earn their keep."

"Really?"

"Yes, maybe you should reconsider and take a position if one is offered." Said Leonardo.

*Not a chance in Hades. The Duke will surely recognize me* Henry laughed at the thought of he, The Crowned Prince of France being a servant.

"Look over there, the Duke grooms horses, as his stable hand, I'm sure you would get to ride one of his prized Arabians." Leonardo said pointing in the direction of the stables.

Henry cocked his head sideways, where he saw a servant girl with long auburn hair flowing down her back playing with a lanky looking boy. He surmised that they were about the same age as he was maybe a little younger. She was probably 19 or so. All Henry could see was her beautiful hair and the servant's dress that she wore. He was mesmerized watching the young woman.

The boy was obviously taunting her. Even from this distance Henry could see the anger radiating from her face. She let out a blood-curling yell, that Henry could hear even from this distance. He saw the young woman take off like a shot after the boy who was happily laughing at her and still taunting the girl as she chased him from the barn to the front of the house and back to the barn again.

Henry continued to watch the events unfold. She chased the boy down and trapped him over by the pigpen. The boy was cornered and had no place left to run or hide. He wondered what she would do now that she had him cornered, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. The servant girl threw the boy into the pen and slaughtered him in the mud.

When they stood up the boy was completely covered in pig slop and mud, and the girl was smiling from ear to ear, even though her dress was completely covered in mud as well as her hair. Henry saw this and laughed so hard he almost fell of his horse. He hadn't experienced this much pure joy in years.

From this distance he couldn't get a clear view of her face, but he could've sworn he felt his heart speed up and skip a beat. *What was it Leonardo said yesterday, "When you find your perfect mate, you'll know it instantly."* Whoever this servant was, Henry was intrigued. Could he the Crown Prince of France even consider a relationship with a servant? Certainly, not!

Leonardo looked at the huge grin on the Prince's face, and just smiled to himself, *this may be easier than I thought*.

*********************************************************************





Part 7

When Henry and Leonardo finally reached the front door, he stole a glance in the direction of the stables to see if he could catch another glimpse of the servant girl. He was disappointed when the girl and her comrade were nowhere to be found. He knew he shouldn't be harboring any kind of interest in a servant, but he couldn't help himself. She intrigued him. He pushed the thought out of his mind and knocked loudly on the cast iron handle that was hanging on the large Solid English Oak door.

One of the Duke's servants opened the door. The gentlemen was a tall, thin, elderly man, who looked like he lived a lot of years and worked hard most of his life. His clothes were clean and pressed. He looked over Leonardo's shoulder and studied Henry carefully.

"Welcome Signore Da Vinci, it's good to see you again."

"Thank you Maurice, how have you been?"

"As well as can be expected sir. The Duke and Duchess are waiting for you in the study Signore." Maurice then motioned for Henry and Leonardo to enter the home, once inside Henry studied the place carefully.

When they first walked in they were in what can only be described as a "great hall" only on a smaller scale than the one at Hautefort but it was just as elegant. It was large and had sky high ceilings. There were large tapestries that hung on the wall, and tons of huge bay windows to make the hall look really large and give the room a bright airy quality about it.

An elegant sculpture stood as the room's centerpiece. It looked like large eagle taking flight. Underneath the bird was a large heart attached to its feet. The letters "dB" were carved in the center of the heart. Henry figured it must be the family crest. There was an elegant stone staircase to the right of the room that led to an upper level that included a long balcony that overlooked the front door.

Maurice escorted Henry and Leonardo to the opposite end of the room where there were three hallways they took the middle hallway, as they walked down the hallway there were abstract paintings hanging on the walls. Scattered throughout the long hallway were long candles that kept the hallway brightly lit.

When they reached the end of the hallway, Henry prepared himself. His ruse was about to be over. Leonardo was about to discover his true identity. Maurice knocked on the large door. After a few moments a young man who looked to be the same age as Henry opened the door. The man had a medium build and long curly brownish blond hair that also looked like Henry's - only Henry's hair was jet black. As a matter of fact the gentlemen that opened the door could've passed for Henry's brother.

"Leonardo! It's been too long." The man said as he enthusiastically shook the old artist's hand.

"Well, look at you boy. You have grown into a fine young man. You almost look like you can finally stand up to your sister." Leonardo said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that'll be the day. You know that will never happen Signore. Come, mother and father are anxious to see you." He motioned for Leonardo to enter the room.

Henry was a little annoyed at not being ignored by the gentlemen. He had to remind himself that he was a commoner and nobles do not acknowledge the presence of commoners. He was still irritated. Then he smiled, *Wait a second. Sister? This noble must be the Duke's son and he didn't recognize me! How is that possible? Maybe I'll be able to continue on to Genoa in a few days after all, but his parents are sure to recognize me*

The Prince held his breath as they walked in the family study. It was a large room, on the left by a series of large windows stood two large bookcases that were brimming with elegant books. It appeared to contain a very impressive looking collection, all the books seemed to be well maintained, the bindings on them looked to be in near perfect condition.

On the opposite side of the room was a large stone fireplace. On the floor in front of the fireplace was a beautiful bearskin rug. In the center of the room were reading tables and elegant couches.

Henry saw a couple sitting on one of the couches, the man looked to be in his mid-40's and had a fairly stocky build, he had smoky gray eyes, thick auburn colored hair, that looked like it started to thin a little bit. For a man his age he appeared to be in very good shape, with a slight beer gut that Henry noticed when he stood to greet them.

"Mother, father, look who I found." The young man motioned towards Leonardo, again ignoring Henry.

"Leonardo, you old sod, how long has it been?"

"Too long, Charles, too long." Leonardo gave the Duke a hug and patted him on the back. "Your son has grown into a fine looking young man. He must sit for me during my short visit." Leonardo said, looking at the man who escorted them into the study.

He then looked at the woman, "and Constance, stunning as always."

The Duke looked at his wife with pride and adoration. The couple seemed to be very much in love with each other, Henry could feel the chemistry emanating from the two. He wondered if they were the products of an arranged marriage.

The Duke's wife was indeed a beautiful woman she had long black hair, deep bluish green eyes, and a smile that conveyed a since of warmth and welcoming. She was only a few years younger than the Duke. She blushed as Leonardo hugged her and gave her peck on the cheek.

Constance then noticed a man standing in the back of the room looking uncomfortable, shuffling his feet back and forth, he was wearing the clothes of a commoner, but the way he carried himself seemed out of sorts, *He looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place him* she looked at Leonardo, "Well Signore, where are your manners? Who is that young man with you?*

"Oh, forgive me Duchess, you are right, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce you to my young friend, Francois Bouclé." He continued "Francis saved me from a band of thieves a few days ago and consented to escort me here personally to ensure my safe arrival."

He then pointed to the young man who escorted them into the study, "Francis this rascal is Marquis Charles de Barbarac II" he then pointed to the Duke and Duchess, "and these two are my dear old friends, Duke Charles de Barbarac and his wife the Duchesse Constance Ann de Barbarac. I wanted to introduce you to their daughter, but she appears to be missing."

He then looked at the Duke, and asked, "I'm disappointed Sir. Where is the Lady Danielle?"

"Leonardo you should know better than anyone that our daughter is a free spirit. She's off playing with her childhood friend, who is visiting for the next several weeks from Sarlat They are probably off rolling around in the mud somewhere." said the Duke with a chuckle.

*Rolling around in mud? Could the Lady Danielle have been the servant girl?* Henry thought to himself. After a minute he thought that'd be ridiculous, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful Duke chasing and slaughtering a boy in a pigpen and being happy about being covered in mud and pig slop. *Impossible, besides, she was a servant*

Her brother added, "that sister of mine should be a wizard, she has more disappearing acts than anyone I've ever met."

*They don't recognize me! Amazing!* He smiled as he gladly shook their hands, "it's a pleasure to meet you all. Leonardo has spoken very highly of you, I feel like I know you all."

"Welcome to our home, anyone who saves Leonardo's life is immediately a friend to this family, and to the world. For the world would be surely lost without him and his wisdom in it. How can we ever repay you?" The Duke said as he shook his hand.

"It is a kind offer Sir, however, I cannot accept a reward for doing the honorable thing." Said Henry.

"Well, there must be something we can do for you." Said Constance.

"No madam, that is not necessary. I saved a little money from my last station and will be heading to Genoa in a few days to seek my "fame and fortune" so to speak."

"Well where do you plan on staying until you leave?" Asked Constance.

"I noticed a little Inn in town and I was planning on getting a room there."

Constance took his arm and looped it around hers and said, "Nonsense, Francis, you are staying here, and that's all there is to it."

Henry was really trying to get out of there. He didn't want to give them the chance to figure out who he was, and he hated lying to such kind- hearted people. He started to feel a little dirty.

Leonardo was watching this whole exchange, and chuckled inwardly, *Constance will make the Prince stay whether he wants to or not* He then thought for a moment, and looked at the fireplace, and looked at a portrait that hung over it. It was a gorgeous portrait of Charles II and Danielle, only he didn't paint it because it was a fairly recent painting, the last time he was here the children where no more than 13 years old.

"What a stunning painting, may I ask who did this portrait." Asked Leonardo.

"Oh, that was done by Danielle's childhood friend, Gustave, the lad that she's currently run off with. His parents let him stay with us for several months out of the year. He's a wonderful young lad. His dream is to become a painter, and you Signore are his idol." Said Constance.

"Well Duchess, if this is any indication of his talent, he's well on his way to becoming a great artist. I would be most happy to meet his acquaintance."

Henry looked at the painting that Leonardo and Constance were talking about. He was totally oblivious to what they were saying. The girl in the photo mesmerized him. The woman in the portrait looked like an angel. She was absolutely stunning she had long auburn hair, beautiful bluish green eyes, and rosy puffy cheeks and a mouth that was curved into this cute little smile. She had him hypnotized. His heart was beating faster and faster, and for the second time today his heart skipped a beat, and this was only her portrait. For a moment he thought she looked a little like the servant girl that he saw earlier.

He had to meet this woman. Could she be the one, his future princess? He had to find an excuse to stay around to find out. He thought for a moment and then remembered Constance's offer.

"Madam, I will take you up on your kind offer, under one condition."

"Yes, Francis, and what is that?" Asked Constance.

"That you let me work my room and board off. I do not want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you and your family."

"Well, Francis, I'm sure Maurice can find plenty for you to do, for starters we are short a stable hand. He had to visit his parents for a few days." Said the Duke.

"Thank you for showing me such kindness Sir." Henry said as he shook the Duke's hands.

He then motioned to Maurice "Maurice will show you to the stables and then take you to the servants quarters."

He smiled and bowed to the couple before he happily headed towards the door.

Ordinarily Henry wouldn't even think about staying in a lesser quarters, much less working as someone's servant, but he had to meet this Lady Danielle. Could she be his perfect mate? He wouldn't leave this province until he found out.

Constance, called after him, "Francis, please join Leonardo and I for lunch later today. I'd like to find out more about the man that saved our dear friend's life."

Henry nodded his head and left the room with Maurice.

Leonardo sat there with this huge grin on his face like the cat that just cornered a canary. Constance looked at Leonardo and whispered in his ear, so her husband and son couldn't hear her, "Now Leonardo, when are you going to tell me why the Crown Prince of France is masquerading as a commoner?"

***************************************************************

Part 8

Maurice studied the man walking next to him, there was something about him that looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The man seemed nice enough, but overly eager. He thought the man was a puzzle and he didn't like puzzles.

"So Francis how long did you work with your previous master?"

"You could say practically all my life. I grew up in my previous employers residence and recently left to make my own way through life. My former employers were kind people, but every man has to eventually venture out and make his own way in the world."

Maurice had to admit, he liked the man's last statement. He found it slightly odd that Francis never called his former employer his "master". He understood that sentiment very well and knew that the younger generation of servants was attempting to show defiance against this idiotic class system. Maurice, however, took pride in his work with the De Barbarac family and considered the term master, a term of endearment. He was very happy with his station in life. He had a family that loved him and would do anything for him. This included his wife Louise, Paulette his surrogate daughter Lady Danielle, and his extended family the De Barbarac.

"So how long have you been here working for the Duke?" Asked Henry. Henry smiled to himself, he'd never taken an interest in servants or every day rustics, and here he is about to become one and having a conversation with one.

"I have been working with the De Barbarac family for over 40 years now. They took in my family when I was very young. We stayed here in the family estate until Charles' twin brother August met his wife and moved to Sarlat to try and make a life of his own."

"So you lived in Sarlat then?"

"Yes we did, in a splendid manor that was in the country about a 15 minute ride from Hautefort."

"How did you end up back here? Was monsieur De Barbarac not happy with your services?"

Maurice had a sad look on his face. "No, Francis, he died of a heart attack twelve years ago. After he died the Duke sent for his niece Danielle and she insisted that we join her."

"So the Duke's daughter, that Signore Da Vinci told me about, is really his niece?"

"Yes, she is. August died when she was 8 years old, a year after her death the Duke and Duchess sent for her. We came back with them."

"Why didn't she stay at the manor with her mother?"

Henry saw a sad expression come over his face, "Lady Danielle's mother died during childbirth for years the only family Lady Danielle had were the servants and her father. Although we'd lost the Comtesse De Lancret, it was a happy time around the manor. Lady Danielle was so full of life and spirit. That all changed when August remarried."

His heart went out to Danielle, he couldn't imagine how he would feel if he lost his parents. Although he ran away from home he still loves them dearly and couldn't stand the idea of losing one of them, that alone both of them.

As they continued to walk, the two discussed all sorts of things. Henry tried to find out more about Danielle's stepmother but for some strange reason Maurice changed the subject every time she was brought up. He was surprised to discover how well read and intelligent Maurice was. The old man had a quick sarcastic wit that he enjoyed immensely. He started to think that if nothing else, this little adventure would give him much needed insight into what his subjects really think, back at the castle he never would've dreamed it possible that he'd be standing here having such a conversation with a servant. His mind wondered back to the servant that he saw playing in the mud earlier that day.

"Over here are the stables..."

*A 15 minute ride from Hautefort? Oh, no, the brand on Utopia, AdB, must stand for August de Barbarac. What are they going to think when they discover that I stole one of his horses?* Henry's eyes went wide. Someone will inevitably discover that Utopia belonged to August. Henry's mind was racing with the possibilities and ways to talk his way out of it.

Maurice looked at him, "is something wrong Francis?" He looked at Maurice, "Oh nothing's wrong, please continue". Henry shrugged his shoulders, there's nothing he can do now but sit and wait, luckily the brand is located in an unusual spot on the horse that you wouldn't notice unless you were looking for it. All he could do is hope that no one would bother to look.

He showed Henry the rest of the stables and the grounds. They made there way to the servants quarters, which was located just behind the house. The quarters where located in a series of small cottages that were located behind the main house. There were kids playing in front of the cottage, a little play area with exotic looking toys that the children were playing on. Maurice explained that Leonardo invented some of these devices years ago specifically for children to play with. When Henry walked inside, he was impressed with the surroundings, they weren't luxurious, but was very homey. Actually he thought the residences were pretty extravagant for quarters that were dedicated exclusively to servants. Usually servants were relegated to living in the basement or attics of Nobles homes, here they were provided with their own private little cottages.

They walked past a little room that had some tables that had writing supplies lying on top and a small bookshelf containing lots of books. "What is this room?" Henry asked curiously.

"This is the servant's classroom. Lady Danielle insists that all employees who live and work on the estate learn to read and write. She teaches here at least once a week and the rest of the staff volunteers their time as well. Do you know how to read?"

"Yes".

*This Lady Danielle is one intriguing creature.* Henry felt his heart again skip a beat the mere thought of a mystery woman that he hasn't even met yet. He then thought for a moment, "Lady Danielle sounds like an intriguing woman. Where is she now?" Henry was just a little over eager in asking his questions.

"Sir, you seem like a nice enough young gentleman, but do not even think of going near the Lady Danielle. She is our little angel and she has many people protecting her virtue from scoundrels. Leonardo may have vouched for you, but we still know nothing about you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I was just interested in finding out more about the rest of the family."

"Maurice, can you spare Francis for a few hours? We have to ride into town to fetch my sister." Said Charles, Jr.

A small smile came across Henry's lips. He would finally get to meet this mystery woman that he's heard so much about. He already made up his mind that this woman would become his Queen if she lived up to even a 10th of the image he'd already built in his mind of this amazing young woman. Again, his mind drifted back to the servant from this morning.

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Part 9

Henry tried to get to know the Marquis a little better during their ride into town. The man seemed to be very intelligent and likable enough, but whenever Henry asked questions about his sister, the man became understandably protective. He was no longer surprised that someone of the Marquis stature would deem to even acknowledge his existence, he was quickly finding out that the De Barbarac family truly was a different type of noble family, one that he'd be proud to become a part of someday. The two took an instant liking to each other.

"So monsieur have you ever been to Sarlat?" Henry asked Charles.

"Yes, my uncle's home is there, so we used to visit often when I was a child. Haven't been back there in 10 years. My sister visits for a few months every year."

"Did you ever meet the Prince?" Asked Henry.

"Yes, once, a long time ago, when we were children, he was arrogant and shallow even as a child. Rumor has it that he has gotten worse over the years. If you can believe that."

"How long do you plan on staying around here Francis? Leonardo told us you were just passing through."

"If you don't mind, I was planning on staying for just a few days before continuing on my journey."

"As long as you stay away from my sister, you and I shouldn't have a problem."

"Why would you think I'd be interested in your sister?" Henry asked in all seriousness. He didn't think he was being that obvious about his intentions.

"Because every man who meets her seems to fall in love with her instantly. So I'm going to give you fair warning, don't. Or we'll have some issues. My sister deserves better than a stable hand."

"Like who, a Prince?" Henry said with laughter.

"God forbid. Anyone would be better than Prince Henry. Even you." Said Charles.

As they entered the village, the two men were surprised to see a major stir brewing in the normally peaceful market. They rode their horses towards the disturbance and saw a servant girl arguing with one of the merchants. She picked up a basket of apples and gave it to a small street urchin.

Henry was surprised at what happened next, the servant girl was still arguing with merchant when out of the blue she punched him in the face, she and her friend the lanky young boy tried to run away but the merchant cornered them against the wall. By then Charles had already gotten off his horse and headed in the direction of where the servant girl was cornered. Henry saw the anger on Charles' face as he headed towards the confrontation.

The pieces finally started to fall into place for Henry, the servant girl and her friend must be the two people that he saw earlier today. When they got closer Henry finally got a good look at the servant girl and was astounded to discover that it was the same beautiful girl that was in the portrait that he saw earlier. It's Lady Danielle. The servant rolling around in the mud this morning was Lady Danielle. Henry's heart started jumping, the servant and Lady Danielle were one in the same!

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The big brute of a man was so angry that he pulled his arm back and was getting ready to strike Danielle, when he felt an arm reach around him and grab him. Henry was so incensed at seeing a man getting ready to strike a woman, that he punched the merchant in his face.

"I dare you attempt to strike my sister! Have you lost your mind?" Said Charles who was standing next to an equally angry Henry.

Danielle looked up to see her brother and another man standing next to him. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. She looked him directly in the eyes. He was the most stunning looking man that she'd ever seen. He had beautiful gray eyes that had speckles of blue in them, long dark curly hair, a very nice build that Danielle could imagine herself wrapping her arms around. He had that rare weird electricity about him--that extremely wild and heavy presence that you only see in a person who has abandoned all hope of ever behaving "normally."

Lady Danielle mesmerized Henry. She seemed to be staring into his soul and he could almost swear that he could see its reflection off her eyes. The two were lost in each other. Instantly trying to size each other up. They both felt something, but didn't quite know what it was.

"Would someone mind telling me what is going on? Where is your guard?" Said Charles, breaking the spell that Henry and Danielle were casting on each other.

"How many times do I have to tell you and father that I do not need a guard? Besides

Gustave was with me."

"Yes and a lot of good he was a few minutes ago." Said Charles looking at Gustave.

"You know I can't control your sister when she gets an idea into her head. No one can." Said Gustave.

Charles looked at the man lying on the ground next to Henry, "Brutus, what in the Hades were you thinking? I dare you try and strike my sister."

"But Monsieur she's the one who started it. I was only trying to defend myself and my property." Said the heavyset man.

"You were attacking a poor starving street urchin who was only trying to get an apple to feed himself." Said Danielle.

"That street urchin has been stealing from my stand from the last two weeks, this was the first time I had a chance to stop the little thief."

"I offered to pay for all that he's taken but you were intent on getting revenge. A starving child is not a thief." Said Danielle.

"Really?" Said Henry sarcastically.

Danielle looked at the man with irritation. "Charles, who is this man, and why is he getting in the middle of this conversation?"

"Oh, where are my manners. Danielle this is Francois Bouclé, he is a friend of Leonardo Da Vinci and will be staying with us for the next couple of days. He's going to be helping Maurice around the stables."

"Leonardo is here? Why didn't someone tell me he was coming?" Danielle said excitedly. Danielle enjoyed visiting with the old artist and hadn't seen him in years. She was looking forward again to spending time with him and she also hoped that Leonardo would take her childhood friend Gustave under his wing, and become his mentor.

"Milady, you are changing the subject, you haven't answered my question." Said Henry.

"Sir, servants and poor people cannot be thieves and those who are can't help themselves. If society suffer people to be ill educated and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, then what other conclusion is there, that society first make thieves, then punish them."

Henry had a smile on his face she was quoting Thomas More "Are you quoting from a book madam?"

"Don't tell me someone like you read Thomas More's Utopia?" Asked Danielle.

"Yes. I found it sentimental and dull. Literature is being taught as though it were only political medicine or political poison--a view that is not only illiberal but also illiterate." Said Henry.

"Why you pompous little man. Imaginative literature in the service of rebellion, or satanism, quickly sinks into exhibitionism or obscurity. Imaginative literature as the expression of a deeply apprehended truth, poetry which interprets to a man the myth of his own age, can in the hands of Dante, of Shakespeare, of Cervantes, of Camoes and of Goethe, help to raise the level of a whole civilization." Said Danielle.

All Henry could do was smile to himself she just put him in his place.

Danielle continued, "A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch me a child of five." Charles laughed at his sister's wit.

All Henry could think was how beautiful she looked angry, so passionate, full of life, and fire blazing in her beautiful blue eyes. Henry couldn't resist continuing to stoke the flames, "If a woman seeks education it is probably because her sexual apparatus is malfunctioning."

"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. Mediocrity requires aloofness to preserve its dignity." With that Danielle motioned towards Gustave, "Come" they got on their horses and rode off.

Charles watched Henry and Danielle verbally spar and thought with wonderment, no one had ever dared to intellectually challenge his sister. He had to chuckle to himself, for he to noticed the sparks between the two and if Francis thought he was going to win Danielle that way he was surely mistaken.

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Part 10 - A Beautiful Day

The next morning came much to quickly for Henry. He could hardly sleep. His soul and his heart were restless after yesterday's encounter with Lady Danielle. She was everything he imagined her to be and more. What a temper she had! After they left the market he and Charles caught up with Danielle and her friend Gustave. During their ride back to the manor Henry and Danielle conversed easily and freely, as if they were the only two people in the world.

Although they agreed on many things they also argued and debated about everything from politics to philosophy to literature to even science. Lady Danielle was indeed well versed in many subjects and not afraid to voice those opinions. She got the better of him on a couple of points. She stimulated Henry like no other ever had. He no longer doubted that the feelings he had for Lady Danielle was indeed love. His thoughts went back to what Charles said, "every man who meets my sister falls in love." He was not the first to fall under her spell but he hoped to be the last and the one to actually win her heart. He felt a pain of guilt, remorse and uncertainty when he retired to the servants' quarters.

Here he is the Prince of France trapped in his own ruse, helpless to think of a way out of it. Lady Danielle will never accept him if she found out he lied to her - and her family would never sanction such a union. They already dislike and distrust royalty and here he is proving their point. Of course he was the Crowned Prince of France and could force the union, or offer the family a large dowry or more power, but then he would be no better than his father. He wanted someone to love him for whom he is, not what he is.

The fact that he was pretending to be someone he's not bothered him. "As long as I show her my true inner self and who I am as a person, it shouldn't matter what my station is" he thought to himself, trying to justify his actions. He wondered if Lady Danielle would have had the courage to speak to him in such an honest and passionate manner if she'd known he was the Crowned Prince of France. He thought for a moment and then shook his head, "No...she would probably be worse if she knew I was Prince Henry." Henry chuckled to himself at that thought.

Henry continued to lie on his small bed staring at the ceiling, dreaming about his future. He smiled to himself for he always tried to avoid thinking too much about his future. To him it was always filled with bleakness, loneliness and darkness. Now for the first time he could envision a future filled with love, laughter, hope, children and spirited debates. He wondered what Lady Danielle was doing at that very moment. He would have been surprised if he knew that those same thoughts and feelings were going through her head. Leonardo was right when one falls in love you do not question it, you just have to go for it.

The sound of the rooster crowing broke Henry's spell. He had to get dressed and get to the stables. Henry wanted to stay in his bed and continue to daydream (or in this case night dream) about the Lady Danielle. But he was a servant now and had duties that he had to attend. The irony that he turned himself into a servant to chase after a noble woman did not escape Henry.

"Good morning Maurice" Henry said as he reached the stables. The old man looked at his latest charge and smiled.

Danielle had come to Maurice's chambers after everyone had retired to have a father/daughter talk with him. Danielle shared a lot of things with Maurice that she felt that she couldn't share with her uncle/adopted father Charles, I. She loved Charles deeply but didn't want to broach certain subjects with him until after she'd gotten advice from Maurice first. She told Maurice of her encounter with Francis and the feelings she had towards the young man. Maurice had never seen Danielle so happy.

"Good morning Francis, I hope you slept well."

"Never better Maurice. It's going to be a beautiful day." Henry said enthusiastically.

The young man is obviously in love and he knew exactly who with. There was something about him that rubbed Maurice the wrong way, he was nice enough, but Maurice had a feeling that he'd seen him somewhere before but couldn't quite place it. He continued to stare at Francis, making him shift a little uncomfortably. Francis then made a gesture with his hand that Maurice recognized.

"Well Francis..." Maurice paused for a moment and then leaned in and whispered to his charge, "or should I say...Sire?"

Henry's eyes went wide, he'd been found out and a lot quicker than he thought he'd be. Everything went so well yesterday, now what does he do? "What? Why did you just call me Sire?"

Maurice looked at him and thought for a moment. All protocols told him he'd better bow and fear this man, but somehow he did not. He surmised that if Prince Henry was pretending to be someone else and willing to subject himself to being a servant, he must of had a good reason. "Are you not Prince Henry?"

"No sir, I'm not. Many people mistake me for him." Said Henry.

"Come now, Sire. I may be a humble servant, but I'm not an old fool - give me a little credit." Responded Maurice, "During Lady Danielle's yearly visits to Sarlat several of us servants go with her. I've driven the Baroness De Ghent and her daughter Marguerite to court numerous times, on several of those occasions I saw you conversing with Marguerite."

What do the Baroness and her shrill daughter have to do with Lady Danielle? He wondered. Then he remembered their conversation from yesterday, the Baroness must be the stepmother that Maurice wouldn't talk about. Henry shrugged his shoulders, "Ok sir, it's true, I am Prince Henry, but you must tell no one."

"The De Barbarac family will not be happy when they find out and you are asking me to betray their trust. I'm willing to go to the stocks and possibly even be executed to protect my family, Sire. Perhaps if you explain to me why you are pulling this ruse?"

"Please Maurice, I swear to you no harm will come to you, the De Barbarac family or any of the servants. I have my reasons for doing what I'm doing." Henry said sincerely.

Maurice looked at the man and then smiled knowingly, "could one of those reasons have something to do with Lady Danielle?"

Henry couldn't help himself he smiled broadly at the mere mention of her name. He decided to take Maurice into his confidence, "Sir, I'm in love with your daughter. I intend to win her heart and make her my wife and future queen." He said earnestly.

Maurice was a firm believer in love at first site, after all he fell in love with his wife Louise the moment he laid eyes on her, and judging by Danielle's reaction and now Prince Henry's comments, he was sure that this marriage would happen no matter the obstacles or bumps that will eventually revel themselves. It's destiny's love in all its glory. Now that it's in motion nothing or no one will be able to stop it - deter it yes, but definitely not stop the inevitable.

"Your Highness, how do you know you are in love with her? You have only known her for a day."

"That is where you are wrong sir. I've known Lady Danielle all my life, she's what I have been searching for all my life - but didn't know it. I'm convinced that she is my perfect match. I will do anything it takes to make her love me."

Curious, Danielle said the same thing about Francis, Maurice thought to himself.

"Sire you of all people should know that you cannot make someone love you. How do you propose to win her heart, when the very foundation you are building this love on is based in lies?"

"I have been thinking of nothing else. The only thing that I can hope for is that over the next few days I'll have a chance to show her the real me and she will love me for who I am, not what I am. All I'm asking for sir is the chance to do that." Henry said almost pleading to Maurice.

Maurice smiled and put his hand on the Prince's shoulder, "All I want is what is best for Danielle, if that proves to be you, then so be it. I will not betray your confidence as long as no one asks me directly. Agreed?"

Henry smiled at the old man and shook his head "Agreed".

"May I offer some advise your Highness?"

"Please do."

"Do not let Lady Danielle find out that you stole her Papa's favorite horse, Utopia, otherwise you will have hell to pay." He added with a chuckle, "whether she loves you or not."

"You are kidding me? That horse's name is Utopia? That's what I named him!" He exclaimed.

"Then it must indeed be fate, your Highness."

"Maurice?"

"Yes Sire?"

"I will never be able to pull this off if you continue to call me "Your Highness". Please call me Francis it really is my name, my middle name anyway. After this is all over - regardless of how it turns out, I'd be honored if you called me Henry." He said shaking the old man's hand. He continued, "I also want you to treat me like you would any other stable hand. Do not show me any special favors or treatment."

Maurice laughed, "Well if that's the way you want it...Francis."

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Maurice gave the Prince a long list of duties and chores that he had to complete before breakfast.

After about an hour Henry found himself to be sweaty, dirty, and most of all he smelled like horse manure. He'd spent the entire morning feeding and grooming the horses and cleaning out the stables. He was exhausted and he still had 20 things that he needed to get accomplished before the servants can have their breakfasts.

Henry decided it was time to take a break. He spotted a bail of hey and sat down for a few minutes. He wanted to plan his next move and encounter with Lady Danielle. After a few minutes, he couldn't think of any reasonable excuse for him, a stable hand, to have a conversation with someone of Lady Danielle's status.

He was startled by the sound of someone entering the barn. He looked up and smiled, there she was, again dressed as a servant and looking like a sweet innocent little angel. Her long hair was tied in the back. Her clothes were dirty, and she had mud on her face.

"Hello" she said shyly, looking at Francis.

"La...Lady Danielle!" Henry was surprised to see her there, so early in the morning. They just stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. They both saw the same thing - love.

"What are you doing here and at this hour?" Henry stammered.

"It's dawn, I'm helping tend the lands." She said.

"Why are you doing that? Is that not what you have servants for?" Henry said seriously.

"This is my father's property and my home, I love working the lands. Don't you take pride in working the grounds?"

Henry couldn't help but chuckle, his arrogance was showing again, "certainly not. Why should I take pride in working someone else's land? Sweating so that someone else may eat and profit off my sweat and blood?"

Danielle felt her cheeks get flush, but this time she contained her anger. "Sir, one, no matter what their station in life is, should always take pride in their work and endeavors. Hard work, loyalty, and honesty will always pay off in the long run."

She did it again, he thought to himself. "Now would you care to help me out in the fields?" She asked, well not really asked, sort of commanded. How could Henry refuse, after all she is his employer and their houseguest.

"As you wish milady." Said Henry with an arrogant bow that irritated Danielle.

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Part 11

Constance had woken up earlier than normal, for some reason she couldn't sleep last night. She rolled over and looked at her husband Charles and smiled to herself. He looks so peaceful and content. They had been married a long time now and were each other's soul mates. She chuckled when she thought about how they met and their initial courtship.

Their life has been filled with both happiness and heartache. More of the former than the latter, the two years that it took for them get their son back was the most traumatic time for them. Right after they got Charles back they lost Auguste, which was a severe blow to the family. After months of mourning the lost of Auguste and getting used to having Charles, II back, the family decided it was time to send for Danielle. It was the proper thing to do. Auguste made them promise him that if anything happened to him they would take care of his daughter.

This promise was made before he married the Baroness, protocol said that Danielle should have stayed with her stepmother but Constance never liked or trusted the Baroness and didn't want to see her niece grow up to be a spoiled Courtier like Marguerite who was already well on her way at the time Auguste and Rodmilla were courting. She wanted to kick them out of the Manor de Barbarac on numerous occasions but Danielle wouldn't allow it and her husband agreed. She thought both of them were being sentimental fools and were blind to the fact that the Baroness was using both of them.

She loves Danielle as if she was her own child and is filled with dread every time she returns to the manor. On several occasions she's noticed bruises and scars on Danielle when she returned home. Danielle always said that she fell or cut herself while tending the garden or crops. Constance's intuition told her that there was more to it, that her daughter was hiding something, but until she tells her what it is, there's nothing she can do about it.

Now after her conversation with Leonardo she is hoping that Danielle and Prince Henry will make a connection. Over the years she has grown to trust Leonardo's judgment and he seems convinced that Prince Henry would be perfect for Danielle. Constance has tried to set Danielle up in the past and no man has ever interested Danielle. Her fondest wish was to see her daughter experience the joy and fulfillment that true love would bring her.

She heard plenty of rumors regarding the Prince's behavior and something inside her tells her not to believe them - most of them anyway. She knows how vicious and out of control court gossip can be - she herself was once the victim of such vicious attacks, which is one of the reasons she decided to leave court life behind and settle in Avignon. She was glad she made that decision if she stayed in court she never would have met her true love Charles.

The only time she returned to court was in the beginning of their marriage and that was simply to introduce her husband to her childhood friend Queen Marie. Constance and Marie were like two peas in a pod growing up they did everything together. She was with Marie the day her father told her of her arranged marriage, the two women stayed awake all night crying. The two friends lost touch shortly after the birth of their sons. She was happy to hear that Marie and Francis reached an accord shortly before the birth of Henry. Marie had actually written her to say that she was developing a strong bond with Francis; Marie didn't think it was true love but at least a reasonable facsimile.

Constance promised herself that if she ever had children, especially a daughter she would never force them into an arranged marriage. It's ridiculous that Noble families feel it's necessary to sell their children in order to maintain and expand power and position. She and Charles already had more money than they knew what to do with and didn't need to accumulate any more. The idea that her daughter could end up marrying her childhood friend's son warmed her heart. It would give her a chance to renew her friendship and bond with Marie.

She looked at her husband lying next to her, leaned down and gave him a light kiss on the lips, his mouth curled up into a smile of contentment. Not wanting to disturb his sleep she slowly and carefully got out of their bed and put on her silky robe. She walked over to the large bay window and peeked out and saw that it was going to be a glorious day. From this window she had a glorious view of the gardens and the surrounding lands.

In the distance she spotted Danielle playing in the field running and laughing, at first she thought she was with Gustave then she wiped the sleep from her eyes to get a better look and smiled when she saw that it wasn't Gustave but Prince Henry. "Yes there is definitely a strange energy emanating from the two", she whispered to herself.

She laughed to herself when she saw the young man helping Danielle tend the grounds she was obviously delighting in giving the man orders. "Imagine what people would say if they saw Prince Henry in his current state". Constance briefly wondered why he continued with this charade "he can't honestly be stupid enough to think that he could keep up this ruse for any length of time" she had several theories as to why.

"Come back to bed," said a sleepy voice from behind. Constance turned around and looked at her husband who had a mischievous smile on his face, "honestly Charles, you have a one track mind. I have to talk to Leonardo this morning."

"At this hour? Let the old man sleep, he's had a long journey and is probably tired. Besides, I need some pleasing..." Constance rolled her eyes and smiled at her husband, she walked over to him, "here's a little something to tide you over until I return" she leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss, "if you are good, there will be more of this after I speak with Leonardo."

"But honey..." Charles lied in bed and pouted as he watched her start to head for the door, before she opened it, she turned around and said, "I love you." Which brought a huge smile to his face, "I love you to dear, I'll keep the bed warm for you." She flashed him another smile before leaving their chambers.

She and Leonardo were going to discuss the Danielle and Henry situation, she hated to admit it, but she loved a good intrigue, and this would be one of the funniest, if not greatest ones of all time. She knew Leonardo was a masterful manipulator and truth be told she was no slouch herself.

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Henry was sweating like a pig he'd been working in the stables since the crack of dawn and then running around the fields with Lady Danielle for the last hour or so. She seemed to take great delight in bossing him around. He understood that he was her servant, but Lady Danielle only treated him this way. Earlier this morning she made him take the horse manure and use it to fertilize the gardens then she made him gather honey from the beehives where she laughed hysterically when she saw that he got stung by a bee.

"Francis, will you help me prune these gardens?" Asked Danielle.

He looked at Danielle and smiled, "As you wish milady."

She looked at the man and smiled back she found him perplexing, he was so handsome and yesterday she found their conversation to be so stimulating. They spent most of this morning talking and tending the lands. If she didn't know any better she would of sworn that she was falling in love with this charming rouge. He was so arrogant and delighted in irritating her, yet whenever she looked into his eyes, she felt as if she was going to melt inside. No one has ever had that effect on her before.

She delighted in putting this arrogant man in his place, not to mention the fact that she found the sight of his sweat soaked arms intoxicating. As they sat there hunched over pruning the gardens, Henry continued to stare lovingly at her. She looked over at him and asked, "what?"

"Oh nothing." He turned his attention back to his pruning.

"Come now, you were thinking something a few minutes ago." She said.

"Ok, if you must know mademoiselle, I find you fascinating."

Danielle blinked for a few minutes, she was a little taken aback. "You find me fascinating? Why?"

"You live the life of a courtier and wealthy land owner, yet you seem to spend most of your time trying to hide the fact that you are such. Do you find it pleasurable to pretend to be something that you are not?" He asked in all seriousness.

"Why do you find it so hard to believe that I actually like tending the grounds? What would you have me do? Hang around court in Sarlat all day with other insipid, spiteful courtiers? I'm not the one pretending to be someone they are not, perhaps one can say the same about you sir."

Henry started to sweat profusely, and he put his hand up to his neck and rubbed it a little. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Really, you act as though you are a commoner, yet you have the opinions, attitude and mannerisms of a noble."

He blinked for a minute and was getting ready to respond, when he yelled "ouch!" he pricked himself on a Rose thorn. His finger started bleeding and he put in his mouth to suck the blood to try and stop the bleeding. He was carrying on as if someone had chopped his finger off.

Danielle looked at him with exasperation, "men! Honestly, it's only a little pinprick. She then tore off a small piece of the bottom of her dress and wrapped the cloth around his finger. Her heart was pounding when she touched his hand. She was getting ready to let go, when he held on to it tighter. Their hands were intertwined and he wouldn't let go.

She looked at him and smiled, "Francis, I'd like my hand back now." She then looked at him seriously and said, "or should I call you Prince Henry?"

******************************************************

Part 12

Henry just stared at Danielle, thinking of a way to respond to her question. Should he create a cover story and deny it, or should he come clean. He really didn't want to hide anything from this woman. This woman whom he barely knew, yet completely captured his heart. If his cover story didn't work on Maurice, surely it wouldn't work on someone as compelling, beautiful, and as intelligent as Lady Danielle.

Danielle looked at the Prince, thinking what his response or excuse he would be. She was curious to find out why he put on this little charade. Obviously he must have run away and is trying to cover his tracks by pretending to be a stable hand, thus confirming her opinion of him as being irresponsible and arrogant. She continued to stare into his eyes for several minutes before she looked away shyly. His eyes told her there was so much more to this man than the rumors and gossips from court, and the stories her girlfriends from school told her.

She then turned to face him again, "Well?"

He blinked and was getting ready to respond when they heard a voice come from behind.

"Mistress, it's time for you to get ready for breakfast." Danielle turned around and said, "thank you Paulette. I lost track of the hour." She stood up and wiped some of the dirt off her dress and then look at Henry who was still sitting on the ground staring at her with a bewildered look on his face, "we'll continue this discussion later...Francis".

All he could do was smile timidly and say, "of course milady." As she started to head off with Paulette, Paulette looked at Francis, "Francis, the Duchess would like for you to get cleaned up and join the family for breakfast as well."

Danielle and Henry looked at each other for a moment, before Danielle looked at Paulette, "why is mother inviting a stable hand, a 'visiting' one at that, to our family breakfast?"

"He is a friend of Signore Da Vinci and he requested his presence," said Paulette.

"Oh." Was all Danielle could say, and she had a mischievous look in her eye when she looked at Francis, "well, I guess you'll be joining us for breakfast..." Then with emphasis, added "Francis."

Henry relaxed a little bit and then smiled, "with pleasure milady."

Paulette looked at the two and noticed the weird interplay between them. After they were out of earshot, she looked at Danielle, "what was that all about?"

"What was 'what' all about?"

"Mistress, you know exactly what I'm talking about. What was that look and exchange between you and Francis all about?"

"Nothing," said Danielle.

"Well don't go getting involved with a stable hand. You know your father and brother wouldn't approve."

Danielle gave Paulette the look, "as always Paulette, you are reading more into this situation than there is."

"Really?" Paulette studied Danielle carefully. When her mistress blushed she confirmed her suspicions.

When they reached Danielle's bedchamber "Your bath has already been drawn mistress, your clothes are laid out on the chaise for you." They stepped into the dressing chamber and Danielle took off her dirty blue servant's dress and handed it to Paulette for cleaning.

"Thank you Paulette, I can handle everything from here. Can you come back in a few minutes to help me with my dress?"

"Of course mistress. You know I'd do anything for you." She hugged her and then proceeded to sit down into the bathtub. She smiled as she watched Paulette leave the dressing room. Paulette, along with Louise and Maurice were like family to her.

She closed her eyes and savored the feel of the warm water on her body. Her encounters with Prince Henry left her feeling perplexed. Every time she saw him her heart would beat faster and she felt her temperature rise. When he opened his mouth, he made her blood boil and her face flush with anger and then a few minutes later, laughter. This morning she realized that he said certain things to purposely get a reaction out of her. No one has ever managed to elicit such a wide range of conflicting emotions from her and it unnerved her to know that someone had this kind of control and effect on her.

Whenever she looked into his eyes, they said exactly how he felt about her. She chuckled to herself, thinking how terrible he was at disguising his feelings for her. Was she in love with this charming rogue? How could she be? She just met him! She's heard of love at first sight but didn't think it was truly possible but now...she was no longer sure.

If love is what she was indeed feeling, then what would that mean for her future and her family? She loved her home in Avignon and didn't relish in the thought of leaving it and she certainly did not want to become the Crowned Princess of France. The thought of being subjected to the protocols and formality of court life terrified her. "What a vapid, intolerable existence that would be." She said to herself, she thought for a moment, and started to realize why Prince Henry must have run away from home. "He must feel like he is trapped in a gilded cage."

Danielle continued to sit in the bathtub and think about her life and possible future. She used to think she would never find someone to love, and now she could easily see herself living a wonderful life full of happiness and love with Francis. She smiled whenever she thought of him. The only problem was her heart and mind was in a desperate struggle with each other. Eventually her mind won out, she decided she wanted to wait awhile and get to know him better before making any rash decisions. "Besides it isn't like he said he loved me." She said to herself and then smiled. He might not have verbally said it, but his eyes spoke volumes.

******************************************************

Part 13 - Breakfast at Chateau De Barbarac

After the bath, Danielle sat at the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. Wondering what could Francis possibly see in her. She looked at her body, her bosom wasn't as full as her stepsister Jacqueline, and she definitely didn't think she was as pretty as her other stepsister Marguerite. The girls in her private school were more sophisticated and refined than she could ever hope to be. Her stepmother's years of mental abuse have taken their toll on her psyche, she sighed, "I am nothing but a simple little country girl who likes to play with pigs." She said to herself. She was startled when she felt soft caring hands rest upon the back of her shoulders.

"Darling, don't be ridiculous! You are anything but a poor little country girl, you are my precious daughter and don't you ever forget that."

Danielle turned around to see where the voice was coming from and smiled. "Mother. What are you doing in here?"

"I'm here to help you get dressed for breakfast."

"Mother, Paulette was going to help, you need not help me."

"Nonsense, can't a mother help a daughter get dressed for breakfast? Besides when was the last time we had a good talk?" She smiled.

"Yesterday morning mother. Before Leonardo and his friend showed up on our doorstep, or did you forget?"

"Darling, it's been that long since we had one of our chats? Well then, don't you think we are long over due?" Constance loved Danielle and looked forward to her daily chats with her, but today was different, she was dying to find out how her meeting with Prince Henry went.

"So how was your day yesterday?"

"It was wonderful, you need to visit Gustave in his studio, his talent is so amazing. Don't tell him I said that." She giggled, "I think he finally found something that he can whip me in, I can't wait to introduce him to Leonardo." She said with great pride.

"Yes, I'll have to visit later this week. Gustave is a wonderful boy and he simply adores you my dear. His talent has grown over the years. So does he like his little studio?"

"Mother I can never thank you and father enough for getting him his own studio in town. He is starting to get his own commissions now, and I think he is sweet on his latest patron!"

"Get out! Really? Who?" Constance felt like she was back in school gossiping with Marie. She never imagined sweet little Gustave with anyone before, and now her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

"I think he's fallen for my friend Comtesse Rebecca de Louis." Said Danielle excitedly. Not only was he with someone, but one of the most sort after courtiers in the entire province.

Becky was one of Danielle's closest and most trusted friends they shared almost everything growing up. She is one of the few people that know the truth about how the Baroness treats her when she returns to her childhood home. Becky, along with Gustave has tried to convince her to tell her father about her stepmother. Danielle always refused to do so, because her beloved Papa must of loved Rodmilla, and she didn't want to see them and especially Jacqueline put out on the street. If nothing else she cared too much for Jacqueline to allow that to happen.

"That is shocking, but good news. I think they will make a cute couple. If they get married, we will have to hold the reception here. How long has this been going on?"

Asked Constance.

"Every since my last visit to papa's house. Becky met Gustave there and they hit it off right away, I think it was love at first sight. They have spent almost every day together for the last two weeks!"

After one of her recent visits to the manor Danielle stayed with Becky for two weeks. She wanted to hide the fresh scars on her back from her parents. When Constance finally noticed the healing scars she was able to convince her mother that she got them while tending the lands. Constance didn't buy her story for a moment, but without proof there wasn't much she could do. Her brother and father tried to ban her from working the grounds, but after a few weeks of watching her pout and mope around the house they relented.

Becky insisted that she accompany Danielle on her last trip to the manor. She smiled thinking that Becky's presence during that trip forced her stepmother and Marguerite to be on their best behavior for a change. They dared not do anything to her while Becky was there because her family were powerful members of the court and would not sit idly by if anything happened to their daughter or Danielle. The Baroness also knew that she could abuse Danielle all she liked and she would still come back for more, but if she did it in Comtesse de Louis' presence word would get back to the Duke, then they would have hell to pay.

"Well then, I'll have to invite Becky over for tea later today. Is Gustave joining us for breakfast?"

"No, he's having breakfast with Becky's family today, and then I'm going to meet them in town later. He's painting a portrait of Becky and I together. Can you imagine? I can't wait to see it."

"Well Danielle, make sure you take one of the men along with you. It's not safe out there and your father and I were highly distressed when your brother told us what happened in the market yesterday afternoon."

"Mother, I do not need or want a bodyguard." Said Danielle, rather forcefully.

"How can you say that after what your brother and Francis told us about the incident at the market?"

"Please mother, you know how men exaggerate! Especially Charles, and Francis, well..." Constance noticed Danielle smile and change her demeanor at the mention of Francis' name.

She continued to look at her daughter she had it bad - her cheeks had turned scarlet red and she couldn't stop smiling at the mere mention of his name. "So what do you think of our houseguest?"

"Mother, Leonardo isn't a houseguest. He's one of our oldest friends. I just wish I had a chance to talk to him yesterday evening. The men occupied all of his time last night." Danielle said with disappointment in her voice.

"Well I'm sure you'll have a chance to talk to him today, but you know Leonardo wasn't the houseguest I was talking about."

She blinked and stared at her mother perplexed. "Oh, you mean Francis. He is insufferable. Every time he opens his mouth he makes my blood boil and my teeth clench. Somehow he manages to be arrogant and display no sense of pride at the same time. Can you imagine? How can a stable hand have such backwards-thinking opinions? He's not someone who I would invite to dinner that alone breakfast!"

Constance laughed at her daughter, "Men are like a fine wine. They all start out like grapes, and it's a woman's job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something you'd like to have dinner with."

She looked at her mother and smiled, "so was father a grape?"

Constance laughed, "Your father was worse, he was a prune, and so was your papa. Your mother and I had a grand old time stomping on those two."

Danielle felt a wave of sadness wash over her, at the mention of her real parents. Constance recognized her change, "I'm sorry Danielle. You must never feel sorry for yourself. If you don't believe or remember anything else that I ever tell you, remember and believe this - Auguste and Nicole loved you more than life itself and they loved each other very much. They are together again in heaven, their love continues to blossom and grow. I'm sure they are extremely proud of the beautiful woman you've become."

"Thank you mother, I don't know what came over me. I shudder to think what my life would have been like without you, father, and Charles in it." Said Danielle hugging Constance.

"You would have been fine dear. In fact, living so close to the Palace you probably would have become a Princess!"

Constance noticed her sour expression. *I'm going to have to work on changing her attitude regarding Royalty* she thought.

"Now dry those tears, your father and brother would not be happy to see you crying."

Constance was putting on the finishing touches to Danielle's makeup. "There, we're all done. Shall we head down for breakfast?"

Danielle looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She took her mother's arm and they continued to laugh and talk as they headed towards the family dining room.

***************************************************************

Everyone was milling about in the family dining room, waiting for the women to arrive before they sit down and have their meal. Henry and Charles, II were having an intense conversation about taxation and war, while Leonardo and Charles, I were busy making small talk, talking about old times.

"Well what are we all waiting for, isn't time for breakfast?" Said Constance playfully, all the men in the dining room turned around and saw Constance and Danielle enter the room.

Henry's mouth dropped open, the two women knew how to make an impression. The Duchess looked stunning, her long dark hair was flowing and her makeup set off her brown eyes perfectly. She was wearing a light reddish cotton dress. She was radiating happiness and contentment; he could see why the Duke fell in love with her. Then his eyes settled on Danielle, this was the first time he's seen her all cleaned up (outside of the portrait), she looked glorious. Absolutely stunning, her hair was also flowing, and she was wearing a beautiful cotton blue dress. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He just stared at her and she at him.

Leonardo and Constance watched at the two stare at each and gave each other a knowing wink and smile. Charles II & I were so busy conversing with each other that they were totally oblivious to the interplay and intrigues going on around them.

Henry continued to stare at Danielle until her brother broke the spell and started teasing his sister. Leonardo, put his finger up to Henry's chin, "close your mouth boy, before something flies in." He said with laughter.

"Francis, why don't you sit over here." Constance motioned for Francis to sit between her and Danielle.

"I'd be honored to sit next to you milady." He went over to his place and pulled out the chair so that Constance could sit down and then looked at Danielle, "allow me, milady." He pulled out her chair, and then whispered in her ear, "may I say milady, that you clean up rather nicely." She giggled and then brushed him away.

Once they were all seated, the Duke taped his goblet to single that the family were ready to have their breakfast.

"Francis, wait until you taste these apple berry pastries, and Louise's cinnamon pancakes! She bakes the best pastries. Doesn't she mother?" Said Charles.

"Yes dear, Louise is indeed a treasure." Said Constance.

The servants brought in a big breakfast spread for the family to enjoy. The spread featured eggs, various meats, breads, and glorious pastries. Once the food was placed on the table, the servants gave them each a glass of wine, orange juice and water. The remaining pitchers of wine, water, and orange juice were placed on the small table to the side. After this was done, the Duke dismissed the staff.

He told Francis that once the family breakfast was prepared and set out, that he dismissed the servants so that they could have breakfast with their own families. The Duke believed that it was important for families to share breakfast and dinner together, it was the perfect way to start and end the day - with the ones you love most.

After a few minutes of light conversation, the Duke looked at Francis and asked, "So son, what are you plans for the future?"

Francis was busy gorging himself and whispering in Danielle's ear that he didn't even hear him at first, "hmm...Oh, I don't know yet sir. I have money saved from my last employ and will eventually travel to Genoa and try and make my own way."

"So you are ambitious huh?" Said the Duke.

"I like to think so." Said Francis.

"Really?" Danielle chimed in sarcastically, in a tone that made Henry wince a bit.

"Yes" Said Francis. He then said, " What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow, which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. The secret to life is not necessarily getting what you want, but wanting what you get."

Leonardo decided to chime in "The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that it is a bore. It is not so much a war as an endless standing in line."

"I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving; To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it--but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor." Said Danielle, looking directly at Francis.

"So what is it that you want out of life Francis? Wealth? Love? Marriage?" Asked Charles II.

"Money cannot buy you happiness and I have no interest in power."

"Didn't you say earlier that I perplexed you by pretending to be a servant? That you didn't believe that a Comtesse would like tending her own land? Yet here you are saying that you don't want money or power, and that it does not buy happiness. Why, sir, would money and power buy me happiness, but not you? Is there not a contradiction in your statement?" Asked Danielle.

"No, not at all madam. With money and power come specific obligations that one must meet to achieve those goals. There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things, especially if one is forced to do so alone - without someone to share it with." Said Henry earnestly and then smiling at Danielle.

"So, if you were destined to wield power and wealth or found yourself in a situation one day where you had money and power would you do?" Asked the Duke.

"I would give it up in a heartbeat, without even thinking about it with very little regret. I think what truly makes one happy is not money or power but love and having someone to share those things with. Otherwise what would be the point of it all? You and your wife have money and power, but you also have love, and I would suspect that your love for each other and your family supercedes all the material goods that you possess."

"Why would you say that?" Asked Constance.

Henry then looked at her and then the Duke "You two are obviously in love and want the same for your children. If money and power were the main forces in your life you would be like most other nobles, trying to sell your children off to arranged marriages to further your own political and financial wealth - but I see that you haven't done that." He said smiling at Danielle.

Danielle decided to needle him a little, "for a stable hand you seem to know an awful lot about the workings noble families."

"Well, milady, as I've said, I've grown up around noble families all my life. I'm very observant, and I'm no fool."

"A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he's finished." Said Charles II.

"Yes, but wouldn't you want to become immortal?" Asked Constance, she was curious what the Prince would say. She saw that his series of responses was winning her husband over.

Henry thought for a moment, as the entire table looked at him, "Not if it means living one's existence in a gilded cage. Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error, and I do not want to be placed in the position where I'd make such an error."

He added, "If I achieve immortality, I'd like it to be the way Leonardo will accomplish it. For doing great work and the effect that I have among those around me." He smiled at Leonardo.

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying." Said Leonardo with a chuckle. With that everyone at the table laughed. The rest of the breakfast went exceedingly well, especially from Henry's point of view. He didn't say anything stupid, and he felt like he was winning the family over, but most importantly Lady Danielle.

***************************************************************

After breakfast was over Lady Danielle told her family that she was planning on going into town to see Gustave. Her father insisted that she be accompanied by one of the men, which Danielle refused. They started to get into a heated discussion, before Constance suggested that Francis become Danielle's official bodyguard for the next several days, until they can find someone permanent. The Duke smiled, thinking this would probably be a good idea and compromise. The young man proved his trustworthiness when he saved Leonardo from a band of Gypsies and he and Danielle seemed to get along ok, so he approved.

Danielle however did not, she absolutely did not want anyone accompanying her to see Gustave, least of all Prince Henry. She made several attempts to try and hide and change her schedule, she thought she succeeded, but when she reached the stables, he was standing their waiting for her. With the biggest, goofiest grin that she'd ever seen.

"Francis." Was all Danielle said as she mounted her horse. Francis then got on his horse and followed her out of the stables, as they rode down to the main gates of the Chateau de Barbarac, they said nothing, just stared lovingly at each other, not sure what to say. He was waiting for her to continue their conversation from this morning, and she was wondering when he would admit to being Prince Henry.

This handsome young Prince riding proudly atop his old horse mesmerized Danielle. *Old horse*? Danielle stared at the horse intently for a few moments. *What was the crowned Prince of France doing riding an old steed like this one?* Then she noticed something. She pulled the rains of her rare fiery Arabian horse forcing him to stop. She startled Henry by blocking his path and yelled "halt!"

"What, what is it milady?" Asked Henry perplexed.

"What are you doing with my Papa's beloved horse? Please don't lie to me, unless you're absolutely sure I'll never find out the truth. Answer wisely or these may be the last words you'll ever speak to me." She said angrily.

Henry scratched his head, thinking of something to say, for he knew she meant what she said. This was the moment of truth for him all hope of his ever winning her heart was riding on what his answer would be.



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Part 14 - The Good Part

Laurent was not having a good morning, the day and a half day's ride from Hautefort to Avignon, was longer than he'd anticipated. He was also busy thinking about a possible future he may have with Jacqueline De Ghent. Before he rode out of town, he secretly stopped by to see her again and the little time that they shared together was exhilarating.

He promised her that as soon as this latest adventure is over that he'd return and start courting her. He wanted to ask her mother's permission but for some reason Jacqueline refused, saying that "this is the 16th century" if he wanted to court her, he should ask her himself. Her candor and forthrightness was so refreshing. She was unlike any woman that she ever met.

Laurent was very upset at his friend for running away, the turmoil he put his mother through was bad enough, but now, now he has a chance at something special he can't do anything about it because he has to go traipsing after his spoiled friend. "Guarding royalty is no way to make a living" he said to himself. His friend was going to get a severe tongue lashing when he finally tracks him down.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally arrived in Avignon. His gut instinct told him Henry was here somewhere now the questions was how to find him without reveling the fact that he ran away to the world. It was a delicate game of intrigue that he would have to play. He decided that it'd be best to go undercover and wear his civilian clothes. He didn't want to attract attention to himself or The Prince. The King gave him four days to find his son and drag him back otherwise he'd be forced to call out the entire guard.

Knowing his friend he would probably be in one of two places, either hanging out in the market in town or the local pub. His friend could not pass up the opportunity to have a good mug of Ale and a freshly prepared sandwich. The only time his friend was truly happy was when he was either eating or drinking. Or leading the Royal Guard, for all of his faults the men respected his leadership skills tremendously, and his battle plan was responsible for driving away the Nordic invasion. During that moment of crises, he saw Henry truly become a man, a leader, and future King that they all could be proud of. Unfortunately once the war was over, King Francis returned to treating his son like a petulant child, not trusting him to make his own decisions.

Laurent decided his best course of action would be to first check into a small room above the local pub. He would spend the day staking out the Market and if he didn't find his friend there, he would stake out the local pubs. Because Avignon was a traveler's port, it had an unusually large number of pubs, all lined up on the same street. The Market did not officially start until late morning, so Laurent first took a long hot bath to clean himself up from the long Journey. He sat in the tub and just let his thoughts turn to the sweet Jacqueline De Ghent.

******************************************************

Everyone at the castle had been on pins and needles for the past several days. The King has been harsher in his judgments at court than normal, and short with everyone. The gossip flying around court was that Prince Henry had run away from the castle. Many of the courtiers heard rumors that Princess Gabriella and the Spanish entourage would be arriving in several weeks.

No one knew exactly what the truth was, but all the nobles knew to keep a low profile when the King gets into one of these moods. They all just ducked and covered hoping things would eventually return to some semblance of normality.

"Darling, you must be patient, I'm sure Captain Laurent will find Henry. The question you must be able to answer is - what will you do when they do find him?" Asked Queen Marie.

King Francis was busy pacing back and forth in their private quarters. "I will confine him to his chambers for the next 10 years until he grows up!!" He yelled.

"That is precisely the problem milord, our son has grown up. You must learn to accept that. He cannot learn to soar with you putting salt on his wings. Remember how well he handled himself when the Nordic's invaded? He was truly a man and almost single handedly saved this nation during that moment of crisis, but you never acknowledged that accomplishment." Said Marie.

"I tried to, but he would not listen to me. I'm at my wits end with that boy. He needs to settle down and start taking responsibility. We will not live forever and the country's future will soon rest on his shoulders." Said the King.

A knock on their chamber door interrupted their conversation. "What is it?" The King bellowed the frightened Palace Page handed the King a note. "Thank you, you are dismissed." Said the Queen. The Page bowed and left the room.

The King read the note and for the first time in days, smiled. He handed the note to Marie and she put her hand up to her mouth and to cover the smile that was spreading across her face.

***********************************************************

Henry scratched his head and thought for a moment, just staring at her *she's so beautiful when she's angry* was all he could think of. Truth be told she was happy that Utopia was here being well cared for instead of being neglected at the manor. Danielle was looking at Henry, studying his reaction, waiting for him to respond to her question. "Well, what are you doing with my father's horse?"

Her question, broke him out of his trance, "Well, um...I...it's a mystery to me madam."

"Really Your Highness, is that the best you could come up with? Well let me try and help you, you stole this horse, didn't you? So now, not only are you arrogant, but you are also a thief and a liar - and what's worse a bad one, but nevertheless a liar you are!"

"I did not steal this horse. I only borrowed him after my other horse slipped his shoe. I left money to pay for him." He was pleading with her now "I'm sorry Danielle, please forgive me."

"Out of all the horses at the manor why did you pick this particular one?" She asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. This horse seemed to need someone to want him and look after him. I was drawn to him, as I am to you milady." Henry said as he walked over to her and touched her hand. The feel of her hand in his sent shivers down his spine. They stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes before she pulled her hand away and looked and walked towards her horse.

"No, no...this cannot be allowed to happen Your Highness."

Henry just stood there, "Why can this not happen? Is it Gustave? Is it your family? You cannot deny that we have a connection milady. I see it in your eyes. I feel it every time we touch."

She looked at Henry, "Please Your Highness, Gustave is like a brother to me. I cannot allow this to happen because I have no desire to become a Princess - you ran away from home, your obligations and are masquerading as a stable hand for a reason. I suspect you don't want to become a King, yet you would expect me to give up my home and family to come with you? Also I do not know anything about you and you certainly don't know anything about me. There's a connection yes, but that simply isn't enough."

"I know all that I need to know. I am in love with you. Please Danielle at least give me a chance to win your heart."

"Your Highness..."

He looked at her, "please, my name is Henry."

She looked at him, with a stray tear in her eyes. "When? When we are alone? When we are in mixed company, do I call you Francis and continue to treat you like a stable hand? Your Highness it is not my heart that you must try and win." She got on her horse and rode off, "I must go Gustave is waiting."

******************************************************

The rest of their Journey to town was non-eventful, it was spent in awkward silence with both of them staring at each other, not sure what to say. They were filled with so many conflicting emotions and thoughts. Henry knew that he messed up and would have to work overtime to win over her mind and her trust. He just wasn't sure how. He's so used to women throwing themselves at his feet, chasing after his crown, that he wasn't quite sure how to go about courting someone, especially in this situation.

Danielle's heart was battling with her mind, she was sure she loved the Prince, but she didn't want to have to deal with the consequences of that love. The repercussions and the changes it would bring to her life would be tremendous. Is it worth giving away everything she holds dear to follow her heart? She needed time to get to know this man further.

When Henry and Danielle arrived they parked their horses and headed up to the top floor of the studio. She smiled to herself well we'll see how he handles my little test of his loyalty. Gustave's studio was in a prime location in the center of town, just overlooking the market.

Henry and Danielle did not notice the man standing at the end of the market who saw their arrival and watched their every move. The man had an evil smile on his face and then ducked out of sight so that he could not be seen. The man was tall, well built and had a scar on his face.

Laurent was sitting in the local pub that was across the street from Gustave's studio and smiled when he saw Prince Henry. He wondered who was the beautiful young maiden that he was with and wondered why the Prince was dressed like a stable hand. He guessed that the Prince must have hid his identity so that he no one would recognize him. His duty to the Crown told him that he should confront him now and drag him back to the Palace kicking and screaming if he had to, but his duty as a friend told him to wait and confront him alone. It was no contest really; he was Henry's closest friend, first and foremost. No matter how much he wanted to drag him out of that building he couldn't bring himself to do it. He decided he would follow him and wait for an opportune moment.

When Henry and Danielle reached Gustave's studio, she looked into Henry's eyes and said, "Your Highness, whatever happens, know that you have my heart, but it is simply not enough."

Henry breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her with a huge smile on his face "so are you telling me there's a chance?"

Before she could answer him, Gustave opened the door, "Well are you two going to just stand there and continue to whisper or were you planning on announcing yourselves?" "Gustave!" She threw her arms around her friend. Gustave gave Danielle a tremendous hug and motioned for her and Francis to enter his studio.

Gustave's studio was a small little room that had paint buckets scattered all of the place and a private bedroom with a small dressing chamber where his patrons could get dressed and freshen up. He had a great window view of the market.

The dressing room door opened, and Henry's mouth dropped open, one of the few friends that he had in the world walked through the door and he was stunned. Becky saw Danielle and ran to her first and hugged her dear friend. She and Danielle were so busy talking, that she didn't even notice Prince Henry's presence.

"Your Highness! What are you doing here?" She hastily bowed before the Prince.

"Good afternoon Comtesse, it's a pleasure to see again." He said as he bowed and kissed the back of Becky's hand. Danielle looked at Henry and smiled. "I did not know that you two knew each other."

"Yes, milady, the Comtesse and I have been friends for years."

"Becky why didn't you ever tell me?" Said Danielle.

"I tried to but you never want to hear about idle court gossip. How did Prince Henry wind up here?" Asked Becky.

Danielle looked at Henry and then Becky and smiled, "That's not Prince Henry, that's my stable hand Francis."

All Henry could do was smile and say, "I'm afraid the lady is correct."

Becky looked at Danielle, "what are two talking about?" Danielle then grabbed Becky's arm and said come, "you have to help me get ready."

"But Danielle, are you insane? Have you lost your marbles? You can't do this with him around. Do you know what the penalty will be?" Said Gustave.

"I assure you both, Prince Henry will not say or do anything. Will you...Francis?"

"What in heavens name are you all talking about? Penalty for what?"

Gustave looked at the two women as they disappeared behind the door and said, "you'll see."

While the two men sat and waited, Henry tried to get to know Gustave better, "So Lady Danielle tells me that you two are childhood friends."

"Yes Francis...or what should I call you?" Asked Gustave.

"You are Lady Danielle's closest friend and would like for you to consider me a friend as well. Henry is fine when we are alone. However I ask that you not give away my identity when we're in public. Out of curiosity, you didn't seem too surprised when the Comtesse called me Prince Henry."

"Of course not Your Highness, I recognized you yesterday evening."

"You did? Why didn't you say something?"

"M..me..say something? It is not my place to question the motives of those who are above my station." Said Gustave.

"So what exactly is Lady Danielle up to?" He asked.

"Just wait, you'll see..." The two continued to talk and found that they both enjoy each other's company. They had a grand ole time talking about art. Gustave was enthralled when the Prince said that he liked his work, and suggested that he may commission a portrait for his mother.

After about an hour, Becky walked through the door, followed by a young gentleman and said, "Prince Henry, may I introduce you to my dear friend, Marquis Auguste de Lancret." Henry was absolutely stunned his mind was racing his heart was beating so fast that he could hardly stand it. He thought Lady Danielle could not do anything that would surprise him but this...this...

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Part 15

Henry could hardly believe what he was seeing, his beautiful Danielle, the woman that he hoped would one day become his wife and future Queen stood before him dressed as a man. She was right, he does not know her at all and this is but one more shocking revelation that he would have to deal with.

He looked around the room and saw the three conspirators getting a grand laugh at his expense. All he could do was stare she was wearing the clothes of a nobleman, a wig, and to complete the picture she was even wearing a fake mustache. If he didn't know it was his Danielle, he easily would of mistaken her for a nobleman.

"Well, Francis, what do you think?" Said Danielle.

Her slightly deeper voice startled Henry for a second, "Have you lost your mind, MILADY? Surely you don't plan on venturing out dressed like that?"

"Actually, yes I do. We are already late." She grabbed his arm and started motioning everyone towards the door.

Henry stopped, "I am not going ANYWHERE with you looking like THAT!"

Danielle looked at him, "Please Francis, we're going to be late." For some reason Danielle did not want to call the Prince by his real name, she had reached a comfort level and had strong feelings for the man that she knew as Francis, she did not want to start addressing Prince Henry by his first name because that would take her and their relationship to a new level that she just wasn't prepared to go yet.

She looked at him, and said "Please?" He just stood there, even dressed like this he found it hard to resist her, and was getting ready to follow her anywhere she wants, when Becky broke the spell.

"Danielle just tell him the truth. How do you expect to just show up with him, without you telling him everything?" Asked Becky.

"Oh all right. Will you two please go into the dressing chamber?" Asked Danielle.

"With pleasure...Monsieur." Gustave said mischievously and then grabbed a giggling Becky and dragged her into the chamber.

Now that they had a few moments of privacy, Henry and Danielle stood there in awkward silence for a few moments. Henry finally asked, "What, exactly, is this all about? Gustave was right if you are caught do you realize what the penalty would be? The humiliation and shame you would bring upon your family?"

"Francis...."

He held her hands tenderly and whispered, "My name is Henry."

"I'm sorry Your Highness, please understand I can only call you Francis at the moment. That's the man that I know."

Henry thought for a moment, he was going to argue the point but decided to let it drop for now. "Ok, why don't you tell me why you are doing this." He asked gently.

"Well, you will think this foolish. But you know the old saying 'those who can do? And those who can't teach?" He nodded his head. "Well when I was young my Papa instilled in me a love of reading. Before he died he opened my eyes to a whole new world of teachings. He would bring me books on Philosophy, Politics, Science you name it. The last book he brought home was Utopia."

Henry looked at her and smiled, "which explains why you quote Utopia" His heart went out to this young woman who was obviously influenced greatly by her father.

"I wish my father and I had the kind of relationship you had with yours." He said quietly with a sigh.

"Henry, all one has in this world is their family. Despite the differences that you may have with yours, I'm sure your Father loves you and worries about your well being."

He had a huge smile on his face she called him Henry! He thought the sound of his name coming from her lips was the most beautiful sound that he ever heard.

Henry shook his head, "I don't know, it seems to me that all he sees is an heir that he does not trust enough to be able to make his own decision about whom he wants to marry. What kind of father would sell their children into the life of a loveless marriage, all for the sake of some stupid contract? He's no better than most of the courtiers and other nobles who only see my crown and don't bother to take the time to get to know the real me."

She held his hand and looked into his eyes, "Promise me, that no matter what happens, you will make peace with your father. You will never forgive yourself if something should happen to him and you did not get a chance to tell him how you truly feel. Believe me, I'd rather hear the sound of my Papa's voice more than anything else in this world."

"You don't know my father." He said earnestly, with a tinge of regret in his voice.

"Promise me." She said squeezing his hands and staring directly into his eyes.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Ok, I promise."

She smiled at him and gave him a hug. Henry had to laugh, what would happen if someone walked in and saw the Crowned Prince of France hugging a man?

"What's so funny?" Asked Danielle.

Henry pointed to her and the way she was dressed. She totally forgot where she was, and then blushed. "Ok, so you where telling me what this charade was all about?"

Danielle regained her composure and then continued her story, "As I was saying, my Papa instilled in me a love of reading. Well after awhile, I gained an appreciation for writing as well. Recently I completed my first story, and for the last three weeks Gustave and Becky have helped me put together a "company of fools" to put on a production!"

Henry started to understand "So I take it you created this persona so that you can run the production?"

"Yes."

"Milady, these laws are on the books to protect your virtue."

"A woman's virtue is a myth created by man to make them feel better about their own indiscretions." She continued, "Don't you see? You are trapped by your status, well so am I, and like you I have found a way to temporarily circumvent that. Surely you of all people should understand that."

"Once people see the performance, it won't matter that it was written by a woman, but to get them to recognize that, I must go to this extreme length."

He shrugged his shoulders, she was so passionate about everything that she said and did all Henry could do was stare. "Ok, I guess since you have kept my secret, I cannot in good conscience divulge yours."

"Are you guys done yet? We are really late. Let's get this show on the road." Said Becky as she and Gustave bounded out of the chamber.

Danielle smiled and said, "I believe the matter is resolved. For now."

Everyone looked at Henry and he nodded his head. "Well then...Monsieur what is this production about?"

Danielle smiled, "Well, Sire, it's about you actually. Ironic isn't it?"

"Really?" Henry smiled.

"Yes, it's about the Crowned Prince of France falling for a poor servant girl who sleeps with pigs and her evil, scheming stepmother." Said Danielle.

He laughed, "If you are going to do a story, you could have at least created one that wasn't such a far fetched fantasy. No one would ever believe it."

"Are you saying you would never fall in love with a peasant?" Asked Becky.

"Certainly not." Then Henry thought about when he first saw Danielle in the pigpen with Gustave and thought she was a peasant, he then added, "well not just any Peasant girl. She would have to be truly special." He thought for a moment. Then said, "So...August what is the production called?"

Danielle looked at him and said, "It's called "Cindersoot".

"Cindersoot? What kind of a name is that?"

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Part 16 - Gaining Trust

Laurent sat in the bar watching the small building across the street. He was wondering what Henry was up to and whom the beautiful young maiden was that he was with. By the way they acted heading into the small building, it was obvious he was smitten with her.

The Captain decided to order another mug of ale while he continued to watch the building. After about 20 minutes of waiting he was quickly loosing patience every fiber of his being told him to barge in and confront The Prince now, but his duty as a friend wouldn't allow him to do it. Besides, he thought the ale and sandwiches in this small pub were awfully good. He smiled to himself as he wiped the foam from his lips after taking a big gulp. For now he would be content to watch Henry's every move and wait until he was alone to confront him. He had to trust that his friend would show some good judgment.

After about an hour he spotted the door of the small building swinging open and sure enough there was Henry walking with three other people. He was laughing and joking with them, having more fun than Laurent has seen his friend have in ages. Henry looked so relaxed and he seemed to be sparkling with life. He didn't recognize the two young men that he was with. One of the men looked to be a noble of some sort, while the other was wearing the clothes of a painter.

The woman walking with them was obviously a Comtesse - she was beautiful, average height, nice body, long flowing red hair. She had a sweet innocent grace about her that Laurent found attractive. The Comtesse's demeanor reminded Laurent of his beautiful Jacqueline.

He looked at her closer and recognized her from court, what was her name? He was racking his brain, *Ah it's Comtesse Rebecca de Louis* He smiled remembering how she used to play with Henry when they were younger. She was one of the few courtiers who wasn't chasing after Henry's crown. She was one of the few real friends that Henry had. Laurent knew that she wasn't a super close friend, due in part to Henry's habit of pushing people away when he felt that they were getting too close to him, but they did have a genuine affection for one another.

Laurent saw the group mount their horses. He noticed the young noble get on the same rare Arabian Stallion that Henry's female companion rode in on earlier. Which reminded him *What happened to the young woman that he entered the building with?* Laurent thought to himself.

He threw some money on the table and scrambled out of his chair to follow the group, before he left the bar, he ran back to his little table and took a final gulp of ale and grabbed the rest of his sandwich. "No use letting good ale go to waste" he said to no one in particular. The man sitting at the table next to Laurent raised his mug to him and smiled in agreement before taking a gulp of his ale as well.

The small entourage rode their horses for a few miles until they reached the other side of town. They entered a medium sized building. Laurent was careful not to follow closely. He watched everyone enter the building before he dismounted his horse.

Crouching down on the ground he wiped the glass and peered inside. He was shocked at what he saw "What the?" it looked like a converted theater of some sort. The type of theater one only sees in Paris and other big provinces. It was the newest craze among nobles to go see productions put on by actors. *What is the Prince and Comtesse de Louis doing here?* He wondered.

Laurent didn't notice that someone else had followed the entourage and was now standing out of site on the opposite side of the building watching, his actions as well.

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"This is amazing!" Said Henry, as he looked around the theater, it was an elegant setup the stage was small but functional, he looked around the room and saw all the elegant seats. The theater even included special boxed seats for dignitaries.

"Gustave designed the stage area, the backdrops, and the seating area. See the mural on the walls?" Henry looked and saw at the amazing looking wall paintings. *Mother would adore this* Henry thought to himself. He smiled, while Danielle continued, "Gustave did that as well and Becky helps with the production notes and created the costumes. The ground level areas are going to be for the peasants, while those seats up there will be for nobles, and the box seats will be for visiting dignitaries and family members." Explained Danielle.

"I must admit I'm truly impressed with this setup. However did you accomplish it all?" Asked Henry.

Danielle smiled, "You sir, of all people should know that with enough money and determination one can accomplish anything."

The quartet laughed at Danielle's remark.

"Well what's so funny in here?" Came a loud booming voice from behind the stage.

Henry saw a tall man with an average build come from behind the stage, followed by a large group of men. There must of been 10 people there.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you all finally made it. You are late for rehearsals." Said Danielle.

"Dear Auguste, the show must go on, but then there would be no show without us." Said another man with a laugh.

Danielle just smiled, "What am I to do with you boys?"

"Who is your friend." Said another younger lad.

"Ah, my friends allow me to introduce you to Francis, he's going to be staying with us for a few days and has been appointed my semi-official bodyguard?"

Henry looked at Danielle, quizzically, not sure how he should respond or what to say. "Yes, Francis they know who I am." She grabbed Henry's arm and introduced him to all her friends and actors in the production.

Laurent's eyes went wide when he saw the young nobleman grab Henry's arm and looped it around his in an affectionate way. He wiped his eyes again to make sure what he was seeing was real. *Has he lost his marbles?*

"Francis this loud rogue is Jacques Ragout one of the greatest actors in all of France and a dear friend of mine. We met while Becky and I attended finishing school. He has performed in some of the finest theaters throughout the Province and England. He hopes to perform in front of the King and Queen someday."

"Pleased to meet you sir." Jacques shook Francis' hand and looked at Danielle, "Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Of course, he wouldn't be here if we couldn't." Said Danielle.

Henry studied the actor he was fairly tall, about the same height as he was. Seemed to be a gregarious type of guy. Danielle then introduced him to Michel, Henri, Paul, Daniel, etc...

After all the introductions were made, "Ok, let's get to work."

One of the young men reached into the pouch that he was carrying and produced copies of the script. Danielle handed Henry a copy. Henry looked at her and she smiled, "I want you to play the Prince."

Henry's mouth fell open, he was shocked, "Madam are you insane?! What am I asking? Of course you are! Look at you!"

Danielle smiled coyly at him and laughed, "There was never a genius without a tincture of madness and it's good to know that if I behave strangely enough, society will take full responsibility for me. Come on Francis where's your sense of adventure"

Henry said, "So now you consider yourself a genius? I cannot act and refuse to get up in front of people and make a complete ass of myself!"

"Rumor has it you have done that on numerous occasions already." Becky said just loud enough so that Danielle and Gustave could here, which caused them to laugh.

Danielle looked at Henry and held his hand, knowing that was his weakness, she smiled, "An actor is someone who is irresponsible, irrational, romantic, and incapable of handling an adult emotion or a universal concept without first reducing it to something personal, material, sensational -- and probably sexual! In the short time that I have known you, you have shown me all of these qualities, which makes you an actor in my book." Everyone in the theater laughed heartedly.

Laurent was outside watching, trying to figure out what was going on. First Henry had his arm looped around this noble's and now the noble was touching Henry as though they were sweethearts! He was flabbergasted and didn't know what to think, every fiber in his body screamed for him to run in there and put a stop to this, if the King saw this he would have a stroke for sure. The friend part of Laurent, told him that all he could do was to continue to trust his friend.

After a few more minutes of convincing, Danielle resorted to blackmail, threatening to expose Henry if he didn't do it. They both knew that she was kidding, but then he shrugged his shoulders and thought that this would be fun, and yet something else he'll be able to tell their future kids about. Henry was so positive that this woman was going to be his that he would go to any extreme length or test to make it happen. Danielle herself started to realize the same thing.

Becky looked at Danielle and smiled, she knew her friend well enough to know what she was up to. Danielle told her the Prince had feelings for her but she didn't trust him and wanted to see how far he was willing to go to win her trust. Becky didn't think her friend would go this far and she was equally shocked when the Prince actually accepted the challenge. Oh the next few days will be interesting indeed, Becky thought to herself.

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Part 17 - Captain's Shock!

"Milady, what are you doing up there, when I am down here? You swim alone, rescue servants, and now you climb trees. Is there anything that you don't do?" Asked Henry with a smile on his face.

"Fly! Besides you can't climb this tree, you may very well break your royal neck, then where would we be? Now turn around so that I can climb down." Said Danielle.

When Henry turned around he was surrounded by a bunch of Gypsies, "Oh no, you again. Stay aloft madam, there is game afoot." With that Henry whipped out his sword and a fierce battle ensued.

Danielle seeing what was happening climbed down quickly and joined the battle after a few minutes of fighting, the Gypsy leader pressed his knife to her throat. "Stop now if you value this young maiden's life."

"Please sir, your quarrel is with me not with her. Let her go." Pleaded Henry.

The Gypsy nodded in agreement and dropped his knife. Danielle pushed him away so hard he inadvertently fell backwards. "I demand you return my things at once, and since you deprive me of my escort, I demand a horse as well." She said forcefully looking at everyone with fire in her eyes.

"Hold it, hold it." Said Henry.

"Aw no not again. Can we please get through at least ONE scene today without you objecting to something?" Asked Jacque. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by Francis' acting ability, but quickly getting annoyed with his constant tinkering with the script and questioning of every aspect of his character and motivations. Danielle was right this man had the temperament of a born actor. He was arrogant, shallow, and overly protective of how Prince Henry was to be portrayed. The way he was acting you would have thought he was Prince Henry.

Danielle, who was playing the role of Cinderella, looked at Henry and with exasperation, "What is it now Francis? Are your pants to tight? Is the script on the paper not clear enough for you?"

"This is ridiculous! Are we supposed to believe that the Crown Prince of France would be dumb enough to find himself alone in the woods? And that he wouldn't be able to take care of himself? And the biggest whopper of all, that a woman would rescue him by carrying him out on his shoulders? It's preposterous!"

"Why is it so hard to believe? Do you not believe that a woman can be capable of more than simply looking pretty, having babies and arranging dinner parties?"

"Certainly I do, but come now, for this scene to work you would have to physically be able to lift me. Which I'm sure you cannot do...August." Said Francis.

"Really?" Asked Danielle.

"Yes really!"

Danielle never one to back away from a direct challenge walked right up to Henry, squared her shoulders and down. Then she grabbed his arms and draped him stretched sideways behind her back, she adjusted her balance again and lifted him up and carried him to the other side of the stage.

The entire theater erupted in laughter and applause. Everyone delighted in watching the bewildered shocked expression on Francis' face. "What? How?"

She looked at him and said, "I don't lift 10 buckets of water a day for nothing." All he could do was smile at her and laugh she never ceases to amaze him he thought. "Now can we please continue...troublemaker?"

"Whatever you say, August, it's your show!"

After another twenty minutes of rehearsing, they had finally come to the end of the Gypsy scene. They were sitting down on the stage in front of a makeshift fire, the other cast members where in the back singing and dancing as though they were in a real gypsy camp. To add to the realism, they had a big jug of Gypsy grappa that Paul had brought with him. After a few mugs of ale everyone was in a real festive mood.

"You loose..." Said Danielle with a giggle "you have to tell me a secret."

"I don't want to be King." Henry said seriously and earnestly.

Danielle was thrown off guard by Henry's sudden change in demeanor and his statement. This wasn't in the script. She looked at him, "but think of all the wonderful things you can do, for your country, for the world."

"Yes, but you don't have any idea what it's like to be constantly seen for what you are and not who you are. Stuck living in a gilded cage, not being able to walk alone anywhere, never being aloud to make your own decisions - even in regards to whom to marry and love." Said Henry.

"You'd be surprised," mumbled Danielle. There were times when she felt like the Château could be a gilded cage, but then she loved her family dearly and took pride in working the land. She was also thinking about her experiences in Sarlat. She was tempted to tell him the truth about her experiences back in her childhood home, but decided not to instead she thought for a moment, "A gypsy for instance is immediately assumed to be a thief, beggar, vagrant, and untrustworthy. They are defined by their status as yours defines you; and mine defines me, yet it is not who they are, or you or even I. You have been born to great power, wealth and privilege and with that comes specific obligations."

Henry just stared at her intently, *how many times has father said that exact same thing to me?* He thought, he had never paid it much attention before, but now he thought that she was right, he could do so much good and accomplish so much with someone like her by his side. All of a sudden his mind was spinning with possibilities, new programs and ideas that he would like to implement.

All the cast members where trying to figure out what was going on it was as though Danielle and Francis were lost in their own world. The adlibbing was great, but everyone was trying to figure out when things would get back on track.

Danielle was looking at him, wondering what he was thinking, "I'm sorry, my mouth has run away with me."

Henry looked lovingly into her eyes, "no milady, it is your mouth that has me hypnotized." He slowly leaned in and gave her a small tentative kiss, when she responded favorably, he started exploring a little more, then they both threw caution to the wind and kissed each other with such passion that they were both breathless.

All the cast members roared and applauded with approval. With that Becky signaled for Gustave to draw the curtain, the scene was over.

Laurent who was outside watching all this activity was overcome. To say he was shocked at what all he'd just witnessed would be an understatement, but that kiss, that kiss! How can Prince Henry be in love with a.....a...Man! He had heard of things like this before, but never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed that his Prince was like this. He's finally gone off the deep end. *No wonder he was so opposed to marrying Princess Gabriella. He probably wanted her brother!* All the different scenarios of what he would have to report to the King all ended up with him losing his head.

*I need to quickly find the nearest pub* he thought.

*****************************************************************

Part 18

Jacques had suggested that everyone head over to the nearest pub to celebrate the end of another day of rehearsals. Everyone cheered at the suggestion and happily left the building. Henry had his arm wrapped firmly around Danielle's waist as they headed towards their horses.

Laurent just couldn't believe what he was seeing, his Prince, his friend, was actually courting a man. The heart is a funny thing, if Henry truly was in love with this gentleman who was he to question god's plan? Would this make Henry any less of a man, any less capable of becoming a great King, any less honorable? He decided that, no, was the answer to all of these questions. Whatever the case may be, and aside from whomever the Prince loves, Henry will always remain his best friend and Laurent would stick by his side no matter what. They've been through too much together for him to do anything else. But what was he to do? One thing was certain he had to find a moment alone with his friend and try and talk some sense into him.

After everyone saddled up and rode off, Laurent quickly ran to his horse which was hidden behind some bushes and jumped on and followed suit. Again he did not notice the other pair of eyes that was watching all the activity, just smiling.

The man whispered to himself, "soon, very soon." There was no need for him to follow, for he knew where they were going already. He took the rains of his horse and went into the opposite direction heading towards Sarlat

Once everyone reached the local pub, the revelry started in full force. The entire crew dismounted and headed into the bar. "Jean Paul! Your favorite customers are back! Everyone in the house gets a mug of ale and a sandwich." Said Jacques.

Jean Paul the curmudgeonly old owner of the pub said, "and will you be paying for this ale and the broken chairs and glass that surely will follow?"

"Now Jean Paul. You know me. Of course not! Put this on Auguste's tab!" Said Jacques looking at Danielle.

"Well you heard the man Jean Paul, food and drink are on me!" Said Danielle. She walked up to the bar and handed Jean Paul a small fortune in gold coins that was more than enough to cover everyone in the bar.

With that the entire pub erupted in applause. After a few minutes, Jacques stood up on a table and yelled for everyone in the bar to be quiet. "Friends, countrymen, fellow actors, we are here today because of one person. Whose vision it was to create the Theater de Lancret, a place where we can practice our craft away from the politics of court and with a dream of bringing theater to the masses. Let's raise our mugs to our dear friend and benefactor the Marquis Auguste de Lancret!" Everyone in the bar raised their mugs and toasted Auguste.

Francis who was sitting at a small table with Auguste, Becky, and Gustave, lifted his mug and started banging it on the table, yelling, "speech, speech..." Everyone in the bar started to yell along with Francis, "speech..."

Danielle jumped up onto their table and said, " My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life. To laugh often and much to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. You are my friends and always will be, no matter what lies in our destiny, for you are the ones who have helped me achieve this dream, this vision that I've harbored in my mind for the last five years."

Everyone cheered and applauded Auguste's speech, Henry leaned in close and whispered into Auguste's ear, "my we can get a little long winded." Danielle chuckled and punched Henry in the arm. "Ouch!"

Henry so wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss her again, but because they were out in public with her dressed like that there was no way he could, he had to control himself and wait until later. He and Danielle, Becky and Gustave were having an intense conversation about the politics of court when he looked over towards the window and noticed something. His face went pale.

Danielle noticed Henry's reaction and whispered in his ear, "What? What's wrong?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders and pointed in the direction of a man who was standing across the street watching them.

"Who is that man? And why is he watching us?" Asked Danielle.

"That is my best friend and resident guardian, Captain Laurent, the captain of the Royal Guard. We have known each other since we were children and he was by my side during our last two wars. Somehow he must have tracked me down. He is one hell of a blood hound." Henry said with a mixture of exasperation and admiration.

"Well he doesn't look like a Royal Guardsman to me. He's out of uniform." Said Danielle.

Then Danielle thought for a moment "I wonder how long he's been following you and if he saw us kiss earlier. Oh my, what he must be thinking!" Danielle started laughing so hard that she fell over in her chair, causing the rest of the cast to laugh hysterically at well. "What's so funny Auguste?" Asked Jacques.

"Oh, no!" Was all Henry could say, as his face went paler than it already was. "I must speak to him and find out how much my parents know, and what he saw. He's the only person in this world, besides my father, who can overrule my commands, with regards to my safety. He probably has orders to drag me back to the castle." Henry said to Danielle.

*Oh this will be an interesting and fun test, thought Danielle with a smile.* She leaned in and whispered to Henry, "What are you going to tell him? Remember your promise to me you cannot divulge my secret." To add insult to injury and to further her little game, she kissed him square on the mouth in front of everyone in the bar and so that Captain Laurent could see as well. Henry thought he would die from embarrassment but the kiss felt so wonderful that he threw all good sense to the wind and kissed her again, leaving both of them breathless.

Becky and Gustave were busy laughing hysterically watching the reactions of the people in the bar. Henry rolled his eyes at Becky and Gustave and got up and walked out of the bar to go and talk to Captain Laurent.

Laurent was shocked, just flabbergasted at what he saw. Then he saw that Henry had left the building and was heading towards him. Laurent ducked around the back of the other building, and Henry followed him.

Henry saw Laurent quickly heading towards the back of the building, attempting to avoid him, "Marc! Halt!" Laurent stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at his friend. "Henry, you promised me you wouldn't run away again!"

"I know - I lied." Said Henry.

Marc was disgusted at Henry's attitude, "Do you realize what hell you are putting your parents through? Your mother has been crying for the last four days and your father has been storming around the castle yelling and screaming at everyone in his path. He's been handing out extremely harsh sentences at court, for even the tiniest of offences. But you don't care do you? How could you be so selfish?"

"I'm sorry my friend but you don't understand what it's..."

"Stop right there Henry, I have been by your side 24/7 since we were little children. Do not try and play the 'poor little Prince' routine with me. I understand your life as well, if not better than you do, but that does not give you the right to lie to your friends, shuck your responsibilities, and to put your parents through the pain and heartache that they are going through."

Henry shrugged his shoulders, he was ashamed at how he treated his parents, and just mumbled, "I do care..."

"What was that? Did you just say that you care? About what Henry? Yourself? You certainly do not care about your country, people or your parents." Marc didn't like playing the heavy with his friend but he was under orders from the King to do so, and quite frankly he was ticked off at how irresponsible his friend was behaving. He was also annoyed at having to be here instead of in Sarlat courting Lady Jacqueline.

"Henry we are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours. You are the Crowned Prince of France! If you don't like something, you have the power to change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it!"" Marc said.

"Marc, I now realize the folly of my ways. Someone has recently made me see life for it's infinite possibilities and has given me hope for the future. It's just that I simply cannot go through with this marriage to Princess Gabriella. If I couldn't do it before, I certainly cannot do it now."

"Well if you stuck around long enough, you would have discovered that there have been some, um, developments with regards to your marriage contract."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Henry, the marriage has been called off. It seems Princess Gabriella ran off and married a commoner. The Spanish entourage will be here within one week to work out a new peace agreement and you have to be there to co-sign it. There will be a ball to mark the occasion."

Henry was stunned at this huge piece of news he had a broad smile on his face, "All of these years I have been running away, now I realize that I wasn't running away, I was running towards something. I used to think that if I cared about anything I would have to care about everything and then I would go stark raving mad. I have finally found my purpose and feel the most wonderful since of freedom. I cannot wait to return home. As soon as my little project is complete."

"I have orders to bring you back the minute I find you Henry."

"Please Marc, all I ask is a few more days. I will not run away again."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because my friend, I have found what I'm looking for."

"What, is that the gentleman that I've seen you kissing and courting? How do you propose to explain that to your father? I'm sure he will not be as open minded as I am and will have your friend beheaded when he hears of this."

Henry's face went redder than an apple, what was he going to say, "This is not what you think."

"Then explain to me what exactly is it? I saw what I saw, Your Highness."

"I'm sorry my friend, I promised someone something and I cannot go back on that promise."

"So it's ok for you to lie to me? But not this other person?"

Henry was about to answer when a large crash and thud startled them both.

*************************************************************

Part 19

Laurent snapped to attention when he heard the sound of broken glass and a large commotion erupting from around the corner, he looked at Henry, waiting for instructions. Henry grinned like a child at his friend, "This adventure never ends! Before we go, my name is Francis and I'm a stable hand at the Duke of Avignon's estate." The Captain's mouth fell open.

"It's a long story my friend, which I promise to tell you in a few days. Come, we are needed, remember don't say anything and follow my lead."

"As you wish Sire." Laurent said with a sardonic grin. *How did he end up being a stable hand for one of the wealthiest and most reclusive nobles in the entire country?* His Prince was up to something and he hated to admit it but aside from the fact that his Prince was consorting around with a noble - the intrigues were starting to, well...intrigue him.

As Henry ran in the direction where the commotion was coming from, he instinctively knew that Danielle and her merry band were going to be mixed up in this. He smiled to himself thinking of the first time he encountered the Lady Danielle. He was not disappointed when he rounded the corner and saw Danielle pick up a crate of apples and started throwing them with deadly accuracy at several men who were trying to get back into the small pub. Meanwhile Gustave and Becky were hiding under a table, holding hands, drinking ale and enjoying the action. Jacques and the other actors were in the middle of fisticuffs with several other patrons of the bar, when Henry reached the entrance one of the bullies was trying to get back into the bar.

The bully was met by a hail of flying apples, after being hit with several, he finally managed to avoid a second salvo, the flying objects came so fast that Henry did not have time to duck. Three apples came at him and hit him squarely in the forehead and mouth causing him to fall on the ground with a loud thump. "Ouch!" He screamed with great indignity.

Laurent seeing this started to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, before he lunged into action, restraining the original target of Danielle's apple attack. Meanwhile, in the pub, the rest of Danielle's merry band of misfits was mopping up the floor with the other troublemakers.

After Danielle ran out of apples, another man came up to her and was getting ready to hit her. When, for the second time in two days, Henry had to stop some brute from striking her. *This woman simply doesn't know how to stay out of trouble. Imagine the mischief she will get into at court!* he thought to himself. He smiled at her, but this time instead of Henry punching the guy, Danielle hit the guy so hard that two of his teeth fell out.

The pub owner was exasperated, he was yelling frantically, "Stop, stop! I only have one window left! Look what you have done! This happens every time you societal rejects come in here. I knew this was going to happen."

"Well sir, since Monsieur De Lancret had already paid such a large advance, we might as well get his money's worth." Said Henry.

Henry and Jacques looked at each other and smiled; they picked the man that Danielle punched in the mouth up off the floor, and threw him head first through the last window in the bar. Henry and Jacques gave each other hi- fives and grinned ear to ear. "Drinks will be on Sir August for the rest of the week!" Said Jacques.

Danielle walked up to the owner, "I humbly apologize for all the trouble we caused Sir, I'm sure what I gave you earlier already covers the damages caused, here's a little something extra for your trouble." Danielle handed the owner another small fortune in coins. It was a month's worth of wages - this was on top of the large sum Auguste gave him when they first walked in. The pub owner grinned from ear to ear, "Sir, you and your men are welcome here anytime you like. I'll even find some more glass for you to break!"

Everyone once again started to have a merry old time in the bar, even the men Danielle and her friends were fighting with just a few minutes ago. Jacques led the entire bar in a sing-a-long, while Henry and Auguste told several original and funny stories of fare maidens being rescued by handsome Princes, and stories from Greek mythology. Danielle was pleasantly surprised at how well read and intelligent Henry was. Her regard for him was growing deeper by the minute.

Laurent had come into the bar and mingled with the rest of the patrons so that he would not be noticed. There was no way he was going to allow the Prince to elude him this time.

He immediately spotted Jacques as one of the leaders of the band of men that Henry was hanging out with and immediately befriended him.

Henry and Gustave were deep into conversation, when Jacques came up to them, "Francis, Gustave, I'd like you to meet someone." Henry looked up and was surprised to see Laurent. *The man doesn't give up* he thought.

"Who's your friend?" Said Auguste who was talking to Becky.

For the first time, Laurent got a real good look at the man his Prince was in love with. That thought still disgusted him, but there was nothing he could do about it, without ruining his friendship with Henry, besides his father will put a halt to this. Auguste had a strange presence about him and weird look. He was rather striking for a man, but somehow had slightly feminine qualities about him as well. There was something that was just a little off about Auguste, that made Laurent suspicious, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"My dear friend, this is Marc Laurent, he's new in town and was looking for temporary work." Said Jacques.

"Ah, I see". *This should be fun* thought Danielle she looked at Henry and kissed him very passionate again. This time as much as it pained Henry he pushed Auguste away, "Sir control yourself! This is what got you into trouble a few minutes ago. Do you ever learn?"

Danielle couldn't help but continue to play her game. Much to the delight of Becky and Gustave, "Why Francis, don't you love me anymore?" Auguste said with a pout.

"Well, um, I, um, well..." He was at a lost until he looked into her eyes, when he did, all he could think of was his Danielle, his mind did a weird double vision effect where he didn't see Auguste, he saw Danielle, the woman he loved, the enchanting creature who captured his heart in less than a day.

Henry looked at the stunned, shocked expression on Marc's face, then back at Danielle, and back at Marc again...

"Well..." Said Auguste.

Henry shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sir, does this answer your question" as he kissed her with reckless abandon. Henry stared at his friend and had a large smile on his face.

The expression on Laurent's face was priceless.

"Well, Auguste, now that you are finished, what are you going to do about our new friend here?" Asked Becky who recognized Laurent the minute he walked into the bar. He and Henry were so inseparable that it was extremely rare that you would see one without the other.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Laurent. I have a dear friend who is always in need of extra help. Do you know who the Duke of Avignon is?" Asked Danielle.

"Yes" replied Marc.

"Well his daughter happens to be a very close friend of mine. Go to the Chateau de Barbarac tomorrow morning and ask for Lady Danielle. Tell her that you come with my recommendation. I'm sure she'll be able to find something for a strong handsome young man like you." Said Auguste in a "come hither" voice that almost made Laurent go pale.

"Thank you Sir, this means a lot to me." With that Laurent bowed and went back to his ale, and his conversation with Jacques. Trying to put as much distance between himself and Monsieur De Lancret as possible.

Henry looked at Danielle, shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "You are so wrong..."

"What? What did I do?" Danielle said with a twinkle in her eye.

***********************************************************

Part 20 - A Question

After about another 1/2 hour of revelry, Auguste stood up and told the disappointed crowd, "well, I hate to be the barer of bad news, I lost track of the hour and I must be going. Remember we have final rehearsals, two days hence."

Danielle grabbed Henry and walked out of the pub with Gustave and Becky following them.

"It was a real pleasure meeting you." Henry said as he shook Jacques hand.

"Same here Francis, I can't wait until our next get together, maybe we can find another pub to bust up!" Said Jacques.

"Please, I may be fabulously wealthy, but at this rate even I can't afford to keep taking you miscreants out in public!" Laughed Danielle.

"Come on Auguste, you know you love the adventure as much as the rest of us." Said Jacques, mocking Danielle. "Remember you are just as insane as the rest of us miscreants. You are the leader of this merry band."

He leaned in and whispered so only Henry could hear him, "Sire, I believe Lady Danielle fancies you like non that I've ever seen. I haven't seen her this happy in all the years that I've known her. But I must say, Prince or not, if you hurt her, you will have to answer to not only her family, but all of us as well."

Henry was stunned he had no idea that Jacques recognized him. He looked at him and threw his hands up in the air and just said out loud, "Is my acting really THAT bad?"

Becky, Gustave, Jacques, and Danielle, laughed and all said in unison, "YES...Francis!"

All Henry could do was shrug his shoulders and join the laughter. It has been years since he's had this much fun. So far today has been the best day of his entire life.

As much as he regretted leaving home the way that he did and didn't like the idea that he broke his parents hearts, he now realizes that it was the best decision that he's ever made. He only hopes that when he returns home with Danielle, he'll somehow be able to make it up to his father and mother by proving to them how responsible he is. He can't wait until he tells his father some of his ideas to improve the country and his people's lives. All inspired by Danielle.

The quartet rode back to Gustave's studio where Danielle changed her clothes and got out of her costume. When Henry saw her, it was like he was seeing her for the first time she was the most beautiful looking woman that he's ever seen. His mouth fell open.

"Come now Sire. You act like you have never seen a woman before." Said Danielle, giggling.

"Milady, I've seen many women before, but none held a candle to your intelligence, personality, and now beauty. I must say you clean up well. I'm sure I probably said the same thing this morning." With that he went over to Danielle and gave her kiss. It felt so strange to both of them.

Despite all the kisses they shared earlier, this time it felt like they were kissing each other for the first time. Somehow when Danielle dressed as Auguste, it gave them a weird liberating sense of freedom to be wild and crazy. Now, they were fully aware of the consequences of their actions and what this new phase in their relationship meant to the both of them.

For Henry it felt like he was a caged bird being set free, for Danielle it was like she was a free bird about to be caged. But neither cared about the consequences, their hearts and passion for one another ruled the moment. When Henry kissed her this time, Danielle's mind filled with visions of her future, a future with happiness, laughter, contentment, and a man who truly worshipped her.

After they kissed each other, they held each other close, with their forehead touching. Henry lifted her chin up so that they could stare into each other's eyes again.

"It really is getting late, we better get going before your father sends an army after you." Said Gustave, always concerned for Danielle's well being.

"Well come along everyone, we must go." She turned to Gustave, "mother is most anxious to talk to you in particular."

"Me? Why does she want to talk to me?" Said Gustave.

"You know why." Danielle said looking over at Becky and smiling.

"Danielle! You horrible little snipe! I can't believe you told her!" screamed Becky half angry, half giggling.

"Well how long did you two love sick puppies think you would be able to hide it from her?" Danielle said.

"Remind me not to kill anyone around her." Henry interjected. Everyone ignored his comment.

"You know how relentless your mother can be, she'll have us married by the end of the week." Cried Gustave.

"Well...that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Would it?" Said Becky

Gustave's mouth dropped open, he had thought about asking her for months but was too scared to now here she was presenting him with an opening that he had been waiting for. "Milady, it would be my honor to make you my wife."

Becky looked at Gustave with love in her eyes, "and it would be my honor for you to be my husband."

Gustave went over to Becky and gave her a passionate kiss, and then he walked over to a small chest, pulled out a small object, and walked back over to Becky.

"Precious, I've loved you since the first moment that I saw you. These past several months have been the happiest of my life, to have someone as beautiful, intelligent, and full of life as you return my affections, has made me the happiest man in the world." He opened the small box, which contained a wedding ring, "This was my grandmother's wedding ring, I wanted to give this to you for the longest time, but could never find the courage to do so, until now. I know that you have had offers from wealthy nobles, and Prince's from all over the world. Although I don't have much to offer you, I offer you my undying love and devotion. Comtesse Rebecca de Louis would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Gustave then slipped the ring on Becky's finger.

"YES! YES!!! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!" She leapt into Gustave's waiting arms and kissed him passionately.

Henry gave Danielle a knowing grin that said to her "you'll be next milady"

After a few minutes of private celebration, the four finally left the building. Henry happily holding Danielle tightly by the waist, he looked at her and grinned, "You milady are very clever. Don't think for a moment that I did not notice what you did in there."

"Did what?" Said Danielle coyly.

"Madame, you know very well what. That performance in there would have been worthy of my mother. You two will get along fabulously. I can't wait for you to meet her!" He then gave her another passionate kiss.

After Danielle caught her breath, she continued, "Milord, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh yes you do. You honestly will not admit it, will you?"

"Admit what?"

Henry then kissed her again, "Admit...it" he said in between passionate kisses.

"Yes. Yes, I give up, I admit it." She grinned, "You must admit they are good together." She said to Henry. He looked at Gustave and Becky and smiled, "Yes they are. So how did I do today? Did I pass your test?"

She looked at him for a few minutes, "does this answer your question" she ran her fingers through his curly hair and pulled his head down to her mouth and kissed him until he was out of breath.

"You know, I kind of miss the facial hair" Henry said. Danielle punched him in the arm and giggled. He loved the sound of her giggles.

********************************************************

Laurent didn't trust Henry for a minute, so he decided it would be in his best interest to continue following Henry. As he guessed, the quartet went back to the small building where he first saw Sir Auguste. After about an hour Henry, Gustave, and Becky reappeared but this time, no Sir Auguste. This time Henry had his arm around the waist of a extremely beautiful courtier, it was the same woman he arrived with. Now they were kissing each other like they were long time lovers.

He was at a complete lost. This was what he wanted to see, his Prince with a woman, especially when he considered the alternative - he shuddered at the thought, but this was wrong on so many different levels. Not only was the Prince pronouncing and showing his love for Sir Auguste earlier - A MAN. But now he's kissing this woman in public. Is he using this poor woman to cover up his true preferences? If not, how can he be so dishonorable to both Auguste and this Woman.

Was Henry someone who would court this woman and then keep Auguste on the side as his "mistress"? And what would the term for that be anyway? "Mr."? Laurent shuddered at the thought the Prince really has completely lost his mind. He watched the four ride out, and once again, the mystery woman mounted the same rare steed that Sir Auguste just got off. Something strange was going on.

**************************************************************

Part 21

The ride back to the Chateau went by quickly. When they finally reached the estate Constance and Leonardo were there to welcome the foursome. Everyone went into the family room, where Charles I & II were waiting for them.

"Well, look who the cat dragged in." Said Charles II, with a smile.

"Brother, don't you have anything better to do than sit here in the study with father?" Asked Danielle, as she gave her brother a hug.

"Of course not, I have to live my life vicariously through you." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

She leaned in whispered, "so how is Comtesse De Broche?"

"Wonderful as always, she left for Paris this afternoon, and will return in a few weeks. Don't tell anyone, but when she returns home I plan on asking for her hand in marriage."

"Really? So I'm going to be getting a new sister?" Danielle asked in an excited, but hushed voice.

Her brother had a goofy expression on his face that made Danielle laugh.

"What are you two whispering about?" Asked Leonardo.

"Everyone. There are two people here who have a major announcement to make." Said Henry looking at Gustave.

The entire room fell silent and everyone looked at Gustave and Becky. "Gustave and I are getting married!" Said Becky who was beaming with pride as she held a very nervous Gustave's hand. Everyone in the room smiled and applauded.

"Well, this calls for a major celebration." Said the Duke as he shook Gustave's hand. He turned around and walked out of the room for a few minutes, and came back in. Maurice and another servant followed behind him carrying a couple of cases of the Duke's finest ale.

The celebration and well wishes went well into the evening, everyone was having a grand old time especially Henry and Danielle, the sparks between those two were very obvious to all in attendance. This time even Danielle's father and brother noticed the connection between the two. After dinner, the Duke pulled Henry aside into his study to have a private little chat with the young man.

"Well Francis, it looks like you have had quite a day today." Said the Duke.

"Yes Sir, it has been a wonderful day, the first of many future ones, I hope."

"Francis, I'm not the type to beat around the bush. I've noticed the way you and my daughter have been looking and behaving around each other tonight. I made a promise to my brother years ago, that I would look after her well being, if anything should happen to him. This, this thing you two have with each other, I don't approve of. Exactly what are your intentions towards her?"

"Sir, I love your daughter with all my heart. I hope to someday make her my wife."

"Wife? You've known her for less than two days, how can you say something like that? How do you plan on supporting her and a family?"

"Sir, believe me, I have the means to support her."

"Really on what, a stable hand's salary? Although Danielle could love a stable hand, how do I know you are not after her large dowry?"

"I do not want or need her money Sir, all I want is her love and respect." Said Henry.

"Love? What do you know of love?" Asked the Duke.

"The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. I've never known anyone like your daughter before. I fell in love the minute I saw her rolling around in the mud with Gustave yesterday, and I know she feels the same about me. She loves me for who I am, not my station in life. She doesn't care whether or not I'll be able to provide for her. She completes me; she puts my mind at peace and my heart at ease."

"Well that's not good enough. I have nothing against you personally, but you are not good enough for my daughter. Truly loving another means letting go of all expectations. It means full acceptance, even the celebration of another's personhood. Do you have it within yourself to give yourself completely to my daughter?" Asked the Duke"

"I could ask you the same question. You have raised your daughter to be strong, independent, passionate, and compassionate. You have let her spread her wings in so many different areas and ways but you refuse to let her experience life's ultimate journey - a lifetime of true love. You are going to have to learn to accept the fact that your daughter is a grown woman. Thanks to your strong influence she is more than capable of making her own decisions. You have to let your daughter spread he wings and fly. I'm sure there have been many other appropriate suitors for her in the past, none of whom were acceptable to you or Danielle, if not me then who would be good enough?"

The Duke went behind his desk and pulled out a chest that contained a fortune in gold coins, "How much will it take for you to leave tonight?" He put a fortune in gold coins into a small pouch and handed it to Henry.

Henry was disgusted he couldn't believe this man that he admired was trying to bribe him. He glared at the Duke "Your daughter is not a piece of property that can be bought and sold. I dare you think that any amount of money in the world would be enough to squelch the love that we have for one another. Sir I admired you, and that admiration has just dimmed considerably. The only thing I will promise, is that I will wait a few more days before I ask for her hand - but I will marry your daughter, with or without your permission - assuming she will have me. All I ask is the chance to prove my worthiness to you, the rest of your family, but most importantly to Danielle." He angrily threw the coins on the floor and stormed out the door.

"Well, well, maybe he does love her. Woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love - and to put its trust in life." The Duke said to himself with a smile.

*************************************************

The rest of the evening went rather pleasantly, Henry decided that his best tactic would be to try and make some headway with the Duke, so after they had their little private conversation, he pulled himself together before he reentered the family room. He did not want to spoil the evening by having a bad attitude or letting anyone know what had just transpired a few moments ago.

After awhile the Duke seemed to start to warm up to Henry, Danielle noticed the tension between the two after they left the study and could only guess what transpired before the two. She made a mental note to herself to ask Henry about it later.

"Well, we are going to go for a turn around the grounds before we turn it." Said Becky.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea" said Danielle. Much to Becky's chagrin, she grabbed Gustave's arm and headed out the Chateau's side door. Henry chuckled when she saw Becky's expression. "I'm sure this isn't what you had in mind milady, but would you allow me the honor of escorting you outside?" Said Henry.

Becky looked at him for a few moments and then smiled, "it would be my honor Francis." She took his hand and looped her arm around Henry's and they headed outside.

As they walked, Becky was at a loss of what to say to him. Here he was the Crowned Prince of France sharing a walk with her, "I must say Your Highness, you have changed considerably since the last time I saw you."

"Really? How?" Asked Henry curiously.

"Well, you seem so much more relaxed and happy. When we were younger, I thought you to be arrogant and aloof. Even though we were friends, you never seemed to take much notice of me or anyone else around you, especially courtiers and servants." Said Becky.

Henry stopped and looked at her, "I'm sorry for the way I behaved towards you milady. I was a mess back in those days following the war. Believe me you were one of the few people who I ever considered a friend, someone who I knew wasn't after my crown."

"I know that Sire. We shared plenty of good times when we were younger. Remember the great horse manure caper?" Said Becky with a giggle.

Henry roared with laughter, "Remember it? I was confined to the castle for three weeks, and it took the bruises a month to heel!"

"Yes, but what about poor Marc?"

"Poor Marc? He was the instigator of that particular adventure of ours." Said Henry as he remembered the expression on Marc's face when the three of them got caught trying to cover the castle walls with horse manure.

"Yes the original idea was Marc's, but who was it that turned our simple little adventure into an overly elaborate caper that was bound to get us caught?" Asked Becky.

Becky started to giggle even louder as the two reminisced about several of their adventures, most of them instigated by Henry or Marc and usually ending in disaster. The three of them were like three peas in a pod when they were younger. After the war, Henry started to turn away from Becky, and became much more introverted than he was before he left to go fight. Becky understood the reasons why he acted the way he did, but at times she started to resent her old friend for turning his back on her.

"How many times have I told you to call me Henry?"

"Well, Henry, I remember a certain argument years ago, when you demanded that I stop calling you Henry. What were your words, oh yes, 'I dare you treat me so informal madam, I am the Crowned Prince of France, and you are 'Just Like Them'. You knew exactly what to say to cause the most amount of hurt, didn't you?"

"Becky, I was wrong. I realized my mistake, but didn't know how to apologize to you. That evening was a complete disaster, we were so young and you were my best friend, a line that I didn't want to cross. Can you ever forgive me?"

"After the war and you snubbed me, I thought doing what I did was the only way to get our friendship back. I was wrong and immature. I forgave you a long time ago. We were both young and foolish then. I missed having the old you around, and I'm glad to have you back again - Henry."

Henry smiled and the two hugged each other.

******************************************************

"I wonder what those two are talking and laughing about?" Asked Danielle.

"Oh, I don't know, all I know is that those two share a long and complicated history together." Said Gustave, shrugging his shoulders.

"I still can't believe that Becky knew him all this time and never told me." Said Danielle.

"Well, she's right, you are not one to waste her time gossiping, and you certainly never wanted to hear about the going-ons at court. So why would she tell you?" Asked Gustave.

"So what do you think of him?" Asked Danielle.

"He seems nice enough and he obviously worships you. The question isn't what I think of him, but what do you think, and most importantly what your intentions are?"

"I don't know what my intentions are Gustave. I love him with all my heart and soul. But my mind is screaming for me to stop and slow down. I don't want to get hurt again. I've been burned twice now and I don't know if I can take it if it were to happen again."

"Yes, Danielle, I understand your trepidation. But did you really love any of the others?"

"After experiencing the feelings and emotions that I have for Henry, I must say the answer is definitely not. I think all the years of brow beating by my stepmother had me convinced that no one could ever love a country girl like me. That I never thought that I deserved to be loved, so I held on to anyone who showed any kind of interest in me" Said Danielle with sadness.

"Danielle, you are many things, but a poor little country girl is not one of them! Besides Becky you are the person I admire most in this world, even more than Leonardo. In case you have forgotten, you are the daughter of one of the most powerful Dukes in this country." He lifted her chin up, "and judging by the way you and the Prince have been acting will soon become the Crowned Princess of France."

"I keep forgetting that he's the Prince. To me he is my Francis, a loving, caring stable hand. The only thing that's stopping me from marrying him is I don't want to become the Princess of France. The change in my life would be too much. I don't want to leave my family in Avignon. I would be alone in Sarlat surrounded by posers and social climbers. Never knowing who to trust..." Said Danielle tearfully.

Gustave, cutting off her speech and forcefully asked, "Do you love him?"

"Huh?"

"It's a simple question, Danielle. Do you love him?"

She looked at Henry and Becky who were walking far behind them and then said earnestly." Yes, with every breath that I breathe."

"Then that is all that matters. If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. Think of all the good you and Henry will accomplish once you two become King and Queen. Yes it will be a tough journey, but as long as you two sincerely love each other than the rest are minor ant hills to be overcome." Said Gustave as he hugged Danielle and wiped the tear from her face.

"Thank you Gustave, I don't know what I'd do without you. Do you think he would still love me if he found out about the horrible incident in boarding school?"

"Danielle, that wasn't your fault, and you must never think that it was. I'm sure once you tell him - if you choose to, he'll understand. The Prince's love for you would only grow stronger. Your road to recovery has been long and hard, but thank god you survived it." He said with a tear in his eyes, remembering the long year of suffering that his dear friend went through. He felt so helpless the only thing he could do was be there for her and offer his shoulder to cry on. She kept this turmoil to herself and only told Becky and Gustave what happened, her parents never found out because she put up a brave front in their presence. After that incident she left boarding school permanently and had private tutors teach her at home.

"He deserves to know the truth, but how do I tell him?" Asked Danielle.

"Just be honest."

"When should I tell him?" Asked Danielle.

"I don't know, Danielle. I'm sure you'll know when the time is right."

The two continued their walk and private talk.

********************************************************

After their walk around the gardens, everyone finally retired for the evening. Danielle laid in her bed, thinking about the events of the day. It was a long invigorating day she was restless and couldn't sleep. Her heart wouldn't allow her to. She was hopelessly in love with a Prince who was masquerading as a stable hand. He was so strange and wonderful, the way he looked at her filled her heart with hope, the way he held her hands and kissed her sent shivers down her spine.

She closed her eyes and said to herself, "All of my life, where have you been? I wonder if I'll ever see you again? And if that day comes, I know we could win, I wonder if I'll ever see you again?"**

Her eyes, shot open when she felt a hand caress her face and heard a voice quietly whisper her name, "Danielle."

She was startled to see Henry standing there in her bedroom. "What...what are you doing here?"

"My father would have a stroke if he knew that I actually climbed into a window instead of outside of one."

Danielle chuckled, "Yes, I suppose you have plenty of practice escaping don't you? But it still doesn't answer my question, what are you doing here at this time of the night?"

"I had to come tonight, because I just can't get you off of mind. After the day we shared today, I could no longer sleep alone, even though I know that I must. Danielle, you are now what I live for and I hope to make you mine. I have a pocket full of money and all the power in the world, and none of it will matter without you to share it with. I promised you earlier today not to push you and I won't. Am I a fool to think that you feel the same way about me as I do you?"

*He is the most wonderful, sensitive man in the world* Thought Danielle, she smiled and caressed his face, "I've searched through time to find someone like you. I've always known that you were there upon your throne - A lonely Prince without his Princess - I've longed for you my love forever. The fact that it turns out that you are a real Prince I find strangely ironic. You are a sacred gift of heaven, for better, worse, wherever - and I would never let somebody break you down - or take your crown. All of my life I have been searching for you, I heard a cry within my soul, I never had a yearning quite like this before. Now here you are walking right through my door."** She said then pulling his mouth to hers and kissed him passionately.

"Well, until tomorrow my love. I bid you a fond farewell and goodnight." He kissed her again and headed towards the window.

"Wait, please don't go. There's no reason for you to risk your neck climbing back down that long wall." Said Danielle.

Henry looked at her curiously

"There's plenty of room for you here." She said as she turned up the covers of her bed, inviting him in.

*This woman never ceases to surprise me. Should I? I don't ever want to sleep alone again or be without her. But we are not married, what would others think? What if we are caught?* "I cannot madam, what about your virtue?"

"What did I tell you when I first met you?"

Henry laughed thinking about her comment, "A women's virtue is a myth created by man to help them sleep at night."

She smiled thinking that he actually paid attention to what she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "Exactly, I'm not as virtuous as everyone thinks I am. We both have clothes on. Besides milord, we may soon be married, so what harm would there be, and to be honest I can't imagine spending another night alone, without you by my side. Please..."

"Say it again." Henry asked.

"I'm not..." She said.

He interrupted, "no the part where you said we will soon be married."

"A fish may love a bird, Henry, but where would they live? Henry, I love you, I admit I still do not want to be a Princess, but after all that we have shared today, I would honored to become your wife - even though you haven't asked me to yet." She said knowingly.

Henry went to her bedside and kneeled on one knee, " Dreams come true, and hope is the first reality to a dream. Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire. Danielle today has been the most wonderful day of my life, full of laughter, excitement, love, and hope. My love I am many things to you; a stable hand named Francis, a foolish and immature Prince named Henry, but most of all I'd like to become your husband, I am a man in love, but I would fell like a King, if you Danielle De Barbarac, become my wife."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She said as he leaned down and smothered her with kisses.

"Now about that offer, is it still good?" He asked.

Danielle looked at him and smiled, as she patted the spot next to her on her bed. Henry happily obliged and the two shared a few more passionate kisses before he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Both of them fell asleep with a contented smile on their face, dreaming about their futures.



**This quote is reworked from Lenny Kravitz's "Again"

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Part 22

"Honey, come to bed. It's late and there's nothing you can do about this situation anyway." Said Constance, she and her husband have been up for the last couple of hours discussing the situation with Danielle and Francis. Constance was tempted to tell her husband the truth about their guest, but decided against that course of action. If her husband found out that Francis was really Prince Henry there would be hell to pay. Not only was also a member of the court - a Royal at that: but he also blatantly lied to his face. She knew the one thing her husband treasured 2nd only to loyalty was honesty.

"They have only known each other for two days! How can he be in love with her? What do we know about him? I'll tell you - NOTHING!" Said Charles pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his hair.

Constance stared at her husband, *he still looks as handsome as ever, even more so* She thought to herself as she studied her husband, he still had a pretty good build and his dark brown hair was still thick and rich, although it started to gray a little around the edges. She thought the gray hair gave him a more distinguished look. Fitting of someone of his high status. "Two days, well that's a day longer than when you asked my father permission to start courting me."

"Yes, well...that's different, we were more mature than those two are." He said.

"Really? That's not what my father thought. We were only seventeen when we ran away, against our parent's wishes. Danielle is 19 now, old enough to start making her own decisions. What makes you think that, if Francis and Danielle are truly in love with each other you would be anymore successful in stopping them than our parents were stopping us?"

"Well I did the last time someone claimed to love our daughter, and he was a Royal! How difficult can it be to stop a simple stable hand, a commoner?" He said pointedly.

"Yes you did and how long did it take you to repair the rift between you two? It drove her back home to the manor for four months then she left for finishing school without saying goodbye. How long did she not speak to you and stay away from home?"

He had a desponded look on his face and whispered, "A year and a half."

"What was that? Did you say she refused to speak or see you for a year and a half?" Asked Constance.

"Yes, you heard me!"

"I will admit that she probably didn't truly have feelings for the Prince or any of the others, can't you see she is holding on to anyone who shows any interest in her?" Asked Constance

"Yes dear, I'm not blind. Why do you think I go through this every time someone claims to want to court her? As strong as she is and pretends to be she's still naive about the ways of the world. How can she possibly know what love is? She is very wealthy and ripe pickings for any two-bit guttersnipe like Francis who comes along seeking an easy mark." Said Auguste.

"Our daughter knows her own heart. Why do you think she clung onto the others for so long? She didn't love any of them, she never said she did, but your stubbornness and meddling drove her into their arms."

"I promised my brother and Nicole that if anything happened to them that we would look out for her, and by god that's what I'm going to do!" Said Auguste.

"And you have done that, she loves you as much as any daughter could. You have given her everything she could possibly want, you even went so far as to let her open the theater - which, from what I understand is going splendidly, and opening night is two days hence..."

He interrupted, "Don't remind me of that foolish charade, and the flack we're going to catch if and when people find out."

Constance continued, "You have encouraged her to be all that she can be, to aspire to greatness no matter her station. But I swear, if she truly loves Francis - which I believe she does, you will drive a wedge between you two that you may never repair."

"Damn her and her stubbornness." He said.

"Well she gets that from your side of the family." She laughed.

Her laughter always had a way of cheering him up, no matter what the situation was, "well, she gets her fierce independence and fool romantic notions from you!"

"Come here" Said Constance. Charles walked over to the bed and kneeled beside her and stared into her eyes. "I love you" she leaned over and gave him a passionate kiss.

"I love you to. But this doesn't resolve anything."

"No it doesn't, all I ask is that you give Francis a chance he may surprise you. After all you spoke so fondly of him earlier today." Said Constance.

"Well that was before he told me he was going to marry our daughter." He said.

Seeking to table this discussion until another time, Constance kissed him passionately again and told him, "Have I said I loved you today?"

"Yes, just a minute ago, and I you." He said.

She turned up the covers to the bed and patted it, looking at him with a mischievous smile, he knew it was time to table this conversation for another time and he grinned back and happily jumped into bed.

****************************************************************

Part 23

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Said Maurice with exasperation. His wife had been at him all day and night. Badgering him, accusing him of hiding something from her.

"You know something, don't you? I saw the way you looked at Francis yesterday and I noticed the private chat that you had Danielle the other night."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Said Maurice.

"Yes you do, you old stubborn mule. We've been married too long for you to start keeping secrets from me now. Now spill it or you may find a horse's head sleeping next to you at daybreak."

"Oh god. Daybreak is in only a few more hours and we have a ton of work to do, can we please get some sleep?" Asked Maurice, pulling the covers and a pillow over his head.

Louise pulled the covers back and hit him in the head with the pillow, "Oh no you don't you silly old man. You know how I hate not being let in on a good intrigue!"

Maurice looked at his wife and smiled, she hasn't changed a bit in the 38 years that we've been married. She's still feisty and spry as ever. To Maurice his wife looked even more glorious when she got into one of these moods. They've led a pretty good life and didn't have much to complain about, they had a surrogate daughter to love and care for.

Danielle came into their lives a year after they lost their son during the plague. They had lost their first two children during two different wars. It was a tough time for the pair, if not for their friendship with the Charles' father Auguste they would have wallowed in despair and self-pity. His memories drifted back to the days when Auguste and his family would visit Maurice and Louise at Maurice estate.

He smiled remembering his family's home. It was truly a grand property and he had high hopes for it but the plague brought upon such destruction to the nation and he didn't think it was right for them to live in such splendor while there was so much suffering going on. After consultation with his wife he donated most of his families fortune in hopes of seeking a cure for it.

Of course he kept enough for his family to continue to survive, but after the death of their children, he and his wife was left without a purpose. Helping Auguste run his estate and helping raise Charles and Auguste, Jr. gave them a sense of purpose. During their darkest days with the Baroness they had discussed the possibility of taking Danielle and running off so that she would have the life that she deserved.

Knowing how much Danielle wanted her stepmother's love and approval decided to hold off. After two years of physical and mental abuse from the Baroness. The first time the Baroness lashed Danielle he was so appalled and ready to drag Danielle away kicking and screaming if he had to. On that fateful morning, the letter from Charles and Constance arrived. After that all their lives changed for the better. At that point Louise and Maurice saw no reason to return to their former status as wealthy landowners. He turned the estate over to Paulette's children and he hears that the property is even grander than it was all those years ago.

"I know our Danielle fancies young Francis, what I don't know is what you know. I've noticed how harder you've been on the young man. Giving him the worst jobs around the estate. Working his fingers to the stubs." Said Louise.

"Hmmm, huh?" Said Maurice.

"Has your hearing gone with your mind now? You old goose." Asked Louise, she reached over to the side of the bed and grabbed the bucket of water. "Well perhaps this will keep you alert." She said getting ready to dump the entire pale on him.

"Ok, ok, as usual you win. I love you." Said Maurice.

"I know and I love you to, but you know that's not what this is about."

"First give me a kiss." Maurice said then reaching up to kiss his wife. Even after all these years the feel of her lips pressed against his, sent chills down his spine.

"I give up. I'm about to break a confidence, so you must promise not to tell another soul." Said Maurice.

"Who me?" She was dying to know this secret.

"Yes you, you coot. Promise me."

"Ok, I promise, now spill." Said Louise.

"As usual your observations were correct my love. Our little girl is in love, head over hills in love with Francis. She said it was love at first sight. She's scared that Charles won't accept him as a suitor. He told me the same thing yesterday morning, that Danielle is the love of his life and he would do anything to win her love."

"That's wonderful, our Danielle is finally truly in love. Francis is a wonderful young man. Constance adores him and Leonardo really seems to like him. With those two on his side Charles is bound to come around. "

"Ah, but there's more. Francis isn't what he appears to be." Maurice said with a huge grin, he was bursting to say.

"What? What is he?" Louise was sitting up in bed now on pins and needles.

"Francis isn't really a poor, down trodden stable hand." He paused for dramatic effect. "Francis is really HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE HENRY FRANCIS DE VALOIS!"

Louise was shocked and stunned she threw up her hands and screamed in excitement, falling out of bed causing her to blush beat red, while Maurice was laughing so hard he was almost out of breath.

She picked up the bucket of water that she had in her hands earlier and dumped in his head, completely drenching him "How could you keep something like this from me?"

"Ouch, oooohhhh, that's cold as heck." He said as he leapt out of bed, reaching for a towel to dry himself off. "I promised him that I wouldn't say anything, unless someone asked me directly."

"Well, I asked you directly earlier and you didn't tell me."

"Yes, but you didn't ask the correct question." He grinned sardonically.

"You...think you are so clever don't you?" She asked.

"I have my moments." He then grabbed her and kissed her again. She was lost for a few minutes before pushing him away. She still had a bunch of questions. "Why is he here? Why is he masquerading as a commoner? Does anyone else know?"

"He didn't say, but I heard rumors of a marriage contract between him and some Spanish Princess. I think he ran away from home, seeking adventure. You know how irresponsible kids are at that age."

"Marriage contract? Then that means there is no way he can marry Danielle." Said Louise dejected.

"Don't worry, I overheard Signore Da Vinci tell the Duchess that the contract has been called off. I have a feeling that Leonardo had something to do with that development."

"Imagine our Danielle, a Princess?" Said Louise full of pride.

"She's always been a Princess in our eyes." Said Maurice.

"Yes, but now she will be a Princess to an entire country. Think of all the wonderful things she could accomplish." Said Louise, then she thought of something and grinned from ear to ear.

"What?" Asked Maurice.

Louise smiled and in a loud giggle asked, "Imagine the look on the Baroness' and that brat Marguerite's face when Danielle marries Fran...I mean Prince Henry!" Maurice visualized the expression and the two laughed until they were out of breath.

After they caught their breath, Maurice looked at the sundial in their room, "well milady, morning will be hear in less than two hours and my side of the bed is wet, so forever what do we do for the next two hours?"

She looked at her husband and smiled coyly, turning up her sheets, "Why what would you suggest milord?"

***********************************************************

Part 24

The morning had come much to early for Henry, he felt like he was in heaven. He marveled at our fortunate he was to have been able to find and win the heart of the perfect angel that was quietly sleeping in his arms. The sound of her breathing was like music to her ears. He discovered that Danielle was human after all when she started snoring loudly in the middle of night, his laughter had awakened her, and he proceeded to tease her about it, of course she denied it, but he knew and it made him love her all the more.

While she continued to slumber he started thinking about their life and future together, the kids they will share, the fights and debates they will have, the wonderful moments when they will make up. They had promised each other never to go to bed angry at each other.

He leaned in to kiss her and her eyes shot open. "I love you" she said the minute her eyes opened.

Henry felt his stomach tighten, and he caught his breath for a moment. "My you are a light sleeper." He said playfully.

"What's on the agenda for today, Mistress?" He said in his commoner voice.

"Well, what do you want to do...Francis?" She said playfully.

Playing along with her, "Well Sir Auguste, I'd like to announce our engagement this morning and then spend the rest of the day in your arms." He leaned down and kissed her, and added in a feminine voice "mustache and all." Causing them both to giggle hysterically at yesterday's farce and the priceless look on Captain Laurent's face.

After they stopped laughing she frowned and looked at him, "As much as I would love to share our love with my family - the entire world, we can't announce our engagement yet."

"Why not?" He asked.

She looked him, "Think about it."

He thought for a moment and then it hit him, "Your uncle - he already disapproves of our union, doesn't trust me and to make matters worse, I broke my word to him."

"What word?" She asked quizzically.

He looked at her sheepishly, "well, umm, I kinda promised him that I would wait a few days before asking for your hand."

She looked at him with mock disgust, "What am I going to do with you, Francis? You just don't know how to behave normally in proper company and you know something?"

"What?" He asked.

"That's what I love about you the most. Your sense of impropriety." She said as she kissed him.

"I don't know how to behave? What about you - Sir Auguste?"

"Me?" She said blinking.

"Yes, you. At times you aren't, how should I put this? The most ladylike woman I've ever met, and it's that quality, your sense of adventure and spirit that I love about you." He said as he kissed her, adding, "And let's not forget that it was YOU who in a round about way tricked me into proposing to YOU." He said.

"Forever what are you talking about milord?" She said coyly.

"I'm on to your games, my beguiling love." He said as he leaned in and kissed her passionately.

"MISTRESS!"

Henry and Danielle were both startled when they heard someone yelling for Danielle and knocking loudly on the door.

"Mistress, the morning has almost gone. It's time for breakfast."

Danielle's face went pale, she whispered, she looked at the sundial that was sitting on her table "Oh no, it's Paulette, I told her to wake me early."

Henry looked at her with bemusement. He was perfectly content to stay where he was and didn't care if they got caught. After all he was the Crowned Prince of France, what could they do to him.

He started to lean in and give her another kiss when she forcefully pushed him off of, causing him to fall on the floor with a loud thud. She whispered "What's wrong with you? Wipe that silly grin off your face." She got out of bed and gave him a playful kick in the butt. "Move it, we can't be caught."

"Mistress, are you alright, what was that sound?" Paulette asked as she ran into the room. She looked around to see if something was amiss.

"Naaa...Nothing's wrong Paulette. You silly goose, I just fell out of bed. I was startled by the sound of you knocking on my chamber door. That's all."

"Are you hurt Mistress?" Paulette asked her with concern on her face.

"No." She said glancing at the large tapestries over by her window, where Henry was hiding, peeking out from behind them making silly faces at her.

Paulette looked at her and she knew something was going on, but didn't quite know what, then she looked on the floor and thought she spotted a man's shirt laying on the floor.

Danielle followed Paulette's eyes and then hurriedly walked in front of Paulette, while kicking the shirt under her bed. She held out her arms, to draw attention away from where the shirt was, "See, I'm fine. Really."

"You are up to one of your silly little intrigues again." Said Paulette, not entirely convinced, she was sure something was going on.

"Oh hush, I'm not up to anything. Forever what I could be up to? I just slept later than usual and your pounding on my door startled me, that's all."

"If you say so mistress."

"Yes, that's what I say. Can you please draw me a bath, I'll be in, in a moment."

"As you wish milady." With that Paulette walked into Danielle's dressing chambers to draw her bath.

She ran over to the window where Henry was. He was laughing hysterically, "you should of saw your face it was priceless."

She slapped him on the head, "Quiet, she may hear us. Get out of here, before I have you drawn and quartered. He went to the window and draped his leg over to start climbing down."

"You forgot something." She said.

He looked at her. "What?"

"This" she then leaned in and gave him a kiss. Which only wanted to make him stay, but he knew she was right. He gave her one more look of longing before climbing down the window.

She straightened herself up and started to head for her dressing chamber when she forgot something, she ran to her bed and grabbed Henry's shirt and threw it down to him.

*************************************************

Part 25

While Danielle sat there and soaked in her bathtub thinking about the wonderful day she had with Francis and imagined what her life will be like with him. She's never felt this way about anybody before in her life. Sure she's been infatuated with men before, and even been courted by some of them, but Francis was different, he was so wild, uncontrollable, spoiled, yet sensitive and giving. She splashed the water around and sighed, "well, it'll never be a dull moment, that's for sure!"

"What's never going to be a dull moment dear?"

Danielle wasn't surprised to see her mother standing in the doorway. Over the years their morning talks has become a ritual for the pair that Danielle will miss once she marries Francis and has to leave the home and family she so dearly loves. Danielle wanted to treasure and savior these last few precious mornings with her mother. She looked at Constance, who was wearing a simple yellow cotton dress that had a flower pattern on it. Her long auburn/black hair was tied back into two simple braids. Danielle hoped that she would look as beautiful and happy as her when she grows old.

Danielle got out of the tub, while Constance helped dry her off. Danielle turned to her and said "Mother, it's good to see you this morning. I want you to know that if I hadn't said it in awhile, that I love you and appreciate everything that you and father have done for me. No matter what happens or where I be, I'll always have you in my thoughts and heart." She said with a tear in her eyes.

Constance studied her daughter, a bit taken aback by her statement, although her daughter had said something similar just the morning before, that was said out of pity and self doubt. This time when she spoke those words, it had a sense of happiness, mixed with a sense of impending loss. Constance smiled and guessed, what might have been the cause of this mood.

She stroked Danielle's hair and looked at her, "dear what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong mother. Well not really, everything is so right. I've never been happier in my life. It's just that for some reason the whole world just seems so different to me now. I want to count my blessings and appreciate all the wonder that god has offered me." She said as she kissed her mother on the cheek.

Constance studied her daughter. She was simply glowing with happiness and staring down at her feet hiding the wide grin and blush that was forming on her cheeks. "Danielle, you are simply glowing. What has brought about this change?"

"Um...nothing, just a new found appreciation for the glories of life."

Constance placed her finger on Danielle's chin, forcing her to look at her and smiled knowingly. "You really love him don't you?"

"Yes mother I do, with all my heart and soul." She said earnestly.

"Well then. I can't say as I'm surprised by this turn of events."

"You are not upset with me?" Asked Danielle.

"Don't be silly girl. How could I be upset with you? All a parent ever wants is to live long enough to see their kids be truly happy and to have a secure future. I think Francis is a fine sensitive young man. One, who his mother must be extremely proud of." Said Constance.

Danielle blinked for a moment, wondering what that last comment was about. "What did you mean about his mother?"

"Nothing dear, Francis just seems to be so kind and sensitive. He probably got that quality from Ma...his mother." Said Constance quickly correcting herself.

Danielle looked at her mother quizzically and then laughed, "You know don't you? How long have you known?"

"Since the moment that I met him dear. He is the splitting image of his mother who is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Leonardo and I thought you two would be perfect for each other and it looks like we were right. I also must confess that I had selfish motives as well, this will give my dear sweet Marie and myself to reconnect and rekindle our friendship. After her marriage to Francis and my marriage to your Father we kind of drifted apart. I look forward to seeing her again."

Danielle was shocked to find out that the Queen of France was a close friend, her Aunt and Uncle rarely talked about the court and their past. She had a host of questions, but decided to table them for now. It was obviously a subject they didn't want to talk about, otherwise they would have brought it up, long ago. Instead she just looked at her mother and chuckled, "Jacques was right, he really is a bad actor isn't he?"

"Jacques?" Constance eyes grew wide at the implication and she put her hand to her mouth and laughed, "You didn't! Even you wouldn't do something as crazy and deranged as that!"

Danielle had a huge big toothy grin on her face and laughed hysterically, "Oh yes. Francis met Sir Auguste yesterday."

Constance started to howl with laughter, "Oh I wish I could have been there to see the look on his face. What were you thinking? Don't you realize what could have happened if he didn't approve?"

"Yes mother, but I had to see if I could trust him. He stole my heart the moment I laid eyes on him, but he is so unruly, that even though my heart pounds every time I see him, my head screamed no."

"Well, I'd say his keeping your secret is a sure sign of his love for you dear. Although I'd have to question his sanity as well." She said with a chuckle.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it!" Danielle then told her mother of the events of yesterday which sent them both into fits of total hysteria. Constance knew her daughter had a mischievous streak in her but even this was just beyond the pale.

They were still laughing when Danielle got a serious look on her face, "Mother, I love him with all my heart, but I don't want to live his life or have to share him with the world. I'm not good enough for him."

"Don't be silly, I don't understand where these bouts of self doubt of yours comes from. You went to one of the finest private schools in the country and have had the best tutors in the world teach you. Just be yourself, you will wow them in Sarlat. You will have Henry and Marie who I know will adore you, as you will her, there to help you."

"But when we are married, I'll become Princess of France. I don't want that kind of responsibility or power. It'll mean giving up all that I hold dear here, you, father, Charles, the theater, everything."

"Danielle, life is about growing up and changes. Some good, some bad, how we deal with those changes is what makes us human. Think of all the wonderful good you can do for your country and the world."

Constance still sitting on the chaise in Danielle's dressing chamber, motioned for her daughter to sit down next to her. She put her arms around her and continued, "You will not loose us simply because you move away. As you said a few minutes ago, we will always be in your hearts and you in ours. Have you forgotten that not only will you be closer to Gustave and Becky in Sarlat, but we happen to own a little manor that is only 15 minutes from the Castle?"

Danielle looked at her mother and smiled, as she continued, "All we have to offer in this world is our hearts and ourselves. The only thing that matter; is the love you share for Henry and he for you. Everything else is a small ripple in your ocean of love."

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Part 25

While at the breakfast table, Danielle's brother felt the tension in the room. You could cut with a knife. He watched with great interest the interplay between Danielle, Francis, and his father. He saw Francis staring lovingly at his sister, while his sister uncharacteristically tried to avoid any direct eye contact with anyone at the table, especially Francis. His father was looking at Francis with disgust in his eyes and kept muttering to himself.

Charles, II, knew exactly what was going on. He didn't notice during last night's festivities because he had other things on his mind, namely his pending marriage proposal, so he didn't notice the interplay between his sister and Francis. But this morning it was obvious, and it was equally obvious that his father wouldn't approve of this union.

He thought that Francis was a nice enough young man, but did not know enough about this situation to formulate any kind of opinion on it. He was in love, and didn't see any real reason that he should stand in the way of his sister experiencing the same level of happiness that he felt.

"Well children, how was your day yesterday?" Asked Leonardo, trying to break the tension in the room.

"It was fine, Signore, I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to have one of our talks, and you are going to be visiting us for so short a time, this time. Can't you stay on for at least another few weeks?" Asked Danielle.

"I'm sorry, but the Queen beckons. I should have arrived at the Castle several days ago. You my dear, will just have to squeeze me into your busy schedule, before I have to leave in a few days time." Said Leonardo. He then looked at Francis, "So Francis, what are your plans? Are you going to be staying on here, or moving along on your foolish Journey of self discovery?"

Henry who was busy staring at Danielle, didn't hear Leonardo's question, he was oblivious to all else when he was in Danielle's presence. Leonardo cleared his throat to get Henry's attention.

"Hum, what is it Signore?" Asked Henry.

Leonardo was getting ready to ask his question again when Maurice came into the room and discreetly handed Danielle a note she looked at it and chuckled. "Mother, Father, will you excuse me for breakfast? It seems there's someone at the front gate here to see me."

"Really, dear? Who would come at this hour of the morning?" Asked an already irritating Duke. He was not having a pleasant morning this morning, and he wanted everyone to know it. He wasn't the type of man to hide his feelings.

"A friend of a friend who is seeking employment. So I must go down to at least meet him." Said Danielle. She walked over to her father and kissed him on the cheek, "have a good day father." She headed towards the door before she left she turned back around and said, "Leonardo, we simply must talk this evening. I want you all to myself."

Henry wanted to go with Danielle so badly, but he didn't have a legitimate excuse to do so, and the Duke was giving him the evil eye, which told him he should stay and finish his meal. He watched helplessly as Danielle left the room and shrugged his shoulders *well, I've lived without her this long, I can go without her for another day.* He started to finish his breakfast.

"What do you think you are doing?" Asked Constance.

"Hum, I don't understand." Said Francis.

"How could you be so irresponsible? Aren't you supposed to be her personal bodyguard and assistant while you are our guest? How can you let her go off by herself?" Asked Constance.

"I'm sorry madam, I didn't think. I'll go find her now." He happily threw his knife and fork down on the table, and then ran out the door. Which caused Leonardo and Constance to break out into laughter. While Charles, II just sat there and laughed silently to himself, he didn't want his father to take his anger out on him.

The Duke looked at Constance and Leonardo, "You two just don't know when to quit, do you?"

********************************************************

Henry was so happy to have been given this opportunity that somehow he managed to get himself lost in this huge castle. He was getting frustrated at not being able to find the front door, when he finally broke down and asked one of the servants for directions. It pained him, but he was losing precious time. Danielle was an experience rider and would be halfway down to the front gate by now.

He finally reached the front door to the Chateau, a little out of breath, and startled at what he saw when he opened the door.

"What took you so long? I was about to give up on you." Said Danielle who was standing there all this time waiting for him.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be halfway to the front gates by now? What made you so sure I'd be right behind you?" Asked Henry.

"Well you have been assigned my body guard, against my wishes I may add, and personal assistant. Have you not?" She asked as she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.

"Yes, your mother pointed that very fact out to me, a position I happily accept." He said as he returned her kisses, her lips felt so soft, warm, and inviting. The sensation he felt was hard to describe. All he knew was that he never wanted this feeling to end.

Danielle broke the kiss and smiled at him, "well come along then, I have a guest that I have to entertain." As Danielle grabbed his hand, they headed in the direction of the stables, but instead of grabbing their horses, they walked past the stables.

"Madame, what are you doing? We just walked past the horses." Asked Henry.

"Francis, haven't you ever heard of the concept of walking? It's a beautiful morning out, let's spend as much time out in the fresh air as possible."

"But it's an hour walk to the gates."

"So. Do you have anything else better to do?"

"Well now that I think about it, who am I to turn down this private time with my beautiful fiancé?" He said as he kissed her. Danielle melted at the sound of the word "fiancé" she loved it when he said it.

"Say it again" she smiled.

"Well..."

"No, the part where you said the words, 'my fiancé'" She smiled, and when he leaned in to kiss her, he heard a loud sound emanate from her body.

"My word, what the heck was that sound?" Asked Henry.

Danielle, blushed a deep crimson red, and acted like she didn't know what he was talking about "what was what, my love?" She leaned in to kiss him again.

Then the smell seeped into Henry's nose, and he put his fingers up to his nose, playfully waving her to stay back. "Stay back milady, you smell." Henry was taking great delight in watching the expression on Danielle's face, and seeing her cheeks grow deep crimson, she went from being embarrassed to indignant, "I smell sir?" She said playfully poking him in the ribs, "have you smelled your breath in the mornings? It's no bed of roses, I'll have you know."

"Well, neither does yours milady." He said laughing. "That's what I love about you, your unpretentiousness. I love you, and will love all your strange sounds and smells and our children's smells forever." He leaned in to kiss her, and to his embarrassment, let one go himself. Now it was time for her to tease him.

The rest of their walk was just an exercise in them seeing who can emanate the most gas between them. It was a childish, silly game, but they had a strangely wonderful time playing it.

**********************************************************





Part 26

Laurent wanted to get an early start to this day. He had a mystery to solve, and he'd hope that the answers would start coming today. Was the Prince - his best friend, really in love with a man? If so, then who was this mystery woman that he's been kissing and fawning over? Well thanks to Auguste and his new best friend Jacques he was about to get some answers.

He chuckled to himself thinking about the mischief he and Jacques got into later that evening, man could that man drink. He had a pounding headache that just wouldn't quit he figured that it served him right for over indulging all day. Laurent thought to himself as he put his hand to his forehead. He really admired Jacques, the man was well traveled, and read. Above all he was fiercely loyal to his friends. Laurent tried to get Jacques to tell him about Francis and Auguste De Lancret, but he wouldn't divulge anything. After about an hour of pressing, Laurent finally gave up. His mind drifted back to the lovely Jacqueline De Ghent, oh how he wished he could hold her in his arms, and have her comfort him, in his moment of "pain".

Laurent stood outside the gate waiting patiently for this Danielle De Barbarac woman to come. He was busy trying to come up with a cover story for himself - now that he was drawn into this silly game of intrigue that Henry was playing he had to cover for him. It was difficult thinking of the Prince as a lowly, humble stable hand name Francis.

"My head is killing me. What is taking her so long?" He mumbled to himself.

"Sir, the Lady De Barbarac is a very busy woman who doesn't see just anyone, especially a complete stranger. Just consider yourself lucky that you'll soon have the opportunity to be in the presence of such a wonderful lady." Said one of the guards angrily.

Laurent felt embarrassed, he didn't mean for anyone to hear him, and the guard was correct, he is a guest. "I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean..."

"Well Sir, in the future learn to watch your tongue." Said the guard.

*What is it about this woman and family that engenders this kind of fierce loyalty and protection?* Wondered Laurent. He soon heard loud laughter echoing through the hills, he looked in the direction, and sure enough there he was. Henry walking, laughing, and having the time of his life with the same woman that he saw him with yesterday.

*So one piece of the puzzle was solved, the mystery woman that the Prince is having a fling with must be the Lady Danielle De Barbarac. But what of this relationship he has with Auguste De Lancret? There has to be a connection* Laurent smiled at the site of his friend glowing with life. He was positively beaming.

"Good morning Michel. I trust you slept well. How is your family." The guard looked at Danielle and smiled, she was positively glowing.

"Good morning Lady De Barbarac. I slept wonderful, thank you for asking. My wife, Christine is doing wonderful, and the children are looking forward to your lessons today. They were up into the wee hours of the morning reading that book you let them borrow. It's really opened their imagination."

"Well, I'm glad they are enjoying it. They better not doze off again, during my lecture this afternoon." She said with a playful chuckle.

"No ma'am, I will see to it that they stay awake this time."

Henry just looked at her with love and admiration in his eyes, wondering what she meant by lectures. Then he remembered Maurice telling him that she teaches the servants and their children to read whenever she gets a chance.

"Well then where is this Monsieur Laurent, who so desperately wants to see me?" The guard pointed towards Laurent.

"Ah, Monsieur Laurent, I presume?" asked Danielle.

"Yes, mademoiselle De Barbarac that would be me."

"Well, sir. The note from Michel said that Sir Auguste De Lancret sent you here? Whatever for?" She said glancing back at Henry, who was holding back a huge smile. He briefly wondered how long she would play this charade, but then chuckled to himself. Who is he kidding? She will play it until he discovers the truth. Henry couldn't wait to see the look on Laurent's face when he finally puts all the pieces together. *Laurent is usually so brilliant, but he's being unusually dense this time. Surely he must see the resemblance. Surely he can't think I'd really be in love with a man.*

"Um, I'm passing through town, and he said that you may be able to provide temporary lodging and possible employ for me. Here he gave me this note for you to read." Laurent handed Danielle the note.

Danielle faked reading the note, and then threw her hands up in the air, and with exasperation, "I'm going to need to have a talk with Sir De Lancret. He's always sending me strays." She then walked over to him and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Well now. Sir De Lancret's taste in men seems to have improved tremendously." She said in a sultry voice, while undressing him with her eyes. The same voice that she used when she first met Laurent. For some reason he didn't pick up on that fact. He was too busy blushing, staring at the ground, and shuffling his feat, he was doing anything he could to avoid eye contact with this strange woman.

"Let me get a good look at you." She said. She walked around him, feeling Laurent's arms, "Wow you sure are strong" then she walked around him, felt his back, and then pinched him on the butt, making him jump out of his skin, "

"Madame!" He said in surprised horror. "I am taken, please keep your hands to yourself!"

"Well Sir. If you are taken why are you not with your wife?" Said Henry, he was shocked to hear Laurent say he was taken.

"Oh, I'm sorry Monsieur Laurent, where are my manners. This is one of my stable hands, Francis Bouclé."

"No introductions are needed madam, we met yesterday at the pub." Said Laurent.

"Yes, well Francis is correct in asking. Where is your wife sir?"

"I didn't say I was married, although I hope to be one day soon. As I said earlier, I'm just passing through and plan on returning to the woman I love real soon." He said giving Henry an angry look. Henry immediately felt guilty, here his best friend had finally found someone and he was keeping him from her. He was surprised though, because Laurent never mentioned anyone.

"Well come then, the walk to the house is a long one, tell us the tale. How long have you known each other, what is her name? Where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from Sarlat." Said Laurent.

"Really? Small world. I was born there and have a family estate there." Said Danielle.

"Yes, well I met Jacqueline three days ago. Although I've only known her for such a short time, I know she's the one for me."

"Jacqueline?" Said Danielle with surprise in her voice.

"Yes, Lady Jacqueline De Ghent." He sighed, "What an enchanting creature."

"Get Out!" She screamed, which surprised both Henry and Laurent.

Laurent was shocked, what did he say? "I'm sorry to have upset you madam. I will leave at once." He said with his head to the ground.

"Don't you dare leave! That was just an expression that I sometimes use." She gave Laurent a huge hug. "Welcome to the family brother!!"

Laurent and Henry were truly confused now, "Brother? Madam, whatever are you talking about?"

"Oh forgive me. In all my excitement, I forgot to mention. Jacqueline De Ghent is my beloved stepsister! It warms my heart to know that there is someone out there that loves her the way she deserves to be loved."

"You are her stepsister? Well please madam you must tell me everything that you know of her. What was her childhood like? What are her favorite colors? What are her hobbies?" He asked excitedly.

"Well first, now that you are practically a member of the family, that puts your status here on a whole different level. If you want to earn enough money to marry my sister, I'll be more than happy to hire you on for a few days. You will help Maurice my father's right hand man run the estate for a few days." She looked at Henry. "Francis meet your new boss."

It was her plan to put Laurent in charge of Henry from the beginning (which Henry had already guessed) but the fact that he would soon be her brother in law, just seals the deal in her eyes.

Laurent had an evil grin on his face, thinking of all he was going to put Henry through over the next few days. Danielle watched the dynamic between the two and started laughing hysterically.

She held Laurent's hand and she started delighting Henry and Laurent with stories of her and Jacqueline's adventures.

*********************************************************

Part 27

The last few hours had been wonderful for Laurent. It's been ages since he's enjoyed himself this much. The Lady Danielle spent most of the morning delighting him with stories of his fair Jacqueline, making him all the more anxious to return to her. He laughed thinking how much Lady Danielle seemed to enjoy torturing poor Henry. Laurent was absolutely positive his best friend was in love with this woman, there's no way he would allow himself to be put through the type of morning that Danielle put him through this morning.

"Sir, here is your mug of ale."

Laurent who was well dressed and looking like a proper gentlemen, sat leisurely on a chaise. He went so far as to even wear a big floppy hat that he'd seen several of the more pompous nobles wear. He looked at Henry with a huge grin on his face as he took the mug from Henry. "Thank you Francis, now please be so kind as to move that pile of manure from the barn to the garden, so that Paulette can start fertilizing the gardens, oh and you'll have to take off your gloves when you do it. Maurice was telling me that you get the best results when the fertilizer is smoothed into the soil, and that gloves will leave it all clumpy and chunky."

Henry looked at Marc with disgust in his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Marc overheard his mutterings and could guess at what his friend was thinking and saying and only laughed more. "Francis did you say something."

Henry looked at him and bowed his head, "No sir. No I didn't. I'm just going to start on the manure." Henry turned on his heels and stormed off. "Francis, wait a minute, I just thought of something."

"What now?" Asked Henry with exasperation. He'd been running around all morning, getting every little thing for Laurent, Danielle, and even Maurice. They all gave him the dirtiest, grimiest jobs that they could think of - everyone wanted to have their fun with him today. He was tired, dirty, grimy, and he just wanted to go home - and take his beautiful new fiancé with him. Go back to the life of privilege that he took for granted.

Henry felt like he was near the breaking point, the point of exploding and just telling everyone the truth but he couldn't not until he got Danielle's father to approve of him. First he kept up the charade to win Danielle, now it's her father, who next. His mother once told him "nothing ever comes of lying or telling tall tales." That once you start, "you'll always wind up deeper in the soup." That he was royalty and as such he was above such quagmires. He was ashamed to admit it, but at this moment he wanted his mother.

"Are you upset at something Francis? I just wanted to tell you that, I think Paulette has done enough for the day, she's an old woman and should not be working as hard as she does. I want you to fertilize the garden instead, and take over Louise's cleaning chores after lunch. I think they both deserve a little break, don't you?"

Laurent was right Louise and Paulette were so kind and nice, they did deserve a break so all he could do was shrug his shoulders and agree, "Yes". Laurent with a straight face, trying hard not to laugh, for fear that he'd never stop, "Yes, what, Francis?"

Henry bowed his head again, and through gritted teeth, "Yes, Monsieur Laurent."

Laurent did an imitation of Henry and gave him a "regal nod" and wave of the hand to dismiss him. Again as Henry started to walk off, Laurent stopped him. "I'm sorry Francis, where is my mind today, to much excitement I guess. I forgot to tell you that Lady Danielle has informed me that she wanted you to clean out the Lou before lunch."

Henry threw his hands up in the air, and started stomping his feet like a spoiled child would. "Marc, this time you two have gone too far. How many of these indignities do you think I'm going to allow! I am the Crowned Prince of France!"

"Really?" Said Marc, mocking Henry.

Henry was getting ready to say something when he saw Danielle walking up, "I heard yelling, is everything ok, [pauses for dramatic effect] Francis?" At that moment, Laurent knew that Danielle was in on the secret and knew exactly who her servant was. She gave him a knowing nod, and he winked at her.

"Oh, ok you two, have you had enough fun at my expense?"

"Whatever are you talking about, Francis?" Asked Danielle ever so sweetly.

"Oh, cut the crap Danielle. You know darn well what I'm talking about. Why am I doing all the work around here? Where are all the other servants this morning? I will not lift another finger until someone helps me. I demand respect."

Danielle and Laurent were so busy laughing at Henry that they really didn't pay any attention to what was saying. Henry put his hands on his hips and started pouting before he said another word. A loud angry voice startled them.

"I dare you speak that way to my daughter!"

Henry, Danielle, and Laurent turned to see a red faced Duke who looked like he was ready to strangle Francis. "Young man, if you do not appreciate the hospitality that we have bestowed upon you, then you are more than welcome to leave!" It was right then when he started seeing double vision. For a minute there he thought that his father was standing in front of him, ranting and raving, and he wasn't about to have any more of this. Henry was getting ready to say something before she mouthed the word "no" to him.

In her sweetest voice, she patted him lightly on the arm, "Father, calm down. Francis, Monsieur Laurent, and I were just playing a game. That's all. Please don't worry so. Now come join us. I'm sure Monsieur Laurent would enjoy getting to know you a little better. After all he's practically a member of the family." She said with a smile. The Duke totally changed his tone, and started to talk with Marc. Henry leaned in and whispered to Danielle, "do you have that affect on everyone?"

Danielle shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "What can I say? It's a gift." Henry grinned at her and then, straightened his shoulders and businesslike, "Well madam, I must be getting back to my chores." Danielle was getting ready to stop him, when he saw the slight look of approval that her father gave. She chuckled to herself, *well I guess Francis has a way with people as well.*

****************************************************

Part 28

"Look Francis, it's flying!" Yelled Danielle, as she happily ran about the field

Henry looked at her and grinned broadly. Then he turned his attention towards Leonardo, who was busy playing with another one of his contraptions. This one was a long metal thing that he was trying to forge. He said when he got done it'd be a new form of transportation. He called it a horseless cycle.

Henry was just glad that the all of his chores for the day where done and that Leonardo rescued him from having to clean out the lou, suggesting that he spend the afternoon with him. Henry jumped at the chance.

"So how have you and the Lady Danielle been getting along?" Asked Leonardo.

Henry grinned, "Fabulously. She's the strangest, weirdest, and most intoxicating woman that I've ever met. Your description of her a few days ago couldn't have prepared me for the real woman. For such a great artist you did her a disservice, Signore."

Leonardo grinned at Henry, "well Sir, would you have believed me if I'd given you the complete details?"

"No, I guess not. She's spectacular, but...."

"But what?" Asked Leonardo.

"Signore, I must confess something to you. Will you promise not to tell anyone else?" Asked Henry.

"Of course Francis."

"Signore, I admire you greatly, and hope my news doesn't upset you, but I haven't been completely honest with you."

"Really?" Smiled Leonardo.

"Well, um, yes. My name is not Francis, well it is, but it is my middle name - my real name is 'His Royal Highness Prince Henry Francois Bouclé De Valois'." Said Henry nervously, waiting for Leonardo's reaction.

The old artist just chuckled, "Really? And all this time I thought you were just a young lost soul."

"You are not upset?" Asked Henry.

"No, why would I be? Since I've known all along?" Said Leonardo with a grin. "I was just wondering if you would ever confess and tell me the truth."

"You've known all this time? Am I really that bad an actor? Everyone seems to know." Said Henry.

"Well, give me a little credit. I am a painter and have seen your portrait numerous times." Said Leonardo.

Henry thought for a moment and then realized that the sly old fox had set him and Danielle up all along. Chuckling, "so you just had to come here instead of going straight to the castle, huh?" Henry imitating Leonardo, "'Boy you have to give fate a chance'."

Leonardo just gave Henry a wry grin. "Well, what was the other part of that quote? I believe I said, 'you cannot leave everything up to fate, boy, she has a lot to do.' I just gave her a little push."

"Well your little ploy succeeded. Danielle and I are engaged!" Henry said excitedly.

"Congratulations my boy. I knew she would be perfect for you, but most importantly you for her. When are you going to make an official announcement?" Asked Leonardo.

"I don't know, it's going to have to be in the next few days, because I have to return to the castle within a fortnight and face my obligations, and my father. Danielle has convinced me that I can do so much good for this world, and she has inspired me. I have so many new ideas going in my head now. When I am around her I feel the most wonderful freedom." Said Henry, as he glanced over at Danielle in the distance, who was still running around, playing with Leonardo's kite.

"I feel a 'but' coming." Said Leonardo.

"Well, um, it's two issues really, that I was hoping you could help me out with." Said Henry.

"Let me guess, you and the Duke are not getting along well?" Asked Leonardo. Henry nodded his head. "Well Son, what did you expect to happen? Danielle is like a daughter to him, and here you are trying to take his daughter out of his live. The Duke is a good, honorable man, and he has spoken highly of you, but you must understand that no man is good enough for his daughter. The only thing you can do is talk to him. Show him that Danielle is going to be deliriously happy and safe in your care. You also better tell him the truth, about who you are, before he discovers it on his own. The longer you wait the tougher it'll be for him to accept you. Does Danielle know and is she prepared to accept the responsibility that becoming your wife will bring?"

"Well that brings us to my second problem. Yes Danielle knows the truth, and no she's not happy about the thought of giving up her family and coming to live the constricting life of a Princess in Sarlat. I understand that she will be sacrificing a lot to become my wife. It's one of the reasons that I love her so dearly. I know that she loves ME, not my crown or my wealth, that to her, she is marrying Francis the stable boy, not Prince Henry."

He continued, "I know she loves me dearly, and I would never question that, but it seems like she's hiding a part of herself from me, some sort of tragedy. I noticed some old scars on her back last night, and I didn't say anything to her, because I don't think she would have told me, but something bad happened to her and it breaks my heart that she doesn't trust me enough to tell me. She also seems to have serious trust issues. She is always testing me, to see if she could trust me. To see if she could drive me away, I can tell that her mind is still fighting with her heart."

"Francis..."

"Please call me Henry." Said Henry.

"Henry, you don't understand what kind of life Danielle has led. Her life here has been idyllic, but she has been through a lot back home in Sarlat, and after the incident at School." Leonardo realized that he said too much.

Henry's eyes grew wide with concern. "What? What happened to her in Sarlat? What incident at school?"

******************************************************

Part 29

"Well? What do you want!" Barked King Francis.

This has been a horrible week for King Francis and the prospect of it getting better was looking dimmer and dimmer. He was taking the frustration that he was feeling out on everyone in sight. It was not a good week to be going to court the King was harsh in his judgments and pronouncements. Now he had to put up with this Page, whom for some reason King Francis didn't like or particularly trust, he didn't know why, and couldn't quit put his finger on it. But over the years he's learned to trust his instincts.

"Your Majesty, the carriage for your Journey is ready." Said the pudgy little Page.

"Thank you, tell Captain Chadwick we'll be ready to leave in one hour." Said the King as he dismissed the Page.

The Queen who was sitting in a chaise, said, "Did you have to be so hard on the poor boy? He was just delivering a message."

"Well, I don't like or trust him." Said the King.

"Come over here and sit down before you have a stroke. We have a long journey ahead of us and you must calm yourself." Said Marie.

"How can you be so calm after all that has happened this week? The plot that we uncovered, our irresponsible son running off, not showing any respect for himself, his family, his country, or his people!"

"Well, pacing up and down the room and screaming at everyone isn't going to help matters any. You and your son are more alike than either of you would care to admit. You both are stubborn as mules and when kicked will kick back. What do you plan on doing when you finally see him?" Asked Marie.

"I'm going to do what I should have done 15 years ago, I'm going to put that boy over my knee and give him a good Whooping!" Said the King.

"The only way around your son is to be the river that you promised you'd be." Said Marie.

"That promise was contingent on his being here to accept the compromise and prove to me that he is responsible. His running away from home is the height of immaturity. How is he going to ever become a great King if he doesn't settle down and start living up to his obligations? No, I'm through being a river. That boy is going to learn respect and live up to his potential if it's the last thing I do."

"Well, dear, Leonardo is with him, and according to Leonardo he has a plan that will help resolve this matter to everyone's mutual satisfaction. Just be thankful that we know where he is." Said Marie.

"I don't relish the idea that our son is spending time with that De Barbarac family. Who knows what stories they are filling his head with? That Charles De Barbarac is a stubborn pig headed slagadociouspollymorphicscag and I can't believe that I let you talk me into this. I don't want that anarchist family back in my court. We should have dragged his little behind back here three days ago!" Said Francis.

"Oh hush, stop that kind of talk. You know Constance has been my best friend since we were little girls, and you and Charles used to be inseparable, until that horrible incident and the rumors that drove our dearest friends away from court. Charles has every right to be upset with you, you did not lift a finger to help them in their time of crisis."

"Did you ever ask yourself why? Of course I offered to help, but he was too damn stubborn and proud to accept it, now that arrogant S.O.B. blames ME for what happened." Said Francis angrily.

The Queen had a sad expression on her face, the foursome where the best of friends for years, completely inseparable. Then the incident at court totally drove a wedge between them. A lot of things were said, that shouldn't have been said, and now Francis and Charles were both too stubborn to burry the hatchet. She dare not tell Francis what Leonardo's true plan is, otherwise, there will be hell to pay and there's no way Francis or Charles would sanction this union.

Well tomorrow night this drama will all come to a head. She was dreading this confrontation. The confrontation between her son and husband was going to be bad enough, but then to throw Charles into that mix, and it's a recipe for pure disaster.

******************************************************

It was market day in Sarlat and the crowds were packed with peasants purchasing fresh meats, and tons of goods. In the market, one could buy or sell anything if one new where to look. On this glorious afternoon, someone was looking for information. The man with the scar on his face was waiting impatiently for his employer to arrive. He was waiting in a small ally behind an elegant bakery getting very irritated. *There are other people who would gladly pay for the information that I have to offer*.

Just as he was getting ready to leave, a voice came from behind him, "Do you have what I want?"

"Yes, do you have my payment?"

The man's employer handed him a pouch of gold coins, and he smiled. "Here's the information. That you need." He handed his employer a piece of paper, and continued, "I would say tomorrow night is the best night to do it. I have men in place, ready to move on your command."

"Thank you Solaire. After tomorrow night we will all have riches beyond our wildest dreams. If a little blood needs to be spilled to accomplish our goal, then so be it." Solaire nodded in agreement, he had an evil smile on his face. "Yes tomorrow night they all pay." Solaire didn't tell his employer the real reason why he took this assignment on, sure the money was fabulous, but it also would give him a chance to extract his pound of flesh for the disfigurement that was given him. Oh yes, he couldn't wait until tomorrow night.

He was grinning from ear to ear. He was so lost in thought that he didn't see the out of control horses and carriage, or hear any of the screams until it was too late.

******************************************************

"I don't trust him, and certainly don't want him hanging around my daughter!" Said Charles.

Constance looked at him, "Charles, just two days ago you were saying how much you admire the boy..."

"Yeah, well that's before he professed his love for Danielle. There's something about him. I don't know, I can't quite place my finger on it, but he reminds me of another arrogant man that I once knew."

"Oh come now, you are not suggesting that Francis reminds you of Francis De Valois." Said Constance.

"That's exactly who he reminds me of. His very presence lately has irritated me. How does he plan on supporting Danielle? He says he has money stashed away, but he's never said where or how much. Am I supposed to just accept that at face value? Danielle deserves better than some stable hand."

"Darling, Danielle will marry him with or without our blessing. You know how stubborn she can be. If you disapprove you will only drive her into his arms even faster. Do you want to destroy your relationship with her and deny her this opportunity to be with the man she loves? Remember what happened between Nicole and Auguste, you do not want to repeat the mistake of Nicole's parents do you? Nicole died without ever making up with her family. Danielle doesn't even know her grandparents because of it. Danielle deserves to be happy. As her parents, it's our duty to insure her happiness. We promised Nicole and Auguste that we would do no less."

She said as she walked over and kissed him, "You Charles De Barbarac are a good man, and you have raised a wonderful son and daughter. You have to let them lead their lives now and trust that you have instilled in them the values and wisdom that we had to give them. You have seen how happy she is with Francis. Let your eyes tell you the truth." Constance held his hand, and led him to the balcony, where they could see Leonardo, Francis and Danielle. She and Francis where running around the field with Leonardo's flying contraption having the time of their lives, when Leonardo turned his back she leaned in and kissed Francis passionately. She was positively glowing her eyes were sparkling with happiness.

The Duke smiled, "well perhaps you are right. It could be worse I suppose. She could be marrying Prince Henry. I'm glad I put a stop to that contract all those years ago. I still can't believe that Auguste and Nicole could betray me like that, by agreeing to such a ridiculous contract, especially after all that happened! Imagine a De Barbarac marrying a De Valois!"

"Don't be silly. You know Auguste and Nicole didn't try and betray you. They were doing what they thought was best for Danielle. Securing her future. They were just as close to Marie and Francis as we were. It wasn't fair for you to make them choose between their best friends and family. Don't you think it's about time for you and Francis to finally settle this once and for all? If Marie and I could forgive each other then surely you two can? What would you do if something happened to Francis before you had a chance to talk to him?"

"No, I will never forgive him for allowing what happened to you to continue to go on. If he wants to talk, he knows where I am." Said Charles, he looked out the window again and smiled to Constance, "they do seem happy, don't they?"

Constance smiled and nodded in agreement. Well this part of her and Leonardo's plan seems to have worked - for now at least. *He's going to hit the ceiling when he finds out the truth.* Thought Constance.

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Part 30

After Leonardo's slip this morning, Henry grew concerned for his love. He tried to get Leonardo to tell him, but the old artist remained tight lipped. All sorts of wild thoughts were going through his head as to what could have happened. During the war the invading soldiers tortured and killed thousands of people, and then after they killed the men in the villages, they had their way with the village women. Dear god he prayed that didn't happen to Danielle. He'd hope that she safely tucked away at school in Paris away from where much of the fighting occurred.

If not that, then what? His mind was awash with possibilities, and each one worse than the other. His imagination was running wild he felt sorrow in his heart. *Doesn't trust me enough to tell me? Does she plan on telling me?* He thought to himself as he was starring at Danielle who was in the makeshift classroom mesmerizing the children with tells of King Arthur.

Her animated style of story telling brought a smile to his face, although Danielle caught the momentary look of concern on his face, and made a mental note to ask him about it later. She then got into the subject of the last French/Nordic war.

"Is it true that Prince Henry was 14 when he created and executed the battle plan that drove back the invaders?" Asked one of the children.

"Well, Justin, I have it on good authority the tales are indeed true. Our very own Francis was there when it happened." Said Danielle with pride in her voice.

All of the children turned their attention to the back of the room where Henry was standing he smiled at the children and then turned his head away shyly before turning to look at the children.

"Sir, what was it like? My father says that those men were evil and that they deserved to die. I hope that one day when I grow up I'll be able to fight in a big war and become a national hero like Prince Henry." Said Justin.

Henry's expression got sour at Justin's statement, but he hid his anguish well. "Son, what is your name?"

"My name is Justin, sir."

Henry then walked over to Justin and knelt down by the boy's desk. And spoke to him, "No one deserves to die. Those men where just following orders, just like we were. War is not a pleasant experience. It is not something that you should dream of, or strive to participate in. War is brutality, finality. War is watching villages be burned to the ground, people loosing their homes. War is watching your close friends...[a lump caught in his throat, as a tear threatened to escape his eyes]...die in your arms. How would you feel if..." He looked to the boy who was sitting next to Justin, "What is your name?"

"Michel"

"Well Justin how would you feel if Michel was to not be around tomorrow?" Justin looked at Michel and then back at Francis, who continued, "You would miss him wouldn't you? We all do everything in our power to prevent wars, so that you and Michel will be able to live in a peaceful world that celebrates knowledge over fighting. Anyone can unsheathe a sword and fight. There is nothing heroic about war. A true hero turns the other cheek or finds another solution besides waging War and fighting. A true hero uses his or her muscle and brains for the good of society not war."

The class sat there silently for a few moments, to think of what Henry had to say.

Danielle looked at Henry and saw the dour expression on his face this subject had obviously touched a raw emotional nerve with him. He was obviously still reliving those painful memories, something he learned how to cover up. He continues to surprise her, and she was so filled with pride, love and devotion when she looked at him. She mouthed the words "I love you" to him, which immediately cheered him back up.

Justin then raised his hand again, "Lady Danielle, can we learn about Science and Philosophy tomorrow?"

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Chapter 31

After Danielle's afternoon tutorial session, Danielle had to go and help Constance and Louise. Henry soon found himself helping Marc repair a broken door. He found it strangely therapeutic. Henry actually smiled to himself as he took whack after whack at the wood. Marc looked at him and smiled, "well, you know, if this whole Royalty thing doesn't work out for you, you seemed to have found a new trade."

"I know father gave you orders to harass me, but do you have to take such delight in it?" Asked Henry with a smile on his face.

"It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it...Francis." Said Laurent.

Henry looked at Marc and then rolled his eyes. "Ok, Marc. Now tell me, what do you think of Lady Danielle?" Asked Henry. Marc was one of the only people that Henry ever confided in, and actually valued his opinions.

"She is, how should I say this...strange, yet wonderful. Other than Jacqueline De Ghent, I've never met someone as fascinating. She's unlike any courtier that I've ever met. Imagine, someone of her station taking such delight in working in the stables and cleaning out pigpens. You fancy her don't you?" Asked Marc.

"Fancy is not a word that I would use to describe my feelings for her, my friend." Said Henry with a huge smile. "She fills me with a new found sense of hope and freedom that I've never had before. Thanks to Danielle's influence my head is now brimming with ideas and projects that I know will make this a better country. I can't wait to become King!" Said Henry with enthusiasm.

Laurent almost fell out of his chair. "Tell me I did not hear you say what I think you said? You actually WANT to be King? Oh my god, has hell finally frozen over? Should we all run for the hills? Your father would surely have a massive stroke if he heard you utter those words." Teased Laurent.

"It is not that surprising, is it? It's time that I start taking my obligations seriously. People in this country are hurting and being mistreated, it's up to us nobles to ease the suffering of the people." Said Henry.

"Who are you? What happened to my best friend? The restless Prince who ran away from home? You must be an evil twin. Where's the real Prince Henry?" Asked Marc.

"I wasn't running away, I was running towards something. I just didn't know what, until I came here and found Danielle. Do you know what she was doing when I first saw her? She was slaughtering poor Gustave in the mud. Both of them were covered in mud from head to toe and she had this huge, wonderful smile on her face. At that moment I knew I was in love with her, even though I couldn't see her that clearly. You want to know the funny part?" Asked Henry. Marc nodded his head. Henry smiled, "I thought she was a servant. I was actually going to court her even when I thought she was a servant! Imagine my surprise when I found out the truth later."

Marc smiled broadly, "Well, I'm glad you are finally happy my friend. But I must ask, what are you going to do about Sir Auguste? It's bad enough that you are courting a man, but now you are being dishonorable to Lady Danielle. Does she know of your, how should I say this? Proclivities?"

Henry looked at Marc and started laughing hysterically at him.

"This isn't a laughing matter Sire. What's wrong with you? How can you be so callous? You will surely break Lady Danielle's heart when she finds out and anger the Duke further in the process. He is not a man that you would want upset with you. He could make your reign very difficult if he chose to." Said Marc.

This only caused Henry to laugh even harder, "I can't stand it." he said out of breath, when put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "You still haven't figured it out have you?" Asked Henry, who started to laugh again.

"Figured what out YOUR HIGHNESS." Marc always called Henry by his formal title when he was exasperated.

"Oh my, I don't know if you should be Captain of the Guard if you haven't put the pieces together by now." Said Henry with a grin on his face.

"Put what together, the fact that you are seeing both Sir Auguste and Lady Danielle?"

"I'm going to trust you with this secret, but this goes no further than us. Understood?" Said Henry, still laughing. Laurent nodded his head.

"Lady Danielle IS Sir August De Lancret!" Said Henry with a huge roar of laughter. He was beat red from laughing so hard.

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Chapter 32

"Ok, who is next? It was early evening now and Charles, Jr. was having a really good day. He was outside on the patio practicing with the fencing instructor. He'd beaten five of his father's best men, plus Gustave, Becky, and his Mother. He was feeling pretty cocky. "Well?"

Everyone was outside for their afternoon fencing classes.

After Charles' kidnapping the Duke insisted that everyone in the family become expert fighters. He didn't want anyone that he loved to find themselves in a situation where they couldn't defend each other. So he hired the best swordsmen, hand to hand combat experts, etc. to come and train Charles and Danielle. He even made Constance take lessons for a few years. Charles smiled at Francis; throughout the day he and Francis had finally started to reach an accord with regards to Danielle. He really did like the young man, and his daughter obviously adored him, she was positively glowing. Leonardo and Constance's constant badgering and defense of Francis finally started to sink in. They were right of course, Danielle was a grown woman now, and he just had to learn to accept that.

Danielle who was "finger fighting" with Henry, looked at Henry, and then Henry pointed to Laurent. "How about you Monsieur Laurent? What kind of swordsman are you? Are you able to protect the fair maiden Lady Jacqueline?" Said Francis with a smile. Laurent gave Henry and Danielle an evil look, and shook his head no. He was ticked off at the game those two played on him. He just couldn't believe that Lady Danielle and Sir Auguste where the same two people, and until he saw it with his own two eyes would refuse to believe it.

"Come now Monsieur, what would Lady Jacqueline think? You turning down a challenge." Said Constance with a smile on her face. It's been a long time since she saw Jacqueline, and wondered how she was doing. The poor girl was always so shy, and scared of her own shadow. She was quite fond of the child and invited her to come to the Chateau on numerous occasions, but the Baroness would not allow it.

"Yes Monsieur, are you scared?" Asked Becky, teasing Laurent. Next to Henry, Laurent was one of the best swordsmen in the entire country. But truth be told, he'd been drinking some ale, and was just enjoying his day, so he really wasn't prepared to face someone in a dual at the moment. Everyone started ribbing him, even the Duke joined in. Marc finally threw up his hands and said, "Oh, all right."

Laurent picked up a sword and stared at Charles for a few minutes, trying to size him up and get him to break his concentration. After a few moments, Charles made the first move, which Laurent expertly dodged. Then they went fast and furious. Charles was shocked and surprised at how quick and agile Laurent was, especially for a man his size, and let's face it he was slightly drunk as well. When Charles recognized that was the wrong tact to take, he deliberately slowed the pace down again. After several long minutes, Charles had the advantage over Laurent, until Laurent sped the pace back up and had him on the ropes, he was about to go in for the "kill" when Henry yelled "Look there's Sir Auguste" which made everyone at the table break out into hysterics, and Marc lost his concentration, which gave Charles the opening that he needed.

The expression on Marc's face was priceless; everyone at the table continued to laugh at him, he was beat red with embarrassment and he started to get a little angry. To rub salt into the wound, Charles started doing a little victory dance and jig. He looked at Henry and said, "Well Francis, do you think you can do any better than our friend Monsieur Laurent?"

Henry looked at Danielle, then at the Duke for approval. Henry smiled and arrogantly said, "Certainly." He gave Danielle a quick peck on the cheek and stood in the circle. He picked up the sword Marc was using. Again a fast and furious match up ensued, after awhile Marc and Danielle both tried to break Henry's concentration, but neither could do it. His years of training had taught him too well, to stay focused on his opponent. After a fierce battle, Henry pulled a dazzling array of maneuvers that stunned Charles before he could react he found his sword flying high in the air. In one fluid motion Henry spun around and put his hand behind his back to catch the sword. He held up both swords proudly and said "I'm the King of the World!" He started dancing his own little jig.

"Well there's one person here that hasn't stepped up to the circle." Said Gustave, looking at Danielle. Henry looked at Gustave and then Danielle, "surely you must be joking?" Danielle smiled demurely, and Henry knew what was coming, this was Danielle, after all. Danielle got up and stepped into the Circle. They both stared lovingly at each other for a few minutes before they got down to business. Henry started to take it easy with her and tried toying with her until he realized how good she truly was. Again everyone tried to break Henry's concentration, but nothing worked. After several minutes, Danielle pulled a surprise maneuver on him. When he lunged forward, in one fluid motion Danielle let his forward motion carry him then she quickly sidestepped him and grabbed his free arm, and managed to flip her body over him, jerking his arm back, which caused him to yelp and drop his sword. While he was off balance she stuck her foot out and tripped him, the force of his wait and momentum knocked him down to the ground. Next thing he knew he was down on the ground with her sword pointing towards his chest. It was truly a spectacular maneuver, something Henry had never seen before. She stood over him and grinned from ear to ear. "Do you concede Sir?"

"Nevah!" Said Henry.

Danielle then leaned in and kissed him with reckless abandon in front of everyone. After a few minutes, she asked again, "Do you concede Sir?" Henry breathlessly said, "Yes, Milady. Whatever you wish." At that Danielle pulled him up off the ground held both swords high in the air and yelled, "I'm the Queen of the World!" She started dancing a little Jig, which Henry, and then everyone else started doing.

Seeing this display, the Duke could no longer deny the obvious, and whispered to his wife, "You and Leonardo were right. They are perfect for each other. She is positively glowing. They have my blessing. I will sanction this union. I will tell them tomorrow night after the performance." Constance looked at him and squeezed his hand and gave him a kiss.

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After their fencing lessons, Danielle looked at everyone and said. "I have an idea! Instead of having dinner here tonight, let's go and visit Rowan!" Said Danielle excitedly.

"That's a splendid idea." Said Constance.

"You children go. Your mother and I will stay here."

Constance looked at the Duke and was disappointed, until he leaned in and whispered, "We'll have the house to ourselves tonight, think of the mischief we can do with all the children gone." Said the Duke. Constance then smiled, "you are a dirty old man."

Charles looked at his parents, "Are you sure? I'm sure Esmeralda would love to see you two again. It's been ages."

"No, we're staying put. Go ask Louise and Paulette to put together a care package for you to take. Send Rowan and Esmeralda our best. Don't go and get wild, be back at a decent hour. Or at least before tomorrow afternoon." Said Constance.

Henry and Marc looked at each other trying to figure out what was going on. Henry looked at Charles, II, and asked "Who is Rowan and Esmeralda? Where are we going?"

Charles, II, patted Henry on the back. "Why so many questions? Where's your sense of adventure?" Henry shrugged his shoulders and said, "Since you put it that way. Let's go."

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It took them about an hour in a half to reach their destination. They were in the middle of nowhere, when they went through a secret passageway that opened up into a very picturesque encampment that was surrounded by beautiful trees, a gorgeous blue lake, and more. He was shocked to realize that he was in a Gypsy camp. How did the de Barbarac family know Gypsies? This family never ceases to surprise him. The air was filled with the wonderful aroma of food cooking and fresh pastries, there were tons of children playing in the gardens, and people happily working and talking and laughing with each other. It looked like someone built his or her own private little utopian village.

One of the Gypsies spotted the group, and then saw Henry, who Henry recognized immediately. Before anyone could stop him, Henry had leapt off his horse and the two men started another fierce battle. After a few minutes of fisticuffs, the gypsy picked up a sword and Henry whipped out his personal sword and dagger and everyone stood their stunned.

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Everyone's mouth fell open when they saw Henry's personal sword and dagger. Both items were made of solid gold, and had the initials, hrh-pHdV engraved on them with Diamonds. The royal seal which was engraved in purple and jade emeralds on the other side, there's only one person in the entire world who would have such weapons. Everyone immediately started bowing, even the man Henry was fighting with.

Rowan and Esmeralda hearing the commotion came running over, "What is going on here? Who are you and why have you brought violence to my village?" Asked Rowan. "Rowan, I apologize for my fiancé here. He doesn't know how to behave in polite society." She looked at him, and asked, "What's wrong with you? Just what do you think you are doing?"

"These are the thieves that attacked Leonardo." Said Henry out of breath.

"These thieves as you call them are our friends." Said Danielle forcefully.

"Fiancé? Francis?" Charles was shocked at all he heard and saw. He looked at Danielle then Henry, then Becky and Gustave who shrugged their shoulders, then back at Francis.

Charles got off his horse and walked over to Francis, and saw the sword and Dagger, and saw all the gypsies who were still bowing and angrily confronted Henry. He punched him squarely in the mouth, knocking Henry down on the ground. He stood over Henry, with rage in his eyes "You really aren't a stable hand are you? How could you lie to us? Was this all some sort of sick game to you, you arrogant son of a... You haven't changed at all. All the rumors about you were and are true! We let you into our home. Our lives. After all that we've done for you, you deliberately lied to our faces. What kind of human filth are you?"

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"Charles! Stop it! You don't understand!" said Danielle as she ran over to Henry and hovered over him. She tore off a piece of her dress, and started to wipe the blood from Henry's mouth. Before Charles could do anything else, she stood up and stood eye to eye, toe to toe with him, fire blazing in her eyes. "I dare you strike my fiancé and future husband! Just what in the hell do you think you are doing?" She asked.

"What am I doing? What are you doing with that trash? Do you know who your fiancé really is?" Said Charles.

"Yes, of course I know who he is. If anyone is at fault here, it is I. I'm the one who told him not to say anything about the engagement or who he really is. So if anyone around here is guilty for continuing this foolish charade it is I. Do you want to take a swing at me now?" Said Danielle.

"Danielle, you cannot marry him. I will not allow it!" Said Charles.

"You cannot allow it? Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? I love Henry and will marry him, regardless of what you or father says. You are my brother and I love you dearly, but do not make me choose."

"But Danielle..." Charles started to protest.

"Don't but Danielle me." She then grabbed Charles by the arm and dragged him over to a small private area of the camp. Leaving Henry and the others standing their perplexed. Part of Henry couldn't help but smile on the inside. Never before in his life had anyone stood up for him before in such a strong, determined manner. In his future wife, he knew that he found someone who would always remain loyal to him and only him, and be forcefully protective of him, Henry, not Prince Henry.

*******************************************************

After several long minutes Charles and Danielle were happily walking back to the group. Charles looked at Henry and then smiled sheepishly, "um, well..." Danielle punched Charles in the arm and said "say it."

"Um, well, I guess I'm sorry. Well, not really. Danielle explained some things to me and I guess we'll work things out eventually. Welcome to the family." Charles held out his hand to Henry, which he gladly took.

"Well then, now that all of that is settled. What brings you fine people to our humble home?" Said Rowan, trying to break the tension.

"We've come to celebrate my engagement!" Said Danielle happily.

"Well now. Our little Danielle is finally getting married!" Said Esmeralda as she happily hugged Danielle. Rowan walked up to Henry and held out his hand, "Congratulations Your Highness. You are one lucky man."

Henry shook his hand, "Thank you sir, you don't know the half of it!" Said Henry with a huge grin.

Rowan nodded his head, and chuckled "ah, but I do your Highness. You are going to have yourself a handful. And the country couldn't ask for a better Princess or Queen than Danielle." He then turned to the rest of the troupe, "Looks like we have a celebration on our hands!!!"

With that several of the Gypsies started playing love songs, motioning for Henry and Danielle to dance, which they happily did. The couple delighted the crowd by exchanging several passionate kisses. After that the entire camp started singing and dancing. Then after dinner the celebration really kicked into overdrive as Rowan brought out several barrels of grappa, the Gypsies homemade brew. Charles and Henry finally reached an accord and where back on speaking terms.

******************************************************************

It was very late and everyone was to drunk to go riding back to the Chateau. So the gypsies gave everyone blankets, pillows, and tents to sleep in. Henry and Danielle had found a small private cave in which they could set up their tent, relax, and have their own private celebration. Henry was so happy he was positively glowing.

He was staring lovingly at his future wife. She stared back at him and wondered what he was thinking, and saw his happiness turn to sadness. "What? What is wrong milord? Are you not happy?" Asked Danielle with concern on her face.

"No milady. I am not happy." Said Henry. Danielle looked at him, her concern growing, before he added, "I'm ecstatic. You have filled me with such hope and joy. One man doesn't deserve to be as content and satisfied as I am. I love you Danielle with everything that I am." He leaned in and kissed her with his entire heart and soul.

"Wow. What brought that on?" Asked Danielle.

"Nothing. I was just thinking how because of my foolishness, my immaturity, this moment almost never would have been." Said Henry with tears in his eyes. As he held onto her as if his very life depended on it, Danielle was trying to figure out what was wrong.

"What's wrong? What did you mean that we wouldn't be here today because of your immaturity. Please tell me." She said as she lifted his chin up and took her finger and gently wiped the tears from his eyes.

"This is not easy for me to say." He said choking back more tears. "I once tried to kill myself."

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Chapter 33 - Confessions

Danielle felt tears coming to her eyes, but she held them back. She couldn't believe what the most important person in her life had just said. All she could do was stare at him intently. Then she slowly moved her hand up to is chin and then put both hands on his face and just stared intently into his eyes for a few minutes. All she could say was, "Why?"

Henry placed his hand on Danielle's as she held his face. He squeezed her hand, and just shook his head at her question. His usually strong, commanding voice broke, "I...I don't really know why I did what I did. Well I do, but looking back on it now, it just seems so...foolish."

"Henry, if something was bothering you enough for you to try and take your own life, then it wasn't foolish and you need to talk to someone about it. We are to be married soon and you - are my heart and soul. Nothing you say will change my love for you. Please tell me what happened." Pleaded Danielle.

He closed his eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath before opening them again. He felt his throat go dry thinking back to what happened. He stared at his beautiful Danielle, "Well it happened shortly after the war with the Nordics. A few weeks after my 16th birthday celebration, while everyone was hailing me as some sort of 'conquering hero' I felt anything but."

"But you saved an entire country. Surely you must know how grateful the people of France are to you." Said Danielle.

"Well, yes, I understand that now, even more so, since I've met you. But at that time I felt like I had all that the world had to give me and I still felt empty inside. I would have given all that I own, all that I was, for someone to love me for me. A simple kind word from my father."

"But your father adores you." Said Danielle.

"Really?" Said Henry sarcastically. "Well he certainly has a funny way of showing it. Do you know how often he compliments me? Treats me as a normal father would his son? Do you know when the last time he ever said he was "proud of me"?"

Danielle shook her head.

"Well neither can I. Even after the war he begrudgingly acknowledged my role in creating that plan. At the time I didn't go to the front out of any real since of patriotic duty. I went because I wanted to get away from my father, and to prove to him that I was capable and intelligent enough to make my own decisions. I was being rebellious. When I saw all the destruction in the villages, and the carnage at the front. I finally understood the weight of the world that my father carried. There, my men were dying, fighting for what they believed in, fighting for a "Crown" that I did not want to have anything to do with. It was at that moment that realized what an awesome responsibility my father had being the King, and the obligations that I had being the Dauphin. I had to finally grow up and accept my lot in life."

Danielle started to say something, but stopped.

"During that long year of fighting I saw more death than I'd ever care to see again. For the first time in my life I made real friends and then lost them all again, and again, after awhile I just didn't know how to cope. So eventually I learned to shut everyone out, to hide behind my crown and try and stay above it all as much as I could. As the leader of the Royal Guard, I had to make decisions regardless of how I personally felt about people." He closed his eyes and held his arms out as though he was lost in the memory of carrying a dying friend off the battlefield he started crying again.

Danielle leaned in and wrapped her arms tightly around him as he let himself cry on her shoulder, in between sobs he just whispered "there was just so....much....blood." The memory of those will haunt him for the rest of his life. After a few minutes of her comforting him, she asked, "So is that why you tried to kill yourself?"

"Partly, but again not really. When I got home the memory of men dying seemed to haunt my dreams, my every waking moment, my every thought, but we were all so elated to be home, that we succeeded; that, eventually, I was able to only have those memories be part of my nightmare. My father said he was proud of me, and I believed him. You can't possibly know what that meant to me." She looked at him and then mumbled, "You'd be surprised."

"Really?" He asked, and she nodded her head with a stray tear escaping her eyes. "What's wrong?" Asked a concerned Henry.

"Nothing, I was just thinking, that's all. Please continue."

"He looked at her, please tell me what troubles you so. Leonardo mentioned something terrible happened to you at school, but he wouldn't tell me what. We are each other's confidants now. Danielle, you yourself said that there should be no more secrets between us " He said concerned.

"I promise my love, I will tell you about my stepmother, after you finish your tale. It just only reinforces, my love for you. Please continue." She said as she kissed him.

"Then it's a deal." He said as he kissed her. He continued, "Anyway, it was the first time that he ever uttered those words to me, and it meant the world to me. I found a new found sense of respect and admiration for my father, but unfortunately his respect for me only seemed to last a month. He quickly reverted back to his old ways and would never listen to what I had to say, or care how I felt about things."

"I never felt so alone in my entire life. Here I was being held as a conquering hero, some sort of "messiah" and my own father treated me as though I was some bastard stepchild." [Danielle's face contorted at that last statement, and Henry wondered why. But he decided to just continue his story.] I thought he'd be proud of me, instead, I think he just started to resent me more."

"Before the Nordics invaded I always knew that people only talked to me, or acknowledged my existence because I was the Dauphin. Sycophants always trying to curry favor with me, courtiers doing whatever they could to entrap me and get my crown, I had to deal with that all my life, but after the war that became worse. All the notoriety made the courtiers and other nobles chase after me even more. No matter how badly I behaved, how rude I was, all I received from people was, 'you are right Your Highness.' 'Whatever you say Your Highness', blah, blah, blah. You don't have any idea how suffocating it was. Never knowing who too trust, during that time I only had two people who I considered friends. One was Marc who I was raised with and is like a brother to me, and Becky. They were my companions for as long as I could remember."

She looked at him and smiled, "I still can't believe she never told me about you."

He leaned in and kissed her, "I thank you for bringing her back into my life."

"What happened between you two?" Asked Danielle.

"I'm not proud of how I behaved after the war. As I said, people were treating me as nothing more than a "Crown w/two legs" and that's exactly how I behaved for awhile, I was as arrogant as a human being could get, I started to get really wild, and treated every courtier that came within five feet of me as badly as I could. I was rude, distant, and I tried everything to get them to leave me alone. Some twisted part of me, just lumped Becky in with that group of courtiers. I became distant from her and completely ignored her and cut her off. I was too scared to let her inside, to share my experiences with her about the war. So I pushed her away."

"But she was your friend..."

"Yes, but at the time I didn't see it that way. I foolishly started to allow myself to believe that she to was after my crown. Also I think a part of me just didn't want to be close to anyone as well. During the war, I lost so many friends, that I was just scared to get close to anyone else. Marc remained by my side through all of this and understood how I felt, because he was there. Becky was not, so it was hard to explain this to someone who was not actually there."

"Well the night of my 16th Birthday party, Becky finally confronted me in front of the entire court. Where she threw herself at me. I was so embarrassed and so hurt, that I accused her being just like all the other courtiers, 'Just Like Them'." Henry started crying again at the memory, " That was when I reached a real low point and felt like I wasn't capable of loving anyone else, and no one was capable of being able to see beyond my crown to take the time to get the know the real me. I embarrassed and humiliated one of the only true friends that I've ever had in front of the entire court."

Danielle's heart went out to Henry, but also to her best friend. She had no idea that something like this happened. No wonder Becky felt the way she did about court and never mentioned Henry to her. She held onto him for a few moments.

After he gathered his thoughts, and got his emotions under control he continued, "well a few nights later, when my parents left for Royal Business. I took a dagger and slashed my wrists. If Marc hadn't found me when he did I surely would have died. He called the Royal physician, and he hushed up the entire incident. To this day the only people who know what happened that night is Robert, Marc, myself, and now you."

Danielle looked at Henry and started crying. She kissed him with all her heart could give.

Henry looked at her, " Why do you cry so? It's ok, really it is. It's the first time that I've told anyone that story and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me. That's the past and now because of you my love I have a future that I can look forward to. " He said happily.

She looked at him with tears continuing to poor down her eyes, "I'm glad you told me. I feel that I must tell you something that I fear will change how you feel about me."

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Part 34 - Confessions Part Deux - Danielle's Tale

Henry looked at Danielle with concern on his face. He held her tightly and then kissed her passionately. He caressed her beautiful face and smiled, "My love, know this, there is nothing you can tell me or do that will change how I feel about you. It'll only make my love for you stronger. I know that in the beginning of our relationship that you did not trust me, and that you were testing me. Please tell me about your past, why it troubles you so? Perhaps by sharing it with me, you can finally put it to rest."

She looked at him with a mixture of love and fear in her tear filled eyes. Henry continued to caress her cheeks to encourage her to talk him. His eyes spoke volumes to her, they were pleading for her to trust him, to tell him. She choked as she spoke, "You...are...right. You deserve to know the truth, but I...just don't know where to begin." She said.

He was scared of what she would reveal, this is the first time that he has seen her so...vulnerable. She always seemed so happy, so sure of herself, so strong, and he was beginning to feel like the "weak" one in this relationship. Now it was his turn to be strong for her, for the both of them. He smiled at her and gave her another passionate kiss, before saying, "How about the beginning."

"Well, I never knew my mother, she died while giving birth to me. As you know, my papa was a small land baron in Sarlat, he always loved reading and writing, so every time he would go away on one of his business trips he would bring me a new book to read. After awhile, I had quite a large collection of books, paintings, and other trinkets that my father brought. For the longest time it was just the two of us, along with the other servants at the manor. We lived a modest, but happy life."

Henry smiled at her.

"Well, I guess after spending eight years raising a daughter on his own he was lonely and felt that I needed a mother. After one of his business trips, he'd sent word that he met and married someone. The Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent and her two daughters, at the time I was so excited. I never had a mother before and I remember telling Louise that 'It was just like Christmas, I'd be getting a mother and two sisters'. I wanted to look perfect for her and papa, so for the first time in my life I was dressed to perfection, wearing a pretty little dress, and tried my best to make papa proud of me. Then Gustave showed up outside my window and taunted me, so what was I to do? I forgot all about the pending arrival and slaughtered him good. At that moment the Baroness and my papa showed up, and she did not look too pleased with my tomboyish appearance. My papa however laughed hysterically when he saw poor Gustave covered from head to toe in mud."

Henry chuckled as well thinking of when he first saw Danielle and Gustave together. Nothing changed, he thought. Then his face contorted a little bit at the mention of The Baroness and her daughter, they had chased after his crown for years. They even tried to entrap him. He didn't do anything about it because, well, he didn't know why. He just didn't feel it was important enough to set an example out of them.

Danielle looked at him, "I see you've met my stepmother and stepsister? They have been after you for years..."

"They were at court all the time, prowling the grounds. Why didn't you ever come with them?" He asked.

"Because Francis, Servants are not allowed to attend court." She said in a flat matter of fact tone.

Henry was confused. "What do you mean? What did that rule have to do with you?"

"When The Baroness and my stepsisters first arrived, everything seemed to be perfect. We were a real family. Or so I thought. About two weeks later my papa had to leave for a business trip. I begged him not to leave, that it was so soon after he'd just returned. We reached a compromise where this time he'd only be gone for a week instead of a fortnight. That night he gave me "Utopia", it would be the last thing that he would ever give me." She said with tears in her eyes.

"Which explains why you quote it." He said with a smile. He took his fingers and lightly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well, not even a week after he died, the Baroness took over the estate, and forced me to move out of my room. She gave Marguerite my clothes, toys, room, status, everything. I had to live in the attic. After she squandered my father's savings, she started selling all the servants, and surrounding lands. With no servants to help around the house, she turned me into a servant."

Henry was shocked and appalled. "How could she do that to you? Your station is higher than hers. Did you do something?"

She shook her head, "What could I have done? I was only 8 years old when all of this happened. I had no real idea what the different status levels meant and I never been to court, so I had no way of bringing a grievance before the crown. My Papa taught me to respect people for who they are not what they are. To me Louise and Paulette were like the mother that I never had. I didn't care whether they were servants or not."

Henry held her for a few moments. "Where was the Duke and Duchess during all of this? Why didn't they do anything to stop it?"

"I...I don't know. I did not even know of their existence at the time. I vaguely remember meeting them when I was 3 or 4 years old, but that's all. After a year of living in a virtual hell with the Baroness, I eventually accepted my lot in life and tried to make the best of it. No matter what the Baroness or Marguerite did to me; I tried to never let them get to me. After all I still had Louise, Paulette, Maurice, and Gustave there, and it was my home, my father's home, I didn't want to see my beloved home deteriorate, so I took pride in working the lands. Gustave's parents offered to take us in, but I insisted on staying at the manor, I did not want to be driven out of my papa's house. All I wanted was for her to love me as a mother would, and she denied that to me." She started crying again.

"We all learned to live with the Baroness, but I still held out hope that we would become a real family. Well one day, a man showed up on our doorstep demanding to see the Baroness. He was Sir Charles, father's right hand man he was a kindly gentlemen; I loved him dearly. He died a few years ago."

Henry held her again for a few moments, and stroked her hair, while she gathered her thoughts. She continued, "Well at first the Baroness had told him that I had died, fell out of a tree playing with a young painter friend. I didn't know what to do or say, I was in the kitchen with Louise and Paulette when they heard this. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to cry out, but for some reason I kept quiet. The man started to leave the manor when he ran into Maurice. Apparently they had been friends for years, he told Maurice that he was there to retrieve me. I was to go live with my Aunt and Uncle in Avignon but the Baroness said I was dead. Well Maurice was understandably upset and made Sir Charles follow him into the kitchen. The Baroness tried to stop them, but Maurice ignored her demands."

She continued, "Needless to say he was shocked to see me. He and the Baroness exchanged words, and he told her that she and her daughters would be put out on the streets for telling that sick lie, and treating me so poorly. I couldn't bear to see Jacqueline out on the streets, and despite everything, I still hoped the Baroness would one day love me as a daughter. So I begged Sir Charles not to say anything to father and mother. He kept his word and never said anything."

"I can't believe she would do something like that. I was told that you still go to the manor. Are things better between you and the Baroness?" She shook her head no.

"Why would you continue to go? Surely she doesn't still treat you like a servant?" He asked. She shook her head yes. " I go because that manor is still my home, it was my papa and mother's pride and joy. I refuse to see it fall into shambles." She said in the confident voice that Henry knows and admires.

He smiled at her determination and spirit. She continued, "I also love Jacqueline and wanted to see her as much as possible. The Baroness would never let Jacqueline come and visit us, so I had to go see her. Like you have always tried to please your father, I have tried, in vein, to please my stepmother, and nothing I do seem to help. I think she resents me even more, now that I'm the daughter of a powerful Duke and my station is above hers. She knows that I'll never say anything to mother and father, so she continues to abuse me. She hates me Francis and I have never understood why."

He looked at her, a stray tear threatened to escape his eyes. How could anyone hate such a carrying and giving person like Danielle? They were more perfect for each other than even he imagined. He stroked her hair, and was scared to ask, "How did you get the scars on your back? Did she do this to you?"

She started to cry uncontrollably again, and Henry held her close, she placed her head on his chest, and quietly said, "My Papa loved her, surely there must be some good in her?"

Henry's royal training, gave him the ability to control the rage that was building inside of him, he couldn't let this upset him, but he swore to himself that the Baroness would pay dearly for the way she treated Danielle, even if it was against her wishes. The Baroness had to pay for these crimes. "Why did she lash you?"

"Well, she's lashed me on several occasions, the latest incident happened last year when I went home to help bring in the fall crops. One day I saw the Baroness and Marguerite in the attic rummaging through my things. She was holding my mother's wedding dress she was going to wear it to some masque. I think it was to honor your birthday or something. That dress was all that I had of my mother and I carried it with me everywhere I went. Well, something in me snapped, at that moment I could have killed her with my bare hands. I told her that I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see her wear my mothers dress so I punched, her several times. I've never been so angry in my entire life, I chased her through the hallways, she found my book Utopia and threatened to throw it into the fireplace if I didn't hand her the dress. They made me choose my papa or my mother. I didn't know my mother, so I chose my father. After I gave Marguerite the dress, she threw the book in the fireplace anyway. In the end they had taken both my papa and mother all over again. The Baroness then lashed me and locked me in the root cellar for several days."

"I wondered where Marguerite got the black eye and broken jaw. She said she rescued a baby from a runaway carriage. How could the Duke let something like this happen?" Henry asked with all the calm that he could muster. He didn't want to upset her further by getting upset and yelling at her.

All Danielle could do was whisper. "Mother and father don't know. I never told them and made Maurice and the others promise not to say anything."

"But how could you cover up the scars?"

"Well, after each visit to the manor, I stayed at Becky's, then we went to school, by the time mother saw the scars I was able to make up a plausible story. Over the years I've become an expert at hiding things." She said.

He looked at her and lifted her chin up, they were lying in their makeshift sleeping bag staring at each other, "Danielle, when we are married, I cannot and will not allow this to continue. I know that you still love your stepmother, but surely you realize that this is not a healthy situation? That she is using you? Even if you do not want to do anything for yourself, think of what Jacqueline must be going through, being stuck in that house with those two? I had a chance to do something to them years ago and did nothing. They must be made to answer for their crimes against you. Set an example of so that other nobles won't think that this kind of behavior is acceptable."

She couldn't argue with him, he was right, she just couldn't believe she let herself be used for so long, she simply nodded her head. "Please don't hurt them. I can accept anything but death."

He nodded his head in agreement. "So what happened to you while you were in school?" Asked Henry.

Danielle's mouth went dry at the memory. "What I'm about to tell you will shock and upset you but I want you to know first, that for years I have been emotionally dead inside, that is until I met you. The day I met you was the first time in years, that I haven't had a nightmare. I dreamed of you, instead of what happened. You have brought new hope and love into my life. Something that I thought I'd never be able to have, it's why you are so important to me and I don't ever want to loose you."

Henry smiled and gave her a passionate kiss. "You have also given me hope and love as well. You will never loose me, you my love, are going to be stuck with me for the rest of your blissfully happy life. Please tell me what happened."

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Danielle thought for a few moments, trying to calm herself before she began this part of her story. She swallowed hard, and then began. "Well after father and mother sent for me, at first I resisted going, I didn't know who these people were, and I was scared to move away from the manor, scared that I would loose the memory of my papa. It was Paulette who finally convinced me that my papa would be with me no matter where I went, and that I deserved to be happy. She told me what the Duke and Duchess were like, and I was intrigued."

She was filling a little cold, so she snuggled in closer to Henry. "When I met them, they were everything that everyone said they were and more. From the first day that I stepped out of the carriage they had treated me like a daughter. I was shocked at the resemblance of father to my papa, and his voice was exactly like his as well. It was as though I was looking at a ghost. I was so thrilled. For the first few years at the estate, I had to get used to being treated so well, and living the life of a "Lady". Mother helped me tremendously. She would never replace the void in my heart that I felt for the loss of my own mother. But because of her love, protection, and devotion to me she certainly healed that wound."

"I'm glad they came into your life when they did. I shudder to think what would have become of you, if they hadn't." Henry said, while holding her.

She nodded her head in agreement, before continuing, "Well after a few years of being tutored and sheltered on the estate, I wanted to venture out on my own. I didn't have any friends or people, who were my own age that I could talk to. Despite all the love that mother, father, and Charles showered on me, I still felt lonely. So I went to them and asked them if I could attend boarding school in Paris for a little while. At first they were totally against this idea, until I finally managed to convince mother, she understood how I felt and she eventually convinced father as well."

"Once I finally got to boarding school, I immediately realized the mistake that I made. None of the girls there liked me, and to be quite honest, I didn't much care for them either. It was like being stuck in an institution that was full of 'Marguerites'. All of them were spoiled, selfish, gossipy, courtiers who cared more about figuring out ways to entrap a wealthy and powerful noble than enriching their minds. They would spread wild gossip and stories about sleeping with you, and what you were like in bed. I never believed them, and really didn't care. I thought the lengths that they would go through to get your crown was disgusting. They all would tease me and call me names, whenever I tried to talk about philosophy or science, or any of that stuff. I did not want to get into the habit of running to mother and father whenever something displeased me, so I was determined to stick it out. I decided that if I wasn't going to make any friends, the least I could do was enrich my mind, so I threw myself into my studies, I was always in love with the written word. At school I also fell in love with learning about different languages and cultures as well. I just found it all fascinating. I was enthralled learning about history of England, Spain, Scotland, etc..."

Henry smiled at her, and she continued, "Well after my first year, Becky came to boarding school and she was to be my new roommate. At first I was really nervous, as I had lucked out and had my own private room for my entire first year. I'd heard many stories about her from some of the courtiers who knew her from court. They were really nasty, vindictive tales. " She smiled, "She was not the person that I was expecting at all, we immediately hit it off and became best friends, she was like a sister to me. We shared everything, clothes, books, friends you name it. We were and are inseparable."

She then made Henry laugh by telling him stories of their adventures together and some of the pranks they played on the other girls, to put them in their place. Henry knew Becky well enough to know that she was a master at seeking revenge on uppity courtiers and could only imagine what the combination of Danielle and Becky must have been like. He reminded himself never to get those two mad at him.

"Well anyway, once we reached puberty, all the parents of the other girls, and the school itself started trying to set us up in arranged marriages. The school prided itself on 'making perfect girls, for perfect contracts'. Becky and I promised each other that we would only marry for love, but we were young and wanted to sow our 'wild oats' so to speak. So we weren't above meeting and greeting young gentlemen."

"At one of the balls that we had, I met a particular young noble, who seemed really nice and kind. We seemed to have an awful lot in common, and he seemed to know everything about me. He said it was just a coincidence. I found it kind of scary how much he knew, and I always wondered how he knew. Well he started courting me, after all the mental abuse that the Baroness put me through, I believed that no one would ever love me and that I could do no better than a chimney sweep. So I was enthralled with the idea of this handsome, wealthy young noble would court me. I didn't love him, but I liked him well enough."

"I was young and inexperienced to the ways of the heart. I thought we were just out having fun and I thought of him as a friend. Well apparently he felt differently, after a few evenings, he proposed to me. I was shocked, by the proposal. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I turned him down. He seemed to take it well enough. Then..."

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Henry saw her demeanor change as she started to sob again, and she held onto him for dear life. Henry looked at her with concern on his, "Then..." he choked a little, "what happened?"

Her voice barely above that of a whisper, in between sobs, "he...he...brutally attacked me from behind and had his way with me."

Henry never felt as angry as he did at this moment he struggled to remain calm.

She continued quietly, "He...left...me there to die. If Becky didn't find me when she did I surely would have. Even if I didn't die, I wished I were dead."

"What did the school do? What did the Duke do? What happened to the man who did this to you?" He said, holding her tighter than ever, barely controlling the anger inside of him.

All she could do was say, "Nothing. No one knows what happened that night. I was too mentally and physically broken to do anything. That very night, Becky wrapped me up in a blanket and I don't remember much of anything else. All I remember is one day waking up at Becky's family estate. Apparently, I couldn't even speak or move for several months. I temporarily lost my memory for a few weeks. Becky had called Leonardo, who came and served as my physical therapist. Eventually I regained my memory. For the first time in my life I wanted revenge, I wanted to have the man who did that to me killed and would have done so personally. Unfortunately or fortunately, to this very day I still don't know which, they could never find him. Becky told me she made immediate inquiries after the incident. He vanished into thin air it's as though he never even existed, that this horrible incident never happened."

"I thought things could get no worse then they already were, until Leonardo told me that I was pregnant. I was appalled there was no way that I wanted to have this baby, his baby. I prayed to god every night to take my baby. Well one day, I started to bleed internally and...I...had a miscarriage, and lost the baby." She started crying profusely now,

"Francis...I...killed my baby. What kind of horrible woman am I?"

For the first time tears started flowing freely from Henry's eyes as he held onto her for dear life. He came so close to loosing her. "Shhhh...Don't be ridiculous; you did not kill your baby. God has a plan for all of us, and maybe he has a plan for your child in heaven."

She looked at him and quietly sobbed again, "I wanted to save myself for the man that I love, for our wedding night and I cannot do that. I don't even know if I can have any more children, Leonardo ensures me that I will, but...I...don't know. I am half a woman. I would understand if you want to call off the wedding. I...have...nothing to offer you."

Henry looked at her and in a commanding, but loving voice, "Danielle, you will marry me. You will be happy. We will have plenty of children. You are more woman than I can handle. I love you with everything that I am. I love you so much that it sometimes hurt inside and this changes none of that. For you to go through what you went through and to still be the passionate, caring, non-vindictive woman that you are is as astonishing to me. If anything it makes me love and respect you more - if that's even possible."

She then kissed Henry with everything that she had and sobbed in his arms, while Henry held her tightly. They stayed like that for the rest of the night told each other, other stories from their pasts. This time happy ones.

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Chapter 35

As Danielle laid there in his arms, Henry marveled at how lucky he was to have this beautiful angel's head resting against his chest. They just fit so well together, he thought, she was the perfect size for him to wrap his arms around. When he held her like this, he felt truly alive, like he was a man capable of protecting those he loved, like he was a King capable of protecting the country he was proud of. He stared into her eyes and smiled at her, and she back at him.

She's been unusually quiet in the last hour; he wondered what she was thinking. The two had spent the entire night talking and sharing various secrets, and happy memories from their pasts. After the major revelations they each shared with each other, they both came away loving each other more than they thought possible. In Danielle, he felt that he found his confidant, his best friend, his mother, his lover, his wife.

He looked down at her and she smiled at him. She reached up and pulled his head down and kissed him. "What was that for?" He asked.

"Nothing, just for being you." She said with a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Well, in that case. Here..." He leaned in gave her another passionate kiss.

"So tell me. What were you thinking about for the last hour?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing, just how lucky we are to have each other, how wonderfully kind fate has been to us."

Henry nodded his head in agreement. Then she continued, with a devilish grin on her face, "and I was wondering if you have ever been to Holland?"

Henry looked at her perplexed, "Holland?"

"Yes, Holland? Have you ever had a 'Dutch Oven'?" He shook his head no. Then she had that evil grin on her face again Henry wondered what the devil she was talking about, then he heard a sound come from her body, she quickly stuck his head under their blanket and wouldn't let him out to breathe. He thought he would gag from the smell. "My word, milady! That is the most disgusting thing that you have ever done."

"That my dear Francis is a 'Dutch Oven'." Said Danielle while she laughed hysterically at the expression on Henry's face, it was a mixture of shock, disgust, and then Henry started laughing hysterically as well. All he could say is, "You are truly weird." As he leaned in and kissed her while she was still laughing.

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Chapter 36

"Well it's time to go. It's almost too late for us to have breakfast with everyone. So we agree then?" Said Henry.

Danielle really didn't want to leave this private little paradise that they've found for themselves. She was happy and perfectly content to stay in that cave, lying in Henry's arms. She kissed him and then nodded her head in agreement. "Yes. We will tell my parents after the performance tonight, and we leave for Sarlat at the first light, two days hence." She said with a tinge of apprehension in her voice.

"What's wrong my love? You will dazzle them in Sarlat. You are right you know. It is high time that I face my father, and start accepting more responsibility. With you by my side, I'm now looking forward to it. Whenever you feel nervous about being a Princess, just remember all the good that you'll be able to do for the country, for the world."

"I know, and we've discussed this ad nausea, but I don't know..." Her voice trailed off, she turned her head for a moment. She turned to face him again "you are my world now, and I will follow you anywhere."

They shared a few more passionate kisses before they finally got up and rolled up their blankets and collapsed their little tent. Their little private cave was a good 5 or 10-minute walk to the center of the Gypsy camp. When they arrived, everyone was already eating breakfast and having a grand old time at the table.

Charles looked up and saw Henry and Danielle heading towards the table. "It's about time you two showed up, we were about to send out a search party." Becky looked at everyone else at the table and then said into the air. "Oh, I wonder what they have been up to." Which caused everyone at the table to snicker.

Esmeralda looked at Henry and Danielle, "See what happens when you are late for breakfast around here? You become the butt of everyone's jokes." Henry and Danielle just laughed. The rest of the morning everyone took turns taking potshots at the happy couple.

After the meal everyone got up and walked towards their horses. Henry thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to talk to Becky. So he grabbed her and looped his arm around hers as they walked towards their horses.

He stopped for a moment and looked at her seriously, with a stray tear threatening to escape his eyes, he gave her a tremendous, heartfelt hug and simply said, "Thank you."

Becky was a little taken aback by this, wondering what brought this display on. She looked at him carefully and then saw something in his eyes. She said, "So I take it she told you what happened?"

He nodded his head. "How can I ever repay you? You have always been there for me, and now to know that you were there for me, even when I didn't know it. I...don't know what to say. If it wasn't for you, she would not be here today." He said as he hugged her again.

"Danielle is my best friend in the entire world, and I would die for her. You don't owe me anything. We've made peace with the past already. I'm just happy to see that my two best friends in the world are finally achieving the happiness that they so richly deserve." She said as she hugged him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for accepting my apology the other night. I will always regret what happened that night." Said Henry as he gave her another hug. "So what are you and Gustave's plans for the future?"

Becky shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. We plan on getting married in the next several weeks. We wanted to wait until after you two marry. My father offered us a little plot of land that has a nice manor house. It is on the outskirts of Paris and is fully staffed. It would give Gustave a great place to continue to study his craft. There's even a little school nearby where Gustave can teach. Leonardo even said he'd be happy to arrange a meeting between Gustave and Michelangelo. Apparently he'll be finished with his mural project within the year and with Leonardo's help he'll be able to train with Michelangelo."

Henry looked at her, "Becky do not put off marrying Gustave waiting for us! He is a fine man, and you two deserve to be happy. We can arrange for you two to be married by the end of the week if that is your wish. As a matter of fact, I insist it!"

"I don't know - would that be proper?" Asked Becky.

"How would I know what is proper or not? I'm Royalty remember? I define propriety. I make this stuff up as I go along." Said Henry, he then looked at her, smiled, and in his regal voice "My subject, don't make me turn this into a Royal Command".

She had a twinkle in her eyes and gave him a curtsy, "Your Highness, I shall do as you command." Henry rolled his eyes when she curtsied. He smiled, as he pulled her up off the ground. Then they gave each other another big hug.

"There is one thing that I wanted to ask you. You do not have to feel obligated to say yes." Said Henry a little nervously.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Well, as you know Danielle is nervous about becoming a Princess and has no experience in court. She's going to need someone there that she can trust, someone that can help her transition into the role of being a "Royal". Not to mention, she just needs to have a small piece of her current life there with her in that stifling atmosphere at Hautefort. If it's not asking to much, would you consider spending the next year as Danielle's "unofficial" lady in waiting and confidante?"

Becky thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "I would love to. I'm sure Gustave would love to be able to spend more time with Danielle and Leonardo. The only thing is, Danielle must not know that you requested this. You know how she would balk at the idea of having a 'lady in waiting'."

He smiled, "Don't I know it. There would be hell to pay if she found out. So this conversation stays between us." Becky nodded her head in agreement.

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Danielle was engrossed in her conversation with Charles and Laurent. She smiled when she looked back and saw that Becky and Henry were having such a good time. She then saw that Gustave, Rowan and Esmeralda were also having a good conversation.

"So, my beloved sister, what's next?" Asked Charles.

"Um, well, we do the performance tonight, and then at the celebration afterwards we will officially announce our engagement to the rest of the family. How do you think father will take the news?" Asked Danielle.

"I don't know, he likes Francis a lot, and I overheard him tell mother that he was going to sanction the union. But that was on the assumption that Francis was a poor humble farm hand. He's not going to be happy finding out that you two played him for a fool. And you know the bad blood that he and the King share." Said Charles.

"Well, all I can hope is that he is understanding. This transition is going to be hard enough without fighting with father as well." Said Danielle.

"I understand this change will be difficult for you, if you want, Melanie and I can arrange to spend some time in Sarlat." She looked at him and gave him a tremendous hug and smiled at him.

"Well then, I guess that answers my question." He said with a smile. He lifted her chin up and smiled at her, "I'm so proud of you. Imagine that, my sister, the future Queen of France. You will due so much good for this country. In spite of your husband." He started to playfully bow before her to mock her. She punched him in the chest, "Now stop that. Remember Queen or not I'll still be able to whip you."

"If that is what you want to believe, Your Highness, then who am I to argue?" He said laughing at her.

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Destiny's Love - Part 37

The ride back to the Chateau took up most of the morning and early afternoon. During their ride back everyone really bonded, even more so than they already were. Danielle spent all of her time getting to know Captain Laurent. Considering his close friendship with Henry and his relationship with her sister she wanted to have a close relationship him as well. Not to mention she found him to be quite fascinating. Henry smiled when Charles told him of his plans to hang around Sarlat for a while and to be a frequent visitor at the Castle.

With Becky, Gustave, and now Charles, coming home with them, Henry hoped that Danielle's transition to life at court would go a lot smoother for her. Henry also had to admit to himself, that he liked the idea of having these people around. Over the last several days they have also become his close friends. He would have missed their candor. *If only I could figure out a way to get Jacques to come to Hautefort, then it'd be party time* he thought to himself, with a smile on his face. He looked forward to returning home now. His life will be so different. He will have friends who will like him for who he is, and won't hesitate to put him in his place: and he'll have a wife who will always love him and be there for him.

Charles was curious about what it was like in court so he asked Henry a ton of questions. Henry described the sniping courtiers, the scheming nobles, the pompousness of it all, etc. Charles rolled his eyes at Henry's descriptions, which caused Henry to laugh.

When they finally reached home, Constance noticed them arriving and waved to them. "Children, you have finally returned! And I'm surprised, it's 'only' 1 pm." She joked as she gave everyone a big hug when they dismounted their horses. She smiled at Danielle, and grabbed her arm, "come, I have a surprise for you." She said.

"What? A surprise? For me?" Asked Danielle like a little girl.

"Yes, now come along." Constance was so excited she literally started dragging Danielle along. Everyone followed Danielle and Constance into the family sitting room. When they entered, they saw the Duke having an animated discussion with some stranger. The man looked to be in his mid 30's, well built, very handsome, and obviously well off, by his dress and mannerism. Danielle looked over to the couch and saw Paulette, Louise, and Leonardo having an animated discussion with a beautiful refined woman who looked to be in her late thirties, early forties. Actually the woman was only a few years younger than Constance, thought Danielle. Paulette was simply glowing Danielle doesn't remember Paulette ever being this happy. She wondered whom these people where.

Constance smiled as she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Everyone turned to look at Danielle and the rest of the arriving family members who had just walked through the door.

The man and woman both walked up to Danielle, they each gave her a huge hug, full of love and affection. Danielle was stunned, and thoroughly confused, she had no idea who these people were. She looked at her traveling companions and they all shrugged their shoulders, they certainly didn't know who these people were. Then she looked back to the man who had just hugged her.

He simply said, "We're sorry if we frightened you. It's just that mother has told us so much about you. We feel like we know and love you already. You are like the sister that we've never had." Said the man as he gave Danielle another hug.

Finally Danielle said, "Mother? Sister? Who are you people?"

The woman then spoke up, "I apologize for my brother's rudeness. My name is Comtesse Channel de Chey, and this rude clod is my brother, Compte Robert de Brey." She then looked at Paulette, "Mother, you never told her about us?"

Danielle was shocked, to say the least. She looked at Paulette, "Mother?"

Paulette was bursting with pride, walked over to Danielle and hugged her. "Yes child, these are my children. They came here today for an unexpected surprise visit."

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Chapter 38

Danielle's mouth dropped. She was stunned. Henry walked up to her and slipped his arm around her waste to steady her. She looked at Paulette. "Wha...Children? How can you have children? Well...I know how. Why didn't you ever tell me?" Asked Danielle.

"I'm sorry mistress. I planned on telling you at some point it's just that the right time never came up. Will you forgive me?" Asked Paulette. Danielle then walked up to Paulette and gave her a hug. "After all that you have done for me? I could never be angry with you."

"But how come they have titles? If they have titles and are nobles, why are you a servant?" Asked Danielle. She was full of questions, as close as she was to Louise, Maurice, and Paulette, she really didn't know much about their lives before she was born. All she knew was that they were extremely close to her family."

Paulette shrugged her shoulders and looked at the Duke, "Tell her the truth Paulette. She deserves to know." Paulette then looked at Maurice and Louise for permission and they nodded their head in approval.

"It's a long story. Come child, come and sit next to me." Danielle walked over and sat next to Paulette. With Robert and Channel sitting on the other side of her. She then told Danielle the entire story of her past.

She then explained that Maurice and Louise were wealthy landowners who were close friends with the Duke's father. Paulette was also a young noble who was part of that clique. Through the years, Maurice and Louise had 4 children all of whom died, either of illness or fighting during a war.

The couple was devastated with the lost of their kids and decided to stay with the Duke's father. Maurice and Louise then took on the duties of raising the Duke, Auguste and their sister Danielle. It gave their life new meaning. When Danielle asked what happened to her Aunt, why she never met her. The Duke explained that she died of a rare illness a few years before Auguste met Nicole. He told Danielle that she was named after his beloved sister.

Paulette told Danielle that she "lost" her wealth and status when she fell in love with a man that her parents disapproved of. She wanted to marry for love, not status, and her parents disowned her. She and her husband had a long and glorious marriage. Her husband of twenty years died after suffering a long illness. Maurice gave his estate and title to Paulette's children. Because her children were old enough to be on their own, Paulette wanted to feel useful, so she went to stay with the de Barbarac family and help raise the kids. When Auguste moved to Sarlat the inseparable threesome went with him.

The stuff about the Baroness was left unsaid, and Danielle understood that she was still keeping the secret for her. When Paulette finished, Danielle sat there in silence for a few minutes thinking about the indignities that they had to suffer, and the fact that they did it out of undying love and devotion to her. She always knew that they stayed for her, but had no idea how much they gave up to do so. Tears started flowing from Danielle's eyes and she, Paulette, Louise, and Maurice all shared a long group hug and cried. Everyone in the room wondered what this display was all about. They thought Danielle would be happy.

Henry knowing the entire truth: let a stray tear escape his eyes, as he too realized all that the threesome sacrificed to stay with Danielle, he had even more respect for them than he already had. These people truly are the salt of the earth. He made a promise to himself to figure out some way to give them appropriate recognition when he got back home. She got control of her emotions and wiped the tears from her eyes. She then looked at Robert and Channel, and held her arms out to them. "Welcome to the family! It's wonderful to have an older sister and another brother."

The next hour flew by for Danielle as she spent time happily getting to know the latest additions of the family. She had lost all track of time. Danielle was busy laughing hysterically when Henry walked up behind her and kissed her on the cheek. "I hate to be rude and interrupt, but Danielle really must be going. We are already going to be very late, and you know how upset Jacques will be." Said Henry.

"Late? Late for what?" Asked Channel.

"Oh, no one told you?" Asked Charles.

"Told us what?" Asked Robert.

"Danielle has created a company of fools in honor of her father. Tonight is their first performance of a play that she wrote. Then afterwards we are going to have a open house celebration here for the entire town." Said Charles.

Channel put her hand up to her mouth. And then asked, "How is that possible? You are a Lady. Do you know what the penalty is?"

"Ah...um...Danielle, is can be very resourceful when she puts her mind to it. Let's just say she has found, um...ah...an incredibly insane way around the King's law." Said Henry with laughter. "We are going to have one more dress rehearsal this afternoon, before tonight's show."

Channel and Robert's curiosity were peaked. "That sounds like fun, can we tag along?" He asked.

Charles looked at Henry who looked at Danielle. "Of course you can. It'll be a lot of fun. Besides, we can always use a few extras in the show." Said Danielle with another one of her wicked little smiles. Henry recognized that look. He smiled to himself. She was plotting again.

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After everyone said their goodbyes, the little truckload of people went to Gustave's little studio. All the neighbors wondered who all of these people were with him. They caused quite a little stir there must have been 9 or 10 people walking with him into his little building. This time even Leonardo came, he wanted see some more of Gustave's work, and he wanted to see the mural that Gustave did for the theater.

Once the entered Gustave's little studio, Laurent asked, "So when are we going to meet up with Sir Auguste?" He still refused to believe that Danielle and Sir Auguste were one in the same. Which caused everyone but Channel and Robert, to laugh hysterically at the fact that Laurent was so clueless. He was getting irritated now, especially at Henry and Danielle. He just threw his hands up in exasperation. *Protecting royalty is no way to earn a living.* His expression only caused Henry and Danielle to laugh harder.

Danielle looked at Channel and then Becky, "Come Becky, you must get us ready for rehearsals." Channel looked at Danielle. Becky looked at Danielle, "You can't be serious?" She asked rhetorically.

"Are you crazy? I'm not willing to spend two fortnights in the stocks and put my family through the public humiliation. How can I be in a play? I'm a Lady and so are you." Asked Channel.

"Sure you can. My dear sister, where is your sense of adventure?" Asked Danielle with a mischievous grin on her face.

Channel smiled at her, "since you put it that way. Why not?" She thought that if it was ok with the Duke that Danielle did this. Who was she to disagree with someone so far above her station and she had to admit she was curious. The three women went into Gustave's small little dressing chambers to get ready.

Robert looked at Henry and Charles, "What is Danielle talking about? My sisters can't be in a play." Henry just shook his head, "Just wait, you'll see." While all of this was going on, Gustave and Leonardo where lost in their own little world, giving each other ego boosts for their work. Leonardo was really impressed with Gustave's landscapes he thought the boy needed to get more experience working with live subjects.

After about an hour, out walked Sir Auguste. Danielle then said, "Gentlemen, may I introduce you to...Sir Chandler de Chey" At that point Channel walked into the room and everyone's mouth dropped. She had on a black wig that was styled to look like Henry's long curly hair, and she had a fake beard on her face. Danielle had taught her how to walk in pants and to speak, but Channel was having a hard time with it. Which caused everyone in the room to laugh.

Henry and Sir Auguste then looked at Laurent and they both said in unison, as if reading each other's mind, "do you believe it now!" Henry looked at Danielle and punched her in the arm twice, "two love taps, I called it first!" He said happily. And then gave her two kisses on the mouth. He said. It was a silly game they started to play with each whenever they said the same thing (which lately had become quite often), they would playfully punch the other in the arm and then kiss each other.

Laurent was disgusted; he was so embarrassed. How could he not have picked up on all the clues, it was so obvious to him now. He looked at Henry and Danielle who were still laughing at him. "You two will pay for this." Said Laurent.

"Oh, really?" Asked Henry still laughing.

"Yes, really. I will get you back if it's the last thing I do." Said Laurent.

"Remember who you speak to Laurent. I'm the Crowned Prince of practical jokes, and you are now looking at the future Princess of jokes. You'll nevaah be able to best the both of us." Said Henry as he held his arm tightly around Sir Auguste's waste and gave her another passionate kiss. Which still weirded Laurent out.

"We'll see. Remember, I will have someone on my side who knows all the games and tricks of your fiancé and future Princess." He said. He was already plotting. He thought of the perfect way to welcome them to their chambers at the castle: something having to do with manure and bathtubs. Then a devilish smile appeared on his face. As he started to laugh, which caused Henry to look at Danielle with worry on his face. Henry knew that next to him, Marc was the best practical joker in the palace.

Robert looked at Gustave, "those two are weird." He said. Gustave smiled back, "You don't know the half of it. You've only known them for a couple of hours. I've known Danielle all our life and I think she's gotten worse sense meeting Hen...I mean Francis." He corrected himself quickly. Robert and Channel were stunned. They thought that man looked familiar. They then stared really hard at Henry and both their eyes went wide in recognition, as they hastily started to bow. Charles pulled them up.

Henry rolled his eyes and looked at Gustave, with a smile on his face "Remind me not to give you top secret documents."

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Charles looked at the sundial and was getting impatient. *Women! What takes them so long to get ready." He thought to himself. He walked up to her dressing chamber and pounded on the door, "Honey, what is taking so long! We're going to be late." She went to the door and opened a small crack so only her face will show. "You men, always so impatient. Sit down and relax, go and keep Maurice company. We will be ready in a few more minutes." She gave him a small peck on the mouth and shut the door.

Charles looked at Maurice, who was dressed up for the first time in twenty years. He was looking quite handsome and dapper. He looked every bit like a nobleman. He felt weird being dressed so formerly and out of his station. The Duke and Constance were just as shocked as everyone else to discover the truth about their "servants". The only people who knew the truth were the Duke's parents, who were living out their golden years on a small ocean front estate.

He and Charles spent the next half hour discussing old times, and their plans for the future. Maurice and Louise planned on staying at the de Barbarac residence and doing what they had always been doing. They didn't want to be treated any differently than they were before. Now that Danielle was grown and about to be married and there were no more children to rear. Paulette was considering going back with her children and spending more time with them and her grandkids.

When Constance finally came out of the dressing chamber, Charles' mouth dropped, Constance looked so beautiful. Every time he saw her it was like seeing her for the first time. He walked up to her and kissed her. She then turned to the dressing chamber, "come on you two. Don't be shy." Out of the chamber came Louise and Paulette, they both were wearing new dresses, and had their hair done up. They looked absolutely stunning. Both Charles and Maurice stood there starring at the two women.

"You men act as if you've never seen a beautiful, refined, lady before." She smiled as she grabbed Charles' arm, Louise and Paulette each grabbed one of Maurice's arms. When they rounded the corridor that led to the front door. They heard a loud booming voice echoing throughout the Chateau's grand entrance hall.

"Do not defy me boy. I demand to see Duke de Barbarac. Bring him to me at once!!!!" Said the loud obnoxious voice. The Duke was shocked; even after all these years he would still know that voice anywhere. The Duke's face grew redder than an apple. He was ticked off, he doesn't care who this person thinks he is, *How dare he barge into my home, uninvited, and then raise a ruckus*

Constance felt her cheeks flush and her pulse start to race, for there was about to be an explosion.

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Chapter 39

"Calm down my love. Everything will be alright...." Said Henry.

"What if something goes wrong? What if I forget my lines? What if no one shows up? What if...I don't know if I can go through with this." Danielle was pacing nervously back and forth. The show was going to be starting soon and the enormity of her endeavors had finally caught up with her.

She made for a strange sight he thought. She was disguised as Sir Auguste, but wearing her blue cotton servant's dress over her pants and shirt. Henry on the other hand, looked, well...like Prince Henry. He was looking quite dashing and regal in his "Royal" outfit. He was wearing a pair of tan pants, with suede royal red shirt and had a crown on his head.

He walked up to her and held her hands. They felt clammy and he saw the sweat forming on her face, threatening to soak the fake mustache that she was wearing. He looked her in the eyes, "Don't be silly, nothing will go wrong tonight. You have worked on this project for the last year and you are the one who wrote the play. You know this story inside and out."

Truth be told, Danielle really wasn't nervous about the play, however her ongoing fears about Sarlat surfaced again. Seeing her Francis dressed liked the Prince, once again brought focus back to the fact that yes, he was the real thing, a...a real Prince and that within a few weeks she will become a real Princess with all the specific obligations and duties that come with that role. She looked at him and was at a lost for words. "But...but what if they don't like it?" She said nervously.

"My darling, they will love it." He said as he gave her a kiss to calm her down. She smiled at him and whispered, "What would I do without you?"

He looked at her and waved his arms around the theater and laughed, "Oh, I don't know...you probably would have done something insane like; create, produce, star in, and direct a play." She smiled at him and kissed him. She was completely calm now.

"Danielle, the people will begin arriving in another 1/2 hour." Said an excited Jacques. He was dressed as King Francis, complete with a fake gut, white beard, hair, and of course a crown. Originally he was going to play the Prince, but since they had the real Prince there, Jacques was going to be the utility player for this performance. Playing both the Princes' best friend and King Francis.

He loved the once in a lifetime feeling that he gets on opening night of a new production. It is always so new and different. A thousand things can go right and a thousand things can go wrong. All the work that they've put into this project all leads up to opening night, the night when people come into see a performance site unseen, with no prior knowledge. The opinion they walk away with is pure and unsullied by the words of others. It's this sense of the unknown and unpredictable that he loves most about being a performer.

"Are you ready for your first performance in a company of fools...Sire?" He playfully bowed before him Henry punched him in the arm. "You know I always wondered why they called it "A Company of Fools" and after being around you guys, I know why." He said with laughter. Jacques looked at him with mock anger, "Sir, I dare you! Engarde!" With that Jacques whipped out his fake sword and Henry did the same and the two started playfully fighting with each other, which caused Danielle to laugh hysterically.

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Chapter 40

Marie just stood there she was enthralled by the beauty of the Chateau De Barbarac. She had never been there before and was amazed at the splendor of it and all the personal touches that Constance put into the place. It was a real home, she was so proud of her childhood friend and the life that she has been able to build for herself. She looked at the paintings of Charles, II and of Danielle that was hanging over the fireplace. *Wow, she is simply breathtaking. No wonder Henry is taken with her.* There was something about Danielle's eyes that seemed to speak to Marie. She could tell that this was a girl of high character.

"Where is the Duke boy? Do not keep me waiting." Demanded Francis.

The poor boy was absolutely petrified. He wasn't used to people visiting the Chateau. Now, not only did they have guest: but it was it was two of the most powerful people in the entire world. "Y...your...highness. You haven't...given me a chance to go find them. I will send for them at once." Said the boy as he started to bow. He was so nervous that he fell.

Which caused Marie to laugh on the inside. She was trying hard to conceal her smile as she walked over to the boy to try and help him up. She looked at her husband and he just rolled his eyes. Traveling always puts him in a sour mood, but the reason for this trip only made him angrier. With a regal wave of his hand he dismissed the boy.

He turned his head to speak to Marie, when a loud angry voice interrupted what he was about to say. "I dare you! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to come barging into MY home issuing demands and orders?!?"

The King recognized that voice instantly. Only one person in the world would dare address him in such a manner. He turned around, "Who am I? I am the King of France! And you sir, are on dangerous ground." Marie touched Francis on the arm to calm him down, while Constance did the same. Marie and Constance throwing protocol and decorum to the side and ran to greet each other. They gave each other huge hugs. The two men meanwhile stood there glaring at each other with scowls etched onto their faces.

"Constance, it's been too long since we've last seen each other. Here let me take a look at you." She smiled as she looked at her dearest friend in the world and gave her another hug. "It looks like this country life certainly agrees with you. You look wonderful!" Said Marie.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Said Constance. Marie then walked up to the Duke and gave him a hug, while Constance did the same with Francis. "So what brings you two here?" Asked Constance with a smile on her face. She knew the answer, but was trying to keep the two men calm.

Francis looked at her with a smile on his face and then glared again at the Duke. "I'm here to retrieve my son! Where is that boy?"

Constance was about to say something, when the Duke spoke up. "What are you talking about? How would we know where your irresponsible son is? Isn't he back at the Palace causing a big stir as usual?"

"No Charles, did you not know? Henry left home last week. Leonardo sent word to us that he is here staying with you." Said Marie.

He looked at Marie as though he was crazy. "Somebody better start telling me what is going on around here. We have not had any royal houseguests staying here. I'm sure I would have noticed something like that! The only houseguest we have is my future son... " Then his voice trailed off when it finally started to dawn on him.

Francis was also shocked, "Future son?"

Marie and Constance looked at each other and smiled. Constance then looped her arm around Francis, while Marie did the same with Charles. The two women did this to keep the men calm.

First Constance looked at Francis, "Look at you two. Fighting like old maids. You have thrown away a lifetime of friendship because you are to stubborn to admit that you were wrong. You have not spoken to a man who has been like a brother to you in over 18 years. How long do you plan on keeping this up?" She then shot Charles a look as well, "And the same goes for you dear. You and Francis are going to have to bury the hatchet at some point."

"Why? I don't have to do anything. I am..." Asked Francis.

Charles finished the sentence, "The King of France. Blah, blah, blah... How many times are you going to say that in one evening? You still try and use your crown to bull dose your way over people. Nothing has changed. You are in MY home now and you will treat us with respect while you are here."

Francis' face turned redder than an apple, "You still haven't answered my question, where is my son?"

"And I told you, I have no idea what you are talking about." Marie who still had her arm around Charles looked at him and calmly said, "Charles, I believe there may have been a misunderstanding. In Leonardo's last letter, he said that our son is going by his middle name. You may know him as Francis."

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Chapter 41

"My love, I'm surprised to see you here tonight. I thought that you were off to marry a Belgian." He said with shock in his voice, but hope in his eyes.

She stared at him. He looked so amazing that night, so full of hope, love, and childhood like excitement. "I'm sorry Sire, but you have been misinformed." As he studied her, he thought that she looked like his perfect angel. He marveled that even now in this place, at this moment, in front of all these people she looked at him as though he was the only one in the room. He couldn't believe his luck, *she really loves me for me* he thought to himself. She looks so stunning in her gown somehow she managed to transform herself into the angel he knew she was. She had a stunning pair of wings sewn into the back of her costume. To complete the image she had little sparkles painted on her face, which gave off a halo effect from the candlelight that reflected off of them. He sighed and breathed deeply as he looked at her and gave her a long kiss, which shocked and stunned everyone at the masque.

The King and Queen were looking on. The were stunned at the display of passion and tenderness between their son and this mystery woman who had the entire court enthralled with her beauty and her obvious love for the Prince. "Who is that?" Asked King Francis. Marie looked at her husband, "that must be the Comtesse Nicole De Lancret." Said the Queen with a sigh. "The who?" The King asked, his wife looked at him and just shushed him.

All the courtiers in the room knew that they didn't stand a chance at being named - all but two people, who were already plotting the demise of the competition.

"Come there is someone that you must meet." He grabbed her hand, she didn't want to budge, "Henry, I must speak to you" She said hurriedly as she dragged her towards the podium. "Whatever it is my answer is yes." He said excitedly. He pointed to a group of people, "Oh, look, look, there's the gypsies." They waved and smiled at the couple and Danielle smiled back. *How am I going to tell him? It will crush him.* She thought to herself.

"Henry, stop this instant. We have to talk now!" Henry had never heard her take that tone with him and was a little taken aback. No one dared speak to him like that, and especially in public. He thought this must be serious for her to act so. "Yes milady, I'm sorry, I'm just happy that you are here and that soon we will be starting our life together. But of course if you want to talk before we make our announcement official. What is it you want to tell me my love?"

"My darling, first I must say that I love you with all of my heart and soul." She looked at him with such tenderness and sincerity in her eyes that he melted inside. She leaned in and kissed him as though it would be her last chance to hold him, to touch him. He felt her fear in her kiss and grew concerned. "My love, what is the matter? You can tell me anything."

She held on to his hand and looked him in the eyes, a lump caught in her throat she swallowed hard as a stray tear threatened to escape her. Henry looked at her perplexed and confused, he didn't know what to say to her, so he decided his best course of action was to just keep his mouth shut and listen to what she has to say.

"I don't know how to say this. I love you as if my very life depended on it. I never meant to deceive you, I only wanted to...save a man's life." Henry's mind started racing, trying to decipher what she was trying to say. For the first time he started to see her for who she really was, at the river she was wearing a blue cotton dress - A Servant's Uniform. His hand instinctively went up to his forehead and then he looked at her again. Then his eyes opened wide with shock and anger, "It was YOU!" He screamed at her. Which frightened her.

The audience gasped. Everyone was talking and whispering to each other. "Please, Sire, I can explain."

Then an evil woman showed up and tour off her wings, "Sire this woman is a conniving, scheming woman. She has been a Servant in my home for the past 12 years." Again the crowd gasped in unison. Everyone was riveted to this.

"You have been spending your days with a Servant!" The Prince's Father.

Henry looked at a pleading Danielle and then looked at the Baroness and instantly knew who the liar was. He held onto her hands, and looked her in the eyes, "I don't care what your station is or was. Only what it will be and that is my Princess." He got down on one knee and before everyone said, "I have loved you from the moment that I saw you in court. I have seen you dressed as a courtier, dirty and drenched by the water, and dressed as a Gypsy. You are beautiful and are my perfect match in every way. Regardless of what your true station is. I will give up all that I own if you be my wife?"

Everyone watching was sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for the answer. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES!" She said as she happily kissed him all over his face. Before settling on his lips for several long and passionate kisses that made the audience gasp.

"STOP THIS PRODUCTION AT ONCE!!!!!" Came a loud booming voice from the back of the theater. The King and Queen had just arrived they had spent most of their evening arguing with Charles over Henry and to find out that he was actually engaged to their daughter, really sent the King over the edge. Charles had promised Danielle that he'd be there for Opening Night and he never broke a promise to her before and didn't want to start now. So after several more minutes of arguing the two couples decided to come and watch the play. The de Barbaracs decided it was best not to mention that Danielle wrote, produced, directed and starred in it.

The King had no idea that his son, The Crowned Prince of France would demean himself by actually being in this production. But not only that, he thought he would have a stroke at what he walked in on. But there he was kissing a...a...a...MAN. This was no play acting kiss either, he could have sworn that he saw some "royal tongue."

He thought he would die from absolute embarrassment.

"A MAN, Henry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Chapter 42

Henry, Danielle, and the rest of the troop rode back to the Chateau in silence. They had stopped by Gustave's loft to change and get cleaned up before heading back. It was quite an evening and performance. The audience was really into the show and the cast members were having a grand time. They had a surefire hit on their hands. That is, until the King and Queen walked in. Everyone was shocked at seeing the King and Queen enter the building, but none more than Henry.

It took the combined force of the Duke, Marie, and Constance to get the King to calm down and not to arrest everyone in site. Henry, meanwhile, was going to have it out with his father once and for all, that is, until Danielle grabbed his arm, and with the help of Jacques and Laurent dragged him out of the theater. Danielle had convinced him that having a public confrontation with his father was not the best course of action and she didn't want the King's first introduction to her to be when she was dressed as August.

She looked at Henry and saw the stony, determined expression on his face. After just that short encounter with King Francis, she understood Henry even better than before. *It must be hell living in the shadow of such a domineering father* she thought to herself. She inched her horse as close to Henry's as she could and held her hand out to him. He gladly took it and held onto it as though it was his salvation. She smiled at him, which brought a small spark back into his stormy eyes.

As they entered the Chateau grounds, Henry thought that he noticed something odd, but shrugged his shoulders thinking that his father's presence had just put him on edge. When they reached the door to the Chateau. Henry was getting ready to storm into the Chateau. When Danielle stopped him. She motioned for everyone else to go inside.

"What are you doing?" Asked Henry.

"My love, in your present state of mind, I think it may be best for you to wait out here for a few minutes and cool down before confronting your father. One of you will have to be a grownup, somehow I doubt it'll be him."

He looked at her thought about it for a moment and for the first time since his father's appearance smiled, "Maybe you are right. What would I do without you?" He leaned in and kissed her passionately. "Tell everyone I'll be in, in a few moments."

When he watched Danielle enter the Chateau, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had a strange feeling every since they entered the grounds that something was not quite right. Then he thought for a moment. *Where are father's guards?*

Danielle was still glowing from the kiss that Henry had just given her, when she entered the Chateau she immediately noticed that things were amiss. It looked as though it was hastily cleaned, for things were out of their normal place, and the Sam wasn't there to greet her as he normally greats guests when Maurice isn't available. Her smile faded when she thought she saw something on the floor by the family's grand entertaining room. She wiped the fear from her mind. *That's ridiculous, nothing could happen here. Father and the King must have had quite an argument* she thought.

When she opened the door to the family room and walked in, her eyes opened in horror, and her mouth dropped. For the first time in her life she was absolutely paralyzed.

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Chapter 43 - Let The Bodies Hit The Floor

Henry was perplexed. Every fiber in his being was on edge now, the minute Danielle walked into the Chateau; an uncontrollable feeling of dread overcame him. Something was seriously wrong. His parents never traveled without at least one regimen of royal guardsmen accompanying them. Standard procedure was to have at least 5 or six men guarding the outside of the building, while 5 or six more wait inside the location, and several other personal guards with them. Unless these particular guardsmen were under some different sort of order, he didn't see anyone guarding the Chateau. The Duke's own bodyguards were strangely absent as well and the Royal Carriages were missing.

He thought that his best course of action was to investigate the parameter around the Chateau. He didn't want to go into the house if there was something amiss. He would be better off seeing what the situation was first.

When he walked around the back of the Chateau, everything was as it should be. He looked towards the servant's quarters and noticed that all of the candles were blown out. There was little to no activity coming from that direction. Then he looked in the direction towards the barns. He saw a lot of blood scattered about. At that moment he could feel a pair of eyes watching him, studying his every movement.

Instead of heading towards the barns where he was sure an ambush would be waiting for him, he headed towards the woods, away from the Chateau and out of view from the entrance to the Chateau. When he got into the thick gardens, just as he expected, the man who was following him came up behind him. Before he could stab Henry in the back, he hit the ground quickly and the man's forward momentum caused him to trip over the back of Henry's feet. Then he quickly rolled on top of the man and held him on the ground. He grabbed the back of the man's head and jerked it up and put his royal dagger against the man's throat.

"What is going on here? Who are you? Where is the Royal Guard? Where are the King and Queen? Speak now before I slit your throat and bleed you dry!" Henry commanded.

Much to his surprise, the man wouldn't talk. Then he saw several more of his buddies heading towards them with their swords drawn. With a slight tear in his eye, he whispered a silent prayer, and then slit the man's throat. He then quickly got up and had a fierce battle with the men. Through skill and just shear luck he escaped with only a gash across his left arm. As he stumbled away, he tore off a piece of his shirt to stop the bleeding.

He had a feeling that this was only the beginning and that there were a lot more of these mystery men around. He figured there would have to be at least 10 or 15 men outside, and another 10 inside guarding the prisoners. *Who were they? What are they after? Are they here to kill Mother and Father? How did they know they were here?* He thought as went deeper into the massive gardens to figure out his next move and think of a way to save his love and his family. "Danielle, please hold on. I'm coming." He said to himself.

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"Well, well, well...Look who just came in. I was wondering when my poor little country girl would show herself." Danielle just couldn't believe what she saw, all those that she held dear bound and gagged. Surrounded by men with swords. "What is the meaning of this stepmother?"

"Nothing to concern yourself over. I'm tired of living off the scraps that your family has 'bestowed' on me. I want it all, and you are going to get it for me you little heathen." Danielle was going to do something until she felt a pair of hands reach out and grab her from behind.

Danielle recognized that voice instantly and was shocked. Absolutely floored, it was as if someone took a dagger and stabbed her in the heart, while twisting it to inflict the most amount of pain. She felt sick to her stomach. She turned to face the man who was holding her and she immediately vomited on him. All she could say was, "You!"

He gave her an evil smile and took the back of his hand to wipe the vomit off of his shirt. "Mother, let's just kill them all now and be done with it!"

"We can't dear. The King and Queen are here. That is an unexpected bonus and complication. We are going to have alter our plans a little bit. But this development will make it easier for your sister to marry Prince Henry."

"Mother we don't even know where he is. Our spies say he hasn't been seen around the castle for a week."

*So they don't know that Henry is here.*

"Yes my servant whore, I believe you are acquainted with my...son. I believe familiarly so." She said with an evil chuckle.

"Son?" She said, trying to keep control of her gag reflex.

"Yes, Danielle, Raymond is my stepson."

The man holding Danielle, licked some of the vomit of his hand, and then stuck his tongue into her mouth. She felt sick to her stomach. All of the pieces fell into place for Danielle. No wonder he knew so much about her. No wonder he was so hard to find. "You put him up to it? To savagely attack me?" She asked shocked.

"Yes. It was actually one of my better plans. He was to court you and then marry you, thus giving us control of your large dowry. But you thought you were too good for him didn't you. You got what you deserved, and are now soiled goods. No man will want you now. You will always be nothing more than a lowly servant whore in a nice dress."

Danielle tried hard not to cry in front of these vile people, but she couldn't help herself. Through a flood of tears, " Why? Why? I have done everything that you have ever asked of me. I protected you. Let you stay in my father's home. Was there ever a time, even in it's smallest measurement that you ever loved me?"

"Of course not, how could someone love a pebble in their shoe?" Said the Baroness.

She then walked up to a sobbing Danielle and cupped her chin forcing her to look at her, "I want you to look around you Danielle. All of this suffering is because of you. I want you to know that I was the one who had Charles kidnapped, I was the one who was responsible for your deflowering, and that I will be the one responsible for the death of your family. I want you to live long enough to know that I will always be there to haunt you, as you have haunted me."

Danielle felt a wave of sadness wash over her, as the helplessness of her situation slowly sunk in. The only thing she could think was *thank god Henry was safe.*

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It had been about two hours since Henry's initial encounter with the guards, he'd been playing cat and mouse with the invaders every since, frustrating them at every turn. He had bested nine of the men so far and he had no idea how many more were outside, he had to guess that soon the sentries would be wondering where everyone went. It was this fact that managed to keep him alive. He was bruised and bloodied, but he was alive, and that's all that mattered. Until this point no one really knew he was there and it was so dark, that the sentries probably figured the other men were just hiding.

He had to find a way into the Chateau. There was no way he was going to be able to go in through the front door. If he did that he might as well wear a sign on his chest that said, "kill him". No, he wasn't going to make it that easy for them. He had to find an alternate way inside, but where? He thought, then he remembered, *Danielle's window! That would be perfect. Her room is far enough away from the grand entertaining room that I can enter without them hearing me.* Luckily for him the Chateau's gardens where one big maze that circled almost the entire Chateau, he was able to scout the grounds before moving out into the open.

*These guys were thorough* He thought. He saw a guard standing below Danielle's window and then he saw another wonder standing guard inside the bedroom. *How best to handle this?* He saw some pebbles over by the edge of the gardens. He took a couple of really small runs and threw them against the wall to get the guards attention. Then he ruffled the leaves to make enough noise so that the guard would leave his post and investigate. When the guard reached the edge of the garden Henry quickly to his blood soaked sword and drove it in the man's heart.

After hiding the body, Henry ran to the bottom of Danielle's window and scurried up ledge. He looked through the window and saw that the man on the inside was guarding some of the servants and his back was turned. Henry lunged himself through the window, shattering the glass. He landed on the guard's back. This man was larger and stronger than Henry initially thought. A fierce battle ensued. Henry had jumped back on the man's back and wrapped his arm underneath the man's throat.

The man was struggling to break Henry's grip. He was ramming Henry up against Danielle's large bookcase. He screamed in pain, he thought his back was going to break. The third time, the bookcase opened revealing a secret passageway. Henry and the man both tumbled down the dark stairway. Henry still held onto the man's neck, but it was the force of the fall that caused it to snap. He thought that he would be sick, but he had to remember that these people could have killed his Danielle by now and he had very little sympathy for them. All he could do was pray that she was still alive.

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Danielle watched in horror as the Baroness took great pleasure in commanding one of her men torture Gustave. He was beaten pretty badly, but he still held his head high and would not give the satisfaction of hearing him beg for mercy. She always knew the Baroness had an evilness in her but had no idea how deep in ran. Instead of just taking all of their belongings and leaving, the Baroness took great please in inflicting pain upon those that she cared about.

She tried to focus her thoughts on Henry. Surely he must have realized something was wrong, and knowing him he was going to try and do something to save her and his family, but what could he do? He was only one man. She wondered if he was still alive?

King Francis studied the situation that he was in and didn't see a clear way out, without a lot of innocent bloodshed being spilled. The only thing that he had working for them was the fact that the baroness was so over confident that she took off their gags and loosened their ropes a little. He was so impressed with the De Barbarac family handled themselves during the initial encounter, they all fought with great valor, but the numbers just overpowered them. He was especially Danielle and Charles II, they both kept their heads high and never let themselves be broken by these barbarians. Danielle had shown incredible poise and composure, throughout this ordeal. *No wonder my son loves her. She will make an incredible Queen one day.* He thought "Baroness, I command you let the boy go. He has done nothing to you."

"You are in no position to be demanding anything. I would watch my tongue if...."

The sound of a large crash outside the door startled the Baroness. She looked at one of the men. You take two men and go and see what that was. The men went into the large area and didn't see anything. Not even the guards posted in the hallway. One of the guards went back inside and told the Baroness and Raymond. There were only 9 men left inside the family room.

"What do you mean our men are not in the hallway?" Asked the Baroness.

"Send someone outside." Said Raymond.

"We already did sir, and no one is answering our signal." Said the man nervously.

"That's impossible, we had over 30 men, are you telling us, that EVERYONE is missing?" Asked the Baroness.

"Yes."

"Mother, what could it be? Another regimen of Royal Guards on the premises?"

"I don't know. But I will find out." Right then they heard another loud crash coming from down the hall. The Baroness looked nervous, "You three go and investigate."

Once the men left the room, their numbers were down to an easy to take five. At that moment the Queen distracted the Baroness and started making demands. The King smiled to himself, he looked at Laurent, Charles I & II and Danielle. Little did the Baroness know that they had managed to loosen the bonds: now that their hands were free he gave everyone the signal. In unison they all launched themselves at the nearest enemy to them and a fierce battle royal erupted in the family room.

The three men hearing the commotion ran back to the room, just as they entered the room, Henry came crashing through a secret entrance way and opened up a can of whoop ass on the three men. After several more minutes of intense fighting, Gustave, who had passed out from the severe pain, struggled to force his open. He grabbed a dagger and put it up against the Baroness' throat. "Everyone drop your weapons! Or I swear I will take great pleasure in killing this witch!"

All the men, realizing the fight was lost, gave up and they all started pleading for mercy from the King. Saying that they were only following orders, and had no idea that all of this was going to transpire. The King was disgusted.

The Baroness meanwhile, was trying to figure out who this mystery man who stopped her brilliantly laid out plan. From his attire he was obviously a stable hand and his face was covered in blood so it was hard for her to make out who it was.

Danielle ran to Henry and they both gave each other a long embrace and kissed he other long, deep and passionately. He held onto her tightly and didn't want to let her go. He then walked up to his mother and father and gave them each huge hugs and kisses. The King and Queen each gave Danielle a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Danielle was surprised by the King and Queen's reaction. "We were so proud of the way you and your family handled yourselves during this situation." Henry then spoke "Mother, Father, I'd like to formerly introduce you to my fiancé, Lady Danielle de Barbarac."

The King looked at Danielle. Then at his son and with a huge smile on his face, he gave his son a manly bear hug and lifted him up off the ground. "Son, I've never been prouder of you than I am now. I want you to know that I've always loved you, and always will. It's just that it is sometimes hard for me to express it. I hope that things between us will be better from here on out." He then looked at Danielle, and gave her another hug, "Welcome to the family! Daughter." Henry felt like his heart was going to burst, for the first time in a long time, he felt like his father truly loved him. He had a huge grin on his face. The Queen then looked at Charles II, and gave him a hug, "Welcome to the family...son."

Henry and Danielle then walked over to her father. Henry and the Duke just stared at each other for a minute not knowing what to say to each other. Then the Duke smiled at him, "Francis, huh? I have a little money saved up, huh? I'm looking to make my own way, huh? Trust me, I can take care of your daughter, huh? I would give up all that I own for love, huh?" Henry nervously scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry to have deceived you sir. But it was the only way that I could be with Danielle.

"Francis, or is it Henry now? What am I going to do with you?" He then embraced Henry in a big bare hug. He then said, "Welcome to the family...son." Constance also gave him a hug and a kiss. "Be good to our daughter, and live a wonderful life...son. Know this, you will always have a home here."

Danielle then gave her father and mother and gave them huge hugs. They both looked at her, it was her father who looked at her with such sadness and heart in his eyes, through tears, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have protected you."

Danielle was crying hard now, "I...I....was so ashamed..."

Constance looked at her, "It wasn't your fault. You never had anything to be ashamed about. We are your parents and we love you. It hurts us to think that you were too afraid to tell us."

The Duke stroked Danielle's cheeks, then a voice came from behind them.

"Was it good for you? It sure was for me." Said Raymond, who was being held by

Laurent. Henry heard the comment, and wondered what that was all about. He had no idea that this was the man who attacked her all those years ago.

Danielle remembered something that she wanted to do for five years and now was her chance. She picked up a sword stormed up to him and was getting ready to plunge it into his heart, when Becky stopped her. "No! Danielle, don't do it. He will get what he deserves, let Henry and your parents take care of him. You are better than him."

She looked at Becky and then started crying. Henry was confused he looked around the room "Will someone tell me what is going on?"

Rodmilla was still shocked that the bloody man in front of her was the one and only Prince Henry and that Danielle was engaged to him. She wanted to throw up. "Sire, your so called fiancé is a tramp. She has slept with my son and numerous other men. Why I hardly think there's a nobleman in all of France that she hasn't been with."

Henry then looked at the man and noticed the evil smile on his face and looked at Becky who confirmed Henry's suspicions. Henry's expression turned deadly, he walked towards the man. "You! You are the one who caused the woman that I love so much pain and heartache?"

The man had an evil grin on his face. "Yes, and she tasted good." He said licking his lips.

Henry then smiled, and put his hand behind the man's head, "Well, Sir why don't you tell me what it was like? She may be better than you but I'm not." As Raymond started to speak, Henry pulled out his royal dagger and drove it deep into Raymond's heart. While Raymond was still alive, he made him look at him and said, "Is this good for you?" With that he twisted it several times.

"Nooooooooo!!!!!!!" The Baroness' scream startled Gustave, she was struggling to break free of his grip, then she stomped on his foot, which caused Gustave to scream out loud and release his grip. Before anyone could react the Baroness had a dagger in her hand and stabbed Henry in the back. His body slowly fell to ground, lifeless. But it was strange, for he had a tremendous smile on his face. He had left home a lost, unhappy little boy, only to die a happy, fulfilled man, who finally earned his father's respect, admiration, and love.

This time it was Danielle who screamed, her entire world just stopped making sense to her, time had frozen still for her, she didn't remember any of the next few minutes, only that she was again in Henry's arms and that he was smiling at her. She looked at all the chaos, and saw that the Baroness was dead, and that she and Henry were floating up in heaven somewhere.

Maurice once told her that once you find your sole mate your love will transcend, space, time, and even death. That it was their destiny to be together and no one can ever break the bond of love that Destiny bestows upon two people. Destiny's Love is the rarest kind of love and though the body may die, the love, the spirit never will.

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Epilogue

It was a hot August day in the Nations Capital. It was one of those days where your underwear sticks to your seats and the weather reporters do those annoying, "egg in the car stories." *Like we really need to see whether or not someone can fry an egg in a locked car. He turned off his television to get ready. It would be another hectic Monday morning on the hill for the Jr. Senator from California. Like most Senators from large states he always dreamed of becoming President of the United States one day.

His overbearing father had forced this arranged marriage on him calling her the perfect political wife. "Come on son, she's from another large State has a wealthy conservative family." The fact that he was one of the most liberal Senators on the hill didn't seem to matter to his father. Like a fool three years into his first term, he agreed to marry this woman. What a mistake, but he can't get out of the marriage now, the scandal would

ruin his chances of becoming President.

He got into his black Jaguar and left his stately home in VA and headed downtown, he was already running late, and those damn red light cameras were causing everyone else around him to drive like morons. He turned on the radio and his favorite song started to play, he was singing along to the tune, "All the girls in the party, shaking that body...."

Not paying attention to where he was going, he instantly slammed into the back of a beautiful cream-colored Mercedes. When he got out of the car he walked up to the other driver, and was stunned, she was the most beautiful woman that she'd ever seen. When she got out of the car she had a fire blazing in her beautiful brown eyes.

She was having a really bad morning and the last thing she needed was to get blind sided by some rich white yuppie in a Jaguar. This man chose the wrong woman to mess with. She was the youngest woman ever to win a Pulitzer for her reporting. She had worked her way up from her middle class neighborhood to becoming one of the highest paid, political reporters at The Washington Post and the paper's first African-American Executive Editor. Her husband was a ranking member of the minority sub committee.

Not only that but she is also a highly paid network commentator as well.

She was busy yelling at this guy, when she noticed him just standing their staring at her like some lovesick puppy. She had to chuckle to herself at the sight. "I'm sorry. Here let me call a car for you." He then held his hand out to her and said, "My name is Henry."

When he touched her hand, she felt shivers go down her spine. She knew instantly that she was in love with this man, but how could this be? She is already married, and he is also married. She smiled at him, "No introductions are needed Senator. My name is Danielle."

THE END?

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