Back during Renaissance Italy, there was a girl by the name of Mary. Mary was a beautiful, young commoner living with her family, but there was a secret Mary's parents never shared with her. Mary wasn't a commoner, but the royal Princess Mary. Her parents never told her that when she was still a baby the King & Queen put her up for adoption. They didn't want to but they were worried that if they kept the girl then the witch that lived in the forest would find out & steal her. You see, the witch of the forest had a reputation for kidnapping any princess born within the walls of the palace. The witch would only return the princess after she had turned 16 & learned the ways of witch-craft.
Mary's adoptive parents decided that they would tell the young girl the truth on her 16th birthday. Mary's 16th birthday was 2 days away & her parents were arguing bout how to tell her, when Mary walked in on them. She heard that they were arguing & asked them what was going on.
"Mary!" her parents exclaimed.
"What's going on?" Mary inquired.
"Um…honey, there's something we need to tell you," her mom explained.
"What?" Mary questioned worriedly.
"Maybe you should sit down."
"Um…okay."
Once she had taken a seat her parents followed & started explaining that she was actually Princess Mary.
"What!?" Mary asked. "What do you mean I'm really a princess? If I was a princess then that would mean that my parents are the King & Queen!"
"Yes, the King & Queen gave you up for adoption when you were just a few days old," her mother explained. "They did it to protect you from the witch that lives in the Northern Forest."
"Why did you wait till today to tell me?" Mary inquired.
"Because if we told you sooner we thought that you would want to see them."
"Well your right, I do want to see them!" And with that she left. She knew there was only one place she could go.
'Knock, knock, knock.'
"Be right there!" a young man's voice called from behind the door.
"Hey Mary," an olive-toned, muscular, 19-year old young man said when he saw Mary.
"Hey John," Mary greeted back. "Is your brother home?"
"He sure is," another olive-toned young man answered from behind Sam.
Mary knew the voice right away.
"Sam!" Mary exclaimed.
"Hey, baby," John replied. "Happy Birthday."
"And it's the worst."
"Why is that?"
"My so-called parents just informed me that I'm adopted. And that I'm actually the King & Queen's daughter."
John & Sam just stood there shocked, but for different reasons. John because his brother was dating a princess & Sam because he & Mary had a secret that no one else knew. Mary was pregnant.
"Hey, baby, can I talk to you alone a sec?"
"Sure Sam. Do you want to go back to my place & talk?"
"Yea. Hey, John, please tell Mom & Dad that I'm going to Mary's for a little bit."
"Sure thing," John replied.
As soon as they were a ways away, Sam grabbed Mary into one of the most passionate kisses either of them had ever experienced.
"I knew who you really were when we first met," He whispered in her ear.
"What? How?" Mary questioned
"I knew because I'm really Prince Sam."
"You mean from the next kingdom?"
"Yea. A few years ago, your birth parents came to my parents & asked if I would come & live as a commoner, keep an eye on you, & protect you if any harm should come your way. I, of course, said yes."
"You mean the baby that I now carry is a full-blood royal?"
"Yes."
"Wow. I can't believe this. First, I find out I'm actually a princess. Then, I find out that my boyfriend is a prince."
"Baby, I will teach you everything you need to know about being a princess."
"Thanks babe, there's one thing that I want to do first."
"What's that?"
"I want to see my birth parents"
"Okay, but first there's something I need to give you."
"What?"
Sam grabbed Mary's hand kitting his figures with hers & pulled her back to her house. When they got back, Mary's adoptive parents weren't home. Sam went straight up to Mary's room, still holding her hand. When they reached Mary's room, Sam released Mary's hand & kneeled in front of her chest at the foot of her bed and pulled out a dress of ice blue silk & handed it to Mary.
"Your parents asked me to give this to you when you found out they were your real parents." Sam said after a few minutes of quiet.
"What? They made a dress for me?"
"Yea, they wanted you to feel like you belong there when you meet them. Now, why don't you go try it on & see if it fits."
"Okay, but what will you wear? You don't think I'm going you there alone, do you?"
"I have my own royal clothes, don't worry. And I'll make sure your hair is done up, too. Now go change."
As Mary stumbled over to the bathroom, she wondered if the dress would fit. When she stepped out of the bathroom, all Sam could do was stare at her. The dress fit perfectly. The neckline showed just enough cleavage to make guys wonder what else was under it.
"Wow, you look beautiful," Sam complimented a few minutes later.
"You think so?" Mary questioned back.
"Yes, but you've always looked beautiful."
Smiling, they walked back to Sam's hand-in-hand. When they returned Sam told John what was going on, his "parents" already knew everything, John practically freaked out. Leaving Mary with a hyperventilating John to go change and call the royal hair dresser. By the time Sam came back downstairs John was just letting the hair dresser in.
"Alice, how are you," Sam welcomed.
"Very well, thank you for asking Prince Sam," Alice replied. "Now where is she?"
"Right in here," John showed the way into his room where a scared Mary sat on the bed.
Sam, seeing how scared she was, went over to her.
"Mary? Baby? What's wrong?"
"I saw her, the witch," Mary replied.
"What!?" Sam & Alice replied. Sam worried, Alice scared.
Sam immediately got protective. Sam grabbed Alice & pulled her into the room while John went to close the blinds.
"Alice, work fast please," Sam requested. "I want to get her to the palace before nightfall."
"I'm on it."
An hour later Mary was ready, Sam quickly got Mary loaded into Alice's carriage, helped Alice load, and said bye to John. Once Sam got into the carriage they were off. They made it to the palace quickly & without any trouble. Everyone seemed to know Mary was coming home. When the carriage door opened Alice exited first with Sam following. Sam stopped, turned, & helped Mary down. He offered his arm & escorted her into the palace. While they walked to the ballroom, Sam instructed her on what to do. Luckily for Sam, Mary already knew most of the stuff from school. As they entered the ballroom, Mary's breath caught in her throat, it looked like every royal within a 10 mile radius was here to wish her a happy homecoming. She looked straight ahead & saw 2 couples & a teenage male standing next to them. She knew immediately that the couple in the thrones were her parents & guessed the other couple was Sam's parents, but she wondered who the guy was. When they stopped Mary let go of Sam's arm & together they bowed/curtsied to the Kings & Queens. When they rose, Sam went over to say hi & hug his parents as Mary's parents & the stranger walked up to Mary.
"Daughter," the Queen said.
"Mom?" Mary questioned hesitantly. She was having a problem grasping it. "Dad?"
"Yes, daughter. Let me introduce you to your twin brother," the King said motioning to the boy standing behind him. "Jack, come meet your sister."
"Hello, Mary," Jack greeted.
"Hello, Jack. How do you do?"
"Very well, now that you've returned."
Smiling, Sam came over & took Mary by the hand & greeted Mary's parents & brother. At that moment everyone broke out cheering & welcoming the young couple home. As the music started, Sam took Mary in his arms & started dancing around the ballroom. After a couple dances, Sam escorted Mary outside. As they wondered around, they came to a bench. Sam sat Mary down & kneeled down in front of her.
"Mary," Sam said waiting till she met his eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Mary was completely shocked & speechless. Instead of talking, she nodded. Sam pulled out of his pocket a ring so beautiful it could only belong to a royal. As he slipped it on her finger, Mary got her speech back.
"Wow, this is the most perfect birthday ever," Mary commented.
"It's not over yet."
"What do you mean," Mary questioned skeptically.
"Follow me."
Mary followed Sam back into the palace. Just as thy entered the ballroom again all the lights & candles went out.
"Get behind me," Sam commanded, in Prince mode.
Sam's job now was to protect Mary, but when the lights came back on a few minutes later she was gone. The King & Queen saw this & knew immediately who was behind it: the witch of the Forbidden Forest.
"Even after that! She still got her!" the Queen wailed.
The King & Jack went over to comfort her. As the Queen sobbed into her husbands shoulder Sam came over.
"I promise I will find her & bring her home."
"Thank you," the King said.
And with that Sam left the find his fiancé.
What the royal family & Sam didn't know was that the witch of the Forbidden Forest died 3 years before. When Sam walked out of his room, after changing clothes, he thought he heard his "parents" talking in the other room. He walked in & saw his "mother" crying & talking to her husband.
"Mom, what's wrong," Sam asked.
"John, its John."
"What do you mean!?"
"John came here a few minutes ago with Mary & took her downstairs, while you were in your room. I went downstairs & saw Mary handcuffed to the bed down there…naked."
Sam was furious. He stormed downstairs, but when he got there the door was locked from the inside. With the help of his "father" they busted in the door & there was Mary just as his "mother" had said. When John came in from another room, he saw Sam & bolted the other way. John's dad went after him while Sam went over to Mary & released her. It turns out John had given Mary sleeping pills so she wouldn't scream.
Just as John's dad brought John back in Sam had just finished releasing Mary & was about to carry her back upstairs. When John saw Sam's face he knew he'd gone too far. Then John saw it; the proposal ring on Mary's left ring finger & knew he REALLY screwed up. Everyone knew not to mess with another guy's fiancé.
"Oh crap," was all John could say.
"I can't believe you would do something like this John," Sam said furiously. "I just can't believe it. Why?"
"I was envious of you. You had everything, a beautiful, pregnant girlfriend who ended up being a princess and you being a prince. I was envious & jealous, & I'm sorry."
"H-h-how did you know she was pregnant? We never told anyone," Sam was shocked that he knew.
"I could tell. She started walking a little differently; she kept her hand on her belly like she was protecting something or someone. Then when I undressed her, I could see the bump that only comes from pregnancy."
Just then Mary started to stir in Sam's arms. Sam cradled her closer, then asked John's dad to take John & go upstairs.
"Of course," John's dad replied.
Sam helped Mary get dressed & helped her upstairs & out to the carriage where John already sat. After helping Mary in & climbing in himself, he closed the window curtains & the curtain that cut the carriage in half.
"Are you okay, sweetheart," Sam asked.
"I don't know exactly," was all Mary could reply because her mind was still fogged from the drugs.
"Did he hurt you or do anything to you?"
"Yes, I vaguely remember feeling something entering me."
"What!?" Sam snarled.
"I could be mistaken."
"She's telling the truth," John injected.
"You know you could be thrown in jail for kidnapping & raping a princess, right?"
"Now I do."
With that they ended the conversation. Sam pulled Mary close & was secretly relieved that it wasn't actually the witch that had taken her cause if the witch had then he might not had ever been able to see her again.
As they pulled into the palace, they saw Mary's parents waiting outside.
"Oh my gosh," The Queen said as soon as they were out of carriage. "How did you find her so fast?"
"It turns out my 'brother' John had been so envious & jealous that he decided to kidnap her & keep her in our basement & made the mistake of letting his mom see her," Sam explained.
"Oh, and do we have the kidnapper?"
"We do. He is in the carriage."
"Thank you."
As John was being pulled out of the carriage, he glared at Sam holding Mary, protecting her. Sam helped Mary into the palace & into her room where she fell asleep with him standing guard. Four hours later, Mary woke up screaming. Her screaming brought Sam in running. He saw that she wasn't in any immediate danger & went over to calm her down. It took a good 15 minutes before he got her calmed down enough to tell him what happened.
"I had a dream where…where…" Mary burst our in tears again.
"Where what, Mary?"
"Where you were killed protecting me," Mary said between tears.
"Oh, baby," Sam said gathering her close.
Mary cried into his arm's, she cried so much that she cried herself to sleep in his arms. Mary slept there for the rest of the night. The next morning, Mary told everyone what had occurred after John took her from the ball.
"…and when I woke up Sam had me in his arms," Mary finished. "What will happen to John?"
"Well he committed kidnapping & rapping of a princess & if he was 21 that would mean death, but since he's only 19 we've decided just to exile him."
Mary was surprised that all the punishment John would be receiving was being exiled.
"Mom. Dad. Sam & I have something we want to tell you," Mary said.
"What is it, sweetheart?" the Queen questioned.
"Last night, before John kidnapped me, Sam proposed to me."
"What!"
"Yeah & that's not all…" Mary said with a smile. "I'm pregnant."
"Oh my gosh! How far along?"
"3 months."
"Wow."
Within a week of the announcement, Mary & Sam were married. The night of the wedding, Sam & Mary spent their first night together in their new palace. They lived happily ever after & John was never seen or heard from again.