As Logan headed to the business wing of the palace, his head was spinning with thoughts of Marie. Thought their courtship had been fast his love for Marie had been real. One smile from her made his heart rate speed up and he lost all control of his thoughts. One look from her would make his brain turn to mush and he'd be left with nothing but the desire to possess her. He'd wanted her from the moment that he met her, scared of a group of drunken sophomores. Even at the young age of eighteen she'd held a power over him that his twenty-three year old mind could not move past. He'd married her as soon as he could and took her as his own, expecting to spend his life with her by his side. The unexpected death of his favorite aunt had brought him back to El Meca not two days after their return to school and he'd been forced to leave her without a word.

After a month of writing her and none of his letters being answered, he was able to return to the states only to be told by her brother that she wanted nothing to do with him. He'd gone to her house everyday for a year only to be turned away ever time. Finally he finished his schooling and returned home. Everyday of the last five years he'd been haunted by her memory. He'd grown and learned, deciding to never let himself lose that much control again. Now at the age of age of twenty-nine he was ready to take control of his country and marry a woman groomed to bare his children and nothing else. She was his greatest weakness and he'd learned to survive without her for six years. He could surly survive the rest of his days, he may not live but he would survive.

Marie woke up disoriented, but soon everything came back. The doctor had been waiting for her when she'd exited the bathroom the night before and had given her something to help her sleep. She'd immediately changed into her night shirt and fallen into the bed almost asleep before she'd hit the pillow. She took a moment to let everything sink in, the fact that's the marriage may not have been fake and Logan was the son of a king. Looking around the room she was amazed, decorated in greens and browns, she felt that the room had been painted just for her. The bed was wood as was the night tables, chairs and a table. Across the room was an armoire that upon closer inspection she found held a T.V. and D.V.D player with a remarkable D.V.D. collection. After taking in the room she showered and dressed and headed into the sitting room that she'd run out of the day before, only to find Logan sitting at the breakfast table reading a news paper.

At first she felt the urge to run back into the bedroom and lock herself away until she was sure he was gone but then she found herself studying the man sitting at the table across the room. He was so handsome, his dark hair just long enough to hang from his head as he leaned over the paper. His face was intense reading something likely important to his country. She remembered his seriousness was something that had drawn her in when they were together, dangerous you could almost say. It had made her tongue tied and giddy in college and she could feel it rising in herself now. Looking at him now, knowing he was a prince, she wondered what had caused him to choose her. Slowly she turned to head back into the bedroom when she heard the paper rustle and then his deep voice saying, "You're not trying to sneak back into your bed chamber are you?"

She turned to face him trying her hardest to sound normal, though she felt like her brains we dust, "No I just realized that I needed to call my mom and Scott to let them know I'm okay."

"You do realize that there is an eight hour time difference between here and Meridian. It is nine-thirty here and that makes it one-thirty in the morning there are you sure you wish to call them?" he asked pouring her a cup of coffee.

Marie looked at the floor as she walked to the table, "Maybe I should wait and call them tonight. Thank you." She said sitting down and excepting the coffee.

"Perhaps it would be best, what would you like to eat? I did not know how hungry you would be so I had the kitchen send up a little of everything." He took his seat opposite her.

"You don't have to serve me Logan, I can do it myself." Marie said reaching for a covered try only to have Logan remove the top before she could. The try had pancakes and waffles on it. She picked up the plate that sat in front of her and took two waffles from the tray.

"I am aware of your ability to serve yourself, Marie. You are my guest it is my responsibility to see to your needs. Normally there would be a servant here to serve you but I wanted us to be left alone so I sent them away." He placed two pancakes on his plate, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes thank you." She answered before starting on her waffles.

"The doctor reported that your fainting was most likely due to a lack of food and sleep in combination with seeing me again and it is not expected to happen again," he smirked, "Had I known you would have reacted in such a way I would have given you warning. I hadn't planned on you reacting in such a frightened way."

"No, I suppose you didn't. Think of what you could do if you had planned it." she answered not looking up from her plate.

"I would never do anything dishonorable to an unsuspecting woman, regard less of her status as my wife. Do you honestly think so little of me?" He asked setting his fork and knife down on the table.

"I honestly don't know what to think, Logan. I know that you faked a wedding to sleep with me and didn't have the courtesy to tell me you were dumping me two days later," the Princess had said that the wedding and marriage was real but Marie still couldn't believe that her family had lied to her. Why would they tell her it was a fraud if it wasn't? The only other option was that the Princess had lied to defend her brother and that made more sense, "The only thing I don't understand is why you faked the wedding at all. I was so infatuated with you at that point that I didn't need a wedding I would have given myself to you regardless. "

Logan stood up from his chair so fast it went flying out from behind him, "FAKED A WEDDING! Do you really think I would have gone through with that much trouble for such unsatisfying reward?"

Marie felt sick, she dropped her fork and knife and covered her mouth with her hand. Many years had passed since their three nights together. Looking back she knew that her part could be written as what not to do on ones wedding night but she'd been a virgin, Logan could have done better, too. She'd tried to block it out of her mind but even now it still haunted her, "Are you sure the marriage wasn't a fake? My parent's lawyer said it wasn't real." she asked as soon as she'd gotten a hold of her emotions.

"Their lawyer was mistaken. Our marriage was real and that is why you have been brought here. Now that you are in my country you will treat me with the respect and reverence. Is that understood?" He asked looking down at her from his spot across the table.

Marie felt torn between anger and a growing need to cry, she chose a mixture of both by standing up from her seat, looking him in the face and saying, "I'll treat you how I see fit. Now call who you need to call and do what you need to do because I am leaving on the next flight out of YOUR country no matter where it goes." With that said she turned from the table and marched into the bedroom slamming the door shut before she through herself on the bed and letting the tears come.