Prince Dane is a spoiled prince and his father, King Bobby, is tired of his behavior. He wants him to settle down and knows just the woman for the job.

He just had to figure out how to get his son to her. Wait, he knows that, too.

Lady Samantha is a very bitter and strong woman, so not the prince's normal type.

Who wants to bet they don't get along?

Hee hee!

Characters:

King Robert, Prince Dane's frustrated father.

Prince Dane, Royal heir to the throne and playboy.

Lady Samantha, Noblewoman with deep-seated dislike of the Prince.

Wonder why she hates him so much?

Let's find out, shall we?

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Prince Dane stood at the gate of the spansive house and growled. It was not going as planned but it did keep getting worse.

It all started with his father tossing him Knight's clothes and telling him to put them on. And ended with him questioning his views on hitting women, not all of them, just this one. This one was being a pain in his ass.

"Lady Samantha's brother has died in battle, go tell her the news." King Robert ordered his son, who had the most disbelieving look on his face the king had ever seen.

"But I'm the Prince, I don't have this job." Prince Dane said offended he would be asked to do such a low duty. This was a knight's job not his!

"Too bad. Think of it as Character building." King Robert said, "Now stop being an idjit and go do it."

"Fine, but I won't like it." Prince Dane said and his father chuckled.

Prince Dane had a large ego and no grandchildren, and no marital ambitions what so ever. The king wanted grandchildren and to deflate that ego a bit. He knew just the woman for the job. So he was sending his son to her, in disguise. A disguise she would see through right away, if Bobby remembered how sharp the girl had been when he knew her.

His son needed a woman to humble him and Lady Samantha was just the woman to do it. Not to mention she was perfect for him.

So the Prince had dressed as a knight, a lowly job in his opinion, and rode out to get it over with.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Lady Samantha's land was the largest in the land and since it was passed through the women of the family, the throne had no claim to it. Prince Dane knew this. Once he got there, the reality of it hit him. It was palatial, bigger than the palace land itself. He heard a voice by the wall and jumped in surprise when it spoke.

"What do you want?" The voice asked and he looked around to find its owner, not seeing her.

"I am Sir Dane. I come with news from my king." Dane said, still wondering why his father couldn't have got some real knight to do it. "I wish to speak with Lady Samantha."

"So…speak." The feminine voice said in disgust, "Probably won't listen, don't listen to liars."

"Um, huh?" Dane said in confusion, not used to being addressed in such a manner, especially by a woman of all people.

"I said you're a liar." She spoke again. "Your royal ears broke, Prince Dane?"

"Oh, so you know." He said relieved, he didn't make a good knight.

"Yeah, I know. Knew it as soon as I heard that gravelly voice of yours. The voice that speaks lies, yep, that's the voice." She spoke again and he groaned internally, one of those strong women, great!

"Do I know you?" He said trying to get a view of her but failing miserably. "Can you come out so I can speak to you in person?"

"No." she said coldly, "You can say your piece from there. No need to see me."

"Please?" Dane said it and it felt strange to his ears. He could count the number of times he'd said sorry and they would all fit on one hand. Sorry was for weaklings and beggars and yet he said it, why oh why was she being so difficult?

"And by the way, you do know me. Knew me well when we were kids, until I found out you were a liar." She said again not quite as cold but angry now. "Kissing and forgetting is more your style than the truth, highness." She said his title with dripping sarcasm. He knew he was in trouble now.

He racked his brain to remember her and got a vague memory of a little girl playing tag with him and a kiss, for some reason he had kissed her. Hmm.

"I kind of remember a little girl playing with me and a kiss but that's it." He admitted and was surprised to see a beautiful brunette with a sword approaching the gate now.

"A kiss, that's it? Nothing else ringing a bell here?" She said growling furiously, eyes glaring with Hazel anger as well.

"No." He admitted and jumped back as she thrust the sword inches from his chest and smiled coldly at him.

"Tell me your news, Prince." She smiled again, definitely not a nice smile either.

"Your brother has died in battle." He said softly but was surprise by a dark anger hitting her eyes again, not grief.

"I already knew that. His manservant came to me days ago and informed me of it. So now you can leave and go debauch some other wench." She growled and went to leave toward the house.

"What did I do to make you so angry? I barely know you!" Dane usually didn't piss women off this fast. He usually worked up to this level of animosity in his women, not right off the bat.

"Barely know me? I'm your betrothed, you arrogant ass! From birth. We spent days and days together, for years getting to know each other then I turned 16 and we learned we were betrothed. You kissed me, said you loved me, then had relations with Suzie the damn house maid! I can see how that makes me forgettable, yeah!" She growled and he thought about that and it all hit him, he remembered everything. Crap, he had done that! No wonder she was pissed, he'd have stabbed himself through the chest for that, too. Well, he admitted, she had tried to but realized she could have already done it before then so she was probably just aiming at making him leave there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget. Don't see how I could have but I did. Can I come in and rest before I leave? It is winter out here, you know." He wheedled, he wanted to make it up to her but she was not going to make this easy on him. No sexy grin or cute look was going to work on her nor would his charm, which seemed to have fled screaming from him before she had showed herself anyway.

"I'm aware. Go home, get warm there." She said coldly, putting the icicles on the gate to shame with its coldness.

"That is a day or two's ride from here. I need a place for the night, come on!" He wheedled some more and hid a smile as she opened the gate so he could enter, before locking it behind her again. She wouldn't look at him and walked ahead of him to the house. He admired her form while they walked in silence. She was very attractive, why had he done that to her again? He was smarter than that, or so he thought he had been.

"Peter, we have a guest." Again, 'guest' sounded sarcastic a bit like referring to mud on your shoe inviting itself to dinner. Dane groaned, yep, not feeling the welcome here. "Prepare a room for him as well. And a dinner."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

She was not much warmer at dinner either. She sat at the other end of the table, the very long table, and ate, ignoring him entirely.

"Come on, Sammi, sit by me. I want to hear about this betrothal thing. I didn't know, honest." Okay, forgot, but who's being picky?

"You Knew, you ass." She said not bothering to look up when she spoke.

Okay, so she was. Yeah, definitely being picky with the terminology there. "I said sorry, can we talk about this?" Dean said apologetically. 'And not over the thousand miles of table between them either' He left unsaid.

She move several seat away and still didn't look at him.

"Pass the salt?" Dean asked hesitantly, nervous now. She really was beautiful. Hostile but beautiful.

She beaned him in the chest with it, making it fall hard into his lap. He sighed, yeah, clearly not softening her temper right at the moment. She was still pissed.

He picked it up and calmly sprinkled some on his food. "So, tell me what I forgot, you know you want to." He could tell she did, and she did not disappoint.

"Fine, if it will make you leave faster, I'll tell you." She looked at him now and he flinched, her glare hid pain, deep pain that only broken hearts can feel. He had broken her heart, damn it! Dean realized this in an instant and felt horrible again. No wonder she hated him.

"Our parents agreed to the betrothal upon our births. They didn't know what a jerk you'd be apparently." She began but gave a fond look, she had been happy with him then, before he became a cheating jerk. "As soon as we were toddlers, our folks would visit each other and let us play together, get to know each other. Never knew we were betrothed. We were friends however. You forget friends too apparently, equal opportunity betrayer there, aren't you?" She scowled and he said nothing so she went on. Inside his chest, he was kicking himself, really hard! "Then we got older and they told us the truth. We didn't take it well but we accepted it as a fact of life. We talked about it and decided to give it a try. We talked about family, how many kids, where we'd live, and that kind of stuff. We got to know each other and then it all changed. You kissed me, proposed, and I accepted."

She cried a little now and he felt worse, tried to reach out and touch her, comfort her but she smacked his hand away hard, glaring through tears. "Don't touch me, you lost that right when you broke my heart. "

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. Forgive me." Dean pleaded, feeling lower than dirt and maybe what was lower than that, he'd be that, oh, yes, he'd be that! "Let me make it up to you."

"Go screw yourself!" She said wiping the tears away and dumping her soup on his head, and walking to the door.

"You never finished. What happened after that?" Dean got up dripping soup and rushed to catch her furious form before she left. He had to know the rest. "Please?"

She looked at him sad now, no longer angry, pain filling her eyes like water filling a pitcher. "Nothing to tell, I went to tell my Mom and came back to find you gone. I looked everywhere for you, so excited and wanting to kiss you again. Heard sounds from the maid's room and looked in. You were fucking her!" She looked at his shocked face, "Yes, I know, unladylike language. Father said I needed to work on that. Never got around to it, sorry."

She went to leave and he went to grab her, preparing to beg her to forgive him again.

"Touch me and I'll run you through with my sword in your sleep, Dane." She said smiling coldly. He moved his hand quickly.

"Sorry!" He said, pleading again. Wow, he'd been wrong to do that to her!

She paused at the word and the pleading, softening slightly. "Prove it." She said eyes hurt still, the coldness leaving them now, her temper cooling.

"How?" He asked, he'd do anything!

"You'll figure it out. " She said and shut the door behind her, leaving him looking very confused and wondering just how to make it up to her. How do you make up to someone when you broke their heart that way? He didn't know but he would try.

Samantha cried herself to sleep that night and he listened as her sobs filtered across the hall to his room, and he could feel her pain now. He'd done that to her, he'd caused those tears. He hated to make women cry and here he had made the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen cry by just showing up in her life again. He had to fix this, make it up to her somehow. He never wanted to hear her cry that way again.

He'd find a way. He'd do what she said.

He'd figure it out.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The next morning he woke up and hurried downstairs.

"Where is she?" He asked panicked, he had planned on trying romancing her but that plan was all shot to hell now.

"In the stables. Peter is helping her muck out the stalls." Hilda threw him a knowing look, "You could help, Prince Dane." She knew he wanted to make it up to Samantha and she knew why. She also knew Samantha wasn't over this guy and she needed a good guy like him. So what could it hurt to give them a nudge towards each other?

"I'll do that." He looked at his clothes and sighed, not dressed for manual labor. A pair of pants and a shirt with rough fabric was handed to him. He changed and headed to the stables. He saw them working in separate stalls and motioned to Peter. He took the shovel from him and motioned for him to leave. Peter smiled and obeyed. He had never done this before but for her he'd try.

Soon he got the hang of it and they met in the middle, each taking a stall. She didn't realize he was not Peter yet. She was also in men's pants and rough shirt, too. Looking filthy and tired, but never more beautiful to Dane.

"Thanks for the help, Pet…" she said looking up to thank the man but seeing Dane instead, she just glared. "What are you doing here, Dane? Don't you have a palace to get to?" He should be gone, she thought, it hurt when he was here.

"Nope, staying for a bit. I like it here. Needed a break anyway." Dane said matter of factly, "Why does it bother you so much having me here, besides the obvious?" There was something more to it, he could tell.

"You don't belong here." She spat stomping out, leaving him her stall to clean, unable to take his presence anymore. She paused at the door and said huskily, "It hurts when you're here. I haven't hurt this much since…" She trailed off and grabbed a cloth to wipe her face clean now, "Never thought I'd hurt this way again."

Dane stared at her and watched her leave, feeling sad. His presence hurt her, he hurt her. Somehow this offended him inside more than it normally would. It only hurt that much if…you loved someone, only someone you love could hurt you that much. Deep down she still loved him. he thought about that. She provoked feelings in him no other woman had. He usually didn't care this much about a woman's feelings. Did that mean…maybe. He loved her? Maybe.

He got back to work and then hurried to see how else he could help. He was sorry it would hurt her but he knew if he showed her he wanted to be better for her, maybe it would hurt less eventually. Maybe she would love him again. He like that thought. So maybe he did love her.

Now he just had to show her that.

She wouldn't make it easy on him, he knew that. But he was nothing if not stubborn. He could take whatever she threw his way.

Xxxxxxxxx

She grunted in annoyance when she saw him approach, and rolled her eyes when he helped her feed the pigs, and feed the chickens, and collect the eggs, and milk the cow, and even collect water from the well. She felt the annoyance fade halfway through and began to notice the way his muscles rippled in his back and chest when he worked that way. He had taken his shirt off by then too sweaty to wear anymore. She wouldn't admit it but it looked sexy, he'd filled out a lot since they were teens. She hastily looked away after he turned to catch her looking at him and her gaze shifted to his eyes and lips. She swore to herself and went to get hay to feed the animals now, running away from the warm feeling in her chest again, not pain, love. She felt it and shoved it down cursing loudly, Dane smiling at the curses coming from her knowing why they were there.

This was progress, definite progress. Dane reflected.

They followed this routine for weeks, both softening more each time. She even moved closer to him at the table and didn't throw the salt at him anymore. He helped her as she helped Hilda clean the house, and she even gave him a soft smile once when he cleaned the fireplace and got covered in ash for his troubles. He'd smiled back, of course.

They went to the market for supplies and he put on a robe to disguise his identity to go with her.

He took her hand and prepared to let go before she gave it a small squeeze, then let go. Eventually she let him hold her hand and he could have sworn she smiled when he did this. She hid the smile though but he had seen it.

He was sure of her feelings when a woman approached him, recognizing him. She tried to kiss him and hug him but he pulled her into an alley and made her let him go, telling her to tell no one who he was. Right before Samantha punched the woman and tugged him out behind her. Jealous? He thought and hid a smile. Definitely in that vicinity. He decided to test this.

He flirted with some bar maids when they stopped to eat and she got madder and madder. Then she left him sitting there looking worried after dumping her drink on his head. He rushed out and caught her, pleading with her not to go.

"Wait, Sammi, wait! It's not what you think!" Damn he'd gone too far, Dane knew this now. He'd enjoyed her possessiveness but he should have stopped minutes ago. "I knew you were jealous so I was trying to see how you would react, that's all. I wasn't even interested them, honest!"

She softened a little but still looked pissed, just not as much. Her eyes looked at his lips again slid to his eyes and went to leave again. "Leave me alone." She sounded sad now, "Thought you were different now. Thought you might like me." She sighed, looking down, refusing to look at him now. "Thought you might…never mind."

He pulled her back and she still refused to look at him. "Thought what?" He asked. He had to know what she meant by that.

Her eyes looked up again and her eyes went to his lips again, she bit her own now. She didn't answer.

"Come on, Sammi, please, thought what?" Dane said eyes boring into her face, hoping it was what he hoped it was.

She sighed and her eyes never left his lips. "Thought you might love me again." She sighed sadly, ready to cry, "I never stopped loving you, Dane. You hurt me more than anyone ever has and I still loved you, even after all your crap!" She tried to get away, "Let me go."

"No." Dane said moving closer, taking her into his arms, and putting a hand to her trembling face. Her hazel eyes were afraid…but had love in them, too.

"Don't, please, don't! Don't kiss me. You'll just go away again." She begged, she didn't trust his kisses, he'd already proved they weren't trustworthy barometers of his feelings for her. "Your words lie, your kisses lie, but your actions haven't so far. So let's stick with those, shall we?"

He kissed her cheek anyway, wanting her lips but knowing she was right. He'd lied to her with kisses before, now he had to prove it. And he knew just how.

"Marry me. Marry me then I'll kiss you. Please Sammi?" Dane asked pulling off the royal seal ring and holding it out to her, "I mean it, please give me a chance? I won't hurt you again, promise!"

She stared at him for a while, seemingly forever. She touched his face and lips with fingertips and down his arms, to his hands, stroking his fingers softly. Another long moment followed and she sighed, afraid. "Yes, I'll marry you. Just wait to do the rest, okay?" She was afraid he'd change his mind again; she knew he changed his mind rather suddenly where marriage was concerned.

"Okay. The rest waits." Dane smiled happily, pulling her back inside so they could grab the bags and load the wagon to leave. He did kiss her cheek however and got a bigger smile for his trouble. He could get used to this.

Once back at the house, he offered." I could stay a little longer and then we could go to Father about the marriage, if you want to wait."

"Sounds good to me." Samantha smiled and took his hand.

"Not to me." A voice came from the shadows and they turned to see the King approach, smiling happily as well. "I want to know now."

Dane hugged his father while Samantha bowed to him now. King Bobby motioned her over. He hugged her as well.

Both the King and the Prince stayed for a couple weeks, helping her run the place, mucking and getting dirty then they all headed to the Castle. Where they were married and Dane finally got his kiss. He swore he'd never do that to her ever again. He couldn't believe he forgot her, shows how stupid he'd been. But still he wanted to speak to his father about this.

They had made it in time to be married on Christmas Eve, and it made it the best holiday ever!

He crept from the bed and joined his father in the kitchen, for a snack.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

He told his father everything and looked confused. "How could I just forget her? Doesn't seem like the type of thing one forgets, Dad."

His father understood. "Well, it happened like she said. You kissed her, proposed. Then you got nervous and drank. She was gone until the next day, her land is a day or two away, she must have pushed those horses to their endurance to get back to you that fast." His father grumped, "You unfortunately had succumbed to too much drink and fell into bed with the maid, one last free swing at bachelorhood, I guess." He shook his head at his son in disappointment for his actions. "She was looking everywhere for you. She was so happy to see you again! Then she found you with the maid and left. You pursued but came back depressed."

He looked at his son with compassion now. "You got Scarlett Fever soon after and were gravely ill. We thought you were going to die, son. When you survived, we were too grateful to have you back alive that we didn't get too upset when the physician said you had some memory loss. We figured it could have been worse so we didn't push it. We always felt bad about that, should have told you about Samantha."

"You mean you forgot because of that?" Samantha said softly from the doorway and they turned to see her sad face. "Not because you stopped…because you never…in the first place. You forgot you loved me because you got the Fever and almost died?" She came to stand by her husband now and he nodded unhappily.

"Wish you'd reminded me, Dad. This could have been avoided." Dane said but forgave the man instantly at his father regretful look now. "It's okay now but still…" He turned to her, eyes on hers full of regret of his own. "I was so sorry; I would have come and made it up to you if I'd remembered, honest."

"I know that now." She said and sighed, "I woke up and you weren't there, was so afraid you changed your mind about us again, sorry." She had to work on that trust issue, she really did. "I'll work on that trust thing, Dane, I promise."

Dane got up and took her hand, "Let's go back to bed."

"But I'm not tired now." Samantha objected, she was hungry though.

"I never said we'd be sleeping." Dane gave her a seductive look and she blushed then smiled, but let him pull her behind him, laughing. They both laughed now.

King Bobby went back to bed and smiled. He could already hear the pitter-patter of grandkid feet, especially if those two kept up this pace with their lovemaking. He chuckled.

His son may not have made a good knight; that much he already knew.

But he made a great husband and Prince.

King Bobby smiled still but drifted off, happy he'd had the sense to send an arrogant son to an unforgiving woman, and getting the grandkids he wanted in the end.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

King Bobby eventually succeeded the throne to Dane, happy to just be a grandfather and father.

Dane and Samantha ruled the kingdom fairly and enjoyed peace throughout it for many years.

They bore a son, named him Gabriel. Then war came.

Dane went to fight in it, leading his men bravely. He was killed in the final battle but they won the war and the kingdom was at peace again. Samantha ruled in his stead and raised his son to take his father's throne.

She slept every night in their bed and missed him beside her. She never got over the loss, always felt like half a person without him. Gabriel took the throne and she stayed on as advisor. She lived to old age and died then.

Dane met her in Heaven taking her to their Heaven, he'd missed her and been waiting so long for her. They made love and connected their souls again. Now she knew why she had felt like half a person, she had been. Without him, she was only a half, never whole; it was the same for him.

They lay in each other's arms and waited, knowing it would always be this way. Birth, life, death, rebirth. Reconnecting and finding each other in every lifetime they were born into. They were okay with that; They could always find each other.

It's what they were meant to do, after all.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

She sure put him through his paces,eh?

Good thing they got past that whole amnesia issue.

Please review if you liked it.