Catherine retrieves the folded letter from the back pocket of her jeans and hands it to Liam where he takes and anxiously unfolds it. His expression is concerned at first, but as he continues to inspect the paper, the color slowly drains from his face.

"Liam?"

He swallows hard, the letter now trembling in his hand. He stares at it for a few moments... his thoughts a mixture of shock and disbelief and then he looks at Catherine, struggling to speak... his voice becomes a broken line of words.

"C–Catherine, this is… it just can't be…"

"Liam… what is it?"

It suddenly becomes clear to Liam that this discovery is more significant than he could have imagined. He turns to Catherine and sees the overwhelming concern in her eyes. Not wanting to upset her further by his anger that threatens to spill over at any moment, he calms himself with slow, controlled breaths.

"This stationery… it's... it was my mother's."

Liam walks over to the sofa and sits, still holding the letter as he tries to grasp the meaning. Catherine follows and sits beside him. His thoughts a deluge of uncertainty, rage and fear as the realization sets in that this conspiracy is even closer than he thought. This is no longer a matter of interference from some unknown... by using his mother's personal stationery this confirms it has to be someone in the palace... a member of his own family even. They were riding under the radar this whole time... watching, waiting for the right opportunity to manipulate the situation. What if he'd never seen the letter? Their plan would have been carried out perfectly and the love of his life could have been lost forever. If his suspicions are correct, then the list of people involved has been narrowed significantly. Catherine places her hand on Liam's arm.

"You're mother's? But how do you know for sure?"

Liam turns the letter over in his hand to get a good feel of it, and then traces his finger along the edge. The handwriting was not one he recognized, but the stationery itself was distinct and he had seen it many times when he was a child... specifically in his mother's office where she would sit and write letters to her family. She often pulled out a few extra sheets for him to write to them as well... he remembers how it felt in his hands and how the specks of color gave it an old-world appeal.

"Positive… the weight, the color… I'd know it anywhere."

"So it's different from other stationery?"

Liam holds it up to the light at an angle, so she can get a closer look and points to a distinct spot.

"Do you see the color variation in this area?"

"Yeah, I see that... it looks like the letter 'V'."

"It is. It's the first letter of her name which is Victoria."

"So it was unique to her?"

"Yes. It was crafted explicitly with her in mind and when she passed, out of respect I suppose, they simply stopped producing it. Father even purchased all that was left... so there is no reason to believe anyone else would have it."

"But who has access to it? I mean, I assume it's kept somewhere at the palace."

"It's stored inside a locked desk in one of the offices, and the only key is in a hidden location... other than myself, there are only four people that even know about it."

Catherine notices the change in his demeanor, and even though she has a pretty good idea who those people are, she wants to hear it from Liam.

"Who?"

He looks at her, carefully studying her expression. She deserves an answer, but will knowing change the way she feels about him? Reluctantly, he responds.

"Well... Leo of course, and then Bastien, Regina... and my father."

"I don't think your brother had anything to do with it. I mean, he abdicated, so why would he care who you chose?"

Liam nods his agreement to that statement, but his thoughts begin to wander to the other three, and he remembers how his father had almost seemed proud when he told that he'd sent Catherine back to New York. Regina, on the other hand, wouldn't have agreed to bring her back so easily if she were behind it... and then there's Bastien... it's unlikely that he would act on his own… it would have been on orders from the king or queen... there is only one of those that stands out. Liam drops his head and sighs.

"Catherine, I know you have a lot of questions right now, as do I, but we will have to be careful with whom we trust this information to. We need to figure out our best course of action so that when we ask those questions, there will be no doubts about the answers. I don't want to leave anything to chance and put you in further danger."

"I get it... we need more information before we start throwing out accusations."

"Precisely."

She thinks to herself, 'Was I that wrong to think that I had been accepted…? Hmm... it did seem strange for Constantine and Regina to openly admit that they were looking forward to seeing me in the future… and then watch as Bastien threw me out of their home while doing nothing to stop it… Are they capable? Of course they are... but would they?'

"Who do you think might have done this?"

The answer to that is not something he is willing to divulge... at least not until he has more information. He can't bear the thought that she will worry even more by voicing his own suspicions, so he doesn't answer directly. Instead, he takes her hands in his and looks at her lovingly, giving her words of comfort.

"Catherine, we'll find out who's responsible. I promise you that. Until then… try not to let it worry you too much... You should be safe with the Beaumont's for the next few weeks until the tour starts, and in the meantime, I'll be doing my own investigation regarding the letter. When you return, I hope to have some answers."

He brings her hand up to his mouth, kissing the back of it tenderly as he smiles.

"These next few weeks are going to be difficult… but knowing you are safe... and that you'll be returning soon, that will see me through."

"I know it's only a couple of weeks, but… knowing you'll have to spend that time with Madeleine, it's just..."

"Catherine, I'm not happy with the arrangement myself, but it's only until we get some answers... you should know that I'll be thinking of you every single minute of every single day that we're apart…"

"Liam..."

He leans in, cupping her face with both hands and kisses her tenderly. She closes her eyes and sighs contentedly, getting lost in the embrace… then he slowly pulls away and smiles. He reaches inside a pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small object, holding it in his fisted palm. Catherine smiles curiously.

"What's that?"

He takes her left hand in his, looking at her lovingly and smiles. Without breaking eye contact, he slips a ring onto her finger... a brilliant red, oval cut ruby, protected by a halo of flawless diamonds. She gasps in surprise.

"Oh Liam... it's beautiful... but I thought..."

"It's not exactly the ring I planned to place on your finger tonight, but my hope is that in some small way, it will give you comfort... and serve as a reminder that my love for you is as genuine as this ruby."

"It's lovely Liam, but something tells me it's not just any ring..."

"Ahh, beautiful and smart... Yes, it is a special ring that belonged to my mother... I can think of no one else worthy enough to wear it..."

"Oh Liam... that means the world to me. Thank you."

"You are my world Catherine and I won't let a day go by without you knowing that... so when you wear this ring, I want you to think of it as my promise for the future… our future."

She leans in and kisses him deeply… he wraps her in the warmth of his arms and holds her tight as though he'll never let go. After a few blissful moments, reluctantly they part as he rests his forehead against hers.

"I don't know how I'll ever get through these next few weeks without being able to hold you... to touch you."

"I feel the same way about you..."

He kisses her one last time, passionate and longing... then they both rise from the sofa and head to the door. Liam smiles, a bittersweet expression on his face.

"Stay safe my love... until I see you again."

After leaving Drakes cabin, Catherine and Maxwell make it back to the Beaumont mansion without incident. Liam on the other hand, is not so fortunate. When he and Drake arrive back at the palace, they both realize their departure hadn't gone completely unnoticed.

"Man, this doesn't look good..." Drake says nervously.

Before the vehicle comes to a complete stop at the service entrance, Leo hastens to reach them. Liam can see the concern in his eyes and he cautiously exits the car.

"What's going on Leo?"

"Well, I couldn't hold off the old man any longer… he knows you and Drake left the palace earlier."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him you probably wanted to get shit-faced after that fiasco at the Coronation and getting engaged to the she devil."

"What?"

"Don't worry. He didn't buy it. He said I'd be the one most likely to do something like that… not the golden child."

"He didn't say that…"

"Not in so many words, but I knew that's what he meant. Anyway, I just wanted you to be prepared for his interrogation… he can be quite insistent you know. Even if you are the king, he'll still find a way to browbeat it out of you."

"Well, I'm afraid he will be disappointed by the outcome this time. He's not exactly in any position to question me, or anyone else for that matter… especially not after what he did."

"Hmm… you have peaked my curiosity little brother. I think I could use a drink…I've got to hear this…"

Leo turns to Drake.

"Drake, you're more than welcome to join."

"Any other time I'd say yeah, but I'm beat... so I think I'm gonna call it a night."

Liam claps Drake on the shoulder.

"Thanks for everything Drake. I mean that."

"Hey, don't mention it. G'night."

Leo takes Liam by the shoulder and they abscond down the hallway and into a deserted part of the palace where they sit and drink while Liam tells him about everything that's happened… and how he suspects their father orchestrated the whole thing.

"Damn! I always knew he had a dark side, but this almost borders insanity. What possessed him to think it was okay to control people's lives that way? He definitely crossed the line… so what are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do Leo… I'll have to confront him."

"That may just be reason enough for me to stay a few more days. If he's capable of plotting against his favorite son, who knows what else he's got planned. And you may need some brotherly backup."

"Come off it Leo. You know father manipulates us equally…"

They both burst out in laughter and for Liam, it is a way to relieve some stress. He usually refrains from saying things against his father, but maybe tonight it was warranted… and for once, he doesn't feel the least bit guilty.

"Now that was a good one, brother… All jokes aside though, I'll be here if you need me. It'll be interesting to see how father explains his way out of this."

At about half past midnight, both Leo and Liam decide to call it a night. Liam makes it to his room without incident and then drifts off into a restless sleep.

The next morning, feeling the effects of the last twenty-four hours, he slowly rolls out of bed and sits on the edge a few minutes to get fully acclimated. Finally, he makes his way to the shower. Once finished, he is getting dressed when he hears a knock on his door.

"Here we go."

He opens it to find Bastien.

"Good morning Your Majesty. Your father has summoned you to his study."

"Tell him I'm on my way."

Liam shuts the door and retrieves the letter from the pocket of the jacket he'd worn the night before. Armed and ready, he heads to his father's study. His heart is racing as he approaches the door and he takes a deep breath and enters.

"Good morning father. You wanted to see me?"

Constantine sits behind his desk with a condescending expression, but this does not intimidate Liam… not one bit.

"Yes. Have a seat."

Constantine gestures to one of two chairs in front of his desk. Liam sits in the other one. Constantine raises an eyebrow at this sudden show of defiance from his youngest son.

"What can I do for you father? I have a tight schedule today."

"I understand you left the palace last night after the party."

"That is correct."

Liam doesn't offer further explanation. If his father wants to know more, he's going to have to work for it.

"You have some explaining to do, don't you think?"

"No. I think you're the one with some explaining to do…"

By now Constantine is frustrated with Liam's behavior and he abandons decorum at this point.

"I don't appreciate your tone… And if this has anything to do with that American tr-"

"I would advise you to stop right there. You will not disrespect Catherine in my presence!"

"I would consider your behavior quite disrespectful as well. I am your father after all. What's gotten into you Liam?"

Liam takes the letter from his jacket and unfolds it. He faces Constantine with a menacing glare.

"You would be so bold as to talk about respect? After what you've done?"

As soon as he sees what Liam is holding, his demeanor changes dramatically. He looks at Liam and sees a rage that he has never seen before and suddenly realizes this was probably not the best idea.

"But how did… what… what is that?"

"You know exactly what it is… It's a letter, written on mother's stationery… a letter you sent to Catherine last night warning her to leave Cordonia! I already know it was you so don't bother to deny it…"

Constantine becomes nervous, but Liam isn't finished yet.

"How could you do such a thing…? And why? I know you leaked those photos as well... but what was your motive father?"

At this point Constantine knows he can't deny his involvement any longer… the letter alone was a dead giveaway, but he never expected Liam to have possession of it. And honestly, it's been eating at him for a while now, so he resolves to just put everything out in the open.

"It's true and I'm not proud of what I did, but… Our kingdom is small and that alone makes us vulnerable. Any sign of weakness brings with it an opportunity for extremists to abolish what we have worked so hard to preserve. I knew when I retired, I was putting a heavy burden on your shoulders… and with my illness, I wouldn't be able to protect you in the event of a rebellion."

"That all sounds perfectly reasonable father, but it still doesn't explain why you felt the need to destroy Catherine's reputation… and honestly, I don't think you can justify it."

"I knew you were going to choose Lady Catherine to be your queen… and even though she has proven to be resilient and resourceful, it's still not enough to ensure that you won't lose crown… or even your life Liam."

"But why Madeleine?"

"She has spent her whole life preparing for the role of queen, and I felt that by choosing her, it was a show of stability. I had to eliminate Lady Catherine and Lady Olivia, by whatever means necessary. It wasn't personal…"

"It was personal to me! You deliberately sabotaged Catherine's reputation… I was going to propose to her last night father… You had no right to control that aspect of my life… regardless of what it meant for the crown! I'm going to fix this… I don't yet know how, but you are going to assist."

"I don't think-"

"I'm not asking father… As your monarch, I am commanding you to help in any way you can."

Liam stares at his father for a long moment, unflinching, until finally Constantine resolves to offer his assistance.

"Very well… but admitting my involvement would shake the Cordonian people's faith in their rulers. Past and Present… so to set things right you must find Tariq and have him make a statement. Even I don't know of his current location. After the… incident, I encouraged him to leave Cordonia, and I've had no contact with him since. I will enlist the services of the King's guard to help in finding him. I just hope my fears are proven wrong."

With his father's confession, Liam can put to rest his fear over Catherine's safety. That is one obstacle out of the way, but now he is going to have to start this engagement tour on the pretense of an impending marriage to Madeleine. It doesn't seem fair to her, but she knows that if an opportunity arises for Catherine to clear her name, Liam won't hesitate to break their engagement.

At the Beaumont estate, Catherine wakes up to a knock on her door. Maxwell walks in with a verbal itinerary for the day.

"Rise and shine little blossom. It's time for the master to show you a few moves."

After breakfast, Maxwell and Catherine's time is spent learning a quick step routine. Maxwell is a very patient coach, but Bertrand is always there to remind her that her quick step is… well, not so quick.

"You could be a little more encouraging Bertrand."

"I'm not here to indulge your ego Lady Catherine. Now again… from the top."

At the end of her lessons, she feels confident with the progress she has made.

"So, what do you think Bertrand? Am I ready for the ballroom yet?"

"Your performance is… sufficient. Now, you should get some rest because tomorrow, we will be learning about wine tasting."

"I just hope my liver can withstand it."

Bertrand scowls and without a word, he turns and walks away. Maxwell tries to offer encouragement.

"Don't mind him Catherine. I think you're more than ready for the ballroom."

"Thanks Maxwell. At least somebody appreciates the effort."

That night, after her bath, she falls into bed exhausted. For a few moments though, her mind wanders to Liam… missing him, but hoping his day has been good. The last thing she sees before turning off the light is the ruby ring he gave her last night. She smiles, thinking he must really love her if he would give her something so exquisite… and something that belonged to his mother… a woman he cherished.

After leaving his father's study, Liam heads to the dining room for breakfast. When he arrives, Leo and Drake are the only ones there.

"Good morning you two."

"Well, it would appear that my brother is in good spirits this morning. What gives?"

"I suppose you could say it started off rather productive."

Leo raises an eyebrow as Drake chimes in.

"I'm guessing this is about a particular... female."

Liam smiles. "You could say that."

"Drake and I were just talking about your… dilemma. Have you had a chance to address that yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. It appears that my suspicions were correct and while I'm still unhappily engaged to Madeleine, it would seem that my concern for Catherine's safety is no longer an issue."

"Well at least that's one obstacle out of the way. So what are you going to do about the other one?" Drake asks.

"That one is going to require a bit more time to resolve. We have to find Tariq in order for him to give a statement and no one seems to know where he is."

"So he's no longer in Cordonia?" Leo asks.

"After the photos were taken, father asked him to leave. I suppose it was to ensure the plot would proceed without difficulty. But Bastien is handling the investigation and I'm confident we can find him quickly."

"Have you told Beckham yet? She'll want to know."

"Good point Drake. I need a way to communicate with her so that the press doesn't get wind of it and the only thing I came up with is an untraceable phone… but I certainly can't be seen buying one."

"I'll take care of that for you brother."

"Oh, are you sure you don't mind?"

"Hey, I said I'd stay and help, so… consider it my contribution."

"I'll go with you. I'm sure Liam's going to be busy the rest of the day anyway."

"Well alright then. Maybe you can show me that cabin I've heard so much about."

"Yeah, and maybe we can do a little fishing while we're there."

"While you two are gallivanting around town, I'm going to be stuck at a luncheon with council to go over the legal aspects of this… engagement. I'd much rather go fishing."

That afternoon, Liam and Madeleine head to the venue for the luncheon with council. In the limo, Madeleine is busy making an itinerary for the next several days, while Liam is on his phone checking e-mail and answering texts. Madeleine decides to make small talk.

"What are your plans after this luncheon?"

"Huh? Oh… I'm not sure. Do we have anything scheduled?"

"Nothing that I'm aware of, but you and I should have dinner tonight… maybe go over a few ground rules."

"Ground rules? What do you mean?"

"I swear Liam, you sound just like her… Look, if this engagement is going to work, you're going to have to distance yourself from her. Now, I don't mind a little tryst here and there, but we have to keep up appearances."

"You need not worry about appearance, Lady Madeleine. I assure you that your reputation will remain intact… And as for Catherine, I agreed to this arrangement on the premise that I maintain my relationship with her. You should not presume that you will dictate the terms of that agreement. On this point, I will not negotiate."

"Be that as it may, we will be married soon and there should be at least some form of respect given to each other."

"We're not married yet…"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, we're not married. You might control every aspect of your life to a T, but you will not control mine. Not now, and not ever."

"You're not really planning to marry me are you?"

"Lady Madeleine, I will not get into a war of words with you, but I will tell you this… if there is even a remote possibility that Catherine can clear her name, I assure you I will not hesitate to celebrate that victory by proposing to her... the way I should have last night. She is now and will always be, the love of my life and I won't let her go again. Not for you, the crown… for anyone."

"So you're just using me until she clears her name?"

"Enjoy the ride while it lasts… that's all I'm going to say."