A/N: I don't own anything but the concept. Also I want to give a huge thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed this story. I am overwhelmed at how many people like this story. I really thought that I would be the only one. Anyway I hope that everyone likes this chapter.

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"The princess has turned down another prince." Queen Rita said walking into the throne room. Her husband King Zedd, son Prince Mesogogg, and Captain of her guard Goldar were the only ones in the throne room. Since it was near the evening meal everyone else was in the dining hall.

"So what's new? Princess Kimberly has turned down every prince and then some." Prince Mesogogg said leaning against the archway. "All I want to know is when I can travel to Angel Grove to marry her."

"She still has time." Goldar said leaving the room. He had evening movements to direct.

"Yes she does and according to our spies, she is awaiting the Prince of Phadoes. Queen Carolina thinks that this one will be different." King Zedd said leaning back on the throne.

"Phadoes? I guess Carolina is scraping the bottom of the barrel now." Rita said with a smile. "We won't have long to wait now." She said rubbing her hands together.

"Sire?" A servant called from the door.

"Yes?" Zedd asked while standing. Most of the servants were scared of him because he ruled with an iron fist. The staff he carried had been used to beat more than one servant.

"Your evening meal is ready." She said as he nodded. She quickly made her way of the room and back to the kitchens. It had been her luck of the draw to inform the royal family tonight about their meal. Last night the maid had come back with a black eye because she had interupted them while they were discussing army movements.

"I suggest that our son makes a trip to Angel Grove in a few weeks' time. It should give the princess plenty of time to turn down the Prince of Phadoes." Zedd said as Rita nodded. They made their way to the dining hall all just a little bit happier. Mesogogg walked one step behind his parents and formed his own plan. He didn't want to chance the princess accepting the Crown Prince of Phadoes so he would be leaving in the morning to journey to Angel Grove. He would be the only one marrying Princess Kimberly.

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Kim eased back into the palace. She was later than she thought she would be. Running down the back passage, she made it to her room in record time. It was a good thing that she could dress fast because she had talked to long at the orphanage. Reaching around, she undid the buttons on her gown and had it lowered to the floor in ten seconds. She then grabbed the bright pink ball gown that her mother had commissioned for her when they learned that someone from Phadoes would be traveling to the palace and placed it over the folding screen. Since no one was actually in her room, she didn't bother with getting behind the screen to change.

She also untied the pantaloons and chemise and got fresh ones. Why hadn't she left sooner? Tying her pantaloons, she grabbed her chemise and slid it over her head before grabbing the ball gown. Shaking it out, she stepped into it and raised it up. She did up the buttons in the back with a lot of twisting and turning but she did get it done with seconds to spare.

"Princess?" A maid asked after knocking on the door.

Kim took a breath. "I'm ready." She called out. Her heart was pumping fast from her quick change but at least she was done on time.

"Oh Princess, you look so pretty." The maid said stepping inside the room.

"Thank you Emily. Is everyone downstairs already?" She asked walking toward the young girl. Emily and Mia were the newest maids in the palace. They were the younger sisters of Katherine and Trini.

"Yes ma'am but only just." She said as Kim nodded before opening her chamber door and heading down stairs. Emily smiled as she closed the princess' door before heading down the back way. She would help the kitchen staff tonight with the meal.

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"Glad to see you make it back in time." Jason said as Kim walked up beside him.

"Hey I made it before they called for dinner." She whispered as she looped her arm through his. Since he was the Captain of the Guard now, he would escort her into any function of the palace. She looked over to Trini and saw that Rocky's younger brother was her escort. Connor was just like his older brother in that they both loved to laugh and pull pranks. They both had a serious side though which always threw her when it peaked through.

"Barely." Jason muttered as she smiled. "How many stories did you read to the children today?" He asked as they walked over to Jason's parents.

"Only a few." She whispered before stopping in front of his parents.

"My dear you are looking more beautiful every day." Jason's mom, Alicia said kissing each of Kim's cheeks.

Smiling, "I'm not sure about that but I am happy to see you." Kim stated as Jason's father bowed over her right hand.

"Princess, it was an honor that we could not pass up." James said straightening. Kim laughed as the dinner bell was ringed. "Now Jason don't embarrass the family, walk Kimberly into the room like a man." His dad said as Kim looked away. She wanted to smile but knew that it would make Jason mad. His dad was something else and she loved him almost as much as her own father. He had been with her family for so many years that he was more family than not.

"Yes dad." Jason said guiding her to the dining room. They would enter behind her parents then everyone else would line up according to their titles. The only one that this didn't apply too would be Jason's parents. They would enter behind her and Jason since they were considered part of the royal family. Jason's dad was only a Baron but he was highly favored at court.

"You know that he just wants you to relax, right?" Kim whispered as they walked through the dining room doors.

"He has a funny way of showing it." Jason sighed. "Its just that some of the nobles didn't like that I was chosen Captain over Carter or even Andros. They felt that I was only chosen because of my family's close relationship with the crown." He said as she nodded.

She didn't show any reaction to his news since she kind of figured that part out. She wasn't sure why some of the nobles wanted Carter or Andros because frankly they were not as seasoned as Jason. It was just that their fathers were Dukes unlike Jason's. Everyone forgot that Jason was the only male heir to the largest dukedom in the kingdom. His uncle Ernie had never married and had chosen Jason as his heir. Ernie was a simple man and one that Kim loved. It was because of him that Jason and Trini had been able to get married. Trini's father was an Earl and he didn't want his little girl to marry the son of a Baron so Ernie showed up and had a talk with him and they were married a month later. It also helped that Kim was in favor of the marriage.

"Jason, have you talked to them about this?" She asked as he pulled out her chair at the table.

"No and don't you. I am just ignoring it at the moment but if it becomes a problem then I will address it." He said as she sat down. Her parents were already seated at the head of the table and all the others took their seats. She thought about what Jason had said and wanted to act but he had asked her not too. She would do as he asked but if she saw a problem then she would address it. Jason was the only choice as Captain of the Guard as far as she was concerned. He had paid his dues for longer than anyone else.

"Okay." Kim said as she looked over at Princess Hayley. She was in a green dress which made her red hair glow. If Kim would have had a brother then he would have led the princess into the dining room but Jason's cousin, Jayden got that honor. He was Jason's dad younger brother's only son. Jayden was like Jason with all the loyalty to the crown and pride in his family. "Jayden is becoming a man. I remember him chasing me pulling on my pigtails." Kim whispered as Jason smiled.

"I did tell him to stop that because you were the princess but he said that you were only a girl." Jason informed her as she held back a laugh.

"Well I'm pretty sure that he likes girls now." Kim commented as Jason looked at her.

"What does that mean?" He asked looking serious again.

"Oh nothing only that I'm pretty sure that likes Emily." She whispered. "Don't question him about it though. He doesn't know that I know." She said as he nodded.

"Alright, I won't question him but I will watch him closely. He doesn't need to hurt Katherine's younger sister." He stated as Kim held in her laughter. Jason was being serious and she didn't need to hurt his feelings.

"What do you think about Princess Hayley?" She asked turning the subject.

"She's quiet but nice. Trini likes her along with the other girls." He stated.

"Trini likes everybody." Kim muttered as one of the nobles asked her a question. "Oh no sir, I will not be marrying Prince Gasket. It seemed that we did not share any interests." She said as everyone listened in.

"What interests?" Another one of the nobles asked.

"Harold, Prince Gasket is now engaged to Princess Archenia. He realized that she wanted to marry him so he agreed that he should not marry Princess Kimberly." Carolina said as everyone nodded. She wanted them to assume that Prince Gasket was in love with his princess and that his leaving had nothing to do with Kimberly.

"You know I feel sorry for her, Prince Gasket was a jerk." Kimberly whispered to Jason.

"Well just so you know, the guys and I had decided to not let you marry him. He wasn't your type." Jason whispered back as their second course was set before them. The rest of the dinner was a strain on Kimberly because apparently the nobles had wanted to know if she would choose a husband or just settle down with Prince Mesogogg. She stayed mostly silent on the matter but she couldn't help but think about Tommy. If she allowed herself, she could love him but he wasn't a prince and therefore wasn't a choice for her.

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Kim opened her eyes the next morning and knew that she had to clear her mind. She had dropped the captain subject with Jason because he had started to get tense and she didn't want his first royal dinner as Captain to reflect badly on him. She almost wished that someone would have dropped the subject of her getting married to spare her but that didn't happen. Stretching, she got out of bed. Peeking around the fur she smiled. It was a good morning for a ride. She released the fur and walked over the chest at the foot of her bed. It was early enough that no one would see her so she pulled out the britches that she had stored there and one of her oldest dresses.

Ten minutes later, Kim made her way to the stables through the side door. The smell of horse flesh had her sighing, she loved that smell. Turning to the right, she saw Crane waiting for her in her stall. "Hey baby, are you ready to ride?" She asked opening the stall. Crane was a big black mare that Kim had gotten as a fifth birthday present. Crane had been born the morning of Kim's birthday and since Kim had been wanting a horse, her father gave her Crane.

She grabbed the tack and saddled Crane before leading her out of the stall. She hadn't ridden the South fields in a while so that's where she headed. The dew was still on the grass as the sun peaked above the horizon. It was the perfect time of day and one that she enjoyed as much as possible. Most everyone was still abed except for a few. The animals were still asleep. She galloped through the South field until she came to the lake.

The sun's rays were touching the very edges of the lake casting it red hues. It was then that she saw someone else on horseback and they were coming toward her. The horse was unlike she had seen. The stallion was solid white including the main and tail. The rider was a part of the horse as they ate of the path toward her. Her breath caught when she realized that the rider was Tommy.

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Sky watched the prince ride around the lake as he tried to make something for them. He was not a cook so the prince was not getting the food that he would have gotten from the palace. Looking up he saw another rider approach from the opposite side. The rider was slight of build so it had to be one of the stable hands. He had seen them the other morning on the black mare too. The prince rode over to the stable hand but Sky didn't worry that it was a trap. The prince could easily take the stable boy without breaking a sweat.

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Tommy rode towards the rider but was shock when he noticed that it was the princess. What was she doing out here? "Princess?" He called out as he closed in on her.

"Tommy, I see that you ride." She said looking from him to his horse. "I must say that he is a beauty." She stated.

"Yea well he knows it but I don't think I have ever seen a mare that shade of black before." He said as she nodded. "His name is Saba by the way."

"Saba, it fits him. This is Crane and believe it or not her mother was almost a shade darker than her. I think its more with the glean on the black that makes the difference." She explained.

"Most likely, where are your guards, princess?" He asked looking around her.

"Asleep, I would imagine. Don't worry most people are still abed at the this time but its my favorite time." She said with a smile. "I mean it's the perfect time of day and one that I hardly ever miss." She explained.

"Really and no one has noticed that the princess is gone?" He asked smiling at her.

Oh man she thought, his smile made her lost her train of thought. Focusing she spoke, "No but then they think that I'm still in bed."

"What about breakfast when you are not there?" He asked easing Saba closer.

"I miss breakfast almost every morning so that's not a problem." She said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The wind had picked up a little as the sun rose higher in the sky.

"Well I better let you get back so that no one discovers your secret." He said still smiling.

"No worries there but I will be going to the orphanage today if you would like to escort me." She said as he nodded. Turning her horse, she galloped back to the palace.

Tommy watched her with a smile on his face. Princess Kimberly was really destroying all his previous convictions about her. She read to children out of the court's sight and now she rode like a pro. Crane was a beautiful mare but not as beautiful as her owner.

It was such an odd name for a horse. It reminded him of the old story that his mother used to tell Hayley when she was little. It was something about a falcon and crane. He had never heard of anyone else knowing the story but with her horse's name Crane, he bet that Princess Kimberly knew of the story and loved it.

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Kim rushed into her room. She had to quickly change and get downstairs. Her mother had seen her in the hall and reminded her that breakfast would be in a few minutes and that Princess Hayley was already downstairs.

Talking with Tommy at the lake put her behind by the time that she had gotten back to the stables. Ryan had watched her walk Crane back inside while T.J. and Carlos met her at the stall. They had been worried about her horse being gone since she had not told anyone that she was taking her out. She handed Crane over then so that they could brush her down then turn her out in the bottom pasture to graze. Ryan had then spoken with her about leaving with no guards and that when she was on her horse he was responsible for her safety. She apologized before he finally let her leave.

Stepping into her morning dress, she quickly ran her hand through her hair and pinned it up. Huffing, she opened her door and regained her composure before heading to the dining room for breakfast.

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Hayley wondered if Kimberly would be down for breakfast in time since apparently the princess ate in the kitchen more than the dining room for breakfast. She wasn't sure what to think about Kimberly since she really hadn't spent any time with her. She wasn't sure if the princess was right for her brother.

Tommy deserved a one of a kind wife who shared his likes and dislikes. Kimberly seemed like more a carefree princess but her brother was serious and took his role as Crown Prince like the man he was.

The servants start serving breakfast as Kimberly walked into the room. She looked refreshed and ready to take on the day. Hayley still wondered where she had disappeared to yesterday. It seemed like no one knew or at least didn't tell her where the princess had gone.

"Princess Hayley, I do hope that you slept well." Kimberly said sitting down across from her.

"I did, thank you." Hayley said with a smile. The princess was nice and looked beautiful in her pink morning dress.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Kimberly asked as her parents talked among themselves at the head of the table. It was one reason that Kimberly didn't want to eat with them. They rarely had time to be alone and she wanted to give them all they could get even if it meant eating in the kitchen.

"No, not that I know of, would you like to discuss any plans between my brother and you?" She asked as Kim shook her head.

"I want to take you somewhere but I would like to ask you some questions about your brother." Kim said.

"Where?" Hayley asked.

"Well that part is the surprise but don't worry you will like it." Kim said with a smile.

"If you say so." Hayley said with a smile as she finished eating her breakfast.

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"Kimberly where are your plans for today?" Jason asked as she was walked out of the dining room.

"Just this and that, why?" She asked as Hayley walked past her to get ready for their outing.

"That is not the answer, I wanted. I need to know if I need to join you or just send Rocky with you." He said as she sighed.

"I'm going to the orphanage and taking Hayley with me so Rocky will be fine." She stated as he nodded. "You do know that I am the Crown Princess." She stated with her hands on her hips.

"Yes and as such you need more protection, if you remember that you have been kidnapped once." He reminded her as she nodded. "Rocky will be waiting for you." He said before leaving her standing there. Kim shook her head and smiled. Jason was only looking out for her and he was doing a good job.

"Princess, you look beautiful this morning." Zordon said from behind her.

"Where have you been? You were not at dinner last night." She said turning to face him.

"In my chamber, I have been trying to find a way for you to get out of the marriage contract." He said as she nodded.

"Any leads?" She asked as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I still have several books to go through. Don't lose faith." He said as Hayley came down the stairs. "Princess Hayley." He said before walking away.

"You know he sort of scares me a little." She said with a smile.

"I think he scares a lot of people but he has been with the family since before I was born. He has taken good care of me too." Kim said as she opened the doors. "Anyway let's go, I think that you are going to like this." She said as Hayley walked out before Kimberly.

"Oh." Hayley said after she bumped into Rocky.

"Princess Hayley, this is Rocky. I believe that you met him last night but I know that with all the names that were thrown out, it would be hard to remember." She said as Hayley nodded.

"Its nice to meet you again, Princess Hayley." Rocky said bowing over her right hand.

"Its nice to meet you too." Hayley said with a smile.

Laughing, Kim led them out of the palace walls to the path to the orphanage.

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Tommy saw the princess and started towards her until he saw his sister and another guard with them. He also saw that Hayley's guards were easing up behind them. Hayley turned and he moved back and hoped that she didn't see him. Syd also looked over to him but he knew that she saw him. It was in the nod that she gave him.

"You realized that my future wife just saw you right?" Sky asked him.

"Yea but at least she won't tell Hayley for the moment." He said as Sky nodded.

"I think that you need to tell the Princess that you are the Crown Prince before she hears it from someone else." He said as Tommy sighed.

"I know but now its going to be hard to tell her because she will want to know why I didn't tell her the first time we met." Tommy stated turning away. Since his sister was with Kimberly he would not join them but he would keep watch.

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Okay so what did everyone think? Please let me know. The next chapter should be out soon.