A/N: Thanks for your patience with this one. I've had a bit of writers block with this story. I hope you like this new addition!

Royal Residence, Kendell Hall, Kendell

Gil smiled and brushed a strand of Sara's hair back from her face. "Would you like to have dinner?"

Suddenly and unexpectedly hungry, Sara nodded. With the weight of telling him about her parents off her shoulders, she could feel more like herself again.

"Excellent." He pressed a button, and within moments, two servants appeared carrying trays of food.

Sara's eyebrows shot up. "That was quick."

Gil smiled slightly. "I told them we'd have dinner on the patio. They were prepared."

"Oh."

The women who had brought in their meal finished laying out the food, and stepped back from the table. Gil stood, holding out a hand to help Sara to her feet.

"Thank you," he said the servants as he led Sara to the table. "That will be all."

Nodding and bobbing curtseys, the two women left them alone. Sara gave Gil a teasing smile.

"What's this? A moment without the entourage?"

"They won't give me a moment's peace outside the residences," he said. "But, inside, I can find some solitude."

"That must be refreshing."

He shrugged. "I never thought of it like that."

"How do you see it?"

He looked down, then up again. "This is my life, Sara. It is what it is. It's all I've ever known. It's not something I see as an infringement upon my freedom. The guards are there for my safety. I can hardly argue with that."

"I suppose not," Sara agreed. "Does everyone in your family have the same security?"

"Well, that depends. My parents have even more, of course. Catherine has slightly less."

Sara frowned. "Why is that?"

"Part of it – the largest part – is that she is second in line to the throne. She is, as she always says, my back-up."

"So, you're more important than she is?" Sara asked, her frown deepening.

"From a royal family standpoint … yes."

Sara's eyes widened in horror.

"Don't look like that!" Gil said quickly. "It's not as terrible as I'm making it sound. Don't think for a minute that she's less loved or less admired. If anything, she is the face of our generation. She's the one who goes among the people, who is always working with charities, who had the lavish wedding, who shows off her daughter – she's the public princess in ways I can never be." He suddenly looked incredibly tired. "She's the one the country loves."

Sara reached across the table to take his hand. "I don't agree with that."

He looked up at her.

"I won't deny that she's well-loved," she said. "But, if no one in this country cared about you, I don't think they'd bother writing articles about you. You can't sell magazines if you're not a talking point, right?"

He smiled a very small smile.

"We both know I've never met your sister, so I can't speak to her personality. But, Gil, getting to know you as I am … after only a few days, I already can see what a wonderful person you are. You're intelligent, you have a heart of gold, you truly care – about everything! You care about your family, about your country, about your position …" She trailed off and blushed a deep shade of pink. "… I even think you care about me," she finished quietly.

He put his other hand over hers. "I do," he said, his voice hoarse. "I care about you very much."

Their eyes met, and, for a very long moment, neither of them looked away. Finally, embarrassed by the attention, Sara looked down. The spell was broken; they both reclaimed their hands to finish eating.

"So, Catherine has it easier?"

"She doesn't travel with as many guards as I do," Gil said. "She can, on occasion, go out without anyone other than Warrick and Lindsey."

"And, that's all because she won't have to be queen?"

He smiled. "That, as I said, is part of it. The other reason she can is … well … she's Catherine."

Sara frowned, bemused.

Gil's smile widened. "She won't stand for it. Father has always called her his little rebel – with good reason."

"But, you're not rebellious?"

"I'm a terrible older brother, I'm afraid. I've always followed the rules, and done as I was told. I never really broke my parents' rules to make things easier for her."

Sara smiled. "But, she did for you?"

He smiled back. "Yes. In fact, she is the reason that you and I are together right now."

"What do you mean?"

"She pushed me to break the rules," he said. "She talked me into following my heart – into calling you, into asking you out, into telling Mother and Father that I was going to keep seeing you …" He trailed off, realizing what he had said.

"They don't want you to see me." It wasn't a question; he had admitted as much.

"It's very … unusual for a member of the royal family to marry someone who isn't somehow connected to the crown … of some country."

"Oh," Sara said quietly.

"But, Sara, I don't really care anymore," he said. "Catherine helped me talk to them, and … I'm going to keep seeing you. They can deal with it."

Sara smiled. "I think I like this Catherine. I need to meet her."

Gil grinned. "She'd like nothing better."

"When can I meet her?"

"Soon," Gil said. "I want her to meet you before I have to talk to my parents about your family. I think she'll have a better idea of how to tell them than I do."

Sara blanched. "They won't take it well, will they?"

He shrugged, getting up from the table and leaving the empty plates behind. "Sara, the only reason my father is king today is because three hundred years ago, someone killed someone and became king. The lineage may have jumped once or twice because someone died without an heir, but the throne has been in my family since that day. No matter what historical kings managed to convince their subjects about being set upon the throne by God or some divine law, we all know that it was sheer brute force – both to gain the throne and to maintain it. What happened between your parents is the stuff my family history is made of."

She exhaled and gave him a shaky smile as she followed him to the edge of the patio. "All right."

He took her hand. "I want to do this," he said again. "But, if at any time, it's too much for you, just say the word, and I will let you walk out of this relationship. No questions will be asked."

She squeezed his hand and turned her face up to look into his eyes. "If you can take it, so can I."

He brushed her hair back from her face with his free hand. "You have beautiful eyes," he whispered.

She smiled. "So do you."

Smiling at her, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back ever so slightly to gauge her reaction. He looked at her closed eyes and serene face, and smiling again, dipped his head down to kiss her more thoroughly.

When the kiss ended, Sara looked up at him, her expression slightly dazed. He smiled at her.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Kissing a prince is amazing," she nearly whispered.

He shook his head. "Kissing you is amazing."

Sara's apartment, Downtown Wendelsburg

It was late when Gil took Sara home. She unlocked her door and looked up at him.

"Would you like to come in?"

Gil hesitated. Sara, realizing in an instant why he was hesitating, touched his arm.

"I'm not asking for a continuation of what we started on your sister's patio," she said. "I … want to let you into my life like you've let me into yours."

He smiled. "I don't want you to think that I don't want to continue what we started, I just …"

Sara smiled and opened her apartment door. "I don't jump into bed on the second date, either."

Gil followed her into her apartment. He took a moment to study it, looking around at her bursting bookcases, her thriving plants, her eclectic paintings, and her comfortable furniture. Feeling her eyes on him, he turned to her with a smile.

"It's nothing like your palaces," she said quickly. "And, it's the only home I have – all year long. I hope you're –"

"Sara," he said, grabbing her hand and stopping her flow of words. "It's perfect."

She stared at him. "No, the palace we just left is perfect. This is –"

"It's you," he interrupted. "The palaces where I've lived, the one where Catherine lives now – they don't in any way represent who we are. This …" He waved his hand to include the entire living room, "I can see your soul in this room."

She blushed. "I don't know what to say to that."

He smiled. "I've rendered you speechless?"

"It's been known to happen before."

Sara's ringing cell phone interrupted their conversation. She pulled it from her bag, looked at the name on the display and sighed.

"I'm sorry, but this is work. I need to take it."

"Go ahead."

She opened the phone and brought it to her ear. "This is Sara."

"Hi, Sara," Jim said. "I'm sorry to have to do this, because I know you didn't leave all that long ago, but I really need you back. Swing just connected their new case to one of the ones we were working last week."

"Okay," Sara said, shaking her head at Gil. "I can be there in an hour."

"Great. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Sara closed her phone and looked at Gil.

"What?" he asked.

"I have to go back in," she said. "Something about a new case that ties in with one I was working last week. Jim didn't give me any details – for all I know, we're looking at serial killer."

Gil's eyebrows shot up. "I certainly hope not."

Sara's eyes widened. "Oh, wait. Don't look like that! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry. I'm so used to talking to the guys at the lab that I forget that normal people don't throw words like that around the same way we do. I'm sure it's not a serial killer. Please don't panic or tell your parents or your security detail or the press or –"

"Sara." He caught her hands again in what was quickly becoming a familiar gesture. "I get it. Calm down."

She smiled. "Sorry. There are huge repercussions for talking about cases."

"You don't need to explain."

"I'm sorry, too, about having to cut our evening short."

"I'd imagine that things like this happen quite often in your line of work."

"More often than I'd like," she said. It was an easy phrase to say, one that she had said many times before. However, as she stood in her apartment with Prince Gilbert, she was struck by the knowledge that it was the first time she truly meant it.

"I'll go," he said, squeezing the hands he held in his. "I'm sure you need to get ready."

Sara nodded and walked with him to the door. "Wait," she said, grabbing his hand as he moved to turn the knob.

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Our next date – I want to plan it."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Please?" she said. "Let me show you who I really am."

"Okay," he agreed. "The thing is … I have security …"

"Give me Harold's number," she said. "I'll talk to him and make sure that everything meets his standards."

"What, I can't be your go-between?" he asked, already taking out his phone to find Harold's number.

"Nope," Sara said, her face lighting up with excitement. "This time, I want everything to be a surprise for you."

Gil gave her Harold's number, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For caring enough to plan a special day for us."

Sara grinned. "I think I deserve a better thank you kiss than that."

Grinning, Gil leaned down to give her her kiss.

Police Headquarters, Downtown Wendelsburg

"Hey," Sara said as she walked into the break room. "Lovely to see you all again so soon."

"Did you get some sleep?" Nick asked from his position next to the coffee maker.

"Nope," Sara said.

"Neither did I." Nick pulled another mug from the cupboard to pour Sara some coffee.

Greg looked at Sara for a moment, then grinned. "I know where you were!"

"Adding stalking to your resume?" Sara asked as she sat down across from him.

"You were with the Prince!"

Sara didn't even try to deny it; the deep red that started in her cheeks and spread to the roots of her hair gave her away.

"I can't believe you! What stunning place did he take you to today?"

"I don't really think that's any of your business."

"I disagree! He'll be my king someday; I have the right to know how he treats his dates."

"Leave her alone, Greg," Nick said, sitting down next to Sara and giving her one of the cups of coffee he was carrying.

"You're no fun," Greg said.

"Look," Nick said, "you're thinking of this all wrong. Stop thinking about the Prince, and start thinking about your friend. Sara's just met a new guy, and she's excited about her first couple dates with him, but unsure of where it's going. Don't you think we should be a little more supportive of her?"

"No," Greg said. "Because, it's not just any guy. It's Prince Gilbert. It's a big deal, Nick, and no matter what you say, that isn't going to change."

"I'd like this conversation to change, please," Sara said. "This is the reason I try not to tell you guys what's going on in my life!"

"Can't help it this time, darlin'," Nick said.

"Damn press," Sara said with a smile. "They ruin half our investigations, and now they're messing with my personal life!"

"Date a prince, become news," Greg said.

"Okay, people, let's get to work," Jim said as he came into the room. "I need everyone to get their evidence and case notes together on the B and E turned homicide in a supermarket from last week. And, be quick about it – the main players from Swing are meeting us here in thirty minutes."

As one, they stood and went to gather their evidence. Greg caught up to Sara easily as they walked down the hall.

"Seriously, Sara, I do have one question for you."

Sara stopped walking and turned to face him. The earnest expression on his face almost caught her off-guard. "Okay," she said slowly.

"How does he treat you?"

Sara smiled, the memory of Gil's kiss still warm on her lips. "Like a princess."

Greg grinned. "Then, live it up, and I'll leave you alone about it."

Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Well … for now, at least."