AN: Fair warning, this chapter is unbelievably cheesy. I don't really care though. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!


He and Riley had to talk. Wilt would be coming with them, of course, but Angus still had no idea how to bring up the idea that they completely disregard the wills of their parents - the rulers of the kingdoms no less - all in the sake of their own self interest. Neither one of them needed to marry for political advantage, so Angus didn't feel too guilty about it, but still. He knew Jack would back him up all the way no matter what, but that didn't make any of this easier. When Angus had told Wilt that he would support him marrying the princess instead, he hadn't thought about the conversation he would be forced to have with his father if it actually happened. Now that his grandfather had passed, there was no way that James could continue to ignore him. As much as Angus wanted his father's attention and love, maybe it was better to be ignored. The years following his mother's death had been filled with pain doled out by James, and it wasn't something that Angus was eager to receive again. When he had turned ten, James had finally stopped, but that meant that he no longer saw his father at all. The man had given any parental responsibilities to the duke, and Angus had scarcely seen the man since. He actively avoided Angus at all costs. Now, that wasn't possible.

"The initial conversation won't be that bad," Jack assured him, rubbing his shoulder. "If it's what the princess wants too, then the three of you talking will be okay." He knew Jack was right. Neither one of them wanted to marry each other. All they were really doing was addressing that fact.

"You're right, you're right," Angus sighed. "Let's go. I'm supposed to meet her for breakfast anyway." He started walking towards the door, with Wilt practically bouncing behind him. His valet was much too excited about this. He would be waiting right outside the doors to the dining area with Samantha, and would then join them upon the meal's completion.

Breakfast was enjoyable, as the two were friends and liked to spend time in each other's company, but Angus could tell there was something different about Riley. Maybe she had come to the same conclusion that he did, and was preparing to try to convince him that they should try to break it off as well. He wasn't expecting to get that lucky, but he could hope.

"You seem very happy this morning," he said, testing the waters in hopes she might say something about Wilt.

"I just had a wonderful dream last night is all," she replied with a shrug. "It's a shame that it is but a dream, but they're what keep life magical, realistic or not."

So she did have as wonderful a time with Wilt as he said. "What if it could be real? What if you had a lot of people helping you to make it real?"

Riley looked at him with hesitation on her face, as if she understood what he was trying to say, but was hesitant to believe it.

"Let's talk in private with Wilt after breakfast," he suggested. He didn't want to sound too forceful if Wilt had overestimated her interest in him.

"That would be great," she replied with a wide smile. Angus returned her smile with a grin of his own. It really would be amazing if they could pull this off. He took a glance back at Jack, who was standing by the door as always, a grin of his own on his face.

After finishing breakfast, Jack led Angus and Riley back to Wilt and Samantha, who were waiting down the hallway, engaged in some strange conversation about whether or not it would be possible to somehow launch someone above the castle walls without killing them. Angus could've ended their debate in about four seconds, but it was more fun to watch them argue as they failed to notice their appearance.

"Your Highness," Wilt said, wide eyed when he noticed the princess approaching him.

"It's okay, you can call me Riley when it's just us," she assured him with a smile. Wilt just smiled back at her like she hung the stars in the sky. Angus wanted to roll his eyes, but it was a little cute how smitten his friend was.

"Let's go somewhere a bit more private than a hallway," Samantha whispered, ushering them all down the hall and into a small conference room that looked like it hadn't been used in a while, judging by the layer of dust covering everything.

Jack and Samantha stepped aside a little bit, and as much as Angus understood why, he still ached for the assurance that Jack's closer presence provided.

Riley, Angus, and Wilt, all stood around looking at each other, wanting someone else to be the first one to speak. But how were they supposed to start? Angus opened his mouth to talk, but then thought better of it, bringing his fist up to rest against his mouth. Wilt just looked around, thin lipped and wide eyed. Riley was much the same.

"You all want the same thing, just start talking about it already," Jack muttered just loud enough to make sure that they all could hear him.

Angus smiled, but asked, "what if we just didn't get married?"

"Are you sure you're okay with talking about this right now?" Riley asked, catching his gaze. "I know you've been through a lot lately, and we can talk about this later if you'd rather. It's okay." She gave Angus a gentle smile, and he immediately knew that he had never met a kinder woman, except for maybe his own mother.

"I'm alright, but thank you," Angus replied, returning her gentle gaze. "We're not in love, but you and Wilt are, yes?"

Both Riley and Wilt immediately blushed and looked away, but Angus did not fail to notice that they were already holding each other's hands.

"Well..." Riley started, quickly trailing off as she took another longing glance at Wilt.

"Perhaps," Wilt said, never taking his eyes away from Riley.

"Then let's just not get married. We have to at least try," Angus continued with a shrug of his shoulders. He had always hated the idea of marrying someone he didn't love, and he was willing to fight for the right to marry a woman of his own choice.

"I would give up my crown to be able to marry the one I love," Riley said, taking a strong stance with her feet and words alike. "Why should those of royal blood be forced to marry people who are chosen for them while all commoners are allowed to marry whoever they wish? It's wrong, and I won't stand for it."

"And I would allow myself to be thrown in the dungeon in fighting alongside you," Wilt vowed, taking hold of both of Riley's hands, and looking into her eyes, making sure that she knew he was being as sincere as he could be. Angus had been on the receiving end of that sincerity many times throughout their friendship. When Wilt promised something, he always delivered, no matter what. Angus had more than his fair share of baggage, but Wilt had always been there to help him carry it, even though he didn't have to. Riley was lucky to have someone like Wilt to love her.

"Then it's settled," Angus said. "We're not getting married." He smiled at his friends, relieved that the conversation had been just as easy as Jack had said it would be.

"I told you it would be fine," Jack said, coming to stand next to Angus and slinging an arm around the blond's shoulders.

"I shall accompany you to tell the king and queen," Samantha added. Riley's face paled, and Angus could feel his own doing the same. He'd been so caught up in the relief that maybe he wouldn't have to get married just yet that he'd temporarily forgotten about the fact that Riley would have to bring this up to her parents, and Angus would eventually have to tell his father. Clearly, Riley was thinking the same thing.

"Well, yes, I suppose that is the next course of action, isn't it?" she asked with a forced smile. "I will request an audience with them as soon as possible. What about your father, Angus? Should you write him, or wait until he comes here, or what?"

Angus sighed. He had no idea what he was going to do. Writing him would be the best thing now, but that would only give his father's anger time to grow, and make his return home very unhappy. If he waited all the way until his father would join him at the castle of the House of Davis when it came time for the wedding - the wedding the wasn't going to happen - then he would likely be even more mad for having made the trip out in the first place. But how could he leave and go home, leaving Riley and Wilt here to deal with the fallout themselves? He couldn't. Any decision he made would be bad. Apparently, his fear could easily be read on his face.

"I'm gonna be there, no matter what," Jack assured him in a soft voice as he squeezed his shoulder. Jack knew all about everything that James had done to Angus before deciding to ignore his son entirely, and he knew the lasting effects it had on him. "I'm not gonna let you face him alone."

"Neither will I," Riley added in a strong voice. "I may not know your father, or your relationship with him, but I will not let you be in a position where you have to be alone. You're never alone, Angus." Riley stepped towards him and put a gentle hand on his arm with a smile.

"I follow the princess, so I will be with you too," Samantha said, taking a step closer.

"And you already know what I'm going to say," Wilt added with a smile.

"We're your family, and family means that no one is ever alone," Riley said, pushing past Jack to embrace Angus. It was unexpected - everything about this was unexpected, who was Angus kidding - but he returned her embrace with one of his own, quickly hiding his face in Riley's hair for a moment to hide the emotion he felt. He hadn't had a family like this since before his mother died. He had nearly forgotten what it felt like, to be loved this much. This wasn't what he had been expecting upon the announcement that he would be traveling to the House of Davis and marrying, but he wouldn't replace it for the world.


"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," King James said upon opening the doors of the conference room, his royal robes billowing out around him. He didn't sound the least bit sorry at all, but then again, Murdoc wouldn't have been either, so he couldn't fault the king for that, no matter how much he hated him. "What brings you here from the House of Davis?"

"Your Majesty, it's your son," he said, impressing himself with how easily the title rolled off his lips, despite his low regard for the man in front of him. But that was a gift of his lack of empathy: his easy ability to lie. "I'm afraid there's a problem with his bodyguard."

"What kind of problem?" the king asked, narrow eyed. "I selected Dalton myself, there shouldn't be any problems." And there it was. James was so sure of himself and his superiority that he found it impossible for anything of his mind to have fault. Even if the man hadn't been the reason his son was dead, Murdoc found himself knowing that he would likely hate the man anyway. However, he found all but two human beings he had ever met to be incredibly repulsive, so that really wasn't saying much.

"It seems the prince has grown overly attached to his guard, and I know there are strict rules prohibiting that in your kingdom. I have witnessed their relationship firsthand, and it seems to be one with an incredible bond that far exceeds any normal friendship, let alone the working relationship that a bodyguard should have with his charge," Murdoc said. He watched as the king rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he groaned. "You're right, we can't have that. I'll send a guard back with you that can replace Dalton for the time being while I find a suitable long term replacement. When you get back, please order Dalton to return here immediately." The king stopped, grabbing some parchment and a pen from the desk against the wall. He wrote something on it, folded it, and sealed it with his ring. "Give this to him. He can't refuse it without committing treason." He handed the paper to Murdoc, and turned to leave. "You will be shown out," he said, not even looking over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Murdoc couldn't help but chuckle. The king just made it so easy to hate him.

A palace guard quickly came to the room and escorted Murdoc out of the castle. He readied his horse to leave as slowly as he could. It would be easier if he and the new guard left at the same time. Thankfully, just as Murdoc was beginning to give up and decide on somewhere off the road he could wait and watch for the new guard, another man came towards him, horse in tow.

"You are the messenger from the House of Davis?" he asked. Murdoc nodded with a fake smile. "I'm Henry Fletcher. I'll be riding back with you," he said, extending his hand.

Murdoc accepted the hand. "Murdoc," he said. Fletcher looked slightly uneasy, but that was likely because almost everyone who ever spoke with Murdoc was slightly uneasy. Murdoc found it both flattering and a disgusting statement about humanity's innate fear of basically anything.

Less than five minutes later, they were leaving the castle, and less than an hour later, Fletcher was lying dead on the side of the road, stripped of his uniform. A pale horse rode away, its rider wearing the uniform, and accessorizing with a sadistic grin.