All right. So as I promised...anyway, thanks for reviewing, Gage the Hedgehog, Elizabeth Fire Ice Heart, and Bloodylilcorpse.

Duncan's blue eyes looked directly into Courtney's dark ones. "Princess...Courtney," he corrected himself, "I wanted to ask you. Are you happy here?"

Courtney wasn't sure how to answer, if she was honest. She still wanted to fulfill her dreams, but yet, in a way, she felt like she would be content to live in the castle forever. But still...

"Yes." she admitted. "But..."

"What is it?"
"Bridgette." the brunette murmured. "I miss her so much. I just wish I could see her again."

Duncan paused. But then, he got up, touching Courtney's hand briefly in an affectionate gesture. "There is a way. Wait here." In two minutes, he returned, holding a small mirror.

"I know this may sound nuts," he admitted, "But this mirror is magical. Ask it to show something, and it will."

Courtney frowned, but what did she have to lose? She took the mirror.

"Show me Bridgette." As she spoke, the mists in the mirror cleared and Courtney gasped at the image on there. Bridgette was draped over the front seats of what looked like their car, clearly weak from exhaustion and lack of food. She wasn't asleep as much as she was unconscious. She had passed out, although it looked as if she'd been able to switch off the engine first, luckily. And the car was in the wood surrounding the castle.

Duncan saw the panic on Courtney's face. "Is she all right?"

"No." Courtney said. "She's...I think she's exhausted. She's ill, and I think she's in the woods here, trying to find the castle. She needs me!"

Duncan hesitated. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. But slowly, he heard himself speak. "Then go to her."

Courtney stared at him. "What-"

"I'm letting you go. If you're worried about the coyotes, I do have a motorbike at the back, but they shouldn't be out for another two hours."

Courtney managed a smile. "Thanks," she managed, "For knowing how important she is." She went to give the mirror back, but Duncan refused it.

"You should take it." he said, lingering hope on his words. Maybe, if she could see him but not talk to him, she'd realize that she loved him too. But even when she left, giving him a kiss on the cheek before running to get water and food before going to find her sister., the spell wasn't broken. He had strong feelings for Courtney, which she had for him, but somehow, it wasn't enough. She didn't know if she loved him. And there were only a few petals left on the rose. He had a month at most.

It didn't take Courtney long to find her car, and Bridgette in it. She hadn't been far away from the castle when she'd collapsed. The car had just enough gas to get them home. But the first thing she did was wake Bridgette, insisting that she drink some water.

"Wha?" the younger girl mumbled.

"Hush." Courtney said gently. "Just drink something, and we'll be back home soon."

It was about ten hours before Bridgette came to completely. By that time, she was lying in her bed at home, finally feeling more alert. Even so, Courtney handed her a glass of water and a plain slice of toast when she woke up. Only after she'd downed them both did her brain register what was happening.

"Courtney!" She threw her arms around her older sister. Courtney hugged her back, tightly.

"I missed you so much!" Bridgette said, almost in tears.

"I missed you too." Courtney said. "But what were you thinking, trying to find me again? You shouldn't have done it – you could have killed yourself trying!"

"Never mind me." Bridgette said. "How did you escape?"

Courtney shrugged. "Well...I didn't escape. He let me go."

"He what?" Bridgette frowned. "But he was so cruel! He locked me up for trespassing, barely let me say goodbye to you...how did that happen?"

"I'm not sure." Courtney admitted. "He was cruel at first. But then...I tried to escape, but there were coyotes. And he fought them for me with nothing but a knife. He saved my life that night, Bridge. And after that...well, he made all these sweet gestures for me. We argued all the time, but then he'd do something nice. Half the time, it was less like arguing and more like we were just being...friends, I guess. And last night, he had planned this surprise kind of...private ball for just us. See my outfit?"

For the first time, Bridgette noticed the purple ballgown. "Wow. It's lovely – and it really does suit you."

"You know," Courtney began to smile. "One of the servants kept asking questions about you. I think he had a little crush on you."

Bridgette tried to remember who was there. "Did he have blue eyes? Blonde hair?"

"You're probably thinking of Geoff." Courtney told her. "Yeah. He kept asking. I think he almost wished we were switched around – that I was the one in the dungeons and you sacrificed yourself for me."

Bridgette smiled despite herself. "Maybe once I've recovered, we can go back...I mean, if he's really OK now."

Courtney thought about it. "Maybe that's a good idea. In the meantime, look what he let me take!" She held up the mirror. "This thing is what told me you needed me last night. It shows you whatever you want to see." She made an example. "Show me...hmm...Justin." she said, and the mist cleared to show Justin with Dr McLean, coming up to..

"Hey, he's outside our house with a strange man." Courtney frowned. "The day after you disappeared, Justin proposed to me. I said no. I hope he's not here to try again."

But when Courtney answered the knock on the door, it wasn't Justin, although he was hovering in the background (Izzy had evidently called him the minute the girls had gotten home). It was the man with him, although she saw Izzy and several other townspeople also hovering, a little behind Justin.

"Hey, what's up?" the man said. "I'm Dr Christian McLean. But you can call me Chris. Everyone does."

Courtney shook his hand warily. "Courtney Touland. How can I help you?"

"I'm here for your sister Bridgette." Chris answered. "I was called by a concerned member of the community. Apparently she'd been acting strangely recently."

"What's going on?" asked Bridgette, getting up and going to join Courtney.

Courtney saw the vehicle outside, and one word jumped out at her: Asylum.

"My sister isn't crazy!" she said fiercely. "You can't take her away."

"Oh yeah? We all heard her raving about how you were kidnapped by a lord!" Izzy called out. "Go on, Bridgette! Tell us again what happened!"

"I'm not making it up! Everything I said was true!" Bridgette cried. "You just didn't believe me!"

"She's not insane!" Courtney added, but no one was listening to her, or to Bridgette.

Finally, Justin approached the brunette. "You know," he said slyly, "I could clear up this...misunderstanding."
"What's the catch?" Courtney asked, knowing already what he was going to say.

"If you'll marry me."

Courtney didn't let it get any further. "It was true!" she snapped. "I can prove it – without marrying you!" She held up the mirror to the townspeople. "Show me Duncan." she ordered, and the green-haired lord was shown. "This is the man who kept me hostage for the last few months." she explained. "He lives in a castle, six hours' drive from here. I lived in his castle, but he recently let me go."

"Is he violent and dangerous?" quavered Sammy, a shy village girl. Indeed, Duncan looked as if he could be, with all of his facial piercings and dyed hair. He may have been the opposite of Courtney, but the townspeople would have considered him just as much as an outsider...and dangerous to boot.

"No." Courtney said firmly. "He got mad sometimes, but he never hurt me. In fact, he protected me at times." Her face softened as she looked at the image on the glass. "I sometimes liked being with him."

Justin scoffed, staring at the mirror. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you, the prettiest girl in town, had feelings for this monstrous...character."

"Duncan isn't anywhere near a monster!" Courtney said defensively. "Justin, your character is more monstrous than his!"

Justin acted quickly. "She's as crazy as her sister!" he cried, grabbing the mirror off Courtney. "If this Lord kidnapped an innocent girl from a small village, he'll come after someone else here next! I say we find this castle, and bring him to justice! He'll soon see what the law does to kidnappers!"

"Yes!" cheered the townspeople. They were sure of what Justin was saying. He was twisting things around. Soon, Courtney and Bridgette were barricaded inside their house, while many cars were on their way to the castle (thanks to the settings on the girls' GPS, checked out by Chris breaking into their car), full of people ready to fight to bring Duncan back and put him on trial.

"I must say I'm impressed with how you handled that." Alejandro complimented Justin. "I thought I was good at twisting events, but you put me to shame."

Justin simply nodded, but secretly, he had his own plans. Although he wasn't sure of it, he thought he'd seen something in Courtney's eyes. Duncan was most definitely a threat to his plan to marry her. He needed to get him out of the way completely. And that meant kaput.

Yes, this is where Justin is the monster, and Duncan is finally the good guy. Hope you like it!