Dear Readers, in the previous chapter, as some of you will notice, I've used ideas from Moulin Rouge, another Romeo & Juliet type story. I couldn't resist, I just watched the movie, again, it fits the theme of this story perfectly as well.

Enjoy this chapter!

Restlessly, he paced his chamber. She was late and he was longing to be with her, the wait was driving him crazy. What little time they had left was precious, he hated wasting any of it. When the handle of his chamber door moved he nearly ran across the room to her.

"Where have you been?" he breathed.

She pushed past him, head down, to the center of the room.

"What's wrong?" he followed, she threw up her hand to stop him.

"I want you to leave," she commanded, still not looking at him, "Pack your things, I want you gone by first light," despite the bravado her voice hitched, "You are no longer welcome here."

He took a step towards her, she drew back.

"No! Don't touch me!"

Booth was flabbergasted, "Why? What has happened?" realization hit him, "Did Master Sweets say something to you? Did the Countess?"

She inhaled sharply then spat, "You are a cruel man Sir Booth, a vile, cunning, snake and I should have seen it from the start!"

Brown eyes widened in shock, "What?"

"Right from the beginning you have done the Prince's bidding, you've told me lies and led me on knowing that in the end you would cast me aside like garbage! You've played a wicked game, telling me you love me, seeing just how far you could take this! I've had enough! I will not play the fool any longer!"

"You think..." he could barely wrap his mind around her words, "You think I lied to you?"

"I know you lied to me!" she yelled.

He recoiled as if she had slapped him, "I have never lied to you," came his firm reply.

"But I have," she fought back her tears, "I knew the Prince was coming before my father announced it, he writes directly to the king. I found a letter that praised your efforts at courting me, telling how you knew exactly what to say and do to make me swoon, so I played along," she lied through her teeth, each word piercing her heart like a dagger.

His face fell, she knew he was vulnerable so she delivered the fatal blow, "I don't love you Booth, I never did, I never will," deadly calm, though inside, her heart shattered.

Clutching at his chest as if she had literally ripped out his heart, Booth stood stunned. Pain radiated from his eyes, he stumbled on his words, "No...say it isn't...it's not so."

It took all her composure not to answer him, to stand there and defiantly stare him down.

Pain flashed to anger, "How could you?" his voice dangerously low, "Answer me!"

She lifted her chin putting as much authority into her face as she could, "I do what I wish, I am royalty, you amused me, now I am bored."

The last nail went into the coffin, she had turned herself into the bitch, the one he would hate for the rest of his life, the life she had saved.

"Get out," he hissed, eyes rimmed with red.

Lifting her skirts she walked quickly towards the door, head held high to keep up the lie but also to hold in the tears. As she touched the handle he spoke again.

"I never lied to you Temperance, I meant every word I ever said. Now I wish I had never met you."

Biting her tongue she slammed the door and fled down the hall. She praised the heavens she met no one on the way to her chamber. Angela was waiting and locked the door directly behind her and not a moment too soon. Temperance collapsed, sobs wracking her body. She never had strong faith, concepts of worlds after death confounded her, but now she knew for a fact that hell existed, she was already there.

A dark and dreary day greeted Sir Booth and his men as they rode out. Having spoken to the king over breakfast, explaining they were needed by the Prince, the knight rode out for home setting a rapid pace through the light rain that had begun.

Wrapped in her blankets, Temperance lay in bed refusing to greet the day.

"Is he gone?" she asked, her voice emotionless, as Angela re-entered the room.

"Yes."

She bit her lower lip as she felt her eyes water again. She wondered how she even had any tears left.

"You should eat something," Angela said, "I'll have the maid bring something hot."

"No."

Her friend came over to the bed and sat down, "Sweetie, you can't stay here forever."

"He hates me..." hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

Angela stroked her friend's hair, "You had to do it, you saved his life."

Big blue eyes looked up at the artist, "Who will save mine?"

Two days later the Princess sat at her desk working her way through official documents. Devoting herself to the kingdom, to her work, seemed to be the only way to keep her mind off of Booth. At dawn she would be up for an early breakfast and then onto the day's business until the sun departed from the sky. If business was slow she threw herself into her studies. Temperance was determined to overcome her emotions, she knew crying was not going to change her stars.

"Princess!"

Jolted from her thoughts she jerked her head up and cursed under her breath. The Lady Daisy stood panting in the doorway.

"What?" she was annoyed at having been disturbed though Daisy did not seem to pick up on this.

"The Prince is here!"

"Oh," she answered rather plainly, "I'll be down shortly. You didn't need to run all the way up here."

"I'm just so excited! My Lancelot is back too!"

Now that caught the Princess' interest, "I thought Master Sweets was off with the other knights?"

Daisy's eyes danced as she shook her head, "No your highness, they have all returned as well!"

Temperance's heart leapt to her throat, "Everyone?"

The younger woman grinned, "Even Sir Booth!"

She tried to keep her composure, even as her face paled and her pulse raced.

"Are you coming?" Daisy was practically bouncing in anticipation.

She gripped her quill so hard that it snapped, "Let me just put these away, I'll be right there," Temperance kept her tone even, "You go ahead."

Daisy scurried off and Temperance allowed herself to panic.

For a day and a half, Booth had been setting a grueling pace, riding hard through the rain and then the hot sun. The first night they had stayed in a monastery, his men had eaten voraciously then fallen into a deep slumber. Booth was tired but his mind would not quiet, so he walked the grounds then took solace in the chapel. As he sank to his knees he asked the same question of God over and over, why? Why had he been shown love only to have his heart trampled on? How could she have forsaken him like that? He had honestly believed she loved him, so he asked how he could have been so foolish.

On the second day another party rode towards them. Even from a distance Booth could tell which banners the company flew, he cursed loudly, the words drowned by the beat of the horse's hooves.

Greetings were shouted and his men rejoiced in being met by their own, for it was Prince Timothy and his companions that they had met. Booth was forced to lie and tell Timothy that he had ridden out to meet him, to guide him through the unfamiliar country. His friend readily accepted this explanation and the party forged on, back to the castle, back to the Princess, back to Booth's nightmare.

Noise from the courtyard echoed through the castle towards the great hall where Temperance and her father waited. The Prince and his men would be coming into greet them at any second, the entire court was abuzz with anticipation to see Timothy.

Sitting on her throne the Princess felt her stomach turn over as the footsteps drew nearer. King Maxwell beamed at his daughter;

"Nervous my darling?"

She gave him what she hoped was a brave smile, "Not at all."

Royal trumpets blared as the group of men came down the hall and strutting out in front was none other than Prince Timothy Sullivan. He wore no crown but an air of confidence seemed to radiate from him, the presence of his knights behind him made him even more formidable.

The crowd bowed as the group made their way down the aisle and finally parted enough to show him.

Unlike the other smiling knights he bore a stoic expression, his eyes trained on the Prince's shoulder in front of him. Temperance forced herself to keep her own gaze on Timothy and willed Booth not to look at her.

"Greetings King Maxwell!" the Prince proclaimed jovially as he bowed before the throne.

"Prince Timothy, it is a honor to finally have you here, welcome!"

Then he turned and swept a low bow to her, dark hair falling over his eyes, "Princess Temperance, you are more beautiful then I could have imagined, I am over joyed to finally meet you."

Nodding cordially in return she presented her outstretched hand for him to kiss.

"I am glad to meet you as well," she replied.

Timothy grinned at her, "It has been a long summer waiting to see you, I wanted to come sooner but as you have yours, I have a duty to my country as well. Sir Booth has had nothing but wonderful things to say about you in his letters, which made the waiting even more difficult."

He spun around and clapped Booth on the shoulder bringing the former lovers face to face.

"I am forever in Booth's debt for his letters about you, they painted such a vivid picture of a brilliant Princess."

Booth kept his face impassive as he inclined his head to Temperance. She blushed but not from the flattery. Quickly she cast her eyes downward, "You are too kind."

"I am sure the two of you have become good friends. We shall dine tonight at the feast and you can tell me everything Booth did not," Timothy finished, smiling at the two of them.

Luckily Maxwell chimed in before the Prince could force the two together any longer.

"And what a feast we have prepared tonight! Prince Timothy, my people have prepared your rooms as I am sure you and your men would like to wash and rest from the travel."

"Indeed we would, thank you for your hospitality your highness. We shall retire and rejoin you for dinner then."

"Splendid!" King Maxwell could not have looked happier.

As Timothy led his men away the Princess' gaze fell on Booth and she bit her tongue trying to reign in the emotions she had fought so hard to keep at bay. For a moment brown eyes flickered in her direction, was that regret or hurt in them, or both? As fast as they met he tore them away. Blue eyes closed as she willed herself not to cry.

An empty chair marked where he would have sat but Booth never arrived for dinner. As the royalty took their spots Sir Wendell approached the Prince.

"Your highness, Sir Booth sends his deepest apologies but he will not be coming to dine."

Timothy raised an eyebrow at the younger man, "No?"

Wendell lowered his voice, "He is still very tired from the ride and does not feel well, he said perhaps later he could join the festivities."

The Prince huffed, "Well he has been very quiet, not really himself at all. Alright, tell him to join us when he feels better then but make sure you say he's missing a great meal," he winked.

"I will," Wendell bowed slightly and set off.

"Everything does smell delicious," Timothy commented to Temperance, "though I do hope Booth is fine. I heard about that nasty hit he took at the tournament, it was a good thing the Countess was here," he waved down the table to Cam who smiled in return.

The Princess took a sip of her wine wondering just how much Timothy knew, "Yes, she is very good with medicine."

"Which I hear you are also interested in," he raised an eyebrow at her.

She wasn't sure if he was testing her so she chose her words carefully, "I am, I find medicine and the work of doctors to be fascinating."

"Really? You mean the blood and bodily fluids do not make you faint?"

"Not at all, nor does it make me queasy."

Timothy laughed, "Besides the Countess you are the only other woman I've ever heard that from. I know the midwives are tough but I've never met a high born woman who would willingly deal with a sick or injured person."

"I am not like other high born women," and in her mind she heard Booth saying something very similar about her, it seemed like it had happened so long ago.

"I also hear you attend lectures in the city?"

"I do, the doctor who teaches there is well respected. Between his collection and my own we may have the most books and knowledge on modern science."

"You collect books?"

"I have an entire library, I spend many hours studying."

Timothy seemed disappointed, "Booth mentioned you attended lectures but nothing about the library and your love of books. I wish I had known, I would have brought you some of my own."

"You study science as well?" it was odd to her that Booth did not mention a crucial detail such as her love of reading in his letters to the Prince. It was also odd that Booth had never mentioned how knowledgable the Prince was turning out to be.

"Well not so much science as many things in general, the whole world fascinates me, I wish to learn as much as possible!"

She was impressed that he was not close minded, "Then you shall have full access to my library."

"I look forward to seeing it," then he leaned in closer to her, "I also look forward to having you at my castle, I hope that can be soon Princess."

She saw the sincerity and intimacy in his eyes. Not wanting to hurt his feelings she smiled, "As soon as we've worked out everything here."

The answer seemed to satisfy him, he grinned and lifted his glass, "A toast then, to us."

Lifting her own in return they touched their goblets, "To us," she echoed.

Laughter and music filled the great hall, couples danced and an air of celebration dominated but did not penetrate his own dark mood. Standing just back from the doorway Booth watched the Prince lead the Princess to their first dance together. He could feel her narrow waist as Timothy touched it, felt the warmth of her small hand. He hated the way the Prince gazed at her and he hated her for smiling shyly back at him. Booth knew the proposal would not happen tonight, Timothy would spend time with Temperance before he asked, a formality even though the outcome was already predestined. He had no desire to be around when she accepted, though he doubted he would escape the celebrations, the whole city would rejoice. So Booth turned and walked down the hall, he had booked a room at a tavern for the next few nights. Not only would it provide solace from the castle but it had ready access to good alcohol, the likes of which to drown his sorrow in.

As Temperance rose the next morning a soft knock was heard at her chamber door. The Lady Daisy answered, accepted an ornate box from a page boy, listened to his message then closed the door.

"The Prince has sent you a gift my lady!" the younger woman rushed over to her.

"And what was the message?"

"He wishes to ride with you this morning."

She stopped brushing her hair for a moment. Riding was what she had done with Booth, it seemed almost wrong to go with anyone else.

"Aren't you going to open it? The page boy waits for your reply outside," Daisy was hovering, almost bouncing in anticipation to see what was in the box.

It was beautifully carved, the wood a deep auburn colour. Temperance unfastened the gold hook and lifted the lid. Inside sat a sparkling string of fine pearls along with a matching set of earrings.

"Oh! They're lovely!" Daisy squealed.

Temperance pretended to admire them but to her it was just another necklace. She already had so many, her favourites being the ones that had belonged to her mother. It was Angela who liked to pick out what jewels the Princess would wear and co-ordinate them with her dress. For Temperance jewels were nice to have but she regarded them as frivolous. She believed she could run the country wearing ordinary home spun clothes despite Angela's insistence that clothes and jewels made a monarch. She was sure she had mentioned this to Booth at some point and wondered if he had failed to rely her preferences to the Prince.

"What shall I tell the boy?" Daisy asked still fawning over the pearls.

The Princess knew she could not avoid riding with the Prince forever, he would continue to ask if she refused today. She ought to show him her lands and how well they were kept by her people. It would not be like when her and Booth rode, no, she would make this different.

"Tell him I thank him graciously for the pearls and that I shall meet him in the stables after breakfast."

Daisy nodded and went to take the message back to the boy leaving Temperance alone at her mirror with her feelings of guilt.

Timothy was surprising Temperance at every turn with how engaging he was. Unlike her other suitors, who wanted nothing but her country and throne, Timothy was genuinely interested in her. He listened to every detail she said, he drank in the information about her kingdom and it's people and even made helpful suggestions for problems. He was impressed by her knowledge and ability to rule where other men were put off. It pained her to remember, but what Booth had said was true, Timothy was much like him which made her miss Booth even more.

The knight had apparently written to great lengths about Brennan's equestrian skills, Timothy was astonished at how well she handled her horse and the way she rode like a man. He challenged her to a race across a field and did not hold back. She won but not by much and she appreciated the way he treated her as an equal. Indeed it was becoming hard for her to hate the man that had torn her from Booth when he had shown her nothing but kindness since his arrival.

Besides, it was too late to freeze Timothy out now, having accepted Booth meant she had accepted the Prince as a suitor, rejecting him was not an option if she wanted to rule her kingdom.

Said Prince guided his horse till he was beside her, "I wish to show you something," he said slyly.

She cocked an eyebrow at him in reply.

"It's another surprise," he winked then kicked the horse into a trot. She followed wondering what he had for her this time.

As they rode through the city people bowed and waved while calling out blessings to both of them. Timothy led her on and she began to grow rather curious as the distinct smell of the sea began to reach her nose.

Approaching the docks her eyes were drawn instantly to the sky where the masts of a ship she did not know towered above them. She waved Zach, who had joined them, over to her side.

"Which ship is that? Do we have a visitor I am unaware of or a new trading merchant?"

Her assistant looked confused, "I am not aware of any other visitors or merchants. Perhaps we should check with the dock master."

"An excellent idea, go seek him out before the Prince notices."

"Notices what?" Timothy had ridden in close again.

"I am trying to figure out to whom that vessel belongs to," she pointed at it.

The docks were in view now, it was a fine ship, very much like the ones her father owned but grander.

"That would be my ship," he replied proudly, "I had it sent over to show you and hopefully take you home on, it cuts days off the land journey."

"Oh, it's very nice," she said, rather surprised.

"It was recently completed and is the largest of my fleet. Would you like to come aboard?"

Timothy dismounted and waited for her, he had learned quickly she did not like to be helped as other women did.

"I would like that," she answered as he offered her his arm.

They climbed the gang plank onto the ship and he showed her the upper deck. Upon coming to the steering wheel she asked;

"You never mentioned the ship's name, what do you call it?"

"On her maiden voyage she was given the name, Her Royal Majesty the first, but that is only temporary."

"Temporary?"

Timothy took her hands, "I should like to call her Temperance, if that pleases you."

She was momentarily taken aback, "Really? You would like to name her after me?"

"Of course, it would be an honor for her to bear your name."

"Then yes, you may do so."

Timothy looked thrilled, "Splendid! The day we sail away on her we'll christen her again with the new name!"

His words echoed in her head, the day we sail away, the day Temperance would leave her home. It occurred to her that they had not worked out where they would live. It also occurred to her that her father would be negotiating these details and she made a mental note to talk to him as soon as possible.

Footsteps creaked on the new deck as someone came up from below. Timothy turned first to greet none other than Booth.

"Ah, Sir Booth! You have done a fine job preparing my ship!"

An awkward look passed between the former lovers as Timothy continued;

"I asked Booth to come early today to make sure the ship was in good form so I could show her to you. Thank you again," he shook his friend's hand, "Sometimes I don't know what I would do without you Seeley," he turned to Temperance, "He is truly like a brother to me, I am so grateful for all he has done."

"You flatter me," said Booth, though he made a point not to look at Temperance.

"We missed you at dinner last night," Timothy commented.

"I wish I could have been there but alas, illness took precedence."

"I trust you are feeling better today or shall I ask Cam to bring you something?"

Booth shook his head, "No, no, I am much better."

"Good, then we shall see you back at the castle tonight," Timothy clapped his friend on the shoulder before taking Temperance's arm again, "Well my lady, are you hungry?"

She nodded, her eyes on the ground.

"Then we shall go and have a picnic lunch," he saluted Booth then led the Princess away.

The knight watched them leave noting he would have to go to church later to ask forgiveness for his lies. He had no desire to join them for dinner that evening nor to spend any extra time in their presence. He wondered how long it might be before Timothy granted him leave from this place.

He knew that it would take much longer before she stopped haunting his dreams.

To be continued...

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