A/N : Okay, here is the penultimate chapter. I plan to finish and post the last chapter either tomorrow or Monday so you won't have to wait too long for the final installment. Thanx once again to everyone who reviewed; Starbright Moonlight, Azkaban Canuck, princessvampire, ndblue123, jazy716, KrystinePotterLover, Cordelia Osbourne - it really means a lot to me to know that you are reading and enjoying my story.

Now, I think it's time to sort out the Diana/Phillippe/Jay situation...

(Disclaimer : see Chapter 5)

Chapter 22 - The Reconciliation

"Phillippe!" Diana breathed, a huge smile on her face, as soon as she saw him, but she did not move from her postiton just inside the door of the room.

"Hey Diana" he smiled too but did not move either.

"I think we should leave these two alone" Michael pointed out and the entire family filtered out of the room, forcing Diana to move from her position in the doorway. Still she did not come too close to the prince.

"Thanks Dad" his son said quietly as Michael left the room. The last person to make for the door was Jay.

"No Jay, I want you to stay" Phillippe said quickly.

"Why?" his cousin wanted to know.

"Just, for a minute, please"

Jay nodded that he would stay, although he was very uncomfortable with the whole situation. He wasn't in love with Diana but having to talk about the whole feelings thing again was not something he particualarly wanted to do.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked softly.

"Yes, I'm fine" Phillippe assured her, "but we need to talk - all three of us"

"Phillippe, I told you on the way back here..." Jay started but was interrupted by his cousin.

"Jay, I know what you told me, but I need to say something first and then I need to hear Diana speak for hersefl too"

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" the blonde girl was confused.

"Diana, I was kidnapped by two criminals and kept at a derelict building near the border. Jay saved my life" the prince explained.

"How?" the girl asked, curious as to how a seventeen year old boy could take on two convicts and win.

"That doesn't matter right now, the point is he did it and he told me he did it because he wanted to save me but also because he couldn't bare to see you hurting" Diana looked over at Jay, who looked away, uncomfortably, "Now what happened between you two kind of shocked me and it hurt me" Phillippe admitted, "but if you two really are in love then I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it..."

"But Phil..." his cousin interrupted again but he was not allowed to speak.

"Ssh, Jay" the prince said, turning back top the girl he lovd, "Diana, is it me or Jay you wanna be with?"

"You, Phillippe" she admitted with tears in her eyes, "It's always been you, I was just too blind to see it, but when I thought I was never going to see you again..." she trailed off and Phillippe held out his arms for her to walk into. He held her tight as she sobbed.

"I love you"

"I love you too" he told her, kissing the top of her head "more than you'll ever know"

"Can I go now?" the other boy asked, feeling even more uncomfortable now than he had a moment ago.

"Jay, I'm sorry..." Diana said, looking over at him.

"It's okay Di" Jay assured her, smiling his most genuine smile "what I thought I felt, well, I don't think it was what I really felt" he shook his head in an attempt to understand his own words and Phillippe laughed lightly.

"I think what my very inarticulate cousin is trying to tell you is that he's not going throw himself off a bridge or anything if we get back together. Right, Jay?" the prince smiled at his own sarcasm and wit.

"Yeah, something like that" Jay agreed.

"Now, you can go" Phillippe encouraged his cousin to leave and Jay got the message and grinned even more.

"I'll see you two love-birds later" he said as he headed for the door.

"Get out!" Phillippe laughed and so did his cousin as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"I am sorry Phillippe" Diana told him truthfully, almost as soon as the door was closed.

"Sshh, it doesn't matter now" he told her, hugging her tightly again.

"When you were taken away and I didn't know where you were, and I just thought the worst..." she said, fighting a losing battle against her next bout of tears.

"But I'm here now and I'm safe and it's all going to be okay" He said, rocking her in his arms.

"Diana?" he said, pulling away a little.

"What?" she asked, looking up into his eyes as he looked down into hers.

"Will you marry me?" he practically whispered. She smiled brightly.

"Yes, as soon as possible. I never want to lose you again"

He smiled too before leaning down and kissing her soundly.

A/N : Last chapter will be up tomorrow or Monday so check back for that. In the meantime, please don't forget to review.