**

CHAPTER FIVE

Buffy breathed in the fresh air, almost euphoric from the fact she was out of the castle and in the village with the townspeople. Elizabeth squealed in delight.

Her guard, a young man named Owen was shadowing her, following her at a distance. This irritated Buffy to no end. If you were going to guard a person, stand close to them, or don't guard them at all was her opinion. Owen followed her as she walked through the market crowd, allowing her some semblance of privacy, but Buffy hated his watchful eye. She knew that anything she did or anyone she talked to would be dutifully reported back to the queen.

Walking faster and into the crowed street, Buffy tried to lose her guard. She turned a corner and waited. Owen walked by a few moments later, obviously looking for her. He turned right to a side street to continue his search. Elizabeth let out a breath she'd been holding. Her guard would keep quiet if he thought he had lost the princess, but it would be another matter entirely if he found out she was trying to ditch him.

Seeing that Owen was far enough away, she stepped out of the shadows, and directly into the path of a young man. Knocking him down, Buffy apologized furiously.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized, looking up into the young man's gaze. He was very tall, having the body of a fighter. Buffy thought he'd look very intimidating, if it weren't for his hair. His unshorn locks hid his face and gave the appearance of a young boy.

"Thank okay, miss," the boy replied, staring at Buffy. Buffy apologized again and went on her way, not noticing the young man's continuing attention.

Riley was smitten. He didn't know her name, he'd never spoken with her, but he was enticed by her. Her blond hair was stunning; none of the other girls had struck him like she. So he followed her, hiding behind various stands whenever she glanced in his direction, and he watched.

"Hey Riley!" two voices called, interrupting his surveillance of the girl. Riley tensed up, as though he'd been caught in the act, until he realized he hadn't been doing anything wrong. A voice in his head objected, somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew that it was probably wrong that he could see her but she couldn't see him. He pushed that voice to the back of his mind, and turned to address the people who had called for him.

Seeing who it was, Riley sighed and turned his attention back on the girl. To his dismay, she had disappeared into the crowd. He turned to Forrest and Graham angrily. If they hadn't called him, he could have followed the blonde haired… goddess.

"What's up, Ri? You're lookin' a little weird. Better get over it, though. Giles has been asking for you. Sounded important. Maybe he's gonna give you a recommendation," his best friend Forrest told him. His anger forgotten, Riley became excited. If Giles was going to give him a recommendation… his future would be set. He raced off in search of the old man.

Riley knew he was a good fighter, if not the best in the program, and he acted like it. Girls flocked to him because he was so good, and if it was validated by Giles- there was no telling the action he'd be seeing in the next few days. Riley desperately wanted to serve under William the Bloody, but he needed a recommendation from the boy's master. He would have gotten it long ago, too, if it weren't for the competition from Liam.

Liam didn't even want to serve in the army, yet Giles had offered him a position. It infuriated Riley, the fact that he was second best to a guy who didn't even want the thing Riley wanted more than anything. He had humiliated Riley the last time they fought, watched carefully by the boy's master.

When they had been scheduled to partner each other in training, Giles had observed every session, his hawk like eyes watching for any sign of foul play from Riley. Riley snorted. Never would the noble Liam ever even imagine cheating. Riley had to watch himself, make sure he didn't do anything against the rules, completely different from his normal routine. He would do anything to win; it was how he had come so far in the program.

He arrived at Giles cottage, the older man waiting for him. He stood at attention and waited for Giles to speak.

Giles looked at his charge, hiding a sigh of disappointment. He didn't like Riley, he was often mean and bullied the younger boys, and would do anything to succeed. Maybe a good quality in a military leader, but in a person- Giles shuddered. But he was good soldier, if not a good person.

He fought well; at least Giles was proud of that aspect. But he took no initiative, had no skill when it came to military strategy. He was the type to be fighting on the front lines, not planning the attack; he was the muscle.

"Riley. I must turn in my recommendation for you at the end of the month. Before I do though, I still need to evaluate some things," Giles told the young man standing at attention. He turned to the wall of his study, taking two swords down from their mountings. The sword was a weapon of strength and strategy. Riley had the strength, Giles knew that. He wanted to test Riley's ability to strategize before he made his decision.

He wouldn't be fighting Riley; the younger boy was much stronger than he was. Maybe he would have won a fight with the boy when he was younger, but as his age progressed, his strength diminished. But not today. Today Riley would be fighting his archenemy.

Giles chuckled. Liam was too mature to stoop to Riley's level, but it didn't mean they had to be friends. Liam probably disliked Riley as much as Riley did him, but he would never act on his rage. Liam knew first hand what hatred could do to people, his home and family was destroyed because of it.

Riley constantly inflamed the situation; his biting comment and verbal abuse would provoke anyone. Thankfully, Liam always brushed him off, but he would never back down from a chance to fight Riley. He had accepted immediately after Giles had offered.

Liam was expected to be arriving now, and Giles wondered where he was. He was never late, except for that one time with the Darla incident. Giles had forgiven him quickly though, amused by the entire situation. He paused in remembrance, chuckling, before he again wondered where Liam was.

From his spot on the stone bench, Liam laughed. The sound was music to his companion's ears, so happy to be in his presence. "I missed you," Buffy admitted to her Angel.

He smiled, "It's only been a few days." She pouted, an expression that always made Angel laugh, and in the flower garden, it only served to make the princess more beautiful.

"Still," she said, her pout increasing.

Angel smiled again, replying, "I know. I missed you too."

Neither spoke for a while, just soaking up each other's presence. There were birds nested in a tree branch above them, and every so often, a baby bird would call for its mother. The gentle hoots of the tiny birds calmed the pair, and for a moment, their problems were forgotten as they sat together.

Relief was temporary however; the sounds of rustling leaves and people approaching broke their reverie. They left the stone bench in search of a more private place to talk.

She told him of her dreams, he to her of Gunn and Giles. This alarmed her, but Angel reassured her, calmly, coolly explaining. She breathed a sigh of relief, and happiness. Sometimes she felt their friendship, relationship, whatever… she felt it was diminished by the fact it must be kept secret. If two persons else knew about it… it seemed to add some validity to the relationship.

She relayed her fears to Angel, and he immediately discredited them. "No, Buffy. What we have is… real," he told her.

"What do we have?" Buffy asked, softly frustrated by the lack of definition in their lives. She was always so confused when it came to Angel. Their relationship as a jumble of contradictions, often crossing the line of 'friends' to 'love' and back to 'friends' again.

Angel coughed nervously, a lump forming in his throat. He didn't know what they had, all he knew was that when he was with her, his worries were forgotten and he was happy.

"I don't know," he said honestly. He thought he loved her, but he wasn't sure. It as all so confusing. When he was with normal girls, he was charming and suave; smooth. But when he was with Buffy, all the awkwardness he had in him seemed to come to surface. "What do you want us to have?" he asked.

Buffy heart began to race, with every step she took toward him it became faster, until she thought her heart would explode. She thought of what Angel was asking, then she thought of her life. The life many would kill for- a princess betrothed to one of the most powerful men in the country. She closed the gap between them, taking a final step until they were touching.

Hesitating, unsure lips met and they kissed.

And neither could remember a time when they were happier.

**

END CHAPTER FIVE

A/N- Okay, bit of a long chapter (yay!). I'm not as evil to keep our heroes apart! B/A FOREVER! Yes, I'm living in Denial. And having a great time.

REVIEW, REVIEW, and REVIEW!!!!

Next chapter- Buffy and Angel and Giles and Riley. All together. Sounds like a party! Okay, that was really lame. Forgive me, as it's 2 in the morning.

Love, D