. Benton Fraser closed the drawer of his impossibly neat desk and sighed, "Dad I really need your help with something."

He turned to the parka clad spirit who leaned up against the hat stand (A tribute to his non corporeal status, the hat stand did not give way)
"After that passionate kiss on the coach, I truly thought we had a committment, but she has told me to forget it all. And try as hard as I can I find it impossible to obey her order."

"Ah women trouble, son, always a tricky subject, worse when you're talking about those with blue blood." Fraser senior shook his head and tsked.

His son scowled, "What on earth are you talking about? She has red blood, like her red serge; her red blood courses trough her veins like mine does, her heart beats with a passionate intensity like mine..." Benton's eyes clouded over only to refocuss when he registered his father's fingers clicking before his face.

Coughing, he returned to the matter in hand, "To tell the truth, Dad, I don't know where I am with her. I think I could really grow to love her, and I suspect she feels the same about me, but just as I think I'm getting somewhere she grows all cold towards me again. Is that normal behaviour for women?"

"Yes, son"

"Oh. Well thanks, Dad"

"You're welcome. Glad to be able to help."

Benton Fraser leaned back in his chair and sighed. Life was a conundrum, wrapped inside an enigma and coated with a fairy tale. And women were at the very heart of it all. A quiet tear coursed its way slowly from the corner of one blue eye as in his mind's eye he relived that Kiss that should have been the beginning of everything.

"Watch out son"

He jolted upright as the door to his office flew open with a thunderous bang. He barely saved himself from falling off his chair when he felt strong hands yank him up by the cross piece of his Sam Brown to find himself transfixed by the steely glare of hazel eyes and a shrill voice bellowed in his face:

"It's no use. I can bear it no longer. This has got to stop." Meg punctuated each phrase with a hard kiss to different parts of his face.

Were it not for the tight grip she had on his belt, he would have sunk to the floor in a swoon. Had the Fairy of All Mounties in Love heard his plea and granted his heart's desire? It seemed to be so.

An hour later their clothes back in place, slighly breathless from their exertions, Princess Meg and Benton Fraser composed themselves and settled down to making preparations. The first thing Meg had to do was ring her mother, then she must try to remove the hair from around her finger as that was where her engagement ring must go. Lastly she resolved tell her lover that she was no ordinary Mountie, well maybe that could wait. No on second thoughts...Oh what the heck. Ben's reaction to her news was, "Oh, so that's what my father meant by blue blood," which did nothing to reassure Meg of Fraser's state of mind. "I suppose love can make you a little crazy," she mused.

The ensuing weeks were filled with the happy arrangements. Dresses and suits were fitted, Francesca Vecchio was to be a bridesmaid and her brother, Ray, the Best Man, flowers were ordered, a banquet organised. All happened in a dream for Benton who felt himself the happiest man alive.

But as in all these stories their happiness was to be short lived, for although we may rejoice in the miraculous cure of the Queen, we must not forget the promise made to the Spotted Man with the French accent.

The Wedding Day arrived and Meg, dressed in the most splendid white gown with a three foot silken train prepared to walk up the aisle of St Michael's Church, where Benton and Father Behan waited at the altar in breathless anticipation. As she walked slowly up the aisle to the heavenly music of the St Michael's Girl's Choir singing "Ave Maria" Meg felt she had never known true happiness before, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw her husband to be in his Dress Reds waiting for her, his blue eyes misted over with joy.

"Hold!" A malicious voice echoed through the Church.

There in front of Meg crouched a hag with long curly black hair. Once upon a time she must have been quite a beauty, the thought crossed Meg's mind, unbidden.

"I am the Arctic Fairy, Victoria!" cackled the hag, "remember the promise you made to marry my friend, the goblin? You must keep you promise and I will claim Benton for my own."

Benton, rushed down the aisle, pushing the Fairy ahead of him. Once outside he drew his knife from his boot and breathing harshly, pressed it against her throat saying, "Begone, wretched Victoria, you have tried to ruin my life before, you shall not wreck my chances for happiness again. Begone or I shall slit your throat."

Meg (though secretly gratified) looked aghast at this uncharacteristic display of aggression from her mild mannered beloved. However, Francesca applauded and Ray shouted, "Attaboy, Ben.!"

At this point the Goblin appeared, as if out of thin air. He placed himself between Benton and Victoria and cackled, " I am your rival and I claim the Princess. She is bound to me by the hair round her finger."

Horrified, Benton replied, "If you were worth the bother, I would slit your throat too," At that the Goblin drew his cutlass, climbed on a mounting block, and challenged Fraser to a fight.

The wedding party proceeded to a piece of waste ground near The Lake they Call Michigan and there our hero prepared to do battle for his love. The sun turned as red as his blood and thunder claps shattered the awed silence. Bright swords of lightning cut through the polluted darkening sky. Benton drew his sword and crouched in a defensive position.

At the lake's edge the onlookers stared aghast, bathed in the harsh moonlight as an inhospitable evening drew on. Although the spotted man was small, he fought with the strength of two large humans, and Benton found himself fighting with increasingly defensive tactics. Nevertheless, the Mountie fought with great valour and determination, giving the goblin much trouble, he even managed to give his opponent a flesh wound in the calf, but he was momentarily distracted by a shout which diverted his eyes to Victoria, the fairy, as she struck princess Meg from behind with the hilt of a lance. Benton lowered his sword and rushed towards his fallen betrothed and her assailant oblivious to the warnings of Francesca and Ray.

The evil goblin, however, was far swifter. He leapt onto a waiting steed, swept Meg into his arms and was gone leaving a bewildered, dusty, forsaken Benton behind on the dark lake shore. His sword fell from his limp fingers, his gaze was fixed into the far distance, in his mind he heard words he had read recently in a book:

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is."

At that moment he knew that the madness of love had passed for him and that his roots were entwined with hers; this meant that nothing was more important than getting her back, for without her roots to sustain him he would bear no fruit, he would collapse and wither away... as he pondered a mist came over his eyes and the voices of those around him grew to whispers then faded away, he could feel his legs moving as if through soft snow, someone was leading him by the hand then that sensation too disappeared in a black haze.