Okay you are about to get a very soap opera-ish chapter so I don't blame you if you back out now. I am also going to shorten up the replies to reviews so if I don't say much to you its nothing personal!

Warrior-Wolf- yea same here. Though I am the oldest and so I am doing the hitting but oh well.

Hermmie-Thanks for the review. I will explain the meaning, just scroll down.

StardustPixie- No I didn't but I am trying to get my chapters better. There are varying opinions of my name. I was debating about putting DeppGirl but I have to wait another six months to do that now.

ElvenSilver- Love the new name!

Riley Clearwater- I like your stories too. Girl, you gotta update! lol, its girl right? just to make sure

Arty- I am going to type your name as Arty from now on OK. Look at the end of this to see what it means.

Flamingirl- kinda confused me there. What he did is wrong? Well you win some and you lose some. Please scroll down for meaning.

White Camellia- Cool penname. I have a brother with a name similar to yours. Lol.

Hey Up-Date- lol! I am going to a new school now but I used to go to a small rural school before. I am excited about the change.

Ok the ring kind of stood for Stephans heart and it is going black or something along those lines. Stupid I know. Thought it would be neat. w/e. Oh and how old would you say I was by my writing? Just take a guess and tell me in a review and if someone gets it right I will dedicate the chapter to them or something!

Who are you?

I found myself in a similar predicament as yesterday, at least I think it was yesterday, as I was tied to yet another tree. I know it was a different tree since this time I could see Derek. (He is currently sleeping on my shoulder.(He is really cute when he is sleeping...(Focus!)))

Anyway, I have know idea what those berries did. Did they make me fall asleep? Or was it for some sick pleasure of -shudder- Stephan's? Nice. I just woke Derek up. Stupid involuntary shudder!

"Morning," Derek said eyeing me sleepily.

"Morning," I replied back though not sleepily. "Sorry I woke you up. I was just...thinking."

"That's alright. I have gotten more than enough sleep in the past few days than I ever had before. I wonder wear that guy goes off to while he leaves us here? Does he think we will just sit here and not try to escape?"

"Well, he might know more than you think. He probably has guards surrounding us just out of our eye-sight. Did you see him since yesterday?" I questioned.

"Actually, I heard him muttering something when he thought we were asleep."

"What did he say?"

"Who?

I looked at him for a minute, thinking that the fresh air was going to his head, "Stephan, you dolt, who else?"

"Oh, him, he was saying something about thinking you would recognize him from when you were kids and saying he liked his old name, Jeremy I think it was, better. Did you know a Jeremy when you were younger?" Derek asked suspiciously. I racked my brain thinking for a while. That name, Jeremy, did sound familiar. Wait a minute. It couldn't possibly be...

"I did know a Jeremy when I was around eight years old but he would be the only one. It couldn't possibly be the same person. We haven't talked to each other in years." I said thoughtfully. Derek looked to be deep in thought too.

"Were you close to Jeremy?" he asked, and if I am correct, in an almost jealous tone.

"Yes, I was. He was my best friend until-" But I stopped. Partlyat the sad look on Derek's face and partly because I was about to reveal my biggest secret, my curse. I looked over at him and was so tempted to kiss him. I just wanted to bring a smile or anything back to his face. I would have kissed him too, if he hadn't spoken.

"Maybe that's why he is doing this. Because he wanted to still be your friend but you weren't. Maybe this is just an act to try and get you to like him again." he said so wisely that I would have thought he was talking about himself if I had just joined the conversation.

I backed up and looked at him, "So your saying he changed his name, hunted us down, kidknapped us, and is forcing me to marry him, just so I will be his friend?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, to an extremity I suppose, but yes, that is what I think he did." he said solemnly. He looked so serious I almost laughed.

"Who would go to such desperate lengths to get me to like them?" I asked wonderously. Am I that special?

"You'd be surprised at what a man who is in love will do." he said with the same tone as before. It caused me to shudder again, but at the truth of his words.

"Now your telling me he loves me?" I asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I am telling you he is not far from it." he said still in that extremely serious voice of his.

"Uh-huh, well I am going to ask him about everything when he comes back." I said and as if on cue Stephan came walking into the campsite. I looked at Derek and smirked. This would be fun.

"Oy! Jeremy! Are you in love with me?" I asked yelling across the clearing to him. At the abruptness at which he stopped I gulped and began thinking that there was truth in Derek's words. I also thought I should have stayed quiet but, alas, when do I listen to my excellent advice?

Jeremy/Stephan turned and looked at me so slowly that I clutched at Derek's hand. He gave my handa reassuring squeeze. Stephan swept over so quickly that I thought it was because of my closeness to Derek, but then I remembered what I just said and dropped the thought.

"What did you say?" he asked in a slow, cold way. I repeated what I said. Then he got a maniac-like glint in his eye and started to rant.

"I guess you figured me out. Yes I am Jeremy. Your old friend. Hmm...but how come I am not close to me any longer? Oh thats right, because you pushed me away! You got close with that Sydney girl. A worse taste then I would ever have imagined! You chose a simple peasant girl over a duke? How mad can you get! I will have you know girls were swarming over me, but no, I was waiting for you to come back and want me. What a fool I was! Well I will get my revenge for those wasted years! Here I have something to show you!" He took out a knife. I screamed shrilly, thinking he was about to stab Derek or me. "Shut up you silly girl! Why would I kill you now after loving you for almost 8 years? I am only cutting the rope."

And he sliced the rope in half, though that waspretty stupid since Derek slid out from the tree and tackled Jeremy to the ground. I screamed again as that seemed to be the right thing to do. Then using quick thinking I grabbed the rope and picked up the knife Jeremy had dropped. I threw the knife unde a bush and ran over to where Derek and Jeremy were rolling and punching each other on the ground.

I couldn't figure out how to tie Jeremy up without getting Derek caught in the trap as well but I tried my best. I did get a shot once they were standing again. Derek pushed Jeremy backwards and I tripped him. He fell and the wind was knocked out of him. I took my chance and tied him up at the feet. Derek then held his arms behind his back so I could tie his upper body. Then we waited for him to catch his breath so we could talk to him again.

"What were you going to show me?" I asked him but he refused to answer. Derek had gotten up to look around.

"Hey, Ria, I think I found what he was talking about." Derek said and he pulled a tied-up Sydney out from a nearby bush. She looked worn and tired and she also looked very upset. I screamed once again and ran and got the knife I had just thrown underneath the bush. Sydney looked terrified for a minute like she thought I was going to kill her, but she calmed down when I cut the ropes. Then we hugged each other.

"Are you alright?" she nodded

"Were there any guards out there?" Derek asked. She shook her head no.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, I was working in my mum's shop and he came in and told me someone was in trouble so I rushed outside to help and he pretty much knocked me out and dragged me here." Iglared angrily at Jeremy and he seemed to shrink at my gaze. I was slightly impressed that he had managed to do all of this on his own. I walked over to Jeremy, holding the knife, if he had any accomplices. He nodded. I asked who they were and he said "Walter."

Walter! I should have known! What is this? The people-who-want-to-marry-Ria-but-can't-club?

"We didn't want you to end up with him so we figured that one of us would be better than him." At him he glanced at Derek. I took off the ring and threw it at Jeremy.

"Even though the ring is pretty, I don't accept things from people who mean ill of me." I told him and turned around. "By the way, do you have a horse we could use considering it is a long way back to the castle?" He nodded. "Good we need something to put you on so you can lead us back." He looked shocked that we were taking him along. I scoffed at him. "What did you think we were going to leave you here to be eaten by wolves? Not a bad idea but we don't know our way back and I am kind. We will put you in the dungeons when we get back." I said. And we made our weay to the castle. We must have made an odd group when we arrived but it was so welcoming to be back to civilization that none of us really cared.

Wow I had some long paragraphs. Anywho, I was surprised at how I made this turn out. I swear I thought I would have about twenty more chapters to go but now I think it is more along the lines of two chapters. It is sad how this is ending so soon. I think I might have finished everything a little too soon but that is alright. I am thinking a ball next chap? Gotta have one more before the end! lol! Song suggestions please! And anyone want a prequel? Ok um tell me how you liked it. And I mentioned Jeremy in the first chapter but I didn't plan for it to be used later. Oh well. So review and well see you soon!

-tearfully yours-,

scooby-doo-poo