A/N - well sorry this took so long to post... it's been sitting on my computer for weeks but i haven't had time to transfer it to the computer that's connected to the net. I'm halfway through my exams now so another week and then i'm free to write... well for at leasttwo weeks then year 12 (the Australianequivalent of senior year... well in NSW anyway). scaryness. anyway enough rambling...

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Chapter 10

Elizabeth flopped down on her bed, grateful to finally be home. She smiled as she thought of Laurent and the sweet thoughtful things he'd done throughout their relationship. It was still strange to her to think of him as her fiancée. Which reminded her that she needed to talk to her parents. She and Laurent had agreed before she left that they wouldn't make the engagement official until she had spoken to her parents and they had given their consent. As she pondered how best to bring the subject up with her parents, Mrs. Wakefield walked into her daughter's room.

"How are you feeling Liz?" she asked, sitting down on the end of Elizabeth's bed, "Are you tired?"

"Not particularly," Elizabeth shook her head, still wondering how to broach the subject of Laurent's proposal.

"Well then how about a chat?" Mrs Wakefield asked, "How did you find looking after the children?" Elizabeth laughed at the thought of Manon, Claudine and Pierre.

"They were so sweet. At the ball they knew I couldn't dance with Laurent because he was with Antonia so they got him out of there so we could be together." She smiled at the memory of that night, despite the other memories of being thrown in the dungeon and chased by vicious guard dogs.

"Laurent?" Alice Wakefield said smilingly, "Who is this Laurent person?" Elizabeth started, realising that her mother didn't even know who Laurent was.

"Ummm… well, there's something I have to tell you about that. Laurent is… well he's the crown prince and he proposed to me."

"What did you say?" Mrs Wakefield asked disbelievingly.

"He's the crown prince and he has asked me to marry him." With that Elizabeth told her mother the entire story of her summer with the royal family.

Alice Wakefield sat very still listening to her daughter's story. She was having a difficult time accepting it; it seemed too much like something out of a fairytale storybook.

"And then he told his parents that he wouldn't marry Antonia because he hated her and loved me. Then the Countess went crazy and convinced me to run away but he stopped me and proposed to me. I know it all sounds like some fairytale but it's the honest to God truth."

"I know you wouldn't make something like this up Lizzy," Mrs Wakefield said calmly, "What was your answer?" Elizabeth steadied herself and said,

"Yes." Mrs Wakefield looked at her daughter steadily.

"Have you thought about all the implications this will have for your life? You know you will never be able to have the career and private life you wanted. You will constantly be in the public eye. You will have to deal with people like the Countess and Antonia constantly. Not to mention what's going to happen once this gets out. I assume you don't want to finish school now." Elizabeth looked taken aback.

"Finish school? Of course I want to finish school. Laurent and I talked all this over when I accepted him. I'm going to finish school and then we'll get married and I'll be learning so much once we're married I won't really need to go to University."

"But what about once this gets out to the media? You're going to be constantly under the microscope, even while you're at school. You'll never get a moment's peace."

"Mom, I know what I'm getting into. I've seen what Laurent has to put up with, and I'm willing to put up with it as well. I know it's going to be difficult, but nothing worth having is easy. But are you ok with it? I know I'm still young but I really feel that this is what I'm meant to do with my life."

"Darling as long as it makes you happy I'm all for it. I just wanted to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Thanks Mom. I know you'll love Laurent when you meet him."

"Well I suppose we should go talk to your father."