Author's Notes: Well the final chapter i can't believe it is finished, i hope i have grown as a writer, but i know i have sooooooooooooo much more to learn and i am going to enjoy it. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and given me their thoughts throughout the story, you kept me going.

answers to reviews for chapter 19.

QueenTatooine: I could never stand girls needing to be saved either, after reading that extract i know i have lots of work to do with my writing and i am going to continue trying to better it. thank you for all your encouragement throughout the story.

hoolihoopergrl131:Good work on the cutting and pasting. snowing, i have never seen snow. Here in Australia in Queensland it is boiling hot at Christmas...thank you for reviewing :)

l'il bling bling: Done and done, thank you for reviewing throughout the story.

Masked Dragonfly 0926: I know i cant stand cliff hangers either, and i love writing them, but i hate it when other people do...i think i ned to work on this...

So on with the final chapter :)

Christine tried in vain to let out a scream.

"Chris, it is me" Derek, Christine thought, relieved. She immediately stopped struggling. Then Derek slowly released her.

Christine turned around and embraced Derek

"I was so scared I would never see you again"

"It's ok it is all over now" Derek said soothingly, silently wondering what had happened

"My mother had me kidnapped and they were going to kill me, but I managed to escape out a window, but I hurt my shoulder and then I had to run because they realised I was getting away" Christine knew she was blabbering, but she couldn't seem to stop "And now I don't know where I am"

"Its ok Chris I know where we are" Derek said stepping back slightly and tilting Christine's chin up so he could look in to her bright green eyes. "I was so worried"

Christine smiled weakly

"I'm just glad you're alright"

There was a shout off in the distance, Christine immediately tensed

"Come on we had better move, quickly" Derek took Christine's hand and together the set off at a run for the trail.

There was another shout behind them. Christine's captors were closing in.

They reached the clearing just before the two men, but there wasn't enough time to get away.

"Brave little lassie you are girl" The older of the two said.

Derek immediately drew his sword and moved to stand in front of Christine.

"Our business isn't with you laddie"

"You made it my business when you kidnapped Christine"

"Who might you be then?" he asked as the younger one sniggered

"I am-

"A dear friend of mine" Christine interrupted, covering Derek's mouth. It definitely wasn't a good idea telling them who he really was.

"The girly is coming with us"

"I don't think so" Derek replied holding his sword up in their direction

"Is this invitation only or can anyone join" a foreign, but familiar voice asked calmly. The four turned and came face to face with King Travis and ten escort guards.

Christine breathed a sigh of relief as the two bandits took off in the other direction, to be chased by several of the guards.

"I have never, ever been so happy to have the guards chasing me" Derek Remarked, while putting his sword in its sheath.

"Your mother was worried and had two of them follow you, and when you came across Christine's horse one came back for me, while the other kept an eye out for you" Travis said as he dismounted. "Are you alright Christine?"

"Yes" Christine nodded, thankful it was all over. Derek led her away from everyone, As Travis walked over to talk to the bandits who has just been apprehended.

"I was so worried when you didn't come home" Derek said as he brought his hand up to run his hands through Christine's hair, removing some leaves and twigs from her hair as he went.

"I'm sorry I worried you" Christine replied softly

"Christine, these past few hours were some of the scariest of my life, just thinking about what could have happened to you, it made me realise just how much you mean to me, I can't imagine my life without you anymore, will you marry me?" By the end of Derek's speech, Christine's eyes were misty with tears, and she was smiling

"Derek when I was in that hut, I thought that I was going to die" Tears leaked out of eyes but she continued. "That I would never see you again, I was so upset that the last thing I said to you was that I wouldn't be long. It brought in to perspective how much I love you, Yes, Yes, yes!"

Christine said practically jumping in to Derek's arms. Not caring who was watching Derek picked Christine up and swung her around in a circle, then slowly stopping and letting slide down to the ground he leant forward and kissed Christine passionately, Christine didn't know how long they were kissing, it was completely heaven. But someone subtly coughing made them draw back. They were both smiling and weren't even embarrassed.

"Look who we found" Travis signalled to the guards who brought forward Christine's mother, "She confessed to setting the kidnapping up, after a little persuasion of course. She has consented to leave the kingdom with her daughter and never return in exchange of not being sent to the prison"

Christine's smile left her face; it was as if the happy moment a few seconds before had been erased. She could only nod

She turned her gaze to her mother who was standing there glaring daggers at her. Christine took a deep breathe and turned away from her

Months later Christine thought back on her life:

Everything happens for a reason. If one thing in my life had happened any different I wouldn't be where I am right now.

Christine never did see her mother again after turning her back on her that day in the clearing, the very next day they left the kingdom. Although she had heard from Mandy, who heard from Kylie a cook in the next time over that her mother had remarried a man she thought had a fortune, only to find out that was the reason he married her.

I know that I missed out on a lot of things in my life and naturally there are lots of things that I regret, but there are many things that I wouldn't change for all the gold in the world.

Christine reclaimed her home soon after her mother departed and left it in the capable hands of her Family, Mandy and the other servants.

Friends are the family you choose yourself, so you are never really alone or an orphan.

During the next year Christine and Derek got closer and if possible fell even more in love with each other.

They were married on the anniversary of their meeting in the clearing on the Datson estate, surrounded by friends and family.

The more I think about my life the more I am glad it turned out the way it did. Although it felt as if I grew up without a mother for part of my life, and everyone thought I was dead. I still found the love of my life and happiness that I never thought possible.

Sometimes in life, things just seem to fall in to place, but you still have to take the good with the bad and just go with it.

So in the end all you need to know is that Princess Christine and Her Prince Derek Lived happily ever after.

wow so it is finished i really cant believe it, i ended it this way because i didnt want to make time go faster through it. so i hope you dont all hate me for it.

thank you to everyone who reviewed and gave me your thoughts, but just becuase the story is finished is no reason not to review now, tell me what you thought of the last installment.

so thanks again everyone and i hope you all have a great Christmas and a happy new year.

Emma Riddle