William studied the barn for a long moment but then he turned and handed Hamish his sword and rode slowly forward.

Inside the barn, the chief assassin grinned, showing off stubs of teeth. "It's William Wallace! And…he's given up his sword! Be ready!"

William reached the barn and dismounted. He walked towards the door and suddenly, slammed the heavy wooden bar down, sealing every man inside. Scots sprang from their hiding places in the woods, led by Stephen. They piled dry brush all around the barn and set it on fire. Moments later, the barn was blazing.

The Scots stood back and watched impassively. After awhile, there where no more screams from inside.

Sitting in her own small castle, Isabelle watched the fire from her window. She was standing at a window. She smiled slightly and turned to go inside but stopped.

Standing on a hillside, silhouetted against the night and the fire, was a rider, just sitting on his horse and looking at the castle. Isabelle turned and ran into the castle. She ran up the stairs and stood at the pinnacle of the building so that she too was silhouetted.

"My lord?"

Robert didn't even turn from the window. "I said I was not to be disturbed."

"But the lady is here."

Robert turned. "What?"

The servant stepped back and Katie stepped into the room. The door shut quietly behind her. She removed her hood and at last looked at him.

She was dressed in a blue and silver dress and cloaked in a black cloak. "I came here with the intention of killing you. Because….because I could no longer take the pain of what you had done. I hoped that with your death, my love for you and the pain would both die. But as I came through the village, a small child came up to me and asked me who I was. I told her. And…and she hugged me. And thanked me for giving her freedom. I didn't understand. But now…now maybe I do."

"I will never ask you to understand why I did what I did," Robert said quietly. "And I can never ask you to love me again. I am a coward and I deserve the love of no one as brave as you are."

Slowly Katie came forward until they where mere inches apart. "You ask for nothing. I choose to give my love freely."

Isabelle placed a lone candle in the window of her room and then sat down. She didn't have long to wait. Suddenly, she looked up…and there he was. She looked at him for a long moment through the glass then she stood slowly and went to the window and opened it. She stepped back and let him in.

He shut the window. "A meeting in a barn? It had to be a trap. And only you would know I would be aware of it."

"It does me good to see you. How is Katie?"

"Well as she could be."

"There will be a new shipment of supplies coming nothing next month. Food and weapons. They will travel…"

"Stop. I didn't come here for that."

"Then why did you come?"

"Why did you?" William looked at her steadily.

"Because of the way you're looking at me now. The same way…as when we met."

William turned away but Isabelle pulled his face back to look at her.

"You look at me and see her."

William turned to the window.

"You must forgive me what I feel. No man has ever looked at me as you did."

Slowly William turned and looked at her. "But…you have a husband."

"I have taken vows. More than one. I've vowed faithfulness to my husband and sworn to give him a son. I cannot keep both promises."

Slowly, what she was asking dawned on William. Suddenly, he smiled.

Isabelle smiled dryly. "You understand. At last. Consider this. You will never own a throne, though you deserve one. But just as the sun will rise tomorrow, some man will rule England. What if his veins ran not with the blood of Longshanks, but with that of a true king?"

"I cannot love you for the sake of revenge."

"No." Isabelle stepped closer to him. "But can you love me for the sake of all you loved and lost? Or simply…love me because I love you?"

Bruce rolled over and wrapped his arm around Katie. In her sleep, she turned and buried her face in his chest. He looked at her for a long moment. He knew the time to make a decision…the most important decision in his life was coming.

William sat up, startled, and looked around. Sunlight was pouring into the room. He grabbed his clothes.

Isabelle's eyes popped open and flew to the window. She covered herself with a blanket and jumped out of bed. She ran to window and looked out. "No one! Hurry!"

William ran over and threw the window open. He had a clear path to the wall.

Isabelle grabbed his arm. "When we…did you think of her? At all?"

William looked straight into her eyes. "Not once." He kissed her once more and then climbed out the window.

Isabelle watched him go.

When he reached the ground, he turned once more and looked up at her.

She smiled and waved.

Then he was gone.

"I can't believe you don't think it's time you should leave."

Katie laughed and wrapped her arms around Bruce. "Eager to get rid of me?"

"Never." Bruce kissed her roughly.

"I've only been here four days. What could have possibly happened…"

The door burst open and a servant rushed in. "William Wallace has sacked the fortress of Montage!"

William sat with his two friends by the fire.

Hamish sighed and rubbed a hand roughly over his face. "Rest, William. She will come back."

"I am resting."

"Your rest is making me exhausted."

Stephen offered William a jug. "Come, it'll help you sleep."

William sighed and waved it away. "But it won't help me dream."

"I must go."

Bruce stroked her cheek. "I knew you would."

Katie curled closer to him. "I don't want to."

"But you must. You fight an important fight."

Longshanks was sitting by a palace hearth where an enormous blaze was burning. Still, he was huddled beneath a thick blanket. He coughed and blood spattered on the floor.

Bruce kissed Katie then lifted her onto her horse. "Ride with God."

She nodded. "I love you. Remember that."

"And I love you as well."

Bruce sat staring at his Father's closed coffin. He turned as Craig entered the room. Then turned back around.

"May he rest in peace." Craig sat down. "It will not be long before Longshanks too is encased in stone and his crowns divided for others to wear. Our nobles are frightened and confused...William Wallace has the commoners stirred up again, from the Highland clans to the lowland villages. In another six months Christ and the Apostles could not govern this country."

Robert said nothing.

"Longshanks knows his son will scarcely be able to rule England, much less half of France. He needs Scotland settled, and he trusts you. If you pay him homage, he will recognize you as king of Scotland."

"If I pay homage to another's throne, then how am I a king?"

"Homage is nothing. It is the crown that matters!" said Craig.

"The crown is that of Scotland. And Scotland is William and Katie Wallace."

"That is another matter. There is a price to all this, required both by Longshanks and our nobles. Pay it, and you will be our king. And we will have peace."

Robert looked at him. "And what is that?"

"William Wallace."

"NO!" Robert stood to his feet. "I will have no part of it."

"Robert, it's only William. Longshanks doesn't care about the girl. Nor do I."