Hi all!

Yeah, I know, I'm taking my sweet time getting this story posted, sorry, it can't be helped. I've been ridiculously busy and my muse has been wandering through other avenues. But there are only two chapters left and I hope to have them posted very soon.

Thanks for everything!

Enjoy,

Failte


Cady stood in the middle of her bedroom, twisting her hands together.

"I've missed something," she murmured. "I have to have missed something, there is no way I'm ready. Who is it?"

"It's me," Tristan called through the door.

"What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Cady crossed her room and opened the door. "Sorry about that, I guess my mind was elsewhere."

"I wonder why," he teased lightly. "What's up?"

"Just wondering what I forgot."

"What makes you think you forgot anything?"

"Because…because we're getting married tomorrow and I can't believe we're ready."

Tristan smiled. "Maybe we are ready. The flowers are ready, the rehearsal dinner is on for this evening, the parties that are planned in our honors are happening after the dinner, my tux is ready, I'm assuming your dress is ready. What could you have possible forgotten?"

She clasped her hand over her mouth. "The petals."

"The petals?"

"For Tori's basket. I forgot to double check those, what if we don't have them?"

"I'm sure they'll be ready."

"Did you get the rings?"

"Yes, Ma'am, they're in my room, on my dresser."

"I hope they fit."

"If they don't, we'll get them refitted. Don't worry."

"Don't worry?" She gasped. "Why don't you tell me to stop breathing?"

Laughing, Tristan slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you so much, Princess. Get your coat."

"What?"

He released her. "Go get your coat, we're sneaking off for a little while."

"What? I can't sneak off, I have so much to do and I have to get ready for the rehearsal…"

"The rehearsal isn't for six more hours, you don't have that much to do to get ready, come on, an hour, let's go."

She tugged at a lock of her hair. "I don't know. What if…"

"No what ifs. Get your coat, don't argue. Come with me."

Cady sighed, resigned, and crossed to her closet. "Where are we going?"

"Away."

"Where?"

"Trust me, Cady."

"I do, but…"

"No buts. Come on."

She tugged her gloves on and followed him. "I don't have a lot of time."

"We have all the time in the world, honey."

"No we don't."

Chuckling, Tristan took her hand and pulled her toward him. Without a word, he turned her hand over and undid her watch, tossing it on her bed. "We have all the time in the world."

"Tristan…"

"Do you realize," he began, leading her out to the hall. "That I can count on one hand how many hours we have spent alone together in the last two weeks."

"Well, we are planning a wedding."

"No, you're planning a wedding, I was kicked out of the planning sessions."

"Only because I didn't want a Red Sox themed ceremony."

"Red and white are perfectly good colors."

"Not for my wedding they're not."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. "What about my wedding?"

"Fine, your next wedding can be red and white and your next bride can carry a bouquet of bats."

"A bouquet of bats? That's brilliant!"

"No, it's not."

"Yeah it is. Is it too late to change your bouquets?"

"Yes!"

"Cady, there you are sweetie." Allura rounded the corner. "I was just coming to see you."

"No," Tristan said. "Sorry, she's busy."

The queen turned her gaze to him. "Excuse me?"

"For the next hour, she's busy."

The corners of Allura's mouth quirked up. "Okay, but only an hour, then I send out the Calvary."

He saluted. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I can't believe you just did that," Cady hissed.

"I had to. I've made plans and we're going to keep them."

"That's no reason to be rude to my mother."

"I wasn't rude."

"Yes you were."

"No, I was insistent, but not rude."

"Good thing it wasn't my father."

"True." He opened the door that led to the side yard. "The weather's a bit nicer today, not so windy, so it shouldn't be too cold."

Cady zippered her jacket closed. "Where are we going?"

"Just trust me. There he is."

She turned to follow his line of vision and saw Vint, the head stable boy, walking toward them leading Star Knight, one of the large stallions from the stables.

"He's all ready to gom, sir," Vint addressed Tristan before turning to Cady and bowing deeply. "Your Highness."

She smiled and nodded. "Vint, how are you?"

"Very well, your Highness. I hope you are well."

"I certainly am, thank you."

He bowed again. "Enjoy your ride."

"Tristan," she hissed when he was out of earshot. "It has got to be below freezing out here."

"Nope, I checked the weather, it is exactly four degrees above freezing." He offered her his hand. "It's a beautiful day for a ride."

Shaking her head, Cady walked past him and grabbed the horn, pulling herself up on to the saddle.

Mounting the horse behind her, Tristan wrapped one arm securely around her waist, took the reins in his other hand and gently prodded the horse in the flank with his heel. "I promise to keep you warm," he whispered into her ear.

Relaxing against him, Cady wrapped her arms around the arm he had secured around her and cradled her head against his shoulder. Star Knight moved at a comfortable canter away from the castle. While there was no wind, the movement caused the cold air to nip pleasantly at her cheeks and nose. The gold and white and pink winter landscape surrounded them and moved past at a leisurely pace.

Tristan shifted as she started to lean more heavily against him. Glancing down, he saw her head roll against his chest as she began to doze. He gently prodded the large black horse to move a little faster and he wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, securing her against him, making sure she didn't slip off the horse.

It was several minutes later before he decided to rouse her.

"Cady?"

She sighed and snuggled closer to him.

Afraid the two of them were going to fall off the equine, Tristan pulled back gently on the reins and brought the horse to an easy stop. Star Knight shook his head and pawed at the ground.

"Cady, honey, wake up before I drop you on the cold, hard ground."

"Wha'?" She mumbled, slowly blinking her eyes opened.

"Wake up."

"I wasn't asleep."

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't."

Tristan chuckled as she sat up and he slid off the saddle. "It's all right, sweetheart, you needed it."

Cady took his hand and jumped down beside him. "Where are we?"

"We're home."

She looked around. They were standing in a clearing surrounded on three sides by the woods that she and her brothers and sisters had explored as children and a slight slope upwards, leaving her feeling cut off from the rest of the world. The top of the towers of the Castle of Lions could be seen just over the slight hill. Around them, small orange flags stuck out of the snow, connected by sturdy string.

"Home?"

Grinning, Tristan stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. "This is our home."

"I've hardly had time to think about this."

"Well, we haven't had a lot of time, so I thought we should sneak away for a few minutes and visit. What do you think?"

"It's great. I mean, it's almost like we're in our own little world."

"I spoke to your dad about it, he said that's why they picked this spot, it is kind of private, but the guards can check out the area from the top of the west wing."

Stepping out of his arms, Cady walked slowly along the perimeter. "This is unbelievable. This will be our home, Tristan, this is where we will live and raise our children and grow old together."

"Yup."

She twirled around in a circle. "I think the front of the house should face this way."

"I was thinking four bedrooms."

"That sounds nice. How big were you thinking of making it?"

He shrugged and walked toward her. "Not too big. I don't want it as big as the castle or as big as my parent's house. Smaller, cozier."

"I like that."

"I was thinking about a living room just off the side of the front door that connects to a dining room."

"The kitchen should be in the back with big windows looking out into the woods."

"A rec room in the basement and a study across the hall from the living room."

"And a rose garden."

"And a basketball hoop on the edge of the driveway that leads to the two car garage where my workbench and tools will be."

"Workbench?"

"So I can build and fix things."

"I didn't realize you were so handy."

"Of course I'm handy, in many different ways. What else are you thinking about?"

She turned to him, her hands clasped together. "I saw a picture in a magazine of a staircase, it…it was kind of round, twisty almost, not as big as the turret stairs, but like that."

"A spiral staircase?"

"Yes, I think that's what they're called. Do you think we could have one?"

"I don't see why not. I think we should have a big back deck with a massive grill."

"A massive grill?"

He grinned and spread his arms wide. "A massive grill so we can invite everyone here for cookouts in the summer."

"And the dining room will have to be big enough to hold dinner parties in."

"And we'll want the backyard big enough for the children to play in and I can build a tree house."

Cady took his hands. "We'll have to hire a cook."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that I am about to marry a woman who can't cook?"

"I can cook, Nanny has shown me, I just don't do it often."

Tristan pulled her close. "And there will be a big master bedroom with a big, comfortable bed."

"And a fireplace. There is something so romantic about curling up in bed with a roaring fire."

"And a huge big-screen televiewer in the living room."

"Okay."

"And the bedroom."

"We'll see."

"And the study."

"I don't know."

"And the kitchen."

"Now you're pushing it."

He smiled flirtatiously. "Please."

"Dad said they're planning on putting a road out here."

"Yeah, we talked about it. It will go east toward the castle and connect with the main road in to town."

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I am so excited."

"Good."

"Aren't you excited?"

He leaned down and kissed her. "Of course I am."

"You don't seem to be."

"Shall I jump up and down and scream for joy?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"How about this instead?" He dipped her back and sought her mouth with his own in a gentle, drawn out kiss.

"That'll work," she teased when he lifted his head to look down at her.

Tristan straightened up and took her hand. "Come on, let's take a look at our home."

Hand in hand, they walked around the perimeter of the house as it was marked by the orange flags. They planned and plotted, throwing around ideas.

"You ready to head back?" Tristan asked, noticing her red cheeks and nose.

"It is rather cold."

"And we can't have you showing up at dinner frozen."

"Absolutely not."

Star Knight threw back his head as they approached and whinnied.

"Good boy," Cady murmured, reaching out to gently stroke the horse's neck. "You're a good boy, aren't you?"

"And here I thought I was the only one you spoke to like that," Tristan teased.

"Keep it up and I'll never talk to you that way again."

He nipped her by the waist and lifted her several inches off the ground. "I'll take my chances," he assured her before stealing a quick kiss and hoisting her onto the horse's back.


"No, Nicky, you need to walk more slowly," Allura instructed gently as she took his hand. "Come with me, I'll show you. Right, left, right, left. There you go, sweetie, just like that. Okay, go back up the aisle with Tori and we'll start over again."

"How're you doing?" Keith whispered to Cady as they waited for the procession ahead of them to take a practice walk down the aisle.

"I'm okay," she murmured, her hands nervously fiddling with the flowers Tess and Charlotte had stolen from a vase in the dining room and told her she had to carry.

"I'm sure we're almost done here, the kids are getting it down, your mother is just a perfectionist."

"I know."

"I know you're nervous, but the ceremony will be beautiful."

She smiled weakly. "I know, Dad, thanks."

"It better be for what I paid for it," he teased as they followed Sky down the aisle.

"I heard that," Cady whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Well, it was expensive."

"I thought you said money wasn't an object."

"It wasn't. Until you decided you wanted a four foot high ice sculpture."

"It was a necessary addition to the main centerpiece."

Keith shook his head as they approached the pulpit where Tristan waited with his mother and Allura. "Next wedding you pay for the ice sculpture."

"Yes, sir."

"Are we done yet?" Declan asked.

Allura looked at Josie who nodded. She turned and studied the group before her, Cady and Tristan stood in front of the pulpit. Sky, Tess, Charlotte, and Delora stood beside Cady while Owen, Erik, Declan and Gideon stood with Tristan. They had gone over the ceremony twice and the procession down the aisle four times.

"All right," the Queen announced. "You can all go get ready for dinner, I think we're as prepared as we're going to get."

"You're not filling me with a whole lot of confidence when you say it that way," Cady said.

"It'll be just beautiful," Josie assured her, threading her arm through her future daughter-in-law's. "Just imagine yourself all made up and in your gorgeous gown walking toward Tristan, ready to join your lives together."

Declan looked at Gideon and the two of them rolled their eyes.

Keith checked his watch. "Dinner is going to be served in half an hour. We'll meet in the dining room then."

Tristan grabbed Cady's hand before she could step away and held her back as everyone else filed out of the Castle's chapel.

"What?" She asked, a little impatient.

"I'm thinking," he replied quietly, pulling her closer. "That this might be the last moment we have alone before the ceremony tomorrow."

Understanding lit her eyes and she stepped closer, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. "And what do you want to do with our last moment as single people."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and stood upright, lifting her off the ground a good six inches. "I love you," Tristan whispered, gently meeting her lips with his own in a sweet kiss.

"Oh geez! They're kissing again!"

Cady's lips curled into a smile against his mouth when she heard Nicky's exasperated cry.

Tristan broke the kiss and, still holding her, turned to see his youngest brother-in-law-to-be standing in the doorway, staring at them with disgust. "Yes, we're kissing again. You have a problem with that?"

Nicky sighed. "Mom told me to come and get you, we don't have time to mess around."

"Fine, but after tomorrow, you're not allowed to interrupt us ever again," Tristan warned him, dropping Cady to her feet.

"And you should get in the habit of knocking before entering a room," she added.