Chapter Five

Fate Steps In

Author's Note: I noticed that I have been spelling "Zhar" wrong this entire time. It should be "Czar"! Ha! Well this is the last and final chapter of Masked. I hope you enjoy it! I will be adding an epilogue shortly though! Stay tuned, and thank you all my lovely reviewers for making this story possible!!!

Sora and Leon both lost track of time as they slept peacefully in his bed chambers until they heard a loud scream coming from down the hall.

"What was that!?" asked Sora as she was drug out of her deep slumber.

"I don't know, let's go see." Leon retorted.

The large golden grandfather clock in the east wing read 9:00 p.m., so she knew that time wasn't a huge factor because Layla wouldn't be back for hours, but someone had obviously came back, but who? She wondered many jeering thoughts as these.

Leon held her hand as they walked together down the hallway. She blushed a bit at this. No one had ever wanted to hold her hand before, but she shook this thought from her head when they neared the place where the loud noise had came from.

Leon entered the bedroom and noticed a young woman searching around frantically, "Malady what seems to be the matter?" he said questioning the young womans hostility.

"My cousin is gone! She's runaway! She's only thirteen, and I was supposed to take care of her!" Ana cried.

"Calm down Malady, we will help you find her." Leon offered.

"Oh thank you!" Ana said gratefully.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"Her name is Rosetta, She's the princess Belgium." Ana told him as she held up a recent picture.

"I see..." he answered studying it carefully.

"Where should we look?" asked Sora.

"We should spread out and look all around the palace first!" Ana retorted.

"We shall not stop until she's found! We will inform some others too." Leon replied.

"Thank you!" Ana said thankfully as he and Sora set out to look for the little girl.

He led her back towards his room first, "Why are we going back to your room for?" Sora asked.

"Have you ever been exposed to the Russian climate before? It's cold out there, and we're not leaving without bundling up really good first." he stated as he tossed her a heavy minks coat.

"Wow this is heavy!" Sora said amazement.

"It will keep you warm though." he said as he gingerly helped her put it on.

"Thank you..." Sora flushed.

"You blush quiet a bit did you know that?" he smirked tossing her gloves, scarves and other accessories that would help her weather the bitter Russian cold.

"No I don't!" she stammered becoming quiet heated.

"See you're doing it again!" he laughed.

"Am not!" Sora protested.

"It's all right...I think it's cute how flustered I can make you get." he whispered sweetly into her ear making her blush again.

"Shall we go then?" he inquired offering her his arm.

"We shall." she said smiling as she took hold of his arm as they began their search.

She hadn't been this happy in a long time...

He looked down at her and noticed actually how small she was. She barely came up to his chest. He decided that he adored her miniature petite size though. He found it very becoming.

"Where are we going first?" she impressed pulling him from his daydream.

"Let's go question a few of the servants first, they should know if she's been wandering about." he inquired.

"Okay." Sora replied as they walked toward a pair of maids cleaning and polishing the floor from all the deranged marks the guests had left the night before.

"Sorry to bother you, but have you seen a little girl about thirteen wandering about?" asked Leon.

One of the maids looked up at Leon and spoke, "I'm afraid we haven't seen anything your highness, We've seen nothing but this sullied floor for the past three hours."

Leon bowed with gentleman like etiquette as he thanked them and apologized for the disturbance as they continued their search.

Sora was amazed at the mannerisms Leon had shown to those lower class servants. She had never seen anyone of any royal stature do a thing as Leon just did. He was very humble.

Their search finally paid off when they discovered a pair of court jesters arguing which ceased when they noticed the lanky imperial king towering over them.

The first court jester bowed reverently when he noticed Leon, "What can we do for you your highness?" he spoke.

"Have you seen a girl who is about the age of thirteen wandering around these parts?" Leon asked them.

"No, but the boss who runs this show is missing! He's the one in charge over our entire fleet. He's just up and vanished! We haven't seen sight of him since just a few hours ago!" the second one spoke.

"What's his name?" Leon queried.

"He's known as the Fool. That's just what we all call him. No one really knows his true identity." the first one explained.

"I see..." Leon retorted.

"Anything else we can do for you your highness?" the first one offered.

"No that will be all." Leon announced as he and Sora walked on.

"Where do you think she is?" Sora queried.

"I don't know." Leon said with uncertainty.

"Then what should we do?" she presumed.

"We shall go somewhere far far away..." he replied.

"What do you mean?" She asked questioning his motives.

"Rosetta has obviously run away because she doesn't want to be here anymore with rules and regulations." Leon responded.

"How can you be unhappy if you're a princess though?" she sighed.

"Royalty has nothing to do with finding happiness." he said with pursed lips.

"Then what is true happiness then?" she muttered.

"Finding that one person who makes completly and utterly whole and spending the rest of your life with them." he breathed.

"And what does that have to do with us?" she said cocking an eyebrow.

"Sora I'm asking you to come away with me...I want you to go back to France with me and live forever." he proposed, eyes full of sincerity.

Sora looked at him a bit blown away by his statement, "You mean become your royal hand?" she asked.

He laughed, "No Sora I don't want you to be my "royal hand"...I want you to be my wife." he said earnestly kissing her steamily as he pulled her closer.

"Mmmm..." she moaned into his mouth as he kissed her deeply.

"Leon do you realize just exactly where I come from?" Sora asked him after breaking off the kiss.

"I don't care." he announced as he looked at her affectionately.

"I'm just a peasant though...a poor fisherman's daughter who died when she was very young who was left alone to die until a needy princess found her unconscious in the road because she had been looted. I'm that girl Leon. I am not worthy of your affections nor am I worthy of your hand in marriage." she said as she looked down shamefully until he turned her chin up so she met his eyes.

"And you think any of that really matters to me?" he responded.

"I don't know." she sighed.

"That night I saw you at the banquet I wanted to make you mine Sora...You're a queen in my eyes...the queen of my heart." he whispered into her ear as he kissed her again.

"I'm property Leon...I would love to be with you, but Miss. Lay-" but he cut her off.

"Do you really do everything Miss. Layla tells you?" he shot angrily.

"Yes..." she said submissively looking down.

"I'm willing to pay anything it takes just to make you mine." he said solemnly holding her tight.

"But why?" she asked hazily.

"Because to me you're worth it." he said sensetivly.

"Sorry she isn't for sale!" shot Layla angrily as she walked into the room with Yuri noticing Leon and Sora embraced.

"Leon you can't carry off someone's servants! They are property, and you don't own them!" Yuri announced.

"She is a human being! She is not property!" shot Leon angrily.

"She's my property now hand her over!" Layla said heatedly.

"If she's property, then name your price." Leon shot back.

"She isn't for sale, and I would definitely never sell her to anyone as the likes of you!" shot Layla as she twisted Sora's arm dragging her away.

"Stop it!" shouted Sora wriggling away from Layla.

"Come Sora!" demanded Layla.

"No!" Sora said defensively as she walked back towards Leon.

"You made a promise to me!" Layla bellowed.

"Well it's over Layla!" Sora cried hot tears streaming down her face.

"Well if that's how you feel, then you can die in this wretched cold for all I care! Go with that inexplicable imbecile! I never want to see your face again because if I do it will be placed on a stake out in the front of the entire town to see!" Layla threatened storming off.

"Leon I think it's best if you leave." Yuri retorted.

"I was hoping you would never ask!" shot Leon impudently as he took Sora's hand and walked away. It felt good to get that grievance off her chest. She was finally free, free to do as she pleased, free to marry Leon and be happy. That's all she'd ever wanted was to be happy.

"I'm glad you stood up to her." Leon told Sora later as he packed his things.

"Me too, but I kind of feel like a traitor." she sighed.

"Don't let her get to you...You were meant to be more than a servant Sora...I know you were when I first saw you..." he breathed as he gazed deeply into her eyes.

"Thank you..." she said sighing happily as she melted into his embrace. He kissed her forehead affectionately and lifted her chin to gently meet his eyes.

"Let's say we get out of here and head home?" he proposed.

"That would be lovely." she acceded as the sound of home sounded even better now than ever before. She was really going home...a place she'd never really known before, only heard of in her memories and the stories her mother had told her.

"Layla are you going to be okay?" Yuri asked as he looked at her sympathetically.

"I suppose...I should have known I couldn't hold onto her forever...She was as wild and as reckless as the wind." Layla sighed.

"You have a bright future ahead of you though Layla." Yuri said softly.

"I guess I better get used to this weather then huh?" she grinned kissing him mercilessly.

"What do you mean?" asked Yuri a bit surprised.

"My third and final request is to be your queen Yuri. Can you do that for me?" Layla pleaded.

"I thought that you hated me and found me impulsive though?" Yuri frowned.

"That was three years ago. Things have changed." she smirked as she pulled him closer.

"Well Layla will you marry me then, be my queen forever?" proposed Yuri.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she said kissing him again as a smirk formed around his lips. His ball had paid off after all. He got to keep Princess Layla.