Elizabeth, in her ivory chiffon dress with silver and crystals adorning it, sashayed through the royal garden with her ladies, looking for Jack. Elizabeth's gown shifted slightly in the breeze as she moved though her mother's rose garden. Jack saw her, and thought how much more beautiful she actually was then when he sees her in his thoughts. Several of the courtiers were gathering for tea, and Elizabeth had to do her best to greet everyone. As she entered the garden, she did a quick survey of the guests. Lady Walsingham, The Count and Countess de Chevalier, her cousins, Lord Beckett, Lady Beckett and Cutler, for certain, several nameless courtiers, and Jack and his mother Lady Essex. Elizabeth lost her breath momentarily, gained it back and with a slight hint of anger and snubbing nodded to them while passing by. Jack acknowledged her, but kept very distant. He did not want his feelings to betray him. Elizabeth would be just as distant since it was obvious his assessment of his feelings for her. But, seeing him hurt a little, even if she didn't show it.

"Lady Elizabeth?!" A voice called behind her. She recognized it, and sneered, sighed and turned around with the most false smile she had given in some time.

"Cutler Beckett." She greeted her soon to be betrothed, though it absolutely made her cringe to think on it. She had much more pressing issues at the moment, and this had to take lower priority.

"I heard of your ordeal, and I am glad to know that you are feeling better considering the circumstances." He kissed her cheek. She imagined how it would feel to have Jack kiss her cheek. What his lips would feel like on her skin. She didn't dare imagine more than that. Cutler took her hands, "You look radiant this afternoon." His flattery did not help his cause. It was by pure political gain that this marriage was to be, and nothing more, although she guessed that he assumed she had some feeling for him. And she did, after all they have been friends since they were children and his family has been trusted advisors of her father and grandfather for generations. He was loyal and kind by all accounts and although his father, Lord Winston Beckett, was ridiculously ambitious, he was also loyal to her father. "Please know that my father has been working through the night to find the source of such treachery. And I am confident that he will resolve this mystery. He is, after all, the King's chancellor." He leaned in closer and whispered, "I have even heard that he has caught one of the pawns and locked him in the tower." He was proud of his father's accomplishment. Cutler's mother, is the daughter of the Russian Emperor, who chose Winston Beckett from scores of other would be suitors to his daughter only for his power in England and his influence with the King.

"Yes," Elizabeth said distracted and disinterested. Cutler tried to make her focus on him and moved into her gaze. "I don't know why everyone is making such a fuss, really, I am fine." Elizabeth was just not impressed with the attention this matter was getting. She felt it a waste, especially considering that the real event of the night went unnoticed.

Elizabeth made her way to the fountain and sat down with her ladies. She saw Jack talking to Margarite de Chevalier, a cute but overly flirtatious woman with quite a reputation. That scoundrel, she thought… She took out her book and she called him over. "Cutler?" she commanded, "Come and read to me." Thinking that by some stretch she would enjoy it, she would at least enjoy letting Jack know that two could play that game. Why carry on these false pretenses, get it out in the open, right? Cutler looked shocked, as Elizabeth never made any special request of him before. Maybe his advances were working, he thought? The Lord and Lady Beckett were most pleased and the look on Winston's face was one of partial victory.

Jack tried not to pay any mind to this, but admitted to himself that he had to do something, this couldn't go on any longer. The tension rose all through the day and into the evening. Tonight, somehow, he would put an end to this madness.

Once the torches were lit, they headed out into the maze of hedges. It was a tradition that the Queen started many years ago. The ladies would hide in the maze and the gentlemen would hunt for them, blindfolded. All the single ladies, including the Princess, scattered about the maze. Elizabeth found a spot in a dead end that she could hide in. One at a time, the men came through, some not even sensing her there. She would laugh at the ones who did find her and redirect them to the maze. Cutler came through and for a moment she thought she would raise his blindfold and let him claim her as his prize. He came closer to her, and reached for her. She went to remove the cloth from his eyes, but she looked on him. He wasn't Jack, and no matter how she tried to pretend, he would never be. She decided to move from his grasp and make believe she wasn't there. He went by, not noticing her. A curious thing, she thought, that he didn't feel her? She was glad. He left the small dead end and went back into the maze. Elizabeth turned and faced the hedge and picked a small white flower from it. She turned back around, and as she did, Jack stood before her, inches from her face, with no blindfold at all.

"Tell me something, Elizabeth?" He stared deep into her eyes, "Why do you torment me so?" Jack thought it amusing that she was trembling, but felt guilty for making her frightened.

"I am sure I don't know what you mean, sir." She sniffed the flower and tinkered with it playfully.

"Oh, I think you do." He looked further into her eyes. He swore he would stay away from her and it would have worked had he not come to the garden today. Blasted women. The very sight of her made his blood boil, and liked the challenge. He continued to move closer to her.

"I do not." She became so uncomfortable she broke his grip and turned away from him.

"Your lap dog, he is reading to you is he?" Jack was irritated, it was quite obvious. She smiled.

"Jealous?" she answered smugly.

"Yes."

Elizabeth turned to Jack, "You should be." She replied and walked off. Jack smirked. This was by no means over.

Elizabeth and the other women made their way out of the maze and began to say their goodbyes for the night. Cutler retired with his parents and kissed Elizabeth goodbye on the cheek. It made her uncomfortable, but she needed to learn to live with it, so she tolerated it. She was sure to commensurate this act in plain view of Jack. She was rather amused and wanted to see how far she could take it until one of them snapped. There was no harm in it, nothing serious could come of it anyway. "Until tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, tomorrow." Elizabeth replied, again using the famed fake smile she had perfected.

Still watching Jack from the corner of her eye.

Jack came over to her to say goodbye as well. He kissed her hand.

"My Lady, " He kept it short and sweet, but looked deep into her eyes. As he rose and began to walk away from her, Elizabeth commanded to him.

"You didn't kiss me goodbye, sir?"

Jack was embarrassed in front of the courtiers and the ladies. The girls giggled. He had good mind to kiss her good once and for all. That would end this charade. He returned to her side.

"on the cheek.." she pointed to her face.

He leaned in and kissed it. She took in the moment, the touch of his lips, the scent of his skin, all the while feeling guilty for putting him on display this way. She really only did it to have him close to her, on her terms, so she would have to take matters into her own hands. Her heart trembled as he pressed his lips on her cheek and she felt like falling over. Jack too savored the moment, he might as well, it was an excuse to be near her. Besides, what harm could come of it, only he knew his thoughts, it wasn't like everyone could hear him enjoying the feel of her soft skin under his lips. The garden that was giggling at the command only a few moments ago, was now in awe of something much bigger. He released his lips from her face and walked away. The air was dead silent.

In the distance, Winston Beckett took notice of this scene and his smile of victory quickly turned to a sneer of scheming, and worry.

Elizabeth dismissed her ladies early and stayed alone with her thoughts standing on the balcony of her room. She liked the view of the fields, the oak where Jack would read to her. The stars were out on so low it was as if she could reach up and touch them. She hated to be confused about anything. But, oddly, she really wasn't. She just couldn't act on her thoughts. So now, how to erase this from her memory. Erase Jack? She didn't want to, that much she knew. So much was racing though her head, she prayed for a way to sort it all out.

"You never answered me," The voice startled her, and she say him sitting on the balcony ledge. Be careful what you wish for, she thought. "why do you torment me?"

"It is not intentional. I can assure you. I could never…I would never…I don't know why you think any of this has to do with you." Jack removed himself from the ledge and towards Elizabeth as she spoke. She backed up to avoid being too close, but the doors to her room betrayed her. She was flush against them with no where to go and Jack was closer to her than he has ever been.

"It has everything to do with…me..and you..." He spoke slowly, and brushed his lips on hers. "Deny you felt anything between us and I will leave right now, Tell me you love me and I will never go." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. What was he saying? He was living on pure emotion, it was quite liberating, he thought. To do something just because you want to, to act on a selfish impulse. If only he could bring himself to do more.

"I felt.." Elizabeth couldn't say a word, she just looked at Jack and melted inside. She longed to tell him she loved him, to hold him, to fall into his arms, dear God, she thought. Those eyes…And yet she knew she couldn't. She is Princess of England, There are expectations that go along with that. To do this would be an act of treason, she thought. But to not do it would be treason against her own heart. She struggled for a moment, "I felt something, I thought, but it was a moment of weakness, sir. And you are a fool for loving me." She pushed her self from his grip. She hated herself for this but couldn't bear to look at Jack anymore, she was torturing herself. As she said the words, she felt as though her soul was being ripped from her body. "Have you forgotten, sir, I am to be married?" The words pierced his soul. Ridiculous, he thought that Elizabeth would marry Cutler Beckett. Weasel. He most definitely didn't deserve her, and she didn't deserve to be stuck with him. "And we are most elated about this union." She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. Why is it that they played this cat and mouse game?

"Well, then." Jack answered. He was void of emotion. He likened himself to the biggest fool of all. Here he had hung himself out on a limb, only to have her cut the branch right off and throw it into the abyss. He could not even look at her. He knew that this was it, if she couldn't tell him her feelings now, then it was certain she never would. He wanted to retreat, so he walked past her and towards the door. She kept her back to him. As he walked away, she called to him.

"Jack?" She desperately wanted him to stay, did she ever. She thought if she let him walk out that door, she would never see him again.

He stopped.

"You forgot to kiss me goodnight."

She was kidding, right? What did she want from him, He thought? She didn't deserve to have him answer every demand she put before him, not after this. He turned his head over her shoulder, looking back at her. She stared off into the sky, and he could almost hear her heartbeat. He wanted to walk away, spare himself the torture, but, Jack came back to her, as he always did. He moved to her face, to her cheek. He leaned into her, breathing in her scent so he could etch it into his soul and remember it forever. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. She turned her head quickly, meeting her lips with his. He pulled back from her and looked questioning her with his eyes. She pulled back too…what had she done? Whatever it was, she didn't care. All that mattered in this moment was her and Jack. He didn't stop long enough to question it either, he pulled her in by her waist and pressed his nose to hers. He kissed her softly, once, cautiously. His face pressed against hers as she said, "I am a liar."

"A liar who is loved by a fool." He answered, ending it in a kiss.