A year and a half had passed. It was once again winter and once again, scarlet fever had made its way into the palace. However, this time it hit Troy and his mother. Gabriella, since she had already had the illness before, was given the task of nursing to Troy back to health while Maria was nursing Lucille. Gabriella walked into Troy's room with a bowl of water. Troy was underneath several blankets shivering from the fever. Gabriella sat down on the chair next to the bed and dipped the cloth into the water. She rang the excessive water and then placed it on Troy's head. Troy mumbled and jumped slightly at the sudden movement of the wet cloth being put on his head.

"Shh…" Gabriella whispered comfortingly as she caressed his cheek with her free hand. "I'm right here, my love."

"How's my mother?" Troy asked in a whisper.

"I don't know, but my mother is taking great care of her."

"Is it ok for you to be in here with me?"

"I've already had the fever so I've been given permission to nurse you back to health." Gabriella explained.

"I'm glad. I remember when you were sick; I was so scared that I would never see you again."

"I felt the same way, I kept asking my parents if I could get a visit from you, but each time she told me that it wasn't safe for you to be in the same room with me since I was so sick."

"I was the same way; I wanted so badly to see you. I would wait outside your door to see if I could get a glimpse of you." Troy explained. "I told my mother that I was going to marry you once we were old enough."

"You were only a little boy then." Gabriella said smiling at the thought.

"But I knew that you were the only one for me back then."

"I knew that you were the only one for me once I knew what love was, back when I was six years old."

"When I am well once again, I'm going to ask your father for your hand in marriage, will you accept?"

"Yes." Gabriella whispered as she kissed his forehead gently.

Meanwhile, in the Bolton's room, Maria was tending to Lucille. Lucille was not fairing as well as her son and was becoming weaker each day. The doctors and Maria could not figure what to do. She was not eating, unable to sit up. The doctor had gently broken the news to Jack that he and his children might have to prepare themselves to say goodbye to their matriarch. They hadn't told Troy yet as they wanted him to get better. Maria placed a cool damp cloth on her friend's head.

"How is my son?" Lucille whispered weakly.

"He's getting better; Gabriella is taking really good care of him." Maria stated quietly. "You need to get better; you need to be here when our children get married in a couple of years."

"Troy proposed to Gabriella?"

"No, not yet, but it will be soon though." Maria said. "Within a year or two our children will be married, I am most certain."

"Will you have Jack and my children come to see me." Lucille whispered causing Maria to close her eyes sadly.

"Troy?"

"If he is well enough. I want to say goodbye to all of them."

Maria nodded her head and stood up and walked to the door. She looked back at her best friend and realized that this was going to be the end of the road for Lucille Bolton. As she stepped outside into the hallway, Jack, Mary and Emma stood up hoping to hear good news. The girls broke down when Maria shook her head.

"She knows she doesn't have much time, she wants to see you all." Maria explained to Jack. "I'm going to go see if Troy is well enough to see her one last time."

"Alright." Jack agreed before he and his daughters went to join their mother.

Maria walked down the win to Gabriella's suite. She opened the door and found Troy propped up in bed and Gabriella feeding him some soup. Troy was smiling up at Gabriella as they talked quietly to one another. Maria cleared her throat and the two looked over at her.

"Mom." Gabriella greeted. "Troy's got his appetite back again."

"That's wonderful." Maria stated with no emotion in her voice and that got the attention of both Troy and Gabriella.

"What's the matter?" Gabriella asked her mother nervously.

"Troy, your mother is not doing so well. She wants to see her family; can you make it to her room? I don't think she has much time left." Maria explained sadly.

"I'm coming." Troy announced strongly as he threw the blankets off of him.

Gabriella placed the bowl of soup on the nightstand and helped him get to his feet. She placed one of Troy's arms around her shoulder and helped walk all the way to him mother's room. Jack, Mary and Emma were all gathered around Lucille's bed. The girls were in tears as they looked at their mother. Gabriella carefully helped Troy get over to the bed. Maria pulled a chair up for him and helped Gabriella set him down. Gabriella then draped a blanked over Troy to keep him warm. The Empress and Duchess then stepped out of the room to give the family some privacy. Alberto had sent for a priest to give Maria the Last Rites.

An hour later, the priest came out of the bedroom and shook his head at the royal family. Sobbing from the Bolton daughters could be heard. Gabriella looked in and saw Troy's head resting on the bed next to his mother's hand. Maria began to cry quietly at the loss of her best friend. Alberto held her in his arms to comfort his wife. The four duchesses and the prince watched with tears in their eyes as their friends mourned the loss of their mother and they began to realize that the woman who was a second mother to them all was gone. Gabriella slowly went over to Troy and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I want to go back to bed." Troy whispered.

"Alright." Gabriella agreed as she helped him get to his feet.

Troy took one last look at his mother before he and Gabriella made their way out of the room. Together they walked out to and down the hallway. Gabriella eased Troy back into bed and covered him up with the blankets. Just as she was about to leave, Troy grabbed her hand.

"Please, don't leave." Troy whispered.

"I won't." Gabriella whispered as she sat back down on the bed.

For the rest of the night, Gabriella held Troy as he fell asleep. She thread her fingers through his hair gently to keep him relaxed. Her mother and father came in and checked on them from time to time. During the night, Lucille was quietly taken to the cathedral where she would be until her funeral in a day. She was going to be buried near the royal family's plot.

Troy's fever broke the night before the funeral. He decided that he was going to attend the funeral. Gabriella helped him dress into his uniform and attached all of his medals on this jacket. Troy looked at his reflection in the mirror. Gabriella leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"She was so proud of you." she whispered.

"Really?" Troy asked.

"She could not stop talking about how you were an exceptional officer and she knew you were going to make the rank of general, just like your father."

"Thank you for being at my side." Troy said.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Gabriella said gently. "Are you ready?"

"No, but let's go."

Gabriella took Troy's arm and they walked out of the room. They joined their families in the grand entrance room. Soon, they were all on their way to the cathedral for Lucille Bolton's funeral. Townspeople followed them into the chapel to pay their final respects to the woman who did so much to help them throughout her time there. The royal family and the Boltons sat in the front pew of the chapel. The priest performed the emotional service. Both Jack and Alberto spoke before the service moved to the cemetery for the burial. Both Mary and Emma placed roses on top of the casket before it was lowered to the ground. What no one knew was that the death of Lucille was only the start of events that would eventually bring the end of the Montez monarchy.