Sorry it's taken so long to post this chapter, it took me awhile to figure out how I wanted to end this, there were multiple options, hopefully the one I chose satisfies everyone.

The reviews/debate surrounding the previous chapter were interesting, I would like to address one in particular, it was about how I wrote the last chapter similar to the season five finale where B&B part for a year. I said at the beginning of my story that this is B&B's story as set in medieval times so I had to address their separation, plus it fit with what was going on in my story at the time. This chapter will tie up the loose ends and deal with the year after. I also stated this is a Hannah free zone, so no blondes will be showing up here.

My favourite review was the one that quoted Brennan, "A lot can happen in 365 days...," it's very true...

So without any further rambling I present the final chapter. Enjoy!

Booth was fascinated by the holy lands, never had he seen a landscape like this before, never had he tasted such food or heard such languages. Never had he fought so hard against an enemy.

The first siege on a city took nearly two months, yet the knights overcame the heretics, eventually taking the city and the castle.

As the head of his section of the army, Booth met with many men who had converted to Christianity from paganism. He found these men to be very intelligent, their ideas and education astounded him. They reminded him of the Princess, a free thinker herself, who he knew would enjoy conversing or engaging in debate with these scholars. The knight did meet one man who agreed to come back with Booth at the end of his journey, Arastoo Vaziri. Arastoo was a man of medicine and a self proclaimed peace keeper. He did not side with either the people of his faith or the Christians. He offered his services as a physician to the knights and proved to be very helpful. Booth believed that Arastoo and Bones would get along greatly and he vowed that they would meet.

As the months wore on the battles continued, the knights and their armies forging on in the name of the church. Sometimes a town or village would be easy to take and the armies would take over, resting for a period of time before moving on.

Having received his cross and blessing from the Pope, Booth at first believed whole heartedly in what he had set out to do. He wanted to save heretic souls from the damnation of hell but what he saw was slaughtering and plundering. Those who opposed the armies suffered horrific deaths either in battle or as prisoners, but for those places that did not put up a fight, their resources were plundered. Many valuable things were either taken or shipped home depriving the people of the land of their own living. Booth did not agree with this, therefore he did not take anything for himself or allow his men to. Instead he showed mercy and rewarded those who did not oppose him.

Although the battles, planning and daily life exhausted his mind, his thoughts were never far from the reason he had left home, the Princess. He dreamt about her, imagining her touch, her kiss, waking only to the disappointment that he would never have her again. The Pope had absolved his sins before setting out on the crusade but Booth felt that he would never truly be forgiven for what he had done behind his best friend's back and the danger he had put his beloved in.

Many of his men found beautiful women along the way, some falling in love, others in lust. A number of women attempted to seduce Booth but he always turned them away. He often found himself alone, either in prayer or in thought, feeling isolated despite being surrounded by men. His friends joked that he ought to join the monks when they returned home as they thought he lived like one even though he broke the cardinal rule of non violence. To Booth, a single life seemed to be his destiny as he believed he would never love another woman again.

The winter was long and full of small battles but it eventually gave way to spring, bringing with it the hope that the armies would return home soon.

One fine morning a page boy handed a squire a letter, stressing that it was important and for the commanding officer to see right away. The squire rushed off until he found his master.

"My Lord, a letter from his highness," panted the young man.

Booth took the rolled parchment, nodded to his assistant and broke the wax seal. It was a short but important letter from the Prince.

"What does it say?" Sir Wendell asked, his head rising from the maps he was examining.

"That we are going home," Booth answered.

Booth's army left at dawn the next morning, riding hard towards their homeland. The letter was weighing on the knight's mind. It had been rather vague, only asking that Booth return home immediately but for no obvious reason. It left him with a bad feeling, that something was wrong. He worried about the Prince as well as his parents who still reigned in their country. Mainly Booth worried about the Princess. What if she had been hurt or taken ill? Was her father sick?

The knight pushed his men to ride faster, to keep going through the nights and only rest when necessary.

Finally, a few weeks later, they arrived on the outskirts of Timothy's kingdom. The tension among the army had lifted, there was a sense of relief and happiness that they were home and so close to their families. Booth could not wait to see his son who would soon take his place as a page boy at the castle.

As they rode closer to the city another group approached them waving the royal banners in front.

A scout from Booth's side galloped up to the knight, his horse panting.

"The Prince has come to greet us, he wishes to speak with you my Lord."

There were cheers from both sides as the army met with the royal guards who welcomed them back. Timothy had come with just a small entourage and he waved at Booth from his stallion, though the friendly glint seemed to be missing from his eyes.

"Booth, ride ahead with me," he called and led the way, "Leave your men to rest for a bit," he added.

The knight signaled for his army to stay put while he followed Timothy, two royal guards trailing not far behind. Booth knew these lands well, it was in the forests around the city that he had learned to hunt with his brother. They rode for a few minutes until the Prince stopped, then veered off the road. Booth saw that he was following a deer path which led to a small clearing with a brook. The royal guards stopped not far behind the two men, blocking the path back to the road. Timothy dismounted in silence, Booth followed.

"Sully, is something wrong? Why did you call me home and now to privacy?" the knight's curiosity was getting the better of him.

The Prince had been facing the brook when he spun around to face his friend, anger in his eyes;

"I should kill you Seeley, right here, right now."

The knight jumped back as the Prince drew his sword, leveling it at the other. Booth opened his mouth to speak but Timothy held up his hand;

"All my life I have treated you like a brother, given you the best, practically made you my equal and how do you repay me?"

A cold chill ran down Booth's spine, he swallowed hard, trying to fight the panic rising in him.

"Sully..." he stood his ground, tried to speak, but was cut off again.

Timothy kept the blade on Booth, "I give you everything and you take the one thing I asked for. How dare you!" he shouted, "Why? Why Seeley?"

He was speechless. He stood, guilt written on his face, trying to come up with something to say but nothing seemed right, nothing could justify what he did.

"Answer me! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you hanged, gutted and quartered, then have your head put on a spike?"

There was no use in denying his actions, he knew he was defeated.

"There is no reason why I shouldn't die a traitor's death, I betrayed you Sully, I am not worthy of your forgiveness," he dropped to one knee, "All I ask is that you show the Princess mercy, punish me, not her, I will accept the consequences as long as you spare her."

Sully glared at him a moment longer then lowered his sword, "You really love her, don't you?"

There was no point to lying now, "Yes."

"She offered her life for yours as well, she loves you too."

Booth's eyes flew from the ground to the Prince, "She did?"

Timothy nodded, "Get up Booth."

The knight rose slowly, still wary of the other, "May I ask how you found out about..." he trailed off, not sure how to finish.

The Prince gave a dry chuckle, "Not long after you left..."

Princess Temperance had always believed in being rational and pragmatic, following her brain instead of her heart, but all of that changed when she met Booth. The day he left she took her beliefs to the extreme, never again would she let emotion cloud her judgement. Love had led her down a path of danger and heartbreak, she had become vulnerable and she vowed never to be again. The day he rode off she built a barricade around her heart, one that would never allow her to become close to anyone again. Becoming close to someone meant there was a possibility that they would leave, that she would lose them, she would not take that risk any more.

Since the wedding preparations had begun she had shown no interest, on the day Booth left she contemplated calling the whole thing off and sending Timothy away. Her only motivation to go on with life now rested with the promise of inheriting her kingdom. She would be a good leader, an intelligent, pragmatic, rational queen first and always, her wifely duties to her husband would be a distant second.

So as the wedding date drew nearer she withdrew to the library, the council room and her chambers, throwing herself whole heartedly into the kingdom's work, learning all she could about the history, the charters, the people, any information she could get her hands on. When there was not enough of that work she would pour over her books on medicine, studying late into the nights. Temperance took to taking meals alone in her room, refusing to show up for dinners with her father or husband-to-be. Everyone expected her to be happy, to spend time with Timothy, she refused to live that lie. Every second she had to spend faking a smile, pretending to care about the wedding broke her heart a little more. The idea of being bound to Timothy for the rest of her life repulsed her, not the man himself but the idea that she would be his property, that he would hold the title of king over the land that was her birthright. Temperance hated the inequality between man and woman, knowing full well that many women were the match for even the toughest and smartest men.

Suddenly, it was the day before the wedding. The castle hummed with the energy and excitement of it's inhabitants. The upcoming nuptials were all anyone could talk about, it was unavoidable. That day, Temperance took to her bed and refused to get up.

She claimed to be ill and really she was; knowing what the next dawn would bring made her sick to her stomach, her fate was inevitable. Truly there was no way of escaping the marriage.

Temperance did not eat, would not accept the herbal tea made by the Countess and would not see anyone. Her father insisted the banquet go on without her, he believed she would recover for the wedding.

That night as the castle slept, Temperance got up, snuck off to her study and collected what she needed. She woke a servant to bring her tea and when it came she quickly deposited her mixture in it.

"I was terrified," Timothy said, "On the morning we were supposed to be wed no one could wake her."

"Was she alright?" the concern evident in Booth's voice.

"She was alive, she breathed, made some sounds, but she could not be aroused from her slumber."

"How long did she stay like that?"

"Two days."

It did not take the Countess and Zach long to find out what the Princess had done. Yet Cam did not wish to expose her secret, she swore Zach to secrecy, she knew how Temperance felt about the marriage and about Booth. Cam sympathized with her, she could not imagine being forced into a loveless life or giving over your power to a husband.

Instead, Cam told the court that the Princess was very ill and only time would tell if she would recover. The wedding was postponed and the kingdom waited on pins and needles, praying for their beloved Princess.

Two days passed while Temperance slumbered. In her opium induced dreams she was with Booth, only to be torn apart from him somehow, leaving her thrashing or moaning, unable to wake.

Finally, in the evening, she opened her eyes to the great relief of those who cared for her. As the servants fussed over her, Temperance wondered how much longer she could feign illness, thus postponing the wedding until, she hoped, Timothy would leave declaring her to sickly to marry.

Three days later her father marched into her room.

"Get up," he demanded.

Temperance propped herself on her elbows, trying to still look feeble, "I'm resting."

"You've rested for three days. Your colour is better, I know you've been eating, its time to rise and get to the church," clearly he wasn't going to hide his agenda.

She gave him a petulant look, "I'm not ready yet, that's a long aisle to walk."

"I'll be propping you up, you'll make it."

"Are you not concerned in the least for my health? Suppose I pass on whatever is ailing me to the Prince?"

The king scoffed, "You're healthy enough to argue with me," he sat down the edge of her bed, "Of course I fret over your health, you are my daughter, which also means I know you and you've never acted like this before. When you're sick you never stay in bed, the doctors always had to force you to rest and you always snuck out. I know what you're doing Temperance, stop avoiding the inevitable."

"I can rule on my own," she tried her old argument again.

King Maxwell rolled his eyes, "Do not start on that again. You could do worse than Timothy, he's a good man, he's been very worried about you."

It was true, Timothy had visited her every day, always full of concern, stating over and over that he would wait till she was better before they married. She heard that he was often in the chapel, praying for her health, despite the fact that she believed medicine did more than prayer. He was loyal, caring and loving, she knew he deserved someone better than her.

Her father took her hand, "Tempy, listen to me. I know very well that you could rule this kingdom on your own, but you must marry. The men need a leader, we need an alliance and you need an heir to raise just like you, it's the only way our kingdom will survive and prosper."

She played with the edge of her sheet, not meeting her father's eyes, "My fate lies in my duty to the kingdom," she whispered.

"It has been your fate since you were born," her father touched her hand, "And I know you will be a great queen, like your mother."

"Like my mother," she repeated, giving his hand a squeeze.

For the first time in days, Temperance rose, summoned her servants and began to dress.

"I should have seen the signs," Timothy sighed, "When you were around she at least feigned interest in me, but the moment you left she wanted nothing to do with the wedding or me."

"She liked you Sully, she told me that she could have grown to love you," Booth offered some consolation.

He shook his head, "No, she never would have forgotten you."

"What happened?"

"At first I heard whispers about the two of you, about why you left, there is never a shortage of courtly gossip. I ignored it at first but that was hard to do, the court was abuzz with rumors as to why you left so quickly and before the nuptials. Eventually, when the talk became too much, combined with the Princess' behavior, I decided I needed to find out the truth, have her put to rest the silly rumors before we took our vows."

"So you went to speak with her, when was that?"

"The night before the wedding..."

In the candlelight the jewels glittered, ivory, with accents of soft gold, the dress was exquisite, it hung on the mannequin ready to wear the following morning. Temperance wanted to tear it apart. She rubbed the sleeve between her fingers and resisted the urge to rip out the fine stitching. Dropping the material her gaze shifted to the tiara sitting on a crimson pillow beside the dress, the symbol of power and authority, the only reason she would go through with the wedding. The ceremony, the vows, they meant nothing to her, the only event she looked forward to was her coronation which would take place a month and a half after her marriage. Gently, she stroked the diamonds in the tiara before walking to the window. The stars shone brightly, she always thought they were more beautiful then any jewel. She leaned against the windowsill watching the night sky, wondering if Booth was doing the same thing. She imagined him, far away, looking out the flap of his tent, or out the window of a foreign tavern and admiring the stars as she was, thinking about whether their fate was written in the constellations and whether or not it could be changed. It was a full moon tonight, big and bright in the sky and it gave her a small bit of comfort to know that despite their distance they still could look up at the same moon and sleep under the same night sky.

A soft knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts. She didn't know who would be calling on her at this hour, she had sent her ladies to bed a half hour ago. Slowly, she opened the door.

"Hello Temperance, I'm sorry to come calling so late," Timothy stood on the other side looking solemn.

"Is something wrong?" she pulled her robe closer around her.

He wrung his hands, "I need to talk to you, might I come in?"

She nodded and admitted him inside, "Shall I call for some wine or something to eat?"

The Prince shook his head, "No," his eyes fell on the wedding dress, "Oh, I wasn't supposed to see this, I'm sorry."

"I do not believe in that superstition, it's alright. Please sit down," she gestured to the chairs.

Something was wrong, she could see the worry etched into his face as he paced. Suddenly he stopped, facing her;

"You don't want to marry me, do you?"

She was taken aback, but he forged on, "You've been very distant lately, sullen, the ladies say you have no interest in the wedding at all. You will not dine with me, you rarely come riding any more, all you do is work or study, then you became ill..."

"I could not have predicted nor prevented the illness," she lied.

"I know that but I need to know why Temperance, why do you shun me?Why are you avoiding anything to do with the wedding? Have I been cruel to you? Do you think I will mistreat you? What have I done to offend you?"

Worry mixed with vulnerability now as he pleaded with her, he truly believed he had done something wrong and she hated making him feel like that. Guilt bubbled in her, what could she possibly tell him that wouldn't be a lie?

"Timothy, you've done nothing wrong," she tried, knowing it would not be sufficient.

He jumped on her words, "If I've done nothing wrong then why have you turned cold? You have not looked at me fondly in what feels like weeks, I've not seen you happy since..." he paused, trying to recall the last time she had truly smiled.

It did not take him long to make the connection, the evidence was overwhelming, only lending truth to the whispers he had heard. Yet Timothy kept his face impartial, concealing the sudden feeling of betrayal that washed over him. Quickly, he resumed his line of questioning as if nothing had occurred to him;

"Do I not make you happy?" he laid on the guilt, while contemplating how long it would take to crack her.

Temperance had not missed his falter, she had seen the flash of knowledge in his eyes, it sent a shiver down her spine. He had guessed, or was speculating that her sudden change in mood was connected to when Booth left. She was terrified and her voice shook slightly when she spoke;

"You are a wonderful man, Timothy," she began, "You have shown me nothing but kindness, I do not fear you and I think you would make a fine husband."

"Then why do you not want to marry me?" he snapped, "Tell me Temperance! I will not begin our wedded life with lies!"

She swallowed hard past the lump forming in her throat, blurting out the half truth, "I never wanted to marry anyone, you know as well as I do I am being forced into this."

The admission caught him off guard for a second, but he recovered, "Temperance, most nobles must make do with arranged marriages, you know as well as I do what our union means, a powerful alliance for our countries. I thought you of all people would know the political gains of marriage, especially since you can only rule with a king at your side, so this marriage is particularly beneficial to you."

She nodded slowly, knowing she had not outwitted him, "Yes, that is all true, but I believe I can rule on my own."

He gave a dry chuckle, "I have talked with your father, I know what you believe," his voice turned serious again, "I know that you never wished to marry, I still believe there is another reason for why you dread tomorrow," he narrowed his eyes at her, staring her down.

"I dread losing my freedom," she matched his tone, masking fear with fake courage.

He kept direct eye contact as he breathed his next words, "You dread marrying me because you love another man."

Blue eyes widened, he had her now. She shook her head feebly.

"There...there is no one," she stuttered.

Timothy's large hand took her small one, but it was not forceful, "Please Temperance, tell me the truth."

Distress was evident in her voice, he could feel her hand shaking, "I cannot tell you..."

Her words confirmed his fears, "I know there is another," defeat crept into his tone.

"He's gone," her voice caught on the words, she closed her eyes and fought back the tears.

"Tell me who it was," he gently urged her, trying not to let the anger through.

She wouldn't look at him, a tear fell down her cheek. He knew.

Timothy dropped her hand, this time his voice was slightly harsher, "So the rumors are true."

The truth broke her, he knew, it was over.

Through raspy breaths she said, "I will tell you everything and accept the consequences as long as you do not hurt him, please, let him live."

He turned his back on her and walked across the room, then turned abruptly around, "Don't hurt him? He's only put a knife in my back and you wish me to spare him?" he spat at her.

"It's over now, he knew I had to marry you!"

"Exactly," Timothy sneered, "Booth knew you were mine, yet he had you anyways! He is a traitor!"

"He never wanted to hurt you, I promise, we both knew it was wrong..."

"Yet you did it anyways! Why should I spare him?" he shouted.

"Because I love him!" she cried and then a sob escaped, "I love him...I didn't want to but it happened..."

Timothy starred, dumbfounded at her, his tirade over. Glossy blue eyes starred back, pleading.

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, "Punish me, shame me, do what you will. I will step aside, you can have my throne, just please, for mercy's sake, let him live."

"You love him?" he repeated, still in shock.

She nodded, "I do."

With a soft thump, Timothy dropped onto a chair, "Tell me, how did this happen?"

So she told him their story, starting with the day Booth had rode into the castle and her father had mistaken him for the Prince. The actual Prince listened intently, sometimes frowning, sometimes giving a small chuckle.

"You see then, it was never our intention to hurt you, nor Booth's to betray you," she finished.

"It just happened," he said, "And now you're willing to accept the consequences for both your actions all on your own."

"Booth is a good man, I should have been the one to say no, to stop what we did, but I asked him to stay. It is my fault."

"And he loves you?"

A small, sad smile graced her lips, "Yes."

He rose to pace the room, silent for a few minutes while he thought. Temperance nervously shuffled, wondering what he would decide, her fate now in Timothy's hands.

"Seeley is like a brother to me," he paused at the window, speaking to the night sky, "therefore I will not have his blood on my hands. I could however exile him, banish him to fight in the holy lands till he dies, yet that would not feel right either. As much as his part in this hurts me, I've always wanted him to be happy as well. From what I've heard the two of you were nothing but happy till I arrived, several courtiers said they've never seen you more joyful then when you were with Booth."

Timothy faced her again, "I could make sure you are never happy again. It would be easy to take your throne, shame you, force you into exile as well. When I heard the initial rumors about the two of you I was angry and I could have done those things easily. Yet I find that I am jealous of how happy you were with Booth and not me, which makes me wonder if I'd ever truly content you and I think not."

He reached out his hand to her, "Temperance, I will not force you to marry me, not if it means you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."

"No," she protested and took his hand, "Not miserable, that's a harsh word."

"Then what? Unhappy? You've tried desperately to avoid this wedding, what kind of life will we have if we go through with it? I want you to be happy, I will not keep you like a caged animal."

She looked a question at him, "I have to marry you."

"Not if I break the engagement first, thus setting you free."

It was Temperance's turn to be flabbergasted, "How? We shall both be shamed."

"No," he squeezed her hand, "I will not let that happen."

"Then how?"

"We'll twist the truth, just a little. I'll tell everyone that I am in love with another, a woman I promised myself to thus making me pre-contracted and unable to marry you."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "They'll ask you to produce this woman, then what?"

He winked at her, "Temperance, you are not the only one with a forbidden love. I too gave up someone for my country, I just hope she has not moved on yet."

"So I'll be free," though she did not look satisfied, "My father will condemn you, he'll be livid."

"Let me talk to him, I think I've got a solution that will work out for both of you."

Temperance leaned forward and hugged him, "Why are you being so kind? I do not deserve this."

Timothy gently stroked her cheek, "Because I believe in love and it would be wrong to part what the stars have brought together."

"Thank you," she breathed, then kissed him on the cheek, "I will be eternally grateful to you."

He grinned at her, "I'll hold you to that Princess," then he let go of her hand and walked slowly to the door, "Good night."

"The whole kingdom was upset that the wedding did not happen, all that build up for nothing. Yet the drinks were not wasted and they forgot soon enough. I spent a good few hours negotiating with King Maxwell, but in the end we struck a deal. I sailed away the next morning, her name had already been carved into the boat," Timothy starred off into the distance, a faraway look on his face, "She waved to me from the dock though I knew she was already counting the days till you would come back."

He turned back to Booth, "I had to wait till the winter was over before I could summon you home, though part of it was me still being slightly bitter about the whole thing."

Booth laid his hand on Timothy's shoulder, "I do not know how to thank you for showing us mercy Sully, really, you are too kind."

"Thank me by going to her, by being happy."

"What arrangement did you make with King Maxwell?"

The Prince told the knight the plan.

"Come and dine with me tonight, tomorrow you'll be on your way to see her again," Sully mounted his horse, followed by Booth.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for riding, which Temperance took full advantage of. Followed by Zach and a man at arms, she urged her horse to go faster, yet she still could not escape her thoughts. Her anticipation grew as each day got warmer, she knew he would come soon. There was no way of knowing which day he might arrive, it could take weeks to travel from the holy lands and that was if he could be released from battle. She pushed the thought aside that it could still be some time till his arrival, turning again to the riddle Timothy had left her with. He refused to indulge her with the details of the deal he had struck with her father, he had simply promised that everything would be alright. King Maxwell would also not divulge any secrets until Sir Booth returned. It frustrated her to not know her fate. She worried that her father would deny Booth and force her to marry another unknown prince.

Approaching the clearing where she and Booth had spent so much time she immediately noticed another horse drinking at the stream.

"Whoa," she slowed her own and waved her guard forward.

The black gelding moved into the clearing and Zach pulled up beside her.

"Is there danger ahead my lady?" the young man asked.

"I'm not sure, stay close," after the previous attacks she had become more cautious, never riding alone any more.

The guard came back, "All clear Princess, it's just a hunter, he'll do you no harm. Perhaps Mr. Addy and I could do the same, maybe catch some hares."

Zach did not look pleased with the suggestion, "I think I'll stay here thank you."

"Come on, it will be easier with two of us," he winked and took the younger man's reins, "Princess, rest your horse for a few minutes, we'll not go far," he waved her onto the clearing as he led Zach's horse away.

Temperance thought his behaviour to be slightly odd but she trusted him and rode on. As she entered the clearing she saw the other horse was not a hunter but a large war beast. Her hand moved to the sheathed dagger strapped to her saddle, she had another at her ankle.

"Hello?" she called out.

"Hello Bones."

His voice came from behind her, the mare grunted as she whipped around.

"Booth!"

No sooner had she cried his name then he was at her side, his hands on her waist as she dismounted into his arms.

"I've missed you so much," she nearly sobbed with joy.

"I never thought I would get to do this again," he said before capturing her lips with his own.

The kiss was the homecoming they had both been waiting for, it was passionate as they rediscovered one another.

They parted and Booth gently wiped the tears that had escaped down her cheeks.

"I owe Sully my life for his kindness, for letting me be with you."

His words piqued her curiosity, "What bargain has he struck with my father? He would not tell me."

"You are royalty, an heir to a throne," Booth began and she became nervous, "You deserve someone of equal status, Sully said your father insisted upon that."

She scoffed, "Tell me my father relented."

"Only when given what he demanded."

"But you are a knight," there was fear in her voice, "My father denied you, I will rule alone but I cannot marry you..."

Booth placed a finger on her lips, "You're jumping to conclusions, he made no such decision."

"Then tell me!"

He laughed, "You are also demanding."

She gave him a look and he continued, "As you know I grew up with Timothy at court, he is like my brother, what you do not know is that I am equal to him in all but title," he paused for effect, "I am a knight but my official title is Duke Booth, I am the richest man in the kingdom, second only to the Prince."

Temperance gasped, "I would never have guessed."

"Sully promised your father that if we married there would still be a strong alliance between our kingdoms, that if you married me then it would be as good as marrying a prince. He also managed to get you full power over your kingdom, I will be king consort, you will be the official ruler, queen."

She smiled widely, it was better than she could have hoped for.

"So if you'll have me," he took her hands, "I would like to marry you."

"I want nothing more in the world than to marry you," she replied and kissed him again.

As they broke apart he easily picked her up, spinning her around, the fabric of her dress flying behind her.

"I love you Temperance," Booth said as he held his princess close.

"I love you too, Booth."

And they lived happily (well mostly, they bickered sometimes), ever after.

The End

Hopefully that wasn't too fluffy, but I just couldn't end it Romeo & Juliet/Tristan & Isolde style. I toyed with the idea but changed it in the end. I may write an alternate, tragic ending, but don't hold your breath.

Thanks again for sticking with the story!

Remember, like it, love it, hate it, let me know!