I apologize for taking so long to update, but honestly I have lost the inspiration I had for this story. The next chapter will be the last. I'll be focusing on Promise of the Future after this and I'll be working on an original work that will be taking up most of my time and energy.

My deepest thanks to my loyal readers who have stayed with me. Going back and reading your reviews on past chapters and stories is what has gotten me to finish this chapter and write the last so that I could at least give you closure.

Can't We Just Elope?

No one could say that Wyatt Cain was the happiest most carefree individual on the best of days. True, he had been seen smiling more often than before, and a few maids swore that they had heard him let out a laugh in the past week. However, if anyone was to believe these personality changes, today would not be the day to convince them.

The hero of the eclipse had been forced into his rooms from the moment breakfast ended to endure fitting after fitting at his future mother-in-law's behest. Lunch had ended nearly two hours previously and the seamstress still showed no signs of finishing. Cain stood as still as possible, to avoid being stabbed by the army of pins that held his new clothing to him. His mood was soured even further by the three suits that he had already been fitted for laying on his bed. It seemed as though he was being forced to acquire a entirely new wardrobe in order to marry DG.

Cain sighed and tried not to fidget, personally he liked his own clothes just fine. They were well broken in and comfortable and his last tie to his old life. He grumbled to himself as the seamstress bustled around him clucking to herself and making notes as she adjusted pins. The sunlight coming through his large picture window proved to distract him slightly as he watched the wind rustle through the long grass and the water glitter a startling blue.

"Ow!" He yelped suddenly as one of the pins found their way to the tender flesh of his rear end. The woman yelped as well as Cain stepped down from the fitting platform and glared at them. "I'm finished." He announced, biting back the urge to tell them exactly where to shove his measurements.

"But sir!" The head-biddy exclaimed, "We have to make sure that everything fits just right for the occasion!"

"I have faith in your skills." Cain snapped, wanting nothing more than to get away from the stifling room and find DG before he went mad. Maybe he could convince her to elope...

DG's day wasn't going much better, she stood in a situation similar to that of her fiance, arms outstretched, and what felt like a hundred pounds of white taffeta and chiffon pulling her to the ground. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and groaned at the sight. It looked like her head on top of an enormous snowball.

"I really do not want to look like a snow beast on my wedding day." She told Az, who was watching with a great deal of amusement. "I'm going to suffocate in this before I make it halfway down the aisle!" Her sister smiled, reclining, very comfortably, in a soft chair wearing a light summer gown that DG would kill to be wearing.

"Just think how beautiful you'll look as you reflect the sun's rays and blind the guests!" Az teased her, "Maybe we can explore ways to turn you into a weapon!" DG sent her sister a scathing look at the second comment and stepped down from the stand, dress rustling loudly as she marched to the door.

"Highness! We're not finished yet!" The dressmaker exclaimed, chasing after the princess, arms akimbo. Az heard DG grumbling something about runaway princesses instead of runaway brides as the younger sister made it to the door.

"Where are you running away to Deeg?" Az asked, still comfortably reclined.

"To tell Cain that we're eloping!" DG snapped as she stalked out the door... or tried to as her dress wouldn't quite fit...

Cain tried not to laugh as he watched DG fight with her volumous skirts to get through the door. "I take it that eloping is sounding better darlin'?" DG looked up just as she won her fight with the miles of fabric and tumbled to the floor at his feet. "Well, I knew you loved me, but I didn't realize I could make you fall at my feet." He chuckled as he helped her up. She wrinkled her nose at him and turned to the woman standing in the door, wringing her hands.

"Either the dress is smaller, or the dress doesn't get made." DG hissed at the woman, skirts filling half the hallway.

"Say darlin'," Az heard Cain say as the aggravated couple walked away. "You want some help getting out of that thing?"

The weeks of preparations passed by in a blur, each person involved in the planning came away with a horror story... the bride refused to do this, the groom threatened someone new every day, the guards had stopped them from eloping three times... The stories never seemed to end: the bride refused to invite such and such a dignitary, the groom wouldn't wear a consort's circlet, the bride was a terror on the dance floor, the master of ceremonies had his hat turned into a squirrel... the only member of the royal staff who was happy was Tutor. At long last DG showed up on time for her lessons and didn't try to escape after ten minutes. He was thrilled to see this new sense of responsibility and dedication to her magic; she was delighted to escape the wedding planners.

As the final week before the wedding rolled around everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The wedding party had been chosen, the dress had been finished, with quite a bit less fabric than at first; the groom's suit was pressed and the right amount of plain and ceremonial that everyone was content (though not particularly happy) and life, and tempers, cooled as the preparations slowed to the point where only the decorators were still working.

The day before the wedding had finally arrived and Princess DG's poor lady's maids were in the midst of the scariest assignment that they had ever been given... Telling Wyatt Cain that he wasn't allowed to see the princess until the wedding...

TBC