A/N: Hey, guys! I apologize for taking this long to finally update. Please forgive me. I've been really busy with school, and haven't found the time to work on it. But wait no more!...Thank you to those who have followed and reviewed this story! I am pleased with the response from the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed reading the story as I have writing it. As promised, the final chapter R&R! Enjoy!

Chapter 10

He leaned his forehead against the carved wooden door, his hands rubbing idly on the brass doorknob. He turned it slightly, just has he did a few times before that, hoping that this time she would have unlocked the door for him by now. But it remained securely locked as a defeated sigh escaped from his lips. "Snow, please…" he begged of her, his voice filled with emotions that were incomprehensible. He wasn't sure why Snow White was behaving so strangely as it only aggravated him some more and deepened his worries. "Open the door."

"Go…away, Eric." She mumbled carefully as he could hear her faint sobs echo through the closed doors. A frustrated sigh slipped over his lips and he closed his eyes, feeling the turmoil swell over him.

"What is troubling you so?" He asked worriedly, trying so hard to get through her, but to no avail. Thoughts were flooding his mind, and all he could do was contemplate. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. It was only a few hours since he agreed to have a word with the Duke, but soon regret ever leaving her side for fear that Snow White may have changed her mind about him …and her heart. Perhaps it was the plan all along...to will Snow White away to someone more deserving of her love; someone like William. He shook his head slightly to clear his head of such negative thoughts and regained focus on the woman who has captured his heart in more ways than he could ever imagine. "Have I done anything to offend you?" There was only mere silence on the other side as he groaned quietly, fighting with the emotions that threatened to appear. He then slammed his hand on the door, and had to refrain himself from yelling. "Listen, Snow…." He spoke, barely above a pained whisper. "I love you. I don't know what has happened…but if you would just let me in…we can talk about—"

"I wish to be left alone, Huntsman. I don't want your company at this time." She cut him off abruptly before the words could escape his parted lips. He then raked a hand through his hair, pushing it all out of his face in frustration. "Please…just go…and let me be…"

"Why are you doing this?" He inquired helplessly as the anguish washed over him. "Why are you pushing me away?" The silence lingered far too long, intensifying his pain and heartache. He sighed deeply, knowing he wouldn't get very far with Snow White and decided then to obey her wishes and hope that with time, she will eventually come to him.

"Fine. But I'm not going anywhere." He said firmly as he reluctantly released his hand from the doorknob and sadly walked away.

Her head hung low as she walked among the castle grounds through the long corridors and wide archways, avoiding eye contact with whoever crossed her path. The sun was shining luminously in the mid-afternoon sky, clear from clouds despite the cool breeze that awakened her senses and chilled her to her very core. She stepped out for the first time, wearing a simple white long-sleeved gown underneath a black hooded coat to shield her eyes. Ever since that fateful night, she locked herself in the confines of her bedroom chamber for nearly two whole days. Yet again, Snow White had stayed to herself all day, lost in thought and battling confusion as she purposely avoided him.

As she entered the courtyard, mentally preparing herself for what may be a day of pouring questions and explanations on her part as to why she has been absent from her duties as Queen, she suddenly felt a strong hand grip her shoulder causing her to turn around and release a startled gasp. She wasn't prepared to face him as her heart began to hammer uncontrollably on her chest; unable to see clearly for everything became such a blur very quickly. She blinked her eyes a few times, until they were focused on the man before her, and it was then did she finally found the person she was searching for.

"William!" She heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of him with her trembling hand placed over her chest to subside her heavy breathing. "Forgive me, I thought you were someone else." There was concern etched in every feature on his face as he studied her carefully, noting the dark circles that surrounded her eyes and the sadness that fell upon them.

"Are you alright? What happened to you?" He asked, surprised to see her after she withdrew herself to loneliness these past few days, not knowing when she would ever return to her normal self. "You have us all worried." She looked away, fighting back the tears that soon betrayed her as they slowly broke free from her eyes. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to will the turbulent emotions away. "Snow…" He gently lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to look up at him as his gaze softened. They stood so close; she could feel his warm breath brush gently against her shivering form as it provided some relief from the cold. "What is troubling you?"

"How's everything, William?" She asked, her concern for the Kingdom now occupying her thoughts. Even though she had personal matters of her own, she still had a Kingdom to run. "Did anything happen during my absence that I should know about?"

"No...everything is well, my Queen." He reassured her with a faint smile. "We are, however concern about your well-being..."

She averted from his intent gaze and noticed the curious glances she was receiving from bystanders nearby, whispering and gossiping among themselves. It's been days since her people last saw their Queen as made up stories circulated the entire Kingdom. There was a mix of curiosity and genuine concern for their Queen, and yet know one really knew what was going on other than what was speculated and heard from others.

Snow White felt herself getting frustrated from the unwanted attention as she looked back at William for some needed comfort. His eyebrows knitted together in deep thought as he instinctively offered his hand. "Come with me." Snow looked at it for a brief second, and then allowed him to grasp hers firmly without thinking how badly this could look. But she needed to get away as she allowed him to lead her to an empty corridor and into a small passageway towards the dining room area. They entered the exquisite room where a long oak table stood in the middle of the room, covered in lavish doilies of red and gold underneath an arrangement of vanilla scented candles. William shut the wooden doors behind them and turned around to face Snow White as she protectively folded her arms across her chest.

They stood in silence for several moments, neither really have anything to say as they both struggled with their thoughts and the things that needed to be said.

"I didn't think you'd ever speak to me again." She murmured sadly, breaking the silence that mounted between them as he shot her a look of surprise.

"You're my Queen…and my dearest friend. I could never do that to you." He frowned, though it pained him that she would acquire such thoughts. His eyes met hers with nothing but honesty and relief in them.

"Even after everything I've done to you?" She inquired weakly. The silence dragged once again with only the sounds of burning wood coming from the fireplace. He sighed deeply, hoping to ease the Queen from her troubled thoughts.

"I have forgiven you, Snow White." The words were simple, so chaste when they were first spoken. There was so much meaning behind them as Snow White fabricated a small smile. "I want nothing more than to move on from this." He paused for a brief moment to gather his thoughts together. The subject matter was still fragile to him, but he learned to finally let go. He would rather have Snow White in his life than not at all. "I hope…this wasn't the reason why you've been so distant…"

She quickly shook her head. "Oh no, William. I just…wasn't sure if you were speaking to me…"

"Well I am." A peculiar grin tugged at his lips causing her to weakly smile. She finally relaxed in his presence, temporarily letting go of the emotions that consumed her. She needed a friend, and was more than happy to still have William in her life despite everything that has happened between them. "So…why have you kept yourself from everyone else?"

"I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts." She spoke softly, shifting her eyes from William's worried gaze to the marbled floors beneath them as uncertainty clouded her features. He knew from that moment she had so much going on in her mind. "I…I needed time to sort out these emotions...these unwanted feelings of doubt."

He searched deep into her emerald eyes as though trying to find the answers for himself. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, noticing the struggle and vulnerability in her sad expression and tone of voice. "Does this…have to do with Eric?" He replied unsurely for fear that it may have offended the Queen.

Snow White felt her body tense up at the sound of his name as she slowly glanced up at William. She felt a sudden, horrible longing and loss building up in her chest at the thought of him. Because as she loved him, she knew his thoughts and heart were still consumed by another.

He swung a set of doors open as he abruptly stormed along the halls of the castle and entered his quarters in the northern tower. He leaned over the balcony, looking out at the kingdom with the heaviness of his freshly broken heart. "I…I don't understand." Eric breathed out silently after the initial shock of seeing Snow White and William together in the courtyard; fleeing together hand in hand from the public eye. He replayed the moment over and over in his head, until it finally sunk in; the fear resurfacing as a reminder of what he has involved himself with and the unbearable thought that she was still in love with her childhood friend. The realization didn't come as a surprise to him, however, as the disappointment welled up inside him and caused a stab of pain to shoot through his chest. He knew it was only a matter of time until Snow White finally realizes who she was always meant to be with. Even with his new status as head general of her army, he had nothing to offer her.

He gave a deep sigh, trying in vain to push away his thoughts of Snow White as he was consumed with sadness once again. He found solace in the silence of his quarters as he watched the sun setting behind the tree on the edge of the cliff when suddenly a loud knock shook him from his brief reverie.

The wooden doors opened and he quickly stood up straight, soothing out the wrinkles of his shirt and leather vest. Snow White slowly entered the room as their eyes met in an intense stare. He looked at her, looked at the colors passing by as he fell into a trance with her and forgot for a moment the aching in his heart.

"Hello…" She conceded weakly as she dragged in a nervous breath and released it slowly. He was surprised to see her for her presence was the last thing he was expecting.

"Hi..." He struggled to swallow the painful lump in his throat, causing a muscle in his jaw to twitch as he blatantly tried to suppress his emotions.

"May I have a word with you?" She asked shyly, shifting her eyes from the Huntsman to the floor beneath them and back up again. She frowned even further as she turned her gaze upward and wish she hadn't. There was that sad, disappointed look that instantly weakened her heart.

"May I ask what brings you here, your highness?" He asked formerly while maintaining a rather distant demeanor with the Queen as he shadowed his eyes from her vision. She felt a twinge of fear cursing through her body as a new thought snaked its way through her mind.

"Do you resent me, Huntsman?"

He looked back at her as though the question struck him deep within his core. He could never resent her…no matter how much the situation pained him. "Never…"

There was a long pause as she rolled something over in her mind to ease her discomfort. "You're upset with me."

Eric was quiet for a moment as he took the opportunity to gather his thoughts together before responding.

"What happened to you?" He asked painfully as she looked away, hating the sad and disappointed expression on his face. "Have you been...hiding from me?"

"Forgive me, Eric. I didn't know how to tell you..." She could feel her composure breaking down; her tough outer shell cracking. "I…I needed a moment to myself." She stammered with her words. She was scared. She feared his reaction, but most of all, feared his rejection.

He averted from her fearful gaze and shook his head slightly as it made her heart constrict painfully in her chest. "I saw you with William. Surely you weren't by yourself." He spat out bitterly as she furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment. She sighed, realizing what she had done to have created unnecessary misunderstandings between them.

"It wasn't like that, Eric. I don't know what you saw, but all we did was talk…nothing else came between us."

"And why haven't you come to me with your troubles?" He asked, allowing his heartbreak to show through his eyes. "I could have been there for you, but you chose to go to him?" He uttered in hurt disbelief. "Why?"

"Because it concerns you," she exclaimed, finding the courage to speak out as his lips parted, slightly taken aback by her response. "I overheard you spoke to the Duke…about your wife." He shut his eyes. "You speak so highly of her and I couldn't help, but feel...unworthy of your affections."

He sighed deeply, contemplating and forgetting for a moment how naïve the young Queen is still about the world. She has so much to learn as his smile blossomed without thought. "Aye, Snow White…"

"I can never replace your wife."

"And I wouldn't want you to." He took a few steps forward and brushed the tip of his fingers against her cheek as to reassure her of his affections. She swallowed nervously, drowning in their closeness. "Yes, I love her and she will always be a part of my life, just as William will always be a part of yours." She could feel his dark gaze against her flushed skin and it was an unnerving sensation. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to regain her lost composure.

"I…I know how much you loved her…" His lips pressed into a thin line as he slightly tilted his head to one side, reading her carefully as tears began to fill her eyes. He didn't understand why she felt compelled to show her worth. But what struck him the most was why she would ever devalue her character. Her love is what brought him back from darkness and a second chance in life. She has given him more than he could ever imagine, surely she had nothing else to prove. Silence prompted her to continue on as she mustered what's left of her strength, and held nothing back. "You miss her dearly…and I see it in your eyes." He lowered his head, shielding his eyes from her as the feeling of dread began to lurk within him. A part of him feared that this wasn't going to end well while the latter half thought otherwise. "I want you to be happy, Eric...and I'm afraid I can't give you what you need."

"But I am happy." He spoke breathlessly as he held her gaze, barely able to see through unshed tears. "You make me happy. Don't let the past interfere with our future together. Don't you see? I could have chosen a life of loneliness and despair, and I have for quite some time now. Until you…" he paused in mid-sentenced as his warm hand cupped the left side of her face and she leaned into it, reveling in the private moment between them, "until you made me feel whole again. I chose to be with you, Snow White. I will love you and protect you with all my heart. That, I can offer you. I promise."

Her throat constricted as his lips began to incline towards her. The soft, warm press of his lips sent a surge of blood rushing through her veins as the familiar tingles from his gentle touch caressed her skin and relieved any previous doubts. Pulling back from her embrace, he looked deep into her eyes as if to search for something. Snow White stared transfixed into the eyes of the man she loves and smiled at him, a genuine smile that lit up her whole face and made his heart clenched.

"I love you, Huntsman." She watched with delight as Eric's face broke out into a grin, and with no warning, he lifted her up and spun her. Her laughter resonated the room and was cut off when he dropped her back on the ground and kissed her once more. A smile tugged at his lips with a small sigh following her words.

"And I love you, my Queen."

A/N: So what do you guys think?! I have decided to add a epilogue to the end of this story, so technically it isn't over yet. Surprise?! lol. I have thought about this for quite some time now. Originally I was going to add the epilogue with this chapter, but I felt like you all have waited long enough. I will post the epilogue as soon as it is finished. Until then, thanks for reading and please...don't forget to leave a review!