Author's note: Okay, first of all, thank you for the reviews I got! Thank you for the story alerts, and the story favorites because they really mean a lot to me. They helped make me improve, and I wouldn't have improved if it weren't for you guys.
So yes, this story is coming to an end. This will be the last chapter, and chapter 50 would be the epilogue. I am, however, thinking about making a sequel, so…yeah.
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.
Ex-plain
"Sara told me what happened, and believe me when I say I believe you."
Vincent started pacing by the window, occasionally running his fingers through his hair. Gil sighed and went beside Vincent and effectively stopping his pacing by putting his hand comfortingly on Vincent's shoulder.
"Are you sure? After all that I had done? This has turned into a big mess, and it's all because of me and my jealousy! I threatened Sara, a girl I barely knew, I hurt you, my own brother, and I put Jacqueline into this mess, the girl I unknowingly loved. Think again, Gil! I'm a monster because I hurt the people I love."
He sat down on the bed, staring at his lap. "I don't deserve a girl like Jacqueline, or a brother like you."
"Don't say that, Vince. Don't you ever say that, because whatever happens, I'm still your brother, and Jacqueline will still love you."
"And Sara?"
"She will always forgive you."
Jacqueline walked slowly, looking out the windows as she passed. She stopped as she heard footsteps behind her and turned.
"Lady Adelaide, what a pleasant surprise!" Jacqueline said politely.
Lady Adelaide's eyebrow rose, and she looked at Jacqueline with disdain. "Ah, you're the girl named Jacqueline, aren't you? It figures, since you pretty much look like the harlot you are."
Jacqueline gasped, glaring at Lady Adelaide, surprised by the sudden statement. "How dare you! I don't mean to be impolite, but what exactly gave you the right to call me a whore? Nothing, Lady Adelaide, nothing."
Jacqueline stalked away fuming, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She stopped when Lady Adelaide started talking.
"Actually, Princess Jacqueline," she said lazily, "everything. Everything you did gave me a reason and a right to call you what I did. A cheap harlot, because that's what you are," she spat. She walked near Jacqueline who stood rooted to the spot. "Well, what else would I call you? A princess? Well, Jacqueline, you don't deserve that title. Why would you? What did you even do for your kingdom? You dated Prince Gil and broke his heart because you were in love with the brother of your ex-lover."
Jacqueline looked at Lady Adelaide fearfully as Lady Adelaide walked around her in a perfect circle. "Yes, I heard it all, your talk with Prince Vincent. How you loved him, but dated Gil just to make our dear prince Vincent jealous."
"How did you even know that? That's our business, not yours! And you weren't even here when I said that to Gil!"
"Let's just say that I have," Lady Adelaide said, her perfectly manicured fingers, resting on Princess Jacqueline's right shoulder as she stood behind the princess, "very loyal friends who give me all the news. Why else would I have come here?"
"You have spies," Jacqueline said in a soft voice, "and that is against the peace treaty between kingdoms. Tell me, is Princess Heather a pawn in your clever game?"
Adelaide laughed manically, looking at Jacqueline with mischief in her eyes. "You silly girl, why would you even think that? Were you dropped on your head as a baby repeatedly? Of course not! Because if ever I get caught, then she wouldn't be caught in the mess because she knows absolutely nothing. One day," Lady Adelaide said, her eyes glinting with malice, "she would be a lady such as myself, married to a rich prince who would be king, and she would be the richest princess in all the kingdoms. Lady Heather, imagine how nice that would sound on her. You see, that's my plan. But there are two girls standing in my way, you, and that Sara girl who is supposedly the missing Princess Isabelle, and nothing, and no one will stand in the way of Heather's bright future, least of all two girls who know nothing about politics or handling kingdoms."
Jacqueline smiled evilly and looked at Lady Adelaide. "You told me your evil plan, Lady Adelaide. Now, I can tell everybody of your secret."
Lady Adelaide chuckled. "You really are clueless, are you girl? If you did tell, then I would lie and tell them that in the long run, you are the antagonist in the story. And really, who do you think they're going to believe? Me, a respectable Lady, or you, a princess who used Prince Gil to get the boy she wanted? You know what I think? I think you're a coward for not telling Vincent sooner. And I think you're nothing but a whore, for using someone to get to the top."
"You have no right to say that," Jacqueline said, "because ultimately, you also used people to get to the top."
"Well dear," Lady Adelaide said, starting to walk away, "it takes one to know one."
Lady Adelaide started walking to the opposite direction and Jacqueline stood there, listening to Lady Adelaide's footsteps starting to quiet step by step until Lady Adelaide abruptly stopped.
"Besides, Princess Jacqueline, don't tell me you actually believe that Prince Vincent loves you, because he doesn't. After all, a boy who kills, or in this case, a boy who threatens has no heart, and cannot love. Remember that always, because in the long run, we aren't meant to love," she said, her voice shaking a bit, "and we are most certainly not meant to be loved."
As Lady Adelaide walked away, Princess Jacqueline stood there, mulling over the things Lady Adelaide said.
And as she walked away, she wondered what exactly Lady Adelaide was hiding.
"Jacqueline," Sara called out as she saw Jacqueline walk past her, "I assume Vincent has talked to you?"
Jacqueline turned and smiled sadly. "He has. I feel so sad though, because he couldn't seem to believe that I forgave him, and that I understood. He doesn't deserve to feel so bad about himself."
Sara walked with her, going to the direction of the gardens. "I know. But hopefully, he'll stop feeling sorry for himself after he's done with his talk with Gil," she said, sighing. "After all, we should really start cleaning up this mess that somehow included you in it. In behalf of everyone, really, I'm sorry that you got pulled into this mess."
Jacqueline laughed, looking at Sara. "You shouldn't feel sorry, really. I was pulled into this mess because of Gil. He made me come here in hopes that we would make you feel jealous and come back to him. Besides, I don't feel sorry for getting pulled into this mess."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "And why not, Jacqueline?"
"Because if I wasn't pulled into this mess, I probably wouldn't have had a chance to make things eight with Gil, and with Vincent. I wouldn't have had a chance to be with Vincent, and I probably wouldn't have had the courage to tell him what I feel. So, I don't feel sorry at all. Besides, there's still hope, and everything's being resolved, so I don't really feel sorry."
"You're right. I do hope that there are and there will no longer be a mess here," Sara said, "I'm sick of being caught in a mess such as this in a kingdom that I'm not even a citizen of."
They were in the gardens by then, and they sat at the fountain, looking at the stars above them, smiling softly.
"I heard about you being the Princess of Kysria. Congratulations, you deserve it."
"I don't even know if I'm going to take up their offer to make me Queen," Sara admitted. "After all, I don't know anything about ruling a kingdom."
"Don't worry; you'll have Gil beside you every step of the way since I'm pretty sure he's not willing to let you go."
Sara smiled. "I hope so."
Jacqueline looked at Sara as Sara looked at the stars. She was wondering whether she should tell her what she knew about Lady Adelaide, but then she stopped herself. After all, Lady Adelaide said so herself; no one would believe her against the great Lady Adelaide. She needed proof. She glanced around, looking for anybody, but found that she and Sara were alone, and so, she shrugged her shoulders. She could tell Sara, and nothing bad would happen if they didn't do anything about it, right?
She sighed, and Sara looked at her.
"What's wrong?" asked Sara.
"Lady Adelaide," said Jacqueline.
"What's wrong with her, besides her annoying personality?"
Jacqueline laughed nervously and looked around her, checking for people lurking around and found nobody, and she sighed. "Listen, this is a secret, and nobody can know."
"I'm listening," said Sara.
And so, Jacqueline said everything about Lady Adelaide and what Lady Adelaide said to her earlier in the hallway. Neither noticed a guard running towards the direction of the palace, eager to tell Lady Adelaide of what he had just heard.
After a few minutes, Lady Adelaide came running to the direction of Sara and Jacqueline, an angry look on her face as she gripped the gun in her hand tighter. Jacqueline turned her head at the sound of footsteps and stood up as she saw the gun Lady Adelaide was holding.
"Lady Adelaide! You have to understand, I can explain!"
"Explain what, exactly?" Lady Adelaide said, standing mere inches from the princess. "You don't have to explain anything, dear," she said with false sweetness in her voice, "after all, your explanation would be of no use to me when you're dead."
Jacqueline started walking away from Lady Adelaide, step by step. "You can't do that, not with Sara here."
"Well, actually, I could. You see, almost everyone's asleep by now, and I can actually hit two birds with one stone since I get to kill you both. I really have to thank dear Kyle for that."
Sara looked at the man standing behind Lady Adelaide and said, outraged, "How could you? We trusted you! The Queen liked you!"
"I had to!" he said, his hands above his head, "I need to be able to feed my children! We don't have much money, and I need to keep them alive!"
Lady Adelaide grabbed Jacqueline and put the gun to her temple. "Because you said my secret, you get to go first."
"No!"
A shout was heard as two pairs of footsteps steadily got near them. Sara turned around and saw the two princes, their faces pale as they both saw Jacqueline in Lady Adelaide's arms.
"What are you doing, Lady Adelaide? What are you doing?" shouted Gil.
Lady Adelaide's laugh could be heard all around the gardens as shouted, "I'm obviously going to kill her, or are you blind, Gil?"
More footsteps arrived, but this time, they were behind Lady Adelaide and Kyle. Sara saw Lady Adelaide's hand inching towards the trigger, and she saw the horrified faces of the princes and the princesses behind Lady Adelaide and Kyle.
The most horrified of them all was Princess Heather.
Sara gulped as she saw Heather get something behind her.
A gun.
A shot was heard as Heather shakily shot her mother, Jacqueline running away to Vincent's arms as she sobbed. Lady Adelaide was on the ground, her hand on her shoulder. She looked at Heather with disappointment in her eyes. "How could you? You were my daughter."
She didn't wait for a response as she grabbed the gun and pulled the trigger.
Gil looked, horrified, as Sara slumped towards him, her hands on her stomach, blood trickling down her gown.
Vincent grabbed his gun and shot Lady Adelaide without a moment's hesitation.
Lady Adelaide smiled sadly as she whispered, "You were supposed to be my son. I loved your father, but unfortunately, we couldn't be together. But I am so, so proud of you, Vince."
Gil struggled to keep Sara awake as the others called for a healer, and as Vincent looked at Lady Adelaide, horror struck.
Sara smiled sadly at Gil as everything faded into black.
A.N: CLIFFY! :D