Ok, chapter 11 here! A teeny bit longer, and I'm sorry if you decide to kill me over the lame ending. I had to! Anyway, I hope you guys are somewhat satisfied with this chapter; drop me a review to let me know what YOU think about it. As I said in the last chapter, the Profiler's Choice Awards 2013 hosted by Jekkah & PandoraBox82 over at the Chit Chat on Author's Corner is running again, and you can find the guidelines over here: fanfiction dot net slash topic/141001/96466893/P%20rofiler-Choice-Awards-20 13. Nominate the fics that you love and if you think my stories are good enough for a nomination, I'd be absolutely honoured. Thank you once again to Guest, Rugbygirrl and LacytheRomanWerewolf for reviewing! You guys rock! R&R!

P.S. "Aemliana" apparently is an archaic form for Emily, which I think given the time frame of the story is rather appropriate.

Now, dear readers, it seems as though things are going rather well for Emily, for none other than the King and the Prince, hopefully, recognizes her. Alas, the Lapdog certainly was not going to allow some nameless woman to snatch the Prince, who she had determined to be her husband. And so, the wheels in her nefarious, yet short sighted mind started turning, and a broad smirk appears on her carefully made up face.

Having finished their dance and her conversation with the King, Emily made her way back to where Aaron was waiting patiently for her. She smiled tentatively at him, and offered her hand to his waiting grasp as he bowed once more, before leading them out into the private gardens only the King, the Prince and their esteemed guests are allowed entry to. Emily remembered playing in these very gardens once, when they were both children. Catching sight of the old willow tree with its bent and knobby branches, she allowed a smile to escape her red lips. For it was under this very tree that a very shy and red faced Prince Aaron, who was but 6 years of age and she 4 kissed her for the very first time. To be sure, they had shared many kisses as they grew older and all the more in love, but Emily held that innocent memory close to her heart. It reminded her of everything that was once so pure and untouched by tragedy and being in the gardens again made her feel once more like that ecstatic little girl who had received her first kiss from the boy she loved.

They spoke not a word, and as Aaron led her to the marble bench slightly yellowed from age, Emily felt her palms turn sweaty and slippery and she desperately hoped that he could not feel the perspiration coating her hands. She certainly hoped he was not disgusted by it. The wind blew gently, rustling their dark hair and the Prince offered her a dimpled grin, making her feel at ease once more. Emily always loved his dimples, loved the way they peeked out shyly when he smiled that smile at her, only for her. She knew for certain then, as she beamed brightly at him that he knew without her needing to tell him, just whose hand he was grasping so gently.

Aaron hoped Emily did not know just how greatly his heart was racing. He wondered if it were possible that he might die from an attack to the heart that seem to befell the wine loving advisors who always seemed so red faced and intoxicated from the drink. He hoped not; against all odds, his Emily was here before him and he'd be damned if he would not make her his wife and hold onto her forever. Different though her face may be –Aaron suspected that a glamour was responsible for that- he knew his Emily's dark brown eyes; her deep, expressive eyes that twinkled with joy and darken with anger and gleamed brilliantly with love.

He pushed back a dark strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in close, delightfully aware of how her breath seemed to hitch and quicken as he whispered to her ear, "My Emily." He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and pulled back, staring in wonder as he watched the glamour seem to slip of her face, revealing the woman he had loved so long and true finally. Emily grinned and threw her arms around him, gratified when his arms came to surround her trim waist and hold her closer. She let out a shaky little laugh and spoke in a low tone, "I did not think you would remember me." Incredulous, he blinked at the uncertainty and insecurity on her face, heart breaking at how he had reduced such a strong woman to doubt herself and her worth.

Stroking her arm, he wrapped her lithe body close against him, "How could I ever forget you? No spell or curse could ever erase you from my mind, nor could I ever forget the love we once shared." Emily's heart clenched; call her a coward she certainly did not want to speak of the period of their separation. Pulling back, she murmured, "Let us not speak of that, Aaron, I do not wish to bring up such unpleasant memories for the both of us." She was afraid that she might find out how much more Aaron loved his princess more than she. She did not think she was strong enough to bear such pain; she was certain the heartbreak would consume her wholly.

Aaron frowned and held onto her resolutely, he would run and hide no more, not from Emily. "Emily, look at me, love." He tilted her face up, staring tenderly into the dark pools that mirrored the love in his eyes. "I was a fool to leave you as I did; Haley," he took a deep breath, squeezing her slight hand, "Haley was everything you were not; golden, delicate, a princess but" he rested a finger against her lips, cutting off any protests she might have had, "She is not you. I was young and foolish; I thought I wanted a beautiful princess to be my wife and I thought I would be happy. But you" he dropped a kiss onto her hand, "You have always been the woman I loved and will always love, and I swear to you, Emily, on my father's crown and my mother's blood, that I shall never, ever stop loving you. Not if you give me a second chance."

He stared earnestly at her, willing her to see the truth in his eyes. "I love you, Emily. You, not Haley, not your stepsister, nor any other woman in the entirety of the kingdom, no matter how greatly famed their beauty may be. You, Aemilia Minerva Prentiss, are the most beautiful, wonderful, precious woman I could ever be graced with loving, and I hope perhaps in time we would be how we were all those years ago."

Emily stared at the dark haired man before her; for as long as she knew Aaron, he had never been a man of words, preferring to show his affection through his actions, little gifts here and there and a quick kiss whenever they were alone. This certainly was the first time he had ever proclaimed his love for her in such an eloquent and heartfelt speech. She reached out to run her fingers over his dear face; she did not know if their problems could be solved in such short time, and she certainly did not know if both she and Aaron could heal from all the hurts over the years. But she could not imagine not loving him, not being in his arms and not feeling his kisses anymore.

Her decision made for now, Emily's lips quirked into a smile as she started to speak. Alas, before she could tell Aaron just how much she loved him still, a sharp stinging to her arm made Emily gasp in pain and to their surprise, stones started pelting at their direction, seemingly from the dark. Aaron immediately pulled her close and away from the bench, their eyes widened as they searched for their assailant; were they under attack?