Part 25

Caitlin watched as her bags were packed for her trip home for her brother's wedding in two weeks. Her father was reluctant to let her return with Zoom still wreaking havoc on the Kingdom. But he knew that it was important for Caitlin to be not only at the wedding but to stand up for her brother and soon to be sister in law. Not that she was taking everything she brought back. She would return and her engagement would be officially announced. She glanced at the ring on her left hand. The diamond in the ring had come from her lot of gems from the caverns. She thought back to the night two days ago when Barry had a romantic dinner set up in the garden next to the fountain.

Caitlin walked out into the garden. Lanterns had been set up to light the path. The heels of her shoes made a clicking sound as she walked along the cobblestone path. She was dressed in one of her nicer dresses though not a formal one as instructed by Barry. She had a shaw on but didn't really need it. Due to her powers she rarely got cold. She smiled when she found Barry waiting for her. He had dressed in his honorary military uniform. She had to admit he looked very good in it. He took her hand and kissed it.

"You look even more beautiful than normal Princess." Said Barry

"You don't look too bad yourself." Said Caitlin

Barry pulled out a chair for her and pushed her in. He then sat in the chair across from her. Dinner was served and Caitlin knew that something was up. She could tell Barry was nervous. She had an idea what was going on but was not going to push him. Caitlin took a sip of her wine.

"Barry, is something wrong?"

"No. Cait, as you know my dad is not going to force you to marry me in exchange for helping to defend your homeland. That choice is truly up to us."

"Yes I know. But as of right now I don't see anyone else I would want to marry."

"I am happy to hear that. Because, you are the only woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I guess what I am trying to get to. Princess Caitlin, will you do me the honor and marry me, and become my future Queen?"

Caitlin smiled and looked at Barry and his hopeful eyes. She could also see there was something else in them. Something that she had not seen in the eyes of anyone else that had courted her. Listening to a voice she had heard off and on most of her life she knew what it was. It was nearly the same look that she had seen her brother give Erin. Barry loves her!

"Cait? Um you are making me kind of nervous here. I mean if you don't want to say yes if you don't want to." Said Barry

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you nervous. It's just watching you. I finally realized what my heart has been trying to tell me for a while. So before I answer let me say this before I chicken out. I love you Barry, and by the look in your eyes I know that you love me. So with that being said. Yes Barry I will marry you. Not because it is my duty. But because I love you and can't see being happy without you by my side."

"I love you Cait."

Caitlin was snapped out of her memory when she heard Patty's voice.

"No one in the court back home is going to believe that you have fallen in love Caitlin."

"Erin and Charlie will."

"Yeah well you have never been able to hide anything from your brother."

"That is true. So what is going on with you and Eddie?"

"I love him. But he is scared to ask my father for my hand in marriage. I mean I don't care who he is related to."

"It has to deal with the fact that we have had an uneasy truce with the Mountain Kingdom for so long."

"I know but it doesn't bother me."

"Patty, I understand that. But sometimes it is hard to let go of what you believe in. We were both taught not to trust anyone from the Mountain Kingdom. But yet my grandfather granted Eddie's father, a prince of the Mountain Kingdom, safe passage through the Snow kingdom as long as he didn't stay longer than he had to. Eddie has proven that he is not his ancestors. He saved my life. If he had been taught to hate me because of who I am then he would not have risked his life to save mine."

"What happened to that woman from the kitchen? The one that informed your would be killer when you would be in the city."

"From what Jesse told me while she had been friends with the woman she was found not guilty of aiding in my attempted murder. It was actually a maid that had overheard the two of us talking."

"So what happened to her?"

"She is in prison. As for Iris West, the woman that tried to kill me. She was put to death as you know. She committed treason and the penalty is always death."

"I know. Caitlin, you do know that it is dangerous that you are going home. Zoom is still on the loose. Last report I heard said he and his army have killed nearly a thousand people."

"I am not going to miss my brother's wedding. Besides I have to go home and officially give up my claim to the throne if anything were to happen to Charlie before he has an heir."

"You do know that you will still end up a queen. Just not of your homeland."

"Only here it will not be as stressful as if I were the Queen of the Snow Kingdom. Here I will not be the leader. I will be the wife of the leader when Barry becomes King. I will be able to do what I love best, work with kids."

"Very true. I will see you later. Eddie is taking me into the city for dinner."

"Have fun. Oh and Patty don't do anything I wouldn't."

Patty just smiled as she headed out. She knew that Caitlin had not done anything other than kiss the prince. But knowing Queen Carla like she did, Carla would say that Caitlin had disgraced the family. If only the uncaring woman knew that Charlie and Erin had been sharing a bed since their engagement was announced over a year ago she most likely would have a heart attack. Patty knew that Carla only believed in being intimate with her husband in order to have an heir. Which meant that the only reason Caitlin existed was due to a spell a witch had placed on the Queen. Of course when Carla found out she had the woman banished to the dark mountains. Thomas had been thrilled to have a baby girl. But Carla only looked at Caitlin like she was a mistake. Luckily both Thomas and Charlie made sure that Caitlin knew she was wanted and loved.