Part 13

"Thomas, you know you don't have to worry about Caitlin. We will keep her safe." Said Henry

"I know. Caitlin is going to need time to warm up to your family. Unfortunately my wife has never let our daughter close."

"Nora has away with getting people to warm up to her. Barry isn't bad at it either. In fact if I know my son like I think I do, he is going to find a way to get Caitlin to warm up to him."

"Caitlin just wants to find someone that will show her how to love."

"Barry just might be able to do that."

"I hope so. As much as I love my daughter, she is currently on a path to be as closed off emotionally as her mother."

"Thomas, I wouldn't worry too much about that. If nothing else my son will get a response out of her by driving her crazy with some of the things he does without thinking."

"That will be something."

"So only a few months until your son marries."

"Yes and while Lady Erin was chosen for him. They do love each other."

"That is a good thing."

"Yes it is. I just hope that Zoom is defeated by the time of the wedding."

"Thomas, my men will do everything they can to stop this monster."

"I can't thank you enough. I just hope that Nora will be able to show her that you don't have to be detached from your family to be the Queen that a King needs by his side."

"Trust me Nora will have no problem with that."

Caitlin smiled as she and Barry rode back to the stable after their picnic. She had to admit that even after just meeting him that she felt that they could make a marriage work. Barry was going to be King and after such a short time she could tell he was far less arrogant than the man her mother believed to be the best fit for her.

"Barry?"

"Yes Caitlin."

"I know Patty would never act on this. But I think she would like to get to know one of the guards better."

"Let me guess Eddie? Lieutenant Edward Thawne, I mean."

"Yes."

"Well then the two of us might want to encourage him to ask her for a walk in the garden. He is not the kind of guy that would act unless he thought a lady might like him."

"Well Patty thinks he is cute so I am sure that she would like to get to know him. With him being one of my personal guards she knows that he has to protect me with his life."

"Let's hope that never happens. Eddie is a good guy. He will treat her right."

"That is good. Patty is more than my assistant. She is my friend."

"I am also betting that she knows things about you that only your family knows."

"That is true. Barry if there is anything you need to know you and your parents will be told. Just as I am sure if we marry that you will at least tell me if there is anything I should know."

"You are right. Caitlin, if you go into the city promise me that you will stay away from Nick's Café unless I am with you."

"Why?"

"There is a server there that I don't trust not try something to harm you."

"Why would she wish harm on me? I have done nothing to her. I have never even met her."

"She seems to think that if you are out of the way then I will be able to choose her to be my wife."

"I am not fully verse in the laws here. But if I am not mistaken one common one in most monarchs is that the heir to the throne is to only marry another noble or a member of the court."

"That is the law. It is to prevent and protect from gold diggers and unsavory from over throwing the throne."

"Same with in the Snow Kingdom. That is why my father would not approve of Lord Hunter Zolomon to even court me. He was also not a fan of the man my mother liked best for me."

"Do you like either of them?"

"No. Lord Zolomon scares me, and Julian Albert is an arrogant jerk. Neither would want anything to do with me if I was not a princess."

"That would be their loss. I would not mind if you were my friend even if you were not a princess. I know we are just getting to know each other. But I think that you are a very remarkable woman, and person."

"That is so sweet. No one has ever spoken to me that way. Patty was my only friend besides Charlie when I was younger."

"I would like to be another. Even if we don't marry."

"I would like that."

Barry smiled. They had reached the stables and he climbed down before heading over to help Caitlin down. They headed back to the palace so that Caitlin could clean up and change before going to meet with Queen Nora to see what some of her duties would be if she were to become the next Queen.

Hannibal Bates who worked as a grounds keeper of the Royal Palace, watched as the Crowned Prince and the visiting Princess headed into the palace. He may officially be a grounds keeper. But he was really a spy for Zoom. Bates got the job due to the fact that he was forgettable. People seemed to never really notice when he was around. Which was a good thing when you are spying for an enemy of the state. Zoom actually had spies in many governments. Bates knew that he was not the only spy in the Central Kingdom but he was the one that would have to send word to his Lord that the Princess seems taken with the would be king of the Central Kingdom. He gathered his tools and took them to the shed before heading off to meet his contact in the city. What he didn't notice was that someone had been watching him. This person was one of the last he would want to find out what he was really doing. The young woman headed in to speak with the head of the guards about increasing security screenings of the staff of the all who worked inside the palace walls and on the grounds.