2019, March 4th "Sorry I'm such a mess. I didn't really think it through when I left," she said, biting her lip. He wanted to laugh at her, at the very different thoughts they had about her appearance, but swallowed a chuckle. "You look lovely, Lady Zoey," he flattered boldly. She frowned in disbelief, then quickly corrected herself and pasted a smile on her face. This time, he did laugh. It was a short one, but he couldn't stop it slipping out. Her eyes warmed to the sound of his laughing and she smiled, for real this time. Oh his heart, oh that smile. Something had changed. The feeling of familiarity was now more than just a feeling. He dared not hope, but he could swear that she had lowered her guard and he his own. They had, in a moment, become comfortable. "Good evening, Your Grace. Would the lady like something to drink?" the waiter interrupted. "A glass of red wine, please," she smiled pleasantly. "No," he said instantly. "Weren't you the one that wanted to have a drink?

2018, December 4th "Why so tense, Bart?" a voice asked, seeming to come from nowhere. Bart was immediately alert. No guests had been announced. Who was this intruder? "Calm down, I come in peace," she said, appearing before him. Bart took her in. She was dressed in an over the top, probably highly fashionable, baby blue wrap dress. His eyes lingered on the sash a moment too long before his eyes finally met with hers. "CC," he sighed, relieved. "In the flesh," she giggled. "So, what do we got? What's the 4-1-1?" "Did Aaron send you?" "No one sends CC anywhere. I was merely made aware that you might need a little help dealing with the old people." She slipped past him like it was nothing. Bart sighed and re-entered the house after her. "So, he sent the master manipulator, huh? What are you playing at, Aaron? Where the hell are you?" "Daddy! Mama!" CC yelled, throwing her arms out. "My dear, sweet girl!" Queen Mary returned. "Is that Caroline Condor?!" Duke Arden asked in del

2019, March 5th James opened the door fully and pulled the bell boy standing on his doorstep into the room. He planned ahead for the wedding, before he decided not to go through with it after all. He didn't remember this young man being a part of the staff he had handpicked to be present. James' head felt like it was splitting open as bits and pieces of his memory came back. "Why were you at my wedding?!" James demanded. "I never asked for you to be there." Fear was now swimming in the tears the bell boy was making. "I'm really sorry, Sir! A friend of mine asked me a few hours prior to be on the lookout for Your Grace and the Lady," he said shakily, his eyes darting to Zoey. "What friend?" James asked, involuntarily forming a fist with his right hand. This only served to terrify the bell boy even more. "What friend?!" he screamed, slamming the door shut with his fist. "James!" Zoey yelled. He whipped his head around and what he found was a glass of water poured over his newfo

2018, December 4th and 5th As people filed into the palace's grand ballroom, CC and Aaron were seated on either side of their parents. CC took the time to accept every birthday wish and gift graciously, as was the duty of a princess. She stunned with the new tiara from her parents topping her high updo in her classical ice blue ball gown, with a sleeveless bodice studded in blue sapphires. Aaron's gift, a pair of blue diamond earrings, hung from her ears and complimented the dress perfectly. The compliments to CC took so long and were so plentiful that Aaron was getting impatient. Aaron already knew his sister was beautiful. He had seen her all dolled up a million times. The woman he wanted to see had yet to appear. He raised his head up to look for her in the queue of people coming to pay their respects and this is how Aaron was surprised by the appearance of another woman he should have braced himself for. "Princess Caroline, many returns on your 18th birthday," said Emily. Aaron

2019, March 5th Bart, Zoey, and James sat down at a table in the far back of the bar. The tension in the air was palpable. James was getting more and more enraged by the second. "I can imagine everything that's happened to you has made you reckless, maybe even desperate, but I never thought you'd actually do this," said Bart, trying not to sound like he was taking his hat off to James. After all, he hadn't changed anything. This would only delay the inevitable. "Were you followed?" James asked, staring out the window. "Probably. I'm guessing we have about 30 minutes." "He's saying I kidnapped her?" "It's brilliant, really, if you think about it. It throws suspicion off of the wedding and it gives the king legal grounds to strip you of land and title." "But that's not what happened. So what now? Should we have a press conference or something? Set the record straight?" Zoey asked, looking between the two men. Bart's eyes softened. This Zoey looked nothing like the one from yest