Skylar screeched and sat on Ethan's shoulder as he walked away into the darkness. "Come on Skylar...we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow..." he said as he entered the house. Sitting down by the fire, he began to think. "What's going to happen if she says yes and comes here? So you think she'll like it?" he asked Skylar. Skylar blinked and curled up on Ethan's lap. "Let's just hope no one finds her here...last thing I need is getting ourselves discovered..." he said to Skylar who was staring at the fire.

The next day, Gemini stood in her room waiting for her ladies in waiting to bustle in and force her into a hideous wedding dress.she was nervous and upset and was beginning to dread the thought of walking down the aisle.she had made her decision, which made her even more nervous.she hoped he came before they got that dress on her.she truly hated the thing.

The next day, Skylar screeched loudly...causing Ethan to wake up from a peaceful sleep. "What now Skylar?" he asked the baby dragon. Skylar screeched and flew around. "Oh right...we have to go meet the princess..." he said and groaned. Getting up, Ethan went to take a shower and changed before meeting Skylar at the front door. "Let's go then..." he said and yawned as he walked back to the princess' location. "Okay Skylar...you know what to do." he said and looked at the dragon. Skylar screeched and flew over to the princess' window and screeched again.

Gemini looked up sharply, hope in her eyes, when she heard the screech."Skylar! Oh im so glad you came! Here...." she took out a handwritten note on a small piece of paper, tied in the middle with a blood red ribbon."take this to him.its my answer.and hurry, please!" She said holding out the message for the dragon to take.

Skylar quickly grabbed the piece of paper and flew off quickly to Ethan. "Come on Skylar!" he said as the dragon came closer and dropped the piece of paper in Ethan's outstretched hand. "Thank-you..." he said and untied the ribbon carefully but quickly before opening the paper up and reading what it said inside.

On the inside of the paper was a message, short but neatly written."I have decided. YES NO" it said, with the yes circled delicately.up in her room, Gemini waited anxiously.

"Okay...you wait here Skylar...I'll be right back." he said as he placed the note in his pocket and walked over to the tree. "Now to climb this tree..." he said and sighed as he began to climb. It was a pretty tall tree, but when he reached her window he looked at her and smirked. "Ready?" he asked softly. Skylar watched Ethan leave and screeched as he watched from a distance.

Gemini smiled, though the worry didn't leave her eyes."I'm ready." She said, and walked quickly to the window, her strides swift and sure.then she smirked."you still not good at tree climbing?" She asked, a flash of memory hitting her from their childhood meeting.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not...." he said and shrugged. "I stopped trying to climb trees when you disappeared." he explained. "Now come on...we must go before people see us." he said to her and looked around. Skylar watched them from afar and blinked a few times.

Gemini grinned and climbed out the window."im glad you came before they got the dress on me.the blasted thing is hideous.all puffy and hot and scratchy...and all that pink lace! White with pink lace! I felt like a frosted cake when they trued it on me.I can't stand dresses." She said, climbing down the tree with ease.she dropped to the ground on her feet and smoothed down her robes."I am definitely ready to leave this place."

Ethan walked along with her and Skylar sat on Ethan's shoulder. "Come on...we must leave to the house..." he said and pet Skylar who only screeched loudly and blinked. "Skylar...try not to make too much noise right now..." ordered Ethan. Skylar only blinked and looked over at the girl before turning his attention back ahead of him. "You must really hate this prince you are to marry today..." said Ethan. "I just hope they don't come look for you and find us..." he said.

Gemini bowed her head."yes, so do I.and you're right, I think I do hate him.I've never met the prince but last night my mother showed me a picture of him...he is twice my age! My father said he was a nice young man! My own father lied to me.he has been lying to me my whole life, I am beginning to see." She said, clearly hurt and upset."I hope I never see that man again.let the old man prince marry an old woman princess! I will not be kept hostage any longer."

"Parents always lie to their children..." said Ethan as he continued walking through the woods. "I don't remember anything about my parents..." he said and sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "So you don't like your life as a princess?" he asked her quietly as they reached his house. Opening the door, Skylar flew in and curled up in front of the fire. Ethan smirked and held the door open for her.

Gemini smiled sadly."it wasn't my favorite thing in the world.I mean, some things were nice, like...well the food was good.but I just wanted freedom to roam.I wanted to play out in the forest, talk to the animals, wander and daydream and just be a kid.I never got that.alot of girls would love to have what I had, but it just wasn't for me.I guess I was a tomboy.I still am." She said, stepping into Ethan's house."oh, its so nice here! Your house is really wonderful! Its...a real home."

Ethan listened to her. "Well, everyone is different..." he said and shrugged. "Like you said, being a princess just wasn't for you..." he said to her and locked the door closed behind them. "Welcome to my home...your new home." he said to her and was surprised that she already liked it so much. "Oh...well thank-you..." he said and motioned for her to sit down on the couch. "Although, there really isn't much to do here you know..." he said to her.

Gemini sat down and smiled."are you kidding? There's so much here that I can think of, so much more to do than back at the castle.its beautiful here." She said, looking around and taking in the scenery.

Ethan looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Well...if you say so..." he said and sat down on his favorite armchair and stared at the fire before watching her carefully. "What can you do in this house that you couldn't do back in the castle?" he asked.

Gemini tilted her head, thinking for a moment."well for one thing, you can leave.you can get up and leave whenever you want.also, you can pick your own furniture, build your own fire, and when you sit down you can slouch or cross your legs you don't have to be all proper.and you can look out the window and daydream.you can go to bed when you want to and wake up when you feel like.and I bet there's plenty of games to play and animals to talk to.oh, and a garden! I have always wanted to have my own garden, but father said it was improper for a princess to kneel in the dirt and become sunburnt." She answered, a dreamy smile on her face.

Ethan was surprised to here her start listing all these valid points. "Wow, I'm impressed....being a princess must have been very boring indeed." he said and looked at Skylar who was now sleeping. "Yes I have a garden...it's yours if you want it..." he said to her. "I only got a garden since Skylar loves flowers, he eats them sometimes..." he said and smiled. "I don't think I have games, but the only animal to talk to here is Skylar." he said pointing to the sleeping baby dragon.

Gemini shrugged."he's very good company." She said, referring to Skylar."and I would love to tend to your garden.I'll even grow vegetables and use them for cooking.see, when I was little, the cook in the castle secretly let me watch her and taught me to cook.she died a few years ago, and I couldn't cook anymore.I would love to cook again." She said, smiling at the memory.

"He's my best friend...." he said quietly as he looked over at the sleeping Skylar. Ethan then looked over at the girl and smiled. "Gemini, you are free to do what you want in here...this is your house now as well." he said and nodded. "I'll show you to your room if you'd like." he said to her as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry to hear about your cook...but we all die, some of us just die faster than others." he explained with a shrug.

Gemini nodded, eyes downcast."yes, I know.but knowing doesn't make it easier." She said.then she stood up."I'd like to see my room, please."

Ethan frowned and stood up. "Come this way please..." he said and walked past the sleeping Skylar and down the hall. At the very end was a door, opening it revealed a very nice room. It wasn't royal, but it was simple and clean. "There you go..." he said and looked at her.

Gemini's eyes sparkled upon seeing the room."oh, its so nice! So simple and neat,no clutter or suffocating perfumes...I love it! Its my own space and I can make it look how I want it, instead of how the decorators make it." She exclaimed, walking I.to the room for an all around view.

"I'm surprised to see that you like it Gemini..." he said and looked at her carefully. "Well you should get some sleep no?" he asked and leaned against the door frame while he watched her. She was beautiful yes, but he wondered if she even loved him like he loved her.