Isabella paced her room angrily. She still could not believe what she had saw. Part of her prayed it was some misunderstanding, though her angry side wanted blood. Her armor clanked as she quickened her pace once again. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling for the first time in her life; hurt. The feeling was foreign to her, she had felt physical pain before, but something was cutting her much deeper than any wound inflicted with a sword.

She pushed away the pain and focused on channeling it into anger.

Following a tense interrogation of an unsuspecting maid, she found that Aiden was last seen leaving the castle with Princess Myra. That, for some reason, only added to her anger but she mentally stored that away and charted it up to being angry that he was not present so that she could cut his lying, manipulative head off. After more time had passed, she paused her movements and walked toward doors that led out to a large balcony. She remembered teaching Young Troy techniques and a pang entered her heart at the thought of the lad being in on the plan to kill her and her father.

She opened the doors and exited the room onto the small balcony and was taken aback by how dark the sky had become. Thunder roared somewhere in the distance. She held her head up toward the sky and sighed. I've even picked up his habits. She shook her head still staring into the distance at the darkening horizon, lost in her own internal conflicts.

******

Aiden stared outside the carriage window at the darkened sky. A storm is approaching, he thought moodily. He sighed as Myra babbled next to him completely oblivious to his mood.

******

Isabella, tired of the castle, wanted to get some air. She put on some fur to guard against the wind and exited the castle. Just as she descended the steps a carriage rode into her path. Her eyebrow rose and then burrowed when out stepped Aiden and a blushing Myra.

After immediately releasing himself from Myra's grasp, Aiden, feeling a gaze on his person, turned and met the furious brown eyes of Isabella. His eyes automatically filled with anger. He abruptly left a gaping Myra and stalked over to Isabella.

He grabbed her arm, "We need to talk." She snatched her arm away from him as if his very touch burned her. She instead nodded in the direction of the Willow.

Aiden walked toward the Willow willing himself to remain calm and Isabella followed trying to tame her emotions.

"Aiden!" Myra called out, "What about dinner?" At his lack of response, she huffed and pushed pass the cowering footman stomping past her father up to her chamber. "Maids!" She yelled.

The Maids shuddered and hurried behind the angry princess, dreading the night ahead of them.

*****

"There something you want to tell me?" Aiden, reaching the base of the tree, turned to Isabella.

Isabella crossed her arms just as another blast of thunder sounded. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Aiden glared, "I am trying to give you a chance, just tell me! I already know."

Isabella wanted to know what he was referring to but was too blinded by her own fury to dwell on it. "Me a chance?! You cannot fathom the amount self control I have right now."

"Isabella do not test me." Aiden felt frustrated that she was keeping up the act. Her confession meant something to him. It would represent possible redemption...

Isabella stared. The gall of this man! I am not worried about him. Eric said not to kill government officials, he is making it rather difficult to keep that promise. She made a quick decision, turned and began to walk swiftly toward the castle.

Aiden stared shocked at her retreat before snapping to his senses and hurrying to catch up. "Do not bloody walk away from me Isabella, we are not done!" He went to grab her arm when she turned.

"Don't you dare touch me. You sniveling ruffian. 'Tis the last time I will warn you." She turned and walked again.

Aiden crossed his arms and smiled a mocking smile, "Back to threats again are we? Still holding on to your knightly dress I see. Always being something you are not." He finished angrily running up to grab her retreating form again. The castle was just in view.

Isabella crying out in aggravation,unsheathed her sword from the side of her belt and swung around just narrowly missing a slice at Aiden's hand.

Aiden, in shock stumbled back but soon regained his balance while grabbing at his own sword and readying his crown guard. Lightning struck over head, casting enough light in the darken sky to reflect the naked fury in his eyes. "You tried to cut me!" He suddenly laughed, "you sure you know how to use that thing? I mean, I was caught off guard and still you missed. Does the wittle Princess thinks she could beat me at something I've trained at my entire life? I suggest you step down and I may show mercy."

Isabella readied herself before talking a deep breath, "Do your worst knave." She glared, "En Garde!"

Aiden parried first, the strong thrust of his sword initially startled Isabella. To Aiden's surprise, Isabella successfully blocked, the sound of the swords meeting echoed through the atmosphere. Isabella side stepped his second parry while thinking back to what her father told her.

"Like this Daddy?" Young Isabella thrashed her wooden stick slicing it through the air.

"Isabella, pay attention. Whenever you enter combat, you study your enemy. You gauge their weaknesses, their habits, everything about them." William instructed setting her into a defensive stance.

"How do I accomplish that?"

"You perfect your defense and let them show you their offense. Now En Garde!" William shouted and Isabella laughed.

Isabella was brought out of her musings with her back painfully hitting the ground as a result of Aiden's leg sweep. She was separated from her sword. She rolled out of the way just as Aiden bent to deliver the crippling strike, his momentum forcing him too far downward.

As she rolled, she got to her feet quick enough to see Aiden with his sword stuck in the ground. Before she allowed him to pull it out, she ran over and drop kicked him back a few feet. The separation gave both enough time to palm their daggers and charge.

"So it comes to this Isabella? Us fighting to the death?" Aiden whispered with labored breathing during the quick close combat. Over the days of getting to know her, or what he thought was the real her, he mentally admitted that she may have been trained but never considered her being so talented. He was making mistakes that he had never made before.

He failed to realize or admit to himself that he did not want to win. If his winning meant her death, he would rather just fight the entire day away but that would not be something he'd acknowledge within himself.

With a flick of the wrist, Isabella knocked a dagger out of Aiden's hand, "Aiden you've pushed me to this. It is either me or you and I chose me. Your deception is to blame." She shot past his guard; his chest open to her strike but she subconsciously pulled back and let the opportunity pass.

Aiden beat himself up for almost costing himself his life but only so much blocking could be done with a tiny dagger. He could not help but notice that her eyes flickered to the spot before quickly dismissing it. She could have ended it but she has not. He mused. "What game are you paying at?" He wondered out loud. In his peripheral vision he saw his sword and began to angle his body in the direction of it.

"What game are you playing at?" Isabella shot back, more frustrated by the second. The daggers were annoying her and she was using valuable energy when she was getting nowhere. I need my sword. Isabella strategized. She sent a few more parries his way, each of which he blocked easily. Isabella tried to think of a plan.

"You parry like a girl." Aiden mocked.

"I am a woman, a warrior; but I thank you very much, you are such a man of letter." She grinned cheekily as she knocked his final dagger out off his hand. After losing his dagger, without thinking, he stepped back created space and stared her down. "Have you fallen off of your high just yet sir?" Isabella mocked.

Aiden, having had enough, made a decision and ran toward Isabella at full speed grabbing her wrist and yanking them down at a pressure point which caused Isabella to drop her daggers at once. She kicked him back and stood with her fist raised. She swung first knocking him in the jaw as lightning stuck over head.

He grabbed her arm and tackled her to the ground shifting his body where he took most of the impact just as thunder rolled loud enough to shake the earth. Suddenly, rain poured down on the wrestling pair. Isabella dealt quick precise jabs to his armor, her hair completely soaked, while Aiden worked on getting her into a lock that would halt movement. "Isabella give up, I would prefer to not kill you." Aiden shouted through the roar of thunder.

"Never! I will die fighting." Isabella shouted enduring in his strong embrace and ignoring memories of the comfort his embrace bought her only days before. "The moment I put my guard down and this is what happens! Lies!" She increased her struggle.

"Lies?! All you women do is deceive men. You use and take everything that men own and then go on about your merry liv--" Aiden's rant was cut off by a well executed headbutt. Isabella crawled out of his grasp tiredly to her sword just as Aiden rolled to his sword a small distance away.

Both stood some distance away from each other illuminated by the strikes of lightning.

Aiden spoke, "The heavens mourn this fighting Isabella."

Isabella countered, "It will grieve your death."

"You know, you were the first woman since my whore of a mother that I've given the time of day." He slowly raised his sword. "She cut her ties with me in horrible ways, and now you do the same. One thing in common you both have is, the deception of a vixen. This ends now."

"This ends now" Isabella shouted.

They charged each other, connected by both their resentment and love. Their swords met, a spark shooting out from the clash.

Aiden had the strength, Isabella had the angle advantage. Their eyes met. Their breath labored. In the shower of rain their swords met in perfect equilibrium.

Their names were called out with the source being a panicked Eric. "Aiden, Bella, what on God's Earth are you--" The rest of his reprimand was cut off by the clash of thunder.

A flash of lightning revealed their expressions. The expressions were clear because of the close proximity. One meeting of the eyes confirmed both of their fates.

Isabella arms ached and shook with the effort to hold her rigid stance. Sweat, tears, and rain mixed. Thunder camouflaged their labored breathing while lightning revealed their feelings.

Isabella in a desperate move for relief twisted her sword and Aiden grinned in his victory for a flick of his wrist caused the thin sword to fly out of her hands. She, in shock, met Aiden's victorious eyes and closed hers in defeat, accepting of her fate. I Failed. She thought.

"Aiden no!" Eric cried running trying to reach them.

"Eric." Aiden said in a low deadly voice, "You have interfered enough. Return to the castle and stay out of it."

"Aiden as your Prince--"

"Eric, I no longer give a damn about titles. Leave before I deal with you next." Aiden almost growled. All the while Isabella begged not for mercy, she did not try to explain herself, she accepted fate.

Eric retreated toward the castle but he raised holy hell once inside. He ran to his father's throne room to find both Kings and the Knights.

*******

Aiden shook his head, "Things were never supposed to happen this way." He whispered. Tears mixed with the rain that fell down her beautiful face. "You weren't supposed to get past my guards, my shields."

Isabella opened her eyes and met his sorrow filed hazel eyes.

"I know Isabella, I knew what you and your father planned. You planned the demise of my nation and I and here we are. My nation saved and your life lost. If I show mercy, what would that say about the my dedication?"

Isabella stood with her back rigid and her head held high. She never considered Aiden had overheard, and realized that was the source of his anger

Aiden raised his sword toward her neck and Isabella took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

The clank of a fallen sword caused Isabella to open her eyes and stare in shock at sight before her.

Aiden stood empty handed.

"Damn you Isabella." He said in a hoarse broken whisper, he shook his head. "I cannot kill you."

Isabella stared in shock. Aiden had no guard, if she wanted to she could grab the sword and end him.

"I've seen the bloodied letter on the bed Aiden." Isabella sighed, leaned down and picked his heavy sword up and held it to his throat. Aiden closed his eyes. I should have showed her the letter. He thought.

His eyes shot open at the sound of two swords meeting.

Isabella had thrown his sword over to where hers had fallen. "Damn you Aiden. For breaking my armor."

A dam broke and Aiden could not control himself. He pulled Isabella to him engulfing her into his arms. When she pulled back he met her eyes. Neither one knew who broke the the distance.

Aiden's lips captured hers in a scorching kiss. Like the leap, everything was forgotten but the two of them and their moment. They poured anger into the kiss, disappointment into it, hatred, lust, LOVE. Everything went to a single kiss. The rain stopped gradually, the clouds cleared. All that was left was the sunset and a kiss.

"Bella!"

"Aiden!"

The Kings shouted. Their cries were interrupted by the sound of an approaching horse back rider.