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A Photographer's Dilemma (Traveler and I)

Rose frowned, "I was hoping you did hear of this rumor. You were supposed to be my sacrifice." She teased and kissed his jaw. She watched the sun turn the sky from dark blue to purple to pink and then orange. She smiled and kissed Scott's cheek again. "We made it another day."

She closed her eyes and let the sun soak and fill her body with warmth. She took a deep breath of the cool new morning air. "Today will be a good day. I can feel it." She put on her panties and picked up the rest of her clothing. She knew Scott had to leave soon and she didn't want to make him late. She held his camera while he went down the stairs and then she followed him. She closed the door to the roof and locked it.

She laid on her bed and smiled at Scott, "Thank you for watching it with me." She used her finger to beckon him forward. She wanted him; her body and soul were aching for him but her mind knew better. She couldn't have him just yet. She tugged him down on top of her and she kissed him passionately. "I like having you around. Maybe we can do this again in New York." She said softly after the kiss broke. She rubbed his back with hand and his cheek with the other. She was falling for him. She was falling hard. She didn't want to lose this feeling she from being with him and around him. She gave him a hug and kissed him softly.
 
Her little kisses and the way she looked at him made it hard for Scott to reconcile her chaste behavior in bed. Well, chaste was too strong a word. She had gone down on him and given him the most amazing experience he had had, not allowing him to return the favor... yet. "We did get through another day. And I'm hoping that we have a ton of days ahead of us to get through together." He leaned over and ran his hand up her back, feeling the warmth of her bare skin underneath his palm. "I think that the sun rises just so it can touch your skin every morning."

The sun rose all too quickly. Soon he was dressing to leave, and it felt terrible to think of spending so much time apart. But duty called; without this assignment he would have never met this amazing woman. "Of course we can do this in New York. My flat has a little rooftop garden; we can see a lot of the city from there, and I'm certain that my neighbors wouldn't mind if you chose to greet the sun in the buff." He smiled and returned her kiss, then added another. He pressed the length of his body against hers and rubbed his hands across her waist to pull her closer.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm looking forward to being your sacrifice at the haunted church tonight." Scott's grin was playful. "Wish me luck today. I'm photographing the couples, and hopefully they'll still be married by the time we're through."
 
Rose smiled and nodded her head, "I wish you the best of luck." She gave him a kiss and walked him to her front door. She patted his ass as he walked out and she watched him walk away.

Tibon knocked on Scott's door with a tray of breakfast from Mrs. Beryl. When he didn't receive an answer he figured the young man was still asleep so he entered to put the tray on the table in his room. Upon entering he noticed the bed was neatly made. The only problem with that was the maids hadn't gotten to this hall yet and he doubted Scott knew how to fold towels in the shape of a rose. He obviously didn't sleep here last night which made him question where exactly he was.

He took the tray back downstairs and set it in the kitchen. He checked the cameras only to see Scott entering through the door in the back of the palace. He rushed, with out looking too frantic, to intercept Scott.

"You're up early. Did you have a good night?" Tibon asked from behind Scott. "I trust the room is to your liking." He baited and walked closer. "Find anything of interest?" He asked and looked out the windows.
 
Scott strode into the palace, his lens cap snapping back into place. On the way back he had taken some nice pictures of the garden and the morning activities on the lawn. Even this early in the day there was a bustle to the castle grounds as servants rushed to get things ready for the royal family.

He looked up when Tibon came up to him, asking about his night. "It was a beautiful night." Scott smiled at the man. "I have no complaints about my room or anything else." He paused. "Why? Did I miss an appointment?" He checked his watch, a rare thing to find on anyone's wrist nowadays. "There's still thirty minutes before I'm supposed to meet with the lighting crew, right? Is everything still a 'go' with today's shoot?"
 
"Everything is just fine." Tibon say distractedly. He was still looking out of the window. He felt like he should know the answer to his questions but the answers were alluding him. He looked at Scott and shook his head. "I just wanted to be sure that you were enjoying your stay." He answered.

He pulled out a pocket watch and nodded his head, "Yes thirty minutes or so. The first couple is getting ready now." He put his pocket watch away and looked over Scott.

"Mrs. Beryl has breakfast for you in the kitchen. I went to deliver it to your room but you were not there. I'm sure she's keeping it warm for you." He told Scott and started to walk away
 
"Breakfast sounds great." Scott smiled at Tobin. "Mrs. Beryl said that she was going to save some of last night's dessert for me today. Want to join me?" He turned as if he was going to leave, but then turned back. "Do you know what time I'm scheduled to take the staffs' photo today? I don't want the light to be too harsh when we do the full shot."

Once he got his answer he popped into the kitchen to see Mrs. Beryl and to have quick breakfast. While there he took a few minutes to ask her about the staff but not enough time to be late to the lighting test and the set up for the shoot.

He walked in just at the clock clicked to the minute of the appointment. "Good morning!" He smiled at the crew who were still checking things set up. He glanced around, looking for the couple of the hour.
 
Tobin was almost taken aback when Scott asked him to join. He frowned slightly and shook his head. The only other person who ever asked him to join for breakfast was Adela. Tobin was much to professional to accept Scott's offer but he had accepted Adela's many times. He shook his head again, "No, thank you. I have work I must do." He walked to his office and sat behind the desk.

The lights crew putting the lights up and in their spots a while ago. Right now the crew was just turning them so that Abetha would be happy with her lighting arrangements. They looked at Scott and then turned to each other. With thick dialect of some sort they spoke about Scott and laughed. They were speaking a mix of Senia, a language of all three islands that was slowly being lost, and English.

One of the men walked over to Scott, "Don't worry about them. They think Princess Abetha is going to walk all over you. Just keep your head up and try not to give her attitude." She patted Scott on the back.

The farthest door in the library opened and Abetha and Andrew walked into the library. Andrew was wearing his royal attire. A black suit jacket adorned with a blue sash and various metals showing his status. Abetha was wearing a blue tea length dress so that she matched her husband. Andrew already looked annoyed but Abetha had on her bright smile and happy face.

Andrew sat down on the left side of the couch and Abetha stood over him. "You can't sit on that side. That's my good side." She said through a big fake smile."

Andrew sighed and pointed to the massive picture of his mother and father, "Where Is my father sitting in that portrait?" He asked, "Left side. So I will sit on the left side and you will sit in your spot." He wasn't mean when he said it but he was getting to his breaking point.

Abetha, for the first time, dropped her smile as moved to the other side of Oliver. "Anything else that I should do, Your Grace. One simple thing and you couldn't give it to me."

"This is not a conversation for public ears. If you do not stop I will take this portrait alone." He warned and looked at Abetha. There was a threat there a subtle one b a threat nonetheless.

Abetha looked away from him with tears forming. "Fine." She said softly there was no point in fighting with him. Her assistant quickly came over and wiped the tear away with out smudging any make up. Abetha blinked a few times and turned to Scott. She smiled again, that same fake smile that she had when she first walked into the room.
 
Scott had not spent much time around Andrew and Abetha. They were the ones who had been married out of formality more than love, if he remembered correctly, and when they came into a room it always seemed like they had to force the appearance of caring for one another. It nearly broke his heart to hear their sharp, harsh conversation at the photo shoot.

His digital camera was silent; despite the 'craft' of the clicking sound that many photographers liked to have their cameras make, Scott liked it quiet. So as the two bickered, Scott took photos. One that he would later keep was a perfect shot of Andrew's hard eyes looking at his wife as tears pooled in hers and she dropped her gaze. Light from the window cast a halo around the two, and every detail of their clothing was highlighted. Andrew's hands were spread out on his thighs, strained and stressed, and Abetha's were loosely clenched as if she had given up all hope for happiness. It was heart-wretching and sad, a quiet frozen testimony to how strained their relationship was.

Scott walked forward to the couple who seemed like they were getting settled finally. "Good morning Sir, Ma'am. May I?" He reached forward with his right hand and curled a finger under Abetha's chin so that he could turn her face slightly and look her over. His touch was gentle but firm and he gave her features a critical look as if searching for... something. "No, I don't see it. You don't have a bad side; your features are perfectly symmetrical. That's amazingly rare." He smiled at her and retracted his hand.

"Your best features are your eyes. Since this portrait is traditional and formal I'd like you to keep your expression neutral. Later when we take our other pictures I'd like you to smile. Okay?" As he spoke to Abetha he tried to stay pleasant and neutral.

He turned to Andrew and glanced over his position on the chair as well as his features. "Okay, I think we're ready."

He took about a dozen shots of them sitting together before he paused and looked at them over the camera lens. "I have the shots I need for your annual formal shot. I'd like to try something different, if you'd humor me. Sir, would you take your wife's hands in yours and turn to look into her eyes? I'd like you to both lean towards each other slightly, as if you were about to kiss each other." Scott moved back behind the formal camera to make sure that it was aligned properly before stepping away and using the remote on his mounted camera while taking a few less formal shots with his favorite smaller one.
 
Abetha took a deep breath and nodded her head, granting Scott permission to touch her, also saying that she was ready to proceed with the shoot unaware that Scott was already taking pictures. She wasn't looking at him when he first touched her chin but when he started to speak she looked up into his eyes. She gave him a small, but there. A smile that she hadn't shared in a long time. Being married to Andrew was hard. The small compliment made her happier than Scott would know.

She nodded her head to his instruction and she looked back at the painting behind them. She reached out slowly and put her hand on top of Andrew's. His hand stayed stoic on his thigh like he didn't even notice it was there.

Andrew for the most past ignored Scott's comments to his wife. He looked at her secretary for a brief second and then looked ahead. He didn't smile unless he had to and he definitely wasn't going to smile in this picture. He was supposed to look regal and strong. How could he do that with a smile on his face?

Andrew glared at Scott when he first said they were finished and then promptly put him in a new position. He looked into Abetha's eyes and leaned forward. She did the same but instead of keeping her eyes open they closed. Right before they were to kiss Andrew pulled back, "The point of this?" He stood up leaving Abetha on the couch alone. "You got the shot correct? Then you've done your job." He said and stormed out of the room.

Abetha watched him leave and shook her head. "Do yourself a favor stay away from this family. They're all self centered, arrogant, assholes." She covered her mouth and smiled a little. "Yeah. That's exactly what they are."
 
"Wai- uh..." he watched the prince leave before turning back to Abetha. "Uhm, can you wait here for just a moment Albetha? I mean Ma'am? Uhm, yeah." Scott took off after Prince Andrew.

"Sir!" He ran to catch up to the angry man. "Sir, wait. We're not done here." He began to match the man's stride. "I'm not here to just take a formal shot of you and your wife, Sir. I'm here to document your relationship at this moment, and from what I can see you aren't doing very much to nurture what little relationship you have. You're acting like a Prince Charles wannabe and that isn't serving anyone, least of all you!"

"Is this what you really want out of life? Is this the kind of man you want to be remembered as fifty years from now?" Scott was being an idiot, he knew, by risking talking to the prince like this, but he couldn't stand by and see what had just happened between the two without saying something. The more he knew about this family the more he cared about them, and for a man who had grown up family-less, he couldn't understand how anyone could be so callous about keeping their family intact and taking care of the people who should have been their loved one.
 
"Stop talking!" Andrew's voice boomed through the halls. Any one that was standing in the hallway looked toward the two. One maid ran off to find Tibon.

"Prince Charles wannabe? And what are you? Some lowlife from New York who got his lucky break on Time magazine? Who do you think you are? Speaking to me as if you have any idea what I've been through? I can have your ass not only out of this country but on your ass in the middle of Times Square with not so much as a Kodak disposable camera to your name."

He threatened daring Scott to say just one more word. "Get of my sight and stay out of my sight and maybe, just maybe you will keep your job." He took a step back and looked Scott up and down. "Stay away from my wife." He spat and walked away again.

Tibon came briskly walking down the hallway . His face was flushed but red in the forehead. His hair was wind blown from walking so fast. He saw Andrew walking away and Scott standing in the middle of the hall. "You follow me now." He pointed down the hall as if he were telling a child which way to walk. "Yelling at a royal. Are you daft?! You are here to do one thing and one thing only take pictures. Don't think about anything but pictures and don't try to step off of that line. So what,"He asked closing the door to his office and starting to raise his voice, "Do you think," he continued now starting to yell, "You are doing?!"
 
He had experienced yelling matches with people he worked with before, even with those he worked for, but Scott had never had anyone go from the topic at hand to threatening his future. He closed his mouth when the prince told him to stop, and stood there, listening as the man ripped him to shreds and then told him to stay away from his wife.

Stay away? Was the prince worried that she'd stray? Scott almost opened his mouth to respond when he was saved by Tibon's appearance. Scott stood impotently, his fists clenched at his sides, as he watched Prince Andrew storm away.

The man's anger was warranted, perhaps, but it didn't keep the photographer from wanting a chance to talk to him person to person instead of royal to commoner. When Tibon ordered him to the office and then continued with the dress-down, Scott stilled his anger and took a deep breath, then another. This was nothing like his other jobs had been, and Scott had made the mistake of allowing what his artistic eye saw in the family to interfere with his professional interactions with them. He had tried to step into the picture, and that had been a mistake.

When he answered Tibon his voice was quiet and restrained. "You're right. I'm... I'm sorry. I was trying to capture their souls' reflections in the photos, and that's not what I'm here for." He raised his gaze to meet Tibon's. "I don't know how to explain it; I saw pain and longing in the two subjects and I let myself become too invested. It's like that voice was telling me that if I didn't say something I'd regret it for the rest of my life, like standing behind someone in the subway and you know, deep down in your heart, that if you don't reach out and grab him he'll step out onto the tracks right in front of the train. But if you do grab him he'll punch you, but you gotta choose between saving him from himself or getting punched, you know?" He looked at Tobin and wasn't sure if the man understood. Scott swallowed. "It won't happen again. I'm sorry."

He had abruptly realized that he was destined to be perpetually on the outside looking in with all of his subject matters, whether they be the royal family or a poor man on the street selling pears. Scott could capture the images that his camera lens saw but he could never affect what he saw. He could never be part of the people he photographed. He'd always been an outsider; as an orphan, as a foster child, and now, as a photographer. He could see, but he couldn't touch.
 
"If you want to keep your job it better not happen again and you better keep your mouth shut around the Royal family unless you guiding them how to pose, or saying yes or no, Sir or Ma'am." Tibon sat down from his looming position over Scott. He shook his head and looked at the man. He only had good intentions but he could not go around speaking to the Royal family as if he was one of them.

"Leave." Tibon dismissed and sat back in his chair. "You barely get what you want when it comes to the Royal family." He spoke softly. "You may feel like you know what's best but they are all stubborn." He shook his head and flicked his hand so Scott would leave.
 
Had Scott ever been reprimanded it might have felt like he was feeling now. He nodded at the man's orders to walk the straight and narrow. He felt relieved when Tibon dismissed him, and might have missed the last few words the man had said had it not been for being taught to never walk away when you were being talked to.

Tibon's soft words touched his heart. Scott paused at the door. "Sir? How can I care about them and not want to help them?" He shook his head, knowing that there wasn't an answer to that. He simply had to do what he was told. The fact that Tibon obviously cared about the royal family very much and had to deal with similar struggles only endeared the strict and somewhat harsh man to the photographer even more.

He shut the door softly behind himself and walked back to the room where the photography had taken place. The distance seemed immeasurable from Tibon's office back, and as he walked he looked at the family portraits and art on the grand walls. Generations of people stared down at him, but now instead of being merely faces in elaborate clothing and strange haircuts they were people with hopes and dreams, some realized but most probably cast aside so that they could attend to their duty. How many of the couples on the walls actually loved each other? How many were only together when they absolutely had to be?

It wasn't what he wanted out of life. To Scott, with his lack of understanding about duty and history, being trapped by your title seemed strange. His perception of life was through a lens cap; the frozen stories captured by film and now digitally were only an echo of the lives they led. To think that a portrait was the only time when two hearts may have seemed in peace was foreign to him.

With a deep breath he opened the doors back to the grand hall where the lighting crew and assistants were, curious to see if everyone had left or if they were still there, waiting to continue shooting pictures. He wasn't due to photograph the other couple for another hour, and Scott wondered if he'd be photographing them at all now.
 
Tibon sighed and looked at Scott, "You can't stop how you feel Scott. You just hold your tongue and hope that follow your idea with out even realizing it." He said honestly with a small hint of sadness. As if his tone was saying it never really happens though. He watched Scott leave his office and he took a few minutes to himself. He stood and continued through his day.

In the grand hall there seemed to be even more bystanders. They tried to make it look like they were doing work but for the most part they wanted to be there when and if Scott got fired. They would most likely be cleared out when Prince Oliver and Princess Stephanie entered the room.

Which is exactly what happened. Oliver walked into the room and saw too many people standing behind the camera. He pointed to the people he didn't want in the room and with out a word they all left. He smirked at Scott, "Heard you got into some trouble today." He raise an eyebrow and took his spot.

Stephanie hit Oliver's, "Don't." She laughed. The difference between couples painfully obvious. Oliver and Stephanie were married for love and fell into tough times, with her unable to bare children. It was hard for the both of them but at least they had each other.

"Let's take this picture so we can get back to work." Oliver winked at Stephanie and looked at Scott. He already knew how to sit and Stephanie adjusted to him.
 
Scott ignored the bystanders and went into the hall. To his sorrow he saw that Princess Abetha was gone, and the next couple was already coming in. Hadn't they been scheduled for later in the day? His mind was muddled from the emotions and the close call he had. Presumably he still had a job as long as he kept his mouth shut.

Prince Oliver's comment was met with a restrained smiled. "Good morning Sir, Ma'am," Scott replied. He watched the room empty out and was surprised at how confident the man was. Of course he had reason to be confident, it was just, well, Scott was beginning to like him. He wasn't arrogant. He was simply firm and princely.

The playful affection between Oliver and Stephanie was a wonderful contrast to what had happened earlier with Andrew and Abetha. It was almost painful to note the difference. Scott took a few pictures. It was easy; the couple were naturally loving with each other and it showed. "Excuse me," Scott interrupted as they were wrapping it up. "Would it be possible to schedule a time to shoot informal photos of the two of you?"

He had asked originally to do them today, but it looked like the schedule had changed slightly. Scott peered over the lens at the smiling duo. They were what a married couple should look like. Friends who fell in love.
 
Stephanie looked at Oliver and then at Scott, "It depends on what you are thinking." She told him. "You still have a few more pictures to take so do those and when you are finished I'm sure Oliver and I would love to do something together." She smiled at Scott and Oliver whispered something in his wife's ear which made her giggle and slap his chest.

"You heard the lady. Now if we are finished." Oliver stood up and helped his wife up. He continued to hold her hand and quieted her out of the room they were in and up the stairs. As they climbed the stairs the staff could clearly hear him barking and her infectious laughter echo off the walls.

Tibon walked into the room and looked at Scott, "The King and Queen will not be taking photos today. The Queen sends her apologies for the sudden change of action." He looked at the lighting crew, "Unplug the lights but leave them where they are. You will take their pictures tomorrow morning." Tibon left the room to carry on with his business.
 
Do something together? It had to be sexual. They were in love, in lust, and definitely in like. It gave him hope for the family, and as he took the pictures it brought a smile to his face to see them acting like newlyweds.

His eyes followed the couple out of the room and then followed Tibon in. "Yes Sir. That will be fine, of course. I'm here at their discretion." He turned to look a the crew as they unplugged the lights and then gathered up his own personal equipment. In his room he plugged in his cameras and began to download and back up his pictures.

He sent Rose a text: I screwed up today and almost got fired. Want to go exploring with me?

While he waited for her reply he recharged his camera and grabbed a water bottle and a map of the island. If Rose was busy he'd go explore on foot. Nothing made him feel better than to meet people and to photograph new things. Except, perhaps, doing them with Rose.
 
Do I have to put on clothes? She replied and a couple seconds later she also sent. Come get me when you're ready. We can go to church.

Rose got off of the couch and put away all the papers that were spread around her. She put them in a folder and then she took the folder upstairs. She put on a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top. Some shoes that were good for climbing and then she put her hair up in a top knot. She went downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water and an apple.

She kicked her feet up on the table and waited for Scott to come and get her. She had her jeep on the back but if Scott really wanted to explore they could walk there through the woods.
 
Her response brought a smile to his lips. Scott stopped and just stared at it for a moment, wrapped up in how good it felt to have someone around who was simply enjoying each day and not hung up about titles, protocol, or any of the other things the princes seemed to be hung up on.

He changed into more informal clothing; a pair of hiking shorts, a t-shirt under an unbuttoned short-sleeved shirt, and some cross-terrain shoes. Scott glanced at his bed. Tibon had mentioned that he had come to see him that morning, perhaps he had noticed that the bed wasn't slept in? On impulse Scott pulled down the comforters and then put a few wrinkles on the pillow just in case it happened again, just in case he wasn't supposed to sleep somewhere other than his bed... just in case.

He didn't have much of an appetite after his morning so he simply checked his emails and then left through the servants' exit to walk to Rose's cottage. If he was to point on a map to where her tiny abode lay he couldn't do it, but it seemed like his feet knew where to go. He knocked on her door and leaned against the frame, suddenly feeling exhausted internally. He needed this day with her, even if it was to go see a haunted church.
 
Rose opened the door when Scott knocked. "Took you long enough." She teased and gave him a kiss. "We can talk about what you did as we walk to the church." She grabbed her water bottle and handed one to Scott. "It's not too far to walk, not even half a mile."

She went back inside and grabbed two clips she bent over and attached one to Scott's shoe and one to hers. "For tics and things. It forms a cocoon around you and they will stay away. It's a handy little device."

She closed the door to the cabin and started the walk through the woods. She held his hand as they walked over the overgrown path. "So I'm guessing it was one of the princes. If it were the king you would be gone by now. Andrew is definitely more hot tempered especially when it comes to being with his wife. But I could be wrong." She smiled at him and rubbed his cheek.

"Whatever happened, don't worry about it. Unless you insulted someone of the Royal family nothing will happen to you. Your work is amazing and if the queen were to fire you...well I'd just have to walk down to that palace and do something drastic." She squeezed his hand hoping he felt just a little bit better. She wouldn't let anything happen to him that would mean him losing his job. She would use all the power she had to keep him around for as long as possible.

"And trust me when I say they aren't all like that. I think you will have more in common with the princess than with any of the princes. She's more open minded and her family doesn't understand why sometimes. She's made a couple stupid mistakes but she's better because of them. So you just wait and see. She might remind you of someone you know."
 
Scott chuckled when she kissed him. "That's a handy little device," he said, checking out the tic-defender that she put on his shoe. "We need something like that in New York for bed bugs." He took the water bottle and her hand, relieved to be out of the castle and away from the stresses of that morning. As they walked he looked around and tried to memorize every moment of their time together. The idea of going home without her was already starting to get to him, and it hadn't even been a full week yet.

"You would be right in your guess, but I'm not sure that I'm allowed to say anything. That confidentiality thing and all." He gave her hand a little squeeze and smiled at her. "And I think I did, kind of, insult... Prince Andrew." His smile was embarrassed.

"It's not so much that I don't like them, because I do. I like Oliver more but... it might be just that I'm seeing his brother in a bad light because of the way he treats his wife." He shook his head. "I know it's none of my business. It's just hard to sit by and see someone make some really bad choices when you know that they're all going to end badly."

Scott gave Rose a smile when she mentioned the Princess. "According to everyone around she probably won't show up until the last day of the photo shoot. I'll probably have to edit her into the family portrait after the fact." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "But let's..." He sighed. "Thank you for offering to speak on my behalf, but if I screw up then it's all on me. I don't want you to risk your job here; I can tell how much you enjoy being their historian. Let's just try to forget that I was an idiot and tried to speak to Andrew like a friend instead of a servant, okay? I may not get to see you once word of that reaches the king and queen and I don't want to taint any time we have left talking about them."

He sighed and then looked back at her. "But I hope you're right about Princess Adela. If she's anything like you then it'll make this morning more than worth it." He frowned. "You grew up here, right? Were the two of you playmates? I mean, like childhood friends or... did they ever allow her to play with you?"
 
"It's hard to be married to some one when they don't love you. You act like you do. You can try to make it work. Sometimes that just makes it worst. They're coming apart at the seams for reasons that even I'm not allowed to talk about. I can see a divorce in their future but only if Oliver and Stephanie manage to have a baby. She's taking the drugs now it's all a matter of getting them to work. Once they produce an heir, Andrew and Abetha won't feel so pressured to make it work and they will most likely be given permission to divorce." Rose shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes you don't have a fairytale ending."

"And I think every one likes Oliver more." She teased lightly and bumped into Scott's shoulder.

"I doubt it!" She said a little to defensively. "I mean sure they see her as the free child but she wouldn't miss a family engagement. She loves her family. And with a cameraman as cute as you she'll probably be there early." She smiled when he kissed her fingers. "I will sneak you into the cabin if they try to send you away. We still have the other island to see but if you don't want to talk about it then we won't."

She thought about how she could phrase the relationship she had with the princess. She bit her lips together and couldn't think of anything that wouldn't come out in a lie. "I saw her on a daily basis growing up. Of course she could play with children that weren't her brothers. If she did try to play with them they would knock her down because she was too little. I remember--" she laughed nervously and shook her head. "I shouldn't." She smiled at the ground and bit her lips together.

She wanted to tell him and she would but she was afraid that the moment she let it slip he would look at her differently and treat her differently. She squeezed his hand and looked around for something to distract him with. She pointed to the island bird, "take a picture of that and ask the king about it. You want to get him to talk, have him talk about something he is passionate about." She rubbed Scott's back and moved out of the way so he could take the picture.
 
He had laughed when she said that the princess would come home early for a cute cameraman like him. "Well that's too bad. I'm taken." He smiled at Rose an kissed the tip of her nose before giving her a proper kiss. "Besides, I didn't come here to fall in love. It just happened to be a happy coincidence."

Scott played with his camera when she told him about seeing the princess. "What? Tell me; it's okay. I'm sworn to secrecy, remember? Nothing that I hear on this assignment gets to be shared." He nodded. "The contract is iron-clad. If I spill any beans I lose my balls." He gave her a quirky smile at the silliness of it all.

He took a picture of the bird and then walked more with her. "What about the king and queen? I never see them together. Do you think that they're more like Oliver and Stephanie or Andrew and Abetha?" He slid his hand into hers again as they walked. "You know, it's too bad that the wives aren't friends. At least then they could support each other and work through this better. It's gotta be lonely to be in a loveless marriage."
 
She was taken aback when he pretty much told her he loved her.It made her feel guilty and happy, but mostly happy. She wondered if she should tell him she was feeling the same way or not but she decided against it. She didn't know how her family react and she didn't want him caught in the cross fire of her falling in love with some one she wasn't supposed to love.

"I really can't tell you that one but I can tell you another story. This one time the princes walked into her room to do something to her. I believe it was she shoot her with water guns but they didn't know the King was in her room getting her ready so they could sneak out and go for a walk. The Princes barge in the room and spray water on their target but not a drop hits the princess because it all landed on the King. The looks on their faces were priceless. I'm sure they had to clean up the mess they made themselves and went with out dessert for a while. It was all in good fun though." She smiled at Scott. "And the king helped her get revenge. She did deserve it after all. The boys made her room a mess."

"The King is always working. He has to ensure the islands stay afloat. The Queen handles matters like keeping the kids in check, public relations and setting up events to help the people. They are together. I don't think I have ever seen them fight. They are happily married, they have just past the honeymoon stage and the make a family stage. Now they are looking forward to retirement so they can be together again and do more than talk about the kingdom."
 
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