Daniel and Brianne woke to the sound of a telephone ringing. Neither spoke, but they both knew what it meant. They lay in each other's arms until the silence weighed down too heavy. Brianne spoke; "The storm must be over if the phone lines are back up."
"Yes." Daniel said with a deep sigh. They again lay there in each other's arms dreading the thought of leaving that bed. "I guess it's time," he finally said.
"I guess it is," Brianne said in a heavyhearted voice.
They both got out of bed and went to the living room. "Are you hungry?" Brianne asked. "I could maybe find something to eat in the kitchen."
"No." Daniel answered. "I don't think I could eat even if I tried."
"Oh" Brianne said. She reached for the remote and turned on the television. There was some newsman on television giving his report.
"This just in, as the storm passes we've learned that the Daniel McCain, The Duke of Hudson is missing from his home. He disappeared several days ago, but because of the dangerous storm no one was able to search for him. There is now a manhunt out sweeping the country looking for the missing boy. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call their local police. Daniel McCain became the Duke of Hudson..." The man continued telling to story of how Daniel's parents had died tragically a few months prior. Brianne shut the television off to keep Daniel from having to hear the story again.
"They're looking for you," Brianne said.
"Yes. I guess I should call them and tell them where I am. They're all so worried about me." Daniel replied.
"Oh, I guess you should," Brianne said in a disappointed voice.
"What's wrong?" Daniel asked as her grabbed Brianne's hands.
"Nothing. It's just that I don't want you to leave. I've always known you had to go eventually, but the thought of not being able to see you makes my heart ache." She answered.
"I know. I don't want to leave either. But I have responsibilities and people who count on me. I can't stay here any longer." He said.
"I know." She sighed. They both sat there holding the other's hands for a while. Neither wanted to let go. They both feared breaking the bond would mean the end of their love. "Well, the phone is over there. You should call home and tell them where you are. I'm going to go shower and get dressed." Brianne stated.
She got up but Daniel didn't let her hand go. She tugged it away and turned without looking at him. She stepped quickly out of the room and closed the bathroom door behind her. Daniel exhaled loudly and stood. He walked over to the phone and dialed out a number.
"Hello, Frederick. It's me Daniel." He said
"Sir! Are you okay? We've been so very worried about you. Are you being held captive? Do they want money? We'll get it! Let me talk to them! I'll straighten everything out." Frederick said worriedly.
"Frederick, calm down. No one is holding me captive. I'm fine. I'm in a little cottage on the west side of Breking Forrest. Send a driver please."
"Right away sir! It's so good to know you're alive! Good-bye sir. Stay safe." Frederick said then hung up the phone. Daniel sat down and brought his hands to his face. Brianne emerged from the bathroom fully clothed.
"Hello," she said. "Did you call?"
Daniel shook his head up and down. "They're sending someone to get me now."
"That's good," Brianne said in a shaky voice. She went to the door, opened it and looked outside. Daniel stood and walked behind her. He put his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I feel the same way." He said.
"We'll never see each other again, will we?" Brianne asked with tears in her eyes.
Daniel turned Brianne towards him. He held her face in one of his hands while the other stroked her neck under her ear trying to sooth her. "Brianne, remember what you asked me last night? You asked me for your heart back. I'll never do it though. I'm keeping your heart forever and you will keep mine, too. As long as we have each other's hearts, we'll never be apart. I will think of you always. Everyday when I wake I'll see your face. Every afternoon as I walk the gardens, I'll think of your laugh. When I'm giving a speech at some place where I'm very uncomfortable, I'll think of you singing and dancing in the kitchen and I'll smile and not be so afraid. You'll be in my thoughts and heart forever."
Brianne smiled and hugged Daniel. Her smile faded when she heard sirens in the distance. "That must be them coming for you," she stated. Tears began to flow. She stepped back from Daniel and dropped her head. He grabbed her waist and brought her to him again.
"One last kiss, my love." He said. He reached down and tilted her head up. His lips kissed under each of her eyes gently. His smooth lips stroked down her face and he reached her lips. Then touched hers softly then firmly. His tongue parted her lips and found its way into her mouth. They twirled their tongues around and around while they held each other tight. Brianne suddenly broke the kiss as she saw a car pulling close down the path. She quickly hugged Daniel one last time and said, "Goodbye." quickly. She turned and stepped back into the house then closed the door quickly.
Daniel looked at the door then dropped his head. He turned towards the cars and stepped towards them. Frederick opened a door and ran to him. "Sir it's so good to see you again. These past few days were hell for me. I kept thinking of the time when you were 7 and ran away. Your parents and I were so worried. Then we found you in the guesthouse with your little toy men..." Frederick continued his stroll down memory lane Daniel wasn't listening though. His heart was breaking as he stepped further and further from the cottage. As he closed the door to the car and it sped away, a tear rolled down his cheek.
Back inside the house Brianne collapsed to the floor. Tears spilled down her cheeks and a scream of pain escaped her lips. She crawled to the fireplace and lay down next to it. In her head she kept repeating the words, "You have my heart." She curled into the fetal position and fell asleep. She dreamed of walking along a beach while holding Daniel's hand. Somewhere in the back of her mind though she knew it wasn't real.
VII
Daniel had arrived back at his castle. It however didn't feel like home. He walked to his room and lay on the bed. He thought of Brianne and how much he wanted to be with her. Someone suddenly knocked on the door. The door opened and Frederick walked in. "Dante Meridian is here to see you." He said in a suspicious voice. "He wants to talk about you know who."
Daniel sighed and said, "Send him in." Frederick shook his head and walked out of the room. Dante walked in and pulled a chair up to Daniel's bed. He sat and smiled.
"It's good to hear that you're okay, Daniel. We were all worried about you. Now that you're back though, I see no reason to delay the plans any further. It would set the country's minds at ease to know there was a happy ending to this story." Dante explained.
"So we're making this into a fairytale now?" Daniel asked. "My life is their entertainment?"
"Daniel, you know that's not true. The facts simply are that you've been avoiding this for far too long. Every other Duke of Hudson has gone through this as well. Most of them before they inherited the title. I've arranged for a ball tonight. We'll make the announcement then. Be ready by 7:30 tonight. And try to cheer up, Daniel. It isn't all so bad you know." Dante said. He got up and returned his chair to its place then exited the room.
