The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

Anne smiled as she rose from her seat and curtsied. "Thank you Richard as you look handsome..." The royal band played. "Would you like to dance with me?" Anne locked her diamond eyes into his emerald eyes.

"I would be glad to." Richard replied.  He took her hand in his and placed another around her waist.  Feeling the music tell him what to do, he started leading Anne in a waltz.  He almost couldn't believe he was doing this.

Anne giggled as they danced. She felt like she was flying in Richard's arms. "Twirl me..." she smiled.

"Very well.  If you wish." Richard said with a smile.  He spun Anne out and then back to him.  Then, he twirled her in a circle several times before dipping her low over her the floor.  With several of his arms supporting her, there was no danger of him dropping her.

When Anne was dipped she locked her diamond eyes into his emerald ones. She leaned forward and without second guessing she kissed him.

Richard gasped in surprise.  But his heart was speeding up in his chest.  Before long, he surrendered to Anne's kiss and began to kiss her back.
"Oh, Anne.  My winter rose." he murmured against her lips.  Carefully, he pulled her back on her feet.  His hands caressed her skin and braided hair.
"Pardon us, Your Majesty, but there is someone who wishes to see our guest." one of the guards said, interrupting the moment.

Anne felt like she was in heaven when Richard kissed and caressed her. And blushed when he called her 'his winter rose' she was about to say something and they were disturb. She took his hand "I'm going with you..." she said as they saw who was visiting them.

"You.  What are you doing here?" Richard asked fearfully as he recognized the witch he'd been trying to avoid.
"I came to give back something that belongs to you.  I heard about what you did for this young woman.  You risked your life to save her.  I see now that you are nothing like your grandfather who crossed me, so there is no need for this pointless pursuit now." she explained gently.  She reached into her coat and revealed a small sphere that shone like a star.
"What is that?" he asked, unable to stop looking at it.
"Your humanity.  I took this from you when we made our wager.  Now, you have earned it back." the witch answered.  With that, she held out her hand and the sphere flew towards him, hitting him in the chest.  Richard felt a warmth coming from inside him and his insides seemed to twist within him.  He didn't like how it felt.
"Don't fight against it.  Just let it become one with you again." the witch coaxed before she disappeared.  Taking her advice, he tried to relax.  He felt his arms and legs get longer and his torso getting smaller.  A light enveloped him and when it disappeared, he now stood as a young man in the full suit of what he'd been wearing; his clothes had adjusted to fit his human body, including matching pants with his jacket and a pair of boots and chestnut brown hair.  But his transformation had exhausted him and he fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he recovered.

Anne was shocked. "R...Richard..." Anne began trying to touch him but the light surrounding him was too much. Anne picked up her dress and ran to the royal gardens by the icy roses. She cried cause she was happy but she just wished that he was a prince that way they could get married and she gasped as she remembered the young that was after them. To kill them. If she'd kill Richard; Anne wouldve no choice but to kill the girl and then herself cause she loved Richard so much.

A little clumsily, Richard got to his feet and followed Anne to the gardens.  He found her, and he took her hand.  Once he had her attention, he sat beside her.
"Anne, I have something I want to tell you.  When we first met, I didn't tell you all of the truth about myself, about me being a prince.  I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure you would like me for who I am, not for what I have or what family I come from.  That's something that's always been an issue for me.  And when I learned that you were the missing princess, I promised that I would tell you that but you ran away from me.  Why did you run away when I became human?" Richard asked, wanting to understand.

Anne sniffled as she opened his newly human hands and placed an icy rose inside. "I...I was scared...when I'm around you I feel complete and not scared but when I saw you transformed I freaked out and I remembered the girl who almost killed you and she's a hunter and might come here and innocent people in here will get hurt...and I love you too much to see you hurt..." Anne caressed his cheeks.

Richard smiled at her.  He placed one hand on Anne's shoulder.  Being able to do this without a moment of awkwardness was a dream come true.
"You're worried about that little robber brat?  Anne, remember how much it was snowing when we escaped?  That snow would easily have disguised our tracks or completely covered them.  And she didn't want to kill me, she wanted me to entertain her.  That's why I would climb the walls to get away from her.  Now that the me she knew is gone, she won't have a reason to chase us." Richard told her, his joy showing in his face.

Anne smiled as she grabbed his cheeks and pulled in for another kiss. "Richard..." she gasped when it was time for air. Then it hit her. "Joanne..."

Meanwhile...Joanne growled. "She found out...and now she has true love...bah...Nothing a little magic cant fix..."

"Huh?  What about Joanne?  Anne, tell me what this is about." Richard insisted, confused by the sudden change in topic.

Anne frowned. "Remember I told you about I didn't remember much and now my memories coming back but Joanne is a wi..." Then Anne's eyes began to change color and her voice changed. "I am going in my room..."

Joanne smiled evilly. "So far so good..."

"Anne?  Anne, wait.  I'll come with you.  What was it you were going to say?" Richard asked, a little put off by the sudden change in her voice.  He clasped her hand as he caught up to her.

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