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Today was the first day in the rest of Freddie's life. Now was the time to make amends, and those amends would stay in place for as long as he could imagine. He had made a promise to Romily to change, and to be the man that he knew she deserved. He wouldn't be prepared to change for many people, but Romily was different. She just made him want to be a better person; just for her.

Freddie was starting to put this life changing plan into action, and the first way in which he could think to do this was to take Romily out for a ride. It would give them the privacy which he so craved with her, as well as combining this with his need to see Camelot in all its splendour. He wanted Romily to open up to him, he wanted it to be like the old days. Although Freddie knew it would be a long time until they could get back what they had once had, he could still help it along anyway that he could think of.

Freddie was now just waiting in the courtyard of Camelot castle, waiting for his Millie to join him so that the afternoons events could begin. Freddie straightened out his tunic and looked over the two horses which had been selected for the ride. There would be no guard to accompany them; he was more than capable of protecting them both should any trouble arise.

He took a step closer to Romily once more as she repeated his words back to him. He could but nod, a genuine smile creeping across his face. Could he hope that she truly believed him? "I do Romily. I promise; with all my heart.

Frederick was taken aback when she kissed him. Of course he wasn't complaining, and not just on the physical level. He enjoyed it more now because he knew that this meant she believed him. It was too intimate an act for it to have been motivated if there was a single doubt in her mind that he did truly love her. It showed that she still loved him too.

He returned her embrace with a soft and tender kiss. In an instance he was transported to their first kiss back at Romily's home; all those years ago. He moved a hand and placed it around her waist, just to keep her there. He never wanted her to leave. She was still his Millie.

The last thing Freddiie wanted to do is to make Romily unhappy. But in a selfish way he wanted her to be happy with him. He didn't want her to leave here today and find some other man to settle down with. She was the only woman he had ever seen himself settling down with. She was the only one who had seemed worth making the effort for. He needed to show her that she would be happy with him, but such things could not be achieved overnight. He knew she must still be conflicted about his being here, and he understood that truly. That didn't mean that he wanted it to be so.

He didn't stop her as she tried to leave. Instead he just walked after her, slowly and patiently. She needed to vent her anger at him. There was no use in bottling up her feelings, as there was no point in Freddie bottling his feelings up and pretending he didn't want to be with Romily. However, as she told him that she did still love him he almost faltered. Not because her words weren't well recieved, but because she said in the same breath that she could never be around him. "I still love you Romily. If you feel you can't stay here with me now just remember that I will always love you." He called after her, wondering if she would truly believe him.

In truth Frederick would never cause Romily any pain knowingly, he had no idea what her father had said to her following their meeting. If he had then maybe things would have been different. He would have come back, he would have contradicted him; he would have done something; anything. "I never meant to hurt you Romily, and I swear to you now that I will never cause you any pain." He meant that; truly those were his feelings on the matter. He was sick of running from his past, he wanted to be the man Romily needed now.

Frederick hated seeing her like this. How could anyone, after knowing her for even a short amount of time, think she was a disappointment. There were many words he could think to describe Romily, but disappointment was not among them. She was beautiful, headstrong, strong willed and still his Mille. Freddie raised a hand, hoping she would not bat it away and moved so he could brush a few fingers across her cheek. It was not too intrusive, and he just needed to feel her soft skin beneath his fingers. "If anyone thinks you have ever been a disappointment then they truly need their head examining." He said boldly, but he was smiling at her, showing her that truly she was no disappointment.

Her next words hurt him. He didn't want her to feel like she was on her own. Romily's words were encouraging though however. She had not spoken of another man in her life, or even the possibility of other suitors. Had there truly never been anyone after him in her life? Jesu had she waited that long for him? The hand that had been stroking her cheek moved so he was now cupping her cheek. "I will make it my mission to ensure you never feel lonely again Romily."

It didn’t surprise Freddie in the slightest that Romily’s father had lied to them both. If she was truthful in saying that he wanted to keep her hidden away then he would have done anything to make sure that she stayed with him and never left wouldn’t he? Freddie listened to her and nodded in understanding, anger pulsing through him at her father. How different this meeting could have been if the lies from her father had not tainted both their thoughts of each other. There was no use in dwelling on this, what had happened had happened, and they had to deal with that.

He had been hoping for a better reaction than that, surely she could promise him something? Anything? He would be here for a week, they couldn’t just avoid each other. He didn’t want to avoid her. Frederick never wanted to let Millie go again, he just wanted to make this all better somehow but he knew that somehow this would not be sorted in a week. Perhaps he could extend his stay somehow…

He sighed softly, looking down at the ground before looking back up at her; content with locking her gaze with his. She was still so beautiful, she was now a full grown woman and seemed to positively bloom with all the airs and graces that womanhood brought with it. He breathed out slowly, trying to keep his emotions under control. Jesu, she just made his head spin.“How can I have a life that I have always wanted Millie?” He asked now, taking one of her hands, “For you are not in it.”

As Frederick listened to Romily, he became increasingly aware of how little he actually knew of her family life on the whole. He had just thought that he was always that protective for Romily’s own good. After all, many fathers took it upon themselves to protect their daughter’s honour, as in the end it would benefit them in the long run wouldn’t it? He however had no idea that her father kept her locked away in such a crude way. He felt slightly awkward and for a moment couldn’t look at her. Guilt just ripped through him, he could have stopped that in its roots if he had just been more of a man; a man who Romily deserved.

He forced himself to look back up at her. He would show his courage to her now because it was more important now than ever. She needed to know how sorry he truly was. He nodded as she repeated his words. “Yes, a war.” It had seemed so simple, so black and white back when it had been proposed. In retrospect it was a feeble suggestion and he should not have paid it any thought. “I did not want to cause any tensions between our Kingdoms, your father was so angry, he was shouting all sorts of possibilities at me that night.” As the future King of Soreston, Freddie always had to consider keeping the neighbours friendly and doing anything within that Kingdom which could upset the balance would only cause countless problems. He had been a coward, he had been scared of the foreign policy between the two Kingdoms and he had stepped down.

“You have not let anyone down.” He said softly, indeed in the same situation he perhaps in her situation would have run off. Of course considering these things was of little use, but he just wanted to understand her now. She had changed so much, but then again she hadn’t. He could still see her in there; his Millie. “I am glad you have made a home out of Camelot, I hear King Arthur is a most agreeable man.” He had not yet met him personally, but he would soon have the pleasure of doing. What else could he say to her? How could he possibly make any of this any better? He wanted to, Jesu he just wanted to make her happy. “I’m here for a week Millie, please say you will not avoid me for the duration of my stay. Please, I couldn’t bear it.”

Frederick listened to all that Romily had to say without interruption, and with a face which represented no emotion. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to be feeling right now. Did she understand how hard it had been for him to leave her? The only thing which had prevented him for declaring his true feelings for her was of course the threat of war from her father. He and Freddie had not exactly warmed to each other, and that had just made the situation with Romily even worse; if that were even possible.

“I don’t expect you to forgive the way I acted.” He said rather suddenly, and he shocked himself that the words had actually come out, “Jesu, I can’t even forgive myself, how can I expect you to even consider forgiving me?” If you hated the person you were, how could you expect others to accept this as the real you? He hadn’t expected her to forgive him, he just wanted her to know how sorry she was; that was all there was to it.

She was not being entirely fair, or at least she wasn’t in Frederick’s eyes. How could he have come after her? That wouldn’t have helped anything, he would still have been increasing the threat of a war between their kingdoms. He didn’t reply to this however, well not directly anyway. He had learnt over the years that feeding a woman’s anger was the completely wrong thing to do and he wasn’t about to start messing up now. “I never stopped caring about you Millie, whatever you might think and however angry you are, you have to know that.” He wouldn’t be trying now if he didn’t care for her, he’d have already moved on and would be flirting with the next woman, only he couldn’t because Romily held exclusivity in that area.

He let her kiss him, because he wanted that contact no matter what context it was meant in. It hurt though, it hurt that once upon a time such a gesture meant something quite different, and now it was born out of bitterness and anger. No, he wouldn’t let this be goodbye. He stepped forwards, preventing her from leaving and took one hand in hers. “Millie I will not force you to stay. But please just listen to what I have to say, then I promise you I will not prevent you from leaving.”

Frederick was just stunned; there wasn’t any other way of describing it to be honest. He was just staring at her, he knew he shouldn’t but he just couldn’t help himself. She was still as beautiful as he remembered. He knew she must be angry towards him at the fact he had just left her without a moment’s thought, he had regretted it since, and surely she had to know that in some part of her mind. He took a sharp intake of breath as she addressed him by his first name; well that was a start wasn’t it? There was no need to bring titles into this, they knew each other well enough without it.

He was then just stuck; there was nothing he could say to her. Nothing to excuse what he had done, nothing to even reassure her that he had regretted it ever since. Would she even believe anything he now had to say to her? Romily had no reason to after all, he had never given her any reason to believe anything that he had to say.

But she was here now, he could show her now that he still felt something for her; just anything to make her soften towards him. As she went to leave he stepped forwards, blocking her path. He did not make a grab for her or even really prevent her from leaving him at all. He would never be so rude towards her. “Please, stay a while.” He asked her rather calmly. This time things would be different, he did not have his father breathing down his neck while he was here with her, he could just be himself and perhaps Romily would see that too.

As Frederick intended to stay the week in Camelot, he began to plan the week’s adventures in his head. Perhaps the King himself could even suggest some things to occupy himself with. He intended on taking a ride out into the countryside of course, perhaps he could acquaint himself with some nobles and impose on their table one evening. He was a Prince after all; surely they would be glad of such company? He had no idea in truth, but he would make it his business to make a few noble acquaintances while he was here in Camelot. It would surely benefit him when he was King if he had friends in other Kingdoms.

Perhaps he would also see what the town itself had to offer. Though of course that always had to be done with a certain amount of caution, he knew that he was the sole heir to the Sorestan throne, and he was therefore quite valuable. He would probably just take one of his footmen with him in casual attire. After all, you only really got to know a Kingdom from the opinion of the people who lived in it, and Frederick always believed in a balanced opinion.

Ahead of him, he could see a noblewoman approaching him. He raised his eye brows slightly; well perhaps his walk would be a lot more interesting than he had hoped it would be. He had not had the pleasure of using his charms on a noblewoman in Camelot yet, and he wondered if they differed at all from those in Sorestan. Of course he would not seek to dishonour the lady in question; no he merely wanted to have a bit of fun. There was nothing wrong with that now was there? Well there was no harm that he could see and that was the important thing really.

But then she all but vanished and Freddie found a grin press against his lips. He quickly stepped forwards until he was a mere few steps away from the tree and folded his arms in a mock sort of way. He had never had a noblewoman react to him in that manner before, and it amused him somewhat. “My Lady, would you give me the pleasure of addressing you personally, or would you prefer to work our conversation through a tree?” He supressed a chuckle, he didn’t want the woman to think he was laughing at her expense, even though in truth he was. Why had she hidden behind the tree in the first place? It was one of the weirder reactions to his presence he had experienced