Chapter 25 (The LAST Chapter) :(
Recap:
I awoke around four pm, to a shadow over my face. I opened my eyes ready to fight this person but guess who I found, none other then Mr. Fitzroy himself.
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"What, what are you doing here?" I stammered as I sat up.
"Umm, well that's a long story, would you mind if I sat down also?" Ashton said without waiting for an answer, he sat anyways. I was in shock; I could barely manage to form words.
"So, where shall I begin?" Ashton asked looking directly at me.
"How about the part where you knew that Sarah was pregnant with Alex's baby and you did not tell me? How about there Ashton?" I said poking him in the chest before running inside.
Just before I opened the patio door to the master bedroom, Ashton caught my elbow. "Anne, will you please stop running away from me and let me explain."
"Fine, I will give you ten minutes of my time. Ready, go." I said and motioned for him to begin.
"Alex and Sarah slept together that night on my yacht, they are in love, and I cannot blame them. I am in love and I know how they feel. I feel Sarah's pain to see someone else kiss the person she loves. She became pregnant with Alex's baby, and now they are planning to get married before the baby is born. She did not mean to wreck your wedding and she is deeply sorry." Ashton said explaining fast.
"Slow down please," I said calmly and I leaned against the house just listening.
"Alex loved you but more like a sisterly love and he wished that he could have gone through with the marriage and not made the mistake that he did. He knows that he hurt you and is sorry for that also." Ashton said.
"Now, how do you come into this?" I asked confused.
"I was just the best man that knew too much... and I hurt the girl that I love." Ashton said and as he said the girl that he loved, my eyes snapped wide open.
"I thought you loved someone else, why did you do the things you did with the waitress or get girl's numbers right in front of me like at putt putting."
"I was afraid of being rejected by you because I knew that it would have broken my heart to pieces, that's why I did the things I did. I never did more then make out with the waitress because I could not get you out of my head. You are the best thing to ever happen to me and with your permission, I would like to start over and take you on a date tonight." Ashton said looking hopeful.
"Fine, under one condition, you are to tell no one that you are here, or have found me, and we are to disguise ourselves so no one will find out where we are." I said.
"Done deal." Ashton said sweeping me into his arms for a hug. I hugged him back, and I felt like I was completely again.
"How did you manage to find me?" I asked Ashton looking for an answer but what I really got was a puzzle.
"Let's just say I know some things about you and you will find some things out about me later."
"Okay, let me get changed and we can go out to eat." I said before running down and grabbing my stuff of the beach. Right before I went through the patio door and pointing to Ashton the door to the kitchen, he just had to say something," By the way Anne, you look very sexy in your bikini." Ashton said with a wink before striding off to the kitchen and hey, I am not a engaged or married woman anymore, couldn't lie when I said that I liked what I saw when Ashton walked off.
I quickly changed into an evening dress left by my mother and some wedge sandals before heading off to the kitchen. Ashton was leaning against the counter looking at the papers.
"I guess you found the papers," I said pointing to them.
"Yeah, sorry I was just interested, Sarah and Alex said nothing about the affair, or anything they are waiting for you to come back and tell what you want said in the papers." Ashton said explaining why no one knows why the wedding was called off.
"Oh, well they might have to wait a week; I do not plan on coming back until my twenty-first birthday."
"Anne, I was wondering if I could stay with you as long as you are here." Ashton asked looking hopeful.
"I don't know, we will just have to see how this date goes."
"Okay, Miss Windsor are you ready to go?" Ashton asked before grabbing my sweater and helping me into it.
"Of course, Mr. Fitzroy." I said as we walked outside.
"Your chariot awaits," Ashton, said leading me to the car waiting outside. Ashton drove and I rode in the passenger side, which I hardly ever did.
We were both singing along to the radio as we drove into town, our favorite band was playing on the radio, U2. We actually had a lot more in common than I ever believed, like we were made for each other. Ashton rolled down the windows and I actually was having a great time. We pulled into a parking spot and Ashton made me wait for him to open my door.
He of course had to be really slick and slide across the front of the car. He ended up lose his balance and tumbling off the car. I quickly got out of the car and helped him.
"You loser, lol, you just try way too hard." I said helping him.
"I meant to do that, my lady." Ashton said with a wink before taking my hand and leading me in to the only nice, formal restaurant around.
Ashton took off his dark shades and hat, before walking up to the hostess. He flashed her, a smile and said that he needed a table for him and his woman. The hostess shot me daggers, the saying if looks could kill flashed through my mind, and then put on a fake smile and lead us to a table in the middle of the restaurant.
Ashton refused the table before discreetly handing her a twenty-dollar bill and pointing to a chain of booths in the back. I never had seen someone with so much class and grace who had just fallen off a car, just refuse a table. We were then shown to one of the booths in the back. The server immediately came and took drink orders.
Ashton sat right next to me and was just reading the menu. He was acting way to grow up to be the real Ashton.
"Alright, where did the Ashton I know go? The one who would have flirted with that hostess, or at least looked at her cleavage, and who would have cracked one perverted comment at least by now." I asked Ashton.
"Oh, he is still here but he no longer wants to look at any other women's cleavage, just yours." Ashton said staring down my dress.
"There he is!" I said laughing. Ashton held his menu with one hand while holding my other hand. I had to admit it was nice to just hold his hand and have a great time at dinner. Alex never took me to dinner, we were just forced together, it was like forcing two positive ends of magnets together, and they were just yearning to go the other direction.
The server came back with our drinks and asked if we were ready to order.
"Yes, we are, I would like a salad with the house dressing and a cheeseburger with everything, and could I also get an egg on that." I said, looking at Ashton for his order.
"I will have the same." Ashton said with a wink to the server. She stuttered before stumbling away to the kitchen.
"You should not use your looks like that," I said frowning at Ashton before taking a sip of my iced tea.
"And why not? You called me handsome," Ashton said sliding closer to me and wrapping his arm around me that was holding my hand.
"Yes, I did and just because."
"You are jealous!" Ashton said with a large smirk.
"Yes, I am. Sue me." I said taking his arm from around me and getting up.
"Where are you going?" Ashton asked a little puzzled.
"To show you how it feels." I said with determination. I walked up to a table of guys that were probably all on the high school football team or something.
"Hi Guys, I was wondering if you could help me make my boyfriend jealous." I said once Ashton could not hear what I was saying.
"Sure," The guy closest to me said as I sat down at the table, this guy seemed to be the captain or something because everyone listened to what he had to say when he talked.
"Alright, so put your arm around me." I said and he did exactly that. I faced him whispered in his ear before kissing him on the cheek. Within seconds, Ashton was by my side and he was close to ripping that guys arm off. Let us just say we were not allowed in that restaurant for a moment longer.
Ashton flipped the guy onto the nearest table, which collapsed under his weight. The cook came out and escorted us out as Ashton flipped open his wallet to pay for the damage. The cook would not have it, they wanted to sue especially when I took my glasses and hat off, and they realized who I was.
We walked out of there as quick as we could and began to stroll down the boardwalk. There was a little pizza shop, which we just got a pizza to share. We ate all the pizza sitting at a little picnic table. Then we walked down the beach just holding hands, I had only known Ashton for a little while but I knew that I was falling head over heels for him even after he with held the information about Alex and Sarah. He said Sarah made him promise not to tell me.
I was having a fabulous evening and no paparazzi had found us yet so I was just going to continue to enjoy my evening. Around nine pm, we finally made it back to our car. Ashton opened my door before sliding across the hood again, what a loser. Ha-ha.
We took our dear time getting home that night and even once, we got home. Once Ashton walked me to my bedroom door and I showed him where one of the spare bedrooms was, he kissed me good night just a short, nice kiss on the lips. I immediately opened my door and slide down it. I sighed to myself, he was a phenomenal kisser, but I knew that if I kissed him longer than that, I would never stop. I changed and got ready for bed, tomorrow Ashton and I were going horseback riding.
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I awoke the next morning to a breakfast in bed prepared by Ashton himself, and he was sitting in a chair just drinking coffee reading the paper when I walked into the living room.
"Hey, who do you think is going to eat all that food?" I asked Ashton.
"..." Ashton had no response.
"Get in here," I said pointing towards my room, and I tried to act serious but my smile came through. Ashton just followed me.
"Anne, is inviting me into her bedroom?" Ashton asked wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
"To eat breakfast dummy." I said winking. We both immediately dug into the spread of breakfast that Ashton had made. It was all so yummy, the eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, juice, toast, and fruit. After breakfast, I kicked Ashton out so that I could get dressed. We were going horseback riding today.
We walked out to the stables to the left of the house, I took a white horse, named Princess, and Ashton took a large black stallion named Daredevil, which was perfect for Ashton because they were both Daredevils’. We set out down the beach and just rode faster and faster until the horses were tired, then we turned around and began the long walk back. Half way back we just stopped for lunch, we ate the picnic lunch that Ashton packed for us.
It consisted of sandwiches, turkey, ham, and tuna. Different varieties of snacks, pudding, cracks, cheese, granola bars, and fruit. Then for dessert, there were chocolate chip cookies. We ate by feeding each other and that was quite messy by the time we were done. After cleaning up we, hopped on our horses and off we went. We made it back around five pm, and put the horses away.
Except, we never made it out of the stables. Ashton pushed me up against a wall and kissed me, this one was filled with so much passion. The sparks and energy we just flowing between us. I felt feelings that I felt in the kitchen, the only difference it we could do something about them. I had Ashton's shirt off just as the door flew open and it was the horse keeper, Arnold, an old, bitter man.
Ashton and I separated laughing before leaving the stables as Arnold, apologized profusely. We ran out of the stables laughing and holding hands as if we were young teenagers in love.
"Anne, would you like to help cook dinner with me?"
"It would be my honor, Mister Fitzroy. Or shall I call you Prince Fitzroy?" I asked laughing but Ashton just looked serious, when he said," Just call me Ashton."
"Umm okay, is something wrong Ashton?" I said a little confused.
"Nope, nothing," Ashton said putting on a fake smile that did not look anywhere's near real. I knew what his real smile looked like. We made dinner together and ate together but something was bugging him, I knew I would get it out of him eventually. Ashton surprised me with ice cream and a movie night in. We ended up falling asleep on the couch together.
I woke up first the next day and I was snuggled up on Ashton's chest, loving every minute of it. Just three days and I was hooked, I wanted to spend my life with Ashton until death do us part. He finally woke up and we went out to breakfast and spent the day just tooling around town shopping. Ashton said that he had his luggage shipped over and we picked that up. Ashton seemed on the edge all day; I wonder what was up with him.
We came home around eight pm after eating dinner at the boardwalk again. Ashton wanted to go late night swimming so that is what we did. We finally ended up walking up and down the beach, we were currently standing on the dock that we have.
"Anne, I have something to tell you." Ashton said pulling out of the embrace, we were in.
"Okay, Ashton what is it?" I asked looking up into his eyes.
"I have loved you since we were young, I know that you may not remember this but my first name was Peter."
"WHAT?" I asked stunned.
"Yes, please let me explain, the royal French family's baby was switched at birth with an English peasant family's baby, I was the baby that was switched. They named me Peter but when they finally switched us back the mere age of fourteen, they made everyone call me by my given name Ashton Fitzroy. I was Peter, and I loved you until you were ripped out of my life right before I was switched to my real family."
"So you really are Peter, and the whole war between French and England is because of two babies being switched at birth and your parents accusing us of doing it on purpose. You have been my Peter all along," I asked making sure that I got all the details right.
"Yes, Anne, I love you and I am glad to know that you did not marry Alex."
"I love you too, Ashton," I said with passion because I knew now that I really did love him truly down to my soul. He was the one.
"Anne, if we love each other and have since we were in diapers," Ashton said pausing.
"Yes, I love you, since we were in diapers, Ashton, Peter." I said repeating what he said.
"Will you do me the honor of marrying me Anne?" Ashton said as he got down one knee.
However, before I could respond, I fainted from the shock and fell off the dock. I hit my head before I hit the water and I lost all conscience.
When I finally came to it, I was lying on the beach with a dripping wet Ashton on top of me. He was getting ready to blow into my mouth again when I pushed him back before rolling over to spit up water and seaweed and who knows what else.
"I had hoped it would go a little better than that." Ashton said with concern.
"Anne, you don't have to marry me if you don't want to, I know it was soon, maybe it was too soon. We should get you to the hospital to be looked at."
"Shut up and come here pretty boy, my answer is yes, I will marry you." I said before hauling off and kissing him even as I coughed up who knows what. I pulled him closer to me before ripping off his shirt and knowing that he was now mine forever and always.
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Hi Everyone!
Yes, Royal Soulmates has come to a close, it is so sad to see my first book ever end. I loved writing it and reading all my fans comments. Please comment and vote on this chapter too but only if you liked it. I will be entering it in the Watty's after I write the Epilogue and mark it as complete. Please show your support for it in the Watty's if you liked it. I just want to thank all the people who helped make Royal Soulmates a sucess, NemoNemo (beautiful banner), athenagrace23, Thingyb, randomadvice (my very first fan), and so many other dedicated fans! I love all you guys!
Thank you so much for reading, voting, commenting, or just helping me fight writer's block,
Elizabeth <3
P.S. I have removed all prior author's notes in preparation for the Watty's but this one will stay. :)