"Are you alright?" Wyatt asked me as we walked in my garden, holding hands.

"I'm fine. Just nervous, I guess."

"About the wedding?"

I nodded. "I'm afraid that everything I say will be pushed aside and everything will be according to your mother's decisions, not my own."

He wrapped his comforting arms around me and kissed my hair. "I promise you, Guinevere, as your husband, that everything will be alright."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, pulling out of his grasp, "How can you be absolutely, one hundred percent positive, that everything will be alright?"

He smiled and kissed my cheek. "Because I know these things. I know how to calm you down and my mother. I'm surprised you've made it this far."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You are not the only woman that I have been engaged to," he admitted, "Most of the girls were nice and gentle and calm, but they were all scared off by my mother. She wants me to marry Kelsa of the Ravens to tie up loose ends with an argument, but I refused. Then it was Halei of the South, but she couldn't handle my mother's scorn for her dark skin, so I let her free. Then it was Gabrielle of the West and Hawks, but she too fell victim to my mother's evil ways. When she suggested you, I just let her go ahead with it. I was surprised that you refused me. No one had ever done that. The way I acted towards you at first was just so that you wouldn't marry me, for your own sake, but there was something different about you, Guinevere."

I looked at him, urging him to go on.

"You were different then the other girls. There was something wild and defiant about you which captured me and I knew that something was terribly wrong and enchanting beautiful about you. I could never figure out what it was. I was shocked beyond my wildest imagination when I heard that you survived living with thieves, but I knew they would not harm you or kidnap you as most put it. I had heard too many tales about a wild young Princess who thirsted for adventure as a vampire thirsts for blood and I knew you must've done something to provoke them. I was surprised when you returned home, distant, but still alive. I have seen too many women, in neighboring towns, fall victim to the harsh and vile treatment of thieves-."

"That's not true!" I interrupted fiercely.

"What?" he asked softly, surprised by my outburst.

"You've misjudged these people of another occupation. They are neither vile nor harsh unless cornered to do so. They are caring, loyal, and great protectors of what are there's."

"You mean what they steal," he said bitterly.

"Some of it, yes," I replied coldly, "but they protect their wives and children form others and no one is allowed to harm another without a consequence because it would be dishonorable to the clan and to their honor if they did."

"Honor? Ha! Don't make me laugh, Guinevere. Thieves have no honor."

"You barely even know them so how can you say such things?"

"I know enough."

"Apparently not," I snapped, "I will not have you insult thieves in my appearance. I was offered tremendous hospitality, something your family needs to learn, and I was never harmed in anyway."

"Do not insult my family and your own," he said coldly.

"Then don't insult mine." I said it without thinking, but it made me wonder. Did I think that thieves were my family? Why was I defending them so fiercely, if I did not? I was the Princess wasn't I? I had not forgotten that, but I had never truly accepted it, until now. I was the Princess of Thieves.

"What did you say?" Wyatt asked me.

"I said, don't insult mine. My family."

"Since when are thieves your family?" he snorted.

"Since I became the Princess of Thieves."

"When was that, may I ask?"

"When I was born."

"Impossible," he said sharply and threw his hands up in the air, "Impossible."

"Did you not say that you knew that something was terribly wrong and enchanting beautiful about me? Could this be it, then? Could you have seen the Princess of Thieves in me and not figure out what it was? Could that not have happened?"

"Impossible," he muttered again, staring at the ground.

"Wyatt, you and I both know that what I say it right. What you saw about me, that was me. I am the princess of Thieves, but I am also your wife. Why can't I be both?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Because if you are a thief then you and Youko are supposed to be together. Are you happy now? I said it!"

I was silent. I hoped he wasn't true. I hoped that Youko and I were never supposed to be together and what happened between me and him was a sick twist in the path of life. Not fate. Anything, but fate.

"I'm sorry, Guinevere," Wyatt apologized, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright. I pushed you to do it and I paid the consequences. I'm fine, really. It is you that I am worried about."

"I cannot trust myself with the topic."

"You mean Youko. Well I'd imagine so since it was him that stood in between us for a long time. I can imagine what it must be like for you to talk about him this way."

"How can you always be so calm and rationalized? Why don't you ever have outbreaks and feel anger?"

"I do, but not anymore. I have learned to conceal my emotions while surrounded by enemies, Wyatt. I used to have outbreaks and I still feel anger, but what is the point in venting it? I don't see it, so I conceal it from everybody."

"Like a thief."

"That is what they do, which gives people the impression that they are cold and heartless and dishonorable. It is sickening to a point."

"Guinevere, have I ever told you that I love you?"

I thought about it. "Not that I can recall, but I know you do. I can sense it when you are near me."

"Then I shall tell you. I love you."

"And I you, Prince Wyatt.

I wandered through the forest, close to my home, smelling the crisp air and wet Earth. This was my last day here and I wanted to cherish my history and heritage. I remembered when I was out here with Jason. It seemed so long ago, but it really wasn't. Two or three weeks maybe. I couldn't remember. So much had happened since then and I knew even more would. I descended deeper and deeper into the forest, hoping to bring a Shade home for everyone to see. Not many were in bloom, but a few late bloomers should have been here. I followed the sweet citrus scent deeper and deeper until I came to a cave surrounded by trees, no light except for one ray of sun, at the entrance of the cave. If I was a good little girl with morals and a molded mind, I would've turned right around and gone home to my future family and husband, but as we all know, that is not who I am. I walked slowly into the cave and looked around. Nothing, but an old torn blanket and a few dried flowers. I turned around and sucked in a breath as a dagger just barely missed my temple. It hit the cave wall and fell to the floor.

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me? What a shame!" I said, dramatically frowning as I recognized my attacker.

"Guinevere…."

"Jason. It's been a long time."

He nodded, staring at me amazed. "Why are you so far away from the castle?"

I laughed. "Even when you are not my guard, you still find a way to order me around."

He smiled. "I guess I always will."

"So why are you all the way out here?"

"I was banished."

"Why?"

"Naikue and Yomi are in charge and, well, they really detest me so they banished me."

"Naikue and Yomi are the goat couple, right?"

He nodded. "They are also the alphas in the thieving gang."

"But why? Or how?"

Jason broke a twig in half and threw in on the ground. "Youko just went out one day and never came back. Some said he went to you and stayed, betraying his own heritage. Others said he went on a thieving mission and never made it back. Most say he just ran away and went to find another gang, but all of them are wrong. A rare few say that he came to you, but you turned him away. He then went off to take his mind off of things and was killed."

"How do you know this?"

"There are seers in the gang now and I went to one of them, the reason I was banished. She told me that he came to you, hoping to win you back, but failed. To ease himself of the pain, he went to steal a valuable artifact and was shot by a hunter. He then fled to the human world."

I gasped in horror. "Youko would never do that."

"But he did. I denied it as well, but you can never say that a seer lied to you. Bad fortune stays with you the rest of your life if you do."

"Youko is dead then?"

"Sort of. He fled to the human world, whether or not he survived is another story."

"So no one really knows do they?"

"Nope. Only Youko Kurama himself knows what happened to him. I can't feel his spirit energy, but that may very well be because he is in the human world."

"I can't believe he did that. It's my entire fault."

"Don't blame yourself," Jason said, taking my hand, "Youko dealt with the situation the wrong way. He chose to mess up and he chose to flee. It is none of your doing."

"But it was because of me that he chose these things, isn't it?"

He nodded. "But that doesn't mean it is your fault entirely."

We sat in silence. I was trying to figure out why Youko would do something so idiotic and cowardly. It wasn't like him. He had a plan. I was sure of it.

"So you are going to marry Prince Wyatt, huh?"

"Yeah."

"This is good news then. About Youko, I mean."

"How?"

"Now you can move on to Wyatt. Youko is never coming back. If he does, he will be in a human body, I'm sure. He will never been the same Youko. Never again."

"I know and I am happy that now I will be able to move on, but…"

"But what?"

"I can't help hoping that Youko will have a better life. A happier life than he had. And I feel bad for everyone. Nika especially. Her son will have to grow up knowing that his father acted in cowardice, despite his brilliant deeds as a thief. I find it rather…tragic."

"I know, but there is nothing we can do, Gwen. Youko chose his path and now he must follow it as we must follow ours. Maybe we will see him again and maybe not. But I do hope that he finds what he wanted."

"What would that be?"

He was silent, regarding me with longing and fear. He feared me now that I was Princess of Thieves and I was one of the hated people that I never wanted to be. A wife married to a man with wealth, handsome features, and an evil society around me, but I had no choice in it. This was my path. I could only hope better for him and Youko.

"If I could put his feelings in perspective, just by my own knowledge of him, he wanted to flee from his past and get freedom. Freedom from his leadership, his family, and most of all, his pain. Youko would never die without a fight and he would always find a way out and he did. Make no mistake about that. He did find a way out of death, but not the most honorable one. I believe that when he did that, he shed himself on his skin."

"So you are saying that, when he died, he shed his own skin, to become someone knew. Someone he always wanted to be, but never could until it was too late. Someone who all of us would love or hate, but judge according to his status and past. He wanted a clean slate."

"Exactly and I believe he found exactly what he wanted."

"As I think more and more about it, I do as well. If he wanted it that much and would rather become who he wanted to be, why not do it now, while death is calling for you? It makes sense," I said, tried and exhausted.

"You should return home, Guinevere," Jason sighed, "It's been a long day."

"All this information," I said, "I can hardly process it."

"You must, to move on. It is hard, I know, but we have to. Go on with your life. Marry Wyatt, create a family with love and care and think not a diamond of it. Youko has his life in the human world and we have ours. Fate made it this way, Guinevere. You cannot change it, no matter how hard you try."

"I will, Jason," I stood up, "I will move on."

"I will see you at your wedding?"

"Of course," I smiled and we hugged one another. How things had changed so much since he and I were together, a few weeks ago. He wanted to marry me while I chose not to marry and here I was. Engaged and soon to be wed and then a mother. Time went by too fast for me to keep up, but I had to. I kissed Jason good bye and promised to invite him to the wedding. Inside, Wyatt greeted my by the door with a passionate kiss and a greedy hug.

"I was beginning to worry about you," he said, "are you alright?"

I thought a long time before I answered, "Yes. I am finally alright."

---

There it is. The ending of Princess of Thieves. I hoped everyone enjoyed reading it becuase i had alot of fun writing it. Thanks to EVERYONE that commented and i am once again very soory that this took soooo long to update. Visit my profile for some interesting info.