Here is the final installment of 'Love Binds,' which brings "Two Hearts" to conclusion. I hope you like this :)

Please note the rating for this chapter. The rating is real and it's there for a reason. So please keep that in mind.

Disclaimer: I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Acknowledgement: As always, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my diligent beta readers, who have given invaluable feedback and suggestions. Thank you.

And last but not least, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my stories and write a review. Again, thank you for your patience. My sincere appreciation goes to you. :)

Ninety Days

By forever

Day 67: Two Hearts

Part IV: Love Binds II

Tuesday, April 18, 1916

"How can I marry you if I don't even know you completely? I don't even know your age!"

She gawked at him as the shock from realizing what she had just blurted out aloud struck her hard. Desperation must have coerced her to act brazenly. However, it was too late - she couldn't retrieve her words and should brace herself for a nerve-wracking conversation.

"So this is what it's all about. Are you having second thoughts?" he asked with a tempered voice, his face placid.

His stoic response threw her mind into helter-skelter. She couldn't determine the true state of his mind, whether he was angry or sad or indifferent. "You don't think that getting married now is too fast?" Her tone jumped an octave, frustration seeping through her words. "We were not even a couple last week. Shouldn't we talk about this first?"

"I realize I might have rushed you into this. We can call it off, if that's what you want."

Blood drained from her face, her stomach clenching into a knot. "NO! Please don't…."

His imperturbable mask cracked. "Candy… Please… Talk to me." The pain in his voice grated at her heart.

He grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her toward him, pinning her under his beseeching gaze. Then, putting his other hand on her shoulder, he pulled her even closer to him, causing her chest to brush lightly against his torso, evoking a ripple of tremor along her spine. "Just be honest. Do you want to marry me?"

"I do… I really do," she expressed urgently, straining her neck to face him. The last thing she wanted to do was to give him the impression that she didn't want to marry him at all. "But… " She bit her lips, debating with herself, her courage dwindling. Should she share her reservation with him?

A gentle squeeze on her shoulder lent her the last push that she needed. "I'm scared. What if I botch this? Albert - you hold a prominent title. I don't want to ruin your reputation. I'm just a poor orphan and I have nothing to offer you while-"

"Stop right there!"

She winced at his interjection. Despite the level tone, the reproach on his face was apparent, and it unnerved her. Had she managed to aggravate him somehow? "Albert…" She hesitated, unsure what to do, to apologize or to ask what had bothered him first before apologizing.

He let out a shuddering breath, his frown disintegrating into a downcast smile. "Candy - I truly appreciate your concern, but please don't ever think you are inferior to me - you are not." He paused and gave her a determined look before resuming, "I've never been happier in my life than during the time I've lived with you. Your smile alone can brighten my day. You've given me hope, joy, and love. And those are more precious than anything else others had given me. So please don't feel like you have nothing to offer." His gaze softened as his lips slanted in a half smile. "Please remember this: I'm in love with Candice White. Her background, status, and everything else? They don't matter to me."

The pouring of assurance from his candor statement instilled warmth in her heart. She believed him, wholly, indisputably. But for some reason, though the desire was clearly there, she couldn't manage to utter a single word. So she did the only thing she could do to convey her feelings to him. She smiled.

The effect was instantaneous. The fine streaks on his face vanished as a relieved sigh escaped his mouth. Wordlessly, he then led her to the sofa, and they sat down while silence reigned in the room.

As she began reflecting on their conversation, Pouppe approached her tentatively, and she beckoned for the skunk to come to her. Letting out a happy squeal, Pouppe bounced off the floor onto the sofa and sidled up against her, settling in a curling position. She chuckled, but her chuckling halted in an instant when she caught a glimpse of Albert sitting next to her, and what she had just done sprung back to her mind.

A part of her accoladed herself for her frankness, but the other part convicted her with shame. She must have appeared like a fickle child to him. In the apartment earlier, she had been resolute with her answer, but here she suddenly harbored second thoughts. She knew she had hurt him again with her thoughtless words.

"I'm sorry…" she weakly murmured, earning a faint smile from him as he slid closer to her, grasping her hand in his, his fingers slipping in between hers, entwining them together.

"It's okay, Candy. I truly appreciate your honesty. But please don't look down on yourself, okay?"

She smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgment.

"I admit marriage is a huge step for us - a giant step," he said, looking down at their clasped hands, his voice gentle. "But have you considered the fact that we've been living together for more than a year?" His focus was back on her, his brows arched inquisitively.

Without waiting for her reply, he resumed, "True, that for the most part we were not a couple, but we did live in the same house, interacting with each other every day, working on house chores side-by-side, enjoying meals together. Maybe to an outsider, we already appear like a married couple."

She couldn't help but smile at his comment. He was right. Although they hadn't acted as lovers, the nuanced intimacy between them projected a relationship that was so much deeper than a mere friendship.

He let out a long audible sigh, but this time she couldn't detect any sign of distress in it. "Candy - believe me." He leaned forward, holding her gaze and squeezing her hand gently. "You actually know more about me than some people who had known me from my childhood do. I can be myself when I'm with you, and whether I'm Albert or William or John doesn't really matter. Those are just names. Once you strip the name and everything else that comes with it, I'm just an ordinary man, a man who is madly in love with you and wants to be with you."

Albert…

A rueful smile formed along his lips as he carried on, "However, I can't deny that there are some things you still don't know about me. I'm sorry again for not being truthful. But I plan to make it up to you for the rest of my life." He glanced down briefly before lifting his eyes back to her. "I won't claim that I know everything about marriage, because I don't. But I do know that you and I can make it work. We can learn together, taking one step at a time. Didn't you say you want to continue living together with me?"

Smiling bashfully, she affirmed him with a nod.

"After marriage we can," he told her and then quickly added, "but, of course, several things are bound to change once we're married, such as we'll be sharing a bed every night and everyone will address you as Mrs. Andrew." He raised an eyebrow at her, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Her cheeks burned at his teasing remark that sounded a bit suggestive to her ears. But she was caught by surprise when his smile faded and a somber expression covered his face in its place.

"Candy - what I want more than anything is to make you happy. I'm sorry again for not considering how all this could overwhelm you. If you still feel uncomfortable and need more time, I don't mind-"

"No - I want to be with you," she stated with steadfast resolution in her voice, bringing her free hand to rest on his knee. "I'm ready to be Mrs. Andrew."

Cocking his head, he grinned, mischief gleaming in his blue eyes. "Is that so? That doesn't surprised me… You were quite proud and eager when you introduced yourself as Mrs. Andrew to the innkeeper in Jackson last-"

"Hey! But - that was-"

Her mouth clamped shut as soon as his laughter rumbled across the room, her eyes taking in the sight before her, of him looking so completely at ease. She knew what he was doing. This was his method to bring gaiety back to the solemn atmosphere, breaking the tension between them, and he had succeeded.

God, she loved him so much…

With unrestrained exuberance, she surrounded him within her circle of arms, and he returned her embrace at once, his palms splayed over the width of her back. "Thank you, Albert… " she whispered into his neck, breathing in the familiar fresh scent.

"You know what? Go change into your pajamas. I'll start the fire and prepare hot cocoa for us." His deep voice reverberated against her ears.

Disentangling herself from him in a swift move, she leaned back a little and scrutinized his face. "Are you serious? We're staying?" A chuckle leaked into her voice as she struggled to control her excitement. "You're the best. Do you know that?" she raved and leaped from her seat to stand in front of him before bounding off toward her room.

"Twenty eight."

She stopped in her track at the random remark and rotated her shoulder in his direction, her gaze seeking his. "I beg your pardon?"

"Aren't you curious about my age? I'm twenty eight."

"Oh… "

Considering Albert was Uncle William, she had presumed he must be older than her, but she had never guessed he was in his late twenties. He didn't look his age.

"Uhm… Am I too old for you?"

When she saw the uncertain look on his face, her lips spread wide into a grin. "No. Not at all. All I know is I'm in love with William Albert Andrew. His age and everything else? They don't matter to me," she declared, deliberately using the same phrase he had uttered earlier. Then feigning a nonchalant attitude, she whirled her head back to the front and strode away. His carefree laughter followed her in no time, and she soon found herself breaking into giggles, unable to contain them anymore.

*********ccccccc*********

Inside her bedroom, Candy stood in front of the vanity twisting the ring around her finger absently. An ironic chuckle slipped out of her mouth as she recalled segments of her conversations with Aunt Elroy and Dr. Martin. Now it became clear to her that Albert had informed both Dr. Martin and Aunt Elroy about his plan to marry her, and the private matter Albert had wanted to discuss with Dr. Martin must be related to that.

Married…

Her gaze dropped to the sparkling ring on her finger. She still couldn't believe this was really happening to her - it felt like a dream. Marriage had indeed been a mere dream to her for a while. Just like any normal girl, she had dreamed of marrying her prince. However, her dream had been shattered after her failed relationship with Terry, and she had banished all thoughts pertaining to marriage and decided to devote her life to serve others. The short, painful, and tragic experiences she had with Anthony and Terry had made her believe she had been cursed in her quest for love, and should avoid it for a while. Little had she known her painful ordeal would actually lead her to a new love - a love so pure and true, a quiet love that protected and gave without demand. She had thought she would never recover from Terry, but before she realized it, her wound had stopped bleeding and she had fallen in love again.

And now, in about a little more than two weeks she would marry her love. She smiled wistfully. Albert might have not been her childhood prince, but he was her best friend, her savior, her protector, and her true love. He was her everything.

She switched her focus to the mirror on the vanity table and stared at her own reflection, still fully dressed in her gown. Immediately, her hands flew to her back, reaching for the top button on the gown, and she rotated her body to get a view of her back in the mirror.

But after failing miserably to undo even a single button out of the myriad sewn at the back of her gown, she discovered the seemingly simple and rudimentary task of taking off her clothes to be quite a challenge. She just couldn't do this by herself. She needed help otherwise she wouldn't be able to finish changing her clothes until dawn, not to mention the strained arms and neck that she would sustain for days to come.

With that last thought, she scurried out of her room and headed straight to Albert's room, practically barging through the door.

"Albert - could you please-"

When she saw him standing frozen in the middle of the room with a dumbfounded look, his fingers still gripping a button, his untucked shirt parted open to below his chest, she realized her recklessness.

"Errr…. I'm sorry. I should have knocked first."

His arms dropped to his sides, and he sauntered to her. "It's fine. Is everything okay? Why you haven't changed yet?"

"Ummm… I need help." A bashful smile crept up to her lips.

He regarded her with bafflement. "Help?"

Smiling awkwardly, she shuffled one foot against the floor and clutched at her gown. "You see, I don't know if you realize how many buttons this gown has and how they are all so unbelievably tiny, and combine that with my ridiculously short arms and stubby fingers. I-" She paused abruptly to catch her breath before continuing, "I mean at the mansion there are the maids who could help me with the gown, but now I don't know what to do." She looked at him expectantly but could only see his blank stare, which generated a funny twisting in her stomach.

A strained chuckle escaped her lips. "You know what? Maybe I should just sleep in this."

In haste, she spun away from him and made her way to the door. Had she lost her mind? How could she make such a crazy impudent request?

"Would you like me to help you with the buttons?"

His voice, loud and clear, seized her in her track, and she pivoted to face him, smiling diffidently. "Yes… Please..." The words rolled out of her tongue in a soft whisper in spite of the noises in her head warning her to say the opposite.

He kept quiet, just staring at her intently with an indecipherable expression that made her feel uneasy. Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all. But before she could even decide what to do, his smooth voice called, "Come here… "

Her heart lurched and she hesitated for a moment before making her way toward him. In the end, this might very well be the only choice she had if she didn't want to sleep in her gown tonight. Attempting to ignore the clamor of her heart, she stood about two or three feet in front of him and glanced up at him in a timid manner. The pupils in his eyes dilated, turning his gaze dark yet mesmerizing at the same time.

"Turn around… " His next instruction came in a hoarse murmur, and she did as he had told her, pressing her clasped hands against her chest and ducking her head slightly.

Dexterous fingers began to work right away, sweeping her hair to the side and fiddling to undo each button with delicate patience. In the beginning, she decided to remain quiet, so he could concentrate and finish the task quickly. But after some time, the silence that enveloped them became unbearable to her.

Perhaps now would be a good time to resume their talk about the wedding. They had only discussed it briefly during the car ride. She had agreed instantly when he had suggested Lakewood for the venue. She couldn't think of a better place than the beautiful estate - that was where they had met, their special place. But was it even possible to prepare and organize a wedding in a matter of two weeks, granted it would be an intimate affair with only close relatives and friends as invitees?

Gathering her thoughts, she sighed and swiveled her head sideways, but then she noticed a break in the pattern of his fingers movement. Had he finished? Why hadn't he said anything? Confused, she was about to inquire him but changed her mind right away when she felt the slight pressure against her back and almost simultaneously, the tightness around her chest was gone. She concluded right away that he had just untied her corset.

"Done…" he whispered hoarsely, his warm breath ghosting over her neck, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

A restrained gasp emerged from her mouth instead of words of gratitude when a pair of moist lips connected with the skin on her back. She struggled not to squirm as his lips traveled along her shoulder, dropping butterfly kisses on her skin. The sensation his kisses had incited in her was a pleasant one, but she soon found herself clenching with impatience and whirled around to face him.

Almost instantly, their lips collided in an ardent kiss, which was followed by a continuous round of kisses that grew in intensity with each passing second. His hands stroked along the length of her back, from her nape down to her hip. Every single tender caress and kiss immersed her deeper in bliss, sending molten heat to pool below her stomach. Her breathing become ragged as though she had forgotten how to breathe. Slowly but surely, her body weakened, and she thought she would pass out from the lack of air until he suddenly shoved her away from him with a violent jolt that hurtled her backward by a few feet. She wobbled but luckily managed to regain her footing quickly before she could crash onto the floor.

What had just happened? Still partly disoriented, she swallowed hard and directed her focus to him, demanding an answer. The bewildered expression displayed on his face, however, suggested that she would not get any.

For a moment, they just stood there staring at each other, and the only thing that could be heard in the whole room was their labored breathing.

All of a sudden, he threw his head to the side, dissolving their gaze. "You should leave. Please… "

The adamant tone he had used on her pierced through her heart like a sharp arrow.

Once the shock and the pain had worn off, anger, disappointment and confusion tumbled in all at once. Her hands tightened their clutch on the gown, bunching the fabric inside her fists. This wasn't the first time he had interrupted their kisses, but he had never been as brash as now, and she just didn't understand why. However, at this moment, she was not in any capacity to carry a conversation without yelling out her frustration at him, which could lead to another argument between them. So she should fulfill his request.

Mustering calm, she breathed deeply and forced herself to smile. "Good night."

Without a second glance, she took long strides to the door, blinking rapidly to shed the layer of tears from her eyes. But just as she cracked open the door, a large hand slammed it close with a force, the impact transmitting a resounding bam across the room.

Paralyzed by the shock that nearly tore her heart out of her chest, she stared hard at the familiar hand for at least five seconds before turning her head to the side slowly while the rambunctious drumming of her heart persisted in her ears.

As soon as she caught his forlorn gaze, he yanked his hand from the door, as if he had just touched a branding iron, and took a step back. "Candy-I… " He heaved a long wheezing sigh and chuckled wryly. "God, I don't even know what I'm doing… I keep doing stupid things after stupid things."

The way his face contorted in self-disgust wrenched at her gut, and she would do anything to wipe the horrible look from his face. "You've done nothing stupid…" she murmured, taking a step toward him, one hand reaching for his cheek. "Please don't push me away…"

But before she could even touch him, he had captured her hand, raising it to his mouth and pressing a kiss onto her palm. "I'm sorry…" he breathed, his remorseful voice muffled against her hand. "I won't." He laid another kiss but this time on her wrist, and his blue eyes gleaming with gentleness rose to meet hers.

She took a sharp intake of breath, moved by his tender gesture.

Then he let go of her hand. Her pulse quickened as his gaze intensified, the color darkened into a cobalt blue. She wasn't sure who had made the first move, closing the distance between them, but the next thing she knew, there was only an inch of space separating their lips before that last inch eventually disappeared in the next second upon the brushing of their lips against each other in a gentle kiss.

It didn't take long at all for that one gentle kiss to flourish into a series of kisses that gradually escalated in rhythm and intensity - and for her to become dizzy from all the enticing sensations. Swaying forward, she fumbled for support and clung to him with all her might by chaining her arms around his neck, bringing their bodies to practically fuse together. Somehow, her action sparked something in him. His hands, which had rested idly on her arms, roused and began to explore on their own, sliding lower and lower before stopping on her hips, his fingers reaching for the bow on the gown and untying it with one swift flick. Following that, they both seemed to lose control of their paces as their kisses turned frenetic, their hands roving as eagerly as their lips. But all of a sudden, he froze against her, with his lips still attached to her, his hands flat against her back.

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked right into his face that was practically joined to hers.

Slowly, he detached his lips from hers and flung his arms to his sides before stepping back a few feet.

She stared at him blankly while the fact that there was a considerable distance separating them poked at her mind. As soon as the haze in her mind had begun to disperse, anger rushed in. She couldn't believe this. Hadn't he just promised her? Why was he doing this again?

As she opened her mouth to voice out her agitation, a blast of cold air hit her chest. It was then when she noticed the peculiar look etched on his face, his gaze fixed at something below her neck. In reflex, she looked down and found a pair of breasts staring back at her - her very own naked breasts.

Mortified, she let out a high pitch shriek and twirled around, covering the bare chest area under her folded arms. The bodice part of her gown hung loosely in a crumpled form on her hips while the corset had slid down to her waist. This had to be a nightmare. This wasn't happening. What should she do now? She could just laugh it off, pretending this was a fluke, and walk away from there. Yes, that was probably what she should do. But how could she even face him after what had just happened? He had just seen her half-naked!

Her shoulders twitched when something warm brushed lightly against her arm, sending a wave of tingle to spread from the base of her skull down to her arms. She gulped. He was right behind her.

Her heart thumped fiercely inside her chest as she waited for him to say something.

"I'm sorry…" his warm voice murmured, prickling goosebumps on the skin along her arms. "You're a very beautiful woman, Candy. I'm very lucky to have you in my life, as my best friend, as my fiancée, and soon to be my wife."

His words stirred a whirl of emotions within her as the pounding in her chest grew fiercer, the temperature around her rising.

A faint rustling entered her ears, and she turned as rigid as a log when she felt something light being draped over her shoulders, enfolding her body like an oversized cloak. A distinct masculine scent invaded her nostrils and urged her to lower her head. Finding a man's white shirt hanging down to her thigh, she instantly recognized it as his, the same one he had donned on earlier, and could only stare at it, not knowing how she should react.

Then, without warning, his fingers cupped her elbow in a light grip, and she could only watch with bated breath when her arm was tugged gently to the side and maneuvered away from her chest. Her mouth parted open with stupefaction, but almost immediately she found out what his intention was when he slipped the shirt's sleeve over her arm - he was dressing her in his shirt.

Right at that instant, she felt herself relax, reverting to her normal disposition. The thought that he had done something so tender out of his affection for her touched her deeply, and she realized how blessed she was to have a man like him as a husband. She couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with this wonderful man.

After he finished with both sleeves, he turned her around to face him and began buttoning the shirt from the top. All the while, his gaze was fixed on her, not once straying away from her face. "It's late… " he began in a quiet voice. "And we both had a long day today. We probably should just sleep now."

Her gaze hardened. What happened with the chat by the fireplace?

But before she could even open her mouth to object, he intercepted, "You can sleep here, if you want."

His voice was a weak murmur, and for a moment, she only gazed at him with mouth ajar, as she wondered if the words had truly come out of his mouth or if they were just in her imagination. Then she abruptly threw herself at him, bringing his movement of buttoning the shirt to a standstill. Her arms tightened around him in an embrace as she smiled into his bare chest, his soft skin grazing against her lips. "Thank you… "

His arms enclosed around her for a brief period before he retreated from her mechanically and strode away toward the bed while she remained standing in the same spot.

At first, she was baffled by the display of sudden aloofness by him but then she reasoned he must be tired and just wanted to go to sleep. Nonetheless, she was rather disappointed, as she had expected a night like last night, where they could enjoy a quiet time together, chatting and cuddling. She sighed with resignation and made her way to the bed but ceased right away when she felt the coarse petticoat scratching against her legs. How could she forget about her gown?

What should she do now? She couldn't sleep in her gown, could she? Three obvious options sprung up to her mind at once. She could retrieve her sleeping attire from her room and change into her pajamas, or she could take off everything and use his shirt to sleep in, and the last choice was to sleep in her gown - but that could ruin her gown, which she absolutely didn't want to do. In the end, she opted for the second choice, as it seemed to be the most efficient. To an extent, this was similar to what she had done in Jackson, sleeping in her camisole, but instead of a camisole, she was wearing Albert's shirt. With a resolved mind, she removed her corset, stripped out of her gown and gingerly hung it over the back of the chair by the desk. After smoothening all the wrinkles out of the dainty fabric, she switched off the light and maneuvered her way to the bed in small steps.

Standing next to the bed, she could see his silhouette against the faint moonbeams filtering through the sheer material of the curtain as he sat on the opposite end of the bed facing the window.

"Why aren't you lying down?"

He flinched but didn't make another move or say anything.

She wasn't sure what to make of his reticence and just slipped inside the blanket. A moment later, as she settled into a comfortable position lying on her back, he followed and lied down next to her. The mattress sank under his weight, and every time he moved, his arms and legs brushed against her. That was when she noted how narrow the bed was compared to the one they had shared in Jackson.

Turning her head to his side, she found his face upturned toward the ceiling with eyes closed. Silvery rays of the moon passing through the curtain cascaded over him, giving his skin a luminous appearance. By his quiescent posture alone, he appeared to be well on his journey to dreamland, but the deep creases etched on his forehead along with the rapid fluttering of eyelids implied something else - it was as if he was engaging in some sort of mind battle.

"What are you thinking?" The question just flew out of her mouth before she could even stop it.

His eyes flew open at once, and he just stared at her intensely for a moment before saying, "Go to sleep, Candy."

Sensing the irritation in his clipped voice, she rolled onto her side and watched quietly as he shut his eyes again, tucking his folded arms beneath his head. She had no idea what had caused him to be so agitated. Despite the fact that they were lying side-by-side, it somehow felt like there was a thick wall dividing them, which confounded her to no end since just minutes ago he had seemed fine. Was the change in his behavior had anything to do with her being here? But if her presence really bothered him, then why had he told her that she could sleep here in the first place?

Her gaze traveled to his features that were illuminated by the pale moonlight, her eyes trailing his finely sculpted profile, down to the slight protrusion of Adam's apple on his neck, and farther down to the well-defined masculine chest. The area was smooth, except for the scars marring the skin, a testament of his unconditional love for her, the second time he had saved her life. Grief, gratitude, and dread compressed at her heart every time she recalled the harrowing incident.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked, running her hand over the scars in the barest of touch.

He swiveled his head to her and threw her a puzzled look. "Excuse me?"

"Your scar - does it still hurt?"

The edges of his lips lifted ever so slightly in a fleeting smile. "It doesn't hurt anymore. But once in a while, I do feel a dull throbbing pain around the area. Dr. Martin said that's normal, and it's most likely caused by the scar tissue."

A twinge of sorrow ripped through her, and she felt the dull throbbing pain, just as he had described, in her heart. "I'm sorry… " Her index finger lightly traced the permanent imprints left by the lion's claw as she tried to imagine how painful it must have been when the gashes were still fresh. "If only there's something I could do to free you from the pain. I want to heal your wounds just like you had healed all of mine."

"Candy…"

"I've never told you this but…" She leaned her head toward his chest and brushed her lips gingerly against the scar. "Thank you for healing my broken heart…" she murmured onto his skin. "For banishing my loneliness… For saving me from-"

Her breath hitched when he suddenly grabbed her and flipped her around into the mattress.

"Albert…" she let out in a breathless whisper, staring at his face looking down at her with sheer adoration that made her heart race out of control, his palm molding to the contour of her jaw.

A soft sigh broke out of his throat. "You healed me already, Candy… " He touched his lips to hers in a quick peck and pulled away to examine her face briefly before bringing his lips back to her, whispering, "By accepting me and loving me for who I am. I love you."

When their lips met again for the second time, it wasn't a gentle kiss anymore. Yet it wasn't an explosion of hasty uncontrollable, tongue-lashing kisses either. Rather it was a gentle sensual tangle that took its time to develop, intensifying in a modulated rhythm. His lips, gently nipping at her lips with inexorable persistence, nearly drove her to the brink of madness, and when she thought he would prolong the torture, he traced her lips with the tip of his tongue, teasing them to part open. She sighed right into his mouth, and he didn't waste even a second to suck the breath out of her. Before long, she was overwhelmed by an unquenchable hunger and thirst for his touches and kisses, desire curling in the pit of her stomach like a firestorm ready to devour anything in its course. Decorum was nothing but a forgotten convention as inhibition was tossed out of the window.

His hand in tandem with his lips left burning trails everywhere they touched, on her face, on her neck, even through her clothed body. She bit her lips and clenched and unclenched her hands, digging them into the mattress, as his mouth grazed against the narrow valley between her breasts, following the path of skin exposed by his fingers that expertly undid button after button, sprinkling feathery kisses down onto her abdomen. A loud gasp escaped her throat when she felt soft fingertips rubbing against the turgid peak on her breast. God, she never knew that a man's touch could feel this amazingly good, sending her reeling in ecstasy. Was it wrong if she still wanted more?

Arching her back toward him in a tacit approval, she begged for him to continue. And he didn't disappoint and proceeded to drop tiny kisses on her breast while his hand, tentatively at first, fondled the other, causing her to quiver with pleasure. The thought that she had willingly let a man touch her body so intimately, so daringly without reserve should've made her shrivel with shame, but she didn't. Instead she yearned for more. Just after the wanton desire passed by, she jerked abruptly, twisting her legs into the bed, when moist lips surrounded the tip of her breast, wet tongue coating traces of hot liquid onto her sensitive skin. But in a moment that felt too short, the wonderful, heavenly feeling ended. She emitted a groan in an expression of protest, but it was quickly stifled inside his mouth as he captured hers in a deep kiss. However, the kiss didn't persist either. Shortly, she felt the pressure exerted by his lips against hers lessen before it was gone.

Why did he stop? Did she want him to stop?

Disconcerted, she opened her eyes right when he touched his lips to her temple in a soft kiss that lingered for a few seconds. Then withdrawing from her, he sank back into the mattress and coaxed her to snuggle to him by wrapping his arms around her. She nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder and draped an arm over him, the furious beating of her heart against his reverberating in her ears. A moment later, his hand began to move along her back. As they lied still in each other's arm, their erratic breathing echoed in the quiet room with each rise and fall of their chests.

She waited for him to speak, but as his hand's movement grew insistent, falling into a random pattern against her back, she sensed his reluctance to initiate a conversation. But how could she go to sleep when her whole body still felt hot, the skin searing from his kisses and touches? Moreover, there was something that had been building inside her that made her unable to lie dormant.

She lifted her head to him, expecting to see an expression full of regret, only to hold her breath sharply at what she saw. There was no hint of remorse on his face. Instead, his eyes were dark, glazed over with untamed desire while the tight clenching of jaws and the flaring of nostrils conveyed an ongoing agonizing struggle. She had never seen him like this before, like a trapped wild animal. It scared her but at the same time fascinated and thrilled her, to a point that she just wanted to un-cage him and set him loose.

"Candy - I…" His voice came out in the form of a measly rasp, his usually smooth tone cracking with desperation.

"Shhhh…" She pressed her lips against his to silence him and dragged her lips down to the dip just below his chin. Then she drew back to gauge his reaction, finding his stunned face staring back at her, and resumed kissing him, starting from his chin and trailing small kisses to the underside of his jaw and down to the small hollow of his throat as she could feel his breathing become jagged.

But her exploration was cut short when a hand moved over her cheek in a soft caress, and the next thing she knew, she was hoisted up to lie flat on top of him, and whatever she was about to utter vanished as his mouth melded with hers in an intense kiss that propagated tingles all the way to the tips of her fingers. His hands slid underneath the shirt and stroked her bare back, moving up and down at a deliberate slow pace, igniting a burst of flame that set her body ablaze. The constant movement caused the shirt that had previously been unbuttoned down to her waist to slip off her shoulders until nimble fingers peeled it away from her completely. She sucked a large gulp of air at the sensation of having her naked breast pressed onto his naked chest - the feeling was foreign but not unwelcome. And by his shuddered gasp, she could tell that he reveled in the intimate contact as much as she did. Bit by bit, with each titillating slide of skin against skin, her ability to think diminished, yielding to incoherent moans and grunts.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was a voice trying to reel her back into her senses, warning her that they might have teetered past the boundary, but she shut it off completely. She didn't know where this would lead to, nor had she harbored any qualm about that. Maybe she was so desperate knowing that they would part ways tomorrow. Or maybe she just didn't care about propriety anymore since they would marry soon anyway. Or maybe there was no specific reason at all, just her wanting to be with him.

*********ccccccc*********

Albert thought he was still dreaming when he saw Candy's beautiful sleeping face right in front of him. Her immaculate skin appeared translucent under the bright glimmer of morning sun, that he could see the faint lines of blood vessels on her cheeks. He reached a hand out to move the unruly blond curls that fell over her forehead but hurriedly retracted it and shut his eyes when he caught the faintest of scrunching around her nose and the slight parting of her lips.

Training his body to remain still, he waited, and he didn't need to wait long at all before he felt the shift against him. Then the weight on his arm was gone followed by indistinct rustling and other random noises as the blanket slithered across his stomach. He cracked an eye open and found her sitting at the corner of the bed with her back to him. A smile formed on his lips, and he snapped both eyes open.

"Good morning."

"ARGH!" She bounced off the bed, twisting her body around.

He burst out into laughter at her comical panic look.

"That is not funny!" she retorted with an annoyed pout that couldn't truly mask her embarrassment, bright red hue coloring her skin from her cheeks spreading down to her neck.

"Sorry…" he responded in between chuckling. But when his eyes wandered back to her, taking in her full appearance, his laughing subsided into a few stiff chuckles.

The image of her clad only in his shirt evoked a gratifying sensation, and there was a sense of possessiveness vibrating within him at the thought that this lovely woman would be his wife soon. Unable to resist the urge to touch her, he propelled himself from the bed to sit behind her, trapping her petite frame within his circle of arms, perching his chin on her shoulder.

"Umm… what are you doing?" She tipped her head to the opposite side to glance at him.

Breaking out into a few chuckles, he gathered the strands of blond curls that covered her ear to the side and nuzzled against her now exposed neck, his nose pressing into her skin, relishing in her sweet scent. "I'm just so happy to see you. I can't wait to wake up like this everyday for the rest of my life, to see your beautiful face the first thing in the morning..." He dotted the entire length of her jawline with kisses, and she squirmed against him in response. Moving his hand on her other cheek to turn her head toward him, he steered her lips to his awaiting lips. " … to be able to kiss you…" Their lips barely grazed when a loud knocking, tearing through the tranquil silence in the room, brought their movement to a halt.

Candy's green eyes widened. "Did you hear that? Someone is knocking at the front door."

"Yeah I heard that too. Who would come to visit so early in the morning?" he asked, mentally making a list of names that could be their guest.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"We'll find out soon I suppose. Wait here." After kissing her forehead, he released her and jumped out of the bed.

As he padded along on the wooden floor toward the wardrobe, an uneasy feeling crept inside of him. He just hoped this wasn't another urgent visit by one of his staff. Pulling the drawer out, he rummaged for a shirt and picked one out in random. And it turned out to be an old shirt, one of which he had used frequently while he and Candy had still lived in the Magnolia Apartment. He shrugged into his shirt quickly and strode to the door, buttoning the shirt along the way. But when he caught a glimpse of Candy crawling on her hands and knees on the bed, he swerved toward the bed instead, transfixed by the alluring image of ample cleavage showing through the huge gap formed by the collar hanging loosely around her neck, and her creamy, shapely leg exposed all the way to the top part of her thigh.

Desire returned at full force, pumping blood gushing through his veins.

"What are you doing?"

She whipped her head up to him, her green eyes staring innocently at him. "Eh? Oh… I was just… umm looking for something."

"Something?" He raised an eyebrow at her and advanced closer to the foot of the bed, a smirk gracing his lips. "You're looking for something?"

An awkward chuckle emerged from her lips, and she straightened her back to sit on her bent legs, her cheeks glowing crimson. "Yes - I mean. No. I -"

"If you don't stop being so adorable, I will kiss you, and let's just say that kissing will be only the beginning of what I want to do with you. Maybe I should drag you with me to the church and marry you right now."

Her jaw dropped. "WH-"

Briskly, he dived for a quick kiss and darted out of the room, laughing out loud. He was so tempted to climb back into the bed and continued kissing her, possibly remaining there until they had to leave, but for the time being, he needed to attend to their overzealous guest.

When another loud knock could be heard reverberating through the house, he quickened his pace. Whoever this was must be in dire need to see either him or Candy early in the morning. Standing in front of the door, he swung it open, and his body turned rigid once he saw whom it was.

"George?"

George bowed his head reverently. "Good morning, sir. Err…" Leaving the sentence hanging, George stared at him, his dark eyes drifting downward, and he followed George's gaze, dipping his head to see his shirt buttoned less than halfway down, revealing most of his torso.

He lifted his head back and put on an insouciant smile, buttoning his shirt. "So why are you here, George?"

George cleared his throat, and he was almost positive he detected a smirk along the edges of George's lips, partially hidden underneath dark mustache, before it disappeared. "I apologize for interrupting your sleep, sir, but Madam Elroy is waiting for Miss Candy and you at the mansion."

"At this time?" he remarked with a frown, his voice rising. "Is Aunt Elroy planning to take the morning train? I thought she was not going to leave until tonight." He attempted to suppress disappointment from affecting his voice, as it became obvious he would not be able to take Candy on a lunchtime picnic after all.

George shook his head. "No, sir. Madam prefers to arrive at Lakewood tonight. Her train is going to depart in about two hours from now."

*********ccccccc*********

Candy squeezed her hands into tight fists as the car rolled into a complete stop in front of the mansion. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she peered through the window warily. There was another car parked in front of them, but other than that the courtyard was deserted.

"Albert - do you think your aunt would be upset with us?" she cast Albert a worried look. "But I didn't know that we would be leaving in the morning. She didn't mention-"

He interjected her at once, "You don't need to worry about that, Candy. It wasn't your fault. She didn't tell you."

His effort to appease her didn't work though, and she could only give him a hesitant smile. Despite Aunt Elroy's cordial treatment yesterday, she was still intimidated by her, and the last thing she wanted to do was to provoke Aunt Elroy.

Without making another comment, Albert stepped out of the car and held out his hand to her as she slid out of her seat toward him, but he suddenly whirled around, facing away from her. Curious, she followed his line of sight and cringed upon seeing Aunt Elroy moving toward them in her wheel chair that was being pushed by her attendant, Lydia.

"Good morning, aunt," Albert greeted in a genial tone. "I apologize for-"

"I don't know what to do with you two," Aunt Elroy interposed in a disparaging tone.

Exiting the car, she took her place next to Albert and watched anxiously as Aunt Elroy approached them. She didn't feel courageous enough to interrupt Aunt Elroy with a greeting, so she just kept quiet.

"William - you know very well that even though I already approved of your engagement, it doesn't mean I endorse an imprudent behavior. How could you spend the night with Candice when I told you not to?"

She flinched, guilt pricking at her conscience. It was she who had persuaded him to stay at the cottage last night. "Aunt Elroy - it was-"

"I'm sorry, aunt. I was wrong," Albert intercepted smoothly, brushing off her incredulous glare. "I promise that this won't happen again,"

Aunt Elroy huffed. "Of course, it won't happen again - I'll ensure that's the case."

Her heart skipped when Aunt Elroy suddenly switched her dark piercing eyes to her.

"Candice - please step inside the car. We're leaving now," Aunt Elroy instructed.

It sounded so final, but there was nothing she could do now. "Yes, aunt, but my suitcase-"

"The driver will transfer your belonging, dear. You don't need to worry about that," Aunt Elroy simply explained, waving a hand in a gesture to Lydia, and the young attendant sprung in front of Aunt Elroy, assisting her to move to the car.

"I understand," she expressed quietly, but as she swung a leg to make her pivot, Albert seized her hand in a firm grip, prompting her to spin to him, but his focus was on Aunt Elroy.

"Now?" he asked.

"Yes, William, now," Aunt Elroy stressed with a sneer, her gaze veering down to their joined hands. "And could you please let go of Candice's hand? She needs to get inside the car. We have a train to catch."

But instead of loosening his grip on her, he tightened it and took a step forward to stand next to her. "Please give me a few minutes to bid goodbye to my fiancée."

She turned her head to his side and smiled faintly. Earlier, they hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to each other, as they had rushed to get ready and left the house in a hurry. So at least they could do that now.

"Fine… " came Aunt Elroy's response in a low mutter a moment later.

"Thank you, aunt."

Towing her along by the hand, Albert led her to the other side of the car. They stopped in front of the door that had been opened by the chauffeur. He took her other hand in his, his blue eyes regarding her with affection, a sad smile adorning his lips. "I guess this is goodbye for now, Candy. I told you how I hate saying goodbye. I'm just never good with it. At least we know that this is not a farewell, as I will see you again soon. And after that… We'll be together. No more goodbye."

"Albert - I'm going to miss you so much."

His hand tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "We can always exchange letters like we did in the past, and there is also the telephone - you can always phone me if you want to talk to me."

"But… It's not the same," she let out in a dejected murmur, her eyes brimming with tears. "I won't be able to see you or touch you."

"Candy… Please don't cry." He bent forward and caught the teardrop that had escaped her eye with his thumb. "Have I told you that you look much prettier when you smile than when you cry?"

She smiled through her tears. His words were soothing balm to her wounded soul. He always knew how to draw a smile from her even at the gloomiest time when she only wanted to weep.

Leaning over her, he then brushed his lips against her forehead and cheeks in tender kisses, and she could feel herself missing him already. "I'll see you, Candy," he whispered.

Abruptly, without being able to restrain herself, she buried her head into his chest. "I'll see you, Abert," she croaked, tears lodging in her throat.

His arms wrapped around her, bestowing her with a comforting embrace.

But Aunt Elroy's indiscreet cough, coming from inside the car, dispelled the touching moment at once. Reluctantly, they disentangled from each other. After exchanging one last smile, she entered the car and turned to face the window, straining a smile on her face, as he stepped away from the car, allowing the driver to close the door.

Shortly, the car began to roll, moving out of the circular driveway at a slow speed. She waved at him from inside the car and swiveled her body around to peer through the rear window, fixing her gaze on his figure until it shrunk into a fuzzy shape in the distance.

Suppressing the urge to sob, she rotated back to face the front. It was absurd for her to keep wallowing in her sadness. This wasn't a farewell, just like he had said. Besides, she didn't want Aunt Elroy to think she was such a cry baby - she wanted to prove to Aunt Elroy that she was in fact a worthy companion to her nephew. So she should act like one starting from now.

Out of the corner of her eye, she took a surreptitious glance at Aunt Elroy only to find her reclining against the seat with eyes completely closed. Evidently, Aunt Elroy was not eager to talk to her - or to chastise her for that matter. Heaving a sigh of relief, she folded her hands against her lap and let her gaze meander to the front of the car. That was when she spotted the intricate golden crest glimmering under the sun, bearing the distinct Andrew's insignia. It was the same insignia as the one engraved on the prince's badge.

A wistful sigh escaped her lips while her gaze settled on the solitaire diamond ring on her finger. Although she probably would never meet the Prince of the Hill again, she had found her own prince, William Albert Andrew. And marrying him was a dream come true.

Just like that, something inside her snapped.

An image of her Prince of the Hill laughing flashed in her mind while Albert's words echoed in the background,

"Have I told you that you look much prettier when you smile than when you cry?"

That phrase…

She had heard that phrase before. She knew that phrase. Only one person in her life had said that phrase to her, and that person was…

The realization hit her like a blinding light.

Grabbing at either sides of the front passenger seat in a desperate clutch, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "STOP THE CAR! PLEASE STOP THE CAR!"

The car abruptly skidded to a stop, causing her body to jerk forward violently.

Aunt Elroy glared at her menacingly. "Heavens! What's the meaning of this, Candice?"

"I'm sorry, aunt. But I really need to speak to Albert now," she told Aunt Elroy in haste and threw the door wide open exerting all her power.

"CANDICE?!"

Ignoring Aunt Elroy's angry shout, she jumped out of the car and ran at full speed back toward the mansion. It was not a short distance at all as they were already about halfway from the main gate of the estate, but that didn't discourage her in the least and she maintained her running pace, disregarding the stinging cramp along her legs and the persistent flow of perspiration. After a period of running, finally the mansion came to view, and when she noticed Albert was still there with George, a relieved smile bloomed in her lips despite her near fatigue condition.

As she crossed the bend leading to the circular driveway, Albert jerked his head in her direction, his eyes widened with disbelief, his lips parted, mouthing her name, and then he suddenly launched himself in a sprint, moving toward her. Once he was within a few feet away from her, with all the strength she could muster, she leaped forward to him, and he caught her with ease in mid-air, roping her by the waist and propping her up in his arms.

"Albert - you're… You're my prince?" she asked in between panting, winding her arms around his neck. Her face was hot, sweat trickling down her brow.

He didn't seem to comprehend her at first and just gave her a quizzical look, his brows knitting thoughtfully. "Prince?"

"Yes," she replied assuredly and took a deep breath, attempting to regulate her breathing back to its normal rate. "You were the boy I met when I was six in Pony Hill, and because of you I stopped crying that day. You're…" Her voice sank into a whisper as tears rose in her throat. "You're my Prince of the Hill."

His facade brightened as the thin smile on his face gradually evolved into a full-blown grin, his blue eyes twinkling with a spark of glee. "Umm… I guess you can say that… My princess."

"All this time, my prince has been with me… All this time… It has been you all along… " She choked back a sob, roughly wiping tears from blocking her eyes.

"Candy…"

"Why you've never told me?" Her eyes scanned his face as she grasped a strand of blond fringe that glistened with golden sheen under the sun and let the soft wisp of hair slip through her fingers. For the first time, even through layers of tears , she discerned the uncanny resemblance - the blue eyes, the pair of thin lips, the blond hair, and the voice… How could she have missed those?

Apparently, since the very beginning, from their brief encounter in Pony Hills twelve years ago, she had been bound to him. From an innocent childhood crush, to friendship, and eventually to love, it had all been the same man. So in the end, she would be married to her Prince of the Hill after all.

Slowly, he lowered her to her feet, his arms lingered on her, looping around her waist, while her arms remained where they were, circling around his neck. "Trust me, Candy. I wanted to, a lot of times. But I didn't want you to fall in love with me just because I was your childhood prince. I wanted you to fall for me wholeheartedly."

Her lips tilted in a lopsided half-teasing smile as she cradled his face between her hands, her fingers raking through his wavy hair. "Silly Albert. I'm crazy for you, not the prince." She chuckled softly, pulling back a snivel. "It has always been you… God, I love you so much… " By this time, tears had continuously trickled down her face, blurring her vision.

Smiling back at her, he brushed the tears away from her face with his fingertips and moved his face close to hers, their foreheads gently touching. "You're beautiful even when you cry now. I love you, Candy," he uttered, his breath a warm caress against her face. Then he kissed her, heedless to the staff watching them with mouth wide open and to Aunt Elroy shooting them with an indignant glare from inside the car.

Their story began from a chance encounter many years ago in Pony Hill.

He was her Prince of the Hill. She was his angel with a beautiful smile.

Was it fate? Was it destiny? Or was it just a simple coincidence?

It didn't matter.

Because they were together now, bound by love. Forever.

*********ccccccc*********

THE END

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to know what you think. So, please don't hesitate to send me your feedback. -forever-

Author's Remark:

Gasp! I can't believe it. We've reached the end. Yes, it is truly the end of Ninety Days, the story of Albert and Candy treading on a path of true love, overcoming various obstacles (mainly themselves) to be together.

Thank you for staying the course. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read and follow the story from beginning to the end, waiting for a new chapter that sometimes is slow in coming, and for putting effort to write reviews/comments. Thank you.

It has been more than a year since I first published the story, and now we're finally at the end.

I'm happy but at the same time sad. But unfortunately, "all good things must come to an end."

I do hope you enjoy this last chapter and still find it as entertaining as the other.

PS - believe it or not, the idea for a sequel is already floating in my head. For the time being, I'll just save them - but if I do write it, it's most likely going to be in a drabble format.

Notes:

Albert's real age is never explicitly mentioned in the manga. What I know for sure is that he has to be at least 21 when he adopted Candy (and she was 13), so based on this alone I can say that their age gap is at least 8-year. This seems to make sense but later as Mizuki included more information in her novels, 11-year seems to be the actual age gap between Albert and Candy. Please note that this is strictly based on the manga adaptation of the story. The anime seems to be different. Candy doesn't meet her prince until she's much older, which brings their age-gap closer.

I've debated and debated and debated about bumping up the rating for this chapter. In the end, I decided to do it. Even though the main driving plot of Ninety Days is Albert and Candy becoming a couple, the underlying plot is the burgeoning (sexual) tension between them. This has been established since the beginning of the story, so at some point this needs to be resolved. Regardless of him being a true gentleman with a tender heart, Albert is still a human with flaws, desire, and feelings/emotions, and that's what I was trying to convey in this chapter. And Candy - well, we all know how Candy is.

I don't know if you realize this or not. But the part about Albert uttering the famous 'you are beautiful when you smile' phrase, he didn't intend to reveal that he is the Prince of the Hill to Candy, at least not yet. So he was rather surprised when Candy confronted him directly.

Again, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for following this story.

Till next time.

-forever-