AUTHOR'S NOTE: And here we are, Chapter 5: the final chapter. Yeah, it's the end. Tadaaa! This story has been fun to write. Thank you to everyone who read this! Thank you to the silent readers. Special thanks to those who read-and-reviewed. And extra-special thanks to giseky01, Harlin, The Amoral Knight, Guest, Stoic-Wookie00, red-robin001 and zacker150. The amount of support that this story has garnered has been astounding and I am very, very, very grateful to one and all. So, without further ado, I bring to you: the finale. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: TEEN TITANS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics.

CHAPTER 5 – All's Well That Ends Well

After the anger has been exhausted, there was just mortification at what she had done. Her brother was right; she really needed better control on her temper. Now she was just weary and her magic has been depleted. She couldn't even manage to conjure a simple teleportation spell to return home. She was stuck with walking – all the way back to Azarath.

She let out a heavy sigh. Azar, what had she done? She had totally made a fool of herself in front of another noble, a foreign prince no less.

Rachel let out another aggravated sigh. She knew she'd feel worse later on but she was too tired to dwell on it at the moment.

Suddenly, she felt a prickling at the back of her head. She halted in her steps and silenced her mind, focusing on the feeling. Then she recognized it – five auras were heading her way.

She whipped her head around, eyes wide in alarm. They were pursuing her!

Rachel quickly gathered her skirt in one hand and continued to walk in a much faster pace. She wasn't ready to come face-to-face with them again. Not yet! Not until she had gotten over her self-mortification and had thought through on how to redeem herself to them.

In her hurried pace, she didn't notice a protrusion on the ground until she had stepped on it, eliciting a sharp crack. The next thing she knew, a net had shot up from the ground and snagged her. "Kyaaaaa!"

Back to the boys, Richard and Wally were in the lead, following after the Azarathian princess, with Victor, Gar and Roy behind them. As Richard walked, he was playing his earlier encounter with the foreign girl in his mind. He still didn't know what really happened between the girl and his men but their meeting was really unexpected. Unlike any other princess he had met – Kori being the prime model in his mind – she wasn't gentle and soft. Rather, she was feisty and quite aggressive, if not for the way she tussled with him.

He failed to hold in an amused chuckle as he remembered the insults she spat at him. That was not a mouth for any princess.

Beside him, Wally glanced at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Richard answered. "I was just thinking about that girl."

Wally didn't know how to take that statement so he probed. "Well, what do you think?"

"She's interesting." Then the Gotham prince shot a curious look back the young red-head. "How do you know her anyway?"

Wally gave a shrug. "Met her more than a couple of times when I visited Azarath."

"Ah." Richard looked far ahead to see if he can spot the princess. But she was nowhere in sight. "You have yet to tell me what happened back there."

"Yeah," Wally gave a sheepish chuckle. "It was quite a funny story, actually."

"I bet it was."

Then the sound of a feminine scream pierced the air.

Both men froze on the spot. Then quickly, they broke into a run. When they reached a small clearing, they saw a rather peculiar sight.

A net trap had been triggered and there, dangling in the center of the clearing inside a rope mesh was the petite princess.

"Rachel," Richard called out as he neared her. "Are you alright?"

She scowled at his familiar use of her name but it was softened by the concerned look in his eyes. "I am," she answered.

"Don't worry, we'll get you down." He pulled out a dagger from his belt and handed it to Victor. He directed Vic and the others to untether the trap.

As they got to work on releasing her, she kept her eyes on the young prince that stood beneath her, arms out and ready to catch her.

Seeing his genuine expression, she felt the familiar surge of shame that had flooded her veins earlier on. There they were – the men she chased out of her kingdom – helping her get down from a stupid bear trap she was too stupid to set off. She had humiliated herself in front of him and his men and there was nowhere in Azarath she can hide herself from the shame.

From the ground, Richard watched the princess' face contort in minute expressions. She appeared lost in thought and he took the opportunity to study her form more thoroughly – again. She really was tiny and frail-looking, especially contained inside the net. He had the sudden image of a trapped bird in his mind and he let out a smile at the idea.

"Alright, Your Highness, we're gonna lower you down now." Roy called.

Richard carefully watched as the net inched lower. When it came within reach, he held out a hand to steady it. "Easy now."

After the trap was set on the ground, he made quick work of untangling it from the princess. He knelt beside her and debated whether to place a hand on her shoulders or not. "Are you okay?"

Rachel met his eyes with feigned indifference. "Yes."

"Good." Richard stood up and extended a hand to her. "Come on."

Gingerly, she placed a hand on his and let him pull her up.

Richard kept a close eye on her, subtly checking for any injuries. He noticed that she's avoiding his eyes and basing on the slight blush on her neck, he figured she might be embarrassed. He cannot help but think it was cute that she was embarrassed now when earlier, she was furiously trying to claw his eyes out.

From the sides, Victor carefully approached the two. "Princess Rachel," he called and almost immediately cringed at the sharp glare she shot him. But the hard look quickly softened and Rachel gave a small nod at him.

"I am fine," was her soft response.

The others gathered behind Victor and anxiously looked at each other. They were waiting for someone to break the tension.

Victor took the leader role once more when he saw that Richard wasn't snapping out of his enchanted trance at the princess. "My Lady, let me properly introduce Prince Richard of Gotham."

Steeling herself, Rachel finally let herself meet the other's eyes.

"And this, Your Highness, is Lady Rachel, Princess of Azarath."

Richard kept his shining blue eyes locked on Rachel's deep indigo ones as he bowed at her. "I am most pleased to meet you, Rachel."

At his stare, Rachel felt herself flush even more. Damn this boy. "Charmed," she managed to respond.

Victor looked back and forth between the two. He glanced towards his other companions and saw Roy shoot him with a pleased grin. Victor turned back to the two royals and cleared his throat.

"Thank you," Rachel blurted out as she strained to keep her eye-contact with the prince.

"You're welcome," Richard answered, smiling charmingly at her. Gods, was she adorable with that flush. Why had he not met her before?

Rachel bit her lip at the piercing stare she was receiving. She wanted to squirm in the spot where she stood, feeling self-conscious.

Then as if snapping from a trance, Richard suddenly started and looked away from her. "Uh," he stepped back a little from her and looked towards his men. "Rachel, I... I owe you an apology, for my actions earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just reacted on instinct. I am sorry for tackling you like that."

As he spoke, her eyes unconsciously followed the bobbing of his Adam's apple.

"My men told me it was merely a misunderstanding. And I'm just..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry."

First, he was acting all confident and concerned and now he was awkwardly apologetic. She had to suppress a smile from appearing on her face at his attitude. She tried to lighten her expression as she answered, "It's okay. It was really my fault."

"No," Victor interrupted. "No, My Lady, it was our fault."

Richard turned his eyes towards the others. "Yeah, you said so yourself earlier. Do you mind actually explaining it to me?"

Rachel started in alarm. No, he could not be informed of that blunder, regardless if it was his people's fault or not. It was too embarrassing! They could not just tell him that they set off to her kingdom and offered her gifts using his name! Not when she's right in front of him! What would he think? What would he think of her flying after his guards after discovering that it was all a farce?

"No!"

The boys all turned to her in surprise.

She flashed a stern gaze at Victor, a warning not to open his mouth, before turning to Richard. "No, it's fine. All is forgiven."

"It is?" Gar questioned softly from beside Roy.

"Yes," she gave a resolute nod. "It was just a misunderstanding after all. Let us forget about it."

"But," Wally started but Rachel quickly silenced him with a pleading look.

"Really, Wallace, it's fine."

Richard was now regarding her with a doubtful look. When she noticed it, she tried to assuage him by giving him a smile, the most genuine she can afford. "Really, Richard, it's fine."

Like a zap of electricity, Richard felt a zing run thought his veins at hearing her use his name.

"Alright," he relented. "I'll let it go for now."

Rachel gave a small nod. "Thank you." She turned her eyes towards the other four boys. "And I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"No, My Lady." Victor looked apologetically at her. "It was our fault."

"Of course, it was." She gave them a dry look. "But let's forget it."

"Would you at least let us make it up to you?"

Rachel turned to Richard as the prince stepped closer to her. "Because we really can't leave it like this, can we? I really have no idea what happened and I'd be lying if I say I'm not interested to hear the story. So please, would you at least accept an invitation for tea in my castle?"

"Smooth," Roy whispered to Wally and the younger redhead held back a snicker.

Rachel was obviously hesitant at the invitation and Richard easily picked up on it. Thinking quickly, he reached out and took one of her hands in his and held it firmly. "Please, it would be an honor if you'd accept. I really feel bad about dunking you in the stream like that."

No. She needed to sort out her thoughts first. She feared she cannot bear to sit with him and have some tea when she had been a total loon. And she was certain that he'd ask about what really brought her to his kingdom and chasing after his men and she just cannot be there for that narration. She'd die if he discovered that she thought he was courting her!

"No," she said firmly. "I have to head home. My people would wonder where I've gone." She took a small step back and quickly, Richard's hands clamped on her wrist.

"No, I insist. Please."

She scowled lightly. "It's fine. Maybe next time."

"No," he returned her scowl with a frown of his own. "I really want to do this now."

"Unhand me," she gritted out.

"Not until you say yes to tea with me," he bit back.

Off to the sides, the others were treated to another clash of wills between the two. Garfield slowly leaned up to Victor and whispered, "With this much spark between them, why did we even have to try?"

Victor merely gave small shrug. "It's the wrong kind of spark."

"I think it's the perfect kind of spark," Roy chimed with an amused grin.

"Fine!" Rachel finally snapped. "I accept your invitation."

"Why, thank you. Finally." But despite his words, Richard's face was an expression of mirth as he eyed the pouting girl. She really was something else.

Then Roy clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Alright! Let's go."

The walk back to the castle was uneventful. The princess did not see the need to speak and simply walked beside him quietly, looking around every now and then at the surroundings. Whereas he cannot help but give discreet glances at her, stealthily watching her. For the short amount of time that he had known her, he had quickly become fascinated about this strange girl. Her magic was one thing to be curious about and the other thing was just… her.

Okay, admittedly, she was really pretty. Not in the Princess Kori kind of way, all sunshine and flowers, but in an exotic kind of way. Her beauty was subdued. If he was going to be poetic about it, she was like a midnight stroll in an enchanted forest under a bright full moon – all dark and secretive and a tad bit dangerous. It was the type that thrills your heart rather than pleases your eyes. She was a mystery.

And Richard loved mysteries.

When they arrived, he immediately had a maid escort Rachel to a guest quarters and help her change out of her wet clothes. He also sought out Alfred, their chief servant, to prepare tea and snacks for them before speeding off to his own quarters to prepare.

A while later, Rachel stood in the guest quarters, patting the skirt of the white dress she was given to wear. She rarely wore the color but a pink-haired maid brought in the dress and announced that she'd just be lovely in it.

Lovely, maybe, but it's making her self-conscious. What was she doing here? Why did she even accept the invitation? She should have just excused herself and high-tailed out of Gotham. So why was she here, waiting to be summoned for her tea-time with the Gotham prince?

'Because admit it, you want to be here. You want to have tea with him and get to know him better.'

She bit her lower lip and glared at her reflection in the mirror. Was this a good idea? He'll discover the story behind everything. And she'll be shamed, all over again.

The familiar feeling of panic flooded her veins once more and her legs tightened in preparation to run. But right at that moment, there was a knock on the doors before it swung open and the pink-haired servant waltzed in.

"Oh, Lady Rachel, you simply look divine!" The girl exclaimed with bright, delighted eyes.

"Th-Thank you…" she trailed off, trying to remember the name of the maid.

"It's Kole," she supplied. "My name is Kole."

Rachel gave a gentle smile at the small girl. "Thank you, Kole."

Kole beamed at her. "Prince Richard is awaiting your presence in the courtyard. Shall we?"

Rachel swallowed a lump in her throat before giving a slight nod. "Yes."

In another part of the castle, in an open area with a quaint table for two, Alfred watched the young prince fidget subtly in his seat. "Are you alright, Master Richard?"

He snapped his bright blue eyes at the elder man and gave a strained smile. "Yeah."

"Are you certain?"

Richard looked away and stared at his tea cup. "Yes, Al." The prince gave an absent-minded nod.

But Alfred wasn't really buying it. Before he could give another comment at the young man's unease, his eyes caught two approaching figures. 'Ah,' the old man thought. "Your guest has arrived, Sire."

The prince was quickly up and on his feet, his eyes trained on the approaching figure of Rachel.

Kole stopped a few feet and announced, "Presenting, Princess Rachel."

Richard gave a small nod at the girl before offering a hand to Rachel and leading her to her seat. Both remained quiet as Alfred served them their tea and some cake before leaving both in each other's company.

There was just a long moment of silence between them.

Then finally, Richard decided to break the quiet. "So…"

Rachel looked at him with a schooled expression. "Yes?"

"Do you like tea?"

She quirked a dainty eyebrow the question. "I do. I love tea, actually."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

"Yes."

He watched her take a dainty sip from her cup. "So, uh… Want to relay to me what happened between you and my guards?"

Rachel stilled in her seat and Richard saw her pale. He has been really curious about the story but his men didn't seem willing to tell him about it. "Was it really that bad?"

Rachel bit her lower lip, contemplating on how to respond. "It's an embarrassing story."

"Oh."

"Yeah," she turned her head to the side and Richard marveled at the sight of the afternoon sunlight on her cheeks.

She thought hard on how to proceed. Then finally, "It was really just a misunderstanding. They… neglected to tell me some parts about something and I overreacted." She mentally cringed at her pathetic explanation. But she refused to disclose the whole tale to him. Else, she'd wither and die on the spot.

Richard pursed his lips after hearing what she said. Obviously, it wasn't the whole truth and he was just really itching to get the whole story out of someone. But she looked really uncomfortable with the topic. And as cute as she looked, sitting there with a lost look on her face, he didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

"Alright then," he answered, offering her a smile, hoping to ease her. He decided to change topics. "So, aside from tea, what else do you like?"

Unbidden, a gentle smile bloomed on her face at the question. She can feel his genuine friendliness and decided to give it a chance. "Books."

After that, the conversation flowed smoothly between the two. The talked about books, her magic, his martial arts, and their kingdoms. She described Azarath to him as he had never been there and he, in turn, told her of the nice places to see in Gotham.

"I'd love to tour you around some time," Richard blurted out. "We could check out the library first."

Rachel looked at the prince with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. "I… Yeah, I'd like that."

Richard once again felt that zing in his veins at the way she looked at him. He opened his mouth to say something but Alfred appeared out of nowhere and cleared his throat.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Master Richard and Miss Rachel, but some other guests have arrived." The old man gave a direct look towards Rachel before adding, "They are looking for you, Miss Rachel."

"For me?"

"Yes," Alfred answered. "They said they are your brothers."

Her… brothers?

"Crap," Rachel quickly got up on her feet and shot a look towards her host. "I have to go."

Richard also stood up and reached out a hand to try to stop her. "Wait! What's wrong?"

"My brothers are here," she answered, as if that should be enough explanation.

"So what? It's fine. They're welcome here." He didn't really see the cause of her panic but he cannot let her go. He didn't want to let her go, not yet.

She saw the confusion in his eyes and the hesitation to let her go but she had to do damage control first. "Thank you for the tea, Prince, but I really have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"No, Rachel, wait!"

But she had all but sped off. Richard didn't waste a moment and quickly ran after her. "Rachel! Wait!"

He rounded a corner after her and stopped. They have reached the receiving area and there, in front of him, was Rachel standing in front of three young men. Her brothers. Before he can inspect them further, one of the men had spotted him.

"Oh, look. There he is."

Rachel turned and met his eyes, while her brothers all directed sharp eyes towards him.

Richard had to fight back a cringe at the piercing stares he was getting. Carefully, he resumed walking towards his guests while subtly analyzing them. All three young men shared similar dark hair and dark eyes, and the siblings all had the same pasty complexion. Richard stopped beside Rachel, who was looking at him with the same uncertain expression she had before, and gave her a gentle smile.

He failed to catch the scowl on the tallest boy's face at the smile he gave his sister. "Richard Wayne."

Richard looked up and met the other boy's dark eyes. "Yes," he reached out a hand for shake.

But the other boy didn't take it. Instead, he raked his dark eyes all over the Gotham prince, inspecting, weighing his worth.

Rachel mentally face-palmed. This was just going to get worse. "Richard," she interrupted. "This is Jared." She disregarded the sharp glare her eldest brother shot at her and gestured towards the other two. "And these are James and Jacob. They are my brothers."

Richard took his hand back after it was just disregarded and gave a mild smile at the brothers. "Welcome to Gotham."

"Thanks," was Jared's cold response.

"So!" James piped up, looking at Richard pointedly. "This is your—"

Rachel jumped and slapped a hand over his mouth. "Friend! This is my friend! Richard, my friend!"

Jacob's eyes glinted with interest at her reaction whereas Jared shot her a questioning look. Before anyone can ask anything else, Rachel continued. "What are you guys doing here, anyway?"

"You were missing from the castle," Jared answered.

"Yeah, you just disappeared." James added after peeling her hand off his mouth. "And your guests went missing, too, so we had to track you down."

"Father is not pleased," Jacob remarked.

Rachel winced at that. "I did not mean to just leave like that. Something came up and I…"

"You ended up in Gotham," Jared supplied in a disapproving tone.

Richard observed the interaction and deduced that whatever happened between Rachel and his men really was a big thing since her brothers – and even her father! – had been involved. It really sucked to be out of the loop.

He glanced at the girl beside him and saw that she was looking back at him, a sorry look in her wide eyes. His gut clenched uncomfortably again. That sorry look doesn't really belong on her fair face.

Before he can stop himself, he had blurted out, "I'm sorry, but it was my fault."

That earned him another piercing stare from Jared. "Of course, it is."

"Jared," Rachel called in a warning tone. "It wasn't his fault. It was mine."

"No, Rachel, it was my fault."

"No, Richard, you don't have to take the blame. We both know it was my fault."

Richard stood straighter and faced her fully. "No, it was my men who brought you here, so it's my fault."

"No," Rachel's eyes hardened in growing aggravation. Why was he always contradicting her? "I chased your men back here so it's clearly my fault."

Richard opened his mouth to counter her again but James suddenly piped up, "Now I can't wait for the wedding."

His thoughts came to a screeching halt. Wedding?

Rachel whipped her head towards her brother with a horrified expression. "There is no wedding!" She all but screeched.

"What wedding?" Richard softly asked, trying to determine if he did hear that correctly.

"No wedding?" James asked.

"It was all a misunderstanding!" Rachel finally let out. "There is no wedding whatsoever so keep your mouth shut and do not make it worse!"

"But what about those men?" Jacob asked.

Rachel let out a weary sigh. She directed her gaze away from Jared and resolutely refused to meet Richard's. "I'll explain everything later on, I promise. Can I just have a moment to say good-bye to Richard? Then we can leave."

Richard felt a lump in his throat at hearing her say the word 'good-bye' but he decided against saying anything and just watched Jared give a stiff nod at his sister. Alfred then appeared and herded the Azarathian princes off to serve them some snacks.

After they were left alone, Rachel gathered herself and looked up to Richard. "I guess I should explain now."

"Yeah," he smirked. "I'm reeeally interested to hear it now."

Rachel clicked her tongue before walking back towards the courtyard where they were having tea before. She needed tea for this humiliation. Richard silently followed her, an impish grin on his face, feeling somehow excited. This should be good.

Both reseated themselves and Richard poured her a fresh cup of tea. Then, taking a deep breath, she proceeded to tell him the whole story between her and his guards.

She told him of their sudden appearance in her court, bearing gifts for her and her father and saying they were from him. She told him of overhearing them accidentally reveal that they really were just there on their own accord, and that they brought the gifts themselves, and that they—

"They were trying to hook you up with me?" Richard asked with a chuckle.

Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she gaped at him.

Richard actually meant that as a joke but as he saw the look on her face, he cannot help the warmth that crept up his neck and flood his face. "They were?" He choked out.

Rachel nodded slowly.

Both just stared dumbly at each other before Richard chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah," she answered weakly, at a loss on how to take his laughter. But she was tired of this, she was tired of getting suspicious or ashamed so she'd just wing it and get this over with. "Yeah, they were. I don't know how they ever thought up of such a silly plan but yeah, that's what they were trying to do."

Richard didn't hold back his laughter. Rachel just watched him apathetically. Of course, he'd think it was funny. He wasn't the one who thought he was getting an offer of marriage. And don't forget Jinx, her brothers, her father, who all probably thought the same. Azar, the amount of explanation she'd have to give when she returned home.

"I'm sorry," Richard finally let out after exhausting his laughter. "I'm sorry for laughing but…"

"Yeah," she answered weakly.

"No, really, I'm sorry." Richard gave her a sincere glance. "I'm sorry for what my men did. I can't say I know exactly what they were thinking but—"

"Its fine," she cut him off.

The Gotham prince kept his eyes on her, various thoughts swirling in his head. Here was a girl brought to him by a weird twist of fate. She was mysterious, interesting, and a good person to talk to. She was beautiful, she was smart, and he'd just love to get to know her better.

"But hey, you can't say their silly plan didn't work."

"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow. "I can't?"

"Yeah, you can't. We're together now, aren't we?" He flashed a boyish grin as he said that and felt delight at the blush that once again bloomed on her face.

"No, we're not."

Richard's grin only widened at her tart response. "Maybe not in that way… for now."

Rachel fought the urge to squirm at the insinuation. She'd had enough embarrassment for today. "This conversation's over, Prince." As she made to stand up, Richard gave an amused chuckle and quickly clamped a hand over hers.

"Wait, Rae, please."

She felt a tingle in her gut at the moniker he gave her. Rae?

Richard stood beside her now, her hand still held gently in his. He had a gentle, sincere smile on his face. "Stupid plan aside, I'd really like to get to know you better. Can I at least have a chance to be a friend?"

Rachel felt her heart skip a beat at the look on the boy's face. This was the last thing she expected after everything. She looked down at their connected hands and the girly part of her mind gave a squeal in delight. She looked back at his blue eyes, looked deeply into their genuine depths and offered a smile. "Okay."

"Okay," Richard mimicked breathlessly.

And for a moment, he two just remained like that, holding hands, lost in each other's eyes.

"AHEM."

Their heads whipped to the direction of the sound and there were her brothers, all watching at the display.

Rachel quickly disentangled her hand from Richard's and leveled a glare at Jared, who was obviously displeased at what he was seeing.

"I take it you have said you good-byes," her brother stated.

She wanted to roll her eyes at his attitude but she was beneath that. "Yes, I have."

"Good. Let's go."

"Aw, c'mon, Jared. You totally ruined their moment." James whined teasingly. "What a killjoy."

The eldest brother turned to level a glare at James and Rachel figured this was going to end up in something blowing up if she didn't put a stop to this. Something always blows up whenever all of them are in the room. "Enough, you guys."

"You'll turn her into a spinster with that overprotectiveness of yours," James continued to mumble under his breath.

"Quiet, you." Jared snapped.

"Okay, okay, let's go!" Rachel interrupted.

With that, the three brothers turned and walked ahead. Rachel let out a huff before looking back at Richard. "Thank you for having us."

"Anytime," was his ready answer. Then he stepped up beside her and offered the crook of his arm to her. Rachel gently laced her arm with his and let him lead her to the exit.

"So," Richard began as they neared the exit. "You think I can visit Azarath some time?"

She gave him a curious sideways glance. He flashed a grin and added, "I'll bring honest gifts this time, ones that are actually from me. I'd even bring one for your dad."

She chuckled at his offer. "If you send your guards again, they won't be getting out of my castle with everything intact."

Richard laughed at her threat. "I'll personally come. I swear."

"You better," she mumbled under her breath.

The night ended with Richard waving goodbye to her as she rode away with her brothers, the memory of her blushing face embedded on his mind.

In one of the columns in the front of the castle, four figures huddled, watching the prince watch the departing princess.

"I think things went well," Victor commented.

"I think so, too." Wally nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Roy whispered from his perch atop Wally. "I think he's taken to her."

"So the plan worked?"

Victor turned to Gar with a beaming smile. "Hell, yeah, it did!"

"So… Boo-yah?"

Victor jumped and pumped a fist in the air. "BOO-YA'LL!"

The four went on congratulating each other for a job sort-of-well-done. They didn't notice a figure approaching them until said figure cleared his throat and the four froze on their spots.

"Gentlemen," Richard's cool voice came. "What's the celebration about?"

Four heads rigidly turned and met Richard's cool eyes.

"Uh," Victor started. "We were just…"

"We were…"

"We, uh…"

"Uh…"

"I know it all, men." Richard stated. "Rachel told me what you did."

"Your Highness, wait, we really meant no harm about it." Victor tried to defend, hoping his prince wouldn't be too miffed about the match-making scheme.

Richard maintained his cool expression. "You didn't get to properly apologize to her."

"Y-Yeah," Vic scratched at his head sheepishly. "We didn't."

Richard clicked his tongue. "Seriously, guys. I don't know what you were thinking with that stunt you pulled."

"We really meant no harm, Your Highness." Garfield timidly said.

"And you, Roy? Wally? What's your excuse? I didn't even know you guys were here in Gotham."

Roy's grin was unrepentant. "No excuse, really."

"No regrets, either." Wally added.

Richard clicked his tongue again. "Whatever." He turned his gaze towards the direction of the path out of the castle again, towards the direction where the Azarathian princess left. "But… I must say," he turned his head towards the men, now with a pleased grin on his face. "You did good, guys. You did very good."

It took a moment for Victor to digest the meaning of his prince's words but before he can say anything, Richard added. "Off to bed with all of you, now. We're setting off early tomorrow."

Victor's confusion doubled at the younger man's mysterious words. "We are? Where to?"

Richard shot him a smirk. "Azarath."

"Azarath?"

"Yep," Richard popped the 'p' at the end of the word before turning his back towards the stunned young men. "I promised her I'd visit her and you all owe her an apology, so, we're going there tomorrow." Then he turned back and gestured to Roy and Wally, "You two, too. Your guest quarters have been prepared. Get a good rest, guys." And without preamble, Richard walked off, leaving four gawping boys behind him.

Roy was the first to recover. "I'll say the plan worked too well."

"Too well, indeed."

~FIN

Gueeessst (Guest): Thank you for the support! I'm glad you liked Chapter 4. I'm not too confident about my comedy skills but I tried to be as funny as I can afford, hehe. I hope I did fine.

toonamifan666: Oohhh, another curious mind about Wally, hehe. In my mind, as a backstory of sorts, Wally had already met Rachel more than once before, from his visits to Azarath with his uncle. And I guess I could safely say that Wally likes Rachel, but not quite in a romantic way. And Wally, being the sweet guy that he is, would not stand for anyone disrespecting Rachel, thus, his outburst against Garfield in Chapter 3. I actually kind of wanted to insert this backstory snippet but *sigh* the story refuses to adapt to the insert and it's quite lengthy already hehe. This whole thing was supposed to be just three chappies max but there I went and got carried away.

Ember Reverie: Yes, gods, I love JayRae! Have you read the Hopes for a Bastard series by BlubooThalassophile? I'm pretty sure you have. EPIC, right? Haha! You have been a loyal supporter of this story from the start and I would like to take this chance to say, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. Your support means a lot to me.

giseky01: Hello! Your review on Chapter 4 really tickled me. You said that chapter made you have to follow the story. I could just imagine Chapter 4 either seducing you (fishnet stockings and all) or having you at gun-point, haha! But thank you so much for liking it enough to follow it!

Meee (Guest): Ahahaha! Oh, you and your funny reviews. Now that this tale has ended, I'd totally miss your YAAAAAS-ing and WHOOP-ing! You have been with my story from beginning until now and your loyal support has given me much enthusiasm to write this story. Thank you very much.

Zaacna: Hi! I cannot help but read your review on Chapter 4 over and over and over again, teehee! I am very flattered. *blushes* I know my writing skills still has room for improvement but I am pleased that you like my style. Sadly, this tale has ended but worry not. I will be back with another.

Guest: Awww, thanks! I'm glad you liked how I had them meet. It was actually one of the first scenes I had planned out before I started to type the story. The Birds have always been serious characters in their canon roles so I thought it'd be fun to have them misbehave a little, neh? Haha! Thank you for reading!

Stoic-Wookie00: Hey, there. Your review seemed… hesitant. Haha! But we're cool, right? Thank you for giving my story a chance, though. And the fact that you spared some time to drop me a note means a lot. Sadly, this is the end of the line for this tale. Still, I hope I did it justice. Tell me what you think, k?

ENDING NOTE: Hey, guys! ROYAL WOES is done. Once again, thank you to all for the support and the reviews and the Favorites and the Alerts. It has been most enjoyable! Let's do this again sometime, okay? I wish everyone a blissful and exciting new year. See ya'll around!

PS: Reviews for the ending would still be nice. Thanks!