Thomas returned to his study, he’d agreed with a heavy heart to let Holly go to the monastery as she requested. He didn’t know what else to do. He could no longer make her happy and the longer she stayed with him the worse she got.

Opening the study door he found a measure of seclusion there heading straight for the drink’s cabinet where he poured himself a large mug of one of the local spirits, before settling at his desk with the intention of getting rotten drunk.

He couldn’t tell you how long he had been there when a knock broke his thoughts, hour’s perhaps and the sprit’s where working nicely. The door opened and Danson walked in tentatively clutching a bundle of papers.

 “Do you want one?” he asked holding up the bottle.

“ it’s abit early” Danson replied.

“Well forgive me while I do, I’m afraid I feel the need I’ve just agreed to allow Holly to go to the monestary” he muttered “I suppose that makes you  happy”

“None of this makes me happy” Danson answered “but I do think it is whats best for her”

Thomas snorted.

“While we are on the subject though, Holly did ask me to see you.. there is some paperwork, she wants you to sign”.

Thomas sighed, taking the papers off Danson, the signing of which would annul his marriage vow’s. Thomas didn’t answer he mearly laid them down and pushed the paper’s off the desk allowing them to fall to the floor in a fluttering heap.

“Thomas that doesn’t help” Danson replied “she wants to take them to the new Priest when she leaves”

Thomas snorted again “I’ve agreed to let her go haven’t I?” he growled “Can’t she settle for that?”

“I think it would be less painful for all involved to do this quickly” Danson replied.

“So what? So you can sweep in as her saviour? Perhaps you fancy her for yourself?”

“Don’t be a fool”                   

“I don’t think it’s foolish” Thomas accused “the two of you have grown quite close over the past few months”

“Holly is a charming woman” Danson admitted “But I have no romantic attachments to her”

Thomas glowered unconvinced “come on Danson, you are my oldest friend admit … if you could, you’d have her?”

Danson dropped his gaze pausing for a moment before looking Thomas in the eye “Holly is a magnificent woman” he admitted “And perhaps if things where different, BUT under the circumstances I can’t say I’ve entertained the notion”

“Out of loyalty to me?” Thomas asked.

“Honestly No” Danson replied. “As much as it pain’s me, I need a wife who can bare children.  Keeping a wife after an accident such as you have done is quite noble.  I would hope I would do the same, but I couldn’t knowingly go into a relationship that way”

“I love her” Thomas muttered hopelessly.

Danson nodded, picking up the paperwork. “I know it’s difficult old friend but this really is for the best”

“Best for who?”

“For Holly” Danson replied simply. “Many women live quite rewarding lives with the church”

Thomas didn’t answer but snatched the paperwork from Danson’s hand signing it quickly he practically threw it back at the young knight. “If anyone wants me for the rest of the day” he growled “tell them they’ll find me here, dunk as a fool and twice as nasty”

Thomas found Holly in the chapel, it was the place she seemed to spend all of her day’s. He watched as she meticulously ran the prayer beads back and to between her finger’s whispering prayer quietly to herself and of course their lord. She’d still not given a reason for her sudden refusal of food accepting only sips of clear water but now things where out of in the open she no-longer held up the pretence of pretending to eat food tray’s bought to her would leave her chambers untouched.

She still refused to speak with Thomas, infact the only person she seemed to want to see at all was Danson and he refused to tell even Thomas the things she said to him. Saying only that the he’d swore an oath to the queen that he couldn’t break even for the king. The closeness she seemed to have suddenly with the knight, sent waves of jealousy though Thomas that where overwhelming, but even he saw that denying her the company of her only friend would be disastrous.

Taking a deep breath he wandered over to where she sat in the small chapel. “Holly” he smiled taking a seat next to her “How you feeling today?”

Holly eye’s darted briefly to his face but quickly returned to her prayer beads reminding him of a startled deer and just as certain that if she’d been physically able she’d have darted away just as quickly.  There was a lingering silence and Thomas wondered if he should have come here at all, his eye’s studied her face, unable to take his gaze away from the hollowness of her feature’s, sunken sockets held her hazel eye’s that had once shone so brightly for him that when she gazed upon him he felt like he could take on the world. Now he just felt like a stupid little boy playing at being king who’d broken the only toy he’d ever really treasured.

“I want to go to the monastery” she said finally breaking the silence, her voice tiny, barely a whisper hoarse from disuse.

“Can’t we try again?” Thomas asked “I love you”.

“I have seen the calibre of your love” she replied, gaining a little strength but refusing to look up “There is only one man who truly loves me and i wish to be with him”

“Danson?” Thomas asked jealously flooding into him uncontrollably.

Holly sighed and shook her head twisting the prayer beads agitatedly though her fingers.

Thomas suddenly felt very foolish it wasn’t Danson she ment at all, she wanted to go to the Monastery to be closer to god. “Holly i fear what will happen to us if i allow you to leave me”

“Nothing more can happen” Holly replied, “The damage is done”

“Is there no hope” Thomas asked unashamedly allowing tear’s to fall.

“Don’t cry” she whispered looking at him fully for the first time since she found out about Aliana “We where once foolish children, who thoughts that as long as we loved one another we could conquer anything”

“We can” Thomas urged.

“I think we both know better than that” Holly replied sadly “Let me go?”

“I can’t, I won’t”

“Please” she begged, bringing her hand lightly up to touch his face, he fought the instinct to re-coil as her fingers where icy cold “If you ever loved me, do this for me?”

“You can’t ask me to do this?” He protested, reaching out he grasped her arm as though he never meant to let it go.

“Please?” she asked again “Our time is done, I need to leave while I still have good memory’s and before bitterness and hate takes them all away”

“Holly i can make you happy again, I swear it”

“no you can’t” she replied decisively prying his hand off her arm with surprising strength for one so frail “Let me go Thomas!” she demand, “Let me go”

Asha stood out in the farmyard looking out over the fields Faulke stood close by, the last of the night-time frost still clung to the air and blades of grass unwilling to yield before the morning’s ray’s of sunshine.

She wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, Maud and Faulk seemed distraught and neither had slept since the night before. Alice had continued to rage up and down all night, several times managing a full transformation into the form Wolf had once shown her to be battle form, and once into the form of a large tan coloured wolf.

Alice herself had seemed confused and angry for the main part quite unlike her normal cheery self and Asha had found the entire situation very un-nerving the only way she could think to describe it was that there was some sort of demon inside Alice that took control at night and turned her into a completely different girl.

When Vincent had been talking the previous night, Asha’s initial fear was that he planned to kill Alice, but that had quickly subsided when she realised what he actually meant to do was take Alice away concerned that if he left her here, she’d hurt Maud or Faulke.

Faulke and Maud however seemed less than impressed by this proposition and acted as though Vincent might as well have intended to kill her. The Logistic’s of it all escaped Asha while they had all sat and argued over the point, they had all seemed to forget that Asha had no clue as to whom they intended to take the girl. Never mind that in all the chaos they all seemed to have forgotten that Asha has supposed to have been taken up to Darkfire to stay with her father that night.

Asha looked over towards Faulke, he stood with his hands heavily on the fence leaning against it. Faulke and Alice where close, almost as close as she was with Farid. The sudden thought of her brother made her pause, she missed him terribly and worried about how he must be coping without her. Did he think she was dead? That would be terrible, but of course Faulke had explained that he would not be able to contact her here, so what did that mean? Did everyone think she was dead?

She couldn’t wait till she got home with her father though quite what life might be like in the mountains she had no idea. She visited occasionally of course and all of his closest friends and family knew she was his daughter but what would happen if she lived there, would her bloodline suddenly become public knowledge or would she simply become another ‘stray’ Tarik took in, to everyone’s eye’s?

“Lar’s, you know him?” Faulke asked suddenly breaking the silence.

“A little” Asha admitted, “I know his son, more than I know him”

“Knew” Faulke corrected.

“Knew?”

“You knew his son” Faulke replied.

“I guess” Asha chuckled “but im guessin i still know him”

“You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Wolf’s dead”

“Oh….” Asha paused “No i didn’t know… “ the new’s hitting her heavily, she hadn’t really known Wolf that well at all, but it still came as a shock to her.

“Sorry” Faulke added seeing how distressed the new’s seemed to make her “I didn’t realise you where close”

“We wheren’t..” Asha replied trying to shake it off. “We… dated a little i guess”

“Oh!…”

Asha looked glanced towards him, his turn now to look shocked. “Only alittle” she added “nothing came of it. How did he die?”

“There was fight with the vampires”

“Vincent?”

Faulke nodded, Asha was unsure how that made her feel. War’s where easier when she knew which side she was on. The war with the demon’s have been easy, ‘they where the bad guys’ but Wolf and Lar’s had never seemed evil to her and neither did Vincent, despite his own insistence that he was. No man who cared as fully for these people could truly be evil.

“What are they like?”

“Who?”

“The werewolf’s, Lar’s” Faulke clarified.

“Simple folk I guess, a lot like us.. they are woodsmen”

“Good people?” he asked though gritted teeth as though it pained him to ask the question.

Asha nodded “I think so, they seemed kind enough”

Faulk nodded, his teeth clamped together so tightly Asha knew that his jaw must ache.

“Is that where Vincent plan’s to take Alice?” she guessed.

“Aye” Faulke replied.

Asha waited debating asking why Faulke and Maud seemed to hate Lar’s so much but thought better of it. Deciding instead to try and reassure him “Lar’s seemed like a good man” she added “im sure he’ll take care of her”

“If he don’t kill her” Faulke growled.

“I really don’t think he’d kill a girl for no reason, he doesn’t seem that type of man”

“He would if he saw her tainted by the wyrm” Faulke spat bitterly.

Asha didn’t have an answer to that, this whole werewolf, vampire war confused her she was just about getting to grips with their existence, their politics’ certainly escaped her. “Vincent wouldn’t take her there if he thought Lar’s would hurt her” she tried to reassure him.

“Thank you Asha” Faulk nodded “it’s been nice having you here”

“You’re welcome” she smiled.

“Oh… “Faulke said suddenly “you where supposed to go home last night.. im sorry, we all forgot with everything”

“It’s alright” Asha smiled understanding “I guess you all had your hands full”

“I’m sure Vincent will take you tonight” he added “when he takes Alice.. to .. I’m sure he’ll do it tonight”

Valdermar sat in Eadric’s nursery, watching the baby play happily on the floor, the little boy had quickly mastered crawling and now he was mobile he seemed to find a way of getting his finger’s into everything.

The baby was almost weaned and the wet nurse now only visited twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening and Valdermar had just about finished getting affair’s on the new estate straight.

His sister and her new ‘friends’ visited less frequently now he had made the move and in some way’s for that he was grateful. The young lord found himself panicked and constantly checking on the baby when they where around just in case one of them decided to make him lunch. It was a foolish notion none would defy his sister but still having creatures such as them in the presence of his son made him feel uneasy.

Ever since the fire and the visit from the ‘others’ Valdermar felt less and less in control of his life, what had once given him a feeling of strength and power now made him feel like he was living on borrowed time, he was in the middle of a war he didn’t understand, the realisation that he was not the king of the game but simply a pawn to be controlled by his sister.

Valdermar smiled and scooping up the baby “It’s time to meet your new nurse” he sighed.

Heading down the stair’s he wandered into the lounge where the young girl was waiting, she was plain looking with brown hair, young maybe 12 or 13 he decided. “Im Valdermar” he announced holding out the baby.

“Hannah, Milord” she replied taking Eadric from him and swinging him easily on to her hip where she gently bounced him, in the manner of a woman used to babies.

“Your younger than i expected” he replied.

“Sorry” She apologised “But Im well used to youngin’s Milord”

Valdermar nodded, he could see that by the confident way she held his young son “You have children of your own?”

“No milord” she replied “not yet sir, but got 5 little sisters and i been rais’in then since ma Ma died”

“What about your father?” he asked.

“He’s a solider sir away from home most the time”

“Arn’t you needed at home”

“Aye milord, but we need to eat as well sir, all the mindin in the world ain’t no good if yer starving”

“I suppose” Valdermar replied, he didn’t need to get to know the girl for her to watch his son and she looked as though she could manage the work “The hour’s are long here, will that be a problem? i’ll need you most of the day, from dawn till he’s settled at night”

Hannah nodded “My grandma is gonna watch the little’un while im here”

“Very well you can start now” Valdermar offered “I have things that need I need to do”

“Yes Milord” the young girl nodded watching as Valdermar sauntered out of the room “right” she sighed looking at the baby “I don’t suppose you’re going tell me where yer nursery is?”

Maegan paced around the study, Jed farmer was about to arrive to discuss plan’s for the expansion of his farm. She knew Jed would expect to see Christopher so not only did she need to convince Jed that she could speak for her husband but she needed to do it all without raising his suspicions the whole Vaux reputation was riding on no-one knowing that Christopher was missing.

Christopher had been gone since the summer and Maegan had become accomplished at doing his paper work and forging his signature on documents. As a family they had avoided the winter celebrations saying they had come down with a sickness and so far no-one’s suspicions had been raised. 

They had been blessed so far in that Thomas’s attention seemed to be elsewhere and hadn’t asked to many question’s because if word got back to the king that Maegan and not Christopher was in charge of the Hallow’s there would be hell to pay least of all because Thomas would see Christopher’s actions as disrespecting his wedding vow’s to Maegan.

Maegan owed most of her success to her mother, Kaitlyn had been beside her the whole time helping her along with the paperwork and helping her negotiate often tedious political situation’s.

A knock on the door alerted her to Jed’s arrival. “Come in” she called watching as the farmer entered. Jed was by now the largest farm owner in Grimstead having moved to the Hallow’s the previous summer. “Good Morning” she smiled heading around the table and offering her hand out.

Jed took her hand and nodded respectfully “I was expecting to see Lord Vaux” he smiled uncomfortably referring to Christopher.

“Unfortunately my husband has been called away”  Maegan replied “Urgent business up at the castle you understand?”

“Of course, should I come back another day?” he asked warily.

Meagan felt a little flutter in her chest, scared that he’s see right though her “No it’s fine, my husband has fully authorised me to deal with his affair’s while he is away” He was giving her ‘that’ look, one she’d seen a number of times since she’d been in control of Christopher’s estate.  Unsure as to which bothered him most the fact that she was a woman or the fact that she was in his eye’s at least a child.

“Aright!” he said finally after a short pause “It’s a simple matter really. On the back of my farm there is some woodland filled with fruit bushes, I was wondering who owned the land there?”

“We do” she replied.

“Well I’d be interested in perhaps purchasing it, the local baker has agreed to buy the fruit for pies and I thought it would be an interesting little side venture”

“You only took control of your farm last summer are you sure you can handle the work?” Maegan asked.

“Yes milady, I believe so. The fruit bushes are wild they don’t need much tending to just harvestin when ready and pruning when the season’s done. Besides I took on two new farm hands this winter, the Osmund boys do you know them?”

“Lynette’s sons” Maegan nodded.

“Aye, good lad’s hard worker just seem’s a shame to have all those bushes going to waste, local kids pick them sometimes but most of the fruit rot’s on the bush or the birds get it”

Maegan nodded “Well I’d certainly consider selling you the land, but after buying the farm can you really afford it?”

“I think so, it will be a stretch I won’t deny but if we don’t take the risk on the land now, it will be too late to tend it ready for the next harvest.  But I was hoping his lordship would consider letting me work the land now but pay for it next autumn after the harvest”

“That’s quite a respite in payment” Maegan noted.

“Aye your ladyship I know, but I’ve been good tenant’s I think, always paid our rents and tax’s on time and then we bought this farm outright, so I was hoping”.

Maegan smiled she’d spent the best part of the morning trawling though Orrick’s paperwork for information on the farmer family and what he said was true. Freemen they had the option of living on any estate but had chosen to settle and stay within the Vaux’s Holding’s for the past 20 years.  “I don’t see a problem Jed” she nodded “Work the land and pay us in the fall, just remember it isn’t your’s till were paid in full is that understood?”

“Yes Milady”

Jaedyn headed to the baby’s nursery. Standing in the centre of the room Gabriel stood with the baby in his arm’s, gently rocking the little boy to back and too.

“He’ll never learn to sleep alone if you keep coddling him” she smiled walking carefully though the dimly lit room resting one hand on her husbands shoulder so she could peer at the baby.

“He was fussing” Gabriel explained.

“I bet he was” she laughed “not yet 8 weeks and he already knows how to twist his father around his little finger”

“Nonsense” Gabriel protested feebly.

“Heaven help us when this little man is old enough to be demanding pony’s” she giggled.  

“He shall have any pony he wants’, won’t you Finian” Gabriel promised kissing the baby gently on the head.

 Gabriel had barely taken his eye’s off the baby since he was born and Jaedyn knew when ever her husband went missing or was later for meeting he could most likely be found here playing with his ‘son’.  Jaedyn knew the baby wasn’t really his, sometimes when the baby smiled she saw a little of Christopher in him but the lie had been worth every moment of peace the castle had experienced since the announcement of her pregnancy.

 “Do you think we will be good parent’s to him” she asked unsure.

Gabriel smiled “Of course we will, he has the prettiest mommy in the kingdom and a daddy who he as already wrapped around his finger buying him pony’s.

Jaedyn smiled and watched as Gabriel laid the baby down in the cot.  

“How are you feeling?” Gabriel asked her.

“I’m fine” Jaedyn smiled “a little tired, but that’s to be expected it’s way past our bed time”

“Bed time” Gabriel smiled wrapping his arm’s around her waist and kissing her lightly on the neck “just what I was hoping you would say”

Jaedyn pulled away, gently “Goodnight” she whispered kissing him lightly on the cheek and turning to leave.

“Jaedyn” Gabriel whispered, catching hold of her arm and pulling her back into his embrace “Sleep in my chamber’s tonight”

Jaedyn paused, turning back to face him, she’d not slept in the same room as her husband in almost 7 years, even when they had been ‘trying’ for Finian they had usually been pre-arranged meeting’s in which he came to her and returned to his own chamber’s when finished.

“Why?” she asked nervously.

Gabriel shrugged and looked a little uncomfortable “I just thought… maybe.. we could try and give Finian a brother or sister”

“So soon?!” Jaedyn sighed trying to hide her sudden panic, she’d hoped Gabriel would be satisfied once Finian was born.

“We don’t have to” he added quickly “If your still sore.. the midwife told me you’d be healed by now”

“Im still sore” she lied.

“Alright, not yet then” He smiled apologetically which made Jaedyn feel even more guilty.

“Thank you and goodnight” she whispered trying to gently begining to pull away. 

However he didn’t let go “If not that, stay with me anyway” he asked nervously “Just to sleep.. I want Finian to have parent’s who love each other, can’t we try and do that”

“We do love each other” Jaedyn replied.

“Then stay with me.. it would be nice don’t you think?” Gabriel offered.

Jaedyn nodded “Alright, let me get my night things”

Vincent raced towards the farmhouse using his unnatural quickness he quickly found the source of the commotion, in the back bedroom Alice had made he first full transformation into battle form out of control she was struggling to make sense of the rage that battled inside her.

Asha was doing her best to control the girl and so far hadn’t done a bad job, even though she didn’t yet have full control of her new form Alice was stronger and faster than Maud or Faulke and had give Faulke a good smack or two to prove it.  However while Wolf had proven to Asha that she wasn’t strong enough to hold a fully grown werewolf with her gift, she was managing to keep the out of control young pup under control.

“she just turned!” Faulke shouted to Vincent when he saw the elder vampire enter the room.

Vincent nodded “Im sorry I’m late” he apologised turning his attention to Alice “Alice can you hear me?” he whispered soothingly the Alice didn’t acknowledge him if he did she just continued to rage against Asha’s binding grip.

Asha’s head pounded and sweat ran down her face she’d been struggling with the werewolf for about 20 minutes and was beginning to tire she’d taken a glancing wound from the Alices claw’s early in the battle and the would stung painfully.

“Let her go” Vincent ordered Asha.

“What?! No!”

“Asha let her go” Vincent insisted.

Asha looked unsure but released her grip on the young girl. Alice roared angrily launching herself forward towards Asha but suddenly found herself facing Vincent instead.

“Calm” he demanded an Alice seemed to instantly relax lowering her arm’s Asha watched as the sharp claw’s began to retract.

Alice snarled alittle but suddenly seemed confused.

“Calm down” Vincent insisted “We are friends”

Alice bowed her head acceptingly and seemed to resign her body shifting back into that of a girl. Vincent moved in a blur of speed and caught her as she fell. Picking her up he moved over to the bed laying her naked form down he pulled the blanket’s over her to let he sleep before turning back to the rest of them.

“I can’t control her” he said sadly “I thought I could but I just don’t know enough about them”

“I know what your thinking” maud protested “don’t you think it.. don’t you dare”

“We have to” Vincent replied “she’ll hurt you if we don’t, she won’t mean to be she’ll do it anyway”

“I won’t let you, she’s my daughter … you can’t do it … I simply won’t allow it”

Asha watched on as Maud lost her composer and began to sob, Faulk quickly coming to his mother’s side.  Asha stood by confused, unsure what was going on, did Vincent mean to kill Alice?

Abel lent back in the chair with Daniel sat opposite, the pair had become great friends during their time at university and both were grateful for the ally when most of the older noblemen tended to band together and both where finding it difficult to find their place in the political hierarchy.

Daniel was eager to move out of the Castle with Sophie and as one of the royal children having his own estate was a certainty and Thomas had promised him Graymont as soon as he’d completed the repair’s to the house he’d be allowed to move in.

Able was less content with his situation, as  the third son of Aldun he was guarantied nothing. On the mainland all that would have gained him, was a small house on his brother’s estate. Where he’d be expected to support himself.  Grimstead however was still growing and as Thomas expanded his area of control new land opened up all the time, even now there where two estates controlled by the crown that Thomas was looking for a lord to occupy.

Unfortunately his stupid brother had not thought of this when he made betrothal arrangements for him to marry Persia. Gabriel was not as business minded as Abel’s father had been and had missed the consequences of the arrangement.  Now Abel was stuck at the castle Thomas wouldn’t move him into his own estate because the queen was fond of her lady’s maid, trapping him indefinitely as a Castle knight as he watched other noblemen get granted their own land.

“I thought you where spending the evening with Persia?” Daniel asked.

“Why would I do that” Abel chuckled taking a sip from his mug “When you are so much better company”

“She still being difficult?”

Abel grunted.

“She’s always seemed quite a laid back to me, I know Sophie likes her”

“Perhaps it’s just me then” Abel replied “because truly she detests me”

“You don’t seem bothered?”

“Im not” Abel replied “It’s a big castle.. She’s one woman it’s easy enough to avoid her”

“And when you are married?”

“I’ll keep avoiding her” Abel replied.

 “Why don’t you talk to Sir Bendett, perhaps he’d consider allowing you to swap for Tara .. I saw her at the Winter Ball she’s not an un-pretty girl”

“A little young don’t you think?”

“She seemed old enough when Sir Bendett was flaunting her in front of Thomas”

“Im not honestly bothered, one difficult woman is much the same as the next” Abel sighed.

Persia sat glaring coldly over the other side of the table to where Abel sat. Her father could make her attend dinner, he could insist she spoke politely to him, but he could not make her like him.

So far dinner had been an uncomfortable string of pleasantries and she could tell her short none committal answer’s where starting to frustrate her date. Abel’s chambers where clean and well kept as one would expect of a noblemen with servant’s to take care of his needs, the table lit with a single candle in some vain attempt’s to create a romantic atmosphere Persia decided disgustedly.

“How is the Queen?” he asked.

“Like you care?” she replied coldly.

“Actually I don’t” he replied honestly “But you seem too so I thought it would be a place to start a conversation”

“She’s fine”

“Is she eating yet?”

“No”

Abel sighed “does she say why she’s not eating?”

“It’s private” Persia retorted. “And I’m not a gossip” He’d not apologised for hitting her, in fact he didn’t seem to show any sort of remorse for it at all. So as far as she was concerned she was going to make sure he knew how much she despised him.

“How’s Thomas”

“Fine”

“Your father is worried for him?”

Persia sighed “I suppose”

“You’re not making this easy” Abel replied “how about attempting a conversation?”

“I really don’t care for anything you might have to say” she replied.

“Why not?”

“Because you show contempt for the queen and her mother” Persia answered honestly.

“I don’t hate her”

“Yes you do” Persia replied “You wouldn’t care if she died”

Abel shrugged pushing a stray potato around his plate “I don’t hate her, I don’t think she’s fit to be queen there’s a difference. I don’t have any reason to hate her. I wouldn’t wish her ill, even if I could see a benefit for the kingdom if she were gone”

“Thomas loves her” Persia retorted.

“That’s the difference between men and woman” Abel replied “women have this silly infatuation with the concept of Love. He slept with my sister, what does that tell you about his ‘love’”

“He made a mistake”

“A mistake he’ll make again”

“You can’t know that!” Persia replied feeling irritated.

“Is there any point in any of this?” he asked finally.

“Point in what?”

“Me trying to get to know you?”

“You’ll never ‘know’ me” she growled.

Abel let his fork clatter heavily to the plate and let out a long and frustrated sigh. “Very well, you may leave”

“Pardon?!”

“Leave!” Abel demanded more forcefully.

“I don’t understand” Persia replied panicked, not that she wanted him to like her but the last thing she needed was yet another complaint going back to her father.

“Leave” he repeated “I’m not chasing you. We shall simply have to get to know each other once we are married”

“So you’re going to stop hounding me?”

“Hounding?! Is that what you call it? Very well I will stop ‘hounding’ you. Frankly Persia I was hoping for a less difficult wife but as you don’t need to like me to provide me with children. So you’ll suffice. So go!”

“Suffice… I’ll suffice!!?” Persia replied indignantly, suddenly concerned by his apparent lack of concern… “You .. you ….”

Abel suddenly cut her off “I don’t care what you think, so save your insults”

“I’ll never give you children” she threatened.

“You’ll do as your told” Abel replied matter of factly “If that mean’s I have to take you like the bitch you are then so be it. Now get out of my chambers you are no longer welcome here”.

Quillen ran down the corridor tears streaming down his face this was all his father’s fault, both of them! Stupid men with their stupid secret’s! Oh how he’d love to wipe that smug look from Duncan’s face thinking he was Sooooo important because he was the hier to the throne. Stupid people all of them.

Slowing down once he was clear, he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. leaving a long red smear trailing up to his elbow ‘Stupid Duncan’ he growled trying to wipe away the mess.

Reaching the bunk room he pushed the door open and headed inside but was unhappy to see that Aiden and Joseph sitting talking in one corner ‘stupid barracks with it’s stupid people’ he muttered, never anywhere to be alone.

“What are you staring at!” he snapped storming from the room.

He hated it here, he hated the secret’s he hated the boys he hated everything about this stupid place. Why couldn’t he just go back to the mountain’s where he didn’t have to keep stupid secret’s, where he could be with his mother and not care about stupid noblemen and stupid Duncan.

Running back down the corridor he knew just where to go, heading towards the stables. Screeching around the corner he barrelled unexpectedly into Lorcan Beaumont who had been coming the other way.

“What the hell!” Lorcan growled, recovering himself. Shoving Quillen hard in the chest, sending him skidding to the floor “Watch where you’re going shrimp”

“Sorry” Quillen apologised scrambling to get away.

“It’s too late for sorry” Lorcan sneered, pushing him down again as the young lad tried to stand.

“I didn’t mean it” Quillen wailed.

Lorcan just laughed “What happened to you” he grinned noticing the blood on Quillen’s clothes.

“Nothin” Quillen replied nervously, bringing his arm’s up protectively around his head anticipating the blow to come.

Sure enough almost on cue, Lorcan kicked him in the head, causing him to yelp involuntarily. “Where’s your guard dog?” Lorcan grinned looking up and down the corridor for Duncan who usually accompanied Quillen everywhere. “You boy’s haven’t had a lover’s tiff have you?”

This wasn’t his first beating, most of the boy’s here hated him and had spent year’s tormenting him for being the bastard of a farm girl and unworthy of being here and Lorcan wasn’t the worst  of them.

Quillen didn’t reply, he made no attempt to move but kept his arm’s up around his head and his knee’s tucked up. Years of living here had taught him, they loved it when he ran it would be over quicker if he just accepted the beating.

“Im surprised your still here you little bastard!” Lorcan taunted “Would of thought Thomas would have sent you packing with what Tarik did to that priest”

Another kick resulted in a loud cracking sound and pain that spread agonizingly up Quillen’s left side, gritting his teeth he allowed tear’s to roll down his face but didn’t make a sound.