<span style="color: #FF0000">Now, things were different and he was not happy.<br/><br/>If it had stayed the same then perhaps it would have been fine, to just deal with her as she was and treat her like the package he called her. Things would have been just fine and he would not be....annoyed.<br/><br/>There was really no other word that could describe how he felt about it all. He was annoyed with her, with himself and this entire damn situation. Now, there was this, tension, between them and it annoyed him. He could not even stand to be alone with her, but he had to be alone with her, because he had a job to do. BrÃ¡dach was many things.<br/><br/>A barbaric, rude, insulting, condescending, asshole, douche ranger.<br/><br/>But, he was not one to go back on his word and he had given it to the King to see his daughter made it to her destination. That is what he intended to do, even if the mere sight of the woman and the thought of interacting with her, it was grating to his nerves. Which is why, he did not, or at least as little as possible.<br/><br/>It was harder than one would think to not talk to someone and to not interact, especially when it was your job to keep them alive. However, he managed to get that done and not have to be too communicative with her. Sure, there was some small talk, mostly just him instructing or ordering her to do as he said. Then there was the issue of him making her something more appropriate to wear. It was crude and the best thing that he could make without his pack and what bit he could find. It was more like a leather dress, made from the animal hides that he skinned and tanned in the 4 days had them stay at the cave.<br/><br/>Then it was him and her out and heading to the village that he knew was there so that they could resupply before he took her to her intended husband. There was something about that whole idea that was still wrong to him. That she was so easily traded and that she went along with it willingly. It made no sense to him, to allow someone to control his life in such a way and use him to make a business transaction to him it was, well stupid.<br/><br/>The road to the village was uneventful, at least until some of the kids caught sight of him as he lead her into the settlement.<br/><br/>â€œBrÃ¡dach!â€ they shouted, before they rushed him. â€œDid you bring us something? Bring us some berries? Some soft pelts? Where's your pack? You took that everywhere with you, what did you do with it? Did you sell it? To who? You going to make another? Can you make us one?â€<br/><br/>The questions were met with a smile as he knelt down and reached into his shirt, â€œI don't have the pelts, but I did find these while we were walking.â€ The pouch of berries was handed to the smallest of the bunch, â€œNow, you don't go eating them all at once, or you will get sick. Ok?â€<br/><br/>A cheer rose up from the group before they disbursed and BrÃ¡dach ran from his hands across his pants to clean them of the dirt. The smile was still on his face as he looked back at Maria, it lingered a bit longer before it slowly faded and was replaced by the cold and distant demeanor that he had.<br/><br/>â€œCome on, there is an inn we can stay in to get some food, change of clothes and a bath,â€ he said then turned and lead the way once more.</span><br/><br/>Those four days in the cave were the longest of her life.<br/><br/>For her to consider those the longest, was saying something, given how her days passed uneventfully in her kingdom. Within those stone walls, she did only the activities allowed of someone her stature and gender: needlepoint, being doted upon, and watching the days pass by when not being ogled by some foreign dignitary. Yes, even though they couldn't touch nor speak to directly, they often  used her to diffuse situations, to keep the dignitaries happy with "scenery" for the tense matters. She'd be nonchalantly off to the side, being read to or tutored, or getting a painting commissioned, just within view of those meeting her father. It generally worked to keep them from getting angry if things weren't going their way, or just interested enough in the workings of their kingdom if only for the "safety" of the "finer things".<br/><br/>But this?<br/><br/>At least when she moved about the cold stone walls, she had someone to talk to her, who willingly struck up a conversation, no matter how unimportant or dull. This was worse than the cruelest of tortures in her mind. Now she was being treated as literal cargo, only being spoken to when she needed to do something for him, otherwise being given the cold shoulder.<br/><br/>Ever since that night he'd tried to kiss her (or, more aptly put, kissed her), there had been this tension building. He'd stayed so angry at her, and nothing she could have tried to talk about, diffused it at all. He remained cold, angry, unforgiving of her choice...no, her<span style="font-style: italic">need</span>to remain chaste and unwavering in the face of temptation. What annoyed her most about the situation wasn't that he tried...but that he was right about her people. She didn't want to be in this position, giving herself over to a prince whom she'd rather keep a firm distance from. She didn't want to be marrying someone only for the sake of her people, of bringing peace to her land. She didn't want to be tied to someone for the rest of her life, without even a hint of love...only hoping to eventually learn to like him.<br/><br/>Then BrÃ¡dach comes out of nowhere, saves her, and even after being a complete barbarian with her..suddenly turns sweet. She was so angry at herself for allowing him to get so close...but his touch. It'd been soft, light...His demeanor had completely changed, and his lips...<br/><br/>Despite herself, she'd dreamt about him and his kiss that night. Despite her anger toward him, and the loathing...She'd dreamt about it, and replayed it over and over.<br/><br/>Now that it was awkward, she just wanted the vision out of her head. She wanted the memory of his lips on hers out of her head, the memory of his touch across her skin and the way he'd leaned into her. The way he'd wanted her. And...she'd wanted him. He'd saved her, and brought her back when she'd have died...had warmed her up, and she'd wanted to repay him. But not like that.<br/><br/>That was a crime that'd get her killed.<br/><br/>So, as the days went on, her mind kept wandering, as it was the only thing she could do to entertain herself. He kept quiet, made her a dress that was admittedly more comfortable than the one he'd helped her out of, though she kept the chemise and petticoats of the first. It added to the warmth, and made her feel less exposed. In the time that her mind wandered, she realized one thing that made her more angry at herself, angry and confused:<br/><br/>She wanted to kiss him again.<br/><br/>Even with all the anger that she felt toward him...she wanted one more kiss. Just one before she was subjected to a man who wouldn't love her, and would only touch her to create an heir, before leaving her to wither and die in some wing of the castle, taking her out when was necessary. But, she couldn't stand to look at him. Just looking into his cold eyes, his constantly rigid and set shoulders...it made her skin crawl and her blood boil.<br/><br/>Instead, she followed without complaint, not saying a word, content to merely nod at his instruction. Maria was in such a mindset when the sound of screaming kids nearly jumped her, heart thudding wildly as they came out of nowhere, hitting him with a barrage of rapid-fire questions. As she suspected, he answered them with a smile, handing them what he had and watching them go off happily. His smile even remained when he looked back at her...only to melt away, reminding her it wasn't his demeanor normally.<br/><br/>It was just her he despised.<br/><br/>With another nod, she followed suit, keeping the sigh to herself along with the eye roll, wondering what (outside turning him down days before) that could possibly have made him loathe her so much.