<span style="color: #FF0000">The slap stung, which impressed him, a small bit. The look in her eyes, it was like a storm on the horizon churning and waiting for the moment when it can be unleashed. That day, it would be memorable and he hoped that he could be there for it, or better yet the cause of it. With a final glance to the King he turned and to leave, â€œFirst lightâ€ is all he said as he left. <br/><br/>That night, plans were made in secret with the driver of her caravan and the whole carriage itself was outfitted and rigged for the carrying out of the plans. At first he stood outside the castle with the caravan, the horse borrowed from the stables seemed like a fine one. Time had been taken to check its legs and overall condition, BrÃ¡dach more than satisfied that it would serve him well in the time to come. <br/><br/>Now, all there was to wait for them to get their asses in gear. The sooner this was done and over with, the sooner he would be back in his woods. </span><br/><br/>Sleep didn't come easy for her that night, staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, each minute ticking by at a snail's pace, the moon's rise and fall told by the sliver of light through her window. And, for what it was worth, she no longer dreaded the marriage...at least, not as much as the trip over. With<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>and his comments. His arrogant demeanor. His â€œstupidâ€ complexion.<br/><br/>And, despite his asking for simpler dress (the one point they both agreed on), Simprina and her ladies-in-waiting weren't allowing it. â€œThe Prince will see you when you get there; We can't have you looking like you rolled around in the muck. You must look as presentable there when you arrive as you do here. It's your duty.â€<br/><br/>It was funny how they equated looks to duty, but she didn't comment on it, allowing her mind to wander as they got her ready. They didn't forgo the corset, much to her dismay, smushing her into it as they had the previous day, laces tighter than usual as though she wasn't about to ride across countries. Heaps of silk, golden with hues of green, were fitted about her, and then her hair was done.<br/><br/>The only thing they left off were her jewels, though she suspected that was only because everything was packed.<br/><br/>Cloak pulled on and fastened, her heels already on, she was escorted outside into the breaking dawn's light, eyes only a fraction narrowed at the brightness that she was met with...and it took everything she had not to narrow them further when she caught BrÃ¡dach.<span style="font-style: italic">You can do this. You'll just sit in the coach and ride. You don't even have to see him; Just draw the curtain closed.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Of course. No one listened to him, the expert, the man hired to do the job. What sense would that make? Obviously, none. At leas they were on time, that he could still be thankful for as he checked the straps of the saddle on his grey mare before he approached the lot. <br/><br/>All the while he spoke, his eyes had been on the guard detail that had been assigned to her. As far as he was concerned she was nothing but a package to be transported and handed off. Whatever she might think she had to say, it would be of no importance.  <br/> <br/>â€œGet her loaded and we can be on our way,â€ then turned to leave to see back to the rest of the group.</span><br/><br/>The King said his goodbyes to her before she'd left the building, documents and the like needing to be prepared to make sure all was settled with the Sirmians. So, the ranger could be thankful to know that he wasn't around to hear his remark, treating her as little more than refuse that needed to be tied to a mule and carted off.<br/><br/>As it was, he got a look from her, as well as her ladies-in-waiting, as well as the guard themselves. There were several spoken apologies for his remark, as well as his general attitude, assuring her he was the best they could find and that he'd do the job required.<br/><br/>Simprina gave her a hug, before helping her dress into the carriage, wishing her well on her journey. There had been talk that she would be going along with her, but the Sirmians were very specific in that regard, only trusting the Princess to keep from committing treason, so the idea had been turned down. Just the same, it was probably better that way. While Simprina was amazing at knowing how to style hair and memorizing names, she came across like a dolt...which was exactly what Maria<span style="font-style: italic">didn't</span>need.<br/><br/>The door closed behind her, curtains drawn after her last look, she relaxed as much as she could into the seat. Three days. Three days of this, and then she'd be a prisoner of a new cell, one made of stone and unyielding. At least this would afford her a view, should she choose to indulge.<br/><br/>The company, on the other hand, she could live without.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">When she was loaded and secured he mounted up, his horse pulled up beside the carriage, â€œAlright! Let's go!â€ <br/><br/>And with that the command was given and the whole circus was underway. For him it could not have been sooner, already he was annoyed. With all that she wore he was certain they would be stopping before noon, as she would overheat and faint or something of that nature. At least they were on the road at last, out on the roads and in the world that was his and his alone. Others might call themselves explorers and rangers, but none of them were The Ranger. He knew the lands better than any and when he was within them, surrounded by them, he felt at home. <br/><br/>The day wore on without a hitch, though more than once the driver had glanced nervously behind himself. As if he were looking for something, or waiting for something. Either way his actions were noted and he was now watched. Still, the sun slowly disappeared and BrÃ¡dach called for a stop for the night. A campsite found and fire made, soon there was even a nice stew being made over the fire. <br/><br/>While the other's ate and talked quietly,  BrÃ¡dach hung back, out of the firelight knife in hand while he sharpened its edge on his whetstone. There was something, wrong in the woods, it did not feel right and he wanted to be prepared should something happen.</span><br/><br/>Heat. That was something she wasn't used to anymore. Being in the castle walls as frequently as she had been, she didn't often venture out where heat could get her. Within the cold stones, everything was safe from the direct sun's light, keeping the inside cool, refreshing, and keeping it warm in the winter months.<br/><br/>Worse still, she had nothing, no form of entertainment. Simprina had been kind enough to allow her needlepoint, the most loathsome of all "tasks" she was allowed as a princess. It was mind-numbing work, taking hours and hours to complete even the smallest of details. Yes, she had patience, but not that much.<br/><br/>It remained untouched in the seat next to her.<br/><br/>Instead, she occasionally looked out the window, deciding it was too stifling to have the carriage curtains drawn. Familiar hills rolled by, eyes scanning, willing time to go by faster. At some point, she drifted off, the previous night's lack of sleep and her early start catching up to her. The sound of the hooves and the chirps of birds had worked like a pleasant white noise, allowing her to drift off.<br/><br/>Next thing she knew, the carriage had been stopped, guards staying with her while food was prepared. Only when it was ready did they have her leave the confines of her self-proclaimed safe haven, serving her a bowl as she perched on a makeshift stool. The task of eating, balancing on the stool and breathing was a difficult one, but she managed, listening idly to the chatter as one of the men continually checked on her; Apparently a glazed over expression did little to assure them she were fine, so she feigned enthusiasm in the conversation, not having anything to add to it.<br/><br/>Smiling and nodding.<br/><br/>But she was tired, her eyes remaining heavy, her chest struggling to pull in a deeper breath. Oblivious to anything feeling off, save for what she'd already been feeling: mildly depressed with a touch of wary.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">As the meal drew to an end, the men were instructed to gather the remnants of the meal to be added to the stew for tomorrow. His silent steps carried him over to where she sat and he made himself at home and comfortable, long before the guards thought to react or even more. <br/><br/>"This whole lot is sloppy," he remarked as he scoffed. "I could have gutted you and been back on the road, long before they even had time to scratch their balls, let alone draw their swords," he said as he looked over at her.  "Then one has to wonder, would they really lay down their lives for a princess they are only going to hand over to their enemy?"<br/><br/>He huffed and stood, " Keep a closer eye tonight. We are not alone." With that remark he walked back over to his spot to settle in for the night. If whoever was out there was smart, they would wait till they were on the road to attack. Confronting a ranger in the woods was just asking to be stabbed in the back and have your throat slit before you knew what hit you. <br/><br/>They would all see just how smart their pursuers were. </span><br/><br/>It felt like the longest meal of her life, and she'd been through her fair share of long meals. She had nothing to contribute, knew nothing of what they spoke of nor their brand of jokes. She felt out of place, cut off, surrounded by a plethora of men, none of whom she trusted enough to "let her hair down" with.<br/><br/>Maria was still a princess, and they were still her servants, more or less. Any lacking in decorum would be unseemly.<br/><br/>Vaguely, she was aware of it sitting next to her, his abrasive air weighing down on her, even though he remained silent for a while, only to jump, startled, at his sudden outburst. What made it worse, was she could see why they may not defend her... Sure, they'd sworn to do so, but to give yourself over to the enemy, willingly--or so was said--in fact, it left a sour taste in many a Veruan's mouth.<br/><br/>But, unlike the rest, she wasn't kept outside. Her guard put her back in her carriage, to lay out on her seats, wrapped up in her cloak, praying she'd keep breathing with the constraint of the corset. All the while, his words echoed in her head, before shoving them off as a cocky remark, equating it to him throwing his weight around. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd started something with her guard.<br/><br/>She doubted it would be the last.