Those words had her smiling more than anything else prior. She could have accepted any answer for it, and been content (had he said any sentiment of not leaving); The words he chose, though, had her heart lifting, her head feeling light, and her body feeling aflame where he touched. A gentle, soft kiss was pressed into his cheek before returning her gaze to the fire, the smile ever present on her lips as a glimmer of a light made itself at home behind her eyes, light that had nothing to do with the dancing, flickering flames not far from her.<br/><br/>Brádach was proving to contradict everything that she expected of him, everything she anticipated. From the beginning, he’d been keeping her on her toes, surprised by his reactions, his demeanor, how he’d change and adapt. Miles away was the brazen, cocky man she’d met that day who treated her like property, and, in his stead, was a mature, confident and loving man who showed compassion, caring with a gentle touch. He treated her like a person, not like a thing to be toted around in heavy fabrics, or the bearer of an eventual heir. He treated her like a woman, even if he currently had to walk on egg shells due to the circumstances of her marriage.<br/><br/>And now he was saying she was a good enough reason to stay, more than good enough by his own word. She could only hope he wouldn’t live to regret that choice.<br/><br/>As her attention focused on the fire, she slowly started to drift off to sleep. The excitement of the day, of all the emotional ups and downs, was catching up to her. The lack of proper sleep had her eyes growing heavy as her body naturally started to lean into him more, that attention beginning to wane. No matter her current demeanor, she felt safe with him, safe enough to let herself sleep and not feel like someone was going to come in and make her nightmares worse.<br/><br/>“I love you, Brádach…” Maria mumbled sleepily as she curled up into his side.