She screamed.<br/><br/>Or, she tried to scream, but all the air had left her lungs as she watched BrÃ¡dach rush to cut one of them off. It would have been ear-piercing, blood-curdling, something that would have carried well outside the room and into the other rooms, into the street, if only because of how shocked she was by the development. It was a natural response, a natural response that she'd have regretted when it loosed, if only because it could have been distracting.<br/><br/>Thankfully, there was no air left in her lungs, so there was no sound. Nothing to distract him and potentially make everything that much worse.<br/><br/>And then it all became a sort of blur...<br/><br/>Where he'd seemed fully capable a moment before, he was getting overtaken. It took two men to hold him in place, while another punched him over and over, before wrenching his head back. Everything else seemed to vanish, melting away into oblivion, as fearful, violet eyes honed in on the man, on the way his teeth glistened with each movement of his lips, with each word he practically spewed out of his mouth. Had the circumstances been different, she may have been merely appalled, and trusted that whomever was guarding her would take care of it.<br/><br/>That was also before the rest of her guard had forsaken her, before she was dragged through the forest by a man who'd loathed her, before they'd spoken, and before they...<br/><br/>It was then that an idea started to form in her mind, an idea she'd never have considered for anyone else, but after what just happened... If it was her they wanted, then it was her they'd get. It wasn't as though the idea was one she wanted. She detested the idea of being touched, of being used in such a way. The very thought alone had bile rising in her throat, the shivers of a coming gag causing her to preemptively recoil.<br/><br/>But if it meant he could possibly be spared...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I have nothing to go back to and I'm not going <span style="font-weight: bold">to</span> anything I want to go to. The minute I gave myself to him, I signed my own certificate of death. At least, by my doing this, maybe they-</span><br/><br/>Whatever thought she would have finished, body itching to jump up and throw herself at one of them was gone as she watched BrÃ¡dach suddenly fight back. Even when she thought the other would get her, the flash of a knife catching her attention more than the rest, he made it. Her heart skipped beats, her body shaking, hand a vice-like grip in his while she clumsily avoided the scattering of bodies, fairly tripping over one in her haste to avoid another.<br/><br/>Then came the window.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Jump?! Are you insane?!</span>Her eyes widened and she started shaking her head, only to have another thought come in and cut the motion off.<span style="font-style: italic">He hasn't steered you wrong yet...</span>Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced herself out the window, a scream welling up in her throat that she barely managed to hold in, scaring herself when the prickles of hay met her bare skin. She hadn't even managed to open her eyes yet when he fell in beside her, yanking her hand and pulling her along.<br/><br/>Everything was overwhelming, her mind trying to catch up to what'd happened and where they were going to go now, not even registering how naked they both were and what could be deduced from such. And, had he not pulled her with him to see the inn-keep, she'd have continued to be oblivious (about the nudity, at least). Focusing more on what was handed her, she yanked the clothing on, not caring how poorly it fit so long as it fit, her feet practically swimming in the boots, but it was better than running on stones. Better than being naked.<br/><br/>Better than any circumstance they'd hit thus far.<br/><br/>She followed after him, oblivious to the world around them as her heart beat wildly in her ears. It drown out any other noise, except her frantic breaths a she struggled to keep up. Running for all she was worth to keep up with his strides, she kept at it, only to nearly trip as the arrow whizzed past, and then stumbling further as she was yanked in front of him. There was the sound of more arrows, but she didn't see where they landed, barely able to keep track of her immediate surroundings.<br/><br/>When they got to the horse however, and he turned around, her breath rushed from her lips in a flurry as a sound escape. What the sound was was something akin to being horrified, like a scream, but strangled. Arrows. Arrows out of his back. Three arrows. She couldn't understand how he was even still able to move, let alone pull her up and kick the horse off.<br/><br/>Shaking her head, she tried to turn around, to tell him they needed to attend to his arrows, but he wasn't responding. What glimpses she caught of his eyes, once startling blue, were dulling, were distant. But, she didn't have enough room to turn around and get him to focus, either, not without worrying she'd knock him off in her efforts.<br/><br/>All she could do...was wait, and pray he'd be alright.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He had to get her to safety, had to get her...away. It was the only thought that was on his mind. In truth it was the one thing he could focus on at the moment and even that had begun to get difficult. The horse ran on without much urging, as if it could sense the danger. By the time it slowed to a trot BrÃ¡dach was barely conscious. Which was fortunate, because that meant it did not hurt as much when he slipped from the saddle and fell to the floor. <br/><br/>Face in the dirt, he struggled to breathe, struggled to get his eyes to focus on anything at all. â€œMa..Maria...â€ he groaned softly, his arms felt so weak and heavy while he tried to push himself up. â€œMaria...run....get...away....,â€ on his stomach now he could feel the now cold wetness where the blood from his knife wound soaked into his shirt. He just needed to stay awake long enough to get her to safety, to tell her how to get out of there. Then....then he could sleep and rest. <br/><br/>â€œMaria....go...go...North....â€ he mumbled and continued to struggle in an effort to get up.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">He's not listening. Oh god, he's not listening,</span>she thought panicked, trying to get some sort of a response out of him, something more than the increasingly shallow breaths he was taking. She didn't care about getting away if it meant he was going to get more and more hurt in the process. All she could think about was how he was going under, how each jarring of the horse was likely moving the arrows around that she couldn't get to.<br/><br/>Him falling had her heart falling, practically falling off the horse herself in her haste to get to him. Shaking hands tried to roll him over to his side, tried to help him get up and more comfortable, but he could barely help himself and he was too heavy. He'd managed to get himself up at least a fraction, but there was so much blood.<span style="font-style: italic">So much blood...</span>And his voice was so faint, she could barely hear him, hands gripping him to try and help.<br/><br/>"BrÃ¡dach, I'm not leaving you," she replied hastily, her voice shaky, trying to stave off the panic she was feeling. "Tell me what to do. Tell me how I need to remove the arrows and...and seal your wounds. Tell me what to do; Anything but leave, just please!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-style: italic">Why was she still there? She had to go! To get away! </span><br/><br/>â€œNo....Maria....no time....you....you....go....go...North....safe....sa...â€ his head swam and he slumped further to the floor. The taste of dirt tickled his tongue and there was nothing he could do to remove that taste, because at the moment he could barely breathe. If they still had his pack, his gear...then maybe they could have done something. But there was nothing that could be done, she had to get away. He would just attract dogs with his blood, with his scent and then they would....<br/><br/>No. He would not let that happen. Would not let them....hurt her. <br/><br/>â€œMaria....North....go....North!â€ it took all of his strength now to just speak, to breathe. â€œNorth....only....10 miles...should be...town....go....safe....â€he muttered, the world was dark and cold now. So cold.</span><br/><br/>"Don't you dare die on me!" she shouted at him, the tears streaming down her face as she tried to roll him over, to get his face out of the dirt. She'd have gone about yanking his arrows out had she not been afraid he'd bleed out faster. "I'm not leaving you! I won't! I'm going to get you help somehow, and you'll live through this! Just please don't die on me!"<br/><br/>By now the tears were heavily flowing, hands putting pressure on the only wound she could without removing something, shaking as she tried to get him to hang on. "P-Please don't! Just-Just hang on for me! Please!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">â€œMaria....â€ he reached for her but only managed to touch her face, â€œI...I...I'm sorry. I...I....â€ The effort to talk was too much now and all he really wanted to do was sleep. It felt right, to just close his eyes and sleep. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Tired. So Tired.</span><br/><br/>The ground beneath him rumbled and he thought that it was the ground about to open up and swallow him down into the fiery pit of an afterlife for all of the bad he had done. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Maria....</span><br/><br/><br/>The rumble turned out to be a group of knights, sent by the Prince of Sirmia. Word had gotten to them via bird, about her own guards and how they abandoned her on the road. As if to show he cared, the knights were dispatched to save his beloved fiance. The group of ten strong, some of the finest their land had to offer, charged up to where Maria knelt beside BrÃ¡dach. Their armor gleamed in the light, their horses danced with unspent energy while they encircled Maria and BrÃ¡dach. <br/><br/>â€œState your name! What business do you have in these woods?!â€ the apparent officer in charge demanded from atop his horse.</span><br/><br/>His touch was met with her cheek leaning into him, devastated when it fell limp, the weight of it too much for him to take. A strangled sob broke free then, trying to get him to stay with her, to stay awake, to not give into the sleep, the rest. But what could she do? What could she say to keep him awake? He was fading too fast.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">So much blood...</span><br/><br/>The rumbling then caught her attention, blood-shot eyes searching for the reason, ready to fight off an attack should it be necessary, but it turned out to be,<span style="font-style: italic">GUARDS?!</span><br/><br/>They couldn't have come at a better time, practically hastening to her feet while trying to lift BrÃ¡dach's form--to no avail--rattling off her name, her business, and her demand. "Maria Antonia Daniella Angelique, Princess of Veruu, betrothed to the Ivor Emyr Gareth Reece, Prince of Sirmia." It was said as fast as she could before delving into what mattered. "BrÃ¡dach is my guard! He's badly injured and in need of medical attention!" As though she could order them around, she expected it done or there'd be hell to pay. "Now!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">For a moment the guard merely looked from her, then to the man on the ground, his horse kept in control with expert precision. Then he signaled his men forward, two dismounted to tend to  BrÃ¡dach, while he urged his horse forward and reached down for her. â€œThey will see to him, but you are to come with me to our camp, now. This is no place for our future Queen and we need to make sure that you are safe,â€ his hand remained held out for her as he waited for her to take it.</span><br/><br/>If he stared at her any longer, she'd...throw dirt at him, or something, growing wildly irritated that they hadn't jumped to aid sooner. Thankfully, he finally got it through his head that it was as she said, and she took the offered hand.<br/><br/>The ride was a slightly awkward one, with the way the spikes of his armor kept jabbing into her, but they eventually reached the camp. Hastening her into a tent, they got her food, drink, better clothing to change into so she didn't look like a heathen. She went through the motions, not overly hungry as she continued to worry about how he was doing, and if he'd survive, putting on the dress and only sparing a quick thought of how happy she was they weren't forcing her into a corset just yet.<br/><br/>And then they were off. She continually asked for an update, but she would get shrugged off, and decided it was best to stop asking so vehemently. It was bad enough that she and he had done something forbidden, punishable by death, but the last thing she needed was for them to start<span style="font-style: italic">thinking</span>that's what they'd done. Instead, she merely kept an ear open, just in case, while going through the motions, eventually brought to the castle to meet her betrothed.<br/><br/>The entire walk in, she felt like her heart was hammering a mile a minute. She wasn't dressed as she'd normally be, the dress more presentable than she was, surely, but not up to the standard she was accustomed to. Her hair had been combed out and simply twisted, so it was out of the way. Her body was nervous to meet the Prince, but her mind? Her mind was more focused on whether or not BrÃ¡dach was alive.<br/><br/>A quiet breath, eyes drifting closed for a moment, and then the doors opened, led in to meet her future husband, with her usual mantra playing in her head, even if a bit...altered.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">This is what needs to be done.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">They had found her. Ioan had came to him and informed him of the news, though the prince was not sure how he felt about the girl having made it out of the woods alive. The whole show of the rescue party, had been just that, a show. He had not expected to find her and had informed Ioan of that himself, but here they were. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Why did Ioan have to be so good at his job?</span><br/><br/>Ivor allowed himself to be dressed, his robes simple and comfortable for this current encounter. When it was all said and done he went to meet his future wife. <br/><br/>Head held high, he entered the silent hall and forced a look of relief on his face, â€œMy lady.â€ His voice rung clear throughout the hall as he approached her, his hand taking her own which he was quick to bow over and plant a small kiss. â€œI am so pleased that you are unharmed. When word reached us of what had befallen you, we were all grief stricken. I am so relieved that you are here now,â€ he still held her hand, his eyes on her own while he smiled and looked for all the world like the relieved fiance. <br/><br/>â€œI hope that my Knights treated you well?â€ he began to walk her off toward another set of doors. â€œIoan is the champion of our city, my personal bodyguard. He volunteered himself to go in search of you,â€ he spoke almost sweetly while they walked. Though his mind flashed back to how that discussion had went between them. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> â€œI have to go, I am the best that we have and the only choice to go and rescue her. If I don't go people will question, people will talk and that is not something that you can afford Ivor.</span><br/><br/>â€œYour future subjects have been on the edge of their seats waiting for word on your well being,â€ he continued and paused before the doors. â€œI hope you don't mind us doing a small appearance to ease their worry and instill faith back in the peace that has been made between our Kingdoms?â€</span><br/><br/>He was...everything she wasn't expecting, if she allowed herself to admit it. Though, he wasn't as short in stature (nor as thin) as she expected, something about him was just...different. He appeared far more laid back, hair hanging loosely about his face. His clothes weren't as embellished and refined as her own kingdom's had always been, whether at a formal event or not. "You never know who will appear at your gates," was her father's saying. They were always just this side of ball attire.<br/><br/>For the men, the only thing that really changed were the adding of pins and medals, and sashes; Or the type of crown, if you were her father. For the women, more elaborate fabrics, more jewelry, higher shoes, and a different crown for herself.<br/><br/>Her steps slowed as he bridged the gap, allowing for her hand to be taken, listening to his heartfelt words with a sense of guilt. As happy as he appeared to see her safe, she wasn't happy to be there. She put a small smile on her lips, nodding in response to his question about the knights, and remaining silent until she absolutely had to.<br/><br/>An appearance so soon wasn't what she'd expected, and not so under-dressed. Her eyes widened a fraction, but she hesitantly nodded; It wasn't as though she could turn him down, not when this was his kingdom and not her own. "I don't mind, m'lord," came her demure, quiet voice, just as she'd been taught. "I'd be honored to instill faith and ease worries."<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He smiled and kissed her hand once more, â€œYou are most accommodating, M'lady.â€ Words were soft spoken, nearly tender, his eyes ever on her own. Then with a gesture of his hand, the doors were opened and while still hand in hand they walked out onto the balcony, into the sun amidst a roar from the people below. <br/><br/>The smile he wore shifted to a more excited one, more enthusiastic while he waved and at his subjects below. Then with all the grace and dignity that any prince would possess he stepped to the side, bowed to Maria and presented her to what would be her future subjects. The applause from the crowd grew in volume, though one could not think that was possible. Cheers and shouts of joy rose up at the sight of, not only their future Queen, but the very future of their Kingdom. This marriage would end a war that all had suffered under and that all were tired of. This was their last hope at ever living in a time without death, pain and despair. <br/><br/>Ivor allowed for them to fawn over their future Queen for a few moments before he raised his hands and instantly the crowd died down. <br/><br/>â€œMy subjects....my beloved people,â€ at the change in wording another cheer rose up, though they were quick to fall silent as they waited for him to speak. â€œToday our future joins us, finally after a long a perilous journey across the land,â€ he looked to Maria and smiled. â€œShe faced countless foes, odds that we can only imagine, on her own after her guards abandoned her,â€ boos and hisses rose up at the mention of her abandonment. â€œFought against death itself, for one reason and one reason only,â€ the crowd seemed to fall into an even heavier silence, while he paused  to build the tension. â€œYou. Each and everyone of you. For her future subjects and the people from her homeland, the beautiful and courageous Princess Maria risked her very life because she believed in what we are trying to do. Because she believed in ensuring that you all could rest without fear of war, without fear of death, but instead with hope, love and peace. Princess Maria is the Savior of us all!â€ <br/><br/>The applause that followed put the previous applause to shame without contest and it continued even as the Prince signaled to his guards who began to toss money out into the crowds. â€œTonight the whole city shall celebrate the future! Celebrate our new beginning!â€ <br/><br/>With those last words he offered her his arm and together they returned back inside, â€œThat was fun, huh?â€ he asked her with a bit of excitement. â€œThey love you now and I will have bards roam the streets to tell all of your journey and how you made it here on your own with nothing but your promise of peace to motivate you,â€ he waved a servant over who carried a tray with two golden goblets of wine. â€œShall we have a small refreshment before this evening's dinner? It is from my private stock, the very best in the kingdom,â€ his tone having been excited and friendly the whole time. â€œTomorrow you can speak to the people directly, after you have properly rested.â€</span>