Palace Grounds - Queen's Garden

Alpin visibly relaxed when he felt her hand on his shoulder, though he didn’t let go of her brother, that was, until her brother spoke again. “Ranait…” he would start only to shake his head, a growl slipping from his lips when her brother jerked out of his grip, “We had an agreement, in front of witnesses you fool!” he would say, his eyes narrowing at the other man’s idiocy. He couldn’t believe that the man was acting like this; he should be glad that his sister was getting along with the man that she was betrothed to. When she apologized to him he would frown, turning to glance at her as he was tempted to reach for her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her that it wasn’t her fault, but her brother started at it again. When he threatened to take Ranait home to Sunil he felt something snap inside of him. He was not about to let that happen.

When Alasdair reached for his sister he would shove the other man back and into a wall before he could touch her. A picture that was hanging there fell and crashed into the floor, sending glass flying everywhere though he hardly noticed. He would advance towards the man and immediately let his fist fly, not ignorant to the fact that the other man’s nose was injured. He would reach out and grab the other man by the throat, squeezing enough to let him know that he meant business, but not enough to actually choke him, “If you ever touch her again, I will have your hands cut off. If she leaves this court she will be going nowhere except Carnaghan,” he growls, “You, little boy, will learn what it means to honor your agreements,” he would say, his voice low and deadly. “If you even THINK about taking her from me again, you had better be prepared to face the consequences. Not only have a killed better men than you, but I have over a thousand men that are just aching to go to war,” he would snarl, slamming him back into the wall once again before stalking away from him and towards his sister.

He was still obviously infuriated, but when he touched her it was with the gentlest of hands. He would gently wrap her in a hug, “Love, we’re leaving now,” he would murmur softly to her, though anybody would be a fool to argue with him at this point. He would gently grab her hand before tugging her out of the room, shooting her brother one last glare before he reached the door and opened it, letting the lady exit before he did.

Alpin would immediately calm when he saw the look on her face, and she asked him to give her a moment. He watched her for a moment, trying to figure out if she was angry with him. She had to be, after what he’d done to her brother. When she stooped down to pick up glass he hurried to her side, helping her pick it up, “I’m sorry,” he murmurs quietly, actually rather contrite. After they finished cleaning it up he would move to the door, opening it for her and closing it quietly after him. “Ranait…” he would start, trying to figure out what to say only to fall silent when she caught the attention of a servant. As she was speaking he tried to come up with something to say, trying to figure what might make her feel better about what had just happened, though his mind was drawing a blank. It seemed it didn’t matter anyways, as when she finally turned to him he noticed that her hand was bleeding, followed by her saying that she had managed to bleed on him twice in one day.

He would shake his head, lost for a moment about what to do or say before slowly approaching her and wrapping his arms tightly around her, “I am so sorry, Ranait,” he would whisper into her ear, his voice sounding decidedly broken. He couldn’t believe that something he had done had caused her to get hurt, and he would likely never forgive himself for it. After a moment of simply clinging to her he would pull away again, “I don’t care about the blood,” he murmurs softly, gently grabbing her hand and peering down at it. It seemed the cut was rather deep and he was afraid that a simple bandage wouldn’t do; she might need stitches. While he had wrapped wounds before he’d never been given the honor of stitching one shut, so he would immediately call the servant back that she had sent to go clean up the Queen’s chambers.

“I need you to find a physician and have them come to my rooms, tell them to bring sutures and bandages. Also, you’re going to want to bring the lady-in-waiting some fresh clothes, and have also have a bath put together in my daughter’s room, ” he would direct the individual before turning his attention back to Ranait. He would peer at her for a moment before moving forward, sweeping his arm under her legs while supporting her back with the other, picking her up so that he could carry her towards where he had been granted rooms, “Love, I am so sorry,” he would whisper again, peering down at her face as he strode down the hall. “I didn’t mean to…” he would start only to shake his head, “He just. I really like you,” he would whisper softly, his deep voice coming out rather tormented, “And he…he was so cruel to you,” he says, closing his eyes for a moment, “I know that there’s no excuse, and I can’t promise that I won’t ever do it again, but you have to know that he deserved it,” he would say softly, clearing agonized about the entire situation. He couldn’t believe everything that had happened in the past several minutes, and was honestly quite ashamed.

“I understand if you don’t wish to marry me,” he would finally say, though he could feel a weird sort of pain starting in his chest, “But you can’t go back to your brother. If you don’t wish to marry me, then I will keep you under my protection until I can find you another suitor,” he would say, his gaze floating over her face as he tried to figure out why he would have screwed up so royally. The first woman he’d met that he had actually wanted to marry and he went and beat the crap out of her brother. And then told her that he deserved it, while letting her cut her hands on some stupid glass that he’d broken. “Okay, maybe he didn’t deserve for me to hit him, or slam him into the wall or grab his throat or any of that, but he talked to you that way, and it just…I couldn’t let him do that to you. I couldn’t let him take you away from me where he would likely torture you and then cart you off to some creep who would only do the same exact thing but a hundred times worse because he would force himself onto you,” he would start to ramble a little bit.

His last words brought back what her brother had said to him, though, and he felt even more guilty, “Not that I’m any better. I’m so sorry for kissing you,” he would say, clenching his jaw as he grew angry at himself, “I never should have done that. I should have waited until after we were married before I ever even thought about touching you. There’s no reason for it, and I am so, so sorry,” he admits, feeling like the biggest fool on the face of the earth. By that time they had reached his rooms and he would shoulder open the door, immediately moving to place her gently down in a chair before moving as far away from her as he could get, backing himself into a far corner of the room, “I promise I won’t touch you again,” he vowed, his voice breaking a little bit towards the end of his sentence. And he thought that he had honor. Taking advantage of a woman and then beating the crap out of her brother…he would be an idiot to even think that he had any honor. In the middle of his brooding a knock sounded at the door and he would immediately move to open it, ushering the physician in, “Her hand was cut on glass,” he would explain, urging the doctor to move faster towards Ranait before retreating to his corner.

Alpin truly hadn’t meant to ignore her when they were walking to the room, he just felt so horrible, and knew that he had to apologize that he wasn’t really focused on anything that the woman might say. And when they got to the room he was just so worried about getting her hand the attention that it needed, and he felt so bad about being the catalyst for her injury that he could hardly bare to allow himself to look at her, so he never noticed the pout. After the doctor had arrived and he found himself seated in his corner again he would stare up at the ceiling, lost in a silent prayer to the God that he must have angered through his actions today. It wasn’t just his betrothed that he had done this to; he had shamed himself in the eyes of God. He was in the middle of silently begging him for retribution when he felt somebody sit in his lap, immediately knowing that it was Ranait.

He would drop his gaze to her, his eyes filled with an exorbitant amount of torment, more than he had ever felt in his entire life. His first thought was to push her away, but then he remembered that he had promised to never touch her again, and would simply stare at her, trying to beg her with his eyes to move because he didn’t have the heart to actually ask her with his voice. When she started to speak about how she had no qualms about the kiss he would bite his lip, trying to figure out why she was saying this, trying to work it all out in his head. He had obviously taken advantage of her, though he couldn’t think of a reason why she would deny that fact.

When she said that if he was certain that he didn’t want to touch her until they were married he would stare at her, kind of shocked. She was still considering marrying him after all of that? Though, he didn’t get long to think about it as she brought her lips to his and kissed him sweetly, wrapping her arm around his neck. He froze, sitting as still as a statue for a moment before he finally, tentatively, kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He would succumb to the kiss, closing his eyes and letting it redeem him better than begging for forgiveness from any God would. When it was finally over he would stare at her for a moment, clenching his jaw tightly as he weighed his options before a smile finally broke out over his face. He would lean in to brush his lips gently over hers once again, “You are something else,” he would say, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. He couldn’t believe the effect that this woman had on him.

“Do me a favor and don’t tell anybody what a big baby I was over possibly losing you,” he would whisper softly, gently squeezing her in his arms as he rests his head against her chest, suddenly rather tired, though he wouldn’t let it show. “You need to get your hand taken care of,” he would murmur, though he didn’t move to allow the woman to get up, his arms still wrapped tightly around her and his head still leaning against her chest, “Once you’re done, I asked for them to arrange a bath for you in my daughter’s room. It’s the one right next door to these,” he would explain, though he still hadn’t let go of her yet. It seemed that the physician had grown impatient, though, and instead of waiting he moved to attend to her hand while she was still sitting in his lap. Which he greatly appreciated, though he was almost refusing to take his attention away from her so he didn’t thank the man just yet, figuring there would be time to do so after he was done.

When she said that she wouldn’t tell anybody he would frown, the tone of her voice suggesting that something was wrong, though he didn’t question it yet; he’d put her through so much already that he didn’t want to continue to stress her out. When she replied to him about taking a bath in his daughter’s room, and then sighed he would grin, shifting forward to gently kiss just below her ear, “Unless you’d rather bathe in here?” he would whisper into her ear, not wanting the physician to hear him and take it the wrong way. He normally would have never said something like that, but he figured that it might help to lighten the air. He had the distinct feeling that she would never agree to bathe in front of him, so he didn’t even worry about what her answer would be. When she teased him about ‘this up and down thing’ he would frown, his brows furrowing as he once again felt like a major idiot. He didn’t say anything, though, as she continued to speak and share with him about not only how it made her feel, but about the fact that she thought he might be staging the kisses and whatnot.

He really didn’t know what to say to that, though he had thought that he had proven to her that he was more honorable than that. When she spoke about how he had stiffened when she kissed him he would sigh softly, having known that it would come back to bite him in the ass sooner or later, knowing that he couldn’t just get away with something like that. Well, it seemed that it had been sooner rather than later for that one. When she apologized he would shake his head sharply, though he knew that the woman couldn’t see him. He would think for several moments about what to say, though when he finally came up with something her face was still turned away from him. He would reach up to gently cup her cheek and turn her head to face him, though when he was finally able to look upon her face he felt like swearing. “Oh, love,” he would murmur softly, leaning in to gently kiss one eye, and then the other before reaching up with one hand to gently wipe away her tears, still holding onto her tightly with the other.

“I don’t mean to confuse you. I was just…you’re right. I was terrified. I thought that you would hate me for striking your brother, and I thought that you agreed with him that I had taken advantage of you,” he would admit, his chest throbbing in pain. “I stiffened when you kissed me because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. I had promised that I would never touch you again, but then you came to me and kissed me and I was terribly confused,” he says softly, letting his gaze flick to his lap. “And I didn’t mean to ignore you, I really didn’t. I just knew that I had to apologize to you and I wasn’t focusing on anything other than trying to make you forgive me,” he admitted. “I would never stage a kiss to make somebody feel better about marrying me,” he continued. That accusation actually really hurt him, though he wasn’t quite sure why, “I truly did enjoy kissing you earlier, and only a few minutes ago. I can’t…I honestly can’t believe you would even think that. If I had staged kissing you why would I not let your brother take you away from me? Why would I hit him?” he would ask, his eyes searching her face as if he would find the answer there.

“I’ve never, ever felt this way before, either,” he would admit, resting his forehead gently against Ranait’s, “I just want what’s best for you,” he would murmur softly, knowing that he must sound absolutely crazy. He’d only known the woman for less than a day, and he was already calling her love and claiming that he had feelings for her. He wondered if it was supposed to happen this way, that whole falling in love thing that he’d heard so much about. It didn’t seem much like falling to him, though. It felt more like stumbling and crashing and burning.

When she said that she didn’t think he was taking advantage of her he would smile softly, shifting forward to kiss her cheek when she said that there was a part of her that was happy that he’d hit her brother and spirited her away, “I’m glad that you’re not upset with me, then,” he murmurs, a goofy grin spreading over his face. He felt so odd, and not himself, acting this way towards a woman, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. It was almost like he didn’t have a clear head around the woman, it was definitely different and he wasn’t sure that he liked it. But, he figured he would just have to try to find a way to work around it, because there was no way that he was going to leave her. Upon hearing her tell him that she’d known that he had enjoyed kissing her he couldn’t help but laugh softly, “I’m just glad that you feel comfortable enough to share your feelings with me,” he would assure her, letting out a rather content sigh when she kissed his cheek before laying her head on his shoulder. He would reach up to gently brush his fingers through her hair, careful to avoid any knots or tangles that might have accumulated thanks to her getting her hair wet and not brushing it before it dried.

When she lifted her head from his shoulder he would smile gently at her, nuzzling gently into the hand that was brushing over his cheek. When she leaned in to kiss him he would close his eyes, gently kissing her back, though he would frown slightly when he heard her sigh, “What’s wrong?” he would ask, his brows furrowing as he gently brushes his hand over her back. She sighed often, instead of just telling him what was wrong and while any other person might find it annoying, or even irritating, he merely thought of it as adorable. Shortly after, though, she would say that she had to take a bath and he would grin, “I suppose,” he would say with mock disappointment. He really wanted to spend more time with her, but he also knew that she would feel a lot better for having taken a bath.

When she spoke again he would frown, his brows furrowing as he tried to figure out what was wrong. He was completely oblivious until she spoke again, which caused laughter to bubble out from between his lips, “Well…” he would start, a cheeky grin taking place on his face as he wraps his arms tightly around her once again, “I could always help you,” he would say, winking playfully at her. He really meant it though, if she needed, or wanted his help he would definitely be willing to oblige. Hell, what man wouldn’t want to help his betrothed bathe? But he knew that it might make her uncomfortable, so he would laugh softly, “Or, if you’d rather I didn’t help you I’m pretty sure I can find somebody. My daughter should be napping, so one of her caregivers might be available,” he would offer.

When he heard her say that she was just so tired that she didn’t care who helped her he would laugh softly, shifting to gently press a kiss to her temple. He figured she would soon regret her statement, but he wasn’t about to comment on it. He knew that his daughter’s caregivers only got one break during the day, and that’s when she was napping, so he would feel kind of bad asking one of them to help Ranait. Not to mention the fact that he was perfectly capable and willing to help. When she said that she wasn’t sure that she had the energy to move he would smile lightly, “Sure you do,” he would murmur softly, though he didn’t let her go. Upon hearing her comment about him being a comfortable place to curl up on he would laugh, “I would willingly let you nap on me at any time,” he would assure her, grinning.

When she said once again that she needed a bath, and then said that it meant he would have to let go of her he would laugh, “Not necessarily,” he would say, leaning in to gently kiss her nose before shifting one arm beneath her legs and the other around her back once again. He would grin at her again before standing and clutching her tightly to his chest. He had to admit that he really liked carrying her, though it was more in response to the fact that she had said that he would have to let go of her. He just had to prove her wrong, “See?” he would ask with a grin before moving out of his room and into the hall, walking down a bit before once again shouldering open a door and entering, though he did so much quieter than he had the last couple of times. He would glance over towards the bed, a soft smile dancing over his lips as he saw his young daughter curled up in the center, clutching a small stuffed toy.

He would shake his head lightly before crossing through the room and entering another door into a sitting room that had, apparently, been turned into more of a play room. All sorts of little toys were strewn about the floor, though there was in fact a tub set in the middle of all the chaos. He couldn’t help but laugh softly, “She does like to play,” he would comment with a shake of his head before moving to gently set Ranait down on her feet beside the tub. “Careful, we’ve gotta be quiet. If she wakes she’ll come running in and demand us to play with her. We’ll be stuck for hours and you’ll never get your bath,” he would tease softly before moving to help her start unlacing her dress. He was careful not to actually touch her, though, not wanting to do anything inappropriate though he was definitely tempted.

Alpin would watch quietly when she stepped away from him and settled into the tub, biting his lip as he tried to keep himself under control. He didn’t know how hard it was going to be to help a beautiful young lady bathe without while also managing to not be inappropriate about it. He knew right then that he was going to struggle. When she ducked her head underneath the water and then resurfaced he would immediately move, snatching up a sheet and gently wiping it over her eyes, knowing that she shouldn’t get her bandage or her stitches wet. When she turned to look at him and said that this was the part that she needed help with he would stare at her, his lips parting for a moment when she said that she couldn’t soap herself.

Despite claiming to be intelligent, he hadn’t really known that he’d actually have to do that, he figured it was more helping her in and out of the tub, scrubbing her back, etc. The sight of her blush proved that she was thinking the same exact thing and he would merely laugh, “I knew you were going to regret accepting my help,” he would laugh and shake his head before moving to kneel down beside the tub. He would grab the soap that had been left there, dipping it in the water before lathering his hands and moving to gently start rubbing his fingers through her hair, being careful to avoid the spot that she’d hit earlier while scrubbing her scalp. When he was finished rubbing the soap into her hair he would rinse his hands before tilting her chin up and grabbing the pitcher, filling it from the bath water and gently pouring it over her hair, shielding her eyes with his other hand.

Once he was finished washing her hair he would bite his lip gently as he looked at her, “Uhm. Don’t punch me,” he would say with a laugh, “I’m really not going to touch you with bad intentions. I’m just going to help you clean up,” he would nod, assuring her that he wasn’t going to take advantage of the situation before picking up the soap and getting back to work. He tried to hurry while at the same time being gentle, though he felt that he took much longer than he should have. Once he was all done though he would laugh softly, almost nervously before moving to help her stand. Afterwards he would quickly grab the sheet and wrap it tightly around her, helping her step from the tub before looking around the room. He frowned as he realized that the servant hadn’t yet brought the woman a clean set of clothing.

“Oh lord…” he would sigh with a shake of his head, “I’ll be right back,” he assured her before moving to quietly exit the room. He would flag down a servant and demand that Ranait’s clothes be brought to his daughter’s room before moving to his own. He would quickly search through his chest before finding an old kilt and a shirt that she would be able to wear while she waited for somebody to bring her clothes. He would quickly bring the clothing back to her, smiling sheepishly when he entered his daughter’s sitting room once again. “So, this was the only thing I could find…” he would say with a shrug before handing it to her, “I asked a servant to bring you clothes but…I don’t know when that’s going to happen,” he would admit with a shrug before turning around so that she could have some privacy while she dressed. Which was quite hilarious, because he had just helped her bathe.