Consequences

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

Naturally there had been no argument or hesitation when Melchiah had ordered her to leave the room. All she could think of as she stepped out from behind Grayson was that this moment could very well be the last she ever saw him. She wanted to reach out and take hold of his hand again, if only for a moment, but knew the Melchiah's rage would be uncontainable were she to so blatantly defy him.

Eyes never lifted as she hurried past both of them and out into the hallway. A few braver servants lingers nearby, a few she suspected were her brother's spies come to see if what they suspected had been true. She didn't meet their eyes either, just kept going and didn't stop until she'd reached the comfort of her room.

Her first instinct once the door was closed behind her was to throw herself on the bed and cry until there was nothing left. She'd brought this on herself by allowing any feelings for Grayson to become more than secrets buried in the deepest reaches of her heart. By allowing him a glimpse, showing him just what he meant to her. She refrained from doing so, uncertain of how long it would be before Melchiah arrived at her door. She had no doubts that this would happen simply because she knew her brother.

Though he'd never told her outright that he disliked her association with Grayson it was clear enough that because he wasn't fond of the man that she should keep her distance as well. It was how it had always been but Meg hadn't been able to help herself. There was so much allure, so much warmth and promise where Grayson was involved and she couldn't help loving him. So in assisting him, in speaking with him, in caring for him while he was injured and fever wrought, in showing kindness, she would punished for it. She had disobeyed unspoken rules.

Crossing her arms over her chest to ward off an unexpected chill she moved to stand by the hearth within which a fire crackled merrily. Despite the warmth it emanated she could not chase away the cold that had settled. The cold dread that came with the knowledge of defeat.

[Melchiah Bryant Vasser]

He could feel the heat of his skin creeping up his neck and into his cheeks. Damn it was hard being pleasant. Even if it was a farse. He turned his back to the door, pulling a cloth from his pocket. A swipe over his sweat beaded brown and it was shoved back into its place. Three pairs of eyes stare widely at the flushed faced Melchiah.

"Get back to work or I shall give you reason to lay down." He grunted, shoving past a fear frozen butler. Clearly they didn't have enough to do. He'd have to see to that issue in the morning. Double the chores. Yes, that should keep them busy enough to keep out of his way.

The young man was tearing through the halls like a bat out of hell. Arms held tightly against his sides, both fists held so tightly he could swear he felt blood pooling. This walk seemed even longer than the last. Each step was another nail in his side. Maegwen was no doubt already in her room sobbing away into her pillow. When he reached her room, he didn't knock. She didn't deserve a knock. Creeping behind his back like a garden snake. After all he had done. Years of protection and this is how she thanked him? Melchiah didn't have a word for what he was feeling. Anger didn't seem like enough.

He practically threw the door open. Black eyes darted about, narrowing more once they found her. With no warning the door slammed shut and was walking toward her. Melchiah rose his hand. Using the movement of his steps to follow through in a back handed slap intended for her cheek. He breathed in bellows, shoulders rising and falling with the tension in his chest.

His hand lowered slowly to his side. The stone glare on his face relaxing slightly. "I'll allow you to speak first. " Taking the seat nearest to him, he leaned back, lacing his fingers under his chin.

"Don't make me regret it." A deep breath was taken. His teeth were clenched behind his half smiling lips.

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

The sound of the door slamming into the opposite wall jolted Maegwen from her morose thoughts. The sound of it slamming closed again had her cringing inside even as her head snapped towards the source of the disturbance. She wasn't surprised to see Melchiah, what did surprise her was the anger at which he approached her. Almost as though he'd caught the two of them in some carnal act instead of standing in the middle of the room. Certainly under the circumstances Gray's lack of proper dress could be dismissed?

The blow came with too little time to avoid and had it not been for the high backed stuff chair to her left she would have wound up on the floor such was the force of the blow. She clung to the thing for a moment as if it were the only safe thing in the room. Tears spilled easily from her eyes, eyes she could not lift to meet those of her brother.

There was no doubt in her mind that his blazed with anger, she could feel them boring into her even as she lifted her hand to her cheek. It was on fire and she choked back a grimace when her fingers found a spot too sensitive for touch just then. She could taste blood and assumed she'd simply bit her tongue. She'd seen her brother strike servants and the like but she had never been on the receiving end of such brutal punishment.

Speak? He wanted her to speak? What did he wish her to say? "I'm sorry, Melchiah," she whispered hoarsely, her jaw aching. She was sorry though not for the reasons one might assume. She was sorry that he'd found out and thus had been disappointed in her but she was not sorry for loving Grayson. "N-nothing has happened..." she added though she was reminded of the gentle kisses he'd laid against her palms just moments before Melchiah had burst in on them. The words Grayson had spoken would be her light in the forthcoming darkness.

[Melchiah Bryant Vasser]

The palm of his hand was throbbing. Had he really stuck her so hard? With the moments rage he couldn't remember. The room was far to dim to get a good look at her just yet. No matter. What was done was done. The vice in his chest had yet to release.

"N-nothing has happened..."

Melchiah scoffed. "Tell me, should it had been any other man that was brought to our doorstep, would you have been just as inclined to wait on him hand and foot?" Hands pulled from under his chin, separating to grip both arms of his chair. " Is this man really worth provoking me? If anyone else was to pull such a stunt....." He trailed off unable to stomach the words. Air escaped his flared nostrils in quick short exhales.

" Maegwen." He sighed, forcing himself to relax. "I am many things, but I am your brother first and foremost. The way in which I handle things may seem cruel, but I have your best interest in mind." Should anyone that didn't know Melchiah wander by, they might have passed him off as a decent human being. Calm, perhaps even sincere.

" Has he said he loves you? Promised a life long emotion to which he'd be devoted? I've spent years trying to keep men like him away from you. False hopes masked with pleasing words. I can't believe you of all people were taken in by them."

He slumped back into his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. " You remind me so much of our Mother." Sadness gripped his voice. " It worries me."

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

For a moment Maegwen had to stop and think about that. Would she have been so involved had it been any other man? A stranger off the street? Certainly she would have seen to the doctor and that man in question was getting the care he needed but she would not have stayed by his side, vigilant and driven. Silence was her response to that particular inquiry, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get her voice to work up an appropriate answer anyhow.

"Is this man really worth provoking me? If anyone else was to pull such a stunt....."

Was he? The throbbing cheek? The harsh words? The disappointment of her only family? Was Grayson worth it all? Yes. The voice was a small one in the back of her mind but it was strong and confident, perhaps the most confident Maegwen had ever been about anything in her entire life.

" Has he said he loves you? Promised a life long emotion to which he'd be devoted? I've spent years trying to keep men like him away from you. False hopes masked with pleasing words. I can't believe you of all people were taken in by them."

Has he said he loves you?

Perhaps he hadn't used those exact words but did Maegwen believe that he did? With all of her heart. He'd called her his redeeming light. A flicker of annoyance spark inside her, somewhere along side that voice from just a moment ago. What was wrong with love? Of caring for another person? Of allowing them to love you in return? Why did such a thing have to be so ... weak?

"I told you, nothing happened," she repeated, her voice still soft but with a little more edge to it. Her eyes locked on the floor so he could not see the truth in them. She was weak enough in his eyes simply because she was a woman and now even more so because she fancied the idea of love.

[Melchiah Bryant Vasser]

Once again his temper flared. " Well, if he means nothing more to you than the next, perhaps I'll head to his room--end his suffering." Lord knows it at least make him feel better. Writing off Grayson's death would be simple at this point. Fell victim to a fever, or perhaps his blood was poisoned by infection? No more than a letter to Edward with his deepest sympathies would be required. A letter he'd greatly enjoy writing.

Melchiah stood, then rolled his shoulders. The grin on his face would have made the devil tip his hat. If she insisted on being difficult, he'd return the favor. Maegwen's transparent nature usually made things easier, but now it just enraged him. Grayson had to be the reason she was acting up. Never before would she have the backbone to lie to him twice.

He turned on his heel to head for the door, then called over his shoulder. " I'll set the heart aside, since you fancy it so much. A keepsake and a reminder." He chuckled.

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

" Well, if he means nothing more to you than the next, perhaps I'll head to his room--end his suffering."

Maegwen felt her heart skip a beat. No. Yes, he will. A ball of lead formed in the bit of her stomach and she had to tighten her hold on the chair to keep from toppling over. He would, he would kill Grayson and he'd find some way to cover it up. It wasn't until he stood to leave that Meg knew without a doubt he would not hesitate to carry out his threats unless... unless what? She confess to some heinous deed they did not commit just to satisfy his suspicious?

No, he wanted her to admit what she was hiding. The reason he thought her so like their mother. Her pulse quickened and her heart began pounding in her chest as he drew closer to the door.

"I'll set the heart aside, since you fancy it so much. A keepsake and a reminder."

Finally she found her voice and she was running after him like the devil himself was on her heels. "No! Melchiah, please, no!" her voice cracked as her hand shot out to grab his arm, his sleeve, whatever she could reach to stop him. She'd probably regret what she was about to do but if it meant saving Gray's life than it was worth any punishment Melchiah could devise.

"You're right, you're right Mel, I love him," she choked out, the fear fueled tension in her chest that he might do further harm to Grayson making it difficult for her to breath. She released whatever she'd managed to catch hold of, if he hadn't shaken loose already, and took a step back. Her cheek had begun to darken where he'd struck it and made her look that much more fragile.

[Melchiah Bryant Vasser]

"No! Melchiah, please, no!" her voice cracked as her hand shot out to grab his arm, his sleeve, whatever she could reach to stop him.

Her hand linked his arm, bringing his stride to a halt. Still looking toward the door Maegwen would miss his smile. He loved getting his way. Even if it did mean a little brutality now and again.

"You're right, you're right Mel, I love him,"

Her words nearly made him vomit. Lips pulled back over his teeth in a brief snarl, and he tried to manage a less threatening tone. "There, was that so hard?" A glance over his shoulder. " It's a shame it had to come to all this."He turned to face her. " But you only brought matters on yourself. Imagine how I must feel having to raise a hand to you just to get an honest answer." He drug his tongue over his teeth behind closed lips, then sighed.

"Keep your little pet out of my sight and I'll let him live. You may visit him, but just don't let me hear your doing more than talking. And heaven help him if he ever means to harm you. In any way." Dispite how much he wanted Grayson dead, Maegwen was his family. The only living person that saw him as something more than a monster. No matter how many he killed or the many others he left for worse, she still cared for him. He could do her this one favor and let the bastard live. At least for now.

"Do not mistake my actions for mercy. I'm doing this for your well being, not his. " Melchiah, bowed his head slightly, flashed a smile, and turned to open the door. He said nothing more as he entered the hall, just eased the door shut behind him. Now it was time to hold up in his study. Make sure that messenger was on his way. Not to mention, a few drinks and a nights sleep might make this whole ordeal easier to swallow.

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

It was the hardest thing she'd ever done admitting to her brother that she loved a man he hated. Anyone would have balked at the thought considering Melchiah's volatile and unpredictable nature but the mere thought that he'd do more harm to Grayson had given her courage she didn't realize she had. Though she had to wonder, was she the only one who found it slightly ironic that he'd struck her before asking any questions or demanding her to speak? Preemptive perhaps? Who knew, Meg didn't dwell on the thought long because Melchiah was speaking again.

Maegwen nearly sobbed with relief when he declared he would spare Grayson and that she had permission to see him. She was slightly taken aback by this revelation, slightly suspicious as well. What was going on in Melchiah's head? Was it truly simple concern for her well being or was there something more? Was he hoping to find a more valid reason to dispatch of Grayson in a way he could show the world? Duels were not uncommon and Melchiah had always been a fan of them.

"Thank you, Melchiah," she whispered, voice heavy with emotion. Once her brother had left and closed the door behind him she burst into tears. Full blown sobs that had her tiny frame shaking. What had she done? What had she risked? Lives were on the line now and she had to ask herself if it was worth it.

She had to speak with Grayson for this was a choice that was not hers to make alone.

Maegwen hurried to the next chamber, her bedchamber, and towards a mirrored vanity on the opposite end of the room. It wasn't vanity that drew her here, it was necessity. She did not want Grayson to know that she'd been crying and needed to see just how red her eyes had become. She soon discovered that the redness of her eyes paled in comparison to the bruise that blossomed across the pale flesh of her cheek and jaw line. It was an ugly shade of purple and would be impossible to hide without making it obvious she was trying to hide it.

Rarely used jars of powders and various other concealments were rattled through as she tried her best to cover it anyhow. By the time she was finished the bruise was lighter but still visible against her skin. There was no helping it, she would just have to try and keep him from noticing it. Fingers rose to tug at the pins which held her hair in place and she allowed the slightly curling layers to tumble completely free. If she held her head just right her hair would help conceal the worst of the damage.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself ( at least on the outside ) she slipped from her room and headed back in the direction of Grayson's current quarters. She needed, first and foremost, to warn him of Melchiah's discontentment about the entire situation. After that, well, she didn't know what to do anymore.

In minutes she'd arrived and hesitated a moment before lifting her hand to knock lightly against the door. She had no clue what Melchiah had said to him before he'd come to her room but she was certain that it had been less than pleasant.

[Grayson Faleon]

Gray exhaled slowly, one hand leaving the letter he was penning to rub lightly at the flesh just above his bandaged shoulder beneath his shirt. With not even a half day of recovery behind him, he was at least sitting upright for the moment. His face and arms were still damp from the water he had splashed onto his face to try and cool it. His eyes still burned with fatigue, but his temper burned brighter with the awareness that he has far less time then the 3 weeks of recovery the doctor had suggested.

Melechiah had offered him three days of reprieve. Gray took that to mean he had two or less. He was breaking all rules of propriety, sending Gray home with threats and injured no less on his lands. That level of reckless anger was telling and Gray had been on his guard since the moment Melechiah left, his ears perked for any sound of an opening door so he would not be caught unawares.

Gray rubbed one hand over his face before he finished penning the letter to Vivienne, knowing it would be less suspect than one to his father. The details were brief and to the point; notification of his injury, the circumstances and Melechiah’s too thinly veiled threats. He instructed Vivienne that if he were not to return due to his death, that she was to alert Edward of Melechiach’s betrayal.

The letter was folded intricate square, and he reached into his cloak’s pocket to find something suitable for sealing it with. When he felt the small square hardness, he frowned. It flowed into a surprised expression when he recognized Meg’s poetry book, the one they had been discussing in the sitting room.

He tapped the little book against his mouth lightly for a moment, thinking about the significance of such a gift for one precious moment before he removed one of the leather thongs from it and wrapped it around his folded letter.

The knock to the door startled him, and he rose, sliding both book and letter away before he moved to get his sword. The handle feel cool in his hand and he exhaled on three counts to clear his mind as much as he could , angling his body away from the door in the event of a frontal assault.


“Who is it?”

There was a seemingly infinite pause before he heard the soft response.

Meg?

Gray hesitated for a moment before he pulled the door open. His sword hand did not ease its grip until he saw she was alone. His gaze swept over her briefly before assuring himself of her solitude. The broad line of his shoulders slumped enough to relieve some of the tension in his body. But his gaze didn't soften as she looked down att the floor between their feet rather than his face.

Itw as his fault. he had pressed too hard, he thought and after Melechiah's accusations how could she look at him?

He sighed, sheathing his blade.

“Maegwen…What are you doing here?’

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

"Who is it?"

Even though the door Maegwen could detect the hint of suspicion in his voice or perhaps she was simply imagining it. Whatever the case, she wouldn't blame him for it. Not after what Melchiah had threatened to do in Maegwen's presence. She could only imagine what he'd said to Grayson himself.

"Maegwen," she replied at last, her voice small but audible.

The long pause between her response and the door actually opening caused her stomach to twist into all sorts of uncomfortable knots. She kept her head down, her eyes lowered, for Grayson's sake. Perhaps she thought too highly of herself or perhaps she was merely using experience as a launching point for her assumptions but she had a feeling if he discovered Melchiah had struck her that in his anger he would do something foolish. Or worse, that he would blame himself.

"What are you doing here?"

She imagined that Melchiah had make it clear that he no longer see or speak with her so she could understand his surprise and wariness. "Melchiah has allowed me to visit with you..." she explained, gaze flickering upwards for a moment. She wanted to memorize his face though she would have much rather done so if he wore a smile. A part of her feared that this might be the last time she saw him.

What she was about to impart she did not wish to do so in the hallway where anyone could here but she was afraid to enter the room. Not out of fear of Grayson but out of fear that someone else might see and assume things or just flat out lie to her brother about what was happening beyond closed doors. She took a deep breath, eyes sinking again. "He is very angry, he... he thinks you have filled my head with lies," she said softly. She did not attempt to embellish further. "I just... please be careful, Grayson."

She lifted her head slightly, tears that had been pooling now spilled freely down her cheeks, leaving streaks behind in the painstakingly applied make up. She forced herself to take a deep breath. "That question you began to ask... will you finish it now?"

[Grayson Faleon]

"Melchiah has allowed me to visit with you..." she explained, gaze flickering upwards for a moment.

She lingered as if trying to imprint his face across her memory..or perhaps those were his own foolish hopes, he thought. Yet foolish notion or not he allowed his own gaze to slide over every inch of her delicate face. He had lusted after women aplenty. He was no untried youth. But never had any woman possessed the ability to capture his heart and hold it hostage with the gentleness of a butterfly's caress.

He loved her.

The realization came on the heels of the knowledge he had no right to. Not when she gave her loyalty and obedience to a man who would cut off his nose to spite his face. Gray didn't intend to give Melechiah Meg as the object for his wrath simply for his own desire....His features hardened for a moment.He would give up his love..his obsession if ti would spare her from her brother's.

Even if he cut his own heart out in the process.

The shadows in the hall did not allow him to focus clearly on her face.

"He is very angry, he... he thinks you have filled my head with lies," she said softly."I just... please be careful, Grayson."

She lifted her head slightly and he inhaled deeply to keep from tearing down the hall like a foolish lad when he saw the thin rivers steadily flowing down the paleness of her cheeks. Cheeks that when lifted, seemed oddly dark in one spot. Gray's jaw tightened as he reached out, gently turning her face towards him and the light. He had to concentrate on the softness of her skin, mentally reminding himself of her frailty so he didn't inadvertently cause her any more pain than she had been.

"I'll kill him," he said quietly.

He wasn't a man to offer idle threats and Meg's eyes widened in alarm. She stiffened but Grayson he didn't allow her to pull away. Instead he cast that last bit of caution to the wind along with any noble ideas of self-sacrifice for her sake Instead he embraced that foreign but deliciously slow simmer of barely contained rage. It no longer mattered if Melechiah or his people saw them. He had tossed down the gauntlet, provoking Gray with the challenge Meg wore across her face in angry color.

Gray's arms tightened around her as he drew her into the warmth of his body. His hand gently curved over the back of Meg's head, soothing as his fingers sifted though her silky hair, the other arm firmly but tenderly keeping her hostage against the warm broad length of his body.

She tensed but made no move to pull away from him as her eyes closed. Graye knew she was already anticipating her brother's wrath. That she would now flinch and find fear in the home that should have been her refuge only fanned the flames of his anger further; a slow burn that would not easily be put out.

He and Melechicah would never be friends. They had both known that from the beginning, but he had openly drawn the line in the sand and Gray was determined Meg would end up on his side of it. He had been willing to walk away for Meg's sake. Melchiah would have won. But his pride had overcome his common sense and destroyed any chance of that. The same honor that would have forced Gray to abandon the woman he loved now fueled him to keep her.

Mine, he thought. Melechiah didn't deserve her.

His chin rested on the top of her head for a moment, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as she snuggled closer as if using him as a shelter. Her trust solidified his determination to protect her.

"I would never lie to you, Maegewn. Keep you from me to protect you yes, but anything," he said, pausing to gently tug her head back and up to look at him with a gentle fist in her hair "I say to you will always be truth. I would never betray your trust in me with false words. He is your brother but he would hurt you in ways I never would..not if you loved me with that same loyalty...that devotion you show him when he doesn't deserve it..."

He heard her breath catch and she shuddered a bit as she forced herself to take a deep breath.

"That question you began to ask... will you finish it now?"

Instead of answering, his thumb gently brushed the full curve of her lower lip. The rosy flesh felt as plump and soft as a peach and he wondered if she would taste the same way. His eyes darkened and this time he allowed her to see the desire in his expression as he leaned down, almost close enough to touch. His life had been threatened once. If it was going to be again he intended to at least have cause.

His mouth slanted over hers gently, barely a caress at first but when she didn't move he deepened it, anger, frustration, passion and desperation all mingling to claim her mouth with an intensity he had always kept in check around her.

When he pulled back, his fingers curled into her hair on either side of her face so she could see his expression clearly.

"I love you more than anything I know, Meg," he murmured huskily. "Family, country...Look at me now and know I speak complete truth. I would never harm you intentionally. I cannot speak for you I know, yet I do nto think you would have risked more of this," he said gently touching her face even though he snarled inwardly
"...if you heart was not gentle towards me. But if you could love me, I swear to you I could take you from here and you would be happy. I swear it."

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

Just being close to him, feeling the warmth of his body, watch the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, to know that somewhere beneath it a heart beat strongly despite the evidence of his near death experience, it was enough to make Melchiah's anger worth it. The hint of a grimace worked it's way onto her lips when she felt his fingers against the smooth flesh of her face and not out of pain but because of the inevitable discovering of Melchiah's punishment for disobedience.

"I'll kill him."

Maegwen stiffened slightly at the declaration for just like Melchiah, Grayson did not make empty threats and she had no doubt that he would do just that if given half the chance. It surprised her to note that in the end she was more worried about Grayson's well being than she was her brother's.

Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his arms tighten around her and despite Melchiah's warning of 'talking only' she found herself unable to resist the temptation to be enveloped by him, to share that warmth and the safety his arms offered. When his fingers curled through her hair, she tensed for but a moment. Thoughts of who might see them and what the result would be fluttered wildly about in her mind. She was putting them both at risk, Grayson more because Melchiah had no qualms about removing Grayson from the face of the earth.

He knows the risks she reminded herself as her body inevitably sank against Grayson's, savoring the nearness, they way she could hear his heart beating inside his chest. She felt as though she had been living her entire life for this moment. She snuggled closer, forgetting for a moment the injury that plagued him. If this was the only time she would have to enjoy his touch she was going to make the most of it.

"I would never lie to you, Maegwen. Keep you from me to protect you yes, but anything I say to you will always be truth. I would never betray your trust in me with false words. He is your brother but he would hurt you in ways I never would..not if you loved me with that same loyalty...that devotion you show him when he doesn't deserve it..."

Never lie. That was certainly more than she could say about Melchiah, perhaps more too than she could say about herself. She had lied hadn't she? To her brother? Lied for Grayson's sake in regards to her true feelings for him? Though he had not been wrong to believe that her loyalty to Melchiah was strong, that their bond deepened by blood, he would soon realize that her love for him and Melchiah's inability to accept it had caused a shift in those ties. A crack had begun to form and Melchiah's physical response had been the wedge.

The feel of his thumb as it brushed feather light across her lower lip, the smoldering look in his eyes as they locked with her own, the meeting of lips in a kiss that took Maegwen's breath away, each a blow like a hammer driving the wedge deeper and the crack wider. Gentle and yielding at first, she was taken aback by the desire, the need, the hunger. It was a wildly new experience as anyone can imagine and one that Maegwen found to be enthralling. Perhaps it would not have seemed so magical had it not been Grayson who held her so protectively in her arms, who so tenderly captured her face in hands in order to gaze into her eyes.

Who express his love to her.

What was it about love that scared Melchiah so much that he hated the very thought of it? In that moment she felt a flicker of pity for her brother, for the man so self involved that he would never experience the happiness that came with knowing there was someone who loved you unconditionally.

But if you could love me, I swear to you I could take you from here and you would be happy. I swear it."

"If I could?" She almost laughed at the absurdity of that. If she could. "I have loved you since the first time you smiled at me," she murmured in response. She could feel tears burning in the corners of her eyes again, a small part of her fearing that this was little more than a dream. She never thought she'd find herself here, in this moment, in this place, with him.

"He would never stop looking," she whispered. "There would be no more peace between Ryvan and Whitefall... but I cannot bare the thought of living my life without you in it, this place has become a prison, my brother a warden. My heart is yours to do with as you wish, my lord."

[Grayson Faleon]

"If I could?...I have loved you since the first time you smiled at me," she murmured in response.

Gray's embrace tightened gently when she offered that declaration as littel more than a whisper as if she wanted to keep that one moment as private and personal as they possibly could. His heart soared, masculine pride mingling with relief and then a harder determination. Meg had given him free reign to do as he saw fit the moment those words crosseed her lips.

He wasn't a cruel man like his father, but he was a man of honor and every ounce as stubborn as a mule when he saw cause to set in his heels. Maegwen was his; in heart, in soul, and his to protect however he saw fit.

His hand gently wiped away the tears.

"He would never stop looking," she whispered. "There would be no more peace between Ryvan and Whitefall... but I cannot bare the thought of living my life without you in it, this place has become a prison, my brother a warden. My heart is yours to do with as you wish, my lord."

"That is not soemthign you can concern yourself with, Meg. I am not a fool. I know the position I find myself in at present. You know your brother, but I have known men like him all of my life. He loves you, but a man who could touch you like this," he said tilting her head up so he could see the ugly bruise, .."Is one who is unstable and his love could easily become a strangling obsession. He would cut off his nsoe to spite his face."

Dark eyes narrowed as he glanced down the hall to eb sure no one was about, before looking back at her. With one hand reluctant to leave hers, the other slid into his pocket and removed the small folded letter he had written to Vivienne.

"Give this to someone you trust and only to them. I need it to reach Ryvvan and the hands of my sister, Vivienne. I trust her and she will alert my father. Edard is many things but foolish is not one of them and I am his only heir...he is nothing but practical in that regard. Your brother plans some alliance with him. He wished a meeting. That will not happen now." Eyes met hers. "The attempt happened on his lands, Maegwen..."

It was all he would say now when the walls had ears but he suspected she knew exactly what he meant which both saddened and empowered him. If her eyes were opened some innocence was lost but she would be safe.

"Make sure this goes out today. Be careful. I intend to leave in 2 days time. If Melechiah will allow you you to visit Ryvvan attempt to arrange it. The rest will be figured out when we have a strategy that leaves us on firmer ground."

[Maegwen Isbeth Vasser]

In that moment Maegwen wanted to both laugh and to cry. She had never realized how freeing it would be to discover that the man you loved felt the same way in return. Despite the circumstance surrounding the entire ordeal, Meg couldn't help but feel at peace with herself. It was hard not to when Grayson held her so close, when his fingers rose to tenderly wipe lingering tears from her cheeks.

Naturally she listened to his words, took them to heart but could not erase the worry that clouded her mind. Her brother did not like losing, more so to people he despised. She bit lightly on her lower lip when Grayson tilted her head just a little in order to take another look at the proof of her punishment.

"He loves you, but a man who could touch you like this, is one who is unstable and his love could easily become a strangling obsession. He would cut off his nose to spite his face."

She knew what Grayson said was true and little by little she was opening herself up to that truth but she could not dismiss entirely the belief that somewhere in that thing that was her brother there was a human being, someone capable of loving and caring who had never been given the chance to do so.

At the withdrawal of his hand, her eyes lowered to follow its movement. She watched as he extracted the small, folded letter and pressed it into her hand. So whatever alliances had been planned had been broken the moment that arrow pierced Grayson's body. Had Melchiah been behind it? Would he have had time to plan such an attack? He was unaware that Grayson had even been on his way to Whitefall and had not been here when he had.

What had he been doing?

She rarely questioned her brother's activities, partly because she truly did not wish to know and mostly because he would not tell her even if she did work up the nerve to ask. She slipped the letter out of sight and let her head fall to rest against his chest. Closing her eyes she listened to the sound of his heart beating beneath the warm flesh.

"Make sure this goes out today. Be careful. I intend to leave in 2 days time. If Melchiah will allow you you to visit Ryvan attempt to arrange it. The rest will be figured out when we have a strategy that leaves us on firmer ground."

She doubted Melchiah was going to let her step one foot outside the keep, he hadn't in the past and that would not have changed after the past twenty-four hours. That wouldn't stop her, she'd do what she had to in order to stand at Grayson's side, protected by his love and devotion.

"I promise, I know just who to send," she said with a faint smile. While she was uncertain about most loyalties in her home, she knew of one or two that remained faithful to her and her alone. As for Melchiah allowing her to visit Ryvan, that was highly unlikely, even if she were to go with a chaperon. "I do not know if he will allow me, but I will come all the same." Though she knew she faced dire consequences making such a promise, her heart would allow her no other path. Nothing would keep her from Grayson, from the promise of love and hope, not even Melchiah. Make no mistake, it broke her heart to act against his wishes but she had spent her entire life doing what made him happy with no thoughts to herself. If what she was doing, if loving Grayson was selfish then she would gladly remain thus.

"I love you," she breathed softly as she buried her face against his chest. Two days, two short days and she would be alone in this place again. She nearly trembled at the thought but managed to contain it so as not to alert Grayson to her deepest fears. Fears that somehow Melchiah would do something to destroy what they shared.

She tried to console herself with the thought that by week's end she would be on her way to Ryvan, with or without her brother's permission.