Lydia's father, Lydia believed, informed his friends and allies before he informed the Hales that they had accepted their proposal, that there was to be a family wedding.

The Boyd family from the south were first to arrive. Lydia and young Lord Vernon's wife Erica have been best friends since their youth. They had a book sharing system, a well kept secret from her father. Erica tended to read the most delightful smut and Lydia always has one to return back. It was none of these silly romance stories where women wait for their men to fall in love with theme, these heroines take what they want from their men, much like Erica and lord Vernon's son, also called Vernon, but he preferred Boyd. Lydia knows Boyd spoils his wife and treats her like the goddess she is because Erica loves to share intimate stories when they find a private moment.

Two days later the Argents from the east arrived in large plush carriages pulled by the most spectacular teams of tall grey horses. Their dressed guards were naturally with them, each man gleaming in their full dress uniforms of blue and silver under the midday sun. Chris Argent brushed past Lydia, eager to greet the men in her family first while Victoria decided to try and offer advice to Lydia regarding her upcoming nuptials. Lydia smiled politely and offered to discuss it at a later point in the day.

The Whittemore's from the West arrived a day later. Lydia frowned, thinking that surely her husband should be here by now. Either he didn't care so much, or his family was the last one invited to his own wedding. Lydia would be surprised by neither. As Lydia greeted her friends her mind strayed to the past. There had once been talk of Lydia and Jackson marrying, but Lord Argent had countered Lydia's fathers offer with a better one, and Allison was now pregnant with Jackson's child. Lydia was fond of Jackson, but she was glad he was married to Allison, their brunette blond contrast was as handsome looking as the contrast between Erica and Body's skin.

Despite all outward apparences, Lord Jackson treated his wife well, and with a belly full of wine she had confessed her secrets during a spring visit, about how sweet Jackson is in private, and how he makes love to her. Lydia and Erica had cooed over Allison's blushing revelations, and promptly vowed that they wanted to be as happy as Allison was. Erica was well on her way to finding that perfect relationship with her husband, but Lydia was marrying a Hale, the leaders of the North, and they had a reputation.

Lydia had never met a Hale before in her life. They tended to keep to their own territory but Lydia was eager to see what spectacle they would create when they arrived compared to the others. She had met a few northerners in her time, they were different, there was something stoic about them her mother used to say, but Lydia just thought they were rude. Surely this delay in arriving here for his wedding was rude enough.

For days they waited, partying and dancing, eating and gossiping until the day before the official engagement party, when, getting ready for bed, Lydia heard a great rumble in the distance.

Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, Lydia made her way down the servants staircases and headed through the kitchens and outside to the battlements. Beside her one of her fathers watchers shifted nervously as he peered into the darkness. A mass of black was streaming towards them, loud thunderous thuds carrying through the dark night. For a moment Lydia feared they were under attack until a cloud shifted, and moonlight drenched across meadows around her Fathers palace.

Perhaps two hundred men and women galloped towards them on horseback. Every soldier, it seemed, wore a leather coat at least, and some had more than that on their backs.

They stopped and a small party moved forward while the rest effortlessly blended into the trees. Lydia made her way to the courtyard, her slippered feet quiet on the dry cobble stones, trying to keep a smile off her face. She liked the entrance the northerners had made the contrast to the grandeur and finery everyone else made. They weren't showing off, and Lydia had the feeling they didn't need to, this was just how they operated. Suddenly her anger at them turned to amusement.

'And you are?' A guard was saying, his tone bored.

'Derek Hale.' A gruff voice said. Lydia quickened her step towards the gates.

'We weren't expecting you now.' The droll voice said. Lydia noticed that his sword rested on the floor, and no archers watched them.

'When did you expect us?' He asked.

'Daylight hours, I'd imagine.' Lydia spoke up stepping forward and pulling her cloak around her throat. Derek met her eyes, a dark gaze locked on her. The shiver that ran down her spine wasnt entirley due to the cold. ,

'Well I'm here now.' Derek said with a sly curl of the lips.

'Indeed you are. Have someone tell Lord Martin his wayward guests have arrived.' The gatekeeper commanded giving Lydia the stink eye.

'I'm disadvantaged. You know who I am but I have no idea who you are.' Derek spoke up. Lydia stepped back as the small band of men and their horses made their way inside the castle walls.

Lydia toyed with the idea of stringing him along and telling Derek she was someone else but she decided on straight up honesty. It wouldn't do to start their relationship on that sort of note.

'I'm to be your wife.' Lydia offered him her sweetest smile. Derek glanced down at her. He was tall, broad shouldered and terribly handsome with a few days' worth of stubble on his face. His eyes looked grey in the dim torchlight but Lydia liked what she saw.

'Ah, my wife you say?' Derek said with a coy smile. Her heart fluttered a little, people rarely looked at her like that.

'Why did you arrive at dark?' Lydia asked curiously. Derek stared at her for a second but a voice behind her interrupted them.

'Please ignore my silly little sister, she has no manners. My name is Ernest, I'll be inheriting, I'm your brother in law.' Ernest said pushing past Lydia to shake Derek's hand. Derek, who was still holding the reins of his massive horse, looked from Ernest's face to his hand and back again before turning to Lydia.

'I like the dark.' Derek said ignoring the horse nosing at his arm.

'The stables are this way. Our grooms can take care of your horses.' Ernest said pushing past them.

'I'll take care of my own horse, he had the decency to carry me here without complaint, it's not the worst I can do.' Derek corrected him but he was looking at Lydia. 'I always take care of what's mine.'

'Good, I like a man who knows what he's doing.' Lydia smirked.

'Stop being vulgar and go away.' Ernest hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously in the moonlight.

'I think I prefer her company to yours.' Derek said bluntly. Lydia almost laughed out loud at the rage building on Ernest's face.

'Oh I know where I'm not wanted.' Lydia said in a teasing voice, shooting a wink at Derek as she turned on her heel and headed back inside. Perhaps leaving Derek to her brother's attentions was a poor strategic move but Lydia was sure she could deal with Derek over if Ernest manipulated him, she'd spent enough time dealing with her brother in the past.

She woke early in the morning, washed quickly and dressed. The breakfast tables were full of visitors and guests, the Hales looking distinctly out of place in what looked like their travel and battle cloths. Lydia hovered around her father's chair trying to get his attention but his continual ignorance of her drove her to break with etiquette and seek out her husband to be without her father as chaperone at her side. Derek was chewing on a piece of bacon when she sat beside him. Derek paused mid chew and looked over her his gaze lingering on her bosom, before meeting her eyes and continuing with his food.

Lydia shrugged a shoulder and reached for some sweet bread and fruits. The Hales barely spoke, preferring to communicate in grunts and shoulder lifts. Lydia found herself relaxed among them, especially after a few minutes of eating brought them alive. Across the table two men started bickering about who's horse was faster, and a tall woman with dark hair was lusting after Neil, one of Lydia's other brothers.

'Nice to look at, sad to talk to.' Lydia advised the girl who laughed loudly.

'A case of gag him and shag him then.' The woman said and Lydia spluttered water all over herself. This was just like the heroines in the smutty books Lydia and Erica shared. Derek scowled at the woman but didn't comment, just went back to eating his meal.

'Lydia.' A voice hissed. Lydia turned a sweet smile on her father.

'I was hungry, so I come over to find Derek. This is okay, isn't it Daddy?' She pouted at him. Lord Martin frowned at her, showing his distaste but Derek turned the scowl back on him and Lydia watched as her father shifted uncomfortably under Derek's gaze and stepped back.

'Of course it is Lydia.' He said taking the seat beside his daughter.

'When will the wedding be?' Derek asked him. Lydia bowed her head, and was shocked when Derek touched his fingers to hers.

'I was thinking three weeks.' Her father said.

'Not soon enough. Can't it be this week? I have business to take care of at home, and the first frosts are already covering the ground.' Derek countered. Lydia turned shocked eyes to him but he ignored her.

'I, ah, well it's not really proper, I haven't had time to organise a dower and-' Derek cut Lord Martin off again.

'I don't need a dowry; I'm not marrying Lydia because of your money. If anything you could provide Lydia with the appropriate winter attire and perhaps organise a home for us so she may visit her in the summer months if that's what she wants.' Derek said. Ernest made a strangled noise behind their father's chair.

'What she wants isn't important here; this is a family union between us...' Ernest said but wilted off under Derek's dark look.

'Surely it's Lydia marrying me and not you.' Derek challenged.

'Well, ah, yes...' Ernest said with a curl of his mouth.

'Well then, if Lydia would like a home here she shall have it, be it bought with Hale or Martin money I don't really care.' Derek said turning back to his coffee for a moment. He took a sip and then frowned again as if something occurred to him. 'Don't you treat your women folk like the goddesses they are?'

'Women, of course we do, they, well...' Ernest stuttered while Lord Martin flushed.

'What Daddy and my darling brother are trying to say is that women are vital to their survival and...Entertainment.' Lydia said with a smile. She liked Derek's attitude, goddess indeed.

Derek made an agreeing noise in his throat. 'I'd like to be married by the end of the week. I'm sorry if it's rushing you, but we need to get home again. If you would have accepted my proposal at the start of this summer or even last one when I asked it would have been more convenient, but brining a North Man here during the autumn is not the wisest thing to do Lord Martin.' Derek said leaning back in his chair.

'We were considering our options.' Lydia's father said coldly. Lydia glanced at him then at Derek, trying to work out who would give in first. 'It's been an interesting chat. I'll arrange to have the wedding date brought forward-'

'If it pleases Lydia.' Derek interrupted rudely.

'If it pleases my daughter, then yes.' Lord Martin said raising his chin.

'Well, have you asked her?' Derek demanded.

'Asked her what?' Ernest said loudly. Several people turned to stare at them. Derek almost rolled his eyes.

'If it pleases her to marry me sooner than later.' Derek prompted slowly, speaking as if Lydia's family were idiots.

'Does it please you, Lydia, to have the wedding brought forward?' Lord Martin asked through clenched teeth. Lydia pretended to consider if it did or not.

'I suppose it's no bother to me.' She eventually answered, looking at Derek in time to catch the edges of his smirk.

'Alright then. Ernest, Lydia.' Lord Martin said standing up.

'I'll keep Lydia with me for a few hours if you don't mind, I need to get to know my future wife.' Derek said. Lydia watched a vein in her father's neck throb as he stood and stalked away, Ernest glaring at them in his wake before he trotted after him like the sheep that he was.

'Now that was fun.' Derek said slumping down in his chair and shooting a glance at Lydia.

'It was.' Lydia couldn't help but smile. Perhaps her future would be better than she was expecting.