AN: Hello all! Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and follows! I appreciate them more than you know! I'm SO so sorry if I didn't reply to your review! Sometimes I can't figure out which one's I've replied to or not. So, if I haven't replied to yours, just know that I. FRICKEN. LOVE YOU! Oh and I don't own the characters or Brave or any of it.


"Doyle, wait a moment!" Merida called, in a not too lady like way. Young McGuffin was at the top of the stairs, about to go down into the dining hall. He turned and smiled, inwardly amused at how very… Merida, that was of her.

Her smile matched his as he let her in front of him down the stairs and followed closely behind.

The dining hall was filled with rows and rows of tables and enough people to fill them all. The Macintosh and Dingwall clans along with the rest of the McGuffin clan had finally arrived. It was the end of July and the summer games were finally upon them. Doyle and Merida had been forced to spend a bit less time in each other's company in the weeks prior, due to the fact that Doyle still needed to keep up his training (He was, of course, competing in the caber toss). In his spare time they'd go riding or the Princess would tutor him in archery, which Doyle under Merida's guidance had swiftly excelled.

They spotted two seats next to each other at the far end of the table closest to them, and made a bee-line for them. When they reached their desired seats, they realized that they were situated right between Wee Dingwall and Young Macintosh. Merida didn't despise the two suitors as she had during those fateful games three years ago. Once she'd found that neither of them actually wanted to compete for her hand, she'd found them both quite tolerable. But that was as far as it went. Dingwall was always in another world and Macintosh too arrogant to be very good company.

She gave Doyle a sideways glance which he returned with a rueful smile. They both took their seats and exchanged pleasantries with their companions, Merida being situated next to Dingwall and McGuffin by Macintosh. They were both inwardly dreading the night ahead, Dingwall wouldn't be a problem, he was always in his own world, and would make it easier for Doyle and Merida to hold an easy conversation. Macintosh on the other hand, was a bit too nosy for either of their liking. Aside from the continuous bragging, he wasn't terrible to hold a conversation with if it was solely you and him. But if, perhaps, you wished to hold a more… personal conversation, it was another story.

"Have you had a good summer?" Young Macintosh inquired of the blond and redhead.

"Aye. An' you?" Doyle answered in his thick Scottish brogue, while Merida nodded.

Macintosh looked at him for a moment in confusion before working out what he said, and replying with a slight chuckle, "Aye, getting ready for the games and all, I've been quite busy myself."

As the conversation continued, Merida contributing here and there, she realized just how much time Doyle and herself had been spending together for her to be able to know what he was saying as soon as he said it. Whereas, it seemed everyone else had trouble working out what he said.

Merida smiled to herself. She had enjoyed her conversations with Doyle over the past two months very much. And, after some initial misunderstanding she'd had no difficulty, and had gotten to know him and understand him better and better.

As the night wore on and gin had been passed around, and conversation seemed to be at a standstill, Wee Dingwall turned to Merida for the first time that night, catching Merida off guard and asked the usual things, how she was, how her summer had been, if she'd be competing in the games and so forth.

As she spoke with Dingwall, Macintosh also turned to McGuffin. Having had too much to drink his words slurred together just slightly as he said, "I bet you've been enjoying this summer much more than you've let on." With a wink.

Doyle glanced sideways, making sure Merida hadn't heard and hadn't seen the deep blush that had appeared suddenly on his cheeks.

The young man nudged his dark-haired companion under the table as Merida turned back from her conversation with Dingwall. Doyle, his cheeks still a bit warm, looked to one of the windows high above them and saw that orange and pink had begun to spread on the clouds.

Turning to Merida he said, "Didn't ye say the Fire Falls were a beautiful sight at sunset?" with a smile.

She nodded slowly, looked to the door and back at him. He nodded in turn, but before he could get up she whispered, "Meet me by the stables. I've got to grab something." The Princess excused herself from her guests and headed for the kitchen, while Doyle made a run for the door.

He hadn't waited long at the stables before Merida showed up with a small satchel full of the cakes her brothers loved so much. He flashed her a smile and began saddling his mare as she saddled Angus.

They didn't race to Cone's Tooth as they had the first time, instead they went at a more leisurely pace, simply enjoying the cool summer air and the fact they'd made a getaway without incident.

Merida's giggle rang out from atop the Crone's Tooth as Doyle did another imitation of Young Macintosh. Doyle sat back down beside Merida. The Fire Falls at sunset were just as beautiful as Merida had described them. The satchel was empty of the pastries it had once held and the sun was sinking lower and lower.

"A spose we should get down afore it's too dark," Doyle said with a sigh.

"Aye" Merida said slowly, "But that doesn't mean we have to go back yet," she continued with a mischievous smile, "We only have to get down. We can always just sit at the bottom like we usually do."

Doyle grinned back, and they started their descent.

As they reached the bottom, the last slivers of light were beginning to fade.

"Perhaps we ought not stay much longer out here. Someone will notice we're missing." Doyle said with regret.

Merida nodded with a sigh. "But let's go slowly. I don't want to go back quite yet."

Doyle smiled. Merida might not be as rash as she used to be, but she was certainly still as stubborn. 'Strong willed' he corrected himself, remembering a conversation they'd once had, about how she preferred to be called strong willed, not stubborn. "Stubborn is just such a… hard and cold word," she'd said, "it makes it sound as if I'd do anything to get my way, not caring about the consequences." Then she'd paused and laughed before going on, "Alright, perhaps once I was like that. But not as much anymore. I like to say that I'm strong willed."

"So, you're not competing in the games?" Doyle asked, as they started the ride back to the castle.

Merida smiled sadly. "Ah, no. Mother will only go so far. It was a huge step in calling off the betrothal; I don't expect she'd be terribly lenient on too much more. Not that I'm complaining though! Mother and I have both changed for the better, and I'm glad of it. I like her just the way she is now. We get along perfectly. Besides," she continued playfully after a pause, "I like to watch. At least when my future isn't depending on the outcome."

The young blond Heir smiled. After a moment of quiet he said, "Well, can A count on you to cheer me on?" The words sounded a bit forward and Doyle rather wished he could call them back.

But Merida smiled broadly. "Of course!" she replied with enthusiasm. "I wouldn't root for anyone else." Now it was Merida's turn to regret her words slightly.

Her cheeks turned a deep red she hoped he couldn't see in the ever-growing darkness, but she didn't attempt to change her words, and they hung in the air for a moment.

Doyle, being the gentleman that he was, turned the conversation back to the games in general, the events and the competitors. He may not have brought attention to her words, but he certainly didn't forget them.


AN: So, I tried not to make the other two suitors.. hate-able(just go with it) but not super likable either... Ya know what I mean? Dingwall's... backwards and Macintosh is arrogant... I don't know! This chapter's kind of cheesy as well. But hey! on we call it fluff right? ;) And also, I know that Elinor changed a lot, for the better, but I also don't think she'd all the sudden let up on Merida entirely I guess. I think there were other things I was going to address, but I forgot them all. ;) As always, please read and review! :)