While she was grateful that his now nearly constant presence beside her meant that Zelena couldn't find some reason to have her under the lash. Her back had just started to properly heal from the last 'manners session' as Lady Zelena had come to call them. Peter's desire to follow her around also meant that she could spend less time out in the stables watching Dorothy working with Fiyero or for her to spend any time what so ever with Dorothy for that matter.
For all she knew the only reason Dorothy hadn't sought her out already herself was because she was possibly and foolishly intimidated by the scruffy-bearded man who only leaves Red's side to sleep, bath or when he's practicing for his events in the training arena with her safely watching from the sidelines toying in longing with the cord of her necklace.
Red decided she needed both to finally have time to properly thank her angel for the warm weight tucked away under her shirts close to her heart and just so Red could satisfy herself that her dark-eyed warrior spirited stable groom hadn't been sent away just because the Queen's Knight had finally decided to show up the very day the tournament officially started.
"The guy came charging in on the warhorse you like hanging around in the stables unannounced in full body armor no helmet and started training with the rest of us like it was nothing making all the girls swoon like school girls in first love and showing all of up while he was at it. Not even your Lord and Lady knew he was here until one of the other knights sent a boy for them."
She remembers Peter telling her while he'd been trying to impress her by playfully juggling apples always adding in more until he couldn't keep the act to get her to laugh while she wandered the market aimlessly.
It was only when she knew he wouldn't be following her too busy with the first of his chosen evets to know what she was doing that she finally decided to act. If Dorothy wouldn't come to her then by heaven Ruby was going to track the stubborn woman down herself even if it took her the rest of the tournament to do so.
Now here she was standing in the middle of the armor room of the Queen's own Champion gaping like a fish at such a simple sounding request. But the request was just so astonishing that she was sure she must have misheard him.
"I…I think the Crown Princess would…" she started to say tripping over her words while the knight before her shook his head taking a hesitant step closer to her. "With all due respect to the Royal family." the already helmeted young man stated his voice low and somehow familiar to her, "I am not here because of them."
"What are you here for then?" Ruby asked already knowing his answer. It was the reason any knight competed. Fame, glory, the chance to earn more titles to impress the ladies they bed for a night or two just to leave them.
"You my lady."
Ruby's eyes went even more owlish than before "I am not some prize to." She snapped but again the armored man shook his head holding up his hand to stop her from speaking "Your freedom is the only prize I require at the end of these games. What you do with it is your choice alone." He corrected the genuine honesty and warmth somehow calming Red's flare of anger.
"I may ride under the Southern Queen's colors and shield but at my core, I only wish to be your Champion in these games." The knight said plainly taking another measured step closer to the servant girl before dropping down to kneel in front of her "That is why fair one my request is better suited to you." The knight pointed out his head bowed in submission
Ruby hesitated chewing on her lower lip in indecision before she finally spoke: "Only if you promise to return it to me at the end of the games." She whispered but her companion could hear the underlying fear of her strained voice.
"On my honor as her Majesties Champion." The knight vowed then stopped thinking something over before reaching up to unlatch the sides of his helmet and pulled it offsetting it down at his side, but his head still lowered so she couldn't see his face.
If she didn't know any better, she would swear that the knight still kneeling at her feet had to be Dorothy's brother. His hair color was nearly an exact match to hers all be it dampened with sweat and cut short just brushing the top of his shoulders if he'd just raise his head to meet her staring gaze. Too bad she was already in love with his sister or she would be falling over him in a second. Then again, he might not be any relation at all, but the nagging question did give the hunting woman yet another reason to find the mule-headed stable hand on top of everything else.
"I swear it." The dark-haired knight finished in an out of breath graveled kind of tone.
Red felt her fingers tremble as she reached behind her neck to undo the ties on the cord at her throat still hating herself for what she was about to do but also reasoning that it would be safer than always hiding it so Zelena would think she had stolen it or whatever else her Lady would make up to send her under the lash or worse have it destroyed.
"If anything, happens to this. I will track you down and Royal Champion or no I will kill you." Ruby threatened kneeling down as well to rejoin the cord this time around the knight's neck making sure the charm dangling from it was safely tucked under the boy's breastplate before she slid the man's helmet back in front of his downcast eyes safely keeping her own away from the knight's face the whole time quietly agreeing to his want to keep his identity secret from her.
"I will guard it with my life." Dorothea vowed catching Ruby's hand in her own to bring it to her lips "Thank you, my lady." She whispered pressing a tender kiss against her skin while her heart threatened to burst right out of her body at the familiar weight now hanging around her neck.