Chapter 7

*Duncan*

"Pardon me," Duncan spoke to the guard at the entrance of the Cousland's chambers. "Would Lady Rowan happen to be in her chambers?"

"No, Ser knight, she's not been back yet", he answered, "I believe she was in the courtyard".

"Yes, well, thank you", Duncan replied as he thought of where to look next. She would have to be inside by now, it was getting too dark to be out, and trying to find her in a castle this large would be somewhat impossible. She would have to return to her chambers soon. Nothing to do for it but wait here, he supposed. He headed towards a bench just down the hall and resigned himself to sit and wait.

Just as he turned to lowered himself onto the bench, Rowan rounded the corner. Duncan's breath caught as he took her in. From a far off window her tiny figure had been quite pleasant to look at, but now that he had opened the floodgates and allowed himself to see her as a woman and not just his friend's young daughter, she was truly stunning up close. How had he missed it at their earlier meeting? He realized he hadn't entirely missed it, just pushed it aside, he had just resolved himself to the task at hand. When he walked into the great hall and she had been staring at him so intently, he had felt a little twinge of something. Normally, the looks he got didn't bother him, her stare had made him somewhat self-conscious, careful of his next move. That was not normal for him, but he had attributed it then to his dire need that this trip goes exactly as planned. Once that had been taken care of and he had allowed himself to relax in his chambers, his grey warden duty had taken a back seat to his humanity. Now he was free to think like a man, not a soldier.

"Duncan!" Rowan beamed a bright smile at him and she caught sight of him. "I am glad to see you!

Glad to see me? He thought. She walked right up to him, and it was all he could do not to pull back. He had not been ready for her to be so close to him. Really, Duncan, pull yourself together. She's just a girl. But despite reminding himself of that, he couldn't quite calm his nerves.

"I am sorry for the way I departed our meeting earlier, I hope you don't think me too rude. It's just that my father can sometimes be infuriating in his need to protect me. He seems to refuse to realize that I'm quite grown up and capable of making my own decisions"

"No offense at all, my lady, family matters are often more complicated than outsiders can grasp. I make no judgment." Duncan played off her apology well, as his mind raced furiously to figure out why she did not seem at all upset with him. Well, best to make his apologies quickly lest he lose his will or she her good humor.

"My lady," he began.

"Please, call me Rowan. You are obviously a friend of my father's, which I will require more information about later on" she grinned mischievously, "And a friend of my father's is a friend of mine. You need not stand on formalities with me. But please, we can talk on the way to Fergus's rooms, I should wish him luck on his travels before he leaves this evening."

"Very well, my la... er Rowan".

Nodding to the guards as they passed into the Cousland's quarters, Duncan could not make heads or tails of Rowan's manner. It was almost as if she had no idea he had been watching her earlier.