Ruby cringed mostly watching throw her fingers at this point feeling Emily's hand against her shoulder in comfort while they continued fighting this time without their armor.

He had her pinned the edge of his sword threatening to slice her hand in half gloves and all if he kept pushing any farther. Thankfully her cleaver knight wasn't giving up so easy kicking out at his bracing knee as he loomed over her causing him to lose his balance for a split second before he regained it again and moved in for another attack.

In the days the Lord and Lady had suspended the tournament Peter had been growing steadily closer into the Southern Queen's inner circle and had gently coaxed the story of the wolf out of Ruby on one of their walks down to the market when Dorothy been forced to stay behind playing nurse to a 'heavily injured' Graham when Lord Orcus stopped in to say the tournament would be postponed for a few days to let 'him' heal enough to finish.

The resulting discussion on just why he was doing that lasted well into the night with Peter clenching his jaw in jealousy when Red had finally manage to slip into the room after the last errand she had to do for Zelena and only sending the scruffy bearded knight a greeting smile before snuggling up against Dorothea's uninjured side to fall asleep with her head resting on the other woman's lap to the feeling of Dorothy's fingers stroking her hair while she and the others continued talking.

"Stop looking at her like she's some piece of meat or some prize you want to clam. She is neither of those things." Dorothy snarled slamming her good shoulder into his side jarring Peter back to the training ring making him blink to bring Ruby come into sharper focus over the royal's shoulder as Dorothy moved to block her love from the knight's roaming gaze.

"Yet you were injured in the tournament because you made her the prize." Peter reminded her slamming the hilt of his sword into her injured shoulder as if she needed the reminder yet even at the explosion of pain making her arm all but dead in response Dorothy didn't yield this time around if anything she pinned him even harder her knee slamming down against his groin in relation evening the score as she moved in for the kill.

"Alright," Emily called out before Dorothea's blade could do more than press in warning against Peter's throat, but the determined look didn't leave the other's eyes as they continued looking at one another daring the other to keep fighting. "I think that's more than enough practice for the night." Again, neither knight moved more than Dorothy letting her pined opponent up.

"You might have the others fooled with that charming farm boy smile of yours but not me." Dorothy says her voice low but the ice in her words remained as her gaze following his eyes from the pendant hanging around Dorothea's neck up then over to the necklace's true owner still deep in a whispered conversation she was having with Graham in the stands wrapping one of Dorothy's cloaks tighter around her in the chilly night air. "I will find out what your hiding sooner or later."

Peter gave her a mildly interested smirk at the threat tilting his head in acceptance of his defeat at their latest sparing session "Fish all you want I have nothing to hide-your majesty." He murmurs in challenge his voice still scratchy from her below the belt hit only adding her title after a short pause his eyes going back to gazing in low burning longing at the brunette now sauntering toward them with a laughing smile on her lips.

"Come on stable girl. I think he has been bested enough for one night." Red suggested with a proud smile her eyes only on Dorothea holding out her hand in tempting offering while Peter had to push himself back to his feet as the servant girl he loved helped up the woman that had stolen her heart.

"At this rate, you'll be better midday come morning." Emily noted walking over toward them thinking over how much her niece had pushed herself over the last few days under the cover of the night sky. "The faster I heal the quicker you can leave this place." Dorothy reasoned wrapping her arms more securely around her Ruby's waist as the adrenaline from the fight started to fade. "As much as I want to see you take down Lord Orcus my love I want you completely healthy when you do." Ruby argued in a low whisper pressing her lips against the side of her lady love's head her eyes casting around in worry at saying the declaration out loud despite her meaning every word of it and the fact that it was the dead of night as she guides Dorothy over to the side of the practice ring with Peter shadowing them as they have come to expect from the other knight.

"I am touched that you're worried, but I can handle a little pain Ruby." Dorothea answered resting her read against Red's shoulder with a small smile at the blush the name brought to Red's cheeks as Dorothy and Peter watched how the servant girl expertly spin the sword Dorothy had been holding in her hand before replacing it in its sheath and handing the weapon over to Graham all without removing her hand from around Dorothea's waist. "Now let's get you two to bed. You need a decent sleep after that fight." Red decided holding out her other hand to Peter ignoring the scowl Dorothy pulled at the offering.

Peter takes her hand eagerly bringing it to his lips with a whispered: "Thank you." Against the back of her hand bringing the softest of blushes at the action as the group heads back up the path slipping back into the castle undetected thanks in part to Ruby's knowledge of the lesser used passageways around the place so in no time they have reached the guest rooms the Royals are using during their stay.

"I'll be back soon." Red promised pressing her lips against Dorothy's hand as she walked her to the door of her bedchamber while Peter waited for her by the door. "I'll go with you." Dorothy says despite swaying on her feet from fatigue. Ruby shook her head taking Dorothy's hand again to guide her over to her bed. "Get some rest, my love, please." She encouraged

"I'm sure I can find my way back to my rooms on my own." Peter offered respectfully keeping his eyes on the floor as he stopped at the door to the Princess's bedroom.

Red tried to think of an argument but mostly she felt relieved knowing that for the last few nights at least Lady Zelena took to walking the halls around her and her husband's rooms. More than once Red has had to say she had been sleepwalking to avoid any more of her lady's probing questions as to why she's been coming from the guest wing of the castle on the nights they would run into one another. But it's not her fault she'd rather spend her nights snuggled up with the warm arms of the woman she loves than alone in the draftier parts of the stone house.

"Then this is goodnight then." She decided giving a small smile at the feel of Dorothy's arms snake around her waist tugging her down onto the bed beside her both of them still fully clothed but too tired to change into sleep clothes.

"You're late." Zelena growls turning away from the window at the sound of Peter's carpeted footsteps behind her. "I'm sorry my lady." The knight says his head already bowed in submission "The training tonight ran longer than I'd anticipated." He defended by way of an explanation "she is getting stronger by the day I'd say another two days and she'll be fit enough to re-enter the tournament." He admitted scratching at the start of a beard on his chin as he talked.

"And the other one." Zelena questioned "She is warming to me it's true, but her heart still belongs to the princess. For the moment that is." He added the acid in his voice bringing a smile to the lady's lips as she turned completely from the window to look at him fully. "It's been my room she's been coming from these last few nights." Peter tells her "We've been getting to know one another without prying eyes or distractions holding us back."

"What you do with the servant girl is your own business besides she will be yours soon anyway." Zelena scoffs brushing off the subject with a wave of her hand "Now your sure the girl will be well enough to finish the competition in two days' time?"

The knight pauses in thought before nodding "Three days at the most my lady." He agrees, at last, earning a wide please smile from Zelena "Just enough time for a messenger to ride to the King and return with him."

Peter stiffens at the idea and also at the wicked look in the woman's eyes at the realization. "You may go now." She says by means of a dismissal. "But is that wise my lady to send for the King for such a trivial matter?"

Zelena looks around so quickly Peter thinks her head will snap off any second the full force of her anger normally reserved for punishing her servants (mainly Red from what Peter has seen) now directed only at himself. "Are you really going to question my decisions in my own house boy?" she asks standing up to her full height. Peter immediately bows his head once again "No my lady not at all." He backpaddles dropping to his knees for good measure to appease her. "I have half a mind to send you as the rider to the King. However, doing so will draw unwanted attention from those Southerners."

"How about you send my page in my stead. His disappearance for a few days will not make too big a fuss." The kneeling knight offered "Send him at first light now get out of my sight." Zelena barked looking out the window once again.