Chapter 8

Awakening


She groaned at the noise of the door shutting. She carefully stretched her limbs which were very sore. She winced at the pain on her head and reached to feel the massive bump that had formed. It was then that she remembered what had happened before she passed out. Or had it been a dream? It was certainly fantastic enough, but the bump sprouting on the back of her head told a different story. So if it was real then why was she in her room, laying on her bed? What happened after she passed out? Where was Mor-...Roiben? She definitely needed answers. She slowly sat up to keep the room from spinning and slid on her hunting boots that were lying on the floor next to her bed. There was a pan of water on her nightstand and she splashed some of it on her face to wake herself up. After she deemed herself ready, she opened her door and walked into the hallway full of determination.

She paused in the hallway, pondering where she should go first. Where would her parents be right now? If anything, they should know what was going on. They were the rulers of this kingdom, it would be sad if something so grand occurred on their grounds and they had no explanations or answers for it. So with this goal in mind she set out to find her mother and father. She walked down the stairs to the ground level of the castle and headed in the direction of the throne room. It had been a week since the window had been shattered by the tree during the storm so it would probably be fixed by now. As she grew nearer she could hear raised voices that sure didn't sound too happy.

"You held these games and called us here, and for what? Nothing?"

"We didn't come out here for months on end just to be sent back empty-handed!"

"You must choose! My son did the best, you can't deny him his prize. She is his."

So they were arguing about her...that much she could decipher. She could feel her face grow red with anger. She was his? Like hell. She had beat them at their own game and they knew it! Surely her father would take that into account. She gently pushed the door open and stepped inside when she heard another voice speak.

"Are you forgetting about me? About Merida? Or are you completely disregarding the law? We both were better than your pathetic excuse for a son. I won't let her marry the little bastard. If anything, she is mine," he told them. She blushed lightly at his claim but her anger surpassed any feelings she had for him. Who was he to claim her for himself? She was no prize to be won! She didn't belong to anyone, no one but herself! Her breathing quickened and the fury rolled off of her in waves. She could feel herself shaking, she was so mad.

"Oh, Merida, there you are. We were just discussing you," her mother said. How she was smiling, Merida didn't know. Didn't this bother her? That they were speaking about her like she wasn't a person? She noticed the others move in her direction and snapped to look at them, taking a step back. She was looking at him for what his reaction was but he just stood there, not looking at her but instead focusing his gaze on the King. His hands were grasped behind his back as he addressed the King in a formal tone. "It is your job to uphold the law. You held these games and know the rules that are to be abode by. After all, they were in your speech. 'If any other firstborn heirs are willing to step up, they may do so' were your words if I remember correctly."

"Only if proper lineage is provided!" hissed Lord Dingwall.

"I have proven my lineage to the King," he replied coolly, looking down on him as he was a good head or two shorter. He looked back towards the King. "You cannot deny that legally I won the tournament. It is up to you now if you are to force her to marry."

Merida looked between Roiben and her father. This wasn't happening, right? She was still in bed and this was all a bad dream? Right?

Her father hesitated, trying to find the right words to reply. He pulled at his beard while he thought, twirling the long facial hair through his fingers. He finally, slowly spoke, "I am the King and what I say is law,...but your argument is true. Besides, this is one of our oldest traditions. It is not in my power to break it. And the people expect her to marry...I could have a rebellion on my hands if a successor isn't chosen." He looked apologetically to Merida, whose jaw subsequently dropped open. He was really going to make her do this, wasn't he? Angry tears filled up her eyes. Before anyone could stop her she ran out of the room, quickly sprinting to the stables. She needed to ride. She approached Angus and led him out of his stall. She jumped on him bare-back; putting a saddle on him would take too much time, precious minutes that could give them time to reach her and keep her from leaving. She dug her heels into his side and they set off. She sped through the gates, the guards shouting after her to stop but not getting on their horses to chase after her. After her last escape they knew she was too fast to catch up to.

She swiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. How could they do this to her? She thought her father might have stood up for her, for his little girl. And Roiben, she thought for sure he would have protected her from them, but he was just as bad, if not worse. He thought he could claim her, too! Who did he think he was? Although, she wouldn't really mind marrying him...she shook her head, disrupting the thought. She was supposed to mad at him, she told herself, not swooning over him. She wiped at the last of her tears and looked at her surroundings. She hadn't really been meaning to go in any specific direction but she must have been subconsciously steering somewhere since she was now in the familiar meadow with towering stone pillars. Angus slowed to a stop and she sighed, lightly jumping onto the ground. She walked towards one of the monoliths and sat down on the grass leaning against it. Her eyes felt swollen so she shut them, letting the warm sun dry her wet face. She sat there in the quiet peace of the meadow and just listened to the cool breeze brushing through the grass. The noise calmed her down and she tried not to think about what happened in the throne room. She could feel herself beginning to doze off and popped open one eye to check on Angus who was a few yards away grazing on some grass. She knew he wouldn't go anywhere so she closed her eye again and relaxed against the pillar. Crying made her so tired...


She groaned and stretched as she began to wake up. She really needed to stop falling asleep on the ground, she didn't know how much more her back could take. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and cracked them open. Had she built that fire? She looked down, noticing the charcoal colored cloak wrapped around her. That certainly wasn't hers, but it did look familiar...her head snapped to the right when she heard someone let out a low chuckle. Her eyes squinted suspiciously when she saw that it was him.

"Wipe that scowl off your face, I'm not here to drag you back. I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." he finished softly. He looked away and added more wood to the fire. She rose and dusted off her dress, handing the cloak back to him. "Keep it," he told her, "It's cold out." She nodded silently, and wrapped it tightly around her, burying her face into it and inhaling his earthy scent. She hummed quietly into the cloak and he looked at her questioningly. "You smell like the forest," she blurted out, then covered her mouth with her hands. His eyes widened a fraction, "Sorry..."

"It's okay, I like the forest," she explained. She pulled the hood down over her eyes to hide her embarrassment. Why did she tell him that? She peeked at him under it but he was working on the fire with a small smirk on his face. When he was satisfied with how the logs were burning he sat down and patted the spot next to him, beckoning for her to join him and she begrudgingly obliged, sitting a few feet away but still close enough to feel the fires warmth. A few minutes passed before she finally spoke up. She wasn't usually one to sit there quietly.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked him.

"A few hours. It was already after noon when you came down," he answered. She winced at the mention of earlier that day. That would explain why it was already night, though.

"How long had I been out before?"

"About a day or so. Your mother told me you had been sick for over a week. You probably weren't completely recovered which most likely caused the black out."

She rested her chin on her knees and blushed. She wasn't about to correct him and explain that the reason she had passed out was because of him and her erratic heart. They sat there in the quiet, save for the crackling of the fire, for a few minutes. She chanced a glance at him and, seeing that he wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, let her eyes linger. His inky hair was pulled back again and his slender face was framed with the dark fly-aways. His brows were furrowed and he looked troubled, frown lines marking his otherwise smooth shaven face. The light of the fire reflected in his bright green eyes, making them glow in the darkness. They flickered towards her and met her own light blue ones. His eyes softened and looked at her pleadingly, his mouth trying to form words.

"I...you know, I...I wasn't trying to make you do something you didn't want to. I wouldn't force you to marry if you didn't want to. I just...didn't know what else to do. Your parents are set on having you marry, and soon. The only way I knew how to beat them was to play along, to postpone their decision a little longer. They're not sure what to do yet what with my interfering. I couldn't let you marry one of those little bastards..." he spit out viciously. She looked back at the fire and thought about what he told her. He spoke again, so quietly this time she almost didn't hear him. "...I wouldn't betray you, Merida, not again..." his voice broke on her name. "I don't know what I was thinking, though. It's not my place to make decisions for you. After all, why would you want to marry someone like me?" he laughed bitterly and turned his face slightly away, looking at nothing in particular. She glanced back at him, noticing the visible pain in his eyes at what he voiced. She opened her mouth, trying to get the words out, to tell him that it was okay, that he wasn't worthless as he obviously thought he was, that she loved him, but none of it sounded right when she started to say it. So she settled on something else instead.

"It...I don't think it would be awful...to marry you, that is." It was her turn to look away this time. She jumped slightly when she heard him sit down next to her, but kept her face turned away.

"Merida..." he called softly. When she still didn't turn his way he called her name again, more firmly. "Merida, please look at me." She still didn't oblige, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. "Merida, if this is what you want I will do everything in my power to make sure it happens. Do you want to marry one of the little lords?" She quickly shook her head in denial. "But...if it were me?" She paused, then made a little shrug with her shoulders, thoroughly embarrassed. He let out a little laugh, no longer as stressed as before since he now had her approval. "I will fight for you," he told her, his voice full of resolve. She averted her eyes to look at him now, meeting his serious and determined green ones.

Without warning he reached out and gripped her chin lightly with his long slender fingers, pulling her face towards his. He paused when their noses were just barely touching, looking over her face, taking in the bright red blush that had spread over her freckled cheeks and how her aquamarine eyes gleamed brighter in the moonlight. His eyes flickered to her lips and he whispered, "you're beautiful," before pressing his own against them. He slid his arm around her small waist and brought her closer, smirking against her lips when a small moan escaped her mouth. His other hand found itself buried in her mane of curls and her own arms wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders. Her hands untied the ribbon that held his hair back and they slid through the strands as smooth as silk. He groaned and released her, fighting the urge to deepen the kiss. He didn't want to compromise her virtue, even if she was to be his wife someday. He respected her too much.

"We'll go back in the morning, yeah?" he gasped out between breaths.

She looked into his darkened, almost black, eyes and nodded. She smiled and leaned over to plant another of the many small kisses they would share that night.


A/N: What's up! This chapter has major fluff at the end haha...I hope you enjoyed the kiss! I'm a bit self conscious about it, writing kiss scenes are harder than I thought. O_O Anyways, shout out to favorite #100! Thanks, fight-before-fight! Also, check out my new story if you get the time! It's a really random, but long, Dramione fanfic. XD And with this chapter I'll probably make it to 100 reviews! Thank you all so much and I look forward to hearing from you!