AN: Thanks so much for the enthusiastic reviews, appreciate every single one. Yeah I'm a second year in med school, so updating is taking a little longer than I hoped when I started this out. I have almost all of it written, it's just finding time to go back and proof read it etc.
I know updates are kinda here and there, but I'm gonna try to be better about getting to them, and this story will get finished.
As always, I own nothing, and reviews are love and fuel for those late nights spent proofing and posting.
Back at Tubbington Manor, the Marquis stared absently out of her bedroom window. Her day in the town had brought about some unexpected news - the princess was absent from church and had not been seen all day. "We must find out where the princess spend this day" she informed her children, who hovered around the room, sensing their Mother's anxious mood. "That means we shall keep our eyes and ears open when we are about the town, especially you Lauren."
"Me?" Lauren enquired, a little taken a back.
"Of course Darling" Terry replied, turning to face her daughter, "People do not see you" she gestured to the girls rather large midriff, "As a threat, and so they will speak more freely than if Jesse or I were to be in presence."
Lauren opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, before closing it again, turning on her heel, and stomping as much as she dared out of the room as Jesse sniggered under his breath.
A flash of anger crossed the Marquis's face, and only seemed to intensify as Emma hurried into the room and began polishing the cabinets, rushed to finish her chores and have time to help with preparing dinner.
"I want to know the minute she sets foot in this house" Terry demanded. Emma gave a slight curtsey and a intonation of "Yes M'lady" before finishing up her polishing and making a swift exit. She didn't have to ask to know that the Marquis was talking about Brittany, the girl had been gone all day, and although both Emma and Molly had their suspicions on whom she was with, neither were sure of what consequences she was going to meet when she finally did return home.
Mesmerised, Santana watched the flickering embers of the fire dance, reflected in Brittany blue eyes, that looked almost black in the dim light of the gypsy camp. The princess barely noticed the sting of the whiskey, as the blonde dabbed at the slight gash and rapidly forming bruise on her cheek, from her earlier encounter with the leader of the gypsy clan, whom they had learned to be called Rowan's, fist.
Though at first the travelling folk had seemed treacherous and Santana had greatly feared for both Brittany's and her own safety, after their shared humour over Brittany taking anything she could carry, namely Santana, and leaving after their earlier dispute, they had turned out to be rather hospitable, and the noble woman found herself enjoying their company, as they all sat around a fire sipping ale and exchanging stories late into the evening.
An hour or so earlier, as the night drew on, the men had begun to disperse, some retreating to their make-shift sleeping quarters, other's venturing off camp to unknown places, and Santana and Brittany had moved to sit on a log, by a smaller fire just away from the hustle and bustle of the centre of the camp. The stars twinkled above them, clear in the dark night sky, as Brittany carefully tended to the princess's wounds, and the princess sat enchanted by the courtier, drinking in her every move, barely noticing the pain that flared down the left side of her face, every time a freshly dipped swaddle was pressed to her wound.
Santana silently marvelled at the woman before her. Not only had Brittany stolen her own heart, but she also seemed to have an uncanny ability to captivate and capture the hearts of everyone she met, on that day alone she had turned once perilous foes into hearty friends, with her unique way of thinking and disregard for convention.
Noticing Brittany wince, as she wiped again at the cut, Santana broke into a smile, before promptly relaxing her facial muscles as a twinge of pain that even Brittany could not keep at bay flared up with the movement. "Thank you" she said sincerely, gently taking Brittany's hand, moving it away from her face, and signalling that she was fine, "You have been most kind."
"So have you" Brittany replied, to spend just this one evening with you, it has truly been the greatest night of my existence" she admitted a little bashfully. Before the Latina could reply, Brittany quickly began to speak again, "Tell me something about you Santana" she paused for a second, enjoying the way the name felt on her lips, the intimacy it signalled, rather than addressing the other woman by her title, "Tell me something I do not know about you" she insisted again, determined to learn more about the girl she had recently become so besotted with.
The princess seemed to mull the answer over, and as she did, Brittany took the opportunity to drink her in. The firelight caught her dark brown eyes, turning them into smouldering pools of midnight black ash, her tan complexion beautiful against her cheeks, which were rosy from the heat of the blaze and the wine. Though her hair was slightly dishevelled and her frock a litle dirty from their afternoon of hiking, Brittany thought to herself that she had never seen her look so beautiful. Part of that beauty was physical, but there was also a shift in Santana's whole aura that she couldn't quite place, somehow she seemed more carefree, almost as if her soul was lighter, her life brighter and better, and that light shone from her insides all the way through, until the blonde felt she was almost blinded by adoration.
"You are going to think this odd," Santana ventured tentatively, testing the waters. Brittany simply nodded her encouragement, the way she looked at Santana practically screaming that she could never find anything about the princess anything less than enamouring; and reassured said noble continued. "I never wanted to be Queen" she admitted, her eyes eagerly fixed on the other woman's face, anxiously awaiting her reaction.
"Why ever not?" Brittany asked, though she seemed neither surprised nor perplexed, and for the first time in her life, Santana felt she had shared one of her most private secrets without judgement.
"It simply never appealed to me" she admitted, before forcing herself to expand, "To be so responsible for others, so tied to the Kingdom, so crippled by obligation and expectation" she explained, suddenly very interested in the damp earth of the forest floor as she spoke. "Seeing my Mother and my Father live that life...It is not something I would wish upon my worse enemy, let alone choose for myself."
Brittany took a moment to take in this new information, deciding that she could definitely see Santana's point.
"Yes" she agreed out loud, "It must be quite difficult to grow up with such heavy expectations placed upon your shoulders, to be told how you must act, what you must do, when you must study, and who you can love…" the blonde trailed off, and Santana caught a flash of something in her eyes that she couldn't identify, but as soon as it was there, it was gone, and the blonde was apologising. "Forgive me your highness, my mouth has run away with me it seems" she was about to stand up to courtesy, when slender fingers wrapped gently around her wrist holding her in place.
"It's Santana, please" the princess insisted, "And it is your mouth, my dear lady, that has me so hypnotised" she admitted unabashedly, before pulling Brittany in until their lips met, and the other woman was wrapped in her arms.
When they parted from the kiss, they stayed like that for a while, Brittany held in Santana's arms, her head resting in the crook of her neck, she could feel the rise and fall of her chest with every breath, and time was counted out only by the steady beating of her heart. Closing her eyes, Brittany realised that in that moment she felt something she had not felt for many, many years; she felt safe, and as she told Santana so, whispered words turned to kisses, and kisses to more whispers, as they whiled the night away in each other's arms.*
Santana noticed the sun beginning to peek through the trunks of the trees that surrounded them, the night giving way to dawn, and though she never wanted her time with Brittany to end, she decided it would be best to get the lady home, for a night spent talking, kissing and then sleeping under the stars was not conductive to a good nights rest, and if Santana's plans for them both for the next few days were to come into fruition, rest was something they both would be needing.
Though Brittany had only finally lost her battle with consciousness and dozed off about half an hour ago, she seemed to be sleeping very soundly, and Santana felt a pang of guilt at waking her, so as gently as she could she manoeuvred the blonde woman in her arms, until she had a better grip on her, and carefully stood up, taking extra caution so as not to jostle her precious sleeping cargo.
The princess gratefully untethered the horse Rowan had left saddled for them, and managed to climber into the saddle, using a fallen tree trunk as a step, and by some form of miracle, she did so without waking Brittany, who still slept soundly in her arms, rocked by the gentle lull of their horse as it carried them back towards the town.
Arriving at Tubbington Manor, Santana pulled their mount to a halt, taking one last look at the beauty that was sleeping Brittany.
The other girl looked so innocent, so small, that Santana felt a wave of emotion rise within her, some feelings she had come to recognise over the past few days she had spent in the blondes presence, such as love and adoration, but other's were new, and made her chest feel strange in new and amazing ways. She felt a strange sense of loyalty to the woman she held so tightly against her chest, and the overwhelming need to protect her against all odds. Brittany had confided in the princess that she felt as if she was a safe place, and Santana was determined to be just that.
Smiling to herself, the princess grazed her lips over the blonde's hairline, planting small butterfly kisses there, before moving to speak gently into her sleeping beauty's ear. When Brittany awoke it took her a few seconds to orientate herself, and believe that she was actually there with Princess Santana, who was staring down adoringly at her, kissing her gently, and that the whole night had not been a dream.
Once she was fully roused, the blonde slid easily down from the saddle, followed by the princess, and insisted she did not need to be accompanied to the manor doors, on the grounds that she did not wish to wake the other occupants of the house, so reluctantly the pair bade each other good night...or good morning as it was.
As they shared a final sweet kiss, and began to part, Santana called out to Brittany as she walked away, "Do you know of the old monastery ruins by the waterfall in the forest?"
At the sound of her love's voice Brittany turned back around to meet her eyes one more time, and it was all she could do not to run back into her arms, "I do" he replied.
"Meet me there tomorrow?" the princess enquired, her tone full of hope.
"I shall do my best" Brittany promised, for she knew that was all she could do, she was sure to already be in for a punishment due to her current absence.
"Then I shall wait there all day" Santana replied, seemingly satisfied with the answer, as she sprung nimbly back up into to the saddle, and with one last longing glance back at Brittany, spun the horse around and urged the animal into a fast canter, easily winding back down the long driveway of Tubbington Manor and homeward to the palace.