A/N: Warning: Drunk Alek again. I'm sorry, I can't help it and I think it would be funny. If you don't like drunk Alek, don't read.

Mrs. Sharp sighed heavily as she glanced out the window onto the dark street below. "It looks as though the stag party is over. And your brother has certainly made sure that Alek is a proper Scot now."

Deryn rushed over to the window to stand next to her mother. "Barking spiders! That bum-rag!"

It was two days before the wedding, and Jaspert had insisted on throwing Alek a stag party. Deryn had threatened her brother within an inch of his life to not follow through with the regular traditions. Apparently he had underestimated her warning or was dafter than she realized. Alek was currently slumped against the one light post outside the house, hands bound, shirt missing, and covered in soot. The boys had also done a bang up job of getting the prince drunk off his arse.

Deryn huffed angrily and stalked out of the room, her mother right on her heels. "Deryn, please don't over react. You know your brother has good intentions. This is just his way of welcoming the boy to the family."

"Ma! Hasn't he already been embarrassed enough?" she practically shrieked, thinking back to the Creelin' that had taken place earlier that day. She had finally stopped that by kissing Alek, as per tradition, but not before Jaspert and the rest of the boys had marched him half way around the barking town with a basket of stones strapped to his back.

"Deryn, really, now you're just being ridiculous. Alek was perfectly fine with the Creelin'. He told you so himself!"

Deryn knew her mother was right. Alek had fully accepted all of the Scottish wedding traditions that were thrown at him, including the kilt that he would have to wear to the ceremony. In fact, he did so with a more positive attitude than Deryn, who often grumbled at some of the traditions she was put through (really, that "show of presents" was awfully dull and completely pointless). Despite all that, Deryn was still afraid that Alek would reach a breaking point with all this nonsense and decide that marrying her was just not worth it.

"He grew up a barking sheltered prince Ma," Deryn continued as she threw her coat over her nightgown and stepped into her boots that were waiting in the front hallway.

Mrs. Sharp shrugged. "It could be worse. Your father's friends covered him in treacle and then feathered him. And I'm pretty sure he was wearing less clothing."

Deryn swore, earning an angry glare from her mother. Deryn gave her a sheepish look and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"I'll fill the bath and make some coffee," Mrs. Sharp said turning toward the kitchen. "Try not to get too dirty bringing him in, aye."

Deryn smiled after her mother, opened the front door and swiftly dashed toward the light post. Alek looked to be half asleep. She briefly wondered how much of this he would remember in the morning.

"Poor boy," Deryn whispered, pushing back that stray lock of hair that was always in his face. She gently tapped his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Alek, darling, wake up."

The prince gave off a groan and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he realized that it was Deryn's face just inches from his own. "Hello," he whispered hoarsely.

"Aye, good, you're awake." Deryn couldn't help but smirk a bit at the situation. She removed her old rigging knife, which she insisted on always keeping in the pockets of her coat and made quick work of the rope knotted around Alek's wrists throwing the twine aside.

Grasping his hands, she carefully dragged Alek to his feet, quickly catching him around the waist before he could fall over. "Easy there," she murmured. She gazed into his eyes, which seemed even brighter and lovelier framed by his sooty face. Deryn sighed, "You never were very good at holding your liquor, aye?"

Alek gave her a silly grin and shook his head. "That brother of yours could drink a tigeresque under the table." His speech was slurred and Deryn could definitely smell the alcohol on his breath.

"That's true enough." She pressed her forehead to his, ignoring the grime that transferred itself to her skin. "I'm so sorry love," she said quietly, "for dragging you into this mess."

Alek laughed and attempted to kiss her forehead, but missed and got her eyelid instead. He didn't seem to notice. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied.

She snorted at his drunken state and gave him a firm tug. "Come on your princeliness. Let's get you cleaned up." Together they stumbled back into the house.

Hi all! Sorry for the long wait. Getting married takes a ton of your time! I've actually had this one started for a while, but had a hard time with the ending. I changed it a few times, but I think it works now!

So anyway, I found a website about Scottish wedding traditions and thought that the stag party sounded like a ton of fun! Just google "Scottish Wedding Traditions" and you should be able to find some of the ones I've mentioned in this.

Also, I'm sure they probably did this the night before, but I'm betting that Deryn would have killed Jaspert if Alek showed up hung over. So two days before.