Fini Rapidement = Finished quickly

Bod diogel mau cariad = Be safe my love

Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the other ones are.

Still driving to Minnesota and I am about to pull over at a Holiday Inn for the night.

My readers, you are very much going to hate me when you get to chapter fifteen.

That is all I am going to say besides, I am so sorry for it!

- Winter

R&R Please

{ }-{~ Fini Rapidement ~}-{ }

Eirlys woke up the next morning feeling strangely revived and lighter than she had ever been. She sat up in her bed and saw she still wore the clothes from yesterday. Images of her outburst flashed through her mind, causing her to feel foolish and immature from her actions. She prayed that Athos, Porthos, and most of all Aramis did not remember, but she knew that it was in vain.

After taking a bath, she dressed anew in one of the dresses Faith had made for her. It was a light pink and came to her ankles. The sleeves had two slits in them allowing her arms to be seen somewhat and the folded neckline was a portrait. Her hair she pulled back from her face and clipped behind her head.

She walked through the halls, not yet seeing anyone besides a few of the hired help. She walked passed the study and spotted something move from the corner of her eyes. She stopped halfway to the next room and turned around, backtracking. She peered into the study from the doorway, watching Athos trying to teach Philippe to dance.

"Now twist." Athos spoke as they raised their arms and Athos tried to go underneath Philippe's. Athos was taller than Philippe and hit his arm, nearly making them both fall to the ground. Eirlys laughed and covered her mouth. The two stopped their dance and looked over at her.

"Maybe Philippe could learn better with someone smaller than he." She suggested as she moved into the room, her arms behind her back. Athos watched her as she walked up to them and waited for either to protest. Athos gave in and bowed, seeing she was right. He backed away to lean against the desk that sat by the door.

As they danced, Eirlys kept her eyes away from Philippe's. She still felt foolish and could not look at him because of it.

"I must apologize for yesterday. I made myself a fool in front of you and the others." She spoke softly as he spun her and then pulled her back to him. Philippe shook his head and stopped their dancing, his hands still grasping hers.

"You once told me, 'You need not apologize for something that was beyond your control'." He dropped their hands and stared, "Why can't you listen to your own true words?"

Eirlys looked at him thoughtfully and then smiled softly, knowing he was right. She had kept all those emotions inside, building until she exploded into a river of tears.

"You are right. Maybe you should give thee advice from now on instead of me." She took his hands again and spun herself away from him, waiting for him to pull her back. He did so, feeling she was deciding to take her own advice and they began to dance again. They danced for a long time until Athos broke them apart, saying Philippe had to go walk with Porthos for his next lesson.

Eirlys pulled Philippe into a tight hug, telling him thank you before letting him go off to Porthos in the fields. She turned to Athos, a serene look filtering across her face.

"Thank you Athos." She expressed, placing her hands behind her back again. She need not say anymore for he understood everything there was to understand. She was thankful for his upholding look of her as his daughter, thankful for his understanding of her outburst and thankful for him keeping her secret away from Aramis. She smiled and moved to him, giving him a small hug before walking out. He stood staring at the floor, his hands clasped together in front of himself.

Yesterday he had wanted to speak to her about Aramis. Speak to her about her feelings for him, but couldn't when she had crumbled to the ground in tears that broke his heart. He had wanted to tell her that even though their age was a problem to the rest of the world that Aramis was a good man, one of the very best and few. He wanted to assure her, that Aramis no matter what, would be ever faithful to her. He would watch over her, care for her, and love her; like she had trusted him too everyday they had been together.

Eirlys walked down to the courtyard and then to where the horses were at rest. She saw Aramis attending to a particularly stubborn mare she called hers.

"She won't listen!" Eirlys called out as she walked closer, leaning against the wooden rails of the fence they were in. Aramis looked over at her and let go of the reigns to the horse. She ran away to the other side of the fencing, huffing and neighing.

"Yes, that information would have been useful at the start of things." Aramis was tired from battling with Hydra and his walk was slum. He made his way to Eirlys and removed the leather gloves from his hands.

"I meant she won't listen to you." Eirlys chided as she pulled herself up to sit on the fence. She looked over to where Hydra stood and raised her two ring fingers to her lips, whistling loudly. The horse's ear perked up and she galloped quickly to the two. Aramis stood, knowing that would be the case and shook his head.

"She is your horse." He stated more than asked. Eirlys laughed and pet the top of Hydra's head.

"Yes, her name is Hydra."

"Like the giant sea serpent?"

"I found her as a calf in the Le Harve some years ago. She was feisty then as she is now, maybe even more." Eirlys looked over to Aramis and her smile faltered, "I already said this to Philippe, but I feel I need to tell you as well.

"Then go on. I'm listening." Aramis encouraged her, knowing fully well what she was doing.

"I am sorry for yesterday. I should not have acted like that. It was not only unbecoming, but highly unnecessary." Aramis laughed whole heartedly and leaned against the fence besides her. He had been expecting something along those lines, but unbecoming? Had she not known that she acted unbecoming every day and yet none of them seemed to care?

"You're unbecoming every day, Eirlys. It is a welcomed thing to us. It makes our droll lives more interesting." Eirlys smacked his shoulder hard, her jaw tight. She stared at him as he continued to laugh lighter then before, "We like you that way, mon amie."

Eirlys's scowl slowly deteriorated into a smile and she rolled her eyes, shooing Hydra away. She laughed as she watched her begin nudging, Bartholomew, an older black horse.

Aramis's eyes seemed attached to Eirlys as he studied her. They moved slowly from her golden hair, to her moonlight eyes, to her ivory nose, her rosy lips...Everything about her amazed him for some reason he could not explain. She was intelligent, perky, and strong in her own ways. His heart beat faster whenever she walked into a room lately and he felt nervous around her like a school boy again.

"Eirlys," He started, not meaning to say her name aloud. She looked over at him in question. He quickly thought of something, anything to say, "I am leaving tomorrow for Paris. I will be gone for a few days."

Eirlys was confused at why he was telling her this. She knew he had things that needed to be taken care of before the revealing of Philippe. Never before had he told her before hand that he would be leaving. She always found out he had left the day of.

"Things need attending to perhaps?" She asked, not sure of how to react. Aramis caught the uncertainty in her voice and fell short for words.

"Uh, yes...I have some things that I need to attend to." Eirlys nodded her head slowly, finally figuring out that that was not truly what he had wanted to say.

"I will await your return with high regards that what is needed to be attended to is fini rapidement, my dear general." She gave a small laugh and hopped down from the fence to stand in front of him. She gave him a wink and began walking away towards the courtyard.

"Eirlys wait!" Aramis called to her and jogged to where she stood. He looked down at her, words forming in his head of what he truly wanted to tell her, what he wanted to do. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again telling himself that the thing his heart wanted could never be. Eirlys looked up at him waiting for him to speak again and smiled when she saw him become silent with her.

Aramis expected her to hug him then like she usually did and wish him a good journey like always. He was surprised, though, when lifted her self on her tiptoes and kissed both his cheeks while holding his hands in hers.

"Until you return home, Aramis. Bod diogel mau cariad." Her words sang to his heart as she slowly departed again. He understood the first three words of welsh she spoke to him, but the last one seemed lost. Be safe my...be safe my what? What had she called him?

He watched her walk into the sanctuary, his heart swollen.

"Please Lord, send me a sign that we can be." He whispered as he continued to watch where she had disappeared from. He turned around to the horses within the fence that lay next to each other. Hydra's head laid besides Bartholomew's, noses touching gently as they slept. Aramis shook his head, finding the scene strange and walked to the fields where Philippe and Porthos were sure to be.