Karigan shuffled the pile of papers into something that may resemble a pile. Her head hurt and her eyes were tired. This new position came with more paperwork, so much paperwork. Karigan groaned and dropped her head into her hand. A soft knock sounded at her door and she grumbled at the person to enter through her palm. The door clicked open and shut behind her.

"How are you adjusting to the new position?"

Karigan lifted her head to stare at Mara. "How did you manage all of this?"

Mara chuckled and settled herself on Karigan's bed. Karigan turned her head on her palm and looked at the redhead, who was perched on her bed looking mysterious. "Mara?"

"I didn't come all the way up here to talk about paperwork."

Karigan lifted her head and turned her small chair to face her. "Oh?"

Mara grinned, it almost looking feral. "Well?"

Karigan's cheeks warmed and she leaned back. "Mara!"

Mara leaned forward and gripped Karigan's hands. "Come on. Tell me something. What happened?"

"Mara," she breathed. "We had dinner."

"Ya..and?"

Karigan snorted in her effort to hold back her laugh. "Mara, you are insufferable." Karigan looked away from Mara's gleeful, smiling face before shrugging. "We talked. Mostly about his children, our childhoods, little things."

Mara was quiet while she talked and Karigan couldn't keep the smile off her face. Several days had passed since their dinner, and with their schedules it was expected, so there was not much to tell Mara.

"You look happy," Mara said, breaking into her thoughts.

Karigan looked at Mara and smiled.

"Oh, I intercepted a runner with a message for you. Thought I'd bring it to you myself."

Karigan did not trust the gleam in her eyes as she took the letter. Her quick glance at the letter showed the king's seal. She broke the seal in seconds and read enough of the letter to see the request for her presence before shoving the letter into her pocket.

"Need to leave?"

Karigan slapped Mara's shoulder as she stood and rushed from her room, Mara laughing at her the whole way.

It occurred to Karigan halfway to the king's study to check the letter for a location and had to change directions for the stables. As she walked across the courtyard, the setting sun was warm on her shoulders and the yard was quiet. She slipped inside the stables and the warm, familiar smell of hay and horse greeted her. Condor nickered in the distance and when Karigan found him in the stables, Zachary was already there rubbing his large cheeks.

"Sorry if I am late. Mara had to interrogate me before she gave me your letter."

Zachary turned away from Condor. "It is fine. Condor was keeping me company."

Karigan came to stand next to Zachary, butterflies filling her stomach. "You sent for-"

Her words stopped when the backs of his fingers grazed across her cheek. His thumb grazed her cheek bone, brush across the edge of her eye patch. Karigan closed her eye and leaned into his feather light touch before stepping back with a smile on her lips. "You shouldn't do that where people can see."

Zachary smiled at her. "There is no one here," he said but dropped his hand.

Karigan resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and rolled her eyes instead. "You sent for me?"

"I finally had some time free from meetings and wished to see you."

Karigan smiled and her cheeks warmed to much she was sure her face to her ears were beet red. "Oh," she said softly at a loss for better words.

Condor shoved his nose over the stall door, irritated at the lack of attention, and butted Karigan's shoulder with his nose. She chuckled and rubbed his soft nose.

"How is it…going with…" she didn't know how to finish her question, didn't know how to ask if things had progressed.

"Slowly. But things are going well." Zachary said and scrubbed the patch between Condor's eyes. "I've spoken with a few lords," at Karigan's panicked eyes he interjected, "discretely, I have spoken to a few discretely to gage their reactions."

"And it has been a good reaction?"

Zachary smiled. "Yes."

Karigan nodded. "That's good then."

"And how are you adjusting to your new position?"

"I'm adjusting. It came at a good time. I get to still work but not feel like a burden."

Zachary frowned at her and Karigan frowned back. "You know what I mean."

"I do." Zachary brushed his fingers along her cheek again. Karigan smacked his fingers away with a grin. "You are very determined and gods forbid you rest even a moment."

Karigan couldn't stop the groan that escaped her. "There is too much to do! I haven't the time to rest. There is so much paperwork. The rider accounts were nothing compared to this. I don't know how Mara did it."

"I'm sure you'll manage it," Zachary said with laughter in his voice. "You are a clan Chief's daughter after all."

She sighed and looked away as she let those words settle. "I've been called many things recently, but that wasn't one of them. It has been a long time since I have been that person. Sometimes I look back and wonder if I ever was. It seems a lifetime ago."

"You are always that person. Part of you always will be. It shapes who you are now."

Karigan glanced at him with a soft smile. "I suppose that is true. Part of that girl will always be there. Just like the scared young boy who hid from the weapons will always be part of you, somewhere."

Zachary chortled at her. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, I know things," she said with a smile and started walking towards the stable doors. "I should return to my work. I have so much to catch up on still."

Zachary gripped her hand and stopped her. A gentle on her arm and Karigan was pulled to his chest. Zachary settled his chin on top of her head and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You shouldn't do this," Karigan said again into his chest. But the giggle in her words took away any reprimand they had.

"Indulge me a minute."

Karigan sighed and turned her nose into his neck. She allowed herself to revel in the feeling, the comfort before pulling back. "Now I really must get back."

Zachary opened his mouth to protest but Karigan raised up onto her toes to press her lips to his in a quick kiss before turning away. "You can always call for me to join you at tea," she said over her shoulder and she walked toward the doors. "Not that I dislike secret meetings in stables either."

His answering chuckle followed her until the doors shut and Karigan was met with a darkened courtyard. Her walk back to her room was quiet and when she found the pile of paperwork sitting on her desk, she didn't even care Ghost Kitty had chosen it as his napping place.

So I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going with this but...well here is some more. Let me know if ya'll think I should keep it going or leave it be.