Karigan sighed as she reached her door, her body sore and hair sweaty. Her strength was getting better, slowly, but she was getting better. She was tired and wanted to sleep. She wanted to have a quiet dinner with Zachary. Karigan opened her door with another sigh. Her eyes closed with relief and sagged against her wall.

"Hello, Kari."

Her eyes popped open and settled on her father sitting in her lone chair. "Da?"

Karigan stepped slowly into the room. "Da, what are you doing here? When did you get here?"

Stevic stood and lifted his hands half heartedly before dropping them. "I arrived a few hours ago. I just finished getting settled into the room." He gestured loosely toward the guest room wing.

Karigan frowned at him. "Are the aunts here?"

"No. One journey with them was enough for this year."

She clucked her tongue. "Hmm."

"Why was I summoned to the castle by the king, Kari? Why was I summoned to the castle by a letter in the king's own hand, put up in one of the nicest suites of rooms I've ever seen?"

Karigan sighed and felt every sore and tired muscle in her body. She wanted to sleep. Maybe more than she wanted dinner with Zachary. Her father in a bad mood in her room was not on the list of things she wanted to do tonight. Slowly she stripped off her dirty short coat and sunk onto her bed. She held back a groan as her muscle protested.

"You know? I know you know why I was summoned."

"Yes, da. I know."

He stared at her expectantly and Karigan sighed again. "You were summoned by the king. The king will tell you why when he meets with you tomorrow."

"I'm meeting with him tomorrow? You know his schedule?"

Dear gods above and below. She thought. "Yes. I don't know when, but I know he was planning on speaking with you tomorrow."

"Kari-"

"Father!" she interrupted him. "I am tired and sore and sweaty. I will not tell you more on the subject." She paused to take a breath and eyed her father. "How was your trip?"

Stevic smiled softly. "It was a good trip. The weather was good."

Karigan nodded and smiled at him. "Good. And the aunts are well?"

Stevic chuckled softly and they fell into less strained conversation about her aunts and home. He asked about her eye. She skirted the question. He asked why she moved so stiffly and she said it had been a rough day training. Stevic knew she wasn't telling him the full truth. She knew he knew she was lying. Karigan tried to pull the conversation back to home and her aunts, but they both remembered how strained they had all been before she left last winter. How broken she had been, even then.

"I'd like to rest, da. I'll see you tomorrow."

Stevic nodded, his eyes weary and worried as he watched her. "Why won't you tell me what is going on?"

Karigan just shook her head and shrugged toward her door. "Tomorrow da."

Stevic stood with his own sigh and slipped through her door without any other protest.

Zachary paced in the small sitting room. He was more nervous than he wanted to admit. The sharp knock at the door stopped him in his pacing.

"Come."

The door opened and Stevic stepped in past Fastion.

"Thank you, Fastion." Zachary turned to Stevic. "Afternoon, sir. Would you like some tea?"

Stevic cocked an eyebrow at Zachary in a move so much like Karigan's it was almost disconcerting.

"Thank you, sire." Stevic said while slowly seating himself in the chair.

Zachary took a deep breath and sat across from Stevic and poured two cups of tea from the tray set between the two.

"Sire," Stevic spoke as he took the offered cup. "Why am I here? What is Kari not telling me? Is she okay?"

"She is fine. She is safe." He looked down into his cup. "I asked you here, so I could speak with you. I—I have a question I need to ask you."

Stevic watched him with stern eyes. Slowly he set his untouched cup of tea down and clasped his hands under his chin. "You want to ask me for my permission to marry my daughter."

Zachary took a deep breath through barley parted lips. Well…I see where she gets it. "Yes. Yes, sir, that is why I sent for you."

"I thought as much. Kari wouldn't say one way or another to me last night, but I am not a stupid man. I knew there was something between you two. I could see it in her eyes. On her face, whenever you were mentioned or near."

Zachary leaned back in his chair, worried for what was going to come next. Wondering what was coming from the look in his eyes.

"Sire, do you know what else I saw in her eyes and on her face?"

He could only sit quietly and shake his head.

"I saw agony. Heartbreak. I saw sorrow on her face whenever she would look on yours. It was buried deep. Deep beneath the loyalty and pride and love but I could always see it. Tell me, sire, why would I grant your marriage to my beloved Kari when you've caused her so much pain?"

Zachary nodded slowly. Stevic was not wrong. His actions had broken Kari. Letting her believe for all these years what she felt was one sided would have been so much easier. For both of them. He was selfish when he wanted—did tell her. "Karigan and I have spoken about what has happened. I made mistakes but I have paid for those mistakes. I love your daughter. More than I thought it was possible."

Stevic frowned and sat back in his own chair, mirroring Zachary. He stared at him with a frown creasing his face and conflict in his eyes. He shook his head softly. "I—"

"Well," Karigan's voice cut through the room. "This looks like it's going well."

Zachary stood at her voice. "I didn't hear the door."

She quirked a half smile at him. "Nor me knocking so I just let myself in. I had hoped you didn't hear me because everything was going so well you both were engrossed in conversation but—" she glanced between the two of them and cast Zachary a long look. "Not the case it seems."

Zachary took a deep breath, today would be a day of deep breaths, and gestured to a chair around the cooling tea. Karigan waved him off and leaned her hip against the side of his chair. Zachary cast her a look as he settled himself back in his chair. She gave him the smallest of headshakes and shoulder shrug. He left it be but made a mental note to ask her about her back when Stevic was gone.

"Da, what happened?"

Stevic turned his eyes over his shoulder to Karigan. "Nothing happened. I simply asked a question."

"Hmm." She hummed above him and Zachary felt her fingers settle at the nap of his neck. They combed softly through his hair and under his collar, almost as if it was an unconscious movement. Zachary sat still, not daring to bring attention to her subtle ministrations. "What did you ask?"

Stevic's eyes were following her hand and suddenly snapped back to Zachary before darting between Karigan, Zachary, and her hand on the back of his neck. "I asked why I should give my permission. I asked why, if he's caused you such pain, why I should allow it."

Zachary felt her hand still in his hair. As if she realized what she was doing, Karigan pulled her hand away only to perch on the arm of his chair. There was a stillness to Karigan, as she perched so close to him, that reminded him of a fighter's calm. The anger that was simmering just beneath the surface, he could sense it in her stillness. He placed a hand on her knee where it was tucked up on the arm.

"Da," she said softly, but there was no mistaking her tone for kindness. "What do you know of my pain? Hmm? What do you mean?"

Stevic waved his hand in the air. "I could see it on your face, Kari. You were in so much pain over things you wouldn't tell me! Why should allow this?"

Karigan sighed and looked away. Zachary sensed more than felt her anger go out with that sigh. "Yes. I have been through—I have seen so much. I have had my heart broken, my body." She took a soft breath and whispered, "my mind."

Zachary squeezed her knee and she looked down at him.

"But do you see any of that on my face now, da?" Karigan smiled at him and turned back to Stevic. "I am the happiest I've ever been. Happier than I thought possible for me." Stevic opened his mouth but Karigan held up her hand before dropping it back to Zachary's nape.

"No," she spoke before he could. "No, da. Let me tell you what I want. Zachary wanted to do the honorable thing and ask you for permission. I wanted to simply inform you I was marrying him. So, da. Zachary would like your permission but I will be marrying him with or without it."

Karigan squeezed the back of his neck gently before going back to combing through his hair in slow, repetitive movements.

Stevic watched her but eventually nodded slowly. "Alright." His eyes went back to Zachary. "I can appreciate you wanting to do the honorable thing."

"And I can appreciate that you are still weary." Zachary said. "I want you to be comfortable with this. Might I suggest taking a break for this afternoon so you can think and then join us for dinner?"

Stevic glanced as Karigain. "Us?"

"We often dine together."

Karigan stood from her perch on the chair and Zachary and Stevic stood with her. He caught a slight bemused look on her face as she glanced between the two. Karigan held her arm out to her father and moved him toward the door. "I'll find you later and we can talk if you want."

Stevic nodded and let himself be escorted out of the room. Zachary remained by his chair until Karigan returned to stand in front of him.

"I told you it wasn't going to go well."

"I didn't think it would start off so badly," Zachary said with a grimace and sat.

Karigan sighed and slowly lowered herself into her father's now empty seat.

"What is wrong? You would'tn sit earlier and now it looks like you're moving stiffly."

Karigan cast him a sour look and eased back in the chair. "I'm just stiff from Drent yesterday. I think I pushed myself too far and I'm paying for it."

Zachary held back a sigh. "I'd yell at you, but I know that would only make you yell at me in return, so I'll just sit silent about that."

"Mm hmm," Karigan grunted and raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, dinner should be interesting."

"Let him see you being happy, Kari." Zachary said. "Let him see how different you are from when he saw you last winter. He will relax then."

"I'm sure." Karigan felt the pot of tea, and satisfied it was still warm, poured herself a cup. "Have tea with me for a moment before I have to return. I've a meeting I'm putting off."

Zachary chuckled. "Thank you for rescuing me from your father."

Karigan smiled at him over her cup. "Any time, love. Although if my aunts ever set upon you, you're on your own."

He chuckled and sipped his cool tea. He was happy, sitting there watching Karigan drink tea. Even with a potentially awkward dinner and an unhappy father-in-law he was happy. Karigan smiled at him, as if reading his thoughts.

"I really should go. I can't actually put off this meeting."

Zachary chortled at her and stood, gripping her offered hand and pulling her to her feet. "Fine. See you tonight."

Karigan snorted and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry I'll save you again." And kissed him on the cheek.

Sorry for such a long wait. I promise I've already started on the next chapter.

Also, I can't remember exactly how Karigan and her father left things in the last book so I may have taken some liberties.