Chapter 20

Rovin ran as fast as she could back to the Dancing Dove. She wanted to tell Daniel the news, before she changed her mind. Of course, how was she suppose to tell Daniel, that he was the one she choose, when he didn't even know she was choosing between Noah and him? When she reached the Dancing Dove, she wrenched open the door, ignoring the calls of the thieves around her. She spotted Noah, sitting with Candle and the others. She caught Reed's eye as she made her way towards the stairs. He looked between her and Noah, but she shook her head, knowing what he wanted to know. He looked down at his mug of ale, and Rovin saw the shocked expression on his face. He thought she was going to choose Noah, they all did.

When she reached the stairs she took one last glance at Noah before starting to ascend them, taking them two at a time. When she reached the top she stood in the middle of the hallway and looked down, staring at her bedroom door. She slowly walked towards it, and walked inside, shutting the door behind her before she could stop herself.

Turning around, she saw Daniel standing up, fully clothed, and looking like he's about to leave.

"What are you doing?" Rovin asked shocked, knowing he should be healing in bed.

"Your father said I'm fit to leave. My side has almost completely healed." Daniel said grabbing his sword and sheathing it, about to leave.

"But why?" she asked still confused. "I thought you wanted to stay?"

"I do," Daniel replied walking towards her and taking her hands in his. "But I can't. I have responsibilities to my family, and the king. I can't just disappear from all that."

"I know," Rovin replied understanding but wanting him to stay. "I wish you didn't have to."

"Come with me," he said leaning over her. Rovin looked into his face, not believing what he was saying.

"Sorry?" she asked confused

"Come with me." he replied cradling his face with his right hand. "Come live in the palace with me. Well only for the time being, until we go back to Wolf Creek."

"You want me to come and live with you…" Rovin said summing up everything he had just said.

"If you want to."

"That's all, just come and live with you." Rovin said making sure that was all he wanted her to do, yet waiting to know if there was more.

"You're talking about marriage, aren't you?" Daniel replied hesitantly

"Of course I'm talking about marriage." she replied removing her hands from his, and stepping back. "I can't just come and live with you for the rest of my life, without being married. I don't see how you didn't even consider it."

"Don't over exaggerate things Rovin. I never said I wasn't considering marriage, and to tell you the truth I was. I just didn't think we've known each other long enough. I didn't think you wanted me."

"Of course I want you. I've always…wanted you," she finished in a whisper. Daniel smiled, stepped forward and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, loving every moment of it.

Daniel let her go and took her hand. She smiled shyly as he led the way out of the room, and towards the stairs. When they descended the stairs and entered the common room, everyone stopped talking. Rovin dropped his hand and he headed towards the door. Taking one last glance at her before he left. Rovin looked at Noah, who gave a half smile, still pretending nothing had happened. Rovin looked away and made her way towards the door, shutting it sadly behind her, as she joined Daniel, heading towards the palace.

*~*~*~*~*

Dodson sighed as the door shut behind his only daughter. He held his mug of ale, but didn't drink from it. He knew he hadn't failed as a father, but part of him felt as if he had.

"How could I have let this happen!" he commented to Heith taking a small sip, but not even tasting it.

"You didn't," Heith replied giving his life long friend as much encouragement as he could, while feeling lousy himself. How could he have let his son grow so far apart from the girl, only to have him fall in love with her, and then act like nothing had happened. How? "We both did everything we could do."

"No we didn't," Dodson replied staring angrily at his ale "We should have locked them in a room together, until they sorted out their differences. Then maybe the rings would have worked."

"They worked as best they could, considering the magic in them was almost gone." Heith replied starting to try and pry the mug from Dodson's grip, with out much luck.

"They should have worked better, it was a completely new couple." Dodson said gripping his mug with both hands, not ready to surrender it.

"We didn't know they would work like new with a different couple. We only hoped." Heith replied gripping the mug with both his hands as well, not willing to let Dodson drink himself to death. "Let go,"

"No!" Dodson replied pulling and spilling most of the ale. They continued bickering and fighting over the mug. By the time Heith ordered Dodson to let go, there wasn't any more ale left to bicker over. Dodson just tried to order another, but Heith waved the servant girl away, saying Dodson was drunk enough. Instead he ordered him a lemonade, to try and bring back his senses.

"How could she just leave me?" Dodson said about to break down in tears. Rovin didn't know how much it pained him to relive a horrible part of his life, when his wife left him, stealing his only son as well. Of course, now his son was coming home. He hadn't seen him in so long. He wondered what he looked like, how he acted. Maybe he could turn out to be a thief as well. Then he wouldn't have to worry about Rovin after he died. Wait, Rovin just left him. Deserted him, and went with that…that noble. How could she be so heartless! To know her father still thought about her mother, and then go and rub it in his face, the fact that she was leaving! Mithros, how much pain he was suffering right now, and he couldn't even drink it off, not with the loyal friends he has.

Heith did the best he could to comfort his friend, who covered his face with his hands and cried, for the first time in public, since his wife left. Heith remembered that dreadful night. Daylynn had run down the stairs, carrying two packs, one full of clothes and the other full of food, over her shoulder. With her right hand, she held Ryan firmly by the wrist, not letting go of him. Behind her, Dodson ran, carrying little Rovin, trying to persuade her to stay. But she wouldn't listen. She left with one last glance around the inn, saying she would never return, and she wished them all the worst of luck. She took once last, hateful look at Rovin, as if she was a curse brought to her by the gods, before leaving, and never returning again.

Dodson had cried like he was doing now. Bursting out in tears on the spot. One of the female thieves had to take Rovin, and care for her for a few days, until Dodson realized what had happened and learned to cope with it. When things finally did settle down, and Dodson was able to look at Rovin without bursting into tears, Noah and Rovin started their friendship, and life went on. Now that Rovin has basically repeated history, Heith didn't know if anything around the Rogue would ever be back to normal.

An hour or two later, a man entered the inn, carrying a pack. He was a tall man, around the age of twenty-one or so, with shoulder length light brown hair, an thin moustache and goatee on his chin, clear blue eyes, and broad shoulders. A minute later another man entered the inn, and stood with the first. He had to be the same age as the other. His hair was exactly the same, moustache and goatee as well, with the exception that his hair was dark brown, and his eyes were green. They both wore loose pale colored breeches, and dark boots. They both had on a loose pale long sleeve shirt, made out of material that usually made night time garments. The shirt hung loosely untied, revealing some of their chest. Over that was a vest, the sleeves had been ripped off and they had been dyed different colors. Around their waist, they wore belts, which held long, thin, swords, and their purses. The one with the green eyes, had a piece of cloth wrapped around his head, and his hair hung in a ponytail down his back, sections of it braided and hanging by his ears. The blue eyes man had his hair pulled back and braided the same (with beads in his hair as well). He wore nothing tied around his head, but he did have a rather large earring in his right earlobe. Both their hands had many rings on them, as well as scars, to show the many fights they had been in. They were the perfect images of pirates.

All talking stopped when these two entered the inn. Pirates weren't very common in Corus, usually sticking to the sea. The younger boys stood in awe as the two man looked around the room. The one with the blue eyes was the first to spot whoever they were looking for. He nudge his friend and pointed to where Heith sat talking with Dodson, who had settled down after his breakdown. The two men made their way over to the table. The thieves around him grew nervous, as they continued towards the king of thieves, not knowing what two pirates would want with their king, but Heith simply waved them off, telling them not to worry. When they reached the table, they kneeled, being as respectful to the king as one could be, and stood again, the one with green eyes staring Heith in the eye.

"Hello father," he said with an accent only a pirate would carry, and a gorgeous smile to match his brothers. He spoke perfectly, as though he had never lived at sea.

"Hello Bo--" Heith started to say before being interrupted by his son

"Actually, I don't go by 'Bobby' anymore." he replied

"Oh," Heith said quite shocked that his son didn't go by his first name anymore. "Then might I ask what you do go by son?"

"John," he replied, with his friend smirking at his side.

"How original," Heith muttered crossing his arms and staring at him. "Well, what are you waiting for," everyone in the room tensed to see what Heith's next words would be, good or bad… "sit down and for Mithros sake tell me what you're doing home!"

John sat down to the left of Heith as Dodson was sitting on his right, staring at John's friend, who sat on the left side of John.

"Before you tell us what your doing here," Dodson commented "Why not tell us who your friend is?"

"Of course," John replied smirking at his friend. "I think you'll be most pleased to meet him Dodson. This is my good friend…"