"Sea foam?" answered a confused voice from behind. I bet you all the happiness in the world (big bet I know, but I know I'm right so no harm done) that Nat had raised an eyebrow to. Looking over my shoulder I saw that I was indeed right. (So all the happiness in the world is safe).

I turned around again but didn't say a thing. Sighing Nat came round to face me, and crouching so that he could look me in the eyes he said (not sorry No) he said, " Why did you have to run off like that and leave me behind to clean up the mess?"

I was shocked, after insulting me not once, not twice but three times in the last 2 hours he didn't even say sorry. Instead he insults me more.

I had had it, completely had it. Without speaking or even looking at him I picked up my only two possessions and started walking away once again, as far away from Nat as possible. He was just so…. infuriating. Infuriating where the Fuck did that come from? O god even my vocabulary was suffering in this century. It couldn't get any worse.

"Where are you going?" Nat asked sounding very tired. I changed my mind. He was acting like I was a little kid not even worthy of is higher presence. I turned around and walked right up to.

" I am going as far away from you as humanly possible" I told him poking him in the middle of his chest (hard) with the word you.

" I have completely had it with you. You insult me and then you have the nerve to accuse me of leaving you behind to clean my mess. I guess a simple sorry would have been too hard for you wouldn't? I mean a person like me is not worth the attention of someone as high and mighty as you. I mean I'm just some…. what would people in this time call it? oh I remember little WENCH! Why are you travelling with me anyway I mean I am clearly not the perfect court lady men like you would prefer. Well I'm sorry I'm not, I'm sure a court lady would have saved you from those bandits just by showing her perfect bosom in a low cut dress and batting her eyelashes a couple of times. I'm sure she wouldn't embarrass you by slapping a man who was insulting her virtue like I did. I am leaving now so that you can get on with your life and you won't have to bother looking after a girl with a BRAIN!" I know I was being completely hysterical but at this point in time I couldn't do anything to stop it nor did I care.

I had had one of the worst days of my life. On a scale from 1 to 10 this was most definitely a 12. Then Nat did something surprising. He wiped the tears from my face; ones that I hadn't even noticed where there and just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

I resisted, I truly did, it's just that I felt so safe there. I cried for a long time, soaking Nat's shirt and when I finally pulled back I must have looked a mess. I just knew that I was having a bad hair day (what else was new) to top this oh so perfect day off.

" I'm sorry" Nat said in such a grave voice that I believed him "I know its not an excuse for my earlier behaviour but I was just so stressed, and I could hardly deal with that let alone any new problems!" he forced and agitated hand through that (lovely) black hair of his "can you forgive me? When you walked off and I couldn't find you I was so sure something bad had happened to you. My mind was coming up with the worst things ever!"

"I'm sorry too" I replied "and yes I forgive you, I'm not having the best week of my life either." So sue me I forgave the guy. I'm a needy girl and I like to talk, I couldn't very well talk to myself all day long could I.

So forgiving Nat and being able to talk to him was the most sensible solution wasn't it? Yeah right argued that annoying little voice in my head, the one I always tell to shut up, for just this one simple reason, it was always right.

We went back to that horrible town, and back to the inn I had walked away from earlier that day. The first thing I did was take a bath. Back home I showered every day.

Since coming to this century I hadn't washed once. How gross was that, ack, well its not like I had a choice. I made the maid bring me clean water like 3 times. In the end she was extremely annoyed at me, not that I cared, it was wonderful to be clean again. Only after I had changed into clean clothes (curtsey of Nat) did I inspect the room I was in. It was simple, there was one big bed, just like the ones you see in movies, although less elaborate.

There was one window that looked out over a street, and a chamber pot in a corner (can I just say eeeeeeeeewww!). Just as I was inspecting the bed for creepy crawly things Nat walsed in.

"What are you doing now?" he asked

"Checking for creepy crawly things" I replied

"Creepy.. Crawly things?" he repeated slowly

"Yes, got a problem with that?" I straightened putting my hands on my hips.
" No, no, whatever!" he put his hands up in the air like people do when held a gun (sword) point.

"Good, turn around." He did, surprisingly, without question. I took off my (Nat's) pants and climbed into the big bed squashing the urge to jump up and down on it (childish I know, but you would want to as well if you had seen the bed.) wearing only a shirt and underwear (oops loincloths, that's what they're called, Nat bought them for me, I mean how embarrassing is that?). Sensing I was done Nat turned around again, raising his customary eyebrow (what else was new?) he asked "Who said you could have that side of the bed?"

" Huh" I intelligently replied

" Who…said…that.. you…could..have..that..side..of…the…bed" Nat said slowly as if I was stupid. I am NOT stupid by the way, in case you agreed with Nats thoughts.

" I am not stupid" I said out load " and what do you mean? Are we supposed to share the bed?"

" We have a winner"

"Excuse me?"

Sigh "Yes, my lady, we have to share the bed, all the other rooms where full." Almost as an after thought he added " that sunlight seems to have effected your brain, maybe you should stay out of the sun tomorrow, it could ruin a ladies complexion completely" he finished in what I assumed was his court voice.

"Fine you want this side of the bed, I'll just have to take the other. Thank you for you concern good sir, however I happen to enjoy the sun greatly, and if it means I have to sacrifice my brain in order to enjoy it I would do so willingly. After all a lady has no need for a brain, especially if we have strong men like you to protect us." I fluttered my eyelashes at Nat; his expression was so amusing that I couldn't help but laugh.

He looked completely shell shocked. He asked me what was so funny, causing me to have a fit of giggles all over again. However I managed to splutter "Your face" Nat soon joined in, and in no time we where rolling all over the big bed laughing.

After we both calmed down, Nat took off his shirt (drool drool, that guy has the best abs ever…omg cannot think of Nat that way… remember friend F.R.I.E.N.D. It was no good; even then I knew it was a hopeless case.

Moi, the girl who always saw the worst in guys, told my friends not to date them because their hearts would be broken, knew when it was hopeless (like now) and knew how it would end (horribly) was falling….HARD…)

Nat took the left side of the bed, I took the right (well duh). Nat always the gentleman had ordered an extra amount of pillows which he put as a border between us.

Was I really that repulsing, he didn't even want to touch me? One part of my brain went, while the other (more sensible) part went, it's only respectful.

Sigh, this was going to be one hell of a ride if my brain continued to work over time like this when Nat was near.

The next morning after I had dressed I went down to the common room where Nat said he'd be waiting for me. At the bottom of the stairs I was greeted by wolf whistles and a lot of stares. I walked over to the table Nat was sitting at, he didn't notice me, this because he was currently busy flirting with one of the servant girls. She was about ready to crawl onto his lap. It was quite nasty really; I mean cut me some slack I hadn't even eaten any breakfast yet. I plunked down onto my chair and tried to get the serving girls attention, it wasn't working. Sighing I went

"Nat, could you at least wait until I've had breakfast, then I can stomach the fact that this girl is ready to crawl onto your lap and do god knows what else in your bed later."

Startled the serving girl snapped back to this world and asked me (red faced) what I would like. After ordering Nat said (somewhat grumpily)

"That was uncalled for."

"Sorry, I'll just poke you next time."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Its not my fault I cant keep girls off me."

I snorted.

"For your information I wouldn't have bedded that girl."

"Only because you don't have the bed to yourself."

"That's not true."

"Is too"

"Isn't"

"Is"

"Isn't"

"Shut Up!"

"Only if you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"You know what."

"I do?"

"Yes, idiot, you do."

" Whatever."

"Ohh, real creative."

"Your just jealous."

"Of what?"

"Her."

"You wish."

" I know."

"Then you are even dumber then I thought."

"Just telling the truth, some people, like you, just don't like to be found out."

"Sure, whatever."

"Who's creative now?"

"Actually you're right, I would love to get hot and heavy with you, in fact why don't we just skip breakfast and go back to our room, and then you can show me how to become a proper woman."

"A lady really shouldn't use language like "hot and heavy" my darling." He drawled, "and I would gladly be your guide to woman hood. Sadly we don't have the time, there is too much to be done today."

"Coward." Before Nat could reply the servant girl was back, no longer red faced having recovered from what I had said earlier. In fact she had a rather evil smile on her face. I braced myself, I knew she was going to comment on me, I mean I had basically called her a slut, hadn't I? Although she was, nobody, not even sluts, like to be called one. And like always I was right, well I'm mostly always right. Looking me up and down she sneered at me and went.

"Here's your breakfast, hope you enjoy it after the busy night you had."

I was not going to let her get the better of me, so I replied with a fake smile and a wink in Nat's direction. "Why thank you, that's too kind off you, I really do need to get my strength back after last night, especially now I'm eating for two." I rubbed my stomach while saying the last bit.

The effect was hilarious, Nat choked on whatever he was drinking, the serving girl's eyes became wide. Her face once again became red, and without uttering another word she left.

Thank god she did too because I could hardly contain my laughter, which came out right after she left. I laughed and laughed nearly falling off my chair, I stopped and collected myself, but then I made the mistake of looking up at Nat and I started laughing all over again.

" Why did you have to go say that, do you know how fast gossip travels around here, the whole of Tortall will know that the sergeant of the Kings Own got a girl pregnant, and that he can't marry her, by tonight!" he sounded exasperated as if he didn't know what to do or think of me. Come to think of it that was probably true. I had finally stopped laughing and could one again sit up straight.

"Calm down, they wont find out until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

"Glad to know you can still joke at a time like this." He smiled.

Smiling back I asked, "So what are we doing today?"

I love shopping, sorry make that past tense, I loved shopping, but shopping in this place meant something completely different. After about an hour I had completely had it. Nat kept asking me what I wanted/needed. Now usually I wouldn't think twice about answering and would be rushing about in whatever shop we were in grabbing everything that caught my eye.

In this century however most of the shopping occurred on the market or in dingy little shops. Nothing that I saw rung a bell, and everything I saw was exotic and strange. So when Nat asked me what I wanted/needed I was faced with a slight problem. This problem being that I didn't know.

I mean I have no idea what half the things I was seeing were or how the objects were meant to be used. It was tiring; Nat just kept rushing off making me follow. All too soon I felt horrible and the stares I was getting from people were not helping my mood at all. Finally I went.

"NAT! SLOW DOWN!"

He slowly turned around and blinked at me. "Huh?" he replied smartly. Oh god he was completely out of it what was going on?

" Nat, we have been here for over an hour and haven't bought a single thing, I really need some spare clothes and other basic things, I don't want to walk in your clothes forever you know, and by the stares people are giving me, my outfit isn't completely normal either!" I finished by blowing a hair out of my face. Mental note to self" GET HAIR TYES OR CUT HAIR OFF!

Suddenly Nat started laughing and all too soon he was doubled over in the middle of a crowded street.

" What the hell do you think is so funny!' my voice sounding exasperated even to my own ears.

" Its just that you are the first girl who I know that doesn't enjoy shopping. My sisters always drive me crazy when they force me to accompany them on one of their many shopping trips. And then their is you, standing there huffing in the middle of the street because the shopping is taking to long!"

I didn't think it was funny at all, I actually felt like kicking Nat out of frustration, and I did.. hard… in the middle of his shin.

He let out a satisfied yelp, but if anything he just laughed harder. Irritated and extremely annoyed I stalked off in the other direction. I looked behind me to see that Nat was still laughing but clutching at his shin.

What was I supposed to do with him? True he had grown on me, but sometimes all I felt like doing was wrapping my hands around his neck and…. I didn't get to finish my trail of thoughts because I had bumped into a really big man, and I mean huge, he reminded me of a giant.

Although he might have seemed bigger from where I was lying, which was on the dirty market floor. Looking down at me he smiled and held out his hand to help me up, giving me some advice while pulling me to my feet.

" You might want to watch where you are going, not all men would be as gracious as I am in a situation like this."

" Don't worry Raoul, she would have just beaten him to pulp if he had dared to insult her." I heard Nat reply from behind me. Smiling smugly in my direction when he noticed my attention was once again focused on him.

I didn't dignify his statement with an answer, this seemed to happen often, and instead I kicked him in the same shin as before while smiling sweetly and saying ' Do shut that big mouth of yours, you might give people the wrong impression of me."

"Nathan I think you may have finally found your match, in more ways then one." Raoul commented while looking me up and down.

"What's that supposed to mean oh great commander of mine?"

"What do you think Nat, are you really to dense to catch my meaning."

"Yippee, someone else who thinks you're little more than a caveman"

"At least a caveman has more brains then a court lady" he snapped back at me.

" Thank god I am not a court lady then, don't you agree Raoul?"

"Definitely …Lady….."

"Fee, just Fee."

"Very well then Lady Fee, it is only proper that I know the name of the lady my irresponsible sergeant got pregnant."

Giggling at a now very annoyed and very handsome sergeant I replied. " If it's a boy I shall name him after you good sir." With an attempted curtsey when I came to the last part of the sentence.