Thank you all so much for the reviews and the love. Thank you, thank you.
I really appreciated the questions I got as well.
Fitola: I just really love period films. It was actually based on my love for movies like, well basically Jane Austen adaptions, The Other Boleyn Girl, but the Sally Hemming story, and I saw Belle recently and that was quite inspiring and I could see adding elements of that into this. Also I haven't seen Palm Tree in the Show but I see that it is on Netflix so I will be watching. I see the gifs all the time and had no idea what movie it was from. So glad you like it. I am gonna use bits and pieces of actual rules from those eras but they will be different for this story
Also to the one Guest who asked about the legality of land ownership, I have it all plotted out and it will reveal it self in due time. Also Michonne riding side saddle is just how someone of her status, like you mentioned would do. It was just how women rode at the time. :)
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Michonne slowed Nellie to a walk once she felt they were a safe enough distance from The Kingdom settlement. "Noah won't say anything but I can't be certain about anyone else." Michonne said explaining why she didn't introduce Rick to the young stable hand.
"It's quite alright. I guess everyone knows about the Rovias wanting your land." Rick said
"Some do, but that's not the reason they would look at me like I am crazy for helping you" Michonne said, her voice suddenly wistful.
"It's because I am English." Rick says
Rick watches as Michonne nods. Rick was familiar with the revolt between the French, Jamaicans, and British that happened when Rick was just a little boy. The French and Jamaicans banded together to defeat the British, forcing them to surrender their claim over the island. Jamaican and British parliaments drew up peace treaties to prevent anything like what occurred again. Relationships have been relatively quiet between the British and Jamaicans, everything courteous, and but never forgotten.
Rick wanted to inquire more about what her family's involvement had been in the revolt, as obviously they didn't seem to trust the English. It made Rick wonder why she had even helped him in the first place.
Before Rick could question her, Michonne suddenly exclaimed, "Oh wow look!" Nellie shuffled nervously under Rick and Michonne. "Oh I am so sorry Nellie." She said stroking the back of the horse's head, soothing the anxious creature.
"What do you see?" Rick asked, subconsciously tightening his grip on Michonne's waist
"Look just there" Michonne said in calmer, quieter tone, pointing to a strange tree. Rick wasn't quite sure what it was he was seeing but he assumed it was some sort of fruit. Michonne pulled herself from Rick's grasp, dismounting Nellie. Kissing Nellie on the nose and stroking it gently. Michonne moved toward the strange tree. Rick dismounted Nellie and stood next to the creature, watching as Michonne unsheathed her sword. With one rapid, fluid motion Michonne separated the fruit from the tree. She jumped back to avoid being hit by the fruit.
Nellie whined and began to back up, shaking her head. Rick instinctively grabbed her reins. "Shhh, there, there, Michonne is just fine." The horse tried to back away again but Rick held the reins firmly, gently caressing Nellie's head. Rick spoke in quiet, soothing tones and soon Nellie seemed to calm again. Rick then turned his attention back to Michonne. She stood wide eyed, mouth agape, staring at Rick. Rick worried he had been too rough with Nellie.
"Oh Michonne, I am so sorry- "Rick began to apologize.
"No, no" Michonne said quickly, looking at Rick in awe. "Nellie usually only calms for me and anyone else who tries says it takes them ages."
Rick smiled. "Then I am most pleased I was able to calm her so quickly." Rick then turned his attentions to the strange fruit on the rainforest ground. "What is that?"
Michonne grinned at Rick "This Mr. Grimes…" she bent to pick up the fruit. "…Is a pineapple." Michonne shifted the fruit from hand to hand, enjoying the light pokes from the spiky fruit.
"Is that not painful?" Rick eyeing the fruit as Michonne moved it from hand to hand.
"Not at all." Michonne reached for his hand. Rick stepped closer, holding out his hand to her. Michonne grabbed his wrist, and again he felt it, his heart began to pound. Placing his hands together, Michonne gave him the fruit. The spikes while not pleasant were certainly not painful.
"Ah, I see what you mean." Rick examined the fruit and then looked at Michonne. "Have you eaten these before?"
"Only once before." Michonne said absent mindedly rubbing her hands together. "We have learned a lot about them. They take about two years to grow and can make you quite ill if you eat it when it's not ripe."
"Is this one ripe?' Rick asked
"Yes, once you separate it from the tree it no longer ripens, so it's very crucial when you cut it down. We have been trying to add them among our produce for sale, hopefully it travels well so we can distribute it in other places." Michonne said looking at the fruit. Rick could see her mind at work, her passion for her business as great as any of the other business men he had ever worked with. His admiration for this woman was growing more and more.
"May I try it?" Rick asked smiling down at Michonne. Michonne nodded, smiling back at him. They traveled from the rainforest path on foot, Michonne leading Nellie until they reached the beach. Nellie was left to graze on a thick patch of grass in the shade not far from the sand. On the beach, Rick took off his shirt, laying it on the sand. Michonne removed her sword and gingerly sat on his shirt, holding the fruit. Rick removed a sheathed knife from his pocket and sat across from her.
"So how do I open this contraption?" Rick said frowning at the fruit, Michonne giggled and began instructing him on how to cut it open. Rick deftly sliced the skin from the fruit and cut a few portions off. Michonne placed the remaining fruit in a handkerchief she had gotten from Nellie's saddle bag, on her lap. Rick handed Michonne a piece.
"Alright here goes" Rick said raising his own portion to his lips, raising his eyebrows at her. Michonne simply smiled and watched in anticipation. Rick touched a tongue to the fruit, savoring a sweet, slightly sour flavor before taking a bite. It was very sweet and Rick loved it.
"Mmm, this is quite delicious." Rick said watching Michonne eat her portion.
"It will be a wonderful addition to what we produce already." Michonne stated munching on the pineapple "is this the strangest fruit you've ever eaten?"
"I would venture to say in India I had strange fruit. I think you would enjoy Mangosteen." Rick said eating the last of his portion and going for another. "It's sweet and refreshing."
"Mangosteen. I would like to try it." Michonne said finishing her own and watching Rick as he ate another slice.
"I'll ask my friends still stationed there if they can send some." Rick grinned at Michonne "We can see how well it travels and you can add it to your farm."
Michonne smiled shyly "Thank you." Michonne had another slice of the pineapple. They talked about Rick's time in India awhile longer and the growth of The Kingdom's farms. The pair then walked to the sea to rinse the sticky, sweet residue off their hands. They turned the stroll to the sea into race back to where they were sitting with Michonne counting down "1,2,3…Go!"
Michonne easily ran ahead of Rick, who didn't have much experience running barefoot on the warm sand, but quickly Rick found how he should do it and sprinted past Michonne. He laughed as he sat next to his shirt, Michonne collapsed on her back in the sun, laying on the shirt. They both needed to regain their breaths before speaking.
"You cheated somehow." Michonne said sitting up on her elbows, glaring at him, a smile played on her lips.
"I assure you Madam, I didn't cheat." Rick said laughing at her expression. He gazed at her for a moment. "Do I get a prize for winning our little race?" His tone was low and sensual, eyes involuntarily fell to her lips.
Michonne sat up then pulling her knees to her chest. "You can have the rest of the pineapple." She then focused her attention on the sea in front of them. Rick laughed again as he too began to watch the sea. Both lost in their own thoughts. Michonne was mainly confused, thinking about his gaze on her lips, not at all unaware of the intention behind it nor the heat behind his question.
Michonne allowed herself to think about what kissing Rick would be like. Michonne closed her eyes to the sea and imagined she felt his arms around her, his hands on her cheeks, stroking them. His voice sounded so far away, "I want you," his lips descending, then upon hers.
She could feel his eyes on her and she turned to look at him. His blue eyes were watching her so intently. Rick moved slightly, as if to move toward her. A flicker of panic, quickly replaced by anticipation raced through Michonne, as the two made eye contact. However, Nellie whined from her shady space on the thick grass. Michonne spun around, breaking eye contact with Rick, to look as the animal became spooked by a bird. It had flown out of a bush Nellie had intended to graze on.
Michonne stood quickly "We better get you back to Hilltop." Michonne strapped her sword on her back, gathered up the pineapple in the handkerchief, and headed over to Nellie. Nellie began to calm just hearing Michonne's voice.
Rick sighed to himself. An ever present question in his mind now had an answer, it seemed his sights were set to something impossible to ever obtain. Rick stood and gathered his shirt from the sand.
What do you want for you?
"Why were you out there that night?" They had ridden in silence for quite a while, thinking of each other, when not talking to one another. "Could you not sleep as well?" Rick asked, the questions just rushing out.
Michonne took a deep breath, he watched her shoulders raise and fall from his sit behind her. "I sleep very well usually. It's this business with the Rovias, it's causing less than pleasant dreams. I was informed that the Rovias wouldn't rest until they got what they wanted and they had sent for reinforcements. Their passenger vessel came in yesterday and I couldn't help but wonder who they had sent for. It caused me unrest and I decided on a walk to the beach."
Rick's grip tightened on Michonne's waist slightly as he felt a strong desire to comfort her, hold her, hug away the anxiety she felt.
"So strange." Rick muttered more to himself than her. "I felt such peace as the ship docked in the harbor."
Michonne turned and smiled at him. "I do now think I was worried for nothing."
Rick laughed. "I am not intimidating, then?" Michonne laughed as well.
Rick and Michonne smiled at one another, again lost in each other's eyes. Before Michonne could answer a loud cry drew their attention to a woman in front of them.
"There he is!" Rick's mother shouted.
A small search party had been formed to look for Rick at the behest of his mother. The Rovias, Rick's parents, and a handful of servants were combing the rainforest and beach as Rick, Michonne, and Nellie came upon them.
"Oh my goodness, my dear boy!" Rick's mother lifted her skirts and began to run toward her son. Rick dismounted from Nellie. All the commotion began to make Nellie quite nervous.
"Easy girl." Michonne said comforting the lovely, nervous creature.
"Mother, I am quite alright." Rick said as his mother embraced him. He looked up at Michonne who just smiled at him, an eyebrow raised in amusement, as his mother worried over him. Rick reddened and pulled away from his mother as his father approached.
"I tried to tell your mother that a man who has spent most of his life in the Royal Guard certainly would be just fine on his own." Rick's father huffed, the portly man, struggling to breath after he ran over to his family.
"Well Rick has never been here before, none of us have. He also isn't here with the Royal Guard he is on his own. Anything could have happened." Rick's mother said as turned to glare at her husband before turning back to Rick. "This is my only child."
"Please forgive me for worrying you mother, but father is quite right I can take care of myself." Rick's father snorted, indicating that he had said as much and Rick's mother turned to glare at him again. Rick shook his head at his parents. He looked at Michonne then. Michonne was sitting straight up, regal, atop Nellie, as she glared at Gregory Rovia.
Gregory Rovia for his part didn't approach the group, shooting glances over at them before pretending his world revolved around giving orders to his servants. No doubt unnerved seeing Michonne after what had taken place between them. Rick made a mental note to find out what had transpired.
"Mother, father, this is Michonne Moreau," His mother and father turned to look up at Michonne and Michonne's attention were taken away from Gregory. "I, uh, did get a little lost." Rick's mother paled her, eyes growing wide. "but Michonne brought me back." Rick said quickly, smiling at Michonne who smiled back. "Michonne, these are my parents, Lord Andrew Grimes and Lady Georgina Grimes."
Michonne bowed her head slightly. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
"As my husband and I are pleased to make yours." Lady Grimes bowed as well to Michonne. "Ms. Moreau, thank you so much for bringing my son back here." Rick's father bowed as well, beginning to sweat from the heat of the now noon sun.
"It was no trouble at all." Michonne said to Rick's mother. It was then that Paul nervously approached, his hat in hand, his long dark hair blew in the breeze.
"Good afternoon, Michonne." Paul said looking up at her
"Good afternoon, Paul." Michonne said her tone even as she looked at Paul.
"Please forgive me, Michonne, he didn't know about our arrangement." Paul said stepping closer, his deep blue eyes wide.
"It's fine, Paul." Michonne said turning to Rick and his parents "I really must be getting back home before my own family worries."
Rick looked up at Michonne. "We shall see you soon I hope." Rick couldn't feel the eyes of his parents or the Rovias on him, only Michonne's.
Her eyebrows raised slightly but she nodded at him. Michonne gave Nellie a few gentle commands and they took off in the direction they had come.
Rick watched until she was out of sight.