"What in the hell were you thinking?" The Captain had been thundering on at Kurt for what felt like an hour, but every time Kurt drew a breath to explain himself, the Captain began shouting again.

"There are rumours – a Coin Guard attacked the Lady De Sardet, a Coin Guard had her carriage stopped a beat her before a crowd-" Kurt braced himself. This was the third time he'd heard the allegation, "A coin guard returned her to the palace with the back of her dress muddied and only a driver's word to vouch she'd not been touched."

This time, Kurt lost his temper, "Of course she'd not been touched! She's a child!"

"She's been introduced to the court! As far as they're concerned – and now you! – she's an adult! A noblewoman!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Aye, about as noble as I am…"

The Captain slammed his hands down onto the table, "I could have you hung for this, stripped of your rank-"

"Then do it, or shut up!"

Kurt turned on his heels and strode from the room. Stalking down the corridor, the other members of the guard scurried out of his way. They'd all heard the stories. None of them wanted to be associated with the man who'd…

He stopped then and sighed. He wasn't really sure what he'd done, beyond taking a drunken child back to her mother. He hadn't got her drunk, he'd only fought her because she'd ordered him to…

And then there she was, at the other end of the corridor. Pale and slightly green, but in her training clothes nevertheless.

"Greenblood," he managed to growl, "You have gotten me into a world of trouble."

She stared at him, mouth slightly open, clearly searching for words and failing. Finally, she slumped her shoulders and looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I…"

"Didn't think?"

Part of him felt that he should close the gap between them so that she wasn't forced to yell down the corridor. Part of him loved that she had to.

"It's not fair," she mumbled, finally.

"Eh?"

She coughed and stood up straight, pushing her shoulders back, "I said it isn't fair. You've been nothing but kind to me these last four years. Anyone who jumped to… that conclusion… Well. It shows how they think of me, not how you do."

Somehow, she managed to pull her shoulders back further and marched past him with that imperiousness she had embodied the previous night. Kurt stepped slowly back along the corridor, towards the Captain's office again.

Inside, he could hear more raised voices, but this time, one of them was De Sardet's, demanding she be allowed to train as usual.

He scoffed, despite himself and then went to change into his training gear. He'd fought with the girl before – he knew that the Captain would relent within the next five minutes.