Brianna grabbed her sword and headed for her daily ride. Henry had told her she had access to horses and if she wished guards could accompany her, but he had seen her and knew she was fine on her own. Brianna walked up to the lovely chestnut mare, she ran her hand over the horses neck.

"Lady Brice, will you be riding alone this morning?"

"Yes, if the king needs me he knows where I am going."

"I will be sure his majesty knows you have left the palace."

Brianna mounted the horse and adjusted her sword and left the palace courtyard and moved off toward the trails that led away from the palace.

Brianna knew the ride through the country side was calming and helped her opened her mind. She stopped the horse and climbed down, she looked around and pulled her sword.

"I know your there. Show yourself cowards." She hissed. Brianna was surprised when several men appeared from the treeline. They attacked her at once, she moved in fluid motions keeping each of them at bay, hissing when one sword grazed across her arm, another across her chest. But she kept them at bay, to her surprise one stabbed her in the shoulder dropping her to one knee. While another knocked her sword from her hand, but Brianna wasn't done. She reached and grabbed one by his shirt and punched him in the face before taking his sword and taking out one on her left before this sword was again knocked from her hand and a sword held against her throat made her stop moving.

"Such a warrior and taking out two of my men even before they could bring you to your knees."

"Your a coward. Wouldn't even face me yourself. You knew I could defeat you easily."

"That may be true but you will never know. So tell me Brianna why would you think coming here would keep you safe?"

"I didnt come here to keep safe. I came here to rid myself of you."

"You were to marry me and to deny that was shame on your clan."

"No the shame was your father feeling he could force my father to marry me to you."

"You and I are going to be wed even if I have to return you to Ireland bound and gagged."

"I will kill you first." Brianna growled, she slammed her dagger into the man with the swords chest and caught his sword before he fell. She retrieved her dagger and looked at the three men that remained.

"Come, show me you are my better. Or are you truly a coward?"

"You dare speak to me that way?"

"I do." Brianna lunged with her sword as he attacked her with his.

"Tell me Brianna how do you feel your father will handle the death of his oldest child?"

"Better than your father handling your death Daniel." She answered him. The matched move for move before Brianna tired of her game and drove her sword to its hilt into Daniel.

"You bitch."

"Yes, I agree." She said pulling her sword back out and watched the light leave his eyes.

"Take him back to his father and if you return I will kill you myself."

They never spoke just lifted Daniel's dead body off the ground and loaded him onto the horse leaving her alone once again. She looked at the two other dead men that lay at her feet, she grabbed onto her horse before she fell. Brianna looked down her arm and saw that the blood was running freely.

"Damn it." She said dropping down to her knees, her vision was swimming as she heard a horse approaching, pulling herself upright she held out the sword. Brianna lost her grip on the sword and looked to see the figure looked familiar as her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground. Charles leapt from his horse and dropped down next to Brianna's now fallen form. He could see she was injured and looked at the two dead men nearby. He lifted her into his arms and looked around. He placed her onto his horse and climbed up behind her holding her in place, he headed them back to the palace.

"Fetch the physician and help me get her to her chambers. Someone tell the king."

"Yes your grace."

Charles handed Brianna down to one of the guards and they helped bring her to her chambers, the physician arrived a short time later.