Sunlight diffused into pale gold by the curtains fell into the room where Roland woke early with a start rolling over in his sleep and nearly off the couch. Cursing, he kicked off the blankets and sat up rubbing some of the soreness from his neck. At least he appeared he was the only one who had, had a bad night. He approached his bed where Rose slept on, her dishevelled hair falling around her. In all the hours he spent staring at the ceiling through the night he hadn't heard her stir once. He gazed down at her idly wondered if she was pretty, deciding that she was in a vulnerable sort of way. He felt protective of her as well as wary. This was someone who could unsettle his equilibrium. He prided himself on his calm demeanour and she had shattered that in the first ten minutes they had together. Contented at least that she was still fast asleep. He grabbed his usual court clothing and after a quick freshen up in the bathroom called for coffee and a light breakfast of toast and eggs as an afterthought he also asked for a pot of black tip tea with a jug of cold milk.

Seating himself at the table he decided he may as well start work early. pulling the documents, he was working on towards him, he settled himself to his task only looking up briefly to thank Cor who set the food down at his side and opened the curtains. Frowning, he noticed the man take a surreptitious glance at the girl as he left the room. He knew by now the whole kingdom would be awash with gossip. He didn't care too much, though. He wasn't married so if there was a girl in his room what did it matter? He wondered if Rose would see it like that, deciding it was doubtful since she seemed to despise and fear him in equal measure. Pushing these thoughts away he forced himself with long learned discipline to concentrate on the papers in front of him and soon he was deeply engrossed in terms and statutes.

As the soft light of morning fell across the bed Rose drifted out of sleep slowly. Everything hurt but in a remote, abstract sort of way as if the pain in her limbs did not quite belong to her. Her head swam and she struggled to think clearly but she was aware of being warm in soft sheets that smelt familiar. As she dozed the memories of yesterday drifted back to her along with a sting of sorrow that her fears about Doloran had been correct. She knew she had been a fool in her desperation to return to her world, the marks on her body, punishment for allowing herself to be led. She wondered if he would come for her, but somehow, she doubted it. At least that was over.

She allowed her eyes to open focusing slowly on the motes above the bed, caught in the morning light they danced like sparks. Lowering her gaze to take in the room her eyes nearly immediately settled on Roland and her gut turned to ice. He had said a lot of things that were hard to hear yesterday and while everything had made sense there was something about him that still frightened her. She was as repelled as she was drawn to him. Their shared origin and desire to return to the home they had been pulled from lessened the loneliness that had clouded her every moment since she had arrived but at the same time his ferociousness made her want to keep her distance. As for him he seemed entirely unaware of her scrutiny working at the table in a deep concentration. She took the opportunity to take in his lieth strong body looking for weaknesses and finding nothing. He claimed he was a statesman yet he seemed too young, too vital for domestic politics. Her first image of him was him raising a sword in her direction, illuminated by a shower of sparks that came from nowhere. She remembered little else, fragments of voices perhaps but nothing substantial until she had woken up in his bed. Such beginnings did not make for easy trust, but she reasoned with herself that he had, apart from their first encounter, done nothing to harm her. Even when she had struggled with him on the floor, he had risked several strikes to take her down without lifting a hand to her in retaliation. Despite that, he had used his physical strength to keep her contained yesterday He may not have hurt her, but he had made it obvious that he was capable of overpowering her easily. This made her feel uneasy and a little conflicted. He seemed oblivious to the effect his physical proximity had on her and she resigned herself to accepting this for now, until she could find a way out, reasoning that she had no choice and fighting him in her state would only end badly for her.

Oddly it was his gentleness that affected her most off all. After so much cruelty his care and consideration made her want to weep for reasons she could not explain.

Conflicted but awake and aware at last, she gingerly attempted to ease herself up. Her every muscle protested but she did not let a sound escape her lips, instead it was the noise of the covers slipping from her that stirred him from his reading. 'well, look who's awake' he said brightly, leaning back in his chair to smile at her. 'how do you feel'?

Feeling their relationship had shifted slightly in the night she pulled a shaky hand through the tangled mess of her hair. 'like I've been hit by a truck'.

'no offence, but you kind of look it' he grinned.

'Great' she moaned as she rubbed her sore temples.

'look, here's something that might make you feel better.' He cast a quick rejuvenate spell on the pot of tea before pouring a cup and adding milk. 'you're British, right? So that means you must love tea, even dumb Americans like me know this' he grinned in a self-deprecating way. 'I hope it's OK, it's about as close to what I thought it's like from back home'. The simple kindness of his gesture nearly brought Rose to tears. She kept her eyes downcast as she took the cup.

She took a sip, determined not to gulp it down in one go 'wonderful' she breathed.

Roland beamed and visibly relaxed. She realised he had been waiting for her approval and was delighted to have it. She smiled into her cup and after finishing one cup requested a second. This cup also came with a plate of hot rolls, butter and jam which she wolfed down shamelessly to Roland's obvious pleasure. He seemed to take a real enjoyment in providing for her and by extension her approval, this perplexed her immensely. As she finished her breakfast Roland picked through the documents on the table.

'Listen there are a few things I need to attend to in the palace, but it should only take an hour or two. Why don't you have a bath while I'm gone. I'm sure you will feel better after a soak'.

'A real bath'? she breathed. 'that, sounds great'

He appraised her quickly before rummaging in the chest at the foot of the bed and tossing another nightshirt this one in deep green with a gold border across her knees. 'That shirt is filthy just leave it in the hamper and put this one on. I guess we need to get you your own stuff, but this will do for now. I'll get Bracken to come help with clothes for you.'

Rose nodded timidly and grabbed the shirt, she swung her legs from the bed to the floor pointedly Ignoring Roland outstretched hand as she pushed herself up firmly - where she promptly and ungracefully stumbled back down on her backside with a short cry of pain and frustration. 'Don't rush yourself' he chided. This time he grabbed the shirt from her hands throwing it over his shoulder then took hold of her forearms to lift her to her feet. 'I could just carry you'.

'Don't you dare', murmured rose taking shaky steps to the bathroom. 'I can do this myself' she complained as Roland slipped an arm around her waist.

'humour me'

Once they reached the bathroom, Roland perched her on the edge of the tub and hung the shirt on a peg. He pulled a few clean towels from a shelf by the sink handing them to her. 'you OK in here'? he asked lightly looking around 'I don't want to leave only to come back and find you have drowned yourself in the tub'

'I'll be very careful' Rose said sarcastically.

'OK but if you need help getting in you only have to ask, I don't mind sticking around' his laughter echoed through the room as he dodged the towel, she clumsily threw at him, shutting the door on her with a click. 'back soon' he called through the door 'I'll bring lunch, OK'?

'OK' she called back. Stumbling to the taps to fill the tub. Looking around she realized the bathroom itself was as strange as everything else in this land. The floors and walls were pure white marble and the bath appeared to be carved from one piece of gold flecked lapis lazuli the basin the same. She watched the water rise in anticipation. Her first bath in weeks and real tea. This was all too good to be true. For now, she pushed her fears aside and after stripping off the nightshirt, gingerly stepped into the deep water, biting back a groan as the water came into contact with a dozen small scraps on her feet and legs. When the water touched her back though, the pain hissed through her teeth as the long marks protested. She stifled a sob, biting her knuckles hard in case Roland was still in the next room and came running. Willing herself to relax in the warm water she lay her head on a rolled-up towel and watched the stream drift lazily around her.

Once the initial sting subsided, she allowed herself to relish the peace and calm of the bath for a long while. Adding more warm water whenever needed and luxuriating on how good it felt to her tortured muscles. Her back was throbbing in a manageable sort of way. She remembered what Roland had said about the balm. She must make sure to use it.

Gazing at her pruney fingers she figured she had been soaking long enough. Pushing herself up she sorted through Roland's meagre toiletries sniffing the neck of each bottle to ascertain its contents. There wasn't much on offer but enough to clean herself up. Washing her hair in his mint scented shampoo she cringed as the bubbles slipped down her back where they breathed cold fire into her freshest wounds. She rinsed her hair in the tub taking her time to make sure all the grime of the caves was removed. Next, she took a large block of cedar scented soap and began scrubbing her body in earnest. He was right, she was a mess of dirt and scrapes. As the water turned opaque, she drained the tub and added fresh, starting over with the soap. She repeated this until her skin was pink and shining and the water ran clear.

Taking her time not to fall Rose pulled herself carefully out of the tub with a groan. Wrapping herself in one of the large fluffy towels she shuffled to the misty mirror over the sink. Neatly arranged around the wash basin were Roland toothbrush razor and comb. Strangely seeing these things felt more intimate than sleeping in his bed. She picked up the razor idly turning it over in her fingers letting her thoughts wander when the main door to the apartment slammed shut, breaking her from her musings she dropped the razor in the sink with a disproportionately loud clatter.

There was a quick knock on the bathroom door followed by a very feminine voice. 'hey, can I come in'?

Pulling the towel tighter round herself she called out her assent and a youngish woman whose whole persona gave off capability and energy slipped into the room with a large bag.

Dumping the bag unceremoniously on the floor she held out her hand 'Bracken'

'Rose' she shook the proffered hand timidly

'I brought you some things I didn't think Roland would have thought of, including- 'she stooped to collect an item from the bag,' a hairbrush'

'thanks' Rose breathed taking the brandished item. 'I don't know how I was ever going to comb through this mess without it'

Bracken perched on the tub watching the girl pull the brush through her tangles. 'How are you feeling-about everything' she asked her head tilting to one side.

Rose took a moment to reply to the expansive question, deciding frank honesty was the best with this lady and figuring if she was here, she must have spoken to Roland first.

'been better' admitted Rose. 'The past day has been…hard. Everything hurts' she gestured vaguely to her body 'plus it turns out the person I was working for wasn't as willing to help me as I thought. I was stupid to believe he would' she sighed, tugging the brush firmly through her hair.

'Don't worry, that's what Doloran's good at, playing on people dreams to get them to do what he wants, trust me you are not the first'

Rose's shoulders sagged a little and Bracken decided the change the topic. 'Roland tells us you are from his world'?

'I think I must be, different country but same world. We haven't talked much yet though'.

'Yeah, Roland told me when you woke up you tried to stab him with his letter opener' Bracken grinned at the shocked look in the mirror. 'y'know, I told him you might not be too happy to wake up in his bed but he wouldn't listen. He can be so stubborn, sometimes' Bracken rummaged through the bag handing Rose a toothbrush. 'He's a decent guy, though, if I didn't trust him completely, I would have insisted you were taken elsewhere' Bracken rambled on as she pulled out a small array of bottles out of the bag adding them to Roland's collection. 'I didn't know what you liked so I just got you a bunch of shampoo and stuff. I hope that's OK. '

Rose spat the last of the toothpaste into the sink. 'perfect'

Bracken stood and approached the smaller girl gently brushing her damp tousled hair over one shoulder. Her tone softened to a gentle whisper 'I don't blame you for being scared of him especially after what you have been through but try not to see Roland in the same way as Doloran. I know they look the same'. Rose started, how had she not noticed that before? Bracken smiled knowingly. 'it wasn't obvious to us at first, either, we don't know if it means anything but regardless, Roland is nothing like him. I know you two didn't get off to a great start but I think he's keen to help you. He feels terrible about hurting you and is desperate for you to be friends.

'friends' murmured Rose

Bracken nodded her finger slipping to the edge of the towel as Rose instinctively clutched it tighter.

'I've already seen' Bracken smiled sadly. You didn't think we let him change your clothes, did you? Let me help with the honey balm. It's easier for someone else to do it.

Rose nodded and allowed the towel to fall to her feet. Bracken with a professional touch began administering the cream with the same detachment as if she were fixing an engine. This gave Rose chance to appraise her own body in the clearing mirror. When had she gotten thin? and why did she look so young and fragile? In her world, she guessed she was about the same age as Bracken but here she looked ten years younger. Even if her hazel eyes were surrounded by dark circles the face that looked back at her was one from a long time ago. She touched the bruise on her check, gingerly.

'There you are' Bracken put an end to her inspection as a green cloud of fabric was dumped over her head. Rose pulled her arms through and let the loose garment fall to her knees.

'You need clothes' Bracken stated simply. 'his stuff is far too big and besides you can't walk around like that forever. Rose nodded in simple agreement as Bracken opened the door to usher her out into the living room.

The bath and the talk had helped pull some of the fear from her bones. Yesterday she hadn't seen another living sole apart from Roland, so the introduction of Bracken came as something of a relief. There was also the fact that she seemed utterly sincere in her regard for him and something told Rose her approval was not given easily.

'Look at you' grinned Roland from the table looking her up and down. 'now you look like you have been run over by a much smaller truck' Rose narrowed her eyes, summoning a response but before she could curse him Bracken interrupted 'you promised me lunch, I'm starving, so is your guest'

'on its way' soothed Roland with a casual wave. 'in fact,' a knock at the door sounded through the room 'here it is'.

Lunch was an odd affair. Rose tasted everything that was put in front of her and declared it all wonderful. Besides cramming her plate with an indecent amount of food, Bracken and Roland seemed content to let her be and discussed affairs of state between themselves with an easy candour that left Rose free to study them both. It was clear they were both entirely at ease around each other but Rose did not sense anything other than deep respect and affection. She was awoken from her silent inspection as Bracken suddenly turned to her' One thing we couldn't figure out is why you were dressed like that.

'What'?

'Yesterday, the mask and everything' Raymond expanded.

'Oh, to escape the monsters. There's no way I could defeat the ones in that cave, but if you dress like them, they ignore you. They don't seem too smart' Rose shrugged.

'Apparently neither am I' muttered Roland 'you had me fooled, otherwise I wouldn't have attacked you, I just thought you were one of them'.

Rose nodded shyly not too sure what to say. She was slightly disappointed when the older women got to her feet.

'that was great, but I need to get back' she turned her attention to Rose. 'I'll come by tomorrow and bring you some clothes, OK.'

Rose nodded and smiled warmly 'Thanks, for everything'.

'Think about what I said, OK'.

Rose nodded 'I will'.

Roland watched the exchange with puzzlement but decided to let it go. He was under no illusions that Bracken and Rose had been discussing him in the bathroom. He Just hoped Rose's account of their interactions last night did not paint him too blackley otherwise he knew Bracken would have his head.

As the last of the plates were cleared by Cor, he saw Rose sag a little in her chair with a soft sigh her eyes drifting to the bed that had been made in her absence.

'tired'? he asked, leaning his elbows on the table, coffee cup cradled in his hands as he regarded her over the rim.

'a little' Rose admitted

'I was teasing before, but you do look better than yesterday'

'I do feel better, sore, but not so out of it' affirmed Rose.

'Well you better get back to bed. Thetis will be mad if I don't insist you take a nap' he stood and stretched, moving round the table to pull Rose to her feet and throw an arm around her to guide her to the bed, pleased that she did not protest or freeze in his arms. Perhaps Bracken had put in a good word after all.

As he settled her between the sheets her gaze drifted over his shoulder to the view that until now she had not studied. She marvelled at the blue sea and green mountains stretching before them 'can I go outside soon'?

'yes, but you need to recover a little more first'

He plumped the pillows and eased her head into them. She blinked slowly gazing up into his brown eyes. 'Rose, I'm so sorry about everything' he said softly 'Rest now and I'll be back this evening' Roland cupped her face and without hesitation brushed the damp hair from her brow, his thumb tracing her cheek gently. He gave her one last smile then lifted himself off the bed and strode to the door shutting in with a soft click.

'what the hell, was that' breathed rose to herself her fingers raising to where he had touched her.