"You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change. "

It was a short ride to Stark Keep. When he reached the shrub-covered, hidden gate, Tony used the tuning fork to let down the drawbridge. He rode into the courtyard and there was Jarvis, patiently waiting with a cup of warm ale.

"Tell me Jarvis, what would I do without you?" He smirked and asked.

"My lord, I'm not sure how to answer that question... diplomatically."

They both laughed and then Jarvis saw the prone figure lying across Balthazar's saddle.

"What happened, my lord?"

Tony dismounted and carefully eased the lad's body off the horse. He cradled him in his arms and couldn't help but notice the long slim line of his neck.

As he carried the boy towards the house, he said, "Let's get out of the cold, Jarvis and I shall explain. Please take Balthazar to the stable. This young man needs to get out of his damp clothes."

Tony entered the main hall and climbed the stairs. He then headed for the empty room next to his. The boy's body did not feel very cold but his temperature wasn't normal either and he didn't want him to catch a fever. He lay him down on the bed and started a fire. Jarvis entered the room and said, "Master, first we must get him out of his wet clothes."

"I'll do that, Jarvis, you get some blankets to wrap around him."

Anthony knelt by the cot. Time to take off this ugly hat, my friend. He gently tugged the hat off and a mass of reddish brown hair tumbled out. He didn't know what shocked him more: that the boy was actually a woman or that hair of such color, actually existed. He reverently touched her head to see if the hair felt as soft as it looked. It did.

Tony rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. He had been fooled by the height and the hat and something else that was missing. He unbuttoned her shirt to the waist. Aha... She had bound her breasts with cloth.

He stared at the smattering of freckles along her neck and collarbones. She was skinny even without a corset. His gaze traveled up her slender neck to her face. She had a beautiful profile, delicate and regal. A woman of noble birth, he felt sure of it. There were dark circles under her eyes and the thought came out of nowhere.

I bet they are the color of a dark sky or the sea in the summertime.

She stirred and he suddenly remembered her wet clothes and the fact that she needed to get out of them.

He reminded himself that he was a gentleman and that it wouldn't be gentlemanly to strip an unconscious woman of her clothes.

"Magdalene", he yelled. "Come upstairs please, our guest needs your help."

x-x-x-x

The crackle of wood in the fireplace, finally woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes, the warmth of the room making her feel drowsy and comforted. She was lying on a cot in a corner, with a large fur blanket drawn over her. The room was dimly lit and she was alone. She yawned and stretched, then realized she was wearing a long white tunic and nothing else. She sat up in shock.

Where am I and what happened to my clothes?

Pepper remembered falling into the lake and the coldness and then... Amber eyes and a rider in black.. the Iron Knight! She got up from the bed and started to pace.

I'm trapped here. He's taken me prisoner. Why am I still alive? What is he going to do with me?

Pepper, stop panicking and start escaping.. she told herself firmly.

She looked out of the window and saw a moonlit courtyard. The room was too high above the ground to climb out.

She looked at the door suspiciously. Maybe I can pick the lock. She knelt down and leaned towards the door to get a closer look at the lock... and nearly fell flat on her face when the door opened onto a hallway.

Why isn't it locked? She strode out of the door and looked around. The hallway was dimly lit and she could see three or four rooms on one end and a staircase on the other end.

She took a step towards the stair case and then stopped in her tracks. What a delicious smell. It seemed to come from the room next to the one she just left. Her stomach growled at the thought of food, so she quietly stood in front of the door and put her ear against the door.

She didn't hear anyone inside, so she slowly pushed the door open. It was a large, welcoming room, clearly occupied by a man. There were a lot of masculine touches, from the huge, mahogany bed to the large wooden armchair with a foot stool by the fireplace and the weapons hung on the wall.

She saw the source of the aroma: a tray near the fireplace, loaded with roasted chicken, fruit, bread and cheese. She couldn't resist, she walked to the tray, broke off a drumstick and bit into it. It tasted so good and she began to eat with gusto. She had taken another bite when she heard footsteps coming up the staircase.

Hide, Pepper, hide, she thought frantically and ran back to the door, sliding behind it. The footsteps grew louder and her heart started pounding in her chest. She flattened herself against the wall. The door opened and a man walked in. She could only see his broad back as he walked to the window, a glass in his hand. He looked out of the window, sipping the drink slowly.

She prayed he wouldn't notice the half eaten food on the tray. She needed to get out of here but he would definitely notice if she came out from behind the door. Pepper bit her lip, then noticed the large candlestick near her. If I knock him out, I can safely reach the courtyard. She didn't want to hurt him but she didn't trust him either. He could be the demonic knight hiding in human form.

She carefully eased out from behind the door and quietly picked up the candlestick. Can he see my reflection in the window? No because it's open. She crept behind him and raised the stick, then whacked him hard on the back of his head. He fell on the table heavily but didn't make a sound. His face was hidden by his thick black hair.

Time to leave. It was cold outside, so she picked up a thick coat from the bed. She would need it on the road. She hurriedly put on the coat, walked out of the room and went quietly down the staircase. There was no one in the large dining hall but the main door was heavily locked from the inside. She walked into the kitchen and noticed a small side door. She unlatched it and walked outside, into the moonlit courtyard.

She looked around. A stable on the left, a large workshop or armory on the right, with the main house in the middle. Behind the stables, were the servant quarters. A cherry tree grew in the middle of the courtyard. A high wall with spikes, encircled the courtyard. There was a large drawbridge at its center. But she couldn't lower it without waking up the household. Then she noticed the ivy trellis growing on the side of the stable. She picked up a coil of rope from the stable wall. Then she hiked up her tunic's skirt and climbed up the trellis to the stable's roof.

From the end of the roof, she could reach the midpoint of the high wall. The wall was still quite high but she made a small loop in the rope and threw the loop at the spikes on the wall. She managed to get the loop around a spike and started to pull herself up. Then she heard a low growl behind her. She let go of the rope and slowly turned to see the black beast slowly creeping towards her, tail twirling curiously.

She stood with her back to the wall, careful not to make any sudden movements. The beast crouched and growled softly as if warning her to stay put. Then she heard a whistle and the animal growled in response. A voice yelled from below, "Oi! You attacked me in my own house! Get down here immediately!"

Pepper swallowed hard, still gazing with fear at the beast. Time to face your master.