A/N: Wow! You guys, I honestly did not except this great of a response! :) Thank you so much!

A/N 2: I only know things from what I've read, games I've played, and Game of Thrones, so if you have any useful information to add or give me a heads up on, please PM me! Now onward to the next chapter! :)

When Quinn returned to the shop, a tall man with curly hair stood there hammering away. He was her mentor, her caretaker, her father figure, and his name was William Shuester. Putting down the hammer on the anvil next to the working steel, he ran over to the blonde and took her face in his hands. "What the hell happened?" He asked as he moved her face side to side to further examine her face.

"It's a long story," she muttered.

"Lift up your shirt; I want to see your side." Reluctantly, she moved her hand from where she was holding her ribs and lifted up the white shirt slowly. Apparently she was moving too slow for Will as he took the shirt and lifted it up above her ribs. "Shit, Quinn." There, ever so present of the left side of her ribcage was a giant multi-colored bruise.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I only did what I thought was right."

Sighing, he moved her to sit down on one of the wooden chairs at the table and even though the sun was setting he flipped the open sign to close. He then doused the fire in the fire pit, and locked up the finished swords, armory, and other items. Moving back over to the blonde, he helped her up and they walked to the house behind the shop.

The small brick house was just enough to fit the two blacksmiths. Two beds full of hay with deer skin to keep them warm, a wooden table with two matching chairs by the fire place, and a small kitchen area by their beds. Sure, they made decent income and were able to pay their taxes, and had plenty left over, but they never would want for anything. They would hunt and feed themselves, using the left over skins and furs as warmth during the winters.

Walking in, Will sat Quinn down on the chair and went to fetch some water from the well. While retrieving the water, Will looked through the back window and saw the blonde sitting there quietly. She wasn't his daughter by blood, but he had taken her in and he loved her like he did his own daughter, who had died years before. The girl had been so small and fearful when he found her wondering the streets as a child, now here she was: a woman of eighteen, with a heart full of courage and integrity. And even though she was sitting there with a beaten face and her ribs bruised, she still held that brave, unafraid look in her eyes. He knew in this moment of looking at her, that no matter what she did today, and what she would do in the future, he would always be proud of her. As for his love, well that grew every day; whether she was making swords and armor in the shop, practicing her fencing with the boy next door, or cooking dinner.

Breaking out of his daze, he pulled up the bucket now full of water and returned to the house. Picking up a ladle from the table, he used it to move a quart of the water from the bucket into a bowl. He then put the bucket and ladle aside and grabbed a couple of rags from the kitchen. Moving the other chair in front of the blonde, he took a seat then dipped one of the rags into the cold water before placing it first against her left temple where blood continued to ooze out of the cut. Wincing at the rough texture now against her skin, her hazel eyes met his. "I'm sorry that I just left the shop like that," she finally spoke up after a moment of silence between them.

"Why did you?" He asked as he rinsed out the rag in the bowl of water then moved it back to soak up more crimson blood.

"It was a girl with the brightest pair of eyes I've ever seen with the voice of the angels, and looks that even Aphrodite would be jealous of. She walked behind the shops and I saw Azimio and Karofsky follow her with a devilish glint in their eyes, I just had to make sure they didn't hurt her, ya know? Something just…compelled me to grab my sword and follow them. It was a good thing I did, because they were about to rape her and God knows what else they were planning. I got rid of them just fine though, probably made them shit themselves while they took off running. Anyway, she must've twisted her ankle or something because she couldn't walk on it, so I picked her up and started to carry her back here to look at her ankle and make sure they didn't hurt her anywhere else. The next thing I knew, she was being taken out of my arms and I was being thrown against a carriage and a pair of irons was shackled to my wrists and then I was receiving hits from a guard. It turned out that the girl is Rachel Berry, the Princess and it was the King's Men who were attacking me because they thought I was kidnapping her."

Will kept his anger in as he listened to the retelling of what happened. He kept it in check for Quinn, who already had been through enough that day and wanted nothing more than to sleep it off and forget it ever happened. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself and finished wiping away the blood on her face. "Quinn, this cut on your temple is going to need stitches." She nodded as he got up to get the needed supplies to sew the skin together. He returned with the items and said, "Continue. Keep talking, because this is gonna hurt a bit."

Nodding, she braced herself against the chair and continued, "Well, she yelled at them to stop what they were doing and then the Right Hand of the King showed up and ordered the stand down and my release. He seemed impressed by my work when he looked at my sword, said he would like me to make him a blade similar to my own." At that he smiled, Quinn was the best blacksmith he's seen in years.

Cutting away the remaining thread, he kissed her cheek. Their eyes met and he smiled lovingly at her. "Even if it scars, I've never been more proud of you, Quinn. You may not have known she was the princess, but you saved her anyway from a terrible encounter. I love you so much, Quinn Fabray. Now, let's get you cleaned up and into something not drenched with sweat and blood, alright? And don't worry about work tomorrow. Rest up; I need you back to perfect health."

She smiled halfheartedly and went to get cleaned up and change into her nightgown. Climbing into bed, she released an exhausted sigh and stared out the window and into the night's starry sky her thoughts kept traveling back to the brunette who won her heart with nothing but a joyful laugh above a noisy crowd. Before she could say a goodnight to Will, sleep claimed her senses.

The next thing she knew the morning sun shone through the window and the sound of birds chirping in the trees near by broke through her sleepy haze. And a knock on the door she sat up in bed and grabbed a pair of trousers nearby and looked around the small house. Will was gone, most likely already at the shop making up for lost work. Pulling them on, she hopped over to the door and opened it. There, standing on the other side of the door was Leroy. His hands clasped behind his back and two guards with their backs turned behind him. "My Lord, can I help you?" She asked as she opened the door more and motioned for him to enter, which he did with a smile.

"So this is your home, Ms. Fabray? I like it, it's nice and…elegant." He looked over the rooms and turned back to her. "I wanted to come down and offer you the king's fullest apologies for what happened yesterday. He was quite furious that his men did that to you before knowing what happened. And he assures you, it won't happen again."

"There is no need for the Majesty's apologies, it was not his fault nor anyone else's but the head soldier whom ordered it. But I do appreciate the thought. Pardon, Sir, but is that all? My ribs are still in pain as is my head."

Leroy nodded, then pulled out a folded up sheet of parchment and handed it to her. The seal of the king was present, meaning it had yet to be opened. "From the king," Leroy said as she reached out and took it.

"What does it say?"

He only shrugged. "I know not what it contains, but he wanted me to deliver it as soon as possible."

Nodding, her fingers broke the waxed seal and opened it. Her eyes scanned the parchment, reading every sentence twice to make sure she understood what she was reading. Finally she looked up with a confused expression and began, "It says that you are to bring me to the castle, for he wants to look at my work as a blacksmith. He says that you told him of my own sword and that you were impressed, so now he wants to look upon it and some of my other works to determine if he wants me as his personal blacksmith…I don't understand."

Smiling, Leroy explained, "King Hiram must've been impressed with you for defending his daughter against two bigger men, with a sword you made yourself. That is quite an honor for someone such as yourself, Ms. Fabray."

Quinn bit her lower lip and stared at the man in front of her. "Give me a minute to gather my things and go to the shop to grab some of my work and I'll be ready to go."

Nodding, Leroy left.

As soon as the door closed, Quinn grabbed her boots and exchanged her nightgown for another white shirt, along with a grey tunic to accommodate her dark brown pants. She buckled her sword around her waist and ran her fingers through her hair to undo the night tangles that were present. Grabbing her cloak, she tied it on, and then she left a note for Will, explaining where she was going and the reason why. Exiting the house, she led the men to the back shed of the shop, where it was still lock for the stores had yet to open. She removed a few of the swords she had made and a couple pieces of armor as well. The guards placed them on a wagon that was being driven by the same man who drove the carriage the day before.

Leroy cracked a small smile at the anxious but troublesome blacksmith. Shaking his head, he walked over with his horse to where she was now saddling up her own horse. "You need not to worry. The king will love your work just as I do."

"That's not what I'm worried about, My Lord." She answered truthfully as she tightened the saddle strap and made sure it was centered.

Leroy smiled as he realized he had been right about his suspicions concerning the girl's feelings for the princess. "I see. Well, if it will help you at all, the princess is anxious to see you again as well. She wouldn't stop talking about you last night."

Nodding sadly Quinn looked up at the man. "That somehow makes it worse…" She sighed as he got up on his horse without another word. Quickly she did the same, and they began to journey to the castle.

"Or does it make it easier?" Leroy asked as their horses trod down the dirt path towards the castle in the distance.

The sun had met mid-day as they arrived at the castle. Quinn knew it was big from the distance, but she had no idea it would be this big. There must be a thousand rooms in here, she thought as she followed Leroy from the stables and into the castle. Servants were working about doing there chores and paid them no mind as they passed.

Finally, after what seemed to be miles, Leroy led her into the greeting hall. He told her to wait a moment and she watched him walked up to a small, but strong man, whom she assumed was the king. She continued to watch him as he knelt before him, stood and talked to the king. The king nodded and Leroy turned and with a nod of his head motioned for her to approach.

Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and her raging nerves and forced her legs to walk up to the men. Quinn reached the spot Leroy had just been in and knelt before him saying, "Your Grace, it is an honor to be here."

King Hiram smiled at the girl and said, "You may rise." She did and her eyes landed on a pair of eyes much similar to Rachel's. Of course she had heard of the king. She had heard how he was a selfless man, always thinking of his daughter and the kingdom first. She had also heard of his bravery, a bravery that won battles and kept men alive. Standing up, he walked over to her. He was only a couple inches taller than she was, but the way he held himself, he might as well have been ten feet tall.

"I owe you a great depth of thanks, My Lady. You have saved my daughter and by extension, myself."

Shaking her head, she replied, "I did what any noble person would have, Your Majesty."

"Regardless, I thank you." They shared a kind smile and then he placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned her to walk with him. As they turned, her eyes met those of Rachel's, who was shamelessly hiding behind one of the columns. Their connection was short lived as Hiram said, "Now, I heard you are a fine blacksmith."

A/N: Thoughts? Review please! And I hope you enjoyed it! :)