Hey everyone! So in order for this story to continue I thought it was time to give our young lords some names :). Sorry if this chapter took long to post but I'm back in school and will try to update weekly. Thank you so much for the reviews :)!

Brandan Macintosh=means sword, prince or brave

Eman Dingwall=means ernest or serious

Galen Macguffin=means tranquil

Young Macguffin's perspective

"Marry!?" Young Macguffin's eyes widened incredibly. Marriage had been the farthest thing from his mind. He had chosen to focus on getting to know Merida before even considering the possibility of marriage.

"Yes, marry. As in Marriage" Young Macintosh said. He looked at Young Macguffin and was clearly amused by the look he received. Poor Macguffin looked like someone had dumped cold water on him.

"Don't tell me you haven't thought of it?"

"Na (No)" responded Young Macguffin.

Young Macintosh pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an angry sigh. "You've got to be kidding me. You come here in an attempt to win her heart and actually succeed but marriage never crossed your mind."

" Ah didnae wantae git mah dreems up Brandan (I didn't want to get my hopes up Brandan)"

Young Macintosh turned to look at Young Macguffin. No longer did he see a rival but an old friend who had not said his name since before they had visited Castle Dunbroch the first time. The three lads were childhood friends but with the princess's hand and family honor on the line they had decided they would be rivals until the princess made her choice. They'd been referring to one another by their surnames the entire time…until this moment. Now that a choice had been made Brandan Macintosh could help his friend.

"You're quite the negative one eh Galen?" He said with a smile.

Galen Macguffin chuckled before responding "Aye bit a'm a graceful loser compared tae ye (Yes but I'm a graceful loser compared to you)."

"You both need a lesson in vocabulary, if you ask me" Wee Dingwall said.

"Eman!" Both Brandan and Galen said. Both lads had not noticed the spacey Eman Dingwall walk right up to them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brandan asked. Arms crossed ready for whatever smart reply Eman would give him.

"This was supposed to be a friendly competition but I'm been watching you two at each other throats since we arrived. I must say it was amusing to see you two try and best one another. Not to mention Brandan's over the top antics."

Galen snickered at this and nudged poor Brandan off his feet. He landed on the floor with a very loud oof!

"On the floor again Brandan?" asked Eman.

"Stuff it" Brandan responded. He got up and brushed some dirt from his kilt before turning to his friend. "So I'll ask again. When?"

"I think the bigger question is if?" Eman interjected.

"If? how come if? (If? Why if?)" asked Galen. He looked down at Eman who had taken a seat against a wall. He looked over to Brandan who shrugged his shoulders saying he had no clue what he meant.

"Well the princess wasn't too keen on marriage the first time we were here. How do we know she still doesn't feel the same?"

Brandan shook his head and wavy black hair flew every which way. "She doesn't, otherwise she wouldn't have chosen anyone."

"That's true but she never answered your question whether she chose anyone. Galen answered for her." Both lads looked over to Galen.

Galen suddenly felt very small as realization dawned on him. Would Merida have answered yes if he hadn't interrupted her? He let out a groan. What if she had said no? He felt a bit hurt and shook his head. Maybe she was just shy about this whole thing but she was Merida. The princess who had competed for her own hand, the lass who had dared enter a room full of angry Scottish men and had stood up to her father when her mother had been a bear. Things were looking grim for him.

"Now look what you've done!" Shouted Brandan at Eman. "The poor lad looks like the princess slapped him herself."

Eman shrugged his shoulders. "This can easily be remedied. All you have to do is ask her if she'll marry you."

Galen eyes widen and his heart quickened at the thought. "Ah dinnae think ah kin (I don't think I can)"

"What!" Brandan shouted. "Galen Macguffin I don't believe this! You're scared to ask the lass."

"Sae whit (So what)" Galen responded. All the while shrinking in on himself.

"You've fought Vikings, man and gone on hunts with us. You're a warrior for god's sake" Brandan said.

"Every warrior has a weakness or a fear Brandan."

"That's true Eman but a true warrior overcomes that fear."

Galen looked down and sighed. Yes, he had fought alongside with his clan. He had defended his land and had been brave enough to compete but when it came to the thought of Merida rejecting him. Let's just say he'd rather fight two thousand more Vikings than have his heart broken.

"Galen! Galen!" Brandan snapped him out of his thoughts.

He snapped his eyes toward Brandan.

"You're not ready to ask her yet?" Eman said. Galen nodded his head in agreement. "Well take some more time to get to know her. It can't hurt."

"But...i dinnae ken whit tae dae or say noo! (but...I don't know what to do or say now!)"

"What do you mean you don't know what to do?" asked Brandan. "You got her to like you enough just do what you did before!"

Do what he did before? Galen thought back to what he had done and all he could remember was her forehead against his, her eyes meeting his and her lips on his. He colored himself.

Eman looked curiously on.

Brandan noticed his friend's face had gone red why even the top of his ears had turned cherry. He raised an eyebrow. Now what was that about? He heard snickering and turned to look at Eman. The young lord had a look on his face that read I know something you don't know.

"Just what did you do?" asked Brandan.

Galen tried his hardest to look anywhere but his friend's faces.

"Well I suppose kissing is one way of going about it" Eman goaded him.

"How'd ye ken? (How'd you know?)" asked Galen clearly mortified and embarrassed.

"I didn't. You just admitted it yourself." He smirked.

Galen hid his face behind his hands and groaned. This couldn't get any worse he thought.

"YOU WHAT!" shouted Brandan.

Then again it just had.

"When did this happen?!" Brandan half demanded half asked. He walked up to Galen and shook him by the shoulders…or at least tried to.

"Th' nicht she pushed ye (The night she pushed you)" he answered rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ah wasn't expecting it tae happen (I wasn't expecting it to happen)."

"Ha!" Brandan let out. "You ran after her, what were you expecting to happen?"

"Ah ne'er thought she'd winch me (I never thought she'd kiss me)."

Brandan and Eman both looked up at their friend. She kissed him?

Eman spoke "Well that's just proof she likes you enough. She kissed you not the other way round."

Galen smiled, leave it to Eman to be the voice of reason and make him see something he had missed. He felt a tiny bit better.

"That doesn't prove anything I've kissed many a lass and I didn't feel anything special for them" stated Brandan.

"The princess isn't you" said Eman. "She doesn't go round romancing anything with a skirt like you do."

"I wouldn't say I romance anything with a skirt. You won't find me wooing a bear wearing a skirt now would you" he said defensively but jokingly.

The three lads had a good laugh as they imagined the young lord spouting poetic nonsense to a bear.

Then it hit him! "Why don't you romance the princess!" said Brandan to Galen.

Eman yawned and stretched out before responding "What for? She likes him enough to show affection for him."

That was true Galen thought. They'd shared few kisses but they HAD shared them. He smiled as he thought of the way she had kissed him the other day. She was shorter and slimmer than him but she definitely was bolder than him that much he was sure. If only he could be so bold.

Brandan turned to Galen and said "Think about it Galen. If you romance her and make her fall for you completely then she won't say no to you when you ask for her hand in marriage."

"That's true" he replied hesitantly. "Bit a've ne'er romanced a lassie afore... A dinnae ken whaur tae stairt (But I've never romanced a girl before... I don't know where to start)."

Galen did not like the look upon Brandan's face. He'd seen that look many a time before in their younger years and every fiber in his body was screaming at him to run while he had the chance.

Brandan smirked at his friend and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder "Don't worry that's where me and Eman will come in. We'll help you! Be grateful I shall bestow the wisdom passed on from generation to generation of married Macintosh men."

"Maybe we shouldn't interfere" said Eman. "What if we make things worse instead of better?"

"Nonsense!" Brandan said. He turned to Galen "You'll win her over completely, all you need is some help and a little luck."

Brandan reached inside his sporran pouch and pulled out a smaller pouch. He threw it to Galen. To which he caught with ease.

"Whit's it? (What is it?)" he asked Brandan as he inspected the small velvet pouch. He made a move to open it to look inside but Brandan stopped him.

"It's a good luck charm I got this morning" Brandan said. "Until you're ready to ask Merida for her hand in marriage that pouch is to remain closed…otherwise the charm won't work understand."

Galen nodded in understanding.

"Good then. Lads, the plan romance the princess is about to begin." Brandan yelled.

Galen couldn't help the ominous feeling that had settled in his stomach.