FPOV:

After a few moments of alone time behind the tent, I pulled away from Enna. Her face was flushed and I could feel her heart pounding against my chest. She looked more beautiful than I've ever seen her, soldier's garb and all included.

I stared into her big, beautiful eyes a moment longer.

She whispered, "What are you thinking about?"

I smiled. "I'm just thinking about how beautiful you really are, and how I'm probably the luckiest man alive."

She snorted as she rolled her eyes. Like she thought I'd said something utterly ridiculous.

I stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" she asked, defensive.

I shook my head as I said, "You honestly don't know how beautiful you are, do you? Haven't you ever been told that you're beautiful?"

"Oh sure, dozens of times," she said as her face turned red.

"Then why do you find it so hard to believe?" This girl confused me, majorly.

She sighed and looked down at her feet. "Well, my suitors are the only ones who've told me. And to them, I'm just a prize to be won. I can't exactly believe anything they say. They'll do and say anything to try and win me over. Lie to get the princess they're after, so they can be part of my "prestigious" royal family. Flattery, promises they don't intend to keep…"

She trailed off and looked up at me.

I looked into her sad, tired eyes while she thought of all her suitors, and how badly they had treated her. The perfect moment vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

I then realized the implication of what she had said. I was shocked that she had come to such a conclusion. I seriously needed to fix her self-esteem issues.

"But you don't think I'm just another suitor, do you? You don't think I'm just telling you what you want to hear, do you?"

She didn't say anything, and turned her stare back to the ground. It was like I could see the shame and betrayal she had suffered. And she thought I would do the same with her. I couldn't bear it if that's what she really thought my intentions were.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, threatening to spill out onto her face.

I was suddenly horrified. "Enna! You mustn't think that!" I took her hands in mine and dropped to my knees in front of her. "I love you and I want to be with you always! You have to know that! You can't believe that I would hurt you like that, love."

From a combination of seeing her so sad, and my hysteria over her thoughts, I felt as if I might start to cry.

She dropped to her knees in front of me and we were face to face again. A tear rolled down her graceful cheek.

"What can I do to make you believe in me, Enna? Anything," I asked her, surprisingly close to tears myself.

She took my face in her hands, searching my eyes.

"Just be there for me, Finn. That's all. In good times and bad times, and I'll always be yours. Forever. Don't ever leave me."

"I won't, I promise," I said as I pulled her close to me, into my arms, and held her there protectively, safe and sound. "I love you, Enna. Really, truly, honestly."

"I love you, too, Finn," Enna said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She sobbed into shoulder.

EPOV:

After I finally stopped crying, I realized that Finn was still holding me, still with me. Any other man I've ever been with or known would have bolted at the first sight of tears. I'd cried many times around Finn, I must have seemed like an over-emotional freak or something. But Finn was different. Finn was good. He didn't care, and I could be myself completely around him. Somehow, I knew this was true.

I don't know why I was so worried. It was probably because of that tavern wench. I knew that he didn't want her, or even show the slightest interest in the brood hanging all over him. But it just dredged up all these old memories and feelings, all the things that former men had done to hurt me. I know now that Finn would never, ever hurt me on purpose.

I felt lighter, like all this sadness was a weight I've been carrying around, and suddenly it was gone, because now I have someone who I can talk to about anything, and who loves me for me. It was a wonderful, buoyant, freeing feeling.

I looked up into Finn's clear green eyes and I saw everything he felt for me. I realized that he was all I will ever need. I felt safe, complete, and happy.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I just needed to think, I guess." He just nodded, understanding.

"How are you feeling?" he said, with a look of concern. He was probably worried I would burst out into a fresh round of tears.

"Great, actually. You make me feel beautiful and special, just to deserve you."

He smiled down at me and said, "You deserve much more, but I'm glad."

I rolled my eyes at him.

He stood up and extended his hand to me, to help me up. I took it and said, "Why thank you sir," I said as I brushed my ugly uniform off.

"Anytime, my dear, anytime." I knew her meant that in every sense of the word. "So, are you ready to go back in noew?"

"What?!? Why are we going back in there?"

"Well, they're having supper now, and I'm really hungry."

As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly.

"See?" He laughed. "And after we eat, we can ask for directions and supplies, maybe."

I sighed. I was hungry. What could it hurt? Besides, I trusted Finn now more than I had ever trusted anyone in my entire life. With my whole heart.

"Okay, that sounds alright."

I straightened my clothes and hat our, making sure I looked adequately manly.

We walked back into the tent and this time, we weren't stopped. No one dared say anything to us, let alone look at us straight on.

We went back to the dining table where the rest of the men were gathered, getting ready to eat. We sat down on an empty bench. They barely acknowledged us; they were so wrapped up in their conversation.

I began to listen in to see if I could figure out what they were talking about.

"You're a liar," one man said.

"It's not a lie! I swear on my mother's grave!" another man said.

"Agh, doesn't count. You're mother's an old hag!" a nearby man slurred.

"There's no way the Princess ran away so that she could be with you," the first man said.

"She did so!"

"Why would she run off with you when she had that Prince-What's-His-Name of Kildenzo wrapped around her little finger? He's missing, too, you know. If she said 'Jump', he'd say 'How high?'"

When the man spoke that, I saw Finn scowl noticeably.

"She loves me. Enna told me that the night before she left."

"I was with you the night before she left, and she never even came near you."

"You're right about that one; I went to her chamber after she retired."

"You did not! What a load a' crap! You're makin' this all up."

"I did so. Do you know what she told me?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. Anyways, I'm sure it's not true."

The storyteller ignored him, and went on.

"She told me that she wanted to be with me, but her father wouldn't allow it, that he wanted her to be with that pretty-boy, Finn."

Finn clenched his jaw in disgust.

"She said she would meet me on the outskirts of town. Then, I took her in my arms and we made love. I was her first. She even told me that she loved me before she left."

I tried to stifle a laugh, but it didn't work, so I pretended to cough. Right. You? These men were so ridiculously oblivious to my presence, it was unbelievable. Did they really drink that much?

By this time, Finn had balled his hands into fists under the table and looked as if he was going to kill the man. I grabbed his hand under the table and tried to calm him down. I certainly couldn't have him blowing our cover.

Eventually, it worked and he relaxed his hands and his jaw, and he plastered a blank expression on his face, replacing the outraged look he had worn before.

Suddenly, there was a plump woman behind me, who must have been the camp's cook. The men started shouting at her, praising her cooking, joking with her. She blushed, smiling shyly, and replied to some of them.

But, when she saw me, her good humor disappeared instantly.

"Hey, hey! No hats in my kitchen!" she said with a thick accent.

It took me a second to realize she was talking to me and when I did, it was already too late. Her hand was grabbing my hat before I knew it and pulling it off, exposing me to all the people in the large tent.

My long, black curls fell down around my face, and suddenly all eyes were on me.

All the chatter cut off, leaving the room silent.

"Princess?" said the man who was "my lover". His eyes were wide in disbelief, confusion, and embarrassment.

Next thing I knew, Finn had grabbed me by the hand, pulling me off the bench. We were running. Again.

How could I have been so stupid? Of course she was talking to me; I was the only one wearing a hat!

But I could not think about that now. Because soldiers had started to stumble and pour out of the dining hall. Some had begun to chase us. All I could think was run, run faster... Get away. Go be safe and alone with Finn.

"Finn!" I cried, but it was a question. It asked everything I wanted to know, and more.

"The only thing I know now was that I have to make sure you're safe. Now, no matter the cost."