Brittany could barely contain her excitement, and gave a little twirl as she skipped down one the isles of the largest library she had ever seen in her life - not that she had much to compare it to seeing as the only other library she had ever been lucky enough to see was that of Tubbington Manor, and though it was vast, it was nothing compared to the wonder before her. Santana strode behind her, admiring her childlike awe at something that she, as a princess, had come to take for granted.
Brittany let her fingers graze along the spines of the books as she continued her journey, enjoying the smell of old paper and oak that seemed to permeate the air. The princess admired her from a far, wondering silently to herself what it would be like to have those same long slender fingers running through her hair, or over her skin...
She was broken from her thoughts as a very excited Brittany turned around to face her, her eyes alight with wonder, "It's magnificent!" she exclaimed happily, her eyes searching the tanned face of her companion for even a trace of the awe she felt with her surroundings.
Santana smiled back, a genuine and easy smile, and Brittany felt her breath catch in her throat. Standing there, a book case to both her left and right, light flooding in from the stained glass window behind her, Santana was a vision. Her long dark hair was twisted at the nape of her neck, then left to flow free down to her waist, her dark eyes glitter in the soft light.
"Tell me something about you, your majesty" Brittany requested, her tone gentle, still caught up in the other woman.
"Santana, please" the princess corrected, "What do you wish to know?"
"Well for one, how do you walk around such a place, looking as if it was nothing more than an old county hall?" Brittany enquired, before her eyes became worried, as she worried she had been impolite to suggest the royal was ungrateful, but before she could open her mouth to apologise Santana had crossed the space between then in three easy strides and pressed a finger to her lips.
Both woman gasped at the touch, Santana in awe of her own boldness, and Brittany in awe of Santana, the feeling of the soft digit pressed against her lips, made her heart batter against her chest and her fingers ache to feel the princess's skin against her own more fully. "Do not apologise" Santana stated, her voice quiet and breathy, almost as if she was afraid of shattering the moment.
They remained there, a perfect picture framed by the filtered light of the late afternoon sun, for a few seconds. Santana's dark coffee eyes bore into Brittany's ocean blue, no words were spoken but volumes was said.
Eventually, regretfully Santana let the pad of her finger slide across the length of Brittany's lips and down to her chin, where her other fingers joined it, to cup her face delicately. The princess's heart battered against her ribs, as she stared into the eyes of the woman who was everything she could ever desire, she tingled with anticipation and pure want, she wanted nothing more than to feel Brittany's lips against her own, hold her close, tell her she had never met another as unique nor fascinating in her life, and that she would be content to spend the rest of her life, learning more about all the fascinating little things that made her Brittany Susan Von Gent.
In an act of pure daring, Santana forced herself to lean forward just a fraction, testing the waters, her eyes never leaving Brittany's, scanning for any sign of resistance, or indication that the beautiful blonde did not want to be kissed. To the Latina's surprise, Brittany leaned in too, just a little, matching her movement, a small smile pulling at the corner of her perfect pink lips. Allowing her eyes to close, Santana leaned in just a little further, her whole body hummed with anticipation, her lips tingled, hyperaware of the rapidly closing distance between those and the others that they longed for.
Brittany could feel the warmth of the princess's approaching full, kissable lips, and hungered for the distance between them to be gone, and to have the princess take her into her arms, and kiss her until she forgot her own name.
Just before her request could be granted, a loud thud startled them both, causing them to instantly jump apart. Brittany flushed pink and busied herself fiddling with the hem of her skirts, barely daring to believe what had just happened, Santana was about to kiss her!
Santana cussed angrily under her breath - unsuitable behaviour for a future queen she knew, but in that moment she could not bring herself to care, for she had been so tantalisingly close to kissing Brittany, and she was eager to find the source of their disturbance and make sure it would never plight them so again.
Brittany watched as Santana stormed off in the direction of the noise, and heard her talking angrily to whom she guessed must be one of the servants who had caused the commotion that had shattered their perfect moment, and taken from her what she had been dreaming of since the moment she laid eyes on the beautiful Latina.
The blonde let out a sigh, of both frustration and to try and relieve some of the tension building up in her body. She couldn't help but imagine if they had been caught, what were the consequences for such a thing...If the news was to be carried back to the king how would he react, would Santana be put in danger?
Before she could contemplate the matter any further the woman in question returned, her brown eyes raising apologetically to meet Brittany's blue, the faintest blush of colour still visible in her cheeks.
"Perhaps I could show you the collection of books on felines?" she offered, eager to break the tension and quell the disappointment she felt at the disruption of their early intimacy. Though she was sorely annoyed that she had not gotten to kiss Brittany, her annoyance was mixed with hope, as she had at least managed to ascertain that Brittany wanted to kiss her too, or that at least she wouldn't push her away if she was to try such a thing again.
"I'd love to see the feline books!" Brittany confirmed, the awkwardness of their moment had passed, and she seemed to have bounced back to her early excited and jovial self, a fact for which Santana was grateful.
Giving the beautiful blonde a sweet smile, she took a bold step forward, reaching out to let her fingers brush the back of the other woman's hand, when she did not flinch or pull away, the Princess exhaled a sigh of relief, and gently wound their fingers together, before leading the way to the animal section of the library.
The afternoon seemed to fly by, and as she sat in the princess's royal carriage on the journey back towards the centre of town (the princess had insisted that servants ride the horses back and they should take the carriage after their long day), Brittany mused over her time with the princess. The rest of their time at the library had been spent browsing the books, and learning about each other's lives, Brittany telling Santana about her the death of her father, and trying to keep her life story as close to the truth as possible, while Santana talked about her life growing up as a royal, and the obligations that came with it. When the princess had mentioned her bargain with the king to find herself a suitor to marry within the next three days, Brittany had flushed a pretty shade of pink at the way Santana let her hand rest at the small of her back as she spoke, though her heart sank – If Santana was searching for a suitor, the rules of the kingdom dictated that must be a man, meaning their time together was soon to come to an end.
With this thought ringing in her ears, Brittany stared out of the carriage window absently, her body gently swaying with each rut and bump they crossed.
Santana noticed the change in the other woman's demeanour, and leaned forward to catch her attention, "Is every thing alright M'Lady?" she questioned, her eyes full of the concern she felt building up inside her. Brittany's smile had rapidly come one of the most brilliant things in her world, and to see the beautiful woman looking so melancholy gave her an unexplainable ache in her chest, that she knew would not be quelled until said smile had returned.
"More than alright" Brittany replied, a brief smile pulling upwards at her lips, "Today was amazing" she admitted shyly, her eyes finding the floor, "I am only sad that it must be drawing to an end, Santana" she addressed the royal by first name experimentally, earning her a smile in return, as Santana slid closer to her on the seat, twining their fingers once more.
"And who say's it must end?" she questioned, her eyes full of hope and promises.
Staring into those eyes, at the woman before her, who Brittany realised she had fallen in love with, she suddenly felt the weight of reality heavy around her shoulders. Santana was looking for a suitor to wed, and the fact that Brittany was not a man instantly disqualified her from that, as did the fact that she was a mere servant – a fact that the princess did not know, just as she did not know her real last name.
Before Brittany could reply, the carriage gave a sharp jolt, and the blonde felt herself thrown forward a little, before a pair of strong arms grabbed her around her waist, and held her secure.
As the carriage ground to a halt, Santana released her hold, gently tucking a strand of hair behind Brittany's ear, her eyes searching the other girls face for any trace of hurt, "Are you okay?" she questioned tenderly, pressed a soft kiss to the angle of her jaw.
Hearing the concern in Santana's voice and noting the tenderness with which she kissed her, Brittany's earlier concerns seemed to melt away, back into the depths of her mind, leaving her to be once again completely caught up in the woman before her. She nodded bashfully.
Hearing the shouts of the driver and his assistant, Santana gave Brittany one last scan, before giving her another gentle kiss, this time on the mouth, before flinging open the door and hopping out of the carriage to see what had caused the incident.
Bringing her fingers to her lips, Brittany smiled to herself, before stepping out after Santana, curious as to what had caused their sudden stop. She was met with the sight of a clearly angry Santana pacing back and forth, muttering to herself. Brittany couldn't help but notice the rumours about the princess were true – she did have a fiery temper, something the townsfolk said she inherited from her father.
Noticing her company was present Santana stopped, and turned to the blonde apologetically, "Well this is embarrassing" she stated, gesturing to the carriage wheel that was somehow detached from the body of the vehicle and lying redundant on the ground.
Walking over to the princess, Brittany laid a soothing hand on her arm, preventing her from further pacing. At the touch Santana felt herself relax, no matter how bad things were, when Brittany was around they suddenly felt nowhere near as dire.
"We can walk" Brittany assured her gently, dipping her head, to catch the other woman's eyes.
"Are you mad?" Santana questioned affectionately, reaching out to touch Brittany, before remembering the drivers stood watching the exchange and quickly pulling her hand away. "It is at least half a day's walk back to the town!"
"Then we'd better get going, where is your sense of adventure your highness?" Brittany asked, her tone mock serious.
"A lady who walks for hours, swims in lakes, and helps her servants prepare the dinner?" Santana questioned playfully.
A look of shock washed over Brittany, as she was suddenly fearful she had been found out to be the imposter that she was.
Seeing this Santana chuckled heartily, and Brittany couldn't help but smile at the sound, "You intrigue me Brittany, and fascinate me" Santana admitted honestly, her brown eyes roaming the pale skin of Brittany's face before she turned back to her drivers. "Your services are no longer required. See to it that the carriage is repaired and the horses make it back to the palace."
With that the pair set off, Brittany leading the way into the trees, once they were out of sight, the blonde took a deep breath, before tentatively reaching for the princess's hand and taking it into her own as they disappeared into the late afternoon sun.
The Marquis stepped out of the carriage that had just drawn to a halt outside the main doors of Tubbington Manor, Jesse and Lauren following, as Emma and Molly flung rushed out of the house to carry in all the purchases they had made that day.
"We must not rest on our Laurels Jesse" Terry warned as she ascended the manor step's, "The princess has not been seen all day, nor was she in attendance at church, we must find out where she has been!" she declared.
"And what about me?" Lauren asked, finally losing her patience, tired of being ignored and pushed to one side in favour of her brother.
"What about you?" the Marquis questioned cruelly, "When Jesse is King we shall all live comfortably at the palace" she assured her daughter.
"Yes, but Jesse will be married, and I do not wish to die an old maid!" she blurted out, earning a sharp look from her mother for her tone, and instantly hanging her head.
"And who do you suppose might take you as their wife?" Terry questioned. Lauren's mind instantly flashed back to the Princess Santana's guard, who she had recently learned to be called Noah Puckerman, but she said nothing.
Taking the lack of response to be the end of the topic the Marquis turned and continued into the house.
They had been walking for well over an hour, Santana insisting she knew where they were headed, and Brittany seeing no reason to doubt her, but now as the sun was moving farther across the sky, and they passed the same rock formation for the third time, Brittany used their linked hands to pull the other woman to a stop.
"Santana, we seem to be going around in circles" she informed her gently, the use of her first name coming easier now, after their afternoon of exchanging stories and laughing together.
The princess's expression cracked, a hint of annoyance in her voice, "I was sure I knew the way!" She admitted, "What a terrible escort I am proving to be..."
Seeing the Latina look downcast, Brittany boldly stepped forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, instantly eliciting a smile, before she turned and jogged towards a tree.
"What in the name of the Kingdom are you doing?" The princess cried as Brittany reached behind herself and began to unlace her frock.
"Do not look!" Brittany called back, with laughter in her voice, "I shall ascend this tree and find out the location of the palace" she explained.
"In your undergarments?" Santana questioned in disbelief.
"I do not wish to dirty my frock" came the reply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, as said frock hit the forest floor and Brittany began to nimbly climb from branch to branch.
"Please, M'Lady, allow me" Santana called out in earnest, but she was already two late as Brittany had already skillfully scaled over half of the large oak.
"And have you break your royal neck?" The blonde called down to her playfully, carefully continuing her climb.*
Santana let out a low chuckle at the blonde girl's sentiment, and chancing a glance around, was shocked to see she was indeed almost at the very top of the tree, in nothing but her under-suit. The princess stared for a little longer than was strictly necessary, as even though the suit did not reveal much, there was something personal about seeing Brittany in such a state of undress, something which made her wonder what it would be like to see her in an even worse state of undress.
A smile broke through the princess's lips, as she allowed herself to ponder that thought a little longer, before turning away with a dreamy expression on her face, to fearful of being caught to continue to watch.
As she turned back around the smile was literally knocked straight off her face, as a large fist collided with her left cheekbone, sending her stumbling backwards, slipping on the leaves underfoot, and landing flat on her back. Remembering all she had learnt in her years of practising fighting in the guards quarters at the palace with Puck, the princess quickly sprang up to face her attacker.
Though she instantly recognised the man, it took her a few seconds to place him as the same thief whom she had wrestled Sir Schuester's beloved set list off just a few days earlier. "You" she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the villain, before remembering Brittany and calling up to her, "Stay aloft M'Lady, there are thieves a-foot!"
The man simply snarled at her, and getting a good look at his unshaven face, and filthy clothing Santana easily identified him as a member of the gypsy clan that had been inhabiting the forest, living as rogues, though they never deigned to enter into the city itself. Without a moment's further hesitation, she reached below her skirts and swiftly pulled out her sword, (she kept it strapped to her leg at all costs, as her etiquette teacher didn't see it to be fitting to be worn around her waist when in her royal finery, namely, a dress).
The gypsy matched her motion, producing a well sharpened word of his own, and the two began to dance around each other preparing to strike, as many other members of the gypsy clan filtered into the clearing.
Looking down from her perch, Brittany saw the bandits, and the man currently engaging Santana in a sword fight. Grateful at least she had discovered the direction of the castle, she was just about to begin her descent to help the princess when one of the travellers called up to her, "My wife thanks you for this fine garment" he sneered, as he used the tip of his sword to pick up her frock from where it lay on the forest floor.
"You shall not steal my dress!" Brittany called down confidently, at which the gypsy just looked amused and began to walk away. Quickly making her way down the tree, Brittany used her higher position on one of the lower branches to throw herself onto the retreating man's back, initially gaining the upper hand as she caught him by surprise. Her victory was short lived however, as she was soon thrown over the man's broad shoulders, landing with a thud on the forest floor, before she was roughly hauled up and the cool steel of a blade pressed against her throat.
Everyone around them seemed to fall silent at the scene. Brittany noticed that Santana seemed to have lost her sword and also had the tip of a blade pointed to her throat, her hands raised in surrender.
Noticing the stares of the men, Santana quickly followed their line of sight, her heart lurching painfully at what she saw. There, her eyes wide with fear, was Brittany, one of the travellers standing behind her, his blade pressed cruelly against the delicate skin of her neck. The princess felt rage boil hot in her chest, and wanted nothing more than to reclaim her sword and tear the men around her from limb to limb; if they dared to draw a single drop of blood from Brittany she would not rest until she had the heads of each and every one of them, and even then she knew she could never forgive herself for allowing such a thing to transpire. "Please, let her go" she spoke up, "Your quarrel is with me, not the lady" she claimed, the authority of her birth ringing true in her voice.
The man who currently held his sword to the Latina's throat, who seemed to be the leader, considered the offer for a moment, before nodding slightly at the man holding Brittany, who removed his sword and pushed her forwards roughly, almost throwing her to her knees.
Recovering, Brittany surveyed the situation, though she was glad to be free, she could no sooner leave Santana than she could lie down and let the men run her through. A plan formulating quickly in her head, she gathered all of her courage and spoke up, "I demand a horse" she called out, looking the leader directly in the eye, being careful to meet and hold his gaze, "If you would deprive me of my escort then I demand a horse and a weapon" she clarified.
A murmur of amusement passed through the gypsies, and the leader smiled a gap-toothed smile at the spunk of the slight blond girl. "Darling, you can have whatever you can carry," he informed her cockily.
"Do I have your word?" Brittany questioned, causing another chuckle among the men.
"Gypsy's honour" the traveller replied, placing one hand on his heart, the other keeping his sword firmly position at the princess's throat.
Santana's mind raced, in her mind she screamed for Brittany to go, get as far away from there as she could, and forget about an escort or things she could carry. More than anything she wanted, no needed Brittany to be safe. If she was going to meet her end here, at the hands of these foul cretins, she needed to at least know that the woman she loved would live on in what she hoped to be relative happiness and comfort.
The Latina pleaded with the blonde with her eyes, inclining her head slightly in the direction of the trial, silently begging her to go on. Brittany smiled slightly, which confused the princess to no end, before instead of walking away she walked towards her. Santana could barely think, as a pair of slender arms slid around her, one behind her knees and the other around her waist. Before she could protest Brittany was lifting her carefully off her feet, and holding her tightly in her arms.
The gypsies looked on in disbelief, as the slight blonde girl walked up to the man holding her dress, requested he return it at once, then carried the Royal Princess of the Kingdom out of sight.
As the pair left the clearing a round of loud laughter began at the sight, and echoed through the trees for many minutes prior to their departure.
A few moments later a rustling in the trees startled Brittany, who hurried put Santana down so she could turn around to locate the source of the sound.
The lead gypsy stood behind them, all traces of his earlier hostility gone, a trace of humour still lingering in his eyes from the pair's earlier antics. "Come back" he invited them heartily, his earlier disagreement forgotten, "Drink with us, and I shall give you a horse to take you back into the town!"