Stewart. Davenport. Lord Davenport? Kenna thought for sure that the man her father would have arranged for her to marry would have been some foul, old man. This man didn't look much older than her and wow he was handsome. She shook her head quickly. Bash. My husband. Already married. Sorry Stewart, not going to happen.

"Look, Lord Davenport-"

"No please, call me Stewart," Lord Davenport interrupted.

"Okay... Stewart. I realize that my father sent you here to woo me into wanting to marry you but no matter how charming you are, I'm already married, and with child," Kenna continued.

The look that passed over Stewart's face confused her. Was it relief?

"Why that's wonderful!" he exclaimed.

What?

"Look Kenna, I'm not really in to the whole arranged marriage thing either. You're beautiful and I'm sure quite lovely but my father arranged this deal with your father as punishment for my relationship with one of our household servants," Stewart explained.

"So your not going to kidnap me and force me to marry you?" Kenna asked.

Stewart laughed, "No, actually I'm still planning on marrying Lena, despite my father's wishes, I just had to straighten out this whole debacle first. I wanted to arrive before your father, but unfortunately I had some delays. I apologize for any distress this situation has caused you, I'll be on my way now."

"No wait, Stewart. Why don't you stay for a bit, have something to eat before you get back on the road. I'd love to here about your Lena."

Stewart beamed and Kenna led him into the parlor.

Bash paced the length of their bedroom waiting for the quarter of an hour to be up. What was going on down there? He hadn't heard any screams or crashes or any other noise that would have sent him flying down the stairs but he still worried. Finally it was time to go down. He descended the stairs and heard... laughing? Who was this visitor? He walked into the parlor and saw Kenna laughing to a story a young man was telling quite animatedly.

He caught Kenna's eye and she spoke up, "Bash, come here. I want you to meet Lord, umm sorry, Stewart Davenport."

Lord Davenport? The man she was arranged to marry? Was here in their home? And she was smiling and laughing? Bash felt his stomach drop and he spun around and walked out of the room ignoring Kenna's confused pleas for him to come back. He walked outside and and kept walking towards the lake. The lake where he had spent so many special moments with her. She had promised him she wouldn't leave him for anyone, but perhaps that was before she had actually met this Lord Davenport. He was young and handsome and charming and she seemed to enjoy his presence. Maybe she had decided it would just be easier to go along with her father's plan. Was she even thinking of their child though? Did this Lord Davenport know she was with child? He couldn't believe it when he felt tears running down his face. He never cried, but the thought of her leaving him left him with a feeling of great sadness. He heard footsteps coming towards him but he didn't turn around.

"Sebastian! What is wrong with you? How could you be so rude to our guest?" Kenna yelled.

She got closer and spun him around to face her, "You just-" it was then that she noticed his tears, "Bash what's wrong?"

"We'll excuse me for not exactly being cordial to your betrothed. What happened to: I love my husband, I'll never leave him? Prince Charming just came in and swept you off your feet didn't he?"

He took a step back from her and she just stared at him.

After what felt like forever she spoke, "Bash. I'm not marrying Lord Davenport. Lord Davenport does not want to marry me," she paused before asking," Do you really think my love for you is that fickle?"

She had a pained expression on her face and Bash regretted the words he had spoken in his anger.

"What do you mean Lord Davenport does not want to marry you?" he asked.

She explained everything to him and he gathered her up in his arms.

"I meant what I said. I'll never leave you, for anyone," Kenna whispered.

"And I'll never let you go."

Bash apologized to Stewart and they bid him safe travels back to Scotland.

"I like him, he seems like a nice guy," Bash commented.

"When he's not trying to marry your wife?" Kenna joked.

Mary and Francis came downstairs then and Bash and Kenna explained what they had missed that morning.

"I don't even know how you two slept through all that," Kenna commented.

Mary and Francis looked at each other and smiled before Mary replied, "I have no idea."

"So this whole ordeal is over now?" Francis asked.

"I still worry that my father might try to punish me in some way for not going through with his plan, but I've got my brave knight to protect me," She answered and placed a hand on Bash's chest.

"And a few guards will be arriving this afternoon, at least for the week, we can't be too careful," Francis added.

Kenna sighed but she knew her brother-in-law was right.

3 days later...

Kenna felt Bash shift in the bed very early in the morning. She reached for him and asked him where he thought he was going.

"Kenna, Francis and I are going hunting today, remember? We'll be back this evening."

Kenna was irritated, wasn't it more important for him to be here with her while she might be in danger than out playing with his brother? She wanted to protest but then she remembered the guards standing watch outside the house and figured she would be fine.

"Have a nice time," she muttered before rolling back over to sleep.

It couldn't have been much more than an hour later when she heard footsteps approaching the bed, had Bash decided to stay with her? She lifted up her head to greet him and instantly her mouth was covered with a gloved hand. She was slung over the man's shoulder and despite her flailing arms and legs he maintained a tight grip on her. How had the guards allowed someone into the house? She felt a cool breeze and realized that the window was open. The man walked over to it and Kenna was horrified to realize that he intended to toss her out the window to another man waiting below. She whimpered thinking about her baby, there was no way this was going to be safe. The next thing she knew she was flying through the air and landing with a thud in the other man's arms. She tried to scream for help but it was no use, hands were over her mouth again. She was carried over and placed into a cart and the men stared taking her further and further from her home and everyone she loved. Tears started to slip down her face, as she started to recount last night. Had it been the last time she would ever kiss Bash, laugh with him, feel his skin brush up against hers? And what of their child? She closed her eyes in despair and waited to see where the men were taking her.

Emilie awoke and instantly felt that something was wrong. She quickly put on her dress and tied on an apron before heading to Kenna's room. Since Bash was out hunting with the Dauphin this morning, Kenna would probably still be sleeping. Nevertheless, Emilie felt like there was an odd stillness to the house and she couldn't shake her unease. It wasn't until she was standing on the bottom step of the stairwell that she realized why it was so quiet. The soft clangs of armor and booted footsteps of the guards that had stood watch over the house the past few days had grown silent.

She ran up the stairs and frantically knocked on Kenna's door, "Lady Kenna! Lady Kenna!"

The noise woke Mary who came out of her room with a concerned look on her face, "Emilie, what's wrong?"

Emilie pushed open the door to Kenna and Bash's bedroom and both her and Mary gasped. There was various signs of a struggle; sheets were strewn on the ground, a chair was pushed over, and the window was broken and open. Most concerning was an obvious lack of Kenna.

"Where were the guards when this happened?" Mary demanded furiously as she marched down the stairs.

"I don't know Your Grace. Although I noticed that I didn't hear their usual clamor this morning," Emilie answered.

The two women went out the front door and found the answer to their questions. All four of the guards were slumped over on the ground, blood streaming down their necks. Emilie had never seen such violence before and began to cry.

"Emilie, I'm going to need you to be strong like a Queen today," Mary said as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Kenna woke up to find herself in a small room that was dark and filthy. She heard men talking in a other room and strained her ears to hear them.

"Excellent work as always Cyrus." Her father's voice.

The man Cyrus replied but his voice was muffled and Kenna couldn't tell what he was saying. There was a jingle, coins being exchanged, and then the door to her room opened.

"What a pity a father has to pay for the safe return of his own daughter because she wouldn't come to him willingly."

Kenna struggled to find her voice, "It was a waste of money. Lord Davenport and I have already spoken and we are in agreement about our disdain of this arrangement."

Kenna thought she saw a flicker of surprise pass over her father's face before he continued, "Stop lying to me my dear. You've already told me too many lies. Like about your wedding for instance. Forced? At sword point? Is that what's considered willingly these days? I'm sure the baby is a lie as well. As for the matter of Lord Davenport, I assure you he is still very on board with the plan. Now stop with the lies and disrespect, I raised you better than this."

"You didn't raise me!" Kenna yelled furiously, "You don't see me as a child, you see me as a piece of property that can be traded for something better for yourself."

Kenna's father lunged forward and slapped Kenna, "Apparently I have not made myself clear. I don't want you speaking any more. We leave for Scotland tomorrow morning and then you will be married to Lord Davenport upon our arrival so I can be free of you at last."

Kenna was puzzled over his words. She wasn't sure what was going on anymore and she had lost the strength to try to figure it out. When her father left the room she looked down at her wedding ring. She removed it and secured it inside a secret pocket in her slip.

"Bash, please find me," she whispered.

Oh no! It seems Kenna's in quite the predicament... I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one is in progress and should be up later this evening :)