The sun's rays weaved around the various branches and leaves of the forest trees in order to shine upon Jack and Keira. Even though she knew it was safe, Keira still held onto Jacks arm and walked closely beside him as he led her through the trees. She had never been out this far in the forest and had no idea where he was taking her but knew that he wasn't going to cause any harm to her whenever they got to where they were headed. Eventually they reached a large open section of the forest and he stopped.

"Well here we are." Jack told her.

Keira let go of his arm as she began to look around the area. There was a large field of soil that occupied most of the area and a few sections of it contained sprouts and bushes of various different crops. In the corner sat a small cozy cottage and beside it there was a smaller building with a hay pile beside it which she guessed was his stable. Across from these two buildings sat another one that was just bit large than the cottage which was likely a barn of sorts. Despite the farms dirty appearance the whole place just felt so humble and relaxed to her.

"This is where you live?" She asked.

"I know you're probably not used to something like this but I think its quiet nice out here." He replied.

"Oh no I didn't mean to be rude or anything." She apologized. "It's just that I wanted to know if you really lived out here in the forest all alone."

"Yeah, I guess I sort of do. Occasionally I'll have to travel into town to get some supplies but for the most part I just stay around here." He explained. "I just thought that you could relax here for the day before I take you back to your home, or rather your castle."

"That's thoughtful of you." She said. "It's actually pretty calm out here."

He grabbed her hand. "Let me get you something to eat."

He walked her through the field of soil and over to the cottage before opening the door for her and motioning her to go through first, seeming to be giving her some special treatment. She walked inside and began to look around his house. For a person of his status he seemed to be doing quite well. He actually had furniture around his house such as a table, chair, a shelf and even a bed and not a just a pile of hay in the corner like she had been always been told.

"Peasants are the filth of the kingdom, Keira." Her father would tell her. "They have no wealth or honor to their name and live in piles of garbage. You'll always be better than them."

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked as he watched her shake her head as she tried to get her father's words out of her head.

"No, I'm fine." She told him as she looked at him with a smile.

He smiled back at her. "Why don't you take a seat."

She nodded her head and walked over to the small wooden table and took a seat in the lone chair beside it. She looked at the table and noticed the torn cloth from her dress on top of the thieves ransom note as they sat on the center of the table before looking back at Jack. She watched as he removed the cloak he was wearing and placed it beside the door before going over to the corner of the room and picked up small cloth and a bucket filled with water. He walked back over to her and placed the bucket on the ground before placing the cloth in water and taking it out and dabbing it gently on the cut mark on her cheek.

"Let's get this cut of yours cleaned up first." He said as he continued to wash it.

She blushed a little at his kindness. "Thanks Jack."

He tossed the now slightly blood stained cloth aside before placing the bucket back in the corner. "I'm just trying to help you out. You know you haven't told me your name yet."

"It's Keira." She told him.

He bowed in front of her. "Then it's an honor to meet you Princess Keira."

"That's alright Jack, you don't have to treat me like I'm so special." She told him as she giggled at his gesture. "And you can just call me Keira, I won't mind."

"If you say so, Keira." He replied.

"So where's that food you said you had?" She asked trying not to sound rude.

"Oh I almost forgot." He exclaimed before walking over to the shelf.

He removed his only plate and placed a small loaf of bread on it. He also grabbed one of his few milk containers and placed both it and the plate of bread in front of Keira.

"Here you are." He told her.

She stared at the plate for a moment.

"I know it isn't much but it's all I have at the moment." He said sounding a little upset.

"It's fine, really. It's nice of you to give me some of your only food. That's so kind of you." She told him sincerely with a smile on.

He watched as she began to eat the small meal he had given her. When she finished he took the plate from her and placed it back on the shelf.

"Thank you Jack." She said as he walked back over to her. "I haven't eaten in over a day and really needed this."

"You must have had a pretty hectic day then huh?" He asked.

"It wasn't all that bad. It only got hectic after I decided to go out into the forest last night." She told him.

"Why'd you come out here?" He asked.

"It's a kind of complicated." She began. "I was eating dinner with my parents and a suitor of mine and they kept talking about how I supposedly liked him and I just couldn't take it anymore so I decided to leave and go to the pond out here so I could think. It was there that I was chased and eventually captured by those three thieves. I just got so lucky that you were able to come and save me."

"It was no trouble at all." He told her. "So it sounds like you're having some trouble with you parents or something?"

"They keep forcing suitors on me every other day so they can try and get me married. Not only is it annoying but they only introduce me to people they like, you know people that are rich and powerful. All I want to do is meet someone who I can like back." She told him.

"I'm sure you'll find someone you can like back at some point." He said. "Or who knows maybe you already found them."

She looked away and fiddled around with her long black hair while she blushed and spoke quietly. "Yeah, maybe I have…"

"Well I have some work I have to do out in the field so you're welcome to stay in here if you want." He told her.

She stood up from her seat. "You think I can help? I'd like to repay you for what you've done for me."

"You sure you want to help? I mean you really don't have to pay me back for what I've done." He asked.

"I know I don't have to do anything for you but I'd really like to help." She told him.

"Alright, if you'd like to I wouldn't mind." He said as he walked over to the door and picked up a large basket. "Come on, I'll show you what to do."

She followed him out of the house and over to the field. He walked up to a group of strawberry plants and knelt beside them. Keira knelled down beside him and he placed the basket he brought out between them.

"We have to harvest these." He told her.

"Alright." She replied.

Before he could explain anything else Keira reached out her hand and grabbed one of the strawberries off the bush and pulled it off the stem rather quickly and ended up slipping through her fingers due to her poor handling. She tried to grab it again but instead squished it causing its juice to get all over her dress. She looked down at her dress in disappointment for a moment before realizing that it matched the small blood stain on it and the proceed to look back at Jack.

"You have to be more delicate." He told her.

He reached out his hand and carefully pulled one of the strawberries off its stem before placing it in the basket.

"See? Now you try." He told her.

She nodded her head and attempted again to remove another strawberry, only this time she mimicked Jack's movement's and succeeded in harvesting it.

"There you go, you got it." He told her.

The two continued to spend the rest of the day harvesting the remainder of the strawberries on the various bushes that were scattered about the field, laughing with one another whenever one of them damaged one of the berries. As the sun began to lower below the forest trees Jack stood up and picked up the basket, now filled with strawberries, and motioned for Keira to follow him.

"Jack, look." She said to him after he started walking away causing him to turn around.

He looked at her as she held her hands in front of her dress motioning for him to look at it. He did and instantly noticed how it was now covered with a mixture of both dirt and strawberry juice.

"Oh Keira I'm sorry." He apologized.

She smiled at him and began to laugh a bit. "It's ok Jack. It's been awhile since I've done any work and I forgot how much fun it was." She said before turning aside again. "Especially when someone else is with you."

The two of them walked into the house and Jack placed the basket down over on the table.

"I guess I'll sell these in town when I take you back tomorrow." He told her.

"I forgot that I have to get back to the castle." She said. "They're all probably worried about me there, especially my parents."

"We'll go there first thing in the morning." He said before looking over at the bed. "You can use the bed tonight."

"But what about you?" She asked.

"I'll find somewhere to bunk for the night. Beside you deserve the bed, you are royalty after all." He told her.

She got into his bed and looked at him as he began to step outside.

"If you need anything just come and find me. I won't be too far." He told her.

After he shut the door Keira leaned her head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. After everything that had happened to her that day she was beginning to feel herself start distrusting her father's words.

"Maybe peasants aren't that bad." She thought before shutting her eyes.

A/N: Peasants people, peasants. R&R