he reached out with a frown across his face and snatched the peice from the lad's hand. "what does it matter? they are not even real people anyway, you do not have to match them. you cannot match them for you are better than they. you are no woman"

"We both know that I am not, but they do not know this. I am just a heathen woman married to you who is only accepted because of who my husband is. I already grow weary of being the odd patch of the quilt, and I have barely been here more than half a moon's rotation. I cannot live among those cows."

the frown deepened and he looked the boy over. it was true he was not happy and though it was no fault of his he felt as if he should be held at least part of the way responsible. ".....then leave"

The words struck him aback, and he needed to repeat them over in his mind many times until they stuck. Even then he could not help but question the man to see if he'd heard him right. "do i not speak clearly? i will send you back to your hovel and you may live in the dirt and muck of your ancestral home." For a long moment he stared at the Prince, the anger behind the words rooted him in his seat, while the thought of returning home ate away at him. Wrapping thin arms around himself as if to ward off the chill of the night, he spoke a single word

the 'no' was spoken with more authority than those boney shoulders had ability to support and they both knew it. "listen wife, you wanted to go home and i am offering you what you desire! if you leave you will once more be 'lord ainsley future duke of swanson' not 'the prince's heathen wife' i am giving to you and no cost exactly what you want, you have no reason to refuse!"

"I may not have much of a reason to accuse, but I still have the right. Badly, more than I am sure you have ever sought anything, I wish to return home, but what would it prove?" Pushing himself away from the stone bench, he gave the Prince no time to answer. "It would show I am just as much of a cowardice as my sister, and that I cannot handle what is thrown in my way. So far I have done a good job preparing for you, and to leave now would leave everything I have done for you would be forgotten at the sight of some whore"

the lad was not far enough away to be unreachable and grabbing him by the arm he jerked the other close. "i am damned for all eternity because of you. i will never have sons because of you. i have bent to your whims too many times to count and now as i twist my back once more to bear your cruelty you deny me? wife, i could never forget this even if i were never to lay eyes on you again i would not. you have ruined me and that is all there is, do not act as if i am so easily swayed"

It took everything in him not to snap back at the Prince, and in an effort to keep his feelings at bay he worked to pry bruising fingers off of his arm. "If I have ruined you then how could you send me away so easily? There is more to gain if you keep me, even if that would not include the bearing of sons"

he did not allow the fingers to dislodge him though he loosened them enough to give the other no need to continue. "because it will make you happy"

His other arm fell lack against his side as the hand no longer crushed him. "...It would, my lord. Very much." His eyes fluttered away from the Prince's moonlit face to the open faced night queens. "Still...please do not send me away, I do not wish to be seen as one easily frightened by their remarks, even if they do scar"

he ruffled at the remark but did not share his ire. instead he kept his voice low and even. "then i will go with you and we shall visit. there is no shame in that"

Eyes darted back to the Prince, every silvery inch filled with the glistening hope that the words would be kept true. "Will we really? You would actually go with your heathen wife to her heathen home and live in the heathen ways to please her?"

he frowned. "if it will please you i will." letting go finally he let the thin hand fall. "you will ready yourself to leave tomorrow"

The atmosphere of the night had originally struck the lad as one with a poor outcome, but as it continued to progress he found it to grow and blossom into one better than he would originally thought to occur. He was actually going to go home! Even if it was simply for a visit he would be able to see his family again, as well as the people he'd had to abandon. He felt giddy for the remainder of the night, and the sensation continued well into the morning. He left for chapel in the best of moods he'd had since he'd come to the castle

his father was not happy but he managed to get the man's permission to leave though it left him in a sour mood that lasted all through the night and had not lessened by morning. he went to chapel angry

He'd spent his time saying extra prayers to their virgin mother as praise for his good fortune, but both holy words and sacred thoughts were knocked ajar as his steaming husband slid into the pew beside him. Tilting his head to get a better look at the Prince, he could feel his prayer rocks slide in his grasp, nearly tumbling to the floor. His voice was hushed and quiet, not wanting to draw attention to either themselves, or disturb the preparation of the mass. "What is wrong, my lord?"