Gareth was falling asleep, "I can handle that." he said quietly, there was nothing wrong with a woman sleeping on top of him, and he would bear a fair amount of heat to have it. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, as their breathing became in sync.

--

He woke up a couple of hours later to find Tatiana was still in the same spot, she must have fallen asleep as well. His stomach was starting to get sore, it was his turn to do something for her, he was feeling a lot better after all. He slipped out of the bed a quietly as he possibly could without disturbing her. He placed her head softly on the pillow and covered her with the blanket.

Making his way over the dresser he wrote her a small note in case she woke up and he was gone that read: Gone to have dinner downstairs, there will be a plate for you waiting. he signed his name and placed it on the pillow next to her head. He watched her for a second as she peacefully slept with a smile on his face, he wished that their relationship would stay like this.

After putting his clothes back on he made his way downstairs where he would whip up their dinner without help from the cooks, tonight he wanted to make the effort.

Tatiana woke up to find her heat source had left. She sat up, slightly confused. She flipped her hair out of her face and got up. She wondered into the washroom, thinking he might be taking a bath. But the room was empty. She washed her face and neatly tied her hair up, trying to look like she hadn't been sleeping.

Tatiana was about to leave the room when she noticed the note. "Oh...This is a surprise." She said, smiling. She left the room and went down the hallway, hoping she wouldn't run into Gareth's brother again. She went downstairs, trying to remember where the kitchen was. When she found finally found it she went inside.

"Hello, sleepy head," Gareth called to her as she walked in, he was over the wood stove cooking up their dinner, he figured she smelt it all the way from upstairs and followed the scent, "I was wondering when you would wake up." The meal he was making was nothing special, some vegetables and meat, the basics of any true meal, but he had gotten very good at making it flavourful with what he had in the kitchen. For dessert there were strawberries on the table, the servants had picked them not two days earlier in preparation for their stay. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

She walked over to him and looked at what he was making. "Oh that smells delightful! I didn't think you knew how to cook. I am hungry." She said. She couldn't believe it, he cooked too? Perfect. She knew a bit about cooking but was better at making deserts then meals. "How long have you been at this?" She asked, wondering just how long she had been asleep. She noticed no one besides him was cooking which made her smile grow.

He was truly thoughtful and she sure did notice. She stood next to him, looking at the meal. "Do you feel better?" She asked, reaching out to touch his forehead. It felt much better. She felt proud of her work.

Gareth laughed, "Well I only know a few things... from having to be on my own when I traveled, so you have to work with what you got..." he tasted the sauce with his fingers, it was delicious he was nearly finished. "Not long... it's nothing special." He said turning the heat down, he sluffed it off as nothing really, because he didn't think of it as something women truly cared about, all he figured was that they were both hungry and his cooking could suffice, and since she took care of him he'd do the same.

"I do." he said with a smile when she touched his forehead, he removed the food from the heat and moved towards the table, and scooped the food onto each plate accordingly. "All ready." he said moving back to the stove shutting it off and leaving the pot in the vat of water for it to soak, the servants would clean it later. He sat down at the table awaiting her, he poured each of them a glass of wine.

Tatiana smiled and nodded. She felt happy she had helped even if it was just doing little things. It felt good to have done something right. She clapped her hands together. "Well it smells delicious to me!" She said, sitting down. She took a small sip of wine and sighed happily. "I should warn you I am a rather bad drunk." She chuckled.

The last time she had taken too many sips of wine she had stolen a horse and gone out on a joy rid. She was gone for two days, camping out in the forest while her father panicked. She promised herself she wouldn't drank too much ever again.

"Did I not get a preview of that the night before?" He laughed through a large sip of wine, he needed it after all that happened today, he wondered if every day with her would be this eventful. Gareth now gave up on teasing her, instead before they dove into their meals he raised his cup.

"To making this kingdom ours." He said proudly, knowing now they had a standing chance against his brother.

She blushed. "Well...Sorta. At least I didn't steal a horse and vanish for two days." She mumbled, feeling a tad embarrassed by her actions when she was younger. Tatiana smiled. "Ah, so you think we have a chance now?" She asked, raising her glass and took a sip. She felt excited by his words. She truly believed they did have a chance and by how his brother was acting, she was sure they were going to be chosen. She wouldn't have to interfere at all. It seemed fate was on their side this time and she was just fine with that.

He laughed, so the time that he took her from her home wasn't the first night she had stayed out in the forest, he was impressed to say the least. Before it bothered him that she wasn't proper like the regular woman around here, but now it was something that he loved about her and he wished that it would never change.

Gareth was intrigued by her question, "Assuming you feel like... you won't want to leave me..." he took a sip of his drink in suite with her, hoping she felt the same way as him, even though they hadn't talked about it yet. He silently ate his food, his eyes no longer on hers.

"I'm not leaving. If I was going to I would have already." She said, smiling. She started to eat, paying more attention to the food. She hadn't noticed just how hungry she had been. She glanced up at him and grinned. "Do you still believe I am going to leave?" She asked.

Tatiana at first was not excited about having to be married, let alone to a prince but now...none of that mattered. She was starting to understand him and she had the feeling she needed him now. She gasped, remembering about his brother. "I believe you brother is planning something. He was drooling over me earlier." She said.

Gareth was happy that she soothed his thoughts, but he didn't believe her when it came to the statement about his brother, not that he didn't think he was capable but he always like to get under peoples skin for no reason. "Ah I'm sure its nothing," he said waving it off, "He just likes to get under peoples skin, besides there's nothing he could do..."

She glanced up at him. That didn't help calm her nerves but she would just have to handle it on her own. She had seen that look in his eyes before and knew nothing good could come out of it. She clenched her jaw and regret saying anything. She took another sip of wine. "So...How taught you how to cook?" She quickly changed the subject.

Gareth smiled while he ate, he was happy she didn't want to talk any farther about this brother it always had been a sore subject. He tried to remember back when he was a child, "The main cook here, he helped raise me... one day he taught me so I could fill my stomach when I started to travel on my own." The cook was now getting old, and Gareth often visited him, but he knew one day he wouldn't be here anymore.

"That was kind of him." She said quietly. She focused on eating until she had eaten it all. She was full now. She took a sip of the wine and watched him. His brother was bothering her and he wasn't even in the room. The thought of him being related to Gareth seemed unreal. She had to have a plan.

She started to zone out, staring at Gareth without knowing it. Her hands were folded on her lap, her fingers digging into her skin slightly. She blinked her eyes a few times and snapped out of it.

Gareth was enjoying his meal, it was the first meal he hadn't had by himself in a long time and one that wasn't with his family either. He took a long sip of his wine savouring it, he didn't know when this calm would pass, the days to follow would only grow busier and more stressful as they became closer to the wedding date.

When he looked up he noticed Tatiana staring at him, but it was like wasn't even present in her own body. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes." She mumbled. She chuckled, nodding. "I think the wine is taking affect is all." She said, leaning back. There was so much she didn't know about Gareth and she wanted to ask him every question that popped into her mind. But Tatiana knew it wasn't worth ruining the moment.

She smiled. "It's nice having diner alone." She said, glancing around the room. She push aside her worries for now and focus on the handsome man in front of her.

"Although it won't be long..." Gareth said assuming that they would take power, "In our kingdom its customary to eat and have the towns people watch." Gareth hated it himself but it was a tradition nearly every royal family held all over the world, he couldn't explain why they ever would do that. "So this may be the one of the few times we'll be alone together, eating that is." He grimaced at the idea and drank more wine, royal life began to sound less exciting every time he thought about it.

"That's a pity." She said. She took another sip of wine, quickly swallowing it. She moved her bangs back and sighed. "Earlier...I found a library. It's alright if I use it?" She asked, looking up at him. She learned to read at a early age and couldn't stop losing herself in books. She moved her finger around the lip of the glass.

"Do you know how to read?" Gareth was extremely interested by this, he didn't enjoy books nearly as much as going outside, but he had been tutored as a child to write and read, and it was hard to find children or other people his own age that were able to do the same. He was impressed that their family had invested in learning and he was happy to marrying a woman who was intelligent. He poured himself some more wine and offered her some as well, "The library is free for anyone to use, you are welcome to go there whenever you wish."

"Yes. I taught at an early age. It was my mother's last wish, for me to be educated." She said, glancing up at him. Unlike most women she had been taught to read and write, even through she hadn't been interested at the time she enjoyed reading now. She would steal her father's books and escape to the barn to read. "Lovely." She muttered, glad she was allowed to use it. It would give her something to do when Gareth was unable.

Gareth's mind wandered when she talked, the wine was starting to kick in as he drank even more, she looked so lovely tonight. The sound of her voice talking about the library only gave him a fantasy of taking her there and finding a dark corner and kissing her, and then his mind stopped when it went further than that, heat began to rise to his face. He now tuned back in to what she had been saying, "I'm happy you will get use of it." He loosened his collar, as the heat grew more strong.

She raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled. "What's wrong? Is the wine getting the best of you?" She teased, leaning forward and grabbing onto his hand. She might as well take advantage of the situation. After all wine did make people open up and...tell things. "So about that portrait...Tell me about it." She asked, testing him. Tatiana knew if he was drunk enough he might spill the beans about anything she asked.

"No, no, it takes much more than this!" he said holding up the half empty bottle of which he poured more into his own cup and hers. He took another sip, sure he was a little tipsy but he knew all to well what she was up to. "I am sorry but that is top secret information you know that, besides my lips are sealed and you know you'll never get me to tell you." He said this in a proud manner, at which he cheekily then popped a strawberry in his mouth, it went so well well with the wine.

"You must try one." he said once he realized how good it tasted, he picked one up and held it out for her to try, "I promise you will love it."

She the strawberry and gently bit into it. "Hm...Perfect. It really it good." She said. She finished it and got up walking around to his side. She bent down and kissed him. After a few minutes she pulled away and grinned. "Top secret, huh? What will it take for you to answer?" She asked, walking back to her seat. She took a sip of wine and smiled.

He smiled as he watched her eat the strawberry, this wasn't helping his growing desire to have her this second where ever he could, even if it was on this very dining room table for everyone to see. He raised an eyebrow, "I don't know... what are you willing to offer?" Perhaps they could do a trade of sorts for his information, not that it was really that important, but it was all in fun none the less.