Amelia looked at King Nuallan wide-eyed. From how he had described his wife, she couldn't have told that they had been arranged just like her and Brody (She skipped most of the diary entries when reading the book because the poetry was just captivating). Thinking back to the last page of the book, she realized how ironic all of this was. Planned, in a way. Maybe she was intended to tell Brody how she felt, but ever since that night when Brody discarded her somewhat confessions like a dirty paper towel, her courage had been shot down.

Almost suddenly, Brody pulled her out of the room and they both ran outside. Listening to Brody's words, she nodded quick enough before he mounted his horse and sped off. He obviously was in no mood for play like on the way, so Amelia mounted Stars and began speeding off to keep pace with Brody.

They reached the mansion quicker than they had gotten to Brody's previous home. Brody was already inside cleaning his make-shift bed and the like. During that time, Amelia would make the servants sweets again, which Brody would have wanted, she guessed. As she busied herself, she felt a hand softly touch her wrist. Half-expecting it to be Brody, she looked up and saw Alonso right beside her. He smiled and bowed.

"Are those for us?" He chuckled, "Did that husband of yours teach you to be too kind to us? What happened to your little princess attitude? Left it back at home?" He pinched her cheek playfully and Amelia swatted his hand away jockingly.

"Well I might as well. Maybe if you help I'll give you an extra." She flicked flour onto his nose and they both laughed as they made the sweets and prepared the table. Servants filed in and saw the treats and became giddy with joy. Amelia guessed that it really was helpful that they treated the servants usually. She remembered some of her servants back at her castle often scoffing at her for no reason, in her opinion.

Amelia leaned back on the counter as she watched the servants eat merily, keeping them away from Brody's "remodeling".

Brody was happy that it seemed like none of the servants had been through the house yet. He gathered up most of his things and began to transport some into the walk in hall closet and some into his and Amelia's room. Since the servants were here now he supposed that he would have to sleep in the same bed as her. He pursed his lips at this, well hopefully that wouldn't be too bad. After all last night seemed to go fine. Although their conversation last night was a bit...personal.

I don't see you as an enemy anymore. Amelia's voice sounded through his mind. He'd also wanted to say the same to her. He wanted to tell her that she wasn't too bad herself, and that he wanted to trust her but...Brody just couldn't seem to bring himself to say those words. But why? What in the world was he so afraid of? That she was deceiving him? Yes, that was what he was most afraid of. Trusting her and then her turning on him. He put the last box of his things down before staring down at it as he let the fact that he was afraid of the girl in the same house as him deceiving him sink into his mind.

But could it be possible that she also thought the same as he? After all she was raised up to hate him just as well so why did she have the courage to tell him what she told him last night? He pursed his lips as his thoughts just twisted back into circles. He couldn't figure it out. Then again he was never the one to be able to figure out people's intentions unless he knew them long enough. He sighed then left to go back downstairs as he finished smoothing things over. He supposed he could give her some of his trust for now, as if he was testing the waters to see if he really could trust her.

Instantly he heard the commotion in the kitchen and walked in. It seemed like Amelia had decided to treat the servants again. He maneuvered past a few of them and over to Amelia who was at the counter. "I hope that you did not burn yourself this time like you did last time?" He asked her in a low tone once he was beside her. Of course he was teasing her lightly as he placed his arm behind her on the counter. Although he wasn't doing his for show, he was doing it sheerly because he could and because she was his wife.

The little hairs on Amelia's back stood up at the sound of Brody's hushed tone, and after that she felt his arm weave through behind her. She got confused, but didnt show it, and smiled instead while protruding her tongue out slightly. "No, no I was careful this time." She giggled and gazed back at the servants, "I thought you would want me to distract them when you were moving things."

In her peripheral vision, she saw Alonso filling his glass of water with ice and staring at Brody oddly. What is with both of them today? Brody began to be more physical in a good way with her while Alonso found every moment to talk to her when Brody wasn't around. Then she felt an epiphany in her mind. Either one was jealous of the other or they both wanted to grab Amelia's attention. She looked up at Brody who was staring off into the distance. Well if he's jealous, he's great at not showing it. For Alonso, it seemed plain in sight. Although Amelia wasn't sure why Brody felt protective around her. He seemed guarded whenever she let some of her emotions out and yet he seemed to care a little for her. Even with people around, he didnt seem to hesitate to get close to her in the kitchen.

She looked back at Alonso. He certainly didnt seem to enjoy Brody being close to Amelia, that was plain to see if you looked at him for a good long while. He gazed at them nonchalantly and began filling his cup with tense hands. He began wiping his brow every so often and eventually left the room to use the restroom. Amelia looked down at her shoes. These two are not the same people they were just moments ago. She tried to wrap her brain around it, but to no avail. She decided not to stress herself out so much about it; it might be just a thing boys do when they wanted to prove themselves the alpha male, seeing as they were both tall, slender and attractive. She figured she would ask Brody about it at night when they slept in the same room together again. That much she was excited for.



((Ps Alonso's an npc character :3 ))

The boy looked down at the girl at her answer to his question. "That's nice to hear. I wouldn't want your father to think that I am not keeping up my promise to him of taking care of you." He said after she'd spoken. "And thanks, surprisingly they'd not been up there earlier but that's a good thing." He said with a sigh as he watched the servants until he felt a presence that made him uneasy.

Brody frowned at this and looked around before his eyes fell on Alonso. His eyes softened toward the boy and he gave him a friendly smile. Of course Brody was blind when it came to reading people. He then quickly looked away after the boy had gotten his water and left. It was strange. Why had that boy been staring at them? Who knows. Brody discarded it as nothing then went to watching the servants again. When they were all done with their treat they thanked Amelia before exiting and going back to their jobs. Of course the servants that worked in the kitchen piled back in to make lunch.

Usually Brody would've just motioned for Amelia to follow him but it seemed that it would be unnatural if he did so. Instead he let his arm drape around her waist as he lead her out of the kitchen and out of the dining room. "I am going back up stairs to the library to read until lunch is served if you need me. Thanks again for helping me out earlier." He said to her in a casual tone that he'd use with any of his friends. Brody was of course not trying to ditch her he was just to curious about what else his father had written in his journal that he'd written when he was his age.

((Hehe alright. :) sorry it took me a bit to reply I just seen your response. : ) )

Even more of Brody's body language began weirding Amelia out even more. He held her by her waits as he lead her out of the kitchen and told of his where-about a cooly. "Alright." She smiled, fixing her hair to occupy her racing mind, "I'll be around the house I guess, if you need me." Figuring she would play along the pretend-that-we-don't-dislike-each other act, she went up on her tip-toes and pecks him lightly on the cheek in case anyone was watching. Although she didnt mean for it to spark anything between them, it sent butterflies soaring around through her stomach. She smiled and left to go to a destination before he could see her going red again.

She kept coming back to her bedroom after she roamed around for quite a while. She opened her door to find that some of Brody's things were hastily put in. She sighed and figured she would put things on tables and shelves to occupy herself. She still could not wrap her head around what had just happened. Was Brody doing all of the little coupley things because e servants were there, or because he finally let his guard down around her? He didn't seem to flinch this time, like he did at the wedding. Had he finally begun to see her in a different light, like she did? Or was he simply building up her trust just to tear her down? She sank to the bed and let her emotions run loose. When she thought she had figured Brody out, there were a thousand more questions about him that gave Amelia butterflies.

She looked outside her window to see that the sun was high in the sky. The sky was cloudless again and everything was alive and making a thousand different noises. From the window, she could see the pond as a medium-sized blue dot and most of it's inhabitants as ant-sized. Amelia rested her head on one of the bed posts and stared admiringly at the scenery. At peace, she never realized that she had fell sound asleep.

The sound of a tinkling bell woke her up. That meant that lunch was ready. She rubbed her eyes awake and yawned big as she got off of the bed and slowly made her way to the kitchen. On her way, she met Alonso, who gave her his signature smile.

"We all figured that we would...let you guys eat alone. With each other." He said in a strange tone, as if he were not a part of this "we".

"Thank you, you're always the sweetest." She smiled and curtsied.

"Anything for you...my dear." Before he had time to explain himself, he quickly shot off into the servant's quarters. Amelia pursed her lips, shook her head and continued off into the kitchen. She decided that she would think none of his actions and would just continue moving forward whenever possible. In the kitchen, she was greeted by a pan of duck breast salad, sweetened with plums and apricots, pork seasoned with foreign spices, and complete with home-made iced tea. The only thing she thought weird about the setting was the fact that their two plates where adjacent to each other, as opposed to being at opposite ends. She guessed that the servants assume that they normally did that, so she didnt think too much of it. She began taking things from the piles of food and nibbled at it as she waited for Brody.

When Amelia kissed his cheek his brows raised. What had she suddenly done that for? Oh right, someone must have been watching. His heart fluttered in his chest lightly as he made his way upstairs. Her kissing him was something he could get used to, he enjoyed the physical contact he knew that was for sure. Upon realizing this his mind pieced together that because he enjoyed her physical contact that was why his body always acted in opposite of how his unsure emotions acted.

He pursed his lips, he'd supposed he'd have to be careful though with too much contact. He wouldn't want there to be a misunderstanding. He'd read in a book once where a woman had misunderstood a man's casual flirting as something else and she ended up hurt. Brody didn't want that to happen to Amelia. He couldn't hurt her, or else he would'nt be keeping his promise to her father.

In the library Brody picked up the red leather book laid on the table where he'd placed it while he was transporting his things and began reading after he'd taken his seat. He wasn't surprised to find that he was much like his father when he spoke of how he felt of being married to someone he didn't love, or barely know. He pursed his lips as he continued to read on. He could tell his father had been very enraged at the time because of the marriage because of his hand writing.

So I thought, I would protest against the marriage by claiming I had someone I loved. I had even brought a girl to my parents and claimed that I was going to marry her instead against their wishes. In the end the girl was sent home and I was scolded by my father. The wedding date was also moved up, I suppose as my 'punishment'. -

Brody was about to turn to the next page which as he looked down the page informed him that on the next page it would tell of what happened when he and his mother met before the wedding to rehearse. The boy raised his brows at this as he tried to drown out the sound of the bell. He kind of felt sorry for his father, it was like he had to experience the most dreaded thing of his life twice.

Silently Brody marked his spot in the book before standing from his seat and heading down stairs for lunch. When he got there he found that Amelia was already there eating. His mouth watered at the sight of the food and then he was surprised that they'd set the plates so close to each other. Although he didn't mind it. He sat down in front of his plate and began to take what he wanted of the food it all looked so good. "Tell me, how much of my father's journal did you read?" He asked her curiously, as to start a small conversation with her.

Amelia lifted her head up as Brody entered the room and asked his question. "Not much." She said after she swallowed her food, "I only read the poems, towards the end of the book, so I guess the pages where it had the poems...Is there a problem?" She barely took any bites when she was alone, until Brody arrived. Her appetite was found and she began eating her plate of food in full-sized bites. Whether it was the loneliness that kept her appetite or that she figured Brody would want to physically eat with her, she couldn't tell. Inner household, she was raised to wait for all of the people at the table before even touching her food. Although thinking hard about it, she would have chosen the second reason to explain.

She noticed Brody didn't seem that awkward about them eating closer to each other. Did he actually accept her as not a threat anymore? That made Amelia make a small smile to herself. It felt nice knowing that she didnt have to eat with a stranger anymore, especially if that stranger was her husband. That was all she could ask for.

Brody glanced over at her as he ate. He wondered how long she'd been sitting before he'd come down stairs. It didn't seem like she'd been waiting too long considering her plate was still a good bit full. "No, I was just wondering." He said before growing quite and eating a small bit more of his food before speaking again. "My father, brought in some girl and tried to go against his parents wishes of him marrying my mother. It seemed like he was punished by having the wedding date moved up." For some reason, even though he knew how horrible the situation was, he found it amusing that his father would do such a thing.

It was probably because he did not think his father would go that far to try to prevent the marriage between him and Brody's mother. Although besides that he knew how his father felt. Silently he then thought of how his mother had felt the same, actually she felt worse. She hated his father deeply so much to the point where she thought of running away and becoming a servant in another country. He knew this because he'd read his mother's journal a million times over after she'd died.

For some reason Brody found his eyes falling onto Amelia. He wondered to himself if she'd also felt like his mother had about their marriage.

Amelia looked up at him. "Oh." She said, giggling to herself, "That's kind of funny." She realized that Brody and Amelia didnt do much to prevent the wedding, rather they somewhat accepted their fates. Although the alternatives weren't that great for her. if not Brody, she would have been paired off with some stuck-up, rich lord that cared for her body moreso than what she had to say. She wondered if Brody tried to escape from the marriage. She figured it wouldn't be good to ask; she thought he would take that the wrong way. "It's weird. Reading the pages towards the end, your father wrote a lot of love poems. They were really beautiful, and all about your mother." She wondered if that was supposed to mean anything. The journal, reading Brody's father's life story. Was there a moral to the story? Amelia didnt want to guess too soon. "Interesting how passionate hate could turn into the complete opposite so easily." She chanced at saying that, and to avoid Brody's gaze at her, she looked down at her plate and busied herself with eating.

As Brody listened he agreed with the girl. It was interesting how the two's relationship had changed. It actually confused him how by being together the two ended up falling for each other. Although it was later on in the marriage when they'd realized they loved each other. "Yes it is something that is not only interesting but perplexing as well." And he really doubted he'd ever understand it. Unless somehow he'd come to love Amelia.

Upon thinking that thought he placed a bite of food in his mouth and continued to stare over at Amelia. What if he did ever come to love Amelia? What would happen then? Well, of course he supposed they'd become happy and get along better. He nearly blushed as he imagined himself with the girl wrapped up in his arms. His heart fluttered but it dropped as he began to pick at his lunch. He doubted it would happen. But why did that feel like such a bad thing to him?

When he finished up his lunch he finished up his drink as well before wiping his mouth off. "Was your parents' marriage arranged?." He asked her, he figured he'd talk to her a bit longer since they hadn't really talked all that much since they'd been there.

Amelia looked at Brody again and thought a little before answering. "In a way, yes." She said while pushing her food around her plate with her fork, "My mother had to choose between several princes and I guess she liked my father the best." That notion always made her mind murky. If she chose him, why cheat on him? It wasn't like he was a bad person either. "When they first met, my father gave her a bouquet of what was apparently a hundred roses and gave her a compliment for each one." She added. Amelia never understood why she wanted to cheat on him. To get out of the somewhat-arranged marriage? To traumatize her only child? Where Brody's parents loved each other, Amelia's were the opposite. Her mother was always the superior and it seemed that her father was just too nice. Whether she married for the money or the fact that she could make him do whatever she wanted, Amelia wouldn't know. She snapped out of her thought process when she realized that Brody was still there. Should I tell him about the scandal with my mom? It seemed somewhat fair seeing that Brody talked about his deceased mother. The only thing Amelia feared was her mother finding out, and hurting her.

She took in a deep breath and looked back at Brody, who seemed to wait a while for her next addition to the conversation. "My mother cheated on my father with one of the butlers from my home, and I witnessed it." She said in a hushed tone, hoping that no one other than Brody would hear.

Brody was a little surprised to hear that her mother and father had, in a way, also when through an arranged marriage. Although at least she had her pick. It sounded like she made a good choice too. Amelia's father seemed like a nice guy who'd do anything for his wife, just like his father would do for his mother. For some reason Brody noticed that Amelia seemed lost in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about or if she was hiding something from him.

When she'd looked back up at him to speak he was figuring that she was about to end the conversation but she didn't. Instead she told him something private, so secret that he guessed only she knew about considering no one else knew. (If it wasn't only Amelia who knew, Brody knew the whole country would've found out about such a scandal.) Why was she telling him something so private? She...she really was putting all her trust in him wasn't she? And yet he was only putting half of his into her. Suddenly he wondered if she was lying? But why in the world would she lie over something like that? Surely she wouldn't ruin her own mother. No, she had to be telling the truth.

His brows raised and then they came together as his lips formed a frown. "I see..." He wondered if it was hard for her to live with something like that. He knew that if his mother had done that to his father, he himself would be devastated and wonder what would make her do that. "When...did you witness it?" He asked her cautiously. Of course he had already made the decision not to tell anyone of this. He was a great secret keeper, and him being reserved helps enforce that trait too. "Ah, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

Amelia tried her best not to burst into tears. She had let out an almost life-long secret to someone who she barely knows as a person. Why had that decision of telling him go through so easily? As if it were second nature to her? As if she really did trust him fully? She almost didnt hear Brody's response during her inner panicking. "Oh, uh, no it's alright." She laughed softly, "I think when I was ten it happened." She could remember the even as if it happened a moment ago.

"I had lost a toy, or something, and I was looking for her. I found father and he said she might be up in the bedroom because she had gone down with a cold. He said that she did not want any visitors, but I guess I didn't understand that. I-I went up to their room and I heard...voices. Two voices. A-and I thought she was in pain so I barged in and...and they...they were there." She looked at a spot on the table, as if the memories were playing there. Her foot began to shake violently under the table as she told her story. "They...they both saw me and be-began fighting and yelling, saying they should have went somewhere else, a-and they didnt lock the door. All of that. My mother came...came up to me and...she...she pulled me aside into the bathroom and she...she slap-slapped me." Tears began to well up in her eyes but Amelia did her best not to make her voice shaky as she finished telling her story, "She blamed me for...for all of it. She-she told me if I...told...told anyone, she would...she would punish me, but...worse." A single tear fell and splashed to the dinner table. She even remembered seeing her father after, asking if her mother was okay and that he hoped that everything he did was good enough for her. After that, the tears began to flow out of her eyes like waterfalls and her natural reaction was to clutch Brody and cry into his shoulder.

She couldn't care less if he felt uncomfortable at that point; any human being could have saw how much pain was released after telling that story. As the weight of the big secret was lifted slightly, guilt replaced it, making her tears seem never-ending. "P-p-please...please don't tell anyone." She almost whimpered as she said into his shoulder, clutching him tight.

It wasn't until she began stuttering and he noticed how her composure was changing did he realize that what she must have went through traumatized her. He felt guilty for asking her, he felt even more guilty for doubting she was telling the truth about such a thing that seemed to cause her such pain. Although in the back of his mind he was also utterly astounded at how much she put her trust in him. So all she'd said the previous night was the truth, she did think of him in a different way. He pursed his lips then went to reach out a comforting had to her but she'd beat him to it.

She was already latched onto him. And he let her. He wondered how should he comfort her? What would be the best way to ease this girl's pain? His body then reacted on it's own as if it knew what to do. He adjusted it's seat so it was facing towards her and he moved her seat towards his before wrapping his arms around her and letting her head rest on his shoulder. "I won't tell. You have my word, that I will not tell a soul." He said to her softly before he began to hear the doors opening and closing. The servants were coming to collect their plates.

Brody stood and took Amelia with him, of course he wasn't going to let anyone see her like this. It would make them too curious. Brody lead Amelia out of the room with her close to him and he heard a boy's voice. Alonso. The boy who was Amelia's friend. "What's wrong with Amelia?" He asked. He sounded concerned and when Brody turned he was slightly surprised at the boy's facial expression.

He'd never seen someone so concerned over a friend. "She's not feeling well. I'm taking her upstairs, she'll be fine. I'll take care of her." He said as to assure the boy that he would take care of his friend from child hood. Although Brody was confused as to why the boys eyes seemed to hold an tense emotion in them. Whatever the case Brody ushered Amelia out of the kitchen and upstairs to their room where there was a less likely chance they would run into servants.

Brody took the girl over to the bed and then sat her down on her side, before sitting beside her with his arm still around her. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He said now that they were alone. "...And that your mother had blamed you for that..." He said softly as he hugged her against him a little tighter. Honestly he really couldn't believe her mother. It was not her child's fault. The one who was at fault was her. He kind of felt sorry for Amelia's father, but most of all he felt bad for Amelia. Her mother had been so cruel to her. It had to be hard for her to live with that.

For at least ten minutes, Amelia couldn't pin point what was going on. She felt herself being lead out, muffled conversation, more walking and eventually being put on their bed. She thought she heard Brody apologizing for her mother being so cruel, but Amelia was busy panicking that she responded in soft sobs and clutching his hand so that he wouldn't leave her like this. She knew she had to trust him, seeing as she told him her big secret. So why had she started panicking? After keeping this secret for six years, to finally let it all out turned out to be a major toll on her emotions. She knew for those six years that she would be punished if she told, and now that she did tell someone, all she could do was wait for the fire to ignite.

She wrapped his arms around herself closer and tighter. The tension they once had between them had seemed to disappear altogether for just that moment, when all Amelia wanted was to be protected in someone's arms until the world felt straight to her again. It seemed like an eternity until her tears began to dry out and her sibs turned into nothing. She slowly untensed every muscle used to clench Brody against her until she lay there with her arms clasped against his arms that held her. She took several deep breaths before her breathing became normal again and she could eventually speak without sobbing.

"Th-Thank you." She rubbed his arms with her thumb to further calm herself, "For not leaving me here. And...promising not to tell." She continued to lay there, not even thinking of moving. All she wanted to do was lay there for the rest of the day, but Brody probably didnt want that. It was only the afternoon anyway. Even so, Amelia felt drained of energy so she continued to lay in the bed, with Brody's arms still around her. She could only hope that he wouldn't let her go. Not just yet.

When she'd finally calmed down Brody felt relief wash over him. During that time when she'd been crying he'd found himself also panicking of what he should do for her just to get her to stop crying. He looked down at her when she began to speak and let out a sigh at her thanks. She didn't really have to thank him. It was his duty after all as her husband. Even though his feelings for her were now becoming undecided at the moment he pushed them aside so he could comfort her. "You're welcome, it was not a problem." He said to her as he shifted on the bed next to her.

As they laid there the bed became more comfortable and he found himself pulling the girl closer to him before resting his chin on top of her head. "Are you...alright now?" He asked her as he then shifted to look down at her. He moved his hand to her chin and tilted her head up towards him so he could see her facial expression. Her face was tear streaked and her eyes were red rimmed. She looked so tired. With out thinking he ran his thumb over her cheeks as if trying to make the streaks that were left behind by her tears go away.

He knew she really wasn't alright at the moment but he hoped she would be soon. He couldn't have everyone making a big fuss. That would be bad. "If you're tired, I can stay here with you?" He asked her another question. When he was younger and after his mother had died, he'd confessed his sadness to a servant and he would not let her leave his side for hours. It was because he didn't want to be alone and he guessed that in this case Amelia didn't want to be alone at this point in time either.

She sniffled as she felt his hand softly grab her chin and lift it up so that their eyes met. Even with her vision blurred from tears, she could still see the heavy concern in Brody's eyes. She nodded a few times as he rubbed her cheeks softly to wipe away the tears that stained them. She shifted so her head rested on his chest, listening to his heart beat to lull her. His concern, the way he cared for her, she eventually felt that things would be right in the world, and nothing bad would happen to either of them. She wrapped his arms around him tighter slightly and tucked her knees in. Yes, everything felt right...right in his arms.

She shifted her eyes to where she heard Brody's voice. In a way she was surprised that he asked if he should leave or not, but she was more than happy that it didnt feel like he would be leaving. "Y-yes, yes please." She softly nestled her head deeper into his chest, "Thank you, so much." Her voice became softer as her eyelids began to get heavy. Sleep would take her any minute now, and she felt a thousand times better than what she would have felt if she had to deal with all of this alone. Her chest didnt feel so heavy now, and in a way, she didnt feel guilty for telling Brody. She would have told someone eventually. If it wasn't him, who else would have cared for her as much as he did.

"I-Im happy you're still here." She whispered so softly, she doubted Brody could hear her. Even if Brody asked to repeat what she said, she was already deep in the pits of slumber.

Brody didn't respond to her after she spoke to him. He figured he'd let her rest for now and not keep her awake any longer than he needed to. Although he wasn't to tired he tried to close his own eyes and as he did he thought he heard Amelia whisper something, what he didn't know. He was going to ask her but when he looked down to see that she was already asleep he didn't say a word. While she slept he let out a sigh as he moved his hand up her back to curl her hair around his finger but he stopped when he realized what he was doing.

Is it really okay for him to be doing that? He thought it over then resumed playing with the girl's hair. He figured it would be alright. Besides it occupied him for some reason. As he laid there he eventually stopped playing with the girl's hair and turned on his side as he cradled her in his arms. She was so warm that he felt no need to pull the covers over them. Soon with out realizing it he'd drifted off to sleep. He'd supposed it was his earlier lack of sleep that caused him to become tired. When Brody awoke again it was to the sound of the soft tapping on their door.

Brody sat up but stopped when he'd realized he had a sleeping girl in his arms. His cheeks flamed red as he slowly and gently shifted so he could come untwined with the girl. He laid Amelia down in her spot gently before going to get the door. When he opened it he saw a middle aged women, one of their servants. "Is something wrong?" Brody asked through the half opened door.

"Oh no, it's just we were worried. You didn't come down for Amelia, and Alonso had said she was not feeling well. Is...the princess okay?" She asked worriedly and Brody gave the woman a soft smile.

"She's alright. She's sleeping right now. I'm sorry we didn't come down for dinner. We were asleep. Although if you could, please reheat dinner. We'll be down shortly." He reassured her.

The woman then nodded and smiled and went to do as he told her. After she left Brody shut the door then sighed. That was close. Just as long as no one over heard their conversation it'd be alright. Silently Brody made his way back over to the bed and to Amelia. Of course now since he'd gotten sleep and the controversy was over he felt flustered about how he'd held the girl. It made his heart race and him feel the need to continue to hold her against him. He blushed harder as he tried to gain control over his emotions. He took a deep breath and then laid back down beside Amelia.

It would be a minute before dinner was reheated. "Amelia?" Brody called to the red haired girl as he shook her gently. "Do you want to eat dinner?"

Amelia began to stir when she heard Brody's voice speak up. She felt his hand on her as he gently jolted her to wake her up. She moaned from being waked up and stretched her back. As she yawned she instinctively touched his arm gently. She looked up at him and nodded with a tired smile. She laid her head back on the pillow and rested her eyes again. The time before she went to sleep seemed like a faraway memory to her, until she had realized what she had done. She opened her eyes wide and clutched Brody's arm. She felt all of her previous emotions flood back and all she could do was curl up in a fetal position and held Brody close to her.

Just then she knew that she had been slowly falling for Brody. It surprised her that he was still there after she had woken up, instead of leaving after she fell asleep. The deep concern that nestled in his eyes, the way he touched her gently and held her close. The way he was now was someone that had been hiding inside introverted barriers, and jumping the leap of trust made those barriers break. She looked into his eyes again, placed her hadn't softly on his cheek and rubbed it with her thumb softly. Soon after that, a bell rang, signaling that dinner was ready. She rubbed her eyes again and slowly peeled herself off of the bed. She fixed her clothes and straightened out her hair. She figured it'd be too much effort to go and change into different clothes; shell change into sleep wear after they finished dinner. She looked back at Brody and smiled. "Ready?"

Brody was glad to hear that she was going to dinner with him. He wouldn't want everyone else to have to worry over her. He watched her as she tried to awake from her sleep. Before going wide eyed when she clutched his arm. His brows furrowed as she held on to him and he held her to her, rubbing her back gently until she decided to look up at him. Her eyes still looked a little red but not too noticeable. Brody grew still when she touched him but his heart was pounding in his chest. Suddenly he felt the need to kiss her, but the bell rang and Amelia got out of bed.

The boy let out a soft sigh as if happy the bell had saved him from doing what his instincts wanted him to. He didn't want her to think that he liked her that much. He couldn't lead her on. Suddenly he felt unsure of himself. What if he did like her that much? His brow furrowed and he got out of the bed while Amelia straightened her hair and clothes out. When she was done he looked over at her and nearly blushed when she smiled at him. "Ah, yeah. Lets go." He said to her as he contemplated over his own feelings for the girl.

Brody then opened the door and followed her out of the room. Downstairs he was surprised to find that two of the servants were talking and when they saw both of them they smiled at them. "I hope you're feeling well princess. Enjoy your meal." They said quickly before leaving the two of them to eat alone. At the table for them in the same spots they were that evening there was two bowls of lobster bisque and fruits and a salad on the table for them. Brody held out the chair for Amelia and then when she was seated he took his own and began to eat.

Amelia went down into the kitchen with Brody following closely behind. Two servants were in the way, but quickly left when they said they hoped she felt well. Did Alonso send them or something? She thought little of it and went into the kitchen. Lovely-smelling food awaited them. Amelia dipped her head slightly and smiled When Brody pulled out her seat for her. They both began eating in silence, neither one knowing what to say after experiencing Amelia's episode. She desperately wanted to say something. She wanted to tell him how happy she was because he never left her side. She wanted to tell him that maybe this arranged marriage was not so bad, and that she had began to fall for him slowly and that she hoped he would too eventually, with a little time.

But instead she could only muster up a "Thank you, for...for not leaving me. Even when I fell asleep." She ate her bisque in spoon-fulls, hoping that she would buy enough time to think of other things to say. "I-Im not saying I'm not grateful, really I am, but why did you? I thought you only cared for me human level...not anything closer than that."

Body was taking a spoon full of his dinner into his mouth when he heard Amelia speak. It seemed she'd thought that he'd leave her after she went to sleep. He would've but he did say that he'd stay with her and he wasn't going to lie to her like that. He had no reason to He glanced over at her before looking back down at his food. Although they were back on her when she spoke again. Why did he really stay with her? It wasn't because he didn't want to lie to her but because...he knew how it felt to be alone. He knew how it felt to be alone with no one there to comfort you. Of course it was partially his own fault, but he wasn't going to leave Amelia when she needed him. But why not?

It was obvious that he cared for her, even just a little. And by his need of physical contact he did like her. Also there was what happened before they came down to dinner. He'd wanted to kiss her. But why? "I...In all honestly, Amelia, I'm not sure...I keep telling myself that I stayed with you because I didn't want you to be alone because I know how it feels to be in that condition and no one there to comfort me...but I don't think that that's the true reason why I stayed..." He said to her as if he were thinking out loud.

He looked as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle that he couldn't solve. It puzzled him that he couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Did he like her, like her? He glanced over at her then looked back at his food as he took another bite. Possibly...He pursed her lips. Could that really be it ? Could he really like her like that? He wasn't sure, but for now he knew that he accepted her and that he didn't look at her like an enemy any more but as a friend. And maybe a little more than a friend.

Amelia tilted her head slightly as she listened to Brody. She lifted her head at the last part. She desperately wanted to shake him and ask why he stayed, why he cared, all of it. She had an urge to take his face and kiss him, if she figured out what his reason was. But she knew she couldn't do that. One false move, and their relationship would be back to square one. There was simply nothing she could do except sit and finish her food, which she did, hoping that that would calm the butterfly storm raging inside her stomach.

She looked back up at him to notice that he was in deep thought. He looked deeply muddled in his thoughts and she didnt feel right disturbing him. But she had to break the silence eventually. "So...why do you think you...stayed." This time she did not avert her eyes. Whatever may come, she would face it head-on. No problem can be solved by running away, and whether Brody would equate the feelings that she had for him or not, she would have to be brave and trust herself that their moment of closeness was not just sheer luck.

His eyes stared into his bisque for some time before he began to eat again, and nearly finish his food. He was about done when Amelia spoke again. He wondered why she was so persistent in wondering why he'd stayed with her. The boy looked over at her with curiosity then his mind began reeling. How should he explain this to her? He looked away from her as he, for the first time in a long time, did not turn his head away so Amelia could not see him blush. He let her see his reddening cheeks and he looked back over at her.

"I..."He paused and pursed his lips. How should he say it? It took him a few seconds but he found the words. "I think I stayed because, I actually do really care about you...not in a human level of care but I mean, actually care for you..." His words were getting mixed up again and the reserved boy was having trouble expressing himself. "as in...a way I would care for someone...more than.." He stopped he couldn't get the last words out because he was feeling himself becoming flustered and unsure. "Well, I want to say more than a friend but...I don't know...I am unsure of how deep my feelings really are for right now..." He answered her hoping he'd made some sense. It was strange to tell someone is own feelings, he hadn't done that sense he was young. Now that he'd told her he looked over at her, shyly of course, as if he really had just confessed to her.

"Does that answer your question?" He asked her as he wondered if it really was alright for him to tell her that. He hoped that now he told her that his feelings of what he thought was attachment to her would not change into something else that was something other than likeness toward her.

Amelia looked into the boys eyes in almost awe. He had pretty much reiterated her feelings, but in more nervous and shy tones. For that moment, their eyes never broke away from each other, and they looked at each other face to face from what seemed like an eternity. Both of their faces were tinged with beet-red, but neither of them seemed to care. At that moment, Amelia wanted to kiss him as passionately as she ever could. But, of course, she didnt.

She gave him a soft and small smile. "Yes, it does." She didnt feel the need to press him any more. Judging by how he reacted to her recent question, she knew that she had almost gone too far, and she could not risk anything now or ever. Amelia looked down to see that she had pretty much finished her bisque, and so did Brody. She stood up from her chair and began cleaning up her utensils and plate. "I'm...I'm gonna get changed for bed. I-I'll see you soon I guess." She smiled at him again and casually went to clean her dishes off before leaving them in the sink. She figured she would give Brody time to cool off like she needed to, so she could at least occupy her time by changing and of the like.

Out of the kitchen, she saw a couple of servants wandering around, waiting to be of use in the kitchen. She told them that her husband was almost done and that they were both getting ready for bed. They nodded and went right to work as Amelia went on her way to the walk-in closet. A maid had just finished clearing out the hamper. She bowed and exited the room with the pile of dirty clothes. Silently, Amelia slipped off her current wear into dark blue yoga pants and a loose shirt. She glanced at herself in the mirror and touched her cheeks. Burning to the touch they were. She sighed as she tossed her dirty clothes into the empty hamper and left the closet.

She didnt know what to expect when Brody would come to the bedroom. Would it be like last night or how it was a few minutes ago? She desperately wanted him to hold her again, just like he did before, but she couldn't expect much. She didnt even know why she craved his attention so much, but she did, and there was nothing she could do about it. She slipped into the comfortable bed and laid on her side, hoping that Brody would come soon. Brody...