As the weeks came and went Crimsyn got into a routine, much like what she had at home. She'd rise long before the rooster crowed, take a novel with her to the kitchen and as she cooked she'd read. Maude had saved her from the King's wrath a few weeks ago and for that she was thankful, anytime she lost her temper or spoke too much she would go into silence for weeks on end. A whisper here and there every so often, but never more than that.

"Ah, Good Morning Ms. Crimsyn." The stable boy, Varrick, said as he came into the kitchen one morning for warm milk and honey.

"Good morning Varrick. Early start for you as well?" She said handing him a fresh cup.

"Yes, 'fraid so. How's the book?" He always asked about her book, would sometimes ask her to read aloud as he drank before his chores, he was around ten or twelve, she wasn't sure he was a might tall for his age.

"Poetry." Crimsyn said smiling as Maude walked in carrying a basket of dough from the night before.

She dropped the book and ran to give Maude a hand to carry it over to the counter for bread.

"Fresh coffee on the fire if you like, while I start cutting it out." Crimsyn offered as she grabbed the cleaver and began cutting off enough for loaves.

"Ah, thank ya dearie, I'll be begging for the how to on your special brew when you leave." Maude praised as she made a cup and assisted in forming the loaves, slicing the tops, and throwing them into the oven.

Maude began to sing as they worked, Varrick waited until the first small loaf was done and took it with him to the stables until Maude would bring him his midday meal. As the loaves' smell began to drift through the manor, Crimsyn began prepping potatoes for the fire for when Emeric woke up and began his own duties.

A screaming man and a distressed horse sounded in the distance. Crimsyn sighed and stopped kneading the dough. Wiping her hands on the apron she made another tally mark on the piece of paper she kept in her pocket. Twenty. Twenty knights, twenty retreats. She wished she could rescue herself. But she had rules to follow where the tournament was concerned. No interference, meaning she could not go to the marketplace without a cloak to cover herself. She was to stay in the courtyard hidden by the roses. Or she would stay in her room or the gally to read and stay out of sight. No knight had yet to make it more that ten feet from the gates before Emeric's men attacked.

"You will have a champion, Crimsyn. I promise." Maude said putting her hand on Crimsyn's shoulder.

"No man from mine or any kingdom desires me. They have all said so, they merely want the title should my brother ever fall in battle. My father would even allow a bastard child on the throne because I do not have the figure desirable to my future husband. You are too wide Crim. Tighten the corset Crim. Put that damn book down Crim. You know too much Crim. My father is a cruel man." She said as his ridicule rang loud in her ears and tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'll be going to market today, why don't ya come with me. You pick the best fruits, just at the peak of ripeness. The master has said so." She said knowing mention of Emeric would lift her spirits a little.

Blushing Crimsyn smiled and nodded. She adored going to the market and getting to see all the people. All of the people were so kind, they did not fear their ferocious king. They adored him, maybe she should take a closer look at this king and try to see him in a different light. Taking a deep breath Crimsyn picked up a tray of coffee, meat, potatoes, and bread and went off to Emeric's study so she and Maude could leave for market before the crowds gathered in town.

Crimsyn knocked lightly on his study's door.

"Come in." He called.

She walked back into the door pushing against it with her back so as not to wear the tray. She's done that twice. Placing the tray on his desk she folded her hands over her apron.

"Maude and I will be going to the market this morning, is there anything you desire?" She asked causing him to put his quill down and look at her with a glimmer in his eye.

He saw the red rising up her neck, he wondered if she was going to blow up again. Emeric took his cup of coffee, it was a robust smell, but with a slight sweet smell on the undertone. As he enjoyed the taste and scent of it, he watched the red rose just on the other side of his desk. She was waiting for him to ask for something extra from the market. There was nothing his coin could buy him in the market, but there was something he desired in this office. Today that something, rather someone, was wearing a lovely pink gown with sleeves that stopped at her elbows and flared out ending in lace. He'd bought the gown a few weeks ago from a trader passing through, it caressed her curves and accentuated her bust.

His eyes were drawn where her locket rest. Her breasts were still covered in flower from the fresh bread that roused him from bed stiffer than his sword's metal.

Pushing up from his chair he lumbered over towards her. Towering at six foot six inches, Crimsyn was barely five foot one. Shoulder length hair black as sin kept back by a cow hyde, a few strands escaping from the tie, wavy, thick. Crimsyn had a deep urge to run her fingers through it and the idea of doing wicked things with him danced in her mind.

She would need to visit confession later.

Clearing her head she looked up into his deep green eyes and they reminded her of the meadows back home, specks of brown floated in his eyes. They were not black or blood red, but an inviting green like her favorite dress.

"King Emeric, is there something you desire..from market?" Crimsyn asked adding to her question as her heart started pounding in her ears and her breathing picked up.

He just stood there with that glimmer in his eyes as he looked down at her, but he wasn't looking at her eyes.

"Emer..."

Crimsyn trailed off as he kissed her before she could say his name. For a split second she had the urge to push him away, to slap him and start yelling, but that melted the same second he soften against her and held her face between his warm calloused hands. He tasted like coffee and musk filled her head as she put her hands on his and slid them up his steely arms.

Emeric wasn't sure what came over him, why he was kissing her. The one thing he was sure of was that her lips tasted amazing, like cream and honey. Soft as rose petals, sweet as a honey suckle flower. It surprised him when she wrapped her hands around his, than she started running her hands up his arms. Leaving goose flesh in her wake, her hands were soft as her lips. When he opened his mouth and swept his tongue across the seam of her lips. This caused Crimsyn to part her lips slightly. Emeric took the welcome and slid his tongue in pulling a small gasp from her.

Adjusting his stance he kept one hand on her cheek and the other followed an invisible map down her body. The curve of her side as he fought the urge to open the front of the dress to feast on the sweet fruit that had taunted him for two months; to the robust mounds of her ass he used to pull her closer just to give her an idea of what he was feeling. What was happening to his body as he kissed her.

When he finally pulled back Crimsyn's lips were still puckered and slightly open, how tempting she looked standing there like that. Her breathing slowing down a little, lips red from his assault.

"Best be getting before Maude comes looking for you." He said turning her around and giving her a jump start towards the door.

Crimsyn couldn't speak or think as she some how got her legs to move her across the room.

"Bring me something sweet." He said and slapped her on the ass promptly pulling her from the stupor.

"How dare you..." She turned around to yell but he'd closed the door, "Frustrating."

Crimsyn, despite having her bubble popped, still glided down the stairs and took her cloak from Maude after cleaning up the kitchen. She could still feel his hands on her body, his lips on hers. And what had been in his pocket, was it his dagger? But she did not see him wearing any kind of weapons.

"Crimsyn, are you with me?" Maude asked putting a sack of apples into the basket she carried.

"I'm sorry I don't seem to be with you today." She said pulling herself back to the crowded market.

"What's on that mind dear?" Maude asked as they walked on to the butcher for a request later in the evening.

"Just thinking is all, nothing to worry on." Crimsyn said with a soft smile as Maude went inside the butcher's shop to request beef, venison, duck, chicken, and a few others for Varrick to pick up later.

Keeping her eyes to the ground she chewed her lip thinking of Emeric, though she was mad that he put his hands on her in such a manner fit for a chamber maid. She had never been handled like that. She'd read books and poems about passion and kissing, but none of them describe it quite like that. It felt as if she were on fire and freezing cold all at the same time. Closing her eyes she swore she could still feel his hand on her cheek, it was rough, but it felt wonderful. She wondered what his hands would feel like against the rest of her body.

"Forgive me father for I have sinned." Crimsyn whispered as she leaned her head back against the building.

"Allow me to help you repent." A crusader said coming from around the corner.

Crimsyn screamed and fell back from the wall clutching the basket to her chest.

"I beg your pardon, sir." She said and she smelled the ale on his breath.

She covered her nose praying Maude would come out soon and save her. Her heart was pounding as he kept walking closer.

"What is your sin my child?" He asked grabbing her wrist pulling her closer.

"Release her at once." Maude demanded holding a cleaver out towards the drunkard.

"The lass wants to repent. I was offering me services." He said slurring his speech.

"Ye will do kindly to back away from her highness, now." She said pushing the tip of the cleaver's blade against his chest.

"Oh than this must be her highness Princess Crimsyn. Oh I've heard much about ya, if a man does not wed ye you will be heading to a convent. I believe I shall have a look at me future bride." He reached for Crimsyn again only to have a large black bladed sword sit at his throat.

"Fail. No deserters of war. Escort this man out of my kingdom, throw him in chains, Whatever you must do. Get a hold of his captain, they will be so pleased to have him returned." Emeric said lifting his chin, allowing his men to put the man in chains and drag him off.

Crimsyn fell onto Maude in fear and whimpered against her shoulder. But it was not Maude she turned to, she'd turned to Emeric and was seeking solace and protection with him. She didn't realize this until he had kissed the top of her head and told Maude to take her back to her chambers.

Maude held her and let her cry on her lap, if she'd been even a second later. Maude shut her eyes tight, she refused to think on it. Clutching Crimsyn's hand she began to hum as she held her. There was a slight bruise forming on her wrist, she would have a warm compress for the night to be rid of it.

Maude had left some time after Crimsyn had fallen asleep after helping her change her dress. The manor was quiet, the king had been gone all afternoon.

Crimsyn woke up in the middle of the night hearing the main doors fly open. Rushing out and down the stairs she saw Emeric stumble in, but she did not smell ale as the night air rushed passed him. He smelled of a dungeon. Lifting the skirts of her night gown she ran and caught him before he hit the floor, taking him to his chambers.

Emeric was exhausted, he'd spent the afternoon and most of the night with the crusader. Beating him for his crimes of desertion and for touching his princess. He froze when he hit a soft surface after a feminine grunt threw him on it. It had to be Ms. Abernathy, she would tear him a new tomorrow. Looking up he didn't see her wrap as she got a bowl of cold water, but a white night gown and a body he had touched earlier. Was she lecturing him? Now he could hear it.

"Who in there right mind makes such a noise at these wee hours? Obviously the king. I promise if Maude had woken to help you she would have torn your ear off. No I woke and why I should care enough to drag your sorry butt up to your chambers and tend those nasty cuts on your hands. I must be out of my mind." Crimsyn said as she brought over bandages to wrap his hands.

"Should I be listening?" Emeric asked staying laid on the bed.

Crimsyn gave him a look and pushed down on his hand.

"Goddamnit! Woman that hurts!" He shot up and jerked his hand away.

"Oops." She said taking his hand back and wrapping it up.

Emeric stood there and watched her wrap his hands, he caught a glimpse of discoloring on her wrist. Gently he took her hand and looked at her wrist, minor bruising, rubbing his thumb back and forth on it he saw red and only wanted to beat the man more until he was a bloody heap on the dungeon floor.

"You will learn to hold a sword." He said softly.

"I will not." She said placing the bowl by the door.

"It wasn't a request." Emeric said trying not to raise his voice.

"I still refuse to learn to fight." Crimsyn said slamming his bedroom door and returning to her bed.