The next morning had Abigail getting up, all bleary eyed and sleepy to answer the insistent knock on the door. She opened it only to be engulfed by one of her favorite women from the village. Hannah Freestone's arms were tight as she hugged Abigail tight to her whispering her condolences to the young woman.
Abigail inhaled the woman's misty perfume of lavender and lemon; as a fresh wave of tears fell and she sobbed openly once more. Hannah had been a mother figure to her after her mother had passed away. The woman had always come around with extra food from her shop in town to give them a meal. Or just fresh eggs from her hens which were housed behind the shop.
The woman gently set Abigail down and began to putter around, talking amiably about recent news from the village, more about how the whole village would be attending her father's funeral, and how sorry everyone was to hear of his passing.
Abigail listened half heartedly, her heart still was aching over the loss of her father. She ate the meal set in front of her without really tasting it. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and hide for the next few weeks.
Another knock on the door had Hannah, motioning her to sit down and that she would get the door. When the woman opened the door her green eyes widened at the sight of the tall man standing dressed like royalty before her.
"Who might you be sir?" Hannah inquired.
"I am Prince Dominic Grayton, I am here to see my fiancé. I heard about her father's death and have come to pay my condolences!" he said stiffly, "Step aside."
"I was not aware of such things" Hannah said, with a frown. Her eyes tracked behind the prince to his guards which stood well away from the house but looked fearsome; "I am like Abigail's second mother I'm sure I would have been told of such arrangements."
Dominic growled, "It only came about last night before her father's death, now step aside" he ordered, his eyes already peeking around the woman to see inside the building.
Hannah didn't so much as budge; "I beg your pardon, but you are not going to be barging in on her at this time. She has yet to dress properly for visitors, I will come back..." she cried out in alarm as Dominic just stepped inside pushing her firmly aside.
Abigail bolted up when she heard Hannah's cry of alarm, until she saw the man who was entering the cottage. Her eyes widened and her face paled briefly.
"Get out, Get out, Get out..." she shouted, "Out of my house you ox. You are not welcome here. OUT! OUT! OUT! NOW!"
Dominic just ignored her demands and sank into a chair; "You don't have the power to send me on my way m' lady, and even if you did. You are now under my rule and protection." he said blandly, "Now sit and eat. Then I will escort you to the burial of your father."
Abigail placed her hands on her hips, "I will not eat until you are gone from my sight" she said stubbornly, "I will not leave with you either, now leave."
Dominic just smirked and settled deeply into the chair, "You will have to make me;" he stated with a bit of dry humor; "Which I am sure you don't have strength, or the power to do so."
Abigail saw the first heavy object which was a heavy tankard and lunged for it, with all the strength she had she chucked the item at the man responsible for her ire. He ducked it, the smirk on his face turning to a frown and a spit of anger entering his eyes.
The next object sailed through the air, and he leapt up from his chair to keep from being beaned by the flying plate. He wasn't so lucky with the lamp as it whammed into his shoulder since it had followed the first missile of apples she had gotten her hands on.
Hissing, he lunged for the woman, grappling for the small pan she had in her hands and was about to make into another weapon. She kicked, bit, and struggled, but he managed to disarm her using the pressure point on her wrist to make her release the object. Then he spun her around pinning both her arms to her chest.
The woman who had answered the door now stood there with a small dagger in her hand, gone was the frightened timid woman, now there stood a woman with intent in her eyes.
"Release her, she said she wants you gone. I suggest you do so this instant." Hannah said, with stern words.
Dominic whistled, and his guards burst into the room, they immediately withdrew their swords and pointed it at the woman.
Hannah gritted her teeth in anger, as she slowly dropped the weapon.
"I think, we should take her to the dungeon boys" Dominic stated, his eyes sparking; "She just threatened me with a weapon."
"No!" Abigail shouted, her eyes wide with fear as the guards took Hannah by the arms; "NO, don't.. please. Leave her be."
"Only until you tell me you will no longer fight the inevitable. You will not fight me, you will come with me to your father's funeral then we will leave for the castle just after that and you will not fight me." Dominic murmured into her ear; "You will wed me in three days hence and I will let her go."
Abigail bit her lip, and then slowly looked up at Dominic. Her eyes moist; "Fine. I will do as you say. Just leave her be." she said.
Dominic nodded to the men who released Hannah, and stepped back outside. Dominic released Abigail, and gestured for her to sit back down. She did reluctantly, Hannah made a meal again for them all.
Abigail inhaled the woman's misty perfume of lavender and lemon; as a fresh wave of tears fell and she sobbed openly once more. Hannah had been a mother figure to her after her mother had passed away. The woman had always come around with extra food from her shop in town to give them a meal. Or just fresh eggs from her hens which were housed behind the shop.
The woman gently set Abigail down and began to putter around, talking amiably about recent news from the village, more about how the whole village would be attending her father's funeral, and how sorry everyone was to hear of his passing.
Abigail listened half heartedly, her heart still was aching over the loss of her father. She ate the meal set in front of her without really tasting it. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and hide for the next few weeks.
Another knock on the door had Hannah, motioning her to sit down and that she would get the door. When the woman opened the door her green eyes widened at the sight of the tall man standing dressed like royalty before her.
"Who might you be sir?" Hannah inquired.
"I am Prince Dominic Grayton, I am here to see my fiancé. I heard about her father's death and have come to pay my condolences!" he said stiffly, "Step aside."
"I was not aware of such things" Hannah said, with a frown. Her eyes tracked behind the prince to his guards which stood well away from the house but looked fearsome; "I am like Abigail's second mother I'm sure I would have been told of such arrangements."
Dominic growled, "It only came about last night before her father's death, now step aside" he ordered, his eyes already peeking around the woman to see inside the building.
Hannah didn't so much as budge; "I beg your pardon, but you are not going to be barging in on her at this time. She has yet to dress properly for visitors, I will come back..." she cried out in alarm as Dominic just stepped inside pushing her firmly aside.
Abigail bolted up when she heard Hannah's cry of alarm, until she saw the man who was entering the cottage. Her eyes widened and her face paled briefly.
"Get out, Get out, Get out..." she shouted, "Out of my house you ox. You are not welcome here. OUT! OUT! OUT! NOW!"
Dominic just ignored her demands and sank into a chair; "You don't have the power to send me on my way m' lady, and even if you did. You are now under my rule and protection." he said blandly, "Now sit and eat. Then I will escort you to the burial of your father."
Abigail placed her hands on her hips, "I will not eat until you are gone from my sight" she said stubbornly, "I will not leave with you either, now leave."
Dominic just smirked and settled deeply into the chair, "You will have to make me;" he stated with a bit of dry humor; "Which I am sure you don't have strength, or the power to do so."
Abigail saw the first heavy object which was a heavy tankard and lunged for it, with all the strength she had she chucked the item at the man responsible for her ire. He ducked it, the smirk on his face turning to a frown and a spit of anger entering his eyes.
The next object sailed through the air, and he leapt up from his chair to keep from being beaned by the flying plate. He wasn't so lucky with the lamp as it whammed into his shoulder since it had followed the first missile of apples she had gotten her hands on.
Hissing, he lunged for the woman, grappling for the small pan she had in her hands and was about to make into another weapon. She kicked, bit, and struggled, but he managed to disarm her using the pressure point on her wrist to make her release the object. Then he spun her around pinning both her arms to her chest.
The woman who had answered the door now stood there with a small dagger in her hand, gone was the frightened timid woman, now there stood a woman with intent in her eyes.
"Release her, she said she wants you gone. I suggest you do so this instant." Hannah said, with stern words.
Dominic whistled, and his guards burst into the room, they immediately withdrew their swords and pointed it at the woman.
Hannah gritted her teeth in anger, as she slowly dropped the weapon.
"I think, we should take her to the dungeon boys" Dominic stated, his eyes sparking; "She just threatened me with a weapon."
"No!" Abigail shouted, her eyes wide with fear as the guards took Hannah by the arms; "NO, don't.. please. Leave her be."
"Only until you tell me you will no longer fight the inevitable. You will not fight me, you will come with me to your father's funeral then we will leave for the castle just after that and you will not fight me." Dominic murmured into her ear; "You will wed me in three days hence and I will let her go."
Abigail bit her lip, and then slowly looked up at Dominic. Her eyes moist; "Fine. I will do as you say. Just leave her be." she said.
Dominic nodded to the men who released Hannah, and stepped back outside. Dominic released Abigail, and gestured for her to sit back down. She did reluctantly, Hannah made a meal again for them all.