Tristan kissed the top of Sapphire's sleeping form. Though he didn't want to move, his body had a mind of its own. Three nights without relieving oneself could be rather bothersome. He gently tried to pry Sapphire off of him, only to have her cry out.

"No!" The cry, if only in her sleep, had Tristan stilling.

She was petrified, refusing to let him go. She clutched on to him tighter, her nails digging into his dressing and skin, nearly drawing blood.

"It's alright love, I'm right here." Tristan soothed as he tried to calm her down, her hands fisted so tight he was afraid she might break them. What had gotten her so afraid?

Tristan frowned as he tried to recall the last time she had a nightmare....

She didn't have night terrors whilst asleep with him, why now? It didn't make sense. Had they gotten worst? Her one simple scream, one simple no, was filled with more pain and anguish than he could bear. He had to discover what caused her such distress, he wouldn't be at peace with himself until then.

Tristan was still contemplating, and frowning, when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, the person opened the door, allowing themselves entry.

"Do you make it a habit to invite yourself into rooms which are not yours, my lord?" Tristan asked dryly.

Lord Rivers blinked, once and then twice, before walking over to Tristan and delivering a blow to his head.

"What in the devils name is wrong with you!" Tristan hissed, trying not to wake Sapphire from her sleep, lord Rivers was not exactly known for a lite hand.

"You really are awake." Lord Rivers mumbled before taking a seat and offering Tristan a smirk.

His son was finally awake. After three agonizing days he was awake and healthy, and he only had God to thank for it. Many horrible thoughts had crossed his mind in the past couple of days. The boy couldn't have woken up fast enough, hence why he was hit.

"Took you long enough." Lord Rivers said with a slight scowl, as if waking up was in Tristan's control.

Tristan scowled.

"That does not give you the right to enter my room when you wish and hit me." Tristan growled, shifting so he could be more comfortable, being mindful of Sapphires comfort as well.

"I have every right." Lord Rivers said with a snort.

Tristan ran his hand down his face in frustration. There was no winning with the older lord, it was best if he kept his mouth shut.

"When did you wake?" Lord Rivers questioned, crossing his leg over the other in the process. His locks slightly disheveled from training. he had worked the men hard, most of them were not able to lift their swords by the time he was done.

Tristan frowned thoughtfully before answering.

"Mayhap an hours time now, I am not certain."

"And you did not think it necessary to inform us?" Lord Rivers questioned dryly.

"I had more important matters to tend to." Tristan answered with a slight shrug as he moved a stray lock away from Sapphire's face.

Lord Rivers hummed low in his throat, opting to stay quiet.

"I was unconscious for three nights?" Tristan questioned as he unconsciously rubbed Sapphire's back.

"A bloody long time, if you were to ask me." Lord Rivers answered with a scowl. The boy had frightened him to near death. He aged more in these three days than he had his entire life! All for this, this..... git who would not wake!

Tristan shrugged. "I recall being unconscious for a longer period of time, no need to be upset."

A dark expression crossed lord Rivers face.

"The situation was different." Lord Rivers said tartly, trying, and failing, to shake the memory away. He clenched and unclenched his fists, the reminder of that particular incident always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"You should not have been unconscious at all. Do you remember what happened? Who attacked you?"

Tristan smirked at the questions being thrown his way.

"If my wife was awake, she would not be pleased with your questioning." Tristan teased, his eyes twinkling in mirth as lord Rivers rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Good thing she's asleep, lord knows, she needs it. Now answer the bloody questions." Lord Rivers snapped. The boy had the gall to tease him! Perhaps the wound to his head was rather fatal after all. They would need Sapphire to take a closer look once she wakes. If the boy was making jests, surely there was something amiss. He would have Sapphire check him immediately.

Tristan glowered at his father by marriage. Not at all pleased with his response.

"She should not have abused her-"

"You berk, would you keep that mouth of yours shut? She stayed awake because she loves you, not because she had to. Ungrateful cretin." Lord Rivers cut, leaving Tristan gaping after him.

"If you are done voicing your opinions, my lord-"

"I most certainly am not." Lord Rivers cut in, once again.

"Would you let me speak." Tristan growled, he was growing wary of lord Rivers words. He didn't want to talk about..............

Anything for that matter. Strange emotions were taking place within him. Ones he had not control over, and quite frankly, he was not sure of he liked them.

"Depends, my boy. Are you going to answer my questions?" Lord Rivers retorted.

"What are your bloody questions?" Tristan snarled, his temper rising. Lord Rivers was purposely trying to spite him. And to think he would let him be. For the love of everything holy, he had most likely awoken less than an hours time, and he was getting questioned.

"What happened?"

Tristan paused, surprised by the question. It seemed as if his mind was one step behind today. What happened where?

"What happened? What do you mean by 'what happened.'"

Lord Rivers signed in annoyance. The man acted as if he were a mere lad and not a grown man.

"I mean, what happened. Who attacked you? How did you attain your injuries?"

Before Tristan could answer, the door to his chambers opened, and once more, the person invited themselves inside.

"Has everyone decided to adapt bad behavior? It is essential to knock before entering. It is considered polite, good mannered. " Tristan said with annoyance.

Alexander grinned, completely unfazed by Tristan's scowl.

"I knew you would have been awake! Only you would cause such a commotion." Alexander said as he, quite happily, sat down.

"Get out." Tristan commanded, his brooding expression firmly fixed upon his beautiful face.

"It's good to see you as well." Alexander said dryly. He was ecstatic to see Tristan awake. Everything felt right once more. His lordship was awake, everyone in the castle could rejoice. Alexander thought to spread the good news, but thought better of it. He needed to monopolize Tristan's time as much as he could.

"The feeling is not mutual." Tristan said, sounding like a petulant child who did not get their way. He wanted everyone gone. Sleep sounded wonderful at the moment.

"Tristan, you were saying...?" Lord Rivers prompted after a sideway glance towards Alexander, indicating to him to keep his mouth firmly shut.

" I was riding Asher-"

"Speaking of the bloody horse, you should go see it. The beast has been a pain in the arse." Alexander grumbled, his hand unconsciously going towards his own rear.

"My horse is, by far, less annoying than you." Tristan spat.

"I know you love me." Alexander cooed. "Somewhere in your cold heart, there's an abundance of love for me. Do not deny it." Alexander taunted. Grinning with glee at the thunderous expression on Tristan's face.

"My love for you is the same amount as my love for-"

"That is enough!" Lord Rivers growled. He needed to find out who attacked Tristan, not listen to their childish bickering.

"Alexander, do not interrupt Tristan. If you do, so help you God!" Lord Rivers snarled. He needed to get to the bottom of this, they were already a step behind the enemy.

Turning towards Tristan, he said. "Tristan, please continue."

"I was riding Asher, when I was attacked with an arrow. I should have seen it coming, or at least heard the person." Tristan said darkly, his face contorting into rage as his blood inflamed with the desire for vengeance.

He shouldn't have been caught off guard, a fatal mistake, one which would not be repeated. Ever. It was sheer stupidity on his part to be so ignorant as to not survey his surroundings.

Mistakes only happened once, not twice.

"It was not your fault, not every one can be perfect. A minor mishap, it happens to the best of us." Lord Rivers explained gently. He knew with every fiber of his being that Tristan would be hard on himself because of the incident, whether it be his fault or not. The boy reminded him of a bloody mule. Never listening to anyone, always ever so stubborn.

Tristan glared at lord Rivers, keeping his opinions to himself. This would get him no where.

A slight pain in his chest began, Tristan ignored it. Deciding to get the matter over with, he addressed the topic at hand.

"Did you find the culprit?"

Lord Rivers' lips thinned in displeasure.

"No." Was his curt reply. He was more annoyed than angry at himself. The culprit was somewhere in the village, hiding. Lord Rivers knew it in his gut, but where? That was the mystery now wasn't it.

"Interesting." Tristan mused.

With a role of his eye, lord Rivers elaborated. He wasn't completely useless.

"I found footprints but they went cold." Lord Rivers muttered.

"Who led you to the area?"

"Asher, of course." Lord Rivers said as if it were obvious.

"How is my friend doing?" Tristan questioned with a soft, sincere smile. Just thinking of Asher had his spirits lifting.

"The horse has gone daft. Insane. The bloody beast broke the stable doors. Stood up on his legs every time I entered." Alexander muttered darkly.

Tristan chuckled. "Serves you right. You should not have gone near my stallion."

"Lesson learned." Alexander grunted.

After a slight pause, where the three men where lost in their individual thoughts, Tristan quietly spoke. His voice just above a whisper.

"How are my injuries?"

One simple question which held so much depth. From past experiences, he knew his injuries were not fatal, but he also knew he could have been given a concoction to not feel any pain, keeping him under the illusion he was perfectly fine, have naught to worry, when in reality he could be half a man.

"Two. The arrow pierced through right above the heart. It was inserted less than halfway into your skin, we had it removed, hence the stitches. Second was a head injury. By the looks of you, I am assuming it is nothing to worry over. You seem perfectly at ease."

"Very well." Said Tristan sounding rather relieved. He was elated to learn his injuries were minor, he wouldn't consider them injuries at all. His wife on the other hand would beg to differ.

Tristan planted a soft kiss to Sapphire's forehead. Not noticing the soft smile lord Rivers sent his way or the way Alexander opened his mouth to retort but closed it after a deadly look from lord Rivers. Nor did Tristan see the tears which lord Rivers surreptitiously wiped away, not letting the droplets leave the haven of his eyes.

Tristan played with a lock of Sapphire's hair as Lord Rivers and Alexander gave him a quick brief of what had happened in the past three days. Tristan listened carefully, although there was not much to listen to. It seemed as if his people had done nothing in the past three days, a fact he did not approve of. They should have been more productive.

"The training?" Tristan asked, only just now remembering they had not discussed it.

"Taken care of." Lord Rivers answered.

"I worked them in the battle grounds just as you would have."

"I will have a bath and then be down shortly." Tristan said dismissively. He didn't want to wake Sapphire, but he needed to be up. Being in bed for three continuos days did not leave one with a pleasant state.

Lord Rivers and Alexander said their goodbyes while Tristan carefully lifted Sapphire off of him and put her beside him. She mumbled incoherently before returning to her slumber.

Tristan quietly got off the bed, being careful with himself. It seemed as if his leg's forgot how to function. He stretched his arms and legs before slowly standing up. When he was certain his legs could hold his weight, he made way to his bathing chambers.

Once there, he looked at his torso before removing the bandage.

Stitches.

He wondered who stitched him. The stitches were very finely done. He would scar, but in comparison to his other ones, his recent addition would seem tame. Who had taken care of him? Another thing he would have to see to.

Tristan shrugged his shoulders, feeling the muscles bunch and loosen at the action. He felt a tad stiff, nothing a good amount of work would not be able to fix.

A hot water tub had already been brought up for him. Tristan dipped a finger in the hot water, remembering a time when he had nothing but bone chilling, cold water to bath in. He could still recall his lungs constricting in pain when he was roughly thrown in the water, the feeling in his limbs completely gone.... He didn't think anything could be worst, but how very wrong he had been.

Tristan shook his head from his dark thoughts. No point crying over split milk. What's done is done. The past was behind him, it was time he left it where it belonged. He had a more than pleasant present, and hopefully a wonderful future. Dwelling in the past would lead him no where.

@

"Robert, why are you crying like a lass?" Lord Rivers asked of the lad who was crouched by a tree, his tear streaked face red.

"Sir Alexander said lord Knight is...is...." Fresh tears rolled down his face as his lips quivered. Robert sniffed and continued to cry as lord Rivers watched a baffled expression.

"What did Alexander say?"

"He said lord Knight........that......is.......why....." Robert was a blubbering mess, nothing he was saying made any sense.

"Quit behaving like a lass." Lord Rivers snapped. The boy seemed to have gone daft.

"Sir Alexander said lord Knight is gone." Robert wailed.

With his long, yet scrawny, limbs, red, tear stained face, the sight was quite comical. Yet lord Rivers was not in the mood for such jests. Especially if Alexander was going around saying gibberish.

"Get up, boy. Alexander is going to have his hide handed to him." Lord Rivers said darkly.

"The imbecile is going around making up nonsense."

"Ye mean lord Knight is alive?" Robert asked excitedly, quickly wiping away his tears.

"Aye, and he is awake and healthy."

"Sir Alexander will be speaking with my fists very soon." Robert mumbled, not at all pleased with being tricked. He was going to get back at Alexander.

Lord Rivers snorted but didn't answer. Alexander would have to answer to him. Going around and saying such awful things. He was thanking The Lord Tristan was alright, not dead! The lad needed to watch his tongue.

"Are the men ready?"

"Aye, mistress."

"Have they gathered where they are supposed to?"

"Aye."

"It is only a half days journey from Knight castle to these hidden mountains. There should be no mistakes."

"Aye, mistress. The men all understand." Jack said as he stared at Corriane with eyes full of lust.

"Make sure everything goes accordingly, and you, Jack, will be rewarded handsomely." Corriane murmured as she trailed a finger down his sunken cheek.

"I do not like it when things do not go my way." She whispered against his ear. Her breath fanning his face.

Jack closed his eyes, nodding his head. He could only assume what his reward would be, he was looking forward to it.

"Tristan needs to be kept distracted long enough for everything to fall into place."

"Aye, mistress. Ye have nothing to fret. The men know what to do. They willna betray ye."

"Let us hope your are correct." Corriane mumbled as she made her way towards her chair.

Corriane dismissed Jack, her body humming with excitement with her nearly completed plan. Everything was going exactly as she planned, Tristan would not know where to turn, poor child.

Tell me wht you guys think ;)