They ate in silence. Beth knew what she wanted to say, but she was afraid to say it – even more afraid of the answer. Caydrick ate quietly, as if he had been trained not to make a noise while chewing. Needless to say the food he had cooked tasted delicious. With so few ingredients to work with, she was surprised he managed to make it taste this good. Not to mention the bread he made.

Beth started chewing her lips instead of her food. She wanted to say it, she really did. But she could not. She was running out of time, the sun was set and—

"You want to say something."

She hiccuped in surprise, looked up and found Caydrick staring at her through his shades. "W-what?"

"You are anxious, I can tell. What is wrong?" He tilted his head slightly to the side and frowned.

Dear God, how could he look so perfect, so... symmetric? Not even Michelangelo could have captured his beauty.

"I-I..." She hesitantly said. What could she say? "I was just thinking."

"Might I be so bold as to ask what you were thinking about?"

So polite. She gathered all her courage, and drew in a deep breath. "You."

He stopped mid-chew on a vegetable and frowned deeper. "Me?"

"Y-your wounds," Bethia quickly corrected herself. "I was thinking that they should have proper treatment a-and that if you leave tonight, chances are they will get infected."

He swallowed his bite and licked his lips. "I will have to be careful, then."

"Or..." Beth continued, feeling her breathing grow erratic from her nervousness. "You could stay one more night."

Caydrick now completely froze, staring hard at her. "What?"

"I-I spent the whole day nurturing you back to health, spending my food and resources on you," Beth stuttered, using a foul move like guilting him into staying. But she could not help herself. "I would hate to see all that work go to waste, if you die from infection."

"You are asking me to stay another night?" Caydrick said, his jaw hanging a little in shock. "You... want me to... stay?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

Caydrick blew out a breath. "Bethia..."

"Please?"

She was actually begging him to stay now. What had become of her? She had been shy her whole life, but always headstrong. Now she was begging a man who had been in prison to stay with her. Was she so desperate for company, or was it because there was something about him that she liked?

She knew the answer to that very well, and that was what she was afraid to admit.

Caydrick arose from the chair he was sitting in and walked up to the kitchen counter, clicking his tongue on the way. Bethia was beginning to think he only did that at the strangest times. Perhaps it was a nervous thing.

"I promised I would only stay one night," Caydrick mumbled. Whether it was to himself or her, she could not tell. "If I stay longer I am bringing you in danger, not to mention I heighten the chances of getting caught."

"How will anyone ever know you are here?" Bethia argued and nervously folded her hands in her lap, when he started pacing the floor, clicking his tongue like a mad man. "The guards have no clue and they never will, if I keep doing what I normally do."

He finally stopped pacing the floor, blowing out a deep breath. He muttered a few incoherent words under his breath and then ran his hands through his hair, disheveling it. "Bethia, I am trying to protect you. You have no idea what you are doing by harboring me." He paused and pressed his lips tightly together. "If anyone found out, they would have you hanged for treason... and I would kill myself if that happened."

Swallowing what felt like a huge lump, Bethia carefully got up. She walked across the floor where Caydrick was practically hyperventilating, and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. He tensed up like he always did. "Caydrick... You are so sweet to worry about me. But I am more concerned about you," She begun, biting her lip ever so slightly. "You need medical attention. Just stay one more night and I promise, I will not ask you to stay again."

The words hurt on her tongue. She did not want him to leave, but she knew she could not convince him to stay forever. But she just could not bare the thought of him leaving tonight.

Caydrick blew out a long breath, before slowly turning her way. "Alright. One more night. If it will ease your mind to see my wounds get properly treated, I will stay."

Bethia's heart blossomed like a flower in spring and she could not help but smile. "It will. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" He dryly chuckled, running a another hand through his hair. God, she wished she could be the one to do that. "I should be the one thanking you. You selflessly choose to take care of me, and..." He suddenly stopped speaking and looked like he was choking on something.

"Caydrick?" Beth quickly asked, cupping his face in her hand without thinking. The action made his breath freeze and quickly she drew her hand back. "I am so sorry, I—"

"No," He quickly replied, clenching his jaw tightly. "I..." He paused for a long moment, taking a controlled breath. A moment passed. "We should... probably clean up after dinner," He then mumbled, looking away. She would have given anything to read his eyes, if it were not for those stupid shades. "I will do it."

"No, I, uh," Beth cleared her head, quickly licking her lips. "I will do it. You cooked, so I should clean. Also I know where everything goes, so it will go faster. You should go upstairs and prepare for bed."

"But I—"

"No buts. Let me clean, you go get some sleep," Bethia sternly said, giving him a quick smile as she went to gather their dirty plates. "Let your wounds heal."

When she took all of the dirty dishes and stacked them on the table, Caydrick hesitantly watched. "Are you sure? I do not mind helping."

"I am positive. Now go, do not make me say it again."

Finally, after just a moment more of glancing at the dirty pile of kitchen supplies, he sighed and walked up to the door, clicking his tongue a little. "Alright. I will see you up there, then."

"Caydrick?" Bethia suddenly said, pausing her task of stacking the plates.

He stopped up and glanced back. "Yes?"

"Thank you for dinner."

A look came over his face. Her simple words seemed to plant so deeply inside him, it looked like he wanted to break down and pray again. With a strangled voiced, he replied. "You are welcome."

And then he quietly walked out, as deep in thoughts as one could be.

Bethia could not help but feel like there was something big he was not telling her – besides the obvious stuff. There was just something about him... She could not put her finger on it.

She finished up in the kitchen and put everything away, before she decided it was time for bed. She blew out the last candles and walked up stairs. Halfway up, she suddenly realized something – something she had failed to think about, when she had suggested he should stay one more day.

With a nervous pull in her stomach, she walked inside her bedchamber, pushing the door open. "Caydrick?"

He was standing in front of her dresser, running his hand over the wound on his chest with a deep thoughtful expression. When she came in, he immediately stopped and looked up, as if he was surprised to see her there. "Yes?"

Bethia paused for a moment. The dim candlelight was casting a glow ever so beautiful across his face and body, highlighting every chiseled part of him. She could not help but feel the sensual pull in her stomach again. "I, uh... I forgot something."

"What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday," She said, trying her best to keep her eyes on his shades and not his lean torso. "A-and I usually go to the market every Saturday to pick up supplies. In the interest of doing things I always do..."

"You have to leave the bakery tomorrow," Caydrick finished for her with a frown. "And you are worried about me being here alone."

"What? No," Bethia quickly assured, shaking her head. "I think you have proven your trust to me. I know you will not steal my inventory. I was actually more worried about you."

"Me?" He wondered, raising a brow. "Why?"

"Well..." She hesitated and looked at the wound on his chest. "Last time I let you be alone, you sort of..."

Caydrick looked confused for a moment, before he looked down and placed a hand over his chest. "Oh. You are talking about this," He said, running a hand over his wound. "You needn't worry about that. It was a one-time thing."

Beth felt like he was telling the truth. After all, given what he had been through, purely judging on the visible scars on his back, she had the feeling he did not need more pain. Whatever he had done to himself, he truly felt he had to do it, even if it was for unknown reasons.

"Alright." She then said, confident that he was being truthful with her. "Then I shall feel completely calm about leaving you in my house tomorrow, while I go to the market. I will not have to worry about you touching or stealing my stuff."

"You can shackle me to your staircase if it will make you feel more comfortable," He soberly suggested.

But Bethia nearly choked. "Why on earth would I do that? I trust you, Caydrick. You have proven yourself on several occasions, there will be no need for cuffs. I do not even own a pair."

"Really?"

"Yes. I do not want them in my house, just as I do not appreciate weapons either," She firmly said. "Now please remove your device and turn around."

"Right, this again," He mumbled. He then slowly went to the couch, clicking his tongue a little, before he sat down. He removed the shades and revealed his beautiful black lashes, which of course were resting against his cheekbones. He put the shades on the small table next to the couch and then laid down, turning over in the process. "Satisfied?"

She nodded, but then quickly realized he could not tell. "Uh, yes. Thank you."

"Stop thanking me, when I should be thanking you, Bethia. I owe you my life."

Shocked, she stopped in the middle of untwining her bodice. She looked at his broad back, before swallowing heavily. The way he said that, so sincerely and so soberly, made her stomach clench with something she was not sure what was. Maybe awe?

After another few minutes, Bethia was under the blankets of her bed and Caydrick slowly turned over on his back. They laid there for a few moments, Beth thinking deeply.

- Perhaps she did not let him into her house, but she had opened her home for him, that much was sure. But what she could not remember was when she had let him under her skin and into her heart.

-*-

Despite how hard it had been to leave the house that early morning, it all disappeared the moment she was out in the warm, welcoming sun. The tempered wind stroked her cheeks and blew through her hair as she strolled through the vivid market. She had filled her little wheelbarrow with plenty of new supplies already; Flour, grain, sugar, apples, oranges, berries, and even a few new herbs. The new trading routes the Queen had opened had really revolutionized her kitchen and her baking. She experimented with new flavors, new consistencies and new designs for her pastries. With so many new exotic fruits and vegetables, the possibilities were endless. She had made sure to purchase as much as she knew she could afford.

Now she was simply strolling down the street, slowly making her way back. She knew she could not spend all the time in the world shopping, when she was harboring a fugitive at home, but she just could not help wanting to let the sun kiss her face for a few more minutes. She had practically been locked up inside for days, which in her world seemed like forever. She had missed it.

But just as she passed a regular peasant house like any other, she saw it; Guards running up and down the streets in packs and breaking down people's doors. They charged inside with spears and caused havoc inside the peaceful homes. She saw them breaking furnitures through the windows, pushing and kicking aside people who were in their way. They were searching for something.

Or someone.

"Caydrick," She whispered breathlessly, and just like that she was running home.

It was as if a black cloud had suddenly slid across the bright blue sky and darkened her path. She saw nothing but dark demons as she ran towards her bakery, to find the inevitable...

Bethia stopped up in front of her door, feeling nailed to the spot. Her front door was smashed open and the furniture inside her house looked just as smashed as the houses she had walked by. It was as if everything went by in slow motion, as she walked inside and saw the destruction of her home.

Her bake-goods were scattered all over the floor, her tables were turned over, and every jar, plate and pot had been carelessly tossed around and shattered against the floor.

Her eyes turned to her staircase and within seconds she was running upstairs, running up to see what she already knew had happened.

The door to her bedchamer was wide open and revealed the same damage done as downstairs.

She watched with tears in her eyes, all of her possession that had been smashed into pieces. Everything she owned was broken, except for a few meaningless things. Everything, every memory of her parents and the home she had grown up in, was practically gone and her all she could think about was him.

Caydrick was gone.

They had to have found him, overpowered him and taken him away. And because she had not been home, they had not taken her away, but they would. Eventually they would come back and arrest her, too. But she did not care. When they came, she would go with them willingly, because she knew wherever they took her, Caydrick would be there, too. He would be back in prison and she would be there with him. If they did not kill her for treason. And if they had not already killed him.

Clasping a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry, Bethia begun shaking and crying vigorously. It was all her fault. If she had not asked him to stay, he could have made it out alive, and he would be safe. He had died because of her own stubbornness.

Just as she was about to collapse to her knees, a rustling sound behind her wall-drape suddenly sounded. Blinking at it in shock, Bethia dropped her jaw and lost her breath.

No... He could not have known...

The rustling noise became louder and suddenly the wall-drape begun moving. The secret door beside her couch, that was hidden behind a giant wall-drape displaying her family tree, got opened and out came Caydrick. He coughed away some dust in his lungs, before he brushed some off his shoulders. He smoothed down his pants, before he turned to face her.

Bethia squealed, not even thinking anymore, before she jumped up into his arms and threw her arms around him tightly. "Caydrick!"

He caught her with surprise, stumbling back a step. After the initial shock had vaporized, his body unstiffened and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her slim waist. "Bethia... Shh, do not cry, please."

She could not stop. She was shaking with both fright and happiness, but mostly just joy. He was here, unharmed and still safe. They had not found him. By miracle, he had managed to hide in her hidden room, and by miracle, the guards had not found it.

She sighed against his firm chest, pressing her cheek against it. His heart thudded soundly beneath it. "I-I thought y-you were g-gone. I thought they had t-taken you."

"You are crying because of me?" He whispered.

"Yes, why else?" She sobbed, pulling back to look at his face. It was unreadable. "I care about you, I thought... I thought they had found you and taken you back to wherever you escaped from."

She watched a muscle in his jaw twitch. "No, they did not. I heard them coming and hid before they made it upstairs."

"How did you know about the hidden door?" She breathed, placing her hands against his chest. His skin felt so soft, so smooth, so...

"I knew about it since the first day," He replied. "A soldier gets taught to scan the room for any hidden boobytraps. I just so happened to find a secret hiding place instead."

Bethia suddenly realized how intimately they were standing. She had not realized before she felt his breath fan across her lips and it felt like she could almost see through the tinted glass of his shades. But just then, realization struck down and they both moved back, instinctively – Caydrick, as if he had been burned by holding her in his arms.

Bethia gulped and quickly looked away. "I-it was my grandfather who installed it. After the French invaded our country, he wanted to have a safe place to hide his values. Today I just use it for extra storage-keeping or..."

"Or a place to hide if needed," Caydrick finished for her.

"Right," She said and gave stiff nod. Why were things so awkward between them? She knew why, what a stupid question. Their lips had been inches apart and his hands had been gripping her tighter than necessary. Just like her hands may have been tracing the outlines of his muscular chest.

"I'm sorry about your house," Caydrick then said, breaking the deafening silence. "It is my fault."

"No, it's not," She quickly assured him. "They did this to every house I passed, probably the whole of Ven—" she stopped once she realized what she was telling.

"Then I am responsible for thousands of people's homes being ruined," He silently said and stepped backwards. His popliteal hit the couch and he sat down, running his hands through his hair. "God, what have I done..."

"Caydrick," Bethia quietly said and took a seat next to him. She took his hand and braided her fingers into his. "Look at me." When he did, she continued. "You cannot blame yourself for what the General asked his men to do. You escaped prison and you escaped with good reasons. Even if you cannot tell them to me, I trust them to be good. You knew something like this could happen, yet you still took the chance. For a man as goodhearted as you to do something so drastic, I know whatever the reason you escaped, and whatever reason they are searching for you now, is important. I do not believe it is because you are dangerous. At least not physically," She said, suddenly beginning to realize something. "It is because you know something, is it not? Something they do not want you to know."

Caydrick stared hard at her for a full minute, before he suddenly stood up and started pacing the floor. "I cannot stay here any longer. I have overstayed my visit and I must go."

Bethia closed her eyes for a long second. She had been right and that was why he was closing down, blocking her out. He was trying to protect her. She therefor silently stood up too and sighed. "I know. And I will not stop you this time, I promised."

Caydrick stopped pacing the floor for a second and glanced at her. His body eased up, and after a moment he slowly went up to her. "I will not leave you before your house is restored to its previous state. I owe you that much."

"You do not owe me anything," She whispered and looked down.

"Yes, Bethia, I do. I owe you my life."

-*-