Hazel wiped the forehead of Aiden who was resting, and made sure to stitch his arm wound closed and used the alcohol Eric had to cleanse the wounds. She noticed the faded scar above his left brow and was curious about it. She admitted he was handsome but thought Henry better looking. She remembered the joy she had felt when she had learned that Isabella was alive and she also recalled the panic she felt when Isabella was locked in that horrid cell. She shuddered and mentally promised to convince Isabella to try to get to know and eventually fall for Aiden. He looks like he'd be good for her.

Her musings were interrupted with a creaking sound. She glanced down to check Aiden, whose chest rose and fell as he slumbered. She leaned down and checked his forehead when she fell back with the movement of the carriage. "Why are we moving?" She yelled, panicking. Hazel straightened herself and Aiden's lulling head. She snapped her fingers in his face and shook him. Lord, what was his name again? Austin? August? Aiden? Aiden! That is it! "Aiden! Aiden! Wake up! We are moving!" He did not budge. She huffed and tried grabbing his heavy arm and tugging him up but fell back as the carriage rocked. She pushed her hair out of her face in frustration. She looked around for something and noticed the alcohol.

She grabbed it, took a quick, for surely she needed it, and dumped the contents on Aiden's face. Aiden shot up spluttering she lay back groaning because of his arm. "Aiden."

"Eric I swear..." He murmured.

"Not Eric, Hazel. Your friend Eric left you here with me." Aiden opened his mouth to speak but paused.

"Is he driving us somewhere because he cannot drive a carriage he--"

"No! 'Tis not Eric driving us."

Aiden's eyes opened and he sat up at the panic in her eyes. "Henry?" She shook her head. Aiden shook his head in confusion. "Then who..." it dawned on him, "refugee."

Hazel nodded nervously, "was probably trying to escape and took what he thought was an abandoned carriage. Aiden nodded and stood up groaning.

He steadied himself and palmed his dagger. "He stole the wrong carriage"

******

"It was right here." Eric scratched his head in confusion.

"Where is he Eric?" Isabella asked trying not to panic. Eric briefed her in on the shape Aiden was in, she was worried.

"Tracks! A trail leads south."

"Henry, bring me Storm." He nodded and jogged to the stables. "Hurry." She whispered.

She paced waiting for Henry when her father rode up on a Jarian horse. "A yardsmen told me that he saw Baldwin. He was last seen running and climbing onto a carriage and riding away. Could it--"

"It couldn't--, he couldn't have..." she growled, "He did. He stole the carriage Hazel and an injured Aiden were in. How much of a simpleton can he be? Father, I will go after them." William hopped down and Isabella climbed on and spurred the horse on. "Will you follow on Storm?" William nodded so she rode away following the trail at full sprint.

******

"What are we to do?" Hazel asked him almost feint. Aiden could not help but be a tad bit annoyed at the female before him. Unlike Isabella, she was thin where Isabella had curves. She was slim where Isabella was muscular. She was panicking when Isabella would have fought.

He sighed and told her annoyed, "It will do us no good if you were to faint, first, please calm down. Do we have any other weaponry?"

"Only Henry's dagger he gave me earlier." Aiden held his hand out for it and she quickly fetched it. He took it and glanced out of the window. He took in the changing the scenery and how fast it was passing. The carriage rocked on the bumpy path.

He thought about waiting until the right time and tipping it over, but that would injure him more and slender Hazel. He could not afford that. Think! High-speed carriage, stolen by a refugee with nothing to lose. We will have to give him to stop this or at least slow it enough. He glanced over at Hazel who was pale. "Scream."

"What? No that would let him know we are here!"

"Exactly." Aiden palmed the dagger and told her to scream. Hazel, made uneasy by the dagger, screamed. Aiden flinched at the high pitch squeal. As she screamed he looked out of the window and studied the side of the carriage. He slid the window open and stuck his head slightly out of it and yelled. "I do not know who you are," he added desperation to his voice, "but my wife is in labor! Please, help us." Aiden stuck his head back in and grinned when he heard a swear. He after dinnertime did not feel the carriage slowing so he reopened the window. "Please Sir, help my wife! We are very wealthy." Aiden was shocked at how sincere he sounded. "We can reimburse you and slide you a place to stay, our home is a little far off. Take the carriage it doesn't matter, just please." Hazel, playing along, screamed louder in pseudo agony.

Aiden prepared he as he felt the carriage began to slow. He quickly opened the window and lodged the dagger into the side of the wheel until it popped off. The carriage tilted sideways and he fell over with Hazel as the carriage careened off of the path and lodged into a ditch. Aiden rubbed his injured shoulder, gained his balance, and kicked the door open and hopped out and helped Hazel out and looked around. He noticed the slightly injured horses and a man with a broken leg trying to crawl away. His eyes widened at the lavender robe.

Baldwin heard the sound of footsteps and turned hoping to get help from a stranger clenching his jaw to keep from screaming. "Hel--"

His throat was grabbed and he was lifted. He met furious hazel eyes and struggled after he recognized his attacker. Baldwin gripped Aiden's hands trying to pry them away from his neck. He soon gave up on that thought as he quickly ran out of air. He yanked at Aiden's hair and his eyes.

Aiden pulled back rubbing his eyes and stumbled when he felt a force against his shin. He glanced down at a gasping Baldwin who tried to crawl away. "Oh no you don't." He went to grab Baldwin when Hazel touched his shoulder to stop him.

"You can not just kill him Aiden. Capture him and let's get back to the castle so he can be tried."

"Can you drive a carriage?"

"No."

"Ride a horse?"

"Side saddle."

Aiden sighed and scratched his head in irritation. He glanced over at Baldwin, who crawled toward the path still gasping for breath. "How are we going to get him back?" He inclined his head toward Baldwin.

Hazel thought about it as Aiden went to capture Baldwin. Just as he bent to knock Baldwin out, he was kicked in the shin hard and hit by a large rock; he dropped the sword he was holding. "Son of a--" The sound of thundering hooves approaching startled them all.

"Help!" Baldwin yelled out. "Help me, I am being attacked!" The horsemen, having noticed the yelling, followed the sound. "Help me I am an innocent man being attacked!" Baldwin continued. Aiden went shut Baldwin up but instead focused on the approaching rider. He paused, readying his stance in case of danger.

A dust cloud kicked up and Baldwin continued to yell his innocence coughing. A sharp voice rang out silencing him, "I would not necessarily consider you innocent Baldwin." The cloud cleared and Isabella sat upon her horse, scorn in her eyes. Baldwin paled. "You tried and failed to kill me. You tried and once again failed to take my kingdom. Give me one good reason why I should not slice your neck and as watch your life fades from your eyes?"

Baldwin swallowed and then smirked. "You would not dare. You would not kill me."

Isabella glared and smiled when she heard more approaching horses. She yelled, "Father!" She crossed her arms and waited. Baldwin's smirk fell and he gulped.

"Will-- William's here? Now Isa--" He was cut off by a kick to his face. Aiden propped him back up and grinned at William.

"Nice kick." So that is where Isabella gets it. He rubbed what her boot print once was and he met her eyes and she gave him a knowing look and mouthed Sorry. Aiden just raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks lad." William smirked when Baldwin spat out a little blood.

"William, 'tis all a rather large misunderstanding..."

"Oh, what have I misunderstood? You did not drive the land to poverty, try to start a war, ruin the royal line's name, ally with refugees, or attempt to kill Isabella as a crown was lowered toward your head? Or maybe you did not lie about your bloodline or, hmm this is my favorite, cause an era of unneeded hostility between Charles and I when you caused me to think he forced himself on Margo?" William raged unsheathing his sword.

Baldwin coughed, "Well that sounds a lot more harsh when you say it that way. Besides you did not have to believe me, Margo was a fighter, in fact when I came on--" He was cut off by another jab to his jaw.

"Father!" Isabella pulled him back and examined his hand. Charles' presence was ignored as he approached the group.

"I am fine." He spat towards Baldwin. "That explains Margo's discomfort that scum!" He raised his sword to strike but Aiden held up a hand.

"Let us not be hasty. The man is terrible but you cannot just execute him on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere."

"I can and I will."

"Father, he is right. We shall do this properly. He will stand a trial and be executed in the courtyard if-- when found guilty. We should focus on getting back cleaning up and reclaiming our kingdom."

William sighed, "He hurt her."

"He will pay."

********

"Well 'tis done."

"Yes. 'Tis done." Isabella sat on top of a hill overlooking the horizon next to Aiden on a hill just North of the training yard. Her hair hung down and cascaded down her back as water down a waterfall. "Baldwin is gone, and hopefully now things are returning back to normal." Isabella and William did not resent the people but they were heavily scolded. Baldwin's execution would possibly kill off any other thoughts of rebellion. Before his execution Baldwin in blind rage revealed all of his doings and sins to the people. The people were horrified and all worked to beg forgiveness of their king in that moment. Isabella spoke and reassured them of their forgiveness and knew that time would heal the wounds Baldwin caused and hopefully the trust would return with the absence of his malice.

Aiden brushed her hair behind her ear, "Where are the kings?"

"Visiting Mother's burial grounds." Isabella laughed, "I could hear their bickering as the carriage rode away."

"Old Habits." Aiden looked up at the sky and tilted his head.

"Die hard." She smiled. She got up and brushed her armor off and stood up in front of him grinning. Aiden grabbed at her hand but she evaded his grasp.

"Where are you going?"

She tilted her head, let her hair fall over her shoulder as she studied his sitting form and put her hands on her hip, "I have training and if I remember correctly, you owe me a rematch."

He smirked and studied her for a moment, desire in his eyes. "I have a better idea."

She blushed, "Come on Aiden." She leaned down trying to pull him up by the biceps and he opposed her force and tried to pull her down to him. They both set off rolling down the hill laughing and landed with an "oomph." Aiden at the last second made sure to roll under and take most of the impact.

"Aiden." He leaned up intending to kiss her and she met him halfway, meeting his lips happily. "I love you." Her lips muffled his murmured reply and she grinned. Just as she got comfortable Aiden shot up abruptly and pulled her up with him. "Why--"

"A man only has so much self control love." She blushed again and watched him walk away, and she called out to him.

He turned and caught her with the meeting of the lips. She pecked his lips, "For saving my father." She kissed him again, "For saving me." She stared into his eyes, "For saving my kingdom." She whispered lastly and let him go. Aiden groaned.

"Isabella--"

"I leave for a few minutes and you are all over each other."

"Eric, do you not have any one else to bother?" Aiden glared as he hugged Isabella from behind and rested his head in her neck as the palm of her hand rested against his cheek.

Eric sighed dramatically, "If I am not wanted here then I guess I will just leave." He sniffed.

Aiden rolled his eyes and Isabella frowned. "No, you are fine, Aiden and I were just talking. I was thanking him for saving me."

"Oh. Do I get any thanks?" He grinned at Aiden who tightened his hold on Isabella. "Either way I leave tomorrow, I think father was leaving too. We must get back to Jaria." He winked at Isabella. "You coming?" He asked Aiden.

Aiden opened his mouth and closed it again.