So this has been a particularly busy time in my life, but I find that I now have some time to relax. It feels awesome to finally be able to escape the writers block I've been experiencing. To those of you who have sent reviews and encouraging comments during this time, I am very grateful and and very sorry that this has taken me so long. I hope some of you have stuck around. I intend to be better about my writing and wrap up most of my open stories in the next month or so.

Thanks to Bash's unusually slow pace, it's approaching dinner time when they arrive in the stables. They've shared a quiet picnic lunch and enjoyed the peaceful nature of the French countryside, which has made this dread filled ride quite pleasant. However, now Lola can fill the butterflies in her stomach again. It's as if their mounts' paces slow as the castle comes into view.

Even though the last league dragged on and on, it is over far too soon for Lola who finds she is being helped to dismount by her new husband. He gently sets her feet upon the ground. She stares at the ground and smoothes her skirts before chancing a glance up at him.

He smiles warmly. For Bash, this is the homecoming he didn't think was possible a mere 2 days prior. He has no doubt that they can weather whatever storm this castle holds. He takes her arm and strolls into the castle with the full intention of showing her their new shared space.

"Bash, do you mind if I stay in my rooms tonight?" she pauses aware of how that must sound. "I just think that such a big move will require some planning and preparation."

He nods. It is not exactly the homecoming he imagined, but none of this is what he imagined. For one, if he's honest with himself, he never pictured being wed, until Mary. I suppose I should be grateful for Mary preparing me for this, he speculates.

Ever the gentleman, he walks her to her suite and pulls open the heavy wooden door. Lola's eyes go wide with shock and then flash with anger. Her rooms are bare. Where once her space had been pristinely ordered it is now as sterile as fresh bandages.

He's grateful it didn't have to be him that forced her into his space, but he feels sorry for the poor soul who did this without his lovely wife's permission. "Well, I suppose you'll be moving in after all," he quips.

Her shoulders fall in defeat. She isn't ready for this. One night was enough uncomfortable, awkwardness for her, at least until they know each other better. I can't live with a stranger, she thinks. She allows herself to be lead docilely to his suite of rooms.

When he opens the door for her, he is for a shock of his own. Someone, most likely whoever decided that it was time for them to be a proper man and wife, has reorganized all of his things in order to intermingle all of hers. Well this will take some getting used to, but at least it was done tastefully without any bickering.

"I must go see Kenna," she announces abruptly even as she turns on her heels to walk to her friend's room. He decides that this is an errand that she is best off doing alone.

Her knocks on Kenna's wooden door ring out down the stone hallways. She hopes Kenna can feel the anger she feels in the knocking.

Kenna joyfully swings the heavy wooden door open. "Lola! Come in! How did you like your rooms? You must tell me all about your night of wedded bliss!"

"I hate my rooms for apparently I now share them with a stranger," she says wasting no time getting to the point of her visit, which is most definitely not the social call that Kenna was expecting.

That's when Kenna notices the ice in her friend's blue orbs. "You are married, Lola, and in a way most shameful to your reputation, if I might add. It's only right and proper that you and Bash appear to be the most conventional married couple at court now."

Lola crosses her arms and straightens her shoulders preparing herself for the verbal battle.

"Besides Queen Mary ordered it," Kenna finishes. "Diane and I simply carried out her directions."

Lola deflates at the mention of her predicament being inflicted on the order of her Queen. "Why would she do this to me? I can't live with a stranger, Kenna."

"Well perhaps because you made her very uncomfortable in a very public way yesterday, and now you should be privately uncomfortable to make up for it? But also, because no one knows, or ever may know, that you and Bash are total strangers. You told the world you were lovers, when he was promised to Queen Mary. Remember?"

Lola nods and composes herself, softly brushing the forming tears from her eyes. "I suppose I shall go face the music with my lord and husband than."

Kenna reaches for her friend as she exits, but holds herself back from actually capturing her. She tells herself, she needs this moment to figure out how her and Bash will handle their marriage.

Meanwhile, Bash attempts to make himself comfortable sitting on the couch with a drink. However, it doesn't take very long for him to succumb to the desire to investigate their new living situations. He tells himself that it is only out of practicality. After all I really must know where all my things are in this new organization. But when he is honest with himself, there is a certain joy in getting to go through his mysterious wife's things without her knowing. He tells himself that this intrusion will help him to know her better.

He learns she is meticulously well ordered. Her favorite dress colors are pastels and her favorite patterns are floral. Her jewelry tastes are not extravagant. She has kept a locket from her first love Colin engraved with a declaration of his love. She keeps a well-worn Bible in her nightstand. She has a small well-loved library of the classics. She has a leather bound journal that he longs to browse, but forces himself to put down. Her handwriting is small, neat and deliberate in the account book she keeps managing her portion of the family finances. There are two bundles of letters – one from Colin and one from her family in Scotland.

His linens and rugs remain, so he assumes her taste was deemed to feminine for him. This is when he realizes that his mother must have been in on this; otherwise all regard for his comfort and preferences would have been forgotten. The bathtub has been placed in a corner near enough to the fireplace to draw warmth but behind a screen for privacy, something he is sure Lola will appreciate. He finds himself quite happy with the way their lives seem to have merged.

That's when the raven with the eyes of ice returns. He turns toward the door at the sound of it scraping open. She stands there clutching her arms folded tightly against her body looking anywhere but at him. He stands awkwardly staring at her unable to tear his gaze away.

"We should go to dinner in the great hall tonight. Everyone will want to congratulate us. Plus it should quiet some of the gossip," he says.

"Not tonight," she flat out refuses. "I really must write to my parents and my brother before news of my shame reaches them from another."

"That can wait," he replies, trying to keep her from anymore unpleasantness tonight.

"No, it can't. Too many people know. News will reach them soon – one way or another." There is a long pause where she stares at her feet. "Besides I simply do not have the energy to deal with social interaction tonight." Her eyes meet his.

They're deep longing pools of pale blue begging him not to force her. He finds himself powerless to resist her unspoken request. He nods.

She begins to set up her writing station at their table. He summons the serving girl and requests some dinner be brought to them, and then he begins to set up his own quill opposite hers.

"What are you doing?" she asks incredulously. She had hoped for privacy during the painful process of placing her shame into written words for her parents to read.

"I think it is only proper that any letter discussing your situation be accompanied by a letter from your husband, your parents' dutiful son-in-law, and the perpetrator of this offense to begin with."

She wants to hate him for invading her space, for refusing to allow her even the most brief time alone to process her pain, but she can't help but appreciate how truly he wishes to help her bear this burden and his seemingly sincere desire to be a part of her family no matter the circumstances.