[i]Black Raven Inn:[/i]

Paul had escorted Sophia to the back entrance of the Black Raven, not interested in having any of the Count's lagging men seeing him enter.  Once inside, he'd had one of his men take charge of Sophia -- escorting her up to his room -- while he sent a second out the front entrance to retrieve Winston.

"I see no blood," he quipped when his Lieutenant entered and joined him at their corner table.  Winston caught Paul up on the morning's activities, admitting that blood or no blood, he had in fact killed one of the Count's men.  He reassured Winston, "There'll be hell to pay for that."

"No more than there will be when Lady Olivia reaches the Castle," Winston said.  He explained what Lars's daughter had told him about Lady Eddithia's current residence, offering without being prodded by his Lord, "Give me five men, and we can have your mother back here by sundown tomorrow."

"No," Paul said softly.  He shook his head softly, waiting for the barmaid to depart after having brought two flagons of ale, "Not yet.  We still don't have the lay of the land yet."

They talked for several minutes about avenues of surveillance and questioning to [i]get[/i] that lay of the land.  Then, glancing up at the second floor of the Inn, Winston smirked a bit.  "Speaking of getting [i]laid[/i] on the land ... how was your picnic?"

Paul laughed aloud, chastising his man for his crudeness.  "She's a nice girl.  We had a wonderful talk."

"Nice girl...?  Wonderful talk?"  Winston grimaced.  "So ... she's not upstairs now picking leaves out of her ass crevice from a roll under an elm?"

"No, she's not," Paul laughed again as he stood and slapped his Lieutenant on the shoulder.  He began to depart, then leaned in closer to the big knight and said, "But ... perhaps if you can keep things down here quiet and calm for a bit..."

He headed for the stairs, snapping his fingers and -- when the Innkeeper looked his way -- pointed to a bottle of wine.  With a bit more of inhibition-loosening liquid in his hand, Paul ascended to and through his door, shutting and locking it behind him.  He gave Sophia a long, hungry stare, set the bottle aside, and crossed to her.  Without hesitation, he took her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers in a wet, passionate kiss ... one hand pulling at her upper back to smash her bosom tight to his chest ... the other hand dropping to begin gathering and lifting her dress up toward her waist.

......................

[i]The Castle Westrock:[/i]

[color=tan]"Did you really have to send all those guards to come and get me, Father?"[/color]

Lars had been scribbling his signature upon a variety of documents -- including several orders of execution -- when his daughter surged into the anteroom of his personal quarters.  He set the quill aside and waved away his Chief Scribe.

[color=tan]"Do you not think I am old enough to get to know that people in town?"[/color] 

"I think you are--"

[color=tan]"You have kept me locked up in this castle every time I come to visit and that is why I left without permission."[/color]

[i]"I think...![/i]" he began again, this time with a tone she recognized.  She went silent, and after a calming breath -- rather than continue to chastise her for her rebellious and youthful nature -- he instead said with a caring voice, "I think you put me to worry, my daughter."

Olivia drew a deep breath of her own, telling him, [color=tan]"Of course, I apologize for worrying you, Father. But still!"[/color]

"Still [i]nothing![/i]" Lars snapped, reverting to his disciplining tone again.  He glanced beyond his daughter to see the handmaiden trying to look inconspicuous.  Lars drew in a deep breath and demanded, "Be gone!  Less I turn you over to the Castle Guard brothel!"

Lars ignored Olivia's response to his rude and crude interaction with the quickly departing servant, instead diverting his gaze from her a moment, then standing to come around to step up close to her.  He took her shoulders into his hands and -- again calm and fatherly -- said, "My daughter ... there are so many dangers beyond the castle walls ... even more so now with the return of Lord Paul and his band of outlaws."

He watched Olivia's reaction to the last, then quickly clarified, "Olivia, you don't know these men.  But [i]I[/i] do.  They are thieves ... raiders ... murderers and rapists.  Paul Cranston may have left Westrock the son of a Nobleman ... the Lord of a Duchy Guard Force ... but he returns little more than a Warlord ... the leader of Highwaymen who have, for nearly a decade, survived by raiding villages ... by killing hard working citizens of Counties and Duchies across the east to line their pockets with coin to be spent on loose women and mind-poisoning brew."

He squeezed her shoulders and pulled her tight to him, begging, "Please, my daughter ... you must not fraternize with these ... these [i]black hearts[/i] ... for they will be the end of you."