It was a week later when Sylvia began to really miss Aranhil, her stomach often turning & flipping from nervousness. Roland was nice company, relaxing & calm, but each time the bushes in the distance shook, or she heard noises not too far away, Sylvia would stand in attention & hope that her husband was here to retrieve her.

"I can take you back to the castle," Roland offered once.

"I want him to come get me," Sylvia stubbornly replied, "It's meaningless unless he comes to get me & I know he wants me back."

..._..._...

Nearing the end of his patience, River finally took a step towards the woman, & then another. He would never raise his hand to a woman that did not attack him first, but the maid had no knowledge of that, & he allowed her the assumption for now that she was currently in physical danger. So what if Emera's mother wasn't raped? How did that absolve the father for impregnating a woman who wasn't his wife & then toss her aside when she told him of their child?

"I'm going to warn you only once, you pitiful girl," River said quietly, "The Elven kingdom is currently bending over backwards to please me right now, so if I were to announce that a certain someone had seduced one of the king's precious sons into her bed, just as so so claim Emera's mother did, I wonder if your only punishment would be a mere dismissal from employment. I couldn't care less what a gossiping child like you thinks of me, but I'm not going to stand by idly while you slander my future wife's good name over the sins of others. Turn around, leave my sight now, & never allow me to see your face again, or the whore you [i]are[/i] will be revealed to the whole Elven kingdom."