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(the night after the escape)
Ayla woke up still in Victor's arms. She stretched and realized how sore she was. She blushed furiously at the memory of what they did. She reached down and pulled the covers up over them. She wasn't sure she wanted him to look at her nakedness in spite of what they had done. Ayla looked at the man that she didn't know if she could trust but somehow gave herself to. She traced his jawline softly and smiled a little. She lay her head down underneath his chin and hugged his waist.

Victors eyes slowly opened as he felt something stir in his arms and yawned. His vision was a bit blurry, but as he looked down he smiled slightly to see a smiling Ayla hugging him tightly. He rested his arm onto her shoulder and chuckled as he pulled her in tighter. [color=a0410d]"Morning my Lady, did you sleep well?"[/color] he asked before placing a kiss on her forehead.

Ayla smiled and nodded. [color=f6989d]"Never better...and you?"[/color] it dawned on her that others could find out and make things rough for her. [color=f6989d]"Can we....keep it a secret though? What we did....?"[/color] She laid her head back down remembering everything that she had temporarily forgotten. She sighed and just held onto him.

Victor adjusted himself to get more comfortable and sighed. [color=a0410d]"Very well, I will not speak a word of tonights event,"[/color] he said with a trace of sadness. [color=a0410d]"But will I have to hide my feelings for you forever?" [/color]he asked as he looked to her with concerned eyes. 

There was a knock at the door before she could answer him. She threw the covers up over his head and grabbed her robe and tied it before opening the door slightly. [color=f6989d]"Thank you."[/color] Ayla opened the letter and read it. Folding it back up she shoved it into her pocket and started looking for her dress.

Victor huffed as he threw the covers off of him and left the bed while not minding that he was still not dressed. [color=a0410d]"I guess I will have to stay under the covers from now on?"[/color] he mumbled as he saw her dress at the end of the bed. He picked up the dress and walked over to her. [color=a0410d]"Here you are,"[/color] he said as he handed her the dress.

Ayla took the dress from him and turned away from him as she let her robe fall to the ground and tugged her dress on over her head. [color=f6989d]"No, only I- I've never done this before. I have no idea how these things go. Before Fenros....everything was different. I mean you no hurt feelings. I like you, more than I should in fact."[/color] Ayla reached up and gave him a kiss as he stood there naked.

Victor nodded as he returned the kiss. [color=a0410d]"I understand my Lady, I just hope I can share this in the open soon, but I will do as you wish and keep this to ourselves,"[/color] he promised as he looked around the room. "Now where are my damned cloths?" he muttered with a grin. [color=a0410d]"Have you hidden them so I would be bare for your enjoyment?" [/color]

Ayla laughed and grabbed up his shirt and a shoe. As she kept looking for them she said, [color=f6989d]"I have to hurry." [/color]

[color=a0410d]"Why in a hurry if I may ask?"[/color] he asked as he collected the rest of his cloths and began to pull his pants on.

Ayla was already packing clothes into a bag. [color=f6989d]"I'm leaving the castle. I'm going to stay with a family friend. I'm sorry, but it's sudden for me too."[/color] She looked up at him and could swear she saw something in his eyes. She would think on what it was later. Brushing her hair and tying it back quickly she threw the last of her things in the bag.

Victor raised an eyebrow as he threw his shirt on. [color=a0410d]"Leaving the castle I can understand, but do you at least have an escort? If not I and a few of my men can see you there safely,"[/color] he offered as he pulled his boots on. He hid his suspicion, but thought that it was rather convenient for her to leave after her brothers death. To grieve he could understand, but something didnt feel right with it.

Ayla knew she had to be careful what she said to him but figured telling him this would be okay. He cared about her. [color=f6989d]"The Viscount is waiting for me. He promised Fenros a long time ago when I came to court that he would look after me. I guess he has figured that the atmosphere here is not a good thing for me right now. I'm going to his estate. I'll be safe there and I'll probably be helping with his siblings."[/color] She shook her head with tears in her eyes. She had lived in this castle for a long time and her entire life was here. He was here.

[color=f6989d]"I'm going to miss you so much."[/color] She hugged him tightly.

Victor returned her hug and gently rubbed the back of her head to calm her down. [color=a0410d]"I will miss you as well my Lady. I pray we will not have to be seperated for long,"[/color] he whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek. Mentally he groaned knowing that her leaving will make his job harder, but he would figure something out later on. For now he will share in her sadness. 

Another knock on the door separated them again. This time when she answered it Mattias entered the room. [color=0072bc]"Is this all you have to-"[/color] Seeing Victor he looked at her and took in the scene in the room. His voice became a little harder and more authoritative. 

[color=0072bc]"Victor isn't it?"[/color] Mattias looked him over as if he were not good enough for her. He grabbed her bags and put them outside the door and told her to wait outside. Ayla looked hesitant but went. Mattias looked at him and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

[color=0072bc]"You of the Vanguard, you will forget you even know her and if by the heavens you made her with child you'll forget you ever knew her. Do you hear me?"[/color]

Victors knuckles turned white as he stared into Mattias eyes with annoyance and gritted his teeth. It had to be this bastard. Ever since Victor had become a member of the Vanguard he has always distrusted this man. Something didn't sit right with him and he wasn't afraid to show it. [color=a0410d]"The day I take orders from you will be the day I betray the throne. I will keep Lady Ayla in my thoughts and heart no matter what you say, so if you plan to use that sword then do it!"[/color] he spat as his anger began to show. It wasn't enough that his plans to keep close to Ayla were becoming harder, but this snake was involved! It frustrated Victor to no end.

Mattias had turned and walked out of the room partway through his speech and he picked up her bags and said, [color=0072bc]"Keep close to me. There are some here who would have you suffer the fate of your brother."[/color] He ushered her into a carriage and they headed towards his estate. She looked out the window of the carriage and saw Victor as the carriage drew further away.

Later that night...

Mattias had had a long and rough day. He decided to get something to help him relax so he headed to the tavern closer to his estate. He started drinking and enjoyed a bit of gambling. He watched as a few of the king's guard came into the tavern and ordered some ale.

He raised his cup in salute to them and they drank and laughed.

[color=00a651]"Come on Victor, what happened!?"[/color] one of Victors men asked as they neared the tavern. Once again Victor groaned and smirked to his fellow knight. 

[color=a0410d]"Like I said I swore not to speak of it,"[/color] he said and looked to the rest of his men. "And that's that!" he claimed to them all. They all groaned and booed as they were denied the tale of Victors night with Ayla. He chuckled and shook his head. Sometimes even he wouldn't believe these men to be knights. [color=a0410d]"Here, let us make some tale tonight as we drink away the night!"[/color] he stated as he and his six fellow knights entered the tavern. They cheered with joy and excitement and quickly joined in on the laughter filling the tavern. 

The men quickly found a table along side some guards men and wasted no time ordering their drinks. As the band laughed and joked Victor glanced to his right as he drank from his mug and spotted the bastard.[color=00a651] "Mattias,"[/color] he hissed as he spotted him. One of the knights, better known as Samuel, noticed his glare and followed it to give a look of his own disgust. 

[color=00a651]"Bloody hell, that bastard's here,"[/color] Samuel spat. Victor shook his head and scoffed. 

[color=a0410d]"I would bet that man thinks himself so high and mighty. Bah, he is only worth being a testing dummy within the yard,"[/color] he mumbled with anger. His fellow knight and he were silent at the table for a moment, but soon a smile formed on the knights face as Samuel tapped Victor on the shoulder. 

[color=00a651]"Oi, watch this,"[/color] he chuckled as he rose from his seat and caught the attention of the table. [color=00a651]"Lads, I know you were all hard at  work today, but did any of you catch a glimpse of that beast of a woman Ritza!?"[/color] he laughed as he imitated himself holding a pair of breasts. One of the towns guards laughed and stood up with a cheesy grin. 

[color=00a651]"Now that woman could do wonders at polishing my sword!"[/color] he shouted before half the tavern burst out with laughter. Victor shook his head and raised his hand up to catch everyone's attention as he stood up. 

[color=a0410d]"Lads, lads come now, you act like this is a real woman. I bet you a round that if you were to get near this thing you would catch something!"[/color] the crowd burst once again with laughter as Victor scratched his groin.

One of the king's guards who knew Mattias well watched his friend as his jaw clenched and unclenched the more the vanguard and their friends spouted trash about Ritza. Mattias looked up at his friend and made only the slightest nod as he rose to his feet and yanked the knight off of the bench he was sitting on and began pummelling him into the table. 

Suddenly the entire room was chaos. After Mattias pummelled that man bloody he was assaulted by more of the various knights.  Mattias picked up the table and dumped it,  the contents knocking over a bench full of knights onto their respective asses. The only thing they heard him say was [color=0072bc]"Not my girl, you don't!"[/color]

It was quite some time later before he left the tavern. His cloak was torn and he was nursing a broken hand and bloody nose but he managed to get home in one piece.