Marina returned a frown when she heard her father laughing at her concern. She knew he was drunk and was not thinking clearly, but it still irked her nonetheless. She hated it when she was not taken seriously.

"Your Lord liked you, and that's a good thing.  And tomorrow, you will cross the bridge to seek an audience with the Earl … to see if there is work for you in his--"

Before she could reply angrily to his outrageous words, he suddenly fell forward and slammed onto the ground with a thud.

"Father!"

Marina's reflex was unfortunately too slow to catch him in time, so she could only crouch down and help him get up.

Only for him to abruptly hug her and kiss her on the cheeks.

"F-Father!"

The scent of his drunken breath was terribly unpleasant, making her struggle to release herself from his embrace. But once again, his strength won over her, and she could only stare in discomfort and confusion when he grasped her face.

"I love you, daughter," he proclaimed with a sincere tone.  "You are my child … my only child … my loving child … and I would do anything for you … give anything to you … anything I can … anything I have."

"Father, what are you talking about?" Marina replied. She now had stopped struggling as she was starting to be seriously worried for her father.

"I have failed you … and your mother.  I have failed you.  I have nothing to offer you but the breath in my body-- And right now even that is nothing you would want to have."

"Father, stop saying that!" Marina shouted back, tears starting to stream out of her eyes as well. "I'm perfectly happy with the life we have now! And you have done so very much for our family already! You're not a failure! You never are!"

When he hugged her in a nearly crushing hug, she hugged his back as strongly as she could. He slurred some more terrible words that she didn't want to her, gave her another kiss and a hug, before slumping back as he lost his consciousness.

"Father!"

Marina screamed. The people surrounding them were now all staring towards them as they had made quite the scene. Thinking the worst, Marina nearly called for the guards for help.

Only for her to hear the snore coming from her father.

He was sleeping. That was all.

"Oh Father..."

She quickly carried him upwards. She was strong enough to do so without any help though it was quite the awkward thing to carry someone taller than you. Slowly but surely, she left the feast, back to the road towards their humble little house. Thankfully it wasn't that far from where they were right now, so she didn't have to call for help to carry her father.

She never liked depending on others. If she could do it herself, then she would. One man actually offered his help to her but she refused, saying that they would be fine on their own.

Once she reached her home, with every inch of her body soaked with sweat from carrying her father, she forgot everything involving the Earl as she threw herself on her rough straw bed, after changing out of her damp dress into her terribly worn and thin nightgown. She fell asleep so terribly quickly with how full and tired she was. She wasn't bothered in the slightest by the noise of the lecture her mother was giving to her father for arriving back home in such a state.

Little did she knew that her life would be changed forever, all thanks to his father forcing her to present herself to the Earl.