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For Your Protection (Sliverknight X N7Biotic)

N7Biotic

Star
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Location
The Void of Lost Time
For as long as she could remember Odriaros had been a place of peace and harmony, even while she was a little girl. Princess Amelia had a happy childhood. The kingdom was excited to see the Princess grow and thrive into the future Queen of their kingdom. However, being a Princess did have its downsides. When she became a young lady, her days were filled with learning the history of the lands, how to be a proper Queen, and most importantly: how to be a proper lady, but there was always someone she could turn to, to make her have some fun for a couple of hours. Sergio was a squire serving under Ser Arnold, a famed knight of their land. Whenever she could get him away from his usual chores and Ser Arnold was distracted, Princess Amelia would always ask him to come play with her. As children tended to do, they got into havoc. They would sneak treats from the kitchens, play around with the hunting dogs and their pups, and even sneak into town in disguise. Her mother, the Queen, would catch them every now and then though and Princess Amelia would get assigned extra work helping the people she messed with and she was sure, Sergio had his own punishments too from Ser Arnold, but it never stopped them from finding ways to see each other and make each other laugh.

As Princess Amelia grew into a woman, Sergio grew along side her. It became harder and harder to see each other as often as they did as kids, but they still made some kind of time for each other. Some days they would eat together, other days they would rest underneath a tree leaning on each other, but most of the time it was just simple conversation. The Princess made sure to go to every tourney Sergio was competing in and cheered him on. She nearly jumped for joy when he did so well that they decided he earned the right to become a full fledged knight. She congratulated him and felt so proud that her closest friend had finally got what he deserved. Her father, the King, had decided it was appropriate that Ser Sergio be her personal bodyguard and before they knew it, it was like they were kids again, just with much less havoc making. It was rare to see one without the other since then and Princess Amelia had never been happier.

That was, before war started. A neighboring kingdom attacked one of Odriaros' territories and things were never the same. Her parents, especially her father was rarely seen outside of the war room and he looked as though he hadn't ate or slept in months. Princess Amelia watched as her father became more fearful of what may happen, but it only grew worse everyday. She tried to convince he that everything would be well. They were winning more battles then loosing, but it wasn't enough for him and she grew more worried for him everyday. The Princess confided in her knight and soon found herself needing his company now more then ever. Her worry grew so great that Princess Amelia even started caring for herself as much. The Princess was a rather beautiful woman, even in her worried stated. Her long auburn hair ran all the way down her mid back in a mix of curls and waves. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with life, but these days that light seems to have dimmed. Her skin was lightly tanned, but started to turn pale from staying inside more then going outside. The Princess really only came outside to keep up appearances. She had a rather impressive body as well, one that had caught the eye of many possible suitors. Her breasts were well-developed, her curves like an hourglass, and her rear, plump and firm. Even in the most conservative dresses it was hard to hide her natural form. She had just gotten dressed in one of her many dresses when she heard a knock at the door. The Princess answered to find one of the castle's guards telling her that the King wanted to see her immediately and Amelia became worried. As she followed the guard to the throne room, her mind was racing with what could be so urgent that her father needed to see her right away.
 
Sergio had worked for the Royal Family for a long time at this point in his life, the young man was proud of this fact and he was glad to have helped. He had gone to help on the front of war a few times and made a hell of a good name for himself as a warrior, when he wasn't at the castle. He had won or turned a lost battle to victory a handful of times. He had seen the horrors of war and he had seen the lovely peace of the castle. He knew that war was serious business and he knew the stalemate was not good for either kingdom. He knew that was what it was at that moment too. Despite his achievements, the war had came to a grinding halt as neither side could land a final blow on the other.

He was called to meet with his boss still the great knight Arnold. He had been his teacher and made him partly into one of the best knights of the kingdom. He knew the other reason, and that was he didn't ever want to disappoint the princess. She was a beckon of hope and comfort for him as he enjoyed all his time with her. He arrived the young man was an adult now. Sergiogrew into a fine young man, and a man who loved to help others and worked to protect those he cared about. His job was as important to the young man as anything else, and he knew when he because the princess' bodyguard to take the job as serious as he could.

He got the news about the job, about what had to be done, and he changed the plan with his own ideas. He knew that he had to take the princess undercover. He was to take her to some hidden away corner, but he knew just the place, that of his father's old lands. It was out of the way and no one ever went there unless they had too. He knew the people, but not that well as he hadn't been home in a few years, and the idea of a knight bring his new bride home would make more sense than anything else and he could blend in far easier there than anywhere else. He talked his way into getting the plan approved and he knew that it would be the best chance to protect Amelia.

As the meeting came to a close he waited for her arrival, his boss had gathered men and told them to get supplies, as the true location was to only be known to him as he didn't tell the others the name of the location only that he would hear news and get information when it was needed. He would keep this stuff hidden as the less people who knew it the better and if only he knew well no one could find out easily. He waited as he knew that the princess would be shocked, but it was the only way, the threat was real and protecting her in a major city with to many people and keeping her protected in the castle where information leaked and people were easier targets was foolish.
 
Princess Amelia followed her guard closely as she made her way towards the throne room. Her father never called for her unless something was happening or there was someone he wanted her to speak to, but seeing her so urgently out of no where brought some alarm to her. She dreaded what kind of horrible thing her father was going to tell her. Amelia worried that he was sending Ser Sergio away to fight on the front lines and having another knight instead guard her. Sergio already went to war before and it was the most awful time of her life. She was terrified to lose him, someone she was so close to, someone she considered her best friend. Amelia didn't know if she could handle it well if that was the case. This war was at a stalemate at the moment, but it didn't mean that the battle he would be involved in wouldn't be the one to kill him. Her heart would shatter if she lost him, she learned that the hard way the first time he left her.

The guard opened the door for her to enter the throne room. She saw Ser Sergio standing before the throne her father sat in and a tinge of worry shot through her, but she managed to put on a smile anyway. The Princess stepped forward to stand beside her bodyguard and looked up at her father. A look of worry and pain was on his face and it slowly made her forced smile fade. "Father, you called for me?" She asked in her sweet and lovely voice. Her father looked even worse then before. She couldn't tell if it was purely because of his expression that made him look so awful, but she could of sworn his beard was grayer then usual and looked much older then he actually was. He lifted up a hand to beckon her closer. Amelia looked to Siego with a concerned expression before walking with grace up the steps and to her father's throne. Once she was before him, her father took her hand into both of his and looked at her with a forlorn expression. "I received a letter today." He started before continuing, "It's contents were...worrying..." Amelia gave her father a confused expression. "What do you mean?" She asked innocently. He sigh and took a moment before speaking again, "It threatened to have a assassin come in the night to take your life." Amelia gasped and her eyes widened, "It has to be a cruel trick to try to throw you off. No one would dare try to do such a thing.", but her father shook his head softly. "No, I'm afraid. We already discovered a cook who had been concealing poisons to use against you."

She didn't know what to think. The idea of someone trying to kill her in the safety of her home just seemed to awful to think about, but she couldn't deny that it was a smart move to try to unnerve her father. Either way, she knew that he couldn't take the risk. All she worried was what he planned to do about it. "But Ser Sergio..." She started before her father lifted a hand to silence her. "Can't do everything that would be needed to protect you on his own." He finished for her before continuing, "However, he came to me with an idea that may be our best solutions." Princess Amelia turned to look at Sergio for a moment before going back to her father, fearing what he might say next. "He purposed he take you into back to his home to hide amongst the citizens there posing a his new wife until the war is over." Amelia was stunned for a moment as her cheeks grew a bit red. Her? Ser Sergio's wife? She knew it would just be for appearances, but the idea alone was enough to make her blush, but she supposed it was their best bet. The castle was no longer safe for her now and if her father was constantly on the look out for assassins then he couldn't focus on the war and that outcome was much more gruesome. Princess Amelia gathered herself and used her training to appear more unfazed and regal. "I see. It does seem the best solution." Before looking over her shoulder to look at Ser Sergio with a confident smile, "I trust Sergio with my life. I'm confident I'll be just fine in his hands."
 
Sergio listened to the king as he stood still as he looked at the king and the princess. He knew that the king was worried about his daughter, and he knew that her death would be a deep blow to the people of the kingdom. Amelia was beloved by the people, he knew this when he was with her he saw the way people looked at her, and he knew the way they talked about her and he knew the way common people looked at her too. She was considered like the angel of the kingdom, a special female that people loved to admire and looked to as a symbol of hope and joy. He too looked up to the princess and her natural charm and grace. He couldn't let anyone ever threaten that.

Sergio looked up at the King and the Princess, "I believe we should get moving, I will take the princess though the hidden paths so that it is not seen that she is leaving so that anyone who is tracking her will not be able to follow us and figure things out. I am sure that you will be successful my lord and I will make sure that your daughter is protected. I will make sure your daughter returns to you just as good as she is know.," he informed the king. He waited for the king to give his okay. He had prepared things for the trip ahead of this, he had the wagon waiting in a hidden cave and the wagon had things for the two of them as she couldn't dress as a princess from that day on wards.

Sergio nodded as he motioned for the princess to follow him out of the castle. He led her though a hidden down down into a basement maze that was not easy to get though and impossible if you didn't know the path. He luckily did as he held her hand and led her though the maze though for a good while. "Now princess, I am sorry but the clothes are those of a commoner, and they are things that were extra that I found in the donation boxes so that we can dress you as a normal woman. You are my wife for the next little while as he are going to have to act that dear, I am sure we can pull it off, the people where we are going are all nice."
 
The idea of leaving everything she's ever known was a scary thing, but Amelia knew it would be for the best. Her parents would be able to concentrate on the war and hopefully she would return to them within the year. It pained her to leave her father when she wanted to support him, but it was necessary. Her mother probably couldn't stand to see her beloved daughter leave and stayed behind while her husband saw her off. Amelia couldn't blame her and it would hurt even more to see her mother cry. She kissed her father's hand on last time before reluctantly letting him go. The King smiled sadly at his daughter and the knight as Sergio spoke on to reassure her father. He gave a gentle nod of approval to Sergio and said with a saddened tone, "I trust you'll do well." Finally, he gave his blessing to them to leave with a gentle brush of his hand and that was the end of it. The Princess looked at her father for what could be the last time for quite awhile before turning and joining Sergio to where he planned to take her.

Princess Amelia followed Ser Sergio closely, trying to keep her mind off of the painful goodbye. She knew of the secrets that laid in the basement, but never explored it herself. Her father told her to never go down there by herself since it was easy to get lost in and to get hurt in. Sergio must of learned the tunnels for his plan. After all, it was the best way to sneak her out of the castle. If her people saw her leave, it would be as though their beacon of hope was disappearing and it would put her more at risk since she was sure there were a few spies hidden among her people to leak information to the other warring kingdom. It was dark, but luckily the torches gave them some light to see where they were headed and with Sergio by her side, she was sure they wouldn't get lost.

Ser Sergio held her hand as he guided her through the seemingly endless tunnels. Her cheeks blushed lightly at his touch. It wasn't as though they hadn't hold hands before, but with the idea that she was suppose to pose as his wife made it a bit more serious then it actually was, but she held it tight in fear of getting lost if she ever let go. "It's quite alright. I didn't expect to wear any of my dresses, it wouldn't look quite right. I don't mind it really, it may actually be good for me to see life for the common folk so I can be the best Queen I can be for them and make their lives better." She smiled softly as she followed him. "I'm sure everyone there is lovely, especially since it's your home Sergio. I always wanted to see where you came from." She chuckled, trying to lighten the seriousness of the situation.
 
Sergio loved the positive nature of the princess. Amelia was such a sweet and nice woman, who was going to be a great king someday when she got married. She had a noble spirit to her and she had a kind heart as well. He admired such aspects of her and the fact she was able to look to the good side of things even when she was driven from her home under the cover of night almost. He was going to protect that heart, and that woman as he knew that there was anything more he could do. He led her to the exit of the caverns and there waiting for them in the woods was a wagon that had supplies in it and his horse. He had left this all ready for them himself the day before.

He took the princess into his arms and lifted her up onto the wagon as he let her up there, the wagon had a good bench in the from from where one would drive the horse. He climbed up after her and took a seat at the reigns to the horse. There was not much in the wagon as it only could be pulled by a horse. He gave Amelia a smile out of the corner of his eyes as he nodded his head, "Well, Amelia, your going to have to think up a new name so that people don't know who you are. Also remember your surname will be Antonia, while you are undercover, it is my last name, thought I don't think I ever told you that fact," he said blushing slightly.

He pulled the wagon forward though a old hidden path in the woods. He looked ahead of himself as he drove the wagon forward. "The village is a small one, with only a five or six dozen in the village itself and most people living outside of the village in the countryside. My Mother was a countless and my father a common mercenary, so my name isn't actually the same as my mother's it will make hiding easier as if someone tracks me they will head to where my father is from and thus end up in the wrong place, if they can as tracking either is not easy, we will be way out in the country. The river is lovely though and the land is beautiful," he explained as he talked more about the village to give her some idea of what to expect from what he remembered.
 
When the caverns finally ended, Amelia saw the wagon that awaited them, filled with the supplies that they would need for the journey. The sight of the wagon made her chest tighten, not because she was scared or didn't want to leave with Sergio, but because it meant that she would be leaving almost everything she knew once she stepped onto that wagon. It was scary in a way, but at least she had Sergio. If she didn't have him by her side, then Amelia probably wouldn't be as brave as she was trying to be right now. Sergio was did bring out something in her. She didn't want to be dead weight when she was around him, so she pushed herself past her boundaries to keep up with the knight. He was already risking his life protecting her at all costs, so she didn't want to make his job more difficult with being too scared to do anything or being unable to help herself. She even requested some archery lessons from the arms master in case she would ever need it to help Sergio if the castle was attacked. Amelia wasn't very good at it yet, but at least she knew how to draw back her bow, even if her aim was off.

She sat comfortably on the wagon, giving a sweet, "Thank you", to Sergio after he helped her up. Amelia took Sergio's words into consideration. After all, she couldn't introduce herself as Amelia or else she would be more easily recognized if her name was connected to one of the royal life she was leaving behind. The idea of sharing Sergio's last name though did bring a little blush to her cheeks. She shouldn't be too surprised about it since she was posing as his new bride, but she couldn't help it. Sergio was a handsome and strong man with a good heart and the idea of being his little wife only made her blush more. "I...I like Antonia. I think it's lovely." She replied a bit nervously as her hands balled up with the skirt of her dress in them. Amelia was quiet for a moment before speaking up again, "How about Sofia? Sofia Antonia...I like the way that sounds..." She smiled gently, trying to make the red from her cheeks fade before Sergio might notice.

Amelia smiled sweetly and looked at Sergio with innocent eyes while she listened to him talk about his home village. Sergio never really talked about his parents often, so it was nice to know a little more about them. She never knew his father was a mercenary and his mother was a countess, but it was interesting to know. His village sounded wonderful and pleasant. Amelia never really visited the villages before, so it would be a new experience for her. She may have to work more then her castle life had her do, but if it made things easier for Sergio, then she would happily do it. "It sounds wonderful. I can't wait to see it." She smiled sweetly, "If you need any help or need me to do something for you, don't hesitate to ask. You're already doing enough and risking your life for me. I don't want to add anymore onto you and I want to show my appreciation in anyway I can."
 
"Just rest for now, we have a long trip ahead of us, and I will treat you as a normal woman, if I didn't treat you like one, then the people would well figure you out far to quickly and all," he commented to Amelia as he was sure that he was going to find this tricky in some ways. He let her rest as it was still rather late, or really early in the morning. He let her rest against him as they traveled, the trip was a rather long one and they traveled though out the night as he took her in a direction she would never of seen before and it was off any major road. The isolation of his village and the fact that it was so away from the world would help protect Amelia from her foes. He would protect her as she was so important to him, and he would never want to see her hurt if he could help that simple fact.

As she would wake up in the morning she would still find them traveling with the sun up in the sky, the valley that was before them was beautiful, surrounded by large mountains with one pass in and out of the village and a river that cut though the area. It was an area covered with farms of all type as the one city in view was the destination. It was small, tiny compared to the capital with none of the fancy things one would find in the capital itself. She would see the whole valley before her, from the beautiful blue river to the green fields as smiled looking at his own home. The reason they were here was obvious as it was so far away from the capital and a place no one ever went to unless they were from the city.

He rode down the hill as he saw people working on the farms as they would wave happily to him as they seemed to know the knight. He rode forward as he saw many people working each families and people who lived in small simple homes as he rode to the city itself. He rode into the city, as he looked at people who were gathered around as he looked at people surprised to see him as he looked at the villagers. He headed to his old home that was kept up by the people of the village, the largest home of the village and the house of the lord of the region which in this situation he was as a minor count himself. He wasn't sure if she knew he was a count or just thought of him as a knight, but she would see that fact now.
 
The idea of getting some rest did sound like a good idea. The Princess was rather tired from everything that got thrown her way within the hour and judging by the sky, it was still rather late. She smiled at her knight and gave a little nod, "Sounds wonderful. It might actually be nice to be treated differently. I would get a better understanding of the people of my kingdom that way." She smiled sweetly before a gentle yawn escaped her lips, the back of her hand covering her mouth politely as she did. "Rest does sound nice...don't hesitate to wake me if you need me Sergio." She finished softly before closing her eyes. The sway of the wagon along with the sound of the leaves of the trees rustling gently in the breeze made it easy for the Princess to fall asleep rather peacefully. While it wasn't the most comfortable place to fall asleep, she didn't mind it either. Amelia didn't expect to have the same luxuries or comfort that her palace had given her all her life, so she was either tired enough to fall asleep anywhere or came to terms with the conditions she may go through. Nonetheless, sleep came easy to her and she didn't wake until the morning.

Amelia woke up to the feeling of the warm sun against her skin as the gently breeze jostled her hair. The sway of the wagon still rocked her gently and made it hard for her to fully wake up, but knowing what was needed of her, Amelia forced herself to wake up. When her eyes opened, she was greeted by the sight of a beautiful valley. The castle was far from her eye sight, but what replaced the sight of her home was a welcomed sight. The large mountains and rivers occupied by the sight of quaint little farms brought a smile on her face. The sights and sounds were completely different from the ones she was use to at the capital, but in a way, it was more peaceful then the hustle and bustle of the numerous people and carts trying to get through their days in a smaller, restricted area. "Good morning Sergio." She greeted sweetly, wondering if the knight had been awake the entire night or if he had at least some sleep. "This place is beautiful..." She commented softly as her eyes wondered around her new environment.

The Princess was a bit nervous that she would be recognized easily by the farm folk, but due to the fact her dress was one of her lesser fancy ones and her hair was slightly disheveled she prayed it wouldn't be so easy. If anything they may think she bore a resemblance to the Princess and hopefully nothing more. The city they rode into wasn't as fancy or large as the capital was, but it was still rather impressive from first glance. The first thing Amelia noticed was the fact most people seemed to know Sergio rather well. Some, however, seemed surprised to see him return, but she supposed she couldn't blame them. After all, Sergio was appointed to be her personal bodyguard and seeing him return home, "without" the Princess could raise a few questions. Questions they could luckily answer that would dash away all chance of suspicion or doubt. However, it was the home they were heading to that took her most by surprise. Amelia knew that Sergio had been a bit of higher status then the rest of his fellow villagers, but she had never seen his original home before. It was rather impressive and looked more well off then the other villager's homes, but had a charm to it that her castle did not. "Is this your home?" She asked curiously, "It's looks lovely and cozy. I never got to see it before." She smiled sweetly at him.
 
"Yes, this is my family home, it was built by my great grandfather way back before this land was even part of your kingdom, when it was just a small independent land between powerful groups," he explained as he helped her down from the wagon. "One of the reasons I work at the capital is to help earn money to pay for this area, and keep the people in good favor with the king, so they never had to worry about their loyalties ever being questioned by anyone," he explained as he put his arm around her as they stood on the solid rock titles that led to his home. The house was painted a crimson color on the outside drawing anyone's eye to it It was in good keep too, and the reason for that would be obvious rather soon as he stood with his arm around Amelia. He had to think of something for her as a background.

He turned her slightly towards him and kissed the princess on her lips, his lips pressing firmly against her lips for a good moment as a couple of people came from the inside of the quaint home. There was a older man and woman and a few younger people along with them. The group happy but surprised to see the young man and the woman and the fact he was kissing her as well, though the latter made obvious sense to them. "Welcome back, my lord, it is good to see you have returned from the capital," a old man who was dressed as a butler and worker in the castle. "I must say we are surprised to see you, has something happened in the capital?"

"Not that I know of, but I am not that important to know things," he said as he looked at the man, "I have recently found my wife, as you suggested I should do a number of times, good Alonso," he said with a smile as he looked at the man, "I am bringing my wife to see the home of her husband. This woman is a handmaiden of the princess and we meet while I was protecting the princess," he explained as he knew that would help a lot, "she has never been out of the capital though and she wanted so desperately to see my home land," he said as he then paused for a moment as he looked at the group who were gathered in front of them, "That said I figured that it would be best if I let my beautiful wife introduce herself," he said as he let her take the stage. He trusted she could handle this, and he didn't want to cross up things or stories with her.
 
The little Princess smiled and listened to her knight explain things to her as he helped her down the wagon. Sergio told her a little bit about his childhood and his home before coming to the capital when they were younger, but she didn't know there was much more to the story then she originally thought there was. However, Amelia was always eager to hear more from Sergio, especially now they were going to be even closer then ever. The home, along with the village itself, was a rather cozy and comfortable looking place that only gained compliments from her father. It probably helped that the man who came from this place had become a trusted friend to the Princess as well as her personal guard which only helped the village's case in her father's eyes. "Well, I'd say you did a rather good job since I remember this area is in good favors with my father and makes sure their needs are met." She replied softly before feeling his arm around her. Amelia blushed softly feeling his strong arm around her. She knew that she had to play the part of his new bride, but Amelia wasn't prepared for what they might of needed to do to prove they were a happily married couple. Just the idea alone was enough to make her blush even more intense. Amelia just hoped that it wasn't too easily seen or else she might get even more embarrassed then the already was.

Nothing could of prepared Amelia from what Sergio had done next. She barely had time to react as she felt Sergio guild her to look at him before pushing his lips against her own. Her eyes widened in surprised and her face nearly grew an intense shade of red. The sudden action had brought a little squeak from her lips the second his had touched hers and she froze in place. Amelia's mind was blank for a moment before she slowly started to accept the kiss as the shock started to wear off. She slowly closed her eyes and let Sergio kiss her. Amelia had never kissed anyone before until this moment. It wasn't proper of her to kiss someone who she wasn't courting. In a way, this was proper. After all, they were posing as a married couple, but she still couldn't help, but feel shy and embarrassed by the action. Though, the little Princess couldn't deny that it strangely brought her comfort and felt nice to feel his lips upon her own. Amelia didn't even notice the eyes that were on them until he had broken the kiss. She was still slightly stunned and found herself losing the ability to talk for the moment as the other voices around them nearly sounded inaudible as her thoughts only seemed to think about the kiss.

It took her a moment to realize that Sergio had shifted the conversation to include her own voice, but luckily it wasn't a suspiciously long pause either. "Hello, my name is...Sophia." She introduced herself sweetly, hoping that her excuse for having a bit of trouble speaking could be chalked up to her nerves seeing that her cheeks were nearly beet red. "It's wonderful to meet you all." She finished her introduction with a respect nod of her head. "I always wanted to see my husband's home and meet the people who helped make him into such a wonderful man." She smiled gently, allowing herself to get close enough to him to place a hand on his chest gently. "I've never seen such a beautiful place before though. It all looks so nice and peaceful." Amelia, or Sophia as the villagers and his family will know her as, spoke kindly and honestly, for the most part. The only lies she spoke were that Sergio was her husband and her name, but all her of her other words were truthful. She hoped she was doing a decent enough job to hide her true identity from the small group studying her. She never had to lie about anything before and feared that it showed. One slip up could ruin their plans and put them all at risk. The last thing she wanted was for this peaceful village and Sergio's family to be at risk purely because she was a bad liar.
 
The older man looked at her and smiled, these people were out of the loop, they had no clue what the princess looked like and there were no photos or anything to show them. They were happy, so very happy to see the native lord with a woman as his wife. They knew he cared for the princess, but everyone knew that was impossible, and they worried because of that he would end up alone in his life never finding anyone who would be happy with. So to see this blushing bride, told them that this was a woman he cared about and who cared about him. The details were not that important when looking at the grand scheme of things as they were happy and that mattered to the workers.

"Well, Miss Sophia, we will gather your things, I am sure that Lord Sergio would want to show you to your room, and you two can have as much time to enjoy yourself as you need," he said teasing Sergio causing him to turn a good bit red at what he was referring to. The woman smiled as she shook her hand, "It is such a pleasure, we were worried that our Sergio would never bring a woman home, he so cares about the princess, we figured he would never find a woman he could care for more, I am so happy we were wrong," she said as Sergio remained rather red as there words gave up a lot about the young knight and his feelings towards the princess.

"Well, thank you both, and I am sure that we shall enjoy ourselves," he said taking Sophia by her arm and walking quickly with her into their room as he looked at her and then sat on the bed, his face still rather red. "I think there are things that are going to take a bit of time to get used to, that I didn't think about," he said quietly as he didn't want it to be heard from outside. He looked at her and then away at the window. "now this is my room, simple and that of my father and grandfather," he said as he stood up. The room around him was nice, with classy furniture around the place. It was a lovely homely room and the bathroom that had a water pump and private bath, and all was inside.

He looked outside the house at the small garden outside, it was nice and simple, nothing like the gardens of the palace. "I figure that the people will like you a lot and I am sure that they will be happy to have you around, I don't even think anyone out here knows what the king looks like or have ever meet him other than myself," he explained, it was part of the reason they were out here, so remote that the area was almost in its own little world. He walked out and collected the bags and things and pulled them inside as he started to unpack his things, placing them away.
 
Sophia was thankful that she wasn't so easily recognized. If they have tried to hide in the capital then she would be spotted right away and would wonder why she was playing as a peasant amongst her people. The fact the villagers here didn't know her face very well would work in their favor and lower the chances of any assassins finding them unless one of them happened to either live in the village or happened to be wondering through and saw her. Sophia wasn't too sure how well the assassins knew her face, but she wouldn't put it past it for them to recognize her the moment they saw her. It was going to be a risk where ever she was, but the less that people knew of her presence here and the less traffic of visitors it had, the safer they would all be. The voice of the one the workers grabbed her attention once again and she quickly found herself blushing nearly beet red at the meaning behind his words. "Oh my...I...I mean...we..." She tried to retort, but found that she was unable to gather the right words without giving themselves away, so her jumble of words ended up fading as she slowly stopped herself from talking out of embarrassment and fear she would reveal something she wasn't suppose to. At the very least, she allowed herself to smile and chuckle a bit awkwardly and simply reply, "Well, thank you for your kindness."

She shook the female worker's hand with a firm, but friendly handshake just as her father had taught her to do as she smiled at the lady and replied, "It's wonderful to meet you too!", before listening to the rest she had to say. The female's words weren't as embarrassing to listen to, but were a bit surprising. She knew Sergio cared for her greatly, but didn't expect him to care for her so much that he hadn't found himself a nice woman to care for. It wasn't a subject they often talked about often, but she was more surprised that he didn't have eyes for a woman before. With his personality and his natural good looks, he must have of women swarm for his affections, but it seemed he never found one he cared for more then herself and she had mixed feelings about it. She smiled and giggled a little seeing that Sergio's face had gotten red too, but found herself with conflicting feelings. She was flattered to have such care from her best friend and personal guard, but it also saddened her that he hadn't had a wife before her pretending to be one. Sergio would make a wonderful husband to some lucky lady and even a better father if he ever ended up with children.

Not much more was said between them as Sergio thanked them and took her by the arm to lead her away, probably before they revealed anything else about him that would make him embarrassed. The idea was enough to make her smile as she followed him to what she presumed to be their new bedroom. The room was just as impressive and cozy as the rest of the home had appeared and if Sophia was in any other situation, she could find herself easily getting comfortable and falling asleep while she stayed in it. However, she was still too nervous to let herself get too relaxed. She was a bit hesitant to sit beside him on the bed, given the implication that were given earlier, but she slowly joined him as he spoke to her and giving them a little distance to make things less awkward. "Yeah...there's some...things I didn't think about either." She laughed awkwardly, her face still red. "It's rather lovely though. It's easy to feel safe and comfortable in a room like this." She replied, commenting on the room as she watched him stand. Her smile grew a bit more warm as he brought up how he thought the people would take to her. "I hope so. They all seem really nice. I'll be sure to help them where I can to show my gratitude for their warm welcome to someone that's basically a stranger. I really like it here. I think we're going to be just fine." She replied to him, giving him a sweet smile with her hands folded politely in her lap.
 
He had not stayed in this room in a good long while, he had not been home in around 5 or so years. It was to long and he knew it all to well. He luckily had to dressers in the room as it would make keeping their things apart easier. He unpacked as he had taken enough things from the castle, but also had enough clothes here that still fit himself. "I think so as well, and I think that you will have a chance to learn new things here, I mean you can't stay here, and will get to know the people as acting like a normal woman will make it harder to spot you as a princess," he explained honestly as he thought for a moment. "You are a lady in waiting a person who is apparently helpful and well you are a helpful woman," he said with a smile as he finished putting his things away.

He walked over and put various knives in parts of the room. He liked to have things setup so that he could use them if he was attacked by some assassin. It was best to always have a knife close enough to himself to use against any possible attacker. "Now, Am..Sophia, that is going to take some time to get used to," he said looking over at her, "while I am here, I will most likely help out around town and keep an eye on things, to make sure there isn't anything that is out of the normal," he informed her, "you are more than welcome to spend time here, or with me, or with the staff or anywhere. I am sure that they all will be helpful towards you."

He returned to sitting a decent bit away from the princess, as it felt odd to be near her as normally he only just bowed before the princess and never sat on the same level as her, as she was higher status than him and her father would be upset if he did. "The garden is smaller than yours, but it is where many fruits that keep the people well off during the winter are grown and many grapes which make the local ale and wines are also grown," he explained to her as he took a deep breath, it was still just strange to play this off as she was his wife. It was strange to think that he and her had to share a room or a bed. He paused as he thought on that, "I will sleep on the floor, so um to not leave you uncomfortable, and you shall take the bed. I am used to the floor as it is where I slept when I fought in the war. I will keep the room locked so no one walks into see that though. I do not want to cause you any dishonor or discomfort."
 
Amelia smiled at Sergio as he spoke to her while he busied himself unpacking. Her cheeks blushed a little when he called her helpful, but she tried not to focus too much on that. Sergio did have a good point however. Playing her part as a simple working woman would lower the chances of people putting two and two together in contrast to her staying in the room all day. She wasn't even sure if she could even let herself do that in the first place unless it was required for her to do so for the safety of others. Also, playing this part could be the very thing she needed to experience to become a good leader for her people. Amelia did want to be the best Queen she could be for her people and putting herself in their place would make her see things that would let her get to know their struggles better. If she got her own hands dirty instead of watching from a distance, she could see every struggle and hardship they go through on a daily basis and maybe then, she could try to make their lives better once this is all over. This village in particular would have her most sincere debts for hiding her, even if it was unaware that they were sheltering a very important person. Sergio would have her greatest debts of all. He risked himself for her on a daily basis and now was risking his entire home to protect her. She would have to think of something truly fantastic to show how grateful she was to him, for now, just doing what she could to help him would be the most she could do for him and hopefully that would be enough for now.

She got up from the bed to look outside of the window for a moment to admire the beauty of the outside world one more time before returning her gaze to Sergio. Amelia watched as Sergio put a series of knives away, hiding them in various places in the room. She wanted to remember some of the hiding places in case something were to happen while Sergio wasn't around. She chuckled a little seeing Sergio almost mess up her new name. It was going to take some getting use to for awhile, but they couldn't afford to mess it up. If one of them slipped up and said her true name in front of someone, it could cause some problems. She gave him a smile and a gentle nod. "I'm sure I can make myself useful in some way." She joked playfully. "I'll most likely help the others clean and cook, but...I might visit you every now and then if you'll have me.After all...I am suppose to be your wife, it might work to our advantage for others to see us together sometimes." She smiled, blushing a little shyly as she brought it up. The idea of being his wife was still new to her, so the idea of having to play the part still made her nervous. She wasn't sure how far they would have to take things to keep people convinced that they were a legitimate couple and that alone was enough to make her cheeks turn red.

When she saw that Sergio was making his way back to the bed, Amelia returned to her seat on the bed with her hands politely folded on her lap. "It looks lovely nonetheless." She smiled when Sergio brought up the fact the gardens were smaller then her own. "And if it give the village all it needs to be prosperous then it's more valuable then the one in the palace given that most of it is hedges and flowers, which are beautiful yes, but in truth does little in terms of food and wine." However, her smile faded into concern when Sergio brought up the fact that there was only one bed in the room. Granted, the idea of bringing a second bed in the room could raise some eyebrows, but so could Sergio sleeping on the floor if someone were to come in and see it. While the idea of them sharing a bed made her nervous and blush intensely, but she couldn't in good faith let him sleep on the floor either, even if he was use to it. He deserved the bed more then she did and the idea of making him sleep on the floor made her feel awful. "No, I can't allow that." She shook her head gently. "Sergio, you of all people should get to sleep in your own bed, but...it could also raise some concerns if we're seen sleeping in two different places or not sharing a bed...especially since we're suppose to be married. I'm...I'm fine with sharing the bed with you. A little nervous yes, but...I trust you and I know you won't do anything to me unless I wanted it too." She explained shyly, feeling her face grow redder by the second at the implications of her words.
 
Sergio looked over at the princess as he heard her reject the idea of him laying on the floor. He blinked as he looked towards her, listening to her carefully as he thought about sharing the bed with her. He looked away at that moment, his face about as red as her own face as he looked at the ground. He knew his feelings for the princess to some degree and knew how out of limits she was at the same time. He doubted he could find a woman like her in his whole life and given up looking long before. His people's view of her and the effects upon him were rather correct and to the point most of the time. He ignored all of that, and he knew that his first job was protecting the princess not anything else, as she was far to above him and to far out of the backwater count's or castle knight's league that it wasn't even funny.

He gathered her nerves after a few moments taking a deep long breath as he calmed himself down as much as he could. He heard her voice, so sweet, and so very tender at the same time. He then nodded his head as he grabbed hands and clapped them together as hard as he could before letting out a small chuckle from his own lips. He looked rather silly but there was nothing he could do. He had to focus on something else, and well if he seemed a bit goofy from time to time, then well that was that. He didn't mind looking like a goof from time to time around the princess, it was the best way to keep those feelings for her locked away as deep inside of himself as he could manage to do so.

He went over to the bed and then slowly got into the bed as he looked over at her giving her a smile. "Now, I will take this side of the bed and you can take that side of the bed, for now," he commented as he rested his head against the back of the bed. He was tired, and it was late, a whole day of traveling around with her and was tired. He knew that she was tired as well as she had traveled as much as him and had done so much along the travels. "Good night, Sophia, dear," he said to her softly as he turned his head and slowly went back to sleep as he went to sleep, quietly for the night. He knew there was a lot to learn in the coming days.

As morning broke, the distance between the two of them was gone, as he felt something on his shoulder and then he felt her looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. He saw that it was the princess, pressed up against his side, he had moved towards the middle during their sleep and she had ended up pressed up against him resting against him with the cutest look in her eyes. He blinked as he turned red as he wasn't sure how the hell this happened to the two of them. He blinked as he worried what her reaction would be when she woke up, she trusted him and now she was pressed up against him her arm around his chest as she slept.
 
Seeing Sergio's face turn as red as her own was a new sight for the Princess. She's seen him blush before, but not like this. Amelia knew it was just as embarrassing for him too, but she couldn't let him sleep on the floor, even if it was something he was use to. It just didn't feel right to her, especially now more then ever because it was his own bed too. It would be the first time she's slept in a bed with a man beside her. She knew they were only pretending to be a couple and knew Sergio wouldn't do anything she didn't want him to do, so she really didn't worry too much about it. It was just the fact he was a man that made her nervous, it didn't help that Sergio was a attractive man. She wouldn't have been so nervous about it if he had been more plain, but Sergio was a very attractive man. She heard whispers from the other girls she spent time with asking how Amelia could pass up the opportunity to fool around with someone like him, but she knew she couldn't. Not because of their class differences, but because she was scared to make things weird between them. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about kissing him before, but it just didn't seem right for her to do that without knowing if he liked her too. Other wise, it could just make things weird, but now she had and now, she was sharing a bed with him. Fate was a cruel jokester at times.

Amelia covered her mouth trying not to giggle seeing that Sergio was looking a bit silly. She didn't want to laugh, but it was hard not to. Sergio always had a way of making her laugh, ever since they were little he would find a way to put a smile on her face. It was one of the many things she liked about him. Amelia got a meet a lot of men from higher classes either seeking her favor or wanting something from her. Her parents had tried to find her someone she would admire to one day find her a suitable husband, but gave her the freedom to choose him herself. All the higher born men she meant were dull to her. None of them were really smiling or had humor, they were charming, but if she couldn't smile naturally in his presence, then Amelia had little interest in him as anything other then a friend. Seeing him come closer to her almost made her cheeks turn even redder, if it was possible. It was though she expected him to kiss her again and lay himself down on her. Amelia knew he wouldn't yet, that was what she expected anyway and a part of her felt...disappointed that he hadn't. It was ridiculous for her to feel that way, yet she did anyway. She gave him a smile and a soft nod in response to his words. "Sounds good to me." She smiled, slowly making her way to her side of the bed to slip underneath the covers. The bed was very comfortable and reminded her much of her own back at the castle, so it was easy for her to feel comfortable and sleepy from the day. His good night wishes made her smile and blush some more as she chuckled, "Good night to you too dear." It was strange being called by another name and being called "dear", from someone she's known most of her life, but it made her smile and butterflies flutter in her stomach.

When she woke from the morning Sun's light, Amelia felt her arms tighten around something strong as she slowly woke up. Her face nuzzled into a strong and warm feeling thing that felt different from the bed that her side felt. When she finally opened her eyes, Amelia's eyes widened a bit seeing that she had cuddled up to Sergio and wrapped her arms around him in her sleep. Amelia had forgotten about the fact that she was a cuddler in her sleep and often woke up with a pillow or a bundle of her blankets in her arms, but now, it was Sergio's strong body that she held. "Oh my..." She blush slowly letting him go, "I'm sorry about that...I...tend to cuddle things in my sleep." She explained with flustered embarrassment. A part of her still wanted to hold onto him and squeeze him tight in her arms. His body was oddly comfortable to her and his warmth was soothing and she strangely felt cold without her arms around him. Amelia noticed she was still rather close to him and she shyly spoke up, "I...I can move if you like. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She spoke, slightly hiding her face into the pillow to hide the fact her fact grew beet red.
 
"No, honey, it is fine to cuddle me, it will convince people that we are rather close together if we are seen like that, and I do not mind, it is not like we are doing anything," he informed her as he gave her a smile kissing her forehead softly after he turned her towards him. He then slowly got up onto his feet. "We can't stay in bed all day though, I will take a bath and prepare a new warm bath for you, by the time that you are done with the bath it will be time for breakfast. I figure after that I can take you into the garden and we can work in it together or we can go around and talk to people in the village so that you can get used to them and meet more of them, which ever one that you would prefer."

Sergio loved having her cuddled against him, but it made it challenging as he wanted to so kiss her lips, but he kept himself from doing so by only force of will. He found her blushing face to be the cutest thing he had ever seen in his whole entire life. He walked over to the dresser and took out some work pants and a old shirt of his, that would fit well enough. The knight slipped into the bathroom and found the water prepared for himself. The brown haired knight slipped into the warm water as he relaxed his muscles were a bit tense before getting into the bath. He thought about the princess, and he hoped the war would be over sooner rather than later, as he knew the longer they were alone like this, the harder to keep himself from kissing her or showing his feelings towards her would be.

Sergio was home and that was nice, and he was glad to show this world to the princess, to help her life even if they were stuck there for a long while. Sergio stretched his arm out over the shower and noticed a couple of old scars one that happened on accident when he was protecting the princess, from a nice fall. He remembered her reaction to that and how that helped convince the king that he should be her personal body guard. He was so much younger then. He blushed thinking about the memory as he washed up and cleaned himself off. He got out of the bath and then replaced the water, before getting dressed for the day putting on some boots as he worked his way back into the bedroom.

"Now, honey, your turn for the bathroom, it is all warm and nice, best you make the most of it," he said to her as he knew that she would need to take the bath right away. I will meet you down in the dinning hall when you are done, I will be reading the reports from the village, there will be a lot of them that I have to catch up on from being gone for a while and maybe a note about the war or something too," he commented as he would get reports from villagers who were fighting on the frontline asking for support or just general news. He headed down to the dinning room and sat down to read the news, and reports himself having a stack of papers to read as he waited.
 
It was still embarrassing to hear Sergio call her "honey", but she supposed it was good that she got exposed to such things, so people wouldn't think it was weird that she was still getting flustered by him calling her cute little names that couples tended to do. Amelia nearly let out a little squeak feeling him kissing her forehead. It wasn't the first time he planted a kiss on her before, but in context that they were suppose to be married made something sweet and caring seem like something more. She was even tempted to let her lips find his, but knew she shouldn't unless they had to or else he might get uncomfortable around her and she couldn't risk what would happen if he got uncomfortable around her. "A bath does sound amazing." She commented, watching him get up out of bed. "Both sound good either way. Maybe we can do a bit of both if there's time. I'd love to meet more people and see more of your village, but at the same time the idea of working with you in a garden does sound nice. I never really had to get my hands dirty before so...it could be a good experience for me." She shrugged a bit, giving him a gentle smile.

She watched him leave her alone in the room to go to the bathroom to bathe and felt a sigh leave her lips. It was becoming more difficult to write off her feelings. She's always had eyes for her knight for as long she as could remember and the way he protected her despite putting himself in harm's way never left her. Amelia told herself that it was just a role he was playing, both as a knight and a husband, and not that he was actually interested in her romantically. Yet, her gentle, unguarded heart made it easy for her to believe otherwise. A part of her wanted to push these growing feelings away, but another part of her wanted to let these things flow naturally. Maybe she'd be pleasantly surprised with the results, but she wasn't too sure if she was ready to take that risk. Deciding to wait on that sort of decision until she was more awake, Amelia pulled herself out of bed to look through the dresser that Sergio said some clothes had been prepared for her. She didn't really plan on changing clothes until she took a bath, but it didn't hurt to plan ahead. Amelia picked out a cute looking dress made for common women who worked. It wasn't as elegant as her other dresses tended to be, but the dress had its charms as well as the others. It was nice to think that she wouldn't have to worry every second of the day to make sure her dress was spotless since this sort of attire was use to some dirt on it, but she doubted it would be a habit she could break easily.

Amelia was staring outside of the window, lost in her own thoughts, when Sergio returned to her. His voice snapped her out of her thoughts and helped her smile at him. "Oh I will. A bath sounds so nice right now." She chuckled a little. In response to him letting her know where he would be when she was done, Amelia gave him a little nod and replied, "Alright dear, I'll see you in a few minutes then." She blushed slightly at her own attempt to call him a term of endearment. Once Sergio was gone, Amelia took a breath before gathering the dress she picked out and making her way to the bathroom. While it wasn't as luxurious as her bathroom back home, it was still rather impressive and nice nonetheless. She allowed her current dress to fall off of her elegant and well developed form and then stepped inside of the bath. Her skin prickled a bit from the new heat, but it was a very much welcomed feeling. She allowed herself to relax in the heat and comfort of the water for a few minutes and allowed herself to keep her mind clear for a few moments before starting to clean herself up. The feeling of warm water never failed to soothe her and make her feel nice, so she found herself quickly letting all her stress fade away until it was time for her to get out freshly cleaned and still warm.

Once she was dry enough, Amelia slipped the dress onto her naked form. The dress hugged her curves and still allowed others to notice her full, heavy breasts and plump rear, but it wasn't as distracting as her old dress was since it's main purpose was to get messed up, but still allow the woman wearing it to feel nice and show off a bit of their beauty. She liked that it wasn't as tight on her either as her other dresses have been. It still hugged her, but not to the extent the others have done. Her other, more elegant dresses were meant to attract the eyes of potential suitors who would want her as their wife one day and they certainly gave her plenty to chose from. Yet, the only person she felt anything good towards was Sergio. She wasn't sure if it was their bond, natural attraction, or a mixture of the two that made it hard for her to have eyes for someone else, but either way, it made it difficult for her to pick a man as a potential husband when she was so distracted with him. That fact didn't pass by her parents without notice, but neither had said anything to her about it in a negative way, so she supposed it didn't bother them that much. If they would allow her to pressure him was another issue, but for now, she wanted to enjoy what she had. After giving her hair a good brush, Amelia finally felt presentable to her new husband and the others as she made her way downstairs to greet him again and have some breakfast with him and maybe a few others too.
 
Sergio walked down the hall to the dinning room. He found a fresh cup of orange juice prepared for himself, and a plate prepared as well. He found the paperwork that he was expecting as well at the table as he sat down. His hands went to the paper as he picked up the first paper written out with a great deal of skill for him. He looked at the workers at the table. He smiled as he wished each of them a good morning. He was not used to being the big wig, but when he was at home he actually was. It was strange as he normally was one of the people working at the castle and who gave the information and the reports to others about what he had to do.

His eyes scanned the paper reading about the war, the needs of the people and requests. They were basic things and they were pretty much taken care of, the people who ran his house and the village were very talented, and they were used to running things as he was an absent lord most of the time. He looked at reports reading over what was done and the results, as well as the numbers of the market and farms. He made some notes on his own paper. He saw that things were good, the farms were working well and producing a lot of food, which was being sold at high prices for the war effort. He also saw that the goods coming in were limited and thus the farmers were working together to make enough to cover everyone's needs. He read about the war too, and how it was a stalemate still. He read a report from the front talking about preparations for a attack, but that attack he knew would take a good three months before it went down.

Three months as a husband, this was going to be tricky, but he would find a way to protect his princess. He looked up as he saw her come down the stairs. She looked good even in common clothes. He put aside his work as he raised to his feet and then smiled looking at her. Not calling her by her name was really hard for him. "Good morning dear, you look lovely, I hope that you enjoy breakfast," he said as he took her hand and kissed it softly, before returning to sit down. The food was brought before them, eggs and ham. It was good and a simple meal. Sergio thanked the workers for the meal and he talked idly about some minor things about the town getting the low down on minor changes such as new businesses, and changes to old families and homes.

Breakfast was good as it came to an end, he looked over at Amelia, "So, dear, what would you like to do today, work in the fields or look around the town," he asked as he would leave the choice up to her. He was sure that she would have thought about it in the bathroom. He was sure that either way it would be a good day. He knew that she never got to spend time in the capital as her father tended to keep her in the castle as she be easier to protect, but it gave her a disconnect from her people. He knew that this time here could help her with her issues connecting to the commoners of the kingdom. Something her father was really not good at.
 
For a moment, Amelia was able to see Sergio engrossed in his work. There was always something charming about seeing him so focused on something whether it be a spar or paperwork. He had his face when he was focusing on something that only made his handsome features stand out even more. She wasn't sure if it was weird that she was tempted to just stand and watch him work for a few minutes before fully presenting herself or not, but there was no denying that he looked especially handsome when his mind was running. Amelia decided against letting herself stare and admire her friend since she could feel her heart pick up its pace just from the few seconds she got to watch him in action. When his eyes met her own, Amelia almost felt her heart stop. She wasn't sure why she was feeling these things of late. She was the first one to admit that Sergio was a fantastic and handsome man, but she had only admired him, but she had come to terms long ago that it was unlikely that they could be together and thought she had lost those feelings for him. However, pretending to be his wife was starting to bring up old feelings. It had only been a short time since she began to play her role as his wife and already felt things happening to her that she hadn't felt before. She began to notice more about him. His eyes could already stop a woman's heart at first glance, but there was something about the way that he looked at her now that nearly had the same effect on her. His voice took her out of the slight trace she had found herself in and smiled sweetly at her knight from his compliment. Even now his compliments were making her heart flutter and Amelia was starting to become conflicted within herself with her old feelings for Sergio starting to show themselves once more.

For a moment, Amelia had lost her ability to speak, but luckily, she found her voice once again. With a slight redness to her cheeks, she smiled at him and replied, "Why, thank you darling. You look rather handsome this morning yourself." She returned the compliment, finding it a bit easier to call him by these sweet terms of endearment to him. "I'm sure I will. I have no doubt it'll be delicious!" She smiled at her "husband", before watching him take her hand. She watched as he brought her hand to his lips to kiss it, an act that wasn't something she wasn't use to, in fact, it was quite common for men to greet her in such a way, but there was something about Sergio kissing her hand that made her heart flutter. She even found herself tempted to kiss his lips herself, but was far too embarrassed and even a bit ashamed that she thought of it. It was difficult for her to remember that Sergio was only doing his duty and probably had no real romantic interest in her, despite the idea of it bringing her joy to think about. Sergio probably had his eye on some lovely maiden here or in the capital, but was had to pretend to be with her instead and that thought made her chest tighten and her heart ache. After all, they've been friends since they were young, before Sergio had ever become a knight. If he had feelings for her, then he would of spoke of them by now on one of the many occasions they were along together. Amelia was thankful when their breakfast had been served since it gave her something to think about other then her conflicting feelings towards the knight and life long friend.

Breakfast was as delicious as Amelia expected it would be. It was simple compared to her breakfasts at the castle, but there was a beauty to it's simplicity that made it taste even better. Amelia too, thanked the hard workers for their breakfast before allowing herself to eat as Sergio spoke of the village matters, responding every now and then with her input on certain subjects, but mostly just enjoying the sound of his voice. Once breakfast was over however, Amelia was faced with a choice. The idea of working in the fields with Sergio sounded fun, but there were a lot of benefits to taking a look around town. The fact that she, as his new wife, showed public interest in the village would look good for them as a couple. Besides, seeing them together as often as possible would only further convince onlookers that they were nothing more then a happy husband and wife. It would also help Amelia get to speak to people directly about concerns they may have for the King and Queen. She would have to be careful not to let on any hints that she was any more then she was pretending to be, but hearing the voice of the village people directly was a good step forward to learning her people's needs since her father had trouble doing it himself. From the sound of things, it would probably help Sergio make a few decisions on things by talking directly to the people involved anyway, so in a way it worked out for them both. She didn't make Sergio wait too long before giving her answer, "I think I'd like to look around the town with you. I'd love to meet everyone and help where ever I can. Besides, I'd love to see everything you love about your home village. You favorite places to go, favorite stores, everything." She answered honestly without giving too much away with a sweet smile on her face with a bit of an excited gleam in her eyes.
 
Sergio was more then a bit glad to know that he was going to get to take her to the village. He wanted to show her the village and the people, so that she could get used to them and them her. He finished up breakfast thanking the help for the great meal as he took her hand into his own holding it firmly as held her hand as he walked. He liked this, the holding of hands, it was a simple thing, but it meant a lot for some reason. He gave her a smile as he walked, looking at people watching them, he could see them see him walk down the hallway as they walked. The people of the village were without a doubt curious about who they were, and especially who this woman that the prodigal son of the village had brought home with him as his wife. He knew that this would happen, but they were respectful as they only glanced for a short while towards them.

Sergio walked to the first store that was in the town, the most important town, the old building made of solid wood and stone, he walked with her into the large store. Here was the general store, a place where things were sold and kept. The owner of the store was a important person in the village and someone who had known his father for a long time. The store itself was lovely with well kept isles filled with simple goods from food to clothes to farming goods and household goods for sell. They were all marked in the same ink that was what the owner used when he would mark the prices either at night or in the morning or someone in his family who all worked her would do.

A man was standing behind the bar, this man was a bit older than Sergio, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. The man was a bit shorter than Sergio and a bit round in shape as he looked at the two of them, eyeing the princess for a moment as he smiled at the two of them. "Now, hello Sergio, Sophia, it is good to meet you, and it is good to get Sir Sergio back into his home town," he commented politely as he looked at the two of them. "We have a lot of new goods from merchant who came though a week or so ago. If I knew you were going to be here I would of told him to return, he won't be back sadly for a couple of months," he informed the two. "I am sure your father would be rather happy that you picked out such a beautiful woman for your wife."

"Yeah, Mark, I am sure that he would be happy to know that my wife is someone like Sophia, and I am sure that we will see the merchant again, but I figured that my wife needs a new hat, for working out in the sun and I know that you have the best hats in town," he said as his mother was a skilled tailor who specialized in hats and dresses. I think that she needs to keep the sun out of her eyes when she is working out in the garden with me," he informed him as he knew that the hats were in the back. He knew that she would find something that she could keep even after she was back in the castle and was back to being Queen.

He got a nod from the man who stepped and moved to one of the doors and opened it, the room was filled with beautiful dresses and hats, they were not fancy in the way you would see in the castle, but they were lovely in a homemade and homespun way. He wanted to get her a dress and hat from this town a way to connect her to him even if she would never fall for him. She would have something to remind her at all times of him and their time together. He leaned in and kissed the princess on her lips before leading her into the room with the dresses as he knew that they were being watched and it would show off them as a couple, but he also wanted to finally kiss her. Her lips felt so soft against his own lips, it was magical and special just to enjoy the moment.
 
Just feeling Sergio's hand within her own was enough to make Amelia feel so safe and happy. It was a simple act, but somehow managed to make her feel such strong feelings towards her knight. The feeling of his strong hand holding onto her own smaller and more fragile hand made her feel like she could do anything as long as he was by her side. Her cheeks were a little red just from holding his hand alone, but every time a villager looked towards their direction, her cheeks would brighten up a little more. Though she couldn't be surprised by the eyes that looked at them. After all, she was a stranger to them who was involved with a highly respected member of their village. Amelia did admire the respect the people had here for people. In the capital, people would swarm her the second she left the castle if they knew she was seeing someone asking a million questions and giving her little chance to answer them. That sort of thing happened with anything she did. It wasn't a bad thing really, they were just curious about their princess, but it did make things harder when she just wanted a nice outing. Here though, the rush of questions and people surrounding her didn't seem to be a problem, so they could enjoy the things around them more.

Amelia looked around curiously in the store he had lead her into, not leaving his side, but still curiously looking around before turning her attention to the man behind the counter. Seeing the man eyeing her, Amelia gave him a smile, knowing that he was probably just as curious as the others when it came to her in general, especially by Sergio's side. "It's nice to meet you too." She greeted in return after he greeted her by name. She shouldn't be too surprised that the clerk already knew her name, her fake one at least, since it was easy for the word of her appearance to spread like wildfire. Amelia listened to the clerk informing Sergio about the merchant, silencing taking notes that the merchant would be back soon in order to keep all the details of the village's ins and outs in her head. However, hearing the clerk compliment her made her chuckle a bit and blush a little brighter, but she didn't say much since she didn't want to interrupt Sergio and Mark's conversation too much. After all, this was her time to learn and get to know the people in the village and she would get a lot more information if she listened more then she spoke.

The idea of a new hat did seem like a good idea given she didn't want the sun to be in her eyes too much while she worked, but Amelia couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed by the gesture. Just the idea that Sergio had thought of these things before hand to make her time working with him a bit easier made her heart flutter a bit. She may have been silly for this, but she still thought it was rather nice to think that she was in his thoughts. In the castle, she didn't really have much need for a hat, so owned very few, but she already knew whatever they walked out with today would have a special place in her heart, even if it wasn't as nice or fancy as the rest of her clothing. Amelia followed Sergio to the room filled with beautiful dresses and hats and found herself impressed. While they weren't as fancy as her other things back at home, there was something about the more common clothing that had its appeal to her. They were still beautiful and wonderfully made, she would even go as far to say they were better then the ones she had back in the castle. The fact they weren't so fancy gave them a more comfortable appearance that really made Amelia wish she had more clothing like it instead of the more complex and tight dresses that royalty tended to wear. What made things even better was the fact Sergio was here beside her to experience all these new things with her.

Her cheeks blushed brighter seeing Sergio lean in for a kiss and found herself meeting him halfway. She closed her eyes to enjoy the brief, but sweet kiss. Amelia was tempted to kiss him again herself and let it last a bit longer, but she didn't want to make things awkward for people who were looking their way and seem improper. Maybe the next time she got a chance, she would instigate the kiss. It may be embarrassing to think about and even a bit scandalous, but Amelia was curious about what he would do if she kissed him herself without anyone around to look so it didn't seem forced or for appearances. She knew they had to kiss in public for appearances and he hadn't kissed her before without someone to see it. A part of her was worried he would push her away and tell her it was just part of the job and nothing more, but...she supposed she wouldn't know unless she tired. Her eyes wondered from hat to hat, they all looked rather beautiful and seemed to be able to get the job done of keeping the sun out of her eyes, but she rarely went shopping for herself. Everything was either a gift or picked out for her, so the idea of picking something herself was a bit foreign. "What do you think love?" She asked him curiously, "They all look so nice, I don't think I can chose really." She chuckled a bit nervously as she let her hand squeeze his.
 
Sergio heard the request as he walked into the room, he had to find something he loved that he could see. He looked around the room carefully as he wanted to find something that not only did he love, but he would love to see on his princess. It had to be perfect. He wouldn't want to put her in anything that wasn't just great. He walked around carefully looking at the various dresses and hats, and remembered the job for the outfit, to use in the garden itself while working. He smiled as he walked back to the princess and gave her a warm smile, and a dress and hat in his hands. "Now Sophie, I think this hat and this dress will work perfectly upon you. I think they will look great when you are out working in the garden too," he commented.


The dress was a light blue sun dress that would go down to her knees and would leave her arms exposed past her shoulders. He handed her a simple white straw hat that had a wide brim to it, as well as a ribbon that went around the top. The ribbon was the same color blue as the dress and would go perfectly well with the dress. He handed them to her as his choices for her as he could see her in the outfit in his mind already. He hoped that she would approve of it and that she would in fact wear it when they were working outside in the sun together. A fact that seemed crazy almost to him, he knew she never had done so and to work with and not for the princess was a bit of a dream come true as they could be at the same level for a moment or two.


"I see, that is a good choice, tell you what, since it has been so long since you have been here, Lord Sergio and since you are such a good help and your wife is so lovely, I will give the dress and the hat to you for free, as a late wedding gift. I didn't get to give you anything and everyone here missed the wedding, so we might wish to have a small ceremony just so we can see it ourselves, it seems amazing you were able to find such a beautiful woman in the castle," he commented to him causing him to nod while blushing slightly at the comments. He knew that she was one of a kind and that even pretending she was his wife was the greatest honor he could ever have.


"Thank you, I am sure, the dress will be put to good use and you have done a great job with the store," he said shaking the older man's hand. He felt like that the village approved of 'Sophia' as his wife, it was important that this was the case, but from the first encounter she had made a man believe they were a couple and that they were together for real. He smiled as he looked at the man holding her hand and giving her hand a squeeze. "Now, um, we should get some lunch, thank you for the gift again."
 
Seeing Sergio look at almost every dress and hat that the store seemed to offer put a smile on her face. She could see that he was putting a lot of thought in his personal choices for her. Amelia never wore any dresses or hats that had more purpose then just making her look nice, so she knew she could trust him with picking something that could help her out in the fields and in the house. She looked around a bit herself, admiring a few dresses and hats herself, unable to deny that the person who made them was very talented indeed. The sound of Sergio's voice, however grabbed her attention once again as she looked towards him to see a dress and hat in hand. Her eyes lit up seeing what he had chosen, examining them a bit closer as he handed the dress and hat over to her. The color was rather pretty to the eyes and a color she hadn't gotten the pleasure to wear before. It was shorter then most of the dresses she's worn in the past, most of them rarely even allowing her feet to be shown so, the idea of having her knees exposed was a bit embarrassing, but she knew Sergio knew what he was doing and trusted his judgement. The hat was simple, but very cute and the ribbon matched the dress he had picked out for her as well. "Oh my, these are perfect!" She smiled at him with a bit of excitement in her voice. "They're so cute and the fact you picked them out for me makes them even better. I love them." She smiled to him sweetly, hugging the two items close to her body, but making sure she wasn't messing up either one. Amelia meant what she had said. She really did love the dress and hat he chose for her, mostly due to the fact that he was the one who picked them and knew that she would treasure them even after all this was said and done.

Amelia felt guilty at the idea of Sergio paying out of pocket for something for her, so she was going to reach for the little coin purse her father left for them, filled with plenty of coin for the two of them to use when needed, but the shop keeper's voice stopped her from getting very far. His words not only flattered her, but made her grateful for his kindness. "You're so kind, if there's anything you ever need from me, don't hesitate to ask. I know the dress and the hat are gifts, but I can't in good conscious accept them without doing something in return. All you need to do is ask." She smiled kindly at the clerk, showing him how grateful she was for his kindness. In the capital, it was extremely rare for any store owner to gift anything to anyone, even royalty unless they wanted to end up in good favors with them. She couldn't blame them however. The capital was huge and in turn had a lot of stores and shops to occupy it, so it could end up being a fatal mistake letting yourself be too kind to every soul that visited them. It was a sad truth that Amelia hoped to someday be able to change.

The idea of a small ceremony for all the village to see made her blush. She knew it wouldn't be a real wedding, but just the idea of it made her blush brightly and oddly made her really happy. Maybe it could be an idea she could bring up to them once they've gotten more settled down. After all, this village was the place Sergio was born and raised, and the people had been so kind and welcoming of her, the least they could do is a small ceremony for all those who wanted to see it. She could see it all already and had to force herself to stop thinking about it to keep her face from turning any brighter. The idea of lunch did sound nice since her stomach did start to feel a bit empty. She squeezed Sergio's hand back in return, feeling her own smile getting bigger just from the sweet gesture. "Yes, thank you again. It means a lot to us." She replied, joining in Sergio in showing gratitude to the store owner again before giving Sergio a sweet smile, "And thank you for bringing me here and helping me pick out a few things, I think I've would of been here for hours just trying to decide on one thing. Everything just looks so wonderful, I wouldn't even know where to start." She chuckled a bit at her own words, while further complimenting the store.
 
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