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Chapter Eleven

"Siri..." Lewis walked up to her, and didn't attempt to touch her for once. "I know you may not be fond of me after last night...but I still love you, and I need you to know I'm so sorry. I was drunk, and I was a fool." He flicked his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Will you still marry me?"

Siri shifted her weight from foot to foot. The rumored events of last night, and then their breaking up would call for interesting gossip. She gritted her teeth. "Lewis...you slapped me. It hurt."

Lewis bit his lip. "I know, Siri, and I'm terribly sorry. But it will never happen again. I promise. I'll do anything if you just promise to still marry me."

She could make the ultimate ultimatum. She stopped herself from letting out a short laugh. She was finally the alpha of this relationship, he had stopped grappling for power. "Okay," she said, and she heard him let out a breath of relief. "But there are going to be some conditions."

"Anything." He whispered.

Siri looked into his eyes. "We wait to consummate our marriage until the war is over. You let my dogs stay, as an insurance policy. You may promise to never hurt me again, but you might slip. Duncan saved me last night, and I saved you from being ripped apart. If I stay in this engagement, so do my dogs, and they get to sleep in the bedroom with us."

Lewis stood up straighter. "Of course, all those terms are acceptable. Thank you, Siri." He rested his lips on her forehead. "Thank you."

Siri smiled tightly. "You're welcome."

Lewis turned back. "Oh, and your dogs...Garrett has them."

Siri woke up just as the sun was rising, and instead of going for a ride, decided to visit the practice ring. When she opened the door, her dogs slipped out, but headed straight to Tharren's room, where her brother or Coby would let them in. She headed outside to the training ring. She was still rubbing sleep from her eyes when Garrett enveloped her in a good-morning hug.

"Good morning Siri! How are you? I haven't seen you for at least a week!" Garrett shook his head at her, and yanked her blades from their sheaths, inspecting them. He tsked. "These haven't been cared for properly for over a week. I'll see to that." He trudged off, grumbling about ill-care.

"Good morning to you, too." Siri mumbled after he was off. She walked into the rink, grabbing a spare blade on the way. Siri looked around her. The only other people practicing this early were the pages, and they still fumbled with how to hold their swords properly. She sighed, but walked over to an unoccupied dummy, where she started to run through her stretches and exercises.

"You're very good, miss." A page said, nodding at her.

"Thank you," Siri glanced up and laughed. It was Audrey's little sister. "Ava. Did you cut your own hair again?"

Ava smiled sheepishly, and tucked the tips of her bangs behind her ears. "Good morning Siri...and I did cut it myself this time again, but not as drastically as last time."

Siri laughed. "No, this time, it seems to have been better. Does your sister know you're here? Do your parents?"

Ava blushed. "My parents know I'm visiting the fortress, and I'm not only practicing as a page. I work in the kitchens, too."

"So Audrey is unaware? You'll have to visit her today. Which kitchens do you work at?"

"I work under the head cook in the evenings, and under Marcelle in the bakery in the afternoons." Ava's eyes glinted. "I like working with Marcelle. Handsome men wander in."