Hard bangs on his door broke him from his deep sleep.

"Come in!" He yelled.

Scared eyes of Alice and Margarite walked in. With a quick courtsey Margarite began to cry and twirl the front of her dress in her hands. Alice looked at Gavin and began to cry.

" Milord, she is gone." Naan held her hands to her chest.

Sitting up quickly and getting dressed, Gavin questioned them.

"Are you sure?" He stood.

"Aye, m'lord!" Naan hugged Margarite

"Your horse is gone," Haroun added walking through the door.

Looking at all of them, Gavin thought silently.

" She could have gone back  to Forsythe," he whispered.

With that thought he quickly walked out of his chambers with Haroun following him.

They walked to Brienna's  chamber to see if anything was taken. Or a clue to where she could have gone.

He turned to look about the chamber slowly his eyes roamed over her belongings that gave the room a feminine look. He touched the jewel encrusted comb that layed on a nearby table. His eyes wondered over her belonging then to the nearby trunk in the far corner, the light green piece of fabric called his attention to walk closer. He slowly lifted the lid and pulled the fabric out at arms length. His heart stopped. The billowing fabric that unfolded before him was a cloak.

A green colored cloak.

Shock and confusion raced through his mind at what he held in his hands.

Was his mind playing tricks on him? Why did she have this cloak?

The realization hit him in the gut of what this all meant and what on two occasions transpired between them. A breath lodged in his throat as he put the face of Brienna with that of the mysterious girl his stomach jumped at the idea of nearly making love to..Brienna!

Looking at Haroun his nose flared

"You find that little brat and bring her to me, " he yelled at him in anger before storming off to his solar.

Now alone his heart was filled with so much mixed emotions he could not understand. He lost his head over her. His heart raced with all that unfolded before him. Slowly he rose and walked to the nearby table and grabbed a canter of whiskey.

In large gulps he downed the strong drink to drown out his anger but, it only multiplied.  He sat at the edge of his chair with the cloak in his hand, closing his eyes he rested his hands on his head that began to throb. Swig after swig of the whiskey burned as it went down his throat until it was all gone but he felt no better. The soft rap at the door interrupted his thoughts. Looking up he saw Ian, his squire enter and nervously swallow before talking. He mentioned that Brienna was near the far walls not to far from the keep all along. Frightened by Gavins stare he stepped aside to let her through. He watched as Brienna entered, the look in her eyes as she spotted the cloak in his hands only increased his anger because she knew she was caught. Quickly her eyes focused on daggers of steel.

"Close the door," He demanded between clenched teeth.

His anger although under control made her tremble.

Her legs weak with fear began to wobble along with the clamoring of her heart. She wanted to run but, for fear he would catch her she could not. Turning she obeyed and closed the door where she continued to stand. Her mind swam searching for the words to explain herself, but nothing came to her.

He watched her begin to shift nervously and fidget. Not able to look him in the eyes, she averted the only windows of her innocence.

"Why?" He croaked.

He looked up to her.

She looked away.

"Why?" he leaped from the chair and in two stride he had her up against the door.

She trembled before him in fear and he felt it. For the first time she did not speak out of sheer fright.

The aroma of her hair drove him insane as he was so close to her.

"Look at me," he hissed.

She turned her eyes away and shut them, shutting out the image of his anger.

"Look at me, damn you," he yelled. She cried looking at him, tears fell free as she looked at his face then his eyes.

"What games do you play?" he whispered heavily holding the cloak up before them.

She shook her head confused at his question.

"I play no games," she stuttered.

With an oath he yelled and slammed his fist into the door beside her head, the vibration shook her letting out a cry. fright crept up her spine as he inched closer. His breath blew on her face as he questioned her more.

"When were you going to show yourself?, how far were you going to let me go, Brienna? with eyes closed, his calm and collected voice only masked the fury that strained on his visage.

She sobbed. Tears flowed like waterfalls as she began to chatter incessantly her nerves were on end, her body trembled at such a discovery. She admitted her fear of revealing her self to him.

"Forgive me, I never meant to hurt you," she whispered.

He listened to all that he could but, his anger never permitted him to understand reason.

"You knew all along how I felt, and how I looked for the bearer of this cloak...the anguish I felt of not knowing who it was. When all along it was you," red eyes looked back at hers.

"But, still you said nothing," he yelled throwing the cloak to her feet in disgust.

He turned his back on her, his anger growing ten fold and her cries pulled at his heart.

"Gavin, please ..forgive me," she cried.

He whirled and demanded her silence.

"You had the nerve to challenge me. A wager for your freedom from marriage," he mocked.

"But the jest is on me because I am saddled with a brat...and a wanton," he regretted those words because the hurt in her eyes tore at him.

His words cut deep and brought forth more tears and it was a pain neither could not endure, but he continued any way.

He closed their distance and stared into her eyes.

"All the more the name suits you well does it not? The way you writhed beneath me and all," the words as quickly left his lips before the hazel pools that stared at him turned feral with his taunting words, the sting of deinty fingers slapped his face.

Her fingers throbbed and tingled. The gleam in his eyes made her step back, the hairs on her back stood on end and prepared her for what was to come. His cruel large hand closed around her arm as he yanked her close to him that she collided with his chest.

"Thank God that you're just a mere girl because any other would die for a lesser offense," He hissed through his teeth.

"We will get married tonight I do not see any reason to wait any longer."

Her heart lurched with his decision. She shook her head and shoved at his chest, his grip was mercilessly painful.

"I will not do it," she yelled with red rimmed eyes, she gave him a look of reproach.

"You made a bargain that I won. Remember. You will marry me willingly, a marriage in every sense of the word. If I have to drag you gagged and hogtied to the altar, I will bloody do it. Am I clear?" he backed her up to the door with each word resting one hand on the door above her head and the other gripping her chin to look at him.

Her words were elaborate and her lips quivered with each of them.

"I would rather die in hell, than marry you," she watched as his eyes flickered with amusement.

"Then we die in it together, but married. Because t'is till death do us part, my sweet. TILL DEATH DO US PART," His voice boomed so loud it was heard beyond the door, throughout  the whole keep.

With that said, he walked out giving orders to find the priest to perform their marriage vows.