"Caderyn." Kennis turned from Cethin.

"I'll see you at the horse race." Caderyn said, running in the direction that Cethin had disappeared, completely ignoring her.

"Why does he hate Cethin so much otherwise than the fact that he takes advantage of women?" I asked.

Kennis looked at me before she sighed and begin walking ahead of us. "Come and I will tell you."

I followed her.

"Cethin loves battle. He lusts for battle and smiles when he is about to kill his opponent. He is like a cat playing with his prey before he kills it. He does not the understanding of honor and will never with his lust for battle feeding him. Caderyn wants him gone but despite his lust for battle his is a good soldier and serves us well."

"Oh." I said looking at the ground in understandment.

"Well don't dottle we are going to watch the horse race." She said as she begin running forcing me to follow her.

We finally reached the race just in time to hear the gun shot and the horses were off. I scanned the horses and was surprised to see Caderyn riding a big black stallion.

"Cethin is in the event? I thought only people who had won the other events were allowed?"

"The rules still apply it's just that Cethin's been a winner three times in a role." Kennis growled obviously, Cethin had done something doing those races.

"Does he cheat?" I asked spotting Caderyn five horses down from Cethin.

"Yes." She hissed and I took that as a cue to not ask any more questions about Cethin.

I turned my attention to Caderyn who was now three horses down from Cethin. I was memorized as Caderyn covered the remaining distance on the turn, finally head to head with Cethin.

Cethin was grinning as he kicked his horse's sides making the animal speed towards the next curb. Caderyn had just passed the curb only to be surrounded by two men on either side who I had also not seen in either events.

"His minions." Kennis hissed slamming her fist in her hand. "Now he's in for it."

Caderyn was being rammed between the bigger horses but just as he was about to be rammed out of the course, he pulled on the reins making the minions slowdown in surprise before he passed them, gaining up to Cethin. Nearing the checkered which would end the first round out of four.

"Is that legal?" I asked, surprised as the announcer announced the end of the first round.

"Sadly yes. There is no rules." She spoke her voice laced with venom before she turned and left the tracks.

"Wait!" I asked standing in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't you want to watch Caderyn finish the race?"

"He won't win didn't you see what he's up against?" She said one last time before I watched her disappear down an alley-way.

I sighed, turning back to the tracks just in time to see Cethin cross the line first, Caderyn a millisecond after.

Caderyn angrily got off his horse and grabbed Cethin's collar.

Taking this as a cue, I yelled, "Caderyn!" as I pushed my way through the crowd. I gently touched his arm as he clinched his hand into a fist.

His body felt tense but my touch quickly made his muscles loosen up and his hands open. After he finally let go of Cethin's collar and had turned his back to leave when Cethin smiled like a cat.

"Looks like a ye little woman has tamed the lion." He said laughing.

I saw his clench his fists, signaling that if I wanted to keep any fights from breaking out than I must do something to stop it now. "Caderyn go now." I spoke, softly leaning around him so that I could look up into his now lighter green eyes. "Go." I put in more softly and he glanced at Cethin one more time before he looked at me one more time than left. I was about to go after him when the sound of hoof beats startled me and made my heart beat along rhythmically with the sound. Turning slowly around, I felt my eyes widen at the long white haired man who slid off his horse and handed the reins to a small boy. His cool blue gaze turned to me and I felt all time stop as my spine tingled like a bell warning me of the approach of danger.

"Father!" Cethin's voice made me turn around to face him in surprise. He begin to walk towards his father soon clasping him in a hug,

The man smiled as he patted his son on his back, ending the hug, "My people!" He yelled causing everyone to turn their attention on him. "I have returned along with your warriors. Today we will rest but tomorrow we will fight. Our return is a cause for celebration so please carry on with your festival. We will rest within the camp, here."

Cheers sounded throughout the camp celebrating their leader's return. My mind screamed at me to run, this man was no good but my body refused. My legs felt like stone as I looked into the man's blue gaze. Not wanting him to get the upper hand I mustered all my strength and stared him down.

As a result he chuckled, "What a feisty one you got here, Cethin. Is she the one I ordered you to get?"

Cethin nodded and I wondered how Cethin was his son when they didn't even have the same language it seemed.

"What do you mean, ordered him to get? What do you want with me?"

"You are Elena?"

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours."

The man's cool gaze flickered to something harder and I knew that I had said something wrong. "You are Elena?" He repeated himself but I wasn't going to let him win. My stubborn side was now rising up. The man took a step towards me until Cethin stopped him by putting a hand out.

"Father, she's Elena daughter of Lady Paulina. She's the person you want. I did just as you've asked."

The man's eyes never left mine the whole entire conversation and a few moments after that until finally he turned to Cethin. "Take her to her tent until he arrives." He whispered into his ear before he turned to his men and shouted out orders, which I presumed by his tone, in his own language.

"I am sorry for my father. He doesn't react well to people being stubborn." He apologized and I found myself aghast at the great change between the dark man before and the vulnerable man in front of me.

"I apologize for my behavior too. I am at fault for not treating him the way that's fit for his rank." I found myself apologizing also. He wasn't completely at fault although he shouldn't have acted that way to anyone.

"Now may we?" He smiled, slightly as he held his hand out politely for me to take.

A shiver of fear made me double take the sight as Caderyn's warning that he would take advantage of women rang in my ear but not wanting to be rude. I took his arm and he smiled as he moved me away from the crowd and towards the tent that I had just previously been in.

I felt him lean closer to me and forced myself to swallow.

"Don't worry Donna, I won't hurt you as long as you give us what we want and what we want is your compliancy so we may give you what you want and what you want is what I am led to believe is your family' whereabouts. Am I correct?" His Italian was rusty but I could understand it.

"Si, it is."

"Bene, now-" He was interrupted as a hand fell on his shoulder.

"Cethin, I think she would like to freshen up, brother." A cold authoritative  voice warned him, making him angrily shove the hand off and turn towards the voice. A voice that I realized was Caderyn's.

"You have no right to order me when you're on equal ranks with me." That's as much as I understood before he turned to his own language.

Caderyn also turning to his own language spat out some words that obviously weren't helping but instead was serving the purpose of spurring him on.

Thinking that it was time to intervene, I hurriedly set my body between the two putting my hand on both of their chests. None of them seemed to want to break the rigid stance they were in or the cold stare the two were giving each other.

"Caderyn, Cethin please leave this alone." I looked at both of them. "You know that you are both wonderful warriors so one of you be the bigger man and walk away from this please. One of you." I added softly looking at both of them.

Caderyn's stance finally broke before he gently grabbed my hand. 

I looked at him only to see that he was still looking at his brother, waiting for something.

Finally, almost like it was timed, I felt Cethin sigh before he glared at his brother one more time then walked away, mumbling something under his breath.

Even as Cethin disappeared into the swarm of white tents, Caderyn still refused to completely relax almost like he was afraid that he would return.

"Caderyn." I slowly turned to him only to be interrupted by a clap making him tense.

"Well done son. Well done that's the first time I've seen him walk away completely without a brawl having to break out between you two. It must be the Bella donna, here who I am to thank."

Caderyn was still speaking in his language when he addressed his father. I couldn't understand any of what he was saying but his father's tense told me everything. If Caderyn didn't stop now then he would have his father on his bad side and his father did not seem like somebody I would want on my bad side. So when his father chuckled and clapped Caderyn on his back, I shivered. Finding it hard to believe that he was truly happy.  He spoke a few words to Caderyn, that sounded like a warning before he turned to me. "Benevenuto. I am Duke Adralic." He took my hand and planted a kiss on the top of it before he gently let it go. "I am here to give you personally my sincere apologies about your family and the predicament they are in."

"The predicament?"

He frowned. "Have you not been informed of your family's imprisonment? Adralic has thrown your family in the dungeon under the accusation that your mother is an assassin."

"Why my sisters?"

"They too were thrown in for disloyalty and treason."

"Well then I must go back. If I return then I am sure that I can make some sort of deal with Adralic to renounce their charges and let them be."

"Elena, if you return. Adralic will honor no promise. You might as well give your family an earlier death sentence." He reasoned.

Would Adralic really kill my mother? I could never believe that. I mean sure Adralic had anger issues but that does not mean that he would go as far as killing my mother. Would he?

"I am afraid that he would, Elena." Caderyn spoke. His green eyes were soft but at the same time, clouded like a blue sky on a cloud day. "That is why we took you here so that your mother could be saved. We owed her our lives."

"You told me that you saved me because you thought I was in trouble not that you needed me."

Nothing. No protests.

That sounded promising. So great they saved me because they needed my mother's skills as an assassin. "Would you trade me in an heartbeat if my mother somehow escaped here?"

No answer.

"I am through this. Do not even bother try to go after me."

***Caderyn***

"Caderyn." Adlic put a hand on his shoulder allowing her to run away from him. He shook it off, it was like his heart was tearing in half. He hated being the bad guy but at least he finally told her and now had no secrets from her-except that one. Well it was not like they were anything so why would he care if they kept secrets? But then why did it hurt? 

"Trust me this is the best time to tell her. If you had waited even longer then the consequences would have been worse." Adlic reasoned and he growled as he realized that Adlic was right but no matter how right he was it did nothing to diminish the pain. "You are the one who made this plan is thus the main holder of the blame. I wish to have nothing to do with this plan anymore." He quickly looked for a route to escape by. He was too angry for reason and when he was too angry for reason bad things usually happened. He did not think letting something bad happen would help his case at all with Elena. Without thinking, he begin heading in the direction of that Elena had went and shoved his way through the crowd.

"Father this was not apart of the plan." Cething growled, he too was fed up with being kept in the dark.

"Patience child, the girl is what is making you feel this way." He said looking where the girl and now Caderyn had disappeared. She was more valuable then he had thought.

***Elena***

Once I was far away from everyone; Adlic, Cethin and Caderyn. I kicked a tree trunk and chastised myself for my stupidity as pain spread throughout my toes. Not wanting to stand anymore, I plopped up against the tree trunk and looked at the way I had come. I had somehow made it up a hill that overlooked everything. Four other hills on either direction circled the valley where the Celtics had camped. In normal circumstance I would be enjoying the view but today everything was turning sour. Even the air felt different, almost like it was heavier than the lighter feeling it had before.

CRACK!

I whipped around at the sound, instinctively standing up to get a view of what had made the sound. Just as soon as I stood up, I found myself watching as a black horse emerged from the bushes. As soon as the horse was in full view I noticed that a blurry, dark man sat on top. I was sure his eyes were trained on me although I was not sure as his hood covered his eyes. I gulped and opened my mouth to speak but the man held up a hand.

He slid off his horse, his hand wrapped around its reins.

I felt the urge to run and wanted to but I was pretty sure that I would not get very far especially with the man standing in front of me.

"My name is Oded, chief of the Gauls. Is this where the Celts are rumored to be?" He asked, his voice fitting  his appearance with its deepness.

"Si," was all my body allowed me to speak.

"Do you know of Adralic's where-abouts?"

At his name I felt only anger, how could he kidnap me than tell me that he was doing this for my own good. He had no right in making that decision, I am of age to make my own decisions and I shall. "Head straight, find a crowd and he should be in the middle. I would show you but I am not familiar with this camp."

He turned to look at the camp, his face suddenly bore a smile.

I followed his gaze to see a black figure making his way towards us. The annoyance was making a come-back. "I must go."

"Please stay." He said in a tone, full of curiosity and humor.

I nodded, instantly regretting my decision as I realized that the black figure was Caderyn.

"Oded, Adralic is in the center of the camp. I am sure that you need no assistance in finding him." Caderyn spoke as soon as he had reached the top of the hill and pointed to a figure on horse-back. He seemed to be sending a undecipherable message to Oded.

After a moment, Oded nodded before he sent a boy towards the camp most likely to send word of his arrival to Adralic. "Well It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, lady?"

"Elena." I answered.

"Lady Elena." He said before he kissed my hand and left.  What strange Gaulic customs.

I told myself as he disappeared, making myself feel suddenly alone. With regret, I looked at Caderyn, his eyes were a light shade of green that was trained on me. How could I feel angry at him?

"Elena, I apologize for not telling you. I should have told you sooner but I knew of no way to tell you. In some ways I am grateful that Adralic told you. If he had not you would have learned this by yourself and there would be no way that I could regain your trust. I promise that I meant no harm." His voice was full of anger and sincerity but by the way he looked away from me I was sure that he was angry at himself and that he truly felt apologetic.

My stubbornness quickly melted as he ran a hand through his hair, mesmerizingly.

"You asked me once why I saved you. It was not because of the favor that I owed your mother. I saved you because I felt a need to. I said those other things so my father would be pleased and leave the matter behind us. If I had said the truth he would of asked question after question after question and I do not want to answer them." The way he ended his apology, made me sure that he was not going to say anything more for now. 

I looked at him, confused. Why would he feel a need to save me? A nobody. A little voice in my head told me that he would do this for anybody but I somehow doubted that.

"I also found this at the marketplace." He said as he took my hand in his.

I shivered at his touch but he gently opened my hand and placed something cold in it before he removed his hand so that I could see it. It was the necklace that he had bought me. I felt shy but this was the best way to apologize so I gathered my courage and asked him. "Would you put it on  me?"

He looked surprised for a moment before he stepped behind me and I gathered my hair up so that he could put it on. His fingers lightly skimmed my skin as he clipped the necklace. As soon as he clipped the necklace, he stepped away from me and I let out a pent up breath.

Since when did I hold my breath? I picked up the jewel, it was as green as his eyes when he was angry. I smiled, even if I might end up never seeing him again, I am sure that I will never forget him. 

"We must leave." He said lightly before he begin to walk towards the camp before stopping to make sure that I was following. His back was turned towards me when he spoke, but it still felt like his eyes were trained on me. "Just in case, you are thinking that you are a nobody. Keep in mind that you are in fact a significant person that has not found herself yet. After all, your mother is an assassin, your father a knight and you have just been given the opportunity to be queen. These things don't just happen to anybody. You are not a nobody." Finished with his speech, he turned his back on me and continued walking down the hill.

I followed slowly behind, aghast that he had read my mind. Am I that easy to read? Was I really such a open book?

----

When I had apologized to her, it had felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I took a deep breath and smiled, I finally wasn't the bad guy but the worse wasn't over yet especially with Cethin and now my father in the picture. Thinking about my father, it made me second guess whether what he calls himself now is true. He called himself Torin or savior. He told me and Cethin that his whole entire purpose was for the Celts but was it true? I didn't feel so convinced. Ever since she had come, I felt different. Different as in now I felt like I didn't solely live for the Celts. I now felt like I had another purpose but to someone else. Something inside me was changing since she arrived and I didn't know if I was going to like it? But one thing I could identify that had changed inside of me was the need to protect. It had grown stronger especially near her. I have thought many times that maybe that other person I needed to protect was her but how was I going to when my family was the threat? I turned to look at her. She was as beautiful as ever with her light brown hair blowing gently lapping in the wind and her brown eyes deep in thought. If anyone could make me want to fall at their feet, I knew that it was her so I quickly made the decision to protect her no matter the cost.

----