The Kingdom, The Witch, & The Warrior

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

Zena waited quietly for Kreiss to answer her question, regretting that she asked the question and she was about to say to forget about answering because she was slightly scared of the answer. He may be a knight but he was also a man so it would be no surprise that he did kiss a woman or more then that. He then answered her question before she could speak and she was slightly relieved to hear his answer. " Really?" She asked opening her eyes, still surprised by his answer.

Her hand slowly went to her lips and thought for a moment. If she kissed Kreiss that night it would of not only been her first kiss but his as well? Her heart raced a little at the idea and for some reason the thought made her happy. She smiled softly to herself and felt like she was a little closer to Kreiss now more then before. " So you have never had feelings for someone? Fallen in love and kissed them?" She asked, wanting to know the answer but again was scared of the answer.

When Kreiss looked over her shoulder and asked why was she asking this she blushed a little and fiddled with her hands. " B-Because... I never have... Mother has told me a little bit about love and what it is like to be in love but I never really understood it myself. I-I mean I understand it but I don't know what it feels like. I have read so many stories where two people fall in love, kiss and such but I don't know what its like. Mother always said once I was old enough and find someone I would know what its like but the reality is I never will... Just like I asked you about courting people back when we first started talking. I want to know what its like because as long as I am cursed to these woods I will never know other then from my old fairy tales that I keep reading." Zena said softly as she was not lying nor fully telling the truth. She did want to know what it was like but also she wanted to know if he had.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss gave a small nod. He didn't really have a reason to lie to her. "Really, I've never kissed anyone beyond what has been formally needed." Kreiss paused at the idea of feelings for someone and falling in love. "I-... Maybe? I'm not sure. I've might've developed feelings for someone but I'm not really sure because I've never experienced it before so no I've not done those last two things." He didn't really know how else to answer her question.

Then she explained that it was just her curiosity kicking in. "Well... I mean, if you want you could always come with me back to the kingdom. You don't have to stay here... You can bring Phillip too. I could convince the Lady of the house to hire you and then you would be well fed and Phillip would have plenty of room to run around. Could also let you meet new people and explore the world so you could learn about all these things you have questions to. At least some of them." Kreiss liked the idea in his head. The idea that maybe he wouldn't have to leave the small woman he had grown attached to behind. The person who had become his caretaker.

The brush had all but stopped at this point and now he was just looking at her with a bit of wariness in his eyes and maybe a bit of hope. He wasn't exactly sure where this was leading, but his mind was certainly kicking into high gear as to what it should be expecting next.  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

Kreiss had never kissed anyone before and from the sounds of it he had never really fallen in love with someone before. Again Zena felt a bit happy about it but again sad as she knew that he could never have those kinds of feels for her and even if he started to, she was sure once he knew she was a witch it would all be over. " What a bummer... I was hoping to get some more info about the matter from someone first hand other then books. Why do you have to be so lame when it comes to that?" She asked, jokingly at the last part.

Kreiss then offered her to come back to the kingdom with him. At first Zena was happy that he offered her as it meant Kreiss would never leave her as she could always be with him if she wanted to. She wouldn't be cursed to theses woods, she wouldn't be alone anymore and maybe she could find out what happened to her mother. She was really happy that Kreiss would go as far as making sure she had a job and place to stay with his family but then she thought about it more. When she lived in that village when she was younger every day it felt like it was her last. She was beaten over and over again, mentally abused and treated like trash. People hated her for what she was so why would it be different if she left with Kreiss? Her large scar on her back burned at the thought of her dark past and she clinched onto her shoulder where the scar started.

" I-I can't... As much as I want to I can't Kreiss." She said softly. " The people out there are cruel... They hate me... They ran my mother and I out of our village to these woods. Mother said I could never leave these woods if I wanted to live... Even though these woods are filled with nightmares it is nothing compared to what it is like out there." The small woman started to shake a little at the thought of it. Zena pulled the blanket up a little so it was covering her head a bit as she didn't want him to see her eyes begin to water up.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss was going to comment on how he wasn't lame, just inexperienced and it was perfectly okay for a knight such as himself to be such when instead she began to break down about not being able to leave. Kreiss set the brush aside and moved to gently place a hand on her shoulder. "Hey... Hey... That's not true. Where I live you wouldn't be hated. Why would they hate such a wonderful woman such as yourself?"

Kreiss began to gently try and pull her into his lap and pet at her head which was now covered by a blanket. He wanted to protect the shivering woman in front of him, let her know everything was going to be okay. "Why would your mother say that? I'm sure she told you that so you wouldn't wander into the woods and get lost. Shh... Hey... Hey Zena I'm right here. I'll make sure everything is okay, alright? Trust me."

He nuzzled the blanket on instinct, not realizing the amount of affection he was showing whilst trying to calm the shivering of her person. His arm that was wrapping itself around her gave a gentle squeeze and he just did his best to cover as much of the outside world around her with his own body to ensure that there was only a cradle of him. Something he hoped she had come to trust to do what he said he would do.  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

As Kreiss put a hand in her shoulder Zena hugged her knees after pulling the blanket more so to cover her face in case Kreiss tried looking over her shoulder." You don't know that... You don't know how they will act when they meet me." She was scared for so many reasons. " H-how am I lovely? I am just some woman who has lived in the woods with no one half my life... All people do is judge and hurt those that are different and I... I am different Kreiss. I am not like all those other people."

Zena then was slowly being pulled into his lap which made her bow her head down so Kreiss could see her face. Why was it that Kriess had to see her like this? So weak, she hated it. " Because it's true! They tried to kill me! Those people out there... They hurt me every day because I was different and I have the scar to prove it... The people in my village where cruel so what is to say it won't happen again!" Zena let a few tears roll down her cheeks and she tried whipping the tears away before Kreiss noticed them. " You can say you will protect me but when the day comes will you really? All it takes is one moment to not be there for someone to stab someone and be gone without being found out... You are not going to always be there for me Kreiss..."

After a few moments Zena turned her body so she was facing Kreiss but with her head still down. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and stuffed her face into his chest as she tried to calm down. She wanted to go with Kreiss so badly but her mothers words and her past hounted her. She wasn't normal and she knew she could never live a normal life because of it. " I-I hate what I am... Why is this world so cruel... What did I do wrong? Why do I have to be trapped in this life of loneliness and pain?"

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss just pet the woman's head as he held her. This poor, lonely woman who had been cast out of the world into this place of nightmare. Yet here he was, now trying to tell her that everything was going to be okay. "Zena... I need you to look at me please." He stated with a graveness in his voice. "I need you to tell me why you've suffered so much. What has caused this to happen to you?"

He pulled away just enough to reach a hand to touch at her face. He wasn't going to force her to look up at him. She would have to decide all of this on her own. Whether to tell him or not, whether or not she would look at him. However what she spoke about was something he knew, if for a different reason from hers possibly. His red hair had caused the ire of many, had forced him to prove otherwise, to gain the trust of those that were superstitious. He was no Warlock or Mage. He was just an ordinary human.

Kreiss also had his sworn duty. "I've sworn to protect you haven't I?" He whispered gently. "If I haven't... Before you tell me, let me do so now... Would you?"  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

When Kreiss asked her to look at him she flinched a little, sinking her head down more, still hiding her face into his chest. Zena didn't want him to see her face, not like this as she felt so weak and embarrassed. Her she was letting herself cry once more and scared in his arms. Why did it always end up like this? Why was he always the one who was able to make her feel and show so much emotion and yet be able to calm her down as well? Kreiss wanted to know why she was suffering so much, why she was cursed to these woods but she couldn't tell him, not if she wanted to keep the bond she had with this man.

Zena then felt him shift away from her which only made her clinch onto the front of her shirt so he wouldn't move away from her any further from her. His hand then moved to to her face and was rested on her face. She couldn't face him nor pull apart from Kreiss at the moment so she remained still as she tried to calm herself down a little before she would look up at him. Kreiss promised he would protect her while he stayed here and he was a knight to his word. Zena was quiet a long while, letting a few more tears fall be nodding her head slowly.

Zena slowly raised her head, letting the blanket that was covering her head fall to her shoulders. The small female finally lifted her head to look up at Kreiss. her big dull ruby like eyes now watery from crying and her cheeks wet from where the tears had fallen. She just looked up at Kreiss, not saying a word as was still clinging onto his shirt.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss smiled at Zena as she looked up at him, even if there were tears that danced at her eyes and covering her cheeks. The smile was not a happy one, it was sad, if trying to be comforting. His eyes looked at her not with pity but with a mix of empathy and sorrow. The hand under her chin moved to one of those on his shirt and his larger hand moved to cover it, gently pulling it away until he was holding the delicate fingertips.

He whispered to her in a soft voice. "I, Kreiss Fangheart of House Vendmere, Knight of the Kingdom of Bandel, and Protector of King Relin the third swear to all those who watch from the sky and whom are present on this earth to take this woman as my holy charge and to protect her as is my sacred duty as a knight. I swear to protect you from all that would harm you, heal you from all that would ail you, and remove all things that may obstruct your path both of the physical and spiritual realms. These words bind me in contract with these duties, and to break them is to lose all honors, titles, lands, and livelihood I may earn or currently have."

Kreiss then took the hand and raised it to his lips, kissing the knuckles of her fingers gently, just the lightest of presses of lips to skin. He held it there for perhaps a bit longer than necessary, not wanting to part from the action, but doing so as to not make things awkward. Once it was done he moved the hand back to where it had clung to his shirt, his heart beating at a decent pace as he just looked at her for a long while in silence. Waiting to see what her reaction might be if any before he spoke again. He'd just sworn his entire life to her will, whatever it may have been.  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

Zena still did not say anything or even move. She just sat in Kreiss's lap and looked up at the bearded man. He just looked down at her with a smile on his face as if to comfort her. She was never good at expression her emotions, even with her mother around she was never good at it. She would always run off and be frustrated alone. His hand slowly left her chin and went to one of her hands that was clinching onto his shirt. She looked down at their hands and watched him pull her hand up and held her figure tips up gently.

She looked back up at Kreiss as he started to speak and she listened carefully to him. He promised to protect her from all that could trouble her, he made this oath to her as he put his very own honour on the line. Kreiss was her knight at her disposal, his life was now bound to her own. "Kreiss..." He then slowly raised her hand to his lips and he kissed her knuckles. She cold feel his worm lips on her frail skin as his beard tickled her skin a little.

Once Kreiss pulled his lips away and placed her hand back to where he had grabbed it she was still looking up at him surprised he would risk so much for some woman who lived out in the woods by herself. " Its almost like in a fairy tail..." Zena said as she let out a giggle. " I got my very own knight." She said as she let out another giggle as a tear rolled down her cheek.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss gave a small nod. "That's right... I am now yours to do with as you will Zena. Any command you give me I will have to do to the best of my ability if they are within the duties of a knight." He reached a hand, a finger gently tucking itself to one cheek to catch the tears that flowed down one side, and then to the other. "Your wishes are my command, whatever they may be. Your burdens are now mine to carry."

Once the hand had caught the current tears he lowered it and moved to bring Zena into a hug. A small gesture of affection. As his arms were wrapped around her one of them went to her head and gently pet it. "No one will hurt you now. Not while I still live. You are safe with me. I am your shield as well as your sword." He nuzzled close to her, the hug getting slightly tighter as he held this woman that had become so dear to him. It was not a suffocating hold, just a gentle squeeze of sincerity and affection.

After another few moments he finally spoke. "I guess I should ask you Zena, what is your first order for me, if any? I'll do whatever I can to make it happen if it is within reason."  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

Kreiss caught her last fallen tears that escaped Zenas teary eyes. " You are not my slave Kreiss, I am not going to command you or ask you to do anything that you do not want to do." Zena said softly as she did not want to make Kreiss do anything he did not want to do. All she wanted from him was to be with her and if they were to ever part that he did not forget her. Kreiss pulled her into a hug which Zena gladly excepted, wrapping her arms around him and embracing the hug.

Zena nuzzled her head a little into his chest as he pet her head and held onto her a little tighter which she did not mind at all. Kreiss was her sword and shield and vowed that he would never let anyone hurt her. Her hug got a little tighter as he said that as she worried if one day he would brake that vow do to his mission. " Promise? You wont let anyone hurt me no matter what? Even you for whatever reason?" Zena asked softly as she knew the secrets she was hiding from Kreiss wouldn't be ale to be kept a secret if she wanted their friendship to build anymore then what it already was." My first order? Keep... Keep holding me u-unless you don't want to..." Zena said quietly, almost as if she was to embarrassed to say it.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss just hummed at her first comment. "Zena, I believe there are very few things you would order me or command me to do that I would find distasteful." He continued to run his fingers through her hair, closing his eyes now as he kept her in his arms. She was so small and fragile, she was warm as well and her scent was mesmerizing. His brain was starting to once more drift back to where she had been on top of him, looking down just three weeks ago. That moment had been amazing and dreadful all at once and his brain new exactly why even if he did not wish to admit to it.

Kreiss snapped himself back to reality with a small nod of his head. "I swear, that I will not let a single person harm a hair on your head, and if they do, then I shall deliver swift justice upon them. Even including myself." Then finally the request to keep holding her. His heart picked up pace at such a simple request but he was sure that the smaller woman could hear it with her head tucked into his chest as it was. He just hoped it wouldn't be commented upon or worried about or the question of curiosity. It was hard enough as it was to remain focused on the idea of not to let his hands slowly move her back... Just far enough so he could look into her eyes again, press their foreheads together, hear her small breath and slight parting of her lips.

His throat was cleared quickly as the thoughts continued and he even shifted a bit. "Well... At least I am not practically naked this time?" He murmured, trying to get a joke out to push the thoughts away from his mind.  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

" Like I said I wouldn't ask you of anything that you wouldn't want to." Zena said as she closed her eyes and relaxed a bit more as Kreiss stroked her hair. She loved the feeling of his caring hands go through her long wavy hair. Even though right now it wasn't her natural hair colour, Zena for once loved her hair just because of the way Kreiss treated it. He showed more care for it then Zena herself and if the young woman wasn't so stubborn and easily embarrassed she would have him playing with it all the time. There was something about Kreiss stroking her hair that made her feel at peace, even though it was her red hair that created so many problems for her.

Kreiss reassured Zena that nothing would hurt him, not even him which put her at ease. When she made her first request Kreiss heart beat started to pick up its pace shortly after. She opened her eyes a little as she wondered why it was beating so, but she liked it. Zena liked the sound of his heart beat and it only made her smile more at the thought of it beating faster because of her. Zena smiled more and nuzzeled her head over his heart to listen to it better. Zena felt Kreiss shift under her but she did not move her head away from his chest.

" True but I could feel your warmth better that way." She said quietly out loud but she quickly realized that she said it out loud and she blushed. " I-I mean... I never want to see that again! That was gross enough! Gods know what other places you grew hair if you are able to grow that thing on your face!" Zena said as he heart raced a little at the thought of touching Kreiss bare skin again.

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Kreiss Fangheart, The Knight of the Red

Kreiss blinked once, twice, three times at her saying it was gross when he had been naked and who knew where else he could possibly grow hair. It was a true statement and his gaze looked up at the ceiling as if to think of a few places, but it was more for affect than anything else.

Instead he just sort of leaned to the side, letting them both fall into the hay. "You said you liked my beard. Now you don't like it Zena?" He asked curiously. "Besides it's not like it can't be trimmed off. Which would be kind of nice. I don't really enjoy a beard, it's a very scraggly thing and it gets in the way of my helmet when it gets a bit longer than this. Braiding it is also a hassle. I prefer to keep it trimmed."

The hand stopped and he pulled away just enough to look at Zena. "However moving on from what I may or may not have depending on where we look, I was thinking maybe a nap before dinner. Just for a bit. Give you a chance to warm up from outside."  

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Zena White, The Witch of the Woods

" I-I did but then I felt it on my skin and I don't like it! It tickles and scratches when it touches me. You look like a old man with that thing on..." Zena mumbled a little as she felt like a idiot for even commenting on the matter at all. Again Kreiss started to shift with his arms still around her as they fell onto their sides on the bed. " H-Hey what are you doing?" She asked before Kreiss pulled away a little so he was looking at her.

Hers eyes were once again locked on his, almost as if the same spell was bing casted over her like that night three weeks ago. Zena's heart started to race and she still had a shade of pink on her face. " You... Want to have a nap? To...Together?" She asked quietly. the room had fallen silent with only the sound of the fire going and Zena's racing heart. Again, mixed emotions filled her as she wanted to be close like that night but also run off to her loft but se promised she wouldn't run away. Taking in a deep breath, Zena moved to put the blanket over them both and she gave a slight nod. "O-okay..." She whispered before remanning silent again for a little bit, just looking up at the knight before her.

Zena's hand slowly raised to touch Kreiss's cheek and she slowly stroked his beard. It was a odd texture to Zena as it was scratchy and itchy to her and it also covered his face. " It covers your face... I can't see your details." She whispered as she outlined his jaw line softy before her small soft finger traced his lips.

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