You Were Saying?

Reagan rode towards us, his expression dark and formidable just like the horse he was riding. Rolling my eyes, I came to stand beside Killian who watched Reagan with a wary expression on his face. His hands were shoved inside his pockets as if he were trying to appear nonchalant but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.

Reagan slowed the horses down to a halt few paces away from us. The animal snorted and pawed at the ground as Reagan got dismounted with practiced ease. His gaze rested on both of us, lingering on Killian longer than necessary.

"Killian!" Reagan greeted, his tone curt and brief.

"Reagan!" Killian responded with the same tone and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened between these two.

Reagan's gaze moved to mine. I didn't miss the way his gaze slowly raked up and down my body and I resisted the urge to squirm just underneath his gaze. "I see you found someone to keep you company in my absence."

"Well it is nice to spend time with someone who is able to form a complete sentence and talks to you like an equal." I mumbled under my breath.

Killian snorted while Reagan narrowed his gaze at me, but I said what I said and I wasn't sorry! Reagan approached us, his boots crunching on the gravel as he walked. Stopping directly in front of me, he stared down at me.

"You look beautiful!" Reagan suddenly said.

I stared up at him, searching his dark eyes to see if he was teasing me or he was being serious and the sincerity I met in his gaze made my heart flutter again. My lips parted but no words came out, instead I darted my tongue to moisten my now parched lips. I didn't miss the way Reagan's eyes flicked down to my mouth before meeting my gaze again, the movement was subtle but I caught it.

"I guess, that's the end of our walk for tonight!"

Killian's pulled me out of my reverie. Turning to look at him, I offered him a small smile. "I am so sorry." I wasn't exactly sure what I was apologizing for but I did it either way.

Smiling at me warmly, Killian shook his head at me. "It's alright, let's do this again some other time!" He said before he turned to Reagan, "I'll see you around, cousin!"

Reagan grunted at him in response and Killian turned around to leave. I watched him walk out of the garden, strolling casually with an air of arrogance about but as soon as he was gone, I turned to glare at Reagan.

"What do you want now?"

Reagan smirked at me, "How do you feel about horse riding?"

"What?" I asked with a look of bewilderment on his face.

Reagan turned to look at the brown mare. "Actually, I'd prefer to ride with you but there's this talk you had about crossing boundaries so I figured you'd want your own steed. Unless, of course you'd prefer to…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" I asked cutting him off, "Reagan what are you doing?"

Reagan responded with a half shrug. "I want to spend time with my wife."

"And that's the thing, you never want to spend time with me!" My voice carried an exasperated tone as I yelled at Reagan who arched a brow up at me, "You've always made me believe that you do not want me. Not to ever cross the line as your wife and now you do all of these and it's just confusing as hell."

A passing breath passed between both of us. Reagan stared at me in silence, his brows furrowed at me in silence. I waited for him to say something, for him to say anything but all he did was continue to stare at me, his shoulders heaving with each breath he drew in.

This was all just a joke to him! Shaking my head, I turned to leave when Reagan suddenly spoke. It was so soft but I heard it.

"Would you like to go on a ride with me, please?"

Those words were the one that halted my movements and I turned to look at him, not sure if I heard him correctly. But Reagan stared at me, his eyes shifting slightly and it was then I noticed how nervous he must be. What was really surprising was the fact that he used the word 'please.' I do not think I've heard it from him before, ever! I was about to say something when all of a sudden we got interrupted.

"My lady, my lady!"

I turned towards the sound of the familiar yell and I turned only to see Heather, running towards us with her children on her heels. My face broke into a smile and I raced forward, running to meet her halfway. Heather grinned widely at me as she enveloped me into a hug and at that moment, she was too overfilled with joy to remember protocols!

She hugged me tightly and I let her!

"Oh my lady, thank you so much, thank you very much!" Heather breathed out, her voice filled with gratitude.

Laughing, I eased away from her. "Whatever for? I didn't do anything."

"Hope." Heather responded smiling warmly at me, "You gave me hope my lady, and now I have my boys home!"

I smiled at her, before my gaze landed on the two boys who peeked shyly at me from behind their mother skirts. I crouched down to their level, slowly so as not to startle them. "Hello."

"Come on, say hi to the princess." Heather urged her children.

"Hello!" The children responded back shyly.

I beamed at them, "Hi there, what are your names?"

"I'm Orion."

"And I'm Darryl!"

The boys introduced themselves and I smiled at them and before I knew what I was doing, I pulled them in for a hug. "Thank you." I breathed out as I hugged them, "Thank you for being alive!" I added still hugging them fiercely.

Someone cleared their throat behind us and it was then I realized we weren't alone. I looked up only to see Reagan standing beside us.

"My lord!" Heather's gaze widened and she immediately dropped into a curtsy. Lagertha also did the same while the boys just stared up with wide eyed curiosity.

"I see you got your children back." Reagan stated his eyes falling on the boys.

Heather nodded her head, "Yes, it was all thanks to a wonderful knight!"

Reagan's gaze narrowed at that, "A knight you say?" He asked and my heart skipped a beat.

I knew I had to intervene before this turned out into a full blown interrogation. Smiling, I turned to Heather. "It was really wonderful for you to drop by but my husband and I were just about to head out."

Heather's eyes widened, her eyes darting between Reagan and I. "Oh," There was no mistaking the confusion in her voice but she smiled at us, "Alright then, I will be seeing you when you get back." She added but I was already shaking my head at her.

"No, spend enough time with your family. You can come back whenever, you will always have a job here."

The words I said were something simple and something that was actually completely normal considering what her family went through but one would think I gave Heather the world with the way her eyes lit up. Still smiling at her, I removed the pearl necklace around my neck, I then handed it over to Heather.

"Here, I want you to have this!"

Heather's eyes widened as she stared at the necklace in her hand, then back up at me. "But my lady, this is…"

"I know." I cut her off with a smile, "But still I want you to have it and if you ever need anything, you can talk to me, instead of keeping it all in!"

No sooner had the words left my mouth, did Heather pull me in for another crushing hug. I chuckled as she thanked me excitedly before she released me. Still thanking me, she eased away from me before she turned to leave, taking her children with her.

I waved at them till they exited out of the garden, I then turned to look at Reagan who stared at me with narrowed eyes, as if trying to figure me out. "Don't we have somewhere to be?" I asked him heading towards my brown mare he brought.

Reagan approached me with a wary look, "Do you even know how to ride a horse?"

"Oh." I said before I grabbed the reins of the horse, "How do I even get on it?" I asked feigning ignorance.

Heaving out sigh, Reagan approached me but I smirked, before I heaved myself up with such grace, without ruffling my skirts. Grabbing the reins of the horse, I turned to look down at Reagan while smirking at him. "You were saying?" I asked him with a smirk and then, I snapped the horse leaving Reagan to stare at me with awe.