Almost the instant she was back in the house Elizabeth asked a maid to find Brienna for her. Already knowing what was on the agenda Brienna was hoping they could put it off but Elizabeth was determined for it to go as scheduled and the house was under a shine and sparkle order. She wanted everything to be perfect.
Opening the door to Elizabeth's study she smiled.
"I hear we are to party two days from now." She was a little surprised that Elizabeth looked a little less excited than she usually was.
"What is it your majesty? Something is clearly wrong." Brienna said as she sat down.
"I want everything to be perfect and I just feel, anxious about this party." Brienna could believe that. Since the attack everyone had been emotional and on edge. It was normal after a crisis like that.
"Maybe we should postpone it?" Elizabeth took a deep breath and shook her head.
"No, I'll not have criminals dictate how I live my life. Changing it would be just that." Jason walked through the houses hallways, giving passing maids and fellow guards a nod or hello. Some of the guards were a bit taken back seeing as how his attitude had greatly changed, but many of them seemed happy to see him in higher spirits. The maids were even drawn to his large smile as he greeted them, he was a born killer it seemed. After a few minutes of wandering the hallways he decided to find Brienna and stopped a group of maids.
"Excuse me young ladies, but could one of you point me in the direction where Brienna is hiding?" he asked. They gave a knowing smile and giggled as they told him she was with Elizabeth. Jason gave them a quick bow and walked off to find his target.
Soon he reached the Queens room and was about to knock until he heard them talking. Now he wasn't one to listen in on others conversations, but he felt an urge take over him as he leaned in close. His eyebrows raised slightly as he heard something about a party and thoughts of postponing it. A frown came to his face and he gave a small scoff. Postponing a party? Now that was crazy. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door before gently opening it.
"Excuse me for the intrusion, but I would like to have a word with the Queen," he said and entered the room with a professional look planted on his face.
Elizabeth lifted her head and Brienna turned in surprise to see him there. Brienna looked at Elizabeth and stood up.
"I'll be back in a few moments." Wondering what Samuel said to make such an instant change in Jason she smiled to herself and went to check on lunch.
Elizabeth nodded and motioned for him to be seated.
"What may I help you with, Jason isn't it?" She smiled because she already knew all about him and Brienna and was watching the budding feelings between the two.
Jason nodded in appreciation as he quickly accepted her offer and sat down.
"Thank you my Queen and yes it is Jason. I'm honored to know you remembered a simple recruit," he said with a smile. Talking like this will never grow on him. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Well I am here to make a suggestion that will hopefully raise morale. The men have done a great job in hiding their unease, but I can say that everyone is a bit tense since our arrival. A simple party can greatly ease the mens thoughts and bring a bit more life to our surroundings. Plus, we can have a small session towards the end of the night to give the fallen one last farewell. It will be a way to honor them with less gloom as we celebrate the lives they lived and saved," he finished and took a deep breath. He was hoping this was good enough to get her to throw the party. God knows they needed it.
Elizabeth nodded.
"I agree. That is why I told Brienna we would not change the date of the party. It will go on as scheduled and I do think a toast to those we lost is appropriate. I think that would be a lovely idea for this evening. Wonderful idea Jason." Elizabeth just looked thoughtfully at him for a moment.
"If you break her heart I will make you pay dearly." She hadn't intended to threaten him but for some reason she felt the need to let him see that she looked out for Brienna as well as the other way around.
Jasons eyebrows raised slightly at the threat and he felt a bead of sweat run down his face as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"W-whos heart my Queen? I-I don't know what you are talking about," he said.
Elizabeth gave him a stern look,
"I'm not blind and you are not a fool. You know I speak of you and Brienna."At that moment Brienna knocked on the door and entered smiling.
"Lunch will be ready in just a few moments." She looked from one to the other and sensed tension.
"Is something wrong?"Elizabeth smiled and shook her head.
"No, your young man here was just suggesting we have a memorial toast tonight for the fallen and I think it is a wonderful suggestion."Pleased to hear that, she wasn't quite certain that was all that had transpired but she would find out later. Brienna smiled when Elizabeth stood and put her arm through Jason's and proceeded to chit chat with him to the dining room.
Jason felt embarassed as he walked with the Queen and chuckled with a sheepish smile.
"Wish Brienna would have told me you knew about us," he said and looked to her with a smile.
"I apologize for lying, just didnt know how you would react I guess," he said before glancing back to Brienna.
"My lady, if I may ask, do you know what Brienna finds, romantic?" he asked in a whisper.
Elizabeth though that was quite possibly the sweetest thing any man had asked her.
"I think she loves you so almost anything you do will be romantic to her." She whispered back. As they entered the dining room she nodded her head and released her grip on his arm and took her seat at the head of the table. Brienna took the seat immediately to her right and she looked for Jason to sit next to her.
"We are not quite as formal here as at the castle so if you would care to join me you don't have to eat with the men unless you want to." Brienna explained.
Jason's smile grew at their invitation and he walked to the seat next to Brienna, but stopped as a thought crossed his mind. He looked himself up and down to inspect his uniform and felt a frown come to his face. After a few seconds of thinking he sighed heavily and looked back to Brienna with a smile.
"To eat with royalty and an angel would be more than an honor, but I wouldn't feel right having such an honor when I am only a recruit. Many other men of the guard deserve the honor much more than me, so I wouldn't feel right in taking such an offer. I will eat with the men tonight," he said and gave an apologetic smile towards Brienna.
"Maybe another time," he chuckled and gave a quick bow before heading for the rooms door.
Elizabeth knew he was up to something but Brienna looked like she thought he had gone crazy. Elizabeth giggled to herself softly and Brienna inspected her quizzically.
"What are you two up too?" Elizabeth laughed out loud and said,
"I can't be expected to keep up with your young man's comings and goings. I am the queen." She took a bite of her lunch and smiled at Brienna.
"Nonsense is what you two are up to." Brienna shook her head jokingly with her friend.
After lunch was over Brienna was going over the guest list while the ballroom was being decorated and she asked Elizabeth about a couple of people who were on the list.
"My parents are on this list? Why? Is there something wrong?" The queen shook her head.
"No, I just thought it was a while since we had seen them."Brienna didn't like that. She and her father had had a bad falling out a long time ago because she had refused to marry the person he wanted her to. She had preferred to stay with Elizabeth and stay single. She just knew that this was not going to be a good visit. She murmured a prayer for peace of mind and control so she didn't throttle her father. Elizabeth laughed at her and continued directing the decorations.
"You want us to do what now?" a fellow member of the guard asked with a raised eyebrow. Jason gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.
"Come on man, just for the night. I promise I will pay you all back," he said looking the barracks filled with guards. They all looked to him with a mixture of amused grins or confused looks. Finally one of the guards, Gregory stood up from his seat and placed his boot on the table.
"We will do it, but ya got to get us a barrel of wine just for the guard house," he said with a grin. The men around him let large smiles of agreement come to their faces and cheered. Jason looked around the barracks with a shocked look before letting his own smile of defeat come to his face.
"Fine, we have a deal," he said with dry chuckle. The men cheered even louder and began to file out of the barracks to complete their task. Jason smiled as he spotted a few of the maids enter the barracks after the last of the guards left. They carried a fancy looking tunic and pants with a fine pair of leather boots. The maids walked to Jason and handed him the cloths with a smile.
"Here you go sir, just as you requested," she said and giggled along with the other maids.
"And if I may say, this very romantic of you. Brienna is a very lucky woman," Jason blushed and rubbed the back of his head as he took his cloths with the other.
"Thanks, also a few of the guards will be back to help you with the arrangements while I get dressed," he said while looking towards another maid.
"And you know what your job is right?" he asked her. The maid nodded.
"To bring Brienna to the gardens for you to take over," she said with smile. Jason grinned and gave a thumbs up as he left the barracks to prepare himself for the little surprise he had planned for Brienna.
Brienna went into the kitchen and the cook recognized the brooding look and put her to work helping her to bring up the supplies from the cellar.
"Some hard work will take that problem out of your mind girl. Is it yer pa?" Brienna nodded at the cook. Lucy had been there for years and she had always liked her.
Two days til the party. That meant they would be here tomorrow at the latest and they would be staying here in the house. Brienna groaned and wished she could melt into the wall paper. Her mother was a kind and fun person but she had no spine when it came to her husband, at all. Brienna's father was a bit overbearing and gruff.
Sneaking solemnly out the back door she decided to walk to the wall around the property and back. Maybe the fresh air would do her some good.
The maid assigned with the task of finding Brienna looked around the house with desperation as she bit her knuckle gently.
"Oh, where is she? Where is she?" she mumbled as she walked outside.
"You had one job, just one. How can it be this difi-" she caught a glance of her target walking on the wall surrounding the house. She let out a relieved sigh and ran to the stairs leading to the top of the walls. She panted as she reached the top and saw Brienna.
"B-Brienna! There you are, I was looking all over for you," she breathed heavily and walked over to her with a bit of sweat on her forehead. She was starting to question if this was worth the trouble. As she reached her she looked to Brienna with a pleading look.
"Thank god I found you, I need your help in the garden. I know it is late, but I am desperate. Please, won't you help me?"Brienna sighed and nodded. She was no closer to fixing her own problem why not work on someone else's for a while? Brienna walked with her and asked,
"What is the problem in the garden?"The maid began to think for a quick excuse and looked back with a nervous smile.
"U-um, well you see I found something a bit, odd in the gardens and Im to embarrased to ask the others for help. Im sorry, but you are the first person I could think of that can help me," she said with sheepish smile.
Brienna looked at her oddly and sighed. She was distracted with her own thoughts and when they got into the gardens she turned to ask the maid what she was supposed to see and then she heard a noise and turned to see Jason in formal clothes holding a rose. Her heavy thoughts fell to the side and she smiled and walked over to him.
"I take it this was all your doing?" She sniffed the rose he handed her and she kissed his cheek.
"You look very handsome tonight." Her rosy cheeks were flushed as the heat seemed to be hotter than normal this evening for some reason. The sun was going down and the sunset caught her eye as the pastel colors filled the sky.
Jason felt his heart pound much harder as he stared into Briennas breath taking eyes and grinned as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb.
"Yes, I am responsible for this terrible crime of love, how will you punish me?" he chuckled and placed a kiss on her lips.
"Maybe staying by my side for the night will teach me not to pull such things again," he said and offered her his arm.
"I hope staying beside you keeps you from trouble but never from me." She smiled and placed her arm around his waist as they walked.
"I have been thinking about something unpleasant and you just turned my evening around." She stopped and grinned thinking about earlier. Chuckling,
"So is this what you and Elizabeth were talking about earlier?"Brienna shook her head,
"Nevermind, I don't need to know." They walked enjoying the floral scents of the gardens.
Jason looked to Brienna and let a grin roll onto his face.
"So, if I could ask, what was bothering you before I swept you off your feet?" he asked.
Brienna sighed and her brow furrowed with the agitation that an unsolved problem creates.
"My parents are coming to the party. My father and I do not get along at all. He is angry with me because I embarrassed him publicly when I rejected a marriage that he was insistent upon. I am afraid it will be terribly uncomfortable."Jasons grin faltered a bit, but he didnt want ruin the mood any more than he already had so he chuckled and pulled her closer to his side.
"So, I get to meet the folks huh? Don't worry, they will love me," he said and kissed the top of her head.
"Anyway, let's just focus on tonight. This will officially be our first date and I plan on making it as special as possible," he chuckled.
Brienna wasn't quite certain what he meant by date. Sometimes his terminology was a little confusing but she smiled anyway. She saw the lake just ahead and she smiled.
"You continually surprise me. I like that." She tilted her face up to the sky as the moonlight began to shine through the trees and onto the water.
Jason took Brienna by the hand and led her to an open spot near the lake that had a large blanket spread out onto the ground. On the blanket sat a bottle of wine and two glasses that awaited the two. Jason grinned as he guided her to the blanket and chuckled.
"Am I killing it or what?" Brienna frowned slightly confused.
"Killing it? I'm not sure what you mean. What are you trying to kill and why?" She smiled at the picnic setup and she sat down while waiting for him to join her and explain.
Jason simply smiled and shook his head as he opened the bottle of wine. He poured their glasses and handed Brienna hers.
"Nevermind, just something we say in the future," he chuckled.
"Anyway, you might be wondering why I brought you out here? Why is there a picnic here? Why am is he asking these questions when I could be answering them? Well I will tell ya why," he said and leaned in closer to her ear with a grin.
"I don't know," he chuckled and sat back.
"I just wanted to see your beauty in the moonlight while enjoying your company. Selfish I know, but hey I have no regrets," he said and rested his hand onto hers.
"I am loving every second of this."Brienna raised her face to his with a brilliant smile.
"I couldn't be happier that we are out here together tonight. I think we should do this more often. Once we get back to the castle it will get tougher. So I think we should spend as much time together as we can." She raised up on her knees and kissed him. She felt herself blush at her own thoughts and she murmured,
"I like kissing you. I hope you don't mind." She smirked.
Jason smikred himself and gave her another quick kiss before rising to his feet with her hands in his.
"I dont mind a bit, but from your earlier comment about not being any happier, I will have to prove you wrong on that," he chuckled as he heard rustling come from the near by bushes near their spot. He snapped his fingers and a few figures emerged from the foliage. They were members of the guard, but they seemed as dressed up as Jason and held instruments of all kinds. Jasons grin grew larger as he winked towards the men and looked back to her as the men began to play a soothing tune.
"How about a dance my angel?" he asked as he offered her his hand.
Brienna was smiling in shock and she was grinning from ear to ear. Taking his hand she chuckled into his ear.
"You know that you are going to have to pay heavily for getting them into this. How many years of your life did you have to barter?" She was trying not to look at the men. She didn't want them to leave. She was enjoying this immensely. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him happily as they danced. Brienna couldn't remember ever being this happy because of a man doing something for her. She started counting all the people he had had to wrangle into this and she chuckled. The cook, maid, and key members of the guard. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face.
Jason smiled and chuckled.
"You would be surprised what a barrel of wine can make a bunch of sober guards do," he said as they continued their dance. They glided across the open ground and Jason couldnt help but feel warmness fill his heart and soul. All of the worry and guilt was gone and had been replaced with a single angel. This was his heaven. This was his happiness. He pulled away to look down at her and felt his heart flutter as the moonlight lit up her smiling face. He hesitated for a few seconds from nervousness, but soon he choked it down and spoke with red cheeks.
"I love you."Brienna felt her entire body tingle and she pulled him down to her.
"I love you as well." Her lips met his in a kiss full of depth and feelings. Brienna forgot there was a group of men playing instruments watching them. Her heart was so full and she felt that with him she was completely happy.
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