A/N: It just came to my attention that I never uploaded this chapter because I somehow deleted it... Hopefully this chapter will clarify a lot of things for you haha. 
As always I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Vote if you enjoyed it and comment your opinions below :)

          I was mad. My expression hard and my gaze fierce as I faced Charlie. His eyes were fixed on me like I some sort of predator and he was the prey. He swallowed nervously and licked his lips. 

"You have thirty seconds to explain to me why there are flowers and a letter from Sir Lewis at my home," I said, my voice quiet but deadly serious. He licked his lips once more before replying,

"I had an idea. I know you don't wish to marry Sir William so why not marry Sir Lewis?" I glared at him before responding, rather venomously,

"You mean marry you." He shrugged his shoulder and said,

"Is that such a bad thing? I was under the impression I pulled off playing nobility rather well!" I was still glaring at him as he spoke, despite his attempts to lighten the mood. I grabbed a chair and sat down before replying,

"There are many, many flaws in your plan. You do realise that don't you?" When he stared at me in confusion I sighed, before continuing, "Think about it. One. If I were to marry Sir Lewis, letters of congratulations would be dispatched to Lord Byron, who I'm sure would be surprised to hear his son is marrying me. Two. What you did and are considering doing is illegal. Three. You. Are. The. Blacksmith! Almost everyone in Havaar would attend my wedding. I think the townspeople would notice if their beloved Blacksmith suddenly disappeared and then a man who looks just like him is suddenly marrying Lady Thorel."

          Charlie began to speak, then cut himself off. I hadn't meant to be so harsh or make him feel like a fool, but I needed him to understand. He picked up his hammer that he had dropped when I first arrived, and continued to shape the horseshoe that was still glowing white hot on the anvil in front of him. Charlie resuming his work meant he knew I was right. My expression softened as I said,

"I apologise for my harshness Charlie and I appreciate that you're trying to help me. But unfortunately I don't seem to have a choice in the matter." He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as I spoke. I was so frustrated by the law, if I only I hadn't been born into nobility. If only he hadn't been born the son of a Blacksmith. I was so tired of all these regulations that prohibited me from pursuing my own dreams and happiness, simply because of the circumstance of my birth. I looked up and saw that Charlie had opened his eyes. His bright blue eyes locked on mine, his expression unreadable. He broke his gaze by turning to look at the doorway to his bedroom where Elizabeth Marsh stood, still dressed in the clothes she had fought in. 

"The Skylar is you?" she screeched, not moving from where she stood. I felt dread wash over me. In my haste to question Charlie I had forgotten to disguise my appearance with the red paste. 

"Yes," I replied slowly. There was no point denying it.

"I wonder what the baron and my brother would think if they knew," she smirked, not unlike the expression her brother wore so often. 

"Is that a threat?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I got to my feet. 

"Perhaps," she replied with a sneer as she strode over to Charlie who had been watching our exchange intently.

          "I want to go home!" demanded Elizabeth, fixing her gaze on Charlie. Charlie looked at Elizabeth with a blank expression and muttered, 

"Your leg is healed and the door is over there. No one is keeping you here." I stifled a small giggle as I watched Elizabeth's expression change from angry to insulted. 

"You expect me to walk home, like some dirty peasant?" she shrieked, stamping her foot. Charlie frowned at her words, no doubt wondering how a child could be so spoiled. He was still eyeing her with the same blank expression when he sighed, 

"Yes, I do expect you to walk home, unless you can magically conjure a carriage for you to ride home in." Elizabeth's face was a mixture of rage and horror as she struggled to find a response.

"But... But it's getting dark!" she cried, suddenly fearful. 

"Well you'd best hurry then," he replied with a smirk. I covered my smile with my hand, he was having too much fun. 

"Please don't make me walk," she mumbled, her eyes downcast. Charlie paused for a moment before he looked Elizabeth up and down and said, 

"Well. Since you asked so nicely, I believe I do know a horse that could get you there." Standing up, Charlie led Elizabeth to the stables outside where I heard her cry out, 

"He's enormous!" I followed them out to the stable where I saw Charlie saddling up his monster of a horse. Valiant was a 16.5 hands tall stallion, the colour of darkest ink. He was a beautiful horse, but his owner had given him away due to his 'untameable spirit'. Charlie seized Elizabeth by the waist, causing her to scream and thrash, as he lifted her up into the saddle. 

"There you go," he began, ignoring her shrieking, "have one of your servants return him to me tomorrow." He thrust the reigns into Elizabeth's trembling fingers. Seeing the mischievous grin that was plastered across his face, I intervened.

"You've had your fun Charles," I chided, "I'll take her home and return Valiant." Charlie pouted at me but agreed before helping me up into the saddle as well. Elizabeth held onto my waist and tensed up as I nudged Valiant with my heels to get him going. We began to speed up and it wasn't long before we were out of sight.

          The cool night air whipped past me as I spurred Valiant onward. My hair was a flurry beneath my hood, the small tendrils that framed my face flying about in the wind. The moonlight shone down, bathing me in its silver embrace and I couldn't help but smile. I could feel Elizabeth shaking in terror as she clung onto me for dear life, her arms vice-like around my waist. As Valiant leaped over a fallen tree, her grip became even tighter, nearly crushing the wind out of me. 

"Elizabeth," I choked out, "could you loosen your grip please?"

"Sorry," she squeaked, slightly relinquishing her hold on me. The countryside whirled past us and in what felt like no time at all, we were in front on the Marsh's manor. I dismounted Valiant and reached my arms up to help Elizabeth down. 

"It is probably for the best that I do not come inside," I said, as Elizabeth began to walk up the pathway to her home. She turned to face me as I spoke and frowned.

"Why not?" she asked, combing her fingers through her wind-swept hair in an attempt to smooth it. 

"Firstly, I am not fully disguised. Secondly, I do not want your family thinking I was responsible for your disappearance or any lingering injuries."

"But you were," answered Elizabeth with a small grin. 

"Thirdly," I continued, "I really cannot stand your brother."

"That makes two of us," she responded with a scowl, "I doubt he even noticed I was gone." I gave her a small smile and felt a prick of sadness for her. I contemplated giving her a hug but I held myself back and said quickly, 

"I'm sure they noticed you were missing, especially the woman you ran away from. Go up to the house before they come down here and skin the both of us alive." Elizabeth gave me a sheepish smile and darted in for a small hug, before she raced up to the house. I stood rooted to the spot with surprise and realised it was the closest to a thank you I was going to get. I leapt onto Valiant's back and turned him around, ignoring his grumpy snorts. I took one final glance at Elizabeth's disappearing figure before I galloped off into the night once more. 

          Now that I was alone all my thoughts on the past few days began to re-emerge. How I hadn't noticed Charlie's affection for me was confusing to say the least. Then there was the matter of my betrothal to Sir William. I was not ready for marriage, or the raising of children, nor was it what I particularly wanted. I wanted to chase myths and legends. I wanted to sail the seas in search of mermaids, climb the Otkir Mountains in search of dragons, and venture into the darkest caverns in search of trolls. I wanted to be free. Free to live my own life, my own way. Free to fall in love if and when I pleased, and not just marry a man's money. I knew I could have that with Charles, but I something was still keeping me tied to my uncle and the life that had been planned for me. 

Valiant's rocking motion ended abruptly as we skidded to a halt outside Charlie's forge, sending grass and hay into the air. I dismounted and led Valiant to his stall, feeding him a handful of oats, before I removed his saddle. Once I was done he snorted his approval before ploughing headlong into his water trough, throwing his head up and down happily.

"Good boy," I murmured, giving him a final pat before stepping into the forge. I inhaled deeply and looked over to where Charlie stood, his back facing me, working the bellows. The outlines of his bare back were illuminated by the flickering firelight and I felt my cheeks grow hot. I swallowed the guilt I could feel rising within me and opened my mouth. Those three words that I should have said, that he wanted me to say, rose and caught in my throat. Instead I spluttered out what my cowardly-self wanted me to say, 

"I'm leaving now." Charlie paused at his work for a moment, shaking his head slowly as he said, 

"Farewell. Lady Thorel." My lower lip trembled and I held back the tears that were threatening to spill, as I fled.