He followed her without calling out to her, He wanted to, but he wondered where she was going. The sudden sound of a river stream was heard and she disappeared behind sets of trees making him stop in his tracks. 

He slapped himself, Almost felted like killing himself. She was going for a bath. He only realized when they reached the stream. The water would be extremely cold. It confused him as to why she would bath in such cold water. 

But he never stepped further, just as his legs turned to go back in thoughts of talking to her when she walked back to the house. His eyes spotted a man. Someone he never saw near the house. He had an evil smirk over his face as walked right by the tree line never knowing Vinceten stood right there. 

Vincent clenched his jaw running for him as he heard a scream. He grits his teeth seeing the man's back as grabbed him by the back of his neck pushing him down making him scream in pain. 

There she stood, naked, her back to him as the rest of her body below the waist was covered by a rock. She looked horrified, at the urge to cry as Vincent held the mad man. He found rage covering his eyes as he punched the man making him wince in pain. 

"Stop it," He said as Vincent continued to punch his guts and face, As the man cried out for the last time he heard a voice. 

"Vincent no! let him leave," She said after a small pause. Her hand covering her as she stood with her back to them. He had his teeth clenched in pure fury as he stood up grabbing the man by his neck and pushed him back making him run for his life. 

How many times had this man done such awful things? 

How many times had that girl been insulted like so? 

He could not hold his anger. His teeth gritting together unable to hold his rage inside. 

"Thank you," She said bringing him out of his daze. He stared at the man running as she looked at his back and frowned. 

She was thankful. But she felt the fear come over her mind as she realized what would've happened if he wasn't here. 

"Were you-" He looked down slightly to his left. 

"I needed to talk with you, I stopped when I realized you were going for a bath, I had no intentions of watching you" She smiled looking down. 

"But then I saw that man whore and I-" She bit her lower lip tightening her hands around her chest. 

"I-I, I would've killed him, If only you never stopped me" She heard him say. There was no word said after that. 

"I will stay near the tree to watch out," He said walking away from the stream and standing near a tree facing away from her. 

She couldn't explain the feeling she felt. Her heart was warmed by such gestured, She shivered at the ice-cold water and took a quick bath drying herself before wearing her petticoat and corset, lacing it up as quickly as she could and wearing her overskirt.

She dried her hair with a cloth she torn from the sheets which were to be thrown away, wrapping herself in that now wet cloth, she walked towards him as he looked to his right. She found herself looking at his back, His muscular frame but she blinked stopping herself. He never turned his gaze at that young woman until she spoke.

"Thank you for what you did" Vicente looked at her, mesmerized by her. 

Her wet hair stayed on one side of her shoulder as drops dripped to her chest flowing down past the valley of her breasts. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her neck, her red cheeks, her beautiful eyes. She shifted on her feet nervous at his stare. 

"You are beautiful" She hears a whisper looking into his eyes and he suddenly looked away. 

She had to be mistaken, he couldn't have said so. She was a slave, She found herself to be in the dirt. Although the water washed away all the ashes of the fire, all the mud off her feet. She still felt dirty. In the presence of someone like him. A royal guard as they said he was. She felt dirty. 

She found herself ugly, covered in ashes till she washed her face. Her body was deprived of any fat. Her eyes were deprived of any sleep. She wasn't beautiful. She must've heard it wrong. 

"What?" She asked again. He cleared his throat. "N-Nothing" She looked down in a deep frown. Did he take it back? Did he realize his mistake?

She gulped in sorrow when he noticed her deep frowning face he couldn't help himself. His fingers touching her cheek lightly startling her. She almost flinched but held herself. 

She found her heart clench and beat fast as he touched her, Her neck felt warmer, his hands clenched into a fist over the cloth she held squeezing it. 

"I said you are beautiful" She took her lower lip biting it. He found himself staring at those pink full lips. He wished to taste them. But he held himself back. She was frozen, She didn't know what to do. Her heart was beating, she wanted more but she wanted to run away and hid in embarrassment, her nerves were making it hard for her to even stand near that huge man.

"W-Why" He heard her whisper. Her hand slowly moving, up to his chest, the back of her finger lightly touched his shirt, but it never fully touched his torso. Because she was afraid. Afraid he might not like her touch. 

They stood in front of each other, wanting desperately to close that distance, touch each other. But they didn't. Each of them found themselves in a difficult position, doubting themselves. 

Afraid, as if the other one might despise their touch. 

Azolla let her hand move away suddenly he grabbed it, Unknown to himself he surprised himself as he grabbed it. She never looked up to him. 

Her cheeks carried a peach tint. She shivered in the cold making him let her hand go and take his coat off, drapping it over her shoulders.

"You need some food," He said gesturing her to take the step forward before following her down the small hill and towards the shed.  

He grabbed the warm bread from over a plate on the fire and broke it in half giving her the larger piece. 

"No, I will have that one" He moved his hand back as she tried to grab it. "You should have that," He said eating the one in his hands making her blushed even more at such a gesture, She bites into the warm bread chewing on it as they sat in silence. 

It was warm, delicious. Very delicious, or maybe it was the kindness that gave it a better taste for her. 

"Why-Which message did you come here to give?" She asked, She saw his body freeze, she saw the sorrow in his face. 

"I am sorry-"

"No-You don't cross the line Azolla. It is just a mere curiousity" He said giving a sigh. She gulped. 

"Yes, and so you do not have to answer it" He smiled his eyes staring into hers. That was enough to make her understand, how much she had relyed on this stranger. More than her own family. 

"I am here to avenge the dead of someone I loved dearly. " he saw her eyes widen. 

"I cannot call them my family you see, But I could say the were equal to the god's of heaven for me" She frowned.