AN: Hello, wonderful people! Sorry for the long wait! :( I wrote an extra long chapter to compensate and I have a big surprise at the end of this chapter, so be sure to hold on up to the end. I promise you'll be rewarded. (I think I swooned myself a bit, is that even possible? :O)

Anyway, I  hope you like the chapter, it's the product of me running with high fever. If you do, leave some love, please. It will not kill the cold, but it will make me feel warm on the inside. HIHI!

Stay awesome!

Fearsome Hamster

"That one would not do, try this blue dress instead," Nana threw yet another garment from the wardrobe at her, dozens of already tried clothes quickly stacking on the bed. Upon finding Margo would meet Zachary again, her grandmother had not stopped fussing over her. Either her hair, her nails or her outfit, it seemed Nana made it her new life's purpose to make her look exquisite.

"Na, you do realise Thomas is going to join me and Mr. Frost today. Nothing of what is currently going on inside your mind will be any close to coming true."

"Shush, darling, you never know when an opportunity might arise," her grandmother winked. 

Beneath this carefree attitude, Margo knew Nana well enough to recognise that she was distracting herself from the uncomfortable truth. If she were honest with herself, they were both doing this, avoiding the heavy question hanging over their shoulders like a sword, ready to drop and slice through the fragile bubble of happy ignorance they shared. The subject of her arranged marriage was yet to be approached, even though it was lying on the fore front of their minds.

Nana fluffed her hair a bit more, adding another ribbon in her now barely tamed curls. Taking a step back, Nana circled the young woman critically. Judging by the displeased look in her eyes, the dress had not passed the trial. Her grandmother's next words confirmed this.

"Too conventional. Maybe if I find another scarf–," Nana said.

"Nana..."

"–or braid your hair into something–," Nana took out the ribbon she previously arranged. 

"Nana, you don't have to–," Margo attempted to talk again.

"and find those pretty earrings that match your eyes–,"

"Nana," at her brusque tone, her grandmother finally looked up, acknowledging her. Caught unaware, the wise woman's eyes held an impenetrable sadness in them. Margo caressed her soft age beaten cheeks. "Nana, you do not have to pretend to be happy for me. We both know what my father lost that night betting," her grandmother's gaze welled with tears.

"My wise girl, I still cannot believe it. He's a become a shell of what he used to be, the day my daughter died, she took his soul right along with hers in the after life," Nana chocked out.

"I'm slowly coming to terms with my impending wedding, Na. My fiancee, Zachary, he seems different than I believed." Images of Zachary carrying Old Ray to the infirmary flashed in her mind. "....I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"You've always been mature beyond your years, my child. May the fates offer you what you truly deserve," Nana hugged her tightly, making her feel like a little girl again. Margo let the warmth of the moment envelop her.

All too soon, strong knocking was heard at the front door. Thomas' excited laughter echoed from downstairs, the young boy running to greet their guest. She did not need to hear his smooth suave voice to know who their visitor was.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

"At least he comes in an impressive form," her Nana winked.

.................................................

"A horse farm! I've never been to one!" Thomas shouted, jumping into the fancy carriage Zachary arrived with at the HartWell Manor. Soon enough, her brother's bouncy head of curls appeared at the coach' s side window, urging Margo to get in herself and start their journey to the equestrian centre as soon as possible. She laughed. His enthusiasm was intoxicating.

"You truly care for your younger sibling," murmured Zachary thoughtfully. She jumped slightly upon hearing his voice so close. For a man of his considerable size, he could certainly move very stealthily. Almost like a predator.

"Yes, he is like a light in the dark for me. I don't want life's wind to ever extinguish the smile on his face. I shall fight to keep it shining," Margo whispered, her gaze still trained on Thomas' grinning face. This was a dream of hers, one she ardently wished to become true. 

Suddenly, a pleasurable heat enveloped her hand, stroking each one of her fingers delicately. "You are not alone anymore, little one," Zachary softly said while taking her by the hand and helping her into in the carriage. Even when he seated himself besides her, thus making the huge cabin look tiny in comparison, he did not relinquish his gentle hold on her. The young woman willed her heart to stop beating so quickly.

With a slight nod to the driver, the carriage started moving to their destination. In the distance, Nana's voice carried over to them:

"Take care of my grandchildren, Frost!"

Zachary turned his head, saluting her grandmother in respect, his mysterious indigo eyes holding a solemn vow. "Of course, Lady HartWell." As the horses increased their strut, the manor disappeared from view, muffling any other response from her Nana. 

"We are carrying precious cargo after all," Zachary whispered. Margo's eyes immediately slid to her brother's inquisitive form who was watching the passing trees, tasting the freedom any boy his age should. Precious cargo indeed.

She leaned her head on the crimson padded wall of the carriage, risking a glance at the intense man seated next to her. However, his gaze was already upon her. Her heart jolted. She had a feeling it had been on her for a while.

.................................................

When they finally arrived at the farm, Margo stepped out of the carriage starstruck, ignoring Zachary's outstretched arm and leaving him with a grumpy expression pulling at his lips. Had she not been so captivated by the beautiful scenery around him, she would have probably laughed at this. Affection starved man.

Soft meadows seemed to stretch on to infinity and beyond, a few trees sprinkled by nature's hand offering shade to any resting travellers. Turning around, she noticed the farm buzzing with activity, dozens of people carrying large stacks of hay or filling buckets with fresh water from a conveniently close stream.  It seemed like the perfect location to raise horses, but speaking speaking of them, where were the creatures hiding?

Thomas voiced her thoughts, tugging at Zachary's long black coat. "Where are the horses, Mr. Frost?"

Zachary kneeled next to her brother and said conspiratorially: "They will only show themselves if we start whistling. They can be arrogant beasts." She snickered, muttering under her breath. "They are not the only ones like that around here." At this remark, he threw her a mischievous wink over his broad shoulder. How could he hear that?

"Really, like a magic spell, we need to summon them?" Thomas asked, the excitement in his tone barely contained. "Exactly. On the count of three, let's do it. One. Two. Three," Zachary raised two fingers near his mouth, a resounding whistling sound overshadowing her brother's attempt. Even the birds were disturbed, a couple of them cackling angrily in the sky. Darn it, I have always wanted to be able to whistle like that!  Maybe, she'll ask him to teach her that trick one day. She stopped herself. When exactly did she start including Frost in her future?

A gradual thumping suddenly interrupted the silence. A few black spots appeared in the far distance moving at an incredibly fast pace and leaving a wave of dust behind them. Squinting her eyes, Margo realised a herd of horses was the one causing such disorder. A herd of horses that seemed to be headed straight in their direction. She gulped.

"They're going to stop, right?" Margo stepped closer to Zachary, grabbing him by the arm unconsciously. "Your wish is my command, little one," he drew her form closer to his body and made a sign at the herd. Now that the animals were closer, she noticed a rider was in charge of the wild beasts. As soon as Zachary raised his hand, the rider obeyed. 

"You're a horse whisperer! I am awed!" Thomas gasped, his blue eyes wide at the sight of the horses now calmly grazing the grass around them.

Zachary laughed and for a moment Margo just watched him. Were those dimples she noticed? Being used to seeing him behave so over protectively of her and scowl at any male around her vicinity, it was refreshing to see this carefree side of him. Too bad the butterflies in her stomach found him even more dashing with that smile.

"Others do not seem to be impressed. I guess I'll have to try harder."

Ruffling Thomas' hair, he turned his head to watch her. For long seconds, their gazes clashed, both lost in contemplation of the other. She was caught staring. A blush started blossoming in her cheeks. Why could she not stop looking in those indigo pools of his? And why was he doing the same?

Luckily or not, they were soon interrupted. "Greeting, master," the head rider dismounted and made a deep vow to Zachary. The latter did not seem as thrilled, rapidly barking an order: "Bring me Clover, the gentle WarmBlood breed."

Soon after, a brown steed spotted with orange splashes of colour was brought in front of them, the caretaker swiftly disappearing from view to avoid Zachary's glare. True to its name, the horse had fiery fur on its head, closely resembling a four-leafed clover. A lucky charm.

Without warning, Zachary pulled little Thomas in his arms, seating him carefully on the saddle. The boy squealed. "Let's teach you some horse riding, chap."

.................................................

Margo had to admit. The infuriating man was actually a very capable mentor–she wished Thomas would listen to her half as attentively when she was solving a mathematics problem as he did when Zachary explained to him the way to hold the reins of the horse. 

From her comfortable place on the porch, Margo snuggled deeper into Zachary's warm coat draped over her. Although it was a unexpectedly warm day for the beginning of November, the wind still made its presence known at times. At her first sneeze, Zachary had stopped his lesson and marched over to her, handing her his cloak and telling her to get inside. Stubborn as she was, she chose to remain outdoors wrapped up. Only after cocooning her himself in his coat and an additional blanket, did he begrudgingly leave her be. Every couple of minutes, he would turn his head and throw her a worried look. Who was he to deny her a heartwarming scene of bonding between him and her little brother? His rolled up shirt and muscled forearms were just a nice bonus.

"–Nana told me she used to be outside all the time with her mare–" she heard Thomas say in the distance. She raised her eyebrows. Zachary must have asked something for she heard her little brother state proudly "Yes, Margo is a very skilled horse rider. "

The young woman approached them, trying to be as silent as possible. Her plan failed as soon as she lifted herself from the cot. Zachary's head snapped in her direction and stayed there. Nothing escaped his notice when it came to her. 

"I though it was an attribute of women to gossip. You never stroke as the type to do so," she  cheekily said when she was in front of them.

"I discovered that when it comes to something I'm concerned about, social qualms mean absolutely nothing to me," countered back a smirking Zachary. "Besides, apparently I might have a competitor. Shall we go for a ride to find out?"

"I don't want to bruise your ego, Frost," Margo teased.

"All this talk and no action. We'll see who'll best who, little one." A devilish glint entered his eyes. "I promise I will be there to lick your wounds when you fail." Signalling one of the farm attendants, Zachary had two pure blood horses brought to them. One was as black as the night, clearly a steed judging by its muscular body and regal attitude. The second one was most likely a mare, its coat snow white peppered with a few black star shaped spots, almost like a night sky. Its eyes were big and playful, already nosing Margo's hair with curiosity. 

"Your horse Thunder, my Lord, and Ciel, our friendliest and most good-natured on the farm, like you requested," the attendant said quietly for Zachary's ears, bowing and retreating quickly.

Preparing to hoist herself up, Zachary startled her when she felt his fingers wrap around her waist lifting her effortlessly into her saddle. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she had the distinct impression his palms hesitated letting her go.

Margo exhaled. Tightening her grip on the reins and locking her feet in the stirrups, she nudged her four legged companion into a gentle trot. It felt good to be back on a horse. One by one, her rider instincts were reawakened, and she was surprised to see her body still maintained the reflexes. It had been years since she had last done this. 

Feeling a bit daring, the young woman started galloping, deciding to follow the stream's direction. The wind already began its wild dance with her dark strands the more she increased her speed. Faintly, she heard Thomas wishing her good luck. She risked a glance behind her. Zachary was gaining in on her. She giggled. So the race had begun.

She did not know much time passed. It must have been a couple of minutes, but it felt like a small timeless eternity. Just her and her mare Ciel running across the bright meadows of the farm. The sun shining on her face, the breeze lifting her cloak. The precise movements of her horse when she jumped over boulders. How could she have forgotten how revitalising it felt to ride. How liberating.

Even though she could still sense Zachary following her, she was thankful he did not intrude on her. He must have realised how she needed this.

Finally, the stream led them to a sparkling lake. Still astride, they watched their horses drink their fill of water. Or rather it was Margo watching and petting her mare and Zachary watching Margo in silence.

"Thank you," the young woman softly said, still staring at the water, "for offering Thomas those equitation lessons. After father sold our family's horses, I never had the opportunity to teach him how to ride. I could tell he enjoyed himself and had an amazing day." Margo slid her soulful gaze to him and confessed "And I did, as well. It was wonderful today."

" Thank-", just when she was about to thank him again, two fingers pressed delicately on her lips. "You do not need to say that, little one." Zachary gulped. "Making you happy is part of who I am. It is like thanking me for breathing. I cannot apologise for my behaviour, my past taught me good things are rare and far in between and that when I see something so precious," he caressed her cheek "I should grab it with both hands and never let go. I hope one day you can understand and forgive."

His confession was touching parts of her heart which she did not know the existence of until now. It was difficult to be the recipient of such passionate devotion and claim indifference.  Though a part of her was still simmering from the conniving ways he used to obtain her, a large part of her soul was slowly bending under the feelings that were igniting in his eyes. Feelings she was too afraid to recognise yet in him.

Slowly, their bodies moved towards one another as if pulled by a magic thread tying their hearts. 

Margo's horse shifted a bit uncomfortably, making the girl wobble a bit. With a powerful jerk, Zachary dismounted her from her mare and moved her to sit on his steed with him. Now forced to share the saddle, their bodies were intimately close to one another. Shifting a bit to adjust her position, she moved in his lap, creating dangerous friction between them. He closed his eyes and groaned painfully.

Margo gingerly held his face in her palms, "Did I hurt you?"

"Not in the way you imagine, my sweet torment," he rasped, opening his eyes. Maybe it was the sun shining in their direction, but in that moment, Margo could have sworn his pupils had turned crescent, giving him an otherwordly look. 

She did not have the time to ponder on this revelation, for in the next moment her lips were claimed by Zachary's hungry mouth. As though sensing her hesitance, he slowly licked her, teasing her mouth with light touches of his tongue, coaxing her to join him in their mutual discovery. Like touching a wild deer cub, he glided his fingers slowly up and down her neck. She liked it. Very much.

Gaining some courage, Margo grabbed his hair in her hands, marvelling at the softness of it. She had always wanted to touch it. Her initiative made Zachary moan with pleasure, momentarily stopping him. Taking his hands off her neck, he pecked her lips. Once. Twice. Three times. As if he could not get enough, but conscious he had to stop.

Breathing a bit unevenly, Zachary finally opened his eyes. He loosely wrapped his arms around her. Either to keep her upright on the horse or to stop her from running perhaps.

Margo knew he had no reason to worry about the latter option. With her lips feeling tingly and hot to touch, she gazed at him and grinned. "That was better than in my books."

Zachary laughed.