Kelsie slowly moved into the room, peeling off her fighting leathers. Fortunately, she had other sets, but this one needed attention and care. Spattered with so much blood and grime it was difficult to tell which was hers and the others. She felt stiff, sore, and needed a long hot soak in a hot bath. Zander's knock had come as she had pulled her top off, showing several growing bruises, the bruised side of her face was almost black, and a large gash oozed blood. The most concerning was the gash on her side. She didn't know where it had come from, but it was large and deep. The slice along her arm muscle appeared to have stopped bleeding. She needed to tend her wounds, but as Queen, she needed to show strength. Not fear for her life and how the pain eroded her self control, bringing her to tears. Having sent her father away, she had stripped down to her underwear, preparing to wash away the muck and grime, when Zander's knock came at the door. Shaking her head at his insistence and her inability to say no to him, she opened the door. Walking back to the washstand, she cleaned away blood, noting the number of nicks and lacerations she had been unaware of in battle.

She heard the door open and close, but silence followed. Turning to Zander, she took in his shocked, pale face.

"I've been worse," she said, smiling gently at him, "and it looks worse than it is."

Zander cleared his throat, swallowing hard, "You didn't get the welts on your back from the fight."

Sighing, Kelsie returned to cleaning herself. She could feel Zander watching her, waiting for a response, but she couldn't' find the words. She didn't want to relive the events leading to her being punished or what happened after.

"Let me help you," Zander whispered, taking the washcloth from her and wiping her bruised cheek, "you received another punch, and it split your cheek. Was it the meathead you killed?"

"Yes," Kelsie whispered, "it will heal."

"No doubt," Zander said, "but will the tortured look into your eye fade? Will you allow yourself to heal?"

"After he is stopped," she said quietly, meeting Zander's gentle gaze. "He is a monster, selfish, manipulative, takes what he wants, has a skewered view of what is rightfully his. His entitled manner and behaviours are an abomination to who we are, never mind humankind."

"He did that to your back," Zander growled, "he will pay."

"The person who physically did this to me no longer exists," Kelsie shook her head, "but he gave the order."

"What was the reason?" Zander asked.

"I was one of the first to question his validity," Kelsie whispered, "others never made it out alive. So much unnecessary blood all at the hands of insanity and greed."

"You think he's insane?" Zander asked, applying lotion to her cheek and a small bandage. Kelsie winced at the sting, "sorry about the pain."

She smiled weakly at his apology, her mind a million miles away, "He is greedy. Will go to any length to get what he wants, do anything to obtain his goals, and there is something about him that is ... strange ... no... unnatural."

"In what way?" Zander eased Kelsie into a nearby chair, tending to her other lacerations and nicks

"He seems inept when it comes to fighting," she whispered, her gaze seeing another time and place, "even when training, he seemed ... weak. Connie refused him several times for the elite Assassin training programme. He was ... put out about it. Threatened her, threatened everyone who she allowed to go through it. I remember him ranting that he would make everyone pay."

"Kelsie," Zander called, "he cannot touch you here."

Kelsie looked at Zander, her eyes filling with tears, "This is why I didn't want anyone to see me now."

"You're human," Zander said, grasping her hand, "you are allowed to be human. It may not be a bad thing for everyone to see you vulnerable or emotional from time to time."

"I will be seen as weak," Kelsie murmured, gripping Zander's hand, "Connie said I must always be seen as strong and rock-like by the brethren."

"In a battle, that is a good thing," Zander said, "but one thing I have learnt is that those that follow respond better to a leader who can feel any emotion and still be strong."

Kelsie closed her eyes as tears streaked down her face, "Can they follow someone scared? Who fears what is coming? Who is coming?"

"You fear him?" Zander frowned.

"I have seen what he is capable of and do not want my brethren to experience his merciless ways," Kelsie swiped at her wet cheeks, "I fear not for myself, but for my people."

"Kels, he is not coming to defeat you," Zander whispered, "but be defeated."

Kelsie met Zander's earnest gaze, "Thank you. This may sound strange since you were supposed to assassinate me, but you ..." Keslie gently cupped Zander's cheek in her hand, "you are my anchor in all this craziness. I think you always have been, even when I was a child and didn't fully understand what was happening, knowing you were there, having you here now ... is all I need."

"We're in this together," Zander kissed the centre of her palm, "now and always."

"You have a gentle touch," Kelsie said, looking down at her tended wounds.

"I hope so," Zander said, "I need to tend to that gash on your side."

"Do what you need to," Kelsie said, "I'm in your hands."

The quiet knock drew Zander's gaze from his view out the window. Checking it had not disturbed a sleeping Kelsie, he opened it, meeting George's concerned gaze.

"How is she?" he whispered, "Is it bad?"

"She sleeps now," Zander replied, "but I'm not sure how to get that much blood out of her leathers."

"Not hers?" her father frowned.

"Some but mostly others," Zander sighed, "she has many demons plaguing her, but she will heal."

"Give me her leathers," George said, "I will tend them."

"I appreciate that, but it is my duty," Zander murmured.

"Your duty at the moment is Kelsie," George sighed, "let me feel useful. Let me tend the leathers."

Meeting the older man's gaze, Zander recognised the helplessness and concern riding his emotions. He needed something to do, something practical to keep his mind off the state of his daughter and the fact that there was nothing he could do to fix her problem. Nodding, Zander gathered Kelsie's stained leathers, handing them through the door.

"Thank you," he whispered, "how is Kim?"

"Anne gave her something to calm her, and she sleeps," George smiled, "not much for me to do but ensure both are fed. How did Kim land up here?"

"From what I understand, she worked in the same company Kelsie did," Zander glanced at the bed as Kelsie moaned in her sleep, rolling onto her other side. "She helped Kels get away and disappear. George, do you know if Kim has welts on her back?"

"I believe she does. Why?" George's eyes snapped to Zanders, "does Kelsie?"

"Yes," Zander nodded, "she received them as a punishment for her questioning the validity of our next arrival."

"Perhaps Kim did as well," George said, his eyes narrowing in thought, "I'll ask when she wakes."

Kelsie moaned again, muttering in her sleep. Zander watched her movements become more agitated.

"I need to tend to her," he said.

"Nightmare?" George asked.

"It looks like a bad one," Zander sighed, "let me know what Kim has to say."

George nodded, walking away as Zander closed the door, making his way to the bed. He listened to the mutterings of a nightmare he could not stop, nor could he take away from the moaning woman on the bed.

Sitting next to her, gently brushing away the damp hair on her forehead, Zander called to Kelsie to wake up. Gripping her shoulder, he shook her, calling her name, asking her to awake.

Kelsie cried out, suddenly sitting up and punching at whatever she saw in her waking nightmare. Zander gently held her extended fist, easing the shaking woman toward him.

"Kels, it's Zander," he whispered, "it's a dream, a bad dream."

She whimpered as her glazed eyes cleared, taking in the room and finding his waiting gaze. "Zander," she gasped, pulling him against herself, clinging desperately to him.

Zander's heart ached for this beautiful, strong woman, "I'm here," he whispered, "I will always be here."

Gently rubbing his hands over her back, allowing her time to process, understand she was safe and finally relax against him. She remained clinging to him even after the tears stopped flowing and her heart rate had returned to normal.

"Kels, you need to eat," he whispered, "I had George bring some food earlier. Will you eat?"

She nodded against his shoulder, "Thank you."

Kelsie eased away from Zander's broad shoulder, "I am hungry."

She watched him move to the table and prepare a plate of food for her, "Eat in bed or at the table."

"At the table," she whispered, slowly moving off the bed as she looked around her bedroom, "that dream was real. So ..."

"It was a dream," Zander smiled, placing the plate in front of her, "now eat."

Nodding, Kelsie began to eat, "Where did this come from?"

"Apparently, the house supplied it," Zander smiled, "does it taste good?"

"It's delicious," she nodded, her eyes losing their haunted expression, "these fruits taste so sweet and are juicy. This cheese is creamy and salty. I don't think I've tasted anything like it."

"Enjoy," Zander moved toward the window, taking up watch again.

"Have you been here all night?" Kelsie's soft question fluttered to him

"Yes," he said, "I wanted to make sure you were safe," looking over his shoulder, he smiled at her, "I only ever wanted you happy and safe."

Kelsie met his gaze, softness shining in her own, "I have always felt safe when you are near, Zander."

"Whatever comes with the dawn, or even the evening tomorrow, the day after or in years to come," Zander murmured, "we will take it on ... together."

Kelsie smiled, "I like the sound of that. Now, come and join me, and just for tonight, let the Guard do their job and let us enjoy each other's company."

Zander heard the plea and the command in her words. Bowing his head, he joined Kelsie, filling a plate with food.

"What do you want to talk of, my Queen?" he asked.

"Tonight, I just want to be Kelsie," she said, "the girl you irritated by pulling her hair."

Smiling, Zander nodded, "I can do that."