"Holy hell its freezing today!" Adam growled.

He, Prince, Marlin, and Jimi, slaved away in the cold, desperately trying to pick cotton from the fields. Marlin and Jimi shivered, as their shaky hands tried to retrieve what they could into a bag onto a wheelbarrow. Meanwhile on the other side of the wheelbarrel, Prince picked away at the cotton, unfazed by the blistering cold.

"Is it me or has Prince been oftly quiet today?" Marlin asked

"In my opinion that's a good thing!" Adam said stuffing more cotton into the bag.

"Also it's nearly noon, and no sign of Meri, what's going on?" Marlin asked.

Prince worked as hard as he could, but couldn't seem to draw his attention from the words Pedro had spoke the night before.

"She is not Zoey or Alicia," Pedro said.

"Then what the hell is she!" Prince said.

"She's Meri…"

"And I'm… a dick?" Prince said.

"Maybe I should apologize." Prince thought "I was pretty rude to her, I'm treating her like she's Zoey, and that's not right."

(Prince remembered)

"Hmph! How dare you spout such vulgar to a woman of the faith!" Meri proclaimed. "The next time you make a move like that I'll use a hot iron instead of my foot!" She yelled.

"On second thought, no." Prince thought. "If declaring how I actually feel about her makes me an asshole, I'm fine with that" Prince said. "I haven't called her any names or disrespected her as a person, it's her who should apologize to me." Prince said. "I'm done trying to be a nice guy for these women! That's what I did in my previous life! And it got me nowhere!"

"We'll speak of the devil!" Adam said looking up.

Meri was walking over to them, slightly drooping her head as she approached.

"Morning Meri!" Marlin said jubilantly greeting her.

"Morning… Marlin," She said not even turning to greet him.

"Why… why does she ignore me..." Marlin thought as she walked passed him. "Prince… am I really just a weak man to her? Then what does that make you?"

Prince saw Meri walking over to him from the corner of his eye, but didn't let his pupils drift for even a second. He continued working the field, as everyone else turned their heads as Meri approached him.

"What the hell does she want now?" Prince thought gritting his teeth.

"Hey… Prince," Meri said. "About last night…" She said

"Yeh, what about it?" Prince said, continuing to work, he still hadn't looked at her yet.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry, I was out of line for that comment about your mother, I'm sure she did a great job raising you." She said.

"What… what is this?" Prince said dropping his hands. He turned to Meri, watching her twiddle her thumbs, unsure of what to say to him.

"Just last night she was going to neuter me" Prince thought "And now she can't even look me in the eyes?"

"You walked away from her Prince," Pedro answered "You to became closer last night, and whether you realize it or not, she's beginning to see you as more than just sleezbag now" Pedro said

"Your becoming the sleezbag she doesn't want to lose" Pedro said

"Don't worry about it," Prince said to Meri. "I see you managed to get all that mud off," He said smiling "I tried my best, but the kind of dirt that's on me won't come off with one bath."

"Heha, you never change do you!" Meri said smiling.

"If I did this place would be pretty boring now wouldn't it?" He said chuckling.

"Prince…" Marlin said, " How can you do all this without getting nervous? How can you talk to such an angel like that? You told me to watch, but I don't understand…"

Marlin sulked, placing his hands over his eyes, trying his best to block out the laughs of Meri and Prince.

"Alrighty boys!" Meri said returning to the group with Prince. "I can't have you guys shivering in the cold like this! I'm going out to get some deer hide! I'm going to make some coats for you!" She said cheerfully.

"Awesome!" Marlin said "Thanks Meri you're the best!"

"Your not going by yourself are you?" Adam aked cautiously

"I'll be fine, I always go by myself" She said taking out her sword.

"I see," Prince said returning to his work.

"Meri be careful out there!" Marlin said

"Thanks Marlin!" Meri said.

"Well that's all for today," Prince said whipping his forehead. Even through the blistering cold, he had managed to work up a sweat. His hands were beginning to harden, and were lined with calices from his work.

"Imagine what years of this would do to me?" Prince thought "What would my hands look like then?"

"Forget your hands, imagine what that would do to your soul!" Pedro said.

"Lindor…" Prince thought "That's what my soul would become."

"Hey Prince have you seen Meri?" Marlin asked approaching him.

"No, why? Is she not back yet?" He asked.

"Yeh! The sun is almost down where could she be!" Marlin said.

"Pedro, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Prince asked.

"Yeh, this could be bad, Prince."

(In the forest)

Meri made her way through the forest with a heap of deer hide on her back, she carried the heavy load with eas, navigating her way back to the estate.

WHIISTTLEE!!

"Well well what do we have here?" A strange man said walking in front of her. He lifted up his hook shaped blade to the bottom of his eyes, just below his nose piercing.

Meri backed up turning the other way.

"Helllooo!" A giant man said. He sat on a tree stump hanging a greatsword over his pudgy shoulders.

On Meri's left and right two more silhouettes appeared, laughing heinously as they grouped with the others.

"HEhe were gonna get lucky tonight guys!" The nosed pierced man laughed.

Meri dropped the deer hide and drew out her blade.

"You'll be lucky if you get out of this alive!" Meri yelled.

(Back to Prince)

"I don't know" Prince said to Pedro, "From what I saw, she's very combative, and with a blade she's probably better than me! She'll be fine."

"Don't worry" Prince said to Marlin, "She's strong"

Meri ran up to the man with the hook sword, clashing blades with him. As their blades interlocked the huge man with he greatsword came down on Meri with a giant swipe.

"HUuuuuahahhh!" He yelled.

Meri dodge the attack, and threw a jumping kick at him.

"Tiger heel!" She yelled smacking all the teeth out of the giant man's mouth with his kick. He fell to the ground incapacitated.

In that exact second, two men from either side of Meri attacked. "Tiger… Tempest!" Meri said spinning in a circle. The arc of her blade smashed into the bandits, cutting deep wounds across both of their chests.

The man with the hook cowered as Meri approached.

"You know artes?" He said. "You! A woman who isn't even a knight?" He said.

"I don't need artes." She said kicking him in the balls " To finish you!"

Price finished eating his bowl of soup, inhaling the warm broth into his mouth. Marlin sat quietly, unable to eat his food.

"Whats wrong?" Prince asked.

"Its Meri…" Marlin said "She still hasn't come back… I don't feel like eating" He said putting his bowl down.

Jimi's eyes Popped open. He pointed to the corner of the room as if Meri had come back.

"Meri?!" Marlin said whipping around.

Jimi punched the side of Marlins bowl. The broth and chicken came out of it in a stream, projecting upwards in a straight ark. Leaning to the side, Jimi creaked his mouth open, catching the soup into his mouth like it was a cup. By the time Marlin turned around his food was already gone.

"Oh well, I wasn't hungry anyway" Marlin said pouting.

Jimi picked up his shovel, once again dancing around the room.

"Well, time to get some rest." Prince said jumping onto his bed.

"Wait Prince What about Meri!" Marlin yelled.

"I told you she's fine! She's stronger than me, she can probably handle anything out there"

"But not a Grizzly bear!" Marlin said "Out in this side of the country the Bears are twice as large and they come out at night!"

"Whats the best a bear could"

"They're so strong it takes 3 or 4 knights just to take one out!" Marlin yelled.

"Damnit!" Prince said jumping out of his bed. He darted out of the shack heading for the woods.

"Why am I going to risk my life for a woman I've known for 2 days?" Prince thought

"Prince!" Marlin cried. "Let me come too!"

"No! It's too dangerous!" Prince yelled. "Go back home! I can't protect both of you!" Prince yelled

"Why am I such a burden?" Marlin thought.

ROOOOARRRRRR!

"Prince…" Meri whispered.

She was hiding underneath a tree, saying a prayer, as a huge grizzly bear clawed at her through the roots of the tree. Her clothes had been torn to shreds, with claw marks, lining every portion of her body.

ROOOARRRR!

"Why is it you I'm thinking of as this creature slowly claws my hiding spot to pieces." She said.

"I guess it's because, you're the only man, who's ever been able to overpower me… I wish I could have told you… I really wasn't lying that day."

Roooooooooooarrrr!!!!!

The creature roared again, blowing a gust that shook Meri's hair. The flem from its spit flew out of its mouth, striking her in the face.

"If you were here you probably couldn't save me, but I would have felt so good, if you were here holding me…."

The bear ripped the roots apart, finally tearing a hole in the tree, revealing Meri's position. She spread her arms and closed her eyes, her body almost laid naked for the beast.

"If I'm to leave this earth, I will do it in grace. Thank you oh lord, for even in death, I am your most faithful servant."

WERRRREEE

The creature cried.

Prince interjected, smashing the side of its head with his swords, sending it staggering backwards.

"So I can't even get a kiss, and you show this bear your breasts on the first date? So much for a women of the faith." Prince said smiling.

"PRINCE!!!!" Meri said as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm here now" He said standing between her in the bear. "You don't need to be afraid anymore"

Meri dried her eyes, looking up at Prince.

The creature let out another earth shaking roar directly into Prince's face, unleashing a disgusting amount of drool that splashed onto Prince's chin. Prince wiped the creatures spit from his face, staring it down without an ounce of fear.

"Now, let me show the kind of man my mother raised me to be."