Putting the pen down, he watched his signature dry before his eyes and looked up at the man in front of them. The accountant nodded and pulled the ledgers away. He watched the man put the papers away and held back the sigh. Another day's business finished and he'd soon be on his way back to the castle. The man nodded and he followed him out of the library. They walked into the sunlight and he watched the man disappear down the street. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a sigh and spotted some young women watching him from down the road. He rolled his eyes and walked past them, ignoring the whispers and giggles as he passed. "Women..." He watched the townspeople go about their daily jobs like robots and felt the somber tempo himself. The sunlight rested on his face and he took in a calming breath. Silently he walked back to the valley gate and found Oric loading Tempest with his purchases. The cook patted his bay's face and flashed a sly smile as he approached. "Where is Eve?" The man chuckled as he adjusted the pack and asked "So you know her name?" His scowl returned and the man laughed. He felt the hand catch his shoulder as he walked past the cook and stopped. "I think she's still down on the pier. She seemed like she needed some time on her own." He flashed the man a look and said "Then wait for her." "Afraid I can't. I need to get this stuff back to the kitchen and get working on dinner. I can only imagine what Abigail is saying about having no lunch ready." He shook his head and said "I'm not fetching that woman." Oric pulled himself into the saddle and said "Oh but as the Lord I think it is your duty." His eyes narrowed and he walked the pair to the gate. Oric patted Tempest's neck and looked down at him. "Don't be too official with the woman. Give her a tour or something while you're here." "Get going." The man laughed and nudged Tempest on her way. Fuming, he glanced at the guards and found them watching with some questioning looks. Ignoring the small smirks developing on their faces, he walked down the street and headed toward the pier. Silently he made his way through the people and listened to their quiet talking. If one of them met his gaze they looked away completely. He heard the distance laughter and looked around a corner. He spotted some children running down the pier and stopping at Eve. They looked up at her and held up their hands. She knelt down in front of them and the kids presented her with something. "Do you like?" She held up a small spiral shell and looked down at a little girl. "It's beautiful." The girl laughed and said "I found it by the shore." "You know that can be dangerous. Do your parents know?" The girl's smile faltered and she looked down at her dirty feet. Eve glanced at the boy and he nodded slowly. She closed the girl's hand around the shell and caught her chin. "I want you to hold onto it." "But why?" She offered a smile and said "When I was little and lonely, I needed something to make me smile." The girl smiled again and asked "Did anything work?" She ran her fingers through the dirty red hair and said "Yes. That's why I want you to hold onto that shell." The girl laughed and threw her arms around the woman's neck. Johnathan closed his eyes and shook his head. This woman had something that brought out smiles and laughter in everyone but him. He didn't know if he was offended or curious. Silently he looked back at the scene and found the kids running off down the pier laughing again. Eve let her smile falter and he watched her calm look change. She stood up slowly and leaned her arms against the railing. Closing her eyes, she listened to the waves and let the soft melody ease her mind. She heard the distant calling and slowly looked out over the water. A blow of water brought a small smile to her face and she sighed. "Niall..." Silently he rounded the corner and approached her. He came within a few feet of her and rested his arms on the railing. She seemed at ease but at the same time lost in some distant thoughts. "Oric left." A smirk crossed her lips and she shot him a questioning look. "And left me in your care?" A scowl captured his face and he frowned "Apparently." She fought back the laugh and asked "So do you want to head back then?" He shot her a look and turned his brown gaze out to the sea. Seeing the waves play lightly in the sun and hearing the calming music knocked the scowl off his face. She watched him look more calm than any other time she had seen him. Slowly he glanced back at her and she watched him study the town behind them. "I suppose you'd enjoy a tour." She smirked and stared at him with a questioning look again. "Would it be too much of an inconvenience my Lord?" Her ocean blue eyes captured his gaze again and her snide comment made his annoyance spark. "You really are going to be a thorn in my side while you're here." She laughed and he began walking down the pier. Silently she followed him and found them not heading back to the gate. "So you are giving me the tour." He stopped walking and looked back at her. His brown eyes were the same hard intense eyes she met when she first saw him. The wind tossed in his hair and he seemed still annoyed. "Keep up." She shook her head with a smile and followed him into the middle of the town. He stopped walking by a fountain and she studied the flowing water. Quietly she took a seat and looked around the town. "What do you want to know?" She looked up at him and found him staring off somewhere. He couldn't hold her gaze and she wanted to sigh. "Start with maybe your favorite places or the town history." His scowl returned and she forced the laugh aside. The man was truly getting more annoyed by the minute and she studied his face. "When I was little I hung out in the library or at the park down at the end of the pier." She watched him grow distant at the admission and waited. Drawing up any old memories was hard, even after ten years. "Princess!" She looked away from the Lord at the call and found the kids running up to her. They had a worried look on their faces and she stood up. "Princess?" She ignored the snide comment and caught the girl as she felt the tiny arms wrap around her. "Please come with us!" She glanced up at the Lord and he just shrugged. Frowning, she turned to the kids and found them really upset. "What is it?" "Please, we have to hurry!" Quietly she rose and felt the little hand take hers. The children led her down a sidewalk and she glanced back at the Lord. His brown eyes were watching them but he hadn't moved. "This way!" She was pulled around a corner and found herself in an alley. The girl released her hand and ran over to a corner. She dug around in some boxes and a small whimper caught Eve's ear. Quietly she joined the girl and knelt down beside her. The girl pulled back a blanket and she felt her heart sink. Silently she took the dirty puppy into her hands and felt him squirm. "Can you help him?" She looked over the injured soul and looked back at the two children. Their eyes were big and the girl had tears in hers. "What happened?" The boy sighed and said "Some kids dropped him off here and then started beating him. I chased them off but he was already banged up real bad." She closed her eyes and ran her fingers along the small body. The puppy shivered under her touch and she let out a sigh. The girl handed her a blanket and asked "Can you help?" Quietly she stood up and took the blanket. She looked down at the children and nodded slowly. They let out sighs of relief and she wrapped the puppy in the blanket. "Does he have a name?" "Tanner. At least that's what I think the boys called him." She looked down at the little thing in her arms and began walking down the alley. "Can we come see him when he's better?" "You'll have to ask the Lord." The children giggled and she smirked as she turned the corner. She felt the gaze on her and looked up. She found the man still watching her from the same spot and tightened the blanket around her little patient. Quietly she approached and he looked over the children. "Did you get what you needed?" His tone held no patience and she said "If you don't mind, yes." The children stood in front of him and asked "Can we come visit Tanner when he's better?" "Tanner?" Sighing, she looked down at the bundle in her arms and pulled back the blanket. His eyes narrowed in on the small puppy and he shook his head. "What do you think you're doing?" "He needs help." He shoved a hand through his brown hair and said "He's an animal, a wounded animal." Her light blue eyes stared back at him and she said "Don't you dare tell these children no." He felt something spring from those eyes and glanced down at the two small faces. They were pleading for his agreement and he glanced back at Eve. Her gaze never faltered and he sighed again. "Fine, but only once that thing is better." She smirked and the children let out a big laugh. They both hugged him and almost knocked him off balance. He caught the smile capturing her face briefly and looked away. This woman really was becoming too much to handle.