The head maid watched on with the main butler, both of them watching intently as their master raked through piles of papers. Exchanging bizarre looks to one another, they attempted to rein in their personal feelings for the sake of their master. The man nudged the woman, pushing her to speak. Of course, at first, she paused, wondering if it really was best to disturb the male from doing something he was so heavily invested in.

Then there was the matter of his change in attitude. Ever since he had woken up from his coma, he'd been so manic. Running around, trying to find something that wasn't there, he worried everyone around him. And recently, when he had begun negating his duties as the royal captain of the guard, there was no room for doubt anymore. The man was completely insane. As such, the head maid was the first to step forward.

"Master Vero," she sighed, lowering her head and bowing in respect, "May I ask you to relax for just a moment? I would like to clean your office. Perhaps you could take a walk with Jove."

"No, I need to know more first. It has to be done by the end of the day. I'll eat, so don't pester me until tomorrow morning."

"I really think you ought to - "

The man looked up with a petrifying gaze, the woman immediately backing down. In response, she and the butler exited with a bow, leaving the man to his own devices. He gripped a singular piece of paper within the portfolio he held and frowned. Gripping the paper, he directed his eyes up at the window, gazing through it. It was then that he decided. It was time. Time to get even.

Far from the capital, on the outskirts of the forested area, a young woman sat outside, unable to move. She stared out onto the tranquil forest, wondering if that day would be any different than the one before it. Then again, she was grateful to her father. He kept her days just like that. He sacrificed everything, including his ability to live with her, just so he could just to let her have a peaceful time. It was perhaps because of the few servants and lack of family members she had that caused her to be so painfully lonely.

Oftentimes, she would imagine running in the forest, picking the freshest berries and eating them then and there. Closing her eyes, she envisioned the fantasy in more detail. Maybe she would encounter a wild wolf and find the courage to tame it. Or perhaps a nest of baby birds squeaking for their next meal. As a breeze blew from the east, the (h/c) haired girl took in a heavy breath and smiled. The plants she would encounter would be wild and reckless, always growing however they could.

She knew it was too dangerous for her. With no guards at the estate - the best one with those qualities being the chef - and no one who wanted to join her, there was no hope for it. She could only hope that in her next life she would be born a magician or wild adventurer. Those thoughts gave her the things she needed to go on. Though she was overcome with guilt for the things her father did for her, he couldn't provide everything to make her life feel worthwhile.

"My lady," the girl's closest aid smiled, holding a small cupcake, "You've finally become a woman. Congratulations."

(Y/n) smiled. Reaching out her hands, she took the pastry, noting the eager and pitying eyes of her few servants. She knew why that was. Born disabled and feebly weak, she could do nothing, not even get about by herself. And because of the limitations of her wheelchair, she had never experienced anything but the first floor of the abode she resided in. And even that was becoming threatened by the lack of funds her father could secure. Holding the cupcake tightly - but not tightly enough to harm its shape - the girl's eyes watered.

It wasn't like they were nobility, her father only born with the skin on his back and no parents to speak of. Like hers, his mother died in childbirth and his father refused to take responsibility for him. She'd heard the stories of how he had risen from rags to riches through his inventions and how he had become wealthy enough to make his own trade company. For a time, when her mother was alive, the business flourished, enough to gain the attention of nobles. Many sought to sponsor them, and for that, they were given much respect.

Then she was born, and her mother passed. They had suspected the (h/c) haired girl was a stillborn, her legs not moving and her breathing near nothing. It took hours to stabilize her, and even then, her father was delivered the news that his wife was dead and his only daughter was paralyzed from the waist down. And for however many servants tried to hide their gossip from her, it was said if she had been born a normal child, they would have even had the chance to let her marry a baron. If that had happened, she would enjoy a large and luxurious coming of age where her father would attain many blessings. She resented herself for that; limiting her father.

Looking down at the cupcake, she gave a bittersweet smile. The trade business was failing. Too many monsters had emerged from the sea, wrecking their boats and ruining her father. He was in debt. So much so that all but a few of the (h/c) haired girl's servants left, and they couldn't even afford the necessary lubricant for her wheelchair either. It had long since rusted over, its wheels squeaking loudly when pushed, if they could even be moved at all. And since she was too weak to try to move them, most days, she wasn't given the privilege of being outside. Nonetheless, she supposed she ought to give thanks to those that stayed.

"Thank you, Nina," she murmured quietly, watching as the candle's flame waved back and forth ever so delicately.

Though she hadn't even done so before, some of the workers would often blow out their candles while making wishes. Supposedly, if you said it aloud, it wouldn't come true. So, while she held back tears, (Y/n) thought deep and hard about her wish before blowing out the candle. There was scattered applause from behind her, Nina leading the celebrations. The aid then attempted to wheel the girl back to the house, having to assert most of her strength. With thankfulness, the young lady extended the cupcake to her, apologizing for the hassle. However, she held tightly onto the candle, even clutching it in her sleep. That night, she had dreams of a bear, but regardless, the same boring daily routine continued for the next three months until her wish came true.

. . .

"Sir, don't you think we should rest for just a bit?"

There was no response, but whether it was because he was heard and ignored or not heard at all, he couldn't tell. The vice-captain simply sighed and gave a shake of his head to the men behind him. They gave weary faces, all of them tired from the journey. Despite their being highly trained and talented individuals, traveling for weeks at that point had put them in worse shape than they thought possible. Most fantasized about returning home for warm meals, and others, about their significant others. Regardless, none of them were about to spit out their desires in front of their captain. They shivered at the thought.

"Surely you don't expect us to show up as a massive stampede? They might think we're trying to invade. And besides, if you're planning on taking her back with us, don't you think it would be best to ready a carriage? She can't ride on horses like this; wouldn't even last an hour."

"Mph," the man huffed, biting on the bottom of his lip, "Then you take Vin and Elt to get one. Meet us there before sundown or you starve."

The vice-captain nodded, all but rolling his eyes at his captain's orders. He had always been so stubborn and headstrong in all decisions. Most of the time, it was a great quality for a leader, but, in that case, Ignatius wanted nothing more than to slap him across his face. However - as if the male could sense his wishes - when given a glare by the captain himself, he puckered his lips and chuckled nervously, waving the two soldiers behind him to embark on their separate mission. It was perhaps another hour or so before the main group arrived.

(Y/n) looked out the window - as she typically did - only to see them. Frightened by their numbers and concerned about their purpose, she heard the servants in the main room scurry about. Doing everything she could to roll herself out of her room. Regardless, the amount of effort she could exert was not near enough to be able to join the others. So she was a sitting duck until her chef attempted to roll her away to safety. As they passed the main door, she could hear the conversation between Nina and the unknown group of people.

"I'm sorry to say, but we don't have the accommodations to have you here. If you'd like instructions to the next town over, I'd be happy to provide."

The raven-haired male and his soldiers all jumped down from their horses, the captain stroking the horse's nose gently. Looking up, he gazed through one of the windows with desperation to see the (h/c) haired girl being carted away. With a gasp, he pushed Nina aside before bursting through the front doors. The eyes of the younger girl were placed on him, making him tense up in guilt and shame, yet still...relief. That was until the chef stepped in front of her, blocking his vision. For a moment, it felt as though she had died. It stung his heart. However, to ease the pain, he pushed the chef aside before smiling.

Of course, in the frightened and vulnerable (h/c) haired girl's eyes, she only saw a beast, grinning down at her with sharp canines and unspeakable muscle mass. As he raised his hand, she winced, whimpering and holding her trembling hands in front of her as a shield. With fear, she waited for him to strike her across the face or stab her. Yet, it had never come. Instead, the male got on his knees, trying to seem less threatening to her. In doing so, he extended a piece of paper to her.

"Read it."

The girl nodded quickly, hoping if she did as he said, her life would be spared. There was not a lot of writing on the page, but the first thing she had noticed was the giant red seal at the bottom of the letter. She recognized it immediately as her father's, her fingers subconsciously caressing over it. With worry that something had happened to him, she read before dropping the paper in shock.

"He wouldn't do that," she wept, "He wouldn't sell me!"

The man's eyes narrowed harshly, the girl frightened by that look. She winced at the way his face contorted with emotion, his eyes like a beast's. Vero's large stature was also cause for concern, especially when he rose from his knees, towering over her. His bear-like hands reached for her, so in shock, she winced, but he only picked up the paper from her lap and backed away slowly. His gaze still lingered on her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I would like to take you back to the capital as soon as possible. How long would you need to prepare?"

"A week," she trembled, trying to stretch the time of her remaining freedom as far as she could.

"...Alright."

The man said nothing more, stepping back outside with the rest of his men. The soldiers were relieved to have finally stopped moving, most of them all but kissing the ground before them. There were a few that had the guts to lay down and nap. And though some looked at them with pity, knowing that their captain would smack them awake and put them back to work, when he had come out of the house, he simply looked for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. He made no effort to correct their behavior.

"Excuse me, sir," Nina peeped, trying to perform her duties to the best of her ability, "I'm afraid we can't take in everyone. We only have three spare bedrooms at most and six beds. If it would be alright, we could house the rest in the main room, but they would have to sleep on the floor."

Some soldiers perked up upon hearing they could sleep inside after weeks outside. With elated and dazed looks on their faces, they were immediately snapped out of it by the cold glare of Vero, each of them squeaking in fear and respect all the same. It was obvious he was daring them to try and accept the generous invitation. In response to his refusal, some soldiers attempted to gather piles of dirt for their heads to rest on, weeping feeble tears.

"We won't inconvenience you. We'll hunt our own game as well."

"Are you certain? If you're to...become our lady's husband, you will be part of the family. Could we not at least house you for the duration of your stay?"

"No."

(Y/n) had been brought to her room where she cried her heart out. To think her father would have written to tell her to marry such a threatening man; it was inconceivable. She thought, at the very least, if she didn't have the ability to move her legs, she could still be free in terms of the shackles of marriage. That being said, there wasn't much she could do to refute her father's wishes. Even if she could run away - which she could not - she would still accept. If she could give at least something small back to her father, she would. She owed it to him.

By the time she had stopped crying, it was already late at night, the house dead quiet. However, a carriage had rolled outside to where the royal guard slept, an argument started as the captain told his plans to his subordinate. Peeking through the drapes of the window, the girl watched as the man she was to be married to held a stern face in front of a much smaller man. Of course, with the way Vero appeared to her, she couldn't imagine that the smaller man was the second most powerful in the imperial army.

"A week?! Then what was the point of making us go and get the carriage?!"

"She requested a week. Would you say 'no' to her?"

"I haven't even heard her name! I don't even know what she looks like! Captain, please think of us. You're gonna work us dry..."

The captain shrugged before returning to sit by the campfire. He didn't sleep. At least, he didn't seem to. When she had gone to sleep and when she had woken up for the next handful of days, he continued to appear sleepless whereas everyone else had enjoyed their rest. Perhaps it was because he was a dedicated leader that his men respected him so much. Or maybe he was just strong enough to command it.

On the fifth day of the soldiers remaining outside, the girl had begged the chef to take her out into the forest. If she was going away to never return to the countryside, she wanted to fulfill at least one dream of hers. As she was pushed through the forest, she began to see why no one ever wanted to take her that far in. It was more than just uncomfortable. As she was pushed forward, the wheels squeaked louder than it was bearable and often jolted forwards at random points in time. Her head was often sent forward only to be slammed back. The rocks and bumpy path didn't help either. By the time they had gotten to the peach tree, the girl felt exhausted and swore her shoulders were bruised.

The (h/c) haired girl looked up at the tree, feeling an odd sense of serenity. She could hear the pitter-patter of morning dew dripping from the trees and flowers alike as well as the scurrying of bunnies and squirrels. In some small way, she was glad to have experienced the forest that she dreamed of exploring. Granted, she would never be able to walk amongst it as though she was a part of it, but, at the very least, she would have the scenery in her heart forever, even as she had to be sent away.

It was then that she heard the sound of crunching leaves. She opened her eyes after her contemplation to see the black-haired captain standing there. Why he had come into the forest, she didn't know, but she suddenly regretted following her last wishes. The man gave a blank look to her at first, remaining still. When he finally moved, it was to replace the chef, the man taking hold of the wheelchair's handles while the woman headed back to the kitchen.

"...Do you like peaches?" he asked cautiously, anticipating a response, "I wasn't aware."

"How could you be? We've never met in our lives."

The man remained silent. He then saw to roll her closer to the tree, only to note it felt quite difficult to push, even for him. Of course, he knew this. He could still remember the way she had pathetically crawled on the ground when the riots had started. She had done so to take a blow to the chest and the legs for him, and in doing so, she bled to her demise in his arms. In the corner of his eyes, he could see her wheelchair having been bent and rusted all over.

Truth be told, he had never imagined her to have been so inherently terrified of him. She had always seemed incredibly brave and resilient, even when she was dying. He imagined, once he found her, she would be the same, but she wasn't. In fact, she seemed terrified of him, as though she expected him to be a monster of some sort. He supposed she wasn't wrong. Compared to her weak and feeble body, he seemed beyond human limits.

He supposed he shouldn't have proceeded to attempt moving the heavy thing. It would only have given him difficulties and the (h/c) haired girl would be inconvenienced by its jostling. With a stone-cold face, he picked the much smaller girl up, noting how she had difficulty balancing herself. As such, he placed his hand on the small of her back, trying to support her. Despite that, she still clung to his shoulders in fear. It was obvious she'd never been that high in her life. Regardless, he extended his arms to lift her higher, the girl trembling.

He then motioned to the tree. In response, (Y/n) gave an awed look at how much closer the peach tree was to her. And though she was scared, she mustered the courage to use one of her hands to pick a peach, almost dropping it in shock when the man lowered her once more. He gently took the fruit in her hands, inspecting it carefully before handing it back to her. Though confused at his actions, she nonetheless took a bite of the peach, chewing it slowly.

Vero began to walk back to the cottage with large strides - though it was just his common walking speed. As she ate, the girl was delighted by the chance to experience being carried. It was almost as if she was walking herself, the small bounce in every step propelling the male into another making her almost giddy. So fascinated by the feeling of it, she forgot her fear of being so high up as well as the wheelchair they had left behind.

By the time they had reached the house, she suddenly remembered, panicking. If they became unable to find it again, she would be confined to her bed alone. However, though he looked completely unaware of her anxiousness, the black-haired male rubbed circles on her lower back, comforting her as subtly as he could. It worked - more than expected - but was still not enough to put her at ease.

"I have a present," Vero suddenly commented, refusing to make eye contact with the girl, "It would make me happy if you accepted it."

Wondering what the male could have thought was present-worthy, the girl could only come up with a large beast of some sort, or perhaps a sword. Trembling, she clung to him, the male turning pink in surprise. Regardless, he had one of his soldiers bring out the present, (Y/n) welling up in tears immediately. She hadn't expected any sort of kindness from the man who had somehow convinced her father to marry her. At most, she thought he would only expect kids from her, leaving her alone most of the time. But he clearly exhibited great care for her.

A silver wheelchair was presented as her gift. It was far more intricate than she had deserved.