Alrania's Forest

"Don't mind if I do, join you that is," Desdemona said looking around for her faery guide who seemed to have left. "but only on one condition."

Will blinked curious as to what that condition might be.

" And what would that might be Princess?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Don't guard me." Desdemona said defiantly. "If I accompany you now it will because I want your company as a human, not as a royal guard, I want you to speak with me openly as if you were speaking with a friend and not your charge."

Will chuckled and nodded his head, he should have known.

"You got it princess Des, though I warn you the me that guards you and me you see now are one in the same" he said with a smile.

"Then I must be honest with you William," Desdemona said seriously. "You're a horrible conversationalist."

Will laughed and played wounded, "Oh you wound me Pricesss, can I help it of I am shy?" he said heading towards a small path.

At this Desdemona couldn't help but smile.

"So what brings you to these parts of the Forest?" Desdemona asked curiously. She followed him, allowing a few feet of allowance between them.

Will smiled at her curiousity, though he wasn't sure how to answer you question without making her feel awkward.

"You will see when we get there Princess, I come here every year, on this day... It is better you see for your self" he said still walking to there destination.

Desdemona frowned slightly, curiosity getting the better of her. To her, Will was just one big mystery. She thought she had him all figured out but, he kept on surprising her.

"Alright, just lead the way."

Will smiled and lead her to a small clearing.

In the center of the clearing was a statue of a man and a women standing back to back, as if protecting eachother. The statue was made of wood and they stood under a wooden gazebo.

There were flowers all around the clearing, giving off a sweet aroma.

Walking up to the statues Will bowed his head to them.

He motioned to Des that she was allowed in, she was more then welcome to join him is she wanted to.

"Princess I would like you to meet my Parents, Rose, my mother and Capplin my Father" he said as he pointed to the hand carved life sized staues.

He carved them with his own hands after thay died.

Upon entering the clearing, Desdemona felt a mixture of wonder and sadness. It was a beautiful little place. It especially appealed to Desdemona's taste with the nice flowery scent that it sent out. But despite the beautifulness of it all, or perhaps because of the fact that it was well cared for, did Desdemona see what it really was, and that was a memorandum of someone or in this case, two people who'd past away. It broke her heart that it was both of Williams parents, it broke it even more to find that she was not at all aware of it.

"I didn't know..." your parents were dead, she wanted to say but somehow that sounded rather rash and insensitive. Instead she continued to trail of and asked, "What happened to them?"

Will smiled, "it is alright Prncess, I know you didn't know, as for what happened... well 6 years ago, a group of rogue archers tried to raid the castle, they got as far as this clearing. My parents were visiting me that day and were out walking in the forest.... They got caught in the cross fire." he said.

Desdemona put her hand gently on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm sorry Will..." she whispered sincerely.

Will blinked in surprise for a moment at the gesture, and the fact she called him Will and not William.

Will put his hand on top of hers on his shoulder, "I thank you for the thought Princess.... but there is no need for you to be sorry, Though I am sure they would be honored with you condolence." he said as he squeezed her hand gently back and gave a small chuckle, his eye shining ever so slightly.

Then he heard a sound behind them and he turned to see on the edge of the clearing, a female deer and not far from her a small fawn.

"Well well, would look at that, Good they found eachother again.." he said quietly.

Desdemona smiled at the fawn and the doe, thinking that it was most fortunate that Will had been there to stop a tragedy from happening...

"It's all thanks to you." She smiled at Will.

Will blushed and did his very best to hide it, " Yes well... I am sure anyone else would have done that same...." he said.

"What were you doing in the forest on this fine day anyway Princess?" he asked.

"Well you said it yourself, it is a fine day. There is no better place to spend a fine day like this here, then being cooped up inside cold stone walls." Desdemona replied. It was half-truths at best. Desdemona smiled at him somewhat impishly, even though she had new found respect for him in finding out that he had respect for living things, she had no intention to share her secrets with him.

Looking at his parents statue, Desdemona had a realisation. "This was why you were so against my insistence in wandering here alone isn't it?"

Will nodded, "It wasn't the forest I didn't trust princess it is the people that can enter it that I don't... Things can change in a blink of an eye Princess and it is that blink that can't undone, I rather not have to carve your memorial Statue as well" he said looking at the statues of his parents.

Then he plucked a rose from one of the surrounding bushes and set one on his mother statue.

"Hmm" he seemed to think with a smile and picked another Rose up and handed it to Princess Des.

"Had my mother been alive she would have thrashed me for not offering you one as well." he said smoothly.

Desdemona disagreed with Will's statement but was not in the mood to argue. Besides, she had to admit, he was right... to an extent.

When he offered her the flower though, she soon forgot of her disagreement, and tinted a light pink. "Thank you, I love roses... I know it isn't exactly unique, but they're very elegant," she accepted the flower her cheeks burning, even more so when she realized why she was feeling the rise in temperature.

Will smiled gkad that she liked Rose, "I am glad you like them, they were my mothers favorites, hence the addondance of them here" he said.

"Princess I am sorry if I argered you, that day, it was not my intent" he said sincerly remembering her less then happy face with him that first day.

Desdemona waved her hand in a disregarding manner, "Not to worry, it wasn't your fault." She approached one of the flower bushes, "You made this? You made all of it?"

Will swallowed and nodded his head, "Yes, pretty much, ther're real grave are back at the manor, but I felt they needed something. This is what I came up with, I couldn't leave it alone until it was done"

Truthfully it was the least he could do, he hadn't hadn't been able to protect them and they had trusted him.

He had let them down, he wouldn't let anyone else down again... not like that. Perhaps that was why this job was so important to him.

Then again he admired the princess, she had spunk and a strong will, something he admired in women in general. He flushed slightly at the thought, he like the princess, but she was royal and well he was not.

Desdemona nodded in understanding. She understood what he meant when he said, he had to do something. After all, she wasn't the type to just sit around and let things pass by without her say on things. It was very un-princess-y but she could careless. Why should she take things laying down?

"Do you have any siblings?" She wanted to take his mind off of the accident. From what she could tell it wasn't his fault.

Will shook his head, "Nope only me, while I am here, my cousins on my fathers side of the family run the manor. I stop by there every so often to visit" he said.

Then he turned to her and smiled, "Well I know you have a sister, you and Queen Cassandra are rather close right?" he asked.

Queen Cassandra had made it quite clear to him how imporant her little sister was to her.

Quite clear...

"Yes," Desdemona smiled, mirroring Will's own. "We are quite close." She was sure Cassie'd something to that extent to Will.

She could almost image exactly what Cassie said and Des' smile grew.

"If you don't mind me asking Will, did my sister tell you why she choose you to guard me?"