Alrania's Forest

"Neither can I" Will muttered. Looking less then happy of the Idea of Des being in that old codars arms...

"You being with him I mean" he said, he then promised that until he was legally not allowed to do so he would do his best to keep the Baron away from Princess Des. He didn't trust the man, not by a long shot.

"Promise me something princess.. that is he ever bugs you, you will let me know? At the very least I can keep away from you... and after that we will cross the bridge when we come to it." he said hoping she knew he wouldn't abandon her to the mercy of the Baron if he could help it.

"There - there isn't anything you can do Will... he's my betrothed... The only thing we can do is talk father out of it." Desdemona said strengthening her resolve. "He must see that this is madness..." Desdemona closed she eyes. She didn't think her father would change his mind... but... he had too! She forced all of her emotions under the surface, a skill she barely mastered, but it was vital for any royal... Reserve - the ability bury their feelings under an impassive mask... it didn't get rid of the emotions, no, it did quite the opposite. The feelings went away temporarily, but when it came back... it came back with twice as much power... well that's how Desdemona experienced it.

She opened her eyes and she knew she had that impassive mask on. She'd already shown Will a lot more than what was proper... "I think we can go back to the Castle, now."

Will nodded and removed his arm from her shoulders after seeing se managed to pull her self together somewhat.

He still worried about her though, he worried what she might do or how she might take it if the talk that was to come with her father didn't go the way she wanted it to.

"Very well princess" he said standing back and giving her some space.

Desdemona nodded in acknowledgement and headed for the trail back to the Castle.

(( After Des chambers thread))

Will led the way to the spot he occasional found Princess Des in the forest, he was nervous of her going her alone... yes. But he wouldn't let anthing happen to her, ever.

"I assume this is your favorite spot? You come here a lot from what I have seen" he said placeing to basket down in the grass.

"It is," Desdemona said confirming Will's guess. "There's just something... something pleasant in the air here."

She walked up from behind him. She was rather touched that he'd notice, and that earn him another smile from her.

Will smiled back "I see, it is quiet beautiful here, I see why you like it here" he said while pulling a blanket out and laying it at the side of a bank next to a stream.

He motioned for her to sit with him and he nodged the basket closer to her as a sudtle hint.

"Have you always come to the forest Princess Des?" he asked curiously as he new nothing of her past, or childhood.

Desdemona watched his actions with interest. She couldn't help the pull on her lips as he gestured for her.

"Yes, ever since I was eight," Desdemona said, as she moved to sit with him.

Will nodded, "I see, just out of curiousity Princess... why the forest?" he asked as he took out his cantine and filled it will the fresh stream water.

"Hmm if you won't eat won't you at least have a drink? are you thirsty?" he asked hoping to make sure she was comfortable. He offered her the first drink.

Desdemona shrugged. "I don't know, I just had this... this pull towards it. I can't really explain it." She paused as she thought up how to tell him her connection with the forest. "It's a bit like... instinct I suppose."

She took the drink, "I'll drink but just because you're so insistent."

She took a sip of the water. It was sweet and refreshing, immediately her spirits were starting to lift.

"How about you Will? All this talk about me, and I hardly know anything about you. Apart from what you told me about your parents, I know nothing about you."

Will looked fasinated by her discription of why the forest, it sounded rather enchanting infact. He smiled when she took the water and was about to insist she eat something but decided to take this one step at a time.

He blinked at her, "Not much to tell Princess.. I left home when I was 8 to enter training, been learning here at the palace ever since. Nate drops by every now and then to say hello. Nate is my.. I guess you could say adoptive older brother... my parents adopted him before I was born.

"I live a palace guards life Princess... hardly very eciting, though it does have its moments." he said he said with a laugh.

"Such as this... this is the first time I had a picnic in the forest.." he said.

"I didn't know you had a brother," Desdemona said thoughtfully. "Cassie never mentioned you did..."

"Well, if you don't mind me saying so, palace anything doesn't seem all that exciting compared to what's outside the Castle walls." She said jokingly.


"Then we must make this a common occurrence," Desdemona said smiling. She wasn't quite sure what made her say it, but... this little picnic of their's was making her immensely happier.

Will chuckled and nodded, "Yes princess, Queen Cassandra most likely doesn't know about Nate, It was never in public record that my parents adopted him, they just found him wondering through there farm, I have known him all my life. He is a good brother though he is mostly a hermite now." he said.

He smiled at her joke, happy she seemed less depressed then before "It all depends on ones veiw of exciting or interesting Princess, I happen to know a few villagers the would like to live life at the palace." He said, having been out of the palace walls before he knew the world was a cruel place some times.

He smiled her smiled glad she was having a good time, "I am most happy you do this with me again as well" then he opened the basket and pulled out a bar of chocolate and chipped of a small piece so not to give her to much at once. Afterall what harm could a chunck of chocolate do.

"Some chocolate Princess Des, I hear it tasts good, haven't had any myself yet" he said.

"Oh, so do you not see him often?" Desdemona asked curiously.

"Ah," Desdemona said, smiling sadly. "I must sound like a spoilt little princess to you, don't I? You aren't wrong. My daily problems usually consist of well... wondering what to wear, or what to eat... not problems at all in fact. I'm not really sure how to remedy that, short of leaving the palace. But I do try to make sure I am not desensitized to the needs of the people. It must sound ever redundant to hear a royal say this, but I do have some knowledge of what the people are going through." In fact near Lancaster's Forest is a small Village that was particularly close to Desdemona's heart. She used to visit them whenever she'd go in her Forest trips and she saw the hardships they had to put themselves to, to get even the most simplest of meals, or simplest of materials - things Desdemona had taken advantage of.

"Thank you," Desdemona said taking the chocolate. "I love chocolate."

Will shruged, " Not alot much anymore, but every so often I see him, he is a nice guy though, I think you would like him" he said with a chuckle.

He listed to her with understanding eyes, He didn't think of her as a spoiled Royal, not anymore at least. In fact he was glad he was not a royal... from what he had observed royals had little freedom.

" You do not sound spoiled Princess, in fact you are the least spoild royal I have ever had the plesure of meeting. One of the things I like about you, you have kind heart and don't let your rank get to your head." he said with a smile, it was really one of the thing he loved her for, she had such a kind heart and opened mind.

"I am glad you like it Princess Des, we will cheat today and have desert first" he said with a smiled.

"It tends to make people happier from what I hear... Does it?"" he asked moving sightly closer to her.

Desdemona found herself flushing at the compliment. "Oh Will, you flatter me." But she did not sound displeased. If anything, she was feeling rather flustered. That only increased when she found him closer.

"I have heard that too," Desdemona said. "Let's try." She took the chocolate and bit a small piece. It was sweet with a bite of bitterness that was not unpleasant but in fact rather savory. "Well it certainly doesn't make me unhappy."

Will smiled glad she was signifiganlty happier, "I say the truth Princess Des..." he whispered

"Well I am glad for that, it would be disappinting if it didn't at that..." he said with a smile. "There is other foods in there if you want bread, furit..." he said trailing off letting the worry just stop for a moment and he took a bit of chocolate him self and seemed to relax if only for a bit as the sun beamed through the trees.

"I am happy you are cheered up though" he said as he patted her shoulder lightly.

"I guess I'll have a bit of fruit then," Desdemona said looking at the basket. She then looked back at Will, "Do you have strawberries?"

"Yes," Desdemona smiled, "Thank you Will, I really... I really appreciate it." Her mood then turned somber again as she recalled why she needed to be cheered up. "I just... I'm at a loss on what to do..."

Will sighed and held a strawberry in his hand, "Here, forget I said anything" he said berating himself for reminding her of her worries.

He handed her the red fruit, "Not everything is set in stone yet... perhaps you could still find love... you never what will happen" he said softly in hopes of putting the light back in her eyes.

"Don't worry about what to do for now Princess...hmm" he said almost sitting right be side her now with his hand on her shoulder. How he wished... things were different..

Desdemona took the fruit but did not eat it, heavily troubled.

"But how could I not worry about what to do?" Desdemona asked, sighing in frustration. "Every day, my wedding day grows near... I'm running out of time and I don't know..." Desdemona sighed yet again. "I don't know what to do when I see the Baron, I try at all cost to avoid him, but he seems to have a knack for finding me. This is partly why I've been skipping meals..." The other part was because she just couldn't stomach the food when she thought about the wedding day that was to come... and especially when she thought about that.

Will grimsped, him and his big mouth... things had been going so well and he had to remind her about it.

"Come on Dummy... you got her depressed again... get her out of it again"

"Princess..." he said with a sigh what could he say?.. "Des... skipping meals and staying in your room will not help.. that is exactly what he wants to do to you... Don't let him that satisfation Des, Don't think of about him, he isn't here right now... just me. Are you going to let the mere thought of him ruin you? Don't think about him... there will always be those who love you... and will do anything to protect you think about them, have faith in them and don't give in to Yorick... the old geezer wants you to feel alone... when you are not. I promise Princess. you are not alone and you never will be, married to Yorick or not.." he said with as much feeling as he most possibly could.

He hand pressed slightly on her shoulder intending to have it be comforting.

Desdemona laughed, but there was no mirth in her eyes. She stared down at the strawberry in her hand and wondered briefly where it was picked. Then her mind returned to their current conversation.

"You are terribly valiant Will. It's rather admirable." Desdemona said smiling at him. "But... How could I not think about him? He's going to be my husband. Do you know what that entails? Our lives will be bound together forever."

Will sighed, he himself looking throughly depressed now and trying to ignore the want to behead the baron where he stood.

"Forever is a long time princess... you do not know what the future holds for certian, I cannot believe that your destiny would so grim. Something may yet still happen to prevent yours and the barons union" he said his fist cluenched tight at the mere thought.

Desdemona was suddenly worried for Will. She held his clenched fist gently. "You won't do anything to the Baron, would you?"

Her eyes went wide. It would not end well for Will if he hurt the Baron in anyway, the Baron would ask for the worst punishment for sure.

Will sighed "I don't plan to princess.... only if he hurts you" he said his hand relaxing at her touch and then held her hand lightly in his.

'If he hurts you that is one thing I can not tolerate, so I can't promise anything, but I don't plan to do anything to hurt the baron... as of yet. Don't worry about me princess, Des I am just... it makes me upset to see you so distressed." he explained.