"The characters in your story have awfully interesting names, Marie, my dear, my little sugarplum, angel face-"

The story dropped to an abrupt halt as the teller looked expectantly at the man approaching her. He shrugged his eyebrows multiple times in an almost lecherous fashion before glancing to the sick queen, "I mean, come on: Henry, your brother, his name was Stephano, am I right? That's awfully similar to Steve, don't you think?"

Elizabeth frowned at the man, "Those are hardly alike at all."

Marie smiled as he threw himself down beside her. He motioned exaggeratedly to indicate her, "Tell me you don't see something funny between Anna MARIA and MARIE..." when the response he desired went missing he sighed heavily, draping an arm around Marie's shoulders, "Whatever. You'll see in the end, you'll think like I do, just wait til-"

"Daniel." Marie reprimanded sharply, "Don't be a spoiled sport."

Elizabeth shook her head almost sadly and looked the pair over for a moment. Marie sat perfectly upright, her baby blue dress was immaculate in every aspect, the shimmers in it seemed to make her light bronze skin shimmer equally bright, and the light brown waves of silken hair glistened as they curled softly on her shoulders. Deceptive hazel eyes danced between sheer perfection and out-of-place-ness on either side of a delicate nose, almost promising the closest she came to creating a disturbance was picking up a sewing needle. Meanwhile, Daniel slumped almost lazily next to her, displaying just the opposite as his eyes combed rakishly over almost everything and everyone. His eyes were a dark brown that bordered on black at all times, which matched his attire fairly well. Elizabeth had yet to see him in any color but black, with the exception of ties. Every time they crossed paths, his long legs were encased in wonderfully tailored black slacks, a tight fitting, long sleeved black shirt, and black on black checkered vest. No coat. On occasion, heavily polished black boots accompanied the outfit. His nose had a slight crook to it, as though it had been broken, and then mended just after the "savable" time period. Marie, however, had informed her that it had been broken so many times that, at a point, the mages couldn't keep it straight anymore. His over sized hands attested to that claim with their heavily scarred knuckles. Somehow, he'd managed to keep all his teeth, though, which was good, as far as Elizabeth was concerned. His smile, his real smile, and not the arrogant smirk he almost always wore, was one of the best she'd ever seen, and possibly his only redeeming physical feature. The pair never left the castle, so far as she was aware. A couple times she'd seen one of them re-entering the castle from a distance, and for the majority of her marriage they had been gone from the castle. She'd met Marie about a week before her wedding, then had grown to know the girl over sporadic visits, quickly accepting Henry's adopted sister as her own. "Sometimes, Dan, I wonder why Anna even stays with you."

The rare smile appeared for an instant, "Probably my-"

Marie interrupted him almost lazily. She directed her gaze and smile to Elizabeth, and stroked Daniel's jaw affectionately, "Henry feels the children are too young for a clown, so Daniel supplies the humor-" She let out a half laugh, half scream as she was hauled unceremoniously from her seat. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck as he spun her in hectic circles, before continuing "-without the make-up or suit." She giggled, and slid to her feet with Daniel's aid and glanced the half foot difference to his 6'3", before bestowing a smile on him, then glanced back to Elizabeth, "He likes to act like a character you should recognize later in the tale." her hand found Daniel's cheek and she gazed into his eyes as she continued, "Can't promise you'll like him though. Or anyone you might like at the moment...speaking of, do you have any questions so far? I know your husband did."

"When was this?"

Henry smiled and answered before Marie could, "Does it really matter? The times were pretty much the same. There was a different mindset in place, but region of the kingdom was the same, same style of dress and speech." Marie smiled at Henry for a glimpse of a second before breaking into whispers with Daniel. Their eyes filled with a dark glint and they slowly sat back down without Liz or Henry noticing.

"Was she real...Is she real?"

Her husband shrugged, "In the minds of some. A lot of Marie's people name their children after her."

"What exactly do Marie's people consist of? You talk about her like she isn't human."

The woman being questioned glanced towards the other and stiffened. Less than an instant later, she and Daniel were at their feet with darkened, malice filled eyes. Four eyes scanned the walls behind the king and queen.

"What is it?" Elizabeth's voice broke out in panic. She glanced to her husband, only to find him still and quiet, watching his sister. Her eyes danced to the other pair and she repeated her question.

It remained unanswered until they were joined by a skinny, long woman with pale, flawless skin and dark, midnight blue eyes arrived. She was accompanied by a large, muscular man of a little more than 6 feet that some might consider handsome, despite features that appeared slightly less than human and an ever-present feral look to his eyes. His skin was darkly bronzed, as though he spent every moment of his life outside to make up for the paleness of his companion, but his eyes were exactly opposite the woman's, standing in sharp contrast with his face. The pigment of them was so light that the blue of his eyes nearly blended into the minimal whites, just barely present around the corners.

"Did you detect something?" Marie's voice was sharp and authoritative, taking Elizabeth almost completely by surprise. Her emotion did not go unnoticed and Marie dropped into a shallow curtsy, uttering, "My apologies, potential security breach" before motioning to the approaching guards and stalking away with long strides, unlike those of her normal delicate, feminine demeanor. Both men fell into stride beside her while the girl walked slightly behind in an almost dancing fashion.

"Maybe you just saw something. It could have been a bird or…" the man trailed off as Marie turned back to look at him.

"I do not 'see things'" She growled, then glanced at Daniel, who in turn shrugged; he'd told her the man was new. With an almost exacerbated sigh, she turned to the girl, "Now, what did you 'maybe' smell?"

"Marie, I've been sick. When I get sick, all the smells take on an odd tinge and I can't distinguish one thing from another. All I can tell you is that I noticed something for about a second before it vanished. It could have been something new, it could have been something old. It was almost recognizable, but…" she shrugged her apology.

"And I was-"

Marie nodded, interrupting the bronze man, "Alright, here's the plan. Jezzabell, Kyle, you two go with the guard. What I saw was dark, probably hooded, not very tall, not very short. About my height, stalky build, proper posture, even for a crouch. Didn't look like they knew what they were doing. I'm gunna say male, but just be on the look out. Daniel and I will do a follow up tonight." She leaned forward, over the edge of the wall, and as the shadows of nearby trees covered her head, her hair took on a blackish hue, totally encasing her downward pointed face. When she pulled back into the castle's bounds, the sun's light cast away the darkened locks and her features took on their normal aspects, "Call on some of our contacts, ask around and see if anyone's noticed new comers."

The pair nodded and headed away from the castle walls, followed closely by the questioning guard. Marie and Daniel stood silent for a moment, gazing past their departing comrades and onto the nearby city. Roughly 20 miles away, with rough terrain, it was nearly a full day's travel on horse. The pair had had the trees and potential hiding places cleared, giving them a clear view to the village. Their first mode of action was to have the forest that surrounded the castle's east and west sides thoroughly searched, by both the scouts that inhabited them and Marie's personal reserve. Both groups had found nothing. With nothing visible on the southern lake, or the northern path to the city, any intruder must have had magical connections. But were they strong enough to get through the castle's defenses?

Daniel's arm found its way across Marie's shoulders, and she allowed herself to be pulled against his side. Despite Elizabeth's earlier comment, they were not involved romantically, but just the closeness of someone that knew her backwards to forwards eased the tension from Marie's features.

"It might not be bad." Daniel mumbled into her hair, "It could be that this will lead to the magician. It could be a return…he might-"

"Der." Marie wrapped her arms around a muscular torso, her face planting itself in the bend between his shoulders and neck. He remained frozen an instant before he heard her breath catch shakily on a deep inhale and in a barely audible voice, "He's not coming back. He's never coming back." His arms wrapped slowly and delicately around her form and a noticeable length of time passed before she whispered, "There's only one person that will come for me now. And I have a sickening feeling that it's him."

"He won't, Mar. He can't. You and Roger came together to make those barriers. Assuming he breaks anything magical, your physical defenses will stop him…and if not, I will."

He felt a smile form against his neck and kissed her forehead lightly as she took a step back. With his hand firmly on her lower back, the pair made their way down the stairs and towards the King and Queen's bed chambers to continue with the tale.

Steve was forced to retract his earlier application of the term "house" to the shack they were now approaching. It was small. Even by a commoner's standards. The wood appeared old, unstable, and very much forgotten, especially inside the indents of where a much larger house once stood. The shack couldn't have more than three rooms, and Steve was willing to bet that one of them was not a restroom. The only decent things going for his new home appeared to be stable steps leading up to an ornate porch, actual glass in each of the windows, and the land surrounding the actual structure. On its eastern side, a massive patch had been cleared for what appeared to be an oversized garden. On all other sides a dense wood ensured privacy, there was even a small tree house above him that Steve was willing to bet could see all the way down the road they'd traveled.

Anna grasped his wrist lightly, tugging him toward the house. He attempted to pull back, opening his mouth to say something smart, but Anna interrupted, "Things are not always as they seem. You cannot get into this house unless I've escorted you in."

He nodded slightly, "I don't understand why you bothered protecting a little shack like this, but lead the-"

He fell silent as they passed through the doorway. She'd put extensions on it. The living room on its own was the size of what the house appeared to be on the outside and heavily furnished, from plush couches to an enormous fireplace. To his left was a well used kitchen, freshly purchased and harvested products were scattered across counters, as well as a banquet sized table in an adjoining room. The table was a deep set mahogany color with spirals carved into the various legs assigned the task of keeping it up. Beside it and against a wall was a cabinet of matching wood adorned with various pieces of china that more at home in his father's castle, rather than the house of a mercenary. A spiraling staircase led to a balcony that flowed over a hallway that appeared to have anything but an end.

Anna smiled sweetly to Vellaccio's driver as he returned from the upstairs rooms, slipped something into his hand, and gently closed the door behind him. She listened motionless as his wooden wheels faded across the sound of hard mud and gravel. Steve meandered into the living room, seemingly clueless of the cat-like eyes that followed his every movement.

Parallel to the longest couch was yet another mahogany table; however, this one appeared to be in more frequent use. A pair of well used porcelain coasters straddled a half completed puzzle. After a moment of trying to find the proper head position, Steve was able to identify the picture as a portrait. Anna and Scarlett stood on either side of Vellaccio, who somehow matched their height, despite the ridiculously high heels either wore. Dressed in a plain white shirt, black vest, coat, and slacks, Vellaccio looked almost calm, happy even, compared to the man Steve had met earlier. Similarly, Scarlett played the part of innocent angel, adorned in a modest white dress fringed in baby blue, a long pair of whit wings jutted from her back, just barely reaching the ground. Anna played the role opposite of hers in a corresponding dress of black and red. Her wings appeared slightly long, trailing the ground directly behind pointed stilettos. The women wore juxtaposing, yet equally seduct

"The characters in your story have awfully interesting names, Marie, my dear, my little sugarplum, angel face-"

The story dropped to an abrupt halt as the teller looked expectantly at the man approaching her. He shrugged his eyebrows multiple times in an almost lecherous fashion before glancing to the sick queen, "I mean, come on: Henry, your brother, his name was Stephano, am I right? That's awfully similar to Steve, don't you think?"

Elizabeth frowned at the man, "Those are hardly alike at all."

Marie smiled as he threw himself down beside her. He motioned exaggeratedly to indicate her, "Tell me you don't see something funny between Anna MARIA and MARIE..." when the response he desired went missing he sighed heavily, draping an arm around Marie's shoulders, "Whatever. You'll see in the end, you'll think like I do, just wait til-"

"Daniel." Marie reprimanded sharply, "Don't be a spoiled sport."

Elizabeth shook her head almost sadly and looked the pair over for a moment. Marie sat perfectly upright, her baby blue dress was immaculate in every aspect, the shimmers in it seemed to make her light bronze skin shimmer equally bright, and the light brown waves of silken hair glistened as they curled softly on her shoulders. Deceptive hazel eyes danced between sheer perfection and out-of-place-ness on either side of a delicate nose, almost promising the closest she came to creating a disturbance was picking up a sewing needle. Meanwhile, Daniel slumped almost lazily next to her, displaying just the opposite as his eyes combed rakishly over almost everything and everyone. His eyes were a dark brown that bordered on black at all times, which matched his attire fairly well. Elizabeth had yet to see him in any color but black, with the exception of ties. Every time they crossed paths, his long legs were encased in wonderfully tailored black slacks, a tight fitting, long sleeved black shirt, and black on black checkered vest. No coat. On occasion, heavily polished black boots accompanied the outfit. His nose had a slight crook to it, as though it had been broken, and then mended just after the "savable" time period. Marie, however, had informed her that it had been broken so many times that, at a point, the mages couldn't keep it straight anymore. His over sized hands attested to that claim with their heavily scarred knuckles. Somehow, he'd managed to keep all his teeth, though, which was good, as far as Elizabeth was concerned. His smile, his real smile, and not the arrogant smirk he almost always wore, was one of the best she'd ever seen, and possibly his only redeeming physical feature. The pair never left the castle, so far as she was aware. A couple times she'd seen one of them re-entering the castle from a distance, and for the majority of her marriage they had been gone from the castle. She'd met Marie about a week before her wedding, then had grown to know the girl over sporadic visits, quickly accepting Henry's adopted sister as her own. "Sometimes, Dan, I wonder why Anna even stays with you."

The rare smile appeared for an instant, "Probably my-"

Marie interrupted him almost lazily. She directed her gaze and smile to Elizabeth, and stroked Daniel's jaw affectionately, "Henry feels the children are too young for a clown, so Daniel supplies the humor-" She let out a half laugh, half scream as she was hauled unceremoniously from her seat. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck as he spun her in hectic circles, before continuing "-without the make-up or suit." She giggled, and slid to her feet with Daniel's aid and glanced the half foot difference to his 6'3", before bestowing a smile on him, then glanced back to Elizabeth, "He likes to act like a character you should recognize later in the tale." her hand found Daniel's cheek and she gazed into his eyes as she continued, "Can't promise you'll like him though. Or anyone you might like at the moment...speaking of, do you have any questions so far? I know your husband did."

"When was this?"

Henry smiled and answered before Marie could, "Does it really matter? The times were pretty much the same. There was a different mindset in place, but region of the kingdom was the same, same style of dress and speech." Marie smiled at Henry for a glimpse of a second before breaking into whispers with Daniel. Their eyes filled with a dark glint and they slowly sat back down without Liz or Henry noticing.

"Was she real...Is she real?"

Her husband shrugged, "In the minds of some. A lot of Marie's people name their children after her."

"What exactly do Marie's people consist of? You talk about her like she isn't human."

The woman being questioned glanced towards the other and stiffened. Less than an instant later, she and Daniel were at their feet with darkened, malice filled eyes. Four eyes scanned the walls behind the king and queen.

"What is it?" Elizabeth's voice broke out in panic. She glanced to her husband, only to find him still and quiet, watching his sister. Her eyes danced to the other pair and she repeated her question.

It remained unanswered until they were joined by a skinny, long woman with pale, flawless skin and dark, midnight blue eyes arrived. She was accompanied by a large, muscular man of a little more than 6 feet that some might consider handsome, despite features that appeared slightly less than human and an ever-present feral look to his eyes. His skin was darkly bronzed, as though he spent every moment of his life outside to make up for the paleness of his companion, but his eyes were exactly opposite the woman's, standing in sharp contrast with his face. The pigment of them was so light that the blue of his eyes nearly blended into the minimal whites, just barely present around the corners.

"Did you detect something?" Marie's voice was sharp and authoritative, taking Elizabeth almost completely by surprise. Her emotion did not go unnoticed and Marie dropped into a shallow curtsy, uttering, "My apologies, potential security breach" before motioning to the approaching guards and stalking away with long strides, unlike those of her normal delicate, feminine demeanor. Both men fell into stride beside her while the girl walked slightly behind in an almost dancing fashion.

"Maybe you just saw something. It could have been a bird or…" the man trailed off as Marie turned back to look at him.

"I do not 'see things'" She growled, then glanced at Daniel, who in turn shrugged; he'd told her the man was new. With an almost exacerbated sigh, she turned to the girl, "Now, what did you 'maybe' smell?"

"Marie, I've been sick. When I get sick, all the smells take on an odd tinge and I can't distinguish one thing from another. All I can tell you is that I noticed something for about a second before it vanished. It could have been something new, it could have been something old. It was almost recognizable, but…" she shrugged her apology.

"And I was-"

Marie nodded, interrupting the bronze man, "Alright, here's the plan. Jezzabell, Kyle, you two go with the guard. What I saw was dark, probably hooded, not very tall, not very short. About my height, stalky build, proper posture, even for a crouch. Didn't look like they knew what they were doing. I'm gunna say male, but just be on the look out. Daniel and I will do a follow up tonight." She leaned forward, over the edge of the wall, and as the shadows of nearby trees covered her head, her hair took on a blackish hue, totally encasing her downward pointed face. When she pulled back into the castle's bounds, the sun's light cast away the darkened locks and her features took on their normal aspects, "Call on some of our contacts, ask around and see if anyone's noticed new comers."

The pair nodded and headed away from the castle walls, followed closely by the questioning guard. Marie and Daniel stood silent for a moment, gazing past their departing comrades and onto the nearby city. Roughly 20 miles away, with rough terrain, it was nearly a full day's travel on horse. The pair had had the trees and potential hiding places cleared, giving them a clear view to the village. Their first mode of action was to have the forest that surrounded the castle's east and west sides thoroughly searched, by both the scouts that inhabited them and Marie's personal reserve. Both groups had found nothing. With nothing visible on the southern lake, or the northern path to the city, any intruder must have had magical connections. But were they strong enough to get through the castle's defenses?

Daniel's arm found its way across Marie's shoulders, and she allowed herself to be pulled against his side. Despite Elizabeth's earlier comment, they were not involved romantically, but just the closeness of someone that knew her backwards to forwards eased the tension from Marie's features.

"It might not be bad." Daniel mumbled into her hair, "It could be that this will lead to the magician. It could be a return…he might-"

"Der." Marie wrapped her arms around a muscular torso, her face planting itself in the bend between his shoulders and neck. He remained frozen an instant before he heard her breath catch shakily on a deep inhale and in a barely audible voice, "He's not coming back. He's never coming back." His arms wrapped slowly and delicately around her form and a noticeable length of time passed before she whispered, "There's only one person that will come for me now. And I have a sickening feeling that it's him."

"He won't, Mar. He can't. You and Roger came together to make those barriers. Assuming he breaks anything magical, your physical defenses will stop him…and if not, I will."

He felt a smile form against his neck and kissed her forehead lightly as she took a step back. With his hand firmly on her lower back, the pair made their way down the stairs and towards the King and Queen's bed chambers to continue with the tale.

Steve was forced to retract his earlier application of the term "house" to the shack they were now approaching. It was small. Even by a commoner's standards. The wood appeared old, unstable, and very much forgotten, especially inside the indents of where a much larger house once stood. The shack couldn't have more than three rooms, and Steve was willing to bet that one of them was not a restroom. The only decent things going for his new home appeared to be stable steps leading up to an ornate porch, actual glass in each of the windows, and the land surrounding the actual structure. On its eastern side, a massive patch had been cleared for what appeared to be an oversized garden. On all other sides a dense wood ensured privacy, there was even a small tree house above him that Steve was willing to bet could see all the way down the road they'd traveled.

Anna grasped his wrist lightly, tugging him toward the house. He attempted to pull back, opening his mouth to say something smart, but Anna interrupted, "Things are not always as they seem. You cannot get into this house unless I've escorted you in."

He nodded slightly, "I don't understand why you bothered protecting a little shack like this, but lead the-"

He fell silent as they passed through the doorway. She'd put extensions on it. The living room on its own was the size of what the house appeared to be on the outside and heavily furnished, from plush couches to an enormous fireplace. To his left was a well used kitchen, freshly purchased and harvested products were scattered across counters, as well as a banquet sized table in an adjoining room. The table was a deep set mahogany color with spirals carved into the various legs assigned the task of keeping it up. Beside it and against a wall was a cabinet of matching wood adorned with various pieces of china that more at home in his father's castle, rather than the house of a mercenary. A spiraling staircase led to a balcony that flowed over a hallway that appeared to have anything but an end.

Anna smiled sweetly to Vellaccio's driver as he returned from the upstairs rooms, slipped something into his hand, and gently closed the door behind him. She listened motionless as his wooden wheels faded across the sound of hard mud and gravel. Steve meandered into the living room, seemingly clueless of the cat-like eyes that followed his every movement.

Parallel to the longest couch was yet another mahogany table; however, this one appeared to be in more frequent use. A pair of well used porcelain coasters straddled a half completed puzzle. After a moment of trying to find the proper head position, Steve was able to identify the picture as a portrait. Anna and Scarlett stood on either side of Vellaccio, who somehow matched their height, despite the ridiculously high heels either wore. Dressed in a plain white shirt, black vest, coat, and slacks, Vellaccio looked almost calm, happy even, compared to the man Steve had met earlier. Similarly, Scarlett played the part of innocent angel, adorned in a modest white dress fringed in baby blue, a long pair of whit wings jutted from her back, just barely reaching the ground. Anna played the role opposite of hers in a corresponding dress of black and red. Her wings appeared slightly long, trailing the ground directly behind pointed stilettos. The women wore juxtaposing, yet equally seductive expressions, both promising a good time in very different ways. The puzzle forced the Prince to wonder if Anna's earlier outburst had been from watching her friends, or being in their place.

He turned to ask, but froze as their eyes connected.

Anna's expression was a cross between lazy and annoyed, "Advertisement at its best. A lot of…customers… were drawn in by posters of dear Scarlett and I. It's the main reason this house came into creation; Vellaccio couldn't very well have me angry every time a man looked at me sideways, so I was sent here." She gave him a moment to contemplate her explanation before pushing off the door and moving to the stairs, "Surely, dear Prince, you have not actually taken part in every scene you were painted in." She laughed slightly, a turn of her head sending waves of hair cascading over her shoulder like a dark cloak, "If you have, I might need to re-evaluate you as a threat. Your room is up here; I'll take you to it, if you'll follow me."

She led him down the upstairs hallway, past two rooms on opposite sides before reaching a third and opening the door. The room was expansive, not quite as large as the palace provided, but more than capable of suiting a large family, much less a single man. The driver had placed his belongings just to the left of the door, beside a vast desk with a somewhat feminine mirror. The large bed had silky jet black sheets spread across it, a large, poorly folded comforter at the bottom corner. The metal bedposts that jutted from each of the corners had the tell-tale markings of use, but it wasn't until he stepped forward that he took note of their more innocent practices. Rather than for the nefarious deeds he assumed they'd been involved in, there were carvings employed or attempted carvings, anyways. As he continued examining the room, Anna explained that one of the girls fancied herself a sculptor, but failed to have access to the proper tools. He nodded silently, crossing the room to pull back tall curtains, revealing a massive window overlooking the town.

"It's wonderful." Steve informed his hostess. She rewarded him with the smallest of smiles, "Who would have thought a shack could contain such magnificence."

Anna's smile widened slightly, and she stunned him with a small, awkward smile before pulling a hand through her hair, "Sorry that it's a bit feminine." She shrugged and looked away from him, "Scarlett played decorator, and didn't actually expect me to let a man come through." She coughed and simultaneously muttered, "Ever."

He smiled and bowed low, thus missing the flash of red that ran through the tips of Anna's ears, "Allow me to extend my gratitude for you permitting me to enter you fortress."

Again, Anna emitted a somewhat awkward laugh, "Right, well…unpack. I'll be downstairs making food." Her hand gripped the outside door handle and as she closed the door behind her she called, "Hope you don't have any allergies…"

ive expressions, both promising a good time in very different ways. The puzzle forced the Prince to wonder if Anna's earlier outburst had been from watching her friends, or being in their place.

He turned to ask, but froze as their eyes connected.

Anna's expression was a cross between lazy and annoyed, "Advertisement at its best. A lot of…customers… were drawn in by posters of dear Scarlett and I. It's the main reason this house came into creation; Vellaccio couldn't very well have me angry every time a man looked at me sideways, so I was sent here." She gave him a moment to contemplate her explanation before pushing off the door and moving to the stairs, "Surely, dear Prince, you have not actually taken part in every scene you were painted in." She laughed slightly, a turn of her head sending waves of hair cascading over her shoulder like a dark cloak, "If you have, I might need to re-evaluate you as a threat. Your room is up here; I'll take you to it, if you'll follow me."

She led him down the upstairs hallway, past two rooms on opposite sides before reaching a third and opening the door. The room was expansive, not quite as large as the palace provided, but more than capable of suiting a large family, much less a single man. The driver had placed his belongings just to the left of the door, beside a vast desk with a somewhat feminine mirror. The large bed had silky jet black sheets spread across it, a large, poorly folded comforter at the bottom corner. The metal bedposts that jutted from each of the corners had the tell-tale markings of use, but it wasn't until he stepped forward that he took note of their more innocent practices. Rather than for the nefarious deeds he assumed they'd been involved in, there were carvings employed or attempted carvings, anyways. As he continued examining the room, Anna explained that one of the girls fancied herself a sculptor, but failed to have access to the proper tools. He nodded silently, crossing the room to pull back tall curtains, revealing a massive window overlooking the town.

"It's wonderful." Steve informed his hostess. She rewarded him with the smallest of smiles, "Who would have thought a shack could contain such magnificence."

Anna's smile widened slightly, and she stunned him with a small, awkward smile before pulling a hand through her hair, "Sorry that it's a bit feminine." She shrugged and looked away from him, "Scarlett played decorator, and didn't actually expect me to let a man come through." She coughed and simultaneously muttered, "Ever."

He smiled and bowed low, thus missing the flash of red that ran through the tips of Anna's ears, "Allow me to extend my gratitude for you permitting me to enter you fortress."

Again, Anna emitted a somewhat awkward laugh, "Right, well…unpack. I'll be downstairs making food." Her hand gripped the outside door handle and as she closed the door behind her she called, "Hope you don't have any allergies…"

Brought to you by the dulcet sounds of...

Cowboy Casanova, Last Name, Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood, Keep Your Hands to Yourself - Georgia Satellites, Gunpowder and Lead - Miranda Lambert, Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Best Days of Your Life - Kellie Pickler, Hands, Who Will Save Your Soul, Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime - Jewel [Had a bit of a country craving, if you couldn't tell], Right Thru Me - Nicki Minaj, Deuces - Chris Brown, Te Amo - Rihanna and a host of others I don't have on this particular playlist.

I won't bother asking for a review again; consider this a more personal endeavor. :)