Prim

"That's all I ask," he breathed, pulling her into a hug.

Prim let him hug her for a moment, even finding a bit of comfort in it, before pulling away and climbing into her parents' old bed. Andrew lay next to her, facing her but not getting too close. He did stare at her, his eyes so hopeful it made Prim's heart ache. Turning away, she faced the other wall and stared at it, thinking about the day.

She'd killed men. A LOT of men. None by her own hand, but she'd planned it and set it into motion and coerced Faust into drinking poison. Did she have it in her to do more? To go from village to village and wipe out the few who were left here?

Would Miovia retaliate?

"Prim?"

Prim blinked and looked over her shoulder at Andrew, then sat up rubbing her eyes as he set down a tray with breakfast. The light filling the room made her head hurt as she looked over the tray, then up at Andrew.

"Thank you?" she offered, confused.

"Of course! There's a woman at the door asking for you? Not the woman from last night, but one of the other women who was a prisoner with her?"

"Thank you, Andrew, I will see her," Prim told him, passing the tray back and getting up.

Going to the door, she looked out and offered the woman a smile as she watched another hurrying close as well.

She didn't wait to see what they wanted, she spoke first. "Gather everyone who isn't riding to the villages. We're going to the foothills and the mountains, to the wilds. No one will be able to find us there, but we have to hurry so we can get shelter up before winter comes on up there. Everyone riding out is to pass the same message everywhere. We meet in the foothills at the fork. From there we'll have someone to lead people to where we are. We'll start over hidden in the mountain. Learn to live up there where they won't dare come looking for us."

"Are you sure? It's a hard life up there?"

"I'm a Mason, I know how to thrive around stone. We'll make it. Spread the word quickly, we are leaving here tomorrow. Gather food, seeds, animals, everything. All the horses left here can be loaded as pack horses. We must move quickly! Go spread word!"

Prim turned and closed the door as both women hurried away. Looking up at Andrew, she looked into his earnest and devoted eyes.

"Andrew, we're going to need your help. I'm going to need you to help get our people into the other villages. Talk to those who have survived, the men chained in the inn. Let them know they will have a good life with us if they help, or they will die horribly if they don't. I will make sure they are treated well enough and a life of making babies with numerous women is probably high on a list of things men would like to do with their life, right?"

"I will speak to them, but... not me, right? I am your husband alone? I'm not going to be used like some..."

"No. No, you're my husband alone. You helped before you had no choice, you made the decision to stay by my side through everything without coercion. I promised you I would be a wife to you and try to learn to love you and I will. I'm going to lead the others into the foothills and find a place for us, but I want you to help those riding out, keep the others in line. You'll return to me soon enough and everything should be ready for us. I'll be more healed and more... receptive to the needs of my husband."

"I understand," Andrew murmured gently, stroking her face. "I will miss you, but I understand your need to heal and pour yourself into starting a new life for you and your people. I will return to you as soon as we get everyone safe, alright?"

Prim managed a smile, knowing it was very possible she was sending him to his death. It was going to be dangerous and it would get worse the longer they were out and trying to reach the next village. Word would start getting out, someone would catch on or check on troops. See what the delay was. Why they stopped getting messages. There were a good dozen more villages between where they were and Miovia, they would have to move very fast.

Turning, she sat and ate the food he'd made for her. Andrew bent and kissed her head, then left without a word.

She was surprised when she discovered that he's grouped up with Lissa and they'd ridden out together almost as soon as he left, right after speaking to the imprisoned soldiers.

Every other soldier rode out with two or three women to keep him in line after they agreed to the demands.

By the next morning, Prim was on a wagon, guiding a team away from the village and towards the distant mountains.

When winter came and it had been snowing for three days, a large group rode into the valley that Prim had chosen to start over again in. She watched them come, like she did every time a new group came in. It was always too many and too few. The valley was getting crowded, but they were the remnants of once thriving and large villages. So few! But all of them gathered almost too many for the valley. They would have to build upwards to keep enough room for the gardens and orchards.

Her eyes moved past the women and kids in front to the soldiers in the back. They were usually tied or chained to wagons, but there were several on horseback riding freely.

In the very back, his eyes searching every face near him, was Andrew.

Prim felt something well up in her then and she was surprised that she was glad to see he was safe. He was alive and he'd made it back, and that meant that ALL of the villages had been cleared. This was the last group that would be coming.

She realized she was smiling as she watched his eyes searching worriedly, looking everywhere for her. Fondness surged up, looking over his face and his longer hair. He looked more rough, more gaunt and she wondered what he'd gone through to get back here to her. He hadn't been a fighter, but he was now. She could see that. He'd been through a lot... against his own countrymen.

Lifting a hand, she waved at him, drawing his eyes.

Relief washed over his face, then he smiled and trotted his horse through the others to come to her.

Dropping down before he'd even come to a stop, he dropped the reins and yanked Prim up in a huge huge as he swung her around.

"Are YOU a sight! Look at you! I've missed you so much, Prim! You look so much better! So hale and healthy and even happy! Beautiful! Can I kiss you?"

Prim was blushing, but she couldn't hide a smile as she nodded.

Grinning boyishly, Andrew picked her up and kissed her, her feet dangling a foot off the ground.

Prim held onto his neck as she leaned back and looked over his face. "Our house is right there," she told him breathlessly, then watched his entire face light up at what she was suggesting.