The Scottish Feud [Private/Mature]

Adriana headed back outside, and headed to her friends home. She had packed a few books and she hoped they would have some answers she needed.

Alec stood a ways off watching Adriana she had the jars that were suppose to make his daughter better. His eyes lowered and he stepped towards her. "Lady Adriana" His voice boomed causing a few of the children to jump and run away he groaned and rolled his eyes skyword.

He walked closer to her. "What are you doing with those" He pointed to the jars. "Those are for my da- I mean for Annora"

Adriana glanced to him as he walked to her. What now? She mentally sighed. "these?" she held up the jars. "i've been told that she gets worse every time the Doctor comes, annora gets worse. I only want to make sure these are safe for her."

Alec wrinkled his brow. Was this woman actually standing up to him. He raised an eyebrow "The doctor is a trusted man why would harm Annora, you have it wrong, I warned you not to get close its just going to end bad." He stared at her, and felt a tightness in his chest he growled and stormed past her.

This woman was driving him nuts. And what bugged him the post was that he knew that he wouldnt be able to let her go back home. If she knew it or not she belonged to him now.

She frowned at him, he didn't believe her. She anted to make sure Annora was safe and happy. "it's not going to end," she snapped at him as he stormed off. He was very frusterating, too stubborn to listen to her. He just kept assuming Annora wasn't going to make it, he did not even try to fight for her.

Adrianas last words rang in his ears. He punched the closet thing which happened to be a tree then cursed as he looked at the damage most likely broken again. He had to work on his anger, he knew it but he was just so angry lately. Esepcally when it came to his daughter. He couldnt even think the word wtih out thinking of his wifes screams for mercy, but she found it only in death it He knew that his wife was too frail to carry a child, that the winter was too harsh, but he had stil bed her. It was all his fault, he wouldnt let it happen again.

Adriana wanted to help Alec. She could tell he was hurting. He would let no one get close, and that would only end up hurting him. With a sigh, she rushed away to her friends home, where she slipped into the room she was staying in while her friend was pregnant. Setting the jars on a table, she went through her thinks before she found a book on herbs and plants.

Alec went to the lake and dumped his hand into the fridged water. Hopefully that would help bring the swelling down. He would have to bandage it up again. He next dunked his head into the frigid water it stung, and with the cold air with wet hair he was likely to catch a cough but he didnt care he needed to clear his mind.

He sighed and sat down looking at his swollen hand wondering what he was going to do.

Adriana decided to look through her book later. She slipped outside and took a moment to look around at the surroundings. The highlands were certainly lovely. After a moment, she decided to try to find Alec.

Alec was still sitting there dripping wet his hand all swollen and burised he couldnt move it so he drove it back into the cold water. Hearing sounds behind him he turned to it. He knew no one would have gotten close to the keep with out him being alerted, and his men didnt disturb him here so that left only one option so she turned his back on her and sighed which sounded more like a growl.

Adriana found him by the lake. She approached him slowly. "Laird?" she was s bit cautious as she thought about what she wanted to say to him. As she got closer, she saw his hand. "oh what happened?"

Hearing her call him Laird he tensed slightly. So it was true, he had succedded in pushing everyone away, it was only right, no one close no one to get upset if anything was to happen to him there would be less people upset about it. But still somthing about the cautious tone in her voice still caused him to feel as if he was breaking. He shook his head to clear such thoughts. He had to remain strong.

When he looked at her hand he pulled it away. "Its nothing" It was clear that he was in pain though, and his hand was three times the size it should be. "I fought a tree and it won"

"it doesn't look like nothing," she told him. Adriana came over to him and knelt beside him. "let me see, please?" there was concern in her voice, she wanted to make sure he was alright and help him.

Although he hated to admit it, his hand did hurt, more then normal, he had punched extrea hard this time, He slowly handed his hand over to her. "I soaked it in the lake for a while, figured that would bright down the sweeling." He shook his head. "I was foolish really" He then looked up at her. "So whats the damage?"

She gently took his hand and looked at it. There was an urge to kissaway his pain, but she had no idea where that came from. "I think you bruised it. You can wrap it up when you get back." her gaze shifted to him and she blushed a little to see him looking at her. He did not really know her, but he seemed to trust her opinion.

Cocking his head to the side as Adriana took his hand. He grimiced as she looked it over "Just burised well thats a relive I thought I broke it" He sighed and then smriked raising an eyebrow as she blushed. "You do look beautiful when you do that you know" He softly touched her cheek then sighed. "How is your friend?"

Adriana blushed a little bit more when he called her beautiful. "beautiful?" she asked, feeling his touch on her cheek. Did he really like her, like Martha had said?

He frowned a bit "I am sorry I suppose I shouldnt be calling you that, you probably have a a list of men waiting to ask for your hand back home" He stood grimmaning still at his hand. "I shall try and bandage this" He looked down at her and sighed. "Thank you Lady Adriana" He started to walk away but left her plently of time to speak up, it was clear he really didnt want to leave her.

"it is alright," she told him with a soft smile. Her gaze shifted to him when he assumed she had suitors. "no, I have no suitors. I was never allowed beyond my uncles home." her gaze shifted to him as he stood up. She stood up as well. "i've never been called beautiful." it had pleased her when he called her beautiful.

He felt a little better hearing she had no suitors no one to fight him for her. He knew his men couldnt handle a war right now but they would follow him into it if need be. He then frowned and turned on her.

"What do you mean you were not allowed past your uncles home, Adriana did he mistreat you?"

Adriana glanced to him when he asked if her uncle mistreated her. That made her a bit uncomfortable, because she did not really know the answer. Her uncle would get violent when he drank, and she was often the one who took the impact of the rage. Her gaze shifted to the ground. "He... was overprotective." Was that it? was her uncle just overprotective of her? Or was he ashamed of her, because her mother died in childbirth, and her father a scot, who never stuck around?

Alec was a well trained warrior he knew how to pick up on peoples reactions. His training told him that Adriana was hidding somthing. He walked to her softly and took her hands. "You will never have to go back to him"

He sighed "You will be having dinner with us, invite your friend and my dear brother too" Then he was gone.

Adriana looked to him when he took her hands. Her cheeks blushed, his guesture was endearing. Even more so when he told her she didntvhave to go back to her uncle. If only it were that simple. He would be home in less than a month and she wasn't there. He was going to be furious and she had no idea what he would do. She didn't let him know where she was going so him finding her was unlikely.

Dinner with him. That was nice. "alright," she replied softly, over looking the fact that he basicly demanded that she would be there. She had a smile on her lips as she watched him leave,

Alec went back to his keep. He looked at his main room, where they would be eating, with cleaver placments of tapistries the fire damage was well hidden. He took another drink of his ale and sighed. What was he going to do Adriana couldnt go back, but he couldnt give her what she needed here either, but he didnt think that he could handle anyone else looking at her, evermind touching her.

Soon it was Dinner time. He was upstairs looking at his daughter sleeping, he didnt go into the room though his heart wasnt together yet from the death of his wife, he couldnt stand getting close to his daughter just to have her die too.

Down stairs he could hear the commontion of all his men coming.

Adriana went to her friends home and visited with her for a while. Adriana talked about cute little Annora and how sweet she was and how she was going to get Alec and his daughter to bond and be a family. Annora needed it.

The girls lost track of time, and before they knew it, it was time to head out to the keep for dinner. Catriona and her husband walked hand in hand while he led the way.