The Secrets of Llawnech

Rose was back and forth the whole time - constantly replacing the ice in the towel until she had seen a visible decrease in the soreness. When he stirred, she leant over him, resting her palm against his cheek gently. "Marcus..."

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"No one was seriously injured, thats the most important thing." Gwen whispered.

"Hey." He murmured.
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Alicia nodded. "I agree."

Gwen nodded, before humming to Jackson. "Do you need help getting your horse ready to return home?Marcus' horse is being dealt with."

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"You were doing so well," She praised gently, "You were going to win, definetly. Well done."

"No it's fine." He whistled and his horse walked over.
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"But I didn't." HE sighed as he tried to sit up.

"Can I help you anyway? Can we talk?"

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Rose moved her hand to his shoulder, pushing him back on the bed - gentle but firm. "No, no you stay resting. No sitting up yet... you had a nasty fall. You were lucky."

"Yeah we can talk, and it's okay she will follow us."
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"Okay, good idea."

"She's smart," Gwen mused, beginning to walk. "I- I know I havent been open in conversation about... your past, my past. Our past but... I want you to know I am ready now, if you still want to open up. I can guarantee I won't hug you throughout it though."

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"I am full of them," Rose grinned."how are you feeling? Anything hurting other than your head?"

"What would you like to know?"
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"No just my head."

"Okay, the healers need me to make sure though." Rose whispered, taking his hand and running her nails up from his elbow to his wrist. "You feel that?"

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"Anfelica - she was a crazy witch to me... what - what was she like to you?"

He nodded.
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"Cold, hard, I was more a prisoner than her son."

Gwen nodded, "What made you feel like that? Tell me more?"

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"Okay, good." Rose whispered, moving to his feet, brushing her nails against the bottom of his feet. "And that?"

He told her everything that had happened as he grew up.
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Marcus was quiet for a while. "What are you supposed to be doing?"

"You had more older sisters, about four of them..
Angelica was the one who killed them, in front of me too - so uh.. it doesn't surprise me she was cruel to you." Gwen whispered. "You and all of your siblings though - they were the only things that kept me going, that and the thought of seeing my sister again."

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"Making sure you can feel things, sometimes people lose feeling after a fall. You feel that in your feet?"

"Are you doing it now?"
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"I think I've got enough with Rose." He told her.

"Mhm," Rose hummed with a frown, digging her fingernails in a little more. "You don't feel that? Try wiggling your toes?"

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Gwen laughed quietly at that, "Yeah, yeah she is a huge personality, hm?"

He nodded. "Very."
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"Is anything happening?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yes.." Rose frowned, taking his legs and swinging them around as she helped him sit him up. "Now, try and stand up. I am right here to catch you if your legs go, okay?"

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"Now imagine another four older sisters, that was what your life was supposed to look like."

"No offence your highness, there is no way that you could catch me."
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"I would have jumped from the bridge." He told her playfully. "I could not live with four Roses."

"You'd be surprised, trust me..." Rose whispered, "Come on, try and stand up."

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Gwen laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tugging him closer. Whispering, "I'm so glad you found your way to us."

He motioned for the guard standing nearby to come over, just in case and as he moved to stand, his legs gave out instantly and the guard caught him before he could hit the floor.
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He held her close. "The riots did us a favour."

Rose looked a mixture of offended and worried, crossing her arms over her chest and muttering, "There we are then, you have a guard so you don't need me."

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"Mm, I thought you were dead."

"Rose I'm over 6 feet, I would have took you down with me."
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"I didn't really know about you until I got here, I had kept the necklace Alicia gave to me as a baby." He told her. "If I hadn't spoke to Alicia one day after it fell out of my pocket and she picked it up, I wouldn't have known about you."

"Fuck you." Rose snarled. "I'm leaving, don't know why I am so concerned. As I said, you have a guard here so you are perfectly fine - bye."

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"I thought Rose worked it out..." Gwen frowned in confusion. "This is another thing my sister has kept from me?"

"She did as I asked, I wanted to talk to you on my own, but I was scared, Rose then worked it out."
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"Rose, come on." He sighed.

((what on earth happened there?))

(( She asked him to trust him and he still motioned the guard over, she is translating it as he doesn't trust her - she's offended in that first love kind of way. ))

"No... you come on. No one underestimates you, I could catch you, I have controlled horses since I was nine. You think a guard deserves more trust than I do than fine, have fun making out with the guard too."

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"My sister and I need to chat. Her not telling me about her children is one thing but her not telling my about you... that is so much worse." Gwen whispered. "You were harder to grieve for, because I got to hold you - you were meant to be safe and she knew that."