Remiel had remained at the estate when Scout had left and was prepared to return to the Keep when she returned and filled him in on how things went with the meeting. Once he heard her arrive Remi put his eye patch over his milky white eye and headed to greet her.

She looked exhausted and that worried him greatly, "Scout? Everything okay?"

She had only arrived just after the meeting, so she hadn't had the chance to fill him in yet, but she would soon. Remiel walked into the room and asked her if everything was okay. She didn't look up, nor did she move when she heard his voice. "I defended you, so much that it angered prince Augustus. I don't regret that. But apparently you killed children, and you had relationships with Eldouir women." She now did remove her hand from her eyes. "What else did you not tell me?" She was slightly angry, but mostly disappointed that she hadn't thought about the fact that maybe there was a reason people didn't think highly of Remiel. "Before you say anything, I still consider you to be a good man, and an asset in this war against the Eldouir, but I thought you would've been completely honest with me."

Angry. Remiel recoiled back a step, "Because I've answered to all of these things, before the Crown. What they sentenced me on and stripped me of my rankings, I did what I did to protect this kingdom from the Eldouir because I lived and breathed and trained with them, I know what many don't and that the family is rotten," he was inching for the exit, "Yes I loved Myla Eldouir and again for that I'm paying still for it, but that was the past and I've done nothing to dishonor myself since then Scout," but he threw his hands up, "Good or not, to just one person that means nothing to hundreds of thousands of more...I don't belong here anymore, why shouldn't I just go to Cassian Rainecourt and leave this place?"

Honesty wasn't the best policy it seemed, and who would believe him?

"Because I need you here", she blurted out, louder than her speaking voice, but not in a shouting fashion. "I-". She sat up and put her head in her hands. Scout looked up at Remiel. "You're the only one who takes this matter as seriously as I do. You're the only one who actually wants to put an end to this. People are just concerned that your love for Myla is something that would make you join their side." She sighed deeply. "But I won't stop you. If you don't want to be here, then you're free to go. You have no obligation to help us."

She needed him, that made him stop moving and stand there with new defeat in his shoulders.

"If I cared or loved her as much as people fear Scout, I wouldn't have stormed Eldouir estate during the trial I could have left and gone with them and been with her," he wanted to go to Scout but his feet just didn't move, "If I was on their side I wouldn't have killed Eldouir that day...I wouldn't have saved your Uncle and fought Hiram either...I choose this kingdom above everything...every time...I don't love her, and I stopped the day she left."

She looked at him, big greenish brown eyes trying to figure out the story behind his words, but what she found there was the truth. "I'm sorry, Remiel", she said, pushing herself up to her feet and walking over to him. "You're right, of course. I guess I just don't understand how one could love an Eldouir, but that's none of my business." She smiled, very, very weakly. "They're trying to make me doubt you, but I won't. It's jealousy, on the Prince's part. It's fear from others. But I feel like I know you well enough to make my own judgements."

Relief flooded his shoulders at her words, she trusted him and he needed to hear that, but she needed it too. He also wanted to comment on what she meant by Prince being jealous but instead as she approached Remiel inched towards her to close the distance and he'd take both of her hands, "I trust you Scout, and I have always been honest...to honest at times but that's because I don't want to hide the truth as it snowballs into lies and hurt and chaos, I regret things in my past that I've done...I do...but I've always wanted to do better than that," he gently stroked the back of her hands with his thumbs, "I promise no more secrets...no more...you know everything and you will always be my most trusted confident, and your Uncle of course, but you especially...I'll stand with you because you stand with me."

For a fleeting moment, she thought about the fact that Remiel was now probably number one on her list of people who had held her hands the most. The thought almost made her smile, but she refrained from actually smiling because she didn't want to explain what amused her so. She liked the way his hands felt. Rough, yet gentle. His thumbs running over the back of her hands was comforting, and reassuring in a way. It added to the words he spoke.

"Then we'll always have each other", she said. And she found her smile again. Her actual smile. Not a washed down, defeated or tired one. No, the one that created dimples in her cheeks. And looking at him like this, it made her feel butterflies. But was is the right moment for that? Hardly. But when was it ever the right moment?

There were other things she wanted to bring up, but she was just too occupied with the sensation of his thumbs on her hands, and that eye patch that made him look like a pirate — in a good way.

Before she really knew what she was doing, she lifted herself up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. But it wasn't just a kiss on the cheek, it was a little close to the mouth. One might even say she was testing the waters, seeing how he would react to it. If it was bad, she could claim it was just a cheek kiss but that she lost balance. If it was good, well, then she would know where they stood.

Her smile had sparked one of his own, she had dimples and her eyes seemed brighter, younger too. Her skin was smooth and soft which was nice in his big farmer hands. She surprised him with the kiss on the cheek, he could feel the sensation so close to his lips and he brought one of his hands up to cusp her cheek and he almost...almost kissed her. He felt his own lips brush hers very lightly before he rested his forehead against hers, breathing her in as their warm breaths clashed against each other...

..., "I...did I read to much into that or..," now his thumb would stroke across her cheek, "I want too..I want to kiss you but would it be out of line? Would getting this close with you be safe for you?" his breathing was a little heavier and his heart pounded in his chest, "If I put you in harms way and you were to get hurt...I couldn't live with that..."

He pulled back to look at her she needed to know he wasn't rejecting her, not after all they've overcome together and still yet to face.

"Maybe times are strange...and I'm going to regret not wanting to kiss you, and I'm not saying I won't...I respect the hell out of you and when things settle down around here maybe we pick up from here..with each other..."

His lips brushed against her ever so softly, and his hand had found his cheek, but something kept the both of them from going all the way. Scout closed her eyes and felt both disappointment and relief. There was something there, but it was not the right time.

The short blonde couldn't find the words to respond, before Remiel pulled back. With flushed cheeks she looked down a little, avoiding eye contact. Eventually, she would look up again though.

"You- you didn't read into it. I'm sorry for overstepping, I- I wasn't thinking." She wasn't scared of getting close to him. She would find herself in harm's way with or without Remiel. But this was young, the feeling was only developing, and she didn't feel comfortable expressing that she wasn't afraid of what life would throw at them. "I was following my heart." She smiled sheepishly and felt that her cheeks were still pretty red.

She would try to take a small step back, to distance herself from Remiel a little, although it was against her desires. "I don't regret trying it", she said, a little mischievous spark in her eyes. "But it might not be the right time. I'm sorry, I've just been so all over the place lately." She bit her lower lip, a bit anxiously. "We can put a pin in this, or we can forget it happened. I know what I'd prefer, but I'll do what you think is best."

She was following her heart and that was powerful for Remiel to hear, so when she tried to step back his hand on her cheek pulled her back and up to meet his lips. It wasn't a furious whirlwind of a kiss but it was deep and passionate, a fire all of its own.

It was safe to say she hadn't expected him to still kiss her. She didn't get the chance to say the things she would have said if she had managed to take a step back. Instead, she kissed him back with closed eyes. After a bit, she pulled back slightly and smiled at him. "Okay", she said, chuckling softly. "That's where we're at, then." She was happy, and for once not that worried. They could see what this was later. There were big issues to tackle, but having Remiel next to her would make it better.

When she broke the kiss Remiel didn't feel disappointed but he felt he wanted more, his lips burned and so did his face but he saw hers was still slightly red too. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle with her, "Still on the same page," he replied with one last stroke of her cheek he let his hand fall back down to hers.

"As much as I don't want to change the subject, what happened at the meeting?"