Chapter Eleven

Angelica Schuyler

Angelica threw herself into her work the next day. She barged into Washington's office at the break of dawn and asked what his plans were for an attack upon the British farm just outside of Philadelphia. The British would be moving to New York in a matter of days. Washington could ill afford to bide his time for much longer.

Luckily, it turned out that Washington had been planning an attack. He immediately agreed when Angelica asked to lead the attack. After the betrayal of Benedict Arnold, Washington did not trust too many of his officers. Angelica was one of the rare few.

Alexander and John popped in and out of Washington's office to provide research. They were not invited to partake in the planning. Alexander kept looking at Angelica whenever he was in the room. Angelica avoided his eyes.

Around four o'clock, Washington closed the map that they had been referencing while they made their plans. Angelica looked up at him, affronted.

"It is time for dinner, General Schuyler." Washington reminded her with a good-natured smile.

Angelica nodded, frowning. She wished that she did not have to go to dinner. The last one had been so dreadful, she had spent the whole day dreading the next one. Washington seemed to understand this as he rose from his seat.

"I have told Mrs. Washington that you are in need of a suitable dress to replace the one which you lost last week." He said as they walked out of the headquarters. "I believe that she will spend the entirety of dinner asking you about your preferences for such a dress."

Washington must have noticed how alone Angelica was at dinner the night before. Angelica had never felt so pathetic. The commander-in-chief of the entire militia thought that she had been so depressing and lonely that he had taken the time to assign his wife to talk to Angelica during dinner.

"That is not necessary, Your Excellency." Angelica felt her face grow hot. She lowered her eyes to the ground, for fear that Washington would realize the extent that he had embarrassed her.

"I am aware." Washington replied. Anyone else would have sounded patronizing. Washington did not. Angelica did not know how he managed it. "But it gives Mrs. Washington tremendous pleasure to be tasked with such a matter."

They arrived at the ladies' quarters, where dinner was held each night. Washington cast Angelica an encouraging smile with the nod of his head. Angelica nodded back. Despite the minor annoyance that she felt at Washington coddling her, she could not deny that, after her terrifying experience with the British and her rather heartbreaking encounter with Alexander, she needed some coddling.

As she took her own seat, Martha straightened her posture in her chair. It was clear that she was readying herself to talk to Angelica all night, if she had to. She took everything that Washington tasked her with very seriously. Angelica knew that she would not be left out during this dinner.

Sure enough, Martha launched into questions about a new dress for Angelica as soon as she was seated.

Angelica did her best to engage in the conversation, but she was distracted by the unusual sight of Alexander initiating a conversation with Eliza. Usually, Eliza had to come up with some sort of an excuse to get Alexander to talk to her. She appeared delighted by the attention. Her face was flushed with excitement. Beside her, Maria looked suspicious. Her eyes flicked to Angelica. Angelica quickly returned her attention back to Martha.

Try as she might, though, Angelica could not converse about dresses with enough conviction to distract her from Alexander and Eliza. It seemed to her that they talked all throughout the meal. Alexander would toss out a lazy, half-baked joke. Eliza would laugh as though it was the cleverest thing she had ever heard.

Angelica tried to remind herself that this was a good thing. This was what she had instructed Alexander to do. Eliza would be good for Alexander, and she hoped that Alexander would be good for Eliza in return. Despite this knowledge, she could not deny the ache in her heart at the sight of them.

Once dinner was over, Angelica found a polite way to finish the dress conversation with Martha. She had possibly agreed to accept the ugliest dress she could possibly fathom. She did not care. She hurried towards the door, hoping to return to the comfort of her sleeping spot. There, she could torture herself with thoughts of Alexander and Eliza until the sun rose up again the next morning.

Unfortunately, she felt a hand at her elbow just as she descended the last of the steps. She turned around, fully expecting to see Alexander standing behind her. She braced herself for whatever injurious thing he would say to her this time.

Instead of Alexander, though, it was Eliza who had caught up with her.

"Eliza." Angelica did not hide her surprise. "Hello."

"Hello." Eliza smiled apprehensively. "We have not had much chance to talk since Captain Burr's wedding. I had been hoping to catch up with you one of these days."

"Here is your chance." Angelica forced a smile. She tried to act cheerful for Eliza's sake. "Though I fear that I will not have anything interesting to tell you about. I fear that I have been much consumed by my work recently."

"So I have noticed." Eliza agreed with a nod.

She hesitated, considering her next words. Angelica knew that she was contemplating bringing up Alexander. Angelica wished that she would not. Having to watch the whole fairytale unfold was horrible enough. To have to give her blessing was inhumanely cruel.

"I, ah, I do not know if you noticed Colonel Hamilton speaking to me more than usual this evening, but I wanted you to know that, whatever his intentions, I would never…" Eliza turned a furious shade of red.

Angelica let out a small sigh. Eliza misinterpreted it for anger and frowned. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted slightly. She seemed to be bracing herself for Angelica's rage. Angelica surprised her by forcing another smile.

"I have noticed that Colonel Hamilton has taken a particular interest in you, and I hope that you know that I am terribly happy for you." She was getting better at lying with each passing day. The smile that lit across Eliza's face reassured her of this.

"Are you and Colonel Hamilton not…?" Eliza trailed off, not daring to give a name to whatever might exist between Angelica and Alexander.

Angelica shook her head.

"Colonel Hamilton and I have always been, and will continue to be, nothing more than two very good friends." She assured her. "If he has taken a special interest in you, I am glad of it. I believe that you two would be quite good for one another."

Eliza's smile turned a bit shy.

"Do you really?" She wondered.

Angelica would have rather drank an entire bottle of vinegar than continued with this conversation.

"I do." She said, anyway. "I believe you are exactly the sort of lady whom he is looking for and, well, he is a very handsome, very charming man. I daresay you would enjoy his company."

"Oh, I think that I would." Eliza agreed with a giggle that set Angelica on edge. "You are sure that it is okay if I…"

Angelica nodded, gritting her teeth together to avoid crying.

"I am sure." She promised.


Alexander Hamilton

"You seemed very keen on the middle Schuyler sister this evening." John remarked as he and Alexander prepared their cots as best they could. The ragged things were only capable of proving a marginal amount of comfort. "Has the eldest already become tiresome?"

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

He felt vile about the attention that he had heaped upon Eliza that evening. She was not as interesting as Angelica. She was not as funny as Angelica. She was not as compatible as Angelica.

The only thing that kept him coming back for more conversation with her was the way that sometimes - during very precise moments - she would let out a laugh, or would cast him a sly smile and she would look just enough like Angelica. Those moments made the pain in Alexander's chest, created by Angelica's rejection, bearable.

"I do not know why you assign such significance to my every conversation, Colonel Laurens." He said. There was an edge to his voice, warning John against pursuing the matter any further.

John looked at Alexander, long and hard.

"Yes, you do." He replied.

Alexander cleared his throat uncomfortably and tried to focus on preparing his cot.

"Gentlemen," Washington strode into the room. For once, Alexander was glad for his intrusion. "I apologize for the late hour which I am informing you of additional obligations, but in this instance, it cannot be helped. We are to assault the British tomorrow. General Schuyler will lead the attack. I will need you both awake and assisting me in compiling maps and resources for General Schuyler and her forces before the sun rises."

"Yes, sir." John agreed with a sidelong glance at Alexander.

"I believe I will stay up, if that is the case." Alexander gave up on trying to prepare his cot. He met Washington's stare, ignoring John. "If I may have your permission to continue working through the night, Your Excellency."

"Granted." Washington rarely denied Alexander such requests.

Alexander nodded towards him before walking out of the small room afforded to aides and back towards the office.

He could not sleep knowing that Angelica would be risking her life yet again the following morning. If he could prepare anything to assist her - to save her - he had to. He could not sleep until the battle was over and Angelica was safe.


Angelica Schuyler

Angelica was trying to ready herself with battle. It was growing increasingly obvious as Eliza laughed and flirted with Alexander while bandaging his still-broken hand.

Angelica glared in their direction before busying herself with her armor. She could not blame Eliza for her excitement, but Alexander knew better. Even if he did not care about Angelica's feelings, he knew that distracting her might jeopardize the mission. It might jeopardize the outcome of the war.

"With all due respect sir," Augie had approached Alexander. William and Samuel stood behind him, their arms crossed. Samuel jutted out his chin in a hopeless effort to look as tough as the men surrounding him. "Could you do that fuckin' anywhere else?"

Alexander frowned at Augie, obviously offended. Eliza's bottom lip dropped in shock. Alexander turned to look at Angelica, his brows furrowed.

Control your men, His expression seemed to say.

Angelica afforded them a small smile and a shrug, indicating that she could do nothing to control any of them. It was not the truth, of course, but they did not know that. Augie, William, and Samuel chuckled as they moved to join the rest of their men. Augie winked at Angelica. Angelica nodded back at him gratefully.

Alexander forced a smile as he returned his attention to Eliza.

Bradley helped Angelica onto her horse. She readjusted her armor nervously before looking at the men standing before her. She knew her men, of course, but she was also commanding Lafayette's forces and a good chunk of Washington's men.

Washington sat atop a horse of his own a few yards away. Angelica looked to him. She did not know what she was waiting for. Washington nodded slightly. Angelica smiled and took in a deep breath. She turned to William, who had become her second in command, and gave him the go-ahead to get the rest of the men in order.

Alexander stopped flirting with Eliza. Angelica felt his eyes on her as William laid out the plan and basic instructions for the men.

Once there was at least a minimal understanding of the battle plan, it was time to attack the British. This was the part that Angelica had been both dreading and looking forward to. She would have her revenge. She would burn their cozy village to the ground for what they had done to her.

They rode towards the cluster of Philadelphia occupied by the British. Angelica's heartbeat mimicked her horse's hooves thundering against the ground.

They fell upon the British before the British had the chance to prepare. It was chaos. Half of Angelica's men were carrying off farm animals while the other half fought against the startled British soldiers who had grabbed the closest weapon. Some had guns. Some had swords. Some had frying pans. Some had garden shovels.

Amidst the chaos, Angelica recognized a familiar face.

Wilks.

He looked in her direction just as Angelica's blood began to boil. He did not recognize her; not when she was wearing a uniform and a tricorn which covered her hair. He looked afraid, but he did not look afraid of her.

"That one is mine." Angelica told William, indicating Wilks.

William looked over at Wilks, his expression morphing into one of understanding. He looked over at Angelica solemnly.

"Give 'em hell, General." He told her.

Angelica did not need to be told twice.

She removed her hat and threw it to William, who caught it and placed it upon his own head. She then removed the ribbon from her hair - the ribbon which she had stolen from Alexander's quarters so many mornings ago - and tied it around her wrist. She ran a hand through her hair, allowing every British soldier to see exactly who she was.

She then looked to Wilks.

He was staring back at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. Angelica allowed her mouth to curve into an entirely malicious smile. She nudged her horse, urging it to propel her forward to Wilks. The horse took off in a gallop, quickly carrying her towards Wilks.

Wilks tried to run. He turned around and fled with no dignity or grace. He did not have a horse. Angelica was upon him in a matter of seconds.

She rounded him on her horse, making sure that he was facing her. She wanted him to look at her when she killed him.

His eyes were the size of dinner plates. His mouth hung open. His fear made him look decades younger than he really was. That should have made Angelica feel bad about what she intended to do. It did not.

She drove her sword through him without hesitation, locking eyes with him the entire time. She saw the moment that he realized that he would die. Once the injury had been inflicted, Angelica withdrew her sword quickly. Wilks dropped to the ground, blood and organs pooling around him as he wheezed out his last breaths.

Angelica afforded him one last glare before turning to rejoin the battle.

She caught sight of Alexander as she turned around. He was beside William, looking straight at her. William was holding him back. Alexander looked worried. Angelica wondered if Alexander was worried for her. She brushed aside this thought, reminding herself that she was not Alexander's to worry about any longer. If anything, he was likely worried about protecting Eliza from deserting British soldiers.

She shifted her eyes from Alexander to William. She was afraid that her resolve would weaken if she looked at Alexander for too long.

William tilted his chin, asking Angelica a silent question that only they would understand.

Are you okay?

It was remarkable, really, that a man such as William could bring himself to care about a woman such as Angelica. It was a platonic kind of care, of course. Angelica found that William did not express much interest in any members of the opposite sex. She also found that she did not mind. It was nice to be cared for, in whatever capacity.

She nodded slightly, answering William's question.

William's mouth curved into a smile. He removed Angelica's hat from his head and tossed it to Angelica as she rode by. Angelica caught it and flashed a grin back at William. She stopped her horse just a few feet away from William and Alexander - close enough for their protection, but far enough away from Alexander's judgment - then tied her hair back into a ponytail. She did not want her hair whipping into her face for the remainder of the battle. She would reserve the shame of dying at the hands of a woman solely for Wilks.

She then placed the tricorn back upon her head and, with a wink in William's direction, launched herself back into the battle.

"Go on, General Schuyler!" William bayed after her.

Angelica let out a laugh as she trounced upon an officer who had once been Wilks' friend.


Alexander Hamilton

"Come on, General Schuyler!" Every man on the field was rallying around Angelica as the battle dragged into the afternoon. "They will soon retreat!"

Angelica was exhausted - anyone could see that. Her forehead glistened with sweat. Her eyes were glazed over. Her movements were sluggish. She was still the best soldier on the field - not even fatigue could reduce Angelica to perform at the level of her colleagues - but she would not last much longer at this rate.

Alexander stayed close to her, ready to catch her if she fell off of her horse.

He had entered the battlefield the moment that he saw Angelica let her hair down. By doing so, she had notified the entirety of the British forces that she was a woman. He had been sure that they would target her for her gender.

But then one of Angelica's men - the one who largely resembled a mountain and possessed the vocabulary of a poorly trained parrot - held Alexander back from defending her. He had told Alexander, with some strange expression, that this was Angelica's battle alone. He came to understand that the man she had slain had some significance to her. Alexander did not have to think too hard to figure out how that man came to deserve Angelica's murderous rage.

Once the man had been slain and Angelica had returned her hair to the confines of a hat, Alexander had joined in the battle. Washington could hardly retrieve him from the battle once he entered it. Danger aside, Washington seemed to understand that Alexander could not leave Angelica to defend herself alone, no matter how good at it she was.

"Come on, General Schuyler." He would tell Angelica, and himself, through gritted teeth whenever she would falter.

He did not know if Angelica heard him.

"Retreat!" A British officer yelped.

The word was as refreshing as a glass of lemonade. A collective sigh of relief tore through Angelica's forces. Alexander felt his own shoulders sag as the tension left his body.

Angelica turned to look at him. Her mouth was curved into a satisfied smile. Alexander smiled back at the sight of her. Even when she was drenched with sweat and covered from head to toe with blood, she was beautiful.

Angelica's smile faltered. Alexander wondered if he had done something wrong. Perhaps the smile had not been for him. He looked over his shoulder to see if there was some other lucky recipient behind him.

He heard a shout and turned around to look at Angelica again. Her eyes had rolled back into her head - it might have been the one time that she did not look terribly beautiful - and her body went limp. Alexander hurried forward, but did not make it to Angelica in time. Instead, the brute of the man who never seemed to leave Angelica's side caught her.

"Sir," He looked up at Alexander with a frightened expression that did not match his burly appearance. "What do I do?"

The rest of Angelica's men hurried over to assess the situation. The second largest man in the group looked at Alexander, his expression angry and expectant. The youngest could not seem to tear his eyes away from Angelica. The friendliest of the group was trying to explain that the man holding Angelica needed to keep her head above her feet.

Poor Angelica, she looked so small in that man's arms. Her skin was pale. Her arm hung down, nearly brushing the grass beneath their feet. Alexander fought the urge to take her into his arms and hold her until she woke again.

"Let us take her to the physician." He said, instead. He nodded towards Angelica's horse, then fixed his eyes on the brute holding her. "You - take her horse. The rest of you, see to it that our soldiers return to camp in an orderly and respectable manner. If there are British prisoners, bring them to General Lee. He will know what to do."

"Yes, sir." Angelica's men chorused, some of them eager and some of them begrudging.

Alexander did not care if he held the respect of Angelica's small gang of misfits. He cared only that she would wake up from whatever had come over her.

The brute approached Angelica's horse. He handed Angelica to the other brute - only slightly shorter than himself - while he climbed upon the horse. Alexander resisted the urge to wonder why the brute had not handed Angelica to him. He knew that he was not as strong as they were. If they handed him Angelica, he would not have let go.

Once the brute was settled upon the horse, the other brute returned Angelica to his arms. Alexander watched with furrowed brows. He made sure that Angelica's head was not bumped, nor was her body jostled.

The moment Angelica was secured, they started for the medic's tent. Alexander stayed close to Angelica, watching her carefully.

Eliza was waiting for them when they reached the medic's tent. She screamed when she saw her sister. Alexander flinched at the noise.

"What happened?" She demanded as the brute laid Angelica upon the physician's table. Eliza looked to Alexander with wide, terrified eyes.

Eliza's fear made Alexander afraid. He had expected her to know what to do straight away.

"I do not know." He confessed, feeling much younger than his years.

"Stand back." Eliza regained her composure quickly. She shooed away all of Angelica's men. They took a few unwilling steps back. "Out. All of you, out of this tent."

"Miss Schuyler, you do not -" One of the younger soldiers protested.

"Out." Eliza's voice left no room for argument. She cast them an icy expression which Alexander never would have thought her capable of. He started for the exit. He feared that if he did not obey Eliza's command, he, too, would experience her wrath.

"Oh, Colonel Hamilton." Eliza said before Alexander could leave the tent. "You may stay."


Angelica Schuyler

Angelica woke up with no recollection of falling asleep. She cracked her eyes open slowly. They had never felt so heavy. She wondered if she had died during the battle.

She heard Alexander's voice. She turned towards it instinctively, as a flower turns towards the sun.

He was sitting on a cot, talking to Eliza. They were leaning towards one another, unaware of anything going on around them. Again, Angelica wondered if she had died. She wondered if this was hell.

Alexander noticed her looking first. He turned his head and smiled at the sight of her. It was not enough to alleviate the pain in Angelica's chest, caused by seeing Alexander talking to her younger sister the way that he had once talked to her.

"General Schuyler," Alexander addressed Angelica as though she were his superior and nothing more. It stung. "There you are. We were worried for you."

"What happened?" Angelica wondered.

Her voice was slurred, as though she had drank far too much wine. She could not remember drinking any wine. She wondered at the aching sensation searing across her body.

"You overexerted yourself during the battle." Eliza rose from the cot and approached Angelica. She looked Angelica over critically. Angelica did not have the energy to resist her probing. "You need to rest. You frightened everyone terribly."

Alexander did not look very frightened. He was watching Eliza talk with an expression that made Angelica's stomach sink.

"I am fine." Angelica struggled upright. Eliza made a noise of protest and gently pushed her back down. Angelica did not have the strength to fight back. Instead, she rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed noise. "You are wasting my time and General Washington's time by confining me to this bed."

"I have orders from General Washington not to let you out of that bed." Eliza tilted her chin with a self-satisfied little smile.

Angelica let out another annoyed sigh.

"Get some rest, General Schuyler." Alexander advised her kindly.

"Do not presume to tell me what to do." Angelica shot back at him.

Her eyelids grew heavier by the second. The wooly quality of her voice undermined any malice that she might have meant towards Alexander. He smiled at her in a way that made her heart hurt.

With one last sigh, she allowed herself to descend into sleep.


Alexander Hamilton

Angelica slept for sixteen hours. Alexander waited by her side, missing both supper and Washington's strictly enforced curfew in the headquarters. He made an allowance for Alexander this one time.

Alexander asked Eliza if they ought to wake Angelica up countless times while she slept. He worried that something was wrong with her - something beyond exhaustion. Eliza was extremely patient with him; far more patient than Alexander deserved. She assured him that Angelica would be all right. She tried to make conversation to distract him from his concerns. Alexander provided short answers which barely satisfied her polite questions. He was sure that, by the time Angelica woke up, Eliza would see him for who he really was.

"She will be all right." Eliza assured him for what must have been the hundredth time that night. "You should get some rest, yourself. You have not even taken the time to clean the blood off of your face."

Alexander shook his head. He could not leave Angelica alone. He did not seem able.

"I can rest tomorrow." He replied, forcing a small smile. "Let the other aides pick up the slack for once."

"To hear others tell it, General Washington's forces would fall apart without you, Colonel Hamilton." Eliza responded, shaking her head. She was smiling. Unlike Alexander's, hers was sincere. "I have heard that you are very intelligent."

Alexander felt his face redden slightly.

"It would not take much for General Washington's forces to fall apart." He said, by way of changing the subject.

"You are too modest." Eliza accused him good-naturedly.

She tipped her head back and laughed. Her profile resembled Angelica's when she laughed. Alexander could not help but watch her with a small smile.

"Ahem." A soft noise tore Alexander's focus away from Angelica. He turned to look at Angelica, eager as a dog hoping for a command from its master. Angelica looked back at him, her dark eyes holding some hidden message that Alexander could not read.

"Good morning." Eliza did not skip a beat. She smiled at her sister with unconcealed affection.

Alexander wondered how it was that he came to garner the admiration of both of these sisters. They were better than him - both of them. They did not deserve to be treated in the manner which he treated them. They deserved much better suitors than him.

"Is it morning already?" Angelica raised her head to look out through the tent opening. She winced slightly. Alexander could not tell if it was from pain or from the loss of so much time. "Oh. Why did you let me sleep for so long?"

"You needed it." Eliza replied firmly.

"Mm." Angelica hummed noncommittally.

She struggled to sit up. Alexander fought the urge to help her. He knew that she would be angry if he tried.

Angelica turned to look at him, as though she could feel him holding himself back.

"Did we win the battle?" She asked.

Alexander nodded, smiling. He could not deny that he found everything about Angelica compelling. He loved that she cared as much about the war as he did; possibly even more.

"Yes." He informed her. "We won the battle."

"Good." Angelica approved. She then moved to the edge of the cot, draping her legs over the edge. It was obvious that she intended to stand up.

"Where are you going?" Eliza demanded with unconcealed frustration. "You need to rest."

"I have rested." Angelica protested, pushing herself off of the cot. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but did not give in to the weight of her body. Alexander watched apprehensively. "And now that I have rested, I need to discuss the battle with my men. There are several training exercises which they must master before our next battle, or I fear we will not come away with a victory again."

"Can your men not enjoy one day of rest while you recover?" Eliza wondered, exasperated.

"No, they cannot." Angelica replied as though Eliza's question was completely unreasonable.

"I will walk you over to the drill field." Alexander offered by way of breaking up the argument. He cast Eliza a smile that would appease her. She was so much easier to pacify than Angelica was. "I am going that way, as it happens. I fear I have neglected my work for much longer than General Washington would like."

Angelica frowned at his offer.

"I am perfectly capable of walking by myself." She told him.

"I know." Alexander knew better than to disagree with Angelica. "I could use the company; that is all."

Eliza looked at Angelica with an expectant expression. Angelica stared back at her, irritation written plain across her face. Her pride had been wounded more than her body had, it seemed. Alexander wished there was a way that he could restore her pride without infuriating her in the process.

"Fine." She huffed at last. "Let us walk to the drill field together."

"Thank you, General Schuyler." Alexander could not help but chuckle at Angelica's ungracious behavior.

He cast Eliza an amused grin. She smiled back at him, thrilled to be included in the joke. She was so eager to partake in any exchange that Alexander would include her in. Guilt swelled up in Alexander's chest, crowding his lungs. He knew that Eliza deserved someone who would appreciate her in a way that he could not. He knew that he was too selfish to tell her as much.

Angelica started for the drill field. Alexander followed after her. He could not deny the weight lifted off of his shoulders as he exited the medic's tent. He wondered if Eliza had been the one to put the weight there in the first place.

"You performed very well yesterday." Alexander said, by way of distracting himself.

Angelica snorted. The unladylike sound brought a smile to Alexander's face.

"I fainted." She said in a tone of utter contempt.

"Only after we had won." Alexander qualified her criticism. "A victory that you are largely responsible for, I might add."

Angelica wrinkled her nose. She did not like Alexander's compliments, it seemed.

"You were rather reckless, though. I thought that you had lost your mind when you removed your cap in the middle of the fight." Alexander said, by way of tempering his compliment.

Angelica's mouth quirked into a small, humorless smile that made Alexander frown.

"I wanted him to know who I was." She said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"Him?" Alexander could not resist asking.

Angelica nodded, looking down at her feet.

"That man, the one I…" She cleared her throat and flicked a strand of hair out of her face. She did not meet Alexander's eyes. "I encountered him on one of my missions."

Alexander understood.

"He was the man who…" He trailed off, unable to bring himself to give words to the unspeakable event that had befallen Angelica on her last mission. Images of Angelica's tear-stained face and matted hair flashed through his mind. Alexander shook his head, willing them away.

Angelica nodded without speaking.

"I am glad you killed him." Alexander said.

Angelica looked to him in surprise. Alexander looked back at her, knowing that he would have killed that man if Angelica had not gotten to him first. He would have done anything to keep her safe.

They did not say anything for a moment. They were nearing the drill field. None of Angelica's men were present. Alexander knew that they would materialize before long. He was rarely afforded the opportunity to have Angelica to himself without at least one of the men trailing behind her like a dog.

"I…" Alexander broke the silence again, unable to help himself. He looked up from the ground to meet Angelica's eyes. He was startled to see fear encased within them. He had never expected Angelica to be afraid of him.

"Do not." Angelica warned him softly. "Do not say anything that you will regret when you see my sister at supper."

Alexander looked down at his shoes. He caught Angelica's meaning immediately.

"I am glad that you are okay." Alexander said, wishing that he could say more.

Angelica nodded. The sadness of her smile suggested that she knew what Alexander could not say.

"Me, too." She said softly.