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The young woman certainly seemed keen to be assisting Griff, but then he couldn't really blame her. She was not the first to be taken in by his charm, and she certainly wouldn't be the last. He pressed his lips together, doing his best to look in need of sympathy and concern, without looking pitiful. It was a look that had taken quite a while to master, but he prided himself in thinking he had acheived it. After all, it had not let him down yet.

And she initiated first contact. All right, she was probably trying to check his temperature but even so. So far Griff had just stood there and said a few words. This was all going a lot better than he had first anticipated. Unsurprisingly, he decided to play up his injury and so gain more attention and sympathy. It wouldn't be a complete lie, as his ankle did hurt a little from his trip, but not nearly as much as he was going to pretend.

"I very tired." He replied, looking his most fatigued. His acting skills were on top form today, but then, so was everything else it seemed. As he stepped forward in order to "test" his ankle, he did briefly wonder whether he was overplaying his limp, but oh well. She had been the one to intiate physical contact, and suggest a change of location so there was obviously something working on her, he doubted she would care that much if he was putting on a limp purely for her benefit. She may even be impressed.

He put his foot down on the ground, barely touching it, but took a sharp intake of breath, bit his lip and clenched his fist before lifting it again. That should do it. "I don't think I can walk on my own." There was a small hint of self-pity in his voice, for in his experience women like Maeve - or at least what he assumed a woman like Maeve was - wanted to heal men not just physically, but emotionally as well. He'd come up with some angst-filled story about why he was wandering about by himself and then she would be completely taken in. The plan could not go wrong.

OOC - apologies for the lateness and length of this. I don't even know what happened here. Massive writer's block.
Okay, to stop my brain from hurting and because I feel really bad about making you wait to long I'm skipping the making out bit and I'll come back and modify when I think of something.

Caitrin's words brought a smile to his face. There was definitely nothing wrong with his ego, that had never been under question, but her logic was rather amusing. He had been unaware that his ego directly influenced hers, but he did not question this as she would only try and deflate his and that would certainly not do, and besides, just like him she had a number of things to be egotistical about. "That's settled then," he declared, "both are egos are perfectly fine as we both rather good at being alive."

“Well, firstly you have to find someone with a horse and then follow them on another horse and keep following them until you end up in half naked in some grass. Tried and tested.” He replied with more than a little self-satisfaction. When they had first met outside the stables Caitrin had been less than subtle with how unimpressed she was by him, and yet here they were, he chuckled as he thought about the absurdity of it all. What would his brother say? Probably something with a sigh and his head in his hands. Lucan was bound to disapprove of something. Well, he could disapprove as much as he wanted, Griff was quite enjoying himself.

Hmm. She did have a fair point, and she was clearly more than happy with him keeping his shirt off - this theory was strengthened by her running a finger along his skin, something he was more than fine with. But, even so, she was missing his point, which was something he noticed she had a habit of doing, especially when they were excellent points. And she was managing to resist the wink, and that was simply unacceptable.

Griff didn't comment as she spoke of her father. He had never met the man, so it was not his place - well, it wasn't his place anyway, and commenting would only serve to remind him how useless his own was. Instead he ended up pressing his lips together and looking a bit vague. Luckily, she had already moved the conversation on and suggested something that certainly surprised him. He furrowed his eyebrows. This seemed like some sort of test, and not an actual suggestion. "Are you serious?" She was holding his hand again, a gesture that gave him some reassurance, but he was still wary. Even if her uncle was not expected he would not be surprised if he suddenly turned up. "If your uncle does turn up I'm blaming you."

Griff Aubert was usually a happy soul, one with little cares and even those that were forced upon him were ignored. Responsibility was not a word he gave much heed. His older brother Lucan was all for responsibility, annoyingly so. The pair had not seen each other since Lucan had left to become a knight of Camelot many years before. Griff had been a young boy, but since almost being disowned by his father, Lucan was the only one he had left.

That was his reason for being on this road in the first place. He literally had nowhere else to go, and if he didn't find his brother he would have nowhere to live, no food, nothing. He had no idea what exactly he would do if he found Lucan. They had never been the closest of siblings even before Lucan left Glouchedon, and since he left Griff had heard nothing else ever since. Lucan was a knight. He was responsible and honourable. Griff couldn't be responsible or honourable even if he tried.

His thoughts were interrupted by his nearly tripping over and smacking into a tree. Luckily there was no one in sight to see that, it was hardly the behaviour of a man like Griff. As a noble he should have a horse, he did have a horse, only Demetrius was still in Glouchedon. Not only had his father turned him out of his home, but he'd kept Griff's horse, which Griff felt was a little on the extreme side. It meant his feet hurt and it took him days to get anywhere. He'd only been walking for an hour or so today but he was already tired and bored and really hoping something interesting was going to happen.


Tagged: Maeve
Timeline: (I'm not actually sure, in Griff's personal timeline it's set before "Slow and Steady Wins the Race" which happens at the beginning of series 3)
Setting: On the road to Camelot
Notes: About the title. Yeah, I know it's awful lol

Hmmm...alright, maybe he wouldn't say that to the prince's face, or to any part of him thinking about it, or just in his general vicinity, but it didn't mean his statement wasn't true. He was worth a thousand of most people, only everyone seemed to keep forgetting that and they needed reminding. Even so, he wasn't going to let Caitrin know that there was no way he would say such a thing to Camelot's prince. "You doubt me?" He was doing his best offended tone and expression which worked on most people, and yet he had no doubt that Caitrin would just ignore it. She had an annoying little habit of not going along with everything he said and did.

Her words came as a shock and he simply stared at her for a few seconds. He swallowed, and tried to think of something to say, something that was good enough for a reply. No one had ever cared about him before, well, alright, people had said they had, but they didn’t care about him. They cared about what they thought was him. They cared about the flashy grin and the huge ego and the smirk and banter. Caitrin, however, Caitrin had seen the worst of him – or at least the not-quite-so-good – she had seen him cocky and arrogant and jealous and nervous and everything everyone else wasn’t allowed to see. She’d seen him, and yet here she was, declaring to the world that she cared about him. And here was the stupid thing, the thing that would make Griff laugh it was happening to anyone else. He was afraid. No one cared about him, no one had been allowed to. He didn’t know what to do; he didn’t know what to say, or even how to feel. So, once again, he fell back on his charm and ego. He could do that. “Well, yes,” he grinned at her, a grin that was very good at hiding everything else. “I assumed as such. It’s only natural, after all.”

She spoke of his ego as though it was a bad thing. Griff's ego had more than done him proud over the years. It was his first line of defence. And anyway, there was nothing wrong with having an ‘incredibly big ego’ when you were as fantastic as Griff was. “There’s nothing wrong with my ego.” He replied rather childishly, folding his arms across his chest. Why was having an ego such a bad thing anyway? The whole world should be made aware of just how brilliant a person he was.

He was not in the least bit surprised that she was ‘never one for being traditionally courted’, whatever ‘traditionally courted’ was. He supposed it was something along the lines of being introduced by family members and forced into awkward situations in the hopes that such a match would benefit both families. Well, that way had never really appealed to Griff, so he’d always taken matters into his own hands. And, let’s be honest, his approach had more than worked in his favour. It was entirely on his own merit and, alright, persistence that he had ended up in a field with Caitrin, not because their families had decided it would be a good match. This was then proof that the Griff Method was the best, but then, that really hadn’t been under question.

Neither of them were what you could call perfect examples of nobility, so it came as no shock that this should hardly be a perfect example of courting. If they had they’d probably still be at the awkward small talk stage of their relationship, whereas now...well, he was half naked. “Good, traditional isn’t fun. The Griff Method definitely is.”

Well, now Griff was just even more embarrassed. It was bad enough being flustered because of a woman, let alone her being so amused by it. He couldn't help it! There'd be lip biting and everything. She'd shifted her body, which wasn't helping the situation in the slightest; in fact, he'd go so far as to say it had had the opposite effect. He ran his hands up her thighs, resisting the urge to try to get them under her dress; Caitrin would only disapprove of something like that. "I don't care if anyone sees." He declared and arched his back so he could reach her lips. One hand found it's way to the small of her back and managed to pull her body down slightly. He hadn't liked the gap between them. "That's better." He grinned and kissed her again.

But then she had to go and ruin it for no reason and move again so there was a gap between them again. Now she was just being a spoil sport. There was no one about to see, and even if there was they were both of nobility and could therefore do whatever th- look forwards to more enjoyment? Had he heard that correctly? Forwards as in happening in the not to distant future and more enjoyment as in, well, more enjoyment? Get in! He would be more disappointed at the lack of enjoyment right that moment, but he was far too pleased with himself. He'd finally broken her. He was amazing. Griflet Aubert was definitely back on form.

"When you say 'more enjoyment', what exactly do you mean?" Of course he knew exactly what she meant, neither of them were being at all subtle, still, he wanted her to say it. His ego definitely deserved a boost now. "If you could be as clear as possible..."

Wait, hang on. Why was she moving? That wasn't part of the plan. That was anti-plan. They were supposed to carry on like this until she gave in and, like him, stopped caring about being seen. He had liked where the conversation had been going, and this sudden change was decidedly less fun. And less naked. Still, he did pick up on Caitrin's "should". That left enough room for Griff to persuade her that leaving would be a bad idea and that she'd have a much better time with him. "You should yes, just like I should put my shirt back on...but isn't it better for all if I don't?" He winked, mainly because in his experience few women could resist him when he did. Of course Caitrin had proved immune to his charms before but it was the wink. It was famous. "Besides, I'm more fun."

OOC - yeah, I don't even know what happened here. And, as I'm sure you can guess: massively sectiony post wahey.

Caitrin squeezing his hand should not make him feel the way it did. He should not have a tingle where their skin touched. He should not feel better, happier, just being with her. This was not something he experienced. This was not something he allowed himself to experience. It was ridiculous and it was uncharacteristic and he needed to stop being so damned affected by everything. And yet here he was, being made happy just because Caitrin was with him. What the hell was wrong with him?

He needed to step back, start thinking rationally again, start thinking again, well, with his brain. He would just assess the situation and go back to being his charming and seductive self, then he could have the money without the...other things. He had a plan, and he was going to stick to it and not allow himself to be distracted by ridiculous feelings.

That would be a lot easier to do, however, if her own feelings just now did not parallel his own and although she protested that she was fine Griff was quite convinced she was not. He knew what it was like to feel like an outsider to your family, to be a disappointment, to feel unwanted. He could hear it in Caitrin's voice. And yet (and he was assuming this was how Caitrin felt as well), however much he hated Glouchedon it was his home, it was the only place he'd ever belonged - or attempted to belong, whereas in Camelot he was just another noble. It probably didn't help that he had never tried to be anything more than that, he had never had a reason to. Perhaps now he did.

And there he went with those ridiculous feelings of his. He needed to stop, right now, for a number of reasons, all of them being good, solid reasons that could not be ignored no matter how much he wanted to. Perhaps that was the most ridiculous thing of all, definitely the worst thing, probably the most stupid thing: he wanted to ignore the reasons. He wanted to just be with Caitrin and ignore everything inside his head. He squeezed her hand back and pretended that everything was fine and it was just them.

He didn't know who Arthur and Dristan were, well, he assumed by Arthur she meant the prince, but he didn't care, or at least he was trying not to care because he was trying to focus on solely her and not let anything like his own issues and a little jealousy get in the way of that. So he just ignored that and focussed on the latter part of her speech, that was definitely the most important part. It was about him. He matched her smile, her words managing to block out all of the reasons and doubt and just leaving her. His smile grew bigger and he replied, with his usual tone of self-assurance, "Well, I am clearly worth a hundred Arthurs and Dristans," he bit his lip as he tried to decide whether or not he should voice his next thought. Oh sod it. If he was going to ignore the reasons then he might as well ignore them properly. "I can't imagine ever not caring about you."


"Ow!" Alright, he had been expecting that reaction, and it didn't actually hurt that much but it was an automatic reaction and he was being overdramatic and she shouldn't go around hitting people. And she was asking silly questions. "Why would you not like me? I'm charming and funny and handsome and, I said charming, didn't I?" He was grinning at her now, fairly confident that another slap was not in order. There was nothing like a bit of narcissim to make you feel better, and Griff was certainly feeling better now, having dispersed his earlier doubts and successfully ignoring all those reasons why he shouldn't be having feelings for Caitrin. They could bother him later, he was rather preoccupied right now.

This preoccupation was now in the form of Caitrin kissing his chest, which was fairly distracting when he was meant to be answering her. Now this was hardly fair. She couldn't attack him for answering her in a way she didn't like and then distract him like this. He'd only end up saying something wrong again, and then she'd hit him, again. This was clearly her plan. He shifted slightly, his skin was still tingling but he was trying to ignore it and focus on the task at hand: not giving her another excuse for assault. "Alright, maybe not normal. We wouldn't be here if you were normal." As he spoke he realised just how odd a situation this was, well, not odd for him. He'd been shirtless around countless women, but it must be weird for Caitrin, although she seemed to be enjoying it. Well, why wouldn't she?


Well that was irritating. She could at least give him a yes or no, just so he would know if she would have taken her dress off, even if she wasn't going to. He more than deserved it. Bloody women. She probably thought she was being mysterious and alusive. She was just being annoying. He glared at her, although having to suppress a grin was probably ruining the effect. "It clearly was. Otherwise you'd just say no." That was his argument anyway, and he was going to stick to it firmly, no matter what Caitrin said.


"Oh could you now?" Griff laughed, rather taken aback by Caitrin's actions. He really shouldn't be surprised that he was the one on his back, after all, she had made that quite clear during their first meeting. He decided to just let her carry on in control, he was curious and rather looking forward to seeing how far she would take this. She was the one who had pointed out that they could be seen, yet she was the one on top of him and being very inappropriate and kissing his neck and he couldn't really think in straight sentences, which was embarrassing. "I'd...erm, be," he tried to clear his throat, hoping that would make his voice less high pitched. "Very...that is to say, looking forward to, well, to enjoyment."

He inwardly cringed. That, that was smooth.

Griff didn't like seeing Caitrin like this. He didn't like her upset and vulnerable and not knowing how - or even if - he could make everything better again. He could reassure her (or at least try to) that he really did care about her, and that if other people didn't, that didn't matter. She was far stronger than that. He needed her to be far stronger than that.

She'd turned her head away. That just made him worry about her more. This was clearly hard for her, all he wanted was to stop her feeling how she did right now. He shuffled closer and put his arm around her waist and kissed her shoulder, as it was nearest part of her. He wanted her to know that no matter what anybody else thought he was there. "I don't care what anyone thinks about you." If they didn't care then it was their failing, not hers. "And neither should you."

In any other situation it would have amused him that he was saying that. He was the worst person in the world to say something like that. His whole being had been shaped by how people viewed him. That did not matter however. This was not about him and his own feelings, this was about Caitrin and hers and this was new...he never put anyone before himself, especially when a bout of self pity was due. He kept people at a distance, he cared about himself more than anyone else, he didn't start worrying about other people's emotions, or how he could attempt to make everything better. Yet here he was. Worried. Worried over Caitrin. It didn't make sense. It wasn't him. But it wasn't entirely unpleasant either. It was bloody confusing and just made him think stupid things, but he could take that because it meant he was with her.

“Well aren’t you lucky, because just look what you got on your first try.” “As long as I am the last, I’m satisfied.”

Eyebrows rose at her comment. "Lucky? I don't think that's the word I would use..." He grinned, and pretended it was just a joke and she wasn't in fact completely correct. He was lucky (and a bit of a stalker), but it was luck that she had happened to be there when she was, and it was luck that they had met again. But everything else was his charm and good looks (and, alright, his being a bit of a stalker). "Unfortunate?" That was probably going to earn him a slap.

He was now feeling slightly uncomfortable and vulnerable, having to look up at her now she was sitting up slightly, especially after coming out with a comment like that. He was in a very easy and attackable position. "Unfortunate...that you didn't like me?" Was that in any way better? Probably not. What was probable was that she would be the last, if only because after that comment he'd no longer be in a position to charm any other women. He raised a hand as he spoke, because that was going to make everything he said better, "Is there a way of not regretting that comment?"


“Seems like we both have family issues.”

Well that was an understatement, but he was glad that his answer hadn't been pressed further. He couldn't talk about his family without anger - at both his family and himself. It was ridiculous situation, he was fully aware, but there was nothing he could do about it, and from the sound of things, Caitrin was of a smiliar mind. Still, his family weren't here (well, except Lucan but things between them were definitely improving and it wasn't Lucan that had been the issue, rather the Myth of Lucan), so there was no point thinking about them, not when he could be enjoying him time with Caitrin.

He started idly playing with her hair. He liked her hair. "It's a wonder we turned out so normal." He joked, he was definitely far from normal, and not in that unique and individual way, in a seriously having issues way. Even so, he was going to make light of the situation because that was better than having to deal with anything.


“It’s the middle of the day, someone will see.”

Her laugh was rather contagious and he found himself joining her, even better was the fact that she had just proven him right. "So what you're saying is, you would have me in a further state of undress if we wouldn't be seen? Therefore my lack of trousers would be enough for you to lose that dress?" He grinned with an air of self-satisfaction. "I thought as much."

His smile faded when he noticed her smirk. She was clearly thinking of something highly inappropriate, and probably quite fun, and he was therefore determined to find out exactly what that was. After all, it was more than likely that it involved him. What he wasn't expecting was to end up on his back underneath Caitrin, well this was an interesting development.

"Oh, hello." Was all he could think to say, which he thought was quite impressive seeing as all he could think about was certainly not something he could voice. And now she was biting her lip, and licking her lip and he was aware that his breath was quickening, any other time and he would be embarrassed at having such a reaction, now it didn't matter because she was licking her lip.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

...did he have a problem with her being on top of him? Was that an actual question that needed an actual answer? Well, of course she knew what he'd say, otherwise she wouldn't be asking. She just wanted him to give in and let her have power over him. Just this once he was inclined to acquiesce.

"Problem? I am more than happy with the...current situation."

Her words were met with confusion. Why would she say something like that? Of course people cared about her. Her uncle definitely cared about her, and alright, her father was not the best of parents but surely there was someone else who cared. Nobody had no one. Did she really think that? She must do, she wouldn't have said it otherwise, but he still couldn't understand why. How could anyone not care about her? She was wonderful, and bright and it was impossible that someone could know her and not care. "Of course someone does, why wouldn't they?" It was meant to be a reassuring question rather than a confused one, but Caitrin was always so confident, so sure of herself, mostly annoyingly so. It was quite absurd for her to be doubting herself. He didn't like it one bit.

But she was opening up to him, really opening up to him. That had to be a good thing. No one was ever this honest with him, he was never around long enough. But with Caitrin he was far too gone. It wasn't just her, he was opening up too. He was letting his guard down, and it had to stop because he was not going to do anything stupid. He wouldn't let himself. He didn't do...this. Strictly speaking he didn't even know what this was, so the likelihood of him being able to cope with it was rather slim.

He was trying to tell himself what an idiot he was being when she went and said that. He smiled at her, it was an immediate reaction. It wasn't his flashy grin, it wasn't his inappropriate smirk. It was a simple smile. It was him being happy, it was her making him happy. She cared about him. And it was absolutely terrifying. The idea that anyone cared about him, let alone someone like Caitrin, just...scared him.

He wanted to do what he usually did. He wanted to fall back on his arrogance and carefree attitude, but he couldn't allow himself to do that, not this time, not to Caitrin because she deserved more than that. She deserved so much more. What she definitely didn't deserve was him.


“And of course your reason for coming to Camelot was to find a woman who would constantly argue with you.”

Of course he could have thought about his reply before speaking. He could have said something along the lines of how right she was and how leaving Glouchedon could no longer be seen as a bad thing, as a hardship because it was through his leaving that he met her. But he didn't. He just shrugged and said, "Just any woman really." He grinned at her and continued with a wink. "You just happened to be first."

She probably wasn't going to approve of that answer, she may even be annoyed and then they'd argue. Arguing was good. Arguing he could do. Arguing meant good emotions, emotions he could cope with, completely fear-free. He could hide behind an argument, behind some stupid comment and all would be well with the world. There. See, he was reassuring himself. He wasn't getting in too deep, he wasn't out of his comfort zone. There wasn't anything wrong with him. Nothing at all.


“Do you really hate your family?”

Well that was a question and a half. He let out a sigh and rolled over so he was lying on his back and staring up at the sky. He'd never had a functional relationship with any of his family. His father was too busy trying to turn him into Lucan and just becomming more and more disappointed. His mother was just...he couldn't think of the word...they just didn't fit. They didn't understand each other. They'd never really tried. And Lucan...Lucan had always been perfect. He was a knight. He was honourable and noble and everything that he should be, he fought for king and Camelot. And no one could understand why Griff wasn't like that. Why Griff didn't want to be like that. Well, he did. Or had, whatever, it didn't matter now. He was what he was, no matter how much of a disappointment he'd turned out to be. He was never going to be anything else.

There was a silence between them. He didn't particularly want to answer her. His family was not something he spoke about. But he knew Caitrin enough to know that he was going to have to answer her eventually. Simply ignoring her or trying to change the subject was not going to work, especially after she had been so open about her past.

He did not have some tragic history, something thrust upon him, some life changing event. He'd just hidden while everything was being slowly chipped away until he was all illusion. He was a coping mechanism, nothing more. So yes, he hated his family. They'd all played their part in shaping him, even Lucan, they'd made him the boy hiding behind the grin.

"Yes." he said firmly. He was still staring at the sky with quite some determination. No matter how much Caitrin pressed him that was all she was getting. He didn't talk about his family to anyone. He was not going to start doing so now.


And now she was kissing his neck, and it was her fingers tracing along his skin and he couldn't quite think or even acknowledge anything else because everything was just good. It was just him and her and she was so soft and beautiful and being so challenging and inappropriate. He had to chuckle at her words. Her actions were definitely well received, but he himself still had a few tricks up his sleeve, or rather up his trouser leg as his sleeves lay discarded a few feet away. "Well I could always take my trousers off," he replied with a smirk. "Surely that is more than enough reason?"


OOC - I'm not taking his trousers off. If Cait wants him to she's taking the dress off.

My brain wasn't giving me thinky thoughts today so I made some layouts for Caitrin & Griff:

He noticed her eyes drop to his chest and couldn't help but smirk. She was definitely, beyond a doubt thinking about him with his shirt off. But then, she was only human - it was natural. Well, who was he to challenge nature and deprive Caitrin of such a pleasure? With a grin and a shrug the shirt was off. "I think it's only fair you return the favour..." he smirked, his eyes falling to where they definitely shouldn't. "Especially after I rode all this way."

His eyebrows furrowed. He suppossed, with them both being in the castle so often, it was only to be a matter of time before they met, but even so, Lucan had never met any of Griff's women before, he hadn't been there. This was entirely new territory for him and he wasn't quite sure how he should progress. Her tone wasn't that much use. He couldn't tell if that meant their meeting was a good thing or a bad thing. He personally hoped it was a goood thing. He liked Caitrin, he wanted Lucan to like her too, but then Lucan didn't seem to like anything Griff did.

Another thought occured to him. Lucan hadn't learnt about...whatever was going on with him and Caitrin through him. A lecture was probably coming his way in the not too distant future. His older brother had a habit of preaching his moral code and Griff had a habit of pointedly ignoring it. While there was no longer bad blood between the pair of them, they hardly saw eye to eye on anything. Lucan would think Caitrin was just another one of his conquests...Griff caught himself mid-thought. Caitrin was just another one of his conquests, wasn't she? Griff wasn't so sure anymore. Either way, Lucan was not going to be pleased.

He bit his lip. More often than not he was unsure of himself in Caitrin's company. He didn't like it one bit, but he also couldn't change it. She appeared to have an effect on him. One that made him unsure of everything, and certainly about how this particular conversation should progress. "So...it wasn't a...pleasant experience then?" He opted for an open ended question, one that would allow Caitrin to rant if she wanted to and would mean that he didn't have to commit to anything.

He followed her action so he was lying in a similar position and facing her. He tried to shuffle closer to her, but he couldn't do so subtly enough and his ego wouldn't let him do it so that she would notice.

Ah, her father: that explained a lot. From what Caitrin had said, her father seemed about as useful as his. Well, he knew all about parental issues, he'd had his fair share of them, but then he reminded himself that if it hadn't been for his appalling relationship with his father he wouldn't be here now, so there was something good about it. He was slightly surprised when he was told to read the letter. He had been expecting her to be more private than that, but when he was informed he was mentioned his curiosity was piqued, and then he became slightly unnerved. Her uncle would not have anything positive to say about him at all. This was probably not going to end well.

Well. He sounded like a charming man. Whilst reading the letter Griff took an immediate dislike to the man, which he felt was entirely justified after the "if he so warrants the name" comment. Griff was more than convinced he was a damn sight more of a man than her father, although he was smart enough to keep such an opinion to himself. From what he read he could see exactly why Caitrin was behaving the way she was. Frankly, the man sounded awful. But- oh hello, what was this about a dowry? And an increased one at that. Perhaps his plans of finding some rich wife weren't in jest after all. The plan was still in motion.

He slipped an arm around her waist and said, "Just ignore him. My father's been trying to control me my entire life," Hmm...he probably wasn't the best example of rebellion so he added with a lightened tone and a shrug, "So I just got myself disowned. And now I'm here, with you. See, good things happen too."