Flashback

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Shouldn't you be looking for a wife instead?" I asked in confusion. It was my understanding that your goal in life was to marry and have as many children as possible in this time. "How do you know I'll be a good friend?" I asked in confusion.

---

He nodded. "Make yourself comfortable, if my mother comes introduce yourself. She'll make you right at home."

"I do not have a reliable set of income at the moment, once I make more investments I'll be able to find a suitable wife, until then I'll make a friend. " he said to her.

---

She nodded, "Of course," she said softly with a small smile. "Thank you again,"

I nodded slowly, looking around the room. It was throwing me off. I had somehow ended up in another time, a time I wanted nothing to do with. But if there was no way for me to return, leaving would be stupid. Especially since he is willing to support me for my friendship. "Alright. Where will I stay? And I have requests. Im sure you realize that I am not a slave, and am far too intelligent to be a slave. You will not call me a slave or treat me like one, unless you're around people you must keep up your appearance in front of. I am your equal and I demand respect."

---

He bowed politely, heading outside to go help with the bear. The fur would help during the winter and the meat feed them for weeks.

She smiled a little then sat on the bed licking her lips, "How did.. I get here," she whispered to herself, all she could wonder was where Lianna was and if she was okay.

---

"Of course," he said to her as he looked at her, "I wouldn't do so anyway, all of the help in the household are treated with respect and dignity but they have work to do," he said, "they're paid handsomely as well, their children are... educated as best as I can offer, taught to read and write, how to read a map," he said to her, "Helpful trails,"

I sighed a little, looking around the room. "Will I actually be working?" I asked as I walked around the room. "What will I be doing other than keeping you company?" I opened a window, peeking out into the courtyard which was covered in snow. I turned to him, looking around at the candles in the room. It was messing with my head the complete lack of technology.

---

He helped cut the meat and gut the bear, carrying the meat to the home. He was sure his mother would see her soon, she was always looking for someone to spoil. He went back inside, giving the meat to his sister who would be cooking. "Are you feeling alright?"

"You will be doing whatever it is you want," he said to her,"There is no neighbors for miles, you can go outside. During the spring you can go to the orchard and pick apples, whatever you wish as long as we show mutual respect for one another"

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She nodded,"Yes, thank you, is there anything you need help with. I'm fairly skilled with plants and medicinal herbs, and sewing," she murmured softly.

I nodded. "I give respect when it is given to me. As long as you respect me, I will respect you. So we won't have a problem with that." I said, looking at his cloak in my hands. I handed it out to him, looking at my clothes. I had absolutely nothing with me, except for my sketchbook and pencil. I wondered in the back of my mind if this was permanent of temporary, but it made no sense to run to leave when it was so freezing outside. And I would be paid to do nothing all day, and keep him company. "Alright." I said as I looked at him.

---

He nodded. "That's great. My father and mother are both skilled in medicine, and and there's always sewing that's needed to be done. Have you met anyone while I was gone?" He asked, wondering where his parents and siblings were.

She shook her head,"No I've just been here by the fire, attempting to dry my hair," she said laughed a little as she bit her lip.

---

He nodded,"Of course, Miss. Come I have some gowns upstairs, they were...passed down in the family," he said to her. He had had sisters, but they'd died in the fire along with the rest of his family.

I nodded a little, following him over to the door. "You're welcome to call me Lianna." I said as we walked around the manor. It was very large, and there were many portraits around the place. I didn't see any servants around at all, but it was obvious they were needed to make the manor function.

---

He smiled politely, handing her a cloth. "We have cloth you can use for that." He said, noticing his mother walk in along with his sister. They had clearly come from the market, and their eyes traveled from him to her, and back to him for an explanation. "Mum, this is Miss Elise. She got lost on the trail, so I welcomed her in."

She gave a small curtsy, with a smile and his mother crooned, "Oh look at you, your hair is a mess dear, come lets make you look suitable. The dress flatters yours, Margery won't mind you using it. She's just had a babe so she won't fit it for sometime," she said softly as the woman took the cloth from her and began to dry her hair.

"You found her on the trail you said, where ever is your escort dear?" she asked.

"I.. I don't know how I got here," she explained, "all I know is my name and where I'm from but I'm not...there is not way for me to return home,"

---

He smiled a little then opened the door to the room she would stay in, "This is your room, it's in the servants quarters but it's quite large," he spoke.

I nodded a little as I walked inside the room, looking around. It was a nice room, and though it was bare it had a large bed and a chest, with a view out of the window. "Thank you." I murmured, turning to him. I had gotten extremely lucky I realized. I could have ended up with an abusive person who would have caused me pain and forced me to work that I wasnt used to. Especially if there wasn't a way for me to return, this was extremely lucky. "So, I'll need to change?" I asked him quietly. The thought of wearing those dresses was daunting, they looked so complicated but I was excited.

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He nodded. "She's not from around here, I didn't think you'd object to her staying for as long as she'd like." He said, walking over to hand his sister some of the bear meat.

She smiled,"Of course I don't mind, it's about time we had another young woman around here," she said as she dried her hair.

Elise smiled a little,"I appreciate your kindness," she said softly to his mother.

---

He nodded,"Yes," he said and picked out a dress for her and laid out the things to go with it, "Do you need help dressing?" he asked.

I nodded slowly, looking at all of the things he had pulled out. "Yes, I don't know how to put this on." I said, picking up what looked like a pad and staring at them in confusion.

---

He nodded a little, going over to one of the rooms. "I thought we could give her the room downstairs, so she would have it to herself?" He asked, going to get her some blankets.

She smiled,"No dear, why not the room next to yours? Your sisters room, it would be must more comfortable, not to mention she'd feel safer knowing you were right there," she told him.

Elise looked around in shock, this woman was blatantly trying to get him to be with her. She had no shame, she almost laughed.

---

He noded,"Of course, I'll send someone to help you," he said smiling a little,"then we can have tea,"

He sighed, expecting this. "Mum, Margery just had a babe, are you going to make her move rooms?" He asked, grabbing more things that would go into her room.

---

I smiled. "Thank you." I said quietly. "Where should I go to find you after I'm dressed?" I asked, watching him call a maid to help me dress.

"She's movin' in with her husband by the end of the week, he is back from war. She is a grown woman, she told me she wants this," she said to him.

---

He smiled,"I'll be in the sitting room," he told her, down the stairs down the long hall then its the last door on the right," he said to her.

I nodded as the maid walked in. "Alright then." I said as the maid helped me into my dress. She smiled at me politely, before offering to help me whenever I needed help. I walked down the hall as he said, opening the door and heading inside. It was way more clothes then I was used to.

---

He sighed and nodded, heading up the stairs towards his, and next door to her room. "Of course, Mother." He said, setting up the blankets and heading downstairs. His mother would plan this, to give them the rooms across from each other.

She smiled,"Good," she said to him, "Now dear do you know how to make bread?" she asked.

"I do but I have a feeling it's a lot different than how you make bread," she told her laughing a little.

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He looked at her,"You look beautiful come sit," he smiled a little as he looked at her.

"Thank you." I said, going over to sit on the chair across from him. "Where are you from originally?"

---

He sat down at the table, going through what they got at the market, handing his sister the seasoning as she cooked. "Mum, she's probably exhausted. Let her rest. She almost got mauled by a bear. Was coming right for her."

She smiled,"I'm fine really, I can rest later," she said to him gently then walked over to his mother once washing her hands. "Now, if I'm ever going to fend for myself, I should learn how cooking works here,"

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He smiled a little,"I'm from northen England," he said to her.