This was one of those random ideas that would just not leave my head until I wrote it. As I explained on my tumblr, I've been reading a lot of historical romance lately.

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He liked to watch her – but he always did so when he was certain no one else noticed where his eyes were going. He didn't see her often. He had no reason to. She spent most of her days within the keep, caring for the baby, and his duties were outside, seeing to the training of the men and patrolling the security of the borders.

But sometimes, she would come out to the courtyard with Judith, the babe having just learned to take her first steps on unsteady legs, and they would play as she laughed and clapped with everything Judith did as if she had never seen a greater accomplishment and Judith squealed with delight. Such happy sounds echoed off the walls of the keep and he found himself being distracted more times than not by them. By her.

She wore plain dresses in muted colors as the other servant women wore but he was always able to find her when his eyes moved around to locate her. Her hair, golden like the sun shimmering off the water of the lake, was usually what his eyes looked for first but if he could not see her, he would open his ears and listen for her for more times than not, she was singing – her voice rivaling that of a bird's song.

He saw her in the hall with everyone else each night for the evening meal but he actually couldn't see her.

Richard always insisted that he sit at the raised table with the other members of the family as he was head of his guard and it was a position higher than the others. So, as Carl, the oldest son, sat at his father's left side, he sat on the other side of Carl. And she sat on the other side of Lori, Richard's wife, who sat on the other side of her husband. He ate his meal in silence, grunting when Rick asked him the occasion question and even though the hall was loud with everyone eating and talking over one another, he was always able to hear her. It was as if his ears were trained, at times, to hear nothing but her.

Everyone called her Elizabeth but in his mind - and only in his mind, never to be spoken out loud - she was Beth.

She spoke with Lori throughout the meal, telling stories of things baby Judith had done during the day and answering questions Lori had in regards to her daughter. As soon as the meal was complete and the plates were beginning to be cleared by the serving women, Beth was always the first to leave the hall, hurrying back up the stairs to return to the babe, who was being watched during the meal by one of the young servant girls.

He remained sitting, licking the dinner from his fingers, and watching her through the hair that hung in his eyes, watching her disappear upstairs, knowing he wouldn't see her again until the next day - he could only hope he would – and it was always something he had to look forward to.

"Daryl," Richard said, getting to his feet and signaling him to follow.

Each night, as the hall began to be cleared of the others, Richard had him sit at the fire with him and he had Carl join them so they could talk over business of the keep. He still wasn't entirely used to it. He had been in charge of Richard's guard for three years now, responsible for the safety of the land, the keep and everyone who lived under Richard's name. Richard, himself, trusted Daryl with his life as did everyone else who lived at the keep and Daryl did not take his position lightly.

He spent hours with Richard, going over the men and their progress and how they were coming in their training. Richard knew many of his men were weaker than most and hadn't much battle experience but even if the time they lived in seemed to be a peaceful one, that could change as quickly as the wind changed direction and there was always a need to be prepared.

It was a late hour and most of the keep was asleep by now, Carl, included - having gone up to his chamber a bit of time ago - and Richard and Daryl were finished with their talk for the night, both men rising from their chairs.

"You should get some sleep," Richard suggested though Daryl recognized the tone and knew it to be more of an order. "Men need more than two hours each night."

"You should follow your own words," Daryl grunted back in his usual gruff voice and Richard only smiled.

They heard a rustle on the staircase and both turned their heads to see that it was Beth coming down carefully with baby Judith in her arms. Richard hurried to meet her just as she stepped down from the bottom step.

"Is everything alright?" Richard asked, worried already heavy in his tone.

"Just restless tonight, my laird," Beth answered in her soft voice with soft smile. "I was going to take her out to the courtyard for a few moments. The fresh air sometimes helps calm her."

"I will take her-" Richard began to say but Beth cut him off with a shake of her head.

"No, my laird," she smiled at him and Daryl stood nearby, looking at her, wondering if there was man in this world who would be able to refuse her when she smiled at them. Daryl had lost count of how many fights he had been throughout his life but he knew that Beth would be the opponent he would fear the most. "It's my job. You go get some rest and I will see to Judith," she told him.

It looked as if Richard wanted to argue but he seemed to realize what Daryl already knew and trying to protest against Beth was futile. He leaned in and kissed his baby daughter on the head.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," he said and without a word, he turned his head to look at Daryl and Daryl gave him a nod of his head, understanding the silent order. Then, still rather reluctantly, Richard turned and began ascending the stairs.

Beth began walking towards the doors but she stopped when she seemed to sense Daryl following behind her. She turned back towards him.

"You are coming with us, Sir Daryl?" She asked as if surprised and a bit confused.

She always called him sir though there was no title to his name and she had been reminded that by others more than once. He almost reminded her of it now but that would mean if he would have to actually speak to her and he never spoke to her.

Even now, he just nodded to her question and followed her outside. He watched as she carefully went down the steps and then began to gently bounce Judith in her arms. His eyes swept across the darkened courtyard, at the men on station at top of the battlements for the night and the flames that lit the torches. He didn't move or say a word as Beth walked in small circles, singing a soft song he had heard from her before. He had memorized every song he heard her sing to the babe.

Her dress was brown and her hair was long and fell down her back, a braid woven through the locks. He wondered how old she was. She was younger than him but she wasn't a girl. He knew that much. She carried herself with a quiet confidence he didn't see in too many.

He knew that Beth wasn't a lady of station. Her father was a farmer for some of the laird's land and she, herself, was a servant, the main caretaker for Judith, and Daryl often wondered what she would do once the babe no longer needed her care.

Would she stay at the keep and perhaps work in the kitchens or would she return to live in her father's home and begin working in the fields? Daryl admitted to himself that he didn't like either prospect as neither would allow him to see her as often as he did now. Or perhaps her father would decide it was time for her to marry. Daryl found himself liking that thought even less and he felt himself frowning.

He had no reason to frown, he reminded himself. He had never even spoken to her and it wasn't as if they interacted with one another. Except for moments like this, she probably wasn't even aware of his presence most days.

"You're frowning, Sir Daryl," her words to him suddenly spoken broke through his thoughts and his eyes focused on her, finding that she was standing a few feet away from him, looking at him, her smile and eyes twinkling at him in the flickers of the flames. He noticed that Judith seemed almost back to sleep in her arms. "It seems as if you're always frowning," she then added.

He didn't say anything; just continued to look at her and he knew he was still frowning. She stood there and looked at him and it seemed as if she was waiting for him to say something in response. Daryl didn't though. This was the first time he had ever been near her when it was just the two of them and he had never imagined this to happen so he never thought of words to say to her. He had always just preferred to watch her. Speaking was a whole other action he wasn't prepared to do.

He wondered how she knew that he was always frowning unless she watched him as he watched her. He didn't know how he felt about that. Surprised, perhaps. He wouldn't have thought that she would look at him at any time. Why would a lady like her ever look at him?

She seemed to realize as if he wasn't going to speak because she looked to Judith and her lips brushed across the babe's light hair. "I best go lay her down once more," Beth said and Daryl was almost grateful when she came back up the steps and walked past him back into the keep. Being around her made him too nervous – and nothing was known to make him nervous. He'd rather face battle than this female.

Inside, he followed her to the stairs but did not follow her as she began making her way up. She paused on the fourth step up and looked at him, her smile still soft and Daryl couldn't help but look at her and find himself unable to look anywhere else.

"Thank you for keeping us company, Sir Daryl," she said to him in her soft voice.

"'s jus' Daryl," he heard himself actually speak and he almost winced at how rough his voice was compared to hers.

But Beth didn't seem to care about that. Her smile only grew and seemed to brighten and she might as well have just punched him in the stomach, he felt such a shortness of breath in his lungs. He watched as she turned and began climbing once again, disappearing into the darkness of the second level. Even with her gone, he still couldn't get himself to breathe.

...

Thank you very much for reading this randomness of mine!