A SEA BETWEEN

Chapter 12: The Benefit of the Doubt

Alright a few writers notes

· I have edited the story and changed it from you-form to she but I am afraid there will be some errors along the way and I'll try to fix them later. One thing though.. I WILL NEVER, EVER, WRITE IN YOU-FORM AGAIN.. So glad I switched but EVEN after multiple times of editing still there are still way too many errors (sorry).

· My motto is now officially.. Why piss off TWO fandoms when YOU CAN PISS OFF three.. Yes I have added Benedict Bridgerton to the story, from the Netflix hit. Keep an eye out for Mr. Bridgerton for he'll return later.

· I have written a new fic about.. Bridgerton, if you want to check that out. This time I am focusing on Benedict's brother, Anthony and this is another "forced marriage" with another Mara but with a new last name.

· I will not abandon THIS fic EVEN THOUGH I tend to start something and then not finish but I will continue!

· I have changed the tags, nay removed the "Draco x Y/N" ones for it would not be fair to keep having them since it is not technically x Y/N anymore, and I think it will garner less views now but it was the right thing to do.

· The group dance mentioned in this story during the wedding is based on the Turkish "halay".

· The name of the painter's work Benedict stares at is "Rutger Hauer" and a tribute to this Duth actor

· I HAVE BEEN DYING TO WRITE the dialogue between Dante and Theo because it has been stuck in my head for months. So happy to get it off my chest.. hehe

· As always sorry for crappy GRAMMAR/mistakes

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She was not doing well. She pretended to but she wasn't for she had just woken up from another nightmare.

This time she was running away from Andrew though Ashwood Castle but tripped at one point. HE came towards her, laughing at her, mocking her and with a devilish grin and then started to bend over towards her, reaching for Mara with his arms and at that point she WOKE up thankfully.

She is out of breath and disorientated for a few moments until she recognizes she is "home", in her room. Trying to recuperate and think clearly again her mind, for a minute there her mind goes totally blank, and she thinks she is back at Leidal, that time has reversed itself, nothing has changed.

Her life is back to normal, she is back in her country living her life. Until Mara remembers that she has a husband that is sleeping somewhere, in the same castle as hers.

Mara was at her favourite spot at the beach again and it was still early in the money, staring at the waves crashing on the shore and the odd fisher's boat in the distance until she hears someone ask her a familiar question.

"Do you mind if I come sit with you?". She turns around to see who the visitor is.

Tristan.

Mara looks at him intently for a second.

"Of course, brother", Mara says but it is not the enthusiastic response she would giving him before, something has changed, and they both know it. He comes closer and sits next to her and both withheld from speaking for a while.

"Why didn't you tell me?", Tristan asks, a mixture of compassion and guilt visible in his eyes.

"Tell you what?", she answers as if she doesn't know what he is referring to.

He shakes his head briefly before responding.

"You know what I am talking about. If I had known that you were miserable there, then I would have- ".