His acceptance is all she needs, and now that she has it she knows that Sverre will come to no harm. She is not foolish enough to believe that Vercingetorix will embrace the boy like one of his own, but at least he would not seek to harm him - and for that she is forever grateful. With a small sigh she closes her eyes and moves to press her head against his shoulder, gently moving her lips across his skin, rhythmically grooming at the tangles in his coat for a few moments, and then pausing to soak up the warmth his body provides.

His promise to kill Garrick doesn't fall on deaf ears, and she neither encourages nor begs him not too - if he seeks revenge on the stallion then Therese would not stand in his way, Garrick would get exactly what he deserves.

"Thank you," she says at last, murmuring the words into his tawny side before falling silent again. It is all that needs to be said - for in this moment Therese realizes that she is truly happy.

Garrick may have ripped away her pride, torn her joy away from her for several seasons, but Sverre had brought it back, and Therese was convinced that she could never be as content as she was right now.

{short and sweet!}