a/n: fair warning: there is a lot of italics in this chapter

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During the night, Merida felt her sheets move and opened her eyes a little.

"Mr. Higgs."

"Hmm?"

"What are ye doing?"

"Nothing."

"We have this conversation ev'ry time. Ye need to stop coming in my bed when ye turn into a snake."

"And I've told you for three years that the term is naga. You refuse to call it as such and so when you decide to say the name properly, then I might stop."

"Doubt it."

"Your fiery nature attracts the naga to you." He said, trying to get in the bed again.

"Nice try."

"Oh come on..."

"How would Lady Hinkley feel an she saw us?"

"She'd ken it."

"Higgs." Merida said more firm.

"Hey, who am I supposed to get warmth from if not you? Edgar is highly unlikely, Marlow said she would skin me the next time I tried, and Ailers would be very confused. Unless you would like Lady Hinkley to stay the night every night, then your legs are the ticket, my dear."

"How come when I threatened to skin ye, ye just laughed at me?"

"Because that was three years ago and spoiler alert: I kind of blackmailed you. Of course I would never have made you leave due to it, but it's a bit void now."

As they were talking, he had continued to climb into the bed and was now laid up beside her, his snake tail curling under the covers and his eyes closed tightly. Merida made a face but turned over to the bedside table, pulling out a cloth from the drawer to give to her employer. Even though it was annoying, she knew it was inevitable that he would end up in her bed when he turned into the naga and so she kept strips of cloth there to hand to him.

"Here."

"What is it?"

"Take it and see."

Higgs grabbed the air and finally landed on the cloth. "Oh, it's just a cloth. You're always so prepared."

"Have to be with ye. Been stuck still once and that's all I need."

"This is true." He tied the cloth around his eyes. "How do you think Elizabeth will react to this form? This is one of the physical ones that I can't help."

"Weel, this will be the first one, so I guess ye really cannae tell until she lays eyes on ye."

"I just hope she doesn't run away screaming..."

"Would it really be a bad thing?"

"My, my, Ms. Dunbrough, are you jealous?" Higgs said with a smirk.

"Whatever gave ye that glaikit idea?"

"You are" He sighed. "Although I can't blame you. You have every right to be."

"Mr. Higgs, I am whatever ye want me to go. An ye need me for moral support, I'll be there. An ye need me for anything -even something odd or strange- ye ken I will be there for ye no matter what."

"I know, Merida. I think it's just me... I'm sorry."

"It's fine-" She gasped. "Bugger me! Yer tail is cold when ye start to wrap it around. Warn me next time."

"Sorry... You won't tell Elizabeth, will you?"

"Shouldnae I be asking ye that question? I'm not about to get shot."

"Touche... So-"

"Bleedin' hearts, go to sleep." Merida growled.

Higgs snuggled in next to Merida and could smell her next to him. If things went well, he would miss these times with his wonderful maid. Without her, he did know how long he would have lasted. Too bad I'm a coward. he thought to himself. If he wasn't so preoccupied with his fears, he'd have married Merida already, but he couldn't get out of his own head. He wanted to be perfect for her as she was perfect for him, but letting his fears go just wasn't going to happen. Elizabeth was his best bet... but if things went south, he would take that chance. But for now, he had to do his own thing.

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Elizabeth turned her head as Merida watched her from the couch. Higgs 'stood' there, waiting for someone to say something. Gretchen walked in from having to direct Ailers on where to put the carriage when she saw Higgs and yelped.

"Holy crow!" she yelled.

"Thank you, Gretchen, good morning." He said in exasperation to her dramatized greeting.

"I apologize. I haven't seen your physical transformations since I worked here. It surprises me every time."

"Good for ye, ye impressed me just now." Merida said.

"Huh?"

"To ken ye actually stayed for a full body transformation is incredible, considering yer... commitment issues."

"Girls." Higgs chastised.

"I was giving her a compliment." Merida argued.

"So..." Everyone turned to Elizabeth. "You're a... snake?"

"Yes. A naga to be precise."

"And... why do you have that cloth over your eyes?"

"This creature is a derivative of an Eastern creature known as the naga but it also has properties of its Greek counterpart, the Gorgan Medusa. If I look at anyone, they will turn to stone for the month."

"I see..." She walked over to him, circling him as she looked at his appearance.

She had only seen a few snakes in the garden, green snakes, but she didn't look at them long enough to take in their intricate nuances. Seeing Higgs as such a large snake made it possible to look at many things and observe.

"How do you get around then if you cannot see?"

"Snakes have an excellent sense of smell and with that, it allows a good sense of special awareness."

"Hmm... Interesting... May I touch your tail?"

Merida lifted an eyebrow as Higgs fidgeted.

"Um... sure..."

"Ye should touch the end of it-"

"MERIDA! Tea!" Higgs yelled, pointing for her to get out.

She chuckled as she got up to make that tea for her employer. Elizabeth looked at Higgs.

"Why can't I touch the end?"

"For my sanity, please just don't."

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The month went on and Elizabeth eventually found out what happens with the end of the tail. It was thoroughly embarrassing to Higgs but Elizabeth understood and told him not to worry. As the last days of June began to close the month, Elizabeth felt things needed to be clear.

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"Higgs, may I ask you a question?" she asked as they sat outside.

"Of course."

"These transformations are part of that curse, right?"

"Yes..."

"So... how does one break such a curse?"

"Why do you ask?" he said with a frown.

"Because the more I'm with you, the more I seem to be falling for you, but it looks so painful to be afflicted by these strange things. Is there no way to rid them from you?"

"Well, there is but..."

"But what?"

"I just feel like it's a little too early to tell you everything. I... things have gone wrong before with my other family and-"

Elizabeth put her hand on his face. She rubbed her thumb delicately over his cheek.

"Higgs, I have been infatuated with you since even before I met Lord Clarvins. I saw a glimpse of your world during the party and now I'm fully committed to be in this for the long haul. I want to break this curse, milord."

Higgs still debated on telling her but he had missed his opportunity once, he didn't want to do it again. Besides, he had been in love with her for a while, even before Merida.

"Alright... I'll tell you."

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"Are ya sure I look alright? The weddin' is in two weeks but I just-"

"You look beautiful, Cathy. Doesn't she, Merida?" Fuchsia looked over at the maid. "Merida?"

Merida wasn't paying attention as she watched Higgs and Elizabeth from one of the guest rooms that faced the back of the house. He looked to be explaining something when suddenly Elizabeth grabbed Higgs' shirt, pulled him to her level, and planted a kiss right on the lips. Merida felt a snarl want to escape from her as she curled her fingers into the sheer curtains.

"Oh my..." she heard softly beside her.

"A 'ghalla sin!" she sneered in her Scottish tongue.

"Merida!" Catherine yelled. She walked over to the other two and looked out the window. "Oh!" Then she realized what was happening and touched her friend on the arm. "Oh, Merida..." she said softly.

Merida didn't turn back to any of them but gathered her composure and unfurled the curtain from her hand. She turned back to her friends, a smile that looked so forced plastered on her face that Catherine thought her face might rip.

"I'm sorry. How horrible of me. This is yer day, Cat."

"Merida."

"I'm not fond of that dress, though-"

"Merida-"

"Fuchsia, doesnae she need something a bit more flattering in the front?" Merida hissed, pleading Fuchsia to help her drop the subject.

Fuchsia, though worried, heard her friend's desperation and nodded, turning back to Catherine.

"Yes, I do have to agree with Merida."

"But you just said-"

"This one is lovely but now that Merida mentions it, you do need something with a better for the front."

They all immersed themselves into helping Catherine find a good dress for her big day and leaving the other thoughts behind for now.

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"Merida! Merida, come here, quick!"

Merida walked to the landing of the stairs, looking down at her employer.

"Aye?"

Higgs looked up and held out his arms. "LOOK!"

"I see ye."

"No, look!"

He turned around in a circle and Merida realized what it was.

"Yer snake-arse..."

"It's gone! The naga no longer exists in me! Can you believe it?!" he yelled, running up the stairs to her. "Merida, look at me!"

"Congratulations, Mr. Higgs. I'm verra happy for ye." She said as chipper as she could muster.

Higgs hugged her tightly. "Oh, Merida, good things are going to come, I just know it!" He released her. "My sister is getting married to my best friend, my uncle is getting married to the woman of his dreams, and I may actually have a chance at breaking my curse! Everything is going so well!"

"Aye, that they are... Are ye going to go get Edgar then?"

"Edgar?"

"For the weddings."

"Oh! Well, yes, I mean, there's only a few more days left in June. I don't want to turn into something in the carriage."

"But ye've got a good four days to go and get him. An ye hurry, ye can be back afore July."

"Can't I just enjoy being all human in the middle of the year for once?" Higgs growled angrily.

"Ye're human in December and January, it's no different than from then."

"Being human in the middle of the year is quite a huge thing for me... Why are you acting so unsupportive?"

"Who says I'm not?"

"This is something that I've been waiting my whole life to get rid of and now that it finally is gone, you want me to waste this time by going to pick up Edgar?"

"Aye, weel, that's what normal humans do in their spare time: they work. I'm sorry that I'm not a wee bit more excited, but some of us have a lot of things to do."

Higgs bristled. "Excuse me?" he snarled.

"I've got two weddings to help plan, two brides to keep calm and help out, a household to run, I'm in both weddings as a bridesmaid and a maid of honor, I have to keep up with Lady Hinkley and Gretchen, and make sure things stay civil. I'm exhausted and a wee bit overwhelmed, so since ye have ye legs about ye and arenae going to change, it would be a help if ye could go and get Edgar from the school."

"You have been in my employ and running the household for three years and not once have you ever complained about the workload. You've never asked for a day off and have taken on responsibilities whether I want you to or not. Now all a sudden, when I'm free of my curse, you want to complain about everything that's happening around here? You have never had such a blasé attitude regarding my curse until now. So if you're jealous of Elizabeth then I would prefer you do it in your normal way, Ms. Dunbrough, and spit it out." He growled, getting in her face.

Merida braced her hand on the railing and got right back in her employer's face. She started walking, making him walk backwards to the stairs.

"Ye're right. Why am I trying to be civil and beat around the bush? I've always been honest with ye and I willnae stop now. I would say I was jealous an I was, but the fact is that I'm actually livid. Ye have tiptoed around me to not feel obligated to have to break the curse on ye, spent three years playing around with my feelings, and making me wait until it was 'the right time'. Then, when we finally have cleared the air about how we feel, ye still tell me that ye cannae be with me, but suddenly Elizabeth comes along and after one bloody month she gets to kiss ye?! She gets to break yer curse after all that time I tried to be considerate of yer feelings?! What fucking cockamamie shit is that?! Ye turned into a beast ye hardly e'er turn into and broke the living room over the agony of how much ye wished ye could have loved me, dabbled in flirt with me as weel, and yet she gets a month and a chance? Ye bet yer Sassenach ass that I'm quite vehement!" She finished, poking her finger and pointing it as they descended down the staircase.

Higgs finally found a good stopping point and leaned back into her, making them both stop.

"Well I'm sorry that it was harder to fall in love with you that it was her!"

Merida's hazel eyes widened in surprise and pain but she tried to show nothing else of the pain she felt inside. Unfortunately, her blurry eyes an falling tears betrayed her. Higgs realized what he said but he said nothing else, just crossing his arms.

"Ye've got nothing else to say then?"

"I believe I made my point."

Calmness quickly overtook her and she stood up straight, looking at Higgs down her nose, as if he were beneath her. Higgs didn't like the way he felt as she looked at him like he was scum.

"Weel then. I'm sorry that I'm not dainty and sweet and clean like Lady Hinkley. I'm sorry that I was being considerate about yer feelings and not an assertive, barbaric huntress like Lady Hinkley. I'm sorry that I'm not as rich as her, as pretty as her, as clever or innocent or high class or English as her. I'm sorry that I ever kenned in my wildest dreams that ye would ever want someone like me. I'm sorry that ye never really wanted me that way, ye just needed me to boost ye confidence and get the one that ye really wanted. I'm sorry that I ever fell in love with ye, that I cared for ye, that I kenned I'd make a different to ye. I'm sorry for all those things but I regret not letting ye know sooner, so that all of this could have been cleared up afore we got to this point."

"Are you finished trying to sound like you're better than I am?" he growled.

"I am better than ye." She quipped back.

Higgs snapped, grabbing her shoulders roughly and practically shaking her.

"I AM YOUR EMPLOYER!" he screamed in her face. "I am not only your employer but I am your lord. I hired you to do my will when, how, and if I pleased it. You are my maid. Due to circumstance, I allowed you to get too close to me and for that I am sorry. You lost your place a long time ago and I foolishly allowed it, giving you a freedom you should have never had." He let go of her and glared daggers at her. "My mistake."

He turned back, heading down the stairs.

"Was it worth it?" He turned back. "That kiss? Was it worth this? How we've ended up now?"

"Ms. Dunbrough, this is how it should have been three years ago when I hired you."

"That so?"

"Yes."

"Yer mistake then."

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1) merida kind of has a right to be upset

2) higgs, what is wrong with you?

3) please open your books to page 85 and there you will find the definition of foot in mouth disease. next to it is a picture of higgs northumberly. synonyms are: digging one's own grave and barking up the wrong tree