The Flawless Beauty

CHARGE

Arya remembers the days that she spent in the Castle. Before leaving the castle, Arya kisses Castle Elaine Donnon goodbye (for now) and must decide how much of the future she will allow to sink into the past.

There comes a moment in every young time traveler's journey when he has to ask himself the question: "Will I use the knowledge I have about the future to influence the events of the past?" And for Arya Jackson, that moment is now. Certainly, she is using her 18th century skills to treat 15th century ailments.

So when Arya learns of the clan's political scheming, she has to decide whether or not to reveal that they are, in fact, doomed.

"Rate" begins the on-the-road part of the story, with Gandalf, a dozen or so clansmen (including Jayden), and Arya on a journey through the High Hills to collect taxes on behalf of Elaine Donan. Is dispatched. Even so, a no-girls-allowed sign may appear in their camp, just as men are welcome to Arya.

"I wasn't offended by the obscenity of their jokes or screamed at the fact that my dinner looked like a dried-up Easter bunny. Nor was I too beautiful to sleep on a stone pillow. The thing that bothered me was that they were clearly using it. Gaelic to exclude me," Arya said, raising her voice.

Sweet Jayden takes pity on her, offers her a piece of bread and words of encouragement: "Don't worry what they say, girl." But Arya finds true comfort from another source: lawyer Max Judd, who, with his ponytail and glasses, could be Benjamin Franklin's long-lost Scottish cousin. Educated at Edinburgh University, Max abandons his comfortable practice in search of adventure, finding employment under James's father, Jacob Oscar. He is traveling with the group to keep Ledger in mind.

As they make their collections in the first town, Arya becomes restless and wanders off, meeting a village woman keen to put the Saxon's idle hands to work. Arya takes a place at a table with a group of women to sing and rhythmically work the wool, tenderizing it, as it were, with "hot piss." During a break, they get to talking about Arya's journey, and she casually inquires as to the distance to the standing stones of Stonehenge (where the fairies live according to local lore). "Three days as the crow flies," answers one of the women. So, like, kind of far. As Arya squats with a bucket to "donate" for the next round of wool work, Rory barges in and violently pulls her out and back to the clansmen. Angry about being manhandled and on behalf of her hostess who doesn't have milk to feed her child because she had to turn over her goat for taxes, Arya grabs the beast in question and tries to return it. Riling up Rory and Gandalf even more. The scene draws a crowd, including an Englishman who asks after Arya's well-being. She says she's fine, but as he retreats to a nearby barn, she sees him putting his red coat back on.

That night, seething with anger, Gandalf gives a passionate speech to the villagers, and as a c****x, rips the back of Jayden's shirt, revealing scarred scars. As the speech is in Gaelic, Arya does not skimp on the details. But when Max starts accepting coins, Arya assumes Gandalf is double-dipping. She confronts Max with her theory: two bags of money, two books, one big scam. And he does not dispute her claims.

He continued his election campaign for several weeks. At one stop, Gandalf not only forgave a redcoat robbed of his debt, but also gave him a sack of grain to feed his family. Arya feels it is all lip service.

"I know what you're doing," she tells him. "The more mercy you show today, the more you will collect for yourself tonight."

"What are you accusing me of?" he asks.

"Pennies for Eilean Donan, pounds for your pocket," she replied.

But during that evening's routine monologue, Arya chooses a name she recognizes: Aaron. And with the help of a Frank flashback, it all becomes clear: Gandalf is raising funds for the Jacobite army to install Bonnie Prince Charlie as king. Of course, all their motives are in vain, as Arya knows.

Tired of being used as an object lesson by Gandalf, Jayden later confronts him, only to have his promise of gathering thrown back in his face. In desperation, he starts hitting the tree as if he intends to bring it down single-handedly. Arya interrupts and asks why he puts up with all this. "He's my uncle," Jayden replied. "A man has to choose what is worth fighting for." It's an answer that feels full of meaning.

As the Not Merry band hits the road again, they run into a horrifying scene: two men stand on a makeshift cross with a treacherous "T" cut into their stomachs - surely by the hands of the Redcoats. Gandalf wants to give the men a proper burial, and uses the horrors of the day, not Jayden's scars-as an example of his speech that evening.

Later, lying in bed, Arya hears a knock outside her door and lights a candle to investigate. Surprise! This is Jayden trying to sleep outside her door to protect her from the drunks downstairs. He is shocked when she suggests he sleep on the floor in her room.

"Sleeping in your room? With you?" He gasps. "Your reputation will be ruined Max!" He graciously accepts a blanket, however, which is exchanged for stern looks. You can feel it? Oh, sweet construction.

And here it is: the moment when Arya decides to look into the future a bit more into the past while chatting with her new confidant, Max.

"What if I told you the odds were stacked against you?" she asks. "You're raising money for a war you can't win."

"You talk as if the future is decided," he replied.

"You're going to lose… that's a fact Max," she says. "You have to believe me."

But there is no stopping Max. And for her part, Arya needs to be careful about letting all this knowledge go, lest someone mistake her for a witch…

A group of men at the next table were joking loudly in Gaelic during Max and Arya's discussion. And Rory has just had enough. He leads Oscar into a fight with unsuspecting men. As Arya stares at their broken hands and faces, she learns the truth: they were fighting to protect her honor when men called her a w***e.

"You're a guest at the Oscars. We can insult you but God help any other man who does," says Robert. (Ohhh!)

It looks like, maybe, just maybe, the No Girls Allowed sign has still been retired. As the party mounts their horses, a man regales the group with his tale of two women fighting in bed, to which Arya best responds: “I believe your left hand is better than your right. Jealousy comes. Belief." pause And then the men burst into hearty laughter. She is still a Saxon, but now she is their Saxon.

The happy mood soon turns sour. While Arya is bathing in the river, Gandalf confronts her and once again asks if she is a spy. He's been stopped by none other than Redcoat from before and he's brought back.

"Again, I ask you, is everything all right?" Redcoat says to Arya. "Tell me, ma'am, are you here of your own free will?"