Naveen

Rina:

When he faltered, I stood up, rustling my dress. I let Iris go and the fluttered out the open window. “Lets go,” I said. We didn’t talk anymore as we made our way through the castle and to the gardens. I wondered if, despite last night, he still thought that I would be getting married. Perhaps all along he had assumed I would move on rather quickly.

The silence was like a constant reminder that I'dd made a mistake. But when we reached the gardens I let out a breath and turned my face towards the warmth of the sun. The beauty of the cultivated plants and the pleasant heat of the sun was enough to abate a part of my worries if for the moment.

Rina

The next week was busy and eventful. I was glad for it because it lessened the awkwardness between Talon and me. When we were together we had plenty to talk about other than our own situation. We didn’t spend the night in my room again, but we did come together once during the week which made me feel better about it all.

I wished I had known that the time we had gone to visit the girls would have been the last time I saw Wren. Talon went to the girls after he got the message from Alia and together they all decided that it would be safest to send her home. He told me that Maleen was heartbroken. Dorian was as well, but he bore it better, for Maleen’s sake.

The moment Wren returned home, there was a split second where energy rushed through me. She was miles away and yet I still felt it.

I had to continue courting. But I saw William twice more by his request. I liked the man, not well enough to marry him, but I liked talking with him. A few days after Wren left, I got a note to meet William alone, without a chaperone. I asked Talon if he thought I should. I was comfortable with the man, and I didn’t think he would harm me. So I met him that night, just the two of us.

William was a gentleman. He didn’t try anything on me. But he did propose. He told me that he was on the side of the rebels, that he was on my side. If I married him then he would back me and his garrison would be at my command. He had a number of loyal men at his call. Far more than anyone other than those closest to him knew about.

I told Talon about it the next morning. I was guarded. I didn’t want to marry but there was a part of me that had to consider it. I would have more power within a day that I could get with years of being in the castle turning people to my side. And yet I couldn’t stand the idea of being married. Being tied. Being away from Talon…

"That's progress isn't it? A sympathetic lord...didn't actually think one existed." I sat by the window, enjoying the sun on my face as we talked. The meeting with the lord alone hadn't been my favorite thing to happen. I'd waited up for her, but remained by her rooms until I was sure she was safely back inside. It was only then that I'd returned to my room.

I turned to look at her, "Even if this isn't what you want to do and you turn down his proposal then we know at least someone who has an ear to our cause."

Rina:

“Yes, that is true,” I said. I couldn’t tell if it bothered him. He knew that if I got married then we would no longer be together. It was on his own insistence. Was his only goal to make things better for his people, no matter how that came about? I knew I shouldn’t resent that. He wanted what was best for his people. Our arrangement was simply for comfort and entertainment. I did my best to hide my emotions. To conceal them in the confusion of everything else.

I didn’t give William a yes or no answer. I told him I had to consider it for some time. But that gave him enough encouragement to openly court me and request that no one else did. The queen and prince should have been pleased. It was their desire that I marry after all. But William was not their first choice. In fact, I thought the Prince was rather displeased that I might marry someone with that much power within the court.

The prince confronted me one night after a banquet. He followed me and Talon out. I was close to talon as he walked me back to my room because I thought we were the only ones in the hall. But we weren’t touching. We weren’t anything more than lady and guard.

“You disgust me,” came the voice behind us. I turned already knowing it was the prince. His eyes were bright with spirit and he slurred his words. “You think you’ll be able to displace me simply because your husband will be able to pay the court? You want to buy support? Do you think anyone would want a ruler who keeps such unsavory servants?” His eyes flashed over Talon but they didn’t focus on him.

I stood there unmoving and watched him with a cold gaze as he approached me. “None of your accusations have any support nor are they close to the truth,” I said steadily. Aero was ready to pierce his heart, but I knew I couldn’t touch the prince or risk destroying everything I had worked for. If the Prince died, there were others who were ready to step into his place.

My gaze hardened before I even turned around to face to Prince. It was very tempting after I did turn around and he passed over me with a tiny look to just go over and hit him. But I held back. Unsavory as I may be I knew that I could take any of his own servants in a fight. I shifted my weight, ready to step between Rina and the Prince should things get out of hand. Clenching my jaw was the only way to keep any kind of words from tumbling out of my mouth.

Rina:

“You lying little bitch. The only thing you want is to displace me,” He hissed. “I don’t want the throne. I have never wanted it. If you think you can be so easily displaced by me then you don’t have a strong hold on it anyway.” I stood my ground even when he moved closer with a crazy look in his eyes.

“I am the born ruler of this land. The throne is my birth right. No one can take that from me. Least of all the daughter of a weak man who deserted his kingdom,” He spat.

The flames of my temper broke my composure. “I fail to see your claim to the throne. My father may have left to raise me in safety, but by blood I am the rightful heir to the kingdom. My family has ruled here for generations. You don’t belong here. You’re the bastard child of the second son of a foreign king.” He grabbed me then, hard, fingers digging into my arm. My eyes flashed to Talon in warning not to act. If he struck the prince, there was nothing that could protect him.

“I am not a bastard. My mother, the queen-” I cut him off, “your mother was married to my father when you were born. By law you have no claim to royal blood. Not even in Lavic.” I knew I was in trouble when I called him a bastard, but I had to hurt him somehow. I had to make him see the truth.

“You will never rule this kingdom,” He growled. “Maybe not, but I would do it far better than a child with a false crown could.”

He put a hand over my mouth and squeezed my jaw. I jerked back and shoved him away. He moved to take hold of me again and I slapped him across the face. He looked stunned, as if no one had ever done that to him before.

I took advantage of the momentary shock. “Don’t you dare lay a hand on me again, or I promise you will regret it. I can put an end to you in a second,” I nodded towards Talon. It was an empty threat, but the prince didn’t need to know that. There was rage in his eyes, but there was also fear.

I took Talon by the arm, hoping the dark like in the hallway concealed the shaking of my hands. My room door was only ten paces away. Instead of saying goodnight to Talan at the door, I took him inside. What did it matter if the prince saw? After what just happened, that was the least of my worries. The trembling in my hands spread to my whole body once the door was closed. I thought I would shake to pieces from anger and anxiety.

I expected full rage to bring red to my vision. That's how it was always described. But it wasn't like that. It was with clarity that I looked at the world. I could see the sweat break out on the prince's brow when Rina motioned towards me. I could see the way he hesitated as my fingers lightly brushed over the hilt of my blade before Rina took me by the arm.

When we got back to the room I very nearly laughed out loud. I knew the feeling I was going through. Adrenaline coursed through your body before a fight, and when you never ended up using it you just had this shakey feeling of energy without any place to use it. It almost made me giddy in fact. "That could have gone better."

Rina:

I stared at him then leaned against the door and slid down to sit on the floor. I put my hands to my head. “Yes, I know that,” I snipped. What I had said and done was very, very bad. He would surely retaliate. The trembles slowly dissipated but a heavy weight settled in my stomach.

I moved further into the room before turning to face her. "Rina?" I frowned and then moved to crouch right in front of her. "Rina..." I murmured and gently reached out for her. If she'd let me I wanted to pull her onto my lap and hold her against me.

Rina:

I let him gather me in his lap despite my thick skirts. I leaned into him with my head resting on his shoulder and my hand on his chest. “Have I ruined it all?” I whispered. Was there a way to get past this and stay here? Was it worth it?

"Things aren't ruined yet. I'm not going to give up. And the prince will probably forget this all happened. You could smell the drink coming off him in waves." I wrinkled my nose then gently kissed the top of her head. "It will be okay Rina."

Rina:

I didn’t believe him. The prince would remember. His own hatred of me would keep it vivid in his mind. “Please don’t leave tonight,” I pleaded quietly. I knew we were trying to be seen apart, but I didn’t want to be alone, nor did I think it would be safe to be. I tried to conceal how much I disliked being on my own at night. But with him there I slept so much better.

The next day I knew I would face retribution. I read waiting for it every minute, but the prince was hardly seen out of his own room. The next day, I saw him only twice but I gave my best scolding look when we made eye contact. I was beginning to think that he actually was scared of me. My threat had been taken seriously.

Even though William was openly courting me, the queen requested that continue to meet a few more suitors. Tonight, we were going to a theater outside the castle. It was four days after my confrontation with the prince.

When we arrived I was surprised to see both the prince and the queen there, among a few other nobles. None who I was friendly with were attending. The queen looked subdued. In contrast, the prince was glowing, he even gave me an unnerving smile when I took a seat on the other side of the queen.

I watched the open area in front of the stage where servants piled bundled sticks around a pole. It took me some time to realize what it was; a pyre. I shifted uneasily in my seat. What kind of act was this to use such a prop?

And then they brought out a bound woman with a sheet over her head. “What is this?” I asked first the queen and then the man who had brought me. Surely it was part of the play. Perhaps it was a religious play.

My pulse spiked when they removed the sheet. It was Vera. I stood up. “What is going on?” I demanded. “Sit down,” Commanded the prince with apparent glee.
They strapped the elf to the pole.

I attempted to climb over the rail in front of our seats to go to her aid. I didn’t care if I made a spectacle of myself. I had to save her.

They lit the pyre at the base.

“No! Stop!” I shouted then felt arms around my waist before I could make it over the rail. Aero buzzed out from under my skirt as I struggled against my captor. There were more people around me, trying to restrain me. Too many to fight off even with Aero.

Vera screamed.

“Stop!” there was panic and dread in my chest. It was too late. I couldn’t escape and if I did I couldn’t rescue and defend her with Aero as my only weapon. There was only one option to end it.

Aero flew across the theater and caught fire at Vera’s heart.

Talon:

I was waiting for Rina in her rooms. I'd poked around a bit, peeked in the closet and dresser, even made a tiny mess among the various powders and bottles that covered the vanity. I was sure I'd managed to get the flowery smell off my skin by now. Rina had been gone a few hours and eventually I adjured to the sitting room. I picked at the shelves before selecting a book that seemed passably interesting. After getting a few pages into it I recognized it as the story she'd been reading to me on the couch in this very room.

Rina:

I was numb when I returned to the castle. I could hardly think of anything other and Vera. I wondered where the captain had been. But I also knew that if he did not know already, I could not tell Talon. He would kill the prince and likely be killed very shortly after.

I felt sick. On the walk to my room I did my absolute best to pull all my emotions inside. I let my hair down because it had been disrupted in the scuffle. I dusted and straitened my crumpled dress. I took several deep breaths to clear my mind. And then I opened the door.

Talon:

I stopped a few times in my reading, whenever I heard steps outside the door. Every time I was on my feet, ready to set aside the book. But most of them turned out to be people just passing through. But I persisted in doing that, and I was rewarded in my diligence of being upright and ready with a faint smile as Rina came in. "Hey, how was the play?"

Rina:

I paused at the question. “It was not as I expected,” I said. My tone was too dead. I went to him and wrapped my arms around him. It was an immediate comfort to be in his arms. He had an unusual smell but it was not displeasing.

I hugged him for a long moment and when I felt him start to question my statement I turned my face up and pulled his to me. I kissed him and didn’t let him go. There was no other way to conceal my emotions from him other than do distract us both.

I felt something was off when she hesitated, and further still at her tone. As my arms held her close, I pondered what could have gone wrong. I started to ask, started to find out what had happened when she silenced the words from my lips with a kiss.

I wanted to pull away, wanted to demand an answer for her being so weird. But I felt like I was being sucked into her pace and eventually decided that she needed this. If she needed this bad enough to forget a rough outing, then I was going to do all I could to help her forget.

Rina:

Talon caught on quickly to my goal. He helped me out of my dress and into the bedroom. For a few minutes it was a wonderful distraction to focus on the passion of the moment. But thoughts crept in. How could I possibly keep him from finding out about the elf? How could I keep him safe?

My hands shook as I tried to help him out of his clothing and I hoped he chalked it up to impatience. He would have to leave. I would have to send him away.

I laid back on the bed and he followed, his mouth hot on mine again. I wouldn’t survive without him… there was only so much Aero and Iris could do for me in this environment. I would need an ally at my side.

I felt his hands move over my body and I squirmed. He wouldn’t just leave. Not after everything he had stayed through. Not after everything I had said about wanting him here.

I turned my face away from him. My heart was beating heavily. He kissed my neck. I put my hands on his chest and pushed gently. “Stop. I’m sorry…” I murmured. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep going with everything in my head.

I almost went back in for her neck. I was aroused, riled up, and not once had she ever stopped me before. My lips got less than an inch from her skin even with her pushing before I finally registered what she'd said. I sat up, confusion plain on my face. Everything felt sluggish as my mind tried to switch gears. "Rina?" I started when my brain caught up and began to work again, "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Rina:

I turned my face back to him and looked him in the eyes. I had to lie. “Yes.” I looked away again. My hands were still on his chest. “He was… He grabbed me… I had to struggle to get away… it was a good thing I had Aero with me,” I said quietly. It was partial truth. There was enough truth that maybe it would be convincing.

I searched her face and at her words my gaze softened. "Rina..." I murmured softly. I shifted and moved into a seated position on the bed. I drew her onto my lap, careful to keep my touches gentle and forgiving. "It's okay...I understand. There is no need to rush, no need to hurry. We can take our time."

Rina:

I melted into him and sighed. For the first time in years I nearly cried. This was likely the last night I would spend with him. I had an idea to get him to go and possibly keep me safe in his absence. But if I did that, I couldn’t lay with him tonight, it would be wrong. I wouldn’t be able to shut my brain off.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against him. “Can we just lay down?” I whispered. It was cruel to lead him on then cut it off, especially since I could tell he was still somewhat turned on. But if we continued he would only hate me for it tomorrow.

I paused for a moment then nodded. There was something else going on, some struggle that sat beneath the surface as I watched her. But I hoped she would trust me enough to tell me in time. So I agreed softly. "Of course." My body might not have been happy to stop, but her comfort and happiness mattered to me more than simple carnal pleasure.

Rina:

We laid down and I snuggled up to him, my leg around him, my arm over his chest, my head on his shoulder. I didn’t want to let him go. I held onto him throughout the night. Usually, we fell apart once we were asleep, but I didn’t sleep much. I was working on my plan, deciding what to say.

Morning came too quickly. I had fallen asleep for the last couple of hours and only woke when Talon moved out of bed. He would be back to collect me once I was dressed. Getting to my knees on the bed I reach for him. I kissed him for a moment letting all my feelings for him flow into it knowing it would probably be our last.