It's been three years since he first met Guinevere. Granger had always cherished their meetings. He was happy and content with their simple meetings. Nothing was special between them, but he couldn't help but feel something beyond their relationship. He felt embarrassed yet at peace.

Granger casually headed back to the orphanage, so he can ready himself for supper. Spending time with Guinevere became a habit of his. Nobody had suspected him yet, so he was safe from any trouble. He had spent so much time with her that he had thought of her as more than his playmate. Everytime he played with her, he felt closer to her. He wasn't sure of the feeling he had whenever he's around her. All he wanted was to be with her all the time, that's for sure.

As he went through the entrance of the orphanage, he met Sister Willow in a grimace. He didn't mind it at all, for she had always been displeased to see him. Nobody was close to him, not even the nuns who manage the orphanage. He had grown accustomed to being distant towards the nuns and other orphans. The displeased expression the nuns show towards him was a normal thing. Granger wouldn't care if the whole orphanage would go against him.

He expected a severe punishment for coming back late. He never cared about anything in the orphanage. He only cared for violins, and his dear friend. He just wanted to get over his usual routine right away.

"Welcome back. I worry that you'd be gone," the nun by the front door of the orphanage spoke in a soft tone.

Granger, with his stone-cold face, looked away. "The weather's nice outside."

Sister Willow sighed. "After supper, meet me in the living room at eight in the evening. The nuns told me that they want to meet you. Please don't be late."

Granger widened his eyes for a second, blinking them a few times to see if he was dreaming. He wondered what it was all about. It was new, somehow.

"Alright," Granger simply replied.

Sister Willow nodded and headed back inside. Granger followed and headed to the room where the supper would begin.

After supper, he headed to the bathroom and took a shower. After changing into his nightwear, he immediately went down to meet the nuns. They were all together in the living room. The air around him became cold. He had a strange feeling about the meeting. Not only because of the time of the evening but because of the way they looked at him in his direction. They had stern and worried looks etched onto their faces. He felt the cold air in the room swirling about, causing the young boy to shiver.

With the looks of it, he felt that something was off.

The room was filled with soft voices murmuring. Granger could see most of the nuns wearing brown, but some would wear grey. One color stood out; which was Sister Willow's outfit (for she wore blue). The nuns in the room whispered to each other, talking about things he wouldn't understand about. Granger wanted to go up and escape from their presence. He wanted to go to bed and end the day. He doesn't want to waste shit ton of time. He kept his usual expression on, waiting for one of them to say a word.

"Granger..." Sister Willow broke the silence in a soft tone then cleared her throat. The young white nun in blue attire frowned as she looked over at the young boy.

"Sister, you must tell him. This will benefit us."

Sister Willow frowned. "But what about him? He's only a child."

"There's nothing we can do but to accept this. We can't let the others get harmed from this," the nuns protested.

"But I-"

"Listen to us, Sister Willow, or you'll be punished by the king!" the higher nun in grey raised her voice at the inferior nun.

Sister Willow then sat down, frowning at the young boy.

"Sister?" Granger spoke in a soft tone.

An abbess in black sternly looked at the young boy, sending chills down his spine. "I called this meeting to discuss an important matter, involving you."

Granger widened his eyes and gulped, feeling the intense stare the nun in front of him held.

Everyone was silent. No one dared to say a single word, especially Granger. He clutched onto his chest, feeling his heart beating at a fast pace.

"The King of the Baroque Kingdom suspected his daughter's tardiness in school, especially, absences in some days," the abbess claimed. "He says that it has something to do with a young boy, who had a touch of white hair. He happens to play with her, and the only child she's interested in. He worries that you're the cause of his daughter's recent behavior."

The young boy widened his eyes in shock. He had never thought that Guinevere would neglect her duties as a student.

"He told me to inform you that you should stay away from his daughter, or he'll have you punished. "

Granger looked down, biting his lip. He feared for what the king may do to him, but he refused to stop visiting her. He knew he'll be in trouble, but he wanted to be there. He wanted to help her in some way he can. She was someone dear to him, so he wouldn't back down. He knew he should stay away, but he would rather set aside everything than lose her. She meant a lot to him.

Granger then took a deep breath, looking straight at the abbess' eyes.

"I can't."

All the nuns except the abbess gasped. They wondered how he had the knack to refuse.

"I'm sorry, but I have my own reasons," he confirmed.

Sister Willow cried out. "Granger, no!" Granger could tell the nun was shaking.

"Sister!" the nuns hushed.

The hysterical nun then sat down, looking down on her lap. "Sorry..."

The abbess cleared her throat. "Can you not hear yourself? You are putting your life on the line with that decision."

Granger shook the fear off him and kept his held high. "I know what I'm saying." He then clenched his fists.

The abbess squinted her eyes,"...I see."

The abbess then calmly sighed. "That's very brave of you. Not all the people could withstand the thought of being punished. Indeed, I admire your bravery."

The other nuns protested, "Admire his bravery‽ He's a fool for not thinking about his death wish!

Sister Willow cried out. "Granger, please don't make this a serious matter! You're only going to put your life on the line. Please think this through!"

"You fool. You're going to get us killed with your stupidity!" the nuns continued to quarrel. "We don't want to die!"

"This young man would bring nothing but disgrace! He will end our-"

"Silence!" the abbess yelled.

The room became quiet. No one dared to say anything.

"You, nuns, you all must be disciplined. This behavior cannot be tolerated!"

They looked down, feeling ashamed for what they've done.

"Now..." the abbess turned to the young boy. "I understand what you are trying to imply, but I advise you to stay put. This could harm not only you, but her future as well. She's a princess, and she's highly expected to follow her parents' footsteps. If you care about her, you should leave her be. You are only making trouble."

Knowing her, there would be days where she would cry on his shoulder, complaining. She would complain about how her father and mother treated her. There would be times her older brother wouldn't be available to help her with her emotional problems. She would say that they never cared about how she felt, or how she had been. They've always had high expectations from her, especially as the princess. There are times she would want to run away, and get away from her luxurious lifestyle. Granger knew this, but as her friend, he would do anything to be there for her, even at her worst.

"Is there no way to settle this?" Granger pleaded.

"I'm afraid not." the abbess shook her head. "I do not make the rules, child. I cannot simply break the rules. The king is not forgiving."

He protested. "I don't want her to suffer."

"You should not get involved in family matters. You absolutely have no right to get involved," the abbess spat.

"But..." Granger trailed off. He didn't know what to say, or find a way to convince them. He knew he had no power to do his desperate wish, but he didn't want his dear friend to be alone.

"There is nothing you can do," the abbess stated. "As much as I want to help you, you cannot simply do as you wish. The world's an unforgiving place. Remember that." She then left the room.

Granger stood there, speechless for a moment.

It was all silent the moment the abbess' presence left the room. He couldn't do anything. If only he had the power to do his desire, he could've saved her from her inevitable fate. He felt ashamed that he couldn't do anything. He knew his life would be on the line if he interfered, but he didn't care. She was the reason he found happiness. Taking her away would mean taking his own happiness.

He turned away and ran up. He shut the door of his room and sank himself on the bed. For the first time, he sobbed. He felt helpless. He wanted to reach out to her, but he couldn't. No matter what he'd do, he'll always be reminded that he's a poor orphan.

He felt overwhelmed. This was the first time he cried after a long time. If he were born in a palace, he would've had the chance to be with her. But no. No matter how much he hoped, it was pointless.

He couldn't understand why he felt the need to be with her. He didn't understand. Perhaps he needed her presence? Normally, he would leave this be, but he couldn't. He couldn't stand living alone without her by his side. He was so used to being alone that he craved for someone like her to be with him. He didn't want to go back to where he was once used to. All he wanted was to have someone to stay by his side. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted someone to acknowledge his presence and his whole being. If he had someone like her, he wouldn't have to don a mask, and avoid making bonds with others. He would've enjoyed his life the way he wanted it to be.

He couldn't sleep at that same night. He kept sobbing. His sobs were silent, but heavy enough to keep him from sleeping. His chest felt heavy. It felt as if his heart would go out. He had to sleep and snap out. He can't afford to feel and live like this. Is he really going to let go of her? Just like that?

He dreamed of being with her. If he were a prince, he would gladly marry her, if only he had the chance. He dreamed he was holding her hand with his own, never letting go. He didn't want to think of anything else. That's all he wanted, but he knew it would never happen.

Because dreams aren't reality.

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The next morning, he woke up with puffy eyes and heavy eye bags. He hardly got any sleep. He felt exhausted to even get out of the bed. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He felt some mixed up emotions swelling inside him. He felt sadness, anger, fear, guilt, shame, but mostly he felt anxious.

He didn't know the reason behind the feelings he felt. He didn't want to feel that way. If anyone find out, it'll risk him. He couldn't afford to do so.

"...If only I've never met you, Gwen."

But was it really her fault? Was it? Perhaps he was just trying to find someone to blame. He didn't have an outlet to let out his emotions. The feelings he had for her was sinful. As much as he wanted to be with her, he couldn't even lay a finger on her.

There was no point moping about it. He shouldn't think too much about it. Maybe he should stay away from her. It may be best since he couldn't do anything. After all, he's the moon while she's the sun.

He changed his clothes and headed straight to the lounge. He didn't feel like eating, nor talking to anyone. He didn't care about anything else around him. He wanted to get some fresh air and escape the tension.

"Good morning, Granger," Sister Willow greeted with a smile, with a plate of pancakes on her hands. "Would you like some pancakes?"

Granger looked away and continued his pace. The nun frowned, looking over at the young boy. She knew what was going on his head. She couldn't do anything to please the boy.

Granger went outside the gate, looking over everything around him. The place around him was slightly crowded. He went further away from the orphanage. He just wanted to be alone. He didn't want to stay in the place for too long. He wanted some time to think. He didn't know where to go, or where his feet was dragging him. All he wanted was to get away from everything.

He found himself in a secluded area of the village, hoping no one could find him. It was just a cliff, where you can see the whole view of the village. His stomach then growled, but he wasn't in the mood to eat anything. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Let alone even go back to the orphanage.

He found himself at peace. He was alone. All alone. Well, he was always alone. He thought that maybe it was best to distance himself from her. He would only end up making her sad. He can't please her. He's not good-looking, nor talented like the young princes in the palace. He's just a commoner, like any other people. It'd be useless to hope that she'd pick him over all of the handsome boys in the kingdom.

Before he knew it, the sun shone brightly, making his skin burn from a single touch of the sunlight. He thought that it was time to go. He suddenly felt dizzy. The last time he ate was supper, which was yesterday. Still, he couldn't care less with his hunger. He decided to sit some more, hide from the people.

The silence was all he needed. He didn't need sympathy, or someone to pity him. He'd rather be alone for the rest of his life. He made up his mind; he'll save up and leave the village. That way, he would get away from people, away from Guinevere. He thought he could be alone for some more time 'til he could sense someone's presence.

"Hey, Asher?" A familiar voiced called out for him.

His eyes widened, his heart throbbing. He felt his heart panged hard. Hearing her voice was enough to feel in pain. He turned around to see Guinevere, who appeared to be wearing an old hood over her, wearing the similar clothes the girls in the village wear. It seems she was trying to blend in the crowd so no one can spot her.

"Oh, it's you," he mumbled.

"I was trying to look for you, but you weren't around. I asked some people so I can find you," she said with a smile on her face.

Granger looked down on the ground, looking at his old ragged clothes compared to her neat ones. He couldn't fit in her standards at all, yet why did she come after him? He couldn't understand.

"Don't you have anything to do?"

"I want to play!" Guinevere cheerfully replied. "I ran away from home because my parents are so toxic. I wanted to be with you more. C'mon, please?" She playfully clasped her hands and blinked for a few times before displaying a playful grin.

Granger felt the need to tell her how fel felt, but he didn't want to drag her to his mess. He had to find some way to make her hate him. It would be painful for Guinevere to hate him, but he wanted to give her what's best for her.

"What do you say, Asher? Pretty please?" she grinned wide.

It hurt him to reject her straight. He did want to her at all, but he had no choice. He needed to break the link between them.

"No." He then stood up.

Guinevere's eyes widened in confusion. "What? Why not?" she frowned. She tried going to him and held his cold hand, but he quickly let go and held his own hand, giving her a cold stare.

"...Go away." Granger distanced himself from her.

Guinevere wasn't sure how to react, but she felt upset. Granger expected her to say something hurtful to him, but she didn't.

"O-Ok... If t-that's what you want..." She then sadly walked away, not turning back.

The way she said it and walked without looking back hurt him. He felt so hurt to say those mean words to her. He hoped she'd hate him afterwards. He didn't want to stay by her side, or his life would be on the line. He wouldn't want it ruin her future either. The abbess was right. He had no position to interrupt her life. He feared if he stayed by her side for too long, he could ruin her.

Night came in and he returned back to the orphanage. He didn't bother to eat with the others. After saying those awful words to her, he couldn't bring himself to eat. He didn't deserve to enjoy himself after what he had done.

He didn't know if he did the right thing or not. It still panged him. He felt terrible. He wanted to apologize and tell her the truth, but saying out his feelings would be futile. In the end, she'd leave him.

He didn't bother to change his clothes. He wasn't in the mood to look after himself. He went straight to bed and slept the night away, not caring about anything to happen.

For the past few days, he had been avoiding her. No matter how many times Guinevere would find him, he would still avoid her. He had been unintentionally hurting her feelings. He only did it so he could break the string they had.

The next morning, he woke up early. His vision was somehow a blur, but he didn't know why. All he knew was that he had a headache, and it was killing him. He suddenly felt something shot up to his throat, and quickly went to the nearest sink area. He suddenly vomited bile and acid, mixed up together. He hadn't eaten anything much. He felt weak. He first took a glance at a mirror in the sink area, looking at his pale reflection.

After some time of preparing, headed back to his room and grabbed his dad's winter jacket. The only thing his family left behind. He didn't want to throw it away so he made use of it. He wore it, hiding his pale appearance with the jacket. He hoped no one could notice.

He headed down to the lounge again, not bothering to check the food on the table. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at all. He just wanted to get away again, probably try to go to the same place again. As he tried to head out, Sister Willow walked up to him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you all right, Granger?" she asked.

"...I'm fine," he lied.

"I am not convinced," she said with a skeptical look. "I noticed you haven't been attending your meals yesterday."

"I wasn't hungry, sister." He pursed his lips.

The nun frowned at the straight answer. She wanted to help, but she didn't know how. "But you need food!"

"I'm not hungry," Granger agitatedly repeated.

"Granger, if you need me, I'll be there to help you," she offered.

Granger scoffed, "Leave me alone."

"Granger..."

He then walked out without letting her finish.

He found himself at peace in the same place. He remembered what he did to her, and felt sorry for what he had said to her. He thought maybe he should just stay here and not come back. That would be running away, but he couldn't care less. Without Guinevere, he had no reason to live. He had no reason to be here in this cruel world.

Night fell once again. Before Granger could go home, he thought about walking around the village. The villagers around were preparing for Christmas. It was December 1. It was the perfect time to start preparing. Snow suddenly poured in as they silently dance, the night stood perfectly still.

Kids his age, they would have fun and play around, but he couldn't care. What was the point in having Christmas if his family aren't present? He'd usually ignore this event. He had no reason to celebrate. It's just a waste of time.

As he was on the way back to the orphanage, he spotted two tall boys, one was scrawny and the other was stout, picking on a young girl in a dirty purple hood. They were somehow messing with her, grabbing her basket with a blue towel over with some things. She was in trouble, and he couldn't find anyone else to help her.

"Give me everything ya got, sweety."

"C'mon, this is for us, right?"

"As if!" the girl growled angrily.

"C'mon, are you Little Purple Riding Hood?"

"If that's so, is that for ya granny?"

"Please, go away!" she desperately cried.

"Derbie, grab her legs!"

The thin tall boy, Derbie, swiftly grabbed both her legs and put her upsidedown. The girl revealed to have ginger locks. The girl silently gasped, and wanted to get off from the boy. She felt embarrassed, but mostly wanted to get back on the ground due to the blood shooting to her head.

"Please, spare me!" she pleaded.

The two boys laughed, looking at her as if they were there to make her suffer. They didn't know that someone knocked out the two of them from behind with a broom. The girl was released from the boy's grip, and she tried reaching for the basket full of goods. She was relieved that nothing bad had happened. Her green eyes locked with a pair of bloody eyes. She sighed in relief and smiled.

"Thanks so much, Asher!"

Granger gave her a cold shoulder. He turned his back and took one step away from her. Before he was able to leave, Guinevere grabbed his arm.

"Asher, is something wrong? Did I upset you? Please tell me, Asher," she pleaded.

Granger didn't say anything and looked away. He let go of her grip and continued his pace. It was hard to ignore her, but it'd be best to have her forget him. He's better off alone. He didn't want to have Guinevere get involve with him. He didn't want to ruin her life because of him. He didn't want to be the reason for her recent behavior at school. He wanted to give what's best for her. He walked away, walking as fast as he could to get away from her.

"A-Asher..." She tried to catch up to him but fell onto the ground.

Granger widened his eyes and turned around, looking at the emerald-eyed girl before him. He bent down and tried to cover up the open wound. He had no knowledge about healing wounds, but he tried his best to cover up the wound.

"You should be careful," he scolded, his eyes etched with worried.

"I'm fine!"

Granger furrowed his brows. "If you say so." He then stood up and turned around.

"Asher-"

She fell again on her knees. She winced as she felt the pain throbbing. Granger bent down and helped her get up.

"I-I thought we'd be together forever...You and I, together. We both promised to each other. You...p-promised!"

Granger was silent for a while, thinking of what he could say. He didn't know what to do to the situation he's in. He decided to shut his mouth instead. He got up and mustered all the will power he had.

Guinevere clenched her dainty fists and stood up, ignoring the pain. She narrowed her gaze. "I don't understand why you're avoiding me! Ever since then, I've been thinking about it. I just don't get it. Why do you do so?"

Granger huffed, holding onto his chest to stop the throbbing pain in his heart. "I'm just a poor orphan. I have no parents, and I have no friends. You wouldn't understand because you have everything. Even if I want to be with you, I can't. If I told you the truth now, you'd leave me. All the people I've loved left me." He turned his heel and walked a few steps away from her.

"I don't get why you're attached to a peasant like me. Whenever I'm with you, I always feel pain." Granger let out. He felt his voice crack after spitting everything he wanted to say.

Guinevere frowned, but then stood up and healed her own wound. She then smiled, looking at the raven-haired boy. "I...love you."

Granger then stopped from his tracks and turned his heel. He looked at the girl with confused bloody eyes. He thought if he was hearing her right, or maybe his own fantasy.

"Asher..." She walked up to him and looked up at him. "I may be too young to say these words, but I'm not naive. You're the only one I could talk to. You have always been there for me." Tears then pierced her eyes. She sobbed.

Granger felt nothing but pain to see her crying. He wanted to comfort her and be there for her, but he feared that it could only make things worse for him and the others.

"Guinevere..." He stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She continued to sob. "I don't want you to go away. I want to be with you! I don't care if you're a peasant, or a commoner. I want to be with you!"

From that moment, it broke him. She confessed her feelings. And that, he quickly embraced her tightly. He didn't want to let go at all. He couldn't care if anyone would stare. All he cared and wanted was to be with her.

"I..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry." He felt the tears prickling his eyes. "I'm sorry for making you feel this way."

Guinevere snuggled into him. "I'm glad."