"Are you serious?" I whispered, trying to make sure Prodos doesn't see or hear us.

"Watch, Princess." Ashe took us behind a tent and gestured toward the fire pit in the middle.

Prodos stood in the middle, a man tied to the ground, bloody and dirty. "I don't have time for this foolishness, boy."

"I don't know anything! I swear! I work for Captain Blackus, but I don't know any information."

Prodos grabbed a metal sword and held it over the fire, carefully turning it to each side.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

Ashe grabbed my hand and pulled us behind the tent, hiding our faces. "Having a picnic with the prisoner, of course," he mumbled back.

Such a tease. I'd bash your head into a rock if I wasn't so afraid of being killed.

I peeked my head around to see Prodos—

"Oh, God—"

"Shh!" Ashe put his hand onto my mouth. "Not one word," he muttered.

Prodos was... He... he slit the man's throat!

"Let's get out of here." Ashe went into a crouch and tried to pull me up, but I heaved myself down.

"No." I pushed him back, but he didn't budge. Instead, I got up, not bothering to be quiet. If Prodos wanted to kill me, he would've already.

So why be afraid of something that couldn't kill me?

"Prodos!" I yelled out.

"Valarya!" Ashe grabbed my waist to pull me behind him, but I spat at him again and knocked my head into his, causing him to fall back. "You insufferable idiot!"

"Seems like we have a rat in our vicinity," Prodos said.

His voice was awfully close to us.

I looked behind Ashe and saw Lord Prodos and his protruding bald head.

"Should I give her a demonstration of what she just witnessed?" Prodos crossed his arms and gave Ashe a pointed look.

Ashe opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off.

"Do whatever you want. I'm not scared of a man who can't even babysit me himself." I straightened my shoulders and glared at his eyes.

Prodos bore his eyes back at mine. Something about the way he stared, or maybe the way he stood, frightened me.

"Ashe, what is the meaning of this?" Prodos tilted his face, a question itself.

"It won't happen again," Ashe responded.

"That wasn't what I asked." 

Ashe shuffled his feet, and I felt him let go of my shoulders.

Wait, when was he holding my shoulders?

"Lesmond, take care of the woman," Prodos said, almost like he didn't care.

A man, tall, blond hair, and unruly long hair emerged from one of the other tents. "Ah, finally. I'd love to, Lord Prodos."

He charged at Ashe and I.

Ashe grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him as we started running. We didn't run more than a few steps before Lesmond somehow appear in front of us.

He looked like a damned gorilla.

Lesmond had a club in his hand, a smirk growing on his face. "Let's pulverize you, Ashey." 

I grabbed Ashe and pulled him back toward me. We only stayed like that for a second, because the next thing I knew, I ended up running back toward Prodos, with Ashe in one hand, and Prodos's collar in the other.

"Do it," I yelled back.

I held both Ashe and Prodos near the fire pit, carefully making sure I didn't singe my dress.

Lesmond hesitated, and Prodos kept fighting back at me, but I held firmly onto his collar, lightly choking him.

"Hurt me, and they both die," I told Lesmond.

Ashe stirred under me, but he didn't struggle.

"You are developing a warrior's skill, Arya," the voice in my head said. "But would you kill?"

I found the answer when Lesmond charged at me—at Ashe—and I pushed Ashe away, causing Lesmond to come toward Prodos and I.

"Do it. Kill him," the voice chanted. "Kill him. Kill him."

I pushed Prodos into Lesmond, and Lesmond fell into the fire pit, screams echoing into the air.

"I didn't think you'd actually kill him," the voice told me.

I glanced at Prodos.

Ashe held my shoulders with both his hands, tighter than the first time. "Well done," he whispered into my ear, loud enough for only me to hear. He pulled me into his chest and said, "I told you she's worth protecting," he told Prodos.

Wait, what?

"It seems like you were right," Prodos said, rubbing his chin. "You are quite the tempered woman, Valarya."

"What are you talking about?" I snarled back.

"Fine Ashe, you may train her," Prodos stated.

He... He tricked me!

"You!" I peeled my back away from Ashe. "Liar! You knew, didn't you?"

"I didn't trick you. Well, maybe I did. You killed him, not me, so I'd say you tricked me into tricking you to kill."

"I mean, can you blame him? You're very easily tricked," the voice told me.

I ignored the voice and glared at Ashe, who looked satisfied. Prodos clapped his hands only once, but it was enough to get my attention.

"Tomorrow morning, you will train. Ashe will train you since he is our best fighter."

"No! I'm not training!" I yelled back.

"But you could use the skill from training to escape from here," the voice said.

I could. That stupid voice, however annoying it was, was right. Damn it.

"Princess, allow me to train you," Ashe repeated.

"I didn't take you for the gentlemanly type," I replied.

"I never claimed that. However, if you're looking for a gentleman, talk to Nylas. He's quite the dignified man."

I was so distracted with Ashe that I didn't notice Prodos walking away.

Stupid man. Who said I was done negotiating?

"What if I wanted to talk to a pig?" I asked Ashe.

"We have plenty of pigs you can talk to." 

"Clearly." I turned back at Ashe and patted his head. "What food shall I bring you?"

He opened his mouth, shut it, then furrowed his brows. "Insufferable."

"No. I just killed a man because you tricked me, you insufferable murderer!"

I went to slap him, but Ashe grabbed my wrist yet again. "Oh, shut it. Not this again."

"You wanted me to believe you're not a murderer, that you didn't kill my sister, but"—I leaned closer to him—"you just got me to kill that man."

He stared back. "I have my reasons."

"Murderer." I slung my other hand to slap him, but he grabbed it with ease. "You will always be a murderer."

"You killed that man," he snapped back. "I didn't tell you to kill that man, and yet you did. I didn't tell you to call out to Prodos, and yet you did. I didn't tell you to push me away, and yet you did. Who's the murderer now?"

"You."

"Not me, Arya. You. And yet do you see me cowering away from you?" His grip on my wrist tightened and he held them above my head, causing my to go on my toes. "No. And I don't see you cowering away from me."

"You—"

"Let me finish." His eyes looked at the fire pit, but quickly back at me. "Because we know deep down that we didn't murder anyone—that it wasn't what we thought."

"You're not doing a very good job at convincing me you didn't kill Manea." I yanked my wrists away.

"I don't have to."

"So you did kill her—"

"You know I didn't. You know that if I wanted to kill your family, I would've already. If I wanted to kill Prodos, I would've."

"Because you're manipulative."

"No, sweetheart. Because I simply won't." He fidgeted with his bracelet, stretching his neck in a small circle. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've. Can't you see that I'm helping us?"

Us?

"What do you mean?"

"Thaeleck. I'm helping everyone, Arya. And I'd sacrifice a stupid crown for us."

"The Crown is helping—"

"Can you just understand, for once?" Ashe said, his voice raised. "What more do you want me to show you? Just tell me and I'll show you."

"Admit that you're the murderer!"

"Insufferable woman. You know he's not the murderer. You know he's not." 

"I can't because I'm not!"

"You took me away from my family—"

"I'll bring you back once you realize."

"Are you joking? You just took me away from my wedding, you bastard."

He sat down on the ground near the fire pit, his fidgeting increasing. "You want to marry Kace?"

"It's Prince Kace to you," I corrected.

"You didn't answer the question. Do you want to marry Kace or not?" Ashe glanced at me, his eyes twinkling.

"You know you don't want to marry him, Arya. Why lie?" the voice said.

"Of course I do. I love Prince Kace."

There was a faint chuckle in Ashe's direction. "Why lie?"

"I'm not lying—"

"Dear me, I've never seen such a protective guard. What was his name? Ilias?"

"It doesn't matter. I'd do whatever I have to do for Thaeleck." I crossed my arm and leaned back against a tree.

"Exactly. You said so yourself. Thaeleck comes first, the Crown is a servant to Thaeleck, not above."

"That is not what I said—" I cut myself off. That was what I said. That was what us Royals were supposed to do. We were second. But somehow, Father managed to do the opposite.

"You see?" He held out his hand toward me, his bracelet hanging slightly from all of his tugging. "I promise you, at the end of the night, we both have the same goal."

"But somehow, it seems like he's willing to give you a chance," the voice said.

I placed my hand in his and sat next to him, the crackling fire in front of us. The light from the evening was dimming, and eventually, it turned night. We were both silent, watching the crackling embers.

Rarely did I ever look at Ashe, but when I did, I'd see him watching the fires, almost entranced.

"Is this the conversation you wanted?" I asked.

He looked startled from my voice, but then looked up at me, the faint darkness of his eyes gleaming. "Somewhat."

"How so?"

He shut his eyes, and I found myself counting the seconds it took for him to open them again. Four seconds.

"I would never kill Manea," he said softly. Gently, he turned and looked at me again. "Nor anyone in your family, including you."

But why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't you kill someone as ignorant as me? Why bother putting up with me when you could just get rid of me?

I didn't realize it, but heat pooled in my eyes, and soon, I found myself drowning.

I choked, and when I did, Ashe peered at me. Surprised at first, but he softened, and I didn't mean to, but I covered my face with my hands and cried.

I felt hard arms wrap around me, and a hand rest on the back of my head, pulling me on his shoulder until I cried the tears out.

How had I managed to go without talking about Manea? Without remembering her dark ember eyes, or her long, warm brown hair? The way she smiled when she cried, or the way she held her chin high whenever she was threatened?

I had forgotten her for too long, and somehow, everything had flooded back, and I wanted to drown. I want to feel that pain again. For once, I remembered the way her eyes lit up whenever she sat on the grass, and I felt at ease.

I fluttered my eyes, and I felt myself not want to hate the color green, but lay in it.

"It's fine to cry, Valarya," I heard him say.

Even knowing that I had my sisters, my parents, and even Ilias, I had felt so alone for years. I had distanced myself away from my mind, and it was killing me.

When I opened my eyes completely, I still felt alone, but as his arms tightened around me, I knew—however ignorantly—that perhaps I wasn't so alone. That maybe—in some life, in some world, I could say her name without remembering her death, but her life.

"I know," I murmured.