The growl that reveberated throughout the room that was home to nearly hundreds of illegal and destructive weapons sent a shiver down my spine, causing my breath to hitch and making me swirl on my heels to look towards its origin. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to watch unfold, even if I was in charge of multiple encampments that undoubtedly had skirmishes on a daily basis. I had never seen fights up close, blood and gore were things that I could barely handle; it was painfully clear I was not going to react well to the fight that was unfolding before me. I watched with wide eyes as my captor darted side to side in order to evade Veron`s powerful, yet slow, blows and using his blades to gradually injure him. The sight of blood leaking from both of them was causing a wave of nausea to wash over me, but I knew I had to endure it. If my captor learned I was squeamish, I knew for a fact he would mock me for it.

I visibly cringed and grimaced when he delivered the final blow, the sight of the dagger buried in Veron`s neck and spewing blood not a welcome one. I clenched my fists in an endeavor to maintain my composure, relaxing despite everything when he flashed me a smile. God, I did not know why he was smiling at me as if he had just made his greatest accomplishment, but it was enough to soothe me for now. Hesitantly, I approached him while glancing between him and Veron`s blood soaked corpse. I could tell that even though he had succeeded that he had been quite injured in the fight as well, which was.. bothering me? I bit my lip at the revalation, but continued onwards until I kneeled in front of him. Even though I knew it was a risky thing to do, I did not hesitate this time when I reached out towards him with my tattooed hand, placing it gently on his shoulder. If he protested, then he simply would have to deal with his wounds by himself.

Briefly, I met his gaze before I looked away and closed my eyes, concentrating on my breathing and the magic that had laid mostly dormant within me. Unlike the other magic abilities I had used thus far, this one did not require any special words or actions; physical touch was all it needed along with undivided concentration. After a few seconds, the tattoo engraved on my wrist started to glow faintly, allowing small bursts of my magic to flow from my fingertips and into the skin I touched. It took a while, but I eventually pulled away and looked back at him again. His wounds were now healed, save for the more serious ones; those were still bleeding a little bit, but he would not bleed out like Veron had. I was silent as I stood back up and stared at the corpse that was in the room with us, eyeing it quietly. Truth be told, I had never wanted to kill anyone or anything, but today.. I wondered what it would be like if I finally mustered the courage to strike down the people that dared lift a hand towards my operations. Would that fix all the raids? Would it help in keeping my involvement a secret?

I shook my head in dismissal before I focused on what was currently happening. I looked him over again- my captor- and realized I was rather close to him. Despite this, I didn`t move away and merely stared at him. He really was a rather handsome individual and his eyes.. if I wasn`t careful, I would probably become ensared in their green depths. I cleared my throat before asking quietly, ``Feel better?``

The silence was deafening between us, yet I remained patienr as I stood there. My gaze continuously shifted from him and onto the corpse nearby, the sight of it still grossing me out; I was surprised I had not yet rushed out of the basement and out of Altair for the fresh air that waited outside. I eventually returned to focusing on my captor, shifting every now and then on the spot on which I stood to keep myself from stiffening up further. I had to be realxed if I was going to make it out of this basement without heaving somewhere due to the nausea it was casuing me. I knew the precise reason why I had decided to heal him, to prevent him from dying here and most likely by his lonesome; I had done it because it was the right thing to do. Even if he had tried to kill me before and had not treated me the best, he was still a living person and I would not dare trifle with such things. Besides, I would have died from guilt if I knew he had died down here because I had not helped him.

My thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly rose to his feet, making me painfully aware of how close we truly were. I never looked away from him as he met my gaze, those green pools sending a jolt of warmth throughout my body. Why was he having this effect on me? And why was I almost dreading the moment he would walk out of this basement and probably vanish from my life? He seemed incredibly out of breath, so I had been on the verge on repeating my question to find out if he was telling the truth or just trying to make me feel at ease knowing my magic had worked on him. An odd sensation washed over me after a few seconds.. a welcome one, however. I felt so safe and at peace as I looked up at him, the memory of his threats and efforts to sink that dagger of his into my neck vanishing abruptly. Why was I so.. attracted to him? Why did I want to reach out and touch him again, even if for a fleeting second.

My breathing hitched as he lifted a hand, the sensation of it gently traveling across my cheek and then my jawline. I was confused regarding what exactly was happening, but I did not protest, not when I leaned slightly into his touch as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even though I was the one and only Lady Polaris, my romantic life was nonexistent and I had never actively sought out men that interested me. I had always believed that the right one would arrive one day and make it clear that he would never leave my side, that he would stay right here with me. This was precisely why I had to fight back the panic that threatened to overwhelm me when he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I knew I should have created distance between us as soon as it happened, and yet I didn`t.. I did the exact opposite.

I took in a deep breath before I lifted my own hand and cupped his cheek, gently enough to allow him an easy escape if he had not meant to actually kiss me and it had been an impulsive gesture. With hesitance, I returned his kiss with the gentleness he had given me. I knew I was in too deep now, all sense of relief towards the idea of escaping him out the window. I wanted him.. no, I felt like I needed him. It was then that I realized he had never told me his name, causing me to laugh quietly for a brief moment. This man- the only one that I had kissed- was still a complete stranger to me. It felt so surreal knowing I felt all these things while also knowing I did not know him.. He definitely knew everything about me, however, or at least for the most part. Regardless, I dared to not say a word out of fear of ruining the moment.

My eyes widened when he took a step back, confusion overriding the other emotions that he had evoked to appear on my countenance. I peered up at him as my gaze flitted across his face in a desperate attempted to understand what was going through his head. Why had he pulled away? And.. why did he look like he regretted doing what he had done mere seconds after? The curses that escaped him and the apologies thar accompanied them dug into my soul, twisting like thorns that had become ensnared within my heart. I didn`t understand why I was so desperate to understand why he had retreated so quickly, but more so why it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. I was so stunned and in shock that I had not been able to respond aloud, frozen in place as I watched helplessly as he turned and raced towards the stairs and presumably to the exit. Even though every interaction between us had been not the best, I had still found solace and comfort in him; it was almost as if I enjoyed all his teasing and mocking, as if it had all been playful instead of designed to wound me like it had originally.

My breathing was unsteady as I folded my arms across my chest in an apparent attempt to bring back the warmth he had made me feel, the coldness enveloping the basement making me shiver and stiffen. It was then that I dragged my gaze to Veron`s corpse, guilt for letting this all happen appearing as well. Even though he was not a good man, he still had his lover and the thought of her suddenly hearing of his demise was not a pleasant one. With the strength and composure I could muster, I took one step at a time before I headed up the stairs and out the door of the tavern. My reappearance and lack of Veron by my side had caused the guards to rush into the basement, my body shivering at their panicked shouts and curses. I knew it was my fault and I blamed myself for it, even more so since my captor had ran away after reducing me to my most vulnerable state.

I was quiet as I walked over to my horse, the stallion craning his neck and nickering in my direction as if he knew my emotions. Silently, I untied him from the fence post and hoisted myself back into the saddle; I no longer cared if he decided to throw me off or gallop off and lead me to my death. The pain within me was unbearable and I wanted to get rid of it. I didn`t even have to do much since the stallion took it upon himself to trot back towards the familiar tower I called home. When we arrived, one of my personal guards greeted us and he gently took the reins from my trembling hand. I slid off of the stallion before I walked inside, the familiar warmth reassuring for once. Not wasting any time, I headed upstairs and into my room, my eyes widening when I saw Tyrine waiting for me. She gave me a smile as she bounded towards me, rambling about her night and what she had done with her lover. I allowed myself to be consumed by her happiness, shoving down my pain like a bitter pill. I knew tonight would be a living hell since the emotions would return, but I was grateful I had this distraction at least.

For what felt like hours, Tyrine talked about the night she had spent with her lover, a man that I had not met yet. Truth be told, I would prefer it to be that way, especially since it would seem relationships are and never will be my strong suit. We were seated side-by-side on my bed, sharing the occasional laugh or playful tease. I was incredibly glad and grateful that Tyrine was the way she was at this precise moment: perfectly oblivious to the pain and sadness brewing in my heart. I knew that the moment she retreated to her room would be the moment I crashed emotionally, yet I refused to show my vulnerability to her or anyone else. It would seem I tested my luck today when it came to trusting people with both my emotions and other things, hence why I was so reserved all of a sudden. Eventually, Tyrine gave me a hug and a cheerful smile before she bounded towards her room in a light skip, her entire being radiating pure and unadulterated bliss. I was the exact opposite of her at the moment, but I did not want to bring her down with me.

A sigh escaped me as I shifted off of my bed and headed towards the bathroom, deciding to change into nightwear a bit early. I took my time with removing the intricate silver chains that were weaved into my hair along with the earrings and bracelets that had blatantly conveyed my wealth and relationship with my father; I was proud of my origins, even if my father was as cruel and malicious as he was. I returned to my bedroom and settled beneath the covers of my bed, closing my eyes tightly and trying to tune out the continuous sounds of Tyrine giggling and muttering to herself in the connecting room. Although I was exhausted and drained, my emotions were forbidding me from slipping into a peaceful slumber.

Perhaps my mistake was letting Tyrine return to her own room and enjoy herself with the fantasies in her innocent head, especially since the moment I tried to close my eyes was when the pain and hurt overwhelmed me again. I shifted underneath the covers of my bed and tried enveloping myself completely in their familiar warmth, but it felt foreignly cold and unnatural.. I did not understand why. After multiple endeavors to try and become even the slightest bit comfortable, I groaned and hoisted myself out of bed and headed for the balcony that was connected to my room, knowing it would most likely be freezing outside since the sun was no longer hovering in the sky. With a rather dramatic gesture, I swung the doors opened and stepped outside, letting the fresh and cold air wash over me and force me to shiver briefly out of instinct.

I leaned against the railing and did not flinch nor hesitate when it creaked, a sign that this tower really was as ancient as it was told to be. I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands, finally letting down my walls. It took mere seconds for the tears to start trailing down my cheeks, gently pattering down onto the surface of the railing I was leaning against. My breathing trembled as I cried quietly and let my thoughts run rampant; this was when I truly realized how far deep I was despite having known him for such a small amount of time. Even though he had tried to kill me all those years ago and had threatened to do so whenever I refused to cooperate, he was still an infatuating person and he was also handsome and.. a part of me believed there was a lot more to him than the assassin he had portrayed himself as. When he had kissed me, I had never felt more alive and at peace in my life. Had he not felt the same? Maybe I had overstepped by presuming it was more than just a spur of the moment gesture? Regardless, nothing could change what had already happened.

My throat was tight as I lowered my hands and looked up towards the crystalline moon, admiring it through my blurry vision. It always brought me a sense of comfort, especially when I knew that High Fae were believed to have been blessed by it I felt like I was being suffocated as I continued to ask myself questions, repeating certain ones over and over again. I had never been so emotionally hurt before, the weight of it all crushing me underneath until I could barely breathe. I tried to persuade myself that I had simply grown attached far too soon and easily because I was secretly desperate for a relationship of any kind, that all I wanted was to feel truly loved, protected, and cared for even if for only a mere second. Yet.. I knew deep down that I wanted- no, needed- him, even if I did not understand why. However, I knew better than to chase after someone that did not want to be found. With this final thought engraved into my mind, I took a deep breath and headed back inside my room.

I stumbled through the darkness that had consumed it, grateful when I managed to bump into my bed. With another groan, I settled beneath the covers and closed my eyes, doing my best to try and persuade and remind myself that this is what was meant to be. I knew I would never see him again and that I should just.. forget it all, so as I slept I started to conjure ideas on how to get him off of my mind. Eventualy, I drifted off into a slumber, but I occasionally woke up and had another emotjonal episode. Perhaps forgetting him or trying to shove down these emotions was not possible...