I had never slept so terribly in my life, even if insomnia had always been a reoccuring problem for someone such as myself; I knew that it was my captor from the day before that was too blame, yet the primary thing bothering me was how I still felt a heavy weight upon my heart. It made no sense to me that a complete stranger had such a hold over me, especially one that had given me more reasons to dislike him compared to liking him.. I was becoming increasing persuaded that I was going mad, insane even. An annoyed groan slipped between my lips when I felt my shoulders being shooked rather urgently, my azure eyes flitting open to find myself peering upwards into Tyrine`s brown ones. I was quiet as she helped me sit up, her hands moving expertly as she tried her best to comb her fingers through my somewhat tangled hair. Even if I was the oldest between us, Tyrine always took care of me far more than I took care of her, something I would be eternally grateful for. She started to hum a familiar tune of a lullaby my mother once sang to me, the familiarity of it calming me down and causing the hole in my chest to not hurt as badly. Tyrine, once she was satisfied with my appearance, gave me a smile before she stood up and headed towards my bathroom to presumably gather clothes for me; I realized she was already dressed, meaning she had something planned.

``We`re visiting one of your encampments,`` Tyrine explained once she returned to my side, placing down streetwear that was suitable for someone of my status. I never cared enough to conceal my identity anyways, especially since my silver hair was a blatant give-away. My silence told her everything she needed to know, to be honest: I wasn`t looking forward to going outside and into the dangerous world of Astral, having to deal with some of the worst people imaginable. Even if I worked with them here and there and sometimes dabbled in their trade routes, I definitely was nothing compared to them in the sense of corruption and maliciousness. They were more like monsters than humans, in my opinion. And, even though I always told Tyrine to stay out of my underground operations, she supported me fully and often accompanied me whenever I had to visit one or two of them. ``Don`t look so down, Ari. We`re going to the Northern one, so you`ll see those kids you absolutely adore.``

I felt a little better with this information in my head, yet it did little to truly comfort me. There was the undeniable reality that I was one of-if not the main- targets of Veron`s men since I had been one of the two people to leave the scene of his death. I shivered at the recollection of the bloody and grotesque scene, a frown replacing the brief smile that had flitted across my face. I took a few minutes to change into the clothes she had given me before we headed out of my room and into the winding halls of the tower. On the way outside, we grabbed a few snacks from the brimming kitchen and shared a brief laugh with the head chef; some people in the tower loved my kindness, even if the majority didn`t. Tyrine held my hand as we walked, occassionally pausing here and there to greet and exchange a few words with people that recognized us. One of the benefits of my underground operations was that most of the people I interacted with knew better than to approach me, most of them being the monsters I mentioned prior. Even though they could easily take advantage of me, it was my status as a princess and my species of High Fae that scared them off.

``So.. want to tell me about that guy that stumbled out of your room yesterday?`` Tyrine asked in that sweet, innocent voice of hers once we were in a less crowded street, the inquiry completely throwing me off guard since I was unaware she had heard about it. My breathing hitched as my arms instinctively raised them to my chest to fold them, arms folded tightly against my chest. I focused my gaze on the cobbled road ahead of us, trying my best to not reveal everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. After a few moments of silence, I cleared my throat and looked back over at the woman I considered my sister, giving her a playful yet equally false smile.

``He was just a guest,`` I explained with a laugh as I quickened my pace, glancing around at our surroundings meticulously. We were nearing the Northern Encampment and, although it was the most heavily guarded one I owned and operated, its surroundings were incredibly dangerous. I could not count how many times I had nearly been killed simply walking through the streets; maybe that was why Tyrine had decided to accompany me ever since the most recent incident. Despite how I tried my best to not be like my father, I could not change everyone`s beliefs that I was just like him. I understood it to a certain degree, that loathing and biases were more than enough to override the truth that nothing really made me just like him just because I was his daughter. ``He seemed like a genuine person, so.. I let him in.``

``A guest?`` Tyrine repeated with a soft hum, raising a brow as she quickened her pace as well. Fortunately, it would seem she did not notice the sadness and pain that had resurfaced at the reminder of him. I wondered about where he was and what he was doing, a part of me silently hoping that he was okay wherever he was. ``Well, at least you have a new friend.``

Mentally, I cursed at the idea of being his friend, let alone what I thought we could potentially be. If he ever managed to reappear into my life, I wanted nothing to do with him. For the remainder of our walk, we werw silent, occasionally pausing at any suspicious sounds or individuals that seemed a bit too intrigued by our presences. We took a quick turn into an alleyway where I mumbled yet another magical phrase, the deadend shimmering until it revealed a colossal clearing brimming with laughter and cheering. I led Tyrine inside and turned around briefly to ensure the barrier had reappeared to serve its purpose. When I turned back around, I smiled when I recognized the face of Niko, a young boy I had helped raise, as he ran towards me. Slowly, I kneeled down and let him embrace me, closing my eyes and relaxing in his small arms.

``Ari! It has been ages since you`ve visited,`` Niko`s shrill, child-like voice rang throughout the bustling encampment as I held him close, allowing his familiar touch to bring me comfort. Although I was considered a mature High Fae and had hundreds of years of experience under my belt, I had learned one thing that my father and ancestors seemed to constantly neglect: the fragility of time and its effect on life. High Fae were one of the few species out there that could live forever without ever once suffering from illness or injuries as long as they weren`t sought out by assassins or anyone with ill-intent towards them, most considering this a blessing.. I considered it a curse, especially when at times I remembered the person I held so close to my heart could slip away due to the limited time they had in this world. I shook my head to eradicate the thoughts, especially since the boy I held against my chest was none other than a simple human.

``I was simply busy, I reassure you,`` I laughed gently as I leaned backwards to cup his cheeks, his bright eyes meeting my own. Niko hummed in contemplation before he nodded in acceptance of my answer before bounding off to return to what he was doing. A sigh slipped between my lips as I stood once more, Tyrine giving me a gentle, knowing smile from the side. I lead the way towards the largest tent within the Northern Encampment while taking in a deep breath; I did not know what was awaiting me since this was the sole encampment that had not written back to me recently, which was what caused our visit. Tyrine parted the tent`s curtains and waited for me to pass through before I followed suit.

``Lady Polaris,`` Estelle, an orphaned High Fae mixed with human blood, greeted me with a joyful smile, turning from her conversation with the man in charge of this specific encampment I had. Her hair was a shimmering blonde- similar but not quite like the signature silvery white hair most High Fae had- and her eyes were a blueish green, her body slender yet well-muscled. She walked towards me and gave her a hug of my own, bringing fourth another wave of relaxation and comfort. Even though I was constantly surrounded by the people that wanted me to either change or rot away in a grave somewhere, it was these moments with the people I truly cared about that made it all worth it. ``Your visit is long overdue, my lady.``

``I`m aware, Estelle. Niko made that very clear,`` I replied, giving her a knowing look before I looked over towards the only human in the tent. He was far taller than me and his build was akin to that of Veron`s, yet there was an obvious gentleness to him. Unlike everyone here, he was rather old for a human, yet that did not hinder him at all; my persuasions for him to rest and live the rest of his life in peace had always been met with arguments that made sense.. somehow. ``And you look older than before, old man.``

``You`re lucky you`re a princess, Polaris,`` the man warned me as he gave a deep chuckle and stepped forward to give me a brief hug of his own. These people were my true family, at least I liked to believe that. The individuals in charge of the other encampments were close to me as well, but these two and Niko.. they had an irreplacable and special place in my heart. His words had made me laugh, lightening my mood even further from its previous gloom.

``We have important matters to discuss,`` Estelle reminded all of us, causing me to frown as Tyrine led me over to the ornate couch that stuck out like a sore thumb within the otherwise bland, common tent. I sighed as I settled down and crossed my legs, peering up towards Estelle and the man as they sat in nearby wooden chairs. Sometimes, I wished they treat me like an equal whenever it was just us, even if I knew they considered me as one; they knew we were family, especially with all the sacrifices I had made just for them and them alone. ``Now, my intentions are to not alarm you, Ari, but.. we have recieved word that rumors are spreading like wildfire that you were directly involved with Veron and his unfortunate demise.``

``Directly involved?`` I raised a brow, feigning innocence as I leaned back further into the couch like a child trying to avoid being scolded. Estelle raised a brow and folded her arms across her chest, an indication she knew better than to simply accept such a simple response; I was good at reading people, but my capabilities paled to hers in that department. ``I was doing everyone a favor. You see, there was this elf and he wanted Veron dead.``

``So your guest wasn`t a guest?`` Tyrine asked as she looked over at me with a concerned expression. I groaned as I lifted a hand and used it to prop my chin, closing my eyes as I contemplated the best way to handle this. I knew it was best to be completely honest with these precious individuals, but I refused to include all the emotional and personal details. I feared the judgement I would recieve if I admitted that I had not only kissed the man, but was also struggling immensely with getting him out of my mind. I hated how much I cared, how badly I wished I had chased after him instead of standing there in complete and utter shock.

``He was, I promise,`` I reassured Tyrine as I opened my eyes and looked over at her with a smile. I knew that she was thinking of the worst of the worst and rightfully so since he had not really been a guest, but an assassin. It was not every day that one of them managed to get inside the tower, let alone within its proximity. My silver hair shifted as I tilted my chin, a few strands covering parts of my face whilst I glanced between the individuals present. ``Anyways, Veron was becoming troublesome. Even though he willingly gave us what he wanted, he was still a corrupt man.``

``You clearly did not consider the consequences,`` the man finally spoke, his dark eyes piercing mine as I looked over at him. Out of all the people present, he was the one that was able to put me in my place even though he was a mere human. He had proven to me that, if I were not High Fae and a human like him, I would most likely be dead by his hands by now; he had not thought of killing me, only using it as a threat whenever I got on his nerves or made a grave mistake. I considered this his twisted sense of love for me and the two other women in the tent. In my opinion, he was basically our shared grandfather or something at this rate.

``Everything will be fine,`` I smiled at him when I spoke again, my voice serious yet gentle at the same time. Estelle and Tyrine shared a glance before they looked at him and nodded in agreement as well. Our little group truly would be fine, but only as long as we had each other, right?

Eventually, Estelle let me and Tyrine go, reassuring the man that we were perfectly fine even though I was now a walking target thanks to my former captor. Of course, I should have expected this to happen since I had led him to Veron, but.. surely they would understand if I explained I had been a hostage? I would admit that my captor had been a- well- captor to Tyrine and the others, but I refused to do so; I wanted to get a hold over my emotions first, especially when those green eyes seemed to reflect back at me at random moments. I hated how my brain seemed to be so insistent on making me suffer every second, but I had to tolerate it; it would vanish eventually- all the emotions and thoughts involving him- right?

Tyrine lead me to a tent that was in the corner of the encampment, humming softly as she guided me to lay on a bundle of blankets. She seemed to sense I no longer wanted to speak and was distracted by something else since she remained quiet as well. Her hands worked expertly to untangle my silvery hair and the jewlery that had become tangled within it; it truly was astonishing how the woman I considered a sister was taking care of me instead of the other way around. I welcomed it, however. She murmured a farewell and an explanation in my ear, enlightening me that she planned on leaving for a few hours to visit the man she was head over heels for. My response had been a simple nod before I laid down and curled up on the floor of the tent, not minding how uncomfortable it was. Unlike yesterday, it was rather easy for me to fall asleep.. at least for the beginning.