And it's hard to hate someone once you understand them.

Lucy Christopher

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Amatis was the only human Clarissa trusted. The only human she spoke to and sometimes even shared her most personal desires. The closest thing she had to a mother.

Any other human she'd seen in her life, she'd killed.

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In front of her was a confident man. He was still observing her, waiting for her to do something. He had placed his hands behind his back, as if to tell her there was no way he could possibly escape. Most Clarissa had killed were fearful. They begged for their lives, faces pale and void of color.

His words repeated in her head even though minutes of silence had passed. What is a lovely, young girl like you hunting and killing out in the wild?

He made a clicking sound with his tongue and she whipped her bow upwards. Upon the sudden movement, he laughed. "Settle down, girl." A few locks of his hair slipped downwards. "You may want to let me go soon." His gaze drifted to the lone window overlooking the secluded land.

She managed to reply, "Why are they after you?"

He sighed and met her eyes from where he sat. Then his hand moved to his shirt and Clarissa instantly let her arrow fly. It didn't strike him, of course. Instead, he cursed and sent her a furious expression. "What are you doing?" She asked, her chest thudding violently.

His shoulders were tense. He was staring at her with a rage she couldn't decipher. She wanted to kill him right there and then, but he was interesting. He wasn't like the others. On top of that, he had enemies that could possibly expose her and Amatis' home. "Do not shoot again." He raised his left arm up in surrender and used his right hand to tug out something brilliant. It gleamed in the light.

Clarissa licked her lips. "What is that?"

The man scoffed. "The Queen's crown."

"The Queen?" She realized her voice had lost its firmness. She was only curious now.

He tilted his head. "Just what are you, girl?" He sounded perplexed.

It took a few moments of courage, but she stepped forward until she could feel his body heat radiating against her skin. His eyebrows drew closer. He hadn't expected her to be so near. She swallowed. Raised her arrow to his neck. He didn't flinch. Instead, he met her orbs. The golden flecks in his swirled endlessly. "If I kill you, the guards will come. If I let you go, the guards will still come."

He sucked in a breath. "Why are you so afraid of being discovered?" A thin layer of sweat covered his skin.

She didn't know how she could answer. His head moved slowly, around the castle. From the door to the stairwell to the paintings and curtains on the walls. Then Clarissa started, almost like there was something else beneath all of her layers. Something forcing its way to the surface.

"The lights."

He cleared his throat. "Pardon?"

"The lights. They are spread out in the sky. I've witnessed them from my window." She wondered belatedly if he thought she was crazy.

"The lanterns?" He straightened. His breath was hot against her waist. "For the princess?"

She ignored the questions she wanted to ask. If she revealed her confusion, he would certainly overpower her. "I want to see them." The metal of her arrowhead touched his skin and he shivered involuntarily. "Lead me there and I will give you your crown and spare your life."

x

He was quiet for a long time.

Then he gave a very imperceptible nod.

x

While he knelt, Clarissa took the crown and placed it in a small satchel around her shoulder. It was strangely heavy. What was it? What could someone do with something like that? In the satchel, she included a few daggers and coins she found underneath Amatis' mattress.

In the back of her head, she truly thought it was a dream. She couldn't possibly be leaving the home of her years. She was leaving Amatis. Disobeying her, more importantly.

No.

She would see the lights. Then she would return home, just in time for Amatis to never suspect a thing.

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Clarissa didn't bother to raise her bow. She had his crown; he had no reason to attack her. With a small pinch to her hip, she jerked her head upwards. "Let us go and move quickly."

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He was fast. He cut through the forest ferociously, ripping apart branches and shrubs in his way. He didn't glance back to see if she was behind him. It almost pleased her. She didn't need to have her capabilities questioned.

In the coming winds and the chaos of rustling plants, she felt a rush of guilt. She wished she could sit down somewhere and contemplate her decision. Was it worth it? She was leaving her home without Amatis' permission. She was betraying her trust. Breaking the bond they believed was unbreakable.

She will not find out. I will be alright. I'll be back before she knows it. In her whirlwind of worries, she hadn't realized the man in front of her had come to a halt. She skidded and only managed to lightly graze his back. He raised a finger. "Quiet." He whispered.

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Then he turned, abrupt and without warning, and threw her body down to the earth.

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[a/n]: Hello, lovely readers! I am so glad to return and update some stories for you. Since it's winter break, I will try my best to update all the stories I have inspiration for.

I will definitely work on a Christmas fic for you guys tomorrow! So be on the look-out. I hope you guys all had a great Christmas Eve with friends and family. I love you all. Please be safe and know that you are valuable to someone.

Make sure to bake them cookies for Santa! :D