*Part 2*

It was the middle of the night, and Cam was at his usual spot.

Being no stranger to insomnia, he'd long ago established the routine of walking up the mountain to the Goddess Pond while everyone else slept, slipping away to somewhere he could breathe just a little easier. He'd since lost count of how many times he'd wandered here in the dark, sometimes with his hands shaking, murmuring under his breath to draw himself back into the here and now. There were no masks to be worn at the Goddess Pond, no one to judge.

He came up over the mountain summit and instantly noticed the change in his body as he approached the pond ﹘ the ease of his joints as they loosened, the depth of each breath he took. Dragonflies skimmed the water's surface, and the crickets and frogs raised their voices as Cam drew near. Everything looked so delicate and gentle at this hour, the fireflies winking in and out of sight, Lillian half-hidden in shadow as she leaned over the water—

Startled, Cam jumped, causing Lillian to react as well; her body jerked in surprise, and with a cry, she fell sideways into the pond.

Cam rushed forward to help her, but she jumped out immediately, shivering. Water dripped from her hair and stained the fabric of her fancy white nightgown. She'd managed to avoid getting entirely soaked, at least.

"Sorry!" Cam burst. "I didn't see you there, and﹘ are you okay? I'm sorry."

Lillian peered up at him through wet lashes, shaking a little from the cold. "No harm done."

"But﹘ I﹘" Cam struggled to find something to say, but his mind had gone utterly blank. Making conversation had never been his strong suit, and in a situation like this…

"I shouldn't have been leaning into the water like that, anyway," Lillian said, offering a half-hearted smile. "I was kind of asking for it."

Cam blinked. "What are you doing out here so late at night?"

Lillian stared back at him. "What about you?"

They held each other's gaze, unmoving, and when her eyes dipped below his face, he decided it was okay to examine her as well. Something was different ﹘ and it wasn't just the water.

He looked from her unsmiling mouth to the damp curled ends of her hair, to the water droplets collected along her right collarbone, to the elegant stitching across the bodice of her gown. She looked so real. She looked absolutely inconceivable.

She was bright and vivid when he'd first met her, radiant like the sun. Now, dressed only in her nightgown and standing uncertainly before him, she looked small and pale. Ghostlike. For the first time, he noticed the half-moon bruises under her eyes. Cam hated when people pointed out the obvious, but standing here in the dark with Lillian, he found it was all he could do. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"Not tonight," she said softly. Everything about her looked soft in this moment, like if he reached out and touched her, she might collapse within herself. He almost wanted to try.

"Do you have this problem often?" Cam asked, mostly for the sake of making conversation.

He was so caught off guard by the sharp look she shot him that he almost flinched. "Do you?" she snapped.

After a quick, tense moment, Lillian sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I had a bad dream. I guess I'm still a little on edge."

Cam began to ask her about the dream, but remembered the look he'd received a minute ago and promptly shut his mouth. Instead, he sat himself by the edge of the pond, the soles of his shoes just skimming the water's surface, and leaned back, letting the moonlight wash over him. "I know all about bad dreams," he said, puncturing the silence.

He waited for her to ask about the dreams, or to try and make small talk. But Lillian didn't respond. Instead, she moved to where he sat.

Cam tried not to twitch when Lillian knelt down beside him, placing her small hands against the grass for support as she pulled her legs under her. And then, just like that, they were sitting together, her shoulder brushing his shirtsleeve, and he couldn't help but look at her. At night, with her skin more like milk than honey, and her long black lashes, and those strange purple eyes blinking up at the stars, she resembled a doll ﹘ something not wholly alive, or even real. Who are you? Cam wanted to ask. Who are you, really?

As if she'd heard his thoughts, Lillian angled her head to look at him and smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry for intruding. This is kind of like your hiding place, right?"

"It's not mine," Cam sputtered.

"I know, but﹘ but if you came here to be alone, I don't want﹘"

"You came here to be alone, too," Cam pointed out. "And yet here I am."

Lillian considered this, and her smile deepened. "That's true," she said, "I suppose we can be alone, together."

They sat in comfortable silence afterwards, listening to the night's music as it swelled around them. Lillian hummed softly in her throat, as if appreciative. Her hand was so close to his that he could feel the warmth of her skin. Cam allowed himself to steal a few glances at the girl beside him. A memory brushed the back of his mind…

Before he could explore it, a rustling in the bushes tore him from his thoughts. Something leapt from the shadows, and with a yelp, Lillian buried her face in Cam's chest. A second later, she turned to see what had scared them ﹘ and began to laugh.

"I know you!" she said to the fox that had appeared, settling on the other side of the pond.

"You do?" Cam's heart was still beating fast.

"That's the fox that ran out in front of Belle when we first got here," Lillian explained. "He just stepped out, sat down, and watched as we went flying off the mountain." She laughed again, as if near-death experiences were her favorite kind of joke.

"What an asshole," Cam said. "Look at him. He doesn't feel sorry at all."

The fox continued to stare at them as if they had interrupted his private time; Cam couldn't help but laugh as well.

Lillian was still sitting close enough that when she shivered, her shoulder shook against his arm. "We should get you home," Cam said. "If you stay in those wet clothes, you'll catch a cold. And that's the last thing a farmer needs."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but replaced whatever it was with a smile and a "You're right, thanks."

[line break]

They didn't talk much on the way back down the mountain, besides Cam's occasional "flower fact" whenever they'd pass an herb he recognized. He gave up after a while, disappointed Lillian wasn't chiming in; he'd assumed she would be able to identify some of the plants, but she stayed silent while they walked, both arms wrapped around herself for either warmth or modesty.

She didn't react much to anything until they reached the path leading to her house; when their feet hit the cobblestone, she exhaled, and her stiff frame relaxed. Cam wondered if she was relieved to be home, soon to be rid of him, and then chastised himself: how hypocritical could he be? If anyone understood the allure of solitude, it was him.

They rounded the corner, and as Lillian's farm came into view, all thoughts of isolation vanished. Cam stopped in his tracks, gawking. Lillian glanced back and, seeing his expression, grinned. "This is the first time you've seen my farm, isn't it?"

Ash hadn't been kidding about the work she'd put into her crops. Vegetables and fruits covered the land, already growing tall and lush. The yard was completely clear of weeds and debris, which Cam had always thought would take at least an entire season to accomplish. He'd never seen the place all tidied up, beautiful and in bloom, the way it was meant to be seen. "Wow," he said. He didn't know what else there was to say.

"It looks better in the daytime," Lillian said, "You know, when all the animals are out grazing and the sun's coming down. You should swing by sometime."

Cam shook himself and quickly caught up to Lillian, who watched him look around with amusement. "I will," he promised. "Lillian, this is… this is really awesome. You've done so much."

Though she'd probably heard those same words from every other villager, Lillian beamed happily, like Cam had given her a precious gift. "You think so? I really do like farming. I want it to show."

"It does," Cam smiled.

By then, they'd reached her door. Lillian leaned against it and smiled at him, one hand on the knob. "Thanks for walking me home," she said.

"Thanks for, uh…" Cam glanced away. "The company." Before he could rethink it, he continued: "I wanted to be alone tonight, but I'm glad I wasn't."

"I am, too," Lillian agreed. Cam was still looking at the barn, so he didn't see the way her whole face softened as she gazed at him. "Goodnight, Cam," she said, and began to open the door.

"Lillian," Cam said; his voice held a note of urgency.

She looked back at him in surprise."Yes?"

"I'm sorry." Cam shifted uncomfortably, but forced himself to meet her eyes. "For not talking to you. And being rude when we first met."

"Cam﹘"

"To be completely honest," Cam said, "You reminded me of someone."

Lillian raised an eyebrow in question.

"Someone I don't like," Cam elaborated. "You have…" he studied her face, as if examining each feature, before sighing. "I don't know."

"Oh."

"No, I don't mean- shit," Cam chuckled, running his hands through his hair. "I'm not very good at this." He straightened and released a breath, as if preparing himself, and then looked squarely at her. "You seem like a wonderful person, and I want to get to know you better. And I wanted to apologize for not making a good first impression."

"You don't have to apologize for anything," Lillian said, but she secretly did feel lighter inside. "Out of curiosity, who did I remind you of? A mean neighbor? Or maybe," she smiled playfully, "An ex-girlfriend?"

Cam laughed. "Not quite," he said. "This is going to sound weird, but when I first saw you, I thought you were the princess of Rivara.

The butterflies in Lillian's stomach became shards of ice. "Princess?"

"Not the kind you're thinking of," Cam said. His eyes flashed. "She's horrible. Her and her whole family ﹘ they're all monsters."

Fun Fact, because I didn't mention this before: every chapter is titled after a song. And yes, it really is just a coincidence the 1st and 3rd are both Phantom of the Opera.

Chapter 1 - "Think Of Me" ﹘ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Chapter 2 - "The Less I Know The Better" ﹘ Tame Impala

Chapter 3: "The Music Of The Night" ﹘ Andrew Lloyd Webber