Betrothed to a Stranger?

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Adaire smiled kindly and nodded. "I do understand. You were not entirely rude Lord Theron, merely disconcerted. I knew no different after all and I was very glad to receive your gift. There is no need for your apology, although it is welcome."

After asking of Ezra's student Adaire instantly regretted her choice of words as she watched Lord Theron's face immediately drain of all kindness. The short while she had been here Adaire had heard twice that Lord Theron held no feelings, but remained determined to disprove those silly rumors. In her mind everyone had kindness and feelings, they just needed a reason to show them, maybe someone to help them show them.

As Theron began his story Adaire allowed her minds eye to picture the events being described. She was shocked to hear that the last lord of this kingdom had done nothing to stop his family from being murdered, but she could see how someone could want Lord Theron as the figure head for an army. He was a strong and vigilant man and even now she could watch as he took in his surroundings. That, combined with the power he held in his voice would be enough to convince anyone that he was the logical choice for a leader. This led to her analyzing him as a husband. While all of those qualities described beforehand were good for a leader, she wasn't sure how that made him a logical choice for her to choose as a husband, although she may have been quite different as her former self.

Adaire silently shook those thoughts from her mind as she listened to the rest of his story. She was saddened to hear that an esteemed elder had lost someone so close to him, and even more so to hear how crazy it had driven him.

"But why keep Ezra away now? Should he not have special treatment to help his injured mind? Surely your kingdom has greatly strengthened since you banished him. As you said, you couldn't kill him for going mad with grief so why keep him in banishment even now?"
 
A fair young man with long white hair brought to the princess' chamber a bouquet of roses and a letter. He knocked sharply on the door and waited for the servant to answer.

"These are for the princess," he said handing his gifts to the servant. "The letter is for the princess' eyes only. My master said he'd know if you read it and he wouldn't be please. You don't want to make my master displeased…" He nodded his head nervously and left.

Once the young man was out of sight, Liam came walking nonchalantly down the hall. He took turns with watch like his men because he felt in engendered trust with them.

*****

The letter read like this:

My Dear Princess,

Yes, I know you are a princess even though you never said. I am sure that, by now, Prince Theron has spun his tale about how my pupil is dead and that I am mad. Please do not throw this letter away. Humour a madman, if you will, because I know you are not the sort to blindly follow tyrants.

I have learned of the unfortunate state of your memory so I will explain the reasoning behind my request as well as the request.

Human-born vampires cannot touch roses. A rose will wither if it touches the flesh of a human-born. This is why roses are the easiest test to see if a vampire is human-born or not.

I have provided you with roses. All I request is that you give one, or more, to Prince Theron. Make sure it touches his skin.

If it does not wither, he is Prince Theron and he was telling the truth. I am a mad old fool and I will turn myself in to him to be punished as he sees fit. Do not worry for my life; killing an elder is a blemish on his reputation that he cannot afford. If he questions you about the rose, hide behind you amnesia and say you were ignorant of the test. No doubt he will believe you.

If the rose withers, however, he is not Prince Theron. He is my human-born pupil and Prince Theron's slave. Ask him about me and he will undoubtedly confirm my assertion. If he is my pupil, I would be most indebted to you if you could arrange a meeting for us, it has been many years since I last spoke with him. I cannot blame you if you refuse this second request because it is a dangerous undertaking.

Your humble servant,
Ezra

*****

Theron sighed, shaking his head slowly before looking at Adaire.

"If you had your memory," he told her, "you would not need to ask me that. I have…many enemies within my clan as well as without. It is widely known among my nobles that my birth was lowly. They plot behind my back to replace me with their sons of more worthy lineage. The other princes sneer at my youth. I've only been a prince for three hundred years. They see how my nobles do not trust me and they lie in wait to conquer my lands. Any of them would jump at the chance to use Ezra as a means of spreading dissent against me. That is why I chose to marry you. You are young, it is true, young enough that you cannot even imagine the length of my short three century reign but you come from a lineage which has stood for millennia. Your lineage will lend credibility to my rule and my age, humble though it might be, will lend stability to yours."

Theron fell silent for a long moment, examining the moonlit garden.

"I am sorry," he said at last. "I shouldn't have said that so callously. I am lacking tact tonight. Seeing Ezra has put me in a rather foul mood, I am afraid. I won't be a very pleasant companion much longer. Let me return you to your room while I still have it in me to be a gentleman and perhaps you will give me the pleasure of dining with me tomorrow night."

He smiled sadly and, standing, held out his arm for Adaire to take.

When they reached Adaire's room, Theron caught sight of the roses which had been delivered by the stranger, earlier that night, and he excused himself as quickly as was politely possible.

Free of his obligations to the princess, he rushed down to Tavin's tomb. There, he found Ezra braiding his hair as he sat on the edge of Tavin's sarcophagus.

"It took you long enough," Ezra said, tying off the braid with a piece of twine and looking up at the prince. "It's good to see you again, Theron…or should I say Tavin?"

"I thought I told you to leave." Theron approached Ezra but stopped about three feet back, neatly out of arm's reach.

"I thought you knew me better than that," Ezra replied. "After all, it has been two...thousand years."

"Why do you insist on causing me trouble?"

"Because it is fun? Because I am tired of waiting for you to give me my proper respect? You promised that I would have my title back when you became prince. It has been three hundred years, Tavin."

"If you would be more reasonable, I wouldn't have had to banish you. I cannot, however, have you telling everyone about my origins. No one will follow a human-born prince."

"And yet they have, for three hundred years." Ezra smirked.

"No one will knowingly follow a human-born. Do you want me killed?"

"Could not your wife-to-be give you the credibility to need to come out with your true origin?"

"Only if she supported me, which she wouldn't have."

"But what about her amnesia? Could it not be a blessing? She no longer remembers the stigma against the human-born. Use it to your advantage."

"How?"

"Be Tavin."

Theron blinked in surprise a couple times before his expression settled into a scowl. "There were roses in Adaire's room. Did you give them to her, I wonder?"

"Perhaps."

"To expose me?"

"To introduce her to Tavin. Theron could never woo a girl like her but Tavin is a much more likeable fellow."

"Woo?"

"That's what I told you to do before, but now I see it is impossible as things are now. We need to change the game. If she falls in love with Tavin, whom she knows is a human-born, then what objection can she have to Theron the human-born, who is Tavin?"

"You have a dizzying sense of logic."

"I know." Ezra grinned. "But why don't you try it?"

"…Only if she is brave enough to test me," Theron answered after a pause.

"Deal!" Ezra jumped off the sarcophagus and went to shake Theron's hand but Theron swiftly sidestepped him and turned to leave.

"But don't let Liam find you here," he said on his way out. "He takes his job seriously. It's why I have him."
 
Katrina answered the door when it was knocked on and blinked confusedly. She nodded as she was told it was only for the princess's eyes and took the flowers and note before shutting the door. She eyed the flowers and set them gently upon the nightstand for her lady to retrieve when she returned.


~~~~~~~~

Adaire was once more startled by how cold Theron could become at a moments notice. As he spoke of their marriage Adaire found herself with unvoiced thoughts. She wasn't so sure she could be with Theron. After all vampires lived forever, but could she be beside somebody that she didn't love forever? Adaire suddenly doubted her decision to engage herself to someone so cold and calculating.

Just as this thought passed through Adaire's mind Theron began to apologize for his unkind words. They were spoken only a moment too late, for Adaire's thoughts had already festered. However Adaire only nodded and took his arm. She allowed herself to be walked back to her room, remaining quiet the whole time. When the prince excused himself quickly she had absolutely no objections.

As Adaire entered her room her eyes immediately flew to the roses.

"Oh mi'lady! These came for you whilst you were gone. There was a note with them," Katrina stated as she handed the note over.

Adaire nodded to her and sat at her desk, waving to dismiss everyone. Quietly she opened the note and began to read it. After she was done reading she glanced up at the flowers and touched them lightly. They truly were lovely and she was amused at the idea that they would wither. After sitting at her desk for many hours Adaire finally resolved that she was going to test Theron. She needed to know if he was lying.

Silently Adaire moved through the halls until she found the place she had been told she would find the prince. Slowly Adaire opened the door and peeked in. When she noticed the prince sitting on a chaise with a book she silently steeled herself. Carefully she kept the rose behind her back as she approached him.

"Hello Prince Theron." Adaire said as she sat on the edge of his chair.

"I believe we need to talk." With that Adaire pulled the rose from behind her back and offered it to him.

"I know what will happen if you lied to me. Now I want proof. Please touch the rose Lord Theron, I hope it will prove that you did not lie." Adaire gazed at Theron curiously as she waited to see what would happen.
 
Theron returned to his library to wait out the night. He could not go to bed until the first rays of dawn streaked the sky with blood because he needed to alert lest anything went wrong but he'd never wanted morning to arrive so much before. Adaire would likely confront him the next night when they went to dine and he thought of the event with trepidation. He worried almost as much that she wouldn't be brave enough to confront him.

He didn't know what he wanted for himself any longer. He didn't like to face his own insecurities so boldly because it made him feel weak but the truth of the matter was that he'd not been advancing in his plans for the last three centuries. Was he at the pinnacle of his ambitions? Of course not, but he didn't know where to advance to. Was he to risk his throne and reveal what he was? Ezra certainly wished for that. Were there even other options?

Thinking that way gave Theron a headache. He hated to feel weak, especially since he had been the weakest and now was counted among the strongest, and his mind was a maze that tried to twist the truth into a reminder of his strength.

To distract himself, he chose a book. He didn't even notice what the title was. Trying to read it was fruitless and he found himself reading the same line again and again.

Giving up on reading but not setting down the book, Theron began to consider the difference between Theron and Tavin. He began by asserting that they were the same—after all, they were both him. After a long while, he started to recognize the differences. He recalled all of the things he'd given up to become prince, all of the things he'd forced his heart to harden against. He saw Ezra's point that Tavin was far more suited to wooing the princess than Theron was.

Thinking along those lines, he reconstructed Tavin's character. As he did so, he finally understood how different he'd become since gaining a throne and he accepted that Ezra's claim which said that Tavin was Theron's slave had a grain of truth in it from one perspective or another.

The prince was fully in character for Tavin when Adaire arrived and he stared at her with open surprise which Theron would have artfully covered.

"Princess," he said. "I did not expect you."

His expression darkened slightly as she explained her reasons for being there. She was too bold. He knew very well how angry Theron would have been at her words. As Tavin, he was not angry…only sad that she did not trust her betrothed more. He could understand her inclination to believe Ezra because she had no memory to guide her perceptions but he would have hoped that she trusted her former self enough in her choice of husband more.

Such affectionate thoughts were a novelty to the Theron part of his mind, which had been starved of warmth for so long. He had to stop himself from analysing it. He needed to react naturally now not pause to consider his own thoughts.

He took the rose from Adaire and watched with an air of profound regret as it withered in his grasp.

"You ought to have been more carefully, Your Highness," he said. "In your condition, you are fully within Theron's care and his anger would have been unmatched had it been he who received you. I do not believe your intentions were wrong nor do I doubt that the rose came from my good teacher, Ezra, who must be so very disappointed in me. I do caution you both to take more care next time. Theron is not a figure to be trifled with."
 
For a moment Adaire was disbelieving as the rose withered away in his grasp. Slowly, she felt anger building in its place. Anger that she had been lied to and deceived, but most angry that even in her current state she had allowed herself to be tricked. Adaire found herself rising in her anger, the little flecks of blue in her eyes turning to ice. She faced him, her face turning stone cold and spoke.

"You are naught but a liar. Both of you or the one of you. Whether you really are the prince or if you're Tavin covering for him. It is a cowardly thing to lie to a woman. To ones betrothed above all. I do not approve of having been lied to in my condition. Excuse me." Adaire said haughtily as she stormed away.

About twenty minutes later Adaire finally found her way to her room and entered it. When Katrina came in from the closet Adaire simply pushed past her and stormed out to the balcony, closing the doors behind her and wedging them shut from the outside. She needed time to herself. Meanwhile, another visitor had arrived at the castle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bladen had brought a large entourage with him, complete with twelve guards and a few servants and his favorite slave, Navide. Tugging Navide behind him on a leash Bladen looked every bit the part of a cruel and plotting man, but good enough to have any woman he wanted. He was haughty and arrogant and it carried into his stride. As he was allowed into the castle Bladen glanced about uncaring. He was only here to check on his sister and be sure that her young betrothed was taking proper care of her in her fragile mental state. It was nearing dawn and the bastard son to the king was becoming tired from his long journey. 'That fool had better hurry this along' he thought selfishly. The servant that had went to fetch the prince was a slight little human thing, causing him to become hungry and he wondered if perhaps the prince kept a few feeders around that could sate his thirst. 'Oh well, as long as I get this done as fast as is vampirely possibly I will be happy' he thought.

After waiting for twenty minutes Bladen had become anxious and somewhat indignant that the prince kept him waiting. He would have expected more respect.

~~~~~~~

Adaire sat on her balcony, watching as the sky slowly got lighter as dawn approached in about an hour. The maids and servants on the other side of the door continued to knock and try to persuade her to come in, but Adaire would have none of it. She was staying planted out here. She did not want to see any of those people out there and resolved herself to stay out here. Having no memory only sought to destroy the young princess as she sat on the balcony and leaned her shoulder against one of the metal bars upholding the railing as she felt tears coming. She didn't know what to think and now that it had been uncovered that she had been lied to. What other lies had she been told? Adaire just wished she could recall her past, so that she didn't have to worry about being lied to as much.
 
The prince sat in stunned silence after Adaire left. Theron's instinct was to become angry but Tavin was only saddened.

When he had recovered enough he went to his desk and wrote a letter to the princess. He wrote as Tavin and used an exotic calligraphy because it was reminiscent of his original language rather than the elegant script he'd forced himself to learn as Theron.

Your most Honoured Highness,

I must begin by thanking you for reading this note. You seemed very wroth with me this evening, and though I am ignorant of the lies that appear to be at the heart of the matter, and it is very gratifying that you should deign to read it.

I can guess at what the source of the lies was. I heard this evening that my teacher was sighted in the garden. He comes occasionally to demand my freedom. I begin to wonder if he truly is mad that he thinks he can succeed.

I suppose you have heard the story of one or both of them. I will not bore you with my rendition of this long and tedious history we share but I will admit to disagreeing with both of them.

No doubt, Ezra sent you with the rose to test Theron. I will answer the question he has planted in your mind. Yes, I am Tavin. Yes, I am Theron's slave. The situation is, however, more complex than you may suppose. I cannot explain, however, because it would take more pages of paper than I have at my disposal.

I would like to start anew with you, though I only met you once before this. (It was when I rescued you after you'd been lost—Theron didn't dare go outside his palace walls for fear that the other princes would have him assassinated while he was out so he sent me instead—but other than that Theron dared not use me as his double before you, lest you discover the difference.)

Hello. My name is Tavin Velianas. I was once a human prince but now I serve a vampire prince. I would like for us to get along. It is hard to make friends in such a loveless world as this so I ask that we may at least be allies if we cannot be friends.

I hope you understand the reason for my next request. It would be easier and safer for everyone involved if you leave my existence to remain a secret. My teacher will have to be satisfied that another knows the secret and that is all.

Once again, you honour me by reading this.

Your humble servant,
Tavin Velianas

Once he had finished writing the letter, he wrote the princess's name on it and sent it to her room with a servant.

Worried about how things would turn out if she chose not to trust Tavin, an unexpected outcome, the prince found himself unable to sleep. It was just as well that he didn't turn in early because Liam interrupted his reverie with news that they had visitors.

The prince instantly snapped back into being Theron and went with his guard to observe the guests, who had been brought to the Great Hall, through an invisible peep hole. Theron grimaced as he saw them.

"Tell them, or better yet have one of the lower servants tell them, that I will not be seeing them until tomorrow night. It is late now and the sun will be rising soon. Have them escorted to rooms, nothing fancy mind, they aren't worth it. Oh, and free that girl slave while you're at it. I will not have a slave in my lands. When they leave she may choose to go with them and be a slave again or to stay here, but she will be free as long as she remains in my lands. Set her up with one of the servants or so. Eden might like some company?"

"It will be done, my lord," Liam said with a bow and went to follow his prince's instructions.

Confident that nothing more would be brought to his attention as morning began to bleed the darkness out of the night, Theron returned to his room where the drapes had already been drawn against the sun and he tried to fall asleep.
 
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"My lady you have a letter. Would you like to read it?" Called Katrina through the door to the balcony. "I don't care!" Adaire yelled from the other side as she attempted to remain hidden away from the beasts within the castle. Knowing that her princess would not be coming in Katrina slid the letter under the door. For a moment Adaire contemplated throwing it away without reading it, but her curiosity got the better of her.

Adaire opened the letter hesitantly and read it quickly. After she had finished it she held it in her hand as she stared at the lightening sky. Slowly she ripped it to shreds and threw it over the balcony. "I don't care what is said. I resent these wicked people here and I won't have anymore of it!" Adaire shouted to the skies. Seating herself back in her same spot Adaire resolved herself to be rid of this world. On the other side of the door Katrina had decided that she had had enough of Adaire's temper tantrum. "I didn't want to do this..." She said mainly to herself and then to one of the other maids she said, "Go fetch the prince if you can. Maybe he can bring the princess in from her tantrum." Katrina huffed angrily. The maid left to seek the prince and Katrina and the others remained to try and coax the princess out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the great hall Bladen was informed that he would not see the prince until the following day. He was outraged and tugged on Navide's leash. "I will not relinquish my slave nor will I let that little prat tell me what I should do! He will be marrying my little sister. I believe if only for that matter that I deserve respect!" Bladen yelled. The princes entourage stepped back from him slowly, they knew his temper. Cooling down Bladen sighed. "I will agree not to see the prince until the morning, but he will tell me to relinquish my slave to my face." He said angrily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tenya was the maid chosen to fetch the prince. She made her way to the prince's chambers and knocked. Liam was the one to answer the door and Tenya couldn't look him in the eyes. "Um... S-sir. The princess... Well she refuses to come off of the balcony and day is approaching... Katrina was wondering if maybe the prince could come talk some sense into our lady.... She refuses to listen to anyone sir." She said shakily.
 
"My lord?"

Theron had been moments away from sleep when Liam entered. He groaned and rolled over only sitting up far enough to shoot a sharp glare at the guard.

"This had better be important," he warned.

"We-ell," Liam began hesitantly. "It isn't so much important as it is annoying. You see, your guest has refused to relinquish his slave until you command it personally. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem but we have our hands full as it is, what with guarding the princess and searching for Ezra…"

"So you want me to appease him?" Theron asked testily.

"It would be the most expedient option, sire," Liam answered.

"I don't care. I will not appease that petty bastard. The law is the law, from the highest prince to the lowest peasant. If he is breaking the law by refusing to relinquish his slave, then arrest him. He can spend the night in the dungeon rather than a guest room and his slave will be legally and permanently removed from him at court in the morning."

"Ah…yes, sire," Liam said. He was just about to leave when a timid knock came at the door. He answered it, "Yes?"

"Um… S-sir. The princess…" A maid stood stammering at the door.

"Just spit it out, girl," he commanded, not intending to frighten the girl any more than she was already frightened but he did so anyway.

"Well she refuses to come off the balcony and day is approaching… Katrina was wondering if maybe the prince could come talk some sense into our lady… She refuses to listen to anyone sir."

"Tell the girl that the prince is indisposed, Liam," Theron said.

Liam choked in surprise. "But, my lord, if I may-"

"You may not. Tell the girl that the prince is indisposed."

"I'm sorry," Liam said to the maid. This time it was his turn to be shaky. "The prince is indisposed and will be unable to come to the princess at this time. I am sorry." He closed the door in her face.

"What are you thinking?" he demanded of Theron.

"It doesn't matter what I'm thinking," Theron answered. "You have a brat to arrest. You should go." The phrase was worded as a suggestion but the tone conveyed an order. Liam had no choice but to bow and leave.

Theron leapt out of bed. This was his chance to endear, or at least try to endear, Tavin to the princess. He dressed, in princely attire because that was all that he owned but subdued enough that it was plausible for the slave who was the prince's double. He then went out onto his own balcony.

Theron had often wondered, in various trains of thought, if he could get to the balcony of the room intended for his bride from his own. He'd never actually tried it because he'd never had incentive to but, still, he'd wondered since their rooms were so close. Now he had incentive. Now it was time he tried.

He leapt towards Adaire's balcony and managed to catch the railing. He pulled himself up with some difficulty.

"Well, that was a bit less graceful than I'd imagined," he admitted aloud. "Hello, princess. I know you don't want to see me right now or the prince. I'm Tavin, remember? From my letter? Not that you probably read the letter. Ah, well, it was rubbish anyway. Ah, never mind, though. This is rather an emergency." Theron picked the princess up and, throwing her over his shoulder, he recalculated the distance so that he could make the jump without the troublesome railing getting in the way. He carried the princess into his room and then let her down.

"I'm sorry about that, princess, and I'm sorry for what I'm about to say but I hope you know I mean it with all of the greatest respect in the world. Are you out of your bloody mind? Do you have any idea how many people were worried about you? They were frantic to find someone to get you off of that balcony, I just happened to be a bit more creative than the rest of those numbskulls. You're just lucky it was me in here and not Theron because he never would have done that.

"And what were you trying to do? Get yourself killed? What? Because of a couple little lies? Well…the lies might not have been little but you're being a bit too extreme. Where is that spark, that strength that you had before when you presented that rose to me, not knowing if you were right or not or if you were speaking to Theron or not? I said you were being too reckless before but now I see that being careful is not your strong suit.

"But, come now. We can't stay here lest Theron walks in and finds us. But never fear I am a slave so I know all of the secret passages." Theron went to the wall and, pressing a hidden lever, opened a secret door. He took the princess' hand and led her into the dark, dank passage.

"You know," he said, conversing as they walked, "It really would have broken my heart if you'd died. I am old, you see, so very old that there are few people alive who can imagine it. I've been a slave for much of that time, and alone. When I think of my life, burning slowly through the dark, and yours, the white-hot flash of youth which lights up everything around it… If I think about your life being extinguished… It hurts too much to bear. You're too beautiful to die. When I say beautiful, I don't just mean your face, which is by the way, very fetching, but all of you. You are sharp here," Theron pointed to her head, "yet soft here," he pointed to her heart, "and full of a kind of spunk that the world would only be too lucky to keep."

"I hope you can forgive me," Theron continued, "for saving you, for talking to you, for taking you here." He pushed opened a door which led them into a magnificent cave. In the centre of that cave was a lake so pure that it looked shallow but was, in actuality, almost bottomless. Adrift on the lake was a floating platform draped in silks and covered in pillows. A little boat could transport people from a tiny dock to the platform.

"This is where I go to be alone," Theron said. "But I don't want to be alone any longer. I'll ask you again, or for the first time if you didn't read my letter, will you be my friend? I don't mean anything odd by that. I simply mean will you be my honest-to-goodness friend?"
 
Sitting on her balcony Adaire had contemplated jumping over the railing to save everyone some time, but she supposed that it wouldn't kill her, only injure her enough to be a nuisance. As she sat and watched the beginning rays to peak over the hills a few memories of her father rushed back to her and tears filled Adaire's eyes. Her father really had been a good man she supposed. Still she wasn't sure whether or not she should miss him and it made her feel a bit bad to consider such a thing.

With a click Adaire watched as the balcony door across from hers opened. When Theron stepped out she nearly shouted at him in her anger, but contained it. She had already acted childishly enough for one night. Sighing Adaire stood to prepare to go inside, she expected to be scolded by her cruel fiance. When Theron made the jump over to her balcony she gasped. Never would she have expected him to do something like that.

Running to the edge of the railing she wasn't sure whether or not to offer her hand to pull him up and before she could make her decision he had pulled himself up. Still Adaire expected a scolding from her betrothed, until he introduced himself once more as Tavin. 'Tavin' the name echoed in her head and somehow she wasn't surprised that Theron had selfishly sent his servant to do his dirty work. Ready to begin her verbal tirade Adaire took a breath only to have it sent out of her lungs in a whoosh as Tavin slammed her over his shoulder. As he made the jump back she gave a squeak of surprise and her air was once more punched from her lungs as they landed.

When she was sat upon her feet she gazed into the familiar face before her, knowing that it wasn't really familiar, but feeling a sort of comfort wash over her. "Of course I'm out of my mind." Adaire joked, after all, she technically was. With a wave of her hand she dismissed his notion that many people had been worried over her. If she had died they would have just gone on with their lives as if she hadn't existed anyways.

As he opened the door to the secret passage she wasn't very surprised to be honest. It was expected for a castle to have secret passes for safe movement in times of danger. Walking down the passage Adaire listened to Tavin babbling as he tried to fix a mistake in his wording. "I don't think anyone would have honestly cared if I died. The most worrisome thing for them would be finding a new job." She scoffed in her anger. "I don't think the world is all that lucky to have me either. If I was really that great before then why did someone try to kill me anyways?" 'I must have been a terrible person' Adaire added to herself.

"There is nothing to forgive really. You did what you believed best and you saved my life. Me coming here with you is the least I can do." Adaire said nonchalantly. "Maybe we could be friends, if you promise not to lie to me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the guards tried to subdue Bladen he became angry. "I demand to see my sister!" He yelled loud enough that the whole castle could hear. His slave Navide, did not try to go with the guards. She stood obediently and waited for him to tell her what she should do. "ADAIRE!" Bladen screamed. His voice echoed through the halls and even into the cavern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just as Adaire was about to step into the boat with Tavin's help she heard a shout. For a moment she stood immobile and then her pupils contracted. "Bladen?!" She exclaimed as she pulled away from Tavin and ran back in that general direction. "Tavin you have to take me back! That was my brother!" Bladen's angry shout had triggered something within her and memories flooded Adaire's senses. Her head began to spin and her sight blacked out. Within moments Adaire had her whole past pumped back into her. The onslaught of information proved too much for her fragile state and Adaire fell to the ground, not quite unconscious.
 
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"You underestimate yourself, princess," Theron said. "There are many who would mourn your loss. As for the person who tried to kill you, they were a bad person. They were trying to cause harm. When we catch them, we'll find out exactly why they did it but, until then, you have to remember that they were bad and you are good."

When Adaire said that they could possibly be friends, a soft smile grew on Theron's face. "Of course I would never lie to you. How could we be friends if I lied? I would never be able to forgive myself if I lied to a friend."

Theron stepped into the boat and reached out a hand to help Adaire in, but just as she was taking his hand, a shout echoed faintly through the cavern. Theron stiffened and, as Adaire ran back towards the entrance to the passages, he grimaced.

"Tavin you have to take me back! That was my brother!" Adaire cried.

"Yes, yes, princess," he said, "we can go to see your brother but first-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the princess collapsed. Theron vaulted out of the boat and rushed to her side.

"Adaire!" he cried. When he saw that she was not quite unconscious, he breathed a sigh of relief. "We may go see your brother, but you are too weak right now. Rest a bit and we can see him when you have regained your strength."

With those words, Theron picked the princess up and carried her to the boat. He took her to the platform and laid her on a soft pile of pillows so that she could rest. He sat apart from her, trying to calm his nerves as he rubbed his face and asked, "Oh, Nyx, what have I done to deserve this?"
 
"Ung." Adaire rubbed her aching temples as she was carried to the boat and then laid on a pile of pillows. She gave a small smile and pulled herself into a more seated position.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you Tavin." When Adaire spoke her voice hinted at a hidden knowledge and her eyes sparkled unfamiliarly. When she pushed herself up to a standing position her body practically rippled with the power she had regained. Adaire held her hand out to help Tavin up.

"I feel much better now thank you. If you would lead me back along the passage I would be grateful, it would seem unladylike for me to have to smell my way." Adaire raised one eyebrow elegantly as she allowed herself to really look at Tavin for the first time. When her memories had been blocked from her it was almost if a wall had conjured. That wall had blocked her from using her vampire senses, it had also blocked out her naturally faster reflexes.

"We should be going, Bladen is not a patient man, and I believe we have matters to discuss." With that Adaire turned on her heel and stepped into the boat, waiting for Tavin to begin pushing them to the other side.
 
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