Bound by Honor

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His thoughts, blood, movement, heart, everything was sluggish. So very slow and cold. He shouldn't be cold. He'd been cold before, though. He couldn't remember when or why, but he knew this cold, he knew the icy chill of it, the fear that spread through his system at realizing he couldn't escape it and didn't know how to fight it. But he did know that he had to wake up and Anrar struggled back to consciousness, blinking slowly before he tried to comprehend his surroundings.

The first thing he saw was Firekicker secured to a tree, the horse munching away on the grass at his feet contentedly. Two more horses were beside him and then dark green eyes flickered about to find two faces watching him with hard patience. His hand immediately tried to move for a weapon - a dagger or his sword - but came up short first by the cold that slowed him and then the rope he realized was around both his wrists. His arms were tied behind him and his back pressed against the tree behind him by a longer rope about his chest. Normally such things would not have been hindering to Anrar as he'd simply burn the rope, but with the frost he could still feel coating his skin, it wasn't a possibility right now as far as he could see.

"Ah, the princeling wakes."

Princeling.

That one word made the fire elemental's eyes widen, memory flashing through his head, just words, voices, but meaningful in some way he could not yet piece together. Princeling. He knew that name, that mocking and sometimes affectionate title. He'd heard it before. And....and these two people knew who he was, really knew. "Who are you?" His voice was slow, quiet, but steady and the two raised brows, looking surprised. The female spun a knife in her fingers. "We haven't changed that much, Anrar."

"I don't know you."

Now there were slightly worried looks, the two siblings glancing one to the other and the male's eyes narrowed. "You are Anrar Noldoron, yes?"

Anrar looked between the two, knowing he now had the opportunitity to lie, to say he was not and see what they did....or to tell the truth and say he was...and hope they did not have evil intentions. He had felt fear of them, seeing them at first, but now he had to wonder if it was their power he'd sensed and feared for looking at them now...he didn't feel fear. Rather he felt....like he should know something that he couldn't grasp as those gold eyes awaited his answer. Anrar shifted slightly, still feeling sluggish with the cold only slowly thawing around him. He wished he had more to go on, more to base a decision on, but he didn't....so he did what he was always telling Evel not to do; he took a chance.

"I am."

Smiles came to the ice elementals' faces and the male nodded slowly, looking at him with a puzzled expression. "Then how can you not know us?"

"Why am I restrained?" He wasn't answering anymore questions until he got some answers himself. The female snorted softly. "Because you're a bit of a wild thing, Anrar, and from what we'd heard, you've been living with the elves. We could not be sure what kind of greeting you'd give us. We honestly didn't think those ropes or our ice would hold you for long. I'm surprised you didn't burn them to a cinder when you woke." She was reaching for him now and the blond shrank away instantly, causing the female to pause and look at him a bit more closely. "Prince, I would not harm you. Surely you know this?"

"Isis, I do think something has happened to Anrar." He looked to the blond. "I am right, yes?"

To say Anrar was confused was an understatement and right now he was scared, too. He didn't know if these two were friend or foe. They'd taken him down and now were being friendly, but he didn't know them even as they seemed to know him and he had to get back to Evel. Oh, stars, Evel!

Anrar wasn't sure what happened in that moment at the thought of the small Knight, but he felt an instant warmth sweep through him, his fire follow after it like a savage beast, making his body steam as the frost melted and evaporated and the ropes caught fire, making the two ice elementals jump back, wary as the blond stood and looked over the two of them with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "I don't know who either of you are. I barely know who I am and right now I don't have the time to answer fifty thousands questions. I have a friend to help and you'd better hope to the gods above that person is still alive when I get to them or I am holding YOU responsible for my delay!" He was nearly growling by the end, flames wrapping up his arms and the two had taken a few steps back, Isis holding up her hands gently.

"Anrar, my Prince, we meant no harm. We simply-"

"Ride and talk." Anrar snapped back, already swinging up on Firekicker and the two siblings looked at one another before they rushed for their own mounts. Anrar wanted to know about them, who they were, how they thought they knew him, but not at the expense of losing Evel.
 
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The messenger had been riding for hours when he finally caught sight of the infamous steed that only Anrar himself could ride. "Anrar!" The squire assigned messenger duty called out. "Sir Anrar!" He panted when he finally reached the man. "Oh thank the stars! The captain and lieutenant sent me after you, they thought you were dead! I'm sure they will be glad to see you alive. When Sir Evel came back without you injured, we assumed the worst... But at least you and the princess are safe!" The messenger started to turn to lead Anrar back to the kingdom.

"Sir Evel was truly brave... The princess says he rode all the way from the centaurs to our kingdom with at least ten arrows in his back. He truly is what a knight should aspire to be. I just hope that he makes it through the night... I'm sure he will be happy to see you alive when he wakes up." The man seemed quite happy as he started to lead Anrar back to the Elves.

While Anrar was out in the fields, the doctors were working hard on making sure Evel would live. The only thing heard was barked orders as blood transfusions were used to help keep the poor girl alive. They worked carefully to staunch the bleeding and pull the arrows out, noting that they had miraculously missed the lungs. Even though the knight turned out to be female, the doctors still worked to save her.
 
"I am Irin ColdVoice Xenroro and this is my twin sister, Isis IceTempest Xenroro."

He'd asked their names and they were providing, but Anrar still couldn't remember them. The names triggered nothing in him, no memory and he eyed both warily. "How do you know me? Why were you looking for me?"

The twins looked at each other and the blond was unsure if the concern in their eyes was genuine or fake. And part of him cared and part of him didn't. Evel was prominent on his mind, but these two ice elementals...they knew him. Or thought they did. Something was going on here and he wanted to know more, but he was extremely unsure if he should trust them. Isis spoke first to his question, the more outspoken of the two it would seem.

"We grew up with you, Anrar. You, me, Irin and Annara, we were all friends."

Annara. His sister. Dark green eyes looked over to them, but Isis was still speaking. "We've come looking for you because the Faerie and the Mermaids gave us word that you were alive, the first word we have heard barring the whispers of the Nosič Úmrtia, but we could not be sure that was you. Centaurs tend to...embellish." She gave Anrar a look, as if she wanted to ask whether those stories were true, but the blond didn't answer the silent inquiry with a response, silent or otherwise, looking to Irin instead, sensing the other male had something to say.

The gold-eyed ice elemental did and he went about his question cautiously. "You keep saying you do not remember us. Why is that?"

"I don't remember anything from before my time with the elves. Only one memory of the girl I am told is my sister. I don't know how the memory loss occurred. If you've come looking for a friend, you will be disappointed. I am not the person you might remember." Better to just get that out of the way right now. Irin merely nodded, though, and Isis appeared thoughtful. Both looked further concerned and that made Anrar shift uncomfortably. The only person he was used to seeing that from was Evel.

"What do you want with me?"

It was probably the most important question and the twins looked at each other for a long moment before Isis began to speak, to explain.

----

When he saw the messenger hours later, bearing the ensign of the Royal Elven House of Chalicia, Anrar's hand instantly moved to his sword as he halted Firekicker. He had never thought to feel such trepidation seeing the people he'd grown up with, an elf, coming toward him. Yes, certain elves made him nervous, angry, wary, but never a messenger. Never all of them. But now...he knew they wanted him dead and knowing that...it put a new face on every elf he saw now. It was saddening.

Especially in light of the news Isis and Irin had given him. It would seem he would have a battle no matter where he chose to go.

He watched the elf approach, ready for any kind of attack, but nothing could have prepared him for the news delivered. He didn't even pay attention to the news about the Captain and Lieutenant or even the Princess. No, his ears were for Evel and the word injured and ten arrows and make it through the night. They pounded in his skull like a hammer, relentless drums and the fire elemental didn't wait for the messenger - how could the elf be HAPPY?! - who was going at much too slow a pace to suit him, thundering past the male as Firekicker was urged into a dead, urgent run.

Isis and Irin looked to the elf who hadn't acknowledged them and to their Princes' retreating back and soon their mounts were racing after him. They'd lost him once. They wouldn't do so again, even if they had to go into an elven city to keep track of him.
 
The messenger was surprised Anrar was that concerned about the other elf. So he sped up the pace to keep up with the man. It was a long trek that went just a bit faster as they thundered toward the town, riding in. People quickly made it out of the way, hoping to not enrage the elemental further who was obviously very upset, worried, maybe even scared. In front of the hospital was the captain and lieutenant, waiting for Anrar to arrive. "We'll talk after you go see her." The captain said, an almost venomous note added to the pronoun.

The doctors were wiping their brows. She would most likely at least make it through the night. Unless the infection that they had noticed in the wounds started to spread, the elf would live. The few who cared about the girl prayed to the gods and stars above that she would be alright, that the arrow wounds wouldn't cause her body enough damage to quit on her. They had tried too hard. They couldn't quit now.

When Anrar made it to the room the nurse told him, a bit anxiously mind you, he could see a pale figure that should have been the quiet Evel. Her eyes were closed in a deep dream-like state and she looked almost dead. Bruises and a few cuts littered her face, though, the large bandaging around her shoulder told of deeper wounds. She looked almost like a broken doll, left to forever be hidden away. Blonde hair was a complete mess as the pale white of the blankets and pillow only served to make her seem starker than she was. A seat was already pulled up next to the bed and it looked like someone had recently been there, leaving only a little while before Anrar had arrived. Evel's little book sat on the table next to the bed.

The scene was too depressing to truly be of the small knight. The whole situation seemed unreal.
 
"You'll get to talk to me when I decide to leave her. You'll be waiting a while." Anrar spat back - if they thought he'd be shocked at Evel being a girl, that would show them right now that he'd already known - shoving past them, though he could have gone around their figures. He didn't care to show them respect right now. They'd wanted him dead, thought it would be fine for Evel to die. He owed them NOTHING anymore. Fire flared over his skin as he walked and they wouldn't dare to grab him or send anyone after him at this point, not even for his insubordination.

Isis and Irin followed after him with calm confidence, two forces that just oozed power and purpose. In fact, they looked nothing short of bodyguards to a Prince, and that was exactly what they were. Anrar was certainly stalking the halls of the Healing Wing like royalty - enraged, fuming royalty, but still - and everyone was wise enough to get out of his way, to not question the shadows following behind him so faithfully. The healer had right to be anxious, scared even, as she told the fire elemental where Evel was and he headed for that room swiftly only to come to a dead halt in the doorway when his eyes landed on her.

He had never seen her this way and it instantly stabbed him in the gut like a sharp knife and simultaneously broke his heart.

Anrar finally moved, finally approached and he almost hesitated to touch her even as he had to. His fingers brushed against her porcelain-pale face and he gave an instant hiss to how cold her skin was. She was like ice! Such a thing brought a flare of something powerful to his chest and it took Anrar a moment to realize it was power itself, a raw energy that he could not remember ever feeling before, but behind him, Isis and Irin's eyes widened from where they stood at either side of the doorway. They watched the change come over their Prince, something he didn't seem to note about himself and they said nothing - not yet - as his hand reached for Evel again, a red glow in his palm.

He touched her skin again, letting the heat sweep into the pale woman like he'd done that night in their camp. He regulated her body, brought her core temperature back up to something more normal and then the power faded as did the changes to his body he'd not been aware of. Anrar's dark green eyes swept over the face of the female Knight again then, and he shook his head, a glare in his eyes.

"Idiots." What were they thinking, putting her on her back? The pressure alone wouldn't let any infection drain out and it would cause her pain, especially when she woke. No, she couldn't be on her stomach as that would restrict breathing over time, but that didn't mean she couldn't be on her side even if it would take more effort to keep Evel that way. Anrar set up positioning her. He wasn't a healer, but he'd been on the receiving end of their care A LOT and he knew what to do. He propped the small woman on her side, noting an immediate easing in her brows as the pressure left and Anrar took a look at her back, gritting his teeth at the extent of the bandages and the blood seeping through. His eyes went back to her face as he finally sat down and rested his arms and the upper portion of his chest on the bed, fingers continuing to stroke her face gently as tears finally gathered in his eyes.

"Evel....my Eveline... Little bird, don't leave me. Please don't leave me..."
 
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The door opened to reveal a large man easily in his 80's. He was surprised to see the two strangers in his adopted child's room, but wasn't at all surprised when he saw Anrar. The man ran a hand through his gray hair and pulled a seat up next to Anrar. "Anrar... and guests. It's good to see you alive." The man's brown eyes gazed over at Evel, stopping when he saw the dark red spots turning brown on the bandages covering her back. She was so fragile... So sweet and kind, she didn't deserve this.

The man, Kazo, clenched his fists before sitting down and taking the book. "You know, she used to write everything in this... She still does, I'm pretty sure... She told me the day before she became a knight that if anything happened to her that I was suppose to give the book to you so you could remember the good times and not be so sad. Now seems as good a time as any so..." He took the small leather book and handed it to the elemental, trying to hide his own tears. He had spent enough time crying. Now it was Anrar's turn.

Kazo turned to the two who were with Anrar. "I am going to assume that you are friends of Anrar. If that turns out to not be correct then I will ask you to get the fuck out of my child's room." He was calm and his voice was smooth as he said this. The man looked back at Evel before pushing some hair out of her face, surprised that she was warmer than she had been. That was a good sign.
 
Anrar sensed Kazo's entrance before Isis or Irin could react and he made a brief gesture that was more instinctive than thought out that told them to stand down. He didn't much want company, but he couldn't deny a father, even an adopted one, the right to their child. He said nothing in greeting, though, to the older elf and taking the book in a numb type of way, but he didn't open it, didn't look in it. He simply held it, as tightly as he wanted to hold Evel, but he wouldn't read it. He wouldn't because it would be admitting defeat. Something had happened to Evel, yes, but she was still here and he wasn't giving up on her.

No, he wouldn't read it.

That would be surrendering hope and he wouldn't do that. Not when it came to Evel.

Kazo's words to Isis and Irin jolted Anrar back to the present and he looked from the older elf to the two at the door who looked rather amused by the threat, saying nothing. The fire elemental sighed. "They're with me, Kazo. They're elementals, too." He said nothing more, not wanting to as he focused back on Evel, his Evel. She was so still. The quiet he was used to, but not the stillness. She shouldn't be so still, so injured.

Little fool shouldn't have knocked him out. He was still going to give her the world's greatest lecture for that one....but after he took care of her, told her how happy he was that she was all right, how much he cared about her. Only after that.
 
It wasn't until another hour later that Evel finally started to wake up. She felt numb, her limbs and head heavy and full of fluff. She wasn't sure where she was or what had happened, but she knew her back was hurting like no tomorrow. Her mouth felt so dry... She needed-"Water..." She rasped out, green eyes dull with pain and the fading effects of the numbing flower they had given her. She could see two people near her.

Kazo was quick to get up to get a ladle for Evel to drink from. The girl was awake! She was awake, and she was in serious pain. She felt like her back was getting shot at again and again and again. The poor elf felt clouded, like something was keeping her from properly comprehending. She saw Anrar and immediately felt guilt, knowing that he was probably mad.

"A... An... R... rar... I... I'm... so-rry..." She whispered, finding it hard to talk with the dryness in her mouth. Kazo quickly walked back with the ladle, moving Evel to make it easier for her to drink and refresh her mouth.
 
Anrar jolted to hopeful attention at the hoarse word and when he saw those green eyes blinking, finally awake, he felt like the sun was coming out after a storm. His breath caught in his throat when she finally looked at him and he hardly registered the apology. Who needed an apology? She was alive, she was awake! She was already forgiven and Anrar watched with relieved happiness as she was given a drink and he moved forward as soon as Kazo moved back, his hand finding Evel's clasping her smaller one securely as he gave her a shaky, small smile, eyes wet with tears he'd not yet shed.

"Hey, little bird." he greeted her softly, his opposite hand brushing her blond hair back from her face tenderly.

"You worried me. You shouldn't do that." the fire elemental teased lightly even as red started to glow in his palm and he brought his hand to her side letting the power seep through the bandages around her waist. The heat swept gently into and around her wound, relaxing the muscles there, soothing the pain. It wouldn't eliminate it completely, but it would help until she was due for more herbs and if Anrar could do that for her, at least, he'd do it until he was dead on his feet or she was healed, whichever came first.

Dark green eyes looked to lighter ones then and Anrar leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before pulling back and looking down to her again. "You'll be just fine. I'm going to take care of you."
 
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Evel blinked, grateful for the heat and relief. "Thank you... I thought you were... You came back?" She seemed a bit confused as she sat up as best as she could, ignoring the pain splitting up her back as her arms shook to keep her up. "Who are you two?" She asked, starting to feel a bit of fear and panic seep into her blood. Her breathing got a bit more ragged as she refused to lay down, not wanting someone who could be a possible threat to Anrar anywhere near him.

Kazo quickly tried to calm the girl. "Eveline, those are Anrar's friends. They're elementals, like him. It's alright..." He tried to push her down gently, but she swatted his hands away, taking in a ragged breath and staring down the two. She examined every bit of them, from their strange eyes to how they held themselves. They may be elementals, but who knew if they were on Anrar's side or not.

If Evel kept her position for much longer she would be dealing with reopening painful wounds. As if it weren't bad enough that her back felt like it had chunks ripped out of it. Her body was tense and in war mode. She was still in the mindset of protect the princess and protect Anrar. A few shots to the back wouldn't change that. A whimper started to bubble in her throat, making the elf shake just a bit more as she tried to intimidate the two, rather badly she would admit later.
 
Though he could admire her stubborn will and the pure desire of her heart, it didn't stop Anrar from standing and leaning over Evel to push her back down firmly, but gently. "Lay back, you little fool, before you tear the work the healers have done." he admonished tenderly, giving her a look that said she'd better comply or he'd make her and it would be in the most embarrassing way he could think of. It was a type of game they played with each other when one was sick or injured. She knew he'd do it.

It didn't take long for the blond to get the small elf to lay back again and sat on the edge of the bed this time, carding his fingers through her short locks. "Kazo is right; they are elementals and as far as I can tell, they mean me no harm. I would not have brought them here, to you, if they had. I might be thick at times, but I am not that daft." he assured Evel, glancing at the wounds on her back again to make sure the amount of blood she'd caused to start again wasn't alarming.

It wasn't.

His dark eyes flickered back to the twins who hadn't moved and seemed both amused and thoughtful about Evel as the watched the scene playing out before them. "Evel, this is Isis Xenroro and her twin brother Irin Xenroro. They are ice elementals and apparently my new bodyguards. Isis, Irin, this is Eveline Lonwood, a Knight of the Sun, and Defender of Chalicia."

"We are Royal Escort and Advisers, Knight Lonwood." Irin clarified and Anrar rolled his eyes. "All I know is that they won't stop following me." he pointed out and his gaze trailed over his friend again and he spoke softly to her. "Just like I will not stop following you. Of course I came back, Evel. Nothing could have stopped me."
 
Evel complied, lying down. She would rather not be embarrassed with her adopted father near her. She shook her head and sighed at the thought. "You're right about being thick... The captain and lieutenant will have your head. That is, once their done with me." She wondered just what the two would decide to do. She had technically just double crossed the royal family.

"Evel, I need to get back to the house. I'll visit you later." Kazo gave Evel a kiss to the forehead before leaving the room, wishing he could stay longer. However, the knights were questioning him, and they wouldn't mind just barging into his poor child's room just to question him.

"Bye, baba." Evel murmured, before looking over at the twins. "It's just Evel, Irin Xenroro. So you're Anrar's advisors and escorts, huh?" She held an extreme mistrust in her eyes as she looked over the two. If they were really who they said they were then why weren't they with Anrar's sister? Why did they only just now find Anrar? She examined them thoroughly as she laid on the bed, not in the greatest of moods. Even if Anrar did trust them to some extent, she was not in the mood to accept them right away. She had nearly died trying to save her princess, and now these two showed up trying to get on her Anrar's good side! Who knew if they even truly were looking out for Anrar or if they just wanted to screw him over like the rest of them!

Evel didn't realize that she was practically glaring at the two, green eyes full of protective anger.
 
Have his head? He'd like to see them try and there was no way in HELL they were getting to Evel. They could kiss that fantasy goodbye.

Anrar was bristling himself at the idea of such a thing, but his own anger simmered down as he watched Evel's rise up. It was not something he saw often and this time it both amused and impressed him. She was a fierce little thing when she wanted to be. He'd been telling her such for years and she never wanted to listen or believe. Well, maybe this would help her realize she had more worth than she thought she did.

That lecture for knocking him out was still coming, though. Not only had she put herself in unnecessary danger, she'd also betrayed his trust. He could forgive her for it, but the trust...that would take time to build again. Not years, but some time, perhaps months, at least. Such actions did not come without far-reaching consequences. She hadn't trusted him to help her, had taken matters into her own hands even if just out of the panicked desire to protect and therefore he couldn't trust that she wouldn't do it again. He'd never take away her choice like that and a part of him was still hurt that she'd done it to him.

And what was worse...the guilt he felt was nearly crushing. She was here, injured onto the point of dying and he'd been doing nothing but trying to find his way back to Chalicia. She'd been in danger and he'd been wandering the wilderness. He'd been useless. Completely and utterly useless and that rankled with his honor, pride and with the protectiveness inside him that told him to shield those he cared about.

And Evel was the only person on that list.

He'd failed that duty.

But it was not something he'd bring up now, probably not for a little while yet even. He'd let her heal first, see what kind of crap this situation they were in caused first. And right now he would keep her from burning the face off his newest companions with her stare alone. His hand brushed through her hair again with a soft chuckle. "Easy, little spitfire. You'll see the room ablaze." He looked between the silent twins - Irin was just like that most the time and Isis didn't feel like answering a question they'd already confirmed - and the small Knight with a sigh. "Evel, I know this is sudden and strange, and I will explain it to you, but not here. There are too many unfriendly ears here. For now, can you not simply trust my word on this matter?"

It wasn't like he was overly fond of people or trustful of them anyway.
 
Evel looked between Anrar and his new companions before sighing. "Fine... Just don't do stupid things like I do, alright?" She was entirely aware that what she had done to him was idiotic and completely unlike her, but she wasn't thinking. All she had on her mind was danger to Anrar. Maybe she thought he would go find his sister or his old friends or something if she sent him off. She wasn't sure. The small knight was sort of happy to see that he had followed her back.

She looked over at the two, curious and wanting to know a bit more about them. Were they just advisors? Or were they actually friends of Anrar? Was the girl his betrothed? It made sense in a way, but that made her stomach do flips in a horrible way. Anrar already having a betrothed... She didn't want to think about it. It was most likely, him being a prince who had been alive longer than she had existed, but a part of her wanted it to not even be a possibility.

There was a knock at the door which made the people in the room look up. "Um, excuse me, but Captain Merrick would like to have a word with Mr. Stormsky and Ms. Lonwood alone." A young nurse stood nervously, unsure how the two knights would react. The other nurses had tried to get the two important knights to wait, but they had ben insistent. They wouldn't leave without talking to the two.
 
Anrar shook his head slightly at her words to him, but his hand found Evel's squeezing gently. He'd be careful and now that he had her again, he knew everything would be all right. He would make sure it was if only for her sake. And apparently that started now. The fire elemental knew that the healer was not to blame, but she was the one who had to deliver the message, so they he was not angry with her, his words were clearly angry ones even if he kept his voice even so as not to scare the poor elf too badly.

"You may tell Captain Merrick and Lieutenant Calen that if they wish to talk to me and Knight Lonwood, then they can do so in the presence of the two elementals with me. If they do not feel like accepting that condition, then they can feel free to wait." There. Now they could be aware that Isis and Irin were just like him.

Anrar had never - NEVER - spoken to any elven authority in such a manner, but they had never done something to obliterate his respect for them either. They'd tried to have him killed, though. Had tried to have Evel killed. And he was inclined to believe that they'd tried to have the Princess killed too at this rate. He didn't have all the details yet, but it seemed highly suspicious. That might not be the case, but it still remained that they were going to have him and Evel killed. That was bad enough.

And while the fire elemental had never wanted status, had been more shocked than interested that he was a Prince....right now...he just might use it to his advantage.
 
The nurse nodded, shaking as she turned only to have Captain Merrick and Lieutenant Calen walk into the room. The captain looked slightly scared, almost horrified while the lieutenant had no expression. Merrick started to speak, wringing his hands. "Lonwood. Stormsky. We wanted to apologize-"

"For what? Failing at killing the threat?" Evel asked quietly as she stared straight at the two, face blank. Even though she was in a vulnerable position, she seemed to intimidate the Captain. He took a step back, holding his hands up.

"N-no! We-I-knew nothing of this ambush the centaurs had planned! I didn't know that you two were leaving on this mission!" He begged, trying to make himself look innocent. He looked guilty, oh so guilty. He started to continue. "I had no-"

"Shut up." It was a soft statement. One that could barely be heard, yet it made the man stop dead in his tracks. "Just shut up. You knew. You knew that they were planning to kill Anrar. You wanted him to get killed. It was all part of a trade. The head of the centaur's greatest enemy for the princess. The whole treaty thing was bullshit, wasn't it?" When the captain didn't respond, Evel continued, continuing to stare straight into the eyes of the two men. "It was all great for you. You got the princess back and eliminated the one person that threatened the kingdom most."

There was a prolonged pause. Evel looked away from the two, not able to stand their faces any longer. No one could see her face as she managed to choke out. "Even after he did so much for your kingdom... You still wanted him dead. You didn't like that he was powerful... Even though he never did anything to harm the elves..."

"He was reported to attack one of our sol-"

"SHUT UP!" Evel was shaking now, tears falling down her face. "He was protecting me during those times! It was all out of defense and you punished him for it! If I had retaliated on my own he wouldn't have had to been charged with that and I would just have had to skip out on a dinner! He did nothing to harm the elvish kingdom, you hear? Nothing!" She was nearly sobbing, her hands now covering her face. "All he did was help us and you still tried to kill him... He just needed a home and you sent him to his death..."

The captain was speechless, surprised that this one person, this one bowman who was known to be so quiet, had screamed at him and blamed him for all that had happened. He deserved it though. It was all true...
 
Anything Anrar might have said was silenced when Evel spoke. From the first word to the last, he listened in as much rapt attention as the Captain and Lieutenant to her. With each word, though, and each tone, his pride for her grew, his approval grew and the fire elemental kept himself firmly in the path of the two male elves from the female one, protecting her from where he stood, silent as a granite statue and his expression close enough to that stone that he could have been made of it. He had nothing to say to these people, not really, nothing that would make anything better, nothing that would punish their mistake harshly enough. And there was nothing they could say that would make him respect them again.

When Evel was done, Anrar merely looked to the two males and he shook his head, dark green eyes ablaze with fire. "You are both a disgrace to your people." He said nothing more, sitting on the edge of the bed again and he gently, ever so carefully, pulled her into a hug where his arms wrapped more about her neck and upper shoulders than her back, his hand in the hair at the back of her head. "Shh, little bird. I'm right here. I'm all right."

"Now see here, you cur! This kind of insubordination will not be tolerated by one such as you or your whore of a-" Calen's pompous words were cut off abruptly as Isis moved like a she-devil. Fast as lightning she had moved and slammed the elf against the wall, hand on his throat and living, swirling ice having traveled up her arms to the edges of her fingers, just barely grazing the Lieutenants neck with the freezing cold. "You will not speak to the Prince of Senecra in such a manner, nor his mate." she hissed out like a blizzard storm and Calen gaped at her - Prince?! - and Isis gave a cold, deadly smile, never looking away from her captive.

"Prince Anrar, would you have me dispose of this worthless worm?"

The blond didn't even look over, his fingers running through Evel's hair, comforting her, something far more important to him. "He's not worth your power, Isis. Leave him be." he answered calmly and the ice elemental sighed as if disappointed and released the Lieutenant, letting him choke and gasp for air as she slowly walked away, as deadly as a snow leopard. "Shame. Could have saved the Elven Royal Family some rope for the hanging."

Irin let out a chuckle to that and Anrar smirked just a bit before he looked to Merrick and Calen. "You apology is wasted here. If that is all you have to say, then you're free to leave."
 
Merrick was stricken cold before bowing and leaving. "We're leaving, Calen." He said calmly. When the lieutenant tried to protest, he glared. "I said, we are leaving." With that, the two men left, the captain thoroughly taken down a peg. He was going to promote Evel after the mission, assuming she made it out alive. He just lost one of the most powerful knights he had and his best bowman.

Evel kept her head buried into Anrar's chest until she heard the word 'mate'. She chuckled quietly at that, sniffling a bit as she tried to wipe away her tears. "Mate. Even your own people think we're that close..." She tried to regain some of her dignity after sobbing like a complete baby. "Is it so wrong for a man and woman to just be friends?" She tried to joke, thinking Anrar still thought of her as just his friend. He didn't deny the mate thing though, so that definitely was a bit strange. Maybe he didn't catch it? She doubted it.

The small knight tried to push herself away from Anrar a bit, not wanting to look weak and helpless anymore in front of his new friends. They seemed to be on his side for now... "I'm sorry about that... I must've looked like a right fool blubbering like that... Hell, I probably looked even worse before! Injured because of my own idiotic thoughts." She couldn't hold back the winces of pain as her wounded back started to protest to her doing so much that made it move at all. She bit her lip to stifle a whimper, not wanting to look weak anymore.

The silly elf had such a strange sense of pride.
 
At the first word from Evel - Mate - Anrar's mind stilled of all its chaotic, high-speed thoughts and plans. That was not the first time that word, that assumption had come up and this time, for the first time, he gave it some actual thought as he subtly looked down at Evel, saying nothing to refute or affirm her words....or anyone else's. More and more he was letting comments like that slide. Why? Was his subconscious actually trying to tell him something, something that everyone else had been aware of far longer than he had? Did he want just that? Evel had been his friend for so long, he'd consciously assumed she would only ever want to be that, but...

Maybe he'd just been blind to what she might feel and deaf to his own heart?

He'd felt such fear, such overwhelming fear when he'd heard she was injured so badly. His first thought had been that he couldn't lose her. Not that he didn't want to lose her, that he couldn't lose her. And with the mermaids...and knowing she was going to the centaurs, the idea that anyone would hurt her....such feelings, such thoughts, such reactions had only gotten stronger as the years had progressed and he'd always just assumed that...that it was because he had a problem, couldn't control his anger....but what if it had been something else?

She was trying to pull away and Anrar realized he'd not been letting her. His first inclination was to hold her tighter, to not let her part from him, but he controlled the impulse and slowly let her go. The blond listened to her words and he slowly shook his head, rolling his eyes just a bit, more affectionate than exasperated. "Evel, you hardly looked the fool." he assured her, moving swiftly to help her lay back down, giving a stern look to forestall any protests. She might want to be strong - and she was - but not at the risk of her health. He wouldn't allow it. And she owed him that much; to stay down and get better.

His fingers brushed her hair back again and dark green eyes met the lighter shade of the female. "I might have to start calling you, 'little lioness' from now on."

"I think it would suit her." Isis chimed in, looking at her nails nonchalantly and she looked up with a smug look and a raised brow. "You really should have let me freeze him, though." she pointed out to Anrar. Irin sighed. "Isis, the last thing we need to cause is a pre-mature war."

His sister rolled her eyes. "You're no fun."
 
Evel felt herself blush at the new nickname and shook her head. "I think I prefer little bird... And we elves already have to deal with the nymphs after we finish our war with the centaurs!" She chuckled a bit as she thought about it. The elves were really good at picking fights, but horrible at making peace. She wondered just how the nation was going to stay a float.

The little group was interrupted by the nurse coming in with a small bowl of herbs for the young knight to drink. "If you three would please leave, visiting hours are over." The nurse said, moving over to Evel.

The small elf reached over for Anrar's hand. She gripped his hand tightly before looking up at the nurse with her best puppy dog eyes. "Please don't make him leave..." She asked in a near whisper, trying to look like she was about to cry. She didn't want to be alone in the stupid hospital where she would end up waking up in the middle of the night all alone.

The nurse quickly bit her lip, looking more than a bit guilty. "I'm sorry, youngling, but the doctor would be mad if he doesn't leave." Evel felt herself from inside before stepping up her game, coughing a bit and whimpering, trying to look as innocent and injured and pure as possible, her eyes watering as she looked up at the nurse. The woman started to look extremely uncomfortable before finally... "Fine! I'll let him stay, but only for tonight, alright?" The nurse seemed nervous as Evel nodded. As the woman left, the elf immediately lost her act and pulled her hand from Anrar's.
 
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