Caroline ripped the envelope open carefully and took out the tear-stained letter.

~≈◇≈~

Dear Caroline,

I'm sorry things had to be this way, but I don't want to get between you and the sake of the kingdom. I know you probably hate me for saying this, but I have to leave the palace.

You're going to be queen, and I don't want to distract you from your duty to your people. If you're reading this, it means that I'm already gone.

I couldn't pluck up the courage to tell you in person. I knew I wouldn't be able to go and that would be selfish. I also know that I'm a coward for not meeting you and I'm sorry I've been avoiding you these days. I just couldn't bear the fact that things were over the moment you found a suitor.

I was sure that you'd try to find a way for us to work it out, you always do. This time, though, there was nothing and I'm sorry things had to end this way.

You're not going to hear from me any time soon; I'll try to keep a distance for a while. I've already given my parents their goodbyes and quit my job at the kitchens.

Again, I'm sorry I couldn't face you. It was just too hard... I'll never forget you. Maybe one day, we'll meet again, but for now all I have to say is a goodbye and that I love you.

Faith

~≈◇≈~



Caroline wiped a tear and looked at the letter in disbelief. Something wasn't right about that letter, but she couldn't really put her finger on it. She frowned and read it again and again, each time crying even more and sobbing harder. She couldn't lose Faith; she loved her too much.

She really hoped the whole thing was a joke and that Faith would barge into the room laughing and making her feel better.

But that didn't happen. The door remained shut and Caroline kept sobbing.

She remembered the day she and Faith interacted for the first time. It was the first time Tristan managed to make her sneak out of the palace with him, along with some of the servants their age.

Caroline was mostly on her own against a wall while the others danced and laughed and got drunk. She was regretting that decision and wanted to go home, when Faith approached her.

"What's wrong?", she had asked her.

"Oh... Nothing. I just don't like parties a lot.", Caroline had shrugged.

"I used to be like that too, but then I learned to let myself go.", the girl had smiled. "I'm Faith, nice to meet you.", she had extended her arm.

"Caroline."

"I know.", Faith had smiled. Then she blushed. "I mean, you're the princess... Everyone knows who you are.", she had rushed.

"Right...", Caroline had sighed bitterly.

"Hey, don't worry about that! How about you grab a drink and we go dance a bit? Forget about your duties for a while."

"Um... I don't know...

"Oh, come on! Who knows? You might have some fun."

"Alright...", Caroline had given in and Faith had grabbed her by the wrist and led her to the others.



Caroline had made Tristan proud that night, and she also laid in bed thinking about her new friend.

That's what she did the night she received the letter too, only this time she only felt heartbreak instead and sadness of happiness and butterflies.

*~°~*

Tristan and Violet spent the next day touring the rest of the palace. Violet really needed to earn Tristan's trust, and even though her flirting had only been a way of charming him at first, she had started to find it hard to stop thinking about him.

One might say that this was weird, since it had only been a day since they met, but even though Violet had had crushes and been in relationships before, she failed to recognise the symptoms. Because of that, she was oblivious to what was going on, so she didn't pay attention to it.

"I've been meaning to ask you...", Tristan told her at some point.

"Well, ask me.", she laughed.

"Right. I'm sneaking out of the palace with some other servants tonight, and I thought that you might want to come?", he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Are you asking me out, Cornel? Isn't it a little too early?", she teased him.

"I didn't- I didn't mean it like that!", he stammered.

"So you're not asking me out? I'm a little offended.", she sighed dramatically.

"I mean, if you want- like, I'm alright with that--", he blushed.

"It's a date then.", Violet laughed. "You're going to pick me up, though. I still don't know my way around the palace.", she smirked confidently.

"Alright. I'm fine with that.", he gave her a goofy smile.

"Where are we sneaking off to?"

"Outside the walls, in town. There's this tavern where they know all about us and let us go have fun after closing times. We've been going there for years.", Tristan's face lit up.

"And they haven't ratted you out to your father?", she asked in surprise.

"Nah. We haven't made any huge damage to the place and we always leave a good tip. Besides, I think that the owner's daughter has a thing for me", he winked at her.

"Oh, does she now?", Violet glared at him, raising an eyebrow. "Won't she be jealous that you asked me out on a date at her parent's tavern?"

Tristan blushed, realising his mistake. He had just made a girl jealous, which would soon make another girl jealous and start a war. "I didn't mean it like that!", he tried to save it, but it was too late.

"Then how did you mean it?", Violet kept glaring at him. He took a moment too long to reply. "Thought so. I'll see you tonight, Tristan.", she grumbled and rushed away.

Tristan decided that the best person to talk about his mistake was Caroline, something he regretted the moment he walked in her room.

"What's wrong?", he furrowed his eyebrows when he saw his sister sitting cross-legged on her bed and staring at the wall opposite her. She didn't even turn to look at him. "Caroline. What's wrong?"

She turned around. Her eyes were sparkling with tears and she had dark circles under her eyes. That's when he noticed that her short hair weren't done and were flying all over the place. "Faith left.", she said softly.

Tristan's face fell. "What do you mean she left? Where did she go?"

Caroline shrugged. "She didn't say.", she sighed.

That's when Tristan remembered the envelope. "Can I see the letter?", he asked her.

His sister shrugged apathetically again and motined towards the letter, which was lying on the floor, with her head.

Tristan picked it up and read it quickly. "And you believe that? It seems fake.", he frowned.

"It's her handwriting.", Caroline argued. "But yeah... Something is off about it.", she agreed eventually.

"You know what? I'm taking you with me tonight. We're sneaking out again and you need to spend some time outside this place.", he told her.

"But I don't want to go out. I already have plans.", she pouted.

"Crying in a pillow all night isn't what I'd call having plans."

"I don't care. I want to stay in."

"I don't care either. Besides, I need your help stopping a war tonight. Won't you do this little favor for your little brother?", he begged her.

Caroline glared at him. "What did you do?"

"I asked Violet out and then told her that the tavern's owner has a daughter who has a crush on me.", he cringed.

"Oh my God, Tristan, you're so stupid!", she exclaimed and buried her face in her palms. "Fine, I'll come. But only because I have a fair amount of ideas of how this is going to end and you're not going to like any of them."

"Thank you, you're the best and I owe you.", he hugged her. She didn't hug him back.

"Yeah, yeah... I've heard that one before.", she sighed.

"I'm really sorry about Faith...", he frowned.

"Yeah, me too. She was amazing...", Caroline muttered, but then her eyes grew wide. She jumped off the bed and grabbed the letter from Tristan.

"What is it?", Tristan asked her.

"Look at the sign off! She says "I love you"!", Caroline said loudly.

"Yeah, that's what people who are in love tend to tell to each other.", her brother said in a duh tone.

"You don't get it! We never said that to each other! We told each other to not forget to stay amazing! She didn't write the letter on her own, someone forced her to!", Caroline jumped up and down in excitement.

"Doesn't that mean she's in trouble?", Tristan frowned.

Her face darkened. "Dammit. We've got to find her!"

"Calm down! You have to think this through first! Who would have possibly made her write that?"

"I don't know... Only you knew about our relationship and you found out a couple days ago... It was a well kept secret.", Caroline frowned.

"Okay, relax. You'll figure out. You always do. Stop thinking about it and the answer will come to you.", he smiled reassuringly.

"Easier said than done.", she pouted again.

"I now. Just try! I'll be back later to pick you up.", he said and headed to the door.

"Hey, Tristan?", she called before he shut it behind him.

"What is it?"

"Thank you.", she smiled.

"I didn't do anything, this was all you.", he smiled back and left.

The moment he closed the door behind him, Caroline's smile turned into a frown, as she stared at the letter in worry.

"Don't worry... I'll find you.", she whispered and bit her lip.

*~°~*

Scott had been avoiding Crystal ever since their heart-to-heart. She was getting worried but decided to give him some space. It had obviously been hard for him to talk about his father and she didn't want to push him any further.

Crystal knew that she had had a great childhood. A happy one. Now that she knew Scott's story, she felt like it was unfair. He had stopped being a child ever since his father became an alcoholic. He had to fend not only for himself, but also his mother and little sister. Even after all this was over, he still had to put up with his drunk and abusive excuse of a father.

She couldn't even imagine what that was like and how he got through it.

"We should get going soon. We shouldn't stay in the same place for long; even if they haven't found us, it will take them far less time to track us down if we stay put.", he told her the next day.

"About that... I have an idea on where our next stop should be, but I don't think you're going to like it.", she bit her lip.

"Where?", he asked carefully.

"I want to go back to my village. Benny, my dad- well not my real dad, the guy who brought me up... Anyway, I think we should go get him.", Crystal rushed awkwardly.

"Are you kidding me? If we dare approach the village, we will be captured on the spot. That's the first place they're expecting you to go and even though you haven't showed up yet, they'll be waiting."

"I know, but that's the main reason I ran away! He can help us out; he's pretty good at tracking and fighting and all that."

"Um... Isn't that what I've been doing?", Scott looked a little offended.

"That's not what I meant! Just... Please. We can go get him and then we can go wherever you want.", she pleaded.

"I don't know, princess. It's a long shot.", he shrugged.

"Please!"

"Fine, but if we get caught... that's going to be on you.", he grumbled.

"I know. Thank you.", she smiled proudly.

"Whatever...", he rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up late, we're leaving early in the morning."

"Yeah...", she sighed.

Scott went inside and lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling and remembering the first time he went to that cabin.

It was about a week after his father kicked him out. It was raining and it was cold and he really needed a place to stay, but it was late at night and he was in the woods.

Thats when he spotted it; a small cabin in the middle of the forest. He could see light through the window and smoke coming out of the chimney. He didn't think about it much, he ran to the door as fast as he could and knocked on it.

He leaned against the wall, shaking from the cold. His teeth were chattering, he was freezing and hadn't eaten in days.

The door opened and an old lady appeared.

"Goodness! Come in!", she told him before he could explain what was going on. An old man, presumably her husband had been sitting at the dinner table, reading a book.

"Who is it?", he asked, not looking away from the book.

"I don't know, but he looks as if he's about to pass out...", she replied.

The woman and her husband, whose names were Daisy and Malcolm, took him in and helped him for a little over a month.

That's when Malcolm passed away. Daisy couldn't live in the woods alone. She did have Scott around, but he was too young to help her out economically and after hearing his story she didn't want to send him to work, so she moved in the city.

Daisy told Scott he could stay at the cabin for as long as he wanted and then they went their own separate ways. He didn't see her until about a year later, when she was on her deathbed. She had sent him a letter and they met one last time, for one last goodbye.

He suddenly heard the door open, so he pretended to be asleep. He didn't want to talk to Crystal much ever since he opened up to her. She seemed to be a good listener, but not the kind of person who understood what he had been through. She had had a good childhood and an easy life, and he thought that she probably pitied him.

She sighed and lied down on her bed. He turned his back on her.

"Seriously? I know you're awake, Scott. I- I just don't get why you're mad at me.", she frowned. He didn't reply. "Fine! Don't talk to me. Just know that opening up to someone once in a while isn't bad for you. Not all people are traitors.", she said and turned her back at him too.

I know, but I'm one. He thought.

He couldn't sleep at night. When the sun rose, he decided to go for a walk and clear his mind.

Scott hadn't walked too far from the cabin when he heard horses galloping. It could have been anything and not necessarily Alastor's men, but he couldn't risk it.

"Dammit.", he muttered under his breath and ran back to the house.

Crystal had a streak of hair in her mouth and was drooling a lot. She was fast asleep and had no idea what was going on.

"Hey, princess! Wake up. We have to go.", he told her.

"Five more minutes...", she muttered sleepily.

"They're here.", he hissed.

She shot up so fast that she almost fell off the bed.

"Whuh?", she asked him. That's when she noticed the hair in her mouth and took it out. "How? When?"

"I don't know. Get your stuff, we're leaving."

Crystal nodded and rushed to get out of her bed. She stuffed her things in her bag and made Scott turn around as she got dressed.

They were about to get out, when they heard three loud knocks on the door.

"Dammit.", Scott hissed.

"What do we do? There's no back door and they've probably surrounded the whole place.", she whispered.

"Under the beds. Now.", he mouthed.

Crystal nodded and rolled under her bed with her stuff. Scott did the same.

There were three more knocks on the door. Crystal held onto her bag for dear life.

"Ash.", she mouthed at Scott.

"He'll be fine. Be quiet.", he mouthed back.

Thr door burst open. She tried not to yelp. Scott brought a finger to his mouth and shushed her.

"Leave no rock unturned. The horse is outside, they're probably still inside.", a man growled. Crystal started shaking.

They both tried to stay quiet as soldiers looked around. Heavy footsteps approached the two beds. Crystal and Scott held their breaths. She had to put her hand over her mouth to prevent her shaky breath from being heard.

A pair of dark boots stopped near her hiding place. She backed against the wall, losing sight of her friend.

The man lifted the bedsheets and kneeled by the bed. And then he spotted her.

"Gotcha!", he smirked and grabbed her arm.

"Leave me alone!", she shrieked and tried to push him away.

"I don't think so, kiddo. Your father wants you back to the palace yesterday.", he pulled her out from under the bed. "Where's your friend? The King wants to have a... talk with him too."

"He's gone. He separated two days ago.", Crystal lied. Scott furrowed his eyebrows from his hiding place. Why was she covering for him?

"Don't lie to me, princess.", he growled. She shivered when he called her that. It was one thing having Scott, whom she considered a friend, call her that teasingly, and another having a complete stranger who was basically kidnapping her do it as if it was an insult. "We both know he's still around here somewhere. Where is he?", he yelled at her.

She flinched. "I already told you! He left!"

A loud smack, followed by an even louder thud, made Scott roll out of his hiding place and go on fight mode.

Crystal was sitting on the floor, her feet all tangled, and she was holding her cheek. She looked like she was about to cry and her face was red.

The soldier smirked again when he saw Scott. "See? I knew you were lying.", he sneered at her.

"Did you hit her?", Scott hissed.

"What are you going to do about it, kid?", the soldier mocked him.

"You're about to bloody find out.", Scott cracked his knuckles. "Emphasis on the bloody.", he glared at the guard.

And then he attacked.