It was nightfall. Sara watched with a deepening sense of dread in her stomach. He wasn’t coming. She knew she should not have stayed this long. Nightfall was when _they_ appeared. She took a deep breath and looked towards the wall on the other side of the large opening. The wall was huge and covered with green vines and moss. On the other side stood Haven. He was not coming. She swallowed hard and slowly willed her body to turn. Behind her she saw only darkness and wilderness. The forest she had grown so accustomed to traversing for the last fortnite, seemed to become an entirely different terrain under the darkness of the moon.

Sara could hear her heart pounding as she threw herself into the courtyard. As the guards lowered the gate behind her, she swore she heard the growls again and she dug her fingernails into the ground. “YOU!” The shrill voice echoed off the walls and seemed to tear away any piece of relief Sara had felt about making it home. “Where were you? Your father and I have been searching everywhere?” Sara stood using the ground to push herself up and forcing herself not to wince from the pain in her legs. She refused to show weakness in front of her stepmother. Sara cleared her throat and straightened her back before starting, “I apologize Bea, I seem to have lost track of the ti-“ Sara suddenly stopped upon seeing the other woman’s face. Beatrice’s thin lips were tight, her eyes narrowing down at Sara from were she stood. “I apologize…_mother.” _Sara dropped her gaze and swallowed hard, waiting for the servants to be summoned to beat her again. Suddenly there was a heavy arm around her shoulders and she looked up surprised to see her brother standing with a huge smile on his face. “Sara! I’m so glad to see you! Me and mum were so worried about you! Weren’t me?” He shot a quick glance towards Beatrice before continuing, “Of course dad’ll be wanting to have a few words with you now! I’ll walk with you now. Thanks for welcoming her in mother.” Sara rolled her eyes at Grants obvious attemp to defuse the tension. His huge arm seemed to intensify her pain but she was thankful for him nevertheless. When they were kids Sara and Beatrice used to chase Grant around with bugs and tell him he would always be a coward. Sara knew that wasn’t true though. After the marriage and the severing of her friendship with Beatrice, Grant was always there for her. Beatrice would never do anything to hurt Grant and they knew it, so it was easy for him to throw himself in between the two women. When they were well away from anyone Grant stopped walking and motioned for them to sit. “Thank you.” She mumbled sitting with her back against the wall, letting the cold from the stone floor soak into her palms. Grant sucked in a big breathe then sighed. “Where were you?” She turned away and gazed into the fire flickering in the sconce on the opposite wall. “I just… I got lost.” She swallowed hard. Sara knew that Grant wouldn’t believe her, he knew her too well. Grant clicked his tongue and made to stand up. “Ah wait.” He reached into his satchel and drew out a small vial. “Olivia made this, she figured you’d need a bit of perking up when she’d heard you were late.” Sara smirked up at her brother. Grant was blushing bright red, noticeable even in the dim fire light. It seemed to bring out all his best features, bright red hair and blue eyes. Just like their mother. Their _real_ mother. “How is Olivia?” Grants eyes lit up at the opportunity to talk about his trainer. “Oh Sara, she’s just amazing. She’s been teaching me new spells! She mostly knows healing spells and droughts but I don’t care, I just like listening to her talk. She gets this look in her eyes.” Sara raised an eyebrow and titled her head, “I think I’ve seen that look somewhere.” She mused sarcastically. Grant smiled a bit sheepishly and shrugged before walking down the corridor. He looked over his shoulder before turning, “Just so you know, dad really is expecting you.” Sara opened her mouth to complain but it was too late.

_Breathe in. Breath out. _Sara found it hard to stop repeating the mantra. She stood in front of the huge golden carved doors that lead to her fathers study. Did he already know she had returned? Finally, she decided it was best to bite the bullet and pushed her way through the doors. She felt extremely thankful to Olivia, since after drinking the drought it seemed as if all her aches and pains were just numb tinglings. She was mildly impressed considering she was certain that she had broken at least one of her legs. Her father looked up from his desk and smiled, waving her in he gestured for her to sit in the large arm chair next to his desk. Her father was king of Letha. He was a burly man, with wide shoulders and a long brown beard. He had brown hair, just like Sara. Sara knew she took after her father, in fact she knew that this alone was why as a child she was so spoiled. She did not hate her father, but she couldn’t understand him. She couldn’t forgive him. When she plopped down in the chair she refused to look at him, looking instead at the spread of paperwork on his desk. “Haven?” She asked, curiosity winning over her defiance. Her father slumped back. “Yes. It seems that there was an attack.” She felt him looking at her as he continued. “I was worried that you had been captured.” Sara crossed her arms. “I’m not a child.” She felt that she was being petulant but being in this room with him always seemed to bring out that childish side of herself. “I just don’t understand why we have to continue with this war? Haven’t enough people died?” Taking a chance she looked up at the king, but he was no longer looking at her. His fingers were pressed firmly into his temples and she seemed to suddenly notice the deep purple bags beneath his eyes. “Father… I-“ before the words came out there was a knock at the door and Beatrice entered. “Beatrice, love please give us a-…“ The king started, seeming to have understood the emotion in his daughters voice. “No. Please excuse me, but I am rather tired.” She hadn’t meant to sound so cold but nevertheless Sara stood, doing a small courtesy to her father, and then marched out of the room.

Sara chewed her lip. It was midday, and she was staring across the opening towards the wall again. She heard a noice from behind her and turned expectantly, but was disappointed to see Olivia. She was so beautiful, her dark skin seeming to glow under the beams of sunlight shining down between the leaves. Sara could have understood if Grant had fallen in love with her at first sight, but she knew her brother, and she knew that Olivia was so much more than her beauty. “Well well well.” Olivia smiled and slid the remaining tracking potion away into her pocket. “Grant said you’d been sneaking around, I never would have guessed you’d been here stalking our enemy.” Sara furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. “I’m not… they aren’t all enemies. They are people just like you and I.” Sara felt flushed and nervous, she didn’t understand why he had not come for her like he’d promised.

As Olivia lead her back towards home she could have sworn she heard something in the trees. A whisper_. Save him. Save him before it’s too late. _

__

__

After a week and no contact she grew worried. Nobody knew that she had been seeing the boy from Haven. In fact, she hadn’t even known who he was besides his name. She did know that she loved him. In the beginning they had just talked. When he found out she was the princess of Letha, he seemed more distant. The last time they had met he was sad, like he had lost someone or something very dear to him. She felt like an idiot for not inquiring further, but she had not wanted to push him. She decided that she needed to ask _them_.

The forest was quiet when she entered that night. She had worn a pair of Grants pants, along with his knife holster, instead of her usual gown or dress. She mud felt nice under her feet and it calmed her anxiety slightly, reminding her of the hours she spent as a child in the wilderness. “I am here. I have a question.” Her voice quivered and for a long while there was no response. She let out a breathe but before she could try again shadows began to spread all around her. A low growl seemed to be coming from all around her and yet it seemed to be coming from inside her as well. “Do not fear.” The voice was the same as the whisper, it felt cold and empty. “We have seen your heart. We can make a deal, yes?” She knew this was coming and nodded her head slightly. “W-what do you want?” The voice laughed, a terrible humorless thing.

“OPEN THE DOOR NOW.” Sara pounded on her fathers door. When it finally opened she pushed her way into the room and was relieved to see that Beatrice was nowhere to be seen. “Take me to the prisoners.” She was resolute and stared into her father eyes determined. “Sara I don’t understand.” “Father you must do as I say, I have made a deal.” The kings eyes widened and his mouth opened but no words came out. Her father nodded slowly and led her out of the room. It took a long time to get to the dungeons and neither of them spoke for a long while. Walking past the prisoners she scanned each one’s face. She stopped at the last cell and placed her hands on the bars. Tears were falling down her face and she made a noise that seemed not to have come from her at all. “Is that you…? Edward?” The man’s head twitched a bit then seemed to sink even lower than before. “Father open this cell.” Her father was stricken and walked towards her ashen faced. “Sara, I cannot open this cell. He… well he is a murderer.” Sara set her jaw. Her father finally relented, nervously unlocking the cell before stepping back. She entered the cell and kneeled beside the man, who still refused to look at her. “I need to know, what was the deal you made Sara.” The man flinched at her fathers words and looked up at her forgetting himself. He looked thinner than before, and beaten. Sara reached out a hand and placed it on the man’s cheek. He seemed to relax almost immediately, leaning his face into her palm and letting a tear trickle down his bruised cheek. “That doesn’t matter now.” She whispered. She would think about all her troubles and the horrible deal later, but for now she was happy. “I’m sorry. I tricked you, I used you, I-“ Edward was sobbing now. She smiled at him, “It’s all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” Sara stood and pulled the man up with her. She walked him out and stood in front of her confused father. “I want his charges cleared.” He blinked looking down at his daughter before turning and looking at the dirty beaten man clutching her hand. “Sara you don’t understand, Edward is the Prince of Haven. He is our prisoner” She felt the man tense but she did not hesitate. “I love him.”