“Well what do you suppose we do. We can’t just sit here, helpless and afraid.” I spoke to my mother with such disdain in my voice, on any regular day I would have gotten lessons on being proper. “Ellisette. Your father and his men are fighting this war. We have been over this, you _cannot_ go fight.” I clenched my fists until my knuckles went white. Perhaps any regular princess would have listened but I could not just sit in my room and let everyone in that god forsaken village die. “I’m going to my room.” I stood up and hurried away from my mothers judging eyes, to my room.

I grabbed the dagger I had kept hidden in my drawer for years waiting for an excuse to use it and hid it in my corset. I hurried through the halls of the castle and made sure to stay in the shadows as to not advert attention to myself from any servants or my mother. When I finally reached the corridor leading to the entry way I practically ran to escape the clutches of my home.

As I walked out, _his_ image flashed into my mind; prince Grayson. The son of King Espian. His father had started this war and ever since then my hatred for him has grown. If I killed Grayson then Espian would call off the war, too devastated to keep fighting, and everything would be at peace again. My mind raced. I couldn’t do this. He has never even done anything to make me hate him, he has ever only done things that made me fond of him. My parents have always just taught me to hate him. My heartbeat picked up and I bit my lip. He probably was trying to kill me as well, and he had much better training. I was as good as gone but I took my caramel brown hair out from the tight bun I kept it in and headed straight for the woods.

As I was walking, I made the mistake of having my guard down and I got ambushed. It was a three on one. I pulled the dagger from my corset and sized up my opponents. “What’s a princess like you, doing out here alone?” The one on the left of me said with a smirk on his face. He looked to be about thirty with several scars on his face. “I’m sure Espian would like to see her dead.” The one on the right added on. He was much older and had one scar going down the length of his face. The third one, behind me, was probably in his early twenty’s. He didn’t say a single word and he looked scared. He would be the easiest target.

I lunged and my dagger went clean across the young ones throat. He fell to the floor, blood pouring from the fresh wound, no doubt he would die within seconds. I spun around in time to see the older one make a move, he slashed at my arm with his sword but missed and nearly tripped. Then a voice from behind them spoke, smooth and confident, “Stand down.” It was Grayson. He had a silver chest plate on and his sword was pointed at the two men. The younger one spoke first, “But sir, this is the princess. We kill her now, they stand down.” Grayson took a step closer, eyes narrowed, “I gave you an order, I expect you to follow it.” The older one spoke next. “Very well sir. We shall go back to the kingdom to speak with your father. Come now Castel.” The two guards hurried off through the woods until they were out of sight.

Grayson took a step closer, “I can probably make a guess as to what you’re thinking. If you kill me, then my father will stand down. I’m thinking the same thing but with you.” He gently loosened my grip on my dagger and it fell to the floor. After that he put his sword down in the grass. _Why did I let him do that? _“Why don’t you just kill me?” I look up at him and his eyes take me off guard. Striking green, with hues of sea blue in them. His golden blonde hair was messy from fighting all day but he still looked, _perfect_. “Why would I kill such a beautiful, albeit, stubborn girl?” He paused and looked at me curiously for a second before adding, “I want this war to end as much as you, but that doesn’t mean one of us has to die.”

Me and Grayson have known each other for our whole lives. Our kingdoms were usually at peace. On my eighteenth birthday was when the war started, but ever since I was sixteen I had dreamt of dancing with Grayson at one of the party’s my mother hosted, I would never admit it but it was the truth. When we were children we would always meet in the woods and explore. It was forbidden but we both loved breaking the rules. Looking at him now, we had both grown up so much. We had other things to worry about now. Bigger things than getting caught in the woods.

Grayson took a step closer, now having only inches apart. “Do you remember meeting in the woods when we were younger?” He had a small smile on his face but I wouldn’t meet his gaze. I laughed softly, “How could I not? I was always so paranoid of getting caught but you always told me you would take the blame.” The mood was strange. We were in the middle of a war but we were talking so casually, as if everything was normal again. “It’s almost like old times.” He put his hand on my waist and I gasped but I didn’t stop him. He pulled me closer and I met his eyes. He looked at me like no one ever has, he looked at me with the look I’ve only ever dreamt about…

He looked at me as if he loved me.

“I’ve never found a way to tell you this, but,” Graysons voice was soft and careful but I cut him off, “I know.” I brought my hands up to his face and pressed my lips to his. Kissing him was every fantasy come true, every dream, every nightmare, every emotion, everything. His hands were warm against my back, and his lips were so soft. I ran my hands through his hair and I felt him smile slightly against my lips. He had always felt the same way but was too afraid to tell me, just like I had been. And the only thing keeping us apart _now_ was a war.

He pulled back and looked at me in disbelief and then chuckled to himself. “I think I know a way to stop the war.” He looked at me again and my heartbeat quickened. How could we possibly stop this? What was his plan? And suddenly he took a step back and I already yearned to feel his touch again, but what happened next was worth every moment he was away from me.

“Ellisette Hales, will you marry me?” I fell into his arms and hugged him while crying, “Of course.” I whispered it softly but he still heard and smiled down at me in his arms. “I will never leave your side, Love.” He whispered this into my ear and tilted my chin up. I looked into his eyes which were glistening with unshed tears and he kissed me.