Tears flow down my face as he held the knife against my throat. It shouldn’t have gone this way, we were supposed to save each other, but instead we destroyed each other.

“Aspen. Please.” I begged, my words could barley be heard above the roar of battle outside his door. “I love you.”

Something in his eyes softened and he lowered the knife. I took a deep breath taking in all the oxygen I needed. He sat down on a velvet chair that became covered in dust from years of neglect. I sat beside him, not knowing what to say.

“We can’t do this Lyla. We can’t pretend anymore.” My head shot towards him as he said this.

“Do what?”

“This?” His hands went between the two of us and I knew what he saying, and it broke my heart.

“Aspen, we can do this, we will get through this. I promise.”

“Stop it!” He yelled standing up, clutching the knife in his hand. “We can’t! We can’t do this Lyla! Stop pretending it’s all okay when it’s not!”

My heart sank and my chest physically hurt. He was breaking it off, like none of the last four months meant nothing to him. I balled my hands into fists and looked him in the eyes.

The memories flashed through my mind like a movie. The day we met, I was in the forest hunting a coroxs and he was hunting me. The corox almost killed me, he killed it. The night we officially met, The Warday ball. I was in a pink gown and he was in a beautiful black tux, his brown hair slicked back in the usall fashion. The way we danced like we were the only people in the room. The day he told me he loved me as we planned a way to bring our kingdoms together, when he kissed me like I was the most precious thing on earth. Now it all meant nothing. He meant nothing. My father was right, never trust a Maloan, they’re too weak to stand a fight.

“Fine then.” I picked up the bow and arrow I had thrown to my side and cocked it. I could see his face on the other side of the arrow. “You scared? Good.” I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

“Lyla, please.”

“It won’t work Aspen. My people were born and raised to kill, this is what I was created to do.”

I let go of the arrow and it wizzed through the air, and landed in his chest with a thud. He sank to the ground and fresh tears reached my eyes, I had no regret, I couldn’t. I am the crowned Princess of Aranon. I had no room for distractions or silly fantasies.

I walked to the boy and pulled the arrow out of his chest before whispering. “Never again.”