Evren stood out on her balcony the next morning, drawing in deep breaths of fresh air. Surprisingly, she'd managed to sleep after talking with Eris. She rubbed her forehead. Why did I tell him about Cadoc? I didn't have to.

She didn't even want to, but for some reason, when he'd asked, she felt like he deserved to know. After all, he told me about the scars on his wrists, she thought. It was only fair. Why had she taken his hand and felt those scars? Felt the lines in his palms? Felt the calluses beneath his fingers? Why had he let her?

As if summoned by her thoughts, Eris appeared in the courtyard below. He held his own stallion by the reins and Asper as well. Eris looked up and jerked his head. Evren gave him a short nod.

She pulled her curls into a simple ponytail on her way down the stairs. Evren glanced over her shoulder. There was no sign of her guards. In fact, she hadn't seen them since Eris ordered them to leave the sitting room last night. Maybe he'd rescinded his order about having them follow her.

Evren stepped out the front doors. Eris held Asper still and offered her a hand. She hesitated, then took it and let him help her up. She swung her leg over Asper's side and took the reins. Eris mounted his own stallion and they rode into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Evren asked.

"I received reports of another Loyalist attack. I wanted to see the damage for myself." He glanced at her. "I wanted you to come with me."

Evren looked away. "My guards never came back."

"I told them they need only guard you if they feel like you need to be watched."

"Why?"

"If you had any intentions of breaking our deal and killing me, I think you would've already tried." He smiled. "You should play the piano more often. I like listening to it."

"Maybe you should learn to play it yourself."

"Are you offering to teach me?" Eris raised an eyebrow.

Evren nodded after a moment. "What will you teach me in return?"

"What do you want to learn?"

Evren furrowed her brows. "I don't know how to dance."

"That can be easily remedied."

They fell silent as they carried on through the forest. Gradually, the scent of smoke hung in the air. Evren peered through the trees and her mouth fell open. An entire village had been burned to the ground. The High Lord clenched his jaw and dismounted. Evren hopped down beside him. She secured Asper, then followed Eris towards the village.

The smell of burnt flesh accompanied the smoke. Evren spied several charred bodies lying in the center of the village. More of Eris' guards' heads had been mounted on pikes.

"Why do they miss your father so much?" She asked.

"I don't know."

Eris knelt beside the pile of bodies. The head of a small child lay near his knee. Eris ran a hand down his face and covered his mouth, inhaling sharply. He stared at the child. Eris lowered his head and flames licked at his hands. They spread to the bodies, burning them into nothing but ash. The High Lord rose. There was nothing but raw pain and remorse on his features.

"When we find out who did this..." he began.

"I will make sure they suffer just as much as these people did," Evren promised. She held Eris' amber gaze, letting him see the resolution behind her words. Eris dipped his chin and returned to his horse.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

His first piano lesson did not go well. Evren had to explain everything to him four times. Celosia's watchful eye did little to help him either. Eris settled his fingers against the keys and played the notes one by one. Evren stood behind him, offering a few tips.

Eris played the notes a few more times, then began to alternate which keys he pressed, as Evren had instructed. He stumbled occasionally. "Well, Eris. I think we finally found something you're not a natural at," Celosia laughed.

"Learning to play any instrument takes time," Evren replied. "Could you do better?"

"Of course."

Eris rolled his eyes and continued playing. He mixed up the keys again and bit his lip. He repositioned his fingers. Evren watched as he played the notes once more. He gritted his teeth as he faltered again.

"You're mixing up where to put your middle and ring fingers," Evren explained.

She spread her fingers over the keys and played the chords while he watched. Eris positioned his hand again. Evren covered his fingers with her own and let him run through the notes. When he got to the tricky part, she moved her fingers atop his and he mimicked the movement. He didn't mess up. She pulled her hand away and he tried again. Eris grinned as he played through the notes without a single mistake.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a frown drift over Celosia's face. It was gone a heartbeat later. "Try it with your other hand," Evren instructed.

Eris placed his left hand on the keys and began to play. It was harder this time. He knit his brows, watching the keys as he pressed them. Evren tilted his head back up to the sheet of music she'd set before him.

"Follow the notes with your eyes. Go slow for now. You'll be able to go faster when you've learned where the keys are," she said. Eris obeyed. He played impossibly slow and made a few mistakes, but he kept at it.

Celosia yawned boredly. "If this is all you plan on doing this afternoon, I think I'll return home."

Eris didn't reply. He faltered over the notes. Evren sat down beside him and played them through. Eris tried again. Celosia cleared her throat.

"Let me try," she said.

Eris slid off the bench and Evren followed. Celosia sat down, spreading her fingers across the keys. She launched into a fast paced tune. Her fingers never missed a key. She played the song all the way through, then stood. Celosia stared at Eris and Evren expectantly.

Evren sat down at the piano again. Celosia crossed her arms. Her eyes widened as Evren began to play. The song she chose was even faster than Celosia's, filled with lilting notes that rose and fell with every chord. Eris closed his eyes, smiling.

It didn't matter that they were simply trying to show up one another. He could hear something other than silence for once. There was music in the Forest House. There hadn't been music here since before Lucien was born. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed it.

He opened his eyes. Evren's fingers still flew across the keys. A look of complete annoyance now rested on Celosia's pretty features. Evren's own cheeks were flushed. Her sea green eyes sparkled. There was almost a hint of a smile on her lips. What would her smile look like? Brilliant and happy. Beautiful. The corners of her mouth tilted up.

"I think you've proven your superiority," Celosia snapped. Evren blinked and that whisper of a smile vanished. She pulled her hands away from the keys and stood. "At least you have one quality that makes up for your Humanness."

"We'll pick this up later," Eris said before Evren could reply to the comment. She nodded and left the room. Celosia started for the door. "Stop talking to her that way."

Celosia paused. "What way?"

"Like you're better than her. Stop putting her down. Stop invalidating and condescending to her."

"I'm not," Celosia protested.

"You are! Every word you say to her has some reminder that she is Human and you are High Fae. She knows what she is. That doesn't make her less than you."

"I'm just trying to..."

"Raise yourself up in my eyes?" Eris finished for her. "Make you feel better about yourself? Prove that you're better than her?"

"No! I'm trying to be her friend like you asked me."

Eris shook his head. "No, all you're doing is trying to put her in what you think is her place. Stop."

"You don't want me to find out what happened to her parents?"

"No, I don't. If it's important, I'll find out on my own. I'm done listening to you put her down. She will not be treated as an inferior."

"But she is inferior! She's a Human!"

Eris snarled and grabbed her by the throat. "Get out. If I hear you say one more word like that about her..."

"You'll kill me?" Celosia spat. "Why do you care?"

"Because Evren has suffered more than anyone should," he growled. "And she doesn't deserve to listen to your shit. Either be her friend, really be her friend, or leave her alone entirely." Eris shoved her away. "And leave me alone while you're at it."

Celosia rubbed her neck ruefully and staggered towards the door. She vanished from sight. Eris stared at the doorway angrily. Finally, he stormed out the door and headed to the training ring.

•~ ❘ ۞ ❘ ~•

Evren remained safely hidden from sight. She didn't move until Eris and Celosia had left. She came out of her hiding spot and started up the stairs. Her thoughts spun with what she'd heard.

He asked her to befriend me so he could learn about my parents? But he doesn't want to learn anymore? She wondered. No, that wasn't it. He still wanted to learn, but he wanted her to tell him herself. He wanted her to be treated as an equal.

Because he feels sorry for me? Evren scrubbed at her face. I shouldn't have told him about Cadoc. She reached her room and stepped onto the balcony. The sound of swinging steel met her ears. She looked at the training ring. Eris was hacking away at a wooden dummy.

She'd heard the anger in his voice. Anger towards Celosia for treating her as inferior. He'd been angry with that male for insulting and touching her. He'd even seemed angry when she told him about Cadoc.

And then she remembered something. She remembered what he'd said about his father letting him hang in irons for two weeks. She remembered what little he'd said about his mother's treatment. Maybe he did feel sorry for her, but that wasn't all. Maybe he understood how it felt to be viewed as lesser. As worthless. Maybe he knew what being treated like property felt like.

And maybe, just maybe, Celosia had been wrong. Maybe he had stood up for her because he understood and he didn't want anyone else to feel the way he'd felt. Maybe he'd been powerless to help himself and now he was using his power to help her. Evren watched Eris continue to swing at the dummy. He paused, wiping sweat from his forehead, then went back to attacking. Maybe he did care. Maybe this monster was kind.