She looks around and meets my eyes.

It is just for a spilt second, but I know that she broke right through my masks.

I borrow the ability of a Hyper nearby and listen closely towards the conversation between Kitt and Paedyn.

"As you know, this isn't exactly a choice." I hear him whisper, and my blood starts to boil.

HOW DARE HE SAY THAT TO HER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Red clouds my vision, and it takes me all my strength to not storm towards the throne, snatch Pae, and run away with her.

Because there is always a choice.

Kitt orders two Imperials to escort her back to the room she stayed in during the trials, and I decide to silently follow them.

I borrow the powers of a veil and make my way towards them, making sure to stay silent.

----

It takes all of my self-control for me not to kill those two Imperials who are dragging her mercilessly to her room.

She randomly looks back, so I discard my invisibility, and her eyes widen.

But I lift a finger to my lips and and mouth "come to my room" while pointing towards the door in front of hers.

She nods, stays silent, and continues to follow those bastards.

----

I wait for Pae inside the room I stayed in during the trials.

Sighing, I check my watch.

She's late.

She should've been here by now, unless...

... Unless she is in danger.

I consider checking on her, but decide against it, since there might be Imperials gaurding her room.

After exactly six minutes and thirty-four seconds, I feel a pair of hands grab my shoulder from behind.

Instinctively, I turn around, and within a milisecond, my dagger is pressed against the neck of the person who dared to surprise me from behind.

My grip releases as I stare into a pair of ocean blue eyes, in which I usually drown.

But today, those beautiful eyes were drowning in themselves, filled with tears that weren't supposed to be there in the first place, because they didn't deserve to cry.

She didn't deserve to cry.

Didn't deserve to be sad, not after everything she's been through.

She deserves to be happy.

Is that tol much to ask for?

Those eyes stare back into mine, now the tears spilling out of them.

"Pae," I whisper, kissing those tears away, "Pae, shh, it will be alright."

I hug her, and her face sinks into my shoulder, but I can feel her shaking her head.

"It won't be okay." Her voice breaks, a sob escaping her lips, "I said 'yes'."

Her body is now shaking against mine.

I lead her to the bed and sit down, and she proceeds to sit on my lap, her face still buried in my shoulder.

I just hold her, murmuring words of comfort, while she just sobs.

It breaks my heart to see her break down like this, and I would gladly kill anybody who would make her cry like this, even if it was my own brother.

After a while, she looks up and wipes away her tears.

"Well, this is it, I guess..." She trails off.

I gripp her by the shoulders.

"This is NOT how it ends. We haven't been through all of this shit, just for you to go through hell again!" I said firmly.

"But... Kai, HE'S GONNA MAKE YOU KILL ME! I CAN'T DO THAT TO YOU!"

"Pae! Pae, look at me. We will escape this palace, ok?"

"W-what?" Her eyes are wide with shock and surprise.

"Yes." I take a deep breath. "We're gonna run away, ok?"

She nods.

"But... how?"

"I don't have an exact plan yet. But meet me here tomorrow in the morning. Before the palace is awake."

"Okay." She nods and hugs me. "We need to get going. It's lunchtime."

I press her a quick kiss on the lips before making us invisible again -a quiet thanks to the veil nearby -and slip out of the door.

I then let her go a few steps forward before taking off the invisibility.

Together, we make our way towards the Dining Hall.