I sing about war, about loss and about how short the life of a soldier is. Johnny, I hardly knew ye. Even though, I'm sure most of them didn't catch the meaning of the last rhyme.

They never shall have our sons again.
Johnny, I'm swearing to ye.

Eve still eyes me with an unforgiving stare and I'm not sure why she is so mad at me. I raise my mug, which got refilled by Naveena, in Eve's direction, "Fitting enough, my Lass?"

She doesn't grant me an answer but turns around to sit down between Lester and Lloyd. Sven is still clapping when he sits down and I can hear him tell the others that he told them. Whatever it is he said, I seem to have been a subject of their conversation and not only their game.

"By the way, my name is Connor, Ethan. Good to have another Irish lad here, the Scots are about to take over otherwise," the demanding beast grins at me from the side. I should have known he is Irish, with that attitude. His body is not too deformed yet but his hair is long and wild.

"What about you? What are your talents to entertain us?" I can hear Connor ask Charles. "I'm not here for anybody's entertainment," Charles answers coldly eying me, "...unlike my former jailer over there as it seems."

"You should be grateful I didn't show you what kind of entertainment Lord Blackwood's dungeon is capable of," I groan and take off my gloves to get myself a cigarette.

At least I was so wise to save a package, but they will also be gone soon. My thumb finally decided to show a little stump and makes it a little easier for me.

"Grateful?" he snorts but Lyall interrupts him.

"The two of you will have enough chances to go on each other's throats. It's enough for tonight. Enjoy the beer," Lyall nods at me.

I nod too and take another draw on my cigarette when I hear some kind of buzzing noise. I turn around and so does Lyall. I think he can also hear it. A growl of pain can be heard and anger creeps up my throat as I see Tristan pulling out an arrow from his shoulder.

He was about to approach us. I take a look at the direction where it came from. All the others around me are also highly alerted, but this has nothing to do with our murders and the people for whom we are waiting for.

Maria. I can see her eyes as she slips down from a tree, trying to sneak away. She looks at me caught in action.

That's it.

I told her to kill me quickly but she instead dared to attack Tristan while I'm still around the corner. What did she believe would happen with that little arrow of hers? She should better have aimed for my head. Now it's my turn.

"Lyall...?" I hiss out angrily and he looks at me questionably. "You better think about a punishment for me already because I'm going to kill her." After that rather calm statement, I shout out into Maria's direction, "Run, little bunny, run!"

And she runs. Lyall tries to get hold of me as I start running to the trees where Maria just was, but I can slip through. Chaos breaks out around the fireplaces as Lyall barks his commands at the beasts to go and catch us, while Tristan commands our guards to keep calm and stay where they are. I am chasing Maria and closing the distance between us very fast while the other beasts try to prevent the unavoidable.

She could have waited to attack me until I'm alone, but she never was good at planning. This night and Tristan as a target was the worst choices she could have made. All I can think of is to break her bones, bleed her out and last but not least eat her soul. Her fate is sealed. Nobody attacks Tristan without punishment.

The tree trunks are rushing by and the uneven forest floor full of roots slows both of us down. I can clearly smell her fear whiffing over my face as I run directly behind her. When I finally come close to her at a small clearing I waste no time and throw myself on her back, making both of us fall.

"Did you think I would care if I face death for killing you?" I snarl while we roll around before I finally am able to pin her down and ram my knee into her spine. With deft fingers, I pull out the dagger I've stored in my boot. Whoever expected me to come to this ceremony unarmed was mere naive. She breathes in sharply as she feels the knife gliding into her abdomen deep enough to cause her pain.

I cut her open just far enough to bury one of my hands into her guts and ram my fangs into the sensitive skin where her throat and shoulder connects. Through her resistance, she manages to kick the dagger out of my hand but that's okay. I already got a grip inside of her.

Her screams and cries come out stifled but I barely hear it anyway as I start drinking from her. I don't have much more time, because Lyall and the beasts, followed by Tristan and Eve, stop at the line of trees that frame the little glade.

"Ethan! Stop it! I'm fine," I can hear Tristan's voice but I really don't feel like stopping. As a response, I just let go for a moment and bite her once more roughly. Another scream and her arms trying to push me away at my shoulders, but I just move my hand to cause her more pain.

She. Attacked. Tristan.

"You stupid fool! Stop it or I'll break your neck!" Tristan threatens and I can feel the spirits of Maria slowly starting to drift into me, while I hold her throat into custody and preventing her from biting back.

"Is that how you killed that maid?" Tristan's voice like thunder. Henriette's picture flashes up in my mind as I realize this is exactly the way I attacked her for the first time. It was the same reason, right?

With an obvious struggle, I stop to drink and turn Maria around to press her back against my chest. She screams in agony as my hand in her guts moves around once more and she is close to faint. My other hand forces her chin to face the others before I take a look at them myself.

A dirty grin on my face, her treacherous blood runs down my lips, chin, and throat. I can't prevent a wicked laugh, but try to clear my mind which is fighting for control to either take all her blood or leave her alone.

"Ethan, stop it. Now," Tristan commands and takes a few steps in my direction. I take a look at Lyall. There is no reaction in his face

"He marked her last time, but I didn't think he'll keep his threat," he says to Tristan. I'm no pretender, he should already know. "You better stop now, butcher. You already started to take her in, you broke her," he says calmly.

"What the hell is going on with you lately?" Tristan takes over the word again. "We've been over that stage of blind brutality! Now let her down and tell me already what happened that night you killed Henriette!" Tristan growls out angrily.

I move out my hand of Maria's abdomen and she screams out once more as I run my nose up her throat to her ear. With a rough movement, I crack her neck and she slides to the floor.

Her body may seem lifeless now but I know she will heal. Maybe it will take a while, but she will wake up again. My look waves away from her and into Tristan's face. I start to slowly pace away from her but keep my eyes locked with Tristan.

"You owe me the truth, Ethan. Tell me what happened," he shouts at me. I know that he is talking about Henriette again but I keep my mouth shut but take a stance.

"You are such a stubborn fool!" he curses, "Do you really think I buy your silence as a confession? I'm not that stupid. I demand to know what you obviously hide from the council. I demand to know what you hide from me!" he keeps on ranting and my anger still sticks within my throat.

Like a fish on land craves for water, my body is craving for blood right now and it's hard to concentrate on his words.

"Hell, Ethan – how could you sell your name for whatever? It was me who gave you that name! How could you kill that girl? We both know she looked up to you! I know that there is more to it... what kind of relationship was this!" that's the moment his ice-blue eyes also flash up drilling into my green orbs.

Does he want to have that talk right here? Forcing me to a statement? Alright, then he'll have it. I won't allow him to talk about Henriette in front of so many strangers. I won't allow him to regret his decisions.

"You knew exactly, that I never really fitted in your little fairytale kingdom!" I start, "You only used me to do the things you wanted to turn a blind eye on, but we both know you never really needed me for that. I owe you nothing! Not anymore," I shout at Tristan and he gives me a loud and dangerous growl.

Even some of the beasts flinch at the mighty sound. "As if you'd ever let somebody use you," he throws his hands in the air in a dismissive gesture, "I built this kingdom for you too! How dare you, stepping onto that heir with both feet?"

"Heir? Who the fuck do you think you are? I'm fed up with

all the twisted gossip from the headquarters about what and who I am and supposed to be. I'm also fed up with you denying the truth about this world. Just because you let me do all your dirty work, it's not vanishing. I won't be your benchmark of where cruelty starts anymore," I spit the words at him and he clenches his teeth and shows me his fangs.

"How dare you?" he repeats dangerously silent.

"How I dare to do what? Speaking my mind? Do you think I am stupid? I did realize that every time I did something you didn't fully agree with another edict slipped onto the council's table. Another law got passed by to make sure to restrict me step by step, making me your tamed lap dog!" I narrow my eyes at him. The last time Tristan and I had such an encounter is a hundred years ago.

I never talked back, not to him. Not in public.

He never gets angry. Not like that. Not in public.

Our people know him as the calm but strict ruler, but I also know his other side. They respect him and maybe they figured that there must be something that makes me listen to him, but I don't think they really saw him like that before. He is craving for control and I'm about to slip out of his system.

Lyall takes an appraising look at the both of us as Tristan's muscles start to tense up, his eyes still glowing. I intuitively take a defensive position. I can't hold back anymore.

"You are right, Tristan. Nobody will ever use me again, especially not you. I am what I am, and I live with the consequences of my own decisions. You thought you banned me? You set me free."

I can see him gritting his teeth and his hands forming to fists, but he is not the only one who is angry. This idiot should let go of me finally! It's then when he straightens out and looks at Lyall.

"Would you mind, when I take that into my own hands here?" he asks full of respect and Lyall shakes his head.

"Do as you please, I'd just drain him after that..." Tristan unbuttons his official jacket too and it slips down to the ground. I growl at him.

"This is far overdue," his voice trails off and his look is hard and cold, "You think I got too soft, hm? You think I was hiding behind you? I trusted you and all you did is hiding. I'm also fed up. Fed up the way you think hiding the truth is not a lie. I'm fed up with how you try to protect me by leaving me in the dark. I'm fed up with you not letting me help you; pretending that you need nobody."

"If I die here I will happily acc―"

I can't finish what I was about to say because he jumpstarts at me. I wasn't prepared for the brutality he is attacking with. The first few hits land in my face as if I never wanted to defend myself. Something breaks but then I'm finally able to fight back.

This isn't a lesson. We both intend to hurt each other. That's nothing like the friendly fight I had with Lyall or the totally unbalanced one with Maria. This is raw. This is just how we started to work together. The first fight we ever had wasn't that advanced though. We learned from each other. We grew strong because of each other.

His moving pattern didn't change over the years we didn't have fought each other and for the others, it must look like

a choreographed dance. We know each other's weaknesses and strengths and can predict the next moves. I'm pretty glad that I just had a lot of blood from Maria or I'd already lay down at the ground with a broken neck. I thought that his fighting abilities are rusty because I barely ever saw him doing any kind of training but I'm just about to get proven wrong.

I can hear the beasts starting to cheer up our fight. I am not sure who are they cheering to but I guess it's just the fight in general. It's been so long that we really had an encounter like that and I don't want to lose this. I want at least win once against him. I never did before but this will change now.

At a moment where we jump away from each other Tristan roars at me. "You stupid idiot, speak up already! Why can't you trust me as you did before? Why can't you trust me the way I trust you?"

I shout the answer to him, "I am a thief, a killer and rotten to the core, another mere criminal! I can't be trusted!"

At some point, I lose track of time but the two of us are already panting hard when I start attacking him once more and even make him bleed. He heals fairly fast.

I aim at his throat when I can hear Eve shouting from the side. "No! Don't!" her voice full of anxiety. I'm not sure if she meant I or he but I got distracted just that moment longer than Tristan and he finally got me.

Damn it! I was about to win this!

I roar up in agony. His grip around my upper body imprisoning my arms at my back and it feels like I'm caught in iron shackles. I'm barely able to breathe with his arms around my torso. He is fully using his advantage of being far bigger than me and I growl out in anger this time as he presses my chest against his. My resistance makes his grip tighten and I'm not sure how long my ribcage can hold on the pressure.

I try to wiggle around to free myself but only cause him to tighten my prison once more and so I manage to break one on my own. Damn it. "Fuck!" I scream as I can feel the rib pierce into my lung.

A whimper leaves my throat followed by another attempt to free myself, but Tristan is about to demonstrate his power. He shows me his fangs before ramming them into my neck. Fire seems to explode where his sharp canines drill into my skin.

I'm not his toy.

I'm not a member of the clan anymore.

He is not allowed to mark me like that. An exasperated scream leaves my throat. I won't let him have the upper hand as the two of us are equal. That's what we promised each other. He won't win this. I release another scream before I imitate his behavior and ram my own fangs in his neck.

We are equal.

Before I realize what just happens he loosens his grip and I wrap my now free arms around him. His blood is running down inside my throat and his scent starts to calm me. We are both breathing heavily, but that doesn't hinder us from taking in the sweet liquids of each other.

The soft pull as my own blood leaves my body through his rough bite gives me shivers. His tense jaw became softer and his lips caress my neck while he drinks. He is still holding me tight, but in a very different way now.

It gives me peace, because I know he is here with me and even though he might hate me for several reasons I can feel his love; equally to his desperation. I hate myself for doing this to him. Here we are now, we finally worked so many things out and still, we won't and can't be together anymore. We both drag away from each other to switch from drinking to kissing.

Our lips are crashing together longingly and our blood is mixing up as our tongues desperately try to keep us bound together whilst still fighting for the upper hand upon each other. I can feel Tristan's hands on my cheeks first wandering into my neck.

We both have to admit that this is what we would need. I don't want to end this moment and I know he feels the same. I also slip my hands into his neck and we also both know that at some point we have to breathe again; instead, we are deepening the kiss once more.

We force our lips to part but lean our foreheads together for another moment. When I open my eyes I look into Tristan's ice-blue sea of desperation and I can see the pain and sorrow in his face. "Bastard," I curse tenderly.

"Fool," he answers.

"You exposed us," I whisper and he places a kiss on my forehead.

"Did I now..." We both close our eyes to take it in another moment and embracing our wound bodies.

He growls out before forcing himself away from me and heading away to grab his jacket from the floor. I need another moment looking after him to realize what just

happened. I know that we are not alone, but in fact, the scene got watched not only from the beasts but also from Eve. I can't hide my emotions and my face reflects my conflict. He's such an idiot.

Coughing hard I need to support my side as the ribs there are not healing. Tristan's blood seems to help with the process but it still takes away my breath. I think my cheekbone is also broken. After all my efforts to keep him away and to not drink from me, he found a way and I need to warn him somehow. I need to protect him, no matter how. Before I can speak up he already slipped into his jacket and announces, "I will bring you back to me, my moon."

"Don't dare to. I'd rather die than to come back," I force my bitter answer and cough again, trying to get enough air to not faint. I need to prevent him from doing something stupid.

My shirt clings to my back and from the pain, I can feel, I guess that my wounds from Maria's claws broke open again. In addition, the blood from my neck is still floating down on my chest, mingling there with Maria's gore. I can't go back to the headquarters. I'm exactly where I need to be.

Tristan releases a dry laugh and takes a look at my shaking body. "As if I would allow you to die," he raises his chin.

"You are not in charge of my life," I say proudly but his mouth corners twitch up.

"I've been patient enough with you, Ethan. We finally reached a point where it is necessary to protect you from yourself," he shakes his head, before turning to Lyall, "Lyall, I know your people did nothing wrong but hear me now as this is a promise. If Ethan manages to die from any of

your people's hands, we will be at war."

Lyall frowns. "You'd start a war, just because of one man?"

"I'd start a war, just for him alone," Tristan answers sharply but his tone calms again as he continues. "I will find a way to bring this stubborn fool back in the empire... and my bed. He doesn't understand now, but he will," with that, he turns around and leaves the clearing.

Another angry growl leaves my throat, but I barely have enough strength left to stand straight; god forbid to move. I underestimated him.

"Eve," I bark out and see her twitch at the corner of my eye. At least I have a bit of power left over her. She makes a few steps to look me in the eye.

"Ethan, I..." but I shake my head.

"Please, Lass, make sure Tristan is seeing Erwin," I try to command but with all the pain my body gives me it is more pleading.

"Why would he..." she starts but I bark out her name once more.

"Eve, he drank from me... You need to make sure he sees Erwin and that he comes to the headquarters save. He drank from me, Lass..." my voice fades and I have to take a deep breath and concentrate not to fall down.

"You can hate me as much as you want but, please, promise me," I look into her eyes and she nods.

"I promise to protect him, Ethan. What about you?" she wants to know and moves her hand in my direction slowly.

"Leave me alone..." I still pant hard but she takes back her arm.

"Fine," she pouts and finally leaves too. As soon as she is gone I can hear the beasts scraping their claws and forming a circle around me. Here comes the punishment.