Author's Note: Hello guys! I've been quite busy, ya know? Dealing with school and relationship things... You have no idea! But that's okay, you don't need to know that! I'll still be writing!

I noticed that someone commented to me with PM, that the characters showed a big personality change in the last chapter. Well, it's because they have to put a farce in front of the public. They can't show any weaknesses, because who knows? They might be targets of something or someone. They only open up when they're alone.

Anyways~ I hope you've all been looking forward to this chapter, 'cause I gave my best in writing it! Ahahaha, but I don't expect everyone to be pleased with it - it's always in the perspective.

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"I demand you to tell me who you are!" Arthur shouted. His normally emotionless eyes were now filled with an angry fire. Clearly, he was cautious and worried - like a bull, very territorial of his possessions. But this worry was not over Kathleen, but over Rilliane.

Kathleen wasn't surprised when Arthur immediately jumped to Rilliane's side when this man appeared. Kathleen had already guessed that from the start. 'But am I hurt about his actions? Oh no, I am most certainly not. After all, Arthur has no obligation to come to my aid first.' She thought. '...but it does hurt to know that he won't catch me if I fall.'

"Oh! Where are my manners? I must introduce myself to his...Majesty," the man mocked as he let out a little laugh. "My name is Cedric." He give a little bow, and looked at Kathleen with interested eyes. "Only Cedric?" Rilliane asked, looking skeptical. "I prefer to be called by only that name, dear - now please stop pushing your nose into other people's business." Cedric gave a little glare at Rilliane for the last part, then laughed mockingly when Rilliane visibly cringed.

"It's a shame that only these lassies and I can see such a face of yours, Your Highness." Cedric smirked and cocked his head to the side, "You and the other royal company always have to put such a emotionless farce in front of the public...your face rumpled in anger and caution with a hint of fear is so... delicious."

Arthur only glared in return.

Kathleen looked at Cedric and felt calm. She felt as if she could trust him. "What is your purpose for coming here, Cedric?" Kathleen asked. Cedric looked at her and for a moment, his eyes softened and there was a certain softness and venerability in them. The moment lasted and it ended as Cedric's face curled up to a sneer; and he said, "Telling would be boring, no? It's more fun be surprised, after all."

Too bad. Kathleen smirked.

I'm leaving. I'm probably never coming back. This is a chance. A chance to be free.

"Oh? How is it so surprising if I already knew why you are here?" She shot back at Cedric who looked shocked. Rilliane and Arthur were the same, except for that slight betrayal in their looks. "W-what? How did you know?!" They all demanded at once.

'I guess this will be a goodbye, huh? Well, aren't I quite the dramatic. And very emotional. That's probably why nobody likes me.'

Kathleen scoffed. "What do you think my magic is for?"

Cedric remained quiet.

Once again, she was wearing two masks at the same time. It was tiring. But she did it anyways - for the sake of saving herself from suffering no more. How selfish.

'Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to leave everything behind? Am I really sure of my own decision?' Kathleen pondered to herself.

She turned to Rilliane - who put her hand above Arthur's shoulder; and said, "I'm sorry...I guess I won't be able to see you in a long, long time. It would hurt much more to see this sight right now..." Kathleen laughed at her silliness, her dramatic and sentimental ways which everyone who actually knew her, hated.

Rilliane looked a little lost - unable to process what Kathleen had just said. Arthur simply stood there, not even bothering to look at Kathleen. Kathleen knew that Arthur had misunderstood her actions again. He always did. Somehow, Kathleen never got angry at him for that.

"Kathleen..?"

"I thought you were better than this, Kathleen! I thought you were the Kathleen I knew!" Arthur yelled, his eyes looking angry and betrayed. Like how everyone who promised, and held me in their arms, took one last look at her before they walked away forever. She knew that these kind of eyes were what Rilliane could see on Kathleen right now. Cold and emotionless.

Kathleen simply turned away and didn't bother to say anything. Kathleen could hear Arthur cursing under his breath as she walked away. Rilliane stood frozen beside Arthur, unable to do anything. Kathleen had cast a small spell on her, which rendered her unable to do anything.

She muttered a small quiet apology to Arthur and Rilliane, for being so selfish. Then, she faced Cedric, who looked unfazed by the events.

"I need to speak with you before you say anything regarding your reason of meeting me." Kathleen said, as she walked away towards the forest. Cedric followed.

They walked through the forest til they came to a small clearing - a small field full of pure white daisies. The nearby tree tops covered the sky, and only a small portion opened up where the sunlight shone down. Cedric, slightly dazed at the small, gentle and elegant scenery, stopped at the entrance. "I've never seen this part before..." He muttered.

Kathleen walked towards the middle of the clearing and said quietly in a voice Cedric could hear, "I created it," She paused, her eyes flickering to the sides, "As an escape from everything."

Back then, she was younger - she ran away from the kingdom to the forest. It was at lunch time when she ran - one of those times when she thought of rebellion and running away. Back then, she wasn't close friends with Arthur, and she hadn't met Riliane yet. There she stayed for half the day where she created a clearing in which only she could find unless led by her.

It was small, but it was enough for her. It was her kind of peace at that time. She didn't want to be disturbed. She only wanted to escape. She could have lived there for a long time with no one finding her, but Arthur found her.

He always found her in the end.

It was because of their shared magic. They could always sense where the other was. It was part of their being King and Queen.

Kathleen sighed, and thought, 'But now he won't find me, will he?' She slowly turned to Cedric and said, "I will not come with you. I can't."

"No!"

"You can't force me, Cedric. I would kill you before you could."

"No! You have to come with me!"

"Cedric, I'm trying to reason with you here, please don't make this difficult," Kathleen reasoned."You're the one who's making it difficult!" 'How am I making this difficult?!" "Because you just can't follow me!" "Why must I?" Kathleen asked, irritated, "Name me one reason why I should follow you!" She was shouting by now. Cedric scoffed, "Can't your magic tell?"

Kathleen narrowed her eyes and said nothing. She turned her back on Cedric and sat on the ground. She was thinking of focusing her magic, but somehow, she felt drained. How strange. She distinctly remembered that she hadn't done anything that would strain her magic. Her thoughts drifted back to the one person she desperately wanted to forget, and she shook her head, muttering quietly incomprehensible words.

'Was Arthur using magic? But that would mean that he's controlling time... but Arthur wouldn't do..something as cruel..as..that..right...?'

"It's draining, isn't it? Your magic, I mean." Cedric's voice was soft, but the words were menacing. Kathleen stood up and turned to look at Arthur, "...How did you know?" She demanded softly. She wasn't stupid, but she somehow knew why. Obviously, Cedric had magic. How else would he have gotten so close to Kathleen and Rillane without her seeing him? Yes, she had sensed him, but she hadn't seen him. The only explanation was the manipulation of magic.

"Did you do something with my magic?" Kathleen asked calmly.

"No." Cedric answered.

Kathleen remained silent. She wanted to know the reason why and how, but at the same time, she didn't want to know; This scene felt all too familiar, like she had seen it in a dream - no, a horrible nightmare. Like a rising action to the final climax of the story. She shook her head, now was not the time to look back now that she's gone this far.

The best decision she could make right now was to go with Cedric, so that she could forget about Arthur - and maybe open her heart again to someone. She felt bad for using Cedric; she knew that Cedric genuinely wanted her to come with her with consent, but she knew that she had to do this. "I've decided. I'm going with you, Cedric." Kathleen said, as she looked at Cedric with a spark of determination.

Cedric looked at her with a sad face. "I knew you would say that, but it is much too late." He whispered. Kathleen's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by too late?" Cedric looked at her with pity and a slight hint of sadness and guilt, then laughed pitifully. Kathleen didn't know who he was laughing at; it seemed to be directed at himself rather than at her.

"I can't tell you. You'll eventually figure it out anyways. I have nothing I can tell you that you won't know." Cedric replied, as he turned around. "Wait!" Cedric turned around slightly, his face refusing to look at Kathleen. "What do you mean by that?" Kathleen asked. 

He didn't say anything. He turned around, and walked away. Kathleen could only watch Cedric's back slowly disappear into the woods; unmoving. When Cedric's back was out of sight, she thought to herself, 'Why didn't I follow him?' or 'Why didn't I stop him?' Kathleen couldn't answer. She felt as if she colud never bring herself to grab someone's back so desperately.

That was a sign of weakness. 

Slowly, she walked back to the center of the clearing and sat down. She thought of the things that she could do now, the things that she wanted to do; and the places and sights that she wanted to see. 

She could go to places she's never been - just a trip in the countryside. To be able to actually breathe without putting up any kind of facade. To live. She couldn't go back to the castle. If she would, based on Arthur's earlier reaction, she would probably be kicked out - or worse, put to death.

But would Arthur really do that..? A voice inside her head whispered. It was taunting her, as if it knew whatever were to happen. As if it had seen it and experienced it all before. She shook her head, muttering silently, "Of course he would - he practically hates you now..."

Somehow that thought made her a tad bit sad. It was fine being hated, right? At least she was hated for being her true self rather than her fake self - that was enough, right? It was fine. Somehow, that realization made her even more sad. 

Why was she sad? Wasn't she supposed to be happy being liberated from that prison?

"I'm happy. I'm perfectly fine." She whispered to herself. Weren't those the same words she said when she first got to the castle?

A shadow was eavesdropping nearby. A small rustle and a 'tsking' sound not heard. 

"You're such a bad liar, Kathleen. Because of your denial, you failed to save them." Cedric muttered. "I had really hoped that you could save them this time...but you were too weak and naive to realise this. You are the source of all this mess."

A frown.

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"It's all going according to plan, but it's getting quite - how to say this, boring and dull." A frown came from the shadows. A sigh followed.

"It's always the same old thing - it's too repetitive."

A familiar chuckle.

"Don't you like repetitive things? I thought you loved them since you've practically made everything possbily repetitive in the midst of history."

A glare.

"But, I have to say that I quite agree with you," 

A cough.

"Shall I roughen things up a bit?"

A smirk.

"That's more of the spirit."

"Send in Gilbert,"

A smile.

"Anything for you, my dearest."

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Author's Note: I will be doing Rilliane and Arthur's point of view in the next chapter. You will find out the answers to your questions - of why Arthur didn't try to find Kathleen and what happened to Rilliane and why she too, did not follow Rilliane. But, not all the answers to all of your questions. That will have to wait, so please be patient. 

Anyways, thank you so much for reading my story this far! I'm sorry if it's quite boring. I honestly don't mind if nobody reads my stories; as long as I can tell them or post them, it'll be fine. It's an accomplishment for me already to be able to post them! 

Thanks guys!