King Lexort slammed the door behind himself, "Make it quick. I don't have all day."

He stormed across the room towards the man standing there nervously. "Well, um, you see Sir-"

"Spit it out!" the King roared. His dark eyes were stern, his face tense and angry. There was gray streaks peeling though his dark hair, revealing old age was coming. The man felt so small in front of the King as he swallowed in fear, "The lost Princess was at Fyn's Tavern, Sir. She started a riot and, uh-"

"WHERE IS SHE?" The King was furious as he got in the man's face, spitting in rage. He ran an annoyed hand through his thick hair, searching the man's face for clues and revenge.

"Well, Sir, a young man took her. Um, my men followed her for a few days and finally caught her with a group of teenagers. By the time I caught up with them, all three of my men were dead." The man shuddered, almost regretting his choice of coming there.

"A group of teenagers, you say?" King Lexort asked, not even phased by the death of the man's men.

"Yes, found in the woods across the street from Fyn's. But Sir-"

"Where were these kids headed by chance?" King Lexort interrupted, desperate. This daughter of his almost ruined his reign as King, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to his known name, or his reign.

The man gulped, trying to gain strength, "They were heading West, toward the castle, Sir."



The sun was bright, blinding Magnolia as she sat up. Her eyes slowly adjusted, and she realized it's morning and no one had woken her up yet to start travelling to the castle. She fell asleep next to Archer, and they were sitting next to the burnt out fire. Hudson walked by, carrying wood. He nodded at her, "Morning."

"Morning?" She said more as a question. He chuckled, grabbing her hand and pulling her up off the ground. She smoothed out her black dress, looking into his cheerful eyes. His caramel colored hair waved off his face.

"I'll start packing up." Magnolia muttered, reaching down to wake Archer.

"There's no need for that. Not right now, at least."

"What?" Magnolia stopped before she touched Archer, turning back to Hudson.

"How do you feel about going hunting with Phoenix and I?"

"Sure." She shrugged, remembering the last time she went hunting with Dakota. She looked around for him, not seeing him anywhere.

"Where's Dakota?" She questioned, and Hudson glanced around also. He pointed up at a large oak tree, and Magnolia spotted him lying down on a branch. He looked to be asleep, even in this bright of day. Magnolia reached down and shook Archer awake, his hair flopping around.

His eyes slowly opened, "I could get used to you waking me up."

Magnolia rolled her eyes at him, yanking him up. "Girl, you're strong." He gaped at her.

"I'm going hunting with Hudson and Phoenix." She told him, shoving her hair out of her face. Archer noticed, "Here, let me help you with that."

He ran over to River's tent, coming out with a small circle in his hand. Magnolia furrowed her eyebrows, confused. Once he came closer, she saw that he was holding a rubber band. He walked behind her, pulling her long hair back into a ponytail, out of her face.

"Thanks." She muttered, closing her eyes to his touch.

Dakota jumped down from the tree, eyes alert. His neck stretched, his face whipping towards the right.

"What's wrong?" Hudson asked.

"Horses." Dakota muttered. And then Magnolia heard it. The noise of horses' hooves trotting. She walked away from Archer, watching as about ten horses with riding guards halt to the sight of the campsite. The guards all jumped off their horses, pointing their weapons in the teenagers' direction. A tall man walked in front of everyone, shouting as if everyone is deaf.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Hand over the lost Princess, and we won't cause harm to anyone." The man said, looking around as the runaways walked closer.

"Not a chance." Archer stepped in front of Magnolia protectively. Hudson did the same, and soon enough every runaway was standing in front of Magnolia, not willing to let her go without a fight.

"That's too bad." The guard said, giving a hand signal for his men to attack.

"Get the girl!" He shouted. All of his men stepped forward, pointing their weapons at them, the tall running after the one that looked the strongest. Dakota had done this many times, and was ready. He ducked under the man's sword, gripping the handle and ripping it out of the man's hand, jamming the blade into the man's back.

"That was fun." Dakota teased, twisting the sword around in his hands as if it was an unknown object to him. Blood poured out of the tall man's wound, causing the man to spit up dark red blood. Dakota searched the others to see who needed help.

Phoenix shot the weak, skinny man in the heart with a sharp arrow before the poor guy could move a muscle, whipping his head toward his sister. Phoenix let loose another arrow at the soldier who was pointing the end of his sharp blade at River. River somersaulted, her hair sticking to her sweaty face, tackling an old man who had grabbed one of their guns and had it pointed directly at Slate. Slate grabbed the gun out of the man's hand, shooting him fast.

Determination stuck on his face, Slate gripped River's hand, yanking her to her feet. Before she could retreat, he grabbed the small of her back and pulled her into a kiss. He smirked, shoving her away from himself.

"Can't keep you off of me, can I?" He added.

River scowled, trying to hide her smile, "You're such a-"

"Quit arguing and help fight." Dakota walked by, growling. Brylee shot a guard with her own gun, turning around to kick the second guard in the back of the knees, wrapping her legs around his head and twisting him to the ground.

Three guards were heading towards Magnolia, all threatening with their massive swords and sharp arrows. Hudson attacked one of them, getting just barely cut in the shoulder before killing the guard. He held his shoulder in pain, slowly hunching to the ground.

"Hudson!" Magnolia ran after him in agony, as a guard gripped her by the waist. Archer attacked the man, furious. Tackling the guard to the ground, letting Magnolia go, Archer slammed his fist into the guard's jaw.

Magnolia watched as Archer kept his fists going, causing the guard's nose to begin to bleed. Magnolia forgot about the third guard, and by the time she noticed him, it was too late. The end of his sword was pointed at Archer, the man bringing it down harshly.

The next thing that happened all happened too fast for Magnolia. The blade penetrated right into Archer's back, and she watched as he flung backwards in pain. Magnolia stumbled, falling to the ground, dirt scraping her knees. She knelt over him, searching his lost eyes.

"Maggie." He reached his arm up to run a finger down her cheek, but was too weak, allowing it to fall back down.

"No." She reached down, pulling the hand up herself, letting him feel her skin. She held his hand there, a tear running down her cheek. She watched as his shirt turned a dark red, her heart breaking. She reached down and ran a hand through his dark hair, her tears streaming into his face. This was all too familiar to her, her heart aching.

"Not again. Not again." She repeated.

"It's okay, Maggie." He struggled to say, blood running out of his mouth. She found a gun, lying next to his body, and she didn't think, just did. She raised it quickly at the man who shot Archer, who was fighting Dakota. She shot without thinking, her aim right on. Dakota sucked in a breath as the man fell to the ground.

Magnolia gazed back down at Archer, "Don't leave me, please. I- I need you."

She choked on her own words, and watched as Archer weakly smiled. "I'm glad you're the last thing I get to see before-"

"No." Magnolia shook her head, closing her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Maggie." Archer whispered, and she reopened her eyes, placing her lips down on top of his gently. His lips tried to respond, but they couldn't. She backed up, looking down into his expressionless face, placing her hand on his stopped heart.

Magnolia couldn't accept it. She shook her head, standing up. She lost her balance and Dakota quickly reached out and helped her stand. She immediately shoved his hands away, walking around all the bodies and slid down a large trunk of a tree. She planted her head in her hands, screaming.

Dakota cringed, glancing back at Archer's body. He placed a hand over his mouth, looking away before he lost it. Brylee stayed silent, as River cried into Phoenix's shirt. Slate bit his lip, looking up at the sky in horror. Hudson crawled over to Archer, and closed his friend's eyes. A tear ran down his face, and no one could tell if it was because of his bleeding shoulder or Archer's death. Phoenix gently moved River over to Slate, letting his sister cry into Slate's shirt.

Phoenix walked up and knelt down in front of Hudson, and began bandaging his shoulder sorrowfully.



They travelled farther away from the castle that day, trying to get a headstart. Magnolia followed behind them, yards away. Her tears had finally stopped, but her thoughts hadn't. She decided in her head she was never going to forgive herself and it was all her fault Archer was gone. She realized everyone she gets close to either dies or leaves her. She promised herself she was never going to grow close to anyone, never open up, never give away a part of her heart again.

Dakota stopped in his tracks and waited of Magnolia to catch up without a word. He walked slowly with her, just showing her she wasn't alone. She didn't make eye contact with him, didn't talk. She was so swallowed up in her thoughts she couldn't speak.


They all stopped when the sun was starting to descend, throwing down sleeping bags and a few blankets on the ground, forgetting the tents. Archer's death had affected everyone, and they didn't want to spend this night alone. Magnolia looked up at the sky, closing her watery eyes, letting a lonely tear fall down her face. She didn't want to sleep tonight without his shoulder to lean on. She didn't want to wake up without his cheesy jokes. She didn't want to live without his hand tugging on hers.

She laid out his sleeping bag and fell down on top of it, sucking in the smell of him. She curled up into a ball, the flash of his body returning to her head. The next thing that popped in her head is Evan, wrapping her in a hug. The scene transformed into Evan lying in his bed, breathless.

Everyone laid down and immediately fell into a deep sleep, except for Dakota, who stayed standing, breathing heavily. He threw his hat on the ground, rubbing his tan forehead. Frustrated with himself, he dug his fingers through his thick dark hair.

He began putting the blame on himself. He was supposed to protect Archer and look where it got him. He was supposed to protect Cassidy, and look where that got her. She was constantly raiding his thoughts, and he knew that they were getting closer and closer to his hometown. He remembered the day he took Cassidy into the field of tall grass and flowers, which wasn't far from where they were.

"Will you please tell me where we're going?" Cassidy sighed dramatically, dragging her feet. The sun was blazing right into her big brown eyes, the heat exhausting.

Dakota looked back at his little sister, kneeling down, "Jump up, Cass."

Cassidy smiled slightly, jumping onto his back and wrapping her small arms around his neck. Dakota held her legs up, and began skipping.

"Let's go! Let's run until our lungs don't work anymore! Let's dance together until we soar, because we only need each other!" Dakota started singing whatever words came to his head, as he skipped through the trees.

Cassidy's ponytail flopped up and down to the beat of his feet, and she giggled. "What kind of song is that?"

Dakota glanced at her over his shoulder, "Like it?"

"Sing it again." She said, giggling some more. Dakota chuckled, and began re-singing it louder this time. Cassidy joined in, laughing in between words.

Finally, Dakota reached his destination. He carefully set Cassidy down, and she looked around, her brown curls falling out of her ponytail. A large area of tall grass and many flowers surrounded her, and she reached out, dragging her fingers through the white daisies near her.

She smiled, looking back at her brother who was watching her every move. "Pretty." She said before running through the field, arms stretched out on both sides, feeling the flowers and grass around her. She giggled, circling back around to Dakota. He was laughing at her, his hair flying behind him in the wind.

She reached him, flying her arms around his torso. He knelt down and hugged her back, "I knew you'd like it."

She backed up, pulling out her ponytail. "Braid it, Kota!" She shouted at him, smiling brightly. Dakota sighed, "What do you say?"

"Please! Please! Please!" She jumped up and down, knowing her brother wouldn't refuse. She turned around, handing the rubber band to Dakota. He began twisting her hair around in his fingers, braiding her brown curls down to the middle of her back. He tied it off, smiling. When she turned back around beaming at him, he grabbed a nearby flower and tucked it behind her ear.

"Pretty." He whispered.


Dakota shook his head, tearing the memory out of his head. He was torn, hurt, and confused. He didn't know what to do anymore. He exhaled, glancing over at the Princess. She had huddled herself into a small ball, her whole body shaking. Something pulled inside him as he watched her cry.

Finally, when Dakota couldn't stand watching anymore, he made his way over to her slowly. He squatted, not quite sitting. Magnolia still hadn't noticed him, the memories too strong to push away. He hesitantly rested his rough hand on her shoulder, startling her. She lifted her head, her long hair covering half of her face.

"Hey, um, follow me." He said, sounding harsher than he meant to be. She reluctantly stood up carefully, wiping the tears from her face angrily. Dakota led her away from the camp quietly, drawing closer and closer to the field.

Magnolia staggered behind him, confused. She was used to Dakota staying with the group always, never wandering off like this, especially with her, the lost Princess, the one that cost them Archer's life. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed he had stopped, causing her to run into his back.

Dakota didn't move as she quickly took a step back, mumbling an apology. Magnolia looked around in astonishment, her eyes wide. She gazed around at the miles of flowers and green grass. She bent down and picked up a small lily, breathing it in.

Stepping around Dakota, she strolled into the field, the scent of many different flowers overwhelming her with a strong emotion. Could it be happiness? With all the sadness? She breathed it all in again, kneeling down in the grass.

Her hair flew into her face, but she didn't have the energy to push it away. She found peace sitting in the midst of beauty no matter how big of a wreck her life was. She laid down, her dress scattering around her.

Dakota watched her, seeing the excitement in her eyes even though she was trying to hide it. Though there was no smile, he could sense the joy. Dakota drew near her, letting his hands stretch down into the flowers as Cassidy once did. He could hear her faint laugh in the back of his head, and he smiled sadly, letting the memories in. He could no longer resist to them, no longer push out the face of his little sister.

Tears began streaming down his face as he allowed himself to remember. Running a hand through his thick dark hair, he rubbed his wet face into the shoulder of his shirt. Magnolia's head perked up over the flowers, and she slowly stood up. She found Dakota, and walked up to him in amazement.

"It's beautiful." Magnolia said, stopping close in front of him. Dakota nodded, murmuring, "Pretty."

She looked at him carefully, noticing the pain in his eyes. The pain looked almost familiar, and she found herself looking deeply into his big eyes. She could see the hurt from his past, being unbearable. She knew what it was like and could almost see herself in his pain.

Dakota swallowed, and broke the gaze. Reality swept back, and Magnolia looked away nervously. She remembered Archer then, how he used to look at her as if she was the only good person left on earth. But now she knew he wouldn't think that. It was her fault he was dead.

Dakota repositioned his feet, craning his neck at her so they could make eye contact. "It's not your fault, Princess."

She shook her head, tears swelling in her eyes. "It is. You know it is. It's my fault he's not here."

Dakota's eyes saddened, "It's mine. I was supposed to protect him."

Magnolia shook her head angrily. "It's not your job to look after everyone. It's not your job to carry everyone's burdens on your back, Dakota. No one can do that. You have to stop placing the blame on yourself for everything that goes wrong. It is not your fault Archer died. It's mine. I'm the one that caused that raid. I'm the reason for the fight. It was because of me. It might as well been me shooting that gun." Tears rolled down Magnolia's cheeks as she choked on her own words. She looked away from Dakota's deathening gaze, which was full of shock and pity.

Dakota wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, embrace her, or do anything that could possibly help. But he stayed put, watching as she rubbed her face with her wrist. She sniffled, biting her bottom lip.

Dakota knew how it felt, and he also knew she was never going to forgive herself. He wanted to help, at least share the burden with her, but didn't know how. He reached up his hand, and she turned to look at him. At first, she thought he wanted a high five, the way his hand stood straight up. His fingers were slightly apart, a thick black ring hanging from one of his dirt tinted fingers.

She slowly raised her hand, letting it gently place itself against his.

"If you insist it was your fault, at least let us split the blame between the three of us." Dakota whispered, staring into her big blue eyes.

Magnolia looked confused, "The three of us?"

"You, me, and the bloody idiot who pulled the trigger." He answered, running his tongue along the bottom of his lip.

She sighed, "Okay."

Dakota's eyes settled on their raised hands as Magnolia slowly and gently let her soft fingers slide in between each of his rough ones. Dakota didn't recoil at this, but allowed his fingers to fall down on top of her knuckles.

They both stood there, staring at their entangled hands for a long minute of silence and shock. Neither of them wanted to let go, feeling a sense of warmth and assurance. The realization that they were not alone in this kingdom hit them both like a brick wall.