"You cannot expect me to answer that! I cannot condemn my sister." - Prince Niklaus Dulavelle.

"Prince Nikalus, please answer the question." - Master Olav. Master Scholar during the Reign of Queen Oriana Dulavelle and Unbiased Judge in the Trial of Orianna Dulavelle.

"In your opinion, Prince Niklaus, is your sister mad?" - Lord Phillip Drake. The Accuser and leader of the investigation.

"You are asking for an opinion, not a fact! We cannot trust the man who has the most to gain if the Queen is found Guilty!" - Lord Tal Vindor. Queen Orianna's Defence.

"The Prince knows the Queen, his sister, the best. It is only right to ask for his honest opinion." - Lord Drake.

"I will ask for the Prince to answer the question. However, I will not use it as my one and only piece of evidence when it comes to my verdict. I will take into account the possible motives and credibility of the Prince. We have many more days of this trial to come and plenty more evidence to discuss. So please, Prince. Answer the question." -Master Olav.

"Do you think, your sister, Queen Orianna Dulavelle, is mad?" -Lord Drake.

"Yes." -Prince Niklaus Dulavelle.

~The Trial of Queen Orianna.

Three Years Ago:

I dress in our training uniform. Juliet ties my hair. Styling a loose, pretty crown braid with a few free strands. Because we will be going through the city and making a public outing, father has also dropped off a tiara for me to wear. Our most precious jewels stay in the vaults. Both myself and my sisters have a large variety of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings each. All to go with the various amounts if dresses and outfits we have. Tiaras, however, we have two each. One for formal events and one for casual public appearances. Whoever the wins the Queen's Trial will have a crown made for them. My formal tiara is beautiful. A glittering twirl of sparkling diamonds shaped to my head and designed to go with any gown I wear. It is grand and spectacular. However, it is my regular tiara that I love the most.

The tiara I wear now is gold metal. It twists around three, deep red rubies. The centre ruby is slightly bigger than the others. Sitting on the gold are tiny little diamonds that sparkle in the light. Smaller, rubies also sit dotted around at various points in the metal twists. I love the way the deep red looks against the dark black of my hair.

"I think you're ready," Juliet says once she has put the tiara in place.

"Thank you," I reply with a smile.

Cordelia is already in the stables when I arrive. She pats down her warhorse, Lana.

"Ana," she smiles as I walk in. I go over to Trouble's stall.

"Morning, Cor," I grin. She is wearing her training uniform also and also carries a sword, a bow and a quiver full of arrows on her back. I have the same. The door bursts open and Fallon, Shaelyn and Rayana all walk in at the same time.

"Morning!" Ray grins as she rushes to her warhorse excitedly. Again, we all wear identical training uniforms and carry the same weapons.

"I love forest days!" Shaelyn jumps excitedly. I laugh and walk over to her, throwing my arm around her shoulders.

"I know," I chuckle and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, but you get to have more fun. You don't have lessons anymore, you just get to ride and play," she scoffs. I pull her closer to me with a laugh. 

"You'll get to play one..." I stop and an awkward silence falls between the five of us. I was going to say she'll be able to play one day but she won't. Shae is the youngest of all of us. Our lessons stop when we turn eighteen. Then, we just train to maintain our skills. Sometimes, we train together like with combat training the other times. Other times, the girls have lessons whilst Fallon and I practice together alone and decide our own ways of learning and training. However, when Shaelyn turns eighteen, the Trial will begin almost immediately. She'll be an adult. Shae smiles softly and nudges closer to me.

"It's okay, Ana," she gulps. I feel tears stinging my eyes. It's not though. I kiss her on the forehead again and push her toward her horse.

"Come on, let's go and enjoy the woods," I grin. She rushes away to her horse and Fallon pats my back lightly before walking to her beast.

Trouble whinnies as I pat him.

"Morning, boy," I chuckle as I run my hand over his silky black fur. I lift my arms up high over his back and pull myself up. He is a huge beast and I really should use a stool. But, Trouble and I have perfected this. It takes a few moments for me to sit comfortably on his bareback, but I am used to it. Warhorses do not like saddles or equipment, so we train to ride without them. It is especially important we can ride because of my father's side of the family. The Baylon house provides all of these warhorses. My grandfather is a very proud man and knows all there is to know about horses and riding. It would be embarrassing if his grandchildren didn't. I urge Trouble on and we leave the stables.

In the courtyard, Sir Jago is waiting along with some other members of the Red Guard. I smile when I see Merissa, Jack, Stefan and Fox. It would have been great if Wyatt were here too. But, I expect my father had the half Lupine warrior sent away on a mission at this time because of the Lupine coming to visit.

"Princess," Merissa grins as she sits on the back of her horse. None of them ride on warhorses. They are to be used only by the royal family. Meaning we tower above them. "I heard the Lupine were joining us," Merissa says. I nod my head.

"Yes," I reply. Shaelyn's eyes widen.

"Wow," she says and I laugh. "I can't wait to see what they are like hunting. I've heard so many stories..."

"You won't be seeing what they are like, young lady," Sir Jago chuckles. Shae looks down in disappointment. Fallon laughs.

"The three of you," she gestures to our youngest siblings, "Will be having a lesson with Sir Jago on tracking and hunting. Accompanied, of course by Jack and Stefan. We, on the other hand," she grins smugly. "Will be hunting deer with the Lupine and having a great time."

"Not fair," Rayana sulks. I laugh. Just as we are talking about them, the Lupine appear. They follow behind the Solavar as he walks down the stairs to into the courtyard. Their horses are lead out of the stables by the stablehands. Not all of the Lupine are here. Six in total. They bow as they see us.

"Good morning, princesses," the Solavar smiles cooly. I immediately feel the red guard tense.

"Good morning," I reply. An awkward silence falls as the Lupine mount their horses which are almost as large as our warhorses.

"You are very lucky," Sir Jago begins. "Not many people have permission to hunt in the King's Wood," he tells them.

"We are grateful," the Solavar nods.

"Can we stop with the boring trying to be polite political chit chat please?" Fallon asks. "We've got a day of freedom to enjoy," she grins as she urges her horse on. I laugh and urge Trouble after her. The sound of horses hooves clattering against the stone ground on the courtyard is loud as we leave the castle and enter the city. I already know that our route through the city and to the wood has been cleared by soldiers. They form a barrier as people come to see the rare siting of a princess as they make their way to the wood. I don't bother looking at them. I just urge Trouble faster, into a gallop. Fallon and I race head to head through the city, our sisters not far behind us. I laugh and slightly nudge Fallon. The horses' skid around corners as we take them at speed and jump over any small obstacle. People cheer as they watch from their homes or by the sides of the street. I wonder what we must look like to them as we race on the back of these great, black  beasts. Then, I wonder how their expressions must change from a look of awe to one of horror and fear as the Lupine pass.

After about twenty minutes of racing through the city, I pull Trouble to a halt. He skids to a stop, rearing slightly as I laugh. Looking back around, I see the Solavar behind Sir Jago running after us. The Red Guard behind them. They look terrifying with the bulging muscles covered by their scared or tattooed skin. That and the Lupine clothing of brown leathers and furs that only accentuate their bulging forms and wild dangerous reputation. Then, there are the huge blades that hang from their hips or on their backs.

They don't look friendly.

I smile at the Solavar. "I thought you would be faster," I joke. He raises an eyebrow and with a nudge, his horse picks up speed. Sir Jago sighs and lets them pass. I laugh as I urge Trouble into a gallop again. Followed by Merissa, Fox, Harlen and Karson.

"Meet back here at Sundown," Sir Jago orders.

"See you later, girls," Fallon taunts our sisters as they stay behind to do their lesson with Sir Jago. Cordelia pokes her tongue out at us before I set Trouble off into a gallon. Seeing as we are out of the city, Trouble picks up speed and leaps with excitement. The wind pushes against my skin as we begin our run through the thick forest that is the Kingswood. Fallon and I again, begin to race. The Solavar is quick on our trail along with his and our guards. For a while, we follow the wide stone road that leads through the forest. At the same point, Fallon and I turn off the trail and into the thicker woods. We continue on this hidden trail for about a mile before coming to a stop, breathless. Fallon pats my shoulder.

"I won," she grins.

"We haven't even started the proper race yet," I reply with a raised eyebrow. Ahead of us, is another road. This time, it is just a track in the dirt instead of a road of stone. "This is a cross country trail father had made for us," I tell the Solavar.

"Yeah, but the people he ordered to make it took his orders very seriously when he said, make it difficult," Fallon says. I laugh.

"They made it difficult alright," Merissa laughs as she comes up next to her.

"When father saw it, he told us we weren't to use it," Fallon shrugs. 

"Sounds like fun," Kovan smirks. I raise an eyebrow at him and Fallon laughs.

"That sounds like a challenge," she smirks. There are laughs around and I grin, feeling my heart speed up with both adrenaline and excitement.

"It is," I reply and with a grin, I make Trouble gallop again. The others are quick to follow as I begin to make my way around this large, cross country course. We approach the first jump. It isn't particularly large and made from a couple of tree trunks. Trouble clears it with ease. My breathing is quick in my ears as I concentrate. Making sure Trouble goes the right way and jumps at the right moment. Though he doesn't need much encouragement or help. He knows what he's doing and he is loving it. The further we get around the course, the higher the jumps get. When we reach the first huge jump, I can't help but let out a scream of excitement as the exhilaration burns through me. As Trouble lands perfectly, I am quick to praise him. It is funny, hearing the deep thundering of the horses' hooves all stop for a few seconds as everyone's horses leap through the air.

We round the corner, getting to one of the more dangerous parts in the course. A tall jump with a higher drop down on the other side into water. Easy to get wrong. I give Trouble the signal to jump. He leaps and I squeal again. He lands in the water and is sprays all over me. I laugh as he continues to run like nothing happened. The jumps only get bigger and the obstacles more elaborate. At some point, our Red Guard friends have to stop the course and run alongside. This was a course built for the size, strength and stamina of a Warhorse. Not a regular horse. Even some of the Lupine drop out and run alongside.

The track comes to an end with an epic jump over a hedge and into more water. I laugh as Trouble soaks me again and we rush out of the cold, muddy water. Panting for breath, we come to a stop at the edge. I pat Trouble quickly and laugh, soaked.

"This is why we do the track first, so we have time to dry off before going back," Fallon laughs.

"It was fun," Aaliyah, one of the female Lupine says.

"Good," I reply, still trying to get my breath back. 

"So, shall we hunt for our lunch?" Fallon asks. I nod my head. "We should split up," Fallon grins and from the way she looks at me, I can tell she is up to no good.

"Myself, the Red Guard and the Lupine will go together. Illyana and the Solavar can have some time together. Leader to rightful leader," she grins. I give her a glare.

"I am not sure..." Merissa begins before Fallon holds up her hand.

"Come on Issa," she chuckles. "You really think they Lupine are going to do something to risk peace and better food for their people?" she asks. "Plus, if the Solavar was to try something with Illyana, well I'm sure she'd like it..." I slap her.

"Don't be so vulgar," I scold and she shrugs. The other Lupine laugh and I can feel my cheeks redden slightly as I glare at my sister.

"All jokes aside," the Solavar begins with his deep voice, "It would be nice to have a chat with the rightful Queen. I do have some things I wish to discuss," he begins. Merissa still frowns. "I will not hurt the Princess," he grins calmly. She still has narrowed eyes. 

"I don't think it's a good idea..."

"Well, luckily it's not up to you," Fallon replies and looks at me. I sigh.

"We'll split up how Fallon suggested," I say firmly.

"But..."

"Enough, Merissa," I say firmly. "I know what I am doing." She nods her head and sighs. "No one outside of this group hears about this," I warn sternly as I glare at the Red Guard members with us. They nod their heads. "Good."

"Meet near the falls in about two hours for lunch?" Fallon asks. I nod my head. The group leave, following after Fallon. As they disappear, the Solavar and I fall into a comfortable silence. I turn Trouble away and begin to walk through the forest. I take some deep breaths, enjoying the smell of nature. The dirt and the flowers. Even on the edge of the city where the castle is, most of what I can smell is shit. I listen to the breeze as it ripples through the leaves of the trees. No noise from people. Just the birds and nature. I wish we were allowed our here more often. I look at the Solavar. There is a soft smile on his face.

"What?" I ask.

"You seem like you're actually at peace," he replies. I let out a small chuckle.

"I feel it."

"This is a beautiful forest," he begins.

"Yes," I reply. "It is nice to get away from the city," I reply. He nods his head.

"In the Northern Territory..."

"Please don't," I snap quickly, sounding harsher than I meant to. He looks at me with raised eyebrows. "Sorry," I gulp and look away, embarrassed at my snappy tone. "I just don't want to hear about other wonders in Vivelle," I gulp. "If I don't know what it's like, then I don't know what I am missing," I tell him. He nods his head.

"I understand," he replies. We fall back into a more awkward silence this time as we continue to walk through the forest.

"Ana," he begins. I look over to him. "Have you ever left the city or this forest?" he asks. I look down, almost embarrassed.

"No," I reply with a whisper. He mutters something in his language. "I've thought about running away," I begin, not looking at him and staring up at the leaves instead. "But what good would that do?" I ask. "I'll just spend my whole life looking over my shoulder as the Red Guard hunt me down and bring me to 'justice'," I sigh. "It is my duty to participate and die in the Trial," I tell him as I tighten my hands in Trouble's mane.

"Die? You might win," he replies. I look up at him and smile softly.

"I am not winning the Trial."

"You sound so sure," he frowns. I gulp and nod my head.

"Fallon and I have already decided our fates," I shrug. He nods his head slowly and looks away from me.

"You're going to try and save one of your sisters," he replies.

"Yes," I reply and feel my eyes sting with tears. "So I have to enjoy these moments of freedom whilst I can," I tell him. "Which means enough talking about The Trial or life in or out of the city," I tell him. "Let's just enjoy the woods and hunt," I order.

"Very well," he chuckles.

I let the Solavar do most of the tracking. With his superior senses, it was almost too easy to get onto the trail of a wild boar. He can see, hear and smell far better than me. What tracks and signs are invisible to me are clear as day to him. It is amazing watching him. We left the horses about a mile back and now walk on foot. He holds up his hand, telling me to stop. I do so and crouch down to where he looks at the ground. I see the prints in the mud and the hair attached to a branch.

"It was not here long ago," he whispers.  I nod my head. "Its scent against the plants is still strong," he tells me. We continue moving slowly and crouched low. After another few minutes, he tells me to stop again. His hand gently touches my waist as he pulls me slightly in front of him and points toward the direction of a grazing boar. I gulp, feeling his warmth around me. I can even smell him or whatever potion he uses to remain clean. A spicy, smokey smell that has me gulping. My eyes move away from the animal briefly and up into his. He smiles beautifully.

"Concentrate," he whispers in my ear, his hot breath in my ear and the sound of his deep, accented voice almost having me shivering. I smile shyly, feeling a little blush play at my cheeks as I look back at the boar. It is a big one. Silently, I draw my bow and grab an arrow. Quickly getting it ready. I pull back, staring at the creature. My breathing loud in my ears.

I don't like killing. But there is something satisfying in hunting and killing your own food. There is also something exciting about tracking the creatures and being the predator. I spend so much of my life as the prey of those above me. Used, abused and manipulated. So to be the one with the power of life and death in my hands is exhilarating. Kai still remains close to me, his hands on my hips as he looks over my shoulder, following my eyesight. It is hard to concentrate. Still, I force myself to focus. Taking in a little breath and holding it, I release the string.

The arrow flies through the air and slams into the flank of the animal. It squeals and falls to the floor. I rush over to it, pulling out my sword as we move. As soon as I get there, I put the animal out of its misery, not wanting it to suffer.

"Very nice," the Solavar grins. I smile too.

"We should get to the meeting point," I say and grab the dead creature.

Back on our horses, I lead the Solavar through the woods to where Fallon wants to meet.

"Ana," the Solavar says and I turn to look at him.

"Kai," I reply with a soft smile. He isn't smiling. Instead, he looks around, alert. Immediately, my heart rate picks up with adrenaline as I reach for my weapon. I look around the woods, not seeing anything. "What's wrong?" I ask. His eyes are darting around quickly and I gulp, nervous. There is a whistling sound and his hand snaps out in front of me. I jump as he catches an arrow right in front of my chest.

Everything moves quickly. About fifteen people rush from the forest and surround us. Their clothes are covered in dirt and plants so they can blend in with the bushes and plants of the forest. Even their faces and hair are dirty.

"Princess," one bows sarcastically. I gulp and tighten my grip on my sword.

"You know who I am, so what the fuck are you doing?" I ask. The person who had spoken was a woman and she now bows sarcastically.

"We heard there were savages in town," she grins. "We also heard that the King was trying to make peace with them," she spits. "Can't have that," she grins.

"Why not?" I ask with a snarl. She laughs.

"You really want this great kingdom to be allied with these disgusting beasts?" she asks. I raise an eyebrow. "The King should cleanse these lands of such savages. Not make peace with them. What better way to get him on the right track than kill his eldest daughter whilst she is alone with one of these savages?" I gulp. "Plus, we'll be given a very nice bag of gold if the cannon goes off with your colours today," she chuckles.

I lick my lips nervously. 

"No one will be killing the princess today," Kai says, sounding scarily calm and confident.

"Oh look boys! It talks!" she shouts. "Two against fifteen trained professionals?" she asks with a grin. The Solavar's hand touches my shoulder protectively. Her grin disappears. "Well, princess," she snarls. "Now we definitely have to kill you. Can't risk a Queen Victorious who sympathises with the Savages," she tells me with a dark voice. I smile at her and bring my hand up to squeeze the Solavars, knowing it will only antagonise her further. Her nose flares and she growls. "Fucking kill them already!" An arrow flies toward me, but the hand that Kai had placed on my shoulder now pushes me down. I let out a snarl as another arrow skims Trouble. No one hurts Trouble. I pull out my sword and grip onto Trouble's main as he rears. He charges toward the closest ones, trampling them as I lean down in an arch and slice at another. Turning around, I jump of Trouble and slap him away, not wanting him in any more danger. Plus, it is easier to fight whilst on the ground. Malakai has done the same and we stand back to back.

I breathe quickly and hold my sword up ready to attack as adrenaline pumps through my body. They charge toward us. I jump forward, ducking out of the way of the first blade and clashing with another. I kick backwards, slamming my foot into the back of the first one I evaded whilst slicing at the stomach of the other. I twist out of the way of a third attacker and slice at her. She dodges and I growl at her before attacking. I end her quickly, knocking her sword from her hand before putting mine through her chest. Quickly, I pull my sword out of her body and feel her blood splatter over me. I look over to the Solavar and stop my attack. My eyes widen. I have heard of a Lupine's skill in battle. I have heard tales of the brutality and strength. But never before have I seen it. The rest aren't going after me. They are surrounding him. He is a monster. Wielding a massive blade, he tears through them with brutal precision. He swings his sword and it slams into the side of one of them. The weapon goes straight through, cutting the attacker clean in half. I feel bile rise in my throat. The Solavar spins around quickly and boots another. They go flying back into the tree. But before the body has landed, Kai has beheaded two more. An arrow slams into his hand and he drops his weapon with what sounds like a Lupine curse word leaving his mouth. It doesn't slow him down, however. Instead, it makes him angrier. He grabs the shooter and lifts him off the ground, crushing his head in his bare palms. I jump at the sight of it, my throat going dry. Another swings toward Kai whilst his back is turned. Without even locking, Kai reaches out and twists his hand around the neck of the attacher and breaks it with a simple flick of his wrist.

As the Solavar continues to brutally kill the last few, he doesn't notice the one hiding further away in the treetops. Crossbow in hand. I snarl and quickly draw my bow and arrows. Kai finishes off the last ones as I fire. The arrow skims the skin of his neck as it flies past him and into the trees where the final attacker is perched. As my arrow skims his skin, he dives to the side. The sudden attack of my own arrow making him dive out of the way of the one flying toward him from the enemy. There is a grunt as it slams into his chest and he falls to the ground with a heavy thud. I lower my weapon and stare at the mess of bodies around us. Kai turns to me quickly, his golden skin covered in splatters of blood. He reaches for the cut I made in his neck and raises an eyebrow.

"Sorry," I say breathlessly as I sheath my weapon. Slowly, he walks toward me. I involuntarily take a step back, still in shock. With all the kindness the Solavar had shown me, I had forgotten that he is the Solavar of the Lupine for a reason. He stops and stares at me. Gulping, I take a step forward to him.

"Sorry," I say with a gulp. "I didn't mean too. I just forgot..." I stop, still trying to get my breath back.

"You forgot that I am a savage?" he asks. I look up into his eyes and can't make out the expression.

"I just..." I don't know what to say. "For some reason, I didn't think you could be so brutal," I gulp. "I've never seen anyone kill like that?" I whisper as I look at the man whose head Kai had caved in with such ease. He raises an eyebrow.

"You think I was expecting our, delicate, privileged princess to snap a man's neck and throw him off a balcony without even flinching or hesitating?" he asks. I smile nervously.

"I guess not," I reply..

"We are all different people in a life and death situation, Ana," he tells me and I nod my head.

"Yes, we are," I reply getting over my shock. I walk closer to him and look up into his eyes and at his bloody face. I bet I look the same.

"Thank you," I say. "For protecting me," I continue. He nods his head.

"It was my duty," he replies.

"We need to get cleaned up before we go back to our friends," I tell him.

"Do you not want them to know about this straight away? Someone tried to have you assassinated so that a war could break out," he asks, confused.

"I told you," I begin. "I don't get to spend time away from the castle very often. I am not having my day spoiled by some pathetic twats who would rather war over peace. When I get back to the castle, I will inform my sister of what happened and then we will investigate and deal with it accordingly. Until then, we enjoy the rest of the day with our friends," I tell him.

"As you wish, princess," he smiles. I call for Trouble and jump up onto his back.

"Come with me, I know a place where we can clean off," I tell him. I race away from the bodies quickly, feeling my hands shake with rage at the attempt on our lives. Why would anyone want to go to war with the Lupine? Why aren't people accepting of other races and why must I be yet another person's pawn? I let out a low, frustrated growl just thinking about it.

We arrive at a waterfall. Above us is a tall cliff with more forest on top. The water falls over the cliff and lands in a large pool at the bottom that is surrounded by smooth polished stone. The stream leading away from us disappears back into the thick woodland which is only cleared around the small pool. I jump off Trouble and walk to the water. Quickly, I run the cold water over my hands and weapons before trying to clean the large patches of blood from my uniform. Luckily, my uniform being black, the blood is easily hidden. The same with my hair.

"This is a beautiful spot. Peaceful," the Solavar says as he leans down to start cleaning the blood off his skin. I nod my head, still searing with anger. Splashing the cold water over my face and neck seems to cool me down though. Both physically and metaphorically. I sigh and sit down. 

"You missed some," I say to the Solavar and stand, walking over to him. He had torn off a piece of his clothing to help remove the blood. I dunk it in the water and gently run it across his forehead. I then take it to the cut on his neck that I inflicted which starts to bleed every time I wipe it.

"How are we going to explain this?" I mutter under my breath, feeling my annoyance grow again. Kai gently touches my wrist and I look at his face.

"Ana," he begins with a soft smile. "Calm down," he says and urges me to sit next to him. I do so with a huff. "Your sister is definitely going to know something is wrong if you don't," he tells me. I sigh, knowing he is right. We sit next to each other in silence, listening to the sound of the waterfall. We don't need to say anything. Both of us just need to wind down and relax a little. I take some slow, deep breaths and just enjoy the view. 

When I am calm, I look back at Kai.

"Am I clean?" I ask. He smiles and gently wipes something away from my face before tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and then straightening my tiara. "Thank you," I say with a dry throat and racing heart. He smiles.

"You're welcome," he replies as he stands slowly.

"You know, we should really get back to the others before we are even later than we already are. I am sure your sister is already telling some of her stories," he grins. I close my eyes and run my hands over my face.

"Fuck,"  I groan and sigh. We walk over to the horses and mount them and prepare to go back to our group.

When we arrive at the main waterfalls, the others are already waiting for us. These waterfalls are smaller in height than the one Kai and I was just at. However, there is much more water. They fall into deep pools before trickling away into a gentle stream. A camp of sorts has been set up on a large bank near the edge. Upon seeing the two of us, Fallon whistles and I let out a long sigh as she smirks at me.

"Stop it," I say as we chuck our catch down. Alliyah looks at Kai and narrows her eyes. I have no doubt that her senses can pick up on the spots of blood we weren't able to remove. Kai just gives her a look that says he will tell her later.

"Kovan," Kai grins. "You're the chef," he orders. Kovan groans and stands, pulling out his knife.

"Fox," I say with a smile, "you can help him. That earns another groan and I raise an eyebrow at my friend. He just grins at me and stands up, going over to help Kovan prepare the meat. Harlon and Fallon are already setting up the fire. Merissa sits back with Karson and I shake my heads at them. 

"What?" Karson asks.

"Lazy," I tell him. He just smiles at me and pulls Merrissa into a hug next to him. She leans into his body and he presses a kiss to her forehead. He isn't as large as some of the other guar members. Though that doesn't mean he isn't a skilled fighter. His skin is dark, his hair cut short around his head. Thick lashes surround eyes such a dark brown they could almost be black. Marrissa looks up at him with a happy grin. I smile softly, happy that they are happy. Fallon puts a finger in her mouth and jokingly retches. Harlon laughs and throws a stick at her.

"Don't be a bitch," he says. I laugh and Fallon raises an eyebrow at him.

"Is that any way to speak to your princess?" she asks, stopping her task of making the fire. Fox stands up, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"You know, Princess," he begins, "there is only one way to deal with such disrespect," he smirks.

"Yes, Fox," Fallon grins, not taking her eyes off Harlen. "I think you're right." I groan and look at Fox.

"You're such a shit-stirrer," I tell him. Harlon sighs and stands, stepping away from the fire pit. He puts his hands on his hips and raises an eyebrow at Fallon, challenging her. "Alright!" I shout, standing up. "Bets!"

"Fallon," Merissa says.

"Harlon," Karson replies. I look over at Fox.

"Fallon," he answers. I look over to the Lupine who had come with us. They have amused smiles on their faces and sit around comfortably. 

"Want to place any bets?" I ask.

"I bet on the Princess," Aaliyah says. Fallon turns her head and winks at the Lupine woman over her shoulder. I roll my eyes.

"Kovan?" I ask.

"Just because she scares me, the princess," he states. Fallon's smile widens. I look at another Lupine.

"Just to make it more even, Harlon," he says. The other Lupine do that too. Finally, I look at Kai. He lets out a long sigh, looking between the two with narrowed eyes.

"The Princess," he finally says. I nod my head and grin wickedly. "What do we get if we win the bet?" he asks. Myself, Fallon and the Red Guard all start laughing.

"That is the wrong question, my friend," Karsen laughs and sips some water from a canteen. Merissa continues her own smile widening.

"The question you should be asking is what you get for losing the bet," she smirks. Kai looks at me and raises an eyebrow. I just beam at him and then turn back to Fallon and Harlon.

"Ready?" I ask them both.

"Wait..." Fallon says, looking at me. "Your bet?" she asks. I narrow my eyes.

"This is a lose lose situation," I tell her. "If I bet against you, you will do everything you can to win so I lose the bet. If I bet for you, you'll lose out of spite so I lose also..." I say.

"Then please vote for Harlon," Kovan laughs, not wanting to lose. Fallon grins at me and I sigh. I look at Harlon.

"I'm trusting you here," I say to him. He bows dramatically. 

"I will win for you, my princess," he says, his voice mocking a serious tone. I laugh.

"Why thank you, brave knight," I reply. "And should you be victorious, you shall receive a kiss of gratitude," I laugh. He straightens and looks at Fallon with a wide smile.

"Well, if that's my motivation..." he begins.

"Just fucking fight already!" Fox shouts. We all laugh and the two begin to circle each other.