Clouds blocked the sunlight from getting through the vast windows of the castle, making it darker than usual. The leaves were starting to fall, leaving the trees empty, preparing themselves to hold snow on them rather than their usual colorful leaves.

Clara and Edwin paced along the hallway leading to the throne room, each clad in warmer clothes, their hair flowing with the wind coming through. 

"I always knew I'd have to kill someone when I began training," she admit, looking down. "I just never thought it would be this hard..."

"I wish I could say it gets easier." Edwin shook his head with a sad smile, patting her shoulder. "But it doesn't, you only get stronger. The pain of taking a life, it doesn't hurt any less; you just learn to accept it."

"I suppose you're right." she nodded. "It's just...I saw the light leave his eyes, and I've never been more terrified."

"The first is always like that." he reassured her. "I couldn't sleep for weeks after mine. I still think about it sometimes."

"I hate war." she said, making Edwin chuckle.

"Don't we all."

"Why can't people just live in peace? What's so desirable about power?"

"That's why we're here." he said. "Knights are here to make peace, not just protect and fight. It's not just about winning a war, it's mostly about preventing it."

"Then I'll do my best to do so." she smiled, pulling her soft cloak tighter around herself.

Loud voices were heard from the throne room, and one could easily distinguish the voices of the king and his son as they argued.

"I hope everything is alright." Edwin winced at a particularly loud yell. 

Everything was indeed not alright.

"It's your fault Cupia is angry with us!" yelled the king.

"Was I supposed to let him have his way with her then?" Victor yelled back, just as fiercely.

"No!" Harry huffed. "But you could have handled it better."

"I was nothing but respectful to Hugo!" he exclaimed. 

"Clearly."

"Why aren't you questioning him? He's the one who was being disrespectful and now is angry!"

"Victor-"

"No." he shook his head. "Why do you never take my side? I'm always the one in the wrong because god forbid you believe your own son over another prince!"

"Hugo is the crown prince!" he hissed at his son. "He could start a war or target to hurt you!"

"Then he's more foolish than I thought if he'd announce war over something so ridiculous." he rolled his eyes.

"Victor, you're still a child!" he yelled angrily. "You don't understand what's at stake here!"

"Was I a child when you assigned me Chefrithe?" he replied, his own anger rising. "Did you take the words of a child when I suggested the new plans for security?"

"You don't know anything about what's happening-"

"THEN TELL ME!" he roared so fiercely that it silenced the king. "You never tell me anything! Yet you expect me to act as if I do!"

"I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"Safe from what?" he asked desperately. "You think you're protecting me but you've hurt me the most!"

"How have I hurt you?" he sneered. "I've done nothing but kept you happy!"

"You didn't let me say goodbye to mom!" he finally let out what he'd been holding for years. His voice cracked as tears threatened to fall. "You thought you were protecting me but you took away my last moment with her."

"Victor-" his eyes softened.

"No," he shook his head, tears now falling down. "You imprisoned me in this goddamn castle and you took my bow away. I thought that maybe now that I'm older you'd start talking to me again, but you're still keeping secrets from me."

"I don't keep secrets from you."

"Oh you don't?" he laughed humorlessly. "Then tell me what happened two days ago."

Harry stayed silent, avoiding his son's gaze. Victor nodded, confirming what he thought all these years now.

His father didn't love him.

Without another glance, Victor stormed out of the throne room and slammed the doors behind him, startling the two knights waiting in the hallway. Clara frowned, never seeing him so riled up.

"I get the father, you get the son?" Edwin suggested, looking between Victor's fading figure and the closed doors.

"Yup." she nodded and they separated. 

Clara ran until she caught sight of him heading towards the garden.

"Victor!" she called after him, and he stopped momentarily in his tracks, but began walking again. Thankfully, the moment he stopped was enough for her to reach him, her breaths visible due to the cold air.

Instantly the first thing she saw was his red eyes and a frown found its way onto her face.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely, avoiding her gaze.

"What happened?" she asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Why do I not believe you?" she quoted him from yesterday, and other days.

This caused him to crack a small smile and shake his head.

"I see the tables have turned." he said.

"They always do." she smiled back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighed and sat on a bench, putting his head in his hands. The wind whistled and Clara noticed that Victor was only wearing a relatively thin shirt. Considering her dress had long sleeves and was made of a thicker material, she took off her navy blue cloak and placed it on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"I don't want you freezing out here." she shrugged and sat next to him.

"But you'll get cold." she waved him off.

"I'm not cold at all, don't worry about it." she lied with a smile. 

Not feeling like any more arguing, he sighed again before he leaned back and stared at the grey sky. He cuddled into the cloak, absorbing its warmth.

"My father and I had a fight." Clara snorted.

"I figured that much out." she tried to cheer him up. It worked.

"He never listens to me." he shook his head. "Nor does he tell me anything. It's like I don't matter to him."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"You'd be surprised." he looked down at his fumbling fingers, his tone so sad and small as if he were a lost child looking for his mother. "He's been scolding me for what happened at the banquet with Hugo."

"That was weeks ago, and why has he been scolding you?" she arched an eyebrow in confusion. "You practically saved me!"

"Apparently, Hugo threatened to start a war." he said tiredly. "And my father believes I was too disrespectful, and that it's all my fault."

"Oh that's rubbish!" she exclaimed.

"Tell that to my father." he laughed dryly.

He was waiting for another sarcastic response but all he heard was her rushed footsteps as she stepped over fallen leaves, heading inside.

"Where are you going?"

"To tell your father!"

"Are you mad!?"he instantly shot up from his seat and followed behind her.

"I've been called that a few times." she said nonchalantly. "Even from you, actually."

"You're not going to argue with my father!" he said sternly, yet he still found themselves walking towards the throne room. "He'll throw you in the dungeons!"

"Oh I'd like to see him try."

"He's the king for god's sake!"

Clearly, his words went through one ear and out the other. Clara barged into the throne room, her face tinted red not only from the cold, but from anger.

"How dare you!" she yelled, startling both Edwin and king Harry.

"Clara-" Edwin and Victor tried to warn once more but to no avail.

"Your son was finally doing the right thing and you shut him down?" she said angrily. "Had he not stepped in, god knows what might have happened to Hugo."

"To Hugo?" Victor asked no one in particular.

"Victor spoke to him with nothing but respect; something Hugo clearly lacked." she scoffed, crossing her arms. "In fact, you're lucky Victor was there to speak to him before I got the chance to break his nose!"

"Anything else you want to say?" he asked with a stone face.

"Yes." she simply said. "I completely respect you as a king, but you're not being a good father, your highness."

"You think so?" his eyes shone with amusement, seeing a familiar fire in her eyes. 

"Oh, absolutely." she said. "I'm no stranger to losing a parent, but I had Edwin comfort me through it."

"You, however, barely talk to your son!" she continued. "In the few months I've been his maidservant, I haven't seen you two talk for more than five minutes, willingly. He needs his father, your majesty. I understand it's hard to be a king but that is no excuse to neglect your own son! So how dare you take someone else's word over his? Especially since you had all the proof in the world to prove that Victor was telling the truth."

Edwin and Harry exchanged a glance, and Edwin couldn't keep his smile at bay. He saw part of himself in her, and he felt pride when she mentioned he'd been a good guardian to her. Harry began to chuckle, making the two young adults extremely confused.

"I've already heard this lecture, Clara." he told her.

"I beat you to it, cookie." Edwin teased her.

"Oh."

"So you're only ever angry with me?" Victor finally spoke up, betrayal masking his frown.

Harry sighed and walked over to his son, placing a hand on his shoulder, now aware of the feminine cloak around it. 

"I'm sorry." he said.

"Are you actually, or were you just pressured into it?" he glared. "It'll take much more than two words to make it up."

With those words, he left the room just as emotional as the first time, if not more. Clara, who had been jokingly arguing with Edwin over who had the bigger effect on the king with their lecture, sighed and followed after him. They ended up back in Victor's room, where he went over to dramatically fall onto his bed.

Clara arched an eyebrow in amusement before she rolled her eyes and went to his closet, picking a warm jacket for him and throwing it at his face.

"Get up."

"Why?"

"We're going on a walk." she said. "The town is wonderful this time of year."

Victor shot up instantly, taking off Clara's cloak and handing it to her with a quick thank you before he put on his own jacket. He excitedly rushed to his door and out the castle, with Clara laughing at his childlike behavior.

Victor and Clara were sat down on a bench, just watching people go on about their days, preparing for a cold night. The two were sipping from mugs of a hot purple drink, the floral aroma of it overloading their senses.

"I've never had this tea, you know."

"Really?" he nodded.

"I read about the plant in the book you lent me." she took another sip. "Viper's-buglosses. It has tons of medical perks, and looks very pretty."

"How's Lila?"

"She's great." she smiled at him, surprised that he remembered.

"This place is so peaceful." he hummed in content. "Everyone has been so tense at the castle lately."

She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. Victor looked over at her, noticing her pink cheeks and nose. Her hair was messier than it was earlier from all the wind.

"Did Edwin tell you what happened two days ago?"

She debated in her mind whether she should tell him or not. She bit her lip and looked away, consumed by her thoughts.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this..." she sighed in defeat. "But I suppose you deserve to know."

"What is it?"

"You've been targeted by an assassin." he tensed at her words, fear overwhelming him. "No don't worry, he's dead."

"My brain is confused as to what it should feel." she laughed lightly.

"He was on his way to you when I got in his way." she explained cautiously. "He got frustrated with me not letting him through, so he tried to attack me."

"What?" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." she smiled, trying to calm him down. "Only a few scratches. Thankfully, a knight killed him."

"Is that why you panicked yesterday?" she nodded.

"Seeing him die..." she trailed off. "It was terrifying. I heard the knife go through him, so when I cut the meat...it was like I did it."

Victor was at a lost for words. His mind was scrambled with fear, relief, betrayal, and so many more emotions than he could possible handle.

"Thank you." he said softly. "For telling me. And for delaying my murder."

"You're absolutely welcome." she smiled, noticing the improvement in his manners. 

"So you even frustrate murderers." he teased. "See? I'm not the only one!"

"Oh, hush!" she laughed. "Want to go back to the castle?"

He looked at the woman next to him and back to the astonishing view in front of him, a smile making its way to his pink lips. He raised the cup and took a sip of it, taking in the warmth it brought him.

"Not yet."