It wasn't an unusual sight to see a maiden at this age covered in white cloth.

Many of Clara's peers had already been draped with white cloth on their special days. However, blood did not usually seep through the white fabric. The only difference was that Clara was not wearing a wedding dress; she'd been covered in bandages all over.

Isabel had just cleaned her up with the help of Hazel, wrapping bandages all over her newly stitched and cleaned wounds.

It was fortunate that Clara was already unconscious, or giving her so many stitches would have been much harder.

After she was decent, Alan, Victor and the king were allowed into the infirmary once again.

"How is she?" Alan was quick to ask the physician.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but thankfully it's non fatal." Isabel sighed as she rearranged her supplies, looking at the girl whose hand was tightly gripped by Hazel's as she sat by her side. "I'm just glad we got to her in time..."

"Wait, you're saying she could've died?" Victor's face paled.

"One day later and we would have lost her."

Isabel's words rung in the king's ears like a bell.

He stood there, frozen in shock, just watching everyone who warned him about his brother. Everyone who had insisted that Clara did not leave them. He cursed himself and his blind eyes. He lowered his head shamefully. He promised Edwin he'd protect her, and yet he was the reason she was now laying unconscious on the infirmary bed, covered in cuts and bruises that his brother inflicted on her because she was trying to protect Avelyn.

She saved his life even though he almost lost her hers.

It was so unfair that Clara had to be the one paying for other people's mistakes. With a heavy heart, the king watched as her friends gathered around her, tearing up at the fragile sight of her. They've never seen her look so weak.

"She will wake up, right?" Hazel's words got caught in her throat, barely above a whisper.

"If anyone can wake up from this, it'd be her." Isabel offered a smile, strained by her worry for the young general. "I'm confident she will."

"She has to." Victor mumbled under his breath, his own eyes tearing up thinking about all the pain she'd endured. His eyes glanced over at his father, clenching his jaw at him.

If he'd listened to him, she wouldn't have been tortured.

"Can someone go get Lila?" Hazel spoke up once more, not looking away from her friend, afraid she'd slip away the second her eyes left her. "She'd been away from her long enough."

"I'll go get her." Victor swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't bear be there after all he'd said to her.

He'd accused her of giving up.

He prayed to every star glistening in the sky that she wouldn't give up now. Not ever.

After Hazel told him where she had sent Lila, the prince nodded and walked out the door, making sure to bump his shoulder with his father's, sending him a harsh glare and shaking his head at him.

"I.." The king spoke. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for not believing you."

"You should be." Hazel said calmly.

"I'm truly sorry." He repeated.

"It's not I that you should apologize to," She let out a huff. "Your majesty."

The king did not blame her for her tone. He deserved so much worse. With a shake of his head, he decided it was best to leave them. With one final guilty glance at Clara's limp body, he left the room to deal with all the traitors that fought against her.

He would do right by her this time. And by Edwin.

Outside the castle the fighting had yet to stop. The town was split into two; those who followed Rowan blindly, and those who were empowered by Clara. The women were still out and about, helping the loyal knights catch the traitors.

Victor couldn't help but smile.

He could see so much of Clara in their moves, in their bravery, and in their ambition.

Looking around his path as he walked, Victor realized just how easy it had become for him to navigate his way around outside of the castle. His nerves no longer screamed in alarm whenever he was alone. He felt confident in his ability to protect himself.

His hands shook with the adrenaline of the previous fight; when he helped Clara fight off Rowan's knights to get to his father. His guilt resurfaced as he thought of the way he treated Clara during their last training session. He slammed her down, claiming she didn't know how to train her men, and yet she'd managed to train so many unlikely arms.

That's what Clara does. He thought to himself with a soft smile. It wasn't the first time she defied all beliefs. She was the change incarnate. The way she viewed the world allowed her to see opportunity in everything.

She saw that in him too.

Victor blushed at the thought, his ears turning red with embarrassment. Clara believed in him, that's why she spent so much time training him. With a newfound strength in his steps, Victor's pace quickened.

"Get back here, Kimberly!" Victor's ears picked up on the harsh words and his attention snapped to a rather large man taking large strides towards a woman who stood confidently in front of her daughter as she ushered her away.

"How dare you follow after the bitch that lost us our son?" His words grew darker. "Do you not care for him?"

"I have cared for our children more than you ever have." Kimberly spoke confidently. "You will hurt us no more."

The man's face broke from its fake sympathy into pure rage as he charged at her. "I said get back here!"

Victor yelled out but before his legs could move, Kimberly swung her fist and hit him right in the jaw, making him stumble. She did not wait for him to recover before she sent another punch his way, the fire in her finally escaping.

The man fell to the ground unconscious, and the teenage girl ran into her mother's arms, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Victor watched as the woman comforted her daughter, hearing her words clearly despite the tremble in them.

"We're safe, my angel." She smiled at her daughter, wiping away her tears. "I won't let him hurt us anymore. It's over."

As they walked away, Victor's eyes caught onto the various healing bruises on the older woman's arms. His heart ached for her. Something in him snapped, only now realizing the true injustice the women lived in, right under his nose.

He would not allow that anymore. Not in his kingdom.

Victor shook his head.

Not in their kingdom.

Returning to his path, he finally got to the house Hazel sent him to. He knocked on it three times before taking a step back, waiting in anticipation to reunite the little girl he missed so much.

The door opened just a crack and he could see a blonde woman peeking out, a small dagger in her hand as she cautiously examined the man in front of her. She relaxed slightly when she recognized him.

"Your majesty?"

"Uh, good evening." He smiled awkwardly. "Uhm, is Lila here?"

"Why?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"We found Clara." He smiled, understanding why she was so cautious. "Hazel told me where to find her, I want to take her back to the castle."

"Oh thank god, how is Clara?" Instantly, the maiden's demeanor changed into one of relief and concern.

"She's...alive." He sighed. "She's been through a lot."

"Please take care of her." She sighed before calling for Lila. "You should know she's very special, your majesty. You'd do well to keep her."

"I'd be a fool not to." He smiled sadly.

Just then, Lila walked to the door with her cat in her arms.

"Vicky!" She grinned, running to him. Victor laughed and picked her up, perching her on his hip, hugging her close to his chest and petting Mesho at the same time.

"Hello, Sunny." He smiled down at her. "How are you?"

"I miss my sister." She looked down. Victor lifted her chin to look her in the eyes.

"Clara is back." He told her. "She's waiting for us back at the castle."

He would forever remember the way her eyes lit up at the mention of her sister. He admired their close bond. It was so pure in a world full of evil.

"Then let's go!" She jumped down from his arms, waving at the woman she'd been staying with before she took ahold of Victor's hand and dragging him behind her. "Hurry!!"

"I'm hurrying!"

"Faster!"

Victor chuckled and matched her pace, holding tightly onto her small hand. He watched her smile brightly as she rambled on about how she knew Clara would be able to defeat the evil dragon who held another kingdom captive. He noticed how she pushed her hair back the way Clara always did when she got excited while talking about something, her cheeks turning pink.

Lila suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Is...is she okay?" She asked nervously.

Victor knelt down to match her height, brushing her hair out of her face and looking into her doe brown eyes.

"The dragon was...very mean, and strong." He said carefully, thinking of how to word it. "It injured Clara, and she's only resting right now. Clara is much stronger than that dragon, so she will be okay."

"I don't like dragons anymore." Lila pouted.

"Neither do I." Victor agreed before smiling and nudging her. "Unicorns are much better, right?"

"Yes!" The smile was now back on her face and Victor smiled at the sight, standing up once again, walking back to the castle hand in hand with the little girl.

A while later, the two arrived back at the infirmary where Clara laid on a bed all bandaged up, surrounded by Alan and Hazel. Victor knocked on the door softly before opening it, letting Lila enter before he followed after.

Lila ran over to Hazel, letting her pick her up and place her on her lap, hugging her tightly.

Her little eyes trailed over her older sister as she climbed over to her bed, careful to not hurt Clara as she did so. Then she sat silently, her lips quivering and tears welling up in her eyes.

Hazel finally let go of Clara's hand, letting Lila take hold of it instead. She rubbed Lila's back comfortingly, glancing at Victor who was carrying Mesho and staring at the scene with sad eyes. She sent him a small grateful smile, to which he returned the gesture.

The cat suddenly leaped out of the prince's arms, walking over to the fluffy mat placed near the window and sleeping on it, occasionally licking its own paws. With the animal occupied, Victor got the chance to walk closer to Clara, dragging a chair to sit next to Alan.

"Wake up, Clara." Lila pleaded, softly shaking her hand. "You promised we'd celebrate Nowruz together..."

Victor's vision blurred as tears pooled into his eyes. He couldn't bear to see Clara like that. Lila's face as she cried over her sister got engraved into his mind, and it was something that brought him too much sorrow.

He felt responsible.

Stepping out of the room to catch his breath, Victor closed the door behind him, clenching his jaw tightly as he balled his fists together. He shut his eyes as the tears finally gave in to gravity and fell down his cheeks. 

His fist met the wall a few times, having no other way to let out his helplessness. After the third punch, a sob finally escaped his lips and he shook in his place, trying to muffle his cries so no one would hear him. Slowly he slid down the wall until he collapsed onto the ground, his knees backed into his chest and his head leaned into them.

It was then that he cried his heart out.

Victor's breathing was shallow and his shoulders shook with the intensity of his sobs. He felt so disconnected from the world that he didn't notice the door to the infirmary open nor close. He didn't even notice the man sliding down to sit next to him, his own heartbreak on display.

Alan's eyes were bloodshed and he had been covered in a few bruises from the fight.

None mattered to him. Not when Clara wasn't okay.

"She'll be alright." Alan's voice shook as he spoke, letting his presence be known by the prince. He didn't know who he was trying to convince with his sentence. Part of him was glad that Julian was far from them, knowing how painful it was to see her like that. The other part wished he was there with them, by Clara's side forevermore.

But that was a fantasy he could no longer imagine.

Instead, the knight turned to the prince, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's a survivor, she'll wake up in to time."

"I hurt her..." Victor's voice was raspy from all the crying, his words interrupted by sniffles. 

Alan's eyes trailed on Victor, noticing how he couldn't meet his eyes. His shoulders were hunched in shame, his jaw tense. His lips were trembling, trying to withhold more sobs. Regret was clear as ice on his face.

"You have." Alan didn't want to lie to his friend. "But if there's one thing I know about her is that if you fight for her, she'll fight for you."

"What if I make everything worse?"

"Only one way to find out."

Silence overcame them as they sat together. There was nothing to do but wait for her, and they would wait forever if they had to. 

"No offense, but your father was a useless turnip when it came to finding Clara." Alan said.

Victor chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"He was a royal roach of a man." Alan's lips quirked up at his statement, exchanging a look with his friend. 

"I think we've been around the girls too much." Alan laughed, looking across him at the door that stood between them and the said girls.

Suddenly, they heard Lila yell out Clara's name, and in a flash both men were on their feet and barging into the room, startling everyone inside.

"Clara..." Victor breathed out in relief, a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall once he saw her eyes open.

"Don't you dare scare us like that ever again." Alan said as he gently pulled her into his chest for a hug. Hazel was laughing and wiping away her tears. Lila was cuddled up in Clara's arms.

"No promises." She weakly grinned at him. "Did you get Robin? What about Rowan-"

"Everything has been taken care of." Victor's voice grabbed her attention, and their eyes met for the first time in so long. 

Victor's heart hammered in his chest as he stared into her dark brown eyes. 

"You don't have to worry about anything but yourself now." He finished off. Clara sent him a small smile and nodded.

Hope ignited in his chest once again.

"So are you going to help me get up or are you going to stare at me more?" She raised an eyebrow, looking between them all.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere." Hazel glared at her.

"But I hate the infirmary!" She whined, wincing at all the pain the slight movement brought her. "Where's Isabel?"

"She's out helping the rest of the injured."

"Are they hurt badly?" Clara asked worriedly.

"No, no more than a few scratches." Hazel shook her head. "You were..."

"I can't believe he did this to you..." Alan muttered.

"I'm just glad you got to me." She chuckled. "This hurts like hell."

"I bet." Victor smiled sadly. "So, how should I carry you home?"

Hazel raised an eyebrow at his words, silently exchanging looks with Alan  who returned the gesture.

"Absolutely no one will carry me." Clara stated. "I want to walk, just help me up."

Hazel helped Lila off of the bed and let her grab Mesho as Alan and Victor each took a side, and all three adults helped the general to get onto her feet once again. Clara let out a string of quiet curses, careful that Lila wouldn't hear her. 

With her arms around Alan and Victor's shoulders and their arms holding her by the waist, they started to slowly walk outside the room, away from the medicinal smell Clara despised so much. It took quite a long time to get to the castle gates, but the second they did, Clara's eyes scanned all the people waiting there.

Specifically, everyone she had trained.

"Look, there she is!" Someone yelled from the crowd and all the attention turned to her.

"She's okay!"

"Clara is awake!"

They cheered loudly for the safe return of their friend and general. Clara's lips twisted into a proud smile, seeing so many feminine faces looking back at her happily. She grinned at everyone who fought by her side and believed in her.

Letting go of the two men and waving away their objections, she stepped forward carefully, wincing at the added weight. She smiled nonetheless as she motioned for Hazel to hand her her sword. Carefully, she unsheathed it, raising it high above her head.

"Today you all proved your power." She raised her voice as best as she could. "I always knew you could do whatever you put your mind to."

More people cheered. Victor's breath hitched in his throat as he admired the woman in front of him, standing so confidently and proudly in front of his people. He watched the woman that continued to surprise him and everyone in their kingdom with a soft smile, not noticing the blush creeping up on his cheeks and ears.

"Avelyn is our home." Clara said. "It's about time it feels like it to. Here's to you all!"

Clara turned and motioned for Hazel to stand next to her, making her hold her sword up with her as they faced all the women in front of them with bright smiles. They all cheered and chanted along with her until Victor stepped up, taking Clara's free hand and raising it as he looked at the crowd.

"Here's to our general!" He yelled with a smile. Alan stepped up next to Hazel.

"To Clara!" He yelled, punching the air excitedly. "And to you all!"

"To Clara!!" Everyone chanted along after him. Then Victor's eyes turned to hers once again, studying every detail of her face.

"To you." He whispered so only they would hear.

Clara smiled at him and turned back to the crowd as they began to sing and cheer her name even more. Victor's eyes never left her as she smiled brightly despite everything she'd been through. Victor's heart skipped a beat, and this time, he knew why.

Glancing at their intertwined hands, he squeezed it gently, looking back up at her before he turned his attention to what she built.

I am actually in tears. I'm so proud of them 😭😭💛

Thank you all for reading up to this point, it really does mean the absolute world to me and no words can express my gratitude. 

I hope you enjoy reading so far <3