Found Herself

Found Herself
I headed out of my room because I thought I hadn't finished the conversation I was having with Sylvia. Her room wasn't safe and just because it was safe yesterday doesn't mean it would be safe today.

Not knowing that she already had a fallout with an assassin. Above all, I was glad that she was safe.

It made me angry to hear that Fiona had done this again.

“I wished we could still get more out of her. Loyal freak!” Sylvia spat as she stared at the lifeless body of the lady on the floor.

“Come. I will have someone clean the room” I told her, leading her out of the room and wasn't surprised that she didn't object.

She had said it would be safe, apparently, it wasn't.

I led her to my room. She took a bath to wash the blood off her body, and when she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I gave her one of my shirts to slide into.

She took the shirt from me, holding it as she stared, gulping.

“What?” I asked. “You don't want to wear it?”

“No. It'd just be kind of weird. Anyone could see me in this tomorrow” she said, making me let out a dark chuckle.

“Then when we left your room, you should have known that you wouldn't be sleeping in those bloody clothes. Then you could have taken a dress” I told her, laid on the left side of the bed as I gently placed my hand on the other side, urging her to come in.

She moved back to my walk-in closet, dressing up in the shirt there, a move I actually found funny.

Then she slid into the bed, sleeping beside me while making sure to leave a lot of space between us.

I didn't close in on the space, didn't infiltrate the privacy she had set for the both of us. 

It took a while before sleep took me. I couldn't stop thinking about Fiona actually.

She was never like this. Of course, I've always known that she wants me, but no matter how many girls I flirted with back then, she never acted concerned.

Hours later, my mind ended up awake, but my eyes weren't.

I ran my hand through the side of the bed and realized Sylvia was up. That made me open my eyes, searching the room for her but she was gone already.

I didn't lay down on the bed again, I stood up, taking a bath and dressing up for the day.

There was an assassin attack the previous night, surely, I could already guess where Sylvia was at the moment.

Heading out of the room, I trailed Sylvia's scent to the lake. There she was, suddenly appearing behind Fiona.

Fiona was startled, almost falling into the lake when Sylvia grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her back.

I moved closer, hoping to hear what their conversation was about.

“You…..” Fiona croaked.

“What? Thought I'd be dead?” Sylvia's eyes were dark, her face stern.

“Fiona. I didn't call you out on your first attempt to murder me, because I thought it'd never happen again” Sylvia paused. “But what? You tried to kill me again?”

“That assassin you sent is dead! And I'm alive!” Sylvia said. “Are you that dumb that you still can't realize anything?”

Fiona kept mute, not able to utter a word.

“Wake up, princess! You can never get rid of me” Sylvia gritted.

I stood still behind the wall, hearing every word which came from Sylvia as they amused me.

“I've been quiet, Fiona. Not because I'm stupid, but because I willingly let you all do what you want” Sylvia said.

“But not anymore. I won't let anyone walk all over me again! Not a weakling like you!” She spat.

Fiona's fists could only curl, and I could sense that it wasn't anger. Something more dangerous, more vulnerable. 

Fear.

She was starting to get scared of the whole shit she had pulled herself into.

“Attempt an assassination on me again, and I won't only kill the assassin you sent, I will appear to you in your sleep and rip you to pieces” the words were gritted and after then, Sylvia stormed away.

Fiona's legs buckled as she heaved a sigh. Apparently, she had been holding her breath all the while Sylvia had been there.

“I better back out now. I must have been so stupid to have been doing this!” She scolded herself, shaking her head so terribly.

“I should go home. Father must have missed me” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath again.

I moved out of my hiding place, appearing in front of her.

“Fiona….” I called her attention to me.

Her eyes were teary, her vision madly blurred.

“Valen…..” She stepped closer to me.

“I'm sorry…..I really am. I don't know….what's wrong” she croaked. “I really don't know where things went wrong”

I held her hand, caressing the back of her palm. “It's fine, Fiona. You aren't a bad person, I know. Don't let your desires paint you as one.” I smiled at her.

She couldn't smile, just watched me with a face drained of color.

“I think I've turned bad, Valen. I tried to kill her, not once, but twice” she cried.

“It's not too late to be back to yourself, Fiona.” I held her shoulders, making her look directly into my eyes. 

She gulped, not able to say a word, but she cried. So terribly that I couldn't help but pull her into a hug.

“I'm sorry Fiona” I said.

“For what?” She whispered, voice restrained because of tears.

“For not liking you back when I knew how much you liked me. I almost turned you into a monster, and I'm sorry for that” I told her.

She cried more. I didn't let go of her, as she needed me at the moment.

Before she was an obsessed lover fighting for what she wants, we were the best of friends.

“I'll let everything go, Valen. Sylvia….you, everything. I'll return home, and just live my life” she said.

I broke the hug and smiled at her.

“Don't forget to make your favorite muffins while you're at it,” I said.

She chuckled amidst her sobs and nodded.

“Tell Sylvia I'm sorry” she whispered.

I nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead before I turned, walking away from her.

The best thing that had happened to me this morning was realizing that Fiona had found herself, not still hiding in the dark shadows of a monster.

I headed to the hall, and because of my happy mood, signed all the scrolls of requests from the council members.