Ava’s Pov

Sometimes…

Just sometimes… Some things happened out of the blue. Could be a particular thing you could never have guessed or expected.

This was simply one of those moments for me.

Frozen on my spot, I was appalled as to why they were intimate with each other.

“T-Tania?” I unknowingly let out.

Felt so embarrassed, from seeing it all, yet in shock.

At my voice, they untangled from each other. Their eyes, ridden in fear and a look of somewhat confusion.

Two different large thuds rippled around the bathroom, as they bowed down hastily.

“Please forgive us, Knight Ava… please forgive us!” They both chorused at the same time, with their faces kissing the floor.

“You both…w-what are you doing?”

I asked, after inhaling. My thoughts were presently scattered in disarray.

“I know we are enemies,”

Tania started off. “And we hated and tried to kill you…”

“But p-please…don’t tell a soul this.” she finalized.

“If you do, we are ruined and sentenced to a fate worse than death!” Satandra chimed in.

It was almost like I couldn’t decipher reality. This happened so suddenly and it was barely given time to think.

I decided to say the next right thing that came in my head.

“I um, wasn’t about to.” I breathed out.

“You both made a ploy and tried to eliminate me. That however, doesn’t mean I’ll revenge on you both with this opportunity,”

“What are you doing?” My wolf hissed angrily with a snarl.

“An opportunity presenting itself on a gold platter to end them…why letting go of it?!”

She yelled.

You won’t understand.

I replied her, before outwardly reaching out to hold both of their hands.

I assisted them in standing up. They both held an astonished look on each of their faces.

“Certainly not forgiving you for trying to kill me. I’m no fool, however I don’t intend to get back at you anymore.”

I added, truthfully.

The truth was, we were all victims.

All of us.

And we reacted with our instincts, to survive.

We were forced to kill.

Forced to be brutal.

But in truth, this was all sick.

“T-Thank you, Ava!” Satandra exclaimed, in an unbelievably sober tone.

Dating back to when I last saw her, she was completely the opposite version of herself.

“We’ll forever be indebted to you, Lady Knight.”

Tania let out, with an appraisal.

“S-sure.”

I replied, as Satandra rushed out, closing the door behind her and so did Tania.

If tables were turned, I doubted they would do the same.

However, what use would I get from revenging now?

I got what I wanted, didn’t I?

I had started to climb the ladder to the ranks, right…

I thought of these, walking towards the basin to wash my face to condense Felicia’s words and what had just happened now…

However, I noticed Tania had stopped in her tracks on her way out. She hadn’t gone out.

My eye brows cringed when I saw her cruel and cold eyes soften for a while. It was almost like there were myths of meaning in them.

“Do you need something, Tania?”

I voiced out, asking her.

With no reply, she walked slowly towards me.

I put off the water that rushed through, turning to her, face-to-face with my chin up.

“I need to tell you something, Ava.”

She simply stated.

“Oh really… what? If it’s about judging you for what I saw, you don’t have to worry about it. We all have secrets--“

“Not that.”

She cut me off immediately.

Her expression was somewhat pained, and her eyes a bit teary.

It looked like she was having a combat with herself.

“Then what is it, Tania?”

I swallowed nervously, asking.

“My um, past actions…”

She started out before clearing her voice.

“I err…mean, all my past actions wasn’t because of the beast you know.”

Her hands entangled nervously, as she stood still on her spot.

“I know I’m a villain, Ava. Especially in all my doings. But, I never really wanted to be the Queen of this castle or have the beast’s baby.”

She added, confusingly which made me wonder what she wanted to say.

Her hair was already wet at front from the sweat, that beaded her forehead.

“You speak in parables, perhaps if you broaden it, I might understand what you intend to…”

Suddenly, she interrupted my words with her lips enjoined with mine.

Her both hands reached up to hold my chin, kissing me boldly.

I immediately untangled myself from her lips, with and unbelievable expression.

“How.Dare.You?”

I seethed out.

She one of my worst enemies in the castle. So, why was she kissing me?

Touching me sweetly…

It all didn’t add up.

Like an illusion.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” she apologized.

“I’ve always wondered how that would feel, you know.” she added.

“W-What why--"

“I loved you, Ava.”

She immediately confessed.

“Right from the first day we were brought here, to this castle...”

“Something about the unnoticed girl with number 500, pulled me. Everything about you, attracted me.” she added, with her lips shuddering.

“But it seemed like we were in different worlds.”

Huh?

“Knowing this, I did some crazy stuff to get you to notice me.”

Some crazy stuff?

Was that the reason for her completely opposite behavior?

I was about to reply her, when my eyes widened.

My brain remembered the first time I noticed her.

It was the time she murdered that girl in cold blood…

“The girl you killed when we were 101…”

I trailed out, swallowing.

“Was it for me to notice you?”

“No.” she replied immediately. “I did the job, knowing one of us would end up being eliminated at the end of the day.”

“Why?” I asked. “You didn’t know the rules, so why?!”

I shook her shoulders, in hurt asking.

The poor girl…if only she watched her back, dammit.

If only…

“Those were the rules. That’s what it was to them—a damned game of the fit.” she retorted.

“But the rest of my deeds were for you.”

She added once more.

Almost like to redeem herself. But I knew there was no way she’d do that.

Because she ganged up to eliminate me.

“How about trying to kill me, huh?!”

“How about being mean all the time, Tania?” I added, asking.

Hoping for her response, maybe, just maybe…their was a reason for it.

I had always wondered what it was.

“I’m sorry.”

She let out, looking away from me with tears spilling from her eyes.

“Really, why?”

“Why?!” I shook her once more asking.

I mean, I almost lost my life so what was she sorry for?

“That was a big mistake from a reason I can’t tell you now.”

“But I really am, believe me.” she added faintly.

I tried to say something but I didn’t even know what to say.

I sunk slowly on the ground, narrowing my eyes at her.

She walked towards me, with a reluctant step, resting her back just beside me.

Bringing out some leaves from her clothes, she lit them with some fire. I watched as she smoked them miserably sitting beside me.

“Want some?”

She asked.

“Where did you learn that?”

“My Grandma.” she answered, smoking from the leaves.

Tears rolled once more from her eyes, as she leaned on the wall just beside me.

“I miss her you know… reason I want to go back to my village.”

She added.

“She must have been a good woman.” I retorted.

Tania gave a weak laugh at my words.

“W-What?”

“She was the completely opposite of that. More like a bad influence to raise a child.” she answered.

What was I doing listening to her sob story?

“I have to go.” I stood up saying.

“Ava.”

She held me back, saying.

“What?” I let out.

“I had a battle with myself after trying to eliminate you... Even tried to kill myself to meet you at Hades.”

“You had no idea how happy I felt when I got to know you were alive.” she breathed out.

“I stayed away though, out of shame, moving on from that chapter with Satandra.”

I moved towards her as she said those words, with a snarl.

My wolf threatened to snap, but I kept her at bay.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

I asked her.

“Is this supposed to change anything?”

My dark brows cringed as I asked again.

“Just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean any of those things. In fact, right now; presently, I got your back, Ava.”

“Because I’m the Knight? Is that why you suddenly have my back?”

I uttered, with a smirk.

“Nope.” she sighed.

“Then why?”

I asked, biting my lips in impatience inquiring from her words.

“Though I was raised to have no feelings. I mean my first friend was Maria, a chicken.”

“But unknowingly, you … opened the gateway to me ever loving a person.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, Ava… for being my first love without even noticing you were.”

She added.

“And for the first time in a long while, I feel like human.”

.....

Had to make this update to clear doubts on who Tania is. Hope you liked it though.

Ahead chapters on the apps I mentioned 🥺❤️