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"Wh....what?" it was my turn to stutter.

How can anyone just say something like this so soon??

"I f..forgive you," she said again, clearer.

"How...w..why?"

"You are so sorry."

"I truly am but what I did was-"

"You are sorry Your Highness and you feel...remorse. You...you also s..saved me," she whispered to herself and to me.

"How can you be so forgiving?" I asked in wonder and she tilted her head to the side trying to figure out what I meant. That only showed me that it was in her very nature. She was pure, innocent and forgiving. Even after all that's happened to her, none of those qualities were lost.

"You really forgive me. You really do. Wholeheartedly." I mumbled

"Yes."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I pulled her to me and caged her in my arms. She immediately flinched the second I moved forwards and her entire body stilled as I hugged her. She just stood against me with her hands frozen at her sides.

"Thank you. I have no other words for you Little Flower. I can only say this, thank you. You never fail to blow me away." I whispered. Only then did she relax in my arms. I didn't let go for some time. The situation was just too perfect. In that moment, with her in my arms, it was the only thing that mattered. I didn't care about anything else. It was as if the rest of the world faded away and she was the only thing that was crystal clear.

"Papa will be angry. I have to go," she said timidly while pulling back.

"I'll come with you."

When we entered the hall, I immediately locked eyes with the King as he sat at the head of the table. The Queen was seated on his right while Alexander on his left. Alex and Queen Aurora were having a light conversation while the King only glared at me. He wasn't listening to anyone else talking. His eyes were hard as he drummed his knuckles on the heavy wooden table.

My Little Flower greeted her mother and brother before walking towards the King. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered some stuff in his ear.

His stone cold eyes gradually lost their roughness. He slowly diverted his eyes away from me to look at his daughter. After a few painfully slow moment, he nodded at my girl. Alexander let out a heavy breath and signaled for me to sit beside him while my little one sat beside the queen.

"So!..." the King started. "I heard you're leaving soon?" King Sindrion looked expectantly at me.

"So eager to get rid of me? I hope you act differently when the trolls come back," I bit back.

"Boys!! Enough!!" Queen Aurora exploded. Her eyes glowed brightly making her daughter nervous. The dress she wore made a slight movement which only means her wings wanted to be let free. That's what happens when fae creatures become anxious or angry or basically too emotional.

I couldn't care less about any of that. King Sindrion was pissing me off. I hated the fact that he was a King and I was just a Prince.

"Boy?!" I gritted out.

"I am much older Prince Phoenix, don't forget that and both of you will stop this bickering. Now!"

I snorted and looked away while the King glared at his wife.

"O dear God, he likes her alright!" Alex blurted pointing towards me then to my Little Flower. "He's been into her for a long time now and yes he's been awful, horrible, heartless and an ass plus a jerk but Prince Phoenix has proven himself to her or at least from what I can see, he's trying to do something. I think we should all just leave it for Evie to decide. Let this matter be between the both of them, please," he looked to King Sindrion hopefully.

I just wanted to hit him and strangle him for calling me those names but I held myself back only because he was actually speaking to my advantage.

"Aeval is not even eighteen yet-"

"She's old enough to understand what she wants and what she does not want dear." Queen Aurora said softly as she placed her hand on his arm.

"We will not talk about any of this until after the war," he left no room for any other words. He abruptly stood up and left the hall.

"She's his princess. He lost her when she was seven and he just got her back. We just got them back. I'm sure his reaction does not come as a shock to you, young prince." The queen turned towards me. Alex had taken his sister out of the hall a few moments after the King left.

I let out a defeated sigh. "No, I guess it shouldn't come as a shock to me. I just don't have the strength to stay away from her. I don't know how to explain this feeling to you-"

"You don't have to," she looked at me blankly. Up to this point I don't even know if Queen Aurora wholeheartedly approved of me wanting her daughter.

"As my husband said earlier, we'll wait until after the war. You will need to earn his blessings Prince Phoenix, and mine too. Though his will be much harder to achieve."

"I understand. Just to let you know, I will be leaving tomorrow at dawn."

"So soon?"

"What did you expect Your Grace? I have a war to plan. We still have to defeat them."

"Yes, of course. I hope we win. For good this time."

"We will."

"I must help my daughter with the gifts she possesses within herself. She must unravel all of them."

"Hmm, perhaps when I see her again she'll be a changed Flower."

"Oh yes, definitely young Prince." Queen Aurora smiled brightly. I could tell she was excited to bring out the fae in my Little Flower.

"Don't let her change too much." I said stiffly. I like her like this. Adorable and sweet. I don't want to come back to a savage warrior. The queen must have read my reaction because I heard a hearty laugh.

"I wish I knew where your thoughts carried you off to. What do you imagine Aeval will become?"

"I don't know...."

"And that worries you?" I remained silent. She rolled her eyes at me.

"She will not change in the way you think, Prince Phoenix. She will become stronger of course and she'll just learn how to use her gifts and control it's great power. I don't really know the extent of it but I know she's strong and powerful so we'll see."

"Would you tell her I said farewell? I will not be good at goodbyes when it comes to her."

The queen looked at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle. Even I was surprised in the way I acted. "Of course."

"If she has any letters for her family in Red Kingdom, pass them to me later." I said and rushed out of the hall in a blur.

~~~~~~

What a day? I thought to myself. Half of it was filled with peace and joy and the other half was a bloody battle.

I wasn't a fool, I knew I had to earn the Fae King's blessings. It won't be an easy task and he won't make it easy. On the other hand, the war was getting closer. I have to win. Losing will effect the belief of the people in Red Kingdom. I am the future King. With all these heavy thoughts in my mind, I dropped myself on the bed and massaged my temples with my eyes shut.

Not even a minute later there were soft knocks on the door.

Give me a break!!

I stood up and walked toward the doors, already annoyed at the person on the other side. As I opened the door, my previous emotions vanished and was taken over by delight.

"It's late, you should be sleeping," I said softly, opening the door wider for her to walk in.

"I w..wanted to um..." she stretched out her hand and gave me four letters.

I held up her chin to make her to look at me. "Train yourself to speak full sentences, no matter how hard it may be." She looked down and nodded in understanding.

"Is this everything or do you have five more?" I teased.

"That is all."

"Alright then." I stopped not knowing how to prolong the conversation anymore. I wanted to but what else was there to say?

She turned around to leave but before she could reach the the door I gently held her wrist and pulled her back. She turned around and our chests nearly connected. She was suddenly breathing hard the room was getting warmer. We were so close that our breaths mingled together. She freed her wrist on impulse but I held her by the waist and brought my lips down to forehead. It was gentle and fast. I didn't want to do anything stupid like scare her before I left.

Once I had kissed her, she brought up her trembling fingers to touch the spot weren't lips touched her delicate skin. She frowned but said nothing.

"I don't know how I'm going survive without you." I confessed. Neither of us knew how long I'd be gone to train and plan for the war. She just looked at me then she looked down.

"I suppose I have to, but I will always be thinking about you," I said while caressing her cheek.

God I'm going to miss this girl.

"Goodbye Your Highness," she said softly.

"Don't say that. Please." I muttered feeling empty. She tilted her head and blinked at me. Then a sudden realisation filled her eyes. As if she knew how I felt.

"Okay, I will s...see you again." She tried. I looked down at her lovingly. "That sounded much better, Little Flower." I kissed the crown of head before she walked out the door. She still had a slight limp in her walk but it was getting better each day. She took a left out the door.

"Your room is here?" I asked surprised.

"No, I want to see Mr and Mrs Salvador."

I had completely forgotten about bringing them along.

~~~~~~~~

The next morning when I woke up I knew he was gone. I spent so much time with him that my body could tell whether he was in the same place as me or not.

Speaking about the Dark Prince, he's somehow changed. He used the be the cause of my nightmares but lately he was the one chasing them away from my mind. When Lady Esther and Henri did what they did, the Dark Prince became this whole other being. He had stopped hurting me a short time before that but after what happened I got to see a drastic change.

Gone was the monster side of him.

A whole different personality fought it's way through after that. He became this gentle, caring creature. Not at all how I would have described him months ago. He made sure I was bathed, he fed me, took care of me, made sure I slept even when I couldn't, he protected me and most importantly he saved my life. I did not want to live after that horrific experience but he didn't let me fade away. He brought back my emotions, he made me feel again. He even freed me knowing full well that he had the power to do anything else but instead he chose to send me back to my family.

I could never understand the mysterious Dark Prince. His actions from now and before were so contrast to each other. I couldn't understand anything until he professed his feelings yesterday.

That made me think about his actions but I won't be able to fully understand everything about him.

Mr and Mrs Salvador told me that he was going to be craving for me when he's there but I personally think that craving is a very big word.

I walked towards the dinning table and saw that my twin was already there. "There you are! I was waiting for you Evie." I smiled at him. Only Alex still calls me Eve or Evie.

"You d..don't eat anything?"

"Haven't eaten anything."

"Haven't eaten anything?" I corrected myself. I hated the fact that I couldn't talk properly so I was trying very hard.

"Stop beating yourself up, you'll get it soon."

"Thank you," he chuckled and ruffled my hair. Just then a young castle servant walked in and served our breakfast.

"Thank you very much," we said it together. The servant blinked at us for moment then he went red and shyly walked away after giving us a bow.

"Guess they don't expect us to say it." Alex said pouring himself some tea.

"But we know how it feels....t..to be appreciated."

"Yeap."

"What a beautiful sight." We both looked up at mama. "My two children having breakfast, in this hall," she said softly.

"We are still getting used to this as well, sit with us already."

Breakfast went on smoothly. We laughed and talked like a normal happy family but papa wasn't there.

"Where is papa?" I voiced my thoughts.

"Training sweetheart. He will be back in about fifteen minutes or so," my mother answered me. "He always trains in the morning but now he's spending more time because of the war. That reminds me, Aeval. We will start your training by the end of this week." She looked at me all excited. I just gaped at her with my eyes wide.

Train??!

Train what?!

How to fade flowers?!!

"Yes we could all train!" Alex exclaimed. He enjoys his training a lot. Even his body is fit and muscular. I wish Beth could see him now. She'll probably drool. The thought alone made me chuckle. Alexander's head snapped towards me.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing and what train....ing?" I asked my mother.

"Training to help you unlock all your gifts. You must learn how to use them, all their strengths and weaknesses," she spoke slowly, to make me understand.

"Oh."

"Don't be afraid. You'll soon find out the true extent of your gifts and what it means to be a fae."

"I wanted to ask you something else mother," my brother asked seriously.

"Go on then."

"Why were our memories taken away? I mean were they taken away? Why couldn't we remember anything about you and dad?"

~~~~~~~~

Tonya had just received four letters from her beloved sister. Her heartbeat was all spiked up and she couldn't wait to open them. She was feeling like that ever since she received the closed envelopes from Ms.Odelle about an hour ago. She sat on her bed feeling excited. Tonya wanted to wait for the rest before opening them.

About half an hour passed before Beth walked in and plopped on her bed like a lifeless body. "I am so, so fucking tired," she grumbled.

"You've been sulky for a week now Beth."

"Work is heavy!"

"You just miss a special someone." Tonya teased her. She knew Bethany really missed Alex. She wasn't whole.

"Do not!! I don't need him okay!"

"Okay, okay! Where's the rest?"

"On their way. Why?"

"I have big news!"

"What is it?" Tonya remained quiet and smirked at Beth's eagerness.

"What is it Tonya?! Spit it out before I bite you! Now!"

"Patience little girl. We have to wait for the other two. Now ssshh."

Beth grumbled and muttered under her breath before taking a shower. Not long after she came out, India walked in. She looked worn out as well. That made Tonya wonder when all of this was going to end. Were they going to slave away to their death beds?

"What's wrong Tonya?"

"Nothing, where's Kyle?"

"You know him, his work doesn't follow fixed timing."

"Right. So the big news!"

"Finally," Beth exclaimed.

Tonya dramatically pulled out four white envelopes from behind her.

"A...are those from her?" Beth asked surprised. Tonya nodded and distributed the letters according to their names. They looked at each other for a moment before tearing open the envelopes.

They just scanned the words in silence, not really reading them. Seconds later, India suggested that they read their letters out loud.

"I haven't finished reading!" Beth whined. "So go first." India said excitedly.

"Alright then,

Dear Beth,

My dearest friend and my sister. Words cannot explain how much I miss you. I wish I could say all this in person but I cannot and I do not know when I will be seeing your face again. I miss your laugh and your energy. I need them. Beth you've been my support and strength and our friendship had no boundaries. You stood by me in the worst most dangerous situation that we'll ever face. I am so sorry that you were hurt. Now I understand that they had despised me to a level that I can never comprehend but that doesn't mean the rest of you needed to suffer with me. I promise to be stronger and when I am strong enough I'll protect you Bethany. I hope to see you sooner than I expect. I will always keep you in my thoughts.

Love, Eve.

Read the other note behind.

When Beth finished there were tears in her eyes. "Aw I miss her," she sniffed.

"Yeah now I don't wanna read mine." Tonya said. "Hey, there's another one," she reminded Beth.

Beth found the other letter folded in the envelope. She took it out and opened it to see that it was from Alexander. She immediately went red in the face.

"Ooooooooooooohhhh!" the two other girls knowingly swooned.

"Read it already!" Tonya squealed. That's when the door burst open and a grumpy Kyle walked in.

"What's all this about?!"

They just blinked at him, all except Tonya. "Stop being a sour puss. We are reading letters sent to us from Eve." She bragged to him. Kyle's eyes widened as he looked at the letter in Beth's hand then his eyes traveled towards the letters that were held by India and Tonya.

His eyes narrowed at Tonya next. "Where is mine?!"

"How do you know you actually have one?" Tonya tested him while adjusting her sitting position to hide away the white envelope behind her.

"I know it because she loves me the most!! So where is mine?!"

"Maybe she just didn't write you one." Tonya pressed on. She was enjoying his anger and disbelief building up.

"Give it to me Tonya!! I'm her favorite after that jerk, Alex, so I know you have my letter hidden and don't tell me it's under your big butt!"

Tonya gaped at him and then she reached for Beth's pillow wanting to smash his face with it. India couldn't control the laughter which escaped her mouth.

"Hand mine over Tonya. I'm tired of dealing with brats for today." Kyle growled, unhappy that he didn't already have the letter in his hand.

"Eerrggh just take it."

"Thank you sister," he sounded excited all of a sudden.

Once he had his letter, India and Tonya jumped at Beth wanting her to read Alex's letter.

"No, you guys! Stop! I'll read it and tell you tomorrow." Tonya pouted like a child.

"Come on, what did she say in yours?" Beth diverted. When India and Tonya read theirs, it was more or less the same. Aeval thanked Tonya for being the incredible sister that she is and deeply appreciated India for saving their lives.

"This is all so beautiful and touching," India's voice became heavy. She then looked at Kyle and saw him smile while he read his letter.

"Hey Kyle-"

"She called me her brave knight in shining armor!" he said proudly cutting off Tonya. "She also wrote that she loves me like ten thousand times and I'm so brave for putting myself in harms way. She....what?!"

"What is it?" India queried.

"She said I should be a little careful and don't get myself into too much trouble! Pffftttt when have I ever done anything like that?! I have to talk to that girl!"

"That 'girl' is the Fae Princess and she's right though." India said smiling at the mischievous boy.

"Princess or not, Evie is still Evie. She'll always be our little red head who attracts trouble. You know she's a little bit like me-"

"Stop right there! She's not an airhead like you and she doesn't talk nonsense most of the time."