I know, I know. I have so many other things I should be writing right now but I had to get this off my chest. The ending made my heart hurt! Because I am trash. Give me a few weeks, it'll be over soon.

They ran through the forest for hours together, but they failed in finding Rilla or Lord Arum. When the light of dawn broke, even Sir Angelo's spirits were beginning to slip.

"Perhaps...perhaps if we split up?" He suggested.

Sir Damien fought the exhaustion that was threatening to replace his fury and adrenaline. He nodded to his fondest rival, "You take the East and I will take the West. If we do not meet by high noon..return to the queen. She will need you more than I."

"But Sir Damien~!"

"No," He interrupted, and forced a small smile. "Besides, we cannot both receive Rilla's favor when she is rescued."

Sir Angelo's concern broke into a grin, easily fooled by Damien's false bravado. "Ah-ha! Worry not, my dearest rival, I will not steal your bride to be. Should I find her, you shall still be the one to slay her captor! Here, have some of my steel. To the monster!"

As he spoke, he dropped a sword belt into Sir Damien's outstretched hand. With his last cry, Sir Angelo playfully pivoted on one boot and sprinted to the East of the forest. The moment his back turned, Damien let his smile fade and be replaced with a grim determination. He attached the belt, and headed back to the spot where he last was meant to meet his beast. He ran through the woods to the place once strange to him; now forever burned into his memory.

The clearing was lit with the bright moon, illuminating the ancient, crooked tree. It was utterly empty; still but for the willow leaves dancing in the gentle breeze; quiet save the whisper of the nearby brook. The calm, steady presence of such an old tree did nothing to ease his turmoil. The monster was nowhere in sight, so he dashed inside the veil of the willow, hoping that perhaps Lord Arum would be behind it. He knew it was desperate, foolish, but he couldn't stop the sinking of his heart when we remained alone.

"How could I be so FOOLISH!"

With a cry, he drew the sword that Sir Angelo had left him and swung it at the tree. He continued his bellows of rage as his calm left him completely, and he barraged the elder tree with blows in all the ways he wished punishment upon himself. He thought of all the ways he betrayed his own heart, his Citadel, and his Rilla. He struck, and struck, and struck.

"Careful, little honeysuckle. You might hurt yourself."

At that, Sir Damien froze. With all his speed, he dropped the sword to draw his bow and loosed an arrow at the spot he heard the smug voice that twisted like a knife in his heart.

The first arrow was close. Close enough to force the lizard to leap out of the way and continue dodging as Sir Damien followed, focusing hard but struggling to do so. His mind was clouded with hurt, betrayal, and Rilla.

Lord Arum gave a taunting laugh as he easily evaded each arrow.

"Ha-ha! I see you have finally noticed what I have taken."

"Where is she!" Damien roared, shooting again and again, frustration mounting with each miss.

"Oh, poor thing," The beast mocked. "The brave knight could not find his Rilla!"

Sir Damien reached to his quiver for another arrow, but his hand grasped air. He cursed his foolishness under his breath, quickly dropping the quiver from his shoulders in the hope for one last chance.

There was none.

When he looked up again to track the beast, although only a moment had passed, it was gone. The snide chuckle echoed from all around him, mocking and confusing Damien.

"Show yourself!" He demanded.

The laughter only grew in response. Damien turned to locate Sir Angelo's sword, finding he had come far from it in his pursuit of Lord Arum. He lunged for it, but Damien was knocked away as the lizard intercepted him.

Damien grunted as they rolled, wrestling with the beast as well as he could, but he had not the strength of Sir Angelo. Lord Arum easily got the best of him, pinning him beneath his claws just as he had the day before. Damien was held with two hands at his shoulders, and two holding his wrists. The rest of the lizard's body was pressing against his legs, preventing any ability to kick or buck.

Their breath came out ragged against each other, as beautiful, violet eyes staring mercilessly into pained brown ones.

When his breathing began to slow, he closed his eyes and whispered. "I have failed… I have not the will to kill you, and Lord Damien has rightfully forsaken me. For my weakness, I have betrayed my queen… I have caused the suffering of an innocent."

Damien finally opened his eyes again, shocked to see that glimmer of humanity in Lord Arum once more. His expression was so..pained. Pain for the suffering of the man in his grasp. Damien felt his gut twist with confusion and his heart swell with curiosity, with his deep desire to know.

"Your eyes! How could such gentle eyes commit such a horrible crime!"

"Enough!" Snarled Lord Arum, tongue flicking out from behind short, sharp teeth. "Speak your final words. I know you have them, you professional prattler."

Sir Damien took in a deep breath, reaching for tranquility. "I have not final words..but a final question for you, Lord Arum."

The monster blinked, his grip on Damien's shoulders easing. His voice took on the soft quality it had when he was perplexed. "Um...what is it?"

"I want to know- no, I need to know, what is this I see inside you? From where do these human qualities come?"

Lord Arum's tail thumped angrily against the ground, though his eyes betrayed his conflict. "I, I don't know what you're playing at, you pathetic, overly emotional little-"

"Lord Arum, I cannot let this be for not! I cannot let Rilla's suffering be for nothing!" Sir Damien's voice was firm when he began, but cracked when he spoke her name.

The anger was so fierce on Lord Arum's face that Damien's heart jumped with fear. The lizard brought his legs to either side of Sir Damien, standing roughly and pulling Damien high into the air. He spoke in an angry hiss, still so close to Damien's face.

"How is it that you can be so preoccupied with the suffering of another?" He hissed. "Your life is about to end and all you can think to do is ask over me and worry for your precious Rilla! How can you be so selfless, so foolish you...you noble dolt!"

Sir Damien blinked in confusion, for it sounded almost as though the monster was jealous. "Rilla is an innocent, and you took her life! How could I think of anything else! I must at least know you, who has fooled my heart and defeated me!"

"Bah!" Lord Arum shook Sir Damien in his grasp, "How can you speak of her, and I, and your heart in the same breath!"

"What is it you are hiding from a man who is as good as dead?" Sir Damien demanded, becoming angry himself. "Are you so monstrous that you cannot meet a man's last request?"

"For the last time I AM A MONSTER!" Lord Arum shouted in exasperation before huffing and taking a breath. "Must you know? Are you really so insistent to learn my secrets?"

"I am," He answered, resolute.

"Fine!" Lord Arum tossed Sir Damien aside, away from the sword at the base of the willow. He landed with another 'oomf' as he rolled across the grass and dirt, but the knight wasn't injured by the throw.

Sir Damien pushed himself up into a sitting position, but found himself too confused to do much else. He had expected a dramatic reveal (of what content he wasn't sure, but it would have certainly been dramatic), followed by his untimely death. He stared at the back of the scaly head, turned away from him now, wondering what on earth had just changed his fate.

There was a pregnant pause, the same kind that lingered just before Lord Arum spared him the first time, by asking him to bare his arm.

"Lord Arum?" Sir Damien prompted, his mouth dry and heart racing.

The monster spoke softly over his shoulder. "Go back to the Queen's tower. In her chambers, you will find a small box of red mahogany, filled with trinkets. Within there will be a blue stone the size of one clenched fist. Bring it to me...and I will share with you the knowledge you desire."

Sir Damien blinked. Then he blinked again. He opened his mouth to speak, frowned, and closed his mouth again.

"I beg pardon, Lord Arum….are you asking a knight of the Second Citadel to steal from his queen?"

"Is it stealing if you are returning a stolen belonging to it's original owner?" Arum inquired, his tone genial.

Unfortunately, at the same moment, he was thinking of all the foolish things he knew he would do for love. It would be a lie to say this was not dangerously tempting his curiosity.

"Is this what you were after in the Queen's tower when..when we met?" He inquired.

"It is not. But...to tell you, I will need it back."

Sir Damien couldn't quell his unrest, "How...how am I to believe this is not yet another trick?"

Lord Arum's voice became even more gentle. "Do you trust me, little honeysuckle?"

"Trust you!" Sir Damien burst, leaping to his feet, "You have tricked me from the start! You manipulated my heart and you stole my Rilla!"

Finally, Lord Arum turned to face him. There was fury in his eyes and with all his speed, he was suddenly directly before the knight, tongue flicking out angrily as he roared. "Your dear Rilla is all you can think of! I have stolen nothing, you fool! Not a thing! She is fine, I have not touched her."

The monster turned up it's chin, blowing hot air through his nose and covering his emotion with a false indignance that didn't quite have Sir Damien fooled. "You couldn't pay me to, the scrawny creature."

Sir Damien swallowed thickly, his mind racing to keep up with all that was unfolding. "Rilla is...safe, you say?"

Lord Arum looked to the sky, squinting at the light. "She should be traveling along the Southern Road to the Citadel. She may be confused, but, unharmed."

Before Damien could express any of the million questions this arose, the lizard beast took a brisk step away from him. "Go to her; see for yourself that I do not lie. If you are satisfied, then meet me here again in three days. Do not return without the stone."

Then, he was gone. Disappeared out of the willow tree's curtain and enveloped in the forest.

"Lords above…" Sir Damien breathed, before dashing toward the Southern Road. To Rilla. He knew that if she was safe, he would be unable to deny his curiosity. This beast was changing him, but he could not stop. In his heart, he knew the knowledge was too great a call.

If Rilla was alive and unharmed, he must speak his heart to her.