I was running through the thick fog of the woods. We had reached the high point of autumn and the weather was cold and unpleasant- and running away from home with a seven-year-old little girl just made thins harder-, the air biting against our skins. It had been long since the leaves from the trees started falling and I could listen to the crunchy sounds as I stepped over them, followed by my daughter's footsteps. We were reaching to the field where our horse was and the guilt started to break through my thoughts once again; what have I done? I did not want to leave my people behind, not after this. That was just wrong. But I had to.

Mara was still behind me when we finally got to the horses and I was thankful for the kid being fast and managing to keep up with me.

"Shhh," I said, trying to calm my daughter down. Mara was too young to be watching this. She was seven and more important: she was still a child. Mara shouldn't have to wake up to see her mother fighting with her father, to see her mother desperate and then grab her as fast as possible and run away, in the middle of the night, through the woods. That wasn't how I wanted things to be and that wasn't what a child should see.

"I am scared, Mother." The words came out of her tiny lips and it stung. I was going through the guilt road again before I shook my head and brought myself back to the present. Later. Later I'd have time to feel guilt as much as I wanted; first I needed to get Mara to the cottage safe and sound. Maybe try to get the kid to fall sleep.

"I know, Dove." I lifted her up onto the horse, then doing the same myself, sitting behind her and taking the reins.

"Where are we going?" Mara asked.

"Somewhere safe." I answered her and started moving towards the cottage we were headed. It had been a few minutes of pure silence, until her voice broke it.

"Where's Father?" She asked and I couldn't make myself lie, not to her. I always taught her that being honest would always be better than lying. Lying to her right now, in the middle of this situation, would be easier and the better option but I just couldn't.

"I don't know, Mara. He's coming." He always did. He had to. If not for me, then for Mara.

When we reached at the small cottage, I jumped off the horse, then brought Mara to the ground with me. She was a small child for her age and getting on or dismounting the horse was a problem- and it wasn't like had taught her to do so, either. I have always been scared of Mara falling down and ending up hurting herself, like breaking a arm or twisting her ankle. We really didn't need that, specially not now.

"Get inside." I sent her towards the door's direction, then proceeded to take the horse to the stable next to the cottage, took the saddle off and gave her some ray. Dancer was a good girl. When I was done with her, I made my way back to the cottage and Mara had already lit the candles when I came in.

"Mother, what are we going to do now?" She asked, fear clear in her eyes, expression clouded. I was her mother and I felt so vulnerable now, seeing my daughter like that.

"We are safe here, Dove. Promise. We are going to wait for Father." I took my cape off and threw it on the rocking chair nearby the window, not caring much about how it landed. I could fold the cape tomorrow; I was tired, I needed to make sure Mara got some sleep. It was late and no small child should be up that late.

"When are we going back?" Once again, her voice broke the silence. It was weak and it sounded brittle, like she was about to cry, but was trying to keep strong for me, for us. I sighed. I needed a way to distract her. I knelt down in front of her and a warm and gentle beam spread across my face.

"I don't know, Dove." I replied with all the honesty in the world, but still keeping the smile on my face, "Hey, remember last time we were here?"

She nodded and the beam got wider, with a little bit more teeth. It seemed like it was infectious because as soon as Mara focused on that Mara, on a happy memory for once, she was beaming too, "It was your birthday..."

"Father threw a piece of cake on your face and we ended up having a food fight," She laughed, making me laugh with her, "And your hair was so dirty..."

She touched my hair the way she did when it happened. Charles and I used to be pretty happy, back then. Things escalated quickly and they were going bad so fast. I didn't even know what to do anymore to do anymore to fix what he had done, to fix our marriage, "We went bathing and we still couldn't get it out."

"Yes." I said, "I want you to hold that memory every time something goes wrong, okay?" She nodded again, "Now go to sleep. I will come in a few minutes."

Mara shook her head, her lips still forming a beam. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and she headed to the bedroom.

When I got to the bedroom, Mara was sound asleep. Rushing out of the castle in the middle of the night tended to do that to a child. No wonder why she was so tired. I walked to the wardrobe and changed my dress to my sleeping clothes and then proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed. It had been a rough day and an even rougher night and I couldn't stop the tears from falling anymore.

Damn Charles, damn the castle, damn everything, I thought. I was so exhausted but couldn't sleep. Why, why did he do this, why did he have to use aether on my people for god's sake? I was so angry and scared. I loved him and he had betrayed me, betrayed our daughter. His own family! I slowly took the band out of my hair and laid besides my beautiful daughter. If it came down to it, I would take care of her myself, and he would have nothing left. I drifted in and out consciousness.

The next morning I woke up with Mara's arms around me. I slowly opened up my eyes, but they were fighting against it- I spent most of the night and part of the dawn tossing and turning on the bed; I still wasn't so sure how Mara managed to keep sleeping. When I finally fought the urge to ignore it and go back to sleep, I opened my eyes and realized Mara was awake, trying to wake me up.

"Hey, Dove. What's wrong?" My hands cupped her face as I laid a kiss on the top of her head. She looked relieved and I was guessing that was better than scared, better how she looked last night.

"You were screaming in your sleep. I thought hugging you would help." She looked up to meet my eyes. God, she had beautiful blue eyes just like her father and when I was pregnant, I'd always pray she'd get those from him, "Father told me he always hugs you when you're scared."

"Yes, he does." I smiled at her, at the memory that now seemed distant. Would we ever get back to that point again? "There's still some stuff in the kitchen to make some pancakes."

Pancakes had always been Mara's favorite and I guessed it was because of how sweet we could make them be. Mara was different from other kids in many aspects but her love for sweets wasn't any different from other children.

"Father!" I heard my daughter shout from the table we were having breakfast at. I was so focused on eating, on trying to make small talk with Mara, make her forget about what had gone down in our house, in the pathway to the cottage, that hadn't seen Charles getting in. I wasn't even sure if he'd have to guts come here, to get back to me, not after everything he had done to my people, not after our fight last night. Mara got up from the chair as quick as her tiny legs allowed her, running to her father's arms and wrapping hers around his neck. Charles lifted her up kissed her forehead.

"Hello, little bird." I heard Charles say after putting her down. My eyes went from the plate before to watch the whole scene. Unbelievable how he could act like nothing had happened, that everything was fine between us.

"Father, father- Mother and I ran away with Dancer and we went through the forest!" Mara told her father, enthusiastically. I couldn't help but grin at her and her words- when she put it like that, it seemed like it was the most awesome thing she did in her life.

"That is really awesome, little bird." He walked towards me and laid his hand on my shoulder, "Are you feeling alright, dear?"

"Wonderful, just a little off." I looked at him in the eyes, trying to make it clear I wasn't alright. In fact, I was seething.

"I get it." Charlies leaned down and kissed my cheek, ignoring my warning, "I think we can go back. It's safe now."

Mara, apparently, was listening to our conversation and at the work 'back' and 'safe' she ran to my skirt's apron strings and started pull on it, "Oh, can we go back now, Mother?

"We will try to, Dove." My hands moved to her hair, curling around my fingers, but my eyes met my husband's once again, "Can I talk to you, darling?"

Charles sighed loudly enough. He knew where this was conversation was going and it was going the same way last evening's conversation went. I just hoped it wouldn't be as explosive as our last talk was. Not when Mara was there to see or hear them fighting.

"Yes, of course." He started at Mara before adding, "Mara, little bird, can you check on the horses?"

Mara nodded happily and ran outside.

"Darling, why are you like this? You've been acting so word this morning." Charles finally asked, when he felt like Mara as far away enough so she wouldn't listen to it.

"You know exactly why." I said matter-of-factly, palpable anger on my tone, "You were using people, Charlies. Our people."

"Dear, it's not using! I'm a scientist, Elizabeth. I was just some of the aether, darling. That was all." Charlies tried to defend himself and I rolled my eyes. God, sometimes he was so pathetic. I bet most of the times he didn't know what he was saying. He couldn't admit his mistakes, admit what he had done and how wrong it was. That just helped to add more how angry I was.

"Don't lie to me. Not now, not when I know better than that." I hissed, trying not to shout. Mara was at the stable taking care of the horses, but she'd listen to me if I shouted. I didn't want her to listen to this, I didn't want her to come back to the cottage and see her parents fighting. No child deserved to see something like that, specially my sweet daughter.

"Darling..."

"Don't darling me!" I finally shouted, not able to keep back my anger. I needed to calm down, to keep my temper in check. I took a deep breath. I wasn't calm, not calm enough, anyways, but it was as close as I would get, "Just... just tell me the truth. Why did you do this? You could be banished. And then, then I'll have to explainmy daugter, our daughter, that her father is a traitor, that he experimented on people- innocent people, people who didn't do anything to deserve this!"

I finally shout and let all of my anger fall, and I didn't even try to hide the fact I was seething, the fact he was the last person I wanted to see at the moment. I sighed at the memory: I broke my own promise. After Mara was born, I promised myself I'd never shout at Charles. No matter how angry I was.

"You don't understand," Charles said like he couldn't believe my words, like he couldn't believe how angry, like he couldn't believe how I didn't understand what he was doing, "The aether... it is powerful. It's something we've never seen. Dear, you have to believe me in this one-"

"I don't care and I don't want to know it. You'll stop using it and you'll stop hurting people."

"But..." Charles tried to argue and left a humorless laughter out. Unbelievable.

"No. You will stop it now or I'll leave." My eyes were shining, I knew there were. There were tears there threatening to fall and I hated how weak I looked right now, "And I'm taking Mara with me."

I didn't wait for an answer. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I left the cottage to find Mara at stable. Charles was left alone to make his own choice, and I wasn't going to stand there and I watch it.

A/N: Massive thanks to mari compactor for helping me out with detailing stuff! I love you!