Disclaimer: Falling Kingdoms belongs to Morgan Rhodes.

Cleo still had nightmares about that one dreadful night five years ago. She would jolt awake just as the head rolled off the body and into her arms. She would let the tears fall in the darkness of her rooms and pretend that it was only a dream. It didn't actually happen, but it did and she couldn't let it go. Most nights, Magnus would wake next to her and wrap her in his arms and whisper, telling her that it was over and everything was better now. She believed him, but it didn't stop the nightmares from coming.

The King of blood had returned from Kraeshian with a full army, Amara was at his side with the last of the kindred held tightly in her hand. It was relief to Cleo that she hadn't found a way to release the evil thing inside. Lucia stood next to her. Her power was radiating off her. She was ready, but Cleo was not. Magnus was somewhere on the battle field along with Jonas and Lysandra and the fact that she wasn't with him made her equally worried and angry. Even though she was not an experienced, she also didn't like the idea of Magnus down there alone with people who hate him.

Lucia grabbed her hand. "Go." She whispered. "I can protect myself." She said.

Cleo nodded. If anyone could protect Lucia, it was Lucia. "Magnus will be furious."

Lucia grinned. "Since when did you listen to my brother?"

Cleo returned her grin. "Good point." She let go of Lucia's hand and hurried down the stairs. She passed by several guards who tried to get her to go back, but they had no authority over her. She was the queen of Auranos. No one told her what to do. She already had weapons, but she grabbed an extra dagger from a case before leaving the palace. She had memorized where Magnus would be during the attack. It was no surprise that he had placed himself at the front of the line. He would be the first person his father would see and she would be the second. He would be taken down by the bond he created.

Jonas saw her first. "Princess, what are you doing here?" He snapped, making Magnus turn around. He was off his horse in seconds.

"Can't you ever listen to me?" He asked, his features were as neutral as ever, but Cleo had become an expert in reading them. He was angry, but behind that, he was also proud. Auranos was her home and she would protect it. "At least, stay as close to me as possible." He took her hand only briefly before returning to his horse and motioning for her to get on after him. She obeyed and the two waited as Gauis, Amara, and their army drew closer. "Cleo?" Magnus whispered so soft that she could hardly hear him.

"Magnus?" She put a hand on his side and some of the tense in him loosened.

"I love you." He said. He had said it only once before and at the time, she had rejected him and every day after that; she had regretted it because she loved him very much. She loved him more than she ever thought she would.

"I love you too." She said and she felt his sigh.

"When this is over, things will change, but can you promise me one thing?" He asked her. She nodded. "Marry me." She nodded again. They didn't need to add the "if". If they lived, she would marry him again and again and again. She glanced back at Jonas whose eyes wasn't on her but lifted toward the palace where the person he loved stood waiting to unleash her power.

Minutes went by and then the shouting began. Cleo looked up and locked eyes with Gaius, his lips tugged up in a frightening grin. She couldn't look away from him because if she did, she would cry and she couldn't let that happen. Instead, she held onto Magnus with one hand and her dagger in the other. Finally her eyes drifted from Gaius and to the soldier coming straight for them. She tossed her dagger and it landed in his thigh, taking him down long enough for Jonas to kill him. She grabbed another dagger from its holder and the fighting continued.

The closer they got to Gaius and Amara, her body count went up. She hated it, but it had to be done. The horse stopped suddenly and both Cleo and Magnus fell to the ground. They both got to their feet and continued on foot. Cleo stayed as close to Magnus as she possible could, but a blast separated them and she was left only with Jonas. He came up beside her.

"Where's Magnus?" He asked as he took down another soldier. She shook her head. "Lucia is sending up the barrier. He needs to be on the other side before that happens if he wants to kill Gaius or Lucia will do it herself."

"He knows the plan. It won't deviate from it for me." Cleo said and it was true. Magnus loved her, but it was more important that he saved Mytica.

"I'll take you back to the palace." He suggested.

"I can go back myself. They need you here." She said and began to run off when she fell to the ground and a soldier stood above her, his sword to her throat. Jonas was quick and took him out with a clean blade to his own throat. Cleo stood. "Maybe, that isn't true." She lifted her chin and smile appeared on Jonas's face.

Cleo's eyes widened as Jonas's head rolled off his neck and into her arms, his blood staining her. The body went limb and fell to the ground. "Jonas." She yelled, tossing the head towards the body. The soldier who had killed him stood over her with a wicked grin. It wasn't a soldier at all. It was Gaius.

"Nice to see you again, Princess Cleiona." He hissed.

She yelled, waking herself up. Shivering, she snuggled in closer to Magnus and despite herself, kept her eyes away from his face. The face that looked so much like his father that sometimes she couldn't tell the difference. In the morning, it would be okay and she would see Magnus as who he was and not who he could have been, but for now, she traced circles on his chest and wept silently.

AN: Thank you for the reviews!