"Mirana!"

Angel froze, for a split second time honestly stood still. Laying underneath Stayne, her small framed body pinned against his and sinking against the soft silk sheets, her eyes budged out and her hands clutched onto Styane's shoulders even tighter. In the doorway was her parents and sister, they had walked in and seen everything.

"Get off my daughter you monster!"

Angel's father roared drawing his sword. Quickly Stayne pulled himself out of Angel and the sense of fading and emptiness flowed through her. Gathering up the sheets, she covered herself as Stayne quickly rolled over and grabbed his slacks and tights, hurrying to pull them on. Angel sat up, her hair falling in her face.

"Father no!"

Angel had never seen her father angry before, his face was flushed and he stepped closer with his sword drawn and his eyes completely outraged.

"Filthy! How dare you do this?!"

Angel sat up, wearing her sheets around her as she slid off the bed trying to explain.

"Father it isn't like that, please let me explain!"

"Sixteen! Your just a child!"

"Father, Stayne proposed to me last night!"

Angel saw her mother clutching her mouth and shaking her head. Nothing but utter disappointment in her eyes. Feeling ashamed, Angel took a step closer, tears building up. Her father glared at her before Stayne stood up on the other side of the bed, only his slacks on and his sweeping hair fallen in his face.

"Your majesty, please…"

"SILENCE!"

Angel jumped and saw the amusement in Gina's eyes as she stood beside mother. Angel's father took a step closer, his sword still pointed at Stayne.

"I welcome you into my kingdom, I put my trust into you! I knew how you felt about my daughter…I've known the moment you came here, but to disrespect me and take advantage of a child!"

"Father please! I love him!"

Her father's eyes went to Angel, pity and danger mixed before Gina saw Stayne slowly making his way around the bed, trying to join Angel's side. Right away a grin appeared on her lips.

"Father he has a knife!"

It all happened within a second.

Angel's father spun around, his sword plunging right into Stayne's side. Angel screamed as did her mother before watching the stunned expression in Stayne's eye as he slowly dropped to his knees. Yanking the sword out, blood dripping on the white carpet, Angel's father watched as Stayne clutched his hands against his bleeding wound.

"NO!"

Angel screamed falling down beside Stayne, she saw that her father's sword wasn't completely covered in blood which meant he hadn't wounded Stayne too badly. Looking at Stayne's pale hands laced together against the cut, ozzing blood dribbled against his fingers. Angel felt everything spinning, grabbing onto his arm she looked up at her father's stunned expression.

"HE DIDN'T HAVE A KNIFE! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Her father's mouth twitched for a moment before his eyes glared down at her.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way!"

Angel slid her hands over Stayne's to keep pressure on the wound, tears rolling down her face. Right away Angel's mother came running over, joining her father's side.

"ENOUGH!"

Her father shrugged her off before reaching down and ripping Stayne's eyepatch off and throwing it to the ground.

"Leave my kingdom, you're never welcome here again as long as I live."

Turning, he walked out, throwing his bloody sword to the side. Giggling, Gina watched as Angel's mother stared down, shocked and helpless.

"Mirana, please…"

Angel began to cry harder, holding Stayne.

"Please mother, please make father understand!"

Her mother just stood there, just staring down without any words.

"Angel…please…"

Before she could say anything Gina was by her side, smiling and looking down at Angel and Stayne.

"Come on mother, you seem upset…don't worry I'll make sure the guards take him away."

Almost in a trance, Gina took her mother's arm and lead her away. Alone now in the room, Angel's place and scared face looked towards Stayne and then down at the bleeding wound. Sniffling, and pushing her hair out of her face she tried to lift his hands.

"Let me see…"

Stayne tilted his head back, closing his eyes while sweat rolled down his face. Taking a deep breath he lifted his hands and allowed Angel to look. The wound wasn't deep, but kept trickling blood against his pale skinny side. Looking at him, she sniffled in tears again.

"I need to help you…"

Stayne shook his head.

"I'm fine, I just need to stitch it up…"

"No, your bleeding and hurt and…"

"I've seen worse, don't worry…go to your father."

"Why?!"

"He'll forgive you…I'll leave right away."

"NO!"

"Mirana, listen to me…losing everything including your family isn't worth this. Go now, your father was right."

"No he wasn't! I love you!"

"Angel, I disrespected him and went behind his back. Please…"

"No, I'm not letting you leave. I'm sure he'll understand…"

Stayne shook his head again, trying to struggle with the pain.

"No, just let me go…I've caused enough trouble."

"I thought my father told you to leave."

Stayne and Angel turned and saw Gina standing in the doorway with three armed guards. A sly smile spread across her ugly face. Right away Angel's face crumpled.

"Damn you Iracebeth!"

Angel hissed. Right away Gina threw her head back laughing completely amused.

"My, I never knew such a pretty thing could act so ugly."

Turning back to Stayne, Angel kissed his sweaty forehead before holding him tight.

"We're leaving."

Gina took a step closer into the room, the guards ready to move at any second.

"Well, well, well…leaving everything mother and father have built for us are a scared used up solider. How interesting…"

"Tell mother and father I'm sorry, but they can't make me chose between the kingdom and the man I love. We'll be living in the forest…"

"The forest!"

Gina began to laugh again.

"You really are a silly girl, thank God I'll rule the kingdom. You're nothing but a fool!"

Angel looked back at Stayne before thunder sounded in the distance.

Later…

It was pouring when they left. Angel had brought a small bag of her belongings including her beautiful snow globe. Before leaving she left a letter for her parents begging their forgiveness. That she was sorry, but couldn't let them make her leave the man who she honestly loved and would die for. Wishing them the best, she lied and told them that she was sure Gina and Philip would do a fine job helping them rule the kingdom. With a heavy heart, she left everything she knew her entire life.

Mounting Winter, she helped Stayne on as the rain drenched them. Putting up the hood on her dark velvet coat, she shivered and slipped on Stayne's coat as well. Struggling she tied their bags to the horse before looking over her shoulder at the kingdom.

Up on one of the balcony's she saw Gina and her parents watching.

Struggling not to cry, she felt tears mix in with the rain. Turning, she got onto the horse before holding onto Stayne, his hair was dripping wet and plastered against his skull like hers.

"Are you all right love?"

She asked, pressing her hand against where her father had stabbed him. Before leaving, she had quickly cleaned the wound and bandaged it in the stables. Stayne winced at the touch and Angel knew the wound was tender and once they found shelter she would stitch it up.

"Mirana, please go back inside…this isn't worth it."

Not wanting to turn back, Mirana made sure her hood was on snug and wrapped her arms around Stayne before gently kicking Winter's sides.

"I love you Stayne, your all the family I have left now."

Lighting flashed in the sky as the cold rain continued to pour down on them.

Later that night…

They had found the tree house Stayne had lived in. Putting Winter under the dry shelter of the large tree, Angel helped carry the bags before letting Stayne put his arm around her for support as they struggled to climb up the old ladder.

Once up, Angel found the lantern and lit it. The rain sounded like stones above them. Her clothes soaking wet, she began to take them off before she was finally only in her slip. Stayne meanwhile had collapsed on his old dusty bed. Shaking her wet hair, Angel walked over bringing the lantern before unbuttoning his shirt.

Stayne closed his eyes almost in pain as he laid back.

"No…"

"I need to clean your wound and stitch it up, lay still…"

"No, you're cold…put on some dry clothes please…"

Angel ignored him, instead she opened his shirt, his chest glimmering and smooth by the rainwater that had soaked through his shirt and saw the bleeding bandages. Turning towards her back she took out her needlework and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Take my hand Stayne, squeeze…"

Stayne's eye fluttered open before she took the bloody bandages off and began to go to work. The second she began to stitch Stayne took a deep breath and his grip tightened on Angel's before relaxing. Looking down at him, he let go and finally nodded.

"Finish it."

Angel did and wanted to cry after seeing him in so much pain. Afterwards, she slowly undressed him and hung up his dripping wet clothes with hers and slid him underneath the warm sheets. Drying her hair, she kept the lantern beside him while she unpacked their things, trying not to let him see her hands shaking.

The last thing she took out was her snow globe. Thinking of her parents, she closed her eyes before turning the key and setting it beside the bed. The beautiful tune slowly began to drift out of it making her shiver. Looking at their things, she saw she had taken his eye patches as well. The tree house was so small, but it was his and they were safe.

Thunder sounded even louder around them. Sighing, she went to the bed and climbed underneath the sheets with him.

Moving close, she opened her arms and had his naked body snuggle in closer against her. Listening to the snow globe, she watched as the lantern slowly flickered out.

Thunder sounded again.

"Does it hurt?"

Stayne shook his head, drifting in and out of sleep.

"No, I'm fine darling…are you cold?"

Angel nuzzled against him.

"No…"

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. It's their fault for not knowing how much I love you…"

"Angel, you're a princess…you should go home tomorrow, they love you and will forgive you."

Shaking her head, she kissed his temple where his scars ended.

"No…I love you and I won't leave you. Besides…we're getting married remember?"

Stayne opened his eye and tried his hardest to smile before nodding and eyeing her sparking ring.

"I…just want to know your safe…maybe that nightmare was right."

"Nightmare?"

"I had it last night…I woke up for a little bit but you were fast asleep."

"What was it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Stayne…"

He looked at her as the light became more dim.

"I hurt you in the dream…I did horrible things to you…"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Angel promise me something…you will go home tomorrow and forget about me. You don't belong here."

Angel shook her head.

"I belong wherever you are."

Sighing, Stayne tried to say nothing word before hissing in pain. Angel held him tighter as thunder sounded again. Softly kissing his hair she stared up at the wooden ceiling.

"Shhhh, just sleep."

They laid together listening to the music and thunder before finally right before he fell asleep Stayne wondered about his dream as was Angel.

Stayne laid there wide awake and wondered…

Why had he raped Angel?

And who was Alice?