Merlin's POV

No.

Apparently, the second girl I had ever been close to was a murderer. Of her own parents. I wanted to doubt this, but something in Levalen's demeanor told me it was true.

His cold grey eyes were devoid of emotion, and his usual scowl had been replaced by a deceptively blank look. One thing became clear to me, Levalen was a master of shutting out his emotions. It made me wonder whether other elves acted like this. Avie didn't.

But she was a murderer.

Yet, despite knowing this was the truth, I just couldn't let it register in my mind. I felt numb.

I took a step back, unsteadily, and collapsed against a tree. I lowered myself to the ground, and placed my head between my knees to alleviate the lightheadedness that had washed over me.

'I'm... sorry, Merlin. You seem like a decent man, and I wanted you to know the truth about what she did.' Levalen took a step towards me and gave me an awkward pat on the back.

I raised my head to the sound of approaching footsteps. It was Avie. She looked at me, then at Levalen. Her eyes glistened with tears.

'Levalen... how could you?' Her voice was slowly cracking.

'He deserved the truth, Avalon. You can't lie to him like you've lied to everyone else. I won't allow it to carry on anymore.' Levalen's voice was even, but firm.

Without another word, Avie turned and ran.

Avalon's POV

I just ran as fast as I could. I headed for the hut, where I would gather all of my supplies. I could hear someone following me, but I ignored it. I felt empty. The one man I had ever allowed myself to grow close to and Levalen ruined it for me. Like he tried to ruin everything else.

I reached the hut and wrenched the door open. Practically throwing myself inside, I shoved the door shut behind me and placed a binding spell on the door.

I shed my cloak and dress, reaching for the bundle that I had hidden in a corner, in case I needed a quick escape. I pulled on my armour as fast as I could, and put my cape back on. I decided to leave the dress here, I didn't need the extra weight.

I gathered all of the spare food I could and shoved it into my knapsack, along with some water.I gathered up my weapons from where I had hidden them, under my bedroll. A silver elven dagger, which I carefully placed in it's sheath in my boot. I slung my bow over my shoulder, and attached my quiver to the side of the knapsack. My sword hung from a belt slung across my hips. I also had other weapons, but these were not as commonly needed, so I put them in my knapsack. I removed the binding spell from the door, and fled the hut.

Levalen was waiting for me outside.

'So now you leave him. How surprising. Guilty conscience, I wonder?' Levalen mused, with a look on his face that appeared calm. But I could see the sadness hidden underneath his features.

'I never killed our parents Levalen. Why will you not believe your own sister?' One more chance for me to convince him. Just one more.

'You were the only one in the house, sister. I don't know what you expect me to think? Was it an invisible man who fled as soon as the act was done? I think not. It was you, I know it was. i don't care if it was an accident or if it was deliberate, but you killed them. You don't even have the decency to admit, do you sister. And I will NEVER forgive you for what you did. The rest of the eleven kingdom may believe your lies and protests of innocence, but I can see through you. You cannot fool me. You have done a better job of fooling yourself.' Levalen snarled his words, barely containing his rising fury.

His words were cruel, oh so cruel. The tears were threatening to spill now.

'It was not me Levalen, it was another. I will not rest until I prove my innocence. Believe that, brother.'

'I find it hard to believe a word that comes out of your mouth.'

'I will prove it one day brother, you will see.' My voice broke into a sob. Unable to bear it any longer, I ran. I was not strong at the moment. I was no leader, I was no sister and I wanted to escape it all.

So I ran deep into the woods, and I didn't look back.

Oh Merlin.

Merlin's POV

I heard the whole thing. When Levalen ran after his sister I followed. I was deeply confused by what I heard. Levalen seemed so sure of his words and Avie was so sad and then she left. She left me, and I couldn't help but think that she could be guilty. If she was so innocent, wouldn't she have stayed? Couldn't she have talked to me?

There were days where I wish that I did not have magic. Where I wished I could leave a simple, but happy life. I could have met a girl from a village and fallen in love. I could have had a life where the woman I loved was not a murderer.

For all my magic and power I felt hopeless. Weak, even. My situation always seemed so out of my control. My destiny was all planned out for me, that's what the dragon had said.

Levalen walked over to me, when he saw where I was. he gently clasped my arm and pulled me up from the ground.

'You need some sleep Merlin. I can tell how you feel, I have felt the same sense of betrayal before, when I first found my parents on the floor, no longer breathing.' He was then quiet. The silence was not uncomfortable, it was one of understanding, where we both wanted to be left alone to arrange our thoughts and feelings into something that hurt less.

As I laid my head down to sleep, I knew that one day, this would hurt less than it did now.