Ella looked around her new room. It had cream colored walls with a rich maroon rug, with otherwise hardwood floors. Ella grinned. She loved wooden floors. She took her shoes off, then ran and slid in her stocking-feet. Despite the fact that she was twenty three, she acted about seven most of the time. She laughed, throwing herself down on the intricately patterned quilt. She sighed, smiling, and propped her head in her hands as she observed the scene portrayed on the beautiful quilt.

Faeries of all colors and sizes, both male and female, danced around a giant tree with fireflies around it. In the middle of the quilt was the most gorgeous faerie she had ever seen. She was breathtaking, the queen faerie... She had long, waist length raven hair that was wavy, with soft, pretty, gentle purple eyes. Swirling skirts of lavender seemed to play around her ankles. Most of all, multicolored wings lined with silver emerged from the faerie's back.

"Oooooh!" she gasped in delight.

"...So you like it then?" Flint sounded amused.

In Ella's haste to turn around she fell off the bed and fell on the floor, her plain white dress entangling her legs and making it near impossible to stand up. She laughed, and in turn Flint laughed. He walked in, grinning down at her.

"I feel like one of those poor dying animals you read about in books..." she giggled, "Oh, feh, I can manage this!" she tried to stand up and ended up toppling back down, the hem of her dress wrapped around both ankles in a rope-like manner.

"Here," he laughed, reaching down and easily untangling her.

"Sure, mm hm," she grumbled, but still grinned, "You're just playing the good guy..."

"No, I was just hoping to talk to you before you died in that tangled up excuse for a skirt," Flint cackled.

"Whoa, Mr. Ego--"

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to offend ya, Ella," Flint smiled.

"S'okay," Ella mumbled, her face slightly red in embarrassment. She sank down on the bed.

"In any case, Ella... I came in here to apologize for being, well, so... forceful...earlier," He sighed, staring at the floor. "I did not mean to make you angry, and I lost my temper with your brother. My intentions had been to stab him if he didn't get out of the way, but not... not kill him. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know that. If you cannot forgive me, I totally understand that."

"...I forgive you."

"....You do?" Flint looked over at her, startled.

She sat on the bed with her legs drawn up close and her arms wrapped around them, her head resting on her knees. Her odd-colored eyes were focused on him, and her gaze was sad. A few locks of hair fell across her face. Flint could have sworn he saw a wet sreak from a tear on her face also, but he didn't mention it or move to wipe it away. He only waited for her to continue.

"Yes," she nodded desisively, her voice soft, "I do. Everyone does bad things. It's human nature. If no one ever forgave anyone, the whole universe would be made up of war cuz of grudges. Y'know what I mean? So I forgive you, even though you killed my brother. I forgive you. How old are you, Nate?"

"...Twenty-six."

"How many people have you killed?"

"Ella--"

"Please answer me."

"....Hundreds," Flint sighed.

"Well, today, I forgive you for twenty-six years and hundreds of deaths. Oh, yeah, and my brother forgives you, too. I ask you not to do it again. Please?"

Flint had not cried since he was seven years old, but now, with deaths weighing on him, but amazing forgiveness pouring in on him, he couldn't help it. He let a single tear escape. Ella stood up and had to stand on her tiptoes to brush it away.

"Now isn't this better?" Ella asked cheerfully, "I'm sorry I was cross with you earlier."
Flint smiled. "Thankyou, Ella. Thankyou... I must be going. Business to attend to. I'll be seeing you." He left swiftly.

Ella looked after him helplessly. What am I thinking? Don't get attached to him. He's a lying, cheating pirate. Yeah, that's it. Mm hm. Scalywag, bloody pirate. She paused. If he's a lying, cheating, bloody pirate... then why do I feel this way?