Kaden walked to the King's office, ten days after the night it had all happened. She wandered the hallways, remembering the way to her father's room, but not wanting to go just yet. She decided that she wanted to walk and think for a while.

As she walked, she recalled the events that had happened after the man she loved had died.

FLASHBACK:

Kaden pulled away from the kiss. His lips had been chapped and burnt, from the fire the dominion jewel had bestowed upon him. She let the tears fall slowly, not wanting him to be gone.

Kaden couldn't bare to see him any longer, so she got up and fled the room, running down the hall at a fast pace. She ran right past servants that battled her for answers to their questions, and down stairwells almost knocking partyers over. She ran until she found a door to outside, running into the pouring rain, letting her tears fall faster. She let the rain soak right through her, the pain seeping through her dress, through her hair, through her mask, through her eyes. And she just cried, letting it all out. She didn't care if people saw, she just cared that the Gods had ruined her whole life. What were they thinking?

The rain died down, and so did Kaden. She slowly walked back into the palace -- which she didn't think she was going to be able to do -- and walked to her room, sweat soaked, rain soaked and tear soaked. She didn't notice a man who she had seen that night that saw her, and decided to see what was up.

"Kaden?" He asked, following her into the hallways. "Kaden, are you alright?" She looked back, and saw confusion in the boys eyes. She must have looked like she had died and come back to life, because Damek looked like he'd seen a ghost. He had sorrow in his eyes -- not like anyone else she had seen that day that had looked into her sad eyes -- but true sorrow, and not pity. He looked as if he felt her pain, not aware of what it even was.

She turned her back on him and kept walking; she didn't want anyone to worry, especially someone like him. Kaden knew how much he worried, and she wasn't about to let that happen.

"Kaden, don't walk away, what happened? Is it something I did? Because if it is, I'm sorry." She just kept walking. He followed her all the same. "Kaden, look at me!"

She did. She looked into his deep blue eyes and lost herself. She looked at his worried face, and broke. She thought that all the tears she'd cried had run dry, but the stinging in her eyes came back.

"I..." She croaked. She couldn't speak, not now. She burst into tears, and he held her. He held her while she cried, and he didn't know a thing about how much she hurt right then. All he did was bring her back to her room, sat her on the bed and looked at her.

"Are you going to be alright?" She nodded, not able to actually talk. "Okay. Just making sure." And he left her there, alone and lonely. She was glad, though, because she needed to be alone. She fell asleep on the bed, still in her wet clothes.

That morning, Ambrose came to see her, the ball being over and everything, and found her still in bed, her dress still on, her hair and clothing soaked, and her eyes puffy and smudged. Ambrose yelled at her to get up, and then she looked into her eyes, seeing the pain and hurt, and felt bad, even though she had no idea what had happened. Kaden refused to tell what had happened that night, and it hurt Ambrose to see her friend so worked up over something that she wouldn't even speak at all unless it was completely neccessary, but she knew that if it was this bad, Kaden would eventually tell her, or someone else would.

END FLASHBACK:

Kaden leaned on a railing, remembering the time she came clean with Ambrose, which had been a day before today, and smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She knew the time was coming when she'd have to explain to her parents.

FLASHBACK:

Kaden rolled over in bed and forced herself to get off her lazy butt and do something about her pathetic life. She had spent the last few days in bed, reluctantly drinking red wine and reading sappy poetry. She hadn't bothered to eat anything in the past three days, either, she remembered, but the thought of food made her want to gag.

She forced herself to get up, wash her face, take off the dirty dress she hadn't removed since that night, and have a long soak in the bathtub, getting all the layers of dirt, sweat and tears off of her skin. She then forced herself to remove the empty bottles of wine in her room to the trash, and dress in something decent. She put her hair up in a messy bun, and forced herself out the door. It had to happen sometime, and now was just as good a time as any. When she reached Ambrose's chambers, she knocked twice, and waited. Edvard answered and smiled.

"Nice to see you, Kaden. Haven't seen you in a while. What's been up?"

"I need to speak to Ambrose, alone." She said, looking him in the eyes, seriously. He looked back just as seriously, nodded and stepped out of the room.

"All yours." He said before he walked down the hallway. Kaden looked at him skeptically, and then shrugged. Oh well, she thought, at least he's out of the way.

"Ambrose?" She walked into the room timidly. She was so nervous that her feet were shuddering as she walked.

"Kaden? Hey." She said from where she sat at a table. Kaden came and sat beside her.

"I need to tell you this, and I know it's going to be hard, but I need to tell you or else I might still be in bed, moping. I just need to tell you because finding me in bed that morning with my ball clothes still on and my eyes all puffy and red must have worried you." Ambrose nodded, completely serious. Kaden then told her of everything that had happened that night, from wanting to escape to being kidnapped and told things by Eadulf. Ambrose listened through all of it, not interrupting once. Kaden finished her story with a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for being so stupid about all of this. I feel like such an idiot."

"Kaden, you're not an idiot. You will never be an idiot. You're vulnerable. You're likely to attract that kind of guy, and even he was the good one out of him and his sibling. This whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. It's over now. He won't bother you anymore, and you can get on with your life."

"It's easier said than done." Kaden said quietly, sitting on the bed, twiddling her thumbs.

"Oh, of course it is, but everything is in the past now and you don't have to worry about getting hurt or being put down. You can be yourself." Ambrose put her arm around her friend. "Hey, it's almost like getting a new life."

"Maybe you're right."

END FLASHBACK:

Kaden silently wished she could get a new life now. She then wouldn't be the King's Daughter, she wouldn't have to explain to him everything that had happened. She wouldn't have to remember what she had done or what had been done to her. She wouldn't have to worry about the future. Everything would be good. Everything would be awesome.

She reluctantly made her way towards her father's office, where she knew he'd be, and silently wished things were easier. When she knocked on the door, a familiar face appeared and smiled weakly at her.

"Come in." He said, noiselessly closing the door behind her and shuffling across the wood floors to his desk.

"Da, you look exhausted." He looked up at her, sapphire eyes tired and wrinkles aging his once young face. "Maybe I should come back later... I don't want to worry you with this-"

"It would only make me less worried and give me less work to do. Please, Kaden, whatever you know, tell me. I need to know."

"I know you do, but... it's so hard." Jonathan got up from his desk and slowly walked towards her. "That's why I came here. To tell you everything you need to know." He smiled and hugged her tightly, or as tightly as a worn out person can.

"Tell me everything." Kaden began. She started with her suspicions, and then told him how she knew there was something going on but didn't want to tell him because of her pride. Then she told him how he hurt her, and did things to her that she didn't like, but she loved him, so she went back to him. She told her father about getting into fights with him and all up to the part where she caught him sneaking off just a few weeks ago.

Kaden told her father what he had said to her that night and how he'd taken all of the wards and spells off of the Dominion Jewel, and then planned on stealing it. Only when she had finished the horrid story of him dying and her crying did she stop and take a breather. She realized that it was easier for her to tell the story.

"I'm sorry, Kaden, that you had to go through all of that for my sake."

"It wasn't for your sake, da, it was for mine. It was because I loved him enough to stay by his side even if he injured me or put me down. It was my sake that put me in danger the night he died and it was my sake that made it hard for me to tell you everything that has happened to me. Not yours. It wasn't even for your sake that I tried to stop him from stealing the Jewel. It was mine."

"I'm sorry Kaden."

"I'm sorry too." Kaden said bravely. She felt so strong at this moment, like she had gone through so much, and she was ready to defeat her pride and win. Not for her King, but for her. "I'm sorry that all of this had to happen to me. But, it's too late now. I have to live with this for the rest of my days."

"I-" Jonathan started.

"It's okay, da, I'm fine now. And I hope I was of some help." She kissed his hand and walked to the door. "Love you da." All Jon could do was stare after his daughter and hope she was okay. She would be, and he wasn't worried. So he went back to his work.

-------------------

Kaden walked down the hallway, proud of herself for standing up to her father. She walked to her doorway and almost opened the door, not noticing a man standing next to her.

"Oh, Damek," She said, blushing. "Sorry, I was... out."
"I noticed. I was just coming to see how you were. I haven't been able to see you for the past week."

"I'm fine. Actually, I am a lot better than I was." She opened her door finally and looked back at him, his eyes intent on hers. "What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? What have you done?" She asked, treating him more like a man and less like a kid.

"Sorry for... you know, Midsummers?"

"Damek," She said, motioning for him to come closer. "Don't be sorry for something you don't regret."

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THE END!

a/n: Hope you all liked it! Or loved it. Either one is good. BUT don't leave all too soon. I KNOW that you're sad for the ending, but you know what?

IT'S NOT OVER!

Well, I am going to write a sequel. I have it all planned out. So don't go anywhere. There might be some more tricks up my sleeve in the sequel which will be called Cry of the Falcon. You might want to check it out.

Thank you guys so much! I really appreciate the reviews (they were awesome!) and I hope you guys will continue reading!

Have fun. This might not start out for a few more weeks, but keep your eyes out for it!

- Abiona Marchand