"Lord Baywash questions Tobias's reign heavily, but only because he's married to, er, an Illyrian. Also, Fabian van Por had a little fun with me last night and he told me that somebody has been whispering in the eastern villages that Tobias is adopted – how stupid is that?" Selene paced in a tight circle in front of Rosalie, who in which was sitting on her bed.

"What about Lord Parrish? You mentioned he gave you some information."

"Lord Parrish is just pissed because Tobias arranged him with a lesbian – she's hot, by the way, in case you were curious," Rosalie finished, making Selene stifle a laugh. To Selene's surprise, Rosalie had turned out to be extremely helpful in the last few weeks. After Selene demanded Rosalie to bend at her will, they became quite close in ways that Selene had never been close to anyone. For instance, Selene found that Rosalie wasn't even into men. She was a lesbian. Her work to seduce men had absolutely no personal feelings, making her motivations even more interesting than before. She also began to like Rosalie's snake-like maneuvers to obtain survival. It was admirable, to say the least, to see Selene slither into someone's pants and then coax them into telling secrets. Rosalie had also become honestly fond of Selene once they agreed to stop the overly-nice attitudes between one another. If anything, they had become close to friends. Now that Rosalie saw a side that she could relate to in Selene, instead of just seeing her as the ignorant Illyrian girl, a unique bond had formed.

"Thankfully, tonight, I have a date with-" But then an ahem had interrupted Rosalie's words. Selene swerved around jerkily as Rosalie jumped from off Selene's bed. Tobias was looming in front of them both, leaning against the doorframe charismatically. He flashed Rosalie a piercing look and with a nervous laugh, she curtsied and walked around the both of them hurriedly. Tobias's eyes followed her down the hall but once her feet began to go down the staircase, Tobias walked in fully and shut the door behind him.

"You look nice," she said. And he did. He was wearing a pure-black tunic made out of fine cloth and black leather pants. She looked down at his new hiking boots. They had silver spikes on it and went up to his knees. It was unlike his usual apparel.

"I have my reasons," he said evenly, but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he did so. He walked towards her slowly, his hands gripping onto her hips softly. She felt heat rise to her face.

"And what would those be?" Selene replied, smiling now as well. But then his smile dropped slightly, making his face reflect a distorted look. Selene's smile dropped.

"I'm leaving," he said, "right now." Selene swallowed uncomfortably.

"I told you, you don't have to tell me-"

"No, you should know," Tobias said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going back to your village." Selene was quiet for a moment. She felt herself back away from him slowly, her mouth drying up. The words had echoed several times in her head before she took another breath.

"Why are you going-"

"It's not like that," Tobias said, reaching towards her again but she didn't allow his hand to touch her. "It's…it's business." But she only stared at him. She shook her head slowly.

"Tobias-"

"It is my lands, Selene," Tobias replied sharply, more like her High Lord than her husband. "I have to visit occasionally." She stiffened.

"So that's that?" Selene contested, her voice rising. "You're just going to go over there and pretend that you didn't whisk me away? That I'm not your wife?" He let out a laugh, a demeaning chuckle that made her flinch.

"No," He said, "I'm bringing my beautiful wife with me. After all, she is their Lady." Selene's chest was tight. She could breathe easily but she didn't feel her breaths as they went in and out. Instead, she just felt a piercing pressure, as if the world was falling over her.

"I can't just go back," she said, her voice small. "I can't just go back and pretend none of that happened. I can't just pretend that I'm okay with what they did and look them in the eyes as if they didn't torture me and made me live in fear for eighteen years." And his eyes stayed on hers, reading her. He was quiet.

"And why the hell would you pretend none of that happened?" He said, cold. "If anything, you need to be the one to remind them."

~*~ Discidium ~*~

Despite Tobias's empowering speech, it wasn't easy convincing her to go. For the next few hours, after she locked him out of her bedroom, he tried various techniques to get her out – pleading, wooing, demanding, even trying to seduce her through the bedroom door. It wasn't until he mentioned that Rosalie would be able to go as well did she finally oblige.

"What?" She had asked. There was a moment of tense silence.

"Rosalie can go," he muttered dryly. "If she's quiet." She had crouched next to her door, her arms crossed, but now her body had loosened. She stood on her feet.

"And we are taking the carriage?" She asked curiously, her lips to the crack of the door.

"Yes, we are taking the damn carriage because Leon can't walk like a normal fae." Selene's eyebrows popped up instantly.

"Maybe you shouldn't have let Jameson cut off his leg then, Tobias," Selene spat back at him through the door. Immediately, she could feel his fuming. His anger boiled in her stomach, like an inflamed bridge burning between them.

"Selene, open the damn door," Tobias demanded. Selene obeyed, opening the door jerkily. He loomed over her, his dark eyes squinting.

"If you want to bring Rosalie, fine," Tobias said, his lip curling upward. "But for cauldron's sake, I'm your husband. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"I know that," Selene said, her voice soft. "It isn't about you." Tobias blinked at her rapidly, his hands out.

"Then what the hell is this about?" He snapped. And then she was quiet because she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"I'll go," She said grudgingly. "But only for a day. We are not spending the night. We go in the carriage, do whatever you have to do, and then we leave. Okay? And no, you cannot burn down the village in the end. I don't want that on my head." Tobias pretended to ponder this.

"I'll think about it," he replied, flashing a smile. She tried not to smile back.

~*~ discidium ~*~

"So tell me, Tobias, what's the point of allowing me to bring my lady-in-waiting if she's not allowed to ride with us?" They were beginning to ride into the mountains, the blue peaks far too familiar for her liking. She had forgotten the smell of the frozen grass and how the snow was practically ice as it rained down. She had bundled up next to Tobias, cuddling against him. Though they shut the windows in the carriage, it did nothing to stop the cold from seeping in.

"How else am I supposed to get my wife to get this close to me?" Tobias said with a victorious smirk. "Anyways, somebody has to keep Leon warm and it's not going to be me." She let out a small laugh. In the carriage that was trailing closely behind them, they heard a string of cursewords. Clearly, Leon wasn't having a good time.

"You both would have never lasted living in the mountains," she said with a small smile. "So privileged." And while Tobias replied with a little laugh as well, something changed in the air as her words rang in the air.

"What was it like?" Tobias asked, his voice strained. "Being in these…mountains." She looked up at him, watching his dark eyes scale the mountains.

"You saw my memories," she replied stiffly. "Clearly, you know." But his lips formed into a tight line.

"Snippets," Tobias murmured. "I only saw snippets. And even then, I didn't understand." She swallowed.

"I was practically a slave," she heard herself say. "I felt…like I didn't fit into my body. I certainly didn't fit into the village. Most of the friends I made were whores that would travel village to village and wouldn't stay for more than a few months. I even considered it, once. I thought that maybe if I sold myself to be a lord's mistress then nobody would care about my wings." She didn't look up at Tobias. She didn't want to see the shame, the disgust, on his face.

"And why didn't you?" His words were careful.

"Because I was too pretty," she mumbled. "Because my parents needed the money and they wouldn't get that money if I wasn't a virgin. That was my plan, to be honest. I was going to wait until some high-ranked Illyrian soldiers came through, caught notice of me, and paid my parents to take me away. Once I was out of the village, I would steal from the Illyrian and run away." She couldn't even feel Tobias's breaths after she finished her sentence. He was quiet – too quiet.

"I guess that's kind've what happened," she said, laughing to herself. "Except, now they're terrified and I'm still here." And then she looked up at him. His eyes were wide and jaw clenched. She could've sworn that his face had grown darker and his irises – those black pit holes.

"I felt you," he admitted emptily, and there was a hint of shame in his voice. "I felt you before I saw you tied onto that post. I had felt you for years – even when you were just a child. Sometimes in the middle of the night I would bolt right up, wondering why the fuck I was dreaming about herbs and berries and mountains. Sometimes if I took a late night walk, I would suddenly see a blistering blizzard in front of me and could feel the snow up to my knees. When it was a full moon, I would feel like the full moon would get bigger, like it was coming towards me. I even knew that asshole!" Hunter, he meant. "I knew I recognized him. I was just too foolish to connect the dots." She was quiet as she held his gaze. His body was clenched together tightly.

"I didn't know," he continued, his voice nearly inaudible. "If I had met you the first time I walked in there, if I had paid any attention during my first tour when I became High Lord instead of fooling around, the first time you saw me, if I had just …"

"You would've mated with an eight year old?" She finished, her eyebrows upward. The anger that washed over his face broke, his mouth ajar as he grasped for an answer but she spoke before he could respond. "Even if you had felt the bond, and even if you accepted it, you couldn't have taken me away. You couldn't stop what happened to me." But his eyes were unchanging, shaking his head slightly.

"No, but I should've came back sooner. I delayed the second trip countless times throughout the years. Maybe I wouldn't have felt the bond with an eight year old, but a fourteen year old? A fifteen year old? A sixteen year old?" He repeated. "Maybe you'd be too young to be in love with me, and I with you, but you don't need to love your mate to feel the string. I would've kept you safe, Selene, no matter how old you were. I would've let you roam the skies anytime you wanted. I would've gotten you the best tutors, I would've given you your own wing in the castle, I would've taken care of you as a guardian until the bond fully snapped together." And she tried to imagine that. Being just a young girl and yet being whisked away by the High Lord of Night. She tried to imagine what it would feel like to be raised by him, and then slowly falling in love with him as the years unfolded. If she hadn't had to worry about the wings, if she had grown up as a royal instead of a peasant.

"I think I would've liked that," she let out softly, and a lump grew in the back of her throat. "I think I would've fallen in love with you far sooner." And something broke in his eyes, like he was surprised that she would say such a thing. Like loving him was already so difficult, that he never thought loving him sooner was a possibility.

He reached towards her, his lips colliding with hers urgently. She grasped onto him tightly, pulling him even closer as their lips meant. Her hands dove through his black hair as he gripped her waist, barely getting air as his mouth moved against hers hungrily. She couldn't even feel the cold anymore as the bond inflamed between them, consuming them, filling them up. She had to yank away from him to finally breathe, her throat burning from whatever power they transmitted between them.

"Tobi-" But he grabbed her again, pulling her on top of him, his hands roaming. With every kiss he gave, it felt like his lips were burning her. Like each imprint was a piece of coal pressing against her. Yet, she could barely let go. She could barely stop to speak with him. Because the pain they both felt was so addicting.

"We shouldn't-"

"We should," he said huskily. He began to kiss her neck, making her seethe as his lips seared against her skin. Somewhere in a distant place she heard clothes unravel and buttons be undone, and she couldn't tell if it was her or him encouraging the disaster. Her whole body was smoldering.

"The carriage is rocking, Tobias," she whispered, but her hands were running down him as well, causing him to breathe through his nose raggedly. Even the slightest touch made him struggle for air, tensing as her fingertips trailed down his torso delicately.

"It's made out of metal," he exhaled into her ear, his voice nearly choking. She shook her head. She could feel small beads of sweat on his chest, trailing down him. His hands were farther down her, not bothering to slow down. Not bothering to hesitate before going under her dress. Even in a blizzard it felt like he was lighting a burning match inside of her. When his fingers entered, a flare shot up her, causing her to tighten. Under her, she felt something else press against her. Her words were weak as she struggled to suppress her whimpers.

"The coachmen can hear us-"

"He gets paid quite generously."

"But the carriage-"

"It's pulled by magic, Selene. Not horses. It'll…It'll be fine," he implored desperately. "I need more, Selene. Give me more." And so she did.

~*~ discidium ~*~

"You look pink," Rosalie hissed, her hands on her lips. "And him. Why the hell does he look like a golden crisp? What happened?" Her questions were rhetorical as she fixed her dress urgently. The carriage had stopped in front of her village finally and Rosalie was desperately trying to fix her appearance. At a distance, she heard Tobias snarl at someone at the entrance.

"And your braid is a mess. It took me forty-five minutes to do that braid," Rosalie scolded. "Now I'm going to have to undo the entire thing and pray that your curls don't look like fried noodles." But as Rosalie threw the pins out of her hair, whisking them out quickly, the curls came out smooth and bouncy. Rosalie sighed with relief.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked, though her tone was still sharp. "You're dangerously hot. Do you have a fever or-"

"Don't worry about it," Selene cut off. If she wasn't already pink, she would've been now. "It's time to go anyways." Selene walked around the carriage before Rosalie could protest, meeting Tobias at his side. Though she was next to him, there was a few feet that separated the two of them. She didn't want to be the wife that clung to his side needingly, she wanted to look strong. Rosalie had followed behind her at her heels, stopping close behind her. She could feel Rosalie's could breath. Tobias was parallel to her, nearly the same exact difference but behind Tobias.

Together, they entered the grey village. When she walked in, she looked around. She had forgotten how depressing her village was – it was either brown or filled with slush. They were in a long line along the opposite side of the grassless courtyard, where the post she had almost been crippled on stood between them. Petyr had stepped towards them, Tobias meeting him in the middle. Selene stayed where she was, as did Leon and Rosalie. The crowd parallel to her didn't so much as move an inch.

Selene's eyes lingered across all of them, eyeing every single person. And while she took note of the rags they wore and the dirt on their faces, all she could think about was how they laughed when Hunter stripped her from her clothes. How they snickered and joked and held her down as Hunter tried slicing her wings off. She remembered how her family, who had heard about the situation and rushed to the scene, didn't even twitch when a man who was infamous for cruelty took her away. And even though the clothes she wore costed more than the whole village altogether would make in a century, she couldn't feel bad for them. Instead, she was the one who felt small. Who looked at all those people and knew, despite everything, they still didn't see her as better than them. She would never win.

"How did you live amongst these people?" It came from Rosalie. She said it breathlessly, her almond-shaped eyes running across all of them as well. There wasn't pity in her eyes, but awe as she continued to stare.

"I didn't," Selene said, her voice even. "I never did. Not really." Rosalie's eyes fell towards her, and she felt her analyze her posture as she faced the crowd. Rosalie was quiet for a moment.

"Fuck them," she replied finally, her voice cold. "Fuck them all." And Selene knew she wasn't just talking about her village – she was talking about her own as well. Because Rosalie and she were alike, both of them ostracized and demeaned from a group of people who understood nothing.

And as Rosalie said those words and Leon had caught her attention pointedly, Selene nodded at him. Silently, as if they all knew what she was saying, the three of them walked towards Petyr and stood behind Tobias loyally. Petyr's eyes draped over her. She knew what Petyr was saying to her. Traitor, whore, scum. But when she persisted to hold his gaze, something he hadn't expected her to do, his nostrils flared. Tobias instantly let out a low, echoing growl. Petyr twitched to Tobias's attention.

"She lived here eighteen years and now you can't take your eyes off my wife's body?" Tobias said, clucking his tongue. Petyr's face drained as Tobias let out a dangerous chuckle. "Truthfully, I am curious, where did she learn to suck me off so well? Or is it just a natural talent that she favors me with every night?" Selene suppressed a small smile. It didn't hold any truth, but she knew Tobias's intentions with the comment. Like a subtle backhanded slap towards her family, who had abandoned her so easily. Her parents, who were trying their best to blend into the line of people, scrunched together shamefully. People all around them turned towards them. Petyr's chin rose, a small smile on his face.

"I am glad you are enjoying your new wife. We are honored to supply her to you," Petyr replied strongly. And then Selene saw Tobias tense. Though nothing changed in his face, his hands that were clapped behind his back tightened.

"Honored?" Her husband echoed back. "Honored? Do you call this dump honoring me?" Petyr's smile dropped. He blinked stupidly.

"What do you mean-" And then Tobias began to circle him slowly, his nostrils flared and his lips curled up.

"I come here, miles and miles away, dedicating my precious time to this pathetic village and this is what you give me, Paelic?" Tobias's voice rose. "A dump and an appreciation towards my wife?" When Tobias chuckled, Petyr scrunched together. He stared forward as Tobias loomed around him like an animal about to lunge for prey.

"So brown and dirty and…what the fuck is this?" Tobias snarled. He looked down, noticing the dung pile he almost stepped in. Petyr swirled around, blinking at the pile.

"Some…some sort've dung," Petyr said hesitantly. Tobias's eyebrows perked up.

"Some sort've dung?" Tobias repeated. "Some sort've dung? You don't even know what type it is?" Petyr gaped stupidly, unsure what to say.

"Get down and fucking tell me!" Tobias roared. Petyr's eyes widened. Slowly, he crouched down to his knees, eyeing it as he winced.

"Horse," Petyr said, his voice crackly, "Horse dung." Selene's husband didn't look pleased.

"Horse shit? You dare leave horse shit in front of me?" Tobias spat. Petyr shook slightly. "Do you know what would've happened if I had stepped in it, Petrov? Do you know what would have happened?"

"You would've smelled like horse dung," Petyr replied quietly. Tobias nodded slowly.

"I would've smelled like horse dung in front of my beautiful wife," Tobias spat. "Put your nose to it, Peura. Put your nose to it and tell me what my wife would have to bear during our six hour ride back." Petyr looked up at him briefly but then he put his nose close to the dung, clearly trying not to inhale.

"It smells awful," Petyr said simply. "I apologize." But that wasn't enough. Tobias's eyes were blazing.

"That's as close as you can get? Sniffing at it like a cowardly dog?" Tobias said, laughing slightly. Petyr didn't even blink at him.

"I want your nose in the pile, Phillip. Man up," her husband growled. And Petyr obeyed – he lowered, dipping his nose in the dung as he grimaced. When his eyes looked back up at Tobias, her husband spat at him. His spit landed on his cheek, making Petyr inhale raggedly. But he didn't speak. He didn't even twitch.

"Do you like it?" Tobias cooed. Petyr's cheeks heated up.

"Wh-what?" Petyr stammered, struggling to keep his lips away from the pile of dung. Tobias's smile lengthened.

"Do you like your nose being in horse shit?" Tobias's voice rang. Petyr hesitated for just a moment.

"Yes," Petyr said quietly. Tobias's long eyelashes fluttered against his cheek bones impatiently.

"Yes?" Tobias repeated, his voice filled with disgust. "You like putting your nose in horse shit?" Leon was snickering. But Selene's eyes lingered on Tobias.

"Yes," Petyr said tightly. "I like putting my nose in horse…horse shit."

"Then lick it." And then Leon's smile had dropped. And it wasn't because of Tobias's brutal command, but instead why Tobias had commanded it. Because it wasn't about domination anymore, or about showing him who is boss, Selene realized. It was about revenge. Humiliation in return for humiliating her. When she thought about Petyr, all she thought about was her wings. But Tobias thought of so much more – how his son tried to rape her, the sound of her cries as she was bound to a post, and how Petyr looked away when his future wife was about to be crippled. She noticed how the line of people cringed, watching Petyr like a hawk. As if they were waiting for him to object. But Tobias was trying to rip away his honor, his manliness, in front of the whole entire village. Simply because he could.

Tobias's eyes grew darker, his lips forming into a snarl.

"Lick it?" Petyr said, his voice a whimper. Tobias took a small step towards him, only inches away from his head.

"Lick it like you lick your whore wife," Tobias purred, his voice low but loud enough that everybody could still hear. His dark eyes were deathly when he said, "Lick it like it's the most beautiful thing you have ever fucking seen." And then Petyr hesitated. He understood Tobias's reason, Selene noticed, because Petyr eyed Selene pleadingly. Tobias had noticed his gaze and looked at her as well, as if waiting for her order. Selene let out a breath.

"You heard your High Lord," she snarled at him, unsure how the words came out without shaking. But then Petyr's face crinkled, his lips curling.

"I don't take commands from a wom-" And before he finished his sentence, Tobias smashed his head into the pile of dung with the heel of his boot. She could hear a range of exhales ring across the line of people. Leon's lips had formed into a tight line but Selene's glare didn't leave Petyr. Her eyes were venomous when he looked up, spitting the poop from out of his mouth and leveling to his hands and knees. He looked up at the High Lord slowly but Tobias's gaze found the line of people for the first time. They all diverted their gazes, looking anywhere but him.

"I can't have a leader who eats horse dung run this shithole," Tobias spat at him, his voice ringing loudly now. "What a disgrace!" And Petyr looked at the ground solemnly.

"Tell me, anyone else want his job?" Tobias offered. Nobody said a word. "Nobody?" Tobias looked genuinely surprised when nobody spoke up, but Selene wasn't. The village had been ran by the same family for generations. A new leader from a new family? It wasn't anything anybody had ever fathomed. They were too used to obeying the same cruel family. It was incomprehensible for them.

"Fine," Tobias said, sighing as he put his hands in his pockets with a lazy shrug. He looked down at Petyr. Petyr's arms were shaking. "If your village members really want someone who eats horse shit as their tribal leader, I'm not going to stop them, Petyr." Petyr. It was the first time he had ever said his name. Petyr twitched.

"Anything else, my lord?" Petyr said through his clenched teeth. Tobias flashed him a smile with his sharp teeth.

"Yes," Tobias said. "Some warmth. Show me where this pointless meeting will be held, Pollux. And bring us some food while you're at it."

~*~ discidium ~

"Before I give you anything, I want reports," Tobias said. His leg was draping over one of the arms on his chair lazily as he picked at his nails. Petyr upper lip was curled up.

"Reports? My people are starving!" Petyr snarled back but Tobias didn't even glance up at him. Instead, his eyes lingered at a young boy in the corner who was continuously giving him wine. Every time the boy poured him a cup, Tobias would make a sly comment about how when that boy comes of age, Tobias is giving the village to him. Whether it was to irk Petyr or not, it was sure as hell working. To Selene's delight, Petyr still had a bit of dung on his face. Tobias had rushed him into the room so rapidly that Petyr didn't even have the ability to wash off fully before the meeting began. Clearly, it was intentional.

"Maybe they're starving because you won't give him the reports," Leon chortled. Tobias didn't acknowledge him but Selene knew, deep down, Tobias was chuckling.

"Fine, I'll give you some reports…" Petyr grumbled, not without shooing the young servant back to his corner when he reached to refill Selene's cup. "We have two boys, sixteen years old, who have mastered nine out of the ten exercises that the fourth-tier war camp requires them to know by this Fall." Though Tobias didn't reflect anything that showed he was impressed, Selene's eyebrows rose.

"And how many hours have they been training in the last week?" Tobias drawled. Petyr cleared his throat.

"Fifty hours-"

"Fifty hours?" Tobias shot up in his chair jerkily. His face tightened. "Your top fighters know nine out of the ten exercises that are required of them to leave this village and they're only doing fifty hours a week?!" Petyr blinked at him rapidly.

"Well, this week has been…unique," Petyr said carefully. Sweat had begun to trickle down his neck and Selene noticed how he had gone extremely tense. For some reason, Petyr was very determined not to look at Selene.

"How is the seven days that I've given you to breathe air this week unique?" Tobias demanded. "Nothing should be unique in this damn village. Every breath your people inhale is in honor of me which means the duties I give you is a number one priority. What the hell is more important than that?" Petyr choked on his words for a moment, stumbling.

"I-Well, it's not necessarily more important than you, we just had a lot of village ceremonies this week," Petyr squeaked. Tobias blinked at him impatiently.

"Village ceremonies?" Leon muttered under his breath, laughing. "What the fuck do you do here? You're in the middle of the mountains." Tobias looked at Selene pointedly.

"He means sacrifices," Selene interrupted. Petyr paled. "It's informal, to say the least. They hunt their own people for sport. Finding arbitrary reasons to lynch their own tribal members, checking random girls so that they can find a reason to slice off their wings, so on. And afterword, they take whatever food they can find from the victim's family and celebrate." Petyr was grasping the table desperately, sweat pouring down his forehead. Rosalie's mouth was ajar in disgust.

"So you're wasting time I'm giving you to clip wings?" Her husband repeated at him. "Am I supposed to give you sympathy?"

"It's our culture," Petyr tried to explain earnestly. Selene snorted under her breath, Rosalie rolled her eyes and Leon blinked at Petyr impatiently. Tobias didn't so much as twitch,

"Your culture is to breed Illyrians so I can use them in battle," Tobias corrected. "You want to cripple your women? Do it during your precious holidays. Do not waste my days, the days I grant you mercilessly to train your boys, to commit such pointless acts." Petyr's eyes narrowed.

"Maybe I can train them more if I had some damn food to give them," Petyr spat at him. Tobias's eyebrows raised, as if impressed by his unexpected bravery. Tobias eyes draped over Petyr, looking his body over. He was thin, yes, but he didn't look starving and Tobias obviously saw that.

His head whipped towards to the boy in the corner.

"You," he said, nodding his head. "When's the last time you served your oh-so-great tribal leader?" The boy, no older than ten, hesitated. He didn't have the same fear that majority of people did because he didn't understand the powers Tobias possessed but at the same time, the boy had common sense.

"This morning," the boy murmured quietly. Petyr's face twisted in fury and the boy flinched back.

"When's the last time you ate?" And the words came from Leon. His words were quiet, gentle.

"Yesterday," the boy said, quieter. Petyr showed his teeth but Tobias growled at him.

"He's lying!" Petyr bellowed. Tobias's eyes were merciless as he nailed on him.

"Is he? Because my wife was awfully skinny when she arrived at the Night Court," Tobias said dryly. Petyr was quiet for a moment.

"Believe the boy's lies if you will, but the truth is that we are all starving. You won't even-" And then Tobias snapped his fingers. Within a moment, the table was flooded with food. From assortments of bread, already-cut meat, to fruits and vegetables that couldn't ever be found in these mountains. There were a wide range of nuts that could feed a whole family for a week and cans of various soups that would keep the village alive throughout the entire winter. Petyr's eyes enlarged but only Selene knew why. Petyr wasn't going to share this – he wasn't going to ration this out to the rest of the village, separating it all equally. He and his friends would, instead, feast on it for the next week until there was nothing left.

Selene opened her mouth, "Tobias, don't believe-" But then the young boy came into view. Though small, he managed to grab one of large loafs and headed towards the door.

"Hey, that's stealing," Petyr roared. Selene saw what was going to happen before anybody in the room could even comprehend what was going on. She reached across the table, trying to grab Petyr's arm, but it was too late. Petyr gripped one of the knives from his belt and swung it towards the child. The child stood at the back door, his mouth open, and Leon even tried yanking the knife from his hand but Petyr flung out faster than Leon could predict.

"No!" Selene yelled, diving in front of the knife, but it merely scraped the side of her arm. She yelped in pain, staggering but then she heard a high-pitched inhale. Selene turned around.

A knife was sticking out of his throat. Selene's mouth went to her lips.

"What the fuck was that?" Leon spat in disgust. "He was just a kid!" Selene didn't turn around to look at Petyr. Instead, her eyes stayed on the boy.

"He was just hungry," Selene whispered under her breath, her teeth jittering. "He just wanted food."

"You killed a boy," Tobias snarled behind her. "Do you understand what that means? I am one boy shorter. One boy less in my Illyrian army." As Tobias's words rang, Selene found herself inching towards the boy.

"My High Lord-" The boy looked so peaceful. Like he was sleeping. Like he was just taking a light nap.

"Your village will pay for this, Petyr. They will pay." She fell to her knees, her shaking fingers reaching for him. She yanked the knife from his neck, thrusting it away from them.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, my high lord…"

"Or maybe I should just let my wife deal with you since apparently my words aren't enough."

"Your words are more than-"

"Do you see my beloved wife? She's trying to fix your mistakes by trying to resurrect him. Unfortunately, she is yet to understand that the boy is better off dead than be in your foolish hands." His body was still warm, his blood still spilling out as if his body was yet to realize that he was gone.

"We are leaving, my love. Come on." Her fingers gripped onto the boy's shirt tightly, praying to whatever gods that existed to fix this. Promising that she would hold onto him until he came back inside his body, until he breathed again. If they just performed this one miracle…

"Selene? I said we're leaving."

"Selene." But she didn't move. She didn't even look up at him. Her breath was shivering as the hot tears fell down her cheeks.

He walked towards her carefully, crouching down. He didn't dare touch her.

"Selene," his voice soft now. "He's gone. It's time to go home."

"A child is dead," she whispered. She looked up at him. His eyes were dark, twirling and twisting. There was no sympathy. Instead, there was confusion. Confusion on why she was on her knees, why she was gripping onto the boy, and how to respond to such a behavior. And for just a moment, as he searched for the answers, she began to believe he saw what she was seeing. That he was feeling what she was feeling. That he finally digested the horror in front of him as well.

But then he said, flat without meaning, "It's time to go home."

~*~*~ discidium ~*~

I really want some feedback from this chapter. There was boring parts, yes, but I'd like to know people's opinions. Gimme something. Or at least tell me if you want me to continue. Remember, if you don't comment you don't get more ;)