Nuada and Meldiron were sparring in the training room the next day. Both were shirtless and were sweating from the exertion. They hadn't had a sparring session this intense in a long time.

Nuada spun his sword in his hand, stepping closer to his friend.

"It has been much too long since we have done this, my friend." Nuada commented.

"I agree. Much too long." Meldiron replied, spinning his sword as well. Thoughts raced in his head of when and how to confront his friend, if Nuada could even still be called that, about his unworthiness. He cleared his mind as Nuada lunged at him again.

He spun out of the way and slashed at Nuada's back. Nuada rolled and sprung up, slicing his sword towards Meldiron. Their swords clashed and they were stuck with their swords pressed up against each other. Neither dared move their sword, instead they continued pushing forward, trying to overpower the other.

"How are your children doing?" Meldiron decided this was as good a time as any.

Thrown off by the question, Nuada lessened his hold and Meldiron managed to bring his sword closer. Nuada quickly regained himself.

"Better. They're too young to remember much."

"And your wife?"

Nuada furrowed his eyebrows. Meldiron always called her Lily or Queen Lily or even Lillian. Never his wife.

"Recovering. We all are."

"And have you even thought about how you caused all of this pain to your loved ones?"

Meldiron pushed harder, and Nuada slid back slightly on the floor. Nuada's eyebrows knit further together.

"I do not understand your meaning."

"You didn't protect them!" Meldiron brought his sword back and slashed at Nuada's middle. The king moved backwards to avoid it. "You never had enough guards stationed!" Meldiron slashed again. "You never dealt with the rising purists!" Again. "Your family has been in danger more times than I can count and it took losing the lives of two of your children for you to do something about it!" He slashed at Nuada's neck. Nuada blocked it.

"I trusted Lily. She is strong and brave. I had a kingdom to run and I trusted her and Nuala and you and Abraham to protect each other. It wasn't until Antien and Sophia died that I realized how naive I was." Nuada explained. He slashed back at his friend.

"You hated humans with a passion before! I know that hatred still lies within you! You subconsciously tried to kill them off! So you wouldn't have to stay married to a filthy human!" Slash.

"Do not talk about my wife and your queen that way!" Nuada managed to slice Meldiron's arm.

"I never talk bad about her! In fact, I'm better for her and your children than you are!" Meldiron slashed at Nuada and cut his cheek.

"Where is this coming from? You were my best friend."

"Lily came to me for help after she saw how horrid you were and how little you cared! We had an affair! Behind your back! You were not worthy enough for her!" Meldiron spat at his king.

Rage filled Nuada. Lily. Had an affair. With Meldiron. Behind his back. Two people close to him betrayed him brutally. Stabbed him in the back and heart. He saw red.

He sliced at Meldiron fiercely, the elf only had time to block. Nuada moved quickly, slashing little parts here and there. By the time Meldiron was able to block him again, he was covering in cuts.

"I will kill you for the betrayal of your king. You have committed treason as well as admitted to it." Nuada snarled.

"Not if I kill you first. I will have your wife and your children and I will take better care of them than you ever did!" Meldiron spat back.

The two became a blur of movement and clashing swords. Blood fell to the floor as both elves were cut and slashed. Both saw nothing but rage, fighting for different but similar reasons. They fought for Lily. Nuada gave a final thrust, blood dripping into one eye and making him half-blind. He got Meldiron right in the heart. His old friend dropped his sword. It clattered to the ground.

Meldiron fell. His body hit the ground as he struggled to stay awake and alive.

"Is this what you wanted? The death of your friend?" Meldiron said, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"No. It is what you deserved." Nuada answered. He wiped blood from his face.

Meldiron shook from the pain and blood loss. His breathing became shallow.

"Now that you have been dealt with, a traitor in my own castle-"

"You seem to be having a lot of those lately." Meldiron mocked.

"I must deal with Lily."

Meldiron's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't. She's your wife."

"She had an affair behind my back-"

"She's your wife!"

"-and she must be punished. Hopefully she will not be as resistant as you."

"No." Meldiron whispered. With most of his blood pooling around him, he slipped into unconsciousness. He was dead in less than a minute.

"It must be done." Nuada walked out of the training room, heading towards his bedroom.

HBHBHBHBHB

Covered in blood and cuts with his clothes torn, Nuada made quite the sight for the guards stationed outside of his bedroom. The sword that killed his friend was sheathed on his belt. He pushed opened the double doors and found Lily sitting on the bed. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Where are the children?" He interrupted.

"With Nuala. I needed to rest. I still haven't fully recovered yet."

Nuada closed the doors behind him.

"What happened to you? You're bloody and your clothes are torn." She asked again.

Nuada unsheathed his sword, holding it out in front of him.

"Meldiron tried to kill me."

"What? ! Why would he-?"

"He went on saying how he would be a better father and husband. How I was unworthy." He stepped closer to his wife.

"What are doing? Put that away!"

"He told me." Nuada had made it close enough to Lily to have the tip of his sword to her throat.

"Told you what?"

"Don't play games with me!" Nuada yelled. "He told me how you thought I was a horrible husband and didn't care about you at all and that you ran to him! And you had an affair with him!"

"No." Lily's eyes widened.

"Oh yes! He told me all of this then said I was unworthy of you and tried to kill me!"

"I did have an affair with Meldiron, but I never said any of those things! I never thought you were a horrible husband or didn't care!" Tears shone in her eyes.

"Then why would you run to him? Why have an affair with him?"

Lily took a shaky breath. She gripped onto one of the bedposts with both hands.

"It all started when my friends visited. They brought Rocco and he got me alone and took advantage of the weakness I had for him because of our past relationship. We had sex. A one time affair." She stared into Nuada's eyes. They were getting angrier. "And I ran to Meldiron because he was the only one I could tell that couldn't accidentally tell you by ways of a mental link. He was the only one who could truly keep it a secret. He saw my weakness at betraying you and took advantage of me as well. We had an affair. I never meant for it to go on as long as it did, but I could tell he loved me deeply and the sex between us was lacking because of the kids." A tear streamed down her face. "After Antien and Sophia died, I told him I couldn't do it anymore. That I needed to be there for Nibenon and Catherine and I couldn't keep doing this to you. I realized how stupid I'd been. He didn't take it well and nearly destroyed Sophia's last gift to me." Lily was crying now, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to find out. I never meant to hurt you. I was just so weak."

Lily pressed her forehead against the bedpost, sobbing. Now he knew everything and her life was in his hands.

"You have betrayed your husband and your king-"

"Please don't kill me. Don't ruin our children's lives anymore."

"-and the punishment for such treason is death. Do not fight or it will be worse for you."

"I love you." She looked at him from behind wet eyes. His sword was still at her throat.

He paused.

"It must be done."

"No one has to know. Please don't give everyone more reason to hate me."

"I cannot show favor to you simply because you are my wife."

"I have survived spells and jealous elves and purists and everyone who has ever tried to kill me, only to be killed by the one elf that faced it all with me?"

He paused again.

"I love you." She said again. "And I'm terribly sorry. Just forgive me this once and I promise I'll never do it again. Kill me next time. There has been too much death already."

Nuada lowered his sword.

"Please." She begged.

Nuada sheathed it. Lily released her grip on the bedpost and took his hands in her own.

"Meldiron tried to kill you because he thought you unworthy as a king. You defended yourself." She rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand as she gave him a story to tell everyone. "The news of the affair does not have to go public."

Nuada stared down at his wife. He had no reason to kill her. He had slept with Arwen. He was as guilty of having an affair as she was. This could all go away so easily and they could be happy again.

"I will give you my trust once more. But if you break it, I will kill you." Nuada told her sternly.

She nodded. "I understand."

Lily placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing it softly.

"Now let's get you to the healers'. You are hurt badly." She said.

They helped each other to the door, both hurt, and had the guards call for the healers.

HBHBHBHBHB

"What has happened?" Abe stroked Nuala's face. She was at the healers with the same injuries that her brother had.

"Something bad." Nuala smiled at her lover. "Then something good."