Prompt: Write about someone falling in love.
Whit knew something was different the moment Sabine Longtreader showed up at the Citadel Of Dreams with her cousin, Picket Longtreader, Lord Captain Helmer The Black, and Wheezie, who's last name he'd never bothered to learn. He was used to feeling like he might burst with anger whenever she was around. (Didn't everyone?) But this time was different. This time, he felt angry, but there was something else, too. It was more heated than anger, and it was this unfamiliar feeling that led him to getting up and leaving the room early into supper. He searched himself for an answer, but it wasn't there. What was it? Hate? No, he already knew what that felt like. And though he'd definitely hated her at one point, that'd changed years ago, when he was only fourteen. The memory was something of a treasure to him, though he'd asked himself why plenty of times over the years. And here it was now, playing itself out in his brain, like a story being told by someone else.
Whit knew it was stupid to run. But he was anyway, pounding through the hallways of First Warren Castle as Daggler's shouts echoed behind him. He should've just stayed where he was and let Daggler do whatever he wanted to do. But no, he had to run like the cowardly idiot he was.
"Hey." The voice was coming from a shadowy doorway to his right, low and quiet. "Follow me and you won't get caught."
"Who are you?" He was talking quietly as well, not wanting to risk alerting Daggler to where he was.
"Doesn't matter. You want to stay hidden, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, but–"
"Then come on."
And though every one of his instincts was against him, Whit followed the speaker through the doorway, downward through a trapdoor, and into a small, dimly lit room.
"Now tell me who you are." He demanded. Instead of answering, the figure turned, and Whit stifled a gasp. "You." He growled.
"Me," Sabine Longtreader calmly replied, lighting a second oil lamp and handing it to him. "Here's a map of the tunnels. Get out of my room."
"But you led–"
"What part of 'Get out' do you not understand?"
"Alright, fine, but can I ask you something?"
"Fire away."
"Why did you help me?"
Sabine sighed, her arrogant demeanor giving way to the face of a sad, tired doe. " 'Cause I'm not my father."
Whit chose this moment to stop the memory, as the next bit wasn't something he was proud of. Years later, he'd try to explain to one of his brothers the reason he realized it at that moment. But the thing was, he couldn't explain it. At the time, all he knew was that he was in love with Sabine Longtreader.