Talon hadn't returned last night. Quinn kind of expected it: after all, Talon's presence on an enemy land was to remain hidden at all costs. Still, she had waited hours before going to sleep. She deeply missed him by her side, in her bed. Her sleep had been restless again, and without even looking at her reflection in the morning, she already knew her eyes were underlined by dark circles.

Quinn had then decided to train with her winged companion to empty her restless mind, and to spend some much needed time with her loyal friend. Valor had remained slightly distant since Talon's arrival, every time he smelled Quinn he looked back at her differently than he used to.

"Seems like taking a bath wasn't enough!' Quinn joked when she joined Valor.

The bird screeched after smelling her, then rubbed its cheek against her torso. Quinn found it so endearing she gently stroked his feathery head, smiling.

"Are you well, Valor?"

Valor cooed, then flapped his wings proudly. Quinn knew he'd been hunting a lot for the past days, it was after all his favourite activity... Besides being cuddled by Quinn, of course. When Quinn began walking towards the forest near the castle, their favourite training grounds, he puffed out his chest before taking flight.

Quinn carefully examined the forest's ground, hoping to find tracks. She suddenly thought she hadn't set foot in her beloved forest for so long. Only when she had smelled the moss and pine needles on Talon did she realize that she missed this part of her life so much. She found a ball of fur attached to some tree bark, and plucked it with her gloved fingers.

"Must be a deer..." she muttered to herself.

Quinn began following the track by taking measured steps, careful not to make a single branch crack. At the same time, she knew Valor was above her, high in the sky, but always alert about what was happening below.

All of a sudden, Quinn sprinted. She had finally spotted the deer, but it had seen her before she saw him. When had her reflexes become so slow?

"Eyes in the sky!' Quinn shouted.

Valor answered with a high-pitched squawk, and dove from the sky towards Quinn's location. He quickly spotted the deer, and dove on it with all his might. Quinn ran as fast as she could to catch up the fiery eagle.

She found Valor on the deer, piercing its flesh with his claws. The panicked deer tried to scurry off into the deeper woods, but Valor held him tight, causing it to fall hard on the ground. When Quinn drew her crossbow and aimed at the animal, Valor immediately knew it was time to fly away. Quinn had taught him this trick for the hunt, to avoid hurting him by mistake.

The deer was at her mercy, a quivering mess on the ground. It would be easy.

A horrible realization dawned on her: her hand was trembling. She was hesitating. Her heart began pounding against her ribcage to the point it hurt. Please, not again, she thought. Why wasn't she able to shoot this bolt and end this suffering beast's life?

She lowered her crossbow, the very extension of her arm that was always with her on her adventures... But this time Quinn didn't feel whole with it, nor with her own arm. She had naively expected the anxiety to be gone as soon as Talon had returned... But her body and mind weren't working like that. The attack was so strong she fell to her knees, unable to breathe regularly. Despite her anguished state, she tried to look at the agonizing deer through her blurry vision... When a winged form swooped down on it.

Valor savagely slit his throat with his claws and beak. The deer's body stopped jolting, at last.

Quinn's companion worriedly contemplated her for a moment while she was trying to calm her erratic breathing. She closed her eyes, and counted to ten once... Twice...

Quinn suddenly got up, her legs unsteady. She took her hunting knife and mechanically began skinning the deer, then cutting it up. Valor seemed more relaxed at this semblance of normalcy and began gnawing the morsels Quinn had cut for him only.

Quinn's gloves were stained with the sticky blood. Her body was slowly cooling down, thanks to the automatic gestures she had learned to perform since she was a child.

On the way home, Valor helped her carry the meat. She had left the carcass in the forest to feed the other animals. Suddenly, the image struck her... Her first encounter with Talon in the forest. She had hesitated and missed. Quinn rarely missed... What if she had hit him, would Talon have died?

A cold sweat ran down her back at this thought. Killing him had been her mission after all, and she had failed, lied to her king, fallen in love with the enemy and slept with him... And she knew she would continue to lie and to love Talon. Quinn replayed the scene over and over, imagining her killing Talon on this rainy night...

She stopped dead in her tracks. Bile was rising from her mouth to her stomach. She puked on the side of the forest trail. Hopefully, she was far enough from the castle to avoid being seen. She spat the remains of sullied saliva and wiped her mouth with the top of her sleeve.

Talon, dead... What a nightmare. This simple thought made her want to puke again. She was definitely unprepared for all the difficulties and pain their bond would generate, but she now was sure of one thing. Losing him was not an option.

Why had she agreed to come to the damn ball?

There she was, holding Lux's arm, stiff as a stick. The beautiful blonde at her side was resplendent, illuminating the ball room with her bright smile and joyful presence. Quinn felt like the ugly duckling, despite all of Lux's efforts to dress her properly.

A few hours before coming, Lux had gleefully come into Quinn's room carrying a bunch of dresses. Quinn hadn't known what to do, but the panic had flowed through her and she had wanted to refuse really hard. Meanwhile, Lux had been ecstatic about Quinn's beauty, making her try every dress and styling her hair with her own products.

Though she was uncomfortable about this type of events, Quinn had felt Lux's touch on her hair soothing... It had been easier to grumble about it as she was used to do, but the truth was she had enjoyed being taken care of, at this moment. The unfamiliar flowery smells of the hair products felt foreign on her hair... But strangely, more familiar than her own mind in her skin.

Lux had finally chosen a tight blue sleeveless dress. The neckline was delicated embroidered with silver rain drops, and a long slit in the fabric revealed the side of her creamy thigh. Quinn had protested at first, of course. Had Lux really expected her to go there almost naked? With shining eyes, Lux had replied that she was offering this dress to her. Quinn hadn't found anything to say.

Quinn had checked herself in the mirror, thinking she was looking at someone else at first. She had stood there, defeated. Yes, she was beautiful. Appealing. Lux had chosen a natural style for her hair, not that far from what she looked like most days.

Quinn felt doomed, for Lux was enjoying this far too much to leave her alone for the next events.

The ball was taking place in one of the largest and most majestic halls of the castle. These last weeks, Quinn hadn't kept herself informed about the political affairs, but she immediately felt it was the nature of this ball. Jarvan IV rarely organized such events for the pleasure of it. It had been long since she had seen that many guests in the Demacian castle, even less Noxian high ranking officials...

What the hell was going on?

"Lux?" Quinn whispered to her friend while the latter was waving at a group of Demacian girls at the buffet.

"So, happy you came?" Lux charmingly answered.

"What are all these Noxians doing... here? Wasn't this ball a simple formality?"

"I don't know... Jarvan has exchanged a lot with them for the past days, a truce was concluded."

"But... I haven't been informed!" Quinn was shocked such an information had been kept from her.

The compassionate look on Lux's face confirmed her worries. Her blonde friend faced her, and put her gloved hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"Quinn... Maybe you don't realize it, but you were so unwell we preferred to keep you away from the political drama... Just enjoy the ball as if it was a normal one, okay? There's good music, we can dance together, or you can even find yourself a dancing partner... Oh hey, Jarvan!"

Lux called him a little too loud, Jarvan winced at the sound but his eyes lit up when he saw Quinn. He walked to them proudly, dressed in a humble royal costume. He bowed before the two women.

"Luxanna, Quinn... I didn't know you'd come."

"It was a last minute decision... My prince." Quinn added in the end.

Her eyes crossed Jarvan's... They were unusually drawn to her, discreetly roaming her body. With shame, Quinn knew he had never seen her dressed like this.

"You both make the pride of our kingdom. After seeing you, our guests will think the Demacian women are the most beautiful in the world." Though he addressed both women, his eyes hadn't left Quinn for a second.

"Thank you Jarvan!" giggled Lux, obviously unaware of what hid behind the prince's words.

"May I borrow Quinn from you, Luxanna?"

"Of course, my prince!"

"Are you... Sure?" Quinn tried. Her heart was beating to the point of explosion.

"Take my hand, dear Quinn." This was not a question.

"A... Alright."

Quinn couldn't refuse the invitation from the prince himself. Her trembling hand took his, and he squeezed it gently to ease her up. Quinn appreciated the gesture, but still felt awkward while he led her to the dance floor. She knew she was a poor dancer, and her anticipation wasn't helping at all...

Jarvan slid his hand in her waist and pulled her to the center of the ball room. Quinn knew all eyes were on them, and every part of her hated it. Some women's eyes threw spikes at her out of jealousy, if only they knew Quinn would gladly give them her place.

Jarvan was an expert dancer, his movements almost fooled Quinn into thinking she was not so bad herself. In this outfit, she felt fragile like a jewel, and naked. She hated this impression of weakness and being handled by someone else as if she were a mere object. The prince's breath was on her, her chest pressed to his. The uneasiness was growing on her, and felt ten times worse when Jarvan started speaking to her, his eyes searching hers.

"I'm glad you're back among us, Quinn. I... We were all so worried."

Quinn almost choked on her next words.

"My prince... I apologize for causing you worry." What to say. I want to be out of here.

"We still don't have enough information about the events that occurred in Ixtal... Our investigators had too little time on their hands. A shame."

Jarvan didn't blink while he was looking at Quinn. The scout was trying her best to look into them, for averting her eyes would risk her the suspicion of the prince.

"But you told us everything... And I believe you." Jarvan breathed in. "Though I'm afraid I'm the only one."

"W... What do you mean, my prince?" Quinn stuttered.

"Our investigators and soldiers don't know how you could survive so long on your own, moreover with such a bad wound. I told them you're a skilled ranger and have proven it many times. But I don't have all the answers either, Quinn."

Jarvan stopped dancing. He was firmly holding Quinn in place. Her pulse increased, her blood felt cold in her veins.

"I told you what happened." She blew.

The prince stared at her for a few seconds, then finally closed his inquisitive eyes.

"I was afraid you'd never return."

His fingers pressed in her back, discreetly enough so the crowd of guests could not notice, but obvious enough for Quinn to feel it. Shivers ran up her spine. When she dared to look at him again, Jarvan's stare was all heat and expectations. She felt trapped.

"My homeland is everything to me, my prince." The words felt weak in her mouth.

Jarvan was slowly leaning on her, and Quinn didn't move, unsettled by the slowly increasing weight on her chest. She wanted out. Now.

Suddenly, Jarvan's eyes abruptly turned to a group of Noxian diplomats a few steps from his position, away from the dancing grounds. His arm left Quinn's back, and she could breathe again.

"If you'll excuse me... I've got important matters to tend to. We'll continue this... conversation later."

"My prince."

Jarvan nodded, then left her. Quinn took a deep breath, and quickly scurried away from the dancing grounds. She felt like Jarvan had tried to strip her from the truth, and she hated how vulnerable she was. She was definitely not healed from her months of anguish, and her entourage appeared more and more like a deadly trap closing in on her.

Quinn searched Lux among the crowd, but didn't spot the sweet blonde's head. She was sick of her skin constantly brushing against unknown people's bodies, so she decided to grab a glass of wine at the buffet and quietly evade to the moon-lit terrace.

Only a few guests were there, but they didn't worry her. She inhaled the fresh night air, but shivered, not used to the nakedness of her shoulders and arms. If only Valor had been allowed in, he could have kept her company. She didn't even dare to think about Talon... He would have been killed by the guards on the spot the second they recognized him. The image her mind conveyed immediately made her want to gag.

"What a beautiful night... It is true the Demacian starry sky has few equals in the world."

The suave masculine voice slowly ran down her back like icy water. Quinn turned around, not eager to see who had disrupted her first moment of respite since the beginning of the ball.

Her heart dropped in her chest as if it was made of the heaviest metal. Right there, in front of her, stood Jericho Swain. The few guests had left the terrace, and she was right between the man and the balcony... No escape.

"I don't want to talk, Noxian." Quinn had answered a bit too harshly... He was the highest figure of authority in Noxus, after all, and a truce had just been signed. They were not enemies tonight. She had to represent her kingdom through her words, so she braced herself and attempted to hide her fear.

"But I would like to talk with you, Quinn. Your company appeals me more than the political matters I've been called for this evening."

Unlike Jarvan, Swain was asking... But the intention was all the same. Quinn couldn't leave the balcony, and a part of her was curious about the reason why Swain wanted a word with her...

"Fine. What's on your mind?" Quinn begrudgingly asked.

"Always a lot of things, dear Demacian girl. I've got eyes and ears all over the world, it's not always easy to carry everything I'm informed of." He had lowered his voice.

Quinn immediately knew something was wrong. In appearance, this was only small talk, but she felt like Swain was telling her something important.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" She tried. The chilly wind on her shoulders made her shiver... Or was it Swain's piercing gaze?

Swain's lips pulled into a smirk. He made a step closer to Quinn, and leaned on the balcony with his good hand.

"The truce I've just signed has been decided for a good reason... An unknown naval force has invaded our common frontier a few days ago. Possibly pirates. Noxus and Demacia must collaborate in order to fight the wreckage these invaders are causing."

Swain paused, holding his chin.

"Before coming, I sent my birds over your kingdom... I didn't learn much about the invasion, but I found something else... Something interesting."

The last words made Quinn feel like she had been punched in the stomach. Did he know?

A large strange crow landed soundlessly on Swain's shoulder, looking deep into Quinn with its multiple eyes.

"Birds are great companions. I think we both agree on that. By the way...Where is your own companion?" Swain's tone was more incisive this time.

"He was not allowed at the ball. Nor were your bird, I believe." Quinn didn't see a way out of this.

"Ah, Beatrice sneaked in of course. Even I can't stop her if she wants to join me." Swain stroked the bird's feathery head slowly. "She's the one who saw you, last evening, with your other friend."

This was it. Quinn had rarely experienced such fear only caused by words. Attempting to stay strong was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

"My other friend, you mean Valor?" She innocently tried.

Swain had a mocking smile, then he suddenly leaned into her, invading her personal space. His cloaked figure pressed into her bare skin while he lowly said, his mouth against her ear:

"Oh, I guarantee you the man you were with was very human."

Quinn was trembling.

"Stop playing with me and tell me what you want. How does that even concern you?" Her tone was not as aggressive as she had wanted. It seemed like nothing was a secret for Swain, and playing the one who didn't know what he was talking about was useless.

"It concerns me more than you think. This man is a Noxian, and used to be at the service of his homeland..." Swain eyed Quinn's trembling at his words then smiled again. "Don't worry, I am not here to claim him back. However, your prince and your friends don't know of your relationship... Right?"

He was right. Of course he was right.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Swain." Quinn had spat her words in pain. That's just what it took to make Swain enjoy the moment even more.

"So you really haven't told them? What a shame for you. And what a chance for me."

Chance? Quinn already hated where this was going... How he was in perfect control of the situation, and how she wasn't able to even run away. She clenched her already painful fists, unready for what was to come. She said nothing.

"See, as far as my spies can go into Demacia, I've always been lacking a good pair of eyes there... Oh I'm not asking you to be a permanent one. I only need help for one particular task." Still slightly haunched over Quinn, Swain's tone was strangely... mundane.

"W... Which one?"

What a mistake... Showing her interest was already a victory for Swain.

"In order to apprehend the pirate invasion, I need precious information about your coasts, which I'm lacking for the moment. If you could give me the documents detailing your defence, Noxus could prepare better for the..."

"You're asking me to betray Demacia! My homeland! What ever made you think I could do that?" Quinn had almost screamed, then looked around her, panicked that anyone could have heard her outburst.

"But you already did, my dear." Swain's victorious stare was inescapable.

Quinn almost fell to her knees, defeated. Her legs felt wobbly, and she held on to the balcony to keep standing. Her disgust reached its highest point when Swain's hand snaked its way around her waist to help her balance. Her mouth felt dry, her brain completely lost. She spoke while looking at the ground.

"I suppose I can't refuse your... offer. What do I lose if I do?" Empty, weak words.

Swain marked a pause. An unreadable expression passed through his eyes. Quinn didn't want to mistake it for compassion, for the man was clearly taking pleasure in ripping what he wanted from her. But his look was strange, he almost seemed to hesitate, before he answered.

"Everything."

The world had lost its colors and taste as Quinn made her way back to her tower. She doubted she would feel safe there, for she knew the raven was watching.

She held her head and massaged her temples, the fear she was experiencing made any clear thinking close to impossible. She wanted out, she wanted it to stop, she wanted to be dead.

Quinn unlocked the door of her room and stumbled inside like a lifeless body. She didn't bother taking the dress off as she let herself fall into her bed. Her eyes caught sight of the window... Was it dangerous to leave it open so Talon could come in?

It's not as if the raven didn't know everything anyway. In a last painful effort, she opened it, feeling a fresh breath of wind blowing over her naked skin. She didn't have the strength to be surprised by the fact that she hadn't shed any tears yet. Swain's poisonous words seemed to be locked up in her for the moment, freely flowing in her veins.

Her eyes closed themselves as merciful sleep took hold of her body.

She hoped she would wake up in the morning, Talon by her side, realizing this was only a bad dream.

[A/N: Do you like where this is going? Things will be getting darker and I will make this story longer. I'm happy I started writing again.]