Enid stared at Aneurin, perplexed.
Was he really going to take her home?
"But, your mother-"
"Will not know it was me-" He cut her off. "-but in order for that to be true we need to leave now!"
He grabbed her hand and led her down winding stone steps.
Through tunnels and grand corridors, they went, until they came to a small wooden door. Aneurin turned to glance back at Enid, pulling the metal bolt across.
"Once we are outside we need to be careful, there are guards posted in the towers above us."
Opening the door, his grip on Enid's hand tightened.
She looked up, guards were indeed positioned on every tower.
Cautiously, they stepped outside, and for once Enid was glad for the eternal twilight.
Moving close to Aneurins side, Enid followed him as he began down a set of stone steps and onto a cobbled street.
No life seemed to occupy it.
It seemed that all of the Faes Enid had watched from her cell window had disappeared.
Something wasn't right.
As if also sensing the danger, Aneurin turned to face Enid, his face ashen and serious.
"Why are there no other Faes?" Enid whispered urgently in his ear.
He remained silent and pushed on through the city.
At last, they arrived at the city's centre and Enid could not have been happier to see the familiar houses and buildings that it brought with it.
"Enid?"
She turned to Aneurin, meeting his fearful gaze.
"What?"
He did not say anything but nodded with his head behind her and she followed his gaze to the castle.
In the distance, the castle warning bell echoed over to her.
"Run!" Aneurin yelled, pulling her with him down an alleyway.
Her breathing became laboured and her throat became sore as they fled further away from the castle.
Through empty streets and down narrow cobbled alleyways Aneurin led her, his grip on her hand growing tighter.
Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Enid spotted the shimmer of silver armour in the distance.
"They are not far behind us!" Enid cried, and Aneurin quickened his pace, dragging Enid behind him.
Her legs burned, every breath becoming more painful than the last.
How much longer were they going to have to run for?
She tugged at his hand and came to a stop, her hands going to her knees as she bent over and tried to catch her breath.
With tears in her eyes, she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry. I can't-"
He fervently shook his head.
"No, Enid, I'm not leaving you-" He was cut off by the sound of armoured soldiers running on stone.
The guards were near.
"If they find just me no one will suspect you."
"No! Enid, come on!"
Not taking no for an answer, he took her hand in his once more and pulled her with him.
Through the darkness, they ran, until they came to a river.
Enid slumped on the grass, resting her head on his leg as she panted for breath.
"How much further?"
"We need to cross this river."
"This isn't the way to the cave-"
"No. But it is the way to another one close by. Now, come on, Enid.-" He bent down in front of her and took her face into his hands. "-I need you to trust me. I would never put you through this if it was not necessary."
Slowly, she nodded and allowed him to help her up off the cool ground.
He guided her across the river and through a dense forest where a cave entrance lay ahead, shrouded by ivy growing along the rockface around it.
"Can you see it?" He whispered to her, his fingers coming up to brush her hair away from her eyes.
"Yes."
Behind them, guards crossed the river, spotting Aneurin and making for them.
Aneurin's hands fell to Enid's waist and pulled her close.
Exhausted, she stared into his eyes, their noses almost touching.
"I need you to run to it. Don't stop no matter what happens, do you hear me?"
Enid frowned but nodded.
"I don't want to leave you."
He laughed and pressed his forehead to hers.
"And I don't want you to leave me."
He pulled away, eyeing her lips.
Tilting his head forward he kissed with everything he had, before abruptly tearing himself away from her and unsheathing his sword.
"Go."
She stayed where she was, her feet firmly planted to the ground.
Tears falling down onto her cheeks.
"Aneurin, please!"
"Go!" He shouted and she fled.
The dense forest clawed at her, as though trying to help the guards catch her.
Part of her wanted to turn back and demand that Aneurin come with her, and she almost did, but the sound of metal against metal told her that she should not.
Enid did not need to look back to know that Aneurin was now holding the guards off, keeping their attention away from her.
"Enid, Enid!" A soft voice from above her cried.
Glancing up, she saw a small fairy flying alongside her.
Her tiny wings flapped furiously as she did her best to keep up with Enid.
Instantly, she recognised it as the fairy that had warned her not to enter Elfhame.
"You need to follow me, I will show you the way!"
Brushing the ivy aside, Enid paused at the cave entrance, her head turning over her shoulder to look for Aneurin.
The moment her eyes fell upon him her heart welled up in her chest.
He fought his own men with a fury she never knew he had.
He was relentless in his attacks, like a bear when its cubs were in danger.
Some of the guards recognised him and froze, this would give him enough time to wind them and throw them to the forest floor.
"Enid, come!" The fairy muttered in her ear, but she did not listen, how could she?
"I cannot leave him." Enid looked up at the fae helplessly, not knowing whether to do as he had commanded her or turn back and go to him.
She was torn.
One by one the guards fell to the floor, unconscious.
There was a solitary moment of peace once more, as the oncoming wall of guards briefly stopped and Aneurin stood with his sword held before him, poised and ready for the next soldier that dared to come at him.
"Aneurin!" Enid screamed, the cold, sharp rock of the cave biting into her hands.
He turned to her and lowered his sword.
From below him, a guard lifted himself up and knocked Aneurin to the ground, pinning him to the forest floor.
"No!" Enid cried, starting to leave the safety of the cave entrance.
"No!" The fairy exclaimed, tugging at Enid's gown and flying back to the cave in an attempt to haul her back.
"Let me go to him!" She cried, looking desperately back at the Fairy.
Suddenly, the fairy stopped and clicked her fingers.
Confused, Enid frowned.
Until she was sent flying through space and time and onto hard ground.
Hitting the ground hard, she struggled to re-gain her bearings as she lifted herself up.
No longer was she surrounded by eternal twilight.
In the depths of her mind, a voice told her that she was no longer in Elfhame.
Getting to her feet, she took in her surroundings with wide eyes.
Where was the fairy?
And most worryingly of all, where was Aneurin?
No matter where she looked there was no sign of him or the guards.
Her breathing quickened as she began to walk alongside the rock face, hoping to find an opening with which to get back to Aneurin.
Until at last, she spotted the cave which she had used to get to Elfhame, to begin with.
She ran to it, a smile lifting at her lips.
If she could just get back to Aneurin everything would be alright, they could come back through the cave together.
But as she grew closer the cave began to shrink.
No, no, no, no!
She picked up her gown and pushed herself faster.
With each step she took, the cave grew smaller and smaller.
She collided with sharp rock.
The cave was gone.
Sobbing, she hit the rocks with all her might, hoping the cave might appear.
The fairy has done this.
From high up in the tree beside Enid, the fairy was indeed stood among the branches.
"Why?! Why would you stop me from going to him?!" She screamed at the fairy, her hands balling up into fists.
"Because it was my prince's request to protect you. By stopping you from returning to his realm I am protecting you."
"Then-" Enid began, harshly wiping away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. "-You have fulfilled your duty."
She sunk down the rock and onto the grass.
"Please, just go. Leave me be!" She pleaded the fairy, who, after a moments pause, with another click of her fingers, was gone.
With no way of getting back to Aneurin, she was now utterly alone.
The question was: How was she going to get back to Elfhame?