You were sitting in the grass, picking idly at the blades in front of you. Aiden and Connor sat next to you, lounging in the morning sun, their eyes closed.
You had ridden for about half an hour in the forest before the twins pulled off into a small clearing. Wildflowers were sprinkled around the clearing and there were dappled spots of sunlight as it filtered through the trees.
You glanced at the boys, analyzing their calm and relaxed demeanor. They were almost never like this. They were always tense, but now, they seemed peaceful. Your brow furrowed at the thought as you looked harder. Peaceful was never a word you thought you would use to describe the princes, but it fit them in this moment.
"What's wrong dear?" Connor murmured as he leaned back on his arms and looked at you lazily.
"Nothing." You mumbled as you looked down at your lap.
"We felt your gaze on us." Aiden turned to you and offered a half-attempted smile.
"Well," You glanced between them again, "You two are acting different."
Mei stomped the ground and Connor looked over, "How so?"
"You're calm. It's weird."
"We are capable of most emotions despite what you think." Aiden said with a laugh. "But how is that weird?"
You bit your lip as you tried to link wildflowers together to distract yourself, "You two are always tense and...crazy. Seeing you sit still and just take everything in is...different to say the least."
Connor smiled and leaned his head on your shoulder, "Do you want to know a secret?"
"What kind of secret?" You asked as you glanced at him before returning to your task.
Aiden softly moved your face towards him, "We've been coming here since we were very little."
You raised your eyebrows a little, "Really?"
Connor laughed, "Yes. Our nanny would bring us here when our parents didn't want us running around the castle. There's a small stream and pond over a little ways and she taught us how to fish and swim."
You scanned the forest and listened but there was no sound of water.
"We come here to reflect too." Aiden murmured as he looked back up at the sky, "We talk to our parents here, vent our frustrations, things like that."
Your eyes widened, "I didn't know this place was so special for you."
You heard a collective sigh from them and turned to see a faraway look in both their eyes.
"We talk about you here." It came out of Connors mouth abruptly.
"Me?" You inquired as you maneuvered more flowers around.
"After we'd met you for the first time, we came out here. We told our parents that we'd finally found someone to fill the hollowness that their death had left."
You turned to look at Connor, "But I thought you weren't close to your parents."
Aiden let out a small laugh, "Having your parents die is tough, close or not. Our parents might not have spent a lot of time with us, but they were still family."
Your cheeks heated in embarrassment, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay." Connor murmured as he laid down completely, "We know what you meant."
You pulled the whole circle of flowers together and held it up, admiring your work.
"You're good at that." Aiden commented as he glanced at it.
"Thank you." You blushed slightly and put it on his head, "I think the flowers compliment you two."
"Don't I get one dear?" Connor asked as he raised his head to look at you.
You laughed "Of course. I just need to grab more flowers."
You got up and walked over to a small patch and began picking more.
"She's becoming more accustomed to us and hasn't fought much since he's left." Aiden murmured as his fingers brushed the flowers in his hair.
"Emotional crutch. Our work has finally paid off. In two days, everything will be finished." Connor closed his eyes and felt the sun on his face.
"Do you think the child will interfere?" Aiden muttered as his eyes darkened.
"I don't think so. He's got a lot of cowardly qualities and no matter how much he grows attached to her, he won't do anything that would endanger his life."
You walked over with a handful of flowers smiling, "Alright. Now to work on yours."
The brothers smiled and shared a look as you sat down and began creating a crown for Connor.
~~~~
You dismounted and steadied yourself on the ground. You looked back to see Connor hop to the ground and whisper something to Reed. The child nodded and took the horses back into the stable.
"Would you like to go to lunch (Y/n)?" Aiden said as he came up beside you and linked arms.
He started guiding you towards the palace as you nodded your head. Connor came up on your other side and the three of you silently walked back to the palace.
"Your Highness's. Please. A word." A guard said as the three of you came up to the main entrance.
Connor glanced at Aiden before nodding and heading off with the guard. You looked at Aiden questioningly but he just smiled and took you inside.
"What's going on?" You asked as Aiden held the door to the dining hall open.
He glanced at you and shrugged, "Masquerade orders probably. They have to regulate the guests you know."
You nodded as you sat down in your seat. A moment later Connor came through and silently sat down.
"Is everything alright?" Aiden asked.
"There's been talk of unwanted people coming to the masquerade and the guards wanted my directions on how to handle them.
You turned to look at him, "Unwanted people?"
Connor grimaced, "Enemies of ours. You don't need to worry. The guards will take care of them."
You nodded, thinking.
"Anyway. Lets just eat." Aiden said cheerfully as the chefs came out and put dishes of food on the table. You eagerly grabbed at what seemed the best and started eating.
"Alright dear. We'll be seeing to a few complications with the masquerade plans for the rest of the day. Feel free to go to your room or the stable." Connor said as they both stood up from the table.
"O-Oh. Okay!" You smiled and put one more bite of food in your mouth before standing up as well.
"Bye dear!" Aiden waved as they both walked out of the room. You looked up at the ceiling, wondering what you should do.
Reed might need some help or just some company. You thought as you made your way out of the room and down the hall.
Once again, you were outside and walking down the gravel path towards the stable.
"Hey Reed?" You called out as you approached the entrance. His head poked around the corner and grinned.
"Hey (Y/n)!"
"I was just wondering if you needed any help around here. I'm kind of on my own for the rest of the day." You said sheepishly.
"Sure! We can talk too. I've been meaning to tell you some things." He gestured for you to follow him and disappeared inside.
You followed him in and he shoved an oval-like brush into your hands.
"Kia still needs to be brushed today." He explained as the two of you walked to the stall. He opened it and both of you stepped inside. He showed you how to do it a few times before he left you to go put more food out for the horse.
"So (Y/n)," He said as he measured out oats, "Why are you so close to the princes again?"
You furrowed your brow as you continued to brush Kia, "I'm not sure. They were there for me when Micah just...left. I think I'm slowly starting to realize that they're real people with better emotions under the tough exterior they parade around in."
Reed narrowed his eyes as he turned away from you, "I don't like it. I know I'm just a child and you probably think I'm silly, but I really don't want anything to happen to you. You and Micah were the only people who bothered to come around and hang out with me."
You stopped and turned to look at him. He was shaking slightly and you could tell he was trying to hide it. You sat the brush down and walked over, wrapping your arms around him.
"Hey. I'm okay Reed." You turned him around so that he could look at you. You saw his lip quiver slightly. "I really am."
He buried his face into your dress, "I just don't want to see them control you. They'll put a collar and leash on you! You'll be a pet to them and they'll bring you around, showing you off. I've seen it in other kingdoms (Y/n)." You could feel your dress become wet with his tears.
Your grip on him tightened and you sank to the floor together. "Shhh, Reed its okay. It wont happen, alright? I'll still be me, and you'll still be you. I'll come out here everyday and hang out with you. We'll groom the horses together and climb the trees just like always."
His grip on you tightened, "Y-You really mean it?"
You ran you fingers through his hair soothingly, "I really mean it."
He pulled away and looked at you, "Pinky promise me." He held out his pinky finger.
You smiled and linked yours with his and you shook it. He smiled and wiped the tears from his face. "Okay."
The next few hours went by quickly. Reed put you through strenuous tasks throughout the stables and before you knew it, the sun was slowly starting to set.
"Thank you for all the help (Y/n)!" Reed exclaimed as he returned a barrel to the middle of the walkway. You leaned against a stall and nodded. You felt really tired and wondered how the boy was able to do this everyday.
You both turned your heads at the sound of screaming outside. You quickly rushed outside and saw guards on horses in the distance.
"Prince Connor has ordered us to kill any unwanted people who make their way onto the grounds." One yelled as he held a sword to his side. "One has been seen entering the forest on the south side. Remember: swing to kill."
The other guards nodded in agreement before they all took off into the forest.
You turned to look at Reed, "Aiden and Connor said something about enemies trying to come to the masquerade."
He nodded and went back inside, leaving you to stand and watch the area where the guards disappeared.
You turned to look into one of the pens, seeing the chestnut horse.
"Hey Nelle." You said as you leaned against the pen, staring at the unbothered horse.
"I guess it would make sense for the princes to have enemies." You said out loud, talking to yourself. "I mean, they're royalty. But wouldn't enemies come in in sneakier ways. It doesn't make sense."
Nelle snorted and turned away.
You laughed, "Guess you don't want to talk huh." You propped your head in your hand as you glanced up at the sky. The masquerade was in two days. Were you excited? Yes. But you were also nervous.
You yawned and glanced around tiredly. It was still early, but you hadn't worked that hard in a few weeks.
Maybe I should-
"(Y/n)!" A voice screamed and you turned to see someone running at you from the forest.
Déjà vu.
The person stumbled, caught themselves, and continued to run towards you, "(Y/n). Run!"
The dream.
You stood there, shocked as the person came towards you. You immediately glanced at their side to see a hand clutching it. You studied their face and you paled.
"Listen to me." They gasped as they looked at you urgently.
You shook your head and took a step back, but they grabbed your arm. You looked down to see smears of red on it.
"Focus...Focus on me. Please. (Y/n)."
You looked into their worried and urgent blue eyes, feeling a mixture of happiness and grief, "Micah. What are you doing here?!"
He grimaced and his eyes went glassy for a second before they focused back on you, "I-I went to go find help for the masquerade. It...It was..." He fell forward and you caught him.
"Micah? Micah!?" You slowly knelt to the ground with him.
He slowly pulled away from you, "I-It was better if you thought I had just left, in case I never made it back. C-Connor and Aiden had guards looking for me all over the place. N-No one was willing to help me though. I-I..." His eyes fluttered shut before he opened them again.
"Where are you hurt?!" You asked as you felt around. You moved his hand to see a large wound that was still heavily bleeding. Your eyes scanned his body, seeing another large cut on his right shoulder. There was another stab wound on his leg which explained why he almost fell earlier.
"I-I'm really tired..." He murmured, "I needed to tell....needed to tell...you something."
You looked at him, "Don't think! We'll get you fixed up and-"
He shook his head slowly, "Too much...gone."
"Micah! We can still help you. Just hold on."
His eyes widened and he gripped your shoulders, "You need to get out. Angel, you need to leave. That's what it was." He shook slightly as his eyes focused and unfocused.
"Anything. Just stay with me. Micha? Listen to me."
He looked at you and smiled sadly, "Angel, I-I really want to."" He furrowed his brow and he looked down.
"Micah!? Focus on my voice okay? We'll get through this."
He glanced up at you, "(Y/n)...Thank you...Thank you so much."
You felt tears in the back of your eyes, "For what?!"
He cupped your cheek lightly, "You gave me a purpose. A reason. It's all I could've asked for."
Your hand covered his and your eyes widened, "You still have a purpose. We'll...We'll escape! We'll go out of the kingdom. You, me, Reed, my family and friends. We'll live peacefully without any masquerades or princes."
His lip quivered as he smiled, "I-I don't think that's possible for me anymore. You still have to get out though. You have to, Angel."
You gripped his arms, fighting the tears, "I will. We will. Micah. What do you mean. You're fine...Y-You'll be fine."
He fell into you, "I-I'm so scared. I don't know what happens after this. I've always been afraid of..de...of dea...I can't say it. Is it empty? Will I be alone?"
"Shhh. Stop. I-it's not going to happen." You looked down at his bloodstained clothes, feeling the tears slowly stream down.
"I thought they'd kill me eventually." He murmured, "I-I didn't think it'd be like this. D-Dying of blood loss is not the heroic way a knight should go out."
You made it so that his head rested on your arm and you looked down at him, "You're not going to die. Please, Micah! Y-You have to..." One of your tears fell down on his cheek and he smiled, reaching up to wipe the ones on your face away.
"I'm not that afraid anymore. I was afraid I wouldn't make it to see you again...wouldn't see your eyes, your smile...I've never cherished something as much as those." His face paled as he spoke.
"Micah please." You whispered as you looked down at him, "You cant leave me here."
He closed his eyes and his brow furrowed, "R-Reed knows the plan. He'll get you out. Your family will be waiting in the predetermined spot." His eyes opened barely, "I only wish I could've done more for you."
Your grip on him tightened and you were openly sobbing, "You did everything for me. You risked everything for me. Micah...You didn't need to do anything, but you did. You did."
His eyes fluttered open and closed and his breathing became more shallow, "I've heard that your life flashes before your eyes in these situations. You better be in there." He attempted a laugh, but it sounded more like a labored cough.
You shook as he stared up at you, smiling weakly, "I want the last thing I see to be your (e/c) eyes. They were the first thing I saw about you. I want them to be the last I see too."
You let out a small sob before you stared down at him.
"Smile, Angel. Please. I want you to be happy. Those are the memories I want."
You stifled another sob before you forced a smile onto your face.
He nodded slightly before his gaze unfocused again, "Thank you so much, Angel. I-I'll see...see you..." His eyes closed and his muscles relaxed.
"Micah?!" You cried out. You felt for his pulse and waited. Slowly, it started slowing down more and more. You held your breath, tears streaming down your face. It vanished.
"M-Micah?!" You repeated as you laid him down and pressed your ear to his chest. Nothing.
"His shirt. Its muffling it." You cried out as you ripped away his bloody clothing and pressed your ear against his chest again. Nothing.
"No. No. NO. Micah. Stop. This is one of your pranks. You're going to wake up in a few seconds and your going to show me your smile...and...and." You sat there waiting for him to sit up and say it was all a joke.
"Micah!" You screamed as you pulled him into your arms. "Wake up! You're my knight! You aren't supposed to leave me!"
Nothing.
"You're supposed to get out with me. It wasn't supposed to be this way!"
You flashed back to the moment in your room.
"(Y/n). I said I'd help you. I still am. We can come up with a plan and get all of us out."
You looked down at him.
Liar...
He came up and rustled your hair, causing you to flinch. "Sorry. There's no need to be afraid of me. As the mother of the palace said, I'm Micah, Florence's helper. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Your grip on him tightened. He was supposed to be here with you.
Footsteps echoed behind you and someone called out your name. You didn't care. All that mattered was Micah getting up. You shook him slightly.
Get up...
Get up.
Micah! PLEASE! Get up!
"(Y/n)?!"
"Micah!" You let out an ear-piercing scream causing the birds in the trees to fly away. A wave of darkness crashed down upon you as you slumped over his body.
A/N: I've never written a character death in my life. I was tearing up a little bit while writing it because it was such a painful process. I hope I did it the right way. This chapters word count equals what two chapters usually are so there's only one update tonight. There should be two tomorrow!