𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬

                     𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔢

She didn't fear a lot of things. Arice wasn't afraid of snakes, wasps, the dark, clowns, heights, or any other usual fear. She never understood how dumb humans can be, to be afraid of such small things.
But most importantly: she wasn't afraid of Japeth.
He saw this. He accepted the fact that Arice will never be afraid of him.
But this fact was also very... Lovely. Arice is one of the only humans that never feared Japeth. Which weren't a lot. Even his mother seemed not to love him. At least, not enought.
Aric. Rhian.
That's all.
Those are the only ones that loved Japeth. Aric was dead. Now was just Rhian. Who's love was based just on the fact that they were brothers. Because Rhian needed him.

Outside, the sky was dark, and the house was quiet. Somewhere, into it's chamber, two shadows met.
Arice stood on the bed, which was placed right under the window. The moonlight making her reading experience entertaining, as the opened door revealed a boy who's skin was scims.
The snake walked in. He stopped in front of the bed, looking at Arice, who 100% was aware of his presence.
"Pay attention to me" said the boy.

Arice raised her eyes from her book. He didn't like when  she was focused on anything but him.
He sat next to her, trying to guess what she was reading.
From his body, a scim left and made its way to Arice.
She took the slimy creature in her left hand, as which her right one she closed the book.
She smiled.
Japeth's blood started to boil.
She was "talking" to the eel, kept smiling and, at a moment, kissed the thing.
Japeth lost his patience. In a moment of rage, he slammed the girl's hand and took the scim, squeezing it to death.

In an act of jealousy, Japeth killed his own scim.
Arice looked at him. Disappointed. And his blue eyes showed nothing but pure hate.
Pure evilness.
  Little he didn't know, Arice liked it. She liked when Japeth was being jealous out of anything. She liked it when Japeth was obsessing over her. She liked when Japeth had eyes just for her.

He was still holding her hand. And turned it over.
On her wrist, he saw a scar. A scar caused by a scim. Long ago.
And from the corner of his mind. From his oldest and useless memories, he remembered. The thought hit him suddenly.
  Both of them looked at her wrist, then Japeth raised his eyes to her's.
"it's you, isn't it?"
"the girl from Arbed" both said.
Then she giggled.
The girl Rhian and William wanted was now his. This thought should satisfy Japeth.
But it didn't. Because it also reminded him, that she was his only hope of love right now.
What had he became... Killing people for his interests. A lonely, unloved freak. He shouldn't feel this. He shouldn't be affected. He should be evil.
  A tear dropped from his eye.
Arice put her hand on his cheek full of scims. Slowly, Japeth lowered his body, placing his head into her lap. The same way he used to do with his mother.
His mother which never loved him.
The boy turned over, facing the ceiling, head still on Arice's lap.
  He took the blanket and covered his lower body, then, suddenly, all of his scims left, leaving the pale boy naked and vulnerable.
And Arice's hand went from covering his eyes, to caress his hair.
  Tears were still coming out of his closed eyes. Besides this, he looked dead.
And Arice fell asleep too. In that uncomfortable position, she managed to sleep. Because she didn't want to wake up Japeth.
She'd never seen him sleeping before.
Where was he during daytime? Where was he sleeping? Where was he from?
Who is the boy that was now sleeping peacefully on her lap?
                  ***
But her nap didn't last long. As she woke up, the wall wasn't behind her anymore. Her head was on a soft pillow, her whole body layed down.
Just that it wasn't a pillow at all. But a cloud.
Arice opened her eyes. She wasn't in the old house anymore. But into the sky.
Japeth was there too.And when he sensed the girl was waking up, he turned to see her better.
Arice wanted to see the place better too.
The sky was green, the clouds grey, and the air was sharper than usual.

"i like it here" she said finally.
Japeth wasn't surprised. They had pretty similar tastes. She knew the girl had questions. And it was the time for Japeth to answer

And he knew he was doing something wrong. By telling her everything. Because Evil shouldn't be honest.
He told Arice everything. From the very beggining. Who he was. Where was he from. He told her about Rafal, how Rhian had found his mother's letters. How Rhian got everything wrong. His plan, how they wanted to get rid of Tedros, how they got Chaddick's blood. And how, soon, Rhian will free Excalibur.

Hours passed as Arice listened quiet. Her head was placed gently on Japeth's shoulder, breathing hard. The air was now too sharp for her.
  When he realised this, Japeth took her hand and  left his celestium, as fast as he could.

Outside, the sun was rising. The part of the day they both hated.
When Arice could breath normal air again, she opened her eyes. The girl wasn't a little bit tired.
  Japeth placed his hands on her shoulders, as she flintched.
"soon, my brother will show everyone that Tedros is an impostor. Then I will take you to Camelot. Just you and me"
He took Arice's hair into his hand, as he suddenly kissed her neck.
She flinched even harder. The girl moved Japeth's head from her neck with her hand. She didn't like it. He then looked at her with a death stare.
Arice instantly regretted it. Say you're sorry. The voice in her head said. Kiss him.
  She turned her whole body to Japeth, then placed a hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek.
Their mouths connected for the first time. Japeth's face relaxed, but not because he wasn't angry anymore. He knew why she did this, and accepted it.
It was cold. It wasn't how kisses were described in storybooks. It was somehow lifeless, but pleasant at the same time.