Innocent

~13~Xki

Zalea has looked much better in the past few days than she has since we started our trip. She still looks very pale compared to when I first saw her but I haven't seen her heaving up any food.

She had never disappeared from camp before, the first time it happened was when we were in the small town. I always knew she could probably get out of the restraints easily but what had me questioning her was why not before and why did she come back?

We will reach the palace in about two weeks and honestly, I'm dreading the moment she meets the king more than she is. She should be worried but she's not. She also hasn't witnessed the king's brutality, maybe once she sees that she might try to run. Zalea hasn't seen how the king likes to kill which is very rare, he only kills people himself when they have caused him lots of trouble and or stress, Nyx has caused lots of both.

~~~

"Why do you never sing?" I ask Zalea, "Like, why did you stop, or not do it as often anymore?"

"Why do you think?" she retorts.

"Well, if your mother was the one who taught you all this, shouldn't he be happy to have her spirit living in you? It's a loving way to remember her." I comment.

A low chuckle plays on her lips, "Of everything I have taught you about my father, you think he is happy and loving to have a little menace of a child who reminds him of the woman who never loved him?" she pauses to look me in the eye, "You're wrong, by the way."

I can feel a slight heat creep up my cheeks, "I-"

"Don't. You already said everything, no need to make it worse." she interrupts.

I cleared my throat, "So, he what killed her?"

She has a straight face, "Yep."

Shit, she's not joking. I'm so dumb. Why do I always say the worst things? No one except her can mess with me this much.

She chuckles at my bright red cheeks, and a full smile breaks across her face.

What the fuck?! Why is she laughing at her mother's death? Her father sure has messed up her mind.

She must see the slight fear on my face, "Oh dear, you think I'm laughing at her death aren't you?" she must see the answer on my face, "I'm not, it's just crazy to think about what life could be like if she were alive and she didn't die in front of me. I think a lot about what would happen if I was not forced away from my-" she stops suddenly.

"From your what?" I prompt.

She just keeps on that smile that is now as fake as the rest, "Nothing."

This conversation is clearly over but I need to find out what she was forced away from, this could be some of the only chances I have before she is killed right in front of me. I can't stop that little whisper in the back of my head.

You just don't want her to die because she has a hold on your heart.

~~~

Two Weeks Later

We are on the outskirts of a village about a week away from the palace. I need to retrieve a letter from the postal service. The next steps we take with Nyx could affect a lot more people than we want, we don't know how many people are part of the resistance she has created. What we do next could create a war, we still don't know exactly who Nyx/Azalea is to these people. We don't know if she is the leader or simply one of the best soldiers.

~~~

The letter has granted us permission to roam the village and get a couple of inn rooms. It said I must share a room with Azalea to make sure she doesn't escape, and that we are to return to the palace in half a fortnight.

I decided that my companions need a drink tonight, they have done well on this mission, other than losing Zalea that once. Besides we have a layover tomorrow so they can get as drunk as they want, and I assume that Zalea will stay with us because for whatever reason she has a death wish.

Once I tell them that we have tomorrow off and we're allowed to drink. One of them says, "Well, what are we waiting for? We should be drunk already." the rest of them just woop.

Completely ignoring the men surrounding her, Zalea says, "Does this include me?"

"It does" I respond, "You are underage, you might have an issue getting a drink."

She just smirks and walks over to the bar. I watch her every move with interest, all her movements are natural but at the same time so planned, each step carefully picked, positioning her body to hide her scars and show off her curves.

Even in the old worn clothes she is wearing, she makes the clothing look like she is wearing something revealing. My eyes drift from the hair covering her shoulders to the bottom of her baggy leather pants. My eyes get caught on the sexy curves of her ass-

What the fuck man, she is going to die. She has killed people, a lot of people.

I close my eyes, when I open them I see Zalea leaning over the bar whispering into the ear of a young bartender. He stands straight up but Zalea stays in the same position, he says something I can't but I see it make her giggle.

Giggle? She's never giggled for me, maybe it's another fake face.

I turn away, I just need to stop looking at her and that random guy. I had a quick conversation with one of my companions. After ten minutes I look back at the bar to see if she got in trouble for underage drinking. She's still there but this time her sweet ass is on top of the bar with her beautiful legs wrapped around his waist.

Not fucking happening. Not today. Not ever. 

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A/N

The first half of the chapter was boring to write but the second half was kind of fun.