And In Your Eyes, I Saw Everything

Explanations.

-Xander's Point of View-

My fingers were wrapped tightly around the braid that sat in my pocket. The silky hair curled with my fingers and I let out a small hiss. Scarlette Rose had been here. She had showed up at home with shorter hair and ribbons and roses intertwined with what was left of it.

Anger roared through my blood. She had lied to me. She played me. She had allowed me to play the fool and tricked me into thinking that Vlad was the enemy. All along, I had acted on impulse and allowed myself to hurt him, lost under the influence of Princess Rose.

"What?" I whispered coming to the end of the trail. I could see the fountain from where I was standing. It had been decorated with glittering pieces of crystal, a theme for the dance.

My feet dragged me across the yard. My fingers were wrapped very tightly around the braid and I could feel my nails press little half moon shapes in the palm of my hand. I was furious, angry, wanting to scream and yell, and tear my mousy brown locks from my head. I had to find Scarlette. I needed to find her.

My brain told me that she had to have been in her room and luckily it was right. She had laid in bed in a short red nightgown. Her now short hair was sprawled out around her and a smile lit up her ruby lips when she saw me.

"Xander, I'm surprised you're here. I thought you were busy with plans for the dance? What will you parents think if they see us alone together?" She said, sitting up and wrapping a shawl around her, trying to cover her barely covered self. There was a small pout on her lips and her green eyes flashed, alluring.

I stared at her for a moment, my fist only clenching tighter. Beads of blood crawled out of my skin, but I felt no pain.

"You lied, Scarlette," I said and her pout fell.

"Xander?"

I held up the hair and the spark broke. A frown fell on her lips and she slid back down, letting her shawl free. Seduction was her plan of getting out of here. I could tell from how she was showing me her chest just a little bit more than before.

"Where did you find that?" She purred. I was reflecting her deadly spell though. I wasn't about to let myself crawl in her bed and allow her to have every way with me. Vlad was right. She was a witch.

"The woods," I said.

"I thought you weren't going back there," she said, voice raising slowly.

"I went to think. Lucky me, I found this beauty in the woods. There's only one girl I know who has this color of hair and she's looking at me," I said pointing to her and she frowned before plucking it out of my hand and looking over it. She ran her hands over and over the silky strands and her eyes reached up to mine.

"I was there," she whispered, "He was there too. I didn't go looking... He-He just was there, one hand on his sword, one eye a white blind. He couldn't see me approach, but he heard me. He got down from the tree, grabbed my braid and held my neck to a blade. God, I thought he was going to kill me," she said, rubbing a small crimson line on her neck, a recent wound. "Instead, he just cut off my braid, free me. Said he'd really kill me if he saw me again. I wouldn't doubt it for a second," her lips pulled into a grim line. She quickly blinked and looked away from me.

"You lied."

"I don't deserve you for a single damned second, Xander," she shouted, slamming her fist into the bed post. I heard it splinter and I winced slightly. "I don't deserve you and neither does he! I wanted you though. I needed you to want me! I love you. He can never do that the way I can. N-Never," her voice broke and she was crying. I had no idea what to do. She was like a cracked porcelain doll, close to shattering into a million pieces.

I walked towards her and put my hand on her bare shoulder, hoping she'd look at me. I wish she would look at me.

"Scarlette Rose," I whispered and she put a hand on my arm, holding it stiffly. She touched it like someone would the wall while they were searching in the dark.

"Look at me," I said and her eyes found mine. The green losing their luster in a matter of minutes.

"I don't deserve you," I whispered, kissing her before leaving the room.

~~~

"Come on, Thames. You've got to do this one favor for me," I whined holding the letter out to my friend. It had been wrapped up in a crimson ribbon and I had been spending the past hour and a half writing it all out, hoping that he would send it for me.

"Xander, he has to hate you. You blinded him for Christ's sake!" Thames yelled as we stood by the fountain, "Besides, why do I have to run it to the oak? Why can't you just do it yourself?" He asked, narrowing his brown eyes at me.

"I have to get suited and the dance is the day after tomorrow. If someone doesn't take that letter now, there's going to be a very slim chance that he'll get it. Please, Thames. I want him back. I don't care what it takes or what I'm risking for him," I pleaded and Thames looked at me slightly annoyed.

"What if he doesn't come? Who are you going to pick then?" He asked with a sigh.

"I'll have to take Scarlette. She's the other one that I love," I said softly.

"You're so indecisive," he said, snatching the letter from my hand and I smiled.

"I owe you."

"You don't owe me. You're the prince. You can't owe a servant anything," Thames yelled, walking towards the woods and leaving me behind.

Oh, how I hope this works.