Crossing Paths

23

Third Person POV
Her wrists ache, and there is a lump in her throat from crying. She has lost everything, but she never imagined she would lose herself.
All those killings, it was a job. Only a job. A job she had to do in order to pay Arobynn Hamel back.
Celaena never cries. Her life forbade it, her job had no tolerance for it. Why has this changed? Why, now, is she able to...cry in peace? She is getting out of here, she needs to. Now.
She sniffs, looking around the empty room as if the answer to freedom will be shone upon by light from the heavens. Her head whipped when she heard the door handle rattle. The King wasn't stupid, so as soon as he left he had her back in the chair, restrained. Behind her back, she fiddled with the restraints once more. If she could get undone before The King came inside she could jump him, take the set of keys, and escape. She braced her feet on the floor, preparing to fling the chair back thinking that if she got a different angle her chance will be more than minuscule. It's not wooden, not like it would break.
The door groaned and she barred her teeth, a second from pushing off the floor when her heart stopped.
He locked eyes with her. Her defenses dropped.

"Chaol."

Chaol's POV
She stared at me, tears I've never seen falling from her eyes. Her voice is so soft that it's hard to imagine I'm staring at Celaena Sardonthien. I smiled a small smile. She often surprises me.
"Why are you smiling?" She sounds so confused. It's adorable. I took easy steps inside, closing the door behind me. "I'm relieved to see you're not dead yet." I revealed honestly. She looked up at me and I looked at her.
They didn't even bother with a covering for her mouth. They either thought she was smart enough not to scream, that her scream would do nothing because no one cares about her, or she was already broken enough she knew she wasn't getting out of here. Whatever it was, they're bastards.
"How did you find me?" She questioned.
"Oh, Celaena." I sighed. I pretended to not notice her face redden.
"Now is not the time for questions." I remarked, moving behind her and going for her bondage.
"I know that, Chaol." She shot back. Smiling, I then huffed.
"Having fun back there?" She continued to chide.
"Don't be cute, Sardonthien. These knots are harder than they look."
"How would I know? They're behind me." I felt her eye roll. Well, I was an idiot for that one.
Freeing the biggest knot, the other smaller ones fell quickly. Whoever tied this wanted her here for a long time. She helped me with the ropes and then stood.
"Woah." She clutched her head, bracing her hand on my arm to steady herself.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, lets just get out of here." She shook her head. "Where are the others?"
"Stalling the King for as long as possible." I breathed.
"Good." She spat.
"Not long enough." The King appeared in the door. I grasped Celaena's arm and she stopped.

"This is not necessary, Your Majesty." I felt her sigh. I may be battling with the King these days but I know where my allegiance has to lie. And I know what will get us out of here as fast as possible. Both of us.
"And how is that, Captain?" The King beamed, his smile bright.
"She has done nothing." I stated.
"She hasn't, has she? Let's see, she's murdered more people than I can count. She's been bred for a life of murderous upheaval since she was 8. She can kill you in an instant without care and without trying, Captain."
Celaena bristled.
"It's best she stay here with me."
"More than you can count?" She stepped forward."I thought the great King of Adarlan would have a higher education than the second grade."
"Insulting yourself, now I see. Have you really gone that low?"
"I'm not insulting myself. I know how many kills I've committed exactly. They tore at me with fierceness I've never felt before, not even from my own blade. I know what I have done." Her voice became cool and calculated."Every life I have taken I have made known, it is not kept in the dark. What I've done has gotten me here, and I'll pay for that when I must. I accept that. The money I've shared with dozens of foundations across Terrasen, for my people."
"You're saying you kill for your people?"
"I'm saying I kill to survive." She stated.
"You kill because it's fun."
"On the contrary, I kill to because it is convenient." She didn't break eye contact with him.
"Really?" She was now in his face and it took all of me to not pull her to my chest and run. But she can handle herself.
"You killed my parents, as they slept beside me when I was a child too young to comprehend any of this bullshit world, because it was convenient?"
"You are a monster." Her voice is dangerously low. "You kill, you take, you destroy with no remorse." She stepped an inch closer.
"That is not convenient, Your Majesty. "

"You haven't even begun to discover how many people I've killed. If anything, you've only brushed the surface. And I know that better than anyone." She stepped back when she was through.

She waits for him to say something. He looked to me. "She still has got a bit of a tongue, doesn't she?" He disregarded all she has said in one sentence. She jumped at him.
"Celaena, no!" Out came his knife and I leapt for her. But she fell with a grunt. The King pushed her away from him, as if disgusted she lay bleeding so close to his polished shoes.
I crawled to her, grasping her face.
"You'll be okay, don't worry." I rushed, one of my shirts coming off to staunch the blood flow. I watched as my tears hit the wound.
"You'll be fine, I promise." I continued, cradling her head.

"You really do care about this girl, don't you?" The King addressed.
"You'll be okay." I applied pressure, holding her. Color is draining from her face, her eyes becoming dull too quickly.
"Consider this payment for being so good at your job. Till a month ago"
I looked up."Wha-?"
"Leave. Take her with you." He said nothing else as he exited the room.
I grabbed her, carrying her out of the room and running to Dorian.

~~~~~

"Dorian! Dorian!" I screamed, climbing the tower stairs.
"Chaol?!" He grasped my arm and I pushed past him to place her on his bed.
"Get the nurse, get the nurse please!" I yelled, lifting her shirt to see the wound. She came running in, with him Maven and another aid.

Dorian's POV
I watched them use scissors to cut open her shirt, removing the fabric to get better access to her wound. They put on gloves and that was the last thing I saw before looking at Chaol. He clutched his hair, his face red, trying to get closer to her despite the healers trying to usher him back.
"Chaol, hey." I walked over to him and hugged him, he sobbed and clutched me tighter.
"She'll be okay, she's Celaena. She'll be fine, don't worry." I said whatever I could to soothe him. I hate seeing him cry. I kissed his temple.

Chaol wept, his eyes fixated on the girl with the silver hair that managed to crawl her way into his heart. Who managed to break him down with a simple smile. And now nothing but a room full of sorrow.
Until she opened her eyes and smiled her smile.

/-/-/-

My vision swam and a numbing pain formed just behind my eyes. Trying to blink it back as best I can, I panicked when I saw no one.
"H-hello?"
"Hold on, sweetie. Let us help." A wet cloth was placed over my eyes. I saw a bit more with each stroke, until I was looking at him. I smiled.
"When you hit your head, you started bleeding and some blood had dried." She spoke calmly.
I sat up, carefully because I know how easily pain can overtake one's body. 
"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my head. I felt a bruise.
"And ow!" My hand went to my middle.
"Hey." Chaol sat down beside me, stroking my hair. It was oddly soothing. A sigh escaped me, and I leaned into his hand.
"Thank you." I whispered, suddenly seeing only him. His hand is warm, his smile bright and caring.
His eyes gleamed. "You're welcome, Celaena."

Dorian left with polite pleasantries, as did everyone else. And Chaol stayed.