Oneshot Collection

Unspoken Betrayal: Ro

This was random, I just felt like writing it. I've had this in mind for a while and... it happened 

This is from Ro's POV

Just some random stuff

Ro hated assumptions.

She knew the snap judgments people made.

She was the tough princess, the top fighter, the one who threw away tradition and didn't hesitate to punch anyone who so much as looked at her funny. The one who colored her hair and claws and got her tattoos before anyone else; not because she was royalty, but because she earned them.

Her scars were plenty of proof that she was an able fighter, having held her own against her father.

But even though she did her best to project these same characteristics into everyone's heads, she hated that it worked.

No one really knew who she was; her dad understood her better than almost all of the people she knew, but he didn't even come close to knowing what went on inside her head.

No one truly knew her except one.

And it had to be Cad.

As her best friend- her only real friend- since birth, it was only natural that Ro and Cad shared everything with each other. Every secret, every woe, every event, major or minor, they would meet up and talk for hours.

But even Cad... even Cadfael didn't know her largest secret. The one that she was unsure about. The one that she didn't even know existed.

So when he kissed her one day in the training room, she let him. Because she loved him (or she thought she did) and the kiss was nice.

And the ones that followed after were nicer.

But maybe not for the right reason.

...

Ro squeezed her eyes shut, and Cad took her hand.

"What's wrong?" His voice had never been soft. It was usually harsh, like rocks scraping against each other, but sometimes its jagged edges smoothed for a second and his voice was soothing.

But even though she knew she was the only one who ever got to see this side of him, and he didn't let down his guard like this for anyone else... she didn't speak. She couldn't.

Instead, she twisted her head away and kept the tears from trickling down her cheeks.

Stay strong, stay hard, never bend, you are not weak, whip your feelings into shape.

Her father's voice rang in her ears, and she was grateful for the automatic hardening of her spine that his familiar words triggered. Maybe she could do this after all.

But one look at Cad's merciless, soft eyes cracked her resolve again.

"I'm sorry. I... really am, Cad. But- I realize that... we're not right for each other." Ro could hardly force the words out, and the look in Cad's eyes made her spine curve once more.

"I get it," Cad turned away bitterly. "This is about Bo, isn't it."

"No! No, I won't marry him. I... I won't-" Ro bit out, even though she knew her father would find some way to make it happen. "It's not you, I promise. And it's definitely not Bo. I just..."

"Got it," Cad spat angrily, his voice rough again.

"I'm just not attracted to you anymore-" Wrong thing to say, Ro realized, as Cad laughed bitterly.