“So you really know who I am and you didn’t save me without a valid reason.”

  “I see you catch on pretty quick. You are smart. That is odd. From the crimes you are accused of, I actually thought you were pretty stupid.”

  “Did you just accept to talk with me so you could bash insults or? I am thankful but I’m not really in the mood for this bullshit.”

  “Sensitive, are we?”

  “Not really. I’m just not in the mood to be insulted without reason.”

  “But I do have a reason. You are a criminal, there is no way you could possibly be a clever person. Yet here you are.”

  The mocking tone of her voice was starting to piss me off. There’s really no point in being here. I am simply leaving.

  “Whatever.”

  As I turned my back on her and headed towards the door, several vines grabbed my arms and legs, restraining my movements. She turned me towards her once again and the vines released me.

  “And where do you think you are going?”

  “What? Are you upset because I am not going with your jokes?”

  “You invited me to have a conversation and yet you act like the criminal you are leave me here hanging?”

  “Technically, I was the one hanging.”

  “Beg your pardon?”

  “Nevermind. Just what do you want? Fine. I am a criminal. I am whatever you say I am. What else do you want to hear?”

  “I want to know why didn’t you fought harder to defend yourself.”

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me perfectly. Why didn’t you stated the fact that someone broke into your room? That you are too weak to assault anyone? That you had no way to know the way into the princess room?”

  “How do you know all of that? Wait…”

  “So you do remember me? That’s new.”

  “Why do I know you? Where?”

  Vines started sprouting from her fingertips and slowly made their way into my right temple. The next thing I saw was a flash of light and all of a sudden it seemed like I was in another room.

  All I could see was white as if I was in a whole new place. The room seemed infinite. In front of me was Rita with her hands behind her back and looking at me with a small smile on her face.

  “Where the hell are we?”

  “This is the realm of thought. I can access the mind of the ones I touch with my vines. It seems I didn’t erase my fragments of your mind.”

  “So what? What is this exactly? Why did you do it? What did you see?”

  “Everything.”

  “What is that everything?”

  “It’s everything, young one.”

  So she saw everything, huh? Nice. That is just great. Fuck privacy even in this fucking world, I guess.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “Why are you still fighting to live?”

  “Huh?”

  “You are unwanted. Unloved. An easy target. Everything would be better with you dead.”

  “I know.”

  “Why are you trying to live, then?”

  “Why would I die for the sake of others when I am by myself? If anything, I will live for me. I don’t care what happens to this world. Fuck it. Everyone could die, for all I care.”

  “Even those two women?”

  Harlow and Soleil. They crossed my mind and entered my life all of a sudden. One on her pure will and the one as a slave. Yet I can’t hate them. No. That’s not it. I don’t hate them. I like them. If I had something valuable in this world, something worth anything, it would be them.

  “See? Why do you keep lying to yourself?”

  I rose my head only to feel Rita’s hand on my hair.

  “I’m n-”

  “Stop lying. Stop hurting yourself. Don’t be ashamed of who you were. It’s okay to have those scars. Why are you forcing yourself to be something you are not? Something that you despise? So you can hide?”

  “I’m n-”

  “You are not by yourself like you used to. And even if you were, here you were again trying to help people. In your own ways.”

  “Wh-”

  “Do you seriously think I don’t know who you are from everything I have just seen, young boy?”

  As if weight left my shoulders, I fell on my knees and an urge to cry came. I could remember things I had blocked. From the broken bones to the almost-death experiences in the dungeon. Everything came like a flashback.

  I cried my eyes out. My heart was aching. Tears wouldn’t stop. Two hands reached out and someone held me. I was embraced and that person was ruffling my hair and slowly lulling me.

  “Be who you wanted to be.”

  The white room erased from existence and we were back at the balcony. Rita was still holding me and I quickly regained my composure, standing up as fast as I could. Cleaning my face with my sleeve, I used my other hand to help Rita get back on her feet.

  “Can we talk seriously?”

  “Say what you have to say.”

  “She is probably going to be sentenced to jail, right? Or death. Let her come with us. I will take her to Asparia where she can be free until you fix whatever it is that you need to fix in this country. Think of it as my gratitude for helping me and Soleil.”

  “And why would I let my daughter go with a criminal?”

  “Because you know who I am.”

  It was the first time I actually said it convincing enough. The first time I said that I didn’t do anything wrong in the eyes or someone else. And which a cheeky smile, Rita simply said:

  “Take care of her.”

  “I will.”

  We both go inside and the drud was still staring at me. For some odd reason, I feel light. Like I have nothing holding me back. So let us annoy some people.

  “So, my guy, are you still going to be staring at me, or are you going to say what is that you are thinking?”

  “Are you really talking to me, filthy human?”

  “Yeah, oak. I am.”

  “Do you want me to kill you right now?”

  “Eh, sorry, don’t think you can, mate. I have places to be.”

  The drud jumped with a spear in hand and I simply smiled and the iron tip came near me. Without paying attention to anything else, the drud was astonished when Soleil came out of nowhere and broke the spear in half with the simple cutlery that was on the table.

  “What have you done, you broke that poor oak man spear.”

  “I am sorry. I acted without thinking.”

  “Dummy. Thanks, Sol.”

  “Sol?”

  The normally composed Soleil turned completely red and even embarrassed she was extremely beautiful. Must be nice. Being an elf, I mean.

  I walk towards Thalia who was still hugging her legs with a sad look on her face. Well, time to do my part.

  “Hey.”

  “Uh?”

  She looked up only to see me with my hands behind my neck. At this point, I have no idea how to speak with her. She saved me with the cost of her normal life. But then again, I never asked for her to do so. But I already knew what I wanted to do. Now I just needed to convince her. Properly.

  “Listen. You did a very stupid thing.”

  “Is that way to speak with my daughter?”

  She could’ve just said that but at the same time, she slapped my back with a vine as if it was a whip.

  “Let me finish, Jesus. That hurt, goddammit.”

  As I rubbed my back, I stand up once again. This time she was paying full attention to me.

  “Listen, I want you to come with me and Sol. We will take you to Asparia and you can be free while you are with us. And you may come back one day. When your mother stops acting like a violent vine lady and fix the situation for - AH”

  Another vine like whip but this time on my nape. It stung enough to feel like a blade chopped it right out. I was having flashbacks.

  “CAN I SPEAK WITHOUT GETTING BEAT UP?”

  With a glare in her eyes, Rita allowed me to speak.

  “We protect you and help you. Come with us so you can later have a place to come back to. It wouldn’t be fair for you to die for something idiotic like that. I am very grateful. From the bottom of my heart.”

  “Rotten heart.”

  “Are you trying to get me mad, vine old lady?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing.”

  The atmosphere in the living room changed completely and with that, I simply stared at Thalia waiting for her answer. I can ask her or even beg but I will never force her. It’s simply up to her.

  In the middle of all that nice atmosphere, she decided to finally speak up.