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Hm...I hope this ok if I post this here.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that comes from the Kiesha'ra series. But I own most of the plot, and my OC (Evalyn).

Summary: AU What is a fairy tale? It certainly doesn't involve getting kidnapped for ransom, and then falling in love with your captors, right? DanicaZane, AilbheOC

A/N: Ok, just a few notes: We lent our cousin both books so I couldn't remember some names for the life of me, so I had to use other characters that I did remember. For instance, I can't remember the name of Danica's brother. I actually completed this story a couple days ago on Fanfiction.net, so I should be able to update regularly. And if any of you don't know what "AU" means, it stands for "alternate universe". In other words, this doesn't take place in the Kiesha'ra world. I think that's all I have to say at the moment, which is alot. I have a bad habit of rambling. I hope you all like this story though.


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Danica sat on a bench in the palace gardens. Her eyes were closed, and her face tilted upward to face the sunlight as she took in what she could of the afternoon before her duties could no longer be ignored.
She was the princess of Avia. Her kingdom was currently at war with the empire of Falcane (don't you just love my country names), and thus their funds were very stretched. Her father, Gerald (I know that's not it, can someone remind me what his name is?) had just returned from the front lines not even a week ago, and would be leaving agian in about a month or so. Her mother, Nacola, was in charge of the rest of the country's dealings, especially when he was away. Her older brother, Andreios, oversaw the war from home, acting mostly as a stratigist. Her brother's betrothed, Kel, was the princess of an alli country (and a very close friend and confidant of hers) who had been sent here for protection since her home country shared borders with the enemy. Danica, herself, took care of petty civilian matters to lessen the burden on her parents.

"Milady?" came a soft, timid voice from her right. She turned to see Evalyn, her personal attendant. The girl had light brown, wavy hair, though at the moment it was braided, and deep brown eyes.

"Yes?" she asked kindly, though she had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"Lord Vasili is here," the petite woman murmered. Danica sighed.

"Very well," she motioned for her servant and closest friend to lead the way.

Vasili was a nobleman whose father oversaw the southern areas of the kingdom. He was a fine, but somewhat detached young gentleman. Not to mention, he was her only current suitor since he went out of his way to challenge all others, and they either backed down, or lost in whatever he challenged them to. Danica didn't love him, however. Mostly because he treated common folk like they were worthless and easily expendable.

The only reason he hadn't recieved her hand in marriage yet was because her parents were waiting until the very last moment when she would reach the age that all noblewomen in their culture must be wed by to see if there was any chance she could be married away to seal an alliance. That didn't appeal to her much either, but then again, that's the way the life of a princess always was.

Vasili was in a parlor near the garden. He smiled at her as she entered, and she returned it with one that seemed delighted, but was completely hollow. She was a princess after all. Princesses aren't supposed to be rude.

He handed her a bouquet of flowers. She took them greatfully, and fingered a few petals, a charade of fondness though there was none present in her heart. In fact, she didn't even really look at the flowers though her eyes were on them as she handed them to Evalyn. She had recieved so many gifts like this, and now they were all the same. Her servant took them away, supposedly to put them in a vase. But her friend knew her better than that, and they were the only two who knew that the flowers were really going into the fireplace. Danica didn't care for cut flowers anymore. They were dead now...

Dead. Just like her heart would be soon, was her main thought as she sat down on a couch across from Vasili. He started talking, and she just pretended to listen. Her heart would die when she married, because she knew she wouldn't love the man she was bound to. She would never recieve a chance to expierence such a thing, and love someone because she wanted to, not because she had to pretend to. But the life of a princess wasn't as much of a fairytale as everyone made it out to be.

And where did these fairytales come from anyways? A knight in shining armor atop a white steed? There were seemingly countless such people around the castle, and they were hardly fairytale matierial. Over half of them got drunk at least once a week, and would sleep with any girl they could get their hands on. Which were considerable in number becuase so many innocent, naive village girls believed the fairytales until it was to late. Few of the peasentry knew of all the scandal that went on inside castle gates.

No. Fairytales were just that, tales. Fantasies that someone came up with about a perfect world where right always won, and true love could overcome any obstical. Poets and their overly wild imaginations. There was no such thing as a happily-ever-after as far as this princess was concerned.

"Princess Danica?" Vasili saying her name cut through her thoughts, and she realised she had been zoning off in some random direction. Obviously not listening.

"I'm sorry. You were saying?" she asked politly.

He looked at her worriedly, though nobles were so skilled at faking, she didn't know how much concern he really felt, "Is something the matter milady? You look upset."

She waved her hand dismissivly, "It is nothing."

"Very well. What were you thinking of?" he asked, curiously. She felt some irritation flare up inside her.

"What I think is none of your concern! A lady is entitled to her own thoughts," her voice came out harsh and clipped. He sat back in surprise, and she immidiatly realised her mistake. So she regained her composure, and lowered her head.

"Forgive me, milord. It has been a long day," she apologiesed half heartedly.

He nodded in understanding, "I suppose dealing with commoners can make even the gentlest among us tempermental."

She tried not to frown at this, thinking his judgement unfair. But she stood up and answered, "Thank you for your understanding milord."

She curtsied to him and retreated to her bed chambers. Evalyn was there, casting the last of the roses into the fire, and watching them burn with keen interest. Yes she was a bit of a pyromaniac, but not dangerously so.

"Gentle indeed!" Danica fumed, throwing herself onto her bed in a rather unlady-like fashion.

"I'm sorry, milady," Evalyn sighed, "Would you like me to get your bath ready?"

"If you would, please," the princess muttered tiredly, her voice muffled only slightly be her pillow.

The other girl nodded obediently, and entered the bathroom. She came out a little over ten minutes later, and told her liege it was ready. Danica thanked her, and locked the bathroom door. She undressed, and slipped into the hot water, the scent of strawberries filling her nose.

She remained in the bath for an hour or so, taking her time to wash herself. When she finished, she dried off with a towel and wrapped her silken robe around her. She sat on a bench in front of her mirror, and started brushing her long, curly blonde hair. Yes she could brush her own hair when she wanted to. She took her time doing that as well. Then she dressed in the simple cotton nightgown Evalyn set out for her.

"Do you need anything else?" her servant asked when she came out of the bathroom. Danica looked up in thought.

"Well you could help me pick out a dress to wear tomorrow. I have to settle an argument between two village leaders," she explained.

Her servant clapped her hands together excitedly, and quickly agreed. She loved to go through Danica's clothes, and the princess always let her try stuff on. This made the process longer than it needed to be, but I guess you could say that the modern equivilant would be two girls going to the mall. They discovered something new every time due to the fact that the tailors were always putting new things in.

They didn't know how long they had been exploring her room sized closet before they found a suitable dress, shoes, and a few other accesories; but it had to have been at least a couple hours since it was black outside when they came back to her bedroom. Evalyn gasped suddenly, and her hand flew to her mouth.

"What is it?" Danica asked worriedly. Her friend took a few deep, calming breaths.

"I just thought I saw something for a moment, but I think it was just a flicker of the fire light," she sighed.

"I hope that's all it was," the blonde girl murmered turning to the fire place, and then shook her head, "No. It couldn't have been anything. No one would be able to get to my room without the guards noticing, or climbing up five stories of wall."

Her friend nodded shakily, "It-it was just my imagination, I'm sure. You know how paranoid I can be." Though both girls silently admitted to themselves that something didn't feel right.

"Good night," Danica called as Evalyn headed to the door. Her friend smiled warmly at her, and moved to go out into the hall. Instead, she froze in the doorway.

"D-D-Danica..." she whimpered, her face going sheet white. The princess hurried to her side, and gasped.

In the center of the hall lay the three guards charged with guarding her bedroom door. She quickly knelt by the nearest one, while Evalyn remained paralyzed in the doorway. She touched his neck to feel for a pulse.

"A-are they..." her friend swallowed hard, "dead?"

Danica sighed and shook her head, "No. Just drugged I'm hoping."

"Wh-what should we do? Who would do this?" Evalyn asked, shaking.

The princess of Avia stood up straight, determintation flashing in her eyes, "We need to go get help. It isn't safe here."

Her friend nodded, and they turned to run down the hall. Suddenly, Danica found a strong hand covering her mouth, and another around her waist. She tried to scream, but her voice died in her throat. A frightened squeak to her side told her that Evalyn was in a similar situation, so she fought as hard as she could against the infinitely strong arms that held her effortlessly in place.

"Not so fast, princess," a cool and smooth male voice murmered in her ear.


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A/N: Sorry about the cliff hanger everyone. I hope I had Danica in character enough for the situation she's in. Please comment and tell me what you think. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Bye!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Evalyn.
A/N: I'm back! Here’s the next chapter. By the way, there is no shape shifting in this world. Just thought I’d let you all know

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A shriek managed to escape her, but remained muffled by his hand. She stepped on his foot as hard as she could, and received the desired result.

He let go of her waist briefly enough for her to get away. Both of their attackers were wearing cloths over their mouths. She opened her mouth to scream, but suddenly found someone else had grabbed her from behind. So she struggled again. This person was having a bit more trouble holding her. By now, Evalyn had fainted, and was hanging loosely in her attacker's grasp. He didn't really seem sure what to do with her. The first man took hold of Danica again. The third intruder, with the appearance of a woman, giggled a little.

"Looks like our little princess has got fangs, eh Zane?" she mused.

Zane. Danica was sure she had heard that name before, but wasn't sure where and why. However, given her current situation, whatever she may have heard probably wasn't good.

"Indeed she does," the man holding her, Zane apparently, agreed, "But you had better not bite me!"

"I wouldn't give her any ideas," the man holding Evalyn muttered. Danica had to admit, it was a pretty good idea. But she soon found a cloth tied over her mouth. Zane turned her to face him.

"Now come along quietly, or we'll have to hurt your friend," he explained simply, gesturing to Evalyn. The princess of Avia gulped and nodded obediently. He carefully loosened the cloth from her mouth, and grabbed her wrist.

Then he led them all down the hallway. Danica was horrified to see so many unconscious bodies on their way; several with darts imbedded in them. They would stop suddenly every so often, and the three kidnappers would look around momentarily before continuing onward.

Eventually they reached the garden. Danica wasn't sure how they got there. The castle looked so different when it was dark, and there was nothing else to distract her. They made their way through the maze of paths, the only sound being her slippered feet and heavy breathing. They were all so deathly silent.

Another thing that she realized with fear was that they knew exactly where they were going. How did they know their way around so easily? She was sure they didn't work there, judging by the professional manner of doing this.

In minutes they had reached one of the outer garden walls. They lead her into some brush. She squeaked when a branch hit her cheek. Everyone froze for a few long moments, before continuing. They came out, and Danica realized they were on the outside of the wall. She didn't have time to pinpoint the hole they had come through, however, as Zane yanked her away.

She turned to see a covered wagon with two workhorses and an older woman holding the reigns. The other man placed Evalyn inside, and Zane pushed her in soon afterwards. She backed up against the wall as the three kidnappers entered as well, and closed the flaps. The woman sitting at the front clicked her tongue, and they lurched forward.

"Aw. Don't look so scared," the girl cooed as she sat across from Danica.

"Excuse me for being a bit edgy. Getting kidnapped can do that to a person," she snapped back. The girl removed the cloth from her face, and watched her with an amused expression. She was pretty, with curly, ink-black hair, and a bit of make-up. Not overly so, like some of the barmaids Danica had seen drunken guards give tours around the castle sometimes.

"My, my, my! Fangs and venom! I like," she beamed. Danica just glared at her. She noticed that the other two had also removed their facemasks.

She had to admit; Zane was one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on. He had short hair, the same color as the girls, well built, and crimson eyes. The man next to him wasn't too bad to look at either. He had white hair, and looked very bored at the moment.

"What do you want with us?!" Danica demanded.

Zane snorted indignantly, "Well if you're going to be bossy like that, we might not tell you anything."

She glared disapprovingly at him, and crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her arm. He glared back, only making her already thin patience run lower. What right did he have to kidnap her, and then not tell her what was going on? At the very least she would like to know if she was to be handed over to Falcane.

They continued to glare at each other for a few more minutes, like to long-time rivals. A battle of wills in general. The other two kidnappers shared a glance.

"What's her name?" the girl blurted, trying to ease the tension. She was pointing at the unconscious girl on the wagon's floor. Danica turned and looked at her, startled.

"Your servant. What's her name?" the girl repeated. The princess of Avia blinked, completely at a loss for words at the moment. Though she soon regained her senses. Since she was their captive, it wouldn't hurt to answer their questions so long as they didn't fall into dangerous territory. She still didn't know whom they might be working for.

"Evalyn," she answered quietly.

At hearing her name, the servant girl sparked to life. She remained where she was on the floor, wild eyes looking around in confusion as the situation sunk in. Then she sat bolt upright with a painfully high-pitched squeak. Everyone winced, and Danica noticed that Zane's hand had fallen to his dagger. Evalyn scooted close to her friend, and buried her face in her shoulder.

"Don't touch her," Danica warned between clenched teeth, keeping a steady gaze on the knife.

"If she alerts anyone of our presence, I will have no choice," he growled back. This brought Evalyn's attention to the danger she was in, and she just about fainted all over again.

"W-who are you people?" she asked shakily. Zane smirked a little, and let go of his weapon. The girl had gotten the message.

"See? That's how you're supposed to ask questions," he explained to Danica, albeit, a bit teasingly. As expected, she glared at him. The girl across from her rolled her eyes.

"My name is Irene," she began, and glared at Zane, "The annoying one is my older brother, Zane. Our mother, Charis, is the one driving. And the quiet one is our friend, Ailbhe.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Danica muttered sarcastically.

"Irene," Zane scolded playfully, "Why do you sell us so short? These fine young ladies have a right to know exactly whom they are dealing with," he turned to them, smirking, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Black Serpent Assassins?"

Danica's eyes widened in recognition, and she inwardly cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. The Black Serpent Assassins were an organized gang of thieves and killers known all over the continent. Though no one knew where their main base of operations was located. It was said that none were more skilled at what they did, and to get on their bad side did not only mean certain death, but potentially being erased from history. Many a king or politician had hired them from time to time for various tasks that they wanted to be kept out of the publics eye, including her own father.

Zane Cobriana (I don't have the book with me right now, so I may have spelled that wrong) was their current leader. Already, in his short time on this world, he had the blood of a few kings on his hands. Some rumors said that by the time you noticed him reaching for his daggers, it was too late. Danica was relieved that, assuming these rumors had some truth, he apparently had enough restraint to spare Evalyn. Speaking of her, the poor girl had no idea who these people were.

"I'm afraid I don't," she murmured softly, "Should I?"

"Nah. You don't have to," Ailbhe spoke for the first time, "Let's just say that we're not the kind of people you're used to dealing with."

Danica coughed, "Obviously. I believe this is the first time either of us has been taken captive."

"True," Irene nodded.

"Fun new experience for you then, isn't it," Zane exclaimed, grinning.

"They're assassins," Danica explained to her friend, softly.

"Y-you mean," a few tears came to Evalyn's eyes, "They...they want to...kill us?"

"Of course not," Irene crooned, coming closer, and brushing some disheveled hair from the girl's face. She looked at her brother expectantly.

"We are using your princess for ransom. You're just along for the ride," he explained.

"And I suppose I'm to be given to the highest bidder," Danica sighed. Falcane was a much wealthier country than Avia or any of its allies.

"Well...the highest bidder that won't mar your pretty face," Zane shrugged. She looked at him questioningly, so he continued, "It wouldn't be nice of us to send you to your doom, especially when we could do it ourselves in a much more humane manner. No. I'm too much of a gentleman to do something so heartless."

Danica couldn't help but wonder when it became a good thing for gentlemen to kidnap people, but she pushed that thought aside. She still had more important questions to ask instead of snotty comebacks.

"How much are you asking for?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well that depends on how much people think you're worth. I'll let them make the first offer. Although I don't plan on taking less than one million gold," he shrugged.

Her eyes widened in horror, "No one on Avia's side can afford that! Not with this war going on!"

"Well I guess you'll be staying with us for awhile."

Danica just shook her head in disbelief, and sunk into a corner. Tears burned at her closed eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. She must appear brave; for Evalyn's sake if no one else’s. She only opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her knee.

"No one is going to hurt either of you," Irene assured.

Zane nodded in agreement, "I've already told everyone that you are to be treated as our guest. We aren't as bad as you think once you get to know us."

"Here," his sister handed glasses to both of them, "It has some herbs in it to help you sleep. You both need it."

Danica was hesitant to drink the tea smelling concoction, but Evalyn swallowed the entire contents. She was eager to get away from this, even if her only retreat was her dreams...or nightmares. The Avian princess wasn't sure she trusted their...hosts enough, but decided she might as well.

Irene got them both pillows, and a blanket. Evalyn remained close to Danica, afraid of what may happen if they were barely an inch apart. Her friend didn't mind. It was comforting to know that she had someone familiar close by. The herbs worked quickly, and soon she was in a deep sleep.

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A/N: I hope you all liked how I portrayed the characters. I wanted there to be some parallels between this and Hawksong. Again, I'll try to update this soon. Please comment! I'll take constructive criticism, even though I already have the story written out. Bye!

Disclaimer: Only Evalyn, Aviran and the basic plot are mine
A/N: Nothing I can think of to say today.
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Over the next few days, Aisha seemed to have made herself their official guide and teacher of just about everything in fortress.

It was a building, Danica had learned, though the back part (where their room was located) was partially built into a mountain's side. There were very few windows, so pretty much the only outside air made its way in through small holes in the walls through which arrows and the like could be fired. There was supposedly a second floor, but Aisha refused to let them know how to get there.

The dancer took them everywhere she went, and they were given little choice otherwise. Currently they were in a bit of a gathering place for the members of the organization. It was nicely furnished, and had many pillows littering the floor. This was where Aisha and some of her friends did most of their entertaining.

Irene handed them a plate of fruit, and plopped down on a nearby pillow. Aisha was dancing in the center of the room.

"How do you like it here so far?" she asked kindly as though they had come here by choice. Danica said nothing, feeling she had no right to ask.

"The people are pretty nice," Evalyn murmured shyly. Irene nodded.

"Would either of you like to take the stage?" Aisha asked as she sauntered over. They looked up at her in surprise, and she rolled her eyes.

"You are a princess, are you not? You must know something entertaining."

Danica glared at her a bit, “The only dancing I know is for the ballroom."

"What are royal balls like?" another girl nearby babbled excitedly.

The Avian princess sighed inwardly, "Fancy, I suppose. Even by nobility standards. But they get quite monotonous after awhile."

"What are the gowns like?" Irene asked, cocking her head. Danica knew that they had never been in the same kinds of situations she had, so they found all of this very interesting. She didn't.

"Overly extravagant. I doubt any of you would enjoy wearing them for too long. They aren't made for comfort," she explained.

"Maybe I should sneak into one of those parties," the other girl mused, "Just to watch."

"Anyways," Aisha waved her hand, cutting the conversation short, "Can you do anything else?"

"I hear that you have a marvelous singing voice," Irene offered.

"But I'm not going to sing," Danica glared at her.

"Oh come now. We'd all love to hear you," another girl a little ways away snorted. It was obvious that she wasn't being sincere.

"Leave her alone, Adelina," Irene warned, glaring at her.

"I wasn't doing anything," she murmured innocently. The other girls gave her a harsh look, so she walked away.

"What was that about?" Evalyn frowned.

"Adelina wants to sell you to Falcane," Aisha answered simply, "And she hopes that afterwards we'll be hired to assassinate the rest of the Avian royal family."

"She's a tad eccentric," Irene explained, "Don't worry. No one is taking her advice."

"I hope not," Danica sighed.

"Did that have anything to do with her fight with Zane?" Evalyn asked worriedly.

"It was a small factor, but I doubt the outcome would have been any different without it," the black-haired girl muttered.

"Quit changing the subject," Aisha snapped irritably at all of them, "Danica. You sing, right now."

"No," the princess of Avia replied to the command in a slightly stuck-up tone.

"Please," Irene pleaded.

"Why are you insisting I sing?!" Danica exclaimed, getting tired of this.

"Because ever since they heard you were coming, someone who's heard you sing has been talking about it constantly," Zane muttered from behind them, glaring slightly at the other girl in their group.

"Well it's true," she giggled, "Please Princess Danica."

"I said no. And that is the answer I'm sticking with," Danica huffed, standing up, and leaving the room. Evalyn was right behind her as always.

"Why don't you want to sing?" her naive little friend asked curiously, "You love singing."

"I just..." she sighed tiredly, "I just don't feel like it right now, ok?"

She didn't know why her friend had gotten so comfortable here. It was probably just denial. Like that time her father, a palace guard, was severely injured in some uprising in town. They weren't sure if he was going to live, and didn't allow Evalyn to see him for days. And during that time, she still went to her father's room to visit him early every morning just as she always did, and then would tell Danica that it was strange that he had been put on duty so early. And every morning, Danica would remind her that he was hurt. And every morning, Evalyn bawled when she heard, remembering what had happened, and still being terrified of it. Danica wasn't going to remind her friend of their dire situation if she didn't have to. The young maid could only take so much.

"Where are you going?" Zane asked, causing them both to jump in surprise.

"Why are you following?" Danica shot back.

"Touchy," he muttered, "I was going to show you something if you weren't busy."

"What are you planning on showing us?"

He smirked a little, "Follow me."

They followed him to some of the less familiar hallways. This made Danica a little nervous, but she continued after him anyways. Soon they came to a normal looking pair of double doors. Zane opened one, and motioned for them to enter. Danica couldn't help but smile slightly at the room.

It was a nursery of sorts. There were some cribs and baskets about the room. Soft pillows littered the floor. Charis was in there, along with some other women and young children.

"We thought you might like a break from Aisha," Zane explained, "And this was the most pleasant place we could think of. I hope it's not objectionable."

"It isn't," Danica smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded, giving them one of his cocky grins before closing the door. The other women in the room greeted them warmly as the girls entered the room.

"You don't mind helping with the children, do you?" Charis asked hopefully.

"No, we don't mind at all," Evalyn beamed, peaking in one of the baskets.

"That's good," another woman sighed with relief.

"You see, we kind of need some more helpers in here," Charis explained, "Many of these ladies still need to work, so we'd appreciate it if you would come here sometimes."

"That's reasonable," Danica nodded, tenderly patting a curious child on the head, "Does everyone in this place work as assassins?"

"Most of us do," a younger mother answered, "But some are just married to our members, so they do other types of work. And Aisha's group stays just because they like it here more than anywhere else.

"I want to have kids someday," Evalyn mused softly after someone handed her one of the babies.

"Do you have any potential husbands back home?" someone asked. Evalyn shook her head sadly.

"I'm a bit too busy for a relationship," she lamented, "And no one seems at all interested in me, anyways..."

"That's a shame. You're a pretty girl," Charis frowned, and then turned to Danica, "What about you?"

The Avian princess paused thoughtfully, "I have one suitor at the moment, and I have to be married by my next birthday. So at the moment, I guess that's who my future husband appears to be."

Charis frowned, "But I take it you don't love this man?"

Danica sighed heavily. She wasn't particularly fond of this subject, "I...admire him...But no, you are right. I don't love him..."

"How can you stand something like that?" the younger mother asked bitterly, "I would rather die than marry someone I don't love!"

"You were raised differently than I was," Danica murmured, "But if I had a choice...I would be willing to give up everything for what you have..."

"Really?" Evalyn looked at her questioningly.

"I said I would be willing," Danica repeated, "But I doubt I actually would if the opportunity was presented. My duty to my people is more important than my personal desires could ever be."

"The makings of a excellent leader," Charis murmured in admiration.

"But obviously not a very happy one," Zane mused.

"Do you enjoy appearing unannounced?" Danica sneered, "Civilized people normally knock."

"I'm an assassin. That's what we do," he smirked, "If I wanted to kill someone, I wouldn't normally give them a proper greeting first to let them know I was there."

"True..." she muttered, but still couldn't help but be argumentative, "But I'm not sure why my happiness would matter to you. Being my kidnapper and all."

He gave her a hurt expression, "But I'm being a nice kidnapper."

"That doesn't make any difference."

Charis sighed heavily, "Did you need something, Zane?"

"Yes, actually," he held up a letter, "Princess Danica, this is for you."

"What is it?" she asked skeptically, snatching it from his hand.

"A letter from home," he shrugged, "It was sent with their response to our demands."

She opened the envelope, and read through the letter carefully. Evalyn looked at it over her shoulder. It read:

Dearest Princess Danica,

We pray that this letter finds you in good health, and that you are safe and remain unharmed. We have been told that they will not lay a hand on you, but we still advise you to stay on your guard and not give them the luxury of your trust. We have faith in you logic, your decision-making, and all the training you have been given. Please use them to the best of your abilities to make it through this incident. We do not yet have the funds available to rescue you at the time, as we are sure you know. But rest assured you will not remain in their hands for long. Again we ask that you keep yourself safe.

Sincerely,

King Gerald, Queen Nacola, and Prince Andreios.

"Of course..." Danica thought sadly to herself, "They always have to be completely formal..." For once she just wished they would treat her like a daughter, and not a princess.

"You have spies and such, don't you?" she asked Zane after a moment, though her eyes remained on the paper, "Any estimation on how long I'll be here?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't have one. You could always ask Aviran. He might be able to help you," a playful grin lit his face, "Unfortunately we don't have any fortune tellers with us."

"Hm..." Danica looked down at the paper again solemnly, "I suppose I will go see him. Are you coming Evalyn? Or would you rather stay here?"

The servant paused for a moment, "Will you be coming back soon?" Danica nodded, and she smiled a little, "Ok. I'll wait here, then."

"Very well. I shouldn't be too long," the Avian princess smiled at her friend, and walked out the door.

It took her a little while to find the entry room, but she was still learning her way around this place. Aviran was sitting at his table, reading some book just as expected. She approached him purposefully.

"Can you give me a guess on how long I'm going to be staying here?" she asked, trying not to sound irritated. He looked up at her boredly.

"My best guess is at least two months. And that's only under unnaturally perfect conditions, "...Unless you somehow manage to escape that is..."

"I suppose there's no way I could bribe you to let me leave then," she muttered sarcastically, but she silently hoped that wasn't the case.

"Actually..." he put down his book with a thoughtful expression, "Tell you what. If you can manage to beat me in a duel, I will admit defeat and allow you to come and go as you please without question."

"Really?" Danica could hardly believe she was hearing this, and then narrowed her eyes, "What's the catch?"

He pointed to a staff leaning against the wall, "That's the type of weapon you are to use, and you only get three tries."

"Is that all?"

"Yep."

She studied the staff momentarily. A few years ago, her brother had taught her the basics of such a weapon for self-defense. Though doubted that her simple training would be enough to defeat him.

"Alright deal," She stated firmly. He nodded, and went back to his book, and she left.

"Was he any help?" Zane asked, popping up next to her.

"Please stop doing that," she sighed wearily, "Is there a reason you're talking to me?"

He shrugged, "Not really. I just wanted to chat."

"Why?"

"Because I have nothing else to do," he answered simply.

"Joy..." she muttered, "Ok, what are your questions?"

"What's your brother like?"

She paused momentarily in surprise, "Well...he's kind, chivalrous, fair..."

"That's not what I meant," Zane chuckled. She gave him a questioning look, so he explained, "What's he like as a brother?"

She was quiet again. Then a thoughtful smile began to spread across her face, "He's one of the few people that knows me, and not the princess I try to be. He looks out for me however he can. And he actually listens to what I have to say..."

"You must miss him," he mused. She nodded slowly.

They talked about her brother and her parents on the way back to the nursery room. Zane would ask her questions occasionally, but mostly just listened. Danica paused mid-sentence as they entered the last hallway.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking at her strangely.

"I don't know why I'm even talking to you like this," she frowned, and glared at him, "Why do you want to know about my family?"

"Just curious," she shrugged, "It seemed to cheer you up, though."

"You won't use any of it against them?" she asked coldly.

"That was never my intention," he responded calmly, "But if it makes you feel better, I swear on my honor that I will do nothing to harm your family with anything you say."

"Not that your honor is worth much," Danica mumbled, not caring if he heard her or not. She walked off, and went inside the nursery. Zane sighed heavily once the door closed behind her. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He turned around, and started walking away. The assassin leader took a piece of paper out of his pocket and studied it momentarily. Then he shoved it back, scowling as he stalked through the halls.

Why had he taken her so far off subject? He had wanted to get her talking about her brother, and then find out how strong a fighter he was. But he had urged her to talk about other things for some reason. There had been several opportunities for him to ask, but he had procrastinated, and now he would have to wait. Maybe he should try Evalyn instead.

The thing with Danica was that he found it difficult to get his thoughts straight around her. That was the biggest reason he had failed his self-assigned task, as far as he was concerned. Sure she was beautiful, but not that much, was she?

Zane rubbed his temple tiredly. He just needed to rest was all.
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Danica knelt on the floor next to her best friend, feeling flustered. There was something about him that just...annoyed her. Her thoughts became scattered, and he was too easy to talk to. She was a princess, and had already had more suitors than she could possibly count. How could this one man, her kidnapper no less, so easily make her feel like this!?!

"Is something wrong? You're scowling?" Evalyn asked, cocking her head. She was playing with some children.

"It's nothing," Danica waved her hand dismissively, "Are you having fun?"

The servant girl nodded enthusiastically, and started to introduce her new charges.
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A/N: Kind of a pointless chapter, I think. And the ending was awkward, but I had no idea how else to do it. I hope you all liked some of it anyways. I'll try to update as soon as I can. I think I need to put in more with Evalyn. She doesn't have enough character to her. Anyways, please comment! Bye!

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but he plot and my OCs (Evalyn, Aviran, and Vespera).

A/N: Nothing else to do, I should have put up chapter numbers before xp . Oh well. Thank you Vampiress_Of_Song and Z Cobriana (sorry for not doing this earlier) for commenting. It makes me feel happy inside when people do that!


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It had been a little over two weeks since Danica and Evalyn had been kidnapped. They were actually adjusting well to life here, though the princess of Avia refused to admit it.

A light tap on their door told them that Aisha was there. Evalyn promptly answered it, and greeted the dancer kindly. Their guest, however, had an unusally grim expression.

"You girls need to come with me to the entry hall," she stated plainly, and then walked away. The othere two girls shared a glance before hurrying to catch up with her.

When they arrived, they saw Aviran, reading as usual, and Zane who was holding a knife and staring coldly at a man shaking and crumpled on the ground. Ailbhe was leaning against one of the walls. Aisha nodded to the girls, and left the room, closing the door behind her. All was silent for several long moments, save for the strangers ragged breathing.

"Well?" Zane looked at them out of the corner of his eye.

"Well what?" Danica snapped back, "Who is this man?"

"Y-your highness!" the man gasped, looking relieved.

"He's and Avian scout," Ailbhe explained, "He stumbled across our hideout by accident."

"Wh-what do you need me for?" Danica frowned, watching her frightened subject.

"Well since he's one of your people, I thought it fair that you decide what we do with him," Zane crossed his arms, dagger still in hand, "We can either kill him, or keep him locked up here for the rest of his life."

Danica said nothing at first. She knew why the man wasn't just allowed to leave and swear he wouldn't tell a soul about this hideout. He would still have the information, and thus it could still slip out. And if his job was basically that of a spy, the punishment for witholding information could result in the same punishment as giving it out. She went over, and knelt by his side.

"What's your name?" she began softly.

"E-Eldeck..." he stuttered, looking up at her.

"Which punishment sounds better to you?" she asked softly. He shook his head weakly.

"I-I'm afraid of death, but...I-I don't want to live without my family..." he sighed, "You decide, your highness. It does not matter to me..."

"How many in your family?"

"Myself, my wife, and our two young daughters."

Danica looked up at their captor, "If he stays, would it be possible for his family to join him?"

Zane pondered this a moment, "I suppose. Though your children would no doubt grow up to work here."

Eldeck smiled slightly, "Th-thank you sir."

Danica nodded and stood, "Yes. Thank you."

Zane smirked a little, "What's this? You've decided to become polite all of a sudden?"

"I wouldn't press my luck with this one, if I were you," Aviran mumbled, "She's close enough to hit you if she feels like it."

"Excellent point," Danica glared. His smirk just grew.

"I'd like to see you try," he sneered.

"Well to bad for you then. I consider myself above such acts," she snipped, turning on her heel. Ailbhe couldn't help but snicker in the corner.

"Loosing your touch Zane?" he asked playfully.

"Loosing my touch!" the black-haired man pretended to take offence to the question, "My dear friend, I wasn't even trying. Had I been, not even her ladyship would be able to resist."

Danica decided not to even give him the satisfaction of a response this time. Ailbhe just shook his head, and escorted the Avian spy out of the room.

"Is there anything else you needed to see me about by any chance?" Danica asked irritably.

"No, we're done here," Zane sighed, waving his hand dismissively, "You can go back to whatever it is you do all day."

Just as Danica was turning to leave, Aviran spoke, "If you've nothing better to do, I suggest you visit Vespera."

"Vespera?" Zane gave him a questioning look, "What for?"

"Nothing that concerns you," the door guard shrugged, glancing in Danica's direction.

"Where is she?" the Avian princess questioned.

"She's probably in the library right now."

Danica nodded, and left the room, followed closely by Evalyn. Her maid cleared her throat after a moment.

"Uh...your highness?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if I went to the nursery instead?"

Danica gave her a smile, "Of course."

Her friend smiled thankfully at her, and hurried down a differant hall. Danica shook her head a little, smiling. That girl would make an excellent mother one day.

She had been to the library a few times, but didn't go there often. She didn't want to get too comfortable here, after all. A girl about Evalyn's size was browsing the shelves in the cubical type room. She had straight, fiery-red hair, dull light blue eyes, and a pale compexion. Danica coughed lightly to get her attention.

"Hello there," the other woman greeted, her voice had the hint of an accent, "Your the princess, right?"

"Yes. Are you Vespera?"

"That's me," the red-head approached her smiling, "Aviran told me about you. I was just looking for another book for him since he can't leave his post in the entry hall. You want to learn how to fight, correct?"

Danica nodded, though she couldn't help but look a little surprised. That's what this was about? What was Aviran thinking? Did he want her out of here?

Vespera lead her down the hall to one of the living quarters. Danica could only guess it was the girl's own. Inside was some nice furniture, with a large woven mat in the center. Vespera took a staff leaning on the wall, and tossed it to her. She clumsily caught it.

"Why does Aviran want me to learn how to fight?" Danica asked lightly, taking the fighting stance her brother had taught her.

The other girl winked at her, "That's for us to know, and you to find out."

Danica frowned. Hopefully she wasn't putting too much of her trust in these two. They could either be really trying to help her, or some of the biggest tricksters here.

Vespera trained her for over and hour. By the end of that time, Danica was thouroughly exausted. Her teacher gave her a kind smile.

"Well done. You're a fast learner," she beamed, "Either that, or I'm just an excellent teacher."

She giggled at the strange look Danica gave her, "You're free to return to your room now."

"Thank you," the Avian princess nodded, and turned to leave.

"I'll catch you tomorrow sometime, and we'll train some more," Vespera called as she left.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Danica muttered to herself sarcastically as she steadily made her way to her room. However, things started spinning and she was forced to lean against the wall for support. She remained their, panting for a moment. Apparently she trained too hard. She pressed her hand to her temple, trying to recover.

"Are you alright?" someone asked, concern present in their voice. Danica managed to lift her head to see Zane standing not far away with a worried expression on his face.

"I'm fine..." she tried to sound firm, but her voice came out shaky, "Just a little dizzy."

"What were you doing?" he asked, comming a little closer.

"N-nothing really. I'm fine," she said again, and pushed herself away from the wall. However, she lost her balance, and nearly fell to the floor. Fortunatly, Zane was there to catch her.

"You don't look so good," he smirked a little, though it didn't quite reach his eyes as he looked down at her in his arms. He then picked her up, and started to carry her to her room.

"Put me down this instant!" she snapped struggling. He chuckled.

"Do you really think you can walk?" he asked, now smirking fully. She glared at him, as her cheeks became a little pink. She was too proud to vocally admit he was right. But she knew she wouldn't be getting anywhere on her own. So she stayed quiet as he continued onward.

"What are you thinking, Shardae?" her inner voice snapped bitterly. In truth, Danica wasn't sure. But this was alot easier, and she felt like fainting at any moment. So she figured she was just saving both of them trouble. Not to mention, it would be more embarassing if she actually did pass out while he was standing there.

"Here we are," Zane smiled pleasently, setting her down in her doorway. She didn't notice he was still holding her hand until she had full balance. And then he almost reluctantly let it go. But she was too preocupied with staggering to the bed to realize.

She sat on the blanket and sighed, "Thank you," she said sincerely.

He gave her another one of his smiles, "Of course. I'll let Evalyn know you aren't feeling well."

Danica nodded, and layed down, burying her face in the pillow as he closed the door.

Zane smiled thoughtfully to himself as the door clicked shut. He then went off in the direction of the nursery to see the shy little maid girl. He rounded a corner, but quickly went back, peaking around it. He couldn't help but smirk at the scene.

Ailbhe was obviously flirting with the poor girl...agian. Honestly, he couldn't leave her alone. And Evalyn's face was scarlet in color, as always whenever the man was talking to her. Zane debated on whether or not he should interupt. Eventually he decided he might as well. Someone had to see to it Danica was taken care of, after all.

"Ailbhe, must you annoy the girl so?" he asked, startling the petite young woman and making her jump.

"I'm just talking," Ailbhe complained, "I wasn't annoying you, was I?"

Evalyn apparently didn't hear the joking tone in his voice, "N-n-no, but..."

"Leave her alone for now. She has more important things to do than let you hit on her," Zane chided. And he thought her face was red before...

Ailbhe let out and exasperated sigh, "Fine. Farewell fair maiden," he bowed dramatically, and kissed her hand. Zane rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help wondering if Ailbhe was really serious about this. The more he saw, the more that seemed to be the case. As soon as he left, Zane turned to Evalyn

"Danica isn't feeling well. I thought you should know," he stated plainly. Evalyn's face went from red to white in record time.

"Is she alright? What happened?" she asked worriedly, already headed toward the room they were staying in.

Zane shrugged, "Don't know. She was just on the verge of fainting in the halls. But I think she's laying down now."

"Ok. Thank you for telling me," Evalyn called, continueing down the halls.

"Your welcome," Zane called back, and went in another direction.


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A/N: Sorry to end it like that. Endings are hardly my strong point. It's only once in a great while that they're any good. I know my grammar isn't always the best too, so I apologize if that's been bugging anyone. And I just realized my annoying habit of reusing names has surfaced again. Eldeck is a character in another fanfic I've written (and an original story too). Bad Gem. You aren't supposed to do that! *looks back at the readers* Uh, sorry. I had sugar today pirate . If you have anything to say, please comment! And thank you for reading, sorry for rambling, and Bye!

Hey are you Frog-Lizard on fanfiction.net?

Yeah! It was great! You're really good at writing stories, unlike me sweatdrop

Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I only own my OCs

A/N: I wasn't sure if they would have Christmas in this little world, so I made them celebrate winter solstuce, or whatever it's called.


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"What's going on here?" Danica asked curiously as she watched people bustle around the gathering room. Aisha stopped and smiled at her.
"Winter Solstuce is in just a few days! We're getting ready," she explained, "Want to help?"

Danica sighed a little, "I suppose I could."

"Excellent!" the dancer exclaimed, clasping her hands together, "Go over there and see Irene. She'll tell you what you can do."

The Avian Princess nodded, and headed in Irene's direction. The black-haired girl was looking through a box of decorations, so Danica coughed to get her attention, and her head snapped up.

"Oh, Danica!" she smiled happily, and stood up, "How are your lessons comming?"

"Not bad," she shrugged. Zane had taken over teaching her almost two weeks ago now, and she was learning quite a bit. He didn't push her to near exaustion either."

Irene nodded, "Zane says you're doing well..."

Danica sighed, "He says that, but he still hits me with his stick when he gets the chance."

The other girl just rolled her eyes, "That's Zane for you. Always bugging people. You wanted to help, right?"

"If there's anything I can do."

"There is. Could you take these to the entry hall," she instructed, handing her some decorations, "Vespera is there already. She was looking for these earlier today.

"Alright," Danica nodded and left.

When she arrived, she saw Vespera buisily decorating Aviran's table. He was standing off to the side, watching her work. Judging by the expression on his face, she guessed he wasn't exactly liking what she was doing either. Danica cocked her head at him slightly. For some reason the way he was standing was giving her a sense of de-ja-vu.

"Oh good! They found it!" Vespera's face lit up upon seeing the items Danica was holding. She hurried over, and relieved the Avian Princess of the decorations.

"Anything else I can do to help?" Danica asked, deciding she might as well try to make herself useful.

"Umm..." the red-haired girl looked at the stuff in her arms, "Help me hang this garland up, will you? I'd ask him but he doesn't want to."

"You don't like the holidays or something?" she asked him, eyebrow raised. He just shook his head.

"No. I just don't like Vespera's decorating," he sighed.

"Hey!" the smaller girl glared at him, and pouted. Danica sighed, smiling slightly, and started helping her.

"So..." Vespera began casually, "Do you like your new teacher?"

The Avian Princess gave her a look. She could tell by the other girl's tone and the look on her face what was being implied. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aviran was giving Vespera a warning glare.

"What? I was just asking?" the red-haired girl frowned at them. Aviran just shook his head.

"We'll talk later," he sighed again.

"Umm...Danica?" came a quiet voice from the doorway. They turned to see Evalyn, her face bright red.

"Evalyn? Is something wrong?" Danica asked worriedly, walking over to her.

"I-I don't think so..." the other girl murmered, still partly hidden behind the door, "C-could I talk to you alone...maybe?"

The Avian Princess glanced over her shoulder, and Vespera nodded. So the two girls headed down the many hallways to the room they were staying in. Danica closed the door, and gave her friend an expectant, but gentle look.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, sitting in a chair. Evalyn took a deep breath, and shifted her feet uneasily.

Then she started babbling at a mile a minute, "IwaswalkingandhelpingdecorateandIdidn'tseetherewasmistletoeandAilbhewasthereandthenhekissedmeandIdroppedstuffandpeoplewerewatchingandthenheleftand...and...Idon'tknowwhattodonow!" she was on the verge of tears by now. It took Danica a few seconds for it all to register.

"Wait so...to summarize, Ailbhe just kissed you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Her friend nodded her head vigorously.

"And I don't know what to do now," she repeated, looking a bit defeated.

Danica didn't know what to say. She had never been in such a situation before. She had known for quite some time that Ailbhe had his eye on her maid, but she didn't know anything like this would happen. Not that it was bad. Evalyn was free to love whoever she wanted, even her kidnapper.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Danica finally asked.

"I-I don't know..." the smaller girl sniffled a little, "I've never had...feelings for anyone before..."

"Do you think you do?"

Evalyn looked down in thought, since she wasn't sure at all. She knew she felt something him, but she wasn't sure if it was love or anything similar or not. And add in the fact that they had been kidnapped wasn't helping her think any clearer.

"Do you know how I can know for sure?" she asked quietly.

"No Evalyn," Danica sighed, "Maybe you should ask Charis or someone like that."

"Will you come with me?"

"What are friends for?" the Avian Princess smiled warmly as she stood up. Evalyn grinned back thankfully and they headed back to the gathering room.

The approached Charis slowly, because she was already buisy speaking to her son. The older woman looked up at them, and smiled gently.

"Done already?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah. Um...Evalyn needed to talk to you if you're not too buisy..." Danica began. Zane smirked slightly, and she guessed he must have an idea of what it was about. But that didn't mean he could stay, so she glared at him. He just shrugged, and sauntered away.

"Is something wrong?" Charis cocked her head once he was gone.

"Well...Ailbhe caught her under the mistletoe, but she's not sure she feels the same for him. And I...don'e know what to tell her..."

"Oh is that all?" she chuckled softly, "Let's go discuss this in my room, shall we? You're welcome to come too, Danica."

So they followed the older woman. It was about the same size as Zane's, though maybe a bit bigger. Charis sat on a couch and motioned for Evalyn to join her. Danica sat on a nearby chair, listening.

"You poor naive girls," Charis crooned, chuckling again, "It really isn't as complicated as you think."

She then went into a simple explanation, and quizzed Evalyn on some things. And by the looks of things, the girl had greater feelings for Ailbhe than she realized.

But Danica was getting mildly disturbed. The more she lisened to Charis, the more she began to think she may be falling for Zane. She had come to trust him alot more, and he did have a certain charm. He was also quite handsom, and had much more personality than anyone that had tried to court her in the past. She felt surprisingly safe with him, and he was a decent enough gentleman. She also just liked him, who he was. But she knew she couldn't have such thoughts and feelings, and that they must be ignored at all costs.

"So...now what do I do?" Evalyn asked curiously, her eyes sparkling a little at the thought of being in love with someone.

"Charis clicked her tounge scoldingly, and waved her finger, "Everyone's differant. You'll find your own way. Just do what feels right to you."

"O-ok. I'll try," the small girl bowed a little after standing up, "Thank you."

"Happy to help! Now I need to get back to the decorating. I think I have a job you ladies could do if you still want to help."

"We don't mind," Danica nodded. Charis gave them a motherly smile, and they headed to the gathering room once more.

Once there, Charis showed them some holiday pillows that were damaged and needed repair. Apparently some mice had gotten into the decorations during the year. Danica had done very little sewing before, but she quickly got the hang of it.

"You almost done?" Zane asked boredly. She glanced up from her work to see him leaning against the wall next to her. She glared at him, and gestured to the pile of pillows that still needed to be fixed.

"No. Why?" she snorted, returning to her work.

"We need to train. You're late," he answered simply.

"But I'm buisy helping," she retorted.

"Evalyn can handle it. She's good at sewing," he nodded at her maid who was watching them curiously and then looked away, blushing, "Unlike you," he muttered.

"Thanks," Danica rolled her eyes. Zane waited a moment for her to finish what she was working on, and then grabbed her wrist, dragging her to her feet. She tried to protest, but he silenced her.

"Danica, I am a very dedicated teacher. It is time for training now, so that's what we are going to do," he instructed, leaving little room for argument.

"It's alright, milady," Evalyn smiled, "It's not hard for me. You go ahead and train."

So she basically had no other choice but to follow him to the training area. There was more snow on the ground now, and it was getting quite cold. Danica sighed heavily, and grabbed her stick.

"You ready?" he smiled, grabbing his own and taking a fighting stance.

"I suppose," Danica nodded, copying him. They trained for awhile before Zane decided to give her a little break. She sat on the bench, breathing heavily. He had been teaching her a new trick, so it was harder than usual.

"Here," he handed her a water flask. She gave him a brief, but thankful smile before sipping daintily from it. He was still staring at her, but she was almost used to it by now.

She gasped in surprise when he reached over, and gently took hold of her hair, and held it up. She looked at him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. After a moment he put her hair back, and looked at her thoughtfully.

"What were you doing?" she asked slowly. He shrugged casually.

"Just wondering what your hair would look like up. But I think I prefer it down," he explained, smirking playfully. She just gave him a glare.

"What? I do," he continued, "And you also look very good in white."

This time she looked away, trying to hide her creeping blush. She turned from his as much as she could while still sitting on the bench. Zane was still smirking, and leaned his head over her shoulder.

"I would think a princess wouldn't be so shy about recieving compliments," he stated softly, his breath tickling her ear, before he slid a bit closer to her. She shuddered, and knew she should stop him, but there was a more daring, curious part of her the won over the logical one, and she didn't move. So when he recieved no negative response, he lightly kissed the back of her jaw bone, and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Danica couldn't help but feel relaxed in his embrace, even though she was fighting with all the willpower she had left. She felt warm and secure for the first time in a long time, but her head was screaming at her. She jumped a little when the door to the training area opened.

"Zane, your sister..." Adelina's face went pale when she saw the two of them.

"My sister..." Zane prodded, giving her a very blank, if not dull look as he sat up staight, still holding Danica close.

"Sh-she needs to talk to you about something. She sounded urgent," the white-haired girl quickly regained her composure.

"Alright," he sighed, standing. He then turned to Danica and smiled warmly, "If there's time later, we'll continue your training. But you should probably head inside for now.

He brushed his hand against her cheek affectionatly, before leaving, giving Adelina a nod (like with most people that worked under him) on his way out.

The other girl watched him go, looking completly numb, before giving a Danica a hateful look. She then huffed, leaving a faint cloud in the cold air, and slammed the door. The Avian Princess sat there for a moment as what had happened finally began to registure in her whirling mind.

She then stood slowly, and began to head to the door, her mind racing. As she got inside, her pace started to quicken. She knew she couldn't fall in love with Zane. She had her country to think about. She reached the room she was staying in, and closed the door, panting as panic began to take hold of her. She had escape from this place...


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A/N: I hope you all liked this chapter. It was a little strange I think. Please comment if you have anything to say. Bye!

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and the general plot.

A/N: This is mostly just a fluff chapter, to fill in some space, and give Danica and Zane some more together time. All my stories have romance, so I have to have at least one chapter like this. I hope you like it, even if it seems a little weird and is one of the shorter ones.


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"Eep!" Irene screamed as her brother pelted her with a snowball. He just stood there laughing.

After Danica had agreed that she wouldn't try to escape again, she and Evalyn had been allowed outside. Of course, they never went alone, Ailbhe and Zane made sure of that.

"You're going to pay for that!" the black-haired girl fumed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh? Your aim is terrible, you'll never hit me," Zane mocked. He yelped in surprise when a snowball nailed him in the back of the head. He spun around to see Galen smirking at him.

"But I can hit you," his sister's fiance crossed his arms proudly. Zane pouted, and watched the other man warily for a moment.

"And I can hit you back!" he suddenly bent down, and then hurled a snowball back at Galen. And thus, a mini battle ensued.

Charis rolled her eyes, and sighed heavily. She, Danica, Evalyn, and Ailbhe were sitting on a log that they had brushed the snow off of. Actually, Ailbhe was more of laying down, his head resting on Evalyn's lap. Irene sooned joined them.

"How long will this last?" Danica asked curiuosly, pulling her coat around herself tighter.

"For as long as they have an audience," the older woman muttered, shaking her head.

"Ah," the Avian Princess smirked slightly, "And how long are we going to let this go on?"

"Mmmm...about another five minutes if not less," Charis sighed, "I'm getting cold."

"Aw. That's not fair!" Zane whined, apparently having heard. He then almost fell over when Galen hit him in the side of the face with another snowball.

"I've never quite understood how you have any control over him..." Danica mused. Charis just chuckled deeply.

"He respects me, and would never raise a hand against me. Which, of course, gives me complete freedom to do him harm when he gets himself in trouble. But he's better than he was when her first took over our group," she explained, "And besides that, he knows I only have his best interests in mind."

"She's probably the only reason he's still alive," Ailbhe smirked, his eyes closed as Evalyn stroked his hair gently, "Otherwise he would die of hypothermia or something."

Charis sighed, "I don't think he'll ever grow up."

"Are you shivering?" Ailbhe asked Evalyn suddenly, worry present in his voice as he sat up. She just blushed and looked away, knowing that she was.

"We should go ahead inside. We wouldn't want you to catch cold," the older woman instructed gently and stood up. Danica nodded, and joined her, along with Ailbhe, Evalyn, and Irene. They all started to go back inside. Zane and Galen stopped their little battle, looked at each other, and hurried after them.

"Here you go, miss," Zane chimed, comming up behind Danica, and scooping her up. She squeaked in surprise, and glared at him.

"Put me down this instant!" she ordered, arms crossed.

He just chuckled, "I'm afraid I can't do that your highness. The snow is not worthy of your slippered feet walking upon it."

She rolled her eyes, and glared at him some more. He just smirked down at her, and they continued inside the fortress.

"You're so annoying, Zane," Ailbhe shook his head, sighing. He was holding Evalyn's hand.

"Alright, alright," he sighed in exasperation, and set Danica on the floor again. Aviran glanced up from his book, and smirked. She gave him a look of uncertainty.

"Have fun?" the guard asked lightly.

"More or less," she shrugged.

"Don't you get tired of sitting here all day?" Evalyn asked, cocking her head as Galen closed the door behind them.

"I don't have to sit here," he began, shaking his head, "But so long as I have something to read, I'm fine. I'm actually quite fond of this chair."

"Yeah, but still, you should get out more," Zane nodded, "It's no trouble for me to assign someone else to guarding."

Aviran shook his head, "That's alright. I've seen enough in my life time to last me awhile."

And with that, he went back to his book, ending the conversation. Charis said nothing, and walked out of the room. The others all glanced at each other, and followed just as silently. After a little, Danica could no longer contain her curiousity.

"Where is he from?" she asked, looked at Zane as he walked next her her, their fingers entwined.

"I don't know..." he shrugged, "He came here a couple years ago with Vespera. I had been gone on a job, so my mother is really the only one who knows. She won't tell me either."

"But you trust them?" she pressed slightly. Perhaps if she knew Zane trusted them, she would feel better about what they had done.

He paused, "I've had no reason not to. Aviran seems...strange sometimes, I know. But he always has good intentions from what I've seen. Why?"

"Oh, just...it's nothing..." she murmered.

Zane frowned, and stopped walking so he could look her in the eye, "Is something wrong?"

"N-no. I was just wondering," Danica quickly averted her eyes. He didn't seem to believe her, but didn't press the matter, and they continued on their way.

"I wouldn't let it bother you about it too much," he assured, entwining his fingers with hers. She just nodded her head mutely.

They were silent for a few moments before he spoke again, "Would you like to go to the gathering room?"

"That sounds fine," she then looked behind them, and was suprised to see Ailbhe and Evalyn had vanished.

"She's ok, no need to worry," Zane chuckled, noticing the look on her face, "He does that alot."

"Where did they go?"

He shrugged, "Who knows. Ailbhe can be described as a hopeless romantic sometimes, so he probably just whisked her away to some quiet spot where they could be alone and all that," he rolled his eyes playfully as though it were the silliest thing, and then smirked at her, "I would never do that..."

His voice was just too innocent, and Danica refused the urge to just glare at him as she had become accostomed to doing. They soon arrived at the gathering room. Aisha and some of her friends were there dancing to entertain the others seated on pillows near the walls. They sat on some of the large cushions themselves and watched, something which the Avian Princess had actually come to enjoy doing.

"You have such an interesting group," Danica mused after they had been quiet for awhile. Her eyes were scanning the room, and studying the many occupants. Several she had come to recognize, and a few smiled at her when they caught her eye.

"Yep!" Zane smiled proudly, and slid closer to her, "But your my favorite."

She gave him a look as he wrapped his arm around her, "And since when have I become a member of a group of assasins?"

"Since you came here. You've never been much of a captive after all. We've treated you as nothing less than another companion," he reminded her, kissing her forhead. She had to nod.

"So...overnight I went from princess to a babysitter for murderers..." she stated sarcastically.

"Is that so bad? You seem to like it here after all."

Danica paused, thinking on the hidden meaning of his words. Was he implying that she wanted to stay? Or was it more of he was trying to find out if she did or not. She couldn't be sure. All she knew, was that he would rather he never had to give her back to her family. And secretly, despite all her pride, she found she wanted the same.

"When did you take control of the Black Serpent Assasins?" she asked, trying the change the subject. He seemed taken aback by the unexpected question, but answered anyways.

"My father died almost month or so before Aviran and Vespera showed up. It was on some private job from what my mother has told me. She's really the only one who seems to know, and refuses to tell me more. Control of this group was my inheretance."

Danica looked at him strangly, "You don't think they're somehow involved, do you?"

"Who?"

"Aviran and Vespera."

He paused, blinking a few times, "I...never thought about it before...I guess there was never any reason for me to see a connection..."

Something clicked in the back of the Avian Princess' mind that she had heard a long time ago, "About what time of year was it that all this happened?"

"Fall I believe..." Zane got ready to stand up, and kissed her cheek, "Forgive me for leaving you like this, but I feel I must go talk with my mother right now. It won't take long."

"It's alright," Danica assured, rising to her feet next to him, "I think I'm going to ask Aviran something."

He nodded, and the headed off in differant directions. When Danica arrived, Aviran was alone at his table, reading. Big surprise, I know. He glanced up at her.

She went straight over to his table, and looked him in the eye, "You're a runaway prince, aren't you?"


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A/N: I think I'm going to attempt to post one more chapter today, and then the last three tomorrow. As always, if you have anything to say, even if it's bad, go ahead and say it. Bye!