(POV: Vynesaa El'Leather)
Why?
Why am I feeling this way?
Why do I feel guilty after killing him?
Isn't this what I wanted? To win?
Then why?
Why did I strike him from behind?
Where did my pride go?
As a princess, as a warrior, I should have faced him head-on. So why?
Was it fear?
Was I afraid that I would lose if I didn't kill him then?
From when…?
From when did I start prioritizing victory over my pride?
And from when—when did I start wanting to make Ed mine?
And why?
----
[Years Ago…]
The wind howled through the open courtyards of the royal palace.
Two small figures standing in the middle of a grand dueling ring.
Zareth and I.
I was eight. He was ten.
And yet—
SMACK!
His wooden sword flew from his hands, skidding across the marble floor.
His knees buckled as he collapsed, gasping for breath.
"…I win again," I said, my voice steady, hiding my excitement.
Zareth panted, his pink hair sticking to his forehead.
