"I don't want to play the part of the villain here." Even as the words were slipping smoothly out of his mouth, I was ready to argue again.

"You seem to think that I want everything in my path to die and be promptly eliminated," he continued. "I don't. Only one person needs to die, and it's not even you."

I glared at the crown barely hanging on to the top of the prince's cocked head. "Let me get this straight. You expect me to help you perform a sacrifice just because you think it might be what a prophecy meant."

"I know," he hissed. "I know it's what it means."

"So, let's say you're right." I humored him, walking towards him. "Say that you're right and the prophecy does need a sacrifice. Why do you think that I'm going to help you? You've said already that you're doing this because... what were the words you used?"

"I'm tired of being on the bottom of the barrel," he spat, daggers in his voice.

"Oh, yes. The poor human prince." I started. "The poor prince who's going to inherit one of the most profitable countries in the world. It's just too bad that you have to have treaties with elves and trade deals with dwarves. And you know the witches aren't a threat. We've never come anywhere close."

"We?" He questioned.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not asking you because you're a witch."

"You need magic. I thought that was..." I trailed off.

"I'm asking you because you're the only person who could understand. You have human blood in you. You know what it's like..."

He was trying to plead with me, but I could feel my blood running cold in my veins. "I don't know what it's like. Tell me, what's it like?"

The prince looked dumbfounded. "I've heard them call you half-blood. Doesn't that bother you? Doesn't it bother you that you're not as strong as all of them? You could be. We could be on the top-"

"Shut up!"

"What did you say to me?"

"I said shut up. You're a prince. I don't think you get to play the underdog card."

"Cassandra," he muttered, watching me stiffen, "just be reasonable for a minute. If an elf, dwarf, or anyone decides they've had enough of us, we have nothing to keep them at bay. This peace can't last and when it breaks, I intend to win whatever war there is."

I didn't say anything for several minutes.

"You're ignoring the fact that you want me to help you kill someone."

"It's for the greater good."

"No, you don't just want me to kill someone. You want me to kill my friend."

"His life is-"

In an instant, I felt the air around me tingle with magic. I hadn't done anything yet, but even he felt the power.

"Cass-"

"Finish that sentence. Come on. I'm weaker, right." I pulled the energy into me, ready to incinerate the prince and the crown on his head at a moments notice.

"I was just going to say he's my servant. His life is mine, so I don't see why..."

My hands were starting to glow, fire licking them with a delightful sensation.

"You can't kill me," he whispered, fear in his eyes. "It'd mean war and you don't want that, do you."

"I'm not going to perform a human sacrifice for you to decimate everyone I love."

"Cassandra," his voice was back to its normal deadliness, "I don't need you. You're a convenience, sure. I thought you would understand because you're not full-blooded scum-"

The air turned hostile, practically burning, and I didn't much care to control it.

"Be reasonable," he cooed.

"I am being reasonable."

"See, I'm going to succeed whatever you say. It's just... I was hoping if you said yes I could spare your whole pitiful family, but..."

His clothes caught fire, and I felt some of the energy that'd come from my anger fading away. As he yelled, I turned to leave.

The door of the tent was suddenly blocked.

The soon to be sacrifice stood in the doorway, terrified. "What did you do?" He interrogated, rushing to put out the fire that licked up around the prince.

I caught his arm. "Leo, whatever he says-"

He jerked away.

"See, I told you. They're all wicked," the oh so noble prince announced.

Leo promptly put out the flame, but I was already running away. I ran through the camp, my companions all staring.

"He's done it." I muttered.

"He actually said-"

"Yes." I was already in the saddle of my mare.

"Murder?"

"Worse." I was ready to go.

"What then?"

"War," and I was galloping away. "He's starting a war."