Jasper hacked at the straw figure ceaselessly, as if he had gone mad.

His father hadn't even let him bring Sendar to the healer's tower. He said that Sendar should find his own way there. Jasper could either resume his training or he could watch more water be wasted. It wasn't really a choice.

Ecthelion was busy on patrol, so Jasper trained alone. He stayed in that arena all through the night and into the early hours of morning, afraid to even sleep. He feared what nightmares his mind could conjure, and he wasn't sure whether his father's order to train for every second leading up to the arena fight was meant to be taken literally.

His training consisted of him whacking a scarecrow with a broadsword without reason or rhyme, just doing maximum damage. The sword was far too heavy for Jasper to ever wield comfortably, but it was a good way to get his aggression out.

Anyone who saw him might have thought he'd gone crazy. His hair was flying everywhere, his eyes were narrowed into a dark glare, and he gripped the sword so tight his fingers were beginning to cramp.

He mourned for Sendar. For the people who could have drunk the water his father had wasted. For himself.

His plan could still work. He could still kill himself and let Rosalind win. His father would have no choice to accept her if Jasper was dead. But that didn't mean all his anger would be gone. He could still punish Rosalind for it in subtle, less obvious ways until he grew old and decrepit and she ascended to the throne. Or worse, he could track down Alkemena and take his anger out on her.

Everything was ruined. Everything.

A shuffle in the sand behind him made him pause. He might not have heard such a quiet sound over the noise of his own heavy breathing, but the adrenaline in his veins sharpened his senses. He dropped his sword in the sand at his feet and turned.

"Alkemena?" he gasped breathlessly, not sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. "What- Are you here?"

The thief shrugged. "You showed me the way in, you didn't think I'd never use it again, did you? Besides, I wanted to see you. You didn't come yesterday like you said you would." She gestured to the sword in the sand. "I didn't know servants trained in swordplay. I also didn't know you were a fighter at all. You seem more like the lover type."

Jasper's eyes flew around wildly, his fear suddenly escalating by at least five times. "Alkemena, you have to leave."

"What?" she cried, putting her hands on her hips. "What is going on with you? I just got here!"

"I don't know who's watching," Jasper said quickly, striding forward to grip her by the shoulders. "Please, my love, you need to get out of here before someone sees you."

"No," Alkemena protested, shaking him off. "What is wrong with you, Jay? What the hell is happening? Why do you think someone is watching us?"

Jasper's head whipped around yet again, scanning for spies or peeping eyes. He didn't doubt that his father would have assigned him a secret watch, or that if he found Alkemena he'd throw her straight into the arena if not kill her outright. Her dying wasn't an option. "Please," he said again.

"Jay," she replied calmly. "You need to tell me what's going on."

"My name's not Jay," Jasper said through gritted teeth. Was he really doing this? Was he really going to tell her the truth on his last day alive? Yes. He was. He needed to get her out of here, and if it meant making her hate him, so be it.

Alkemena's eyes darkened. "What do you mean," she said, more of an accusation than a question.

"My name is not Jay," he repeated. He was exhausted and the stress of what he was about to say made his knees shake. A few stray tears slipped down his cheeks, but he wiped them away before she could see them. "My name is Jasper."

"That's-" Alkemena stuttered. Jasper figured her mind must be reeling. She'd trusted him unconditionally for such a long time, probably seen him as the only person who wouldn't betray her; and here he was, doing just that. "I don't believe you."

"I'm the prince," Jasper sobbed, unable to hide the shaking in his voice. "I'm the prince of Ailica. My father is the king. My sister is Princess Rosalind."

"Aslan said-" Alkemena said to herself, as if trying to convince herself otherwise with proof that was slipping through her fingers. "He said you were a servant-"

"No he didn't," Jasper said. "No one did. No one but me. I lied to you, Alkemena. I've been lying this whole time."

"No," Alkemena said, shaking her head. "You bastard. You absolute bastard."

"I live in the palace because I'm a noble. I never drink water with you because I get as much as I want here."

"Stop talking," Alkemena said, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her mouth as if she were praying. "Please stop. Please tell me you're just saying this."

"Do you think I'm just saying this? Or is it just making too much sense, and you wish I was?"

"Just stop!" Alkemena shouted. "Stop, please, before I start hating you!"

"Yes," Jasper whispered. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them in his own. "Please hate me, tell me you never want to see me again, tell me I'm a horrible person and you wish you'd never met me. Please, it will be easier if you hate me."

"Easier for who?" Alkemena cried, jerking her hands out of his. She raised a leg and kneed him in the stomach, causing him to double over and fall to his knees at her feet. "Easier for who, Jasper? You think any of this was ever easy for me?"

"Please go away," Jasper, his eyes still looking to the sand beneath him. He didn't dare to raise his eyes to look at her. If he did, he would really break, and he wasn't brave enough for that. "Please, Alkemena. Please leave."

He heard unsteady footsteps retreating in the sand. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No, Jay," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was such a fool, and I'm sorry you felt like you had to lie for me to love you."

A few seconds later, Jasper could tell that he was alone. He didn't have the energy to get up again, so he curled up in the sand and cried. He cried and cried because he didn't know what else to do.

He didn't know what to do.

❂

Aslan wandered the tunnels looking for Sethos. He held a platter of dead mice, which were disgusting by the way, to give to him. The tigers still had to eat, and with Raven still out of commision, Aslan had volunteered to help Sethos out. He owed it to Kiara, if nothing else.

He found the man crouched by the tiger's cages, petting one of their faces. The tiger in question was asleep, and Sethos ran a hand over its forehead again and again in a rhythmic motion, sitting as if he had been there for hours.

"Sethos?" Aslan asked to get his attention.

"I'm so tired," Sethos said quietly. "I'm so, so tired."

"Aren't we all," Aslan said brightly, hoping to cheer Sethos up a bit with his own fake enthusiasm. "What I wouldn't give for a full night's sleep."

"No," Sethos said. "I'm just... tired of this."

Aslan crouched next to him and set the tray on the floor. The tiger that was awak sniffed at it, but couldn't fit its head through the bars to get to the food. "What do you mean? What is 'this'?"

"I just..." Sethos closed his eyes, a sad look on his face. "I've killed so many people, Aslan."

"I'm sure that's not true. You're too busy doing your job, you don't have time to kill anybody." He forced a chuckle, still trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"My job is to kill people," Sethos said miserably.

"Your job is to take care of the tigers," Aslan insisted.

"My job..." Sethos smiled, his face still managing to be devoid of any joy. "No. That's Raven and Kiara's job." He coughed. "It was Kiara's job."

"Then..." Aslan trailed off, thinking hard about what Sethos could mean. "What is your job?"

"The arena doors," Sethos said ruefully. "The choice? The fair system of judgement from fate? It's a ruse. The game has been rigged for a while."

Aslan had guessed it long ago, but he asked anyway. "What do you mean?"

"There's..." Sethos put a hand to his forehead as if he had a pounding headache. "There's two tigers. There's a tiger behind both doors. Raven and Kiara never knew. I was the only one to do it."

[A/N: Heyy!! You guys guessed it a long time ago, and surprise, surprise, you were right!!!! Not really that much of a surprise, though, I'm sure. ]

Aslan sighed. He couldn't say he was surprised, but it was still painful by all means to hear it confirmed. "And I presume the king made you do this?"

"He threatened my family," Sethos explained. "He threatened my daughter. How could I refuse?"

"It's not your fault," Aslan told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're not the murderer. The king is."

"I just... I wish things were different." Sethos exhaled tiredly.

Aslan pushed the plate of mice closer to the tiger after noticing it eying the tray hungrily. It used its tongue to pull the meal closer to it and chomped on one, eating it whole. "Don't we all."

❂

Ecthelion's patrols weren't nearly as boring as they had been. When he had walked alone, pondering life and death and the grey matters between, his thoughts often strayed to the darker parts of his mind and he found himself in a rather depressed mood. However, when Emlin accompanied him for what she insisted was for the sole purpose of annoying him, he found that the mind-numbing hours of walking in circles went much faster.

"So of course, at this point, we're both exhausted. I'm barely holding on to my sword, my hands are so sweaty. And he's barely on his feet, the straps on his sandals had snapped at this point. But we were both far too stubborn to yield," he recounted excitedly. He'd been amusing her with tales of his multiple failures throughout his training as a swordsman, since stories at his expense seemed to make her smile the most. Not that he minded, of course; he wasn't too proud to admit he made mistakes, and he liked to see her smile. "Eventually, the officer had to step in and physically pull us apart. I think I had a split lip for the next week."

"By the desert, how does anyone survive sword lessons?" Emlin wondered. "It seems like you all should have died a long time ago, with your lack of brains paired with your instincts to be naturally stupid."

"And what instincts they are," Ecthelion remarked. "It truly is a miracle I've lived this long. I must just be extraordinarily lucky. Here's hoping that luck doesn't run out any time soon."

Her face grew dim. He tilted his head, wondering if he'd said something wrong.

"Ecthelion," she said, "Where do your loyalties lie?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you had to choose," she explained, "Who would you fight for?"

He gave her a questioning look. "My family, I suppose. My little siblings and my parents. My friends, and all the people I care about. Why in the name of the desert do you ask?"

"It's just... people have been talking on the streets in the village. Something about a boy named Jax. Apparently he's been going crazy since the last arena fight, and people think he's planning on doing something really stupid, really soon. I'm just scared that whatever stupid thing he does is going to get us all killed."

"You think it's going to affect me? You think I'm somehow involved?"

"I don't know," Emlin answered. "Ecthelion, I'm not going to the arena fight tomorrow. If something happens, I just want to know whose side you're going to choose."

"Why?" He gave her a serious look. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't think anything is going to happen!" she cried. "I just want to know that you'll be okay in case something does happen, alright? Is it so bad that I actually care?"

He blinked. "I'm sorry. Did you just admit that you cared about me?"

She opened her mouth but no sound came out, then closed it again. She was obviously searching for a way out of that, but could find nothing.

"As touched as I am by that," he said, "Nothing is going to happen tomorrow. Nothing worse than what's already happening, anyways. You don't need to worry about me."

She looked at him skeptically. "Alright."

Ecthelion mustered up all his courage and leaned forward to give her a light kiss on the forehead. He smirked inwardly at the small noise of surprise she made at that. "Everything is going to be fine."

❂

Raven wasn't sure how he was doing. It had only been a few days since Kiara's death, and he still wasn't used to her absence. He'd see a cool lizard crawl down the walkway and he'd think to himself, 'I'll ask Kiara about it later. She'll know what kind of lizard it was.' It only took a moment to realize that the person he was thinking of would never tell him another interesting fact ever again. Raven hadn't taken it nearly as hard as Arc had, at least. The duke's son could often be seen wandering the arena catacombs or lingering by their entrance as if he were looking for Kiara. His strange new animal friend hadn't left his side.

Raven had tried returning to his tiger-keeping duties, but he found it harder than before. He couldn't look at Caspian and Tero without seeing the silent question in their eyes: Where is Kiara? Where is Kiara? Where is Kiara? Each chuff seemed to ask When will she be back? Raven was at a loss for an answer. How could he tell them she would never be back?

Rosalind was possibly his only comfort. Helping her learn to fight with the ankle brace was a good distraction from his darker thoughts, and though he couldn't say he enjoyed getting his ass kicked every single time, he did enjoy getting his ass kicked by her specifically.

"I don't think we had any cause for concern," he said as she helped him back to his feet. After their last round, he's gotten his feet swept out from under him and landed on his back in the sand. "You'd think I was the handicapped of the two of us with how you beat me so quickly."

"Well, I have been trained to do this since I was old enough to walk," Rosalind laughed. She flexed her leg, though her ankle remained stiff. "A few days of walking and you get used to it. It's a lot like wearing heels, actually. Uncomfortable, but I'm capable enough to take it."

Raven rubbed his side, where she'd whacked him with the blunted sword. "You're going to win this fight, brace or no brace."

She frowned. "It was never a question of who was going to win in a fight, Raven. It was a question of whether we were willing to fight each other."

"And are you?"

"No," she said plainly. "I wouldn't fight him even if a hundred bows were at my back. I wouldn't kill him even if it were a thousand."

"I imagine he's thinking very similarly," Raven pointed out. "What are you going to do?"

"If we just don't fight each other, I don't see what my father can do about it," Rosalind said. "Obviously he'll find some way to make my life miserable and probably arrange to have me killed if Jasper doesn't come out the winner, but as long as we both live through tomorrow, I'll see it as a success."

Raven smiled. "So, the plan is to lay down your swords and just... publicly insult your father?"

She back smiled at him. "Can you think of a better way to go out?"

"No," he said honestly, "But I also know that you're not going to go out. You're going to live to become queen."

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed. "That's the plan, if all goes well."

Heavy breathing from the entrance to their private arena caught their attention. Kimera hurried through the doorway, holding her white skirts up and out of the way. Raven panicked for a moment when he saw she didn't have anyone with her, but then the familiar face of Lylie the dancer followed her, and he relaxed again. She wasn't alone.

"Kimera?" Rosalind asked. "And... Lylie? What's wrong?"

"It's Jasper!" Kimera shouted from across the sand. "Sendar was brought up to the healer's tower, and his eyes were burned out. He told us everything: your father found out Jasper was having an affair with some peasant girl and he totally flipped out! He's threatening Jasper to make him kill you, or else he'll kill the woman he loves. Rosalind, we have to do something!"

"Yeah, what Kimera said," Lylie added. It was clear she was not used to the idea that a father could be so horrible to his son, but she had no trouble believing that the king could be so cruel to the prince. "Jasper's been training all night. We don't know what that means but he's unpredictable now. He has something to lose." Lylie still glared at Rosalind hatefully, but Raven could see that there was an underlying layer of pity.

Rosalind's face was one of horror and panic, but her voice was calm. "Where is Jasper now?"

Raven wished he could be as calm as Rosalind. He really did. But he couldn't. Jasper was one of his best friends, and if he'd truly found love then who was the king to deny him that? Who was the king to twist that to his advantage?

Raven brushed past Kimera and Lylie and began marching furiously towards the castle doors.

"Raven?" he could hear Rosalind call from behind him. "Raven? Raven! Where are you- Kimera, go find Jasper, I'll take care of this- Raven, where are you going?"

He didn't answer. His vision was turning red from anger, and his fists were balled at his sides. He walked fast, much faster than Rosalind with her injured ankle, and stormed through hallways and up stairs until he reached the doors to the king's throne room.

He pushed them open, disregarding any voices of reason he might still have possessed. His hatred was blinding; his personal safety no longer mattered. Getting justice for Jasper was the only thing on his mind.

"You bastard!" he screamed. The king looked up from some scroll or another as the guards at his sides hefted their spears. Raven was undeterred. He walked down the long stretch of carpet to stand at the foot of the dias. "You have no right."

"I've no idea what you are referring to, but I assure you I have every right," the king said smugly, motioning for the guards to lower their spears. "I am the king."

"There are still laws," Raven protested. "Slavery is illegal. Blackmail is illegal. What you are doing to Jasper is against everything this kingdom used to stand for, before you came to power." He spat out the last few words, making sure to say 'you' as if it were an offensive slur. It might as well have been.

The king's eyes darkened. Clearly, he did not appreciate being insulted. "You watch your mouth, boy. I tolerate you because the tigers will not kill you. That does not make you immune."

"You know what's not illegal?" Raven asked rhetorically, ignoring him. "A formal complaint to the king from one of his subjects. Well, here's my complaint, your majesty," he said mockingly, "You are a tyrant and a criminal and no better than those you throw to the tigers. In fact, you're worse. You deserve that fate more than any of them did. You are a murderer and a horrible person. Has this been informative to your majesty?"

The king scowled. "You dare disrespect me so blatantly- do you know- why, I could have you-" he spluttered.

"Have me thrown to the tigers?" Raven laughed. "That's a joke."

The doors flew open again behind him, and Raven turned to see Rosalind limp into the room. She'd been practicing walking, and if Raven hadn't known better, he wouldn't have noticed her limp at all. He made time to think fondly, She adapted quickly. She never lets anything get in her way.

"Father, I'm sorry," she said, not sounding apologetic at all. Instead, she just sounded like she was ready to skin Raven alive. "Raven doesn't know what he's saying, he doesn't mean it."

"I know exactly what I'm saying," Raven protested. "You have to stop trying to protect me, Rosie. I've had enough of his-" he pointed angrily at the king, "-bullshit and I'm not afraid of him anymore. You shouldn't be either."

"I'm not afraid for myself," Rosalind hissed in his ear, grabbing his shoulders and trying to drag him out of the room. "I'm afraid for you. Don't underestimate him. The law won't stop him."

"It should," Raven protested, loud enough for the king to hear. "He thinks he's above the law when it's his job to defend it. He breaks it on the daily, and not just the law. He breaks traditions, trying to meddle with the outcome of the fight." He turned back to the king. "Speaking of, I have another complaint."

"Raven, please," Rosalind said firmly.

"You should treat Rosalind better," Raven said sternly, looking the king in his frightening eyes. Only, Raven wasn't frightened. "You should treat her like a daughter, not a nuisance. You should appreciate her. She's come so far, and she's incredibly talented and capable. She's responsible. She's kind, she's understanding, she's determined, and she's brave. She's everything you wish you were. She's everything to me, and she should be everything to you. She doesn't deserve your love, because your love is worth nothing. But she deserves your respect."

The king glared daggers at him. If looks could kill, Raven would be dead. But then, so would the king. Raven sent those daggers right back at him.

"I'm everything to you?" Rosalind whispered as if in shock. Raven looked down at her, and smiled softly.

"I would have thought it was obvious," Raven said quietly. "Rosalind, you're everything and more. And I'm going to stand up for you even if you won't stand up for yourself."

"You care about her so much?" The king asked, amused in the midst of his fury. "You truly care for my daughter?"

"I'm not asking for your permission, if that's what you think," Raven said. "Your opinion means little more to me than dirt."

The king glowered. "You shouldn't care for her, boy. Even if she were half as great as you make her sound, she is still..." he pointed disgustedly. Raven didn't need to follow his finger to know he was pointing to Rosalind's ankle brace. "... damaged goods."

"You're the one who's damaged," Raven growled. "Damaged in the head. She's perfect the way she is."

Rosalind had fallen silent at this point, watching the horror scene unfold in front of her.

"You care about her so much?" The king asked again, a twisted smile tugging at his lips. "You can watch her die tomorrow." He waved to the guards at his sides. "Arrest him, and give him a cell with a view of the arena."

"No!" Rosalind shouted. "Father, don't do this-"

"You have no charge," Raven called, slightly more hesitant with spears aimed at his face. "You can't arrest me because I've done nothing illegal."

"Are you quite sure?" The king challenged. "I charge you with murder."

"What?" Rosalind roared. "Murder? What makes-"

"I charge you with the murder of Kiara Altaica," the king said haughtily. "It was you who gave her the snake that killed her, was it not?"

"That was an accident," Rosalind argued. "It's not enough to lock him up forever-"

"He doesn't have to be locked up forever," the king said. "Just long enough to watch your blood spilled into the sand."

When the first guard came at Raven, he dodged his grip and held his hands out defensively in front of him. "I didn't kill anyone," he insisted. "I'm innocent, you bastard!"

"Arrest him!" The king shouted. The guard looked at Raven regretfully but followed orders nonetheless. He grabbed at Raven and caught him by the sleeve. Though Raven struggled and fought to break free, he was quickly subdued by the larger, armor-wearing man. His hands were forced behind his back while Rosalind screamed, trying to fight her way past the second guard.

"You can't do this!" Raven hollered as he was dragged back through the doors he had come, this time in chains. "You think you're invincible, but you're not! And when you die, I'll smile, because you had it coming!"

The doors slammed shut in his face.

Word Count: 4250

Character Appearances:

Jasper Vastatio by EstelElfstone

Alkemena Irving by TheShortBosmer

Aslan by dr0wning_in_w0rds

Ecthelion Finweson by WingedWarrior1731

Raven Blackthorn by ghostofwolves

Rosalind Vastatio by sofififlowers

Kimera Relicem by me

Lylie Jasmal by eli-z-le

Also Featuring Appearances From:

Sethos Kosey by SincerelyLoki

Emlin "The Cat" by dobblewolf

Arcanus Regis by WaferWhale (mentioned)

Ariel Seghal by Avengers14 (mentioned)

Kiara Altaica by TheExplosiveCyborg (mentioned)

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the late update. Well, actually- No, I'm not sorry. I've updated quite a few times in the past two months, so you guys will live if I'm a few days late with this one. Chemistry has been kicking my ass, so that's my excuse for my absence. Anyways, hope you enjoyed yet another unhappy ending and continue to vote and comment and make my day. The twelfth and final chapter is going to be hella long, so don't expect it for a while now. Everything will come to a close... Who's ready for this story to be over?