ILAYNA LILITH ECHETHIER

Prince Ira was unrecognisable.

I thought I knew this man, albeit I had spent very little time with him, but I stupidly thought I knew him – knew all his sword tactics, knew the way he would strategise, knew the way he attacked his enemy – but this, I could have never even imagine this in my entire life of learning swordsmanship.

"He's a beast," I heard Keith mumble beside me, the bushes hiding our bodies perfectly unless we moved a muscle. We made sure to be cautious even when we drew a breath. "We can't keep still. We might have to attack him."

I hated to agree with him but it was true.

Keith and I were always present here since the day Ember left – sometimes it would be just me, sometimes just Keith, and sometimes, it would be both of us patrolling – but we never left the meadow alone. And today was supposed to be another one of those days: where I would come to the meadow after healing Prince Ira's back, where I would wait for Ember's arrival until it was time for me to head back to the palace.

It was all going normally until I saw a huge shadow of wings landing directly at the meadow, making me grab Keith's wrist and tug him towards the biggest bush I could find, shoving his back behind the bush, and then me sitting beside him.

"That lucky bastard," Keith mumbled. "We have been waiting for Ember for days, and this bastard just flies out of nowhere and that halfwit Ember decides to open the portal right in front of his brother's face."

"He will break it, won't he?" I said, watching how the third force shield stood fearlessly, golden specks surrounding itself, as if trying to give a sense of extra protection to the last force shield.

And inside that force shield was Ember, his hands wrapped around Amber, ready for the force shield to break apart. I watched as Prince Ira pointed the sword at them, saying something I couldn't quite catch. He then levitated himself in the air, his wings flapping harshly against the wind as feathers fell, their tips red, followed by more, but he did not pay any mind to that.

He is getting tired.

None of them noticed, but I did – how his wings were slowly losing their strength as he levitated himself, but he forced his wings to stay strong by arching his back repetitively, how his hands were trembling from striking the force shields continuously and looking closer, I noticed a few pieces of the force shields had cut his own fingers, blood trailing at the hilt of his sword.

"We have to attack him before he attacks the force shield. We can't let him break that," Keith said, watching Prince Ira simply standing afloat, as if calculating how to break the force shield in a way it would require only one strike of his sword.

"I don't want him to see me," I said incautiously, immediately regretting my words. What had I just said? I didn't want him to see me? Why? Because then he would know who I was truly? That I was against his values and beliefs? That I wanted to save my homeland, whereas he believed it should be buried and gone? Because I didn't want him to find out that I had prepared my entire life to fight him, and that I was never meant to fight for him?

Keith gave me a look, as if not being able to believe my words at all. "What?"

I looked down in shame. "Our deal is still intact–"

"I don't give two fucks about your deal with that bastard," he spat. "Whatever deal you made with him, end it today. We are saving Ember, and after that, we will take him to Ezèria. Come to Ezèria after you're done with the prince."

"But the contract–"

"He is killing our friend, Ilayna!"

"Ember has also tried to kill the prince," I said, not even knowing what I had just said.

Keith frowned, almost disgusted by what I just uttered. "What has he done to you?" He looked impatient now, almost angry. "Has he manipulated your mind?"

"No!" my voice was raised, suddenly rageful. "He will never do that."

"He is the reason why we are even in this state," Keith said. "He knows Ember is our only hope of restoring Ezèria, and that's why he wants to kill him. Because he wants us to stay like this forever – unfree, cowards, and unaware of our own existence."

His words made sense – it made so much sense I wanted to drown myself in the waters for whatever I just said, for having the notion of defending Prince Ira, for thinking I wanted to fight for him, and betray my own homeland, for wanting to protect him. It made me sick to my stomach for ever having thoughts like that.

Prince Ira despised the Ezèrian, and he wanted them eliminated.

And I was an Ezèrian.

"I don't know what kind of manipulation he did to you—"

"He did not manipulate me, Keith," I said, surprised by myself, how I still defended him. "He might despise the likes of us, but he's the reason why I'm even alive—"

Keith snickered, watching how Prince Ira striked the force shield, but it had no effect. It shook a little, but then it was as still as the air around us. Prince Ira levitated himself again.

"You think you are alive because of him?"

"If he hadn't made that deal with me then I would still be in Kozania, healing that king—"

"And how do you think you ended up in Kozania in the first place?" Keith asked slowly.

"Because they trafficked me!"

"On whose order, Ilayna? Who do you think came up with the plan of trafficking the Ezèrian?"

Realisation dawned upon me, my eyes wide. "A person can not stoop that low. It has to be the king—"

"It was the third prince, Ilayna," Keith concluded, returning his attention to the destruction ahead of us, not realising how that information had my breath quickened, my mind spiraling with questions and guilt and rage.

"I do not believe you," I finally said, my voice pressed.

"Ask him, then. Ask him yourself," Keith said. "Prince Ira is his father's loyal dog, because the king showed a little attention to him when he was a kid. If the king tells him to kneel, he will kiss the floor where his father's feet are."

That's not true. That's not true. That's not true–

"We can't wait any longer. The third force shield can break anytime now," Keith said. "Let's get out," I watched as Prince Ira striked the force shield once more, his own body trembling because of the force he inserted with his sword. His sword couldn't hold the pressure anymore, as I watched it break apart upon hitting the force shield, the upper part of the sword completely severed from its place, and eventually falling. The force shield shook against the earth, the entire meadow shaking along with it, and Prince Ira was left with a half-broken sword.

"What's the plan?" I asked, my hand secured in my scabbard, my movements easy and smooth since I wasn't in my armor.

"Prince Ira is clearly exhausted. You will buy time for me to rescue Ember and Amber. Sword battle with him until I have left with both of them. I have higher chance of winning against him, but you don't know where in Ezèria we are taking them, so I will have to do that part,"

I have to fight him. I had to fight Prince Ira once again, and this time, I was so sure I would fail.

I nodded firmly.

"Together?" Keith asked, looking at me hopefully.

"Together." I said and we both jumped from the bushes simultaneously, revealing our true identity to Prince Ira.

Ember was the first one to notice us, his eyes wide, but not because of fear, but because of hopefulness. He suddenly realised he was going to survive this. Amber's eyes landed on Keith as she waved at him and then at me with both hands. Ember grinned at us, and Keith gave a casual shrug, smirking at Prince Ira's back.

Prince Ira turned around, slowly, his wings flapping strongly when his eyes landed on me. I expected him to attack me, slice my throat with one swift swish of his sword, or attack me, at least – but he did not.

He was shocked to see me, yes, but he did not look slightest upset, or angry. "Miss Echethier," It was such a stupid thought of mine, but I wished he would call my name, instead of the surname that I loathed because of my parents. "Get away from here. The pieces of the force shield can cut your skin."

I swallowed, walking in front of him, his gaze focused on me. Did he even notice Keith at all? How Keith was walking towards the force shield now?

"Your Highness," I said, my voice shaking. "Let him go. Please."

"Why are you here?" He asked finally, and that was when his expression changed, realisation dawning upon his dark eyes. His voice held profound disappointment as he turned around to see the force shield, only to see the force shield had been terminated after sensing no danger and Keith was standing before Ember and Amber, his hands brought forward, palms facing Prince Ira. The air around us changed, the trees howling stronger than before, the grass almost flying away from their roots.

"Who are you?" Prince Ira was about to walk towards them when I unsheathed my sword, the sound of metal making him face me as I brought my sword to attack him, only for him to dodge it, and back away.

"Your Highness," I said. "Ember is the only way I can liberate my homeland. He is our last hope." I hated how I was almost begging him, because I couldn't do it – I couldn't bring my sword to strike him, hurt him when he looked so tired, his eyes heavy, his hands bleeding, his feathers bloody, meaning his back was bleeding, too.

It made me want to drop my sword, hold him as gently as I could, and heal his back, watch him how he flinched upon a slight touch of mine, how he would try to make any kind of conversations with me, how his shoulders would slump at the touch of my fingers, as if all worries had left his body, how he never showed an ounce of fearness when he saw me, how he was so gentle with me when he could have simply used me and then toss me away.

How could I attack him in the same place where I had healed his back, where I had seen him being the most vulnerable? How could I?

"Elliot is a traitor, and His Majesty wants him," he said, his sword poised at me. "You four can try your best, but I will take him to the palace, dead or alive."

"You will have to fight me before that," I said and finally decided to attack him. I thought I had an advantage since he not only seemed exhausted, but his sword was also broken – but then his expression changed, as if striken with a tint of betrayal, and he no longer decided to dodge my attacks.

He stood confidently, gripping his sword firmly, eyeing me, before spreading his right foot across the grass, letting out a breath and then sprinting towards me. He did not give me any chance to look for an opening, he simply went for my neck, knowing very well that part was where I had the most trouble of protecting. I parried his attacks badly, only backing away, and still not getting a chance to attack him.

He backed away, as if he was getting bored of my awfully executed parries. He pointed the broken sword at me, its tip gone, but it still seemed strong, because the strongest swordsman of Elysia was wielding it. He never let his gaze wander, they were only focused on me and my sword.

I attacked before he could, clashing my sword against his with all the force I could have mustered. Our faces were inches closer, his eyes as dark as the night that was about to seep in, while I was fighting for my life to throw his sword that wasn't even a fucking proper sword.

My feet dragged behind against the grass, while he stood still, as if this was all nothing for him. I finally decided to back away, breathing heavily, my sword pointed at him again as we began clashing our swords against each other once more – which only consisted of him attacking me, performing the most brutal riposte, and eventually making me stand back.

I was such a fool to think I had a chance with him simply because of the disadvantages he had. I was ignorant because I had defeated him in the trials, but how could I have forgotten that winning the trials was simply my luck? Prince Ira had simply let his guard down because he couldn't have afforded me to lose, and I just found the perfect time to perform a feint.

Should I do it again? Should I try to perform a feint again?

All thoughts regarding performing a feint, or even attacking left my mind the moment I saw the prince coming at me with a speed so rapid I forgot what to do next – attack back, or dodge, or parry, or simply get on my knees. The next thing I knew, Prince Ira was right in front of me, his sword raised high, and I thought he was also performing a feint, making me smirk, and bringing my sword to attack, but he did not perform any feints.

He did something very simple.

He clashed his broken sword against mine, with a strength so deadly and unmoveable, I felt my grip shaking, feeling my wrist getting twisted before I finally let go off my sword, unable to bear the pain, while his one remained under my chin, the sharpness of the sword making me scared to even swallow my own saliva.

He bent down, his sword still under my chin and picked up my sword from the grass, letting go of his own one, setting me free.

He didn't cast any glance towards me, before turning around, not surprised to see that Ember had already left. He levitated himself in the air, his wings flapping in an abnormal way, as if not being able to withstand their own feathers, as the feathers fell, landing on my feet, and my heart wretched when I saw they were bloodier than before.

"Your wings are reaching their limits, Your Highness," I said, as loudly as I could, watching him paying no mind to me at all as he only flew forward.

He wasn't going to give up.

The meadow was big, and I was sure that Ember hadn't left yet, and was probably still here, sure that I was handling everything perfectly when I was doing anything but. Prince Ira had my sword in his scabbard, and he was only flying forward. The only way I could stop him now would be by using my Elemental powers against him.

I spread my arms above, my palms facing Prince Ira.

Clouds came together, merging with one another, and all it took for me was to create an arc with my hands, before it started pouring. Prince Ira turned, his face holding no surprise, his wings soaked along with him. He only flew forward, but I increased the intensity of the rain, feeling the droplets fall into my own body like needles, making me wince, my visions getting blurry due to the rain falling into my eyes. Prince Ira still did not give up – instead, he flapped his wings even harder, trying to shake away the water's force.

It was not working. Nothing was working against him. He just didn't give up.

If that continued, if he only continued flying forward, I would lose him.

And he would find them.

This was not going to work – I had to try something else. I prepared my hands again, my palms facing him, rain still splattering against my face, as I focused hard. All the water that I had used to create rain was now forming into long spirals and surrounding my body in a serpentine manner, only having inches of distance from me. The helices of water continued growing, until it had taken all the waters of the rain, and now stood still, little water droplets falling. I was now completely inside the tendrils of water, my hands spread, ready to attack.

Prince Ira sensed the change of situation, but he did not come down. Prince Ira might know all about swords and its tactic, but what did he know about water tendrils? What did he know about what to do when he saw someone being inside an undulated water, ready to attack him with water tentacles? What did he know about pressurised water that I was about to throw at him?

He knew better than anyone to not come down.

He stayed floating, his clothes soaked, his face looking even more exasperated and in pain, making me realise his back must have been hurting like hell, and with me causing that lethal rain must have made things only worse.

I began by sending a pressurised body of water at the shape of a tentacle, reaching him at a nimble speed, and expectedly, he dodged it with no effort. I sent more pressured waters, and he only continued dodging them effortlessly and every time he did that, the waters came back to the spirals. This continued, until I realised my waters were starting to get slower, meaning Prince Ira could sprint at me anytime soon and break the tendrils with a swish of his (my) sword.

I prepared my hands, getting ready to attack one last time with my tendrils before moving onto the next form of attack when I suddenly noticed Prince Ira getting down. I squinted my eyes to get a clear view, only to realise he wasn't getting down, he was falling down.

And he had no control over it because his eyes were closed.

His wings reached their limits. He had lost consciousness.

Seeing that made me drop my hands, my water tendrils immediately dissolving into normal water liquid. I wasted no time before raising my hands again, using every water in the meadow, including the lake I had made, form into a tidal wave, moving it towards Prince Ira, the tip of the wave holding his unconscious body gently, his wings falling slackly. Sweat trickled down my temples as I slowly brought down the wave, his body falling into the grass with a light thud. I moved the tidal wave towards the lake, soaking everything on the way, drowning half the meadow as long as it didn't touch Prince Ira, and with each movement, my knees wobbled due to weakness and spending so much of my energy.

I finally let my hands fall when the tidal wave reached the lake, the water splashing aggressively against the space of the lake, clearly not having enough space to stay still there. But that was one of my least concerns as I rushed towards Prince Ira, my heartbeats quickening with each step.

I crouched down, taking his head and placing it on my lap, his face soaked, his hair soaked, his eyelids soaked. He had clearly worked himself to death -- it was evident in his pale face, his fingers still bleeding, his feathers losing their life as they laid there along with him, heavy with water.  I swallowed, watching the rise and fall of his chest, which was barely there at all, as I placed two fingers beneath his nostrils.

He was barely breathing.

a/n

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