Ophiuchus' POV

*Flashback based on Chapter: 13. Present*

Once I left eating supper with my mother, the queen, she sentenced me back down to the dungeon to "keep the new prisoners company." My fellow knight offered to come with me, but I insisted him that it was okay.

"Ophi?" the girl called out to me.

I ran over to her. She was sitting on the ground next to her father. They were both covered with dirt.

"My love," I say holding the bar the seperated us.

She sat back up and walked over so our faces could meet between the bars. "Is she going to kill us?"

I shook my head. "I won't let her."

Her fingers wrapped around mine behind the bars. I see that she was crying. She always hated to cry. I won't let her or her father die.

Too make things more simpler, I am Knight Ophiuchus. Son of the queen. Although, I'm not a prince. My mother didn't want a son to rule after her. Something about the belief of woman power. The whole country thinks my mother had a miscarriage 24 years ago, but she hid me away from that and led me to be one of her knights instead.

My mother hasn't always been so motherly with me. She doesn't even know who I've given my heart to. The woman behind the bars and I are secretly married. I was shocked when my mother sent my love and her father into the dungeon. Them out of all people.

"Ophi," my love says to me, "please don't let her kill us."

I shake my head. "I won't let anybody hurt you or your father. I promise."

She gave me a weak smile and looked at her father who was now standing up. He walked up to me and placed both of his hands on the bars for support.

"Ophiuchus," he says weakly. I turn to his side of the bar now, still holding hands with the love of my life. "If you cannot save the both of us, I want to thank you for trying," he says with a weak smile.

I shake my head again. "You don't need to say that, sir. I will have both of you to safety." I look back at my love. "And I will run away from here. Far from my mother. Where we could be happy."

I recieved a smile from the both of them. My love kisses my hand slowly with a cold, harsh peck. She started to shivver after.

"I'm so glad my daughter could find someone to fight for her. One of these days, I won't be around," he says looking at his daughter now. "And I will need you to love and care for her until the day she dies."

I nodded my head at him. "That will not be a problem. I love her. To death," I say squeezing my love's hand.

She was still shivvering and smiling back at me. I need to find a way to save her. I need to run away from her. This has gone too far, and being here is way too dangerous for her. I need them both to be safe.

I let go of my love's hand, so she held onto the bars with both hands, giving me a worried look.

"We're leaving tonight," I say clenching my jaw.

My love's eyes buldged. "What? Ophi-"

"You two need to get out of here. We need to. It's too dangerous. My mother- the queen," I corrected, "is going to kill the both of you. And I won't let that happen."

Her father gave me a nod. I looked back at my love who now stopped shivvering but still gave me a look of worry.

"I'll be back," I tell the both of them. "If I can't make it with you two, I want you to ride the horses until you're both far away from here. I'll bring food and water in a sack," I say attempting to leave now.

My love grabbed my arm from behind the bars. "Ophiuchus." I look at her now. She was giving me the weak smile again. Although she's at her worst point, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever met. "I love you."

I take her hand and kissed it slow. When I looked back at her, I could see that beautiful weak smile again. "I love you too."

At this moment, I was leaving the dungeon. I had to find a way to get all three of us away from here. Most importantly, the two of them.

When I walked up to the castle, I could see my mother. I mean, the queen. I bowed as usual as she saw me enter.

"Ophiuchus!" she says, smiling. She waved a hand up telling me to stand back up. "How are my new prisoners? Suffering, I'm hoping?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, your majesty."

She furrowed her brows at me, still smiling. "We're alone, Ophiuchus. You can call me mother now."

I didn't make any eye contact with her. "Yes... Mother."

She clapped her hands together. "That's better! You know, I was thinking it over," she says walking closer to me.

I didn't know if I should be scared or not. When she finally was at arm length with me, she held a hand out. I didn't take it at first until she gestured me to.

"How would you like to have a huge opportunity?" she asks, walking to her throne with my hand in hers.

I still didn't make any eye contact with her. "L-like what, your majes- mother."

She turned around to me, so I finally looked at her now. "To be a prince!"

My eyes widened. Me? A prince? Out of all of the times she chooses now?

"I- I don't know," I responded.

She frowned. "Ophiuchus, I think now you've proven worthy of your loyalty and royalty. You'll even be king soon," she says, trying to persuade me.

The thought of being a prince seemed like a huge opportunity. I've always wanted to act like the son of the queen, but she never gave me a chance. Being rich, having everything you want.

Then I thought it over again. My love. My one and only person I've ever loved as my friend, family, wife, and future. She is everything I want.

"I don't want to be prince," I said to her.

She looked like I physically pushed her. "What? Why not?"

I couldn't let her know why. She would kill her and her father faster than I could blink.

"I just enjoy being the knight is all, mother."

She gave me a disgusted look. "Well, since you don't want to take up on my offer, that's 'your majesty' to you now."

I didn't say anything in response. There was nothing to say anyway. Soon, I'm going to leave her and this dreaded country.

"You can leave now," she tells me, gesturing a hand to the door of the castle. "Unless you came here for something," she says, giving me an evil smirk.

Originally, I was planning on bringing a sack of food for the escape, but right now she seems a little bit too suspicious. I don't know why, but I could just feel something bad was going to happen.

I shook my head. "No, your majesty. Just came to tell you how the new prisoners were," I lied.

She kept giving me the evil smirk and nodded her head in understandment. "Then you may leave, Ophiuchus."

I turned away from her and was on my way through the doors. I couldn't get the food. I guess we'll just have to find some while we're on the run.

I went to the barnyard and found all of the horses there. There were two knights sitting by the gates, sleeping. I attempted opening one of them to unleash a horse. That was until they both woke up.

"Who are you, and what are you doing?" one of them asked me.

They had their swords, ready for a fight until they saw me better in the dark.

"Knight Ophiuchus?" one of my best friends ask. "What do you need a horse for?"

I rose both of my brows once I saw him put away his sword and gestured the other knight to do so also.

"The queen needs two horses," I lied.

My friend looked at me in confusion. "The queen? What for?"

I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, "I do not know. She did not say."

He nodded his head and opened two gates to let out a horse from each one. He gave me the leash for both of the horses and asked me if the queen needed anything else.

I shook my head. "No, my good sir. I appreciate it with honor."

He nodded his head at me and gave me a smile. I walk off with the two horses and went to where a lot of trees and the pond were. Where I first met my love. I tied the leashes down to two trees so that they wouldn't run off.

Now, here comes the hard part. The actual escaping.

I run back down to the dungeon to see my love and her father, once again on the floor.

When the door behind me closed, I could hear my love shaking.

"Don't worry. It is me," I say, holding a hand out to calm her.

Her shaking stops, and she stands up while walking to me. "Ophi-"

"I have two horses out by the trees and pond. Where we first met. I couldn't bring food. The queen was too suspicious, so we would have to find some on the way," I say.

She nodded her head in understandment. I tried looking for the keys and found them on the other side of the dungeon. I grabbed them and started to unlock all of the locks.

"I want you to ride with your father. I'll ride the other horse. If I cannot make it with you there, I want you to go away. In a hurry. Do not hesitate," I say to her while unlocking the locks.

She gave me a worried look. "Ophi, you'll be there with us."

I shake my head, unlocking the last three locks. "We don't know that. I need you to go away. As soon as you get on that horse, my love, you leave. Your safety is far more important than mine."

She was about to say something again until I opened the door open for them. Her father stood up while his daughter helped him stand. He limped his way out and gave me a hand on my shoulder.

"You mean so much to me as my daughter, young Ophiuchus," he says, giving me a weak smile.

I closed my eyes and nodded in respect to him. He and my love were limping their way out of the dungeon. I quickly run past them to check if any more knights were visible. So far, we were all clear. I pulled out my sword in case anybody wanted to stop me.

I gesture my hand for them both to hurry, looking both ways to see if I was still safe. My love tried to hurry quickly with her father in her arms.

We were by some trees, and everything was safe... until my best friend caught me. I didn't hear anything before until I heard a leaf crunch. That was not my love nor her father.

I turn around to see my best friend. One who is as great of a knight as I was.

"Ophiuchus," he says, "what are you doing?" He looked like he has seen the most horrid thing possible.

I bit my upper lip. "Do not tell the queen," I say quickly.

He cocked his head at me. "Not tell the queen? You are breaking her orders!"

I shake my head. "I cannot let her kill them."

"But they are prisoners!"

"I love her!" I yell out. My friend had a confused look on his face. It was an awkward and long silence now. I looked around quickly to see if I attracted any guards. So far, we were okay. I took a deep breath and looked back at him. "This woman," I say pointing to my love behind me, "is the only thing that I care for. My wife!"

He gave me an apologetic look.

"I'd die for her. I cannot let my mother- the queen- take her nor her father's life. I won't let that happen."

He walked closer to me, still giving me an apologetic look. He puts a hand on my shoulder, feeling the cold, silver metal. "Ophiuchus," he says to me.

I take a deep breath, almost crying of the thought my love could possibly die right now. They're supposed to be gone. Right now. Why is she still standing here?

"I'm sorry, old friend," he says. He turned behind him. "Guards!"

I quickly pull out my sword again almost losing my balance of living in this moment.

"Call the queen! Two prisoners are trying to escape!"

"My love, run!" I ordered. I could hear her footsteps behind me run quickly along with her father.

"Ophiuchus, you cannot possibly be in love. It's just a phase. I will not kill you. I do not have the heart to do such a thing," he says, "so I will let you play off as if you are helping me imprison them again."

Act like I was going to keep working for the queen? I was tired of this bloody country. I didn't want to fake my loyalty. I wanted her. I point my sword to my best friend, "I will not do such a thing. You leave her and her father go!"

He gave me a look in disgust as I pointed my sword to him. I guess today is just full of surprises. "Ophiuchus, please do not. I do not want to hurt you," he says, putting his hands up in surrender.

I couldn't stay out of the position I was in. I was so angry. So heartbroken. My best friend sending men and my own mother to kill the only thing I love.

"You'll forget about her as soon as this is all over," he says to me, raising his hands higher.

"Wrong!" I say pointing it closer to him.

We could hear footsteps running towards us. My friend moves away from the sword and kicks it on the floor.

He was stepping on my sword, leaving me weaponless now. "They went over there!" he yells, pointing to the direction behind me.

When the group of guards left, I looked back at my old friend. "I'm sorry it has to come to this," he says to me.

I knew he would never hurt me. Even though he thought I was delusional, he still cared about me too much to do that. I stare daggers and him and tackle him to the hard ground where lots of rocks were. When I did, I quickly grabbed my sword and ran to the direction to where my love and her father were. My old friend didn't call after me. Not once.

I was with most of the guards and saw everyone running like herd of elephants. I stab each one of them out of anger, not caring what my sentence would be if I couldn't escape either. Every single one. Their blood spilled on my hands, leaving my cold, silver metal rust with red.

When I reached passed more trees, I could see the pond a few meters away. I see two horses in the distance. They were still there. Why are they still here? Did they die? No, they couldn't have. They just couldn't.

I run even faster to them, my heart beating uncontrollably fast. When I got closer, I see my love on one of the horses. The horse was neighing like crazy at the horrid sight.

Right now, I could see my love bursting in tears. Each tear that fell down her face made my heart turn into literal knots. I turn to look what she was looking at.

A pool of blood with her father laying in it. He had a hatchet in his skull, several stabs in the abdomen, and his legs were in impossible positions.

Just seeing this makes me want to burst into tears with her. He cared for me. He saw that there was always more to me. Every single day I could not forget that. But I couldn't cry. I had to be there for my love. I'm all she has left now.

I untie one of the horses and set them free. We could be free just like it. I climbed on the horse that my love was on, and tried to comfort her. I could hear her tears spill like water on my metal suit.

"Shhh," I say, stroking her hair.

She kept opening her eyes to see her father that way. She cried harder and louder looking at the sight. I've seen a lot of brutal deaths. Deaths that were more brutal than this one, but not one of them made me feel. His death will be honored.

I could hear more guards yelling and running from a distance. I couldn't comfort her anymore right now. Right now, we had to escape.

"Hold onto me," I tell her while she was still crying.

She hesitantly obeyed, and I feel her shaking. I couldn't comfort her right now which killed me. I couldn't or else we both would be dead. I got the horse to start running. Running to a far away place. A place I wouldn't think of. A place where nobody could find us.

Soon, my wife was asleep on my back. I could hear her heavy breathing vibrating with the gallops of the horse. I will honor her father. I will keep her safe. And I will love her. To death.

*End of flashback*

**Halloween Party Continued**

"So Virgo and Cepheus are a thing?" I ask Sagittarius.

We were in a corner from dancing people again. We were barely dancing anymore, but talking about the zodiacs I made. I can tell how uncomfortable she was telling me these things. It was going to happen now or later anyway.

She rolled her eyes at me. "No. At least I don't think so."

"And the scorpion and the lion? I'm guessing they don't like each other?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Yes. Something about how Scorpio doesn't care about their friendship."

I laughed a little. "So Leo's a huge softy?"

She looked at me in disgust. "No! Well, actually," she starts saying. She was hesitant and stuttering a bit. "Y'know I guess he could be a softy sometimes."

I laughed as she smirked at me now.

Right now, I really like hanging out with Sagittarius. I knew the sign were supposed to be the fun and cool party animals, but she's rarely showing that side tonight. I'm guessing it's because she's basically working with me now. She was fun to mess around with too. I know she doesn't see me as her friend, but now that's all I can see her as. I don't know if I want her to be scared of me anymore. Maybe it's for the better. I just still need to figure that part out.

"Y'know," I start saying while clicking my tounge, "the Gemini seemed a bit concerned about us 'seeing each other,' huh?"

She rolled her eyes at me for another time. "Can you just shut up?! And why do you call her the Gemini. It's just Gemini or Gem."

I furrowed my brows at her, "Because she's a pair. Well, kind of. She can duplicate herself if you haven't known."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? That's so cool!"

I nodded my head. "She was supposed to have a twin. Who knows, maybe she'll give birth to twins or something," I say.

Her eyes were still lit up. Literally. With a small spark of fire in her pupils. "All I know is fire manipulation and archery. Do I have any other individual power like Gemini?" she asks me.

I laugh at her sudden interest. "You could summon dragons."

She pouted now. "I can already do that. I mean, they're not big, but I'm working on that."

I rose a brow at her, "then keep practicing."

Her spark in her eyes dimmed as she frowned at me. "Y'know," she says, "it still kind of scares me how you know more about us than we know about us."

I just smirked. "Really?"

She nodded her head.

I pressed my lips together. "Oops!" I say giving her an innocent look.

She frowned at me again then fixed her nurse dress.

"When am I going to meet Aries, Taurus, the crab, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces?" I ask her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Hopefully never."

I gave her a pouting look and she smirked at it.

I know she must hate it being here with me right now. I know she doesn't want me to meet her friends which is why we stayed in this corner. In the corner across from us, I could see two girls making out with each other. I looked back at Sag who started sighing, being bored as ever.

We just stood in the corner being completely silent, watching everybody else dance.

"Why don't we go dance again?" I ask, breaking up the silence.

She mumbled something under her breath.

"What?" I say leaning in closer to her.

She turned to me now with crossed arms. "I said fuck off."

I rose a brow at her. "We danced once before. Why not again?"

She gave me a look of disbelief. "Just not in the mood for it, Ophiuchus."

I nodded in understandment. I knew that she meant that she wasn't in the mood to dance with me.

I sighed after it went quiet again. "You don't have to be scared of me anymore, Sagittarius."

She scoffed. "Yeah, I wish that was true. I hope you know the only reason I'm doing this is because you could literally kill me. And then all of my friends. If anything, I'm just taking one for the team."

I bit my upper lip. "We're like friends too now."

She shook her head and almost laughed. "I don't think you've had many friends."

She was right. I really only had two. One if you want to exclude the knight that betrayed me.

"Then what do friends do?" I ask her.

She looks up in the sky, thinking to herself. "For starters, Ophi, they don't feel scared when they're with them. And you? I am highly scared of."

"You don't act like it."

She looked at me again. "That's because I know what I'm fighting for. My friends."

I sighed deeply. "You don't have to be afraid of me anymore, Sagittarius," I repeated.

"Why not?" she asks me, almost shaking.

"Because you-"

"Oh, right!" she remembered, "I'm just like you. What the hell does that even mean?"

By now, I thought she would've figured that out. Maybe she's as oblivious as I thought before.

I just sighed in response. She scoffed when I didn't answer her. I don't want her to be scared of me anymore. It frustrated me that she was.

"Okay, Sagittarius," I say.

I see her flinch as I said her name. She probably thought I was mad at her.

"You can hang out with your friends. I'll let you enjoy your night."

Her eyes lit up now. "Really? Or is this some sort of test?"

"I'm not testing you! Just have fun without me being in your bloody way. I'll meet everyone else sooner or later," I say in a frustrated tone.

She flinched when I said that last part. "Are you really sure? Because if this is some sort of test for you to kill everybody in here-"

"Do you want me to change my bloody mind?"

She looked like she got slapped in the face and also a bit relieved. "O-okay," she says. She hesitantly walked to the group of people dancing, giving me scared glances.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't know if it was to myself or to her. I started to walk out the door and go to my house. This lonely, shitty, dump of a house.