Word Count: 1824

~Avila

I stare at the back of Vade's head as he leads me into his room.

"So...what do you have to tell me?" I ask him. I'm not sure what information is going to be revealed to me, but I get the feeling it's going to change everything.

Vade motions to his bed. "Sit down."

I oblige him, sitting on the rumpled duvet. Looking at him in the low lighting, and smelling his scent all around me is making it difficult to concentrate.

"You're making me nervous," I murmur, seeing the creases between the brow and the tension in his shoulders.

"I want you to know that I've only ever kept things from you to protect you. I know that's not fair, but Roel warned me against overwhelming you with information," he explains slowly.

I adjust uncomfortably, nerves gnawing away at my resolve. "Just tell me."

"It's true, I know Emerick," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I knew him well before you died. In fact, I knew him before you ever met him."

I blink, letting that information settle over me. The timeline is still mucky in my head, especially considering the gaps in what I know.

"How?"

Vade closes his eyes for a moment. He looks like he's in pain, or he's terrified of how I'm going to react.

"Emerick is my brother. Half-brother, to be exact," he says slowly, wincing a little.

I frown. Brothers? They never struck me as looking all that alike, but I suppose as half-brothers there would be a lot of differences between them. Both of them seem to resemble their father more, however, the news still hits me in the chest like a violent punch.

"What? How is that possible? He's not a Noble..."

"No. He chose to leave our family after he didn't get what he wanted," Vade explains.

Why would Emerick keep that from me? He seemed very good at concealing his secrets, but I thought he loved me. I thought he wanted me to trust him.

"What did he want?" I ask tentatively.
 
A dark shadow passes over Vade's face. "You."

"Me?" I squeak, pressing my hand to my chest.
 
"It was known from your birth that you would be married to one of my father's sons. Being that I was the oldest, and I took my role very seriously, I was chosen," he tells me, his tone softening.

I can feel my world shifting around me. It's not the first time I've felt this way, although this time, I'm struggling to make sense of everything. There is so much that doesn't fit into what I've been led to believe.

"Why did you father choose you if you didn't want me over someone who did?"

"I did want you." He steps forward. "I had feelings for you from the moment I saw you."

"Oh..."

I suppose I already knew that. My flashbacks told me Vade was fond of me, and I was horrible to him. Why he didn't back off and let Emerick take his place, I don't know, but perhaps his feelings ran deeper for me than I ever realised.

Not that my selfish, bitchy older self would have cared.

"I didn't realise you wanted nothing to do with me until it was too late. Otherwise I would have backed off and let my brother have you," Vade explains, answering my inner monologue.

"So, I could have been married to Emerick right now?"

I look down at my ring, pressing my index finger against it. Emerick was very good with words, and would have gotten me to fall for him eventually.

Everything could be so different...
 
"Yes." Vade's jaw hardened like the thought enrages him. "He had never met you and he decided he wanted you. He was enamoured, and he didn't think. My father lost trust for him, and eventually, Emerick moved on."

"To do what?" I ask carefully, trying to garner more information.
 
Vade tilts his head to the side, his dark hair shifting against his forehead. "I think you know."

Well, I suppose there is no point denying it.

"I didn't meant to get involved. I didn't entirely know what was going on, and then suddenly I'm in a meeting and people are saying they knew me," I blurt out. I don't want him thinking I'm actually apart of the rebellion.

"Well, I always suspected you were involved in the rebellion, with my brother. I didn't find out for sure until right before you died. At that point, it was too late for me to get involved," Vade says.

I let out a breath. He doesn't sound angry at me, at least.

"Why would I want to be involved in something like that?" I ask into the air.

"I assume you hated the thought of marrying me so much you wanted to dismantle you entire family's lineage to get out of it," Vade says with a shrug.

Even though he's not angry, I can tell he's hurt. Even he can't hide that.

"Emerick told me we met when I visited a small village where he lived. He told me he moved here just for me," I say.

"That never happened." Vade shakes his head. "I don't know how you met, but I know he's never left this village before."

I shudder. Emerick telling me how we met was an intimate moment for us. It felt real, like I was finally getting a glimpse into past me. I understood myself then, understood how I could have fell for Emerick.

And yet, it was nothing but a lie.

"What else has he lied about?"
 
Vade crouches in front of me, capturing me in the intensity of his gaze. "Everything. Avila, you need to understand that Emerick is very dangerous. He doesn't operate like you or me. He wants the people you love dead."

I wrap my arms around myself feeling like a fool. I was war of him, and yet I still believed what he was telling me. I didn't think he had any reason to lie to me, but I was wrong.

"I'll never see him again. I promise you," I assure Vade.

"I'm afraid that won't be up to you. He's always been obsessed with you, and just because we are married doesn't mean he will give up."

"Do I tell anyone?"
 
Vade immediately shakes his head, shifting to sit next to me on the bed. "No, otherwise you risk people finding out you were once working with a rebellion. Things are tense enough."

"Do you think I'm safe?" I whisper.

I don't feel safe. Emerick stalked me all the way here, miles away from home. Instead of waiting, he chased me down, and that is terrifying.

"I don't see a world where Emerick would harm you. He thought he loved you," Vade assures me, although I hear the sharp edge to his voice.

He doesn't know anything for certain.

"Why would I love someone like that? What if I'm still that person?" I ask.

Vade smiles softly, like that doesn't concern him at all. "You're not. I assure you."

I'm glad he feels that way, since he's been wary of me since I came back to life. It seems he's finally seeing how different I am, and he's putting everything behind him.

A thought suddenly pops into my head, which tempts me to break this tender moment.

"Why were you covered in blood that night when I came back late? I was at a meeting with Emerick, where I decided I didn't want anything to do with him."

Vade sighs roughly, rubbing a hand down his face. He agreed to be truthful. He knows he can't run from this anymore.

"I have a...hobby," he admits reluctantly.

My eyes narrow. "What is it?"

"It isn't very pleasant, and it may change your perception of me." He turns his body to face me, trying to convey that I have no reason to be afraid of him.

"Tell me," I demand.

"I've been finding members of the rebellion, and I've been...exterminating them," he says, choosing his words carefully as if they will come off less hard to swallow.

My heart jumps into my throat. "You're killing people?"

"There is a war going on out there. In the manor, you have been sheltered, not exposed to the bloodshed that readily occurs," he explains smoothly. "Members of the rebellion aren't just fighting some cause. They kill innocent people for amusement."

"Why don't you find them and report them to the guards?"

"It's almost impossible to prove they work for the rebellion. They are very careful about it." He rubs his jaw thoughtfully. "All that would happen is that they would spend a small amount of time locked up before being let out again."

My stomach twists. I got a glimpse into that when I went into to the rebellion meeting. Emerick made it feel like the members were being targeted for no reason, but this changes everything.

I trust Vade more than I trust Emerick. I don't think it's in his nature to kill for his own enjoyment.

"You can't kill people," I say steadily.

Vade's eyes are sad. "I have no other choice."

If this gets out, there will be trouble. However, it seems Vade has been doing this for a while, and knows what he is doing. Had I not caught him that night, I'd have no idea.

"I...okay."

His brows raise. "You're okay with this?"

"No, but I believe you are doing this for what you think are the right reasons." I run my damp palms along my thighs. "Perhaps I can speak to my father and he can help with the issue."

"Your father won't do anything. He has far bigger problems in a much larger territory."

"I'll be seeing him tomorrow..." I bring up.

I've been brought back to life now for a few months, and I've only seen my father once. Apparently he's out doing business, and yet, my mother, the Queen, remains safely at home. Something doesn't feel right about it, but I try not to ask questions.

It's easier to forget about him.

"I know," Vade murmurs.

"I'm nervous."

"Try not to have too many expectations." Vade rubs my knee, offering me a smile. "Your father is a complicated man."

"I know," I sigh roughly, standing. "I better get back to my room."

Vade grabs my wrist, stopping me.

"Stay with me tonight," he offers gently.

To be honest, I don't feel like returning to my room. It's late, and I want to curl up in bed in his warm embrace.

"Okay," I let him tug me toward him. "I will."

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