I put aside my pride. I knew that Ashe would pummel me if I kept fighting like a suffocating dog. Not to mention that I might've had something in my stomach.

"Fine. I don't want to train anymore," i grumbled out.

Ashe's furrowed brows furrowed even more. "I thought you said you wanted to?"

"I had a change of heart."

Or I had gotten what I wanted. Same difference, right?

Ashe threw me my dagger back. "Let's go."

"What?"

"We're going back."

I was about to argue against the idea, but Ashe already walked away. I raced after, shuffling to a stop next to him.

"You'll train me a different day, right?" I asked.

He sighed. "Depends on my mood. If I'm feeling extra bouncy I might."

What did that even mean? Extra "bouncy"? That had to be one of the most ridiculous things I'd ever heard.

I stayed quiet as we approached Rysdan, who was casually perched on a tree.

"Hello, Ashey boy. You too, Princess," Rysdan greeted. He didn't even look down, so how did he know we were there?

Suddenly, Rysdan jumped down from his branch and brushed off the branches from his clothes. "You're looking quite radiant today, Princess. The blood compliments your eyes." He pointed at my lips.

"You're too kind," I said dryly.

"Ashey boy, you look...," Rysdan started, glancing at Ashe, "extra... giggly. Sorry, I'm not good with compliments."

"I know," Ashe mumbled. Ashe seemed annoyed, but I could see him grin a bit. "I need to go."

"Where?" I asked.

"None of your business," Ashe bit back.

"I say just stay with Rysdan for now," the voice in my head advised.

I had to agree with it. Poor me had put Ashe in a bad mood.

Ashe walked off, leaving me with Rysdan.

Well, I could always ask him for a genuine favor. Like, perhaps, helping me break into the library. It was probably too risky to ask, but I knew I needed help.

After today's "training session", that clearly showed how skilled I was. Rysdan was my one way into getting into the library.

Rysdan and I started walking back onto the paths. I didn't particularly know where we were going. Maybe to the Tent? It didn't matter.

"Rysdan," I started.

He glanced over at me.

"I was wondering if I could ask for a little favor."

We paused on the path. Rysdan crossed his arms. "Why would I help you?"

How did one answer a question like that?

"Because you're kind-hearted?" I hoped he was. He had to be better than Ashe.

I could see him genuinely ponder about it. His eyes wondered around, then landed back at me. "No," he finally said, then began to walk again.

I refused to walk. "Odaya would be ashamed," I called after him.

He immediately stopped walking and turned around. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't try to tell me you two haven't done more than hugging, Rysdan." I reached into one of the pockets of my cloak, wrapping my palm around the fake necklace I had stolen off Odaya.

"That's not your business." Rysdan walked back toward me. The wrinkles that were around his eyes faded away, and any hint of a grin vanished.

I pulled my hand out of my cloak pocket, the necklace coming out with it. "I think it's our business now."

His charcoal eyes widened slightly as he stared at the necklace. It was a emerald color now. "How'd you get that?"

"Wrong question." I handed him the fake necklace. "Look closer. Tell me that doesn't look fake."

He analyzed the necklace throughly. Rysdan stayed quiet, but his eyes screamed a thousand things. What happened between Odaya and him to cause this amount of hurt? Something inside me churned at the thought of Rysdan hurt.

"It looks like costume jewelry," he said. "What the hell?"

"Exactly!" I tried to take it out of his hand, but he pulled away quickly. "Look, I know something happened between Odaya and you, but she's hiding something."

"Obviously. She must've shown this to the people so they don't question what she's doing." He sighed and slipped the fake necklace into his pockets.

I shifted in my place. "She doesn't have the real one."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know." Damn, why was it so hard to lie like this in his face? "But I think there's something in the library."

"And you want me to break in and find out?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Not exactly." I pursed my lips and held onto his arm. "Both of us could go in. Odaya's guards will recognize you, but they don't quite know me. We could break in somehow." I leaned forward a bit. "Sneak in."

I straightened my back and waited for him to respond. I'd never seen him this analytical before. It wasn't like I had been spending much time with him.

"I know something happened between Odaya and you." I gently rubbed my hands on his arm. "If you don't want to help me, I understand. But please, don't tell anyone about this."

Rysdan clenched his jaw as he inhaled sharply. "Odaya's doing something."

"Thank you for the new information." I crossed my arms, trying to not completely get my eyes stuck to the back of my head.

"No, seriously."

He looked around, then pulled my off the path and back into the woods. We stopped next to a rather large tree.

"Last year, Odaya went to Entorre to find the Amulet of Torth. Apparently, Avaloryn's mother was the last keeper of it, and Odaya managed to befriend Avaloryn to get the Amulet. It ended up with King Lius executing Avaloryn's mother for treason and Avaloryn on the run with the Amulet." Rysdan paused, clearing his throat. "Then some things with between Odaya and Prince Kace arose, which caused a massive hunt for Odaya all across Entorre. They... they had fliers with Odaya's face, claiming that she was to marry Prince Kace."

That woman was Odaya? I always knew Kace had forgotten about me, but I never thought he could go and try to marry her. Especially after what happened with his brother and my sister. When Kace and I broke off our engagement afterwards, it had taken its toll on my own wellbeing. Soon after, I met Ilias.

I held onto his arm and tightened my grip.

Rysdan's eyes shimmered. "It doesn't matter. Odaya did what she needed to do to get the Amulet. I shouldn't be upset."

Quietly, I ran my hands down to his hands and held onto them. They were cold, but I didn't know why I didn't let go. "Don't feel like your own feelings are invaluable. Some people can't feel anything at all," I whispered.

Control, Valarya. Control.

His jaw clenched again, but this time, his eyes softened, and the little wrinkles around his eyes appeared again. "What a wise thing to say," he whispered back teasingly as he rubbed his thumb on the back of my hands.

"I'm wiser than an enchantress, Rysdan," I joked back.

"Don't flatter yourself too much. It might get into that massive head of yours." Rysdan held onto my hand as we started to walk back onto the path.

"I don't have a big head." I instinctively tried to measure the size of my forehead with my other hand, but I decided to not find out.

"It's bigger than certain things," Rysdan said.

I glared at him. "Like a mountain?" My forehead was not bigger than a mountain, was it?

"I don't know if I'd compare 'certain things' to a mountain." Rysdan forced out a cough.

When I finally understood the joke, I kicked his legs, watching him choke on the air and laugh.

"It must be small then," I replied, satisfied with myself.

Rysdan looked at me, lifting his brows. I kept looking forward, knowing that if I looked at him, he'd degrade my poor forehead even more.

Besides, I had other things going through my mind. I knew I should be focusing on the many things on my list of things to do, but I couldn't help but think of Kace.

And Ilias.