Clara had never been good with preparing for parties.

Which is why she now had half a mind to skip the Nowruz ball like every year, but one glance at Lila's excitement had her sigh in defeat. Had Hazel been around, she wouldn't have had such a hard time getting ready.

For the life of her, she couldn't tie her corset on her own.

Huffing out in frustration, her eyes caught onto the glimmer of metal on the side of her room. Eyeing her corset and the armor, she made the decision quite easily. A smile finally made its way onto her face as she settled into her dress the way she wanted.

Lila ran up to her with her choice of flower crown in her hand for Clara to adjust into her hair, but as soon as she saw her older sister, she burst into a fit of giggles.

"What?" Clara couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. "What's so funny?"

"You!" Her giggles intensified. 

Clara gasped dramatically, holding her hand to her heart as she looked at her sister in mock offense, watching her twirl away from the room, completely forgetting why she had come to Clara in the first place. The older sister smiled fondly at the sight; her sister's joy.

Knowing she wouldn't have had the energy nor ability to style her own hair well; Clara had wrapped her hair around a shawl the previous night and all she needed to do now was to unwrap it, letting her loose curls cascade down her back.

She then grabbed her flower crown and settled it onto her head.

She let out a shaky breath as she stared at her own reflection. Her body was littered with bruises and scars that were likely there to stay. Her dress didn't allow her to hide as she wanted, she figured that perhaps that was Hazel's goal when she picked it out for her.

There was no denying that her dress was gorgeous; the light tulle of the skirt blended nicely with her armor-corset, making it look more like an accessory than anything. 

She thought the grey of the fabric was very fitting to her mind.

Tearing her gaze away from the mirror, she lifted her skirt and headed out, calling for Lila to join her. She smiled at the lopsided flower crown on her head, and upon noticing how proud she was of her work, she too readjusted her own flower crown to match Lila's.

No matter who said what about her appearance, nothing could melt the happiness she got from seeing Lila's grin widen at the act.

The castle yard was beautifully decorated with all sorts of flowers from every kind one could imagine. 

Avelyn was well known for its agriculture; the soil and climate were perfect for plants to thrive in, not to mention how skilled the farmers were. Though there were many laws established in favor of the kingdom's natural resources, they weren't needed to have the citizens abide by them. The people all valued nature and were highly protective of it.

Clara couldn't help but take a deep breath, letting the floral aroma calm her nerves.

She desperately needed it.

She gave no mind to the looks she'd received upon entering the venue and instead watched over her sister as she ran over to her friends that she'd spotted. Clara smiled at them, waving a quick hi before she wandered around.

Gowns in the most beautiful colors were scattered around the large yard, accompanied by suits of bright colors. Royals and civilians alike; that was the real magic of Nowruz. The only thing differentiating royalty from common folk was the sparkly headpieces they wore to show their rank, but otherwise they all mingled and talked to one another as friends.

Throughout welcoming all the guests from other kingdoms, Victor kept glancing around, awaiting a certain brunette to make an appearance. It wasn't until he'd finished going around and went back to his friends did he hear the familiar laugh of a seven year old girl. 

Alan chuckled at the way his face immediately brightened up as he scanned the area for the general. He nudged Hazel, who was in deep conversation with Carmen and Thomas. Now all sets of eyes landed on Victor as he checked his reflection in the shiny goblet he was holding. 

Deciding to tease him, Hazel quickly found her friend in the crowd and raised her hand.

"Clara!" She yelled, grinning at his flushed face. "Over here!"

Clara sighed in relief upon hearing her best friend's voice. She excused her way to her friends, apologizing to anyone she bumped into accidentally. Hazel's grin faded away as soon as her eyes roamed over Clara's dress.

"The one time I'm not there to get ready with her and she wears armor over her dress..." She mumbles to herself with a huff, squishing her own cheeks in frustration. Alan and Thomas let out amused laughs as Carmen stifled her giggle while she rubbed Hazel's back in attempt to comfort her.

Victor grinned once she approached them with a sheepish smile directed at her best friend.

"I tried."

"I am never letting you dress up alone ever again." Hazel crossed her arms before a smile snuck its way onto her lips and she rolled her eyes. She pulled her in for a hug and knocked on the armor when she parted from her.

"Though it's not what I expected, it's very...you." Carmen smiled before hugging her as well.

"I've only ever been waiting for you to do this since we were sixteen." Alan wiped away a tear that had escaped from how hard he'd laughed.

"Quite the first impression, general." Thomas chuckled, offering his hand.

"I hope a good one, your majesty." Clara laughed and shook his hand, blushing when he raised her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it.

"An impeccable one, I assure you." He flashed her a charming smile. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you." She smiled.

Victor's smile fell as he watched the interaction. However, he swallowed his feelings and cleared his throat, breaking their eye contact. Clara turned to him with a small smile, her cheeks still flushed.

"I'm surprised you don't have a spoon in your hair this time." He chuckled and Clara laughed, making his heart skip a beat. 

Clara looked over at Hazel with a raised eyebrow as the curly haired girl looked away, pretending to admire the flowers around them before made eye contact with Victor and she smiled sheepishly, playing with the ends of her hair.

"What?" She exclaimed. "It's handy!"

"One wears utensils and one wears armor." Victor started before Alan finished for him. "Quite the pair, you two."

"And don't you forget it." Hazel winked at her soon to be fiancé, who grinned back.

They conversed for a while longer until people began dancing with each other. A prince approached Carmen and asked her to dance with him. Before anyone could ask Hazel to dance, Alan swept her away, twirling her over to the dance floor. Clara was midst laughing at her friends before Thomas silently offered his hand, gesturing to the rest of the dancers. 

Blushing, Clara hesitantly put her hand in his and they walked over to the middle where everyone else danced happily.

Victor watched with furrowed eyebrows and a sinking heart. His chest felt heavy with disappointment, and he gulped, only now realizing just how deep his feelings might be. Tearing his gaze away from them, he scanned the room to find someone to dance with. 

Only this time, he avoided all the women waiting for him eagerly.

He knew he should have paid attention to his dancing partner, but his eyes couldn't help but wander over to Clara and Thomas. His gut wrenched every time he saw them laugh together. All he could think of while he took the correct steps was how it felt to dance with Clara. He'd never properly danced with her, except for a few elongated moments within the traditional dance that he would forever cherish. He could still feel her touch on the back of his neck, grazing his hair just before she slid it down to his shoulders. His hands involuntarily ghosted over the maiden's waist, his muscle memory keeping him from placing any pressure to Clara's wounded areas.

But he wasn't dancing with Clara.

He plastered on his famous smile and tried to fill his mind with the music instead. Focusing too hard on not focusing on Clara, Victor almost stepped on his partner's foot and he apologized deeply. Feeling out of control, he looked over to the prince and the general, noticing how the latter hid her winces in a tight smile. Her moves were getting slower and her eyelids fluttered more often. Her cheeks were too red for it to be a blush.

She was getting tired.

Due to the nature of her injuries, Clara couldn't train or exhaust herself for a long time. She'd only just been allowed to slowly transition into how things were before; so it wasn't surprising that dancing had taken such a toll on her.

Noticing the song coming to its end, Victor excused himself with a bow and headed towards the stage, notifying the band to stop once the song is at its end. Knowing Clara, she would refuse to take a break and say that she was fine, so Victor took matters into his own hands and decided to give everyone a break from dancing to announce his new plans.

"Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please?" Victor yelled out while clapping his hands after the music stopped. 

He watched as Clara let out a small breath of relief. The guests began to nudge each other, making them aware that the prince was about to speak. In no more than two minutes, the yard settled, save for the few laughs here and there by the children who were still in their own world playing.

"First I'd like to thank you all for coming today," Victor glanced at his father who smiled up at him. "we wish you all a very happy Nowruz. Now, I want to introduce a project I am working on, but before I do that, I must introduce you all to my new personal advisor who will be leading this project with me. Everyone, please give it up for Hazel Taylor!"

Clara gasped but thankfully she was too shocked to slap someone near her, and in this case, the prince of Elvaria.

Hazel grinned shyly and made her way onto the stage next to Victor. He welcomed her brightly and all the familiar faces cheered her name. Both of them could make out Clara and Alan's voices clearly, since they were cheering the loudest. Hazel had to raise her hand to her cheeks, hoping it would relieve the warmth spreading through her. She waved at Clara excitedly once she had made her way closer to the stage to stand with Alan. 

"You want to start this?" Victor asked quietly between them.

"You sure?" He nodded and Hazel cleared her throat before facing the crowd again.

"We want Avelyn to be a home." Hazel spoke clearly. "And homes require justice and equality among all members. I'm sure you're all aware of what had happened weeks ago, but that was only the start of it. It is time that we change history and write it ourselves. Women deserve to be heard too, and now, we will be."

"Although we have many women in our royal council, we believe there should be another, specifically for women's rights. You don't need to have a title to be part of it. This is something that is for all women, by all women. This is as much your project as it is mine. I trust Hazel will lead our home to a new age, with the help of every single one of you."

Victor's eyes met Clara's and she smiled sincerely.

"Our wonderful general is a woman." He said, his eyes not leaving hers. "You all know her as a friend first, she has shown us all the true power you all have; men and women alike. That is what we need in Avelyn. And this is us taking the first step to a better Avelyn for all; where there's safety inside and outside all homes. If there are any reports of domestic abuse, be assured that they will be handled in the best way possible."

Clara was in awe of everything Hazel and Victor talked about. She smiled at the way they effortlessly finished each other's sentences and filled in when the other didn't find the right words. Seeing the trust between them eased her heart to trust him again too. Clara couldn't help but wonder if she truly inspired this. Glancing around at all the women, those with diamonds and those with simple flowers weaved in their hair, all of them listening intently and happily. 

Good. She thought to herself, her smile widening. They should know just how much they're worth.

When they were done speaking, the crowd burst into cheers once again. The high pitch overpowered the sound of all the claps. It was truly something to be proud of. Clara's eyes trailed over Victor, her head tilted slightly as she watched him interact with the guests once he came down from the stage. The music started once more, and with an extra pep in their steps, everyone returned to dancing, this time a little more upbeat to match the newfound energy.

Before she could approach her friends to congratulate them, Alan tugged on her arm, pulling her onto the dance floor.

"They're surrounded by too many people, we'll go to them later." He explained with a shrug. Clara chuckled and went along with it, grateful that he took it slow so that she didn't get tired too fast.

"Did you know about this?" She asked.

Alan nodded and twirled her around softly.

"Victor told me when we were buying Hazel's ring." Clara grinned.

"You found the one?" She had to stop herself from jumping and instead took the right steps in order to keep the dance going.

Alan looked over at Hazel and smiled softly, admiring her bright smile as she talked about their project, her eyes glistening with pride and excitement.

"I have."

Clara followed his gaze, her cheeks hurting from how much she was smiling. Her eyes flitted over to Victor for a few seconds before they returned on Hazel. 

"Let's visit her parents tomorrow, yeah?" She patted Alan's shoulder lightly.

"Yeah..." He breathed out nervously.

Suddenly, people began to switch partners randomly with the one nearest to them. Alan and Clara parted for a moment in confusion, lightly laughing between themselves. Just in time, Hazel made her way to them, and Clara pushed them away so they could dance together, but not before cheekily winking at her best friend with a promise that they'd talk later.

Victor noticed that Clara was alone so he hurriedly excused himself and rushed towards her, not noticing the spilt drink on the floor which made him slip and lose his balance. He sighed in relief when he caught himself before he fell, but a frown made its way onto his lips when he saw that Clara was already dancing with someone he didn't even recognize.

Not having anymore energy to fight off his grumpiness, Victor rolled his eyes before he looked around to see the nearest single lady he could dance with before they switched partners so that he could dance with Clara.

Partners were changed two more times and Victor had yet to get a dance with Clara. He was so focused on her that he almost dropped the poor girl he was dancing with when he twirled her around a bit too strong and with a weak grip. He apologized and smiled sheepishly. Luckily, they switched partners again, but this time Victor left his spot and ran over to Clara, hoping no one saw him do that.

"Mind if I have this dance?" He asked, slightly flushed and out of breath.

"I'd be honored." She smiled and took his hand.

Victor's heart fluttered and he smiled widely, the corners of his eyes wrinkling at the action. Taking the lead in the dance, Victor gently guided Clara's body around, making sure he didn't put much pressure anywhere he knew she was hurt in.

"What you announced..." Clara started. "It's an incredible cause. I'm really glad you're doing it, and you chose the best person to help you."

"I'm glad you think so." His cheeks tinted red at her gaze. "I have you to thank for that."

"Me?" The look of shock didn't go unnoticed by the prince, and he wondered how someone so smart could be so clueless to their influence on their surroundings.

"For starters, I never would have met Hazel if it weren't for you forcibly dragging me to the kitchen every other day." He teased and Clara laughed lightheartedly, simply shrugging at him. Victor rolled his eyes with a smile in response. "Most importantly, you really opened my eyes to what's important."

"And what is that?" 

You.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, threatening to escape. His chest tightened at their proximity and he gazed into her eyes, memorizing every little line and pattern in her brown iris. His breath got caught in his throat, her question making him realize how differently he'd been thinking lately.

The voice in his head was a completely different person; now someone worthy of their kingdom.

And it was all because of her.

"Everything." He answered. 

Clara tilted her head slightly, curious to hear more. Their conversation paused for a moment as Victor twirled her and brought her back into his chest gently. He hoped the armor she wore over her dress would stop her from feeling his rapid heartbeat.

"There is so much to care about," he explained, looking down at her. He couldn't tell if his words were still about the project. "things I never knew about, things I want to know more of...every little part of yo-"

He cleared his throat and shook his head, repeating his words.

"I want to do better for Avelyn, and I have to take care of all aspects even if it has nothing to do with me...It's more than just my life."

"Guess I can't call you a royal rodent anymore, can I?" Clara smiled softly at him, her hands intertwining behind his neck as they swayed around, not noticing the step they took closer to each other. 

"I'm sure you'll find something." He chuckled.

He couldn't get enough of her laughter. His eyes trailed over her lips as she bit them in order to hold back her giggles.

"I really am proud of you." Clara said. "You're a lot more tolerable now."

This time, it was victor who threw his head back, laughing happily.

"Speaking of," he grew shy. "I uhh...I really am sorry for the way I treated you back when we trained. I-"

"You were frustrated, I get it." She cut him off. "I wasn't too great of a coach either...so let's just turn the page?"

"That I can do." He smiled sincerely. "Did I mention you look beautiful today?"

"Oh?"

"Not that you don't everyday-" His eyes widened. "It's just that today you look prettier than ever in that dress-"

"Because I should wear a dress at all times?"

"What?" Too panicked to notice that Clara was only teasing him, he continued to blurt out nonsense. "No, no, I mean you look pretty in armor too it's just that today with the flowers and the armor and-"

"Victor!" Clara cut him off, no longer able to hold back her laugh as she lightly hit his chest. "I'm only teasing you."

Victor let out a breath of relief and narrowed his eyes at her.

"What I'm trying to say is," he tried once more. "You look amazing; armor and all."

"Thank you." She blushed. "You look quite handsome yourself; you should wear purple more often."

He noted that down mentally.

"Oh!" Clara gasped, remembering the threats of her younger sister. "Lila wanted me to give you this."

Clara pulled out a flower that matched her sister's flower crown from her own hair where she'd put it for safekeeping. Victor admired the white carnation and his breath hitched when Clara reached up and tangled the flower into the jewels he wore on his head.

"This one is a little silly," Clara chuckled, pulling out a stem of dill. "we read that this is supposed to keep evil away, and Lila insisted we give you some."

Victor bowed his head for her to place it on as well. Clara couldn't help but smile at his acceptance. The Victor she knew at first would never have let herbs even touch him, but here he was now, confidently displaying the plants her little sister had presented him.

"I'll forever cherish them." He grinned.

Too lost in the moment, neither of them anticipated the sound that boomed across the yard. One of the band members had dropped his metallic instrument, and the clashing sound startled Clara into another episode.

Instantly, her heart sank and her breath got caught in her throat.

Victor could feel her tremble and shake under his hands. She had her eyes shut tight and was taking ragged shallow breaths. Tears were escaping and trailing down her cheeks. Clara clutched her heart before she opened her eyes, her vision blurred and unfocused. She couldn't hear Victor talking to her, his voice drowned by the sound of clashing swords and dying screams. 

So many people are grieving. Too many people are alone. Families were torn apart because of me.

 Clara looked around frantically, trying to grasp the situation, but when her eyes fell on Isabell who stood all alone hugging herself as she gazed longingly at the crowd she all but lost the last bit of composure she had.

Taking steps back from Victor, who had never given up on trying to get through to her, she ran away, entering the castle without slowing her pace. With no direction in mind, she ran until she collapsed on the ground, her knees aching at the sudden collide with the floor. Victor dropped next to her, gently holding her shoulder and trying to get her to look at him.

His heart broke seeing her like that. He felt so useless; nothing he said or did could get through to her and break her out of her trance. With no other option in mind, he hesitantly ran his hand through her hair.

She calmed down.

Noticing this, he moved closer to her and continued to softly comb his fingers through her soft hair.

"You're okay..." He whispered to her. "You're not alone, I'm here...you'll be alright."

"There were...There..." Clara struggled to speak in between her breaths. "Less people than usual?"

"I guess yeah?" Victor didn't understand where she was going with this, but he tried to be honest with her. "There have always been more people at this ball."

Apparently, that was the wrong answer. Clara doubled over and sobbed her heart out. What hurt Victor most was that she still made no sound, covering her mouth and holding in the yells he knew she wanted to let out.

She kept all the pain to herself.

"My fault." She wheezed.

Only then did Victor realize what she was talking about. He pulled her closer into his chest, softly combing his fingers through her hair in attempt to calm her down.

"None of it is your fault, Clara."

"My parents would still be alive if it weren't for me." She cried. "Lila would have a family..."

"She does have a family, Clara." He reassured her. "She's so happy with you."

"It could have been better though!" Clara wiped her tears harshly. "Why do they all leave?"

Victor wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say. Clara spoke up again shortly.

"Edwin and my dad were the only ones who fought for me, and they lost. I lost them. I'm the reason they're gone. It should've been me...God, it should've been me" She sobbed into his chest, clutching the lavender fabric of his shirt. 

 "Clara...don't say that."He was met with another sob."Survivor's guilt" 

 "What?" 

 "What you're going through...it's...it's called survivor's guilt."

 "How do you know that?" 

 ".. I've been reading." 

 "Oh."

By now she had stopped crying and it reduced to sniffles and occasional hiccups.

"I know it feels lonely sometimes," Victor said. "but you're not. No one is truly alone. Yeah, we lost many people...but that's just life. It's out of your control; you can't protect everyone. Edwin and your father were there to protect you when you couldn't protect yourself. You are worth staying alive for them, so relieve that guilt because it was their choice. You've given Lila the best life you could, and she's so happy. She has a family; you, Hazel, Alan, me...she has us all wrapped around her little fingers and you know we'd fight for her...just like we'd fight for you."

Clara pulled away, taking in his words as she nodded, silently wiping away her own tears. Victor pushed her hands away gently, softly running his thumb over her cheeks to wipe the last tear that fell.

"You always fight for everyone, let us fight for you."

She watched him, looking deeply into his eyes; looking for any sign that he might be lying to her. But she didn't. She sniffled once again and nodded slowly, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards.

"Thank you."

Victor smiled at her and got up, offering his hand to help her stand.

This time, she accepted.

FREAKING FINALLY!!!

I HAVE BEEN DYING TO GET ANOTHER CHAPTER OUT!! Uni has completely ruined my ability to write what I love for so long. Finals were hell, but I survived.

HELLO SUMMER VACATION-

It actually started like a week ago but I got sick so it doesn't count lol.

Anyways, I'm so proud of all the characters. They make me cry on a daily basis. I love them so much...

I hope you guys love them as much as me. Please let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for reading <3 

I appreciate you so much.

Until next time...see you soon!