When they got back to the hotel room Trinity collapsed on her bed, still wearing her dress. Takeo flopped down on his bed and crawled under the covers. "Goodnight." he said as he turned off the light.

Trinity was exhausted, but couldn't fall asleep. Something was gnawing on the back of her mind. She waited about a half an hour before deciding to wake up Takeo. She walked over to his bed. He was pretty cute when he was asleep, peaceful, relaxed. She put her hand on his arm and whispered, "Takeo, are you awake?"

He made a noise that could have been called a grumble and turned to face her. When he saw who it was he sat up. "Princ... Trinity? What are you still doing up?" He glanced at the clock, "It's almost two in the morning and you need some sleep."

"I know, it's just I want to talk. Earlier, you said something and I want to know what you meant by it." She still wasn't sure if she wanted her question answered, but she felt that she had to know in order to remember anything.

He turned on the light and scooted over in the bed. When she didn't move to join him, he patted the bed, as if he were giving her permission. She crawled under the covers, making sure to stay a safe distance away. "What was your question?"

She didn't know how to begin, "Well, earlier this morning, or, I guess, this evening, you said something."

"Yes, I said many things." He was slowly drifting to sleep again. She knew she had to spit out her question, fast.

"Well, what did you mean when you said that you have it worse than me right now and that I don't know your life?" She squeezed her eyes shut. She did not want to upset him again or see his initial reaction when he heard her question. "I mean I know I don't remember you right now, but..." She opened her eyes to find him sitting up, completely straight.

"I guess you are entitled to those answers, huh?" He gave a nervous laugh.

"I mean, only if you want to. I was just curious, that's all." She interlocked her fingers and twiddled her thumbs and tried not to look too intent on what he might do or say.

"Well," He started, "It's a long story, but you look like you are wide awake, so here it goes. Wow, I really don't know where to start." He rubbed the back of his head; his hair sticking up in all directions.

"How about you start with your family? Why were you raised to protect me?" That question had been bothering her for a while now, but she was also just glad that he was opening up to her.

"Well, I was raised to protect you because your parents were the ones who raised me." Her eyes went wide, "It's not what you think. My parents were actually sold as slaves to the king after I was born, my older brother was killed as he was too young to help his cause. They were sold to use their magic for the king's chores. Of course, he had no use for infants who couldn't even walk. He had his men throw me in the river behind my house. They thought I had drowned, and I would have if your parents hadn't been nearby. Your mom used some of her magic to control the water just enough to keep me on top of the waves as your father swam out to get me. Ever since then, they raised me as their own." He looked at her to make sure he should go on. She just nodded at him and he went on with the story. "About a year and a half after, you were born. That was when my training began, the second I could walk."

He looked at her as if asking for permission to continue, she nodded, "My training was brutal, for I was being trained to protect the future queen. I was beaten when I made a mistake and was cut by a sword if I lost a battle. I was four when I got my first scar." He lifted up his shirt so she could see some of his wounds. There were at least six in the small area on his side that he had revealed. She wondered how she had missed that when she saw his chest the first day she woke up.

She looked at him, "May I?" He nodded. She traced the smallest one with her finger. Takeo winced as if he were reliving how he had gotten it all over again. "I might be able to heal it. If I can figure out how to control my magic."

"You can't. Your parents healed my wounds, but left them as scars so I would be reminded how much you were worth to them and how I could not fail."

"My parents sound horrible! How could they have ever done that to you?" Her eyes were full of tears.

"No, it was nothing like that! They never gave me the scars, physically, they just... left me with them, I guess. They never wanted me to get hurt, but I was never their son. They told me what had happened to me and my parents for my sixth birthday. I deserved it because earlier that day I got mad at you 'putting me through this' and I had threatened to hurt you. Your parents set me straight and ever since I've been protecting you." He looked at her, waiting for her to tell him to continue, but she never did.

"Why do you protect me? You don't owe me."

"No, but I owe your parents for my life, and as I said before, I really do love you. So, yeah, there's that. Plus, it wasn't all that bad. I had made friends in the process and even had one of the boys in my training unit practically take the role as an older brother to me." He smiled, thinking about this boy.

"Have you ever told me any of this before? About what happened to you and your family."

His smile faded. "Trinity, you have to understand that I would never tell you anything that would put you in danger. I thought that if I told you, you would do something reckless. I told you that your parents took me in after my parents had abandoned me and that your family had been nice enough to raise me."

"I hated them, your parents, for that, didn't I?" She couldn't look at him.

"Yes, but it had to be that way. You understand, don't you?" He lifted his hands from the covers as if to wipe her tears, but decided against it. 

"You went through all that pain and suffering and lying for me?" When she finally looked at him he was staring at her, admiring her.

"Always." He said simply. "Now, what else did you want to know? It's getting late. I'll give you one more question."

"How long did we live with the rebels?" This answer would hopefully answer two of her questions.

"A little over three years." Takeo answered.

"And they still sacrificed us? They took us in when we were no older than fourteen and the second you could fend for yourself, they made us leave?"

"It's not like that. You know it's not like that. We were endangering them just by being there and the rebellion has to go on if we want to get rid of the king." He was all in for this cause.

"You mean me."

"What?" He was growing tense again.

"You mean that I was endangering them just by being there. I was the one with the magic, not you. I led the king to the rebellion, not you. I got us into this whole mess, not you." Her vision was blurry from holding back the tears.

"You know that isn't true, Trinity." Takeo said softly, "You know that I will always be with you until the day I die. I would never replace you for anything. You know this." He gently put his hand under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking right at him. "I would do anything for you, and you know it."

She didn't know why, but her tears flowed then. She couldn't stop them, no matter how hard she tried. This boy had been through so much just for her and she couldn't even remember him. He deserved better. Trinity couldn't contain herself as Takeo pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't know why, but this made her cry harder. He felt safe, but all she felt was anger. Anger at the king, anger at her parents, and anger at herself. He should hate her, but instead he devoted his life to her. He had received his first scar when he was four, he went into training the second he could walk.

She didn't know how long she sat there in his arms sobbing or when she finally drifted off to sleep. What she did know was that she had to do something, anything so she could to make sure this boy didn't have to suffer through anything else.