Fighting A Losing Battle

Marcus pokes at the food on his plate. He flinches when his mother lets out a frustrated scream. He puts his fork down as he has lost his appetite. His parents started this fight yesterday and they have been at each others' throats since. Marcus thought they got everything out of their systems, but that was only the beginning. It has reached a boiling point this morning.

"If you had listened to me, she would not be doing this," his father says, rubbing his temples. He sounds exhausted. His mother scoffs, her hand clutching the tablecloth. Anger boils inside her and she fails to control it any longer.

"Oh please! This is not my fault. She is a spoiled brat because you let her do whatever she wants. She does not have to abide by any rules, because she never suffers the consequences. You are always there to get her out of trouble. Do you know what the people are saying about her? And the worst of it all," his mother's hand curls into fists as she is still clinging to the tablecloth, "You are never there for Marcus. Could you make it more obvious that she is your favorite? What about Marcus? He is the future of this kingdom and you just cast him aside!" His mother's voice quakes.

Marcus sees her lips tremble and tears forming in her eyes. She forces the tears back, determination in her eyes. Marcus shifts around in his chair, wishing that he could leave. He knows where this is going. It always comes down to this.

Why do they try to compare Amara to him? It is no use. They are too different. Amara is not meant for this royal life, whereas he was born to be the leader, the king. He knows that his father has a soft spot for Amara and that never bothered him. His father still showed more love and compassion towards him than his mother ever has.

His mother is so blinded by hate because of something his father did. She seems to struggle to differentiate between Amara and his father. He understands why she struggles to let it go, but it is not Amara's fault. Why is she taking it out on Amara?

His father tries to answer, but his mother interrupts him. She never lets him speak. He shuts his eyes as he hears them arguing louder and louder. After a while, they are not arguing anymore. It is just outright yelling meaningless words at one another. Marcus slams his hands on the table, unable to listen to it.

"That's it!" He cannot tolerate this anymore. He stands up from his chair and looks at the ceiling. They stopped their yelling and arguing. He lets out a defeated sigh and looks at his parents.

His mother slowly falls back into her seat. A tear rolls down her cheek and she sniffles. Marcus takes a moment to collect himself. He cannot even remember the days when they were happy. Were they ever happy? All he can remember is the constant fighting and tears.

"All this," Marcus gestures to his parents, "is not Amara's fault. This is on you," he points at his father and then turns to his mother, "and you!" The Queen opens her mouth to speak, but he puts his hand in the air to stop her. "No, you have said enough. You have done enough damage." He starts to walk away but turns around to face his parents. He cannot look into their eyes, managing to find his voice.

"Why- Why do you do this? Did you ever love each other?" Marcus asks with a broken voice. He shakes his head before he turns around and heads out of the dining room. He does not need to hear their answers. He already knows the answer.

He jogs down the hall while he tries to forget about his parents. He cannot think about his parents. He has to focus on the social season and his potential wife.

When he passes Amara's chambers, he stops at her door and knocks. He waits for an answer, even though he knows she is not there. She missed the breakfast picnic yesterday and she did not come home last night. Where can she be? The fights always get worse when she is not here.

Marcus continues to jog toward his chambers and enters through the heavy wooden door. He sits on the edge of his bed and lets out a heavy sigh. He falls back on the mattress with a loud groan. He cannot worry about Amara and he cannot worry about his parents.

He must focus on his future. At least he has many girls who are interested in him. Some may be more interested in the crown than him, but it's something he has accepted. And on the bright side, his marriage cannot turn out worse than his parents' marriage.

His only focus is to find a girl who will be a good queen. Someone who supports him and someone who would be good to his people. It does not matter whether they love each other. It would be a pleasant addition, but he is not going to put his heart into it.

At that moment, his thoughts race to Zehra. He remembers how she looked in that lovely coral dress yesterday. The corner of his mouth curls upward as he remembers how flushed she was when the wind blew some strands of hair into her face.

A knock on his door rips him from his thoughts. He sits up when a servant enters. He completely forgot about the high tea. He stands up and shakes Zehra from his thoughts. He needs to get ready. As the servant helps him to get dressed, he starts to worry about Amara. Where can she be? She has to show up today. It cannot continue like this.

Wylan hums as he walks through the market in Town Square. His eyes scan over the items on the tables while his hand trails behind him, sliding over the items. His eyes catch something and he leans forward to inspect it. He grins to himself as he takes the item in his hand.

"Mara!" he yells. This is perfect. Where did she go?

"What?" Amara startles Wylan as she pops up from behind him. He raises the item to her face and she lets out a small yelp, smacking the item out of his hand. Wylan laughs at her reaction.

She moves closer with caution like it could strike at any moment. She bends over to get a closer look with her nose scrunched up. When Wylan picks the item up, she pretends to gag. Wylan rolls his eyes at her overreaction.

Amara bursts out laughing and Wylan cannot help but laugh with her. He holds it out to her, but she backs away, still laughing.

"Get that thing away from me." Her laughter grows even louder when Wylan chases her around with it. A few people scowl at them while shaking their heads. It is a bit early to be making so much noise.

Wylan stops and gestures for her to come closer. Amara is out of breath but still laughs when she reaches him. She takes the item from his hand and stares at it.

"You want to give her this?" Wylan nods his head.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, but it is perfect." Amara rolls what seems like a doll in her hand. It is covered in, what she assumes is, black fur. Wait, is that human hair? She touches the black human hair. Amara shudders and stuffs it back into his hand.

"That doll, if you can even call it that, is bad news." Wylan lifts the doll into the air while inspecting it.

"I am going to give this to her as my declaration of love," he says with amusement. "Did you know that there is a rule in Asosa about gifts? I did some research."

"Woah, you actually read a book for once. I don't believe you," Amara says, clapping her hands. Wylan rolls his eyes and scoffs.

"It states that when you receive a gift, you have to keep it. So she is not allowed to get rid of it." A wicked smile tugs at Wylan's lips.

"You're a horrible person, do you know that?" Amara laughs again. "If you give this to Ashlinn you will lose the bet, no doubt about it." Wylan shrugs. He does not care about the bet anymore. Messing with Ashlinn is way more fun than the bet anyway. She makes it too easy to get under her skin.

"Do you think she will like it?" he asks.

"Absolutely." Amara wheezes. She notices that there is another doll, similar to the one Wylan has, but it is covered in white fur or hair. She takes it and holds it out to him.

"Here is one for you, so you can be matching." Wylan shakes his head as he laughs, holding his hands up in defense.

"There is no way I'm getting one of these things. They are terrifying." Wylan waves to get the attention of the woman whose stand it is. Amara moves the doll from one hand to the other. She cannot help the smirk that sneaks onto her lips.

"If Ashlinn has to suffer, you can suffer with her. This was your evil plan. Just take the stupid doll, or are you that afraid of it?" The lady has shuffled closer in the meantime.

Wylan sighs and takes the doll reluctantly. He pays for the dolls and compares them, holding them next to each other. They are horrifying, but anything to get a reaction from Ashlinn. He chuckles and puts them in his pocket.

He throws his arm over Amara's shoulder and they head toward his cabin. They walk in comfortable silence. The summer sun is warm against Amara's skin with a gentle breeze flowing through the air.

Wylan remembers how he and Amara used to run through these open fields when he lived with them. He smiles to himself as the nostalgic memories play through his mind.

When they reach the stairs to his cabin, they come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you coming to the High Tea?" He bounces up the stairs. "Please come? Perhaps you can do something about the awkwardness. It is dreadful. You should've seen how uncomfortable it was yesterday at the picnic." Wylan shakes his head aggressively and it looks like he is having war flashbacks. Amara laughs. How bad it can it be?

"Yes, yes, I will be there." Wylan runs back down the stairs to her and hugs her.

"Thank you. I can't stand it anymore. Thank you," he says and squeezes her tightly. The Duchess calls him from the cabin. Amara wiggles out of his grip and ushers him towards the stairs. He bows his head and runs up the stairs, skipping two at a time.

Amara hears the Duchess rambling about him getting ready for the High Tea. She supposes that she should also head back to get ready. She groans and strolls back to the palace. She cannot avoid reality forever. She had a break yesterday.

When she reaches the palace, she stares at the entrance. The Queen and her father might be in the throne room, so they will spot her if she enters here. She decides to rather walk around and sneak in through the window to her chamber.

On her way, she passes the guards patrolling near her chambers. She waves to them and they bow in response. Since she can remember, she has always loved talking to the guards. She knows most of the guards' names and hangs out with many of them, especially at the feasts of the town's people. She does not know why, but she feels more comfortable with them than with people of her status.

It is also not her only reason. Being friends with the guards allows her to get away with many things, like this for example. The guards will never tell the Queen or her father that she sneaked into her chambers. She balances herself on the branch and starts to shuffle closer to her window. She grabs the window frame and jumps into her chambers. The hardwood floor creaks as lands on it.

She heads directly to her closet and flings the closet open. Her eyes move over the many dresses while she searches for a dress that will match the theme. A sudden knock startles her. For a moment, she does not move or breathe, hoping that the person will just leave.

After a while, she hears the footsteps receding. She continues her search for a dress. Her eyes fall on a dress and she pulls it out. Perfect.

Zehra approaches the seating charts and her eyes scan for her name. Her breath catches in her throat. Marcus' name rests next to hers. She blinks a couple of times, hoping that this is just her imagination. When the name remains in its place, she tries to calm her heart and take deep breaths. This could be a good opportunity. She just has to play her cards right.

Some of the people behind her groan and she bows her head to apologize. She skims over the other names at her table. On her way to her table, she frowns. Strangely, Marcus, Kaz, Wylan, and Amara are all at the same table. It is probably just a coincidence.

She notices that Kaz is already sitting at the table. He stares out into the distance. There are dark circles under his eyes. Zehra sits across from him and she clears her throat. Kaz does not move as continues to stare to the side.

"Kaz?" Zehra asks. Kaz tilts his head to her. He bows his head to acknowledge her presence. He then returns his gaze to the trees. Zehra sighs as she also turns her head to the side to take the environment in.

Their table is located under the shade of the surrounding trees. There are many tables clustered together in smaller circles. Their table is situated on the outer side of the circle. The green of the trees is complemented by the light shade of pink tablecloths. There are white and pink roses centered at every table. It is a lovely theme for a high tea.

Her flowy cream dress fits perfectly with the theme. She can hear the sound of birds echoing through the trees. It gives a pleasant feeling of calmness and freedom. She sees two birds flying together. They land on the grass near an empty table. Her thoughts start to drift to Marcus.

She wished that they had the chance to dance together at the ball the other night. But she has no idea how to get his attention. He is constantly surrounded by other girls. They were like flies yesterday at the picnic. She lets out a heavy sigh.

She needs to make an impression today because she might not get another opportunity like this again. She wanted to talk to him yesterday at the picnic, but Tybalt never gave her a chance to talk to anybody else. Kaz eventually chased him away after he got annoyed, but by then Marcus had left.

She glances at Kaz and cannot help but feel sorry for him. He has not had any luck with the girls so far. He does not have a lot going for him at the moment. She, on the other hand, has about four potential suitors. They are focused on her and they give her a good amount of attention. She does not have anything to complain about.

A sudden chill runs down her spine and she turns her head. She catches Tybalt staring at her. She swings her head back and takes a deep breath. He is not going to throw her off her game today. She looks around and notices Callian. He is seated between a girl and his brother. He laughs at something his brother said.

He is definitely her first choice if things do not work out with Marcus. Just as she lets out another sigh, Kaz puts his teacup down with too much force, a sharp noise ringing in her ears.

"What is going on with you? You have been sighing non-stop since the ball," Kaz looks at her. For the first time, she sees how dark the circles under his eyes are. Has he been getting any sleep at all?

"I'm just worried about my choices so far," she says. When she sees the irritation in Kaz's eyes, she wants to slap herself. She gives him a small smile before she takes a sip of her tea.

"At least you have choices," he says through his teeth. "All I can tell you is that I will not allow you to settle with Tybalt. I can assure you, that asshole will not put his hands on you again," Kaz says while he looks over Zehra's shoulder at Tybalt. Kaz sneers at him and Tybalt quickly focuses his attention on his plate.

Zehra smiles at Kaz. He relaxes in his seat and looks up at the sky. He is the one who has to worry about his option because at the moment, he has none. Whenever he tries to talk to a girl, it seems like they cannot wait to get away from him. He has to admit, It is partially his fault. He can seem cold and unapproachable, but none of the girls stay long enough to realize that it is only his exterior.

He sighs internally, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Maybe he should forget all this and go live in the forest. There he would be free of his mother and all the pressure of finding a future duchess. He would not have to worry about ruling Broadburg. He scoffs. One can only dream.

"Where are the others?" Zehra interrupts his thoughts. He shrugs. How should he know? He lifts the menu and reads through the choices. Zehra tries to devise a plan to get Marcus' attention. She realizes that Marcus must think about the future of Nerona when he chooses not only his wife but also the future queen. That is perhaps why he has not approached her. Would she be a good queen?

Panic runs through her when she realizes what it would mean if he were to choose her. Her eyes flicker to Callian. Should she simply forget Marcus and focus on Callian? They would make a powerful couple. They will be the talk of the season. Just forget Marcus. Just forget him. She tries to get him out of her head.

"Good afternoon," Marcus' low voice vibrates through Zehra and her hands start to tremble. Kaz stands up and bows his head slightly. Zehra also stands up, but her knees wobble. She curtsies and almost falls back in her chair.

Marcus takes his seat next to her. She tries her best not to blush. Zehra's heart is going to jump out of her chest. She knows that she cannot look at Marcus, because she fears that she might faint.

Marcus struggles to keep his gaze off her, but he forces himself to look away. He catches Tybalt staring at Zehra. When Tybalt meets Marcus' frigid glare, he is forced to look away. Marcus cannot stop the grin forming on his face. That is the suitor that has been clinging to Zehra since the ball.

Marcus peeks at Zehra and heat rush to his face. She looks breathtaking.

There is a buzzing atmosphere as the last few people take their places at the surrounding tables. Marcus looks over to Kaz who looks like he is going to fall over any moment. He does not look too good.

"Kaz? You good?" Kaz's head snaps up. He nods.

"Just tired," Marcus can see that Kaz is having a hard time. Marcus is grateful that he is not in Kaz's shoes. He has the interest of many girls so he cannot complain. Marcus watches Zehra while she reads through the menu. He sighs and forces himself to look away.

He has liked Zehra since he was introduced to her at the matchmaking ceremony. She would make a great queen and his mother would approve of her. The only problem is, that he is not sure whether she likes him. She has not approached him yet and whenever they make eye contact, she looks away.

He could not get the chance to talk to her since she is constantly surrounded by her other suitors. He has greeted her a few times, but she always replies coldly. Is she playing hard to catch? Or it could be simply because she is not interested in him.

He sighs loudly. Kaz pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Not you too," Kaz says with a hint of frustration. "What is wrong with you two?" Kaz's gaze shifts from Zehra to Marcus. He sinks into his chair. He is the one who should be sighing endlessly.

Marcus and Zehra look at each other. Zehra immediately turns her head away, preventing Marcus from seeing her blush. She does not want to give herself away so quickly. Marcus hides his disappointment by picking up the menu that lies in front of him.

Does she dislike him so much that she does not want to look at him? Silence settles over them, each so caught up in their thoughts. Kaz can feel the tension growing every second that the silence lasts. Ever since the ball, there has been this awkward silence and tension between them. Where is Wylan? He could perhaps do something about it.

"How are things coming along? Is there someone who has caught your eye?" Marcus asks Kaz, putting his menu on the table. Kaz snorts before he takes another sip of his tea.

"How do you think it is going?" Kaz looks at Marcus with his brows furrowed together. "Horrible. I am afraid I am going to join Amara in the next social season." Marcus chuckles softly and Kaz shakes his head with a smile.

"Is Amara joining us today?" Zehra asks without removing her eyes from the menu.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see," Marcus pulls his hand through his hair. Another uncomfortable silence unfolds. Kaz notices Wylan approaching and he has never been happier to see Wylan. Wylan can tell from Kaz's face that things have not improved since the picnic yesterday.

"How is it going?" He flops down on his chair next to Kaz. They all mumble incoherently. Wylan lets his head fall back and he throws his hands in the air. One of the servants takes this as a signal that he wants to order. The servant scurries closer to Wylan.

"Well, we might as well. I am starving. Would you bring us the starters?" The servant nods and hurries away. Marcus looks around frantically. His heart sinks. He truly had hoped that Amara would show up. He is starting to get worried about her. What if something happened to her?

Their food arrives and they each pick something from the stand. Wylan grabs something of everything and Kaz scowls at him. Wylan rolls his eyes before he puts some of the macarons back.

Zehra's hand brushes over Marcus' arm. Zehra stutters an apology and grabs a small sandwich. Marcus smirks slightly and puts a handful of sandwiches on his plate. Zehra is still blushing, opening her small hand fan. She pretends to be hot as she tries to hide her reddened face behind her fan.

Wylan, who has been watching this whole thing play out, stares dumbfounded at them. The tension- This explains everything. How did he miss it? He bounces his leg, trying to suppress his excitement. He has to tell someone. He cannot hide it. He forces Kaz up by the arm, but Kaz protests.

"We have something to take care of, but please carry on," Wylan lies as he pushes Kaz away from the table.

"What are you doing?" Kaz yanks his arm out of Wylan's hand. He does not have the strength for Wylan's jokes. Wylan points to Zehra and Marcus.

"Those two- They . . . " Wylan gives a small jump. Kaz clenches his jaw as he waits for Wylan to stop acting like a five-year-old. He looks back at the table, but he has no idea what Wylan is trying to insinuate. Wylan shakes Kaz's arms.

"They are the reason for the tension. They like each other," Wylan blurts out. Kaz's frown only grows deeper. What is Wylan talking about? He looks at them again and sees Zehra blushing. Everything suddenly clicks and he turns to Wylan.

"No way. How did I miss it? That does explain all the awkwardness." Wylan giggles like a little girl. He ushers Kaz to follow him.

"Let's give them some space." Wylan strolls further away from them.

"What? No! We cannot leave them alone together. Marcus is not getting with my sister," Kaz says through his teeth as he starts walking back. Wylan grabs his arm again and pulls Kaz away. Kaz groans in frustration while Wylan pulls him toward the tea station.

"How long are we going to stay here?" he asks as he looks over his shoulder at Marcus and Zehra.

"As long as we have to." Wylan pours tea into a cup and hands it to Kaz. Kaz takes the cup and downs the tea. He feels as the hot tea burns down his throat. He still cannot believe what he is seeing. He is going to kill Marcus. Wylan sips his tea slowly as he watches the scene unfold in front of them. Hopefully, if all goes well, they might be the first couple.

Marcus clears his throat. He tries to come up with something to say, but he catches himself staring at her. He clears his throat again. This is his chance. He cannot mess this up. He chews his bottom lip as he tries to think of something to say.

"Crazy weather, right?" As soon as those words leave his mouth, he wants to bang his head against the table. He blew it. If that is the best he can do, he will understand if she does not want to have anything to do with him. Zehra lets out a stifled giggle, but she composes herself. She does not want to laugh in his face.

He looks at her, but as soon as they make eye contact, she breaks out into laughter. Marcus' eyes light up. He chuckles as he watches her laugh. She is perfect. Even her laugh is graceful.

"No," she says, still laughing. She breathes in to get herself together. She lets out another soft laugh before she looks into his eyes. She cannot act like this. It is very unladylike to laugh as loud as she just did. She has to control herself. What would her mother say if she saw her acting out like this?

Marcus sees her smile fading away and she adjusts herself in her seat. She turns to him. His heart skips a beat when he stares into her eyes.

"The weather has been quite normal for this time of the year," she says with a serious expression. He sees a twinkle in her eyes. She is hiding her laugh. Why would she hide it? It is beautiful. She is beautiful. He is at a loss for words as he did not expect her to answer seriously.

"Yes, I . . ." he trails off. The wind is knocked out of his sails. Zehra sees the disappointment on his face. She smiles at him.

"That is not the best conversation starter. Try something like," she tries to think of something, but nothing comes to mind. "You know what, it is not too bad." Marcus chuckles.

"I tried my best," he says, and Zehra giggles. She hates giggling. Her mother always said that it is immature. She should preferably only smile and occasionally laugh. Judging from the wide smile on Marcus' face, it seems that Marcus does not mind her giggling.

He gazes into her eyes and she can see the corners of his eyes crinkled up. She realizes that she is staring into his eyes. She wants to look away, knowing that she is blushing. She fails to hide it this time. Marcus sees her cheeks turn a light pink shade.

So that is why she has been avoiding his gaze and always turning her head away. She tries to look away, but she finds herself unable to move. She is captivated by him and his dark eyes pull her closer to him. Her heart beats fast, so fast that she is afraid that Marcus might hear it.

Marcus shifts to the end of his chair to get closer to her. They are only a breath away from one another. She notices small grey specks in his eyes. Marcus knows that he is not supposed to show any affection in public, but she is so close. His eyes flicker to her lips. He leans in closer, his head tilting to the side.

Zehra suddenly lets out a sharp gasp. He pulls back. Did he do something? His head moves to the sound of snickering. His eyes turn to Zehra. Tea drips from her hair onto her shoulders. Her dress is stained from the tea.

Marcus whips his head to face the girl who threw the tea. How dare she? He grabs some napkins and returns to Zehra. He will deal with this girl later.

"Oops," the girl says. Zehra takes a deep breath in and tries her best to not say something. Do not make a scene, she reminds herself. She does not want to draw any attention to herself. Zehra is too in shock to notice Marcus wiping tea from her face. The water rolls down her back and she feels a chill running up her spine. The tea was surprisingly not too hot.

She turns to the girl but freezes in her seat as she sees the other cup in the girl's hand. Steam rises out of the cup and she braces herself for what is about to come. Marcus quickly covers Zehra as he throws himself between them.

Everything goes quiet. The boiling water never comes.

A shriek split the silence and both Zehra and Marcus look up. Amara chucks the cup aside. Zehra hears a sob coming from the girl who is also now drenched in tea. Amara walks slowly toward the girl. Amara does not remove her gaze from the girl as she slightly turns her head to Zehra.

"Are you all right?" Zehra nods. Amara grabs the girl by her necklace and yanks her closer. Her necklace snaps and the pearls fall on the grass. Amara takes a step closer to the girl. The girl looks at Amara and the defiance in her eyes is replaced with fear.

Amara shoves her and she loses her balance. She falls backward, but before she hits the ground, Amara grabs her by her sleeve. Amara leans closer and whispers in her ear. All color drain from the girl's face and Amara has a sly smile on her face.

She lets go of the girl. The girl falls with a loud thud to the ground. Kaz and Wylan arrive at the scene. Wylan helps Marcus to attend to Zehra. Kaz's gaze shifts from the girl to Amara. The girl gets up and runs off away from them.

Amara straightens her dress and sits down next to Zehra. There is a moment of silence before the other tables continue to chatter. Marcus pats Zehra's neck and hair with a napkin.

"Do you want to go and change?" Marcus can see that Zehra is on the verge of crying. She shakes her head. Marcus sighs and purses his lips together, still wiping the tea off her.

"I do not want to make a scene," she whispers. She feels Amara's hand on her arm and looks at Amara. "Thank you." She hugs Amara tightly. Amara feels her slightly sob in the embrace.

"It's nothing. As long as you are fine. Are you sure you don't want to go change? I can come with you," Zehra shakes her head, still hugging Amara.

"Thank you, truly," Zehra hugs Amara tighter. Amara groans and slightly gasps for air. Zehra lets Amara go and apologizes. Amara laughs as she squeezes Zehra's arm.

"What did you say to her?" Kaz asks. He knew that Amara has a reputation for starting fights without any regard for her reputation as a princess. The rumors seem to be false as she does not start fights, but she certainly finishes them. She did something none of them dared to. He thought she was someone who does things for her personal gain, but that is not the case. She would rather be seen as a dishonorable princess to protect the people around her like how she flung herself down the stairs just to cover for him and now this.

"Ah, nothing important," Amara lies. Kaz smiles and bows his head to show his appreciation. She has earned his respect. It takes guts to act out like this in public, especially when she is the princess.

"That girl spread lies about one of the girls, the one that was named the fairest maiden, last year. Looks like she changed her game plan." Amara squeezes Zehra's arm. Kaz and Wylan sit down. "Are you sure that you do not want to get dry clothes?" Zehra nods again. She does not want to miss out. Amara relaxes in her chair.

"How is everyone getting on?" she asks. They all answer weakly in unison. So this is what Wylan talked about. Not on her watch. "All right. Well, I have some," Amara rubs her hands together with a smirk, "interesting news." She grabs a muffin from Marcus' plate. He opens his mouth to protest, but Amara waves her hand to dismiss him.

"There is this girl from Kaigensclove, who allegedly," she puts her free hand in the air and makes air quotes, "had an affair with one of the servants from her house. Now she is coupled up with a poor soul from Asosa, which, in retrospect was a bad choice. How did she think she would get away with it? Anyway, so she tried to seduce him in a poor and lazy attempt to trap him, because she is," Amara leans over the table, "with child!" she yells quietly.

Zehra nearly spits out her tea and Marcus chokes on his. Wylan suppresses a laugh. That is one way to break the tension.

"Who?" Zehra blurts out. She is well aware that gossip is not appropriate for a proper lady, but she could not help it. Amara looks surprised at Zehra.

"I never took you as someone for gossip," Amara teases and Zehra shrinks into her seat, feeling guilty. Before Amara could continue, Zehra grabs Amara's hand. She pauses, trying to comprehend what Amara just told her.

"I thought you had to be married in order to be able to get pregnant." Zehra frowns. Wylan starts to laugh as Kaz and Marcus look around uncomfortably. Zehra notices that they are acting strange. She turns to Amara in hopes that she will inform her.

"Oh, honey no. That is not how it works. It is just more socially acceptable if you are married." Amara sees that Zehra is not catching on. Their mothers are failures when it comes to these types of things. Mothers tell their daughters nothing.

"How do you come to be with child? Can it happen to any girl? How do we pretend that from happening to us?" Zehra asks as she starts to panic. She cannot become pregnant before she is married.

Kaz cringes and reverts his gaze to the sky. Marcus knows that the girls are left in the dark about this. Amara only knows about this stuff because she spends a good amount of her time around the people from the town. She is better informed than some of the other boys. Amara smiles as she pats Zehra's hand which is still resting on her arm.

"It won't happen to you. You are safe. Trust me." Amara winks at Zehra, and Zehra lets out a sigh of relief. That is good to hear. She would never be able to find a suitor if she has a child.

Amara shakes her head. Zehra is truly still as innocent as a child. Zehra is honestly the princess the Queen would have wanted. She is sweet, innocent, and a lady.

"Oh, and by the way, I put some money on you Zehra. You better be in the first three couples for this season. You have enough options, so do not let me down. Marcus," she rolls her eyes, "you have enough girls to form a harem." Marcus throws her with a napkin.

"Have Ashlinn asked about me?" Wylan leans closer to the table. Amara snickers.

"Yes, I believe her direct words were 'What can I do to get him to leave me alone?' " Wylan crosses his arms and falls back into his chair. Kaz's corner of his mouth turns up. He is going to win the bet. The tension has disappeared and exchanged for a lively atmosphere that fits the rest of the atmosphere at the other tables.

"Where were you yesterday?" Zehra asks and takes a bite from her macaron.

"In town. I took a break." Amara answers. Marcus looks at her and she knows that look. There is trouble. Then again, when is there not? They notice the other tables starting to clear up. They follow the other's lead and stand up. Marcus helps Zehra up.

"Are you sure you are fine? We have medicine for burns." Marcus inspects her neck, his hand moving across her neck. Her mind goes blank and steps away from him subconsciously. She curtsies.

"I am fine, thank you." She turns and follows Kaz and Wylan as they walk toward the cabin among the rest of the participants. Marcus watches her leave and sighs slightly. Amara exits the garden, leaving Marcus behind. He follows her as he realizes that she is trying to avoid him. Even though he is angry at her for just disappearing, he has to prepare her for what she is about to experience. It has never been this bad before.

"Lady Ashlinn! Wait up for me!" Wylan yells out when he sees Ashlinn. She pretends not to hear him and her small steps increase to try to get away from him. If she can get to her cabin, she can shut him out. Just get to the cabin. She is not allowed to run, so this is the fastest she can go.

Wylan starts running and eventually catches up to her.

"I missed you so much," Wylan exclaims out of breath, and pulls on her dress to get her to stop walking. She turns to him.

"What do you want?" She is trying her best to act appropriately and behave properly, but if she could, she would scream at him. What is his problem? He must be on a mission to annoy her because he has been pestering her since the ball. He takes her hand and turns it so that her palm faces upward. He places the doll in her palm. She screams and throws it away. The doll lands on the ground next to Wylan. He picks it up and pulls the other one out of his pocket.

"I got one of each. Do you like it?" he asks as he places it in her hand again. She stares at it. Some of the other ladies from Asosa that have been following Ashlinn, giggle behind them

"What is it?" She turns it around. She softly groans as she feels the hair or fur on the doll. The eyes of the doll are two black buttons. She turns it back so that the black eyes are facing away from her. She finally looks back at Wylan. Wylan coughs out his laugh, hiding it from Ashlinn.

"A doll," Wylan answers. Ashlinn stretches her hand out to return the doll. She does not want to take that thing with her. It is a bad omen. Wylan can clearly see the disgust in her eyes. He ignores her hand with the doll. He steps closer to her. Ashlinn does not step back. He is not going to win this.

She grins when she sees the surprise on his face, but her grin quickly disappears when he returns the smile. Wylan takes her arm with the doll and gently pushes her arm to her side. She is so focused on his hand on her arm that she does not notice how close he is. He bends slightly and gives her a peck on her cheek.

She gasps loudly and stomps her foot. How dare he? The girls behind her are laughing even louder than before. She cannot believe the nerve of that boy. If the Matchmaker saw that, she would have announced them as the first couple.

"Wylan!" she screams, but he is out of hearing range. That kiss violated a rule of Asosa. She is not allowed to be touched by anyone other than her partner and much less kissed by a random boy. He is going to get her in a lot of trouble.

She lets out a frustrated groan. And now she has to keep this thing. She hates him. She starts walking to the cabins, ignoring the giggles and small comments coming from the other Asosa girls. They better not tell on her. That boy will be the death of her. That stupid, stupid boy.

Marcus catches up to Amara and links his arm to hers. She slides her arm out of his grip. She is well aware that she let him down. She did what she wanted and he probably had to endure all the scolding. He walks next to her, waiting for her to speak.

"I am sorry." Her voice is soft. "I just wanted to get away. I don't have the strength to do this. After what the Matchmaker said, I know that no one would want me. I wouldn't want me. It's- It's just hard. I know, I know. I will try harder. I won't just disappear like that again. I'm really, truly sorry. I will be better. I mean, I showed up today, didn't I?" She drops her head, keeping her eyes on the grass. She cannot look at him. She feels too guilty. He links his arm to hers again.

"Since when do you care what others say? Forget that old hag." Amara chuckles and shakes her head.

"Language, boy." She mimics the actions of the Queen. They both laugh. There is a brief moment of silence.

"The fighting is getting worse." Marcus sighs. The King and Queen are always fighting, but whenever Amara does something wrong, it gets worse. It gets worse whenever Amara is involved, not just when she did something wrong. The Queen always finds something to blame on Amara.

"I am sorry." Her grips tighten on his arm. He places his other hand on her arm that is linked to his. He squeezes her hand to reassure her. It is not her fault, not directly. He hates what it does to her. He has seen how the Queen's actions and the constant fighting have impacted her. She became a rebel as a result of all the damage that the Queen has done. Amara could never be a kid. She always had to do better and be better.

They reach the palace entrance. She greets the guards and they bow to them. They enter and walk down the hall to their chambers. They pass the throne room. Amara tries to sneak past, but the Queen yells her name. Amara sighs and turns to the room. She enters with a forced smile.

The Queen is sitting on the throne. Their father is absent, so she needs to stand in for him. She continues to assign tasks to the servants. Her voice carries bitterness. When Amara stops in the middle of the room, not daring to get closer, the Queen motions for the servants to leave the room. Before the Queen could open her mouth, Amara steps forward and starts to ramble.

"I am sorry. I know I should have attended the picnic yesterday. I just wanted to get away for a while and completely lost track of time." The Queen slams her fist against the throne's armrest.

"Enough!" She stands up. She gradually walks down the stairs in front of the throne as she glares at Amara.

"What happened at the high tea? One of the ladies, Farrah, has burns all over her neck and chest. Did you throw her with tea?" Amara opens her mouth to explain what happened, but the Queen shushes her. "Rhetorical question, dear." She circles Amara with a sinister smile on her face. "I have to say, I am impressed. You do not disappoint. Marcus is one of that girl's suitors. In my opinion, she is a perfect match for him." The Queen turns her back to Amara. Amara turns her head back to where Marcus is standing.

Marcus shakes his head, shrugging. He has no idea what the Queen is talking about. The Queen faces Amara and walks closer again. She stops inches from Amara. As she speaks, Amara can feel her breath falling on her face. She is too close.

"I understand if you want to destroy and sabotage your future, but now you are destroying his future." The Queen touches Amara's braid that hangs over her shoulder. Marcus steps closer.

Amara's eyes trace the Queen's hand on her braid, not noticing as the Queen lifts her hand. The sound of a slap echoed through the stone-walled room. Amara covers her burning cheek with her hand.

"Mother!" Marcus cries out. He grabs her arm as she goes to slap Amara again. Amara's hand rests on her cheek as she stares in disbelief at the Queen.

"She is a disgrace! How can you defend her? She ruined everything! If you defend her you are just as much of a disgrace as her. " Marcus says nothing, taking her arm and pulling her away from Amara. "You disappoint me," she yells as she rips her arm out of his grip.

She points at Amara and there is pure hatred in her eyes. She takes a step closer to Amara, but Marcus pulls her back again. He signals for Amara to leave.

"Mother, enough. Please, just let her go. We can sort this out tomorrow," Marcus pleads. His mother scoffs when she watches Amara leave.

"She won't be here tomorrow. Always running from the fight. Like father, like daughter I suppose." Amara pauses, but she does not turn around. "And you," the Queen pushes Marcus off her, "You are just as pathetic as her father. Defending her and taking her side. You are no better than him.." The Queen makes her way over back to the stairs in front of her throne.

In the blink of an eye, Amara grabs the Queen's sleeve and forces her to turn around.

"You are pathetic! " Amara shoves the Queen and she almost trips on the stair. "Take all your frustration and hate out on me. I don't care. I don't care," Amara repeats with a smile. "Insult me, hate me all you want. You can hit me until you are pleased." Amara steps so close to the Queen that she falls back against the stairs. Amara towers over her.

"But do not drag Marcus into this!" Marcus immediately steps in knowing that once Amara starts, there is no stopping her. He tries to drag Amara away, but she stands her ground. He picks her up, struggling to hold his grip with her squirming. He starts walking away.

"No, Amara. Leave it," he mutters as he retreats. She breaks free from his hold and launches back to the Queen.

"Yes, I am a disgrace, but you are such a self-obsessed witch that you cannot even recognize how great Marcus is. You would throw him away along with me because of your hatred for me and the King? You have no idea how privileged you are. He is the perfect son. He never disappoints you. He is the heir this kingdom needs. He does everything perfectly. And even when you treat him like this, he never stops loving you. You do not deserve him." Amara stomps away but pivots back.

"Stop pushing him away. Hate me, but do not let that destroy the only good thing that you have left. Open your damn eyes!" Amara charges out of the room. The Queen looks at Marcus. Tears stream down her face. He helps her up and she wants to hug him, but he steps out of reach.

"Marcus . . . I'm-"

"Not now mother. I can't. You never think about the consequences. I know you cannot forgive Father for what he did. But what he did, has nothing to do with Amara. Just- Just leave her alone." He walks off, leaving the Queen alone.

She falls to the ground in defeat. Why does no one pick her? Why is it always the other one? Is she not good enough? Marcus hears a loud sob coming from the throne room. The Queen lies on the ground, crying. What must she do for them to love her? First her husband, now Marcus. What is wrong with her? Always the other one.

Marcus bursts into Amara's room. She sits next to her window. The window is wide open and her loose hair flows with the wind. He walks over to the window. He props himself up to sit next to her. She smiles weakly at him. He throws her arm around her and she leans into him.

"You did not have to stand up for me."

"You have done the same thing for me on many occasions." Her voice strains and she clears her throat. She is trying to hold her composure, but her eyes are foggy. "She must have been practicing because she has never slapped me that hard." She laughs dryly. Marcus pulls her in closer. He does not know what to say to make her feel better. It rarely reached a point like this. If their father were here, the Queen would never have dared to do that.

"Are you all right?" she asks without looking at him. He chuckles and nods. He will be fine. They both watch as the sun sets. The night air becomes chilly. Amara sits up and turns her whole body to him. She crosses her legs. He frowns.

"What is going on between you and Zehra?" Marcus shakes his head, laughing at her bluntness.

"You don't miss a thing. I don't know, to be honest."

"Oh, please. I know you. You are confident around girls, almost cocky at times. You always have a way with words to charm all the girls, but you can't form a proper sentence when you are around Zehra. Plus, your pupils dilate when you look at her, and so does hers." Marcus should have known. She is too observant for her own good.

"If I can get, even if it is just one moment, alone with her, I think we can find each other. We are so busy with other people that we cannot get to know each other." Marcus leans his head against the wall. Amara grabs the window frame and she has a crooked smile. Marcus can see the plan formulating in her head. She looks at him and there is a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I have a plan."