7

"Oh my! So you did not even know you had that ability until you were nearly ten?"

I nodded, "Before that I lived a very simple life."

The king sighed, "When I found out about Eva's powers she asked me not to tell anyone because she was afraid everyone would come to fear or hate her. She asked the same thing of Gonen and that is why we did not tell anyone about this until now."

I bowed slightly towards the king, "I'm so sorry, sir. Due to my selfish request, there is now a rift between you and Prince Asher."

He smiled, "Do not worry about it, Eva. It is not your fault my son and I aren't on the best terms. We have been very distant since around the time you left our home five years ago."

"Why is that, my king?"

The king shook his head, "It is not something you should worry about, Eva."

Kairi tugged slightly on my arm, "Are you alright?"

I nodded, "I'm just tired and sore."

"Then you should be resting!"

I patted her head, "I have been asleep for four days, Kairi. I am tired of sleeping. My body wants to be active."

"Knowing Eva, she will be back up and training with the soldiers by the end of the week," Noah laughed as Kairi looked to him, "I remember one time when Eva was attacked by a Wielder while out in town one day and her leg was almost fully taken off, but she was out training with the soldiers three days later."

I frowned and shook my head, "He is being overdramatic, Kairi. I was not out training until five days after."

"It was three," Gonen agreed, "We all thought you were crazy, but you were able to keep up."

"You're siding with Noah?!"

Gonen sighed, "I'm sorry Eva, but he said the truth."

"I remember five days."

Noah laughed again, "That is because you thought a week had passed by only after a day."

Kairi suddenly perked up and turned back to look at Noah, "I can promise you, Sir Noah, that I will not let her out to train until she is fully healed!"

Noah sighed, "You would need an army to stop her."

Kairi smiled towards me, "But Eva can't resist my adorable face, right?" She asked but she started whining when I pinched both of her cheeks with my fingers.

"You're adorable face will stop me, huh?" I mocked and she whined, "Well let me pinch those cute cheeks of yours!"

"Eva!" She whined and then started trying to push away my arms, "Stop it! That hurts!"

I laughed, "Too bad!"

I joked but stopped when someone stormed into the room. I looked up with shock to see the soon-to-be princess.

"Shari? What's wrong?" Noah asked but everyone was shocked when Shari came over to me and shoved me out of my chair.

When I fell to the ground, I quickly used my hands to sit up slightly as she stood above me, shaking with anger as tears filled her eyes. "I thought I told you to never come back here, Eva!" She hissed as her hands clenched into fists, "Every time you come back, something goes wrong and Asher stops speaking to me!" She hollered before kicking my side with anger, "I hate you!" She started crying as I felt her impacts on my tattoo, "I wish you never existed! All you bring to those around you is pain and suffering!"

"Shari!" Noah hissed as he flew from his chair.

"Kairi!" I yelled as loud as I could, "Stay where you are!" I slowly stood from the ground and hugged my side as I felt blood covering my shirt, "I'm sorry, Shari," I whispered as I felt my body start shaking, "I never meant to come back here. When you asked me to leave Asher and the royal family alone, I did just that. Within a week I was gone and far away so I could not interfere with your relationship. The only reason I came here was to deliver Kairi, nothing more. I did not come here to take Asher away from you like you think. I came to fulfill a request from the prince of my country," I looked to the ground. "Once these wounds are healed, I plan to leave here and cut all contacts with this household so that I cannot get in the way of your marriage." I shot a glance at Shari and anger filled my eyes, "Also, Shari, if you want me intimidated, attacking me while I'm injured is not the way to go. Didn't you learn that my biggest advantage in fighting is my own blood? So kicking my sides until they bleed will get you nowhere because I don't plan on dying by the likes of you. A psychotic, love-sick, little child is not someone I will allow to take strength, so please just leave me alone."

I walked out of the room as quickly as I could, but before I could get to the medical room I had lost too much blood and couldn't walk anymore. I sat on the ground in the hallway with my back against the wall. I looked to the window above the wall that supported me and watched the clouds float by until my peace was disturbed as Prince Asher came storming down the hallway, but froze when he saw me.

"Eva!" He yelled in horror, "What happened to you?!" Asher kneeled in front of me but shot to his feet when I met his eyes with my own, "We need a…!" He started to yell but stopped when I grabbed his shirt.

He looked to me in shock asI shook my head before smiling slightly, "You need to be with Shari right now, not me."

"But!" He started to protest as he kneeled in front of me again.

I looked to the sky, "You are soon going to be her husband and, as a friend, I can't allow you to put me over her happiness. She's in the dining room," I let go of him, "Go to her."

With sadness, Asher left me and headed down the hall towards Shari. I looked back to the clouds but looked to the hallway when I heard Gonen running.

"Prince Asher said you would be here."

I smiled as he kneeled beside me before looking to the clouds, "It's hard to believe," I sighed, "Tomorrow marks the eleventh anniversary of the day she was born." I looked back to Gonen as tears filled my eyes, "I can't believe she would be eleven tomorrow. Time certainly has flown past me."

Gonen brushed a tear as it fell, "It is also your 23rd birthday tomorrow."

I dropped my head to my legs as I finally started crying, "Why did it have to turn out like this! Life was so peaceful with my family and then he had to take that away!"

Gonen hugged me, "If I could take away your past, I would."

I shook, "And now Asher will get married!"

"I know."

I pulled on Gonen's jacket, "Even though I left for five years, I still love him! I can't get over him! No matter how much I know I can never be with him, I still love him!"

Gonen picked me up, "We shouldn't talk about this where others can listen."

I held onto Gonen as he carried me to my room and when he went to go get the doctor so the bleeding would stop, I fell asleep. When I woke up, my heart was heavy, but was slightly lessened in weight when I saw Gonen and Kairi laughing at my side while they sat beside each other in chairs on the side of my bed, "What's so funny?"I asked and both of them turned to me with hope.

"It's nothing," Gonen replied, "But you gave me quite a scare. When I came back with the doctor you looked dead."

I smiled, "I'm sorry. I was just very tired."

"How are you feeling now?" Kairi asked as I noticed her hand holding mine very tightly.

I looked to the ceiling, "Better. I am not fully recovered, but I am getting there," I looked to Gonen, "Gonen, could you let me speak privately with Kairi?"

He stood and nodded, "I'll be outside if you need me."

Once he shut the door behind him, I sat up in bed and scoot over. I patted the side of the bed I had just moved from and Kairi quickly crawled up to be at my side. I then patted the blanket over my legs and she laid her head on my legs while facing me. I gently smoothed her hair as I looked to her purple eyes,

"Kairi, there are a lot of things I need to find out about you and also, there are a lot of things about my past I feel you need to know about."

Kairi seemed unsure, "What do you need me to tell you?"

I sighed, "Are you related, in any way other than being a Wielder, to Prince Kana?"

She seemed surprised by the question but pondered for a little while, "I don't really know," She whispered, before squeezing my hand that she still held prisoner, "I was raised by a young Wielder woman and her husband. They found me when I was just a baby. But no one seems to know who my parents are, so I can't tell you if I am related to Prince Kana or not." She looked to my legs, "I've been trying to find the Prince for the past few years because he might know who my parents are since he knows most of the Wielders of the world."

I nodded, "Alright."

"What did you want to tell me?"

I stopped brushing her hair and closed my eyes, "I have not told the entire truth of my past to anyone other than Gonen, but I think I need to tell you because it is not fair for you not to know." I opened my eyes and watched her as she looked back to me, "When I was eleven years old, my village was attacked and destroyed by a Wielder. That Wielder was none other than Prince Kana," I paused to try to calm myself, "I was the only person who survived the attack, and Kana came to kill me off when he realized someone was still alive. But when he tried to attack me, I couldn't control my powers and ended up attacking him until I exhausted my body. I woke up a few days later to find that Kana had taken me to an abandoned house outside of the city and was nursing me back to health. He was gone when I woke up, so I tried to escape, but he found me before I could. He tied me to the bed of the home so I couldn't get away or hurt myself more, but then he told me that he couldn't bring himself to kill me. He felt as though it would be wrong to kill such a person with unspeakable power, even though I was merely a human. Kana kept me there until I was healthy, but right before he let me go, he admitted to me that he had fallen in love with me," I smiled slightly with regret. "The rumors about Prince Kana falling in love with a human were true because he fell in love with me," I cleared my throat as Kairi watched me with amazement, "Before I could escape..."