Truth and Falsehood

"No! I want to be with him now, he shouldn't have to die alone!!" Amoneha snatched her arm back and smacked him with her cane, "You are lying, you're hiding something!" She hit him again and started to scramble down the steps, it hurt terribly and her cane was taking so much of the brunt.

In fact, it nearly snapped on the way down.

Kynen chased after her angrily. "I'm not hiding anything!! What would I hide from you? I'm your brother, and I love you!" Kynen seemed genuinely hurt. "Why won't you trust me? Are you so hurt by the truth that you won't accept it?"

Amoneha's eyes flashed red, such a piercing red that it could stab through anyone. "YOU'RE LYING AGAIN! You aren't Kynen!!" She cried and smacked the side of his face as hard as she could. She knew it, deep within her that she found him... the wizard. She was going to murder him with her bare hands. Or her cane.

"RAH! YOU ARE SO IRRITATING!" Kynen's eyes flashed a terrifying red, then faded to a dark and loathing black. "Just die already!!" He pulled out the dagger he'd stabbed Adder with and lunged toward Amon in a desperate attempt to kill her. "YOU WILL NEVER KNOW LOVE! HE WILL DIE BEFORE YOU REACH HIM AND YOU WILL NEVER SEEN HIM AGAIN!"

Amoneha dodged quickly and swung her cane, smacking him down the middle of his head and then kicking him with her bad ankle, even though she wanted to cry she couldn't because she had to take this chance. She snatched his dagger and rose it high before bringing it down between his eyes and then his neck and his heart. She was screaming, hands covered in blood and big tears running down her cheeks. He'd looked like Kynen... she was numb, she couldn't remember beyond raising the blade. Her mind had instantly erased the memories.

Amoneha's eyes turned green again and she staggered to her feet, taking her cane and hurrying down the stairs. She had gathered up a few things on her way while screaming, "ADDER!" Her throat was sore, dry from her pained cries. "ADDER!!"

Adder lay limp on the floor of the cell, blood flowing out of his chest with every beat of his heart. He vaguely heard Amon's screams, but his vision was already flickering. He hoped she was alright... maybe Kynen hadn't killed her. Maybe she was just fine. He thoughts were confirmed when he saw her faded outline running toward him. Why was she here, though? Why did she care to help him? He felt her hands press to his chest to try and stop the bleeding and her muffled voice telling him to hang in there... but why? Did One normally try so hard to save a friend? Why did Kynen stab him? Maybe he saw Adder as unfit for Amon. Maybe he was... but he was no more than a friend to her. He doubted Kynen told her what Adder asked him to tell her. It would probably only upset her.

There was so much blood, Amoneha was in shock and she couldn't feel her hands, she couldn't feel the blood against her skin... she couldn't feel. "ADDER PLEASE!!!" She sobbed, she'd never cried so hard in her life, her chest was burning with her passionate tears stinging at her eyes. "Stop bleeding, JUST STOP!" There had to be something she could do, she had to try... she couldn't just watch his life end.

"You can't die, you aren't allowed to die on me! We didn't get to eat that pie together and... we didn't get to... we didn't..." Amoneha's tears fell and touched his skin, "Stay! Please stay... I worked so hard to keep you with me!"

Tears ran down Adder's own cheeks as Amon's fell on him. He nodded slowly and blinked, trying to clear his vision... he couldn't see well. "T-Tired... Love... you." He breathed slowly, trying not to push more blood out by breathing faster. "K-Ky...nen hates....m-me."

"Adder... I don't know where Kynen is... that was the wizard and..." Amoneha blinked hard, trying to remember what happened. "He's dead. You won't die now though, you'll live! I owe you... I want you to live, you're my best friend!"

Adder smiled a bit... she missed what he said. "...'kay... want... pecan.... pie." He said softly. "All... can eat."

"I can do that!" Amoneha still couldn't feel what was happening, she wanted him to live but she wasn't sure how to help him. Then the bleeding suddenly stopped... she had time to make medicine for it. She put the herbs together quickly, making sure they were all the right ones. "Hang in there..."

Adder weakly reached for her hand, but they were moving too fast to catch. "I... here." She fed him the medicine and though he swallowed, his expression was that of disgust. "N-Nasty."

"But now you can get better... I'm sorry it took me so long." Amoneha laid down, she didn't care if there was a lot of blood or not.

Adder smiled a little weakly, his shivers beginning to fade when Kynen came running in.

"I just saw myself dead in the hallway!! WHAT HAPPENED?! I am so confused!!!" His eyes widened more than they were when he saw Adder... along with all the blood. "DID I KILL ADDER?!"

"Almost..." Amoneha sighed and pushed herself back up again, "I murdered the wizard myself... it wasn't hard when I realized. I knew you'd be fine, Kynen. Tell Adder you don't hate him."

"What?! Of course I don't hate him!!" Kynen seemed to be on the verge of panic. "Why would I hate him?! He's been nothing but good to you!" At just about that moment, King Steven came flying into the cell, panting heavily, and his eyes wide. "Don't worry, Majesty! He isn't dead!"

"Al....most... though..." Adder croaked.

Amoneha straightened up instantly at the sound of the king's voice. "S-S-Sire!!" She cried, "Please forgive me for committing murder! I had to, you were possessed and Adder was dying!"

Steven was stunned, "Amon..."

"Please!" She bowed dramatically, "I-"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and he smiled sympathetically, "Amoneha... there's nothing to forgive. You're a hero today."

"I think we should probably get him out of here..." Kynen suggested, stepping forward to try and pick Adder up. His stomach growled loudly, causing Kynen to chuckle some. "I know that feeling."

"Amon... prom... pecan... pie...?"

"If she can't get to it, I'll get it for you, don't worry." Kynen smiled.

"Stand up, let's get out of here." Steven took her hand to pull her up, at first she stood fine but then her eyes rolled up and she crumbled to the floor again. "AMON?!" He lifted her out of the puddle of blood and carried her behind Kynen. "You get him the pie, I'm taking her to her room..."

Soon after Kynen had taken Adder to the healer in the castle, Adder had passed out. Kynen was thoroughly assured he would be fine, so he went to go get a pecan pie, and visit his new lady friend. Someone else had been assigned to the dungeon for the time being... per the King because Kynen had been there the whole time taking care of Adder. So he left to visit Rina... though he'd need to bathe first. He was covered in blood from Adder, and that wouldn't make a good impression.

Rina was tiredly working in the orchard, it was the last harvest of the season so they were gathering all the apples they could. She wiped a little sweat from her brow and then climbed off the ladder, coughing into her fist once she reached the bottom. It had been a long day but she was smiling because a couple days earlier she'd gotten to spend a lot of time with Kynen.

"Rina!" Kynen called, running up to her. She was a little sweaty, but she seemed to glisten in the sunlight, her sundress accenting her beautiful body. His cheeks flushed a bright red when she turned to smile to him. She was so beautiful. "Wow, these are the biggest apples I've ever seen!"

Rina laughed, "Want one?" She held out the basket to him and seconds later they were sitting under one of the trees snacking. "I've missed you..."

"I've missed you too. I've been a little busy lately, as I've been reassigned." Kynen grinned. "You can still come and visit me, and it doesn't have to be a secret. I'll be one of the guards outside of my sister's room." He took a big bite of his apple and sighed in pure contentment. He always enjoyed spending time with Rina.

"That's wonderful to hear, I'll definitely visit more then!" Rina said cheerfully, "How is the head of the guard...? I heard some rumors but I thought I'd ask you."