Truth and Falsehood

"On my house with a hell of a hangover, I'd imagine." Adder said softly, kneeling down in front of her with a soft smile. He handed her a mug of warm something. "Drink this, it should help."

Amoneha sat up a little to drink it and cringed, "How did I end up here?"

"Well, you got really drunk after the wedding, and I couldn't just... leave you there, so I brought you here. I promised not to reveal your embarrassing secrets, so I figured I shouldn't send you back with Steven. You would have never forgiven me for that." He shifted back to the Adder she preferred and smiled gently to her. "Don't worry, no one saw."

"What embarrassing secrets?!" Amoneha cried, "What did I tell you?!"

"I meant as in... being drunk and crying a lot. You didn't really say too much... other than stating that I would be upset if I found out you were going home with me." Adder grinned.

Amoneha's eyes flashed red and she glared at him, "What are you hiding from me?" She asked, setting the drink aside instantly.

Adder gulp nervously and backed up a bit. "N-Nothing! It doesn't matter, you were drunk anyway, so you probably didn't mean a word of it!"

Amoneha glared at him seriously, "Stop hiding things from me!! You're the only one I could trust to never do this and now you're doing it!" She stood up and headed for the door, "Be that way then! After dusk, my room! I'll be interrogating you!" She slammed the door and staggered back towards the castle.

Adder sighed heavily and slid into a chair, his hands trembling. He hadn't seen her so angry in a long time... and never had she been so angry with him before. He rubbed at his eyes, there were tears there where he hadn't expected them. "Ugh... she'll definitely hate me for hiding that..." He frowned. "But she'd probably be mad no matter what. Augh... can't she see I was trying to keep her from feeling embarrassed?"

Amoneha returned to the castle in time to be greeted by Steven who took her into a hug and sighed heavily, "Where were you?!"

"I fell asleep... in a house after the wedding, I... got drunk."

Steven suddenly kissed her lips and smiled at her, "Amoneha... please... don't scare me like that again."

"I was scared something terrible had happened to you again and... I wouldn't be able to take that again." Steven's eyes were laced with concern, and he stroked her hair fondly, playing with it a bit. "Who's house was it? Did they treat you well?"

"Yes... it was Adder, nothing happened, I just remember sleeping." Amoneha was still startled by his kiss.

"Oh, well since it was Adder, I'm sure nothing happened." He smiled lovingly and kissed her once more. "I have things I must go do, but after nightfall, I'll come back to talk some more!" He kissed her hand as well, then walked off do do his kingly duties.

Amoneha blinked nervously and went into her room, touching her lips where she'd been kissed. What was that? Why... why had he done that to her? Her heart was torn right down the middle.

Adder stood at the entrance to the palace, staring blankly at the doors. It was a bit past dusk, and he was wondering if he should actually go or not.

"Sir... why don't you just go in?" One of the guards asked nervously.

"Because I'm afraid I'll find something out that I don't really want to find out." He sighed then and pushed open the heavy castle doors and walked numbly down the hallway, carrying Amon's newly fixed cane along with him. He was hoping that upon her seeing it repaired and shiny again that it might quell her anger a bit.

Amoneha's heart was still weak and her hands were still unfeeling. She'd been sitting for an hour by herself and the king was to see her later - but she had to interrogate Adder first. What had he done? Was it her virginity? No... he wasn't that sort of man. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on happy thoughts, things not so stressful.

"There you are!" Steven grinned when he saw Amon, patiently waiting for him in her room. He shut the door behind him and walked up to her. "You look so nervous..." He smiled lovingly and took her hands, pulling her up to stand with him. "But I have something I've been meaning to tell you... I love you. I love you so much, and I couldn't stand to keep it from you. I just... I had to tell you!" He kissed her immediately after confessing to her, his arms wrapped tightly about her waist. The kiss was passionate and loving, though also very gentle and sweet. It seemed to have more passion behind it than Adder's.

CLANG

Amoneha's cane dropped in the doorway of her room at Adder's feet. His eyes were wide, and filled with hurt. They were kissing... lovingly, and passionately. Adder knew it would hurt to see her with the king in such a way, but it hurt even worse to see them before she even rejected him... and after telling him she loved him the night before. He politely shut the door back, and began to walk briskly back down the hall. Apparently the interrogation was canceled for today.

Amoneha pushed away and panted heavily, "I can't do this! Please give me time, please... Majesty..." She saw the door close after the cane dropped and then limped speedily over, picking up before swinging the door open, "ADDER!!" She screamed. "ADDER!"

"Don't stop on my account!!" He called back, failing to slow down. "He loves you and can give you the world on a silver platter!" He shifted into another unrecognizable form of his. "You two look great together, you'll be very happy, I'm sure!"

Amoneha's heart was broken worse than she knew it could be, "Adder... I didn't..." She couldn't speak, normally words were so easy to come by but he hated her, he hated her... she couldn't stand it. With nothing left to feel, she limped past her room where the king had been waiting, she'd have to go somewhere else.

"I'm sorry..." She said and then disappeared around the corner.

Adder stopped right outside the doors to the castle. He'd been stabbed straight through the before... but he'd never felt a knife so sharp in his hole life. It cut through his heart... though his whole soul and it left him feeling empty inside. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, crying harder than he ever had before. Was love really supposed to hurt this badly? He should have never told her. Things were a lot simpler then... when he'd actually expected Amon and the king to be together. But this time... this time he had gotten his hopes up... he was so hopeful, but it seemed like a child's dream of flight... it seemed close, but in actuality... it was so far away.

Steven ran out of Amon's room and chased after her. "A-Amon!! Amon, where are you going?!" His voice was high-pitched and concerned. "I'm sorry, I just thought you felt the same way!"

"Adder?" Kynen stopped when he saw the head of the guard sitting, disheveled and sad in front of the castle. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Amoneha was perched at the edge of the balcony, she couldn't feel anymore and stared over the ledge shakily, "Please leave me!" She cried, "I can't... feel a thing, it won't hurt." She cried, "I can't... I can't take this anymore."

"No! You can't do that! I won't let you!!" Steven grabbed her from behind and pulled her back on the balcony, holding her tightly. "What is so bad that you'd be willing to end your life?! Do you hate me that much?! What's wrong, I don't understand!"

Adder pulled his head out of his hands and looked up to see Kynen staring at him. "Do... you think anyone would miss me if I left? Like... if I packed everything up and I just... left? I'm beginning to wonder that... maybe I could just... grow old and die without having... to see them." He turned back then to begin staring at the floor again. "But then I might be charged with treason for leaving..." He frowned. "Do you have your sword on you?"

"LET ME GO!" Amoneha cried, "I can't live and choose between you and he, I can't! I'd rather die... I can't!" She couldn't break free, barely keeping her eyes open she thought she was pulling on his arms but really, she was holding nothing, she couldn't even tell if she was getting away anymore. "Please... I need to die!"

"NO!" Kynen growled, "You won't be touching my blade! You aren't going to leave either because Amon loves you and you have wonderful friends... you can't go anywhere!"

"I won't let you go!! You have to stay here!! There's too much we need you for - too much I need you for." Steven wouldn't let her go, his arms tight and loving. "You have to decide!"

"And who would stop me? Amon loves me... that's the biggest lie I've ever heard. She told me that last night in her drunken stupor too. I almost believed it until I saw her and the king kissing like old lovers. She should have just told me she didn't love me if that was the case." He stood up and walked to one of the other guards. "Give me your blade."

"S-Sir?" The guard seemed rather surprised by how terrible Adder looked, and he looked to Kynen, his eyes wide.

"That's an order!" Adder bellowed.

"B-But..."