"My princess?" Asrar tilted his head to the side, concern written on his face. "Ist there something wrong? Thou looketh upset."

"Yes, my dear knight," Hazel spoke through clenched teeth. "There is something very wrong."

"Anything that I canst do to help?" He sounded oh so sincere. Hazel narrowed her eyes at him.

"I want my best friend back."

"I was not aware that I had left thine side."

Hazel stared at him, "I'm serious, As." She called him in a way that she hadn't used in years. She saw his eyes widen momentarily.

"I dost not understand."

"Why do you keep pus.h.i.+ng me away? I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

He seemed to hesitate, and his eyes dropped to the floor, his emotionless facade almost entirely dropped, "I am scared. I dost not want to lose you."

She stepped closer to him, and made him look at her. She hated seeing him like this. He looked almost broken. "As, my dear knight, you are my best friend, are you not? Nothing will change that. You can tell me anything, and I will still be here."

He looked her in the eyes, "Perhaps, but I dost not want to take that chance." His eyes were filled with sadness and frustration.

She didn't understand. Why was he still afraid? There was absolutely nothing that would make her give up on their friends.h.i.+p.

Perhaps it was the fact that they were of different genders. Perhaps he... the thought was exciting. She pursed her lips and looked at him, trying to read him, even though other people would have a hard time doing so she could read him fairly easily - especially when they were alone and he grew more open.

Nervous, frustrated, melancholy, she could read all these in his eyes and body language. Why had she never noticed before? She felt her heartbeat quicken.

Hazel stepped closer to her knight and stood on her tiptoes. She pressed her lips against his. She gave an involuntary shudder as she felt electricity run up and down her spine.

Asrar jerked back, "Hazel, stop. We arst not at all compatible."

"What, why? Because you aren't a n.o.ble? My father likes you well enough that it doesn't matter." She felt confused.

"That is not it..." He glanced away from her, "Thou and I have two different paths to walk." The next sentence was barely a whisper. "I knowest my fate and have accepted it."

What was he talking about? Paths? Fates? He wasn't an oracle, was he? No, he wouldn't hide it if he was, oracles were valued for their wisdom and insights, or so she had heard at least - she had never seen one as they were rare.

But then...what did he mean? Different thoughts on the what and why rolled through her head and she didn't like any of them, "What do you mean?"

"Dost it matter?"

"Yes. Unless you tell me, I won't let you leave this room." Her heart was breaking, she at least wanted to know why.

He hesitated, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, "Dost thou remember when I got lost for a week?"

"Yes, I was so worried I couldn't sleep."

He bit his lower lip, "Well, during that time I got into a pickle with some wild boars...and something snapped inside of me. Ever since I hast not been able to go back."

He lifted his eyes to meet hers. She found herself staring at him. She wasn't stupid she knew what he meant and she understood why he had been acting like this. And if she was being honest, she had already had suspicions, but had hoped it wasn't the case.

Hazel felt numb, "I..." What could she even say?

"So thou shouldst not set thy heart on me."

She found her breath, "I need to be alone...I'm going to my bedroom." She needed to gather herself and think. There was no way she would just start yelling at him before she gave it a bit. He followed after her still somehow focused on performing his duty.