Levian and Cassius rode hard through the night sky, wind blowing against them.
The entire journey, the young elf threw questions at him.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Levian? You've taken the life of a human noble, how do you know you can trust her not to tell somebody?"
Levian continued, face hard as his eyes landed on the Emberbury state.
In truth, he wasn't sure whether he could trust her. After all, he had only spoken to her properly twice.
However, both times she showed him a sentiment towards the elves that he had never seen before. He could see her discontentment towards the way humans lived their lives.
Not only had he grown fond of her, but he truly believed that she would be a good ally to have by his side.
He could only hope that she felt the same as he did.
"If something goes wrong, I'll make noise. Use that as your cue to leave. Leave, and go as far as you can. Don't turn back for me, because I will surely be dead."
---
Levian dismounted his horse a decent while away from the Emberbury Estate, making sure that the horses would not be heard.
He made his way into the gardens, creeping his head below the height of the windows so that no one might notice him if they were still awake.
He had only been in the estate once, so it took a while to find Diana's bedroom window. Luckily, it was located on the bottom floor.
He knew it was hers from a gap in the curtains, which showed chambers so large that they could only belong to the daughter of Lord Vesper.
During his journey, he had wondered how he should approach this situation. After going through different ideas, he decided that one approach made more sense than any others.
To be as upfront as possible.
He couldn't afford to waste time. Who knew when his family would find the bodies, and chase after his trail?
Levian pushed open the window, finding that it was unlocked. Then, with gentle footsteps, he landed inside the scented room.
In just an instant, Diana stirred from her slumber, clearly a light sleeper.
She rushed to a seated position, reaching under her pillow and pulling free a sharp knife.
As she held it out in front of her, pointed towards the intruder with shaky hands, her eyes suddenly softened.
"Levian?" She whispered confused. "What are you doing— Oh god, you're covered in blood!"
Levian stood there, a bloodied mess. He noticed that the red-haired young Lady wore only her undergarments, showing more skin than she should. He made sure not to look down and embarrass her.
"Diana, there isn't much time for me to explain, so listen carefully." Levian started, holding out his hands as if trying to tame a wild animal.
Diana lowered the knife and listened, though her face remained confused the entire time.
"There is something about me that I... that I don't have an explanation for. After awakening, I discovered I was an elf."
For a moment, Diana continued to stare at him with her blue eyes. They then darted to his ears, which was a common tell for elves.
"But... but that doesn't make sense. You're the child of Lord Odin and Lady Amara, two humans, and your ears are round."
Levian sighed. "I know... I was just as confused as you are. My brothers found out too and used it against me. They attacked me."
"That is why you're wounded? What happened to them?" Diana asked afterwards, face unreadable.
Levian hesitated in his answer for just a moment. He wondered if he should lie, before deciding against it.
If he wanted her to follow him, then he needed to be honest.
He needed her to know everything.
"Malachi is dead... and I think Adam is as well."
Silence hung in the air once again. Diana's face remained serious, as though she was deciding how to react.
After a few moments, she finally spoke.
"Why are you telling me this. Just knowing this information makes me a criminal who could face execution or torture. Why didn't you just escape?"
Her words were harsh and grew increasingly harsher. She knew that she did not want to turn Levian in, despite what the human empire would expect her to do. By coming here, he had only made things harder for her.
But she had the wrong idea.
"That's because I want you to come with me."
Levian's sudden words made her mouth open slightly, frozen. It was the last words she had expected to hear.
"Cassius, my servant says that I'm special. He tells me that I am a part of a rare race of elves that makes me important... He says that the Elf King wishes to meet me, so that's where I've decided to go."
Levian then took a step closer towards Diana. The woman's eyes were still wide in a state of shock.
He took her hands in his. Her warmth felt good around his now-sealed wound.
His dark eyes pierced into hers.
"I want you to come with me to the elven kingdom. If you believed anything that I told you about world peace, and putting an end to the wars between the elves and humans, then follow me on this journey. Not just as an ally... but as my wife-in-arms."
In Diana's face, Levian could see conflicting thoughts. To have such an ultimatum thrown on you so suddenly was almost impossible to process in mere seconds.
At that moment, she thought about her eighteen years living as a human noble.
She thought about how discontent she was living as a pampered lady whilst young men and women were dying on the battlefield of no man's land.
She thought about how she had always wanted to make a difference in the world, either big or small, but had been expected to simply marry Levian and produce children for him, whilst he risked his life in the fields.
And now, that very man had promised to take her on a journey across the world that she had never expected to travel, and give her a chance to make a difference in the cruel World of Malo.
A smile etched onto her red lips. A smile that sent waves of relief and joy washing over Levian's entire being.
"Okay." She said, voice soft yet resolute. "Just let me collect a few things."
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