Someone knocked on my bedroom door. It was an urgent rapping sound against the wood that drew me from my interesting book.

Has the time finally come? All this effort to avoid my father and it boiled down to this moment? I cursed mentally not wanting to answer the butler waiting to escort me to my father study. I am now seventeen years old and no longer a child. I've been reborn into this world for eleven years now and learned a lot about the lore, including how to survive within it.

Over the years, I realized the Alistar homestead was like a carefully woven spider web with intricate threads that were crafted for perfection.

The hallways were filled with laughter from my youngest siblings Lilian and William, while the servants wandered about gossiping delightfully to one another across the snow-white floors. It was truly a spectacle to behold. Not an item misplaced, including me. I’d be present when called. I’d jump when someone expected that of me. I’d finish whatever assignment my step-mother gave me and still accept the poison she spoon fed me since birth like it was my salvation, even though it was clear how it might be my doom.

I learned how to dance through the spider web that was woven through the Alistar homestead, but my life hasn’t changed since the days I came into this world. Everything was about the same, except sometimes I found reasons that I could smile.

All of a sudden, a hand grabbed my waist pulling me towards the open window.

“Wait! What??” In a panic, I struggled to pull away but failed. The hand was pale and wrapped in black fabric from heavy sword practice. “Oh, it’s just you.” I relaxed a bit. “Why are you here all of a sudden?” The ribbon I had tying back my hair came loose and all my silver locks flew around below my waist.

The knight handed back my ribbon, the other hand still firmly placed. Unlike ten years ago when Aiden was mostly skin and bones, he could now be described as a beautifully trained shadow.

Since the night we almost drowned, he joined the royal guard to remain by my side as my personal knight. Although I didn’t spend every waking minute with him, his presence in the palace was very comforting. To my luck, the bars on the window were removed long ago when they realized I wasn’t going to escape. This was how Aiden would sneak inside sometimes, or he’d wait for me to return from my missions.

“I thought you could use some company,” he said with a light mischievous smile. “I’m surprised you knew it was me.”

“How could I not notice you, my friend?” I laughed a bit, pulling away to pick up one of my inventions. It was a small cube with a simple design of bolts and screws, but the twisting motion helped me think.

With surprise, I found Aiden watching the object intently from his position on the windowsill. “What’s that?” His head tilted slightly, his long black ponytail moving with him.

I extended my hand with the object and he took it, observing the structure very closely. I didn’t even know what the object was so there was no use trying to explain its purpose.

He glanced at me for a moment, his green eyes shining a bit more brightly than usual. “It looks like a puzzle,” he said with some fascination.

I smiled and took back the cube. “It’s rather useless, but I like it.”

Aiden was staring again, like he would often do sometimes. I really didn’t understand what he saw when he looked at me that way. “Cass, let’s get out of here," he offered, nodding my direction.

“Hmm?” I looked up from the cube I was playing with. Trying my best not to laugh, I looked at him firmly but with a smile. “Aiden, I know you’re a skilled swordsman but we both know you can’t fly. You're the only one that can climb from this height.”

“Heh.”

Did he just laugh? Suddenly my waist was snatched and I felt weightless from the dive we took out the window. Air rushed through our hair and I found Aiden was grinning broadly, eyes sparkling just as wide. The wind was too harsh for my eyes to stay open.

We did some twists and turns until all movement seemed to stop.

“Cass,” his soft voice spoke near my left ear. “Open your eyes.”

We were standing in another bedroom. I looked around at the several swords mounted on the wall. Their cases were engraved with ebony and gold swirls. Overall, the room was very clean despite being furnished with shabby furniture and worn books. A lit fire was spreading heat from the fireplace. I only recognized this was Aiden’s bedroom because of the chimes I’d gifted him when we were twelve that he kept hung by his open window. They jingled slightly when we came inside as if greeting us.

I touched the chimes fondly. "So, you kept them," I whispered to myself.

"And you kept the ribbon," Aiden pointed out with a teasing smile.

It seemed like he was evading the topic, but unconsciously, I moved the ribbon behind my back with some invisible embarrassment. Aiden took notice immediately and with endearment in his gaze, looped around to gently take the ribbon. He began tying it back into my hair.

I quietly waited for him to finish, never knowing what to say when he did something unexpected.

Upon dropping his hands, he peeked around my shoulder to see my expression. A smile fell on his face that met his eyes, "Much better."

It was strangely nice to be dotted on for a change. I felt my heart race a bit.

Sometimes Aiden’s subtle gestures were the only reason I could keep smiling when my home life seemed lost, but of course I'd never tell him that. Emotions that were sweet to that extent were saved for the conversations of women.

We spent the evening playing cards in front of the fireplace. I won several times, which made me laugh when Aiden got salty. He pouted until he finally won a round, but by that time I grew very exhausted. I put down the cards and lied on the couch resting my eyes.

“Just wait a little longer. Cass," Aiden whispered from above me. "When I make enough money for the both of us, I’ll buy you beautiful clothes.”

I wanted to retort, but I was too tired so I spoke softly instead, “You don’t have to do that. I’m already happy knowing I’ve made a precious friend.”

I dozed off to sleep before I could hear his response.

When I opened my eyes the sky was still dark.

The room was a remnant shadow of what it used to be with the fireplace no longer lit. A soft glow from the moon allowed me to spot Aiden asleep on his bed. I sighed in relief that I hadn't stayed the whole night. I'll just make up an excuse tomorrow for my absence. My family must never know Aiden was involved. Thus I decided to sneak back to my room alone. It's much safer if I'm caught instead of him. Knights in Cassanova were heavily punished for disobedience.

With a deep breath, I sneaked to the window and found a ledge to carefully cross after finding my footing. The ground wasn’t that far away, but I didn’t want to risk jumping from the window and waking Aiden. Not to mention, breaking my ankle would really suck so I tried to avoid unnecessary things.

The palace after dark was entirely different then during the day time. Instead of servants bustling around, and the many crystals that could be seen adorning the exterior of the palace walls, all was quiet and full of gloom. Luckily for me, I'm used to moving around at night. The knights corridor was lit with sealed candles aligning a vast number of bushes, all surrounding the barracks that were tall and sturdy, connecting to the right wing of the palace. My room was slightly more to the left, but still, I wondered how Aiden carried us both down the many floors, and into his own chambers within a few seconds.

I hoisted up my tattered robes and grabbed hold of the nearest vine that led to my balcony. The old plants were rough against my skin as I tugged hard, testing the vines strength. Surprisingly they held. I looked up judging the distance I’d have to climb. The vines would let me get at least two balconies high, then I could figure out the rest.

Backing up slowly to take another look, my sandals crunched on something that snapped loudly beneath my foot.

A flickering light appeared and quickly approached.

Gods be damned, why did I try hiding when I'd just get caught in the end? Maybe shouting on the top of my lungs would’ve been more efficient.

“Who’s there?” A young man peered from the dark, his metal braces gleaming with the torch he held. In one long movement he drew his sword.