Rumors of the queen's fall spread around Film. The tall and sluggish guards of Tilth and Farlow were also here, most of them the retinue of the foreign dukes, who conversed cordially with the guards of Fort Hind.

Listening to them eagerly talk about the loss of their child as if His Majesty would take the throne, it felt as if they were betting on horses, and brought far more pain than displeasure to Firin.

The only thing that countered this rumor was that a boy had seen the pock-faced man by the ancient well in the castle courtyard, and had heard that the boy had seen him near midnight.

No one wanted to know what the boy was doing there, or how he had witnessed this ominous omen in the dark, and they swore to stay away from the water in the well, for there was no doubt that it had ruined the quality of the well.

So these people only drink beer, but according to Efelin, they don't need to worry about the water quality of the well being really damaged.

So he stayed here until His Majesty sent a message that he needed three strong men to go to the king's chambers at once with axes.

That caused a lot of talk about this new topic, and he took the opportunity to quietly leave the place and walk to the stables.

Filin had wanted to find Borges to see if the servants had found him, but as he was about to go upstairs, he saw Ariana coming down the steep staircase in front of her room.

She looked down and smiled at the look of surprise on Filin's face, but then put away her smile and the smile in her eyes was gone.

"Why are you looking for Borges?" Filin asked her, and immediately realized that Filin was too reckless in questioning. Filmin had been worried that she was going to ask for help.

"He's my friend. After she replied succinctly, she wanted to push Fei Lin away and continue walking, but he stood firm without thinking. "Let me go!" she roared fiercely.

But Filmin hugged her instead. "Ariana, Ariana, please. Filmin said hoarsely, but she pushed Filmin away mercilessly.

"Let people find a place to talk, even if it's just for a few minutes. I can't bear to look at me like that, and I swear I didn't do anything sorry for you.

You act like I've abandoned you, but you've always been in my heart. I can't accompany you, it's not what I want!"

She suddenly stopped struggling.

"Please?" said Film.

She glanced at the gloomy barn. "People are just standing here talking, hurrying to finish. Yes, there is. ”

"Why are you so angry with me?"

She was almost close to answering Filin's question. Fei Lin watched her grit her teeth and swallow her words back, and suddenly became cold. "Why do you think I'm going to make you the central pillar of my life?" she retorted, "why do you think I care only about you and nothing else to worry about?"

Filin looked at her with his mouth stammered. "Maybe that's how I feel about you. Filin said heavily.

"It's not like that. She was so annoyed that she corrected Filmin like a child who insisted that the sky was green.

"That's it. "I insisted, tried to hold her tighter, but she just stiffened in Firin's arms.

"Your crown prince Hermes is more important to you, as is King Creek, not to mention Queen Floya and her children. She pointed out them one by one, as if calculating Film's fault.

"I know my responsibility. Filmin said calmly.

"I know where your heart is," she said coldly, "and you didn't put me first. ”

"Hermes has ...... Not here to protect his princess, children and father. Filmin tried to reason. "So, at this moment, I must put my personal life and death and the people I love the most out of my life, and put them in the highest priority. Not because I love them more, but because I ......" Filmin was uselessly struggling to say anything. "I am my king's people. Filin said helplessly.

"But film doesn't belong to anyone. Ariana made this the loneliest statement in the world. "Filin will take care of himself. ”

"It won't be like this forever. Filmin protested. "One day people will be free, they can get married, and they will ......"

"You still have to obey the king's orders. She helped him finish his sentence.

"No, Kaz. Her tone was resolute and pained, and she pushed Filin away and down the stairs. As she walked down two steps, all the winter chill seemed to fill the crowd, and then she spoke.

"I have to tell you one thing. "There is another person in my life," she said, almost gently, "as important as the king is to you, more important than Filin's personal life and my dearest of all." As you said before, you can't blame me. She looked back at Filin.

Fei Lin didn't know what she looked like, but she turned her head away, as if she couldn't bear to continue looking at Fei Lin.

"He's going to get out of here for that man's sake," she told Filin, "to a place that's safer than here." ”

"Please, Ariana, he can't love you as much as I do. Filin begged her.

She didn't look at Film. "Neither can your king be like me...... I loved you so much before. But it has nothing to do with how he feels about Filin," she said slowly, "but how I feel about him." He had to be the most important person in my life, and he needed him to do that. Understand this.

It's not that I don't care about you anymore, it's that I can't put that feeling before his well-being. She descended two more steps. "Goodbye, new kid. She didn't say anything more, but these words were deeply imprinted in Filin's heart.

Standing on the stairs and watching her leave, Filin suddenly felt too familiar, and the pain was too unforgettable.

Filin ran downstairs to catch up with her, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the darkness under the stairs. "Aliana," I said, "please. ”

She didn't say a word, not even resist Film.

"What should I tell you or tell you to understand how much you mean to me? I just can't let you go!"

"No matter how much you say, you can't keep me. She whispered. Filin felt that she had expressed some emotion, some anger, courage and determination, but Filin couldn't find the right words to describe it. "Please. She said that these words hurt Film, just because she was begging Film.

"Just let me go, don't embarrass me, don't force me to cry. ”

Filin let go of her hand, but she didn't leave.

"A long time ago," she said cautiously, "I said you were just like Borges. ”

Filin nodded in the dark, not caring that she couldn't see Filin.

"You resemble him in some ways and not like him in others.

He's going to make decisions for people the same way he makes decisions for stars and for himself, that people don't have a future. You already have someone else in your heart, and people's situations are too far away to be connected with any love.

I know you love me very much, but your love ...... And my love is different. I want to share everything in my life with each other, but you want to lock me in a box and separate from your life.

I'm not the one to pass the time when you don't have more important things to do, he doesn't even know what the hell you're doing when you're not with me, and you never share that with me at all. ”

"You won't want to hear it. Filmin told her. "You won't want to know. ”

"Don't say that to me again. She whispered angrily. "Can't you see that I just can't stand it, and you won't even let me make that decision for myself? Then you can't make that decision for Film, because you don't have the right to do it! If you don't even say what you're doing, how can he believe that you love me?"

"I'm killing," Filin heard himself say, "killing for the king." I am an Assassin, Ariana. ”

"I don't believe you!" she whispered, almost blurting out, the fear and contempt in her tone as deep as contempt, and she finally sensed that I was telling her the truth.

Finally, as she waited for Filmin to admit that it was a lie, a brief but eerie silence spread among the people.

She knew that the lie was actually true, but she denied it for Filin. "You're an Assassin? You can't even rush past the gates to see why I'm crying! You don't have the courage to fight them for me! You now want me to believe that you're killing for the king. ”

She said in a choked tone of anger and despair. "Why are you saying this now? Why now?

Want to impress me?"

"If I wanted to do that, I would have told you a long time ago. Film's admit, and it's true.

I was afraid that Ariana would leave me because I told the truth, so I kept it a secret, and I was right in my concerns.

"Lies," she said as if to herself, "lies, all lies, from the beginning." I'm so stupid.

People say that if someone hits you once, they will hit you a second time, and it's the same with lying, but I stayed and listened to the lie, what a hopeless fool!"

The last cruel word slammed into him, sending Filin back a few steps, and she stood far away from him.

"Thank you, Kaz Silverglow. She said coldly in a one-eyed tone. "You make things so much easier. She turned around and left.

"Ariana. Filin pleaded as she reached out and took her hand, but she shook it off, then raised her hand and slapped Filin in the face.

"Don't touch me," she warned in a low voice, "and see if you dare to touch me again!"

Then she left.

It took a moment for Filin to remember that he was standing in the darkness under the stairs of Borges's room, shivering not only from the cold.

No, nothing else. Fihrin closed her lips, not smiling or angry.

Filin had been terrified that his lies would cost him Ariana, but the truth shattered everything that Filin had supported with a whole year of lies in an instant, and Filin wondered what he had to learn from it.