It was nothing more than a Chapel long since forgotten in the hills. Stained glass lay shattered, its remnants concealed behind rough logs. The saints left years ago, leaving new leaders of the area. All around stood human weapons. Ready to fight and strike whenever the time came. Kade stood in the middle of what used to be the nave, feeling the eyes of his elders bore into him. 
          “Seventeen years ago” Lorne said, his voice cold and harsh, “Seventeen years after they lined up our fathers, our brothers and our sons and beheaded them calling it peace. We lost half a generation, Kade!” His voice easily rang out across the room. Echoing in the empty space, “And you mean to tell me that you have spent two years there. Inside the palace, a breath away from the throne and you cannot complete the one thing we have asked of you?

          Kade said nothing at first. He was quiet, his hands clasped behind him, “He’s nothing more than the princesses dog” Captain Eryn hissed out clear disapproval in his voice, “I say we end him now before he gives us away more than he already has.”

          Kade looked up at those words, “You asked me to get close to her and I did,”

          Eryn’s voice cracked the silence that fell over them, “We did not ask you to fall in love with her,you were supposed to have killed her already”

          “I didn’t,” Kade spoke, unable to say if he meant the lie that he had not loved her, or the vow to see her dead.

          Lorne slammed his fist against his chair, it falling back as he stood.“Isabella isn’t just a bratty princess! She is the only Heir!” Lorne took a breath but didn’t sit again. Instead he moved closer. “The public likes her. She speaks of peace and is to inherit. She is dangerous Kade,” His voice lowered to something more tender. That same voice which had raised him since he was merely a boy, “I do not want to see you hurt. How many royals are we going to let lie to our faces,”

          “She’s trying to help. She hears out the people, she takes-”

          “SHE SITS ON THE THRONE THAT MURDERED YOUR FATHER! OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HIS DEATH ALREADY!” The rise of Lorne’s voice in Kade’s ear made him flinch, “I do not care if she smiles while doing these things. She is playing you, Kade. I would not lie to you. You know I would never do that,”

          He paused for a moment breathing in and out and shook his head, “I have not forgotten,”

          Lorne nodded with approval, “Then prove it,” He drew a dagger, the very one Kade’s father once carried, and placed it in Kade’s hands. “Make it soon and make it clean.”

          “We will not accept failure again Kade.”Captain Eryn said once more from his spot. “Or might I remind you of what we do to traitors,”

          “It will be done,” Kade nodded, gripping the dagger in his hand before turning away from them and walking away.

          The click of the big oak door drew Isabella’s attention away from her book. Her dress was carefully arranged around her. “Your back,” She announced, standing up and closing her book. “Oh you shouldn’t stay away for so long. You know what it does to my nerves, being without you,” She said with a soft giggle, her eyes lingering on him with unmistakable fondness.

          “You should be asleep,” Kade said, his voice gruff as he thought.

          “There are a lot of things I _should _be doing but when have I ever been one for that,” She said shaking her head, “You’d think after all this time, you would’ve figured that out,” Isabella moved closer to him. Her brow knit together as her hand lifted to his cheek. “You look pale,” Her voice was low, laced with concern.

          For a brief moment Kade’s breath caught in his throat. Closing his eyes if only for a second before forcing himself to pull away. “I am alright princess. It was just a rather long walk is all,”

          Her hand stayed hovering in the air for a moment as he pulled away her fingers closing around nothing as they fell to her sides, “Oh,” Was all she could say at first. He had never pulled away from her touch before, “Kade, what’s with the formalities? You have never been a good liar and you know that,” Isabella turned to watch him as he walked towards the fire, eyes searching his face for something unsaid.

          “There is talk about the rebels. I’m merely worried for your safety,” This wasn’t entirely a lie. He was worried. Worried about what would happen. Worried about what might be her fate. “They say they will be attacking soon,”

          Isabella studied him for a moment before moving closer to the fire. “You worry too much,” she said softly. “I’ve been speaking with the village leaders and scouts all day. The rebels may be planning something, but it is not soon. I’m making sure we’re ready. I won’t let anything happen to you, me or this place.” Her hand lifted, resting on his shoulder bridging the gap between them. “We’ll face this together,” she whispered, though Kade tensed beneath her touch, and the distance remained.

          “You shouldn’t trust so easily,” He murmured, shaking his head though he was unable to pull away from her.

          “What do you mean?” She moved trying to see his face but he stubbornly kept it facing away from her.

          “The Palace has too many cracks” He said his eyes fixed on the fire, “It was-” He started, then paused, taking a breath before saying too much. “The rebels know everything. Sometimes, it’s easier to sneak in a knife than a message”

          She could feel the hesitation in His tone was too certain, too heavy with knowledge. Her gaze sharpened as she looked at him. “Is that what you are then, a knife?” When Kade didn’t respond she slowly stepped back, not out of fear but just enough to see his face, “Kade…” She breathed, “What have you done?”

          He brought his eyes from the fire to her, “What I was raised to do,” He said taking out the knife, there was no ceremony to it, no flourish, no rush just an utter look of dread in his eyes as the cold metal kissed her skin, “This is what needs to be done. This is what will bring peace,” His hands shaking. He looked at her his eyes wide. She was silent, merely staring at him. “Shout at me,” He begged, “Scream, fight, say something. Call the guards,” His voice cracked at theses words, “Make them stop me please,”

          But Isabella didn’t scream. She didn’t cry. She only looked at him. Fully. Deeply. The man she had loved. This boy who, was raised for war. A blade made flesh. “I trust you,” She said as his knife pointed at her throat. She didn’t know how the words came so easily, but they did. She trusted him with all her heart, as she always had and always would.

          “Why?” His voice filled her ears with an almost desperate plea in them, “Why would you do that? I am about to kill you Isabella!” The tone in his voice grew more agitated.

          There was a faint chuckle that fell from her lips and she turned her head to look at him once more. Seeing the tears falling from his eyes a sad smile crossed her lips, “I know,” She stated, “I know you are. You always finish your jobs,” She paused to get a breath “But I also know you have your reasons and I trust that you made a good decision with them,”

          She felt the knife push more insistantly against her neck, barely breaking skin, sending a small bit of pain through her. But she did not move, “You should hate me,” Kade announced the tears muddling his words, “You should hate me for this. You should be fighting, You shouldn’t let me do this”

          “Kade,” She said, her voice ever gentle, “You believe this will bring peace do you not?”

          He was quiet for a long moment, the dagger feeling weak in his hands now, “I do,” He muttered, “I did,” He switched. Even he did not know what he believed.

          “And they will kill you if you don’t” Isabella didn’t need him to answer but when no words came it was a confirmation for her. She reached up covering his hand with hers, “Let me do it then. If it will save you and will bring peace then let me,” She tried to gently take it from him. Tried to push it further but his hand stayed firm.

          “No” He murmured his voice thick now, “No… I do not wish for peace if you are not there. I do not wish for life if I cannot share it in your presence.”

          Isabella’s mouth opened intending to speak but no words followed after. She was quiet for a long time before simply repeating hoping he would listen, “Let me do it. Let me be the blade. Let me buy your life with mine. If that is what peace costs, I will pay it.”

          “Stop,” he gasped anguish in his every word. “Please, stop saying that.”

          “Why?” She challenged, “You believe this will bring peace. You believe in this cause, you were willing to bleed for it. Why can I not do the same? I am the princess. I am the one who has known little hardships. I should be the one to sacrifice for my people,”

          “Because it is you Isabella!” Kade suddenly yelled, stepping back as if her touch had burned him, the dagger clattering to the floor with his movement. “Because you are all I have left that is good in the world. I made an oath to protect you!”

          “An Oath you made knowing I would be killed,”

          Kade paused looking at her for a moment, the raw anguish in his eyes was clear. “Yes, Yes but I do not believe in that truth anymore,” He took in a long breath his eyes closing for a moment, “If I let you die then there will never be any peace in the world because I know what I would do. I know the pain I would cause others because you will not be by my side,” He blinked a few times shaking his head, “I love you Isabella” The words slipped out before he could stop them, “I love you and I would rather die a traitor to my people then live another moment with you not knowing,”

          The room was still, but Kade did not look away. He didn’t dare to move, didn’t dare to hope. “You love me,” She repeated her eyes finding his, “Then what more do we need to fix this?” Isabella stepped toward him before she even realized it, her hand rising gently to his cheek. “Live for me, so I can find a way to end this.” She leaned up, her lips brushing his in a kiss soft and certain not a farewell but a promise. “Let them come,” she breathed. “Let them see us standing as one. Showing that peace is still possible... if we choose it. If we choose each other. Just live. I don’t think I could do this with out you either,”