Empire of Ash and Amethyst

Elyra POV “Ugh! All my plans keep falling apart,” I hissed, sprinting through the forest with nothing but a flimsy dress and a sword. Branches clawed at my skin as I ran through the darkness. Only one thought echoed in my mind: "How did they find us? Our hideout was perfect." A branch snagged my dress. “Oh, come on—” I stumbled hard, crashing into the dirt before I could recover. A cold blade pressed against my throat instantly. “Well,” I muttered, glaring up at the strangers surrounding me, “this is humiliating.” Luke POV “Surrender, leader of the Shadow Puppets.” I kept my expression perfectly blank despite the fact that her fall had been one of the funniest things I had ever witnessed. Act cool. Act dominant. You are the alpha here. Leaders do not laugh at fugitives falling face-first into mud. “Restrain her hands with amethyst,” I ordered smoothly. “She’s a witch.” The guards obeyed immediately. I raised my sword toward her, successfully hiding the war between my dignity and my sense of humor. “Take her to the prison grounds.” I turned to leave when a soft female voice drifted into my mind. Stupid idiots. I’ll break out sooner than they think. A small smile tugged at my lips. Mind-reading really did come in handy sometimes. I go back to my home, a hidden region in the forests of Euthanasia, leaving the guards to deal with the lady. I returned home, a hidden region deep within the forests of Euthanasia, leaving the guards to deal with the woman. My mind began to wander. The leader of the Shadow Puppets… she’s smaller than I thought she’d be. Or am I just really tall? Maybe I was just tall, but— I caught myself. “What am I doing?” I whispered into the empty room. I stood to take a bath, yet somehow I still couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even after the shower, she lingered in my thoughts. I got dressed and headed toward the prison yard.. Elyra POV “First I trip over my own two feet, then I get snickered at by the leader of God-knows-what, and now I’m sitting in a prison cell wearing nothing but my pyjamas. Can this day get any worse?” As if fate took that as a personal challenge, footsteps echoed down the corridor. Great. Torture time. “Who are you?” His voice sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. I turned around and immediately froze. Him. The man who captured me. For a second, my brain completely short-circuited. Who is this ridiculously handsome stranger, and why did he have to be the one arresting me? I mean, sure, I’m technically a wanted criminal, but still. “Who are you?” I shot back, refusing to look intimidated. Outwardly, I held his gaze like I was dangerous. Internally? I was improvising. I kept staring him down, trying to look threatening, though honestly, I had no idea if it was working. I mean, I can’t exactly see my own face. Then, suddenly, he just left. I stared after him in confusion. What exactly was the point of that interaction? Before I could think about it any further, his voice echoed through the prison yard. “Get something out of her at least.” Oh. Oh, that made my blood boil. Hey, fate, when I asked, "could this day get any worse?", IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION NOT A f*****g CHALLENGE Luke POV I despised the prison yard. Usually, I avoided the place whenever possible, but today, I found myself actually looking forward to going there. I needed to know more about her. Or, more accurately, I needed to get information out of her. Today had been… interesting. I captured the leader of the Shadow Puppets, discovered the infamous criminal was actually a woman, nearly lost my composure because of it, and now— Oh, gods. I slowed outside her cell. She looked unfairly good when she was upset. Before I could stop myself from staring, a soft voice drifted into my mind. First I trip over my own two feet, then I get snickered at by the leader of God-knows-what, and now I’m in prison wearing nothing but my pyjamas. Can this day get any worse? So those were her thoughts. I bit the inside of my cheek, desperately trying to maintain a straight face. Her internal rants made this far more difficult than it should have been. Thankfully, years of royal training had made me excellent at hiding my emotions. …At least, I hoped so. I could already feel laughter threatening to escape. Do not laugh. You cannot arrest someone and then start laughing at them five minutes later. That is not intimidating. Quick. Say something. Anything. “Who are you?” I finally managed, forcing as much cold authority into my voice as possible. I certainly hadn’t expected her to talk back to me. To me, of all people. She was insolent—recklessly so—but before I could react, another thought slipped into my mind. Who is this handsome stranger, and why did he capture me? I mean, I know I’m technically a wanted criminal, but still. For one deeply unfortunate moment, I forgot how to speak. only one thought crossed my mind: she is completely insane. A faint blush crept up my neck as I met her intense gaze. Did she truly believe she frightened me in the slightest? No, darling. But I would admit one thing—I could stare at her all day. Before that thought could spiral any further, I turned sharply to the guards beside me. “Get something out of her at least,” I ordered coolly. Even as the words left my mouth, guilt twisted unpleasantly in my chest. It was shameful to admit, but the thought of her being tortured unsettled me more than it should have. Still, it was necessary. For the kingdom. As I walked away, her thoughts suddenly echoed through my mind once more. Hey, fate, when I asked, “Could this day get any worse?” it was a rhetorical question, not a f*****g challenge. That nearly destroyed what remained of my composure. A laugh threatened to escape, and before anyone could notice, I hurried out of the prison grounds. Somehow, she had lodged herself firmly in my mind. I had barely stepped out of the prison grounds before I ran straight into the one person capable of ruining what remained of my composure. Xavier. Otherwise known as the greatest thorn in my flesh and, unfortunately, my personal bodyguard. If he discovered the chaos currently unfolding inside my mind, I would never hear the end of it. “Hello, Your Highness,” Xavier greeted casually. Immediately, suspicion settled in my chest. That i***t never called me Your Highness unless he was either planning to mock me, blackmail me, or say something profoundly stupid. Occasionally, he was serious. Unfortunately for me, this did not feel like one of those occasions. “Xavier,” I greeted, forcing my tone to remain casual. “How are you today?” As if determined to confirm my suspicions, a grin immediately spread across his face. “I heard from a friend of mine,” he began, lowering his voice into a conspiratorial whisper, “that you finally captured the leader of the Shadow Puppets…” I already disliked where this was going. “And,” he continued, clearly enjoying himself far too much, “the terrifying criminal mastermind turned out to be a woman.” He burst into laughter. The sound scraped against my patience like a blade. The moment Xavier noticed the dangerous shift in my expression, he wisely stopped laughing. Unfortunately, he only became more annoying. “So?” he asked with a smirk. “Is she cute, hot, or exactly your type?” “Shut your mouth,” I snapped coldly, “or I will have you dismembered and fed to the stray dogs roaming the streets.” Xavier only looked more amused. Before he could say anything else, I turned sharply and walked away, feigning irritation while desperately trying to hide the warmth creeping up my neck. Gods. This was humiliating. And yet… I already found myself looking forward to my next visit to the prison grounds. What is wrong with me? No. Not the prison grounds. Her. I needed her name. To my absolute horror, I felt the faintest smile tug at my lips.