What Was Your Name?

Dreamer

Ben's POV: 

Ok, will the author please stop changing the perspective? I feel like it would be better for the reader's clarity.

Anyways, I was rereading the experiences we all had together, when Bella was obsessed with journaling. In her notebook, along with detailed descriptions of our adventures, were pressed flowers and herbs.

Hinges creaked, but not from the upper level. Bella. She has no clue what's happening. She isn't safe. I grabbed a simple pistol and creeped to her door. She rushed out with her trusted dagger, a spade cut into the side, diamond shaped blade. "You heard it too— didn't you, honeypie?" She asked, shaking and clutching Gambler like it was her last hope. 

"Of course I did, short stack."

"Do you think the past has finally caught up with us?"

Shifting my attention back to her, I saw the tears that she would never had allowed her eyes. "Never. They exiled us long before we turned to crime. We're out of their hands now. This is someone else entirely, someone I know that we don't need Roa's help to fight." I assured her, wiping my best friend's hair from her face. It was enough to temporarily relax her, loosening the grip she had on Gambler. Her loyal dagger had been through all of her adventures, before and after meeting me.

Maybe she shouldn't have met us. The only reason she was still alive was because Autumn knew necromancy— an art long forgotten by not only her, but most of us. If I'm being completely honest, I was barely able to get Bella back when she died just last week. I might not have been able to live with myself if I had failed, but I had barely managed to keep her with us. Looking back at the full group photo on the wall, I saw baby Autumn, first and only daughter in a household filled with men.

Flashback starts here

Bella was holding the infant that day, looking into her eye as if she herself had given birth to such a tiny girl. Young Autumn, held with such pride in front of all one-hundred-thirty of her brothers. The two girls, both baby and mother, were easily separated from their husband and sons. By the time we had returned centuries later, gifts abundant in our arms, to find almost all of them were in boxes. Bella had sobbed with Autumn, holding the 6'4 teenager. Queen Opal was dressed in the traditional all black dress and sunhat with veil, mourning both her sons and her husband, as she handed me a sacred crest of their kingdom.

"You have been loyal to this kingdom since before my daughter was born, as you have been before my mother's times. You have supported my spouse and my most fearless sons in fatal battles for centuries. As we raise security for the nation, you will be granted access to unlimited back and forth travels between your home and ours." She explained, her mascara dried from dripping down her slender face. Looking at it, my eyes widened and I pushed her hand back to her. "I insist, and if I insist that means you don't have any other choice but to accept my offer." She said.

I bowed low, allowing her to place the amulet around my neck. "Go now— before I change my mind and send my guards to slaughter you and your partner in front of my palace." Her Majesty commanded us, both her arms outstretched completely as if her family's life was hidden in our blood. Ripping Bella and Autumn apart was a great feat of itself, especially when they were both desperately clinging onto each other, not one sign of stopping their endless weeping.

Roa was pulling Autumn when we finally saw her outside the crook of Bella's neck. Eyes red, glasses crooked, hair ankles long and clearly ready for her yet-to-be signature cut. She knew she was safe with Roa, immediately turning around to sob in his arms. Picking up Bella, I bowed to Opal and hurried off to make our trip home. I would've thought that she was asleep if her sniffles didn't give her away. "You know," She whispered to me when I was putting her down for the night, her fingers brushing my cheek. "That Florian guy was my favorite. Maybe I could have married into the royal family and kept us together and safe." 

To my surprise, she told me right away that she would never love anyone else but me, but thought that I never would love her back. I typically don't want to believe these half-awake confessions, but the small, logical voice in my head reminded me that both humans and elves were much more honest when they're tired. I also had those bitter reminders of my own personal truths. Maybe filters really are there for a reason.

End of flashback

"Hey! HEY!" Bella snapped at me, pulling my hair down for me to be at her level. "You've been staring at me for the last twenty minutes. What's going on with you, the creep could have stolen the fine silver!" I snapped out of my trance and secured the grip on my gun. Taking the lead, we crept down the stairs as we heard shuffling. Bella kicked me off the last step, jumping on my back and turning on the lights. The gun dropped to the ground, clattering and alarming everyone. The figure rushed behind the nearest piece of furniture, tuft of orange hair poking out.

"Who are you?" She called out. "Please, please don't hurt me. I am not a thief or a killer. I have been sent to this world to complete a dangerous mission and restore my family honor. Just give me the girl." He whispered, the hilt of a long blade pointing out. Hearing the words, Gambler clunked on the floor the way my pistol had. Putting one protective arm around Bella, I secured the grip of my gun and called out. "Step out from behind the chair, and fight me like a man." 

As he slumped out with the blade unsheathed, ready to give his life for the princess of my life. I'd have myself killed before he could lay a finger on her. "Don't shoot." I heard. Why did he always have to mess this up for me?

Roa walked down the stairs, hand outstretched. "Romeo, what are you doing away from Taboo? You two are always together." He said calmly, walking past both my loaded weapon and Romeo's sword to get a good look at him. "Your eye...Please, I insist that you have a cuppa with me and we can catch up after all these years. So I can apologize for my immature behavior those days." He said, courteously as always. I never will understand why he would be so kind to the family that now wants him dead.