Hidden Truths - Ethan

39 - The Truth I

"Don't look like that, Ethan. Nobody hurt him.", she says but her face gets darker. "Nobody hurt him, besides you." My heart sinks but I think I'm good at hiding it. "When we came back to the headquarters I brought him to Erwin, you know? Just like you told me..."

I nod thankfully. "Erwin then took his blood for further tests and the next time Tristan came to get the results it ended not well for Erwin." I narrow my eyes at her. What did Erwin do? "Tristan ruined the whole laboratory just because Erwin was telling him that he never treated you with the poison for some experiments." Eve gets up and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Tristan thinks that Erwin is lying but the two of us...", she gestures to me and herself. "We know better, right?", her eyes slightly start to gleam. "I also talked to Erwin, who by the way is in our dungeons now because of you, but the most interesting fact he told me... He compared Tristan's blood, after he drank from you, with the sample he still had stored after we found you with the bolt between your eyes."

I know what she found out and start to smile. Clever girl, she was faster than I thought. "Ethan, I want to ask you a question: Why did you have far more poison in your system than in the beginning?" Her voice is getting more silent, but I can feel the cold breeze that accompanies it.

"How the hell is it possible that you were able to get into trouble without anybody noticing? What did you find out that it was necessary to kill Henriette and get banned for it?" I can see her taking a deep breath and Connor backs up to stand next to Lester, giving Eve and me some space.

The smile still on my face, I think I trained her well. The situation for Erwin is a bit unlucky but who cares. He wouldn't have left his rooms anyway. "Stop smiling, this is serious!", she shouts at me but I don't change anything.

"Tristan maybe still believes in you, but here is the reality. I nearly need to force him to drink; our people haven't seen him for weeks, because all he does is to think about how to get the council to get you back! He locks himself in all day and night. He got bitter and the flash of anger that causes him to destroy a fully equipped lab...", her first determined voice gets weaker and I inspect her face.

"Now I'm here and wanted to get some answers; to tell him that you are okay and what really happened and you? You are sitting here, smiling at our misery without intending to give me any kind of answer... and... and... betraying him with the next best beast!", she covers her mouth as the last part slips out. My smile disappears and I raise to build up in front of her.

I. Don't. Betray. Tristan.

My glowing eyes meet hers and a silent growl makes its way out my throat. "It hurts to say it loud, right?", she turns her mistake into a brave attempt to tell me her opinion. "I won't tell Tristan. It would break him. Even if she doesn't smell like you, I can clearly smell her on you." A few moments pass by at our staring and I consider finally speaking up and ignoring the beast's rules. I can't allow this gag to become the reason for losing Tristan completely.

"I know you did all that on purpose. You are so.... Selfish. If you don't want to hear the truth, make me stop, buttercup.", she presses out. Now I know what is happening here. I sigh and ease out my muscles before reaching out to softly press Eve's head against my chest. It takes her a few moments but then she gives in to my protective hold and presses her arms against my chest. Drumming her fists against me and releasing a string of silent curses. Hidden from the world I can feel her tears start to fall against my chest.

A look up into the trees and I see Naveena staring at us. I don't care what she thinks, but if she would interrupt this, I couldn't guarantee for anything. This is none of her business. Eve is Tristan's princess and right now in a very difficult position. "He still doesn't talk to me, Ethan...", she whispers finally. "Why doesn't he trust me?", she wants to know.