Tangled Hearts

"I thought you were at the castle with your brother," Rhett said, finally laying his arms along the armrests of his seat so he wouldn't touch Baby and make the dog growl again.

"I was," Lara said. "But Annemarie was there, and then they started gushing about wedding plans and parties and I wanted to throw myself out the window. Harrison knows I don't do party planning so he was fine with me escaping for a while. I think your friend Holden was hoping I'd rescue him and take him with me, but I left him to fend for himself."

Rhett chuckled. "That's awfully cold, Lara."

"It's what he gets for falling in love with Annemarie." Lara shrugged. "She lives for party planning. You know she's never worn the same dress more than once? The girl is a menace."

"Funny. I've heard people say that about you," Rhett teased.

"They only think I'm a menace because I don't act like Annemarie," Lara informed him primly. "I don't adhere to their standards and expectations."

"Whose standards and expectations do you adhere to, then?"

"My own," she said firmly. "I don't need someone else to tell me what to do. I once met a foreign ambassador and his son, and his son spent the entire month trying to impress me and tell me I could easily land a husband if I'd just smile more."

"What did you do to him?"

"I smiled. And then I had Baby bite him in the ass."

Rhett snorted with laughter. "Seriously?"

"Mhm." Lara grinned at the memory. "Baby took a big chunk out of his trousers. Carried it around like a trophy for three weeks. Which is about as long as it was before poor Harry Wittman VI could sit down again without the use of a special cushion and a lot of wincing."

Rhett shook his head but he was still laughing. "You're terrible, Lady Everhart."

Lara batted her eyelashes. "Who, me?"

"Yes, you. You little deviant." Rhett tapped her nose lightly.

"Deviant? This coming from the man who used to sell illegal charms and potions?" she retorted. "You're not just a deviant, Rhett Howard. You're a felon."

"Reformed felon," he corrected, smirking.

"Of course. My mistake. And I'm sure you never injured a man's posterior, either. What with you being such a good, upstanding, pious, virtuous-"

"All right, all right. Knock it off," Rhett interrupted, wrinkling his nose at her.

"-wholesome, pure individual," Lara finished. "In fact, I probably shouldn't even stay here too long, in case I lead you astray from your path of Light-filled righteousness-"

She stood and pretended she was leaving, yelping as Rhett caught her around the waist and tickled her.

"You are a menace," he said while she tried to squirm free.

"Are you going to pray for my salvation, General?" she asked coyly.

"Yeah, I think I might."

"You're going to need to light an awful lot of candles."

"I'll surround your house with them."

"Then won't I be trapped inside?"

"Don't worry I'll keep you company."

"Even though I might take you down an impure path?"

"Were you going to try?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe I haven't decided yet," she replied, pulling on his collar so he had to lean his face down. She kissed him, her arms twining around his neck. He lifted her slightly off the floor, pulling her even closer. Baby huffed but Lara ignored him, drawing back slightly and laughing breathlessly.

"Is this your preferred method of helping people fight their demons?" she asked.

"Is it working?"

She considered. "I think so, but it's going to take a lot more work."

Rhett smiled, pulling her back into the kiss. Lara had had brief dalliances here and there; nothing that was ever serious or meaningful. But kissing Rhett made her feel like little bolts of lightning were zinging wildly through her entire body. Eventually they both had to come up for air, and Baby had taken over the bed, clearly unimpressed with all their lip locking.

"How do survive in this tiny house?" Lara asked, shooing Baby over and flopping on the bed. "It's not that it's simply furnished, it's just so small."

"We can't all have a fortress," he teased, squeezing into the tiny space left on the bed and looking down to study her face.

"I just like the open space," Lara said. "It's more room to move. More room to run."

"What do you need to run from?"

"You never know," she said quietly. Then she sighed.

"I guess Baby and I should go now," she said reluctantly. "It's getting late and we're hogging up essentially your whole house."

"I don't mind walking you home," he offered, catching her hand as she stood up.

"You're going to walk me all the way home and then walk all the way back?" she asked, amused. He shrugged, squeezing her hand gently.

"Okay, General. You can walk me home."



Lara had warned Rhett that Annemarie lived for planning parties. Even though she didn't even know Harrison that well, apparently Cait had made a good impression on her and Annemarie insisted on hosting an engagement party. This time it was at her own Aegaeran estate, since it seemed King Alec was starting to go slightly insane from so many parties. Annemarie's second home was more than large enough to accommodate a slew of nobles, and even though Harrison was about as socially awkward as a person could be, Cait was a charming and gracious guest of honor, and she looked beautiful in the sea foam green gown she was wearing.

Lara had opted for something simple; a plain black satin dress with bell sleeves trimmed in gold. She and Baby stepped inside the ballroom, earning wary looks. Lara's eyes were already scanning the crowd in the hopes of spotting Rhett. She knew Holden would have pestered him to come, and sure enough she spotted them both, unsurprisingly, near the food. Annemarie was talking a mile a minute to some girl Lara vaguely recognized from somewhere, and Holden was talking animatedly to Rhett.

Rhett's eyes flicked up and he met Lara's gaze. She smiled softly and he smiled back. She found herself accosted by a few girls she'd known at school, and as soon as Daria Perretta shoved a champagne flute into her hand she searched him out again and rolled her eyes. She could see him chuckling.

"Oh, Lara, the girls and I were just discussing what a shame it is that your cousin and your brother will both be married before you," Daria said, shaking her head.

"You're right, Daria. It's tragic," Lara said, sipping her champagne. "The only thing that could make it more tragic is if I gave a damn."

The girls tittered and Daria seemed disappointed that her fake concern was wasted. Lara managed to untangle herself from the gaggle of women, edging away from them and closer to Rhett and Holden; who were the only people there who seemed as miserable and out of place as her. She had almost attained freedom just to find herself being chatted up by one of their fathers, who seemed rather shameless about the way he kept sneaking glances at the front of Lara's dress. Her stony glare didn't seem to discourage him either.

"We've just bought a horse, of champion stock," he babbled. "My wife has taken quite an interest in equestrian sports. She rides almost daily."

"Of course she does," Lara deadpanned. "It must be nice for her to have something with a little power between her legs for a change."

Behind her, she heard Holden snort and choke and was pretty sure he'd almost spit his wine everywhere. Deciding champagne wasn't strong enough to handle this crowd, Lara swapped her champagne flute for a goblet of wine. She watched Harrison cling to Cait's arm, looking vaguely green at all the interacting he was having to do. The evening was surprisingly uneventful, and Lara was just starting to relax and think maybe this party wouldn't be so bad when she heard a familiar voice and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Lady Everhart, it's been a long time. The rumors of your beauty have not done you justice."

Lara turned to see Duke Sotheby, an old friend of her parents.' Her grip tightened on her goblet, every muscle in her body tensing. Beside her, Baby began to growl faintly. Duke Sotheby took Lara's hand and Baby's fur stood on end.

"I see you still have that monster," Duke Sotheby said, eyeing the dog with distaste. The impressive scar on his right cheek was a gift from Baby.

"You have some nerve calling anyone or anything else a monster," Lara spat. He smiled indulgently at her and Lara couldn't decide if she wanted to vomit or cry or simply run away. Duke Sotheby still had her hand and tried to pull her closer. Baby went wild, his ears flattening completely against his head and snarling viciously. This wasn't his typical warning growl. His lips were pulled back to reveal his fangs and his blue eyes were wide and wild. Duke Sotheby looked nervous but that didn't stop him from giving Lara what he must have assumed was a charming grin and asking her for a dance.

In response, Lara didn't just throw her wine in his face. She slammed the goblet into his nose, spilling both wine and a decent amount of blood down the front of his nice shirt.

"Touch me again," she dared him. "Baby knows to aim for the throat now instead of your ugly face."

She shoved roughly past the cursing, bloody Duke and fled for the door as fast as she could without running. Baby hurried along beside her, still growling slightly. Apparently he remembered Duke Sotheby as well as she did. Once she was outside, Lara didn't slow down until she got home, slamming the front door firmly behind her as if Sotheby was following her. For good measure she threw the lock and then stood there for a moment, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs.

She hated that he could make her feel so panicked, even after four years of not seeing him. Lara went to the kitchen and rummaged through cabinets until she found a bottle of wine, not even bothering with a glass. She curled up in the parlor and drank too much, Baby resting his head on the cushion beside her and watching her worriedly. He barked when there was a knock on the door.

He watched Lara as she sat right where she was, not even acknowledging the knock. Then he trotted into the hall, and Lara could hear him undoing the latch with his nose. He barked and whined as the door opened, and then padded back into the parlor where she was, nudging her foot and whining again.

"Lara," Rhett said quietly. "Are you all right?"

"Never better," she replied. Rhett frowned.

"Are you drunk?" he asked incredulously.

"I think so. The bottle's not empty yet though."

He came to stand in front of her, trying to take the wine from her. She pulled the bottle against her chest protectively.

"Get your own," she mumbled. Rhett sighed, crouching down so he could look at her.

"Does this have something to do with that man who was talking to you at the party?"

"I don't like him," Lara said flatly.

"Yes, I kind of figured that when you almost broke his nose."

"You know he was the first man to tell me I was pretty," Lara blurted. She had never told anyone about what happened with Duke Sotheby, and had vowed she never would. She didn't know why her drunken, frazzled brain was allowing her mouth to speak but it kept on going.

"I was twelve," she said. "He was friends with my parents, and he started visiting a lot when he bought an estate near ours. He said I was a beautiful girl and he would always bring me little gifts and try to touch my hair or hold my hand or get me to sit on his lap. I never liked him. He was old and his smile was weird. I was thirteen when he came into my room one night. He didn't really do anything, he just sat on my bed and watched me and I pretended to be asleep. Then the next day in the library he tried to kiss me. My mother walked in on it and I thought, surely for once she would take my side. But she didn't even care. Her and my father said I should be flattered that such a distinguished man had taken an interest in me. I was barely even a teenager yet and they wanted me to be flattered that a man almost my father's age was pinning me against bookshelves and trying to ram his tongue in my mouth.

I was actually happy to go to school. I was away from home for months and he couldn't bother me there. But I had to come home eventually, and the next summer he came unexpectedly. I didn't know he was there so I didn't lock my door. I woke up and he was on top of me. When he saw me wake up he tried to choke me to keep me quiet. It was when he tore my nightgown that Baby woke up. He went ballistic. Sotheby tells people he got the scar on his face in a hunting accident but it's a lie. Baby bit him. Nearly tore his face off.

I tried running away. I managed on my own for about three weeks, but then my parents brought in magic trackers and they found me and dragged me home. When my father asked what I had been thinking I told him exactly why I ran away. And he scolded me for being ungrateful, and asked how I could be so selfish as to run away and make them worry.

So I just stopped coming home so much during the summers. And then I left altogether and I'm never going back," she said vehemently. "I may as well be a show pony, having my teeth and calves checked. I only matter to people as long as I can do something for them."

"Your fairy tale," Rhett said slowly. "About the princess who turned into a dragon. It was about you, wasn't it?"

Lara kept her head lowered so her hair shielded her face. "The joke is still on me though, because all I got was the reputation of a monster without the benefit of wings and breathing fire." She let out a humorless little laugh. "Now you understand why I can't believe in your Light, Rhett. Darkness permeates everything I touch. I'm a dark, broken thing and no light of any kind is going to shine on me."

She felt a sob rise in her throat and choked it back, swiping angrily at the tears that were leaking from the corners of her eyes. Rhett took the bottle and this time she let him.

"Lara, you're not broken," he said gently, tilting her chin up slightly so she had to look at him.

"I am. And you should go, before you cut yourself on all my jagged edges."

"I don't think you should be alone right now."

"I'm always going to be alone," she said angrily. Rhett shook his head and sighed before standing up. He walked out of the parlor and Lara was sure he was gone when she heard the sound of a door closing. All she could do was blink in confusion as Rhett came back, this time carrying some pillows and a blanket from her bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you, I don't think you should be alone. And since I feel confident that either you or Baby will claw me to shreds if I try to carry you upstairs, I brought these down for you." He arranged the pillows on the couch and laid the blanket over her where she sat, still with her knees pulled up so she was curled into herself like a frightened animal. He sat on the couch opposite her.

"I guess fair is fair," Lara said. "I know your dark secrets, and now you know mine. At least yours doesn't make you seem pathetic."

"Lara-"

She pulled the blanket over her head and burrowed into it, not wanting to hear him feeling sorry for her. She heard him sigh again. She stayed huddled under her blanket, eyes squeezed shut to keep herself from crying. Baby hopped up to lay beside her, pawing and nosing at the blanket. Lara curled even more tightly into herself, just wishing she could fall asleep and not have to think about anything for a while.