A/N: This chapter's kinda bad tbh. Really rough but yeah. Here ya go children.

Xavier stood over Rosario's body. His hair covered his face in a way that hid any emotion from Zephrine. "Gabriel, see to it this man is given a knight's burial."

Sir Gabriel appeared lost for a second, but regained his composure. "But, sire, he's not..."

"Did I fucking stutter, Gabriel?" Xavier shot back at him. 

"No, sire. I'll get to work on it." Gabriel bowed his head and scurried away.

"What a mess." Vana's voice arrived before she did. Her words dripped with sickening sarcasm Her red dress was almost too perfect a mirror to the bloodstained cobblestone just a few feet in front of her, but she didn't seem to care. 

Xavier stood, drew his sword, and pushed Zephrine behind him. 

"Oh please, put your masculinity extension away, I didn't come to hurt anyone." Vana rolled her eyes. Her crossed arms let her blonde waves cascade over her shoulder.

"Then why are you here?"

"I believe the question you should be asking is, why don't I have an army behind me?"

"We both know you don't need one of those."

Vana let out a dry laugh "I suppose you're right. But not this time."

Xavier still had his sword out, ready to strike at any second. Vana was unfazed, but her breathing mimicked Zephrine's perfectly. Vana wasn't mad or ready to attack, she was afraid.

"Zephrine," Xavier whispered so only Zephrine could hear him, "when I say so, run, I'll be right behind you."

"Do you really expect me to listen to you?"

"Look, I'll get right to it, even though it's a little late for this, and it probably means nothing, for what it's worth, I am sorry. For everything I've done." While Vana was talking, Rhys came into view behind her, one of Lian's pans in his hands. He looked to Xavier, who nodded ever so slightly.

With one swift, fluid motion, Vana crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Put her in the dungeons." Rhys turned to Sirs Elys and Balian. His attention went back to Zephrine and Xavier. "It takes you two forever to devise a plan, you know that?"

Zephrine shook herself out of her shock and bolted up to her chambers, Xavier right at her heels.

"What are you doing?" He called as they reached the second floor.

"I've got a spell that might help us out!" Zephrine barely payed him any attention. "You're not going to like it though."

"Think about this!" He yelled as she practically ripped her spellbook in half while opening it.

"No! No, I can't think! I've put this off for too long!" Zephrine flipped through the pages, barely able to see through her tears.

"I know this seems like the solution, but it's not!"

"It is, Xavier. Just because you don't like it-" She settled on a spell.

"No, I don't like it, I'm terrified of it. We've come this far together, and this is your solution? You can't do this!" Xavier cut her off.

"I am tired of everyone sacrificing themselves for me! I think it's time I sacrifice something."

"Not yourself! There is another way! Look at the book, you need someone else besides Vana for this to work."

"I'm fully aware of that fact."

"Then use me." Xavier's eye was wild. "Use me as your vessel."

"You'll die! I can't have any more blood on my hands, Xavier, much less yours!"

"But Zephrine, if you do this, you will die."

"I'm counting on it."