• Her hair shined brilliantly. Flowing in the wind, straight from a fairy tale. "She is the princess of my fairy tale. But am I the prince charming? Can I sweep her off her feet and show her a better life? I don't know. But I must try."
    This is what Leo thought as he scaled the palace walls, with his breath foggy in the cool night air. He was lucky that the kingdom had a very dry season, this made the walls easier to grasp. This made the task of climbing less difficult. As he climbed, Leo stopped to wonder,"If I fell from here would anyone care?" But he pushed the thought aside and continued on, navigating the the obstacles of windows and loose rocks. Finally Leo pulled himself up on to the top of the tower. It was while catching his breath that Leo realized that he was not alone. He immediately took a defensive stance but realized immediately that it was the princess, whom he was now face to face with. Her eyes a soft blue, reminded Leo of snow-capped mountains. Beautiful in every way imaginable.
    Her slender body was just as stunning. Curved to perfection. Not true perfection. Leo had learned long ago that nothing was truly perfect. Everything had its faults. Everything. But if there is perfection, she would be the embodiement of it. She stood from her balcony window and asked who he was. She didn't panic. This was new to Leo, for he was an assassin. And in the days prior to Leo and Let meeting he had been involved in an assassination attempt on the queen. Leo had botched the plan and now had his picture posted on every tree, post, and door in the kingdom.
    She asked who he was, and he told her the truth. His name was Leo. He told her he thought she was the most beautiful creation, in all of existence. He confessed to her the crimes which he had committed and begged her to accompany him on his pasage out of the kingdom. Out of this life. She, fed up with the endless chivalry of princes, agreed to accompany him. And with the swiftness of doves the two set off. Running down the streets, with the palace guards in close pursuit.
    Strange. That for them to be in such danger, yet laughing. In these moments their pasts did not matter. They were reborn. They had each other. And the guards on their heals only made the moments more magical. Together they were escaping from the reality they had been stuck in.
    And there! Up ahead! Their portal to freedom lay. The big wooden doors that were the entry and exit of the kingdom. And better yet, the doors were wide open. They ran harder, putting distance between themselves and their pursuers. The doors getting closer and closer.
    Leo gave a glance back. A prince had appeared in the crowd of guards chasing the two. The prince was gaining now. Closer. Closer. Faster. Faster. Leo's hearlt felt a sinking feeling as the prince lunged and tackled Let, draggin her to the ground. And Leo stopped. He went back, drew his blade, and struck the prince between the shoulder blades, killing him.
    Leo picked Let up and they kept running. The guards were a breath behind them now. And Leo glanced ahead to find two horses waiting for them. Just as he had planned. Let was getting slower now, but Leo beckoned her on. So she ran. He ran. And reaching the horses, they jumped upon them and began to ride.
    They looked at eachother and smiled. They had won. Now all they had to do was find a place where they could spend the rest of their days. A place where they could live new lives, and forget their past. A place where their sins would not matter.
    And it was during Leo's fairy tale thoughts that he felt it. The sharp stabbing pain that erupted in his back. Leo cried out. He felt around his back until he found the source of the pain. All the time he kept on the road. Kept moving. Smiling to Let when she looked back upon him. She smiled. For split second he felt true happiness. He felt love.
    That pain. It protruded from a shaft of wood that seemed to sprout from his back. One of the guards must have got a shot off with a bow and hit him. As Leo felt his way to the base of the shaft he felt it.It was warm and sticky, and it oozed its way out of the wound. He pulled the shaft out. The arrow, now removed, was thrust upon the earth. Leaving Leo with the hole in his back, the hole that now gushed blood. She looked back. He smiled.
    He could feel himself slipping.Those dreams that had seemed so great were now shattered. By a single arrow he found all of his work to surmise to nothing but this pain and misery. His vision blurred. He looked at the passing trees. The mountains, white capped and reaching into the heavens. And finally his eyes fell upon Let. Here dreams were now crushed too. What would she do? Go back to the palace with its queen and countless princes? Leo hoped she could somehow save him. But he knew that was impossible. Nothing was perfect. This wa proof. But even still, when she looked back. He felt a smile creep across his face. This love. This was worth death. And that was the price Leo payed for love.