[b]Ella stayed cuddled into Marken as he ordered her not to pick anyone over him again, nodding & snuggling close to him. Once again, he'd misunderstood he intent, but she was too drunk too explain thinks anymore, & too exhausted to fight him anymore. Marken had never been forced to do much in his life, so he couldn't understand why Ella understood Ariana's situation all too well.

Even if Ariana seemed to be cruel, she was just doing wha she was trained to, & was trying to survive. Assasins like her were taken in as small children & taught very early on they had to kill or be killed; some apprentices were even pitted against each other to the death, for only the best deserved the right to live in their world.

"I never picked Ariana over you," Ella said quietly, resting her cheek over Marken's heartbeat. The cut in her neck was starting to sting a little, but she ignored it for the moment & focused on the sound that proved that she & Marken were still alive.

"I just didn't want her to die... like that...."[/b]