Normally, they group was pretty tight knit. None of them went off on their own out of worry that they get separated. But sometimes, Cameron was just too quick to get away. He was after all their most skilled runner for supplies. And thanks to the sparring lessons with his older brothers, he was a decent fighter. 

He lugs the pack back over his shoulders and surveys the area for signs of life and almost misses her entirely. He can just see the flash of blonde hair round the corner out of sight when his curiosity gets the better of him. He picks up speed at a jog to catch up with her, almost colliding with her at a screeching halt. 

“H-hey–” He stumbles, hoping she doesn’t immediately try to kill him for his haul. “Just saw you and thought I’d– make sure you were alright?” He asks more than states.

Many were recovering from the fevers, and others were catching it pretty quickly. Some of the leaves helped when they brewed them into tea. So lost in her own thoughts, Clarke hadn’t realized there was anyone around and while she assumed it would have been her mother or Finn coming over to check in on her, she was about to give them a piece of her mind. 

Except, it wasn’t her mother, neither was it Finn. No one from her group anyway. But he didn’t seem like a threat either, which is why she left the knife into it’s knife holster rather than pulling it out at him. “Who are you?” is the question she asks in response. She was fine, nothing that would kill her, unless he did turn out to be some psycho. Which is why she didn’t mention anything else. 

“I didn’t think there were any other survivors. Where did you come from?” came the next question, but out of genuine curiosity. She truly didn’t believe anyone aside from her small group survived. To know that they weren’t the only survivors was both a good thing and a bad thing. She had yet to figure out which it was.

@ofconvictixns | plotted starter.

Her fate had been decided before the babe was but thought in her mother’s eyes. There had been war and strife, victory creeping upon her doors with just a hint of cruelty if one looked too closely, and it was then that they summoned her with heads bowed and tears gathered in their royal eyes.

Her cold fingers had touched the cheeks of her nemesis, guards drawing their swords in a final act of bravery before the metal melted into their hands. You know what I want, she had said, withdrawing her hand to instead pace around a table made of the brightest wood they could find. A protest had met her steps, and a promise had fallen from her lips to finish the war in an end to the argument that bore no fruit.

She had ogres and giants, the dark one clapping from his bench as he watched her tear the lands apart. There was no woman or child spared in the fight, her spoils of war growing each day when her men would return victorious, gaping holes in their chests where their hearts should be, her bloodied hands squeezing a little tighter to command pain and respect.

A deal had been made then, blood used as ink and a raven’s feather plucked from the air to turn gold in the seal of their agreement. It would be best, they said, better for all involved. And for once, Regina did so agree to ruining the lives of those who dare challenge her by corrupting their heir for peace.

That was eighteen years ago, eighteen long years in which the vines on her hand had remained as a reminder for the marriage that had yet to come. It would disappear with repeated vows, a token of marriage and whatever else Snow insisted on for the girl Regina had yet to even see. 

It isn’t as if she hadn’t heard the history of their kingdom and all that they had been through. But to know that she had been used as a bargaining token for the peace of their land seemed immoral to her. Then again, she was only fourteen so what did she know right? Politics was never her best suit, in fact she didn’t understand it. She wasn’t like her mother who had been born with a great and brave heart as everyone said she did, for if she did, she would not have sold her own daughter out to the woman behind all their misery. 

For two years she tried to run away but each time she was caught. Whether it be guards or the townsfolk, she had no one to turn to. Except Lily; That girl was her only friend who suggested where to go or what to do--granted, that nothing worked out. But that was another heartache, the loss of her friend in which she grew so strong with. It hadn’t occurred to her that she was in love with Lily. Until she was sixteen and Lily had stopped coming over to be with another boy their age. But what was the point? That was the year she was to be given off to the evil queen. 

The day had come and the entire kingdom seemed to be there, so it seemed; She felt like a golden goose on display and she hated it. Her father was to walk her down the isle and she hated him. Her mother was in tears and she hated her even more. She could clearly see the woman who stood there, waiting her approach, draped in a rich red compared to the white she wore. But Emma couldn’t look at her. She refused to look her way; A part of her hoped that maybe, just maybe she’d be rescued from the girl she was very much in love with -- or at least that’s what she thought considering the girl had been around her for partially all her life. 

No indication that she was even there. She had taken out the pins to allow her curls to fall over her shoulder. A silent protest only her mother would understand considering their last argument was over the fact that she didn’t want to keep her hair pinned back even if it did cover her face. Perhaps the only rebellious streak she could pull because she was expected to take on a new responsibility. 

No, she wasn’t good with politics, but even she grew to understand that there would be no kingdom if there was no life. Whether she went through with the marriage or died in a war, the outcome would still be the same. Death; At least this way she’d be breathing and her people-- her parents, even though she despised them for this, would be well and safe. 

Her demeanor hadn’t changed even when she approached the Queen’s side, but she did turn to gaze at the woman she would be getting married to. She was expecting ugly features. A longer nose, with warts over her face. Perhaps even a fly buzzing around them due to such filthy stories she’s heard. It was quite the opposite and she even found the woman more attractive than her friend Lily, or any one of the handmaiden’s around her castle. 

She smiled, but all Emma could do was stare back-- but that was only because she was trying to process how such an evil person could be this beautiful. The ceremony was to begin and Emma’s heart began racing. She was sure if there was no chatter, anyone within a two feet distance wold be able to hear the loud thudding from her own chest. She told herself to suck it up, because this was going to be her life now, which were the only words she could tell herself through out the entire ceremony. 

Which is why she hadn’t realized that it was her turn to speak. She’d been prepared vows, but decided against speaking any thing of it. Were the people expecting her to speak of her parent’s sacrifice? Were they expecting some sort of goodbye speech from her? Well they weren’t going to get it, so instead, she spoke the two words that everyone was expecting to hear. 

Sam had been treated to a rather pleasant surprise the night before. An unexpected treat in the form of a girl he knew from his days at Stanford. A girl he remembered to have a special sort of fondness for, but not so much as to overbear his feelings for Jessica. Her name was Hayes Morrison.

It had been little over a decade since he had last heard from Hayes, let alone laid eyes on her. And damn if those years hadn’t done her well… from the moment he saw her, the first thing he noticed was just how much she had developed. He wanted to have a shot at her before he even got the name he needed to pull her back from the archives of his mind. And as fate would have it, he would be lucky enough to get his wish that very same night.

Sure, it may have taken a few drinks, but it was all worth it in the end. After the poor thing had finished pouring her heart out to him in tipsy rambles of nostalgia and lingering sentiment, Sam suggested that they ought to resolve these long years of… unresolved tension. (Granted, the feelings had long been forgotten on his end, but it wasn’t terribly hard to convince the bimbo broad otherwise.) And what had followed was nothing short of a wild romp.

He could still picture it vividly. Before Hayes had to high-tail it out for work, Sam remembered her begging for them to have one more go. As if even after a night of her screaming her lungs out, she still couldn’t get enough of everything he had to offer. The raw power, the limitless stamina, not to mention the ruthless execution of his wanton acts against her body. 

He liked to think that even now she could faintly feel the coarse texture of his hands around her neck and get a little tingle between her legs. He liked to think that in moments like those, she wanted more. At least, he hoped so. Because he knew damn well that he wanted more. And it’d be for that reason that he’d decide to text her closer to the end of midday.

She couldn’t get him out of her head, even as she sat at work, surrounded by her co-workers as they tried to figure out a case. It wasn’t anything she didn’t know by now, but still, she couldn’t concentrate without the thought of Sam lingering on her mind. She needed another fix-- as in a drink, or drugs to take her mind off of him. It wasn’t fair, because even after all these years she still had those unresolved feelings for the man she barely knew. 

Granted, they went to school together, but they were friends. What would Jessica think of her today if she were alive and well right now? Did she regret what happened? No. She felt guilt, because the man she cared for, would never be the man that could love her the way he loved Jessica. But, then again she wasn’t going to succumb to the thought that she could even be capable of love. Not after the many screw-ups in her past thanks to her big name. So what she had with Sam was a one time deal.

Or so she thought anyway, until her phone vibrated on the table causing everyone to stop and look at her. Alright, she needed to keep her personal affairs out of her work affairs, so she didn’t respond right away, and proceeded to helping out. Which, again, was nothing she couldn’t solve. 

It had taken two hours before she finally had time to herself. Heels kicked off in the office as she reached for her phone once more. Going past the texts from her mother and brother, she opened Sam’s message first, before a smile played across her face. 

     Stay in town for a while and we can have fun every night. You know where to find me.

                            Pre-established Relationship Meme !