Fate:

A pretty sixteen year old girl sat on the beach in the moonlight. Her blonde hair was in a pretty braid down her back, and she was the only female in her tribe who wore a skirt and leggings, instead of a full body suit. Unless you counted her mother, which she didn't. She was waiting for the last torch to be put out, then she could sneak off in her boat. She had been waiting for this day for a week, and now it was finally here. "Princess Mala?" Startled, Mala stood up and turned to see Throk watching her. "Throk." He had become her official bodyguard when he turned eighteen a few months before. Although, in all truth, he had been guarding her his entire life. It was all he knew. "My Princess, what are you doing out here?" "I came out here to be alone and stargaze." Mala hoped that her lie was believable. It had to be, or everything would be ruined. "But, Princess, you're parent's don't like you to be left unguarded and--" "Please Throk? Just this once?" Throk looked around. He didn't see anyone around. And he wouldn't make sure to stay within hearing distance. "Okay, My Princess. But not for too long." Mala gave him a smile, "Thank you." Mala counted down the minutes after Throk left. The torches went out, and that's when Mala made her move. She wen't to the spot where she hid her small boat, and headed out.

Viggo sat on the island, waiting for his love. No one could know about him and Mala. He was a dragon hunter, and she was the future Queen of the Defenders of the Wing. But what if... No. No what if's. He threw a rock at his boat. He was angry. But not at Mala. At himself. His mind turned away from his problems when he spotted a flag flying the Defenders of the Wing colors. "Viggo!" Mala jumped off the boat, and ran through the shallow water and across the sand to Viggo. "Mala!" Viggo picked her up and spun her around. "I missed you." He whispered as he set her down. "I missed you to." She looked into his eyes and smiled before looking away. "What's wrong?" "It just.." She sighed, "We're sneaking around. Not letting anyone know. Is this how it's always going to be?" "We'll figure it out, Mala." She shook off the sadness "You're right. But we do have to cut it short tonight." "Almost caught?" "Yeah. You." "Ryker's getting suspicious." Mala took something out of a pocket on her skirt and placed it in his hand. It was a sword hilt, a very beautiful one at that, and also a small beaded bracelet. One that Defender girls would give to the man they love. "Mala..." She blushed and looked away. "You said that Ryke 'accidentally' destroyed your old hilt. So I though that you might like this. A-and the bracelet." She blushed again, and as she was about to say those three special words, Viggo kissed her gently. It didn't last one, but it was a kiss that she would never forget. He leaned his forehead against her, "It's time for us to part ways. But we'll see each other again next week." "Do you promise?" He smiled and kissed her forehead, "I promise. With that they parted.

It was later that night, while Mala was heading back to her house, when Throk confronted her. "You've been meeting with a Grimborne?!" He hissed. "How did you--" Realization swept over her. "You followed me!" "Yeah. And I got to fight a Grimborne in the process." "Viggo! If you hurt him." "He got away." Throk seethed. He grabbed Mala's arm in a very un-bodyguard like way. "I won't talk to your parents. But I'll give you two weeks to stop seeing that...that PERSON!" "Fine."

A week had passed, a very angry one at that. Viggo was furious. Mala had betrayed him, and he thought that she loved him. He went to their island earlier than normal. He decided that he would keep the sword hilt. But he burned all but one bead from the bracelet. And placed the final one on top. "That will teach you to mess with a Grimborne darling. Forget about not hunting dragons. She was going to pay. Yes, she would.

"Viggo?" Mala cried running onto the island. She had a pack on her boat. She was willing to go with him if given the chance, and maybe she could change his mind about dragons. At least that's what she thought, until she found the ashes. Mala cried for hours. She really did love Viggo, but this was proof. Proof that he didn't trust her. She would go back to her island. She would ask Throk to forgive her, and she would become Queen. And she would forget about Viggo Grimborne. Whatever she originally thought was wrong. It was impossible to re-write fate.