Hale knew he had at least been in this cell for a week. But it could have been a month. At this moment, he really didn’t care because either of those options wouldn’t have changed his deteriorating mental state. Daniel was driving him crazy. It wasn’t all because of Daniel’s rambling on about his books or his endless questions. Hale was losing his sanity trying to find ways to avoid or end those conversations with Daniel. Hale didn’t mind talking to him occasionally, but when Daniel talked, he could go on for hours. The easiest way for Hale to end a conversation was to pretend to be tired and say that he needed to rest. But that could only work so many times a day. And no matter how many times Hale told Daniel to be quiet, an hour or so later he would be talking about something else. Hale wondered what had happened to Daniel’s last cellmate. Maybe he died from a brain aneurysm from trying to get Daniel to shut up.

Daniel had recently begun reading a new book. This one was about a serial killer or something like that. Hale had pieced together the plot of the story from the bits and pieces he heard from Daniel. Hale would never pick up any of the books because he already knew the endings thanks to Daniel.

As he lay facing the wall, Hale looked over his shoulder. And he realized that Daniel was still talking about something. Hale couldn’t believe that he had actually zoned out completely from the conversation, only for about ten minutes though. But that was a major accomplishment for Hale.

“So who do you think’s gonna die next?” Daniel asked.

Hale hadn’t been listening to the last half of Daniel’s rambling at all. That sentence without context would have been impossible to answer. But Hale had grown to know Daniel fairly well over their incarceration together, to Hale’s annoyance. He was almost certain Daniel was going on about his serial killer book. “I don’t know. Maybe the girlfriend?”

“Have you even been listening to what I’m saying?” Daniel asked, disappointment evident in his tone.

“Yes and no. I’m not in a good mood right now. It would be better for both of us if you would be quiet for a long, long time,” Hale suggested. Coming from him, it probably sounded like a veiled threat to Daniel.

“Well, alright. Wouldn’t want to make you upset. If you need to talk about anything, I’m always here to listen,” Daniel replied sadly.

Hale recognized Daniel had good intentions; however, that didn’t change the affects of his nonstop talking. Hale needed silence more than he ever had while in this cell. His thoughts were darker, more painful than before. He didn’t know what had resurfaced all the pain, the guilt, and the memories of his life. Every crime he had ever committed, he could remember in this moment. His mind was clearer than it ever had been. He had nothing to help him forget what he had done. No alcohol, no jobs to worry about, and no Pandora. He absolutely had no distractions. Not even Daniel. He wanted it that way because he wanted to feel the pain to the fullest extent. He remembered every person he had hurt, each life he had taken, and everything that made it impossible for him to be good enough for Pandora.

The guilt washed away all of his hopes and all of his will. He had never felt an emotion more real. He couldn’t explain it but he felt too alive. This was the depth of pain he should have felt every moment of his life. His heart felt a thousand pounds heavier as if it were about to drop out of his chest.

He had never dealt with any of the feelings he should have experienced from his lifestyle. He always ran from them. That was easier and quicker. But it would never solve anything. He was just bottling up his guilt for later in his heart which only had so much storage room.

As he lay on the cot in the cell, this was the time his heart had given up on him, and the guilt was drowning him. He liked it. He wanted it. He was no longer running from the emotional consequences. The realness and depth of his feeling, though alive he felt, convinced him that he wanted to die.

He wanted to die again. He had already been killed once. He didn’t remember much about what had happened after that. At least in death, he wouldn’t have to suffer or think about how the people he had hurt were suffering. Even if he was wrong about finding peace in death, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to harm people. Hale had never given up on life, no matter how dangerous or difficult things were. He was never a quitter. Until now, he supposed.

It wasn’t Pandora’s fault, but her goodness condemned him at every turn. She never judged him. Yet, her being who she was made his darkness visible to himself. The contrast between him and her had become too much for his heart to bear.

Hale couldn’t stay here anymore. Physically and mentally, he was losing himself. He would give up on living if he stayed here, if he stayed with her. In her world, the light was destroying his will to move on.

So it became clear: he had two choices. To stay in the light and be washed away. Or to return to his own world and continue running for as long as he could.

It was a decision between choosing what’s right or choosing himself. He didn’t have to think about what he should choose. He had already decided as soon as he recognized his options. He chose himself, like always. He hadn’t changed like he hoped. Here he was making the same decision over and over as if it were impossible to stop himself.

Of course, running had exhausted him beyond measure. But what else could he do. He couldn’t stay here because pretending to be someone he wasn’t would be just that: pretending. Fake. He wasn’t willing to lose himself so easily.

Running was his only way to keep guilt from crushing his soul, and he assumed he would continue to run until the very end. What else could he do.

* * * *

Pandora rested in her own bed as the doctor told her to. After passing the check up, the doctor allowed her to return to her own room. With a nostalgic heart, she looked around her bedroom with its lilac walls, white tiled floors, and high ceiling of iridescent marble. She stared up at the ceiling for the longest time, seeing her reflection from the shiny material, like she used to do when she was bored. Now though, looking at herself through the reflective ceiling brought her memories of a simpler time she missed. After traveling in space for so long, she realized how much she missed her home.

Sleeping on her own large bed came easier than sleeping on any of the beds on inside Hale’s ships. The softness of her bed rivaled that of a cloud. Her whole life she had taken for granted the comfort of her bed. The white satin sheets enveloped her and kept her warm. Of course, not as warm as Hale could. She looked over to the empty space on her right side which was more than enough room for Hale. She couldn’t wait to share her home with him once he was free. They would be together finally.

Her eyes finally left the mirror-like ceiling and drifted over towards her vanity made out of a pearly metal. Next to the vanity was a small shelf that held her tiara encased in protective glass. Nearly opposite her bed was her favorite spot in her room, her window seat. Smiling, she remembered the long hours she used to spend admiring her city twinkling with lights and the vibrant aurora flowing through the atmosphere. So much had happened since she was taken from her home. She had traveled across the stars, visited other planets, and fallen in love. And most importantly saving Elani was in her reach. She couldn’t have done it without Hale. Pandora promised herself that when she saw him again she would show him her forever gratefulness. Her heart hoped that would be enough to convince him to stay. It had to be because she didn’t want to ever live without him.

Feeling well enough to stand, Pandora walked over to the window seat slowly because she didn’t want to elevate her heart rate too much. Looking down at her hand, she glowered at the clear bracelet around her wrist. She wore it so that the doctor could monitor her vitals as long as it was around her wrist. She sat on the soft cushion and leaned against the window sill. Sighing happily at the sight of the view of Elani, she hoped that tomorrow she could share this with Hale. She loved this view even as a child.

While she was still daydreaming, someone knocked on her door softly. Pandora looked to the door. “You can come in,” she called.

The door slid open and Lia and Kara stood in the threshold. Pandora motioned for them to enter. The two girls stood around her.

“How are you feeling?” Kara asked.

Pandora offered a smile. “I’m doing well. I am taking the doctor’s advice and taking it easy.”

“That’s certainly wise of you,” Lia replied. “Do you think you feel well enough for visitors?”

“Yes, I feel completely normal. Why do you ask?”

Lia walked across the room, her dainty heeled shoes tapping on the floor, to Pandora’s closet. “Your father would like to see you.” She pulled out a mint green dress from her rack of clothes. The small dress was made out of a stretchy, form fitting fabric which would be comfortable enough for her since she was spending most of her time in bed.

Pandora’s heart pounded in her chest. Her father was coming to see her. She hadn’t spoken to him since the night she was captured. What should she say to him? She knew she would have to ask him about Hale but maybe not immediately. Her father was the powerful king of Elani. He often had the final say in legal and judicial matters. And most of all, he loved his daughter exactly as a father should. Although quite overprotective, he wanted her to be happy. He did his best to give her what she asked of him. If she explained everything that Hale had done for her, her father would release him. He must.

Pandora's handmaidens assisted her with changing out of her nightgown into the mint green dress. Then Kara found a hairbrush and detangled Pandora’s hair. Kara styled Pandora’s hair into a low ponytail with a gold hair tie.

“I figured it would be better if your hair was out of your face,” Kara mentioned.

“Thank you so much. I didn’t even think about that.”

Lia went to the door of Pandora’s bedroom. “Your father just messaged me. He’s right outside. Are you ready to see him?”

She nodded in response. Lia pressed the open button on the keypad beside the door. When the door slid open, her father stood on the other side. As soon as he saw his daughter, tears began dripping from his eyes. Pandora couldn’t imagine what her father must have gone through not knowing where his daughter was. Losing a child was something she hoped she would never experience.

Pandora was the first to move, and she ran to her father and wrapped her arms around him. After a few moments of silence, he started to sob. His hot tears dripped onto her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Dad.” Her voice left as a whisper, as she held back her instinctive urge to cry. She wanted to be strong for her father. And for Hale. She couldn’t get carried away by her emotions.

“Don’t be,” he replied finally. “Never be. It was not your fault. You were taken from me. I was the one who let you down. But don’t worry, I won’t allow this to happen again.”

Pandora believed that there was absolutely nothing her father could have done to prevent what had happened. She never left the castle, and there were guards on patrol at all times, no exception. There was at least one guard outside of her room right now. The castle security was filled with the most skilled warriors on Elani, but still Zaya slipped through security dressing as a guard. Pandora didn’t fault her father or the security guards that were on duty at that time, although her father probably fired them all.

“How are you feeling?” Her father let go of her and entered her room.

She led him to her window seat. “I’m fine. I’m happy to be home of course.”

He hugged her again. “You don’t know how much I worried I would never see you again. Please tell me everything that happened.” He paused. “Well, when you are ready.”

“I don’t mind talking about it,” Pandora assured him.

“Situations like that can be extremely traumatic.”

“No one harmed me thankfully. I was captured by someone who works for this guy named Coran. Coran held me for ransom. I think. But I was able to escape his base with the help of Hale. Hale brought me home.” Pandora purposefully left out certain details. She didn’t tell her father the name of her captor Zaya because Pandora didn’t want her father trying to track her down. She was already being targeted by Coran.

“I am sorry you went through that. I can call in our therapist for you if you need her.”

“Maybe later. I actually needed to talk to you about something.” Pandora clenched her fists. “Hale, the man who brought me back home safely, is currently in our prison system. Did you know that?”

He ran a hand through Pandora’s hair. “My dear, you don’t need to concern yourself with him any longer. You are safe.”

“Did you know if Hale was in our prisons?” Her anger flamed through her voice.

“I did. But you must realize that is where his kind belongs. He is a very bad man. You are lucky he didn’t harm you.”

She slapped her father’s hand away from her. “Hale would never hurt me. He is the one who saved me. I wouldn’t be alive without him. You must release him.”

Her father’s eyes grew sterner, and he frowned at her. “Pandora, he may have helped you, but he is a murderer. His record is lengthy, and any court would have him put to death or in prison for life.”

She already knew that about Hale. But hearing it from her father stung worse than her own conscience reminding her. He laid out the awful facts about Hale’s record. Pandora had even witnessed Hale kill Jake, one of his friends. But he did that to protect her. She would never forget how he proved his love over again, though he never said it. For Pandora, it was too late to listen to reason. Her heart was his. Not even his crimes could change how she loved him.

“Father, I am asking you to release him for me. Please. He has done nothing against us or Elani. He is kind to me.”

“You know I would do most anything for you. But this I can’t. I must protect you at all costs. That is my responsibility as your father. We can’t trust him.”

Pandora jumped out of her seat. “I trust him. I trust him with my life. You have to release him. I will never forgive you if you don’t. Things will never go back to how they were because I won’t ever forget how you treated the man who brought me home.”

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. She could tell he was hurt by her anger, but she couldn’t sit by and allow Hale to stay in prison. That may be where he deserved to be, but her father wouldn’t be the person holding him there.

“I can’t simply just release him. You must understand. He is a wanted criminal across the galaxy. He’s dangerous.”

“He has helped me and treated me very well. He didn’t have to do that. Prison shouldn’t be his reward for his kindness,” Pandora said.

They sat looking in opposite directions for several minutes. Pandora refused to back down to her father like she used to. She loved Hale.

“I will think about this, Pandora. I will try to work out a solution that we can agree on. Your safety is my priority. Not him.” Her father stood up, as if he were going to leave.

Pandora grabbed his arm. “Wait! We need to talk about this more.”

“Calm down. You can’t get stressed under your condition,” he father warned.

“Then release him!” Pandora demanded.

He laughed. “Be patient with me. I am going to have a talk with this young man. And then I will decide what must be done.”

“You’re going to talk to him?”

“I am a good judge of character most of the time. But you must tell me something.” He lifted her chin so that she had to look at his face. “Do you have feelings for him?”

She shivered. “Why would you ask that?” Her voice came out rushed and startled.

Her father sighed. “I see.” He began to walk towards the door as if he already knew the answer.

Pandora knew trying to deny it and becoming more flustered would only make her father more certain he was right. She let her father leave without another word between them. Pandora felt ashamed that her father knew about her love for Hale. She shouldn’t have. She was free to love whoever she wanted. But her father would obviously disapprove of him.

She wanted to be there when her father first met the man she loved. Hale wasn’t concerned with manners, and he had no respect for authority. Pandora had grown fond of his wildness. Hale was different than the men of Elani that her father had set her up with in the past. He wasn’t royalty. In fact, he was the farthest thing from it. But he had real life experience unlike the perfectly groomed royals her father sent her way. Hale had fantastic stories to tell, and most of all, he could make her feel alive like no other could.

Hale was the opposite of what her father wanted for her.