The walk wasn’t long. The hard part was knocking.

  Ivy lingered around the house, shifting from foot to foot, unsure how to start, what to say to Iran. She circled the place several times under the sideways glances of passing elves and finally knocked, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips at the memory of yesterday.

  Well, if Iran yelled at her too, she wouldn’t mind much. He’d promised her a fight, after all. And she’d left her things here — though she had almost completely forgotten about them.

  The door opened, as it always did.

  The young elf saw Ivy — but his face didn’t change. He didn’t say a word. He simply left the door open and returned inside, sitting down on the bed.

  In his hands was a photo drawing, framed carefully. It showed the ranger’s family. Five elves: father, mother, older brother and sister — and Iran himself. The smallest. Almost a baby in that image.

  Ivy stepped inside and closed the heavy door behind her. Almost immediately she moved to the window and cracked it open slightly, as if unwilling to stay completely sealed inside a room already thick with emotion.

  — You know, I envy you, Iran. You have a family. People you hold onto. People you love that much. Someone once told me love is weakness — but it depends how you look at it. For some, it only brings pain.

  She looked at him, then stepped closer, stopping a pace away from the bed. She didn’t sit. Didn’t loom. Didn’t glance at the picture. She just stood there.

  — Did you sleep?

  — I didn’t. I was thinking,

  The elf answered with a sigh.

  — Maybe that someone was right.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Iran gripped the drawing tighter. After a moment, he shook his head.

  — You envy me? Because I have a family? Where is it? You humans only know how to envy. My older brother… He was sent here too. Served in another city. He died — tricked by organized bandits from the Deer Province. He thought they were good people. They deceived him. Brutally killed him because he was an elven ranger and a threat to them. My parents. I haven’t seen them in decades. Just occasional letters. Do they really need me? Feels like we’re strangers now. All because elven rangers were transferred to Homeland — to maintain these lands and help the people of Deer Province. And my sister… I barely remember her. She didn’t like humans. And when we were separated, she hated them completely. She never saw me again. And I never saw her. So no — I don’t have a family.

  He set the drawing aside, hesitating for a second as if considering tearing it apart. Then he buried his face in his hands, fingers pressing against his pale brow.

  — I understood why other elves disliked humans. I always tried to stay apart from it. But in the end… every misfortune in my life is tied to humans. I’m not trying to hurt you. It just feels more and more like that’s the truth.

  Ivy listened without interrupting.

  He had tried to understand. Tried to respect humans. And yet his life had twisted the wrong way — because of them.

  She slid down to sit on the floor, leaning her back against the bed, glancing up at him.

  — Oh no, my dear, if you want to compete over who’s suffered more, you’ll choke on a massive dick.

  She snorted, though she had no intention of measuring whose life had been worse. Her own past wasn’t the point.

  She looked at him long and hard. Then suddenly raised her hand and, following a sharp impulse, slapped him across his perfect cheek at just the right moment.

  The crack echoed off the cold walls.

  — Great. You vented. Did anything change? Did humans disappear? No. Because I’m right fucking here. How is your life — or your people’s — going to improve if you keep blaming everything on humans? Yeah, plenty of idiots insisted elves should live here. But was it against your will? Are you locked in cages? Used as meat and thrown into battles for sport? And what about your commanders? Your king, for fuck’s sake? What kind of ruler sends his people to foreign lands? Why don’t you blame him for everything? Or the elves who agreed? Zefiros takes you, Iran — if your parents stopped caring about you just because you

  live among humans, carrying out orders you couldn’t refuse, are those even sane parents? Sure, they raised you, your brother, your sister — but that was long ago. Honestly, better no family at all than a bunch of assholes who turn their backs on their children for fulfilling their duty. Did you and your brother even choose this path yourselves? Or did your parents just let it happen? Maybe they couldn’t stop it. Maybe they didn’t try. Maybe it wasn’t their choice either.

  She made a frustrated sound, crossing her arms over her chest. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, mirroring the fury beneath her skin.

  The anger wasn’t at Iran. Not at elves. Not at humans.

  At the situation.

  — What are you trying to say? I know it’s not the fault of all humanity. But the thoughts come anyway. I’m not stupid. I understand circumstances are just circumstances. Still… Humans. Elves. We’re different. Humans are more chaotic. Unpredictable. Free.

  He looked at her.

  — Ivy. I understand that. I understand you. Your desires. But I’m different. Maybe I’m too proper to do what feels right. There are things I can’t accept. And I won’t cage you either. You need freedom. So I’m letting you go. I’d only restrain you. Do what you want. Follow your emotions. Your impulses. I’ll just be there if you need me.

  Iran lifted his blue eyes to her, and in them was something genuine. Clear.

  — You’re a free person, Ivy.