Chapter Text
Lief and Jasmine stood across from each other in the palace, glaring daggers at each other. Like many other times, they had begun arguing. Despite how close they were, they often clashed due to their differences, especially after everything they had discovered. Doom was watching them, an amused smirk on his face. Clearly, he was enjoying the show.
“I cannot believe you, Jasmine,” Lief began.
“Can’t believe me?” Jasmine retorted. “Did you hear what that wretch Jinks said about me? Can you really blame me for telling him off?”
“You pointed your dagger at him!” Lief exclaimed.
“Seems she has a habit of doing that,” Doom muttered. “She must’ve picked it up from me.”
“Well, you didn’t do anything,” Jasmine retorted. “You didn’t even tell him off.”
“Indeed,” Doom agreed, smirking. “You should think you’re the only one who’s allowed to insult her.”
“I don't like him either, but I could hardly cause a scene,” Lief insisted. “You can’t let childish taunts get to you so often. They already think you’re wild.”
“Are you saying it was my fault?” Jasmine demanded, narrowing her eyes.
“Of course not,” Lief assured. “But you aren’t exactly helping your image, are you?”
“Oh, I get it,” Jasmine scoffed. “You don’t like that I embarrassed you in front of them, do you? It wouldn’t be fitting for the heir to be seen hanging around the wild girl.”
“That’s not true in the slightest!” Lief exclaimed.
Doom sighed. “Where have I heard this petty bickering before? Between the king and me, over sixteen years ago...”
“Oh, really? I think it is,” Jasmine insisted. “Well, I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I never wanted to be here. Maybe I should return to the forests.”
“Of course not,” Lief retorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t just stay in the forests.”
“Well, at least the birds and animals are easier to deal with,” Jasmine retorted. “And the trees aren’t so fragile that I worry about getting them dirty or broken.”
“You’re right about that,” Doom chuckled. “Many animals are less insufferable than you two.”
“Just like on the quest,” Lief accused. “Whenever things became hard, you left!”
“Well, I never wanted to come,” Jasmine retorted. “You started without me, remember? You and Barda always seemed so much happier without me.”
“You know you’re lying!” Lief retorted. “You agreed to join us. And you left us to die before that, remember?”
“Not love at first sight, then?” Doom quipped.
Lief ignored him. “If anything, we were generous to let you come with us. You only agreed because the topaz helped you see your mother.”
Jasmine glared at him, and Doom flinched. For a moment, Lief felt guilty, worrying he had gone too far. But then Jasmine’s green eyes flared.
“Yes, and I saved your life!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Remember how I convinced that tree to be taken down? You would have been killed by that giant if it wasn’t for me. And how many other times did I save you?”
“That sounds familiar,” Doom muttered. “Oh, right. I saved your life as well, didn’t I? But it didn’t stop you from being ungrateful to me.”
“You’re right. I suppose there are some uses to having a wild girl with us,” Lief admitted, trying to appease her.
“Excuse me?” Jasmine demanded.
“It’s what everyone calls you, isn’t it?” Lief asked.
“Hardly a great compliment,” Doom quipped. “Why don’t you tell her how beautiful or strong she is, if you want to win her over?” Lief glared at him.
“Would you shut it?” Jasmine snapped. “We’re trying to have a private conversation.”
“My apologies,” Doom smirked. “Am I interrupting your lovers’ spat?”
“It is not a lovers’ spat!” Lief protested.
“Really?” Doom scoffed. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Shut up, and get out of here!” Jasmine hissed.
“Or what? You won’t invite me to your wedding?” Doom mocked.
Jasmine glared at him. She still couldn't believe they were related. She wished anyone else was her long lost father. He didn't threaten to kill them anymore, but he just humiliated them now. That was almost worse.
"If you're finished humiliating me, could you leave?" Jasmine demanded.
"Don't blame him for that," Lief retorted. "You do a good enough job humiliating yourself."
"How dare you?" Jasmine hissed.
"But I was rather enjoying watching you," Doom insisted. "Can't I stay a little longer?"
“Sorry, the show’s over,” Jasmine snapped.
“Really? Can’t it last for a few more minutes?” Doom mocked. “It’s great entertainment. I could get everyone else to come watch."
“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Jasmine retorted. “You entertained people all the time in the Shadow Arena!”
Lief gasped. Doom narrowed his eyes. There was a silence. Jasmine was slightly surprised by what she had said. But she was too angry to apologize.
“Very well. I will leave, so you can be alone,” Doom muttered. “My apologies for embarrassing you in front of the heir. I would not want to interrupt your time alone with him.”
Jasmine glared at him as he left. Lief turned to her. “Why would you say that?”
“Me? You heard what he said,” Jasmine retorted.
“That’s just what he’s like,” Lief insisted. “He’s always hostile. You didn’t have to get personal.”
“He humiliated me!” Jasmine exclaimed.
“Well, now you know how I feel when you humiliated me in front of everyone,” Lief retorted.
Jasmine glared at him. “So I was right. You only care that I humiliated you.”
“Well, you know it’s hard enough for me to be king!” Lief exclaimed. “I didn’t even know I was anything other than an ordinary blacksmith’s son until recently. The least you could do is not make things more difficult for me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, your majesty,” Jasmine spat. “It must be so hard to have everyone bowing to you. How could I make things difficult for you after saving your life so many times?”
Lief glared at her. “How could I have ever thought you were the heir, or that Doom was the king? The thought is inconceivable to me now. Maybe if you were, you would understand how difficult things are for me. You can barely handle being in the palace.”
“Well, if my father hadn’t gotten the brilliant idea to switch places, you would’ve lived in the forests,” Jasmine retorted. “You probably couldn’t have handled it. Just as your father couldn’t have handled the Shadowlands. I think Doom was right. Endon was much too weak and fragile for that.” She quickly went silent, realizing she had gone too far. But it was too late.
“How dare you?” Lief spat. “Do as you wish, Jasmine.”
Jasmine watched as he stormed off. She seemed to anger everyone around here, even those closest to her. Maybe it was best for her to leave. But it was confusing enough for her to find out her closest friend and most hated enemy were actually the heir to Deltora and her long lost father. And her other closest friend... she scowled, trying to forget about that. She gritted her teeth just thinking about Dain. Couldn't she ever meet someone who was just normal?"
Jasmine was packing in her room when Doom entered. She wasn’t sure if she really was heading to the forests, but she knew she had to get out of here. She had minimal items in the palace, so it wasn't difficult.
“Are you finished with your lovers’ spat?” Doom asked.
Jasmine scowled, but she was slightly relieved he was willing to speak to her after what she had said. “Would you stop calling it that? We are not lovers! And I would not want to be.”
Doom recognized the bitter tone in her voice. “You wouldn’t? Surely, anyone else would like to be lovers... my apologies, close friends with the heir to Deltora.”
“I’m not like anyone else in Deltora,” Jasmine retorted. “As you and Lief both reminded me, I’m only a wild girl from the forests. He is embarrassed by me. He pretended he wasn’t, but he is.”
“They used to say the same thing about me,” Doom admitted. “Well, without the part about the forests. They said I wasn’t even fit to be friends with the king. As if I was contaminating him.” He scoffed. “Endon always said he didn’t care about that, but I could tell he did. He noticed how the others stared at him when he had the dark, wild boy hanging around him, the future king. And that was before I started warning him about the belt. I think he was almost relieved for any opportunity to turn against me.”
Jasmine stared at him in surprise. He rarely talked about his old life, still preferring to go by the name Doom. It brought back painful memories for him. She winced as she remembered how she had brought them back with what she had said. Maybe he understood how she felt.
“Do not be so hard on your friend,” Doom insisted. “If he is anything like his father, he is dense and gullible. But I am sure you know him well. Eventually, he will see the truth.”
“I suppose so,” Jasmine muttered. “But I think it is better for us to be separated for a while. We both agreed we need some time apart.”
“Are you sure about that?” Doom asked. “That is exactly what Endon and I thought. A while could turn to years.”
“The situation is completely different!” Jasmine hissed. “It isn’t to protect the future of the kingdom or anything like that. I will return soon.”
“Very well. I see I cannot change your mind,” said Doom. “Where are you going?”
“To the forests, obviously,” Jasmine answered.
Doom chuckled. “Are you honestly that idiotic? Do you really wish to return there, after everything?”
“Well, where else can I go?” Jasmine demanded.
“How about Tora?” Doom suggested. At Jasmine’s blank stare, he continued. “We were supposed to take refuge there, were we not? Before... unfortunate circumstances struck. It greatly resembles Del, but not so much that it’s too similar for you. And there are other people there. You’ll be safe and comfortable.”
Jasmine hesitated, considering it. She had to admit that it wasn’t a bad idea. When she visited Tora last, even she had been impressed by the grand streets and statues, despite the vacant nature of the city. She scowled remembering why she had gone there last time, but she pushed the memory away.
“Maybe you’re right,” Jasmine agreed. “Tora is a very nice city.”
“Certainly better than the Shadowlands,” Doom remarked scathingly. “I was only good for entertainment there, wasn’t I?”
Jasmine winced. She was hoping he had forgotten she said that. “Father, listen...”
“Are you leaving or not?” Doom demanded.
Jasmine turned away. She knew she should apologize, but she wasn't sure how to. It wasn't the only thing she had to apologize for, either. She remembered how she had injured him and knocked him unconscious at the Rithmere games (even though he insisted he had let her win). Those seemed like much larger things to apologize for than a scathing remark, but she couldn't bring herself to do that either. She almost laughed thinking about it. She never would've imagined the one she hated and antagonized was her father the entire time. She found it hard to believe he even wasn't working for the Shadow Lord like she thought, let alone that he was her long lost father. He was practically a stranger to her, almost as much as everyone else in the palace. All the more reason for her to leave, she decided.