Kiara couldn't help wondering why she tried, why she cared about winning the other girls over. They would never understand her. Perhaps they weren’t really any different from the so-called nobles who looked down on them. While they had grown up sleeping in soft, warm beds, she had to sleep on a cold, hard floor with barely enough coverings to keep the higher temperatures that her fire-type body needed. While they probably ate fancy home-cooked meals prepared for them with love, she scrounged for whatever scraps she could find. While they looked down on her for stealing, she had struggled to acquire what they would most likely consider pocket change. While Artemis talked about how hard she and other guardians worked for their positions, she had to struggle even harder just to survive. While Artemis may have trained and sparred each day with no risk to life and limb, she had to watch her back every day and night. While they had families who showed them love and affection every day, she had to settle for empty, one-night stands to fill that void. No, they would never understand her. She would have to accept that they were no different from the so-called nobles who could just easily coast through life with no real effort. She might as well give up on trying to win them over.<br/><br/>Artemis’s spiteful attitude to the side, words couldn't describe what Kiara felt when Thomas hugged her and held her in his cool, calming embrace. The love that she felt when he spoke to her with his kind and compassionate words, reassuring her that she was not a bad person, overwhelmed her. The soft kiss he placed on her forehead meant more to her than any of those empty one-night stands ever could. The scratch behind her ear gave her a delightful tickle the likes of which she had not felt since losing her father when she was a small child. She couldn't hold back the tears as a lifetime of pain and anguish seeped out.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)">“Thank you… thank you… so much…”</span>was all she could say between sobs. Maybe in time, all of the hurt could be washed away, but for now just the feeling of being loved in spite of herself overwhelmed her.<br/><br/>When Thomas let go of her, she remained where she was and bowed her head and buried her face in her hands. There was no hiding the tears. If her gang had seen her like this, she would have never lived it down. She probably never would anyway, but she didn’t care. She no longer cared what Artemis might have to say, or about any snide remarks Dendra might have. Thomas may not have realized it, but he had given her what she so desperately needed- the strength to finally release some of the bitterness that had been leeching away at her soul for so many years.<br/><br/>When Thomas and Artemis got up to eat, Kiara choked back her tears and wiped them from her face before tagging along behind them in silence.