Chapter 4: Butterflies, Lead the Way

"I am a butterfly drunk with life. I don't know where to soar, but I won't allow life to clip my beautiful wings."

- Janusz Korczak

No one made a sound. Not a single move.

Antigone did not draw her daggers. She was trying to avoid a fight, but her army was prepared for one.

"You're a Butterfly," she said, cautiously, to the girl before her.

"Yes," the girl responded, her eyes dark with suspicion. "Who are you?"

"My name is Antigone," Antigone replied, keeping her tone as light and non-threatening as possible. "I'm the Baron of Phoenix territory. I've done business with the Widow before." She expected a response somewhere along the lines of "But you're just a little girl" or "Ha! A Baron? You?", but they did not seem disgusted, nor did they taunt her. They seemed just as suspicious as before.

The Butterfly narrowed her eyes. "She's never mentioned you before," she said.

"Well, I'm sure that the Widow does business with a lot of people," Antigone reasoned.

More Butterflies crept into view to surround the Firebirds, all wearing blue skirt-like uniforms.

Both sides were equal now.

"Turn around and leave," demanded another Butterfly, a girl with short black hair and bangs. She seemed very confident and held herself high, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Erastos was very nervous now. He leaned in to whisper to Antigone, "I told you that this was a bad idea."

"Don't be so jittery," Antigone whispered. "I've got this." She cleared her throat and spoke clearly to the Butterflies, "Our territory has fallen under attack by Clippers. We lost many of our own. We've been traveling for days to find you. We found sanctuary with some Totemists, but we need help from a territory with proper defense and attack lines. We don't trust any other territory."

Erastos bit his tongue before he could say, "I trust any other territory."

"Do you have anything to offer us," asked another Butterfly.

"Just good will," Antigone answered honestly. "We desperately need help. You're our only hope."

The Butterflies exchanged looks, huddled up, and talked amongst themselves.

Antigone held her breath and Erastos secretly hoped that they would be turned away.

When the Butterflies turned around, the girl with the short hair spoke. "We have no proof that you're telling the truth," she said. "We're sorry that you were attacked by Clippers, but you were about to trespass and you've given us no reason to trust you."

They didn't say so, but Antigone could tell that they were uncomfortable with the amount of men in her army.

"We mean no harm," she assured them.

"We'll be the judges of that," said another Butterfly, as the rest of them drew their weapons.

Erastos had decided that enough was enough. He reached forward and grabbed Antigone's arm. "Let's go," he said.

But Willow wasn't having it. She drew her long metal sword and held it in the air. "Out of our way, bitches," she cried.

Antigone cringed, mentally face-palming.

Willow had always been one to act on instinct and adrenaline.

Of course, her battle cry was the catalyst of a battle between the Butterflies and the Firebirds.

Antigone's aim was not to kill any of the Butterflies. She even tried to reason with them as she fought, but to no avail. Erastos stayed as close to Antigone as he could, fighting off two incoming Butterflies.

Before she could run to Erastos's aid, a Butterfly charged at her and swept her legs out from under her.

It was the girl with the short black hair, who looked down and glared at Antigone with fiery eyes.

"I don't wanna fight you," Antigone said sternly, while the other Butterflies and Firebirds battled around them.

The Butterfly smirked, "Great. Makes things easier for me."

She swept Antigone's legs out from underneath her, sending her falling onto her back with a thud.

Her head hit the ground so hard that she saw stars. Her vision was briefly clouded with black dots seconds later. By the time that she could see, the Butterfly was bringing her sword down. In the nick of time, Antigone raised her daggers in front of her face, crossing them over each other and blocking the sword.

"STOP," she cried, but the Butterfly was relentless.

She raised her sword again, but before she could plunge it through Antigone's stomach, Antigone rolled away, leaping to her feet.

Across from her, Yamka was holding her own very well against two Butterflies. She may have been almost sixty years old, but her mind and her body were very sharp. After all, she had been one of the very first soldiers for Phoenix territory.

Antigone looked around for Erastos, but the Butterfly was charging at her again. She ducked, panting, and popped up seconds later. Quickly, she sent her leg flying up so that her foot slammed against the Butterfly's face, catapulting her a few feet into the air before she landed on the ground. Her head hit a tree stump and she fell unconscious.

Antigone had no time to breathe. She heard a sheathing sound from behind her and ducked. When she lifted her head and turned around, her heart dropped. She saw that two shurikens had been thrown into the tree behind her, where her head would have been if she had not ducked.

"LOOK OUT," came Bilal's voice from her left. She turned her head to find Bilal rushing to her side with his saber, blocking an attack from another Butterfly.

"Go help the others," Bilal insisted. "This one's mine!"

"Thank you," Antigone breathed, before running to Willow's aid.

One thing that set Antigone apart from other Barons was that she typically fought with her army in battle rather than relying on them to protect her. She knew when to step aside and let them do their job, especially when her civilians needed her. Right now, however, all that she had were here Firebirds and they needed all the help that they could get.

Willow was being cornered by two Butterflies. Before they could do any damage, Antigone swooped in and kicked them both down in one move. They fell to the ground, groaning, and she looked down at them with a smug smile.

"Two against one," she asked. "Really, ladies? That seems hardly fair."

Immediately, they leapt up and aimed their swords at her, but before they could do any damage, a familiar strong feminine voice cried out, "ENOUGH!"

The fighting instantly ceased.

Breathless, Antigone looked around to see the damage that had been done.

Everyone was alive. Bruised and bleeding, maybe, but no one was critically injured or dead.

Erastos crept carefully over to Antigone's side, standing protectively in front of her.

A woman dressed in all black entered the scene, holding her head as high as her heels seemed to be. Her long red hair glistened brilliantly against the sunlight and every step that she took seemed to make the ground rumble beneath her.

Antigone was overwhelmed. Her awe of the woman overpowered her intimidation.

The Butterflies made way for the woman immediately.

Antigone quickly recognized the woman. She was the Widow.

The Widow stopped just a few feet in front of Antigone, capturing everyone's attention with her bold presence.

The Firebirds still held their weapons up. Erastos was more than prepared to take a shot at the Widow if it meant saving Antigone. He was not pleased by the Widow's presence in the slightest.

Antigone, however, felt quite differently.

She craned her neck to look up at the powerful woman.

"Hello, Antigone," the Widow said, her voice even more controlled and bold than Antigone remembered. "It's been awhile."

Antigone opened her mouth to speak. It took a few seconds for her to formulate a coherent sentence. Finally, she spoke. "Hello, Baron," she said, sounding calmer than she felt. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance again."

The Widow smiled. "Please," she said. "Call me Minerva." She looked at her Butterflies and announced, "Stand down! Anyone who comes from Phoenix territory is our friend. Antigone and her Firebirds are to be treated with utmost respect and welcomed with open arms."

The Butterflies all lowered their weapons on command. To show that she meant well, Antigone asked her Firebirds to lower their weapons as well. Many of them were apprehensive, especially Erastos, but they obeyed.

Antigone turned her head to face the Widow and smiled politely. "Baro- Minerva," she said, quickly correcting herself. "My apologies. Phoenix territory has fallen under attack by Clippers from Armadillo territory. We didn't know where else to go. You're the only territory that we trust."

Erastos bit his tongue again.

Minerva smiled, a smile that Erastos could not pin-point, and it chilled him to his core.

"You're more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you'd like," she said.

Antigone felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank you so much, Minerva," she said. "I promise that we'll repay you as soon as possible."

"No need to repay me," Minerva said. "You came here seeking shelter and almost died at the hands of my Butterflies because of it. You and your Firebirds have been great allies to us. It would be our pleasure to offer sanctuary to you."

Feeling less burdened, Antigone smiled brightly and stepped forward, holding out her hand for Minerva to shake. Erastos immediately followed, lingering cautiously by Antigone's side.

"We are indebted to you," Antigone said to Minerva.

Minerva reached out to shake Antigone's hand with a firm grip. The corner of her mouth quirked up into a smile. "It will be a pleasure to have you," she said before pulling her hand away. "Come. We have plenty of carriages for you." She looked around at the other Firebirds. "All of you," she clarified.

Antigone was more than happy to accept the offer, but Erastos spoke up. "Excuse us," he told Minerva, before pulling Antigone to the side.

"What's wrong," Antigone asked quietly, while Erastos led her behind one of the tall trees.

"I don't like this," Erastos admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why," Antigone questioned.

"The Butterflies literally tried to kill us," he deadpanned.

"Technically, we were about to trespass."

"We hadn't trespassed yet. It was almost as if they were waiting for us."

"If they were waiting for us, then we'd all be dead by now. Clearly, the Widow wanted no harm to come to us. You heard her. She said that we're great allies to her and her territory."

"Antigone, don't you see that something is out of place here? They went from trying to kill us to treating us like royalty in a matter of seconds."

"It was more than seconds, Erastos, and they clearly have a great deal of respect for us."

He sighed heavily, rubbing his hands over his face in exasperation.

She could tell how uneasy and stressed he was, so she reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

He responded to her touch immediately, squeezing back, and she felt the tension in his hand release.

His bright green eyes bore into hers.

"Okay," he said. "I trust you. We can stay with the Butterflies for now."

A smile spread across her face. She gave his hand another squeeze and they returned to ask the other Firebirds how they felt about the decision.

The Firebirds and the Butterflies were lingering cautiously around each other, giving each other hard stares from far away, and the Firebirds were more than happy to excuse themselves when Antigone waved them over.

They huddled up, something that they usually did when they needed to discuss a plan on short notice. Antigone always made sure to consult with her Firebirds and converse with them on the same level so as not to make anyone feel beneath her.

"What do you guys think," she asked them.

"Are you serious," Willow asked in disbelief. "They literally tried to kill us."

"That's what I said," Erastos chimed in.

Antigone glared at him and he immediately shut his mouth.

"Don't we have really good relations with them though," asked another Firebird, a girl named Kai-Ming.

"I think that we're missing the point here," said one Firebird, a boy named Nafi. "We don't really have any other option, do we? Think about it: Totemists camps won't always be safe. Phoenix territory is clearly off limits. We obviously can't go to Armadillo territory and Fox territory has been an enemy of ours for awhile now."

"There are other territories though," Willow said.

"But there's no guarantee that those territories will take us in," Beatrice retorted. "Stakes are high and no one has proven themselves trustworthy except for the Butterflies."

"They did save my life once," Antigone reminded her Firebirds. "All of our lives."

Silence fell and the Firebirds all exchanged curious glances, trying to make their final decision.

Finally, they turned around, and Erastos was rather spooked by how quickly the Butterflies shifted their attention to stare at them.

Antigone smiled. "We gratefully accept your generous offer of hospitality," she said.

Minerva smiled again and turned to face her Butterflies. "Ladies?"

They gave her their full attention.

"Please escort Antigone's Firebirds to their carriages," Minerva said, before smiling at Antigone. "Antigone and I have a lot to catch up on."

The Butterflies immediately obeyed.

The carriages were all black, like the color of Minerva's clothing. Before escorting Antigone into the main carriage, Erastos went ahead and inspected it. He saw nothing threatening and reluctantly opened the door for Antigone to enter before Minerva could do so. He watched Minerva all the while, staring her down as Antigone entered the carriage to sit and Minerva followed carefully, sitting across from her.

Antigone smiled at him, "Thank you, Erastos."

Minerva was the first to start conversation. "It's been awhile," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm as good as I can be, under the circumstances," Antigone sighed, shrugging.

Minerva's smile faltered, sympathy clear in her eyes.

Antigone did not want to talk about what had happened, so she smiled and changed the subject. "How about you," she asked. "You don't have a regent anymore?"

Minerva smiled, "I'm working on finding a new one."

"What happened to Tilda?"

Minerva's smile fell. She was silent.

Before Antigone could ask her what was wrong, she suddenly realized that the carriages were not moving. She looked around to see that all of the Firebirds had been seated, except for Erastos, who was still holding the door open and glaring at Minerva. The two of them had become engrossed in a stare-down that, to Antigone, seemed quite ridiculous.

"Erastos," she said, in a semi-scolding tone.

When he didn't react, she reached out to touch his shoulder. "Erastos," she said again.

He turned his head to find her giving him the stink eye.

With a soft sigh, he gave her a thin-lipped smile before closing the door.

She gave him a smile filled with the same amount of contempt before turning to face Antigone again.

Erastos closed the door, but he would not move until Antigone gave him the signal. She smiled at him, and for now, that was enough for him to feel comfortable enough to sit in another carriage. He made his way to the carriage right behind the one that Antigone was sitting in so that he could keep watch. Then, Minerva ordered the carriages to roll.

Off they went.

-

Antigone happily conversed with Minerva on the journey to Butterfly territory. Minerva apologized more than once for her Butterflies' behavior, but Antigone assured her that it was all just a misunderstanding and that the Firebirds held no ill will towards her.

Erastos would have said otherwise, but he kept his mouth shut.

Antigone wondered aloud where Tilda was and Minerva explained that Tilda retired from being her regent recently so that she could have some time to herself. Apparently, she branched out to a bigger cause, and Antigone said that she was happy for her.

When the carriages began to roll to a stop, Erastos peeked outside to see where they were. Butterfly territory was booming. Girls and young women dressed in blue were training or walking around the courtyard making conversation. The territory's blue flags blew triumphantly in the wind, their Baronial symbol of a butterfly spreading its wings demanded attention.

Antigone's eyes lit up. She was in awe. Erastos made no reaction and the other Firebirds had mixed reactions. Most of them seemed unbothered.

The carriages stopped and the Butterflies stepped out to open the doors for the Firebirds. Erastos scrambled out of his carriage before any of the Butterflies could offer assistance and he insisted on escorting Antigone out of her carriage. He stumbled over to her and held out his hand for her to take.

She sighed and took his hand as she stepped out, giving it another squeeze. "Will you relax," she asked. "Everything is fine."

"Don't tell me to relax, you relax," he retorted childishly.

She rolled her eyes as they walked hand-in-hand into Butterfly territory. "Real mature, Erastos," she said, sarcasm clear in her tone.

He chuckled lightly. She was the only person who could make him laugh when he was so high-strung.

Most of the Butterflies who were already there were too busy training or doing their own thing to be phased by Antigone and her team, but some of them threw suspicious glances in their direction.

Antigone smiled and squeezed Erastos's hand when he tensed up again.

When Minerva and her Butterflies escorted Antigone and her Firebirds inside the palace, Antigone felt so empowered. She felt like she had such a strong voice just by stepping into Butterfly territory. Erastos did not like being there, but seeing Antigone so bright and happy made him smile.

"We have room for more than half of you in the king-sized bedrooms down the hall," Minerva said, as she led the Firebirds across the main hallway. "As for the rest of you, you'll be in smaller rooms, so you might have to share with each other and some of my Butterflies, but you'll be just as comfortable as the others. I apologize for not being able to provide better accommodations. This is all that we have on such short notice."

"No need to apologize," Antigone said, her eyes twinkling with admiration. "This is more than enough. We are so grateful. Really. Thank you so much, Minerva."

Minerva smiled, and Erastos saw a smugness to it that nearly made him roll his eyes.

Antigone was inflating Minerva's ego much more than it needed to be inflated, if it even needed to be inflated at all.

Probably not.

"Once again," Minerva said. "No need to keep thanking me or any of us. We're happy to repay you for your loyalty. Allow us to escort you to your rooms."

Antigone felt like royalty as the Butterflies escorted her and the other Firebirds to their rooms. Antigone opted to sleep alone and Erastos insisted on standing guard outside her room.

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Minerva said kindly. "You'll have plenty of security with my Butterflies around. They'll see to it that Antigone gets the best protection."

Erastos clenched his jaw. "I'm her regent," he said. "It's my duty to-".

"Erastos, when was the last time that you slept," Antigone cut in.

He fell silent, caught off-guard. "I- what," he asked.

"When was the last time that you slept," she asked again. "You've got dark circles under your eyes. Your eyes are bloodshot."

"Not many of us have been getting a good night's sleep given the circumstances," he retorted, frustrated at her many attempts to keep him from doing his job.

She used to trust him about everything and he had never steered her wrong, but it was as if that trust went away as soon as the Widow showed up.

Her eyes softened and she reached forward to cup his face in her hands.

His heart fluttered in his chest.

No, he thought. Don't give into it. She's softening you up. It's your job to protect her!

"Antigone," he said, his voice stern but soft. "I'm your bodyguard."

"You're not my only bodyguard," she said softly.

"I'm your regent."

"And my regent needs his rest."

"But-".

"Erastos. Please?"

He sighed and looked out of the corner of his eye to see what Minerva was doing. She was walking away to give them privacy.

When he looked at Antigone again, she was looking at him with those eyes again and he just couldn't say no.

"Fine," he sighed. "Just let me stay here for a few minutes every night for my own sanity and I'll go to bed after."

That seemed like a reasonable arrangement. For now.

She smiled and pat his shoulder, "Deal."

She turned around and waved Minerva over politely. Erastos hovered slightly in front of Antigone as Minerva neared, her high heels clicking loudly against the tiled floor.

"Did you come to an arrangement," she asked.

"Yes," Antigone replied. "Erastos will stand guard outside my room for a few minutes every night before he goes to bed. He feels that it's part of his duty as my regent."

Minerva shifted her eyes to meet Erastos's cautious gaze. The corners of her mouth quirked up into a slight smile.

"What a loyal regent," she said. "We wouldn't want to keep you from doing your job. Of course. Stand guard as long as you'd like."

He nodded briefly and refused to be the one to look away from her first. He stared at her, looking into her calculating eyes for any sign of insincerity or a threat.

Before anything could happen, Antigone spoke. "Minerva," she said. "Perhaps you and I can discuss some other arrangements while the others get settled."

Minerva tore her gaze away to look at Antigone. "Ah," she said. It took her a few moments to reply. "Yes, that sounds wonderful," she said finally. "Shall we?" She motioned for Antigone to follow her down the hallway.

Antigone smiled and turned to face Erastos. "You're in charge until I get back," she said. "Keep an eye on things."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she squeezed his hand. "Please," she said. "I need to have this discussion with Minerva. Don't fret. She means no harm."

He sighed and put his hands on his hips, biting his lip in frustration. "Okay," he finally said. "I trust you. Go do what you have to do."

Her lips stretched out into a wide smile. She leaned forward and pecked his cheek. "You're the best," she said, turning around and smoothing out her hair before walking towards Minerva.

He watched her walk away, smiling like a fool, his mouth half-open as he touched his finger to the area on his cheek where she kissed it. She kissed his cheek or his hand on occasion. It was her way of showing affection to him. He knew that she meant nothing romantic by it, which hurt him, but he also knew that he could not blame her. After all, she did not know of his feelings for her and she was not obligated to return any of his affections even if she did know of them.

Besides, she was a Baron and he was her regent. Getting romantically involved would lead to a very sticky situation.

He left to check the rest of the rooms while Antigone followed Minerva to her office. Minerva had a very large office with very fancy glass and décor. It always surprised Antigone when she saw how richly other Barons lived. Antigone only lived with what she needed to be comfortable.

"Please," Minerva said, sitting at her desk and motioning for Antigone to sit in the chair across from her. "Have a seat."

Antigone sat down carefully in the seat, crossing her legs like a perfect lady just like her parents taught her, and smiled.

"Are there any specific accommodations or requests that you'd like to be met," Minerva asked pleasantly.

Antigone could think of a few, but she did not want to seem pushy. "Um, I just worry about Yamka sometimes," she admitted. "She's very old. She's sharp and a great fighter, but sometimes she gets jittery. She also has the beginnings of arthritis, but don't tell her that I told you that. Some medicinal opium will relieve the pain if you can provide that."

Before Minerva could respond, Antigone spoke again. "Oh, and Bilal usually rooms alone, but he's lonely and I think that he needs the company," she said. "Also, Willow and Florian are always arguing, but I can't tell if it's because they hate each other or they're stubbornly in love and they just don't wanna admit it. Either way, you might wanna separate their rooms."

Minerva opened her mouth to speak, but Antigone continued, and kept on. She knew so much about each member of her battalion:

"Beatrice is the most level-headed of them all. Maybe she can just sleep in a room right next to Willow and Florian to keep an eye on them.

Nafi likes to snack all the time, so you might wanna try to limit him.

Oh! Siobhan can't sleep without a night light. Can you provide one?

Lucas likes to listen to music to go to sleep. If that's a bother, I'll see if I can find a way for him to listen to it without disrupting anyone."

Minerva only smiled while Antigone spoke. She held up her hand before Antigone could finish and Antigone immediately stopped speaking.

"Perhaps you should just give me a list," Minerva said.

Antigone felt her face flush with embarrassment. "Of course," she said. "I'm so sorry. I just worry so much about my Firebirds. We took so many losses when Phoenix territory was invaded. They're all very shaken up. I just want the best for them."

"Please," Minerva said. "Don't apologize. Most Barons don't seem to care so much about their soldiers. Your concern for them is admirable. They will be well taken care of."

Antigone let out a sight of relief that she did not realize she had been holding. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

"Of course," Minerva said, smiling. "Your room should be ready now. Would you like me or my Butterflies to escort you there?"

"I'll take her," came Erastos's cautious voice from afar before Antigone could respond.

Antigone turned around to see Erastos standing at the doorway of Minerva's office, standing upright in a soldier-like stance, his hands behind his back and his jaw clenched.

Before Antigone could ask Erastos to lighten up, Minerva smiled.

"Very well then," she said, standing up. "I assume that my Butterflies have already showed you the room. Would you like the key?" She slid her desk drawer open, took out a small silver key, and walked towards him.

Erastos glanced at Antigone for permission. He did not want to violate her privacy. She usually always gave him the key to her room, but he still wanted to be sure.

She smiled and nodded, giving him permission.

With a sigh of relief, he faced the Widow again, only to be frightened by how tall and bold she was. He had to crane his neck to see her and he couldn't shake how chilling her smile was.

"Yes," he said, his eyes locked on hers.

He held out his hand for the key and she dropped it into his palm. Quickly, he closed his hand around it tightly.

"You are a welcome guest in my home, Erastos," Minerva said, as if she could sense the tension in him. "Please try to relax."

"Thank you," he said, stretching his lips into a thin smile veiled in caution. "I appreciate your reassurance. Things have been difficult lately. As a regent, my job is to protect and serve, so you can understand why I have to be extra cautious."

She smiled again. "Of course, Regent," she said. "If there are any issues with the room, please let me know." She turned around to face Antigone. "Shall I show you around," she asked.

"Certainly," Antigone said. She smiled and waved goodbye to a very stubborn Erastos as the Butterflies arrived to escort him to her room.

She chuckled as he was ushered away. She could hear him mumbling and grumbling from down the hall.

Finally, Minerva turned around, still smiling. "Shall we," she asked.

Antigone smiled, "We shall."

The tour around the mansion was very enjoyable. As they walked, Minerva talked about the history of Butterfly territory and how proud she was of her Butterflies for their progress. She made Antigone feel very welcome and honored.

When they finally reached the end of the tour, Minerva stopped at the edge of a staircase, one that Antigone had not seen before.

"And that brings us to the end of our tour," Minerva said, smiling.

Antigone could not help her curiosity. "What about the staircase behind you," she asked.

Minerva's smile slowly fell. She turned around and then carefully, almost calculated, turned to face Antigone again.

"That is off-limits," she said, and Antigone was caught off by how suddenly her tone shifted from friendly to intimidating. "You are not to go up or near the staircase under any circumstance. Is that understood?"

For a mere moment, Antigone was frightened. Minerva didn't seem so friendly anymore.

Then, she smiled, and Antigone wondered why she had been so afraid in the first place. Surely, Minerva was not threatening her, right? She just had rules that needed to be respected.

"Understood," Antigone said, nodding obediently.

Minerva smiled again. "Very well then," she said. "Thank you for understanding. Would you like to see your room now?"

"Of course," Antigone replied. "Thank you very much."

"It's no problem at all," Minerva said, as she led Antigone to her room. "Please. You needn't keep thanking me. We are happy to have you."

With that, Minerva led Antigone to her room. When they arrived, Erastos was already standing guard beside the door. He was extremely tense. Antigone could tell. He was very uncomfortable and did not like being there.

"Were there any problems with the rooms," Minerva asked.

"No," Erastos replied, glancing at Antigone. "Not at all."

Minerva smiled, "Wonderful. We hope that you enjoy your stay. Please let us know if you need anything. Our home is your home." She walked away, the sound of her clicking heels echoing down the hallway.

Antigone turned around to face Erastos, beaming. "Isn't this such a blessing," she asked.

"Yeah," he said. He wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't have the energy to question anything.

"I'm gonna go check on the other Firebirds," she insisted. "You should get some rest."

Before she could walk away, he stopped her and told her, "No. You need some rest, just like the rest of us. I promise that I'll go to bed soon. I just need to talk to the Widow about a few things first."

"Erastos, it's my job to-".

"To make sure that you're well-rested so that you can be at your best for the team, remember?"

She sighed heavily, "Yes. I remember."

"Good," he said. "Now go kick up your feet and relax while I take care of some things."

She smiled and shook her head fondly. "The only reason why I'm letting you do this is because it literally hurts to stand now and I'm gonna need my legs if I wanna check out the training area around here tomorrow," she said.

"Hey," he said. "Whatever it takes to get you to get some sleep."

She smiled and leaned forward, pressing another kiss to his cheek. "I'm gonna get back at you eventually," she teased before turning around and walking to her room.

He grinned, "Sure, Tiggy! Sweet dreams!"

He knew that she would be out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Sure enough, she was.

That night, she dreamt of her sister. They were little kids playing tag again, but this time, Ismene slipped and she was calling out for help, but the faster that Antigone ran to her, the further away that Ismene would go.

Antigone woke up in a cold sweat.

She looked at the clock:

2:00 AM.

She sighed, laying back down and rubbing her hands over her face. She tried to go back to sleep when suddenly, she heard several faint whooshing sounds coming from outside her window far below. Her curiosity got the best of her and she crept out of bed to see what the noise was.

Standing outside in the courtyard was Minerva, swinging two swords, training under the moonlight.

The way that she moved was so poised and calculated. So controlled, yet so full of fury and emotion.

Antigone could not help herself. She snuck out of her room, trying to tip-toe past Erastos. He had always been a light sleeper even before he was a regent. Being the son of a cog meant that he had to be whatever his masters threw his way, and that he had to be prepared to run at a moment's notice.

She knew that he would wake up if she tip-toed past, so she took out her barrette and tossed it in the opposite direction that she was planning on running in. He snorted, jolting awake, and immediately ran in the direction that he had heard the noise come from.

Happy with herself, she scampered in the opposite direction, holding up her nightgown as she made her way into the courtyard, her bare feet hitting the cold grass.

She was almost frightened at how perfectly Minerva was swinging her swords, her back facing Antigone, her red hair glistening in the moonlight. She was a force to be reckoned with, and Antigone aspired to be like her one day.

Before Antigone could say anything, Minerva spoke:

"Hello, Antigone. Would you like to learn how to use these?"