With our heads held high, we rode back to the capital. Our plan was a success. We effectively pushed the enemy out of our kingdom.

It took us a while, though. Eleven months to be exact. We sent false intel to the mole —who we now know is our High Priest— and ambushed them when they least expected it. We pushed and pulled, day and night. From summer to winter. Until the last of the enemy forces fled to their side of the border.

People stood on the sidewalks clapping and cheering while our cavalry made its way to the palace.

"Good fortune to the King's men! May the gods bless them and their kin for their brave deeds!" They shouted as the palace's front gates parted.

On the front steps of the courtyard, Uriel's envoy anxiously awaited our arrival. "Your Majesty, The King, is overjoyed by the news that his troops have returned victorious from the battlefield. Please, His Majesty is looking forward to your report in his private audience chamber." He said when we dismounted.

The tapping of our shoes and the clanking of our armor echoed in the halls of the grand hallway. "He should have met us in the courtyard to debrief us. It's the least he could do after all we've done for him and his kingdom these past few years," mumbled Calim.

"He's been busy trying to deal with our mole."

He snorted, "He hasn't done anything since we told him who it was. So I doubt that's the reason he's too busy to meet us at the courtyard. Hmph, making us walk all the way to his audience chamber."

A sigh passed through my lips. He's tired and worn down like the rest of us and is looking forward to going home. That's why he's being such a grouch right now.

Stopping in front of a grand door guarded by two royal knights, I announced, "Supreme Commander Nubilus and Grand Commander Acoma with reports from the battlefield." The knights nodded and opened the door for us.

"Commanders! Welcome!" Uriel stood from his seat and approached the battle-worn men.

"What, he was too busy counting the diamonds on his crown? Is that it?" Calim muttered under his breath

Without missing a beat, I sidestepped Calim and shook Uriel's waiting hand. "It's a pleasure to be here as we bear good news."

"Yes, thank you so much for everything, commanders." He outstretched his hand towards Calim and shook his hand. "So, what is the good news? And may I say, Iskander, it has been what. Five years since we have last seen each other? Well, since the war started and you have not aged a day. You too, Commander Acoma."

"Thanks," Calim responded a bit too harshly.

He cleared his throat. "So, what is the good news?"

"Well, as you know. We were able to successfully push the Wallerian forces out of the kingdom and reinforced our borders to prevent it from happening once again. We also captured the main collaborators in the mole's network of classified information. They're on their way to the prison cells right this instant."

"Good! Good! Let us see if we can finally put an end to this once and for all." He went to take a seat by his desk.

"As soon as you're ready, Your Majesty, Calim, and I can set out and apprehend him." My feet inched forward, eager to end this conflict and go home.

"Yes, but we should not be too hasty, though. This is a very delicate matter. The citizens will not react kindly if we take him in without substantial proof. I also need to investigate and see if he has anyone planted in the palace aiding him in his actions." He played with the quill on his desk, placing it in its holder and taking it out again. "In the meantime, we should keep this on the down-low. We do not want him to figure out we are unto him. Because if he gets wind of our intentions, he will lock himself in that temple of his and command the independent temple guard to attack us. Then all hell will break loose." He tidied up his already organized desk. "Besides, you need some time for yourselves. It has been a long five years. You deserve to rest." He stood up and grinned. "But, first. You're staying for the feast, right?"

⚜⚜⚜

The hum of chatter coming from the crowd of nobles assaulted my ears when I walked into the banquet hall.

An absurdly long table cluttered with plates of food, pitchers, flowers, and candelabra lay in the middle of the high ceilinged room. Kitchen staff rushed up and down the hall, trying to keep up with the noblemen and women's requests.

"Supreme Commander! Grand Commander! Over here!" Yelled the King from the other side of the room.

The chatter ceased, and all eyes fell on the two men standing by the door. Men cleared their throats, and women hid behind their embellished hand fans as we went to stand by the King. Their stares burning holes in my back.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Thanks to these two men standing here before you, our country is once again safe. Let's give them a round of applause."

My heart dropped, and my face went cold when thunderous clapping erupted in the hall.

Shooting a worried glance my way, Calim stepped forward. "Thank you. You're too kind. But everything we do, we do it because we love this country and its people." He flashed his best smile and stepped to the side, hiding me halfway from the peering eyes around the room.

"Yes. It's a blessing to have such dedicated men serve our country. Please, sit and let us commence with the feast." The King gestured towards the two empty seats to his right.

Calim patted my shoulder. "I hate this. I feel like I'm being paraded around in a circus."

My gaze stayed on my plate for the first half of the evening.

"High Priest! Thank you for joining us!" Exclaimed Uriel when the staff brought out the dessert.

My eyes zeroed in on the man walking towards the head of the table.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Your majesty." High Priest Gustav bowed and sat down in the seat in front of me. "Supreme Commander Nubilus. It's a pleasure to see you're doing well."

Making an effort to not grit my teeth, I responded, "Yes. It's nice to see you as well."

"Oh, High Priest Gustav, it's so nice you came to celebrate with us." One Duchess said.

"Yes, thank you for joining us. We know you must be busy." Added one of the Dukes.

"I needed to show my appreciation to our kingdom's troops. They have been fighting long and hard to keep our kingdom safe. It's the least I could do." He smiled.

My lips pressed together, holding back the scornful laugh threatening to escape my lips. You have to be very messed up to have no remorse and even pretend to love and care about the people you so easily betrayed.

That evening the High Priest talked, laughed, and ate like never before. If I didn't know any better, I would assume he was happy for our troop's success.

Who is working for you? I memorized the faces and names of the people the High Priest spoke to the most that evening. We need to keep tabs on them. I told myself while I secretly watched the man in front of me.

A young woman whispered in the High Priest's ear for some time. What is she telling him? Is she one of his accomplices? Whatever she said made him frown, and with harsh eyes, he looked at the King.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Uriel happily chatting to the duke next to him. Suddenly, sensing the High Priest's burning glare, Uriel turned his whole body to face the duke. He threw his head back in laughter, reacting to something the duke said, and swept his eyes across the room. His eyes found the High Priest's for what seemed like a second, and —as if he was burned by the eye contact— his gaze snapped back to the jabbering man beside him.

What's going on? Is he being threatened? Is that why he has delayed the investigation? I kept watching the people around me. Trying to figure out what else had changed in the past five years.

The table was practically empty when midnight came around.

"Well. My bed is calling for me. So, I'll see you tomorrow Iskander." Calim said with a big yawn and left.

"You better go to sleep as well. You have to travel tomorrow." Said Uriel.

"Well, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah, don't worry about me. In ten minutes I'll just order the knights to kick everyone out. Have a nice trip home." He smiled.

Has something happened while I was away? I wanted to ask. But instead, I said, "Remember if you need help with anything. Just send for me."

"Yes, I know I can count on you." A warm smile crept across his face.

⚜⚜⚜

"I hope she remembers me." Mused Calim the morning we rode back to my dukedom.

"You're not that easy to forget. Trust me." I smirked.

He gasped with mock offense. "What's that supposed to mean?"

After only getting a chuckle for a response, he continued, "Anyways, as soon as I see her. I'm going to ask her out. Just like I've been practicing these past five years. With pink roses in hand, her favorite color, by the way. I'm going to march into that bakery and invite her to next week's play. After that, we'll have dinner at Violet's restaurant and end the night with a stroll around the park. Then after a couple of months, I'll propose. We'll get married and have a dozen babies."

"And what if she says no."

An exasperated sigh broke through his lips."What are you trying to do? Huh? You're bumming me out, man."

"Nothing. I'm just saying we shouldn't be overly optimistic. We need to look at this from all angles. We don't know if she is actually interested in you or not. If it doesn't happen, don't worry about it. There are more girls out there."

"Oh, right. Mr. I'm-already-married-so-I-don't-have-to-worry-about-trivial-bachelor-problems-anymore Nubilus." He aimed and flicked a berry he picked on the side of the road earlier, hitting me square in the face. "Hah! Justice has been served."

I held back a laugh and rolled my eyes.

Half a day had already passed when we rode and made it into town. My heart soared when my Manor came into view in the distance. It looked just about the same as five years ago. Except, several types of bushes and flowers populated the yard now. The colorful blooms and the dense greenery were trimmed neatly, bringing life to the once empty plot of land.

"Wow, your place looks nice. Your wife did a good job." Calim said when we dismounted.

"Yes." My eyes trailed to the closed front door. I wonder how she will react when I walk in.

"Well, this is it. You've been brought home safe and sound, just like I promised. Tell her I'll accept her token of gratitude later." He winked and smiled as he approached me with outstretched arms.

"No," I said and leaned away from him.

"Oh, come on. Bring it in."

He squeezed me in a tight hug, making me groan with petulance.

"I'll miss you." He wiped away a pretend tear. "Alright, bye." He jumped on his horse and rode out of the estate.

After tying the reins of my horse on a nearby branch, I walked to the manor entrance. My palms felt clammy, and the thumping of my heart became loud to my ears. "Well, here we go." Pushing the door open, I stepped into the safe haven I call home.

"Oh my. Oh my! Oh my!" Bridgitte, the chambermaid, exclaimed as she stood frozen in the foyer. Most probably on her way to check who pulled over at the courtyard.

"Um, hi."

"Mr. Benjamin! Mr. Benjamin! My lady! Madam!" The basket she was holding crashed to the ground, and, within a second, she ran down the hallway.

My eyes went around the foyer, taken aback by its new appearance.

By the wall on each side of the room, a couple of armchairs and small tables with vases full of flowers created a pleasant atmosphere. Further inside, under the grand chandelier. A large vase full of white roses rested on a round table, several feet from the stairs that lead to the second floor, enveloping the whole room with a pleasant scent.

"What's all this ruckus about, Bridgitte?" Asked Benjamin walking out of the hallway. His eyes went wide, and he froze when he saw me standing by the door. "Iskander?" With eyes welled up with tears, he quickly went to hug me.

"How have you been, old man?"

"I'm doing good, even better now that you're back." He stepped back to look at me. "Let me see. A couple of new scars here and there, but otherwise intact." A smile lit his aged face. "Welcome home."

"Thank you." My lips stretched in a responding smile, and my eyes searched the top of the stairs.

Benjamin's smile widened. "She'll be here shortly."

Embarrassment made my eyes fixate on the nearest wall, and a painting caught my attention. It was a single red rose floating in a small pond haloed by a dozen scattered petals.

The hurried clicking of heels against the tile came from the other end of the hallway, matching the tempo of the erratic beating of my heart. Seconds later, a woman busted into the foyer and skidded to a stop several feet away from me.

Her bright hazel eyes grew wide as she took me in. Her hands brushed the errant curls away from her eyes and attempted to put them back into the thick, loose braid that hung down her back, along her narrow waist, to her hips.

This woman wasn't sickly or frail like the girl five years ago. In fact, this woman had a beautiful silhouette, highlighted by the sash of her light blue dress wound around her waist. Is this Leyla?