*two year later*
{MIHO'S POV}
A lot of time has passed since the Battle of Fort Cypress and my duel with Kazuma. Aoi-kun and I have steadily been taking back territory, expanding our front line. We control roughly one third of Zoral, and the public opinion is 90% in Aoi-kun's favor.

We have two main problems. First: refugees. Despite controlling only a third of the landmass, almost half of Zoral's citizens are crammed into the borders of what we now call West Zoral. They're sick of being oppressed by Kenji's laws in East Zoral.

Aoi-kun doesn't want to refuse anyone, so most towns have had major influx of people. This led to our second main problem: food and supplies. There simply isn't enough to go around.

We can't even trade with other kingdoms. They're too cowardly, knowing that if they back us and we lose, they'll be at the top of Kenji's hit list.

Of course, they aren't stupid enough to side with Kenji either (he hasn't kept his desire for conquest a secret), but East Zoral can outlast us easily. The most pressing problem is food.

I've resorted to destroying Kenji's military bases and divvying up the food I find to our land. It's either kill or starve to death.

The war hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows on our side. We've suffered some tough losses. The worst happened recently.

Kazuma sent word that the cities of Tervuren and Laekenois on the front line have been decimated by East Zoral forces. The supply shortage is worst on there, and our forces are being spread too thin.

All of the soldiers protecting the two cities, as well as more than half of the non-combatants, were killed in the raids. Aoi-kun feels responsible.

I'm letting him brush my hair as I try to console him. The repetitive motion calms him down.

"This is war, Aoi-kun. People die. We know that better than anybody."

"I just—I should've prepared them better. I should've seen it coming." Aoi-kun laments.

"You're human, not omnipotent. If the knights hadn't fought valiantly till the end, nobody would've escaped. It was a pyrrhic victory."

Aoi-kun leans forward, burying his face in my hair; my strawberry pink threads of fate. My hair is so long now that I have to keep it pulled up all the time or it accumulates tons of dirt and leaves.

Both of us hear the knock, but it isn't on the door. It's on the glass of the window. Nothing good can come of that, especially since this is the third story. My body tenses. I immediately grab my rapier and put myself between Aoi-kun and the offending window.

He protests, using his body to shield mine while I use my body to shield his. The window shatters, leaving both of us frozen like a deer caught in torchlight.

"Aren't you two lovebirds amusing?" A male voice chuckles. The glass shatters and a black clad figure jumps inside from the night.

The only part of him not covered in black cloth is the man's head. He has short auburn hair. When he looks up, I suck in a breath.

The color is watered down and darkened to a far less pretty shade, but it's unmistakable. The uninvited guest's eyes are deep burgundy. Red.

"Hello." He greets us with a smile disgustingly similar to Aoi-kun's. "My name is Sorrel Merī."

I'd love to say I take it well.

I don't.

I suppose I should've figured out that Aoi-kun had maternal relatives. The Bloody Merī assassin clan is also known as a family, after all.

"Why are you here?" Aoi-kun asks through gritted teeth. He keeps a firm hold on me so I don't lunge.

Sorrel feigns shock. "Can't I come and visit my dear nephew after all these years?"

"I didn't know Mother had a little brother." Aoi-kun narrows his eyes.

Sorrel waves a hand in front of his face. "Oh no, no, not by blood! Azalea-sama was an only child. But after she left, our leader was forced to pick a new successor. Although I'm nowhere near Azalea-sama's level, I was the best choice and therefore adopted from a branch family into the main family."

"Why are you here?" Aoi-kun repeats, his nerves shot and patience wearing thin.

"To make you an offer!" Sorrel claps delightedly. "Leader has been watching you, you know. He grows feebler and knows that he is not long of this world. Your growth has astounded him!"

"What offer?" Curiosity can't help but leak into Aoi-kun's voice. He reaches down and squeezes my hand. I find his fingers and interlace them with mine.

"This whole revolution is about taking your rightful place." Sorrel's burgundy eyes twinkle evilly. "You know, you have more than one throne that belongs to you by birthright."

Sorrel takes a step forward. I tense, preparing for an attack. I'll kill him first. But the air leaves my lungs when Sorrel kneels down instead.

"Aoi Merī-sama. Become the new patriarch of the Bloody Merī family assassin clan."
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Yes, I'm aware that Tervuren and Laekenois are both breeds of Belgian Shepard. I'm a dog person. Sue me.

I put a little more thought into Sorrel's name. Sorrel refers to the red flowers of a hibiscus plant (also known as Roselle or Hibiscus Sabdariffa if you want to get technical) which grows in the Caribbean.

The name has French and German origins. It also means "reddish-brown hair" and is derived from surele; sur means "bitter" in German. Fun fact: sorrel is edible and makes a very delicious drink!