Prince Nayoko of Hoshido

In the coming days at Fort Jinya, I watched over Takumi, trained with Hinoka, discovered more about healing from Sakura and Jakob, learned the ways of ninjas with Kaze, and cooked with Semyaza. And, at all costs, I avoided speaking about what had happened in Cheve with Ryoma.

But I felt obliged to seek him out when we caught wind of the Nohrians' location. Warships had been spotted at sea -- it turned out that they'd decided to surprise us. However, the jig was up: we knew they weren't going to breach our borders now. Their plan had failed. And the strength of our forces was concentrated in Fort Jinya, right in their path to the capital.

Ryoma's decision to move us had actually paid off.

I found him in the armoury tower, deep in discussion with Raiden as he gestured to the remains of his old armour. They both turned around as I stepped into the room, which was looking considerably barer than when I'd last visited. Ryoma smiled at me. Raiden didn't, but that was to be expected. It seemed only Semyaza could coax a smile out of him.

I stopped just inside the doorway and held up my hands. "Carry on. I can wait."

Ryoma turned back to Raiden and finished up his discussion. Once they were done, my brother came over. "Nayoko! Is everything all right?"

I was relieved to see him in good spirits. "Yes, and I've just heard the news. Did you know the Nohrians would come by sea?"

He smiled wisely. "I had no mysterious message telling me, so no. But I thought it was likely."

"Why didn't you just say that when you ordered the move?"

"A good general never tells his soldiers more than they need to know," he replied. "You give them an order to follow, and they should follow it without needing a reason. When only the general knows, operations are carried out smoothly. If I'd told my army that I suspected the Nohrians would come by sea, it would have inevitably got back to the enemy, and they would have changed their plans."

"And then they really might have caught us by surprise. I see your point."

"Of course. You were, after all, the captain of a platoon in Nohr." Ryoma frowned. "You know, all of your siblings spearhead segments of the army. Hinoka leads the sky knights, Takumi leads the archers, and Sakura, when she comes of age, will lead our healers. You commanded my soldiers for a long time while I was missing, but now you have nothing."

"I don't mind."

"You're the chosen saviour -- it's high time that you were in charge of a battalion. You will have to report to me, of course, as the others do. But I'm certain that whatever judgement call you make, I would have also made the same."

My spirits lifted. "You really mean it? I can have a battalion?"

He smiled. "Of course. Come back with me to the main building, and we'll sort it out."

Outside, someone clattered down the staircase to our floor. As Ryoma and I turned around to leave, I saw that it was Semyaza.

She halted. "Oh! Prince Ryoma, Nayoko. I was just running an errand for one of Raiden's men."

I lifted an eyebrow. "You run errands for them?"

"Sometimes, yes. It makes them more compliant when I need their help." She smiled. "But I'm finished now. Do you need me to do anything for you?"

"No, it's all right. Ryoma and I were going back to the main building."

Semyaza fell into step beside us. "I'll come with you."

"Would you accompany us all the way to the throne room?" Ryoma asked. "I'm going to draw up a document to make Nayoko a lieutenant colonel, and I need a witness."

Her face lit up. "Of course, my lord. Congratulations, Nayoko!"

Ryoma looked at me, and I realised just how many times my retainer had omitted the necessary honorifics. I met his stare neutrally, then turned to Semyaza. "Thank you."

"Raiden's men have invited me to play knucklebones again this evening," she added, looking away, "and I feel I can't refuse. I'm certain they would not mind you coming with me, if you wished to do something to celebrate...?"

My heart warmed. "I'd love that."

I would have gone to the moon with her if she'd asked.

***

The evening came around slowly, but when it did, I was surprised to see Semyaza appear in the doorway to my quarters. I'd been intending to collect her from her own room like a chivalrous gentleman.

I'd seen more than my fair share of her legs already, my breath still caught when I looked at her. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder cream tunic with a short, red skirt. Very short. Perhaps it was actually a modest length when worn by women with modest legs, but while it certainly wasn't disrespectful on Semyaza, it wouldn't have gone down well in court. Her legs were just too long -- and too tanned and slim to boot.

Her dark hair was combed through and secured over one shoulder with an ornate clip, and for the first time since I'd met her, she was wearing kohl around her eyes. She was no more beautiful than she had been earlier in the day -- just beautiful in a different manner.

I swallowed hard. Swallowed again. "You look nice."

She blushed. "Thank you. Are you ready?"

I hadn't dressed up, but I was clean and presentable. "Yes."

We left the main building and walked across the grounds to the armoury. Semyaza shivered in the cold night air, and I draped my cloak over her shoulders, my movements easy.

She curled her fingers around the fabric. "Thank you. It gets so hot in the workshop that I didn't think to bring another layer."

"At least it's not too far away."

We reached the tower and let ourselves inside. Semyaza went straight up the stairs, handing my cloak back with a grateful smile as she climbed. I hurried after her. I was not Prince Nayoko or even Captain Norton tonight; I was just an ordinary man on a leash.

She paused when we reached the corridor at the top of the stairs. "Have you ever played knucklebones before?"

"A few times, with my men in Nohr. Have you?"

She shook her head.

I grinned. "Then it looks like I'll finally be teaching you something."

I knocked on the door at the end of the hallway, and it flew open immediately. The large ringleader I'd met last time was standing on the other side. "Semyaza! It's good to see you. And you brought the prince, too."

"Yes." She smiled. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, lass. Come in."

He stepped back, and we entered the smoky room. The table had been cleared of armour, and now Raiden's men were settling down with knucklebones and cigars. The ringleader announced our arrival as jovially as he could manage with his gruff voice, then took his seat. We sat beside him on the only two chairs that were left.

Semyaza introduced me to everyone, running through twenty different names, including Daichi, the leader. As the men prepared to begin, more cigars were lit. Daichi was on Semyaza's right, and a younger boy was sitting on the other side of him. He lit his cigar and then leaned forward, extending it across the table towards us. He was named Kado, if I remembered correctly.

"You want to try?"

Semyaza stilled. I saw a refusal form on her lips before she suddenly glanced at me. "Yes, please."

My eyebrows rose as she took it from him.

"Don't inhale," Kado advised. "Suck in the smoke and then blow it out."

Semyaza put the end of the cigar in her mouth. A moment later, she slowly blew out a string of smoke, watching me from under lowered lashes. I'd never considered cigars to be seductive before, but I suddenly found that I'd been very wrong.

Kado grinned. "You're a natural! Do it a few times for me so that it will keep burning."

Semyaza coolly obliged, indeed looking like she'd been smoking for years. But her casual air slipped as she handed it back, and her usual sweet smile returned. "Thank you. That was interesting."

Kado tilted the cigar in my direction. "Prince Nayoko?"

"No, thank you."

He shrugged and had a puff himself.

I looked at Semyaza. Several men appeared as if they wanted to speak with her, but she was staring at the table. I leaned closer. "Was that a challenge to me?"

Her eyes slid further away. "You're so fearless. I just wanted to show you."

"Show me what?"

She looked up. "Sometimes, I can be bad."

Our eyes locked, and a shock of desire jolted through me. Gods, yes, give her to me bad.

Daichi cleared his throat, and we turned back to the table. Semyaza blushed fiercely. I grinned.

Many different versions of the knucklebones game existed, but Daichi knew that Semyaza had never played, and so he kept it simple. We took it in turns to throw up one knucklebone and then try to gather the others before it landed.

Semyaza went first while Daichi and I told her what to do. Her bewilderment meant it was a scramble for her to pick up a knucklebone in time, but she managed it. The game moved on.

After I'd taken my turn and was watching the others, I felt her gaze on me again. I turned my head, and she smiled. "Is this all right?"

I understood the real question. This celebration wasn't a grand banquet with my family or a dignified party. Daichi was plunking glasses of ale on the table, and I knew that we were going to be in for a very long and drunken night.

Around us, the men roared as Kado failed to catch his knucklebone. Several grabbed their glasses and raised them in a good-natured toast to his demise.

I sat back, rolling out shoulders that had been tense since Cheve. "This is perfect."