A raven-haired lady with violet eyes jostled when their carriage found a ditch in the road, interrupting her thoughts and unwavering gaze out the window.  Suzera Irina rapidly blinked as she brought her thoughts back to the present.

"Finally, Irina," a male voice sighed dramatically.

Irina turned to look at the brunette young man's judging dark-blue eyes. His chin-length hair highlighted his sharp features. There was a slight notch in his nose from where she had hit him with the hilt of a sword years ago, but otherwise, he remained aesthetically flawless.

Unconsciously, Irina touched her nose. She knew her nose was longer than most Vetusian and Preenian noses, but it would not be considered large. At least, Korak Fallyn had not called me exotic.  

"It seemed as if you were going to ignore us forever. Did it not Zakarus? Zak? Does no one care for me? Did you wish for Ban to win?" The young man looked between the raven-haired woman and a raven-haired man sitting beside him.

"Neither of us wished for your death Shaed," Irina sighed. "Suzerain Abran believed the duel would be the perfect demonstration for Vetus's heir."

"Then I'm sure he will be delighted with my retelling of the Vetus royalty squirming at the sight of death," Shaed whispered. "Or, perhaps he will enjoy hearing about how the great son of an ancient line of Komans sacrificed himself for the honor of Jude, with such dazzling blonde locks that Suzera Irina—"

Irina gasped.  "I had no infatuation with Koman Ban! You have done nothing but retell this story, with increasing exaggeration, the whole journey!"

Shaed tutted in a way that reminded Irina of when they were fourteen, and he thought he could train horses. It is hard to believe we are twenty and twenty-one now.  She mused to herself.

"Such lies! If you were not captivated by Koman Ban, then you are a shameless flirt. It is good that I slew him before you could break his heart."  Shaed felt a small sense of pride in observing Irina huff and roll her eyes.  He turned to see his oldest friend, Suzerain Zakarus, smiled lightly at them.  Zak always enjoyed watching Shaed tease his cousin.d

Shaed extended his arms while leaning back in his seat.  "Where did you so rudely halt my retelling? Ah—Koman Ban's dazzling blonde locks that Suzera Irina did not fancy—"

"I am beginning to wonder if you fancied them," Irina muttered.

"—were sparkling slightly from the exuberant candlelight of a country that was compensating. Be it for Vetus's army or King's bedroom inadequacies, we are unsure—"

"Shaed!" Irina blushed.

Shaed continued to ignore the suzera.  "However, it is possible the late Koman Ban had caught the reflection of his locks. Ban's ego had grown since Suzerain Abran chose him for the battle. Koman Ban did not leave one skirt unruffled."

Shaed winked at Irina, who quickly turned to Zakarus for support. Unfortunately, Zakarus shrugged with a smile.

"It is true," Zakarus nodded.

"This is what happens when there are not enough ladies to surround me." Irina hissed, turning her eyes back towards the window.

"As Ban, the great Ban fell under the mighty sword of Shaed." Shaed's voice hitched in excitement.

"Now, who is compensating?" Irina smirked.

"Facts do not require compensation. Stop interrupting me. Shaed, once a simple hand during the young Suzerain Zakarus' training, became a great victor in the palace of Kings and Queens." Shaed's voice fell slightly at the end in a sort of bliss that was hard for Irina to place.  He sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"She is right. You're starting to exaggerate." Zakarus shook his head in amusement.

Shaed turned his smirking eyes to his friend.  "My story is not the only thing that has. Did you not see the barmaid with the—"

"I am trying to be a proper lady here!" Irina interrupted Shaed with reddened cheeks.

"Proper ladies do not make your perverse jokes or train for battle in such a way that they send harmless young men swimming in lakes for their weapons." Shaed waved his hand at her in dismissal.

Irina rolled her eyes.  "A simple slip of the tongue brought about by witless encouragement. Plus, at that time, I was barely sixteen. Many years have passed since then."

Shaed pressed his lips together in a way that made Irina sure he was mocking her. "I believe it has been four. Does that seem like many to you, Zak?"

"Not even half a decade," Zakarus tutted.

The three jolted slightly as the carriage hit a divot.

"I am now a proper lady, who will marry a proper gentleman," Irina sniffed.

"Have you met one?" Shaed ventured, studying Irina.

Irina felt her cheeks redden slightly under his faze.  She averted her eyes.  "Konrik Loren behaved like a proper gentleman last evening," she noted while adjusting her sleeve.

Shaed snorted.

Irina's violet eyes flashed at him as she pushed a piece of black hair behind her ear. "We were able to discuss the value of art at great length. Did you know their winter—"

Shaed turned to Zakarus, instantly making Irina halt and puff her cheeks.  "How did your evening pass, Zak? Were you able to attain the intelligence your father wanted, or were you too busy being improper with the Princess of Vetus at her kitschy celebration?" 

She refused to let him ignore her.  "I had not finished! The celebration hardly seemed gaudy. Vetus had very tasteful gardens, and—"

Shaed continued to look away while waving his hand in the air.  "Such genteel lady prattle has become boring. Let the gentlemen speak. Suzerain Zakarus, your important insights?"

"Everything is as expected," Zakarus muttered, pulling his face slightly with his hand in frustration.

"Such as?" his jovial friend asked.

"Weakened protection around the perimeter. It's slightly worrying considering the activity on the border and the amount of nobility present." Zakarus almost hissed, causing Irina to place her hand on his arm softly.

"We were safe," she whispered.

"This time," Shaed responded before coughing. "But then again, why protect Taurean Palace when the barbarians were already inside?"

"Your sarcasm grows tiring," Irina whispered, turning to move the shade on her window.

"Both of you are growing tiring," Zakarus responded before Shaed could speak.

Zakarus required more dimwitted companions who did not know him so well.  He was happy that Shaed survived.  Zakarus trained with Shaed since they were twelve-years-old.  He trusted Shaed with his life, but his father did not care for him.  Suzerain Abran asked Shaed to be part of the demonstration so Koman Ban would kill him.  Zakarus did not look forward to his father's reaction when he learned of Koman Ban's death.  He would not be pleased with the peasant's new prestige.  According to tradition, Ban should have won. According to law, Shaed is now a Koman. 

Zakarus inwardly laughed at Shaed as a koman.  Shaed did not care for titles or power.  He liked to be of service and to use his sword.  For awhile, Shaed had also wanted more, but that ended when Irina threw his sword in the lake and stormed away.

A small cough made Zakarus turn to see his cousin smiling at him innocently.

"The lineage of barbarity did not look impartial or tired when dancing with Princess Amnicity," Irina stated. "Korak Fallyn seemed upset at the sight of you two looking so romantically involved."

"You did look noble from my view in an upstairs window," Shaed affirmed.

Zakarus sighed. He should not be surprised Shaed would find a way to observe the party.

"Well, I am still not a king, and you will not have to view society from an upstairs window any longer. Since you killed Ban, you are now Koman Shaed Sutter." Zakarus commented, trying to transition the topic from Princess Amnicity.

He knew what was to come with that situation.  The Princess could not sway his thoughts from war; it would be unacceptable to his father. Vetus needed to discontinue their cloaked raids on Jude's towns.  If not, Jude would bring an end to the situation with an unwavering force.

"You are right. Does this mean I have my soldiers? Do I get a better sword?" Shaed's questions came quicker than the answers.

Irina scrunched her nose.  She pitied the women who desired a gentleman who only thought of such things.

Shaed did not wait for an answer.  "When we invade Vetus, can I be near you at the front? I am picturing a large black steed, and a sword about—no—it needs to be—"

"Did you not tell Koman Ban if a gentleman's sword is too long, it is because he was compensating for something when he discussed the length of his weapon?" Irina interrupted.

Shaed blushed while fumbling over words as Zakarus caused a horse to let out a startled neigh from the booming laughter reverberating from his body. A small swell of pride filled Irina's heart upon seeing how her words affected the two men.

She leaned forward with a smirk.  "Oh, Shaed, do not be so unsettled. I am sure there will be a woman who will love you as you are, diminutiveness and all."

"I think I will go the rest of the way by horseback," Shaed hissed. He banged on the roof of the carriage. "Stop! Stop dammit!"

"Koman Shaed Sutter, is it safe for you to ride?" Irina smirked as the carriage halted.

Shaed snorted, climbing out of the carriage and slamming the door without a backward glance. Irina's smile transitioned to a tight line before biting the inside of her cheek.  

"Bring me a horse.  I will ride from here," Shaed yelled outside the carriage.

"You were too harsh," Zakarus muttered.

"I meant no serious harm," Irina whispered, letting her fingers clench and release her dress a few times.

Irina tightened her body so her head would not hit the carriage as they began to move once again.

"You went too far, cousin." He pressed, placing his hand to cover her kneading ones.

Irina nodded, swallowing her guilt.

"It is good Shaed forgives quickly. Being hit on his head so often as a child seems to have shortened his memory," Zakarus smirked.

"I know you're lying." She smiled softly. "Shaed hit your head more often."

"True. Shaed always showed more mercy with you. Well, whenever your outfits—"

"Zak! You know I did not mean for that to happen! I did not know everything had gotten so small after my mother sent me away to learn how to be a lady.  My goodness, those days seem so long ago," Irina finished with a sigh.

"They do.  You learned to prefer lace over steel," Zakarus smirked, avoiding the real reason everything changed.

"You seemed to prefer lace last evening with Princess Amnicity, or were my eyes deceiving me? What game are you playing with her cousin? If the sword does not work, you will obtain a kingship through ruffling her skirt?" Irina questioned with her words that increased in speed and volume, making Zakarus watch her warily for a moment.

"Do not be so defensive for your own sex, cousin."

"Defensive?" Irina hissed. "Cousin, do not try to sway me like a man in your court. My eyes saw Princess Amnicity wander in your directions of the gardens."

"It is a large garden," he muttered.

"Do not be so defensive, cousin," she quipped with a sardonic tilt of her head.

The cousins sat in silence. Unable to distract his mind from her gaze, Zakarus started to tap on the wood near the window.

"Nervous?"

He glared at her smirk.  "Do no—"

"Zak, if you met Princess Amnicity in the darkened confines of the garden in a serendipitous rendezvous, which would make a romantic swoon, it is of no consequence to me. In truth, I think you would have more success taking the path of wooing her than conquering the country with a sword."

"They would never accept me as King. Iri, do not laugh." His tone reminded her of when they were children.

"Zak, you worry about their feelings towards you as King. Yet you are willing to try being their ruler by force? The logic is astonishing," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"You do not—"

"Do not question my comprehension of acceptance and bitterness. No person empathizes with the anger and resentment brought about by the sword better than me," Irina hissed with moments of breaking in her voice brought on by tears swallowed to the level of her throat.

"It would never be my intention to imply such a thing," he whispered, moving his hand to cover hers.

Irina nodded, letting the noise of wood wheels hitting rock and dirt paths be the only things they heard.

The tension would have continued if the horse outside their window did not fart.  

"What the fuck did this horse eat?" Shaed yelled behind him before making a gagging sound.

Irina and Zakarus took a moment to exchange unspoken words before laughing.

"This is not tolerable," Shaed yelled as the horse released another round of wind.

He let out another string of curses as Irina brought a handkerchief to her face.

"If you do this the way our fathers did, you risk losing him," Irina whispered, causing Zakarus to nod. "He would, of course, love such an honor. He probably believes that when his spirit rises, he would have many women there to honor him. Wait, before you respond with a witty response, there is more. It is my belief you could do better than the ways of our fathers. You could be a great king without using the sword.  I believe in your dream of a united land."

"There will always be blood." Zakarus sighed, shaking his head.

Irina shut her eyes for a moment while nodding.  "There will always be death. The question is, do you think it is possible to curve the numbers to one where fewer people mourn?"

"Should you not be asking me about love?" Zakarus countered, holding Irina's gaze.

"Love is of no consequence for us. Greater responsibilities and sacrifice bind us to the safety of all." She responded without a hitch in her voice or deviation in her gaze.

"Well—oh my—Shaed, move that horse away from my window!" Zakarus yelled, bringing his arm up to cover his nose.

Irina burst into laughter as Zakarus's serious face quickly turned to one of disgust.

"What do you want me to do?" Shaed asked from the other side of the carriage door.  "Wait! You there near the back; you are of no consequence. Change horses with me!" Irina shook her head in amusement as Zakarus shook with laughter. "If we become attacked by raiders, turn this horse's ass towards them. They will forgo their assault on seeing how poor our horses are." 

"Yes, Koman Sutter," the young voice responded. "Should we have the carriage stop, Koman Sutter?"

"Oh—no! Tell the driver Koman Sutter wishes them to carry on as we will only be a moment," Shaed responded in a tone that sounded more assured.

Zakarus smirked at Irina's raised eyebrow.

"So it has started," Irina smiled.

"Give the responsibility of love time, cousin," Zakarus whispered.

Irina's lips tightened once again.  "Those days have passed, cousin. It is not your place to bring them back. My intentions and feelings have moved forward."

Zakarus glanced outside the window.  "His have not."

"My father believed asses were useful. Unfortunately, he also stated the willful ones were the most dangerous, so they should be terminated," she replied without feeling.

Zakarus started at the mention of her parents without bitterness.

"Your mother spoke of patience," he countered.

Irina scowled for a moment before smirking. "It would probably not be best for you to use these skilled manipulations with Princess Amnicity. They are not doing well to sway my poor inferior heart. You require further practice to perfect the skill. Try another approach to dissuade me from Konrik Loren and towards Shaed. A love of banner or country may be a good approach.  Or, perhaps the argument of protection. Though, we both know I am capable of protecting myself.  So the latter argument does not hold much weight," Irina scrunched her nose. "You look as if you need a moment to think it over."

Zakarus scowled mockingly at Irina. "Please say you will respect me more when 'King' comes before my name."

Irina shrugged, turning away.  "It is not good to lie to a king."

Zakarus laughed as the sound of a galloping horse came near their window. A small fluttering Irina had not expected filtered from her stomach, tinting her cheeks red.

"Do not tense too much, cousin, or it may be too apparent," Zakarus teased.

Irina waved her hand at him in dismissal.  "Oh, think of what you are to report."

Zakarus's laugh transitioned from pure to forced as the thought of what he had to report. The mission from his father had been clear: infiltrate the castle to assess their defenses.

Vetus did not grant The Suzerain of Jude many opportunities to make a social visit. Any foolish alms would be easily exploited for their gain, especially if Suzerain Abran wished it to be so. He had done great things to progress the nation and build upon his father, Suzerain Xander's, work.  

Even before Suzerain Xander's death, Abran committed himself to evolve their family from merely being a leader amongst warriors. He pushed their scientists to make advances in weaponry for the sake of Jude. In contrast, his mother advocated for Zakarus to develop a keep political mind to use these weapons wisely.

In his youth, Zakarus resented the time spent away from his sword due to his studies. At that age, Zakarus believed words would do nothing to dissuade his foes. Father, Uncle, and Grandfather had always been adamant that their family's power came from the blood on swords. Nothing would change that.

Then Suzerain Xander died, leaving two entitled sons without a sole heir. The komans split between the Suzerains. Such divisions did not matter until the komans began to war in the name of their chosen Suzerain. The short six-month war that followed almost destroyed the security Suzerain Xander created.  Many Judians feared a sword coming upon them at any hour.

Zakarus's mother died when shielding him from an assassin's arrow on a carriage ride from his lessons. In retaliation, Abran led the raid on Irina's parents that resulted in their death.

Zakarus still remembered Irina's face when Abran carried her into their home. His father demanded her to be bathed and washed. It took months for Irina to speak of that night to Zakarus. Since that night, Irina has not touched a weapon, preferring to be the lady her mother dreamt of instead.

Now, Abran wished Zakarus to be the one to lead a similar raid on Vetus. However, after meeting Princess Amnicity, Zakarus did not believe he could cause the pain her the pain he sees in Irina; maybe he could find a different path to the same power.

The cousins sat in silence for the rest of the journey. Well, apart from Shaed's random bouts of songs. The content of said songs ranged from acceptable to deplorable, depending on who one asked. Irina would never admit to the smirks she produced during retellings of Shaed's defeat of Koman Ban, the ruffler of skirts. A defeat Suzerain Abran took no delight in when welcoming them into the great hall.

***

And so the plot thickens... Thank you for reading :)