It had to be one of the strangest things she had ever seen. Leyla watched from her room as servants rushed about the inner courtyard with strange stick-like contraptions. Whenever one was 'opened' it revealed a blue half circle opened from the top of the stick and floated up a few feat before hanging in the air. There were dozens of the half-circles now, placed all along the walkways between the gardens, hanging a little over the heads of those who walked beneath and protecting them from the drizzling rain.

After the last servant finished propping his rain protector into the air, Leyla moved away rom the windows. Before leaving the training field yesterday, Raphael asked her to join him for breakfast. A part of her wondered if he would actually be there; the same part of her wondered if anything that had happened yesterday was real.

Was she on good terms with him now? Was she really being accepted into the Light army? She looked at the outfit that her maid laid out for her earlier that morning and couldn't stop the smile of pleasure. A pair of white trousers, a white shirt, a long white double breasted coat with silver buttons and knee length military boots. The only thing that set the uniform apart from what the other Light officers wore were the beautiful silver flower motifs embroidered along the cuffs of the jacket and along the tops of the boots. 

Let yourself be happy.

Moving quickly, she put on her uniform, braided her hair and made her way down the stairs. On the ground floor, the guards at the door caught sight of her and were too surprised by her look to offer a greeting. She walked on with a grin, knowing they had probably never seen a female in trousers. A familiar smell she couldn't quite place tickled her nose as she reached the dining hall.

"There you are," Raphael stood from his seat at the head of the table, his eyes taking in her uniform with appreciation. "It suits you, Colonel."

Leyla's stepped faltered. Colonel. Although there had been no formal declaration, the appearance of the uniform showed her the council had approved of her position. And by wearing it, hadn't she accepted it too? It struck her only now what that really meant...hadn't she just agreed to stay?

"You look beautiful," Raphael added.

"Thank you," Leyla ran her hands over her jacket, feeling strangely shy and confused as she approached the seat beside him. She wouldn't think about the rest of it now. Nothing would be clear until the Leader returned from the mountain, so for now she would take everything one day at a time. "Was the uniform your idea?" 

His smile was answer enough as they both took their seats. Leyla ran her gaze over the pastries and jams on the table, and was about to comment on the surprising amount of food when she noticed the cup that had been placed beside her. "Is that...?"

Raphael laughed at her expression, "I was up until sunrise trying to make that, so take pity on me and judge gently."

Excitement now making her grab the warm cup with two hands, she looked down at the dark liquid before taking in a deep breath. That was the smell! "Is it really Vela?"

"Not quite," Raphael admitted. "Its as close as I could make it with what we have, but I've set our alchemists working to create a similar bean to the one they use in Asch. Just give me a little time, and I'll get it right."

There was no way to misinterpret this - he had done this simply to make her happy. Leyla looked down at her cup, closing her eyes before drawing in the dark aroma. The scent put a smile on her face, but it was Raphael's look that made her feel warm. "You're so busy. When did you find time to do this?"

Raphael reached out, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I will never be too busy to make you happy."

Feeling her control over her feelings slip away, Leyla moved back from his touch and cleared her throat. "Let's see if this tastes as good as it smells." Avoiding eye contact, she took a sip of the hot liquid and almost sighed in pleasure.

"Leader once told me that if I angered a woman, jewels would set things right. He couldn't have been more wrong." Raphael leaned back in his seat, grinning. "My woman is only interested in weapons and vela."

My woman. Ignoring the tingle that ran down her spine, Leyla raised a brow: "Why does that sound like you're planning on angering me?"

Raphael sipped his vela, then looked her straight in the eyes. "I plan on spending my life with you and though I hope it won't be frequent, a bit of angering is inevitable, don't you think?"

Leyla lowered her eyes to her plate, wishing he would stop looking at her that way. She was dangerously close to believing that he cared for her. Dangerously close to admitting that she cared for him too.

"So that council meeting Michael mentioned, when will it start?"

The look on Raphael's face said he knew she was deliberately changing the topic, but he didn't push. "It will have started a few minutes ago."

"What?" She set down her now empty cup with a thud. "Then why are we still here-"

"Because this is more important," Raphael crossed his arms over his chest. "As much as you are trying to ignore it, I am attempting to woo you."

"W-what are you saying!?" Shoving her seat back, Leyla kept her eyes everted as she motioned for him to stand up. "Come on, we shouldn't be late!"

"But-" Raphael looked as though he was going to protest, but ended up letting out a heavy sigh. "We will be having this conversation sooner or later, Leyla."

A conversation about him wooing her? Not if she had anything to say about it . "Let's go, Prorex."

"Do you even know where you're going?" Shaking his head ruefully, Raphael grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along.

They made their way out of the Dome and under the floating umbrellas as the rain came down around them. Raphael led them past giggling ladies and surprised servants until they entered the scientists halls through the north gate and came to a door with two guards.

The double take they did at the sight of her in her uniform would have been funny if Leyla wasn't embarrassed by Raphael's refusal to let go of her hand.

"Can you stop dragging me?" She muttered in Asch.

Raphael stopped to look over his shoulder at her pink face. "I'm not letting go, so if you don't want to be dragged, come stand next to me."

Some choice words sprung to her lips, but she held it in and stepped beside him. Raphael adjusted his grip from her wrist, stringing his fingers through her own.

"That's better." He smiled, then nodding for the guards to move aside, he led her through a corridor and past dozens of numbered rooms to a set of double doors with a round metal plate beside it. This time, there were no guards and Leyla quickly understood why. The moment Raphael put his hand on the plate, the metal under his fingers began to shift and click into a new shape.

The sound of a lock lifting filled the empty corridor, then the doors opened inwards to reveal two guards.

"Leader. Colonel," they saluted with lowered eyes.

Raphael pulled her down three flights of stairs before she could digest the fact that they had not only called her by her new rank, but that there was something strange about their uniform.

She was about to ask Raphael about the unfamiliar symbols on the shoulders of their jackets when she was distracted by the wave of noise that came from the room beyond. There, past the guard's bowed head, was a space filled with people she could swear she had never encountered before. Glass rooms with long tables and chairs lined the sides of the area which stretched out as far as she could see. Across the central space, men and women wearing dark green jumpsuits were grouped around different centres; some were doing close combat practice, others were writing in thick blue ledgers and others still were listening intently to alchemists in long robes.

"What is this place?" Leyla whispered trying to take it all in.

Raphael gave her hand a light squeeze. "This is where the council meets. It is also where new technologies are presented and spies are trained and debriefed."

She tried to take in everything that was going on around them and was surprised to see a familiar looking map hanging inside one of the glass rooms. "Is that Asch?"

"Yes," Raphael moved her forward, switching to Asch as they walked past group of high-ranking officers who gave them quick salutes. "There are several teams focusing on the study of Asch. A group of alchemists are trying to decipher the substance that allows for travel to the dimension. A group of scientists are trying to understand the Aquapond system to see if it can help make our food production more efficient. Thanks to Michaels detailed notes, we were able to introduce Aschian art  to the students in the White Gardens to see if elements will seep into their future designs."

"I see." Leyla said the words, but in truth it was difficult for Leyla to come to grips with the formidable difference in thinking between the Land of Light and the rest of Gaia.

In No Landers territory where most Gaians lived, there was a constant state of war; everyone lived to survive another day. And though there had been peace between the Warrior Kingdom and Greenlands for a fair few years, both peoples always had one eye upon the other; waiting for an attack, for a change in strategy or an opportunity to extend influence.  Neither Kingdom looked to change themselves; only to expand the status quo. As for the Healers, their minds were set on one task and so their security and thus their lives remained endlessly at the mercy of those who were stronger.

But the Land of Light had found a way to ensure their survival and grow their society independently from all others. They strived to change, to develop to learn and despite possessing technologies that Leyla had yet to encounter, they did not aim to conquer their neighbours. Of course, they were far from perfect... their emphasis on secrecy was maddening and some of their notions concerning women were obviously backwards. But wasn't their offer to allow her into the army a sign that they were willing and capable of change?

As Leyla continued to follow Raphael, her eye was drawn to yet another room. In this one, two women wore metallic looking gloves as they poked at a familiar looking black substance that had been smeared onto a table. Were they trying to find a way to get back through a portal? Her mood took a dip as she remembered that her ability to travel between dimensions was precisely why the Prorex had decided to stay engaged to her.

"Don't," Raphael suddenly stood still, looking down at her with a worried expression. "You are closing yourself off again, I can feel it." He looked between her and the women who continued their experiment and narrowed his eyes. "You think that is the reason why I want you as my wife?"

Bloody Diya, was she that transparent? Leyla tried to pull back, but Raphael caught her face between his palms and leaned down, lowering his voice: "If we want to travel through portals, our alchemists will find a way. No one will ever use you, Leyla. Do you believe me?"

Her heart pounding in her chest, she nodded. It might be utterly foolish on her part, but she believed him. "Then...why do you want me?"

"Why do I want you?" Raphael looked baffled as he repeated the question, then he was dragging a hand through his hair and taking a step back from her. "You're killing me, Leyla. I wish I could take you back to my room right now and show you just how much I want you." He took a steading breath, then sighed. "Unfortunately we have been spotted."