Time runs slower when I’m sad.

Perhaps sadness isn’t the exact term to describe it, but it is a part of what I’m feeling. It’s been nearly a month now since I started taking care of Evrart to help him recover mentally and physically, and I don’t regret helping him. But not having anything for myself is what makes me feel empty.

He's already in his right mind. He wouldn't need me anymore, and he needs to stand up on his own feet. At this point, I have to leave this beautiful cage. I can't stand staying indoors any longer – if I'll leave the palace and people spot me, they might throw rocks at me. When I'm in the palace, my life revolves around Evrart.

I have to resume my responsibilities and prepare for the war. I hope Azriel is working on his allies and not waiting for me to come up with something. He can be passive at times, which is the opposite of my style – because I prefer everything done as soon as possible. The earlier, the better. I can't afford to waste time.

I rose to my feet and headed to the King’s study, and the guards opened the door upon announcing my arrival needlessly asking for the king’s permission.

For the first time, I found Evrart engrossed in reading the reports he had requested a few days prior, covering the events of the past two months. It struck me as odd that he chose to delve into these documents himself, considering Zenobia's knowledge of the matter. I couldn't help but wonder why he had not consulted her directly.

I lowered my head and lifted the sides of my dress to curtsy, acknowledging his position as the king now, not Evrart the damaged puppy I used to take care of for a while now.

"Good morning, Your Majesty, I'm pleased to see you in good health." I began, clueless about what else to add. Though I have words in mind, I'm quite anxious about how he'll take it, knowing how dependent he's been on me.

I sent someone to summon you but it seems that the person I assigned didn't find you. It's great timing since I want us to talk," his words sounded quite eager, and it can be perhaps because it's basically his first day of being king in his right mind.

"Before I say what I have to say, I'll give you the honors." I gave him a small smile in response, and knowing him, he might be starting to get irritated that I'm being too formal towards him because, in his perspective, he wants us to be equal. But I have to remind him of his place, and acting violently in front of the servants won't give a good impression.

He let out a sigh, understanding what he meant.

"I know you have plans," his tone became low, and his eyebrows were pulled down. His nose was wrinkled for a second, but he forced himself to keep his composure. "You're here to bid farewell, correct?"

A lump formed in my throat, making it difficult for me to express my sentiments as I had envisioned. Saying goodbye was never an easy task for me, for Eurhyia had become my home, regardless of whether it fully embraced me or not.

“That’s a yes then. I’m allowing you to go but with two conditions.”

Conditions?

“I’m going to spar with you before sundown, and I challenge you to defeat me. We’re going to use real swords like we used to. Don’t be considerate of me, because I plan to take this seriously. The rule is simple – the one who loses their sword will be the loser. If I win, I’ll demand you to stay here for two more weeks and you’ll need to defeat me again. If you’ll win, you may go whenever you wish. You’ll know my second condition once our sparring is over.”

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

The sun was about to set when we arrived at the training grounds, and the guard hit the gong that echoed throughout the entire place, while both of us were holding our swords upright in front of us.

I parried the attack quickly and swung back from the same stance. The rhythm of clanking metallic swords boosted my mood more than terrified me, but I’d be lying if I’ll say that I’m not nervous. This time, failure is not an option.

My thoughts occupied part of my attention, and before I knew it, Evrart already had the top of his sword at my nose. The rule of the sparring session is ‘whoever loses their sword would lose.’ This isn’t over.

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“I told you to take this seriously, but I can tell you’re spacing out. Don’t overthink and focus on fighting me. Remember, if you’ll lose, you’ll stay here with me for another two weeks, and you won’t be seeing the man that you love,” he teased, flashing a victorious smile.

A frown crossed my face as Evrart's words reminded me of Azriel. Just because I loved him did not mean he would be my weakness, and I was determined to prove that. His words felt like a déjà vu, reminiscent of the last time we sparred when he had attempted to provoke me.

As Evrart held his sword poised near my nose, my attention was drawn to the noticeable flaw in his blade—the chipped-off portion. This flaw served as a significant advantage for me. Stepping back to regain my balance, Evrart lunged forward, intending to strike my arms or legs.

He seemed oblivious to the fact that every time I evaded his attacks, I was aiming to exploit the chipped-off section of his sword. The instant I noticed it was sufficiently damaged, I swiftly maneuvered my sword, striking the hilt of Evrart's blade with its backside.

This sent his separated blades flying through the air, until they eventually landed and skittered across the ground.

Evrart’s mouth slackened and gazed at me in disbelief, loss for words. I did it. It wasn’t easy, but part of me is surprised that the tactic I had worked.

“You just … broke my sword in pieces, just like how you shattered my heart now that this means you’ll be leaving,” he complained, almost like a child. “It makes me sad, but I’m a man of my word.”

“If anything, I’m glad that you can fight the way you used to. You’ve recovered, Evrart. Maybe not as a whole because there are things that pull your spirit down but you're getting better. Now, may I ask what's your second condition?"

"It's all thanks to you because you nursed me back to health. Thank you for being patient with me. My second condition is you have to visit me here. I want to have a guarantee that you won't abandon me. You're the only family I have left," sadness was reflected in his silver eyes, and it was the same thing for me.

We may have lost our father, and we're not sure where Corianne and Marius are, but they might be alive somewhere. The only person I can't consider a family is Corianne – because she’s the one who plotted my mother’s death.

“I promise, Evrart. I'll do my best to return if God lets me survive the war. Because let's be real – not everyone who joins the war can go back with their lives intact. It might be unsafe for me to be here in Eurhyia, so I might as well find a place to reside outside our kingdom. It won’t be Marrossi though, because I already accepted the fact that I can’t be with Azriel the moment I left there. We’ll remain as allies in this war, and fighting for him is the least I could do. After that, I’ll be on my own.”

“If I’ll deal with the rats in our kingdom and clean your reputation for you to be safe here, will you return?”

“I will.”

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

The sky is a breathtaking shade of blue, and the sun is shining golden when the day of my departure arrived. The grand duke sent two Poudrettite Izavenes to accompany me during the journey, which was estimated to span approximately two weeks.

Departing from our southwestern kingdom, our destination lay in the northeastern region of the Ruivenfiere Empire. This extensive journey would entail traversing various regions along the way before finally reaching our destination.

The journey to Heryozona Eskal entails both land and sea travel. While I wish I could teleport there for convenience, the distance is too vast, and I lack knowledge of the place to make an impromptu visit. I have to know what’s waiting for me at least.

“Your Highness, may we leave?” Vera, the Poudrettite Izavene asked while walking towards me, yet keeping distance.

“Yes, I have everything prepared. Can you tell me how we will travel in detail?" I sat down on the couch and lifted my hand and pointed the couch for the two of them to sit across from me.

Jeremy, the other Poudrettite Izavene sent to accompany me, laid out the Ruivenfiere Empire’s map to point from one place to another.

"We're in the southwest, and our first stop would be Ruizvon. It will be a four-day boat ride and we’ll pass by Alryne. When we arrive in Ruizvon, it will be wise to stop and find an inn to get some rest. We're going to take a carriage and we're going to stop by another inn before entering the forest because that path will be long. We're going to reach the border at the end of the day, and we'll take another boat ride to Erethus, which will take two days,” Jeremy explained, and those details alone exhausted me. There’s almost nothing to do but sit and wait, and imagining it alone bores me. I have to bring some books at least.

“After the two-day boat ride to Erethus, there will be four long carriage rides, since their routes have limits. We can plan our stops once we arrive in this region, and resting in an inn would be best for us. After two long carriage rides, we’ll pass through Xaerian before arriving at Eskal. I believe the fastest time of our arrival would be 11 days, and the most would be 15. I advise Her Highness to bring clothes thick enough to survive winter because it's winter at Eskal at the moment. Even outside of winter, the region tends to be chilly. It’s best to be prepared.”

“We need to find pawn shops to exchange money. I’m not aware of the currencies in Ruizvon and Erethus.” I requested, but Vera gave a reassuring grin.

“Don’t worry about the expenses, Your Highness. The grand duke gave us money to spend for the entire trip. It’s more than enough. All the regions under the Ruivenfiere Empire use Mereous, so we won’t be needing pawn shops.”

I can’t believe it. While I was aware that the grand duke had sent two Izavenes to accompany me on the journey, I did not expect him to cover the expenses as well.

It's ironic, considering his reputation for being intimidating, yet he displays such generosity. It makes me wonder how much of a hothead he can truly be.

From my interaction with him at the banquet, he seemed pleasant, though his unexpressive face may lead others to misunderstand him.