Mars is the god of war, valor and soldiers. He rules over the no element, for magic is not his domain. He reigns over battlefieds, barracks, and border forts. His taboo is betraying one's values in combat, not one's commanders as many think. He smites none, for as long as one is faithful to oneself anything is valid in warfare. Blessings come to those that show valor in combat, in the form of strength and endurance as long as one keeps on fighting.

 Excerpt from The Twelve Gods.

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"I'll go outside and check if it is safe for you to leave the room," Dawn told Aidan.

Their shared mind notwithstanding, it would be a huge scandal if any outsiders saw him leaving the princess' bedchambers. Like the maids and servants. Dawn walked outside and saw only Cythrel. She was on a couch of the waiting room reading some book.

"Hey, Cy. Good afternoon."

She closed the book with a thud and looked at her. "How are you feeling, honey?"

Dawn tilted her head. There was some bitterness in her demeanor but she couldn't put a finger to it.

"Is something bothering you, Cythrel?"

"Yes." She sighed.

"I am not the only one to behave in a strange way ever since the ball." Dawn walked next to the elf and sat close to her. "You have been awfully quiet. It is not you."

Cythrel looked at the girl sitting next to her. Hands cupped over the lap. A friendly smile stamped in her face. A straight back. Legs crossed around the ankles.

"Who are you?"

"Last I checked, I was Dawn." She closed her eyes, introspective. Moments later she opened up in a somewhat sad smile. "But I am not sure. There is a lot of things going on, and my mind is a mess. I might be crazy already. Who do you think I am?"

The elf sighed and asked, "Where is Aidan?"

Dawn looked around, worried. "Are there any servants nearby?"

"No. Pearl dismissed everyone. The whole wing is ours."

Aidan came out of the bedchamber. "Hey, little lady. You called?"

Cythrel pointed at Dawn and asked. "What did you do to the princess?"

She left the couch. Dawn could see the title of the book she was reading. 'Legends of the Godslayers'. Funny how they never read it, she thought.

Aidan looked to both sides and asked, puzzled. "You got to be more specific. There are a lot of them around."

She pouted. Aidan picked her up, smiling. Cythrel considered between kicking him, slapping him or kissing him.

"It is fine if you don't want to tell me what is bothering you. But we will be there for you if you need."

His honesty was grating on her nerves. How could he be so assertive one moment and completely clueless on the next? To almost get it right and then blow it all right after? She glanced back at Dawn, the fake princess was looking at the book she was reading. Damn.

"Too late to hide it now," Dawn told her.

She felt exposed. Vulnerable. The fact he was holding her on his arms like a child was not helping. She wanted to do something, to say something, but she had her deal with Sora to honor.

"Can you put me down?"

Aidan lowered her carefully and patted her head. "Sure, sorry about that. I can tell you are upset, I just don't know why."

Cythrel looked back at Dawn, she waved. Back at Aidan, he smiled. They were teaming up against her. "How?"

"It was you guys that taught me to do it. I can use Dawn to read you. I'm getting the hang of it myself too, but her mind is way better at picking these cues." He knelt to level his eyes with hers.  "Cythrel. Look at my eyes. You are an important companion to us. And so is Sora, Pearl, Gurf and the maids. Even Claire too. I want to see you happy. What I can do, I'll do to make it happen."

She felt unworthy. An orphan. All her family and friends either dead or sold elsewhere into slavery. An escaped slave. Sometimes she felt like they picked her up out of pity, to be some sort of toy or mascot. Now she was there, sitting on fancy couches, reading expensive books, eating fine pastries, drinking exotic teas. Mingling with royalty like it was commonplace. Even back at the elven forest, her settlement was a poor one. They were mostly hunter-gatherers, far enough from anything that mattered for them to matter either.

Cytrel looked down at herself. A fancy dress. Her outfit was probably worth a few gold coins, full of lace. A beautiful dress for someone that deserved only rags. How could she think she was worthy of making a bargain for the heart of that man? The godslayer of all people. Why all that? She closed her eyes and clutched her hands over her heart. She wanted to curl into a ball and just vanish.

"Why me?"

It was all that escaped her lips. In the next moment, warm, strong arms wrapped around her. She felt the ground disappear underneath her. An embrace. Cythrel opened her eyes and saw the face of her benefactor, crying. The man was shedding tears.

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"I ask myself the same question every single moment." He confided. "Why me? Why us? I never got an answer."

She could only cry too. Wrapping her arms around him, she hid her face on his neck and bawled. She smelled Dawn's hair and knew he brought her to the couch. Soon she felt the gentle hand of the boy-in-the-princess caressing her back.

"Why did I have to break myself and get stuck in the princess' body? I don't know. I could have let her die." Dawn spoke.

"Why was I born in the godslayer family? I didn't get to choose." Aidan asked.

"What should I do?" She asked.

"Whatever you want to do. We will support you." Dawn answered.

"That is why I decided to give Dawn a voice of her own and act like she was her own person," Aidan told her. "I'm stuck in the princess' body. Might as well live on like that while I can. Call me insane for talking like that, but this is what I want to do."

"I can't do what I want. It is so close to me, yet a world away."

Aidan put his two minds to think. It was so not like her. All the joking, all the teasing, all the sexual harassment ever since she dropped her little girl act after they returned from the kobold dungeon. And then she changes when he and Sora became a couple. No. She changed after she talked with Sora in the garden. Not his business to poke after. He spoke to her.

"It is fine. We can't do what we want either. I can't give Lumina her body back, or get her soul out of me. Yet. But I am working on it."

Dawn thumped the book's hard leather cover, making a dull sound. "I can see you are working on your goals too."

Cythrel lifted her head and looked in Aidan's eyes. Her ears twitched, a sign of irritation.

"It is unfair. Two against one is unfair. And Dawn giving you her intuition is against the rules."

He wiped her tears. "You know what is unfair? You are starting your second growth phase and in the next few years, I'll have to watch this lovely little girl will become a stunningly beautiful maiden of unearthly beauty. And I am sure that I'll be smitten with her. I sense you will give me a lot of trouble, Cythrel."

'He's hopeless', the elf thought. 'I'm hopeless too'.

"You better look forward to it." She finally smiled. "Now let go of me or I'll ravage you right here on this couch."

"Won't Sora be upset?" He fished.

"Not if you start it, that was our deal." She suddenly made a horrified face and jumped out of the couch. "You trickster! Thrice damned trickster! I said nothing!"

"I started it, right? You are in the clear."

Cythrel pouted and fumed. Yes, that was more like it. Aidan could ask Sora about it later.

Dawn stood up and waved goodbye.

"I am going out with Sora to buy the things for tonight. You go and check on Pearl."

Cythrel's shoulders slouched. "I guess I'll stay here and watch the fort then. Maybe Pearl wants to play later when she finishes her studies."

Aidan caught the elf and kissed her forehead. "Finish that book, I want to talk about it with you later. Okay?"

"Did you read that one already?" The elf asked, visibly looking forward to talk about the book's subject.

"Nope. Is Pearl in her room?"

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Aidan found Pearl studying in her room. After getting permission to enter, he opened the door.

"How is my favorite princess?"

She put down the pen she was using to draw diagrams. More spellcraft exercises, thanks to their cruel headmaster. Pearl turned around to look at him. Aidan got close enough to see what she was doing. Sixth circle diagrams. Good, very good.

"Why doesn't that make me happy?" She answered his question with another question.

"No idea. And I know an above-average amount of princesses."

"I was lying again, by the way."

"Touché, your Highness. Too bad I sent Dawn away shopping with Sora."

She pouted. "Must you come here to torture me? This me, shackled to a desk slaving away with spell diagrams?"

Aidan knew better than to indulge her. It was quicksand. He changed the subject. "I came to check up on your condition after the ritual."

"Shall we proceed?" She arched her back, bringing her almost nonexistent chest forward.

He approached and did the usual routine for the spell and the image came out.

"Soul Reveal."

As with Dawn, it was a perfect monochromatic replica of Pearl's body down to the minimal details. It was now a soft baby pink color, bordering a calming pastel tone. Her orbs were vivid and solid, blue for Water, red for Fire and white for Mana. From the sizes and his experience, C, B, and high-C-tier mana or lower-B-tier. But since her soul hadn't processed all the healing energy from the ritual, it would rise to mid-B-tier, he was certain of that.

"Go lie down on the bed, please." Without dismissing the spell, he ordered her.

"My, my, aren't we getting bold today? Straight out of Lumina's boudoir minutes ago and already putting another princess to bed?" She teased.

"Yes, that is exactly the idea. I want to gaze at your bare form for as long as I need. Want me to take you there by the hand?" He spoke seriously and offered his hand. "Or maybe princess-carry the princess?"

"Milord, I need time to prepare. At least let me wash first." She answered, bashful.

He replied with a deadpan face.

"Pearl. Just go to bed. I need you to stand still while I analyze your soul for damage. It is easier if you are lying down." He was going to ask 'what were you thinking' but running it through Dawn let her feminine intuition tell him it was a fireblast trap to ask.

"Oh. Of course." She offered her hand.

He led Pearl to the bed and she just laid herself belly up on the bed.

"Now close your eyes and relax. It will take a while. Take deep slow breaths."

Pearl closed her eyes and felt the heat rise to her face and ears. She was expecting something but nothing happened.

"Are you still there?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"Yes, what is wrong?"

"Can you hold my hand? I'm afraid you'd just go away."

"Sure. I'll put my hand under yours." This way it would be her holding his hand.

Time passed, Pearl's mind was swimming with possibilities. She was feeling exposed, vulnerable.

"I'm almost done. Just hold on for a little more." Aidan told her.

A few minutes later, he tapped her hand.

"You can open your eyes."

She opened her eyes, heart racing. Aidan was smiling, a warm, kind smile.

"Did you see what you wanted to see?" She asked, feeling a little dazed for suddenly standing up.

"Yes. A perfectly healthy soul. There was no sign of those black spots. Go easy on your mana usage for the next few days, but you are healed, Pearl. Congratulations."

"Do you still need me to take off my clothes?" She asked with a hushed voice, unaware her thoughts were being spoken out loud.

"No. Never did." He answered casually. "Why would I? I just needed to look at the image of your soul for signs of damage."

"Oh. Is that so? Hold on. Why did you say you needed to look at my naked form then?" She asked, nervously fumbling the words near the end.

"I didn't say naked but yes, you could say that. The image doesn't have any clothes and is a perfect replica of your body. And the healthiest the soul is, the finer the detail in the image." He realized the danger of the situation and changed the subject. "However, you might be healthy but you won't survive a second summoning ritual. I doubt you'd want to lose your magic again, however this time you'll die for sure."

"Thank goodness." She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in right now, to hide her shame and embarrassment.

"And with this your vision, prophecy thing is fulfilled. You got back what you lost."

She squeezed his hand and beamed a warm smile. "I got more than I bargained for. A true friend I can fully trust. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find one for a person in my station? It is even more rare than charitable dragons."

"I got Skippy if you don't remember." He teased with a big grin.

"Oh, shut up!"