The newly installed archery targets were already littered with arrows.

The fine wooden shafts stuck out crudely. The force in which they had been released made some crooked, while others sported broken arrowheads. It was a masterpiece of precise destruction.

The Raven General exhaled, the air curled beneath her nose. She let her final arrow loose. It soared dutifully through the air. The resounding thud was music to the general’s ears. Lowering the weapon, she glanced at Aimee, awaiting the girl’s excited applause.

None came.

The serving girl was lost in her world of fairy princes and dragons. She was engaged in deep conversation with her new doll.

Faye sighed. It seemed her small counterpart could no longer be relied upon.

The young woman scratched her chin, squinting against the harsh midday sun. This morning she had received word that the lord had installed a new archery range. It came as a surprise for those who him as the ice prince had never shown interest in archery before. Many wondered what could have ignited the sudden passion.

The range had been built in a day. An impressive feat that required the best carpenters. Every single target cost quite a fortune and the carpenters all left with heavy pockets. But the lord had merely paid the men and not given the range a second glance. Then, Faye woke to a message and a new bow.

The Raven General stared at the borrowed bow in her hands. First, the armory, now this. Scrunching her face, Faye let out an annoyed grunt. The Raven General did not like to be in another person’s debt.

The maids whispered about wanting to best the crown prince in a tournament while the stable boy made bets on which instructor the Lord would hire to teach him, but it seemed only Faye knew the truth. The archery range had been built for her. She knew it, deep in her bones.

Nikolai had seen her skills at the market. The man had even applauded her. The general’s face flushed as she thought of the half-smile on the usual cold, blank face. It was like a spring flower blooming out of winter’s ice. Small but precious.

The Raven General set down the bow and leaned against the tree. The shade was cool but seemed to do nothing for her burning face.

Faye knew her husband was handsome. The ice prince had an otherworldly charm to him, that made others keep their distance but also deeply admire him.

It was a fact of life and Faye would happily admit it to any that cared to listen. She paused. But that smile… the otherworldly had suddenly become so human. And real. Faye imagined reaching out and pinching the pale cheeks to recreate the expression. The young woman shook herself of the thought. Forcing the smile would take the fun out of it. Her eyes brightened.

Faye clenched her fists, determination pumping through her. She would make the lord smile. Fully, this time.

The general crossed her arms This was a mission like no other. As such, she had little direction as to how to start.

Catching sight of Abby ordering some messengers with tributes from Feldgrau, an idea popped into the general’s head. The perfect gift of gratitude. She would show the lord her appreciation and prove the old maid’s doubts in one dish!

A devious smirk crept up her face. Still, she would need more information. The young woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully. How could she make certain the lord would not take this as a slight? He would probably think she was trying to poison him.

Asking Abby felt like a dead end and Cristin was always by Nikolai’s side.

In the distance, the stable boys undid a carriage’s clasp and tied a lead rope around the horses. The animals were feisty, too energized to go back in.

The Raven General’s eyes lit up. She waved her arms high. The heavy fabric of her training uniform billowed in the air. “Hold it there!”

The stable boys looked up in alarm. They threw a questioning glance at one another before addressing Lady Feldgrau. “My lady? Is there somewhere you wish to go?”

Pulling the door open, the Raven General wasted no time in hopping into the carriage. She stuck her head out of the window. “Take me to the General’s Residence.”

---

Rubbing his butt, Rufus Langard sighed. Why did his parents subject him to such cruel torture?

The boy, almost a man, wished to go back to the days when their focus was on his elder brothers. The eldest was a general while the other was a politician of the Court! Any shame the youngest brother brought to the Langard family was easily displaced by the achievements of the two elder sons.

In short, Rufus should have been allowed to spend his days lying around, growing fat and lazy as the spare child. But fate had other plans. Especially now that those brothers were married and away in their estates.

It was only natural that Lord and Lady Langard turned their attention to this troublesome youngest son.

The young lord huffed. His admiration for his newest instructor had quickly faded, along with the tenth time she had left him too injured to walk properly after their session.

Trailing behind him, the servants rolled their eyes as Rufus muttered angrily to himself. They were used to his antics. For the son of a general and grandson of a great minister, Rufus Langard was quite terrible in both regards. As many of his teachers noted in dismay, the idiot was too soft for war and too honest for politics. His solutions prioritized ease and comfort over all else and his attention span was like his love life… easily distracted.

The boy stormed ahead of his retinue, kicking up sand and dirt as he went. He could have wept with joy as the entrance to his rooms appeared.

The servants hurried their pace. Young Langard was never cruel but his tantrums were quite taxing on the ears and mind.

Rufus pushed open the doors easily. His form disappeared around the corner as he made for his precious bathtub. Finally, he would get the reprieve he deserved.

In the hallways, the servants had the bathwater prepared. The water in the buckets sloshed as they stepped forward.

“Help!” shrieked a voice, high-pitched in fright. Rufus scrambled out of the room, face pale and sweaty. His form trembled as he stumbled back and pointed in the room. “What, what are you doing here?”

A second form emerged. Smirking, they crossed their arms, placing it behind their back. Rocking on their heels, this second figure smirked down at the cowering lord.

In his fear, Rufus tripped on the stairs, landing on his backside. To his credit, the boy continued to scoot backward, distancing himself from the terrifying form. “What do you want from me?” His voice wobbled. “I already told you all you wanted to know!”

Jaws dropped in the entire courtyard. The second figure was a woman in men’s clothing. She had a sword at her hip and swaggered with all the confidence of an apex predator as she approached the lord. The young woman knelt down to the height of the mighty general’s son. Scarred hands patted his head twice.

Rufus let out a sob.

The Raven General was unperturbed.

“You want to do this the easy way or the hard way?” she asked.

The boy shook his head, choosing not to answer, and continued to scoot back. Snots streamed down his red nose. The servants were too shocked at the ridiculous sight to wonder how the woman even got into the General’s Residence. At his full height, Rufus was taller than this scary woman. But it was clear who was in control, especially when the boy was bawling like a frightened infant.

Rolling her amber eyes, the Raven General pushed up her long sleeves. “Hard way it is,” she decided.

Faye grasped the back of the boy’s collar and lifted him in the air. She dragged him along like he wasn’t a near-grown man but a sack of hay, and paid no heed as the lord screamed and cried all the way back to his room.

“Help, help someone! Help!” screamed the boy but the servants were too shocked (and scared) to do anything. “Help me!”

The Raven General tossed the boy into the room. He grunted in pain. Hitting his head against the floor, the boy flopped lifelessly.

Grasping the wooden doors, the young woman smiled widely at their gathered audience. “Please, go back to your duties. This might take a while.”

“Help me-“

Rufus’ cries were cut short as the wooden doors slammed shut.

---

Rufus Langard glared angrily at the person sprawled across his chair! The woman, no, demon, was casually sipping tea, like she hadn’t just kidnapped him in his own home. He had shot pleading looks at the servant who brought it to them, but the fearful man kept his eyes averted and quickly left.

While unbound, Rufus knew better than to try and escape. They had already gone through that the last time the Raven General visited. The boy shivered at the memory. He had no desire to go through that experience again!

“What do you want?” he snapped loudly. But his confidence quickly faded.

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Rufus stilled when amber eyes landed on him. Panic engulfed him. Why did he snap at her! The young lord’s eyes drifted down to the sword on the table. He was an idiot! A true idiot!

Meanwhile, Faye set down her cup gently. “Calm down before you wet yourself, boy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” came the immediate reply.

Both froze.

Rufus looked away, face flushed. This was it. The end of his petty and meaningless life. The young man began his prayers to the gods. If they were merciful, they would grant him a painless death.

Rubbing the crease between her brows, the Raven General sighed, this fool…

Crossing her arms, she hurried to explain, “Look, I came today because I need,” Faye paused, “I need help. And you were the only one I could… think of?” Her words ended on a questioning note.

Rufus shot her an incredulous look. “You need my help? Are you sure?” He looked around, then whispered lowly like it was some great secret. “That’s not usually the case.”

“Well it is now,” scowled Faye. The Raven General looked disappointed at the prospect of needing the boy’s help, even though it had been her idea to come in the first place.

To Faye’s surprise, Rufus’ eyes took on an interested glint. The boy leaned forward, but not too forward (he wasn’t suicidal). “Well, what is it?” He waggled his eyebrows. “What can this great lord help you with.”

Luckily, his antics were ignored. Biting her lips, the Raven General thought about how to answer. Her fingers drummed against the sturdy wood. How could she put this into words?

“Wow,” said the boy. He leaned back, slightly shocked. “I didn’t know you could get nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” snapped Faye. She scratched her head. “I just… I don’t,” the woman sighed and banged her head against the table. The lord winced at the loud noise. The woman had the skull of a rock! Anyone else would have knocked themselves unconscious.

Faye groaned, “I don’t even know where to start!”

The lord scooted back subtly. “How about why you’ve disturbed, I mean, invited,” Rufus corrected seeing her sharp glare, “yourself to my… room.” His face flushed as he recalled the rumors of the general visiting him and their scandalous love affair. “And for the record, I am not remotely interested in you.” He sniffed, “I have standards.” Glancing up at the blank look the Raven General shot him, the boy backtracked, “Unless you truly do like me, then-”

“I wish to repay a gift,” cut in Faye, eager to end the blathering. “My... the Lord of Feldgrau had been kind to me as of late, and I… wish to repay that kindness.”

There was a moment of silence.

“With a gift,” Faye clarified.

“Yes, you said that.” Rufus’ brows furrowed. “Why do you need my help for that?” he asked, genuinely confused. “The Lord of Feldgrau is your husband.”

Faye’s chair screeched as she got up and began to pace the room. “Because I don’t know any of your stupid traditions! And I can’t ask Abby because she keeps telling me to do things that I cannot do. If I ask the servants, they think I am trying to trick or kill them. And!” her face flushed red, “Obviously, I cannot ask Nikolai because, because-”

“Then it wouldn’t be a gift,” finished Rufus.

Faye stared at the young lord in shock. Hurrying forward, she nodded excitedly. “Exactly!” The general clapped him heartily on the shoulder. “See! I knew you would understand.”

The boy nodded. He was used to those powerful claps from his brother and father, so he barely noticed the heavy hit. Rubbing his chin, Rufus wondered, “Did you have a gift already in mind?”

The Raven General rolled her eyes. “I wanted to cook but Abby and the cook-”

“Then do that,” interjected the young lord. He shrugged at Faye’s glare. “Trust me on this,” he raised his arms in a grand gesture, before pointing at himself, “I am a master of love,” his voice lowered, “And the matters of the heart.”

Brows furrowing, the Raven General nodded to herself. “I have heard you spend a good bit of your time wooing women. Although mostly unsuccessful…”

Rufus choked at the words.

“Surely, the multiple attempts have given you some knowledge,” finished Faye. The young woman deflated. “But the cooks won’t even let me in the kitchen. They say it is improper for a… lady.” She clenched her fists.

Rufus snorted, “Like that can stop you.” He suddenly froze. Was that appropriate to say? “I mean,” he corrected himself. “You come into the general’s residence like it’s your place whenever you want, I’m surprised you’d let something like etiquette stop you from doing what you want… You’re not really very ladylike, everyone can tell, so why bother trying?”

There was silence from the other side. Rufus’ head snapped up, fearful of having said the wrong thing. At the end of the day, the Raven General was still a young woman. Had his words hurt her heart?

But it was Faye’s manic smile that greeted his eyes. The boy gulped.

“That’s right,” she murmured. “Why do I have to care?” Amber eyes sharpened. “When should I do it?”

Swallowing, Rufus cleared his throat. “Well,” he paused to seriously consider the question. “Actually, why don’t you do it during the festival of lanterns? On the lover's hour?”

“The festival of lanterns?” Faye tilted her head. “What’s that?”

Rufus’ jaw dropped. “What’s the festival of-“ It was easy to forget that the other was not of Eburean background. He shook his head, waving a dismissive hand. “There’s too much history for me to explain, all you need to know is that it’s the festival of love.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I mean, this is for your husband, right? Someone you…”

“Admire,” finished Faye confidently. She began to list. “In terms of intellect, looks, although his facial expressions could use a bit of work. But there’s also the way he…” The young lord raised an eyebrow at the rambling. Somebody had a crush, he muttered to himself.

Faye shook her head. “I cannot do it during the festival. It would not be,” she scrunched her nose. Nikolai and her marriage was not one of love. In fact, the young lord’s romance was ruined by their marriage. To present a gift when the other would clearly be thinking of someone else… Faye did not wish to rub salt into the wounds, even if the thought made her chest rumble with unpleasant feelings.

The Raven General was an angry and territorial creature, but Faye did not wish to live with someone who hated her. If her husband began to send assassin, well, that would ruin her streak of well-rested nights. “It would detract from the meaning of my gift.”

“Okay?” Rufus wasn’t exactly following the thought process, but he knew better than to push. Pinching his nose, the young lord sighed, “I get it. Since you want to make it a simple gift of admiration-”

“Repayment,” corrected Faye. “But what day should I do it? And when?”

“When you feel it is right.” Even Rufus looked shocked at his own answer. The words had stemmed from the back of his consciousness and memory. The boy struggled to remember from when.

Faye took no notice. The young woman scowled, “If I knew when it was right, I wouldn’t have needed to come to you.” She crossed her arms. “I need a plan.”

“Sometimes the matters of the heart cannot be planned. What is it you fear? That he’ll reject you?” Rufus was staring resolutely in the other direction.

Now, he remembered. Such embarrassing words… but they rang with truth.

Although his elder brothers were annoying, they had been his tutors in the trials a young man must go through. They cheered him along when he presented a courting gift to his first love, and drank with him, patting his vomiting form when said love rejected his present in front of the entire square. “

If you truly want to show the other person you care, then it shouldn’t matter.” He rolled his eyes, finally coming back to his regular self. “And you’re the Raven General. If he does anything you didn’t like, you could probably smack him with that sword you always carry around. He’ll grovel at your feet immediately.”

Rufus had never really met the ice prince before. The Lord of Feldgrau seemed like an unapproachable person. As such, Rufus saw no reason to break that illusion. But he was getting to know the Raven General. Those who could stand before her and not cower were probably very few and extremely rare.

Faye nodded. The young lord had a point.

"Very well, why don't you do it on the first day of the festivities? Most consider it a time for family and close friends as well," considered Rufus.

The Raven General's eyes filled with a sort of grudging admiration for the other. Catching sight of the look, the young lord rubbed the back of his neck. Surrounded by impressive people all his life, Rufus had always been on the sidelines of admiration, never the recipient. He sniffed. It was nice.

The Raven General paused, “Wait, but… what about the gift? Do I just give it to him or also serve his guests or…”

“Fear not, the wise Love Master is here!”

For the first time, Rufus Langard’s eyes lit up with a sort of determination and drive that would have made his past mentors and tutors cry with awe. “If you want to make it memorable, you have to do it in front of company! The bigger the better! Hire singers and dancers. Make it a grand gesture! Maybe even throw in an ice sculpture or two.”

"That seems a bit extreme," murmured Faye.

"Nonsense," The young lord picked up his brush. Swift hands grabbed a clean sheet of expensive paper, and shot the Raven General a cocky smirk. “So, this is what we’re going to do.”

---

Faye eyed the paper in her lap with an eager smile. She scanned through it for the hundredth time, committing the familiar words to memory.

If the lord thought he was the only one with a penchant for grand gifts, the Raven General was going to give him a grand surprise.

Her heart beat with giddiness at the thought. Maybe the surprise would even tease out one of those rare smiles from the ice prince. Faye curled her fists in determination. The Raven General would not fail. Victory awaited.

Brushing the sweat off his brow, Rufus watched the internal monologue with a relieved sigh. There was a scary grin on the other’s face, and he was only too glad to not be on the receiving end of that amber gaze.

Resting his chin against his fist, the young lord snorted to himself. Weren’t the barbarian general and the ice prince supposed to hate each other? What type of enemies competed in gift-giving?

Pocketing the paper, the Raven General’s eyes dimmed. Her voice was low, transforming into one of a commander. “There was another reason that I came today.”

Rubbing his face, Rufus did not bother to try and change the subject. “I figured.” Pinching his nose, the boy offered, “Before you get mad at me, I want you to know that I did as you asked last time.”

The Raven General was silent but gestured for him to continue.

Rufus rubbed the space between his brows. The thought of those events brought a headache to the forefront of his mind.

“I asked my father what you wished to know, but,” the young lord’s frown darkened as he recounted what happened. “My father grew dismissive, almost angry. We fought over it,” the boy laughed bitterly. “Needless to say, I lost. He told me to never speak of it again.”

Lord Langard, although often disappointed, was rarely truly angry at his youngest son. However, that night, Rufus almost cried at the fury that twisted the older’s face. There was a terrifying rage that encapsulated the old general as he demanded to know where the boy had heard of the question.

No one else was supposed to know of the secret letters that were sent to Wenge. Or that they were signed in Rufus Langard’s name.

Faye leaned back and sighed, “You have helped me greatly, Rufus. But in this, I had hoped for greater success.” Her words weren’t exactly a threat, but the boy shivered nonetheless.

Rufus hurried to offer. “I might not be able to gain the answer from my father but,” he swallowed, “there is a room of records and old soldiers that often visit. There must be some way through them that I can find the true messenger.”

The boy worried his lips. In a small voice, he asked, “You won’t…" the boy shook his head. "This information will not, it can't, be used to hurt Eburean. Right?”

The doors creaked open. The Raven General glanced back at the boy. He had not even seen her move to the door.

The Raven General stared coolly at him. “Your help today was greatly appreciated, Rufus.” She inclined her head in thanks. “I will return soon for the name.”

In a breath, she slipped through the door and was gone.

Rufus hung his head in his hands. A great weight hung off his shoulders.

Compared to this, he would take a hundred sword lessons instead.