Nikolai and the lady stared at each other silently.

This was Lady Asinara. On her sixteenth birthday, she had been named the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The Rose of Eburean.

She hailed from the Vellward family, a line of noble scholars who had served as high-ranked officials in the court generation after generation.

And if that wasn’t enough, Asinara was a genuinely kind soul. The young woman had a passion for teaching the peasant children and knitted clothes that were often donated to the poor and destitute.

In short, Asinara Vellward, whether for her beauty, family power, or elegant personality, was the most desired bachelorette in all the land.

When Nikolai had been a boy, he and Asinara had been good friends. The older girl would often find him in his hiding spots, luring him out with sweets and the like. The cold boy had warmed up to the soft and kind girl. She was one of the few others besides his elder brother that he had taken a liking to. As a boy, he had promised himself that they would one day wed. It would have been a politically strong match with someone that he genuinely liked. But those dreams had fallen away like his other ones.

“You look good, Nikolai,” said the young woman. Her smile was like roses, fragrant and pleasing to the eyes.

The Lord of Feldgrau sighed, “Thank you.” His lips lifted. “You haven’t changed at all, my lady.” Not in the ways that mattered, at least.

They had both matured and aged, but the fond smile she shot him, was the same as the one she gave him after his mother’s funeral. She stood with him for the entire afternoon as they held hands in the rain.

“Why have you not returned for so long?” Asinara asked. She stood by his side. The two stared out at the outline of the capital. Stars twinkled above them.

Nikolai scratched the back of his neck. Although it was nothing like his childhood crush, he felt a fondness rush through him. “Always asking the difficult questions.” He let the words linger, offering nothing more.

Beside him, Asinara shot him a curious look. The young man who stood beside her was no longer the little boy chasing his brother’s coattails, nor was he the angry prince who lashed out at everyone. It was like seeing a stranger with a familiar face.

She laughed softly. The sound was like tinkling bells.

“What’s so amusing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Asinara shook her head. “You’ve changed,” she brushed her perfect hair behind her shoulders. “I’m not sure whether it’s for better or worse.”

She reached down to take his hand, but the Lord of Feldgrau pulled away. Asinara masked her expression, but he knew her well enough to see the flash of hurt.

Nikolai offered a nod, eager to change the subject. “How is the engagement with Argan?”

Freezing, Asinara lowered her eyes. Her gaze became hooded and she peered at him from under her lashes.

“It is fine,” she murmured. “Argan is…” Her voice trailed off.

There was a long pause. The wind blew through the balcony, ruffling her perfect hair.

“He will be king,” she finally decided. Asinara’s eyes rose to meet his. “And I am to be queen.”

Although her smile was not bitter, there was a twinge of sadness in it.

“You could always break it off,” noted Nikolai off-handedly.

But they both knew that Asinara would not betray her family like that. A political match with the future king was a better deal than any other potential marriage. Asinara had always been destined for greatness... in a marriage match.

Asinara teased the thought. “And who would I marry instead?” She grinned at the Lord of Feldgrau. “You? Would you take me to your wild borderlands? Make me Lady Feldgrau?”

“No.” To her surprise, Nikolai shook his head resolutely. “I am unworthy of you, my lady.”

Hugging herself, Asinara laughed faintly. “If not even you will take me, I cannot think of many others. Perhaps my fate is set in stone.” Her eyes gleamed. “As a girl, I always dreamed of a loving

marriage with a prince…” She shook her head. “It was a child’s dream. I see that now.”

Nikolai’s eyes widened at the belittling words. “Asinara,” he started, a gleam of his past innocent self shining through.

The doors to the balcony burst open. A guard marched in. They bowed their head low in greeting.

“My prince,” they said. “The king requests your presence. The banquet is about to begin.”

The cold expression returned to Nikolai’s face. He turned to the guard and asked seriously, but not unkindly. “And I am needed for the commencement of the banquet?”

He suddenly thought of the maid’s words. Was this to do with the marriage into Feldgrau? Which lady of the small houses, would it be, he wondered.

The guard smiled sheepishly. “I’m afraid I was not told the details, sir.” He paused and whispered lowly, despite the fact it was only the three of them. “However, I have heard the rumors of a great announcement. My little girl works as one of the maids…” He suddenly paused, unsure if it was wise to continue.

Nikolai smirked at the weary look on the other man’s face. “I am a prince only in name. You are safe to speak here.”

“No harm will come to you or your child,” promised Asinara, stepping into the conversation.

The assurance from the future queen seemed to do the trick.

The guard sighed, “It’s the Wenge delegation. Their leader, Hawk General or something…” He shrugged, “The queen is extremely careful, she asked for the meals to be throughout checked and made especially for their tastes. It’s said that the seat of the barbarian general is the same as the royal family.”

It was weird that the queen was showing so much attention to a foreign delegation, but it was not strange enough to be a pressing matter.

But the guard continued, “The weird thing though…” he leaned forward, “They’ve ordered the royal table to have an empty spot.” “An empty spot?” asked Asinara. Even the fiancé of the crown prince was not allowed to sit at the royal table. Who could the spot be for? And why?

Nikolai’s blue eyes narrowed.

The guard leaned in, “That’s the thing. The head maids have been ordered to move the general’s chair. After the announcement, he is to sit-”

“At the royal table,” finished Nikolai faintly.

Asinara’s expression morphed into one of shock. “Nikolai, what… what does this mean?”

The Lord of Feldgrau’s expression darkened. Whatever Queen Rewanna was planning…

The guard gestured for the entrance. “This way, Your Highness.”

Nikolai nodded and went to follow.

A hand, soft and delicate, grasped his and held him back. The lord shot a curious look at the lady.

Asinara kept her eyes averted. She stepped closer and whispered, “Niko, you know that I am to marry the crown prince. I must.” The young woman paused, “But, they never said which crown prince. Perhaps a worthy suitor will fight for my hand.”

She brushed past him and nodded at the guard. The lady disappeared behind the door.

Nikolai stared at her retreating. What did that mean?

Beside him, the guard looked at the young man’s slightly bewildered expression. He sighed pityingly. Royal or not, they were all the same, weren’t they?

The guard gestured towards the ballroom. “This way, my prince,” offering the guidance that he could.

The two strode through the door, leaving behind the festivities of the city below.

—

Argan’s eyes kept drifting over to the figure with the golden mask. The figure sat like a rod, still and silent. Their plate was overfilled as his mother continued to request the Raven General’s servant to fill the plate with more delicacies. At each request, the general would nod their head, but then stare straight ahead, without bothering to touch their plate.

The crown prince sneered as he chewed on his chicken leg. The mighty general was a lot less impressive in person. Their stature was even a little shorter than Argan himself. He puffed up. But of course,

that was because he was so impressive. To be fair to the poor barbarian, it was hard to match up.

As if sensing his thoughts, the general suddenly shifted their head towards his direction. Argan stiffened as he imagined the burning stare underneath the golden metal.

What kind of face did the mask hide, he wondered. It was probably ugly and disfigured. The bastard probably was too ashamed to even take his mask off in front of lovers.

Speaking of… Argan’s eyes drifted to one of the passing noble ladies.

“Lady Asinara!” exclaimed one of the ladies. They beamed at the approaching young woman.

The crown prince shifted his sight to his betrothed. Asinara was definitely a beauty, but there was something in her smile that made him feel like she thought him unworthy. The times they had been by themselves in a room could be counted on one hand. And they were not fond memories for Argan. He remembered pure boredom and unbearable silence and distance from the beauty. So, in short, the prince hated being alone with Asinara but loved the prestige and jealousy of other men that was generated when they were seen together in public. It also didn’t hurt that Asinara was said to be Nikolai’s great love.

He couldn’t wait to rub it in the cold jerk’s face that he would be taking the woman the other man loved to wife. If nothing else, that sole fact made the engagement worthwhile.

Lady Asinara bowed towards the royal table before retreating to the table of the Vellward family.

The other heads of noble families sighed. If only the girl could have been the wife of _their _sons. But how could they ever beat a crown prince? They sighed mournfully. If only the girl wasn’t the only daughter and had had a sister. Life was certainly cruel.

“Nikolai!” Called the king excitedly. He suddenly burst into racking coughs, but the proud gleam in his eyes remained. The king gestured to the seat on his right.

Argan glared as the Lord of Feldgrau passed. He cursed the second prince over and over in his mind.

Suddenly, he paused. A thought struck him. Had Asinara and Nikolai been together? What scandalous things could have taken place during their reunion? Perhaps, he could use it against… The thought of choking and freezing blue eyes glaring into his soul halted his plans.

Argan shook the thoughts away. Asinara was too proper to engage in anything preposterous anyway. Trying anything would be futile because no one would believe him. It definitely wasn’t because he was scared of the Lord of Feldgrau!

Not to mention, he was stronger than the other man. It was said his elder brother could barely lift a sword while Argan was an accomplished swordsman, always complimented by his teachers and masters for being a genius in the way of the blade.

With a dark look on his face, Nikolai took a seat. He subtly glanced at the empty but vacant spot to his right.

For the first time, the Lord of Feldgrau sought out the Raven General. To his surprise, the other was already staring at him.

The etchings of the golden mask were exquisite, definitely the work of a master. Light glinted off of the bright metal. The color was a stark contrast to the royal blue that the general wore.

Strange, Nikolai noted. Weren’t the Wenge family colors red?

The young man leaned in to whisper to the king. “Father, what is this great announcement to be?”

The king suddenly stiffened. Arganus looked at his second son with a hint of guilt and regret in his eyes. Nikolai’s own eyes narrowed. “Father, please” he begged. “What is this announcement?”

The foreboding feeling in his gut grew.

Lowering, his glass, the king sighed. He started, “Son, please understand that-”

A sudden clanging of the bells echoed throughout the ballroom. The noise covered the king’s words. Nikolai stared at the servants ringing the bells in alarm.

Queen Rewanna stood. She motioned for the bells to stop. All eyes stared up at the queen who smiled benevolently down at her subjects.

The ballroom was silent.

“My lord and ladies, today we celebrate the great victory of the Great War!”

The Lord of Feldgrau shot the Wenge delegates a glance. As he expected, the delegates murmured to each other, frowns on their faces. It was clear they were not happy with the wording of the announcement. It was only the general who stared silently at the queen’s announcement.

Rewanna continued, “Our people now live in prosperity and in alliance with the Wenge clan. To celebrate that, this Morning Day, we have invited the delegates of Fadye to witness the strengthening of the treaty.”

The uneasy feeling in the pit of Nikolai’s guts grew. The pieces were starting to come together.

Smirking, Queen Rewanna raised her glass. “But what is a treaty with no present?” Her blood-red lips quirked as she licked them. “Therefore, we gift a spouse to the heir of Fadye.”

Gasps and loud exclamations filled the room. A spouse to the Raven General? The lords and ladies panicked and looked at one another. Surely, it would not be a child of theirs that was sacrificed, was it? Others whose children were already married mused on the political

benefits of such a move. It was clear to all that Queen Rewanna was trying to pave the path of kingship for her son.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned crown prince looked just as confused as the rest of the room.

The Lord of Feldgrau clenched his fists, mind spinning. It would be someone of Feldgrau, but which lady? None of his people had traveled to the event. Perhaps a second cousin or distant relative? But that wasn’t right. If the person was not high enough ranking, Wenge might take offense to the “gift of peace.”

Queen Rewanna threw her hands out, savoring the power of having the entire court’s attention.

“Raven General, I present to you my own son.”

The ballroom was dead silent as shock grasped every person. Argan was completely pale, face deprived of all color. Asinara and the Vellwards narrowed their eyes.

Rewanna smirked cruelly. “The Lord of Feldgrau.”

All eyes turned to Nikolai.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

—

Cristin nodded towards the guard and slipped into the ballroom. In his hands were the promised sweet-butter bread.

The atmosphere in the market had been a lot more comfortable and enjoyable.

It may have been petty of him, but the attendant had taken his sweet time in acquiring the sweets. He was going to give his liege as much time as possible to woo his lady love.

He sighed happily, patting himself on the back for being so supportive of his lord.

When they had been boys, Nikolai had mentioned Lady Asinara once or twice. In their plans, Asinara’s political position and influence had made her a target of study. Logistics-wise, it would have been the most beneficial if Asinara wed Nikolai. The Lord of Feldgrau and the daughter of Vellward would have made for quite the power couple.

There was only the slight issue of Asinara’s engagement with Argan.

The mere name of the crown prince brought a bad taste to Cristin’s mouth. Having seen the elegant lady with his own eyes, he felt anger for his lord. It would have been slightly comforting to know that your lady love went to a better man, not the worst Eburean had to offer.

The smell of the delicious treats wafted in the air. Its scent was heavenly, sweet, and fragrant. If Cristin had been any less loyal than he was, he would have taken the bag for himself.

The attendant sighed. Cristin placed his faith in his liege. Surely, the man would have no trouble winning over the lady. From what little he saw, the lady was quite besotted with the lord to begin with.

Humming cheerfully, Cristin clutched the bag of sweet bread and skipped into the room.

He halted at the dead silence enveloping the entire hall. The man’s eyes narrowed as his instincts were set on high alert. He glanced at the royal table.

There came a loud banging as the Lord of Feldgrau sprung to his feet. The young man’s sharp voice reverberated through the room. He glared openly at Queen Rewanna who was smirking happily, not unlike a cat that had gotten its cream.

“What is the meaning of this?” Gritted out the young man.

To both of their surprise, it was the king who spoke. “It has already been decided, Nikolai.” He sighed wearily. “The treaty had been agreed upon.”

“Father,” protested the lord.

“Enough,” demanded the king. He stood to his full height, standing eye to eye with his second son. “You are to wed the Raven General.”

The bag of sweet bread fell from Cristin’s grip.

He turned jerkily to the gaping servant next to him.

“What did I just miss?”