Castles throughout the ages have changed in construction very little, born of practicality first. In more recent years, as troop warfare falls from style, and our borders become more stagnant, fashion begins to take hold. This is not as negative as one might imagine it to be, both form and function can easily be melted together with modern construction methods. Appearances, after all, are everything for the current lord and lady. Make sure yours is one of power AND purpose.

Koshchei’s stride was as confident as ever as he moved down the hall, contrasted by Icara’s slouched and slower walk. Icara barely registered the looks from others as they moved down together. Some guard were confused at her free movement, and some servants looked at her with deep pity. It wasn’t long before they reached the entrance room of the castle and stood at the opposite front gate.

Unlike most of the castle, this one had far more luxuries plastered inside. It had been spartan during Icara’s childhood, and she could remember often finding it intimidating in appearance. This newer design had tile floors and massive paintings hung on the walls that depicted scenes from historical texts. It had been constructed by Koshchei following a growing trend among royalty to give envoys and visiting nobles the impression of your wealth.

The doors leading outside opened quickly and a servant stretched his arms inside. Gwindon and Lilith stepped through, both admiring the work put into the entrance. As soon as the latter saw Icara’s state, however, she rushed forward.

“Icara! What happened? Looks like they patched that wound on your neck, but...”

“She’s had a bit of a reawakening just a few minutes ago. You’ll have to forgive her quiet disposition.” Koshchei said. “Now, I assume you didn’t have to be forced to come here. Are you alright? No challenges with a certain religious authority?”

“Well, we—” Lilith said before Gwindon caught up and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle, obviously. I’m more curious as to why the king himself brought us here.” He asked before glancing over to Icara. “You get enough sleep? Doesn’t look like you’re doing well.”

Breaking the dullness within her for a second, she glared at the knight. Koshchei turned towards her as well and she resumed staring at the floor. After a brief pause, he smiled once again and clapped his hands together.

“Now that the greetings are done, I suppose it’s only fair that I invite you both to join us for a meal. It won’t be a proper feat or anything, but it should be sufficient enough for a small visit between friends. Given we’re in the company of a knight, I’m sure that must disappoint, you, I’m afraid.”

“I would prefer a smaller ordeal, actually...” Gwindon said, drifting off as he looked between Icara and Koshchei. “Are you going to explain what exactly happened between the both of you? I expected to find Icara in chains.”

“You should have arrived a little earlier then. Icara did have to be restrained when she first awoke, that was just for safety’s sake. Now that she’s more aware of her situation, I don’t think any restraints are really necessary.”

He took a step forward, but Gwindon stopped him again. “What exactly is her situation, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“The one of her nature. She’s a demon hybrid, of course, so she’s had a rather conflicted and mentally unsound existence for most of her life... or all of it, depending on whether you consider Icara who she even says she is.” Koshchei said with a shrug.

Icara convulsed as if she’d been hit in the gut from hearing the words. Both Lilith and Gwindon watched her with the eyes of worried parents. Lilith moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her, pulling the disillusioned girl to her side. At the same instant, Gwindon moved beside Koshchei and pointed a finger threateningly towards his face.

“What did you do to her?” He asked firmly.

“Can’t I ask the same thing about you? For some reason, she seemed especially fixated on some promise she made about learning how to be a ruler. I thought it gave her a little sense of false hope, just enough to shatter her down to her current reclusive state. Maybe if she had come to the castle directly as I would have hoped, we could have handled this more delicately, and without the soul-wrenching sense of betrayal.”

“She... are you trying to blame this one me?!” Gwindon said, raising his voice so it echoed in the hall.

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A pair of guards shifted their gaze to the ground and put hands on their swords, Gwindon glared back at them but refused to back away from their king. Koshchei let out a laugh and gently lowered Gwindon’s hand himself.

“Of course I wouldn’t do something like that! But it’s not my fault either. No one can really be blamed for her chaotic nature finally coming to an end. She was mentally unstable and willing to kill without remorse. Didn’t you ever consider that such a violent life wasn’t fitting for a princess, even one sent away?”

“People handle stress differently. You have no right to judge if she—”

“Quite the contrary.” Koshchei cut him off with a solemn look as he spoke. “I think you’re the one with no right to speak in this situation. The demon that fused with her body killed two close friends of mine, the former king and queen, as well as their child. You, on the other hand, just met her not... a day ago? Two? By any measure, you’re not her parent in the slightest. By legal rights, however, if you consider her Icara Valarus, I am her godfather.”

Gwindon took a step back and turned towards Icara. Her eyes were pointed down to the floor, but he could still see the bright circles in them. For a moment, he stared and wondered if they seemed duller than they had before. Before he could ask, Icara looked up at him with a fearful expression. It wasn’t a sudden panic, but rather an expression of dull anxiety over his conversation. He could barely recognize it as her’s, and moved his focus back to Koshchei instead.

“Fine, I’ll move on to the more prevalent question then. Why would you bother summoning us up here? You should have known they’d be carrying me off to the holy city for trial if you really looked into getting us here.”

“Oh the idea just came to me this morning and I sent word out to the guards. I had assumed that you and Lilith might’ve planned a... less than agreeable means of escape from the church’s control. You ran to the gates, presumably thinking about hiding out after reclaiming your armor, but were stopped by the gate and hurried here. Am I wrong?”

Koshchei looked between Gwindon and Lilith with a now satisfied smirk, confident in his own guesswork. Lilith furrowed her brow and clung to Icara a little harder, as if it comforted her to have the younger woman by her side. Gwindon folded his arms and put on a fake sense of indignity.

“...You must be quite happy about that situation then. Regardless of your prediction, it still doesn’t explain why you brought us here at all. Are you actually just trying to infuriate the church?”

“Not at all, I just wanted to check in on the both of you and make sure you were aware of Icara’s current standing. I had actually planned to have you help me calm her down, but it looks like that won’t be needed.” Koshchei said and extended his arm down the hall once more. “Now, as for that meal, it’s likely waiting for us by now.”

Gwindon moved back to Lilith and put a hand on her shoulder. “Actually, like you said, we’d need to go looking for my armor. Do you mind if we got that stuff first?”

“I do, actually.” Koshchei said with a maintained hospitable voice. “Surely you understand the gracious invitation of a sitting king is nothing to take lightly. You can retrieve your things after I have had my say, they’ll still be there come the evening.”

Lilith stepped forward this time, finally letting go of Icara. “Come now, your highness, what if he goes and I stay here? I’d love to get some royal food after having been away for a few years. Not to mention I’ve never tried proper fielder cooking!” She said with an infectious smile.

“Well it’s not as if I’m luring you in there to gobble you up or something. This castle is quite well protected and there will be guards posted right outside of the doors! I’d have them stay inside the room as usual, but...” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I’m sure you all can understand the delicate nature of what our conversations might entail, right?”

Both Lilith and Icara nodded, but Gwindon hesitated. He clenched his fist and checked his wife’s posture at the statement. Though she had a tenser stance than normal, it was probably just nerves more than anything. Himself on the other hand, he had to focus hard not to become rigid as a board or entering a fighting pose. His breathing naturally leveled out slow and steady. By all his accounts, his body felt a strong urge to fight or run away, and he couldn’t tell what from. What he had first thought might be Koshchei, he was starting to feel from Icara as well.

He repeated the same gesture as the others and turned back around. Leading them back down the hall he and Icara had entered, Koshchei led them back further into the castle and towards a room in the back. There was a window along the wall, another extravagant sign of wealth, with the clear glass overlooking the garden. He took his seat at the head of a small table fit for six people and instructed them to do the same.

“This isn’t the banquet hall or anything, if you were put off by the small size. I had this table built so that I could have more intimate meals with guests, visiting dignitaries and the like. Don’t you think it’s odd how most kings and queens will flaunt their wealth with the size of what they eat on?” Koshchei asked with a gentle laugh.

Lilith was the only one that partially joined in, and she relaxed in her seat more once she did. Gwindon still had to grip the loose pants he’d been forced to wear, struggling to place the energy he felt in the room. Before he could hone in much, the door opened and a servant entered with a small plate. She moved beside Koschei and placed it down in front of him, a slice apple with skin on it. Beside it is another apple, one with the skin peeled off of it, which he holds out to Icara.

“You’re probably hungry after the ordeals today. This is an Alastair apple, one grown within the garden here. I’m sure it’ll taste exactly like you remembering it tasting.”

Her hand reached out for the fruit slowly, but stopped when the apple was stolen out of Koshchei’s palm. Gwindon pulled it back towards himself and looked down at it with a glare before handing it back to him.

“This has been peeled. She only likes the ones with the skin on them.” He told him.

Icara’s ears perk at hearing him say that clearly and she nodded in agreement slowly, as if it was something she just now realized as well. The servant took the peeled apple back and exited the room, shortly returning with a freshly picked one that Icara happily took a bite out of. For the first time since he had arrived, Gwindon saw her smile, albeit briefly.

“Well now I feel rather terrible for forgetting something like that. Of course it has been a while since I knew her. She must have confided a number of things to you if she could passingly share a preference like that. Would you mind sharing something with me then, Gwindon? Lilith as well, if you liked to join in.”

Both of them exchanged curious glances while he chewed on one of the apple pieces. By the time he had finished, he leaned forward and rested his head on one hand. The bright halos of his eyes seemed to flicker a little in the morning light.

“Do you two know what the punishment for treason is, or aiding the actions of a traitor to the king? I’m wondering if you do, because both of you seem to have helped Icara here on her journey to assassinate me, and did absolutely nothing to surrender her to the authorities.” His smile widened a little at their shocked expressions and he took another slice of the apple into his mouth.