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Chapter Text

Yor knew very little about the mysterious land to the west of her father’s kingdom. All she had heard about her whole life were legends and oldwives tales. However, she knew only savages lived in that strange land, that its king craved war and blood, and that whoever faced him, probably would face death.

The princess never imagined she would visit that kingdom. Now that she was about to be married, her fate awaited her in the south, by her future husband’s side. It saddened her to think about her future; she didn’t want to leave Ostania, and she didn’t want to marry Lord Desmond either. But as the daughter of a king, this was her duty and the only way to help her father protect his land and its people.

A union with Lord Desmond would bring thousands of men and plenty of gold to keep a numerous army in case that evil king from the West decided to attack them again. Without that, Ostania was unprotected.

“You look beautiful, my lady,” one of her maids said while contemplating the rich dress she would wear tomorrow at her wedding. “Lord Desmond will be delighted to have such a beautiful bride.”

“Thank you, Millie,” Yor answered trying to hide her sadness. “I hope Lord Desmond is pleased with me.”

“A widow like him will be pleased of getting a beautiful your woman like you, my lady,” Camilla added.

“My lady, please be careful with that man,” Sharon begged. “I’ve heard rumors about him. His first wife, Lady Melinda was so unhappy in her marriage,” she continued. “One of the maids who used to work for them said he was violent with her.”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time Yor had heard these rumors. She wanted to believe it was all idle gossip. Nevertheless, she was frightened.

“Don’t worry about me,” Yor tried to reassure them. “I’ll be all right. I’m sure Lord Desmond will treat me like a gentleman.”

Plus, even if that wasn’t the case, it didn’t matter anymore. The deal was closed and after so many negotiations between her father and Lord Desmond, neither of them would cancel that contract.

Still, that night, fear kept Yor up. She had a bad feeling about the man who would be her husband. She was scared and she didn’t even know how to defend herself in case someone attacked her (her father never allowed her to even touch a weapon). 

An insane thought crossed her mind: what if she ran away?

Before she could even regret that thought, Yor got dressed and quietly left her bed chamber. The princess moved quickly through the dark corridors of her father's palace. Although there were guards at every corner, most were already asleep, so she had no problem heading towards the gate. Only when she started shivering did she realize she hadn’t even grabbed her cloak.

What was she thinking?

She couldn’t leave. She had to get married the next day! She couldn’t do this to her father nor her people. Yor knew she was completely useless, except for this. This was the only thing she could give.

Defeated, she stopped walking and turned back.

The princess didn’t want to marry Lord Desmond, and she already knew a dark future awaited her by his side. Nevertheless, she was too cowardly to run away and too weak to defy her father.

Obedience, obedience, obedience.

While her little brother learned about science, law, and politics, her instructors only taught her to obey.

“A woman who doesn’t obey her father and then her husband is worthless,” her teachers repeated constantly. “If you want to be a good wife and a good mother, you must always obey blindly. Do it, and happiness is guaranteed.”

Was that true? She had always obeyed her father, and yet…why did it feel so wrong? Why was she so unhappy?

It didn’t matter. Her feelings didn’t matter when it came to fulfilling her duty. She wouldn’t be the first woman who married without love, and she wouldn’t be the last.

She began to walk back to her room. Suddenly, as she walked by a big window, she thought she saw a shadow move. Surely, it was her imagination or, at the most, one of the royal guards making his rounds. Still, just to be safe, she walked faster. The shadow followed her and now she wasn’t so sure it was a guard.

“Princess Yor?” a man’s voice with a strange accent called her. She didn’t answer.

“Are you sure it’s her?” another man’s voice said.

“Of course it’s her! Look at her!” the first voice declared. “She looks like a princess.”

“You, Scruffy idiot! It could be a random woman from Ostania,” the second man argued. “Ostanian women are prissy and…princessy.”

Princessy? Yor was sure that was not a word. It didn't matter; those men were armed and had bad intentions. The princess took advantage of the men’s argument to sneak away.

“Didn’t you say she had something that made her very unique?” the first man asked. “Like a birth defect? Or an ugly scar?”

“No, no, no. I didn’t say she was ugly,” the second man corrected. “I said she had very unique eyes. Her eyes are red as apples, red as rubies shining in the moonlight. Only the Briar royal family possess that feature.”

“Oh. Well then, let’s look at her eyes.”

When both men turned their head in her direction, Yor was already far away. Clearly, they were kidnapers, and she couldn’t let them see her eyes or they would know she was in fact a princess.

“Grab her!”

Yor ran as fast as she could. “HEEEEEELP…!!”

Before she yelled again, one of the kidnappers tackled her to the ground and covered her mouth. That man was on top of her; she couldn’t move, and she felt terrified, but she could finally see his face. Yor had never seen eyes that blue.

“Be quiet, Princess,” he whispered looking into her eyes. “You’re ours now.”

***

The next morning, when the maids came to wake up the princess to prepare her for the wedding and couldn’t find her, panic rose all over the castle.

When the servants finally notified the king, after hours looking for the princess, one of the servants handed him a note that a kid from a nearby village had brought for him.

Lord King of Ostania,

                                     I’ve taken your precious daughter. If you want to see her alive again you will pay for her in gold and silver.

Twilight, King of Westalis

“What are we going to do now?” the Ostanian king asked, still holding the note. “What am I going to tell Lord Desmond?”

“Why are you worried about Desmond? We need to rescue Yor!!” Yuri, his son, exclaimed. “My poor sister has been abducted by a savage. Who knows what horrible things he may do to her.”

“You’re right, we need to bring her home intact or Lord Desmond may not accept her and that will bring dishonor to our name.”

Yuri shook his head. His father was the king, but by his reaction, it almost seemed like he didn’t care about his daughter at all.

In any case, the wedding would have to be postponed, and they had to notify Lord Desmond. Yuri disliked Donovan Desmond. His sister deserved someone better than someone as old as their father, but he was the man the king had chosen because it would be the best for their kingdom. At least, his sister would have a luxurious life in the southern lands of the continent.

When the king summoned Lord Desmond to the throne room, Yuri observed his father seemed nervous. Donovan Desmond wasn’t a king, but he was a very rich and powerful man.

“Lord Desmond, I have some unfortunate news…”

Yuri didn’t know the groom well, so he couldn’t guess his reaction before hearing the news. When he found out his bride had been abducted, Lord Desmond showed no emotion, but his eyes turned colder than usual.

“We must recover her,” he said. “No matter the price.”

He meant it. He wasn’t in love with Yor Briar, and the alliance with Ostania wasn’t that important to him either, but that girl was more valuable than all of his gold and silver combined.

Six months ago, Lord Desmond heard a prophecy from the most respected seer in all the lands. It had taken him years to find that woman, so he could ask her how to gain absolute control over the continent and how to protect what he already had. The seer gave him this answer:

“My Lord, to become the most powerful man in the continent, you must find a woman with ruby eyes. A child of yours she must carry within her, for the man who makes her fruitful will become the king of all the lands. He will unify all the kingdoms and there will be no enemy able to defeat him during his long, long life.”

At first, Desmond thought that seer was a fraud; there were no women with red eyes. Nevertheless, a few weeks later, he found out a princess from the kingdom of Ostania had that rare feature.

It must be her.

Immediately, Lord Desmond wrote to her father, the king of Ostania, stating his intentions and began negotiations to marry her. He knew it would be an expensive union and, since he wasn’t royalty, he had to offer something gainful to her father in return.

Luckily for him, Ostania had been having problems with Westalis, a warrior kingdom that often invaded their land. Desmond took advantage of this situation; he offered a union that would provide plenty of men to defend Ostania and financial means to sustain that army. Together, they would defeat that savage Twilight from Westalis. The king accepted the offer and gave Desmond his daughter’s hand in marriage.

He travelled to Ostania for the wedding, and he planned for Yor to become pregnant in no time, so he could fulfill the prophecy and become the most powerful man in the continent. Everything turned out well for him until that fateful day, when that savage king dared to take what he had already paid for with a portion of his fortune.

“I swear we will get her back, your Highness,” Desmond told the king.

Yor Briar was his and his only.

By then, the princess and the Warrior King were already on a boat on their way to Westalis.

Chapter Text

She was quiet.

She didn’t say a word during the whole trip. She didn’t cry either and kept her hands on her lap, her head low and eyes fixed on her feet.

Twilight didn’t know what to expect. He had never kidnapped a princess (or any woman!) and well, he had actually never met a princess before, so he had no clue if this was normal behavior.

She probably had no idea who they were. Maybe it was for the best. If she knew his name and his intentions, maybe she would have put on more resistance.

It took them several days to get to the coast of Westalis. During that time, the Princess didn’t eat, and she barely drank water. Twilight observed her with curiosity; he’d never been this close to an Ostanian woman.

Would she try to run away? Would she beg them to return her to her father and her kingdom? Would she try to jump into the sea? He couldn’t take any chances, that’s why he kept a watchful eye throughout the whole trip.

Once the young King saw his castle at a distance, he felt his muscles melt into relief, but only when his feet touched Westalian land did he dare to think this dangerous mission had been successful.

A few of his men awaited him along with horses so they could ride towards his castle. He rode home with the Princess in his arms; she was so light. When they crossed the walls of Westalis Bay, the capital of his nation, people saw the Princess, including Wheeler. The King did not like Wheeler, and he liked even less the way that Northerner looked at Yor Briar.

As soon as they entered the castle, Twilight ordered his people to take the Princess to a guest room, and give her clean clothes, and food. He also ordered two armed guards to stand by her door at all times. Discreetly, he also whispered to one of his men to not let Wheeler near the Princess’ door. Then he walked away.

“Franky, I need information,” he told his best friend once the princess was out of sight.

“Right away, Twilight,” he said before he left, surely to contact his sources.

After travelling for days, Twilight desperately needed a bath and to finally rest on his own bed, but he opted to talk to his most trusted advisor first, so he headed towards the throne room.

“McMahon,” he called.

“Your Highness, I heard you had returned,” he said. “How did your trip go?”

“Do you mean to ask me if we acquired the princess?”

McMahon raised an eyebrow. When Twilight suggested the idea about kidnapping the Ostanian king’s daughter, his advisor tried to persuade him against it. Even though the King was now over 25, his old teacher sometimes treated him as a teenager and Twilight couldn’t allow it. Because of that disagreement, the young King had ordered him to stay in Westalis Bay and instead had taken Franky and a few other trusted men with him.

“I heard your mission was successful, Lord,” he responded while he polished an old chess piece. “The question is: what are you planning on doing with that Ostanian princess?”

“You heard my plan the first time and it hasn’t changed,” the King stated and sat on his throne. “Her father will pay for her rescue with the riches of his kingdom, that way, he won’t have the necessary funds to go to war with us again.”

“And if he doesn’t pay?” McMahon asked.

“He will,” Twilight’s eyes sharpened. “His fatherly love for his child will compel him.”

McMahon placed the chess piece back on the board.

“You don’t know Ostanian culture well, my Lord,” McMahon told him. “Daughters are not as valuable over there; women are like merchandise for their father to trade.”

Twilight had heard this argument before but had disregarded it. He refused to believe the daughter of a king wouldn’t be valuable for her father.

“We will see,” he replied and tried to ignore the anxiety slowly crawling into his head.

***

Two days later, Twilight kept waiting for Franky to deliver the information he needed. He was trying to be patient about that and about the answer from his enemy, the King of Ostania.

Life was perfectly normal in Westalis, he was busy with issues pertaining to his country: crops, commerce, and disputes among the most important tribes.

Westalis was different than other countries in the continent. It was formed by several tribes; most of them were peaceful, but some of them, especially in the north, were warrior tribes, who loved going into battle, and who could potentially create conflict if they weren’t ruled properly.

Like McMahon always said: ‘Ruling Westalis is a delicate balance.’ Fortunately, Twilight had learned to play this game well. His reputation as a warrior king had earned him the respect of the northern tribes, who loved a strong, merciless leader. However, Twilight knew constant war was unsustainable for his country, so now that he sought peace, he had devised other ways to strengthen the bonds between his reign and those troublesome tribes:

First, he had called the son of one of the tribe leaders to collaborate with his government. Wheeler was a brute and a pain in the ass, but Twilight believed in time he could mold him into a good collaborator and that eventually he would become an ally and an ambassador between him and the northern tribes.

Second, he would take the daughter of another important leader of the northern tribes as his wife. His marriage to Nightfall was a political move that would benefit him greatly. A Northerner woman would be queen of Westalis, and their children would be heirs to the kingdom. He expected having that would somehow quench that blood thirst those rowdy tribes had and that they would be at peace for a long while.

Although his engagement hadn’t been formalized yet, he had made clear his intentions to the tribe leaders and Nightfall had spent the last couple of months in Westalis Bay, becoming acquainted with the way he lived.

His opinion on Nightfall was that she was adequate enough. She was the typical northerner woman―a strong warrior, a bit rough around the edges. Honestly, he didn’t care. He was too busy to think too much about her and had only seen her a few times in the last couple of months. Although, her behavior was strange when they were together; she seemed extra cold towards him. Maybe she didn’t like him.

The King was writing some letters when he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in,” he said without stopping.

“My Lord,” an old voice said.

“Mrs. Authen, what is it?” he asked, surprised to see the old maid in his bed chamber.

“It’s the Princess, my Lord,” she replied.

“What’s wrong with the princess?” he stopped writing and lifted his head.

“She hasn’t eaten anything since she got here,” she answered.

“Huh? Why not?”

Twilight recalled she hadn’t eaten a bite during the trip either.

“She’s very weak, my Lord,” Mrs. Authen said. “I suspect she’s trying to let herself die.”

That was not good. Her father certainly wouldn’t pay for a dead princess. Twilight got on his feet and practically ran to the Princess’ room.

When he got to her door, he almost busted in but remembered his manners at the last moment and decided to knock. When no one answered, he slowly opened the door.

“Princess, it’s me.”

He felt foolish announcing himself like that. She probably didn’t know his name but what was he supposed to say? ‘It’s me, your kidnapper’?

He found her sitting by the window, looking at the birds and the orange clouds, as the day was dying. When she saw him, she struggled to get on her feet but did it anyways. Then she greeted him with a curtsy.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” he said and surprised himself; he didn’t mean to say those words. “Mrs. Authen has notified me you haven’t eaten anything,” he continued. “Is Westalian food so disagreeable to you? I can ask my cook to prepare Ostanian food instead.”

“No, my Lord King, that’s not the reason,” her voice was incredibly soft, and he also realized she knew who he was. “I’m sure Westalian cuisine is delicious.”

“Then? Why won’t you eat, Princess?”

She wouldn’t meet his eyes and somehow, he felt desperate for her to look at him, so he leaned a bit, so she would see him. Luckily, the Princess understood and finally raised her head.

“The reason is that…” she blushed and that only made her look prettier. “I’m not used to eating alone.”

He could tell it had taken everything for her to speak up. Maybe Ostanian women were shy or maybe it was just this one woman.

“Is that all?” he asked softly and couldn’t help smiling at her. “I can fix that very easily.”

Mrs. Authen had just caught up with him and entered the room at that exact moment.

“Mrs. Authen, would you mind sending dinner for the princess and me, please?” he asked the old maid. “We’ll be eating here tonight.”

“Right away, my Lord.”

Dinner didn’t take long to arrive.

After days without eating, Twilight expected the princess to devour everything, but her impeccable manners did not break in his presence. In fact, she didn’t eat that much.

Although he was a king, Twilight didn’t care for formalities. He usually ate while working, alone, and wherever he happened to be. If he wasn’t with McMahon or Franky, silence was his usual companion, and he never felt the need to talk.

Lucky for him, the Princess also ate in silence but then again, what could they talk about?

“Thank you for the food, Lord King,” she said after one last bite while delicately wiping her lips on the napkin. “Westalian food is as delicious as I thought; your cook did an excellent job.”

The young King had inherited the gift of reading people from his mother. That’s how he knew the Princess’ compliment was sincere.

“I will let her know,” he said and cleaned his mouth with a napkin (something he never did).

The Princess waited patiently for him to finish eating his dinner. Suddenly, he felt self-conscious about his manners. Was he making too much noise while chewing his food? Did he look like a barbarian in her eyes?

Even though there was still food on the plate, he decided to stop eating. He drank some wine, cleared his throat and began to get on his feet but decided against it at the last second.

Say something!

But what? What should he say to a woman he had kidnapped?

He remembered his mother’s advice; she always used to say that a good king always placed himself in other people’s shoes. This advice had helped him make many good decisions.

So, if he were kidnapped by an enemy king, he would probably be desperate to know his fate, he would probably think he was about to be tortured and murdered. No wonder the Princess didn’t have much appetite.

“Princess,” he called softly because he didn’t want to seem threatening. “I want you to know that I mean you no harm.”

Her eyes met his; he’d never seen eyes like that―red like apples, shiny like the stars in a summer night.

“This is not the type of thing I normally do,” he felt the need to explain that. “If I took you from your home is because I’m desperate to protect my people and to avoid a war with your father,” he didn’t have to tell her all that either. He didn’t owe her an explanation, still, he felt compelled to speak. “You will return home, I promise you will. Your father will pay a rescue for you, you’ll go back to your life, and my people will be safe. Your temporary stay here will buy peace to our countries.”

If everything went right, that was the plan. He wouldn’t keep her here forever and he had no reasons to harm an innocent woman.

Yor Briar studied him carefully, almost as if she was trying to detect a lie in his words. And he…he wanted her to believe him.

“For now, there’s not much you can do, other than waiting, Princess,” he said. “And stay healthy, of course.”

She nodded just once, and he looked at her for a long minute. Then, he finally got on his feet.

“I’ll send someone to eat with you at every meal,” he said as he walked towards the door. “If there’s anything else I can do to make your stay more comfortable, just say the word.”

The Princess got on her feet and did a curtsy before he left. When he closed the door behind him, somehow, he felt lighter.

“Don’t even think about it!”

McMahon came out of nowhere and startled him.

“Don’t do that!” Twilight said. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

“I heard you were having dinner with our hostage,” he responded. “Why?”

“She hadn’t eaten since we arrived. She needed someone to eat with her,” Twilight explained. “Do you suggest we let her starve?”

“And you had to eat with her? There wasn’t anyone else available?”

McMahon’s face said everything. His old teacher didn’t like having Ostanians in the castle, even if it was a harmless one, and he didn’t like the King talking to said Ostanian.

“McMahon, for the love of…”

“I’ve known you since you were a baby,” he began. “I was in charge of you since you were 13,” he continued. “I know you…”

Twilight rolled his eyes at him.

“Don’t even think about it,” he repeated. “Don’t look at her, don’t talk to her. Don’t.”

Another eyeroll.

“You’re crazy,” Twilight said. “Come on, let’s go. We have things to do.”

***

A couple of weeks later, a letter from the King of Ostania himself arrived.

“He’s willing to pay the rescue,” Twilight said satisfied. “What did I tell you, McMahon?!”

Nevertheless, his old teacher didn’t rejoice after hearing about the contents of the letter.

“Something isn’t right,” he said. “That girl is not that valuable. If it had been his son, he would have paid the rescue or even gone to war with our country to get him back. But not for her.”

“You’re just paranoid,” Twilight dismissed him. “Who wouldn’t give everything for their child?”

A week later, they were planning for the exchange. For safety reasons, neither king would be present, but Twilight would send Franky in his stead along to other trusted men to accompany the Princess. They would come back with plenty of riches.

Everything will turn out well.

Twilight kept repeating that to himself while trying to ignore that nagging inner voice that told him it was too easy and there had to be a catch.  

He’d seen the Princess a few more times; sometimes he had dinner with her, despite McMahon’s disapproval.

The night before the Princess left his castle, the King had dinner with her to say goodbye. She already knew she would be going home; when he told her a few days ago, there had been so much relief in her eyes. It was understandable.

“You won’t be travelling by boat this time. You will return by land,” he told her. “A caravan with my most trusted men will accompany you to the meeting point where your father’s people will take you back to Ostania.”

She still spoke very little, and he never tried to change that. However, that night, when he was about to leave, the shy Princess said more than her usual ‘goodnight.’

“Lord King, thank you for being such a gracious host to me,” she said, and her words surprised him. “Given the circumstances, you could have thrown me into a cell and let me starve. I am the daughter of your enemy; you could have hurt me, but instead, you’ve treated me as a guest in your palace.”

He was not expecting this, and his brain seemed to malfunction whenever he looked into her eyes.

“My Princess…I mean, my Lady, I should apologize for putting you in this position,” he began and somehow the room felt unbearably hot as he talked. “You’ve been a patient guest, and I appreciate that.”

He offered her his hand and she shyly moved hers and took it.

“It is my hope that our countries can achieve peace,” he said when he touched her hand. “And that one day we can meet again but not as enemies.”

He bowed his head one more time and gently pulled her hand to his forehead (a very old fashion Westalian tradition) but didn’t dare to kiss her hand because he was afraid that moment would haunt him forever.

“Goodbye.”

That was it.

Twilight was convinced they would never see each other again. Once she returned to Ostania, she would marry Lord Desmond and move to the lands in the South. That’s a place he could never go. Plus, peace between their countries was unlikely.

He stayed next to her closed door just for a moment. Part of him―the part that he hid from everyone―wished they could have met in different circumstances.

Twilight shook his head. There was no need to think like this, nor to dream about things he couldn’t have. He wasn’t a common man and wishes like this didn’t align with his duties. He was a king, after all.

Chapter Text

“Don’t give her back!”

Franky interrupted his breakfast.

“What are you talking about?” McMahon asked as he bit a piece of bread.

“The Princess! You can’t give her back!”

“Why not?” Twilight asked, feeling alarmed. “Franky, what did you find out?”

When his best friend landed on the nearest chair, he looked sweaty and shaky. He didn’t answer right away and took over a minute to catch his breath.

“My spies finally came back,” he finally said. “You’re not getting the King’s riches with that ransom. Desmond is the one who’s paying.”

Lord Desmond was the man Yor was going to marry. Twilight had heard of him; even though he wasn’t a king, Lord Desmond was one of the richest, most powerful men in the continent. However, his engagement to the Briar Princess seemed odd. Ostania wasn’t a rich kingdom anymore; in fact, they were struggling as much or even more than Westalis. That was the reason why they had tried to get Twilight’s land in the last war. Westalis had a better climate, hence more food.

Lord Desmond had resources and did not need a union with a mediocre country. Somehow, Desmond didn’t strike Twilight as the kind of man who would want a royal title either. Another explanation was that he had fallen in love with Yor; given her beauty it was very possible. Other than that, he couldn’t explain why he wanted to marry her.

“I know the reason for the marriage and, most importantly, what they’re planning on doing once that happens,” Franky reported. “It’s because of a prophecy.”

“A prophecy,” McMahon and Twilight said at the same time.

Franky nodded. “My informants told me that Lord Desmond is very much into the occult,” he revealed. “You know, witches, seers, magic, and shit like that.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked at McMahon. Knowing your enemy was the best strategy to beat them. This could be useful information in the future.

“And what does this have to do with Yor, I mean, with the Princess?”

“I’m getting there!” Franky snapped. “A very famous seer told Desmond he needed to have a child with a woman with red eyes to get control over the whole continent. Apparently, the man who does this, will be the most powerful in all the lands.”

Upon listening to this, Twilight began to laugh. He really wasn’t expecting Desmond to believe in such silly superstition.

“Can you believe this man?” Twilight asked McMahon and kept laughing. “He’s willing to give up a good chunk of his fortune because of what a gypsy saw in a crystal ball.”

Twilight’s father was as superstitious as Desmond, and during his childhood, Twilight had believed in this too. Nevertheless, after his father’s passing, McMahon had raised him. His old teacher happened to be the most skeptic man in the continent and had taught Twilight not to be fooled by such things.

“You said you also knew what they were planning after the marriage,” McMahon reminded Franky.

“He’s financing an invasion,” Franky responded. “He’s helping Ostania’s King gain control over Westalis.”

Twilight wasn’t laughing anymore.

“That fool!” the young King condemned. “He’s basically giving Desmond control over both our countries.”

With Desmond’s unlimited funds, Ostania could win the war against Westalis. Once that happened, Ostania may have more territory but also an unsurmountable debt. Desmond was not financing that war out of the goodness of his heart; he would require payment, of course.

“We can’t return the Princess,” the young king voiced aloud.

“I thought about that but, even if you don’t give her back, that wouldn’t stop them from invading us,” Franky reasoned. “They would even use it as an excuse to go to war with us.”

“We need to prevent the union with Desmond,” McMahon intervened. “And for that to happen, the Princess has to stop being valuable to him.”

“How?” Franky frowned.

“By marrying her to another man and keeping her here,” McMahon concluded, and Twilight nodded in agreement.

“If she marries someone else and has someone else’s child, then she won’t be valuable to him because someone would beat him to that stupid superstition,” the King explained.

“So, you’re marrying her to someone here?” Franky asked. “Who?”

“Me,” the King responded.

Both McMahon and Franky’s jaw fell.

“Twilight, you can’t do that!” McMahon intervened.

Since he became king, his old teacher rarely called him by his name; he must have been distraught by his answer.

“What about Nightfall? Aren’t you engaged to her?” Franky asked him.

“We never formalized the engagement,” Twilight disclosed.

“Yes, but the northern tribes think it’s a given,” McMahon argued. “They helped you in the last war and you owe them. If you break the impending alliance with them, they will take it as an insult, and we’ll be in the brink of a civil war!”

“I am not putting my country over another war with Ostania!” Twilight fought back.

“And you don’t have to. Marry the Princess to someone else,” McMahon suggested. “Give her to Wheeler. He likes her, he’s been blabbing about her since he saw her.”

“Absolutely not!” Twilight fumed. “I won’t give Yor to that brute! He would probably…”

He shook his head. He didn’t even want to think about it.

“Well, then marry her to someone else. Anyone else,” McMahon insisted. “There is no shortage of men here in Westalis. She’s a beautiful woman and I’m sure any man would be happy to have her.”

“No!” Twilight retorted. “Don’t you see it? I’ve done a horrible thing by taking her away from her home. Now I’m about to tell her she’ll never be able to go back,” he continued with that guilt that he carried. “If she’s going to have to live here forever, I want her to have a peaceful life.”

McMahon sighed exasperated. He knew his old pupil too well.

“The only men I trust who would treat her with the respect she deserves are in this room,” Twilight disclosed. “Franky is already married. That only leaves you and me. So, unless you volunteer…”

“I made a vow,” McMahon reminded him. “I won’t marry anyone.”

“Then, that only leaves me,” Twilight concluded. “I rather take my chances with the tribes of the north, than with Desmond and the King of Ostania.”

McMahon had had a bad feeling about that Princess since the moment she set foot in this castle. Marrying her was the wrong thing to do but he knew that once Twilight made up his mind about something, it was impossible to convince him to act differently.

Westalis was doomed.

***

That morning, Yor woke up relieved she was finally heading home. Soon, she would see her little brother again.

She had been scared to death when she was kidnapped. Yor didn’t know if those men would kill her. It took her a few days on that boat to realize who they were. She was shocked to find out a king would be capable of such a despicable act. King Twilight really lived up to his reputation of savage and blood thirsty. She was so terrified she couldn’t even cry.

When they got to Westalis, Yor expected to be thrown in a dirty cell; instead, she was given a clean room and treated as a guest. And after a couple of days, the King himself had explained the reasons for kidnapping her. Was that normal? He certainly didn’t have to explain anything to her.

King Twilight looked different now. He wasn’t surrounded by men, he didn’t look as threatening; although she was still pretty scared that first time they had dinner together.

Yor wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that man didn’t have any ill intentions, that his only purpose was to avoid war and protect his people. Maybe she was naïve, but if she believed that, then maybe she would go home soon.

The Princess prayed that her father would pay for the rescue. She promised God she would be an obedient daughter and a submissive wife; if she was able to go home, she would never question her future husband and accept her fate in the southern lands.

When King Twilight informed Yor that her father had agreed to pay her ransom and that she would be going home soon, she thought her prayers had been answered. Now all she had to do was wait.

On her last night in the castle before she left for Ostania, King Twilight came to say goodbye to her.

He was so young. Much younger than her father and Lord Desmond. Yor thought that leading a country at such a young age must be a heavy burden. Regarding his reputation, she had partially changed her mind. He never showed an ounce of violence in her presence. Quite the opposite; he was polite and talked kindly to her. And when they finally said goodbye and he touched her hand, he did it in such a gentle and soft way, it made Yor wonder if all those rumors were lies.

That night, the princess went to bed convinced this was her last in Westalis. She felt at peace and dreamed about a little girl with pink hair and green eyes who was holding her hand and the hand of a man she couldn’t see clearly.

“Who are you?” Yor asked the smiling girl.

“Mama! I’m yours!” the little girl giggled and Yor smiled back at her.

When the princess woke up, she thought that was a strange dream but was so excited about going back home that she soon forgot about it. She got up and got ready to leave.

However, hours passed by, and no one came for her. The King hadn’t given her a time of departure, but she figured they wouldn’t start the trip too late in the day.

She waited without any news. When the sun began to set, she realized something must have gone terribly wrong. Could it be that her father had refused to pay the rescue at the last moment? Her stomach hurt.

It was possible. Her father didn’t love her. He probably thought that she wasn’t worth the inconvenience. Especially after what she had done…

A servant brought dinner for her and with a shy voice Yor dared to ask if she knew why they had delayed the trip.

“I don’t know anything, m’lady,” the woman said and sat with her like every night.

Yor couldn’t eat that much and when the old woman took her tray, someone knocked on the door.

“Princess, it’s me, the King.”

“Come in, Lord.”

His face told her everything. Just like she suspected, something terrible had happened. Still, manners prevented her from asking him; she had to wait for him to speak first.

“Unfortunately, I had to suspend your trip, my Lady,” he began. “Today, I learned some disturbing information regarding your marriage to Lord Desmond.”

Yor frowned and he realized that she probably had no clue about the reason why a powerful man like Desmond wanted to marry her. Twilight calculated quickly whether he should tell her. It was unnecessary and perhaps that knowledge would just be a burden. However, starting a marriage with a lie, especially a forced marriage, didn’t sit well with him.

“Lord Desmond believes in occult things, like magic,” he explained. “A seer told him of a prophecy in which he would become the most powerful man in the continent if he had a child with a woman of red eyes.”

Just like he thought, she didn’t know about it. Her frown didn’t ease.

“I’m sorry, Lord King, but I’m not understanding how the reason for my marriage to Lord Desmond affects my return home,” she said nervously.

“My Lady, Lord Desmond is the one paying for your ransom, he’s also giving your father more than necessary resources to invade my country,” he disclosed. “I can’t let your families unite against me. I can’t let you marry Donovan Desmond.”

Yor paled. She was starting to understand.

“But, Lord King, even if you keep me here, if Lord Desmond is so interested in fulfilling this prophesy, he and my father could try to come and retrieve me,” she argued. “Wouldn’t it be better to try to reach an agreement with them and let me go home?”

Twilight shook his head. There was no way he could negotiate peace. The last time it had only happened because both nations’ resources were severely depleted, and they couldn’t go on fighting.

“I thought about that, and I came up with a solution that could allow us to prevent war,” he said. “Desmond is not going to finance your father’s army unless he has you. So, I have to make him lose interest in you, Princess.”

“And how are you going to do that?” she trembled. “Are you going to gauge my eyes out?”

“NO!” he exclaimed right away. “Of course not!

“Then, how are you going to…?”

She stopped mid sentence and her eyes opened big.

This wasn’t easy for Twilight either. He paused and took a breath before answering.

“Princess, you have to marry someone else.”

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no other choice,” he said. “I can’t let…”

“Those are not my father’s wishes,” she interrupted. “He would never allow that.”

“Your father isn’t here; he can’t do anything to prevent it.”

He didn’t mean to sound so harsh but that was the truth.

Yor collapsed on the nearest chair. She was having a hard time breathing and Twilight didn’t know what to do. He still had to tell her who would be her groom.

Twilight walked to the table, poured a cup of water and offered it to her. When she took it but didn't drink from it, he could see tears pooling in her eyes. Yor kept the cup in her hands, and her eyes fixed on the cup. It reminded him of how she looked on that boat on his way to Westalis weeks ago. He realized that’s what she did when she was frightened.

“Will I be able to go home one day?” she asked after a long while in a very low voice, so low Twilight could barely hear her.

“No, my Lady,” he answered honestly. “From now on, Westalis will be your home.”

Even though her head was low, he saw a few tears fall on her hands. Suddenly, he hated himself for making her cry. Silence returned but he remained in the room with her.

Yor placed the cup on the table, got up and walked towards the window.

“When will the marriage take place?” she asked without looking at him. He could taste defeat in her words.

“We will marry tomorrow,” he announced.

“We?” she turned to him.

He nodded. “Yes, Princess. I’ll be the one you will marry.”

He came close to her. This startled her and he could tell she was uncomfortable, but he needed to look at her in the eyes.

“I know I’m not the husband your father chose for you,” he said. “And I know this isn’t your land, so you probably don’t care what happens to the people of Westalis,” he continued. “But I promise you that as your husband, I will do everything in my power for you to have a peaceful life here. I will be respectful and gentle with you, and you will never have a complaint about me,” he vowed and, slowly, he dared to grab her hands. “It is my hope that in time, you’ll come to see my people as your own and Westalis as your home.”

He was sincere, and she wasn’t crying anymore. He truly wanted her to be happy here with him. It would take time, but he would work tirelessly for it.

There was nothing else for him to say, so he let go and headed towards the door. However, before he left, the Princess called him.

“Lord King?”

“Yes, my Lady,” he turned around and Yor blushed.

“Do you believe in that prophecy?” she asked.

Oh. She probably thought that was the reason why he had chosen to marry her.

“No, my Lady,” he responded promptly. “I don’t believe in such superstitions. I believe in my own skill and perhaps fate. That’s all.”

***

Yor did not take the news well.

Marrying that man? No, she couldn’t do that!

This wasn’t what her father wanted for her, she was supposed to marry Lord Desmond, that was the best choice for her country. It was her duty as the daughter of the King.

Most of all, she desperately wanted to go home. If she married the Westalian King, she would have to stay here forever.

That night, she tossed and turned in her bed, reciting incomplete prayers, looking for an answer, until the heat became unbearable.

Westalis’ weather was much warmer than Ostania's. No wonder the clothes they had given her were much lighter. The humidity was so thick, some nights it was hard to breathe. Tonight was worst than ever, so she decided to get up and head to the balcony, hoping the nightly breeze would cool off her sweaty skin. From there she observed that many people in the castle and the city slept outside on hammocks.

Odd.

Sleeping outdoors because of the heat was perhaps a smart solution, but also such a foreign concept for the Ostanian Princess. She wiped the sweat from her brow. How was she going to survive living in this strange place?

She sighed. Yor didn’t want to live there, and she didn’t want to get married either, but what other choice did she have?

The Westalian King was not going to let her go home and marry Lord Desmond and she knew very well she couldn’t refuse marrying him either. Even though the King had been kind to her, she didn’t know what he would do if she decided not to go through with the marriage. Would she kill her just so Lord Desmond couldn’t have her?

Suddenly, it was hard to breathe; she was crying again. Yor was so scared of that man, and tomorrow he would be her husband.

“Stupid red eyes!!” she sobbed.

If she had inherited her mother’s green eyes this wouldn’t have happened! Lord Desmond would have never asked for her hand, and she would be at home with her little brother.

God, please, let tomorrow never come. I don’t want to marry that man.

Yor begged for this until she fell asleep. When she woke up and she saw the morning sun, she realized her prayer hadn’t been answered.  

Chapter Text

On the morning of the wedding, Twilight called Nightfall to the large dining room of the palace. Although their engagement had not been formalized, the King had made his intentions clear and he was about to take it all back.

“Did you call me, Twilight?” she asked.

“Yes, have a seat, please” he pointed to a chair. “Will you have breakfast with me?”

“Sure.”

The northern tribes were much more informal than the people in the capital and Ostanians. None of the tribe members ever called him Lord or King. They used his given name.

“We haven’t spoken in some time,” he began because he didn’t want to break the news right away.

“Since you came back from Ostania a few weeks ago,” she said. “I know you’ve been busy.”

He cleared his throat. If he was honest with himself, he had completely forgotten about Nightfall’s existence.

“Yes, it’s been a busy time,” he responded and began eating.

“If I can be of any use, I would like to help you,” she said. “I know you’re more than capable, but I wouldn’t mind lightening the load for you.”

“Thank you, if there’s anything I need help with, I will let you know.”

They ate in silence and the more time passed by, the more nervous Twilight felt. Nightfall obviously did not harbor any feelings for him, but she had probably assumed she would be queen. The King could almost hear McMahon whispering frantically in his ear. His most trusted advisor had tried to persuade him from marrying Yor and instead had pushed the engagement to Nightfall.

“Nightfall is the best choice for Westalis,” McMahon told him.

Perhaps. However, accepting Nightfall meant giving Yor to someone else and he simply couldn’t do that.

“So, what do you think about Westalis Bay?” he asked trying to sound casual. “Do you like it here or do you prefer living up north?”

“I think Westalis Bay is adequate enough,” she responded.

She really wasn’t giving him any opportunity for conversation. Twilight assumed she simply disliked him. Well, if that was the case, at least it would be a relief for her they wouldn’t be getting married.

Breakfast was done shortly after. Nightfall got up intending to leave but he placed his hand on hers to stop her. She seemed very surprised by his gesture. Was that too forward?

“Wait. I need to talk to you.”

Twilight couldn’t postpone this anymore. He was getting married in a few hours.

“Listen, I know that you came to the capital because there were talks of a marriage between us, but things have changed, and I won’t be able to go through with it.”

She sat back down but didn’t say anything for a long time. Twilight couldn’t read her. Was she disappointed she wouldn't be queen anymore? Angry, perhaps? Nightfall showed no emotion at all; as if he had just changed plans for the day.

“What has changed?” she finally asked.

Twilight quickly evaluated what to say. Anything he told Nightfall could very well end in the ears of the Northerner leaders.

“It has to do with the Ostanian Princess and some troublesome information I received just yesterday.”

“Yor Briar,” she raised an eyebrow and Twilight realized that just like any typical northerner, Nightfall also disliked Ostanians.

“Yes, Yor Briar,” he repeated. “My original plan isn’t a secret and as of yesterday I thought that was the right path for Westalis. However, yesterday I was informed that if I let her go back to her country, her union to a powerful man from the south could be detrimental for our country.”

Nightfall listened in silence―cold eyes, face of stone.

“I cannot let her marry that man…”

“You’re marrying her instead,” Nightfall completed. "But, why you?”

The King did not like being questioned but he exercised patience, since this was a delicate issue.

“Because I have decided that’s the best course of action,” he stated. “By doing this, I will prevent war between Westalis and Ostania.”

“Or we could just fight like we did the last time,” she argued. “We’ve beaten them before; we shouldn’t fear them.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” he was talking about economics. “We can’t go to war now. Westalis doesn’t have the resources; especially against an enemy that will have unlimited funding.”

The northern tribes cared very little about this. They were warriors and were used to fighting while lacking everything. Nevertheless, as a King, he also had to think about the rest of the population. Westalis’ people had suffered enough.

“I see,” she said.

“Nightfall, I’m sorry,” he said. “You can choose to return home or if you’re interested, I can arrange another engage…”

“No,” she said. “I want to stay in Westalis Bay and no, you don’t need to arrange another marriage for me.”

“Very well,” he said. “I will write to the leaders of the northern tribes today and inform them we ended our agreement.”

She nodded once, got up and walked out.

That was uncomfortable but at least it was done. He was free to marry Yor that evening.

The King did not notice Nightfall looking back as she walked away.

***

The night before her wedding to Lord Desmond, Yor had seen all the preparations for a celebration fit for a queen. Every corner of the palace was adorned with white flowers, and silk hung from every window. Her wedding gown, made especially for that occasion, was the most beautiful dress she would ever wear―purple, a rare, rich color, worn only by royalty with silver embroidery and a long veil.

Most of the guests were already in Berlint, the capital of Ostania―hundreds of them, nobility from different parts of the continent. There were eleven different cakes, and 9 variations of the menu they would serve the next day, during the banquet. Additionally, Yor and Lord Desmond would marry in Ostania’s main cathedral, where her parents had married more than two decades ago.

Her father hadn’t spared anything to show Lord Desmond and all their guests this was a royal wedding. Nevertheless, he hadn’t done this out of love for his daughter; his father cared about people’s perception of him. He needed them to think he was a rich and successful monarch.

Yor didn’t know much about politics or economics; she was not educated for this and she was never included in talks about that nor taken into consideration when making important decisions about the kingdom or even her own future. However, she had thought it was odd that his father had agreed to her marriage to a man who wasn’t of noble birth. She may not have been very knowledgeable, but she wasn’t stupid either; gold and silver probably had a lot to do with her father’s decision.

Her father was selling her to a rich man.

The Princess had tried to push that thought out of her mind. Instead, she tried to convince herself this was her duty as the daughter of the King. She led such a useless life anyways. At least like this, she would be able to be useful to her father and Ostania. If her father needed gold and silver to protect their country from that savage King from the West, then she would gladly comply.

A knock interrupted her memories.

“My Lady, the King sends this dress,” Mrs. Authen announced as she entered the room with a gown. “It should be suitable for this evening’s ceremony.”

“Thank you,” Yor responded as the old woman placed the gown on the bed.

“Do you need help getting dressed?” she asked and Yor shook her head. “Then, someone will come get you in about an hour.”

It was a beautiful gown. Much simpler and lighter than the one she intended to wear for her wedding to Lord Desmond. Instead of purple, it was red with golden roses embroidered in the middle. Ostania's colors were red and gold, and the roses reminded her of her mother.

That knot in her throat was now a permanent thing. She had cried plenty since the Westalian King had informed her of the plans he had for her, and it had taken her everything to finally calm down; however, she felt so desperate, she could burst out crying any second.

Instead of getting dressed, she headed out to the balcony.

“There is one other option,” she thought as she looked down.

The simple thought scared her and made her run back inside. She could never do that. So, instead, she decided to get dressed.

Not much later, two guards knocked on her door to escort her. As she walked through the corridors of that old castle, she saw no flowers nor silk on her way to…a church? She didn’t even know if they would marry in a church or some other place.

Only then, she realized she knew absolutely nothing about that King and about the people of Westalis. Did they worship the same God?  Did they have different beliefs?

The guards escorted her all the way to an old stone building that looked like a church. One of the men opened the big wooden doors before her and when she saw the King at the end of the aisle, waiting with a priest, she stopped breathing.

Yor couldn’t move; how was she going to go through with this?

Her father wasn’t there to give her his blessing and her little brother wasn’t sitting at the very front to smile at her and give her courage. This was insane! She couldn’t marry her father’s worst enemy!

Just when she was about to pass out, the King ran to her and that only made her even more terrified. Would he drag her and force her to marry him? Would he gauge her eyes if she refused? Maybe she could live without eyes. Maybe she should have jumped out the balcony when she had the chance.

“Princess, are you feeling unwell?” he asked her, concerned.

Unable to answer, she just nodded.

“Come sit for a second,” he gently grabbed her hand and help her sit on a stone bench outside the building.

When she finally breathed, she smelled salt in the air. Only then, she realized that place was on a cliff by the ocean.

“I can’t… I can’t do this,” she finally uttered.

The King lowered his head and nodded.

“I understand,” he said. “I won’t force you to marry me.”

Hope suddenly flourished in her. She didn’t have to go through with this! Her prayers had finally been…

“But I won’t let you marry Lord Desmond, so you do have to marry someone else,” he warned her, and all her hopes died again. “You can choose any man you want, as long as he is Westalian. I’m sure we can find someone of your liking in this country.”

No! This wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want to marry anyone. She just wanted to go home!  

“And it has to be done quickly,” he added. “You’ll have to decide…”

Yor stopped listening after that. Her father was the one who always decided for her. She couldn’t make any decisions. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe again. She was incapable of choosing and if given the chance, she would probably make a terrible choice.

“Princess, why are you shaking your head?”

Yor looked at the man in front of her. The night before, Twilight had promised her that he would be respectful and gentle with her and that she would have a peaceful life here. Would any other man promise the same? Probably not.

“You,” she finally said. “I will marry you and only you.”

The King let out a a sigh and a chuckle that sounded a lot like relief. He got on his knees and offered her his hand.

“In that case, Princess, from this day on, I pledge myself to you.”

Yor said nothing but took his hand anyways. Minutes later, they went inside that old church, where a priest awaited.

There weren’t any flowers or decorations that indicated this was even a wedding. There weren’t any guests either; the church was empty except for the priest and two other men Yor didn’t know. Neither her brother nor her father was there.

The Princess did not let go of the King’s hand throughout the whole ceremony. She had just made the first decision of her life.

***

Dinner was uncomfortable but Twilight felt at peace.

He was married to Yor now; no one could take her away. He kept glancing at his wedding ring and occasionally sneaking a quick glance at her too. His bride was her usual self―quiet with impeccable manners, as always.

There was no big feast to celebrate their wedding. Instead, they had a normal meal at the dining hall in the castle. Their only guests were McMahon and Franky, who also served as witnesses during the ceremony.

Whenever they ate together, Franky would make conversation and joke around. Not this time. Twilight could tell he felt uneasy and probably wanted to go home to his wife and kids.

McMahon, on the other hand, kept staring at the Princess with cold eyes. The King had to discreetly kick him under the table and shook his head at him so he would stop staring at his new wife. Clearly, his old teacher was making her nervous.

Dinner was soon over, and no conversation followed. Shortly after, Mrs. Authen appeared in the dining room.

“Would you be so kind to escort the Queen to her room, Mrs. Authen?

Yor startled when she heard her new title, but that was what she was now―the Queen of Westalis.

“Of course, my Lord,” Mrs. Authen answered. “Follow me, my Lady.”

Yor got up and followed the old woman through those dark corridors. Under the light of the torches, the stone walls looked golden and orange. It was a big castle; as big as her father’s back in Ostania, but much older, much gloomier too. Maybe it was a good thing that the King had asked Mrs. Authen to escort her because Yor had no clue how to return to her room.

At night, every corner of this place seemed so unfamiliar. Maybe that’s why she didn’t realize Mrs. Authen had taken her somewhere else until she was in front of an unknown red door.

“This isn’t my room,” she said, remembering her door was blue.

“It is now, my Lady,” the old woman responded as she opened the King’s bed chamber.

Yor felt as if the floor suddenly disappeared from her feet.

Of course…

“We brought your clothes here,” Mrs. Authen kept talking, oblivious to Yor’s shock. “The King asked for a seamstress to come see you, so you can request more pieces to your taste. You will probably see her tomorrow or the day after.”

Yor walked slowly into the bedchamber, not listening a word that woman was saying, feeling as if she had just crossed the gates of hell.

“The bathroom is over here,” the old maid pointed at a smaller door inside the bedroom. “If you wish to take a bath, I can send a girl to fill the tub for you.”

Yor shook her head quickly and said no more.

“Is there anything else you need, my Lady?”

Incapable of talking, she shook her head again.

“In that case, I’ll take my leave,” she said and Yor felt that knot in her throat tighten up.

Mrs. Authen’s old eyes softened when she saw her.

“You’ll be all right, my dear girl,” she took Yor’s hands. “New beginnings are always scary, but you’ll get through this.”

A few tears escaped Yor’s eyes, and the old woman squeezed her hands to give her courage.

“Don’t be afraid,” she continued. “The King is a kind man, and I suspect he’ll also be a loving husband. I can already tell by the way he looks at you.”

She left after that and Yor felt more alone than ever in her life. She also felt like a complete idiot. The King had given her the chance to delay the wedding by choosing someone else. Why hadn’t she done that? She could have given her father the chance to come to rescue her. And what had Yor done? She had married the man who had kidnapped her.

Idiot!!

Now, she would have to pay for the consequences. Now, she would have to…

Oh God…

She lost track of time but at some point, someone knocked on the door and a servant girl came in to fill the bathtub. Since she hadn’t requested it, clearly the bath wasn’t for her. The King would probably be there soon. Yor panicked.

She realized she was still wearing her wedding gown and felt horrified by the idea of having to change into her sleeping clothes in front of the King. So, she quickly got out of her clothes and changed. Then she waited, almost as if she was waiting for an executioner.

The night before her wedding to Lord Desmond, one of the older married court ladies came to educate her about her “wifely duties.”

“It hurts,” those were her first words. “A lot the first time, a little less every time.”

Before this conversation, Yor had a small idea of what happened between a husband and a wife, but never in the graphic, gruesome way that lady described.

“It is your duty, and you must bear it with dignity,” she continued after describing what would happen to her on her wedding night. “No tears, no whimpers, no noise. You must be completely silent to avoid disturbing your husband during the act.”

Yor had already failed because she was now crying.

“Some men become like animals during this time,” the woman warned her. “You must endure this. Do not resist. Remember that a good wife obeys and fulfills her duties without complaints. Remember, you are now his…”

The door opened and Yor quieted down.

She was sitting on the bed with her back to the door, but she knew it was the King.

“Good evening, Princess,” he greeted her, but she was incapable of greeting him back. “I’m going to take a bath.”

She heard the bathroom door open and close. She remained very still listening to the small noises coming from the bathroom.

Yor didn’t know what to do. She wanted to run away but she couldn’t even move, plus, where would she go? She didn’t even know how to exit that castle and Ostania was so far away.

The words of that court lady floated in her head:

“Your duty…”

“You must endure…”

“Be quiet…”

“A good wife…”

“It hurts…”

She really was trying to be quiet. But terror overcame her and by the time the King came out of the bathroom, she was sobbing so loudly, she didn’t even hear him.

“Princess, what’s wrong?”

She could barely speak, but he caught a few words that made it clear what she was afraid of: him.

Twilight sighed.

“Princess, I’m not going to touch you,” he said.

“You’re not?” she asked.

“I won’t touch you,” he repeated. “I promise.”

Her tears stopped and she finally breathed again.

“Why this kindness, my Lord?” she asked in her shy voice, still sniffling.

“Didn’t I promise you that I would be a respectful and gentle husband?” he reminded her. “Wouldn’t I be breaking my promise if I forced you to do something you don’t want to do?

Yor nodded and relaxed much more.

“Tonight is a bit chilly, so I’ll sleep on that long divan over there,” he pointed at that old furniture next to the wall. “When it’s warm, I’ll sleep on a hammock on the balcony, like everyone else. You can have the bed.”

She nodded again and cleaned her face with the sleeves of her robe.

He grabbed a blanket and a pillow, and, as he was making his way to the divan, he thought of something important:

“Princess, no one must know about this agreement,” he warned her. “As far as the rest of the world knows, you and I are fully married.”

Twilight trusted only McMahon and Franky. He knew there were spies everywhere and if someone even suspected Yor and him hadn’t consummated their marriage, terrible things could happen.

“You have my word," she vowed. "I won’t tell anyone that our marriage is fake, my Lord King.” 

A fake marriage. That was not what Twilight wanted at all. He had come into his bedchamber with little to no expectation, but with his heart full of hope. He wanted to show Yor with his body how much he cared for her. However, hearing her sobs and seeing her terrified face had halted those plans.

“I have to win her over,” he thought while lying on that divan in the dark.

That night, he promised himself he would find a way to make her happy.

So she would love him.  

Chapter Text

Twilight yawned for the third time in the last thirty minutes.

He looked at the letter in front of him and read it again. He hadn’t understood a word of it. He rubbed his eyes and continued reading, not sure if he was understanding the letter's content this time.

Another yawn.

“Is the Princess keeping you up at night?” Franky teased.

The young King didn’t dignify that question with an answer. He just grunted.

“Oh, I remember those days,” Franky sighed. “My wife and I used to stay up all night too…enjoying each other.”

Franky giggled. He seemed transported to another time and Twilight just wanted to tell him to shut his mouth.

“Enjoy it while it lasts!” he encouraged. “Once your first born gets here it’s all over,” he lamented. “If I were you, I would try to make it last for as long as I could. There’s no shame in pulling ou…”

“Franky, be quiet,” Twilight chastised. The last thing he needed was Franky’s marital advice. “I have to read this, and I can’t concentrate.”

“You are too grumpy for someone who is having so much fun,” his friend complained, but quieted after that.

Franky was right; the Princess kept him up every night, but not in the way his best friend thought. Not at all.

It had started barely the second night after their wedding. Twilight lay in the divan, almost asleep when he heard it―quiet sniffling.

Oh no…

She was crying―very quietly, but he could still hear her.

The room was in total darkness, so he thought about lighting a candle and asking her if she was all right, but if she was making such an effort to conceal that she was crying, maybe she didn’t want him to hear her. Plus, he already knew the Princess feared him and didn’t want to make things worse. So, he decided to pretend he was asleep, hoping she would eventually calm down and fall asleep too.

It turned out she didn’t calm down until very early morning.

The King slept a couple of hours at the most and then he had to get up and fulfill his duties.

“Patience,” he told himself that first time. “She’s getting used to her new life.”

Surely, his wife would eventually resign herself to living in Westalis. Plus, she couldn’t cry like that every night, could she?

It turned out she could.

Every single night, right after he blew out the candle and right before he fell asleep, he heard that quiet sobbing. The fact that she was doing it so quietly was heartbreaking. And after a couple of weeks, the King couldn’t remember when was the last time he had had a good night of sleep.

The solution was for them to sleep in separate rooms, of course. He knew that in other lands, a king and a queen had separate bed chambers, but not in Westalis. In this land, a husband and a wife always shared a bedroom. Twilight simply couldn’t risk it, not this early in their marriage and not with the threat of Donovan Desmond still hanging over their heads.

I’m sorry, Yor.

Every morning, before he left their room, Twilight looked at his sleeping wife on the bed he couldn’t share with her―her body curled up, as if she was trying to protect herself. Guilt and worry were eating him away. What if she never got used to living there? Could a person die from sorrow?

Every morning, she would also instruct Mrs. Authen to let the Queen sleep in and for her to bring her breakfast late morning or early afternoon. At the very least, Yor should rest.

A couple of days later, when Mrs. Authen reported the Queen hadn’t eaten, he felt alarmed and decided to have dinner with her every night to make sure she ate.

It worked. Yor ate in his presence, but he was sure she did it out of fear. Every time he was in the room, his wife looked at him as if he could attack her any second. Even though he had assured her he wouldn't touch her, clearly, she didn't trust his word. So, to keep her calm, for the most part he left her alone. That’s not what he wanted. Twilight wanted to be with her; he wanted to share his days and his life with her, he wanted to get to know her. And yes, to sleep with her too. However, the way things were going between them, this was very unlikely.

He longed for her in a way that he couldn’t explain, not even to himself. McMahon was right; Yor should have married someone else. However, a mysterious force, stronger than any other, pulled him towards her. He couldn’t let anyone else have her.

If she could only see this. If she could leave her fear aside and see how much he cared about her and how happy they could be together.

The King thought about this in his studio. He felt lonelier than ever; he’d married the woman he wanted but couldn’t have her and she seemed to hate him. On top of everything, he couldn’t ask anyone’s advice because no one could know what was happening between him and his wife. The young King could almost hear McMahon say: “I told you so. Annul the marriage at once!” Franky would probably just laugh at him and agree with McMahon; his best friend had married for love, but in his case, love was mutual.

Lost in thought, Twilight had stopped reviewing the documents he was holding a while ago and he didn’t realize when someone came into the room.

“Excuse me, my Lord,” Sigmund Authen said. “I came in to clean up, but I didn’t know you were here.”

“It’s alright, Authen,” the King replied. “I was just reading.”

He was trying to kill time. He’d had dinner with Yor, but he always left their room afterwards, so she wouldn’t be scared.

“I can come back later,” the old man turned around but before he left, Twilight thought about something.

“Authen, wait!”

“Yes, my Lord.”

He couldn’t ask McMahon and Franky for advice, but he could ask someone else (without giving away any details, of course.)

“You’ve been married for a long time, right?”

“Fifty three years, my Lord,” Authen smiled. “My Barbara and I have had a long, happy life together.”

Perfect. This is exactly what he needed; someone with plenty of experience.

“Tell me, Authen, how have you managed to achieve that long, happy life with your wife?” he asked, trying to sound casual instead of eager.

Sigmund Authen leaned a bit on the mop he was carrying and thought about it for a long moment.

“My Lord, I think the secret for a happy marriage is for the wife to be happy,” he responded very sure of himself. “As long as my Barbara is happy, I’m happy too,” he smiled but then his expression changed. “Because if the wife is unhappy everyone is miserable.”

He did not have to explain that; Twilight knew this very well.

“And how do I do that?” Twilight asked and he was very aware he was starting to sound desperate.

Sigmund Authen raised his hairy eyebrows.

“Well, my Lord, I don’t think I have done much,” he said. “My Barbara is easy to please. She’s just a happy woman.”

Defeated, Twilight breathed out. Barbara Authen and Yor Briar were two very different people. Clearly, this advice wouldn’t work.

“Thank you, Authen. You can leave now,” he said.

“Very well, my Lord,” the old man turned around and began to walk away.

Twilight’s eyes returned to his documents, but suddenly, he heard Authen put down the bucket he was carrying.

“Lord?” he called him. “Perhaps, the young Queen needs a purpose.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked interested.

“Everyone needs a reason to live, something to fill their days, a mission, my Lord,” Authen explained. “Even queens need something to do.”

Twilight nodded; he understood. The old servant left, and the King kept thinking about this for a long, long time.

Authen was right; for Yor to be happy, she needed a purpose. Nevertheless, she didn’t seem very interested in finding that. Maybe he could help her but how? He knew so little about her.

That night, while lying in the dark listening to his wife quiet sobs, his mother’s advice popped into his mind once again: put yourself in her shoes.

Twilight was 27 years old; he’d been King since he was 20, he’d lived through a war, he’d fought among his men and killed plenty of enemies. Since a very young age, he’d been educated to rule, to make decisions, to give orders, to negotiate, to read people, and also to think about the wellbeing of a whole country. He had travelled plenty; in order to know how to defend his kingdom, he had to know every corner and every weak point. Twilight knew how to handle himself, how to survive too. The King was physically strong; he could fight, he could hunt, handle weapons, lead battalions, command armies, and handle his country’s resources.

His wife, on the other hand, was very different from him. She was younger―barely 20 years old. Even though he didn’t know for sure, this was probably the first time she had left Ostania. It wouldn’t surprise him if she hadn’t left Berlint before.

Twilight was very aware of how noble women were educated in Ostania. Any physical activity was highly restricted, so were most intellectual activities. They could read but that was about it. Most topics were forbidden―economics, politics, war. In short, they just prepared them to become wives and mothers.

Suddenly, he felt sorry for Yor. He couldn’t even imagine growing up in such a restrictive environment. No wonder she felt so desperately scared. He had taken her away from everything that was familiar to her.

His mind quieted down for a long time after that until he heard another soft sniffle.

“Princess?” he called in the dark. “Are you awake?”

It was very late, but he knew she wasn’t sleeping, still, he asked anyways because he didn’t want to startle her. It took her a while, but she finally responded.

“Yes, my Lord King.”

Twilight lit a candle and when he did, the Princess sat up on the bed. Her eyes were swollen and her nose red.

“Would you like to go on a walk with me?” he asked softly.

The Princess hesitated. If she said no, he wouldn’t force her.

“Where to, my Lord?”

“To the balcony,” he figured a small walk to a nearby place would feel safer for her.

She stood still for a long moment and Twilight began to wonder if she would ever answer. Maybe she wanted to say no, but she was too scared to do it. Finally, after a long time, she slid from the bed and walked barefoot towards the balcony. He got up and followed her.

When the fresh air hit her face, she let out a big sigh. She leaned on the top railing, feeling the cold stone under her hands and breathed several times while looking at the sleeping city. She seemed much calmer after that. Twilight wanted to be close to her and hold her hand, but he knew well that, if he tried, she would probably cry again. So, he kept his distance and waited.

The night was fresh and beautiful. The full moon and the stars were bright and Westalis Bay didn’t look as dark as usual.

“Princess?” he asked after a long time.

Yor turned her head. “Yes, my Lord?”

“What are some of the things you used to do back in Ostania?”

Yor blinked several times. “Things?”

“Yes, activities like horse riding or perhaps candle making?”

That sounded stupid but he couldn’t think of anything else. Instead of laughing at him, Yor understood.

“My father didn’t allow me to ride a horse. And I don’t know how to make candles,” she said. “But I used to do other things.”

“What things?” he pressed.

“Embroidery,” she responded softly. “I would get together with the ladies of the court and do embroidery. We would also read scripture aloud and pray.”

Those activities seemed a bit…limiting. But it was a start, and he could certainly get the necessary materials for his wife to embroider whatever she wanted.

“And is this something you enjoyed, my Lady?”

His wife shook her head shyly.

If this was something she didn’t enjoy, then, it wouldn’t work! He had to try again.

“Then, what are some of activities you did enjoy, Princess?”

Yor twisted her hands nervously and this meant she was getting scared again.

“Well…I…” she hesitated. “I liked strolling in the gardens of the castle. My mother and I used to do that; she loved looking at the flowers and telling me all their names and how they grew,” she explained and for a moment her ruby eyes shone in the moonlight. “Before, my little brother and I used to play games there too…”

At the mention of her brother, her eyes became sad again. She quieted down.

He felt desperate to keep her from falling into her nightly despair. The bad news was that there weren’t any gardens inside his castle. This wasn’t a place for beauty, it was a stronghold to protect himself and his people from his enemies. And, after years of war, Twilight considered himself more of an army commander than a king; he was learning to rule during peace.

His wife had already lowered her gaze. Tonight was just another lost battle.

Wait a moment…

“Princess, there are no gardens in this place,” he began. “However, plenty of wildflowers and plants grow outside the city; we have a very favorable weather in Westalis,” he smiled, and she lifted her head to listen to him. “I’m sure something could grow here too,” he mentioned. “If I gave you some land inside the castle, would you be interested in growing a garden?”

“Me?”

He nodded. “But only if you’re interested.”

Her eyes suddenly shone again, and he knew he had won this battle. She nodded.

“Do you know how to grow plants, my Lady?”

“Yes, Lord King,” she said and for the first time since they met, she sounded confident. “My father never allowed me to do it; he used to say royalty should never touch dirt. But I know how to do it.”

Maybe that was something Twilight could offer that neither Ostania nor Lord Desmond could provide for her―for Yor to have the freedom to do what she wanted.

“Well, your father isn’t here to prevent that,” he declared smiling. “And as your husband, I say you can spend your time as you see fit and touch as much dirt as you wish, my Lady.”

The King offered her his hand, as if they were reaching an agreement between gentlemen. Yor seemed surprised by his gesture but took his hand anyways. Instead of kissing her hand, he shook it.

“You’ll grow the first Westalian royal garden.”

***

The next morning, Twilight called Mrs. Authen and asked her for personnel to aid the Queen on her gardening task. After gathering some people, the old maid sent them his way. The King had requested to meet them before introducing them to his wife.

As for the piece of land, he chose that himself―right outside the window of his studio (where he could discreetly keep an eye on his Princess.)

Before lunch, he was already interviewing one by one the people recommended by Mrs. Authen. However, someone interrupted the process with an unwelcome presence in his studio.

“Wheeler, what are you doing here?” he asked.

Wheeler lived in Westalis Bay but only came to the castle when Twilight called him.

“I heard you were recruiting people to serve the Princess, so I came to offer my services,” he explained with an untrustworthy smile.

Calm down, Twilight.

“I doubt you can be of any help for her,” he said. “She needs gardeners not warriors.”

“I know plenty about growing plants,” Wheeler insisted. “I’m sure I could help her.”

Twilight narrowed his eyes. Surely, he was lying. That Northerner knew as much about gardening as Twilight knew about southern cuisine.

“I appreciate the offering,” he said because he had to thread carefully, especially after breaking his agreement with Nightfall. “However, my wife feels more comfortable in the company of other women. Hence, I’m only hiring women for this task.”

Wheeler scoffed.

“You sound like a jealous man trying to keep other men from even glancing at his woman,” the Northerner taunted.

Twilight calmly got on his feet and approached him. Wheeler was a warrior, but so was the King, and when Twilight wanted, he could look threatening, especially in front of people like Wheeler.

“Well, it is my right,” he looked at him with cold eyes. “Yor Briar is, after all, my wife.”

Northerner culture had its own rules and, luckily, Twilight was well acquainted with them. Men often stole women from their husbands, if the husband was weak. However, attempting to do this with the wife of a strong warrior was an issue that most often than not ended in blood…

Fear crept into Wheeler’s eyes. He’d seen Twilight in battle, he’d seen what he was capable of.

“Perhaps, it would be wise if you spent your time elsewhere,” the King suggested but it sounded very much like an order.

“Of course!” the Northerner let out a nervous chuckle. “I wouldn’t want to waste my time planting flowers, anyways.”

He left after that, and Twilight just felt annoyed. That’s what Wheeler was to him―an annoyance he had to deal with occasionally. Perhaps recruiting him to participate in his government had been a mistake.

Just then, someone knocked on his door.

“Come in,” he said.

The next person who entered his studio was a 15-year-old girl. At first glance, she didn’t seem strong enough to help his wife, but Mrs. Authen had especially recommended her:

“She’s a very smart girl, and loyal too! And she needs a job to help her family.”

As a King, Twilight wanted all his people to have the necessary means to live. If he could employ another person, then he would be a step closer to fulfilling his duty.

“What’s your name?” he asked the girl.

“Chloe, my Lord,” she answered.

“Did Mrs. Authen give you details about the job?”

“Yes, my Lord,” she nodded. “Gardening; I can do that, and I have experience with it too. My sister and I grow vegetables in our family garden.”

All the other women Twilight had hired were older than Yor. Chloe was the only one who was younger than his wife. While studying the young girl in front of him, he thought that maybe this could be beneficial.

“Do you know who you’ll be working with?” he asked.

“Yes, my Lord. I’ll be working with the Queen.”

“That’s right,” he confirmed. “And because of this, I have an extra task for you: I want you to become friends with the Queen.”

“Friends?” Chloe frowned.

“Yes, I want you to be her friend,” Twilight repeated. “Talk to her. Find out what she likes, what makes her happy, the things that scare her, what she thinks.”

Chloe stared at him for a moment, and he began to wonder if she had understood.

“You want me to spy on your wife?” she asked.

Perhaps Mrs. Authen was right about Chloe.

“No, I don’t want you to spy on her,” he corrected. “I want you to become friends and get to know her.”

“And then you want me to come and tell you about it, right, my Lord?”

Smart girl.

“Correct,” Twilight smiled.

“I can do that, my Lord.”

“Then, you’re hired.”

***

The next day, Twilight introduced the small group of ladies he had hired to his wife, and they began to work that very same morning.

From his window, he saw Yor giving those ladies instructions to clean up the designated piece of land. The Princess didn’t sit and waited for the ladies to finish the task, like the King thought she would. She participated and cleaned up as well.

Interesting.

In a couple of days, the land was ready, and they brought sacs full of good soil to prepare to seed. Yor could carry two or three sacs of dirt all on her own, and that surprised him. Despite her delicate appearance and beauty, his wife was very strong.

And he truly enjoyed observing her. He hadn’t worked that much during the past days, but he figured in time he would get used to having Yor around and he would go back to normal. For right now, he was simply keeping an eye on her because her wellbeing was also part of the wellbeing of his country, of course.

Then, a miracle happened:

It was a warm and sunny day; his wife and her ladies had been working all morning. Yor looked healthier after being outdoors for several days; her cheeks had turned pink; she was also eating much better in the company of Chloe and her ladies (though, she still had dinner with him every night.) Observing her while she worked in the garden had become his favorite pastime.

Yor stopped digging in the dirt for a second and looked at the sun. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up, then, suddenly, she smiled.

She smiled for the first time!

Twilight dropped the papers he was holding. It was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life, as if the sun had come out after the long months of winter. He decided he would do anything and everything to see her smile again.

And right then and there, he finally admitted something to himself:

I love her.

Chapter Text

“Chloe, report,” the King asked.

It had been a few days since Chloe started working for his wife, and he felt eager about any information that girl could tell him.

“Right, my Lord,” Chloe nodded.

They were in his studio, just before dinner. In a few minutes, Twilight would join his wife, and he wanted a bit of insight. Even though Yor seemed more content since working in the garden, she still behaved very reserved in his presence.

“She knows a lot about plants, especially flowers,” Chloe began. “She seems more like a gardener than a princess,” she commented distractedly. “Are you sure…?”

“Chloe…”

“Yes, right, my Lord,” she shook her head and resumed her report. “If you ask her anything about plants, she can talk for hours!”

Duly noted: Talk about plants.

“What else?”

Chloe frowned. “Well, other than plants and flowers, we didn’t really talk about anything else,” she said. “She likes to teach people how to work in the garden, and she’s good at it.”

He couldn’t help smiling.

“And…” the young girl hesitated.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“I’m not sure about this but I think she’s scared of the dark,” Chloe revealed. “We went to a shed in one of the corners of the castle to get some gardening tools but when she saw it was dark, she couldn’t go in,” she recounted. “I think she was scared.”

His mind went straight to all those nights his wife cried quietly…in the dark.

“Is there anything else?” he asked.

“No, my Lord,” Chloe replied. “Wait…yes! One more thing: she loves apples.”

“Apples.” he repeated. “Excellent work, Chloe. Keep it up.”

“I will, my Lord!” the girl chirped.

She left and shortly after, so did he. Yor and he usually ate dinner alone in their bedchamber; by that time, the maids were serving dinner, and he didn’t want to make her wait. Nevertheless, before heading there, he ran to the kitchen and picked a couple of apples. Then, he ran to his wife.

“Good evening, Princess,” he greeted her. “Tonight, I was craving apples, so I brought a couple,” he showed him two juicy, red apples and offered them to her. “Would you care for one?”

Her eyes sparkled and a tiny smile appeared on her face. “Yes, my Lord,” she took one. “Thank you!”

They ate dinner after that. Yor was as quiet as usual, but it didn’t matter, he had a plan.

“I walked by the garden today,” he lied (he saw the garden every day from his window.) “It looks like you’ve done a lot in barely a few days.”

She nodded. “We still have a lot more to do.”

“Do you think anything good could grow there?” he asked. “Terrain is pretty rocky.”

“That’s why we’ve been prepping the land,” she said confidently. “Sure, there are places more suitable for growing plants than others, but I think with the right kind of soil and care, we can grow something.”

“And how do you do that?” he asked her with curiosity.

While his wife explained this like a master gardener, all Twilight could think was that Chloe was right. Yor talked for thirty minutes straight, explaining detail by detail the whole process for growing a full garden. Twilight listened to her―fascinated by her knowledge about something he had never thought about, trying not to get too distracted by her beauty and the sweetness of her voice, but inevitably looking at her lips.

Suddenly, she looked out the window and realized it was dark.

“Oh my, I’ve been talking too long!” she said. “You’re probably bored.”

“Not at all, my Lady!” he told her. “Quite the contrary; I find it fascinating that my lovely wife knows so much about gardening.”

Yor blushed and he had to refrain from kissing her.

He cleared his throat and got on his feet. The maids knocked on the door at that moment. They had come to pick up the plates and clean up.

Every night, the King left right after the maids to avoid disturbing his wife, but he was feeling a bit optimistic and decided to try something different.

“My lady, I usually work after dinner but today I’m feeling a bit tired. Do you mind if I stay here?”

Yor studied him for a second and he yawned to make things a bit more believable.

“Of course not, my Lord,” she replied. “This is your bedroom.”

“Our bedroom,” he reminded her, and he couldn’t help looking at her with sweet eyes.  

Another blush.

“I’ll do my best not to disturb you,” he said.

“It’s quite all right,” she said. “I think I’ll sleep early too. I’m tired.”

“It’s all that gardening!” he joked and the Princess smiled again.

They took turns to change in the bathroom and, when then Yor got in bed, she seemed nervous.

Right! She’s afraid of the dark!

He was already lying on the divan but instead of blowing the candle, the King got up and went to his desk. He grabbed some random paper―a letter―from two or three years ago. That didn’t matter.

“Princess?” he called from his desk. “Do you mind if I review some documents before sleeping?”

“No, my Lord, you can do so,” she answered already in bed.

“I’m sorry to keep the light on. I hope it doesn’t disturb you too much,” he apologized. “I’ll try to not take too long.”

“Not at all,” she responded. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Twilight pretended to read the letter with great interest for the next 15 minutes; until he heard quiet breathing coming from the bed. Yor was fast asleep.

“Sweet dreams, my Princess.”

***

“You’re too distracted, my Lord,” McMahon reprimanded him.

His tone reminded him of those long boring lessons Twilight and Franky had to endure when they were teenagers.

“Hrmmmm.”

That was his whole answer and didn’t get away from the window of his studio or even take his eyes off his wife who was working in the garden, like every day.

“Ever since that Princess came along, your head is somewhere else,” his old teacher kept going. “In that garden with her, for example.”

Twilight rolled his eyes.

“A good husband keeps an eye on his wife,” he argued. “I just want to make sure she’s all right.”

McMahon peeked out the window.

“She seems all right to me,” he assessed. “Now, can we get to work?”

Twilight finally got away from the window. When McMahon got like this, he could be insufferable.

The King did have some issues to oversee; that year, the rainy season had taken longer than usual, and crops hadn’t done well because of that. They spent most of the day calculating how many resources they could send to the villages in the south of the country, which were the most affected. By the end of the day, they had finished those calculations, and the King was putting those orders in writing when a guard came into his studio.

“What is it?” the King asked.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, my Lord, but we found a man trying to sneak into the castle,” the guard answered.

“A man?” McMahon raised an eyebrow.

“An Ostanian, my Lord,” the guard answered, and the King felt alarmed. The only reason why an Ostanian would come all the way here was…

“He says he’s here to rescue the Princess.”

Twilight got on his feet. That warrior instinct in him suddenly awakened―ready to defend and keep his Princess by his side.

“Where is he?” he asked.

“Restrained at the entrance of the castle,” the guard responded.

“Bring him to the throne room.”

“Right away, my Lord.”

Twilight and McMahon left for the throne room. The King rarely spent time there, but he found that it was the most intimidating place in his castle, so whenever he had visitors from other places, he would meet them there.

“What are you planning?” McMahon asked him.

“I’m going to cut that man’s throat,” he said. “But before that, I want to know who sent him and if more are coming. We need to be prepared.”

“I knew they wouldn’t leave things alone,” McMahon mumbled. “I knew she was trouble…”

“Be quiet, McMahon,” the King ordered because the last thing he needed was for his old teacher to talk about his wife.

Twilight grabbed his sword. He kept it in the throne room because at home he never felt like he needed it. He needed it today.

The King sat on the throne and waited with McMahon standing next to him.

McMahon was right, of course. Twilight didn't think Lord Desmond would just let things be. That Ostanian caravan that brought gold and silver as an exchange for the Princess waited for a long time in the agreed middle point before returning to Ostania without Yor.  

On the day of his wedding, Twilight had written a letter to the Ostanian King stating he had changed his mind about the ransom and that he had decided to forge an alliance with Ostania by marrying the Princess. His enemy had probably read the letter already and this man was perhaps the result.

Minutes later, Wheeler, plus five guards brought that Ostanian.

“Here you go, Twilight!” Wheeler threw the man on the floor. “He was somehow difficult to catch, but we managed.”

The King did not answer Wheeler. Instead, he observed the man on the floor with cold eyes―killer instinct rising every second. The man's hair covered his face, so the King couldn't see him.

“Ungag him,” he ordered.

They took the gag from his mouth.

“Who sent you?” the King asked. “Was it Lord Desmond or Ostania’s King?”

“Neither. I came of my own volition,” the man answered.

Clearly, he was lying. Why would he risk his life if no one had ordered him to do so?

“Why are you here?” the King asked. He wanted to hear it from his mouth before putting his sword in that man’s chest.

“I came for the Princess; I came to take her home.”

Filthy Ostanian thief. His Princess was already home.

Just then, someone came running into the throne room.

“HEMLOCK!”

“YOR!!” the man turned his head and called his wife by her given name.

The fearless face of that Ostanian melted into relief and the King knew at once the reason why he had come rescue Yor.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“I came for you!” he replied smiling like a fool. “Are you alright? Have they hurt you?”

She shook her head. Then she approached the King and once she was in front of him, she got on her knees.

“My Lord King, I beg you, please, do not harm this man,” she pleaded.

Twilight felt enraged by this gesture. Why was the Queen of Westalis begging for the life of someone who pretended to steal her away from her husband?

“On your feet, my Lady,” Twilight said. “The Queen of Westalis should never be on her knees, not even in front of her husband.”

Yor got up. She was wearing an apron and was covered in dirt.

“Do you know this man, my Lady?” his tone was dangerous.

Yor nodded. “He’s my little brother’s bodyguard. His name is Hemlock.”

The King observed that man. He had long, light, straight hair and a face with several marks in several places. He could easily pass for a northerner warrior.

“Is the Prince of Ostania the one who sent you?” the King asked him.

Instead of answering him, the thief looked at Yor and answered her:

“Yes,” he smiled at her. “Yuri sent me to bring you home.”

His wife’s eyes pooled but she said nothing.

Not answering the King was an unforgivable offense. On top of everything he had admitted he’d come to steal his wife. Twilight had no other choice but to kill him. The King got on his feet with his sword in his hand and walked towards the thief.

“Are there others coming?” he asked him coldly.

The Ostanian looked at him defiantly but did not respond.

“Very well,” the King lifted his sword and pointed it at the man’s throat.

“PLEASE, DON’T!!” Yor yelled, ran to him and grabbed his arm.

Twilight looked at his wife. She was crying. He had made her cry again.

“Lord King, my brother is the one who sent him,” she spoke. “My little brother is only 13 years old; he’s just a child. He didn’t know what he was doing, and Hemlock had no choice but to obey.”

“My Lady, you heard this man,” he said. “He’s come to take you away from me. I cannot allow that.”

Twilight could feel Yor’s trembling fingers on his arm.

“Please, let him go,” she begged again almost in a whisper. “I’m asking my husband to show mercy, and I only dare to ask because I know my husband is a kind man.”

It was the first time she had referred to him as her husband.

Twilight had every reason to kill this man and if he didn’t, he would look weak in front of his men, including Wheeler. However, if he did, it was possible that his Princess would fear him for the rest of their lives, maybe even hate him.

He lowered his sword.

“Did you come by boat or by land?” he asked the Ostanian, who, of course, decided not to reply.

“Answer the King, Hemlock,” Yor coaxed him.

“By boat,” he said.

“My men will take you all the way to your boat and you will leave immediately,” Twilight ordered.

“I am not leaving without Yor!” the Ostanian exclaimed.

“Enough, Hemlock!” Yor scolded him. “You’re only alive because of the kindness of my husband and now you must return home.”

“Take him back to his boat,” Twilight ordered his men.

The guards plus Wheeler lifted the Ostanian and pushed him out of the throne room.

“Wait! Yor!! Yor!!”

The only remaining people in the room were Twilight, Yor and McMahon. His old teacher was shaking his head. Clearly, he did not approve of the King’s decision. Twilight couldn’t take his eyes off his wife.

“May I ask one more thing, my Lord?” Yor asked with her characteristic shy tone.

“Speak, my Lady.”

“I would like to see Hemlock off.”

Her request bothered him a lot. Perhaps, she didn’t trust his men wouldn’t kill Hemlock or maybe she just wanted to be with that Ostanian.

“As you wish.”

Twilight knew Yor didn’t know how to ride a horse, so he rode a horse with her.

On their way to the beach, he held her tightly, almost to prove to himself that she was his.

That man―that thief―was clearly in love with her. But what about Yor? Was she also in love with him? Is that why she had so desperately begged for his life?

No!

He held her waist and placed his nose near her hair.

When he did this, Yor turned her head momentarily. Even though he was angry, he couldn’t help asking her:

“Are you all right, my Lady?”

Yor nodded and turned her head. That helped him calm down a bit. Yor wasn’t going anywhere; she was his wife and would be his wife forever.

When they got to the beach, his men were already there along with Hemlock. Twilight jumped off the horse and then gently helped his wife get off the horse too. Instead of angry, he felt intoxicated after holding her for some time.

“May I say goodbye, my Lord?” she asked cautiously.

“Briefly, my Lady,” he said. “Our guest is leaving right now.”

“Hemlock, please, tell my little brother not to worry about me; I am healthy, and the King treats me well,” she said to that thief. “Also, please tell him that I pray for him every night…” she began to cry. “And that I love him.”

“I will, Yor.”

The King placed himself in between that man and his wife before giving an order:

“Untie him so he returns to his boat.”

“You heard Twilight,” Wheeler said as he cut the ropes. “Swim the fuck back to your boat!”

“Do not use that language in front of my wife, Wheeler,” Twilight commanded.

Wheeler did not apologize but he shut up.

The thief walked towards the water but before he began to swim, he turned to Yor one more time:

“Yor, I swear, I will not give up and I will not rest until I bring you back to Ostania.”

Upon listening to the man’s oath, his wife, who was still crying, did not speak. But Twilight did:

“Hemlock, that is your name, is that right?”

No answer, as usual.

“Listen, Hemlock,” Twilight said coldly. “You can swear all you want but my wife is not going anywhere. She is no longer the Princess of Ostania, she’s now the Queen of Westalis and…she’s also with child.”

When he said this, Hemlock paled. Yor’s eyes opened big, and her face turned as red as her eyes.

It was a blatant lie, given that he hadn’t gone near Yor’s bed. However, he had said it not only so this thief would give up, but also as a message for Lord Desmond. If this Ostanian told him his wife was already pregnant, then Desmond would probably renounce Yor too.

“So, as you can see, I cannot let anyone take her along with the heir of Westalis,” Twilight smirked. “Don’t come back.”

Hemlock’s jaw tightened and he shot Twilight a look of absolute hate. Then, without saying another word, he got into the water and started swimming towards his boat.

"Stay here until you see the boat disappear," the King ordered Wheeler and his men.

Twilight did not wait another moment. He grabbed Yor’s hand, walked towards his horse, help her up and left. He was fuming. Maybe it was a good thing his wife couldn’t see his face because he would have probably frightened her.

When they reached the castle. He helped his wife get off the horse and without saying a word to her or anyone else, he rode away before he did something he could regret.

***

For the most part, the King was an even-tempered man. McMahon had taught him he couldn’t let his emotions dictate his actions; as King, he always had to think coldly and calculate every movement because the future of Westalis and its people depended on him.

However, Twilight wasn’t always as composed as he was now. When he was 13, after his father died and McMahon took over his education, the young prince used to have anger outburst. This happened quite often and soon began to get out of control. Nevertheless, even during the worst fits of anger, McMahon always remained stoic, which only made young Twilight act up even worse.

Nevertheless, McMahon found a clever solution for the young prince’s tempter tantrums: he took Twilight and Franky to a cabin deep in the forest, where both teenagers were allowed to scream as much as they wanted while chopping trees.

That first year after his father’s death, Twilight spent a lot of time outside that cabin. However, as time went by, and the young Prince grew up (and later became King), that cabin was eventually forgotten.

Until today…

“I knew I would find you here,” Franky said while carrying a torch.

“What do you want?!” Twilight practically barked at him like a rabid animal―sweaty, with messy hair, filthy clothes, and still with an axe in his hands.

Franky observed the landscape around him. It looked as if a small storm had passed through that place. Twilight had been there at least a few hours, and he’d been letting it out.

“I came to take you back home,” Franky said. “Come on.”

“What for?!” he yelled and swung that axe. “My wife doesn’t want me there. She wants that asshole, that thief!!”

“I don’t think…”

“That’s probably why she’s desperate to go back to Ostania!” Twilight kept yelling. “She’s in love with him!!”

His friend was clearly losing his mind. And part of Franky found it a bit amusing because he’d never seen his best friend act like a fool in love.

“Nah. I saw the guy on his way out; he’s not a good-looking man,” he argued.

“That doesn’t matter!!”

Twilight swung his axe against the trunk of a tree and Franky let out a sigh of frustration. His best friend could be so stubborn.

“I don’t think the Princess has feelings for that man,” Franky said.

Twilight scoffed. “You should have seen her on her knees begging for that man’s life, desperately crying when I almost killed him, and when he left.”

“Well, she misses her family and her home,” Franky argued. “And she just saw someone familiar that reminded her of her life back in Ostania. If you ask me, her reaction was perfectly normal.”

Twilight stopped. He breathed out and wiped sweat from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

Good. He was finally listening.

“I honestly doubt the Princess loves that man because…” Franky hesitated.

“Go on.”

“Well from what you’ve told me and what I have seen, she’s the kind of woman who has to ask permission for everything,” Franky explained. “Back in Ostania, she probably had to ask her father permission to take dump…”

“Hey, watch it!”

“Sorry. But, do you see what I mean?” Franky asked. “Do you think someone who grew up in such a restrictive environment would have dared to defy her father by falling in love with a bodyguard?”

Twilight thought about it for a second. A restrictive environment and nobility titles were not impediments for two people to fall in love. However, Yor’s upbringing was so constrictive that she wasn’t allowed to ride a horse or even touch dirt. Plus, a few hours ago, his wife had asked him permission to say goodbye to that thief and when she had done so…

“She just gave him a message for her brother.” he muttered.

If she really loved that man and she knew she wouldn’t see him ever again, she would have probably said something to him. Could it be…?

“If you’re not sure about it, you should just ask her,” Franky suggested. “Come on, let’s go back home,” he insisted. “She’s worried about you.”

“What did you say?”

Franky shook his head and smiled. His friend was really a fool in love.

“Since you missed dinner, she came to my house to ask if I knew where you were,” Franky informed him. “What? Do you think I wanted to leave my lovely wife to come find you? I did it because the Queen requested it.”

Twilight dropped the axe, got on his horse and rode back to the castle.

“You’re welcome!” Franky yelled at him from afar, but the King didn’t answer.

His Princess wanted him to come home, so that’s what he did.   

***

Yor waited nervously in the bed chamber.

It was very late, and her husband hadn’t come yet. Somehow, she felt like she had done something terrible and feared the King had finally run out of patience with her and would harm her. That’s why she had asked Chloe to help her find that man who was often with her husband. The other option was to ask McMahon, but the King's advisor always shot her mean glances, and he frightened her.

Franky (that was that man’s name) had promised to go find the King and send him her way. Then, she went back to the castle and waited.

It had been months since she had been taken from her home and more than two months since she had married the King. Yor still missed Ostania and her little brother; however, working in the garden and keeping busy had lessened the fear and despair she felt.

A familiar soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It was the same girl that filled the tub every night; that was usually the sign that the King would be there soon.

Yor straightened up and tried to steady her shaky hands. She had to be brave and talk to the King; she needed to apologize. The whole thing with Hemlock…she still couldn’t believe it. Yuri had sent someone for her. Her little brother hadn’t given up on her! Maybe if she prayed with a lot of devotion one day they would see each other again.

The door opened and she got on her feet.

“Good evening, Princess,” the King greeted her like every night.

“Good evening…” she barely recognized the King. He looked as if he had been dragged by horses. “...Lord King.”

The King took his boots off and went straight to a basin they kept next to the window to wash his hands and his face.

Yor had to wait for him to finish washing but the more she waited, the more nervous she felt.

I must apologize!

“Lord King?” she called as he was drying his face.

“Yes, Princess?”

Her breathing quickened, she balled her hands and lowered her head but forced herself to speak.

“I want to apologize for today,” she began. “I acted recklessly, and you are right to be angry at me,” she continued, still looking at the floor. “I will accept any punishment you see fit.”

That court lady had warned her about this too: when a wife acted recklessly, when she didn’t obey, a husband had the right to correct her.

“Punishment?” the King asked puzzled.

“A husband has the right to physically punish his wife when she…”

“What?!” he asked alarmed. “Princess, I would never dare to raise my hand against you.”

Yor lifted her head and looked at him.

“Then, how are you going to punish me?”

“I am not going to punish you,” he replied. “Listen, I don’t know how things work in Ostania, but here we don’t do that.”

They stared at each other. His eyes were so blue…

Even though he had already told her he wouldn’t punish her, Yor still felt nervous. There was something that still bothered her, but she couldn’t figure it out. So, she walked away and sat on the edge of the bed.

There was a long silence between them after that. Yor didn’t know what else to say.

She saw her husband walking to the bathroom, surely to bathe after whatever it was that he did after dropping her off and that had made his clothes so dirty. But before he could reach the door, she spoke again.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For not killing him.”

Her husband stopped and instead of walking forward he said:

“I need to ask you something.” Then he turned around and looked at her straight in the eyes. “Do you love him?”

“Who?” Yor asked because she thought he meant Yuri.

“Hemlock. Are you in love with him?”

“Pardon me?!” Yor was surprised by his question. “No, my Lord. Not at all!”

It was the truth. Hemlock and Yor had grown up together and he was Yuri’s bodyguard, but Yor never saw him as nothing more than a good friend.

"My father would never allow…"

The King let out a chuckle and then a sigh that sounded a lot like relief. Hearing him laugh made her realize what was bothering her:

“Do you hate me now?” she asked but it sounded more like a plea than a question.

Yor didn’t want her husband to hate her; she didn’t want those kind eyes to look at her differently.

Twilight stopped laughing and looked at her with his usual kindness. Then, he walked towards her and kneeled.

“No, Yor,” he took her hands. “There’s nothing you could do that would make me hate you. You could probably stab me and I would still feel the same way about you.”

He had just called her by her name for the first time and when he did, his eyes turned even softer. Having him so close made her feel dizzy and she wasn’t sure if she was scared or not, but somehow, she didn’t want him to let go.

“Why so much kindness? I don’t understand.”

“Can’t you see it, Yor?” he had called her by her name again and now she was so dizzy she felt like she was about to pass out.

Twilight got up, leaned towards her and before she could react, he kissed her forehead.

“I care about you more than anything and anyone in this world.”

Her jaw dropped and she could feel her cheeks burning. Her mind stopped working right after listening to those words.

Twilight laughed again.

“I really need a bath,” he let go of her hands and walked away. “One more thing,” he called before closing the door: “If he gets to call you by your given name, then so should I!”

Yor giggled.

“Sounds fair!” she answered before letting herself fall backwards on the soft bed.

Twilight’s words and kiss echoed in her mind.

Chapter Text

Lately, she watched him at every opportunity.

Every time he was near, Yor observed his every move and gesture. The King walked firmly and with a purpose no matter where he went. He didn’t dress like a king; his attire was rather simple but also allowed him to move easily. The people around him respected him and they even seemed to cherish him. He had a kind smile and was polite to everyone. Nevertheless, that sweetness in his eyes was reserved only for her. And Yor secretly liked that.

“I care about you more than anything and anyone in this world.”

It had been three months since Hemlock’s incident, yet, her husband’s words still burned in her mind and her heart as if he had just said it yesterday.

No one had ever given her such a declaration. She knew her brother loved her, but that was brotherly love coming from a child. This was different.

And after that night and those words, she couldn’t see her husband the same way.

Yor began to wake up earlier because, every morning, whenever she was awake, he would kiss her forehead before leaving their room.

“Have a good day in the garden, Yor,” his voice was sweeter than honey. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Even though she knew he would kiss her every morning, she still felt disoriented every time and usually sputtered some nonsense:

“Have a goodbye.”

“You too, my garden.”

“See you at my Lord.”

In response, her husband would just chuckle and sometimes kiss her hands as well before leaving.

What’s wrong with me?

Perhaps, it was lack of sleep. Every night, Yor and Twilight would stay up talking until the candle almost burned up. Now that he no longer frightened her, they talked about everything―their countries, their dreams, the food they liked, their childhood.

Yor loved the sound of his voice.

She listened to him from the bed, looking at him laying on the divan―smiling at her, asking her questions. His presence was no longer fearsome. Now, she couldn’t wait for nighttime to come because they would be together.

During the day, Yor also saw him more often. Instead of just having dinner, sometimes her husband would also walk by the garden just to say hello, and occasionally, he would also have lunch with Yor and her ladies outside.

Every time Yor saw her husband approaching, a frantic drum played inside her chest; she could hear it bounce all the way to her ears and wondered if he could hear it too.

“Are you ready, Yor?” Twilight asked her and offered her his hand.

“Yes, my Lord,” she took his hand.

They didn’t meet in their bed chamber every evening. Now, they would meet in the garden and walk around the castle before dinner.

Somehow, her husband had figured out that she was afraid of the castle (although she had no idea how he had found out.) So, he had taken upon himself to show her every nook and cranny of that old place.

Her husband’s castle lacked the refinement her father’s palace had; there weren’t any expensive paintings, tapestries, vases, and sophisticated artifacts. Nevertheless, it was a place rich in history. Twilight’s family had lived there for centuries, and her husband shared many stories with her.

By his side, with his hand holding hers, and the occasional kiss on her face, that place seemed warm and welcoming. Yor was starting to feel right at home.

They usually ended up sitting somewhere―still holding hands and looking at the pink and orange sky during twilight.

“Yor?” he called.

“What is it?”

“I have to travel for a few days,” he announced. “I must pay a visit to my uncle.”

“You have an uncle?”

He kissed her hand. “Yes, he’s actually my mother’s uncle and also bit old, so he doesn’t travel much,” he explained. “My mother and I used to visit him two or three times a year and, since the war ended, I've been trying to resume that tradition.”

“I’m glad you’re close with your family, my Lord,” she smiled at him and that earned her another forehead kiss (she couldn’t complain about that.)

“I thought about taking you with me, but my family can be…overwhelming sometimes,” he said. “Since you’re just adapting to Westalis, I figured we should wait.”

“It’s all right, my Lord,” she said. “I’ll wait for you right here at home.”

His eyes sweetened when she said that.

“I’ll make it a short visit,” he put his forehead against hers. “I can’t be away from you that long.”

The morning her husband left Westalis Bay, they took a while saying goodbye in the garden.

“If you need anything, tell Mrs. Authen or Franky,” he told her. “The castle, as well as the city is well guarded, but still, be safe, my Princess.”

Twilight was holding her face in his hands, kissing her cheeks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be safe, my Lord,” she took his hands. “Please, you be safe as well.”

They heard someone clear his throat. It was McMahon, who seemed impatient to leave.

After one more forehead kiss, Twilight finally left and seeing him walk away, Yor felt like she already missed him.

“It’s all right,” she said to herself. “Five days will go by quickly.”

***

For the most part, Yor kept busy in the garden. During the day, she didn’t feel lonely; Chloe and her ladies always kept her entertained; she laughed often and worked hard.

At night, it was a different story…

It was too quiet. She had no one to talk to and no one to have dinner with.

“Are you ready to eat, my Lady?” Mrs. Authen asked that first evening.

Yor was too embarrassed to admit she was afraid of eating alone, and too shy to ask Mrs. Authen to sit with her.

“Actually, I’m too tired to eat, Mrs. Authen,” she lied. “I just want to go to bed.”

It was fine; she would just have a big breakfast with Chloe tomorrow. She could just sleep early. Unfortunately, without any conversation, silence was too overwhelming. And after hours tossing and turning, she realized something:

I miss my husband.

She missed his calming voice, and the goodnight kiss he gave her every night. She wondered if he had made it to his uncle’s estate safely and wished there was a magic artifact so she could talk to him and see his face.

On that long first night alone, Yor thought about how much her life had changed in barely half a year. Back in Ostania, she felt invisible. Yuri was the one who would inherit the throne, and he was the only one who mattered. She was a little more than a decoration and her father didn’t give her much thought until Lord Desmond came into their lives. She wondered what would have happened if she had married Lord Desmond. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt a hint of disgust. Would that man have been as kind and gentle as Twilight? Surely not. Would Lord Desmond have given her a garden all to herself and let her work as much as she wanted? Absolutely not. She would have been yet another decorative article in a big southern castle and would have probably felt as invisible and lonely as she felt back at home.

Here, she felt seen and heard. Her husband was as kind and gentle as he promised the day he announced they would marry. Here, she had the freedom she never enjoyed back in Ostania, and her days were filled with laughter and affection. And after being married to Twilight for almost six months, she couldn’t imagine being married to anyone else.

The Princess looked at the empty divan and before she could think, she ran to it and lay on it. It was uncomfortable.

“How can he sleep here every night?” the Princess thought before laying her head on her husband’s pillow and falling asleep.

***

On the day her husband was to arrive, while working on the garden, Yor kept looking up, waiting for him to appear at any moment, even though he had told her he would be there by dinnertime.

“You miss him, don’t you, my Lady?” Chloe asked while digging in the dirt.

Yor blushed and nodded. Chloe giggled and kept working.

Their garden was blooming. All that hard work had paid off and it looked beautiful. This was Yor’s dream; to make something from scratch. A few months ago, that little piece of land was nothing but rocks and dirt, now it was a vivid green, splashed with colorful flowers, bees, butterflies, and birds. While observing this miracle, she thought that maybe she could do the same with her life here. That perhaps it had started as something awful and frightening―a rocky beginning. However, she could turn her life into something beautiful.

Yor got on her feet, dusted her apron with her hands, and smiled.

“Are you happy here, my Lady?” Chloe asked while she also dusted her clothes.

“I believe I am quite content, Chloe,” she answered smiling. “I have a lovely life, a kind husband, and a garden. What more can I ask?" she sighed while contemplating some daisies that had just bloomed. "What about you? Are you happy working here?”

“Yes, my Lady!” Chloe responded enthusiastically. “I love gardening.”

Yor liked all her ladies, but she especially liked Chloe. She was young and reminded her a bit of her little brother. The Princess enjoyed teaching her things and listening to her lively chat every day.

“I’m glad the King married you instead of that Northerner,” Chloe disclosed. “I don’t think that woman would have hired me.”

“What woman?” Yor asked.

Chloe’s eyes grew big, and she put a hand on her mouth. Clearly this was something she wasn't planning on telling her.

“Chloe?”

“I’m sorry, my Lady!” the young girl apologized. “I thought you knew about Nightfall.”

“Nightfall? Who is Nightfall?”

Even though she’d never heard that name before, the Princess felt alarmed.

Chloe sighed and accepted she had made a mistake by mentioning her but in the end decided to just tell the Queen everything she knew about that Northerner.

“She’s the woman the King was supposed to marry.”

The Queen’s jaw dropped.

“It was an alliance between the King and the Northern Tribes,” Chloe explained. “She’s from up north and came to Westalis Bay a few months before you arrived so the King and she would get acquainted,” she kept going. “Everyone thought they would get married, everyone knew about it.”

Not everyone.

Yor frowned. Her husband had never mentioned a word about this Nightfall woman.

“So, she went back to the north when the King and I married, right?” Yor asked trying to maintain her composure.

“…”

“Chloe?”

The girl made a painful expression before answering:

“No, my Lady, she did not,” Chloe replied. “She still lives in Westalis Bay.”

Yor’s thoughts were completely tangled up.

“But the King doesn’t talk to her at all, I’m sure of it,” Chloe argued. “He only has eyes for you!”

The truth was neither Yor nor Chloe knew that. Yor sat on a bench nearby―sadness and worry invaded her head to toe.

“You’re prettier than her,” Chloe tried cheering her up. “You’re a Princess and she’s not. You have much more refined manners, and…”

Yor wasn’t listening anymore. Why had Twilight failed to mention he was engaged? And most importantly, why had he kept that woman so near even after their marriage?

The Princess thought about noblemen back in Ostania. Many of them, in addition to their wives, also had concubines. This was a custom even among kings and she had even heard rumors about her own father having a concubine while her mother was still alive.

Could it be that her husband was planning on doing this as well?

Trapped in her thoughts, Yor felt a pang in her stomach, until Chloe interrupted:

“My Lady, would you like to meet her?”

“You mean Nightfall?” she asked a bit surprised, and Chloe nodded.

“Maybe if you see her, you’ll know that you have nothing to worry about,” Chloe said. “I know where she lives.”

“Chloe, I don’t know…” Yor hesitated. She had never left the castle before. “My husband isn’t here, and I don’t know if it’s correct for me to go into the city.”

“You don’t need your husband’s permission to go out!” Chloe argued. "You're the Queen!"

True. Twilight had given her freedom to do whatever she saw fit with her time. Plus, Yor thought that she would not feel at peace until she met that woman.

“All right,” she agreed. “Take me to see Nightfall.”

***

Westalis Bay was very different from Berlint.

People didn’t curtsy whenever she walked by, they just carried on with their tasks. It was crowded. People walked everywhere instead of using carriages or horses and there was a big market in the middle of the street. The vendors offered her fish, flowers, yarn, fabric, and pottery. Yor observed everything so fascinated she almost forgot why they had left the castle.

“An orange for the Lady,” a fruit vendor offered her.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any money,” Yor responded.

“It’s a gift, for the Queen,” the woman smiled. “As a thank you to your husband, who is a generous King to his people.”

Yor took the orange, pleased to hear that about Twilight.

“Thank you.”

“May Heaven bless your union soon!”

Yor blushed. She knew exactly what that vendor meant.

“The previous queen, the King’s mother, used to walk here and talk to people,” Chloe explained. “I remember seeing her when I was little.”

“Is that so?” Yor asked looking at the orange. When she lifted her eyes, she noticed people looking at her, smiling with curiosity.

“When the King married, the people wondered if you would do the same or if you would stay in the castle,” Chloe continued. “They’re happy to meet you, my Lady.”

A little girl shyly waved at her and Yor smiled and waved back. She briefly thought about all the things she’d heard about Westalians back when she lived in Ostania. She had been so wrong.

“We’re almost there, my Lady,” Chloe announced.

That comment startled her and reminded her of the reason they were in the city.

As they walked closer, Yor began to feel anxious. Why was she doing this? What would she accomplish meeting this woman? Maybe they should turn back.

“We’re here,” Chloe said and Yor almost expected to see this woman appear in front of her at once. “This is the Northerners’ part of town. They all live here because they’re kind of rowdy and often cause problems.”

Yor observed the people on that side of town. They looked different from the people she had seen at the market; men and women had long hair and dressed as warriors; they looked strong and were bigger than average people, plus, they all carried swords and looked a bit dirty. She also noticed most had light hair, and light eyes, just like her husband.  

Due to her dark hair, red eyes, and princess dress, Yor stood up among the Northerners. People around her observed her with curiosity but they did not seem very friendly.

“Maybe we should go back,” she suggested nervously.

“Yes, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Chloe took Yor’s arm, they turned around and began to walk as fast as they could.

Unfortunately, as they were moving, Yor’s dress got caught up on something and she ended up tripping and falling to the ground.

“My Lady! Are you alright?” Chloe grabbed her arm and helped her up.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Just then, a woman with light hair and dark eyes walked by them. The stranger saw Yor as she was getting up and looked at her straight in the eyes. And just like that, even though Chloe didn’t say a word, Yor knew: She was Nightfall.   

This was the first time they met, however, Yor felt as if they had known each other before. As if fate had somehow entangled their lives. Yor couldn’t explain it.

Nightfall didn’t say a word; she just nodded briefly to acknowledge the Queen and walked away.

“That was her!” Chloe whispered.

“I saw her,” Yor responded as she dusted her dress.

“Oh no, my Lady! Your dress is torn!” Chloe lamented.

“Don’t worry; it’s not a big tear. I can fix it,” Yor looked at the bottom of her dress. “Let’s go back to the castle.”

As they crossed the market once again, Yor felt pain in her elbow and a small bloodstain soon appeared on the fabric of her dress.

“I think I scraped my arm,” she said.

“I’m sorry, my Lady,” Chloe apologized. “I should have taken better care of you.”

Yor chuckled. “Chloe, you’re 15! You’re not suppose to take care of me.”

“But the King…”

“Chloe?!” a strange woman interrupted their conversation.

“Clara!” Chloe exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to buy stuff at the market,” she responded.

Yor noticed the woman was carrying two big sacs. She also noticed the woman was pregnant.

“You shouldn’t be carrying this by yourself!” Chloe exclaimed, alarmed and took one of the sacs from her. “Do you want to give birth before time?!”

“I’m fine!” the woman laughed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be working?”

“I’m here with my Lady,” Chloe responded, and the woman looked at Yor. “My Lady, this is my sister Clara.”

“You’re the Queen!” Clara said excitedly, then she did a quick curtsy. “Nice to meet you, my Lady!”

“Pleased to meet you, Clara,” Yor smiled.

“My Lady, I live very nearby. May I help my sister take these groceries home?” Chloe asked.

“That’s not necessary!” Clara argued.

“Of course,” Yor answered. “I’ll help too.”

Yor took the second sac from Clara. Then, the three of them walked to Chloe’s house. It didn’t take them long to get there. It was a small cottage, with a vegetable garden on one side and clean clothes hanging on the other side.

“Mama! I’m back! Chloe is here too!” Clara yelled as they crossed the door.

Yor heard steps coming from the back of the house.

“Did you find everything? Why is Chloe home so early?” an older woman entered through the back door. “I just finished laundry, so I can get started on…”

The woman stopped talking when she saw Yor.

“Hello mama!” Chloe greeted her mother smiling. “This is my Lady.”

“Pleased to meet you, your Highness,” Chloe’s mother also did a curtsy.

“Likewise, ma’am,” Yor responded feeling a bit shy.

Then realizing she was carrying a sac full of groceries, Chloe’s mother panicked.

“Oh, my goodness! Please don’t tell me my girls made you carry this!”

“I was happy to help,” Yor gave her the sac.

“Thank you, my Lady,” she responded. “Would you care for some tea?”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” she said. “That is, if I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all, my Lady,” she smiled. “My girls can help while you and I rest for a moment.”

“Right away, mama!” Chloe and Clara said at the same time and went into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Chloe’s mama was a lovely woman. Noticing the small bloodstain on Yor’s arm, she offered to clean and bandage her arm.

“Thank you so much!” Yor said.

“You’re very welcome, dear,” the woman responded. “After watching over three children, you learn to patch them up when they take a tumble. Now, let me fix that dress too.”

She reminded Yor of her own mother. Even though she had died when Yor was very young, the Princess could still remember her kind eyes and how much she loved her.

Shortly after, Chloe and her sister came in with tea for all of them.

It was such a warm home and a loving family; Yor could tell.

“Since you’re here, I’d like to thank you for employing my Chloe,” the woman said. “Things haven’t been easy for us since my husband died in the war a couple of years ago,” she explained. “To be honest, we were struggling and that work was heaven sent.”

“I should be thanking you. Chloe is not only a wonderful help, but also a good friend,” Yor praised. “As you probably know, I haven’t lived in Westalis for long, so I’m grateful to have someone like your daughter by my side.”

“Awww, my Lady!!” Chloe exclaimed. “I love working with you every day!”

“Plus, I cannot take credit for hiring her,” Yor laughed. “My husband is the one who did.”

“In that case, please, extend my thanks to your husband too,” Chloe’s mother requested. “And also…” she hesitated. “Please thank him for keeping my oldest son alive during the war.”

“Our older brother fought alongside with the King,” Clara explained. “The King did everything in his power to keep as many of his men alive. Our brother told us he risked his life so they could come back home.”

The Queen felt proud of her husband's courage. Then, she also thought about her father, who did not spend a single day near a battlefield. Ostania’s King gave orders from the throne room in his castle and Yor was sure he never cared about the number of Ostanian lives lost during the war.

“I will gladly deliver your message, ma’am.”

They talked some more after that. Yor laughed plenty and almost felt as if she had known Chloe and her family her whole life.

When it was time to go, she thanked Chloe’s mother for mending her dress and for such a wonderful visit. Then, she asked her something very shyly:

“May I come back when the baby is born?”

“Come back any time, dear,” she grabbed her hands. “Consider this your home as well.”

Yor and Chloe left after that. The Princess had completely forgotten about Nightfall.

***

After five whole days without seeing his Princess, Twilight was almost insane and eager to return home. McMahon had called him insufferable at least 20 times in the past few days and vowed he wouldn’t make this trip with him again unless they brought the Princess.

“Hurry up!” Twilight urged McMahon in the middle of the forest near Westalis Bay. “Why are you riding so slowly?”

“You’re riding too fast, my Lord.”

“I promised my wife I would make it in time for dinner.”

Just then, he finally caught a glimpse of the castle.

“Why don’t you go ahead of us, my Lord,” McMahon suggested.

“Great idea!”

Twilight dashed towards the castle, almost wishing he could fly so he could see his Princess sooner. Once there, he hopped down his horse and ran towards his bed chamber. It was twilight so he had made it right on time for dinner, just as he had promised.

“I’m home.”

When he opened the door, Yor’s eyes lit up and she smiled at him. He almost fainted, but instead of doing that, he ran to her and kissed her face over and over.

“I missed you, Yor” he whispered and kissed her face some more.

“I missed you too, my Lord.”

Her lips were right there. All he had to do was…

Someone knocked on their door and Twilight almost wanted to bark at them to go away.

“Come in,” his Princess said, and he had no choice but to back down.

Two maids came in carrying trays with their dinner.

It was fine; they had all night to be alone.

“How’s your uncle?” Yor asked him while they ate.

“Healthy and crazier than ever,” he laughed. “He kept asking me why I hadn’t brought you to meet the family.”

“Next time,” she said. “I’d like to meet your family as well.”

Dinner was much more pleasant in the company of his wife than in the company of his family.

“What did you do while I was gone, my Princess,” he kissed her hand, by then, they had finished eating.

“Well, as you can imagine, I was busy in the garden,” she said. “And also…I went into the city.”

“Alone?”

“With Chloe,” Yor answered. “Is that alright, my Lord?”

“Of course! I'm glad you finally ventured to explore Westalis Bay,” he beamed. “You don’t have to ask me permission for anything, Yor,” he said. “Although, I’m glad you took Chloe with you so you wouldn’t get lost.”

Yor smiled and took a sip from her cup.

“How do you like Westalis Bay?” he asked her. “It’s quite different from Berlint, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s wonderful,” she praised. “The people are so friendly and warm.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! A fruit vendor gave me an orange, and I met Chloe’s family,” she told him excitedly. “I had tea with them. They were so kind to me.”

It wasn’t a secret his wife appreciated kindness; that’s how he had gradually won her over.

“I’m so happy you had such a good time with Chloe’s family,” he said. “Feel free to invite them for tea any time.”

“Can I do that, my Lord?”

“Of course,” he said. “This is your home, you can invite anyone you want.”

Yor smiled very pleased, and he could guess what she was thinking: her father would never have allowed her to do that.

By then, the maids had taken the dishes and cleaned the table. Twilight wanted nothing more than to kiss his Princess, but he was very aware of the way he smelled―like a sweaty horse. Maybe thorough cleaning was advisable before trying such an endeavor.

“I’m going to take a bath,” he informed her.

“Good idea, my Lord,” Yor laughed. “I’ll get started with this embroidery while you wash yourself.”

“Oh, is that why you went into town?” he asked. “I thought you didn’t enjoy doing that.”

“No, I asked Mrs. Authen if she could spare some material for a special project,” Yor clarified. “I don’t enjoy it as much as gardening, but this is a gift for Chloe’s sister, Clara. She’s having a baby in about three months, and I would like to give her this blanket.”

His eyes sweetened.

“That’s a very thoughtful gift, Yor,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

“I’m not that good at embroidery and I'm also slow, so I hope to finish it on time. Maybe the baby will take a bit longer so I can finish their present” she joked. “Although, I’m sure Clara and her husband are eager to meet their baby.”

“They’re probably not married,” he commented distractedly.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Marriage is not quite mandatory here,” he explained as he took his boots off. “It’s something nobility does, like you and me for example. But other than that, it’s not that common.”

He could see his Princess was shocked to hear this. Sometimes he forgot how conservative Ostania was and that Yor had grown up there.

“Yor, you don’t need to get married to have a baby,” he said as he headed to the bathroom. “Some people even have children with different people,” he kept going. “Especially Northerners. It wouldn’t surprise me if my own father did this and I have a sibling or two somewhere in Westalis.”

“…”

“Don’t be so shocked,” he laughed. “It’s just a different culture.”

Then he entered the bathroom.

It felt good to be back home with his wife. He washed that sweaty horse smell and all the tiredness away and when he was done, he felt eager to try to get closer to Yor. Nevertheless, when he emerged from the bathroom, he found his wife already in bed―her back turned and in complete silence.

Odd. Didn’t she say she was going to embroider while he washed himself? Maybe she got tired.

Twilight lay on the divan and kept the candle on. Somehow, he felt uneasy; he hadn’t even said goodnight to her, and he was almost sure she was still awake.

What had happened? She seemed so happy when he arrived. Had he done something to upset her?

Then, he heard something he hadn’t heard in months―that quiet sniffle.

“Yor?” he was not going to pretend he didn’t hear that. “Are you crying?”

“…”

“Please, Princess,” his feet moved without noticing it and he went to the edge of the bed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Yor finally turned and, sure enough, she was crying. His wife covered her face with the sleeves of her robe.

“Yor, please,” he felt desperate.

A few more sniffles later she finally spoke:

“I met Nightfall today,” she informed him. “That’s the reason why we went into town.”

“To meet Nightfall?” he didn’t understand. “Why?”

“I found out today that you were engaged to her!”

Twilight felt disconcerted.

“We weren’t engaged,” he clarified.

“But you were going to marry her, were you not?” she argued. “Why did you conceal this from me?”

“I…”

The King suddenly felt in desperate need for marital advice. He almost wanted to run to Franky’s house and ask him what to do.

“And why have you kept her so near?” Yor asked him. “Are you planning on taking her as your concubine?”

He lost his words. All he could do was shake his head like an idiot. Where had she gotten this ludicrous idea?

“Is she the one you love? I know you only married me so you wouldn’t have to war with my father,” she was crying so much she could barely speak. “If that’s the case, why are you being so kind and affectionate towards me? Please, don’t do that! That just makes me think that you…that you…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. She just sobbed harder than he had ever seen her.

Twilight finally reacted and got in bed with her to hold her.

“No! Princess, you’re mistaken, it’s not like that at all. I assure you,” he began. “Yes, it’s true; there were marriage talks between us, but it was a political alliance, nothing else. I don’t love Nightfall. I swear.”

He felt her cling to him.

“We were never engaged and when I told Nightfall I was marrying you, I asked her if she wanted to return up north. She said she wanted to stay in Westalis Bay. I even asked her if she wanted me to arrange another marriage for her and she declined,” he explained. “That’s the only reason why she stayed here. But I swear, I hadn’t seen her since that day.”

Still clinging to his shirt, she looked up to survey whether or not he was telling the truth.

“You’re not going to take her as your concubine?” Yor asked in between sniffles.

“No, my Princess, I would never do that to you,” he vowed and kissed her forehead.

“But you said that people had children with more than one person…”

“That’s other people, not me,” he emphasized. “I want no one else. I only want my wife.”

Her fingers were caressing his face and she stayed in his arms for a long time.

“Good,” she finally said. “Because I don’t want to share my husband.”

Her lips were right there, and he was dying to kiss her.

Unfortunately, right at that moment, the Princess realized she was in his arms and…in bed. Her eyes opened big, her face turned red and she jumped off the bed.

Twilight sighed. His wife wasn’t ready for that yet.

Patience.

“I’ll go back to the divan. Apologies for getting carried away,” he said as he got off the bed. "Do you feel better, Yor?"

She nodded and got in bed again. They both lay down in their usual places. Nevertheless, this time his Princess didn’t turn her back, so they were able to look at each other. Yor appeared much calmer, and their bedroom felt peaceful at last.

“Twilight?” she whispered, and he realized this was the first time she called him by his name.

“Yor?”

“Why is your name Twilight?”

He chuckled. “What am I supposed to be called? Loid Forger?”

She giggled. “That’s a suitable name,” she commented. “That would make me Yor Forger.”

He smiled. Even in their fantasies with made-up names, she was still married to him.

“Well, I’m called Twilight because my father was a Northerner,” he explained. “He came from Nordica; hence the light hair and light eyes. Over there, people only have one name, and no last name.”

“So, you’re half Northerner?”

“That’s right,” he confirmed. “My father came from Nordica 30 years ago to invade Westalis and my mother married him so he wouldn’t ravage the country.”

Yor laughed. “Didn’t you do the same with me?”

“Now that I think about it, yes!” he laughed too. “Seems like a wholesome family tradition. Don’t be surprised if one of our children ends up doing the same in the future.”

Everything was well between them, and they talked until the candle almost burned out just like every night. They had missed each other so they fought sleep until they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

“Good night, Yor Forger,” he said already with his eyes closed.

“Good night, Loid Forger.”

Chapter Text

It had been a while since Twilight had summoned Chloe for a report. Since Yor and he talked all the time, it was no longer necessary. That’s why that afternoon he was surprised to see her in his studio.

“Chloe? What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you, my Lord,” she said eagerly.

It was the middle of the day, even on days when she reported back to him, the young girl would come at the end of the day. This wasn’t normal.

“Is the Queen alright?”

“Yes, my Lord, she’s well but…”

“What is it?”

“Well, the Queen and I had an interesting conversation, and I thought you should know about it right away,” she stated.

“A conversation?” he frowned. “About what?”

“About kissing,” Chloe said. “My lady asked me if I had ever kissed someone or if my sister had told me about it. She wanted to know if it was appropriate for a lady to do it and when was the right time.”

When he heard this, Twilight’s mind went blank. His first instinct was to get up and run to his wife to kiss her, but he stopped before leaving his studio.

Right, I’m not supposed to know about this.

“What did you tell her?” Twilight asked.

“That she should kiss the person she wanted to kiss whenever she really wanted to do it.”

Twilight nodded in approval. “Great response,” he smiled.

“My Lord, why would my Lady ask about that? You’re married,” Chloe argued. “Don’t you kiss her when…?”

“Chloe…”

“Sorry, my Lord,” she apologized. “Anyways, that’s what I needed to tell you. I should go back now, can I leave?”

“Yes, of course. You may leave. Thank you,” Twilight said.

She turned around and began to walk but before leaving, she told the King:

“My Lord, if you haven’t done it, you better kiss my Lady soon,” Chloe advised. “I think that would make her really happy!”

Chloe ran before he could answer.

She was right. Twilight had to kiss Yor soon; he'd been dying to do it for weeks.

Things between them seemed better than ever. Since he had returned from his uncle’s estate, they had been spending more time together and she was no longer afraid of getting physically closer to him. On occasion, he thought they were about to kiss but Yor would feel shy at the very last moment.

“Not today,” he promised, smiling to himself.

The King spent the rest of the day planning how and where he would kiss his wife. He refrained himself from running to her and couldn’t wait for the day to be over so they could go on their daily walk.

By the time he headed to the garden to see Yor, he was so excited it was difficult for him not to get ahead of himself. If things turned out right, he would probably sleep on their bed tonight and if that happened, he would probably do more than just sleep.

“Did you have a good day, Yor?” he asked and kissed her forehead like every day.

“Yes, I did,” she answered. “How about you. Twilight?”

He took her hand and started walking. “It went well, but I’m happy it's now over and I get to be with you.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek.

They walked around the castle and this time, even though there wasn’t much to look at, Twilight took her to the roof, where they could see Westalis Bay on one side and the sea on the other side. The King figured they could use lovely scenery and, most of all, privacy.

When they got there, Twilight made a gesture to the guards; they understood and left their post. As soon as they were alone, he embraced her and Yor sighed pleasantly in his arms.

Silence was comfortable between them. The sun was setting, and the light made her eyes look like a golden tone of red. Twilight touched her face and buried his fingers in her hair. It was the perfect moment. At long last, he was going to kiss her. Then, he was going to take her back to their bed chamber and…

“My Lord?”

Twilight lifted his face―annoyed that someone had dared to interrupt this perfect moment. It was a guard.

“What is it?” the King hissed.

“I’m sorry to disturb you but I didn’t know what to do,” the guard said. 

Twilight had the urge to grunt and tell the guard to fuck off but refrained from doing so.

“There are some people from Ostania,” the guard informed him.

Not again. If it was Hemlock, he was just going to throw him into a cell and...

“It’s a family,” the guard disclosed. “I think they need help. They asked if they could possibly talk to the Princess. I mean, the Queen.”

“Absolutely not!” Twilight exclaimed.

“I’ll see them,” Yor said. “Where are they?”

The guard hesitated and Twilight nodded so he would tell them.

“In the city, my Lady. Near the market,” he responded. “A group of guards are watching them.”

Yor looked at Twilight and he sighed before saying:

“I’ll come too,” he said. “But I’m bringing my sword.”

This had to be a trap. Why would an Ostanian family show up all of the sudden? He kept thinking this as they left the castle and headed towards the market. A trap to take his Princess back to Ostania, what else? But if Desmond or that foolish Ostanian King thought they could take his wife from him, they were wrong.

The King saw them at a distance. Five guards surrounded them and people from the market observed them with curiosity―a family of four: a man, a woman with a baby in her arms, and a little girl who was around six or seven years old. They all look frightened.

When they saw Yor, the woman’s face melted into relief, and she started crying.

“Princess!” she tried to get close, but a guard stopped her. Twilight placed himself in front of his wife; he wasn’t sure of that woman’s intentions.

Nevertheless, Yor moved closer.

“Princess, you may not remember me, but we met a couple of years ago, when you and your brother had a picnic outside Berlint,” the woman said. “My name is Olka Gretcher and this is my husband Zeb.”

“I remember you,” Yor said. “I played with your daughter by the river, and she taught me how to make flower crowns.”

The woman nodded. “You gave my daughter your handkerchief when she scraped her elbow,” Olka added and got said handkerchief out. Twilight looked at a whitish cloth with a “Y” embroidered in blue. Of course, this is something his wife would do.

“How can I help you, Olka?” Yor asked.

“My Lady, if we dared to come all the way here is because we’re desperate,” she began. “We lost our crops, and we were unable to pay our dues to your father,” she lowered her gaze. “We’re not the only ones who’ve lost everything. There’s famine in Ostania and many have died,” her voice trembled and Yor’s eyes begin to pool. “I didn’t want my children to suffer the same fate as many little ones. I remember your generosity from those years ago. That’s why we came here to beg for your help.”

Much to Twilight’s dismay, his wife got even closer to that woman to take her hands.

“Olka, you do not need to be concerned anymore,” she said. “From now on, you will be under my protection.”

“So, can we stay, my Lady?” Olka asked.

“Yes, of course!”

Twilight frowned.

“A word, my Lady?” he asked Yor.

He distanced himself from those Ostanians and his wife followed him.

“Yor, what are you doing?” he whispered.

“Helping people in need,” she answered.

He shook his head. Yor was too naïve to see people's true intentions.

“These are not people in need,” he argued. “They are obviously spies sent by Donovan Desmond to set us a trap to take you.”

They both looked at the family. They looked scared, sad, and severely malnourished. Yor frowned.

“I highly doubt that,” she said. “Plus, I know her.”

“You met her once, years ago,” he argued. “They cannot stay in the castle. We don’t know if any of them is planning on slitting my throat while I sleep and take you.”

By her facial expression, he could tell Yor was not pleased by his words.

“Fine, my Lord. If you are so scared of them, I’ll find them another place to stay,” she grumbled. “But do tell me, which one do you find most threatening? The one that hasn't learned how to walk or the one holding that dirty blanket?”

Yor did not give him the opportunity to reply, she walked back to talk to the Gretchers.

“My excuses,” Yor said. “My husband and I were discussing about finding a place for you to stay in town.”

“My Lady!” a young pregnant woman among the crowd called Yor.

“Clara!” Yor smiled and Clara moved forward to talk to her.

“I know a place!” she beamed. “There’s an abandoned hut near where I live,” she disclosed. “An old widow used to live there but she passed away a couple of years ago.”

“Would you mind taking us there?” Yor asked.

“Not at all. Follow me!” Clara said and the Gretchers, plus Yor began to move.

The guards looked at Twilight, unsure about what to do.

“Stay here,” he ordered, thinking that, in the unlikely case those Ostanians tried something, he would be more than enough to protect his wife.

When they got there, Twilight noticed the hut was deteriorated and filthy.

“I apologize for the condition of this place,” Yor said.

“We’ll make do, my Lady!” Olka’s husband beamed. “I can make any necessary repairs, and we promise to keep it clean and take good care of it.”

“After sleeping in the woods for so long, this feels like a castle,” Olka chirped. “It’s so good to have a roof over our head again.”

Yor smiled.

“I’ll send food and other provisions as soon as I return to the castle,” Yor said. “And I’ll come back tomorrow to make sure you’re alright,” she said. “In the meantime, please rest. After such a hard journey, I’m sure you are in need of a good night sleep.”

“If you need anything, I live a couple of houses down the road,” Clara added.

They left after that.

On their way back to the castle, Twilight discreetly ordered a couple guards to keep an eye on those Ostanians. His wife may have been moved by their sob story, but he didn’t trust them.

Once back home, Yor went straight to Mrs. Authen, explained the situation and asked her to send food, clean clothes, and blankets to the Gretchers.

It took a while for everything to settle and it was nighttime by the time Twilight and Yor were back in their bed chamber, finally eating dinner. This was certainly not what the King had planned for tonight.

They were quiet, which was unusual for them. Something was not right. Still, Twilight considered it was better to be clear with his wife to avoid misunderstandings:

“Yor,” he called right after they had finished eating. “They can’t stay here.”

His wife stayed silent for a while, then she lifted her eyes from her plate to look at him.

“We’ll let them stay at that hut for a few days, so they recover their strength, but then, they have to go,” he continued. “I’ll give them some silver, but they must return to Ostania.”

Yor glared and shook her head. “My Lord, that family didn’t come all the way here for some alms,” she argued. “If that was the case, they could have begged on the streets of Berlint and saved themselves a perilous journey,” there was a strange fire in her eyes. “They came here running away from hunger and they need our help.”

“Yor, we can’t…”

“You heard them, there is famine in Ostania,” she kept going. “If you send them back, you’ll be sending them to their deaths.”

He shook his head. “Their fate and all Ostanians’ wellbeing is not in my hands, but your father’s,” he fought back. “What will you do if more Ostanians come asking for help?” he asked her. “Westalis is not a wealthy kingdom, and we are barely able to care for our citizens. I will not take responsibility for people who are not our own.”

“How can you be so cruel?” the look in her eyes almost destroyed him. He prided himself on being a fair king and a good man. No one had ever called him cruel (at least not to his face).

He scoffed angrily.

“It’s your father the one who is cruel, my Lady,” he snapped. “He’s the one who should care for his people, not us.”

Her jaw clenched and she got up and walked away from the table.

“Don’t you see it? My father probably took loans from Lord Desmond in exchange for me,” she told him. “But my father couldn’t deliver the goods he promised, and why is that, my Lord?”

His eyes opened big. Twilight could not believe she was bringing that up. He became speechless.

“You took me from my home against my will,” she shot. “The famine in Ostania is as much as your responsibility as it is my father’s.”

His jaw dropped. More than offended, he felt hurt. Anger bubbled like a shield in battle.

“Would you have preferred to marry Lord Desmond?” he taunted. “I’m sure he would have been a wonderful husband to you!”

“YES!” she snapped angrily, and her answer was like a stab on his chest.

“Yor, how can you say that?”

“You will never understand,” she quieted down. “You are a King and a man, you fight wars and have the authority to decide and the strength to protect,” she argued. “For me, it's been quite the opposite. My whole life, I have lived such a useless existence. Marrying that man, as awful as it was…that was the only thing I had to give. The only thing that I could do for my family and for the people of Ostania,” she cried. “And you took that away from me.”

They looked at each other defiantly. Neither of them willing to back down.

“I see,” he finally said. “If that’s how you really feel, then there’s nothing I can do or say.”

Without another word, Twilight walked away and left the room.

***

The garden was empty for the next few days.

However, Twilight knew where his wife was; in town with those Ostanians. He had asked several guards to stay by the Queen’s side at all times and to report back to him as soon as his wife returned to the castle.

“We’ve just been doing repairs to that old house, my Lord,” one of the guards reported. “The Queen asked us to help.”

He wanted to be there too, but his pride prevented him from doing so. He had no clue what his wife was thinking. In his desperation, he had even summoned Chloe back. Maybe she could give him some insight, like back in the day.

“We’ve been helping the Gretchers get settled,” she reported. “Other than that, she hasn’t said much. Is everything alright between you? I haven’t seen you together since they arrived.”

No, things were not alright between them. After that horrible fight, they weren’t on speaking terms. It was as if their relationship had completely reverted to those early days, and he had to spend all his time away from her. It was in fact much worse, because now they wouldn’t even share a meal together.

Twilight spent most of his time working and only returned to the bed chamber very late. Every night, he would always find his wife already in bed, with her back turned. The same thing happened every morning when he left the room.

He was still so hurt by her words and couldn’t believe what she had said. After loving her so much and doing everything in his power to make her happy, Yor would have rather married that man. And for what? For a twisted sense of duty to people she didn’t even know. Twilight simply couldn’t believe it.

“Why have you been sulking so much lately?” Franky asked him that evening. “And why aren’t you with your wife? Isn’t it dinnertime?”

Twilight had been holding everything in. He hadn’t even had the energy to go back to the cabin in the forest to chop some trees. So, when his best friend asked him, everything that happened between Yor and him came out like a river during the rainy season.

“She said that?” Franky asked surprised. Twilight nodded. “No wonder you look like shit.”

The young King hadn’t slept well or eaten that much since that fight. He just wanted his wife and for things to go back to the way they were before those stupid Ostanians arrived.

“Well, I’ll say I’m surprised of this development,” Franky declared. “It was a good thing she finally said it.”

“What are you saying?” Twilight asked confused. “You weren’t there. It was awful.”

Franky scoffed. “I’ve been married for seven years; of course, I know how it is. I’ve had my fair share of marital fights,” he disclosed. “However, as awful as they are, fights are not necessarily bad for a relationship. Especially a relationship that started the way yours began.”

Twilight had buried his face in his hands. “What do you mean?”

 “Think back when we first got the Princess,” he said. “Remember how quiet she used to be? And when you two married? Same.”

Twilight thought about those first couple of weeks after their wedding. Yor wouldn’t even dare to cry aloud at night. It had taken a lot for her to open to him.

“Would you prefer for her to stay quiet?” Franky asked. “It’s a good thing that she expresses what she feels. Believe me, the other choice is much, much worse," his friend shivered. "And it’s a good thing that she addressed that thorny topic. You did kidnap her and force her to marry you.”

Although he didn’t like admitting it, it was precisely why her words had been so hurtful. Twilight prided himself of being a fair King and a good man, but he had done something despicable to the person he loved the most. He criticized Yor’s father for treating her like merchandise, but he had done the same and use her to gain something for his country and himself.

“Go talk to her,” Franky invited.

“And what should I tell her?” the young King felt so ashamed now.

“The truth,” Franky chuckled. “That you love her like a fool.”

***

That night, he went back to his bed chamber earlier than usual. Fortunately, Yor wasn’t in bed yet, but working on Clara’s baby blanket.

When he entered the room, Yor tensed but said nothing and kept working on that blanket. He felt so ashamed he could say nothing and just observed her quietly. Even by the weak light of the candle, he could see she had been crying. Again, he had made her cry.

He was such an idiot. Of course, his wife would want to help that family, and of course she would be willing to marry Desmond, despite her fears and wants, just to protect her family and her people. Yor was a giver, and she had the purest heart he’d ever encountered. He, on the other hand, was just selfish and wanted her all to himself.

“Yor?” he finally gathered the courage and called her softly.

She lifted her eyes. There was so much sadness in them.

“Would you like to go on a walk with me?” he asked just like he had done that night they talked for the first time after their wedding.

“Where to, my Lord?” she gave him that very same answer.

“To the balcony.”

Yor nodded, put her embroidery down and got up.

Once on the balcony, he felt nervous. He wanted to hold her hand, but he felt unworthy of that privilege. He also didn’t know how to start the conversation, so they stayed silent for a long time looking at Westalis Bay.

“They can stay,” he finally said. “I won’t make them go back to Ostania.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” she said, and he could hear relief in her voice, but it upset him she was no longer calling him by his name. “My Lord, I promise you, they are not spies! They’re just a family in need, they mean you no harm.”

“I know, Yor,” he said. “I was just angry, and I said a lot of things I didn’t mean. I’m sorry.”

“I also said a lot of awful things, my Lord,” she said. “It’s just that knowing what the Gretchers went through and learning what’s happening in Ostania, made me feel so guilty.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been so happy lately, and I know that if I had married Lord Desmond, I would have probably been utterly miserable, so I know that in a way, I was…lucky,” she lowered her eyes. “But in return for that happiness, many people are suffering. People are starving….”

“Yor that isn’t your fault,” he stated. “You were right; that’s on your father and on me.”

She shook her head but kept her eyes downcast.

“There’s not much I can do for Ostania, but would it help you feel better if I promised to help any Ostanians who come here?”

Yor lifted her eyes, and he took that as a yes.

“Given the situation over there, I suspect more will come,” he said. “And when that happens, we will find a way to help them. Westalis is not a rich kingdom, but we will manage, and I promise you I will not turn them away.”

“Thank you, my Lord!” she sighed relieved.

Twilight knew apologizing and agreeing to keep the Gretchers in Westalis wasn’t enough. He still needed to talk about one more issue between them and anxiety was eating him up.

“Yor, can I ask you a favor?” he asked nervously.

“Of course, my Lord.”

“Please, stop calling me that. That’s the favor,” he said.

“Oh.”

“I’m not your captor or your king,” he elaborated. “I’m you-your hus-husband,” he stuttered, perhaps because deep down inside, he knew he did not deserve that title.

Yor looked at him with an indecipherable gaze and he felt like crying. He loved her so much and he was desperate for her to love him back but now he wasn’t sure that would ever be possible, no matter what he did or how much he desired it.

“I know that what I did to you was wrong. I used you and decided for you just like your father did before me,” he kept going. “I thought that if I worked earnestly for your happiness, you would forget about that fact and just accept me. That was wrong of me too.”

This was hard enough but what he was about to say was perhaps the most difficult part:

“I’m sorry for taking you away from your home and forcing you into a marriage you did not desire,” he said and was having trouble breathing. “I won’t force you to be with me anymore. If you only see me as nothing more than your captor, we can live separate lives, if that is what you want.”

Yor frowned and opened her mouth to say something.

“Wait, please,” he asked. “Before you answer, I just need you to know one more thing: I love you,” even if she decided she didn’t want him, he wanted her to hear it at least once. “Believe me, it wasn’t my intention, but I fell in love with you the first time I heard your voice…”

She didn’t let him finish. Before he could say another word, she came close and kissed him.

Yor kissed him!! He was so shocked he couldn't even kiss her back. It was over before he could react.

"You talk too much, my love," she said and he couldn't believe how she had called him.

Her eyes looked at him with so much tenderness and he just wanted to kiss her again.

“I love you,” she added. “I don’t want to live separate lives. These days have been awful because I’ve missed you so much.”

“You have missed me?” he asked, and he was now embracing her. “I thought you hated me.”

She shook her head and hugged him. “No, I could never hate you,” she said. “I don’t know how it happened or when exactly, but I have fallen in love with you.”

Twilight chuckled and he felt all the anguish he had accumulated since that awful fight melting away in her arms.

“I haven't seen you as my captor for months. Haven't you noticed that?” she caressed his face. “You’re my husband and I want no one else but you.”

That night, Twilight had entered their bed chamber thinking he was about to lose Yor. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and he couldn’t be happier about it. His Princess loved him!

“Yor, can I ask you another favor?” 

Yor nodded, smiling.

“Can I kiss you again?”

She giggled.

“YES!”

At long last…

Chapter Text

Yor was asleep when she felt kisses on her face, neck and lips. Still with her eyes closed, she sighed pleasantly and rolled to her side, expecting her husband’s arms to embrace her. When this didn’t happen and she felt an empty space next to her, she reluctantly opened her eyes.

Twilight was already up, next to the bed, adjusting his belt, and getting ready to leave.

“My love?” she asked groggily. “Where are you going so early? It’s barely dawn.”

“Don’t you remember, my love?” he smiled, sat on the bed, and caressed her face. “I told you last night I needed to leave early to go to Norfolk’s estate.”

To be honest, she hadn’t been paying much attention to last night’s conversation.

“It’s not fair, you told me when I was a distracted,” she complained.

Her husband probably mentioned something while they were kissing senselessly.

“That’s quite alright, my love,” he chuckled. “I’m leaving this early so I can return in time for dinner.”

In response, Yor put her arms around him and pulled him back to bed.

“Or you can just stay with me all day,” she suggested.

He hugged her back and lay in bed next to her.

“You’re making it very difficult to leave,” Twilight kissed her lips. “But if I don’t go soon, we’ll have McMahon knocking on our door.”

Yor groaned. “Then you better go,” she lamented. “McMahon already dislikes me enough as it is.”

“I’ll see you tonight,” he brushed some hair off her eyes and kissed her again. “Go back to sleep, my love. It’s too early for my Princess to be awake.”

“I love you,” she said. “Please be safe.”

“I will, I promise,” he replied. “You be safe too. I love you.”

As soon as Twilight left, the Princess closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

When she woke up again, it was morning and Mrs. Authen was knocking on the door.

“Good morning, my Lady,” she greeted. “I brought your breakfast.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Authen,” Yor replied. “Since my husband isn’t here, I’ll just have breakfast with Chloe.”

“Chloe isn’t here yet and I doubt she’ll come today, my Lady.”

“Why not? Is she ill?”

“Not at all!” the old woman smiled. “Clara is having her baby.”

Yor smiled big. “Those are great news!”

“Her mother and Olka are also helping her, but it’s going to take a while,” Mrs. Authen informed her.

“I’ll get dressed and take them some food,” Yor said. “They’ll be too busy to cook today, and I can at least help with that.”

“Very well, my Lady,” the old woman smiled. “I’ll prepare something for you to take.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Authen,” Yor said. “And would you mind taking this tray too?” she pointed at her breakfast. “I’ll eat later.”

“Sure, my Lady,” she took the tray.

“Thank you, Mrs. Authen,” she said. “I’ll be ready in a little bit.”

***

Being the overprotective, loving husband that Twilight was, he had asked Yor to bring at least one guard with her any time she went outside the castle. Yor considered it unnecessary but she did it anyways to keep her husband at ease.

Clive, a trusted man who had fought alongside Twilight during the war, was appointed as her bodyguard. He also happened to be Chloe and Clara’s older brother.

“Do you think the baby will be there by the time we get to your house, Clive?” Yor asked excitedly as they left the castle. She felt eager to meet Clara’s baby and perhaps hold that little bundle in her arms.

“I’m not sure, my Lady,” he responded. “I don’t know much about it, but Clara barely started having pain in the morning when I left for work and these things take time.”

“You’re probably right,” she said.

Just like Clive guessed, by the time they made it to their home, Clara was still in labor. Chloe was outside watching over Olka’s children.

“My Lady!” Chloe chirped when she saw Yor.

“Hello, Chloe!” Yor beamed back.

“I’m sorry about today,” the young girl apologized. “Since Olka is helping my sister and Zeb had to work, someone had to watch her little ones.”

“Don’t worry about that! I completely understand,” she smiled and caressed little Gram’s head. “We brought food.”

“Thank you!” Chloe said. “And right on time; I need to feed these two.”

“I’ll help you,” Yor said.

The Princess took Gram and sat on the wood bench by the small garden. The baby didn’t fuss; he was used to Yor’s presence and knew her well.

“You’re so good with babies, my Lady,” Chloe declared while Yor fed pureed apple to Gram.

“I took care of my little brother when he was a baby,” Yor explained. “So, I’ve had some practice.”

“You’ll be a wonderful mother when you get your own children, my Lady,” Chloe told her and Yor just blushed thinking about that.

To be honest, Yor did want a baby. Back when she thought she would have to marry someone she didn’t love, the prospect of a child was the only thing that made her situation bearable. However, now that she loved her husband with all her heart and soul, having a child with him seemed like a dream.

Nevertheless…

 In order for that to happen, the Princess still had to overcome an issue: Twilight and she had not consummated their marriage yet.

The night they had declared their love for each other, after kissing for hours, when it was time to sleep, Twilight asked her:

“Now that I am your husband and that you love me, will you let me sleep on the bed with you?”

Those eager kisses told her Twilight wanted to do more than sleep, but she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

“If I say yes and let you share the bed with me, would you be patient and wait for me to be ready for that last step, my love?” she asked caressing his face.

“Absolutely,” he promised and kissed her hand. “Take as long as you need, my love. I just want to be with you.”

That first night she slept in his arms, between kisses and caresses and the Princess thought there couldn’t be anything more glorious than that. Since then, they slept in the same bed, kissing for hours and sometimes doing more than that. Still, even when they would get carried away, Yor would feel frightened at the last moment and stopped. It was a similar situation to when she wanted to kiss him for the first time but couldn’t muster the courage to do it.

Her ever loving and patient husband didn’t seem to mind. Twilight felt happy kissing her and holding her in his arms. Yor, on the other hand, felt frustrated with herself. Why couldn’t she behave like a normal wife?

The Princess often remembered the awful words that court lady had told her the night before her wedding to Lord Desmond and she still felt scared. Would all that be true? Would it hurt as much as she said? Was it as gruesome as she had described? Yor wasn’t sure anymore. She loved her husband so much and he loved her the same way, so it seemed illogical that he would want to hurt her. She really wanted to ask someone with experience.

Chloe, her closest friend, had just turned 16 and she was way too young and inexperienced to answer her questions. Clara was a good friend too and had the necessary knowledge to answer her questions but after today, she would be busy recovering and caring for her own baby. Yor had only known Olka for a few weeks, plus she always seemed busy with her children, so the Princess dare not to talk about such a delicate issue with her. That only left Mrs. Authen, who had been married for more than half a century…

And then, there was the issue of the promise she had made her husband on their wedding night: No one should know they hadn’t consummated their marriage.

The last thing Yor wanted was to jeopardize her marriage and for Lord Desmond to want to take her away from her love.

Yor shook her head.

“My Lady? What's wrong?” Chloe asked.

“Nothing!” Yor said a little bit too loudly. “I was just thinking about…plants.”

“Aww, my Lady is always thinking about her plants,” Chloe chirped. “Don’t worry, they’ll be alright now that the rainy season came early.”  

Maybe it was better if she discussed this issue with no one.

After a couple of hours Clara was still in labor and Yor decided to return to the castle.

“Send a word whenever you have news,” the Princess requested Chloe.

“I will, my Lady,” Chloe and the children waved goodbye.

It was way past noon but if she hurried, maybe she would make it on time to eat with her other ladies in the garden, like most days. Although Chloe had invited her to eat lunch with her and Olka’s children, Yor had declined and ended up eating just an apple. She didn’t want to take any food from the family; in case they needed it later.

Just as Yor and Clive were crossing the market, they saw two men pushing each other―the beginning of a fight.

“Hold on, please, my Lady,” Clive placed himself in front of her.

Yor’s curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked just enough to see that the two men involved in that altercation were northerners. It didn’t last long; the blondest man with long hair punched the other one and rendered him unconscious. The crowd began to disperse after that, and Clive stepped aside.

“We can move now, my Lady,” he said.

However, as they moved forward, the victor of the fight noticed the Princess and made eye contact with her. He smiled at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. Yor didn’t remember seeing him before, but he seemed to know her because he was walking straight to her.

“Hey! What are you doing Wheeler?” Clive obstructed the way. “Do not come close to the Queen!”

“Relax, little Clive!” Wheeler mocked him. “I just want to say pay my respects to our beloved Princess.”

Before Yor or Clive could do anything, Wheeler kneeled in front of her and showed her the inside of his wrist, which had a strange scar on it. It was a very strange salute.

“Alright, you have paid your respects, now walk away, Wheeler,” Clive ordered. “I’m sure you won’t want the King to know you made his wife uncomfortable.”

Wheeler laughed and Yor shivered when she heard him.

“I would never want to scare a beautiful woman,” the Northerner said. “See you around, Princess.”

Yor touched her wedding ring nervously and suddenly wished her husband was right there, holding her hand.

“It’s alright, my Lady,” Clive reassured her. “Wheeler is a drunken fool, but he would never dare to harm you. He’s too afraid of the King.”

They resumed their walk after that.

Noticing that she was still nervous about that incident, Clive talked again:

“Sorry about that, my Lady,” her bodyguard apologized. “Those Northerners are like a drunken pest, and they just cause troubles. That’s why no one likes them.”

“If they cause so much trouble, why does the King allow them to live here in Westalis Bay?” Yor asked.

“Well, they helped us in the last war against those…” he hesitated, probably remembering were Yor was from. “Against Ostania,” he completed. “To be frank, their help was invaluable; they are amazing warriors,” he kept going. “When we were losing the war, the King himself rode up north to talk to the leaders of the tribes and asked them to join him. They saved us.”

Yor, of course, had no idea about this. There were so many things she didn’t know about Westalis.  

“Clive, what was that thing that man had on the inside of his wrist?” Yor asked, remembering Wheeler’s strange salute.

“Oh, that’s the mark of their clan,” he responded. “All Northerners have it as a way to pledge allegiance to their people.”

Yor immediately thought about her husband, who was half northerner. He didn’t have it.

“Do these Northerners consider my husband one of them?” Yor asked.

Clive shook his head. “No, my Lady,” he replied. “The King may look like a Northerner and his father was one of them too, but he is full Westalian,” he stated. “I don’t believe the Northerners like him, but they do respect him and fear him because he is a great warrior.”

“I see.”

They heard thunder far away.

“We better hurry,” Clive sped up.

They made it to the castle shortly after that and, just as they were crossing the big gates, it started raining.

“Oh no! He’s going to get wet,” the Princess said aloud, thinking about her husband who was travelling that day.

“Don’t worry, my Lady,” Clive said. “The King is a resourceful man; he’ll be alright.”

“Thank you, Clive,” she responded. “And thank you for escorting me back home.”

They went their separate ways after that. Yor headed to the kitchen, where her ladies were probably eating. She was hungry and couldn’t wait to join them.

Unfortunately for the Princess, before she got there, she ran into her ladies, who had already finished eating.

“My Lady! You’re back!” one of them said. “Is Clara’s baby born?”

“Not yet,” Yor responded. “She was still in labor when I left.”

“See? I told you it was too soon,” another one said to the rest. “I’m guessing they’ll be born this evening.”

“You’re probably right,” Yor said. “Where are you heading?”

“Since it’s raining and we can’t work in the garden right now, we thought we could help Mrs. Authen with some chores,” one of them responded. “Are you heading to eat lunch, my Lady? I can go back to the kitchen and ask them to prepare something for you and serve it in your bed chamber or the dining hall if you prefer.”

That would mean that Yor would have to eat alone. She shook her head.

“There’s no need for that. I ate lunch with Chloe,” she lied. “You can go ahead to help Mrs. Authen.”

She was too embarrassed to ask one of them to sit with her, so despite being hungry, she decided to forgo lunch.

I’ll be fine.

She told herself after walking away. Her husband had promised her to be back in time for dinner, so she only had to wait a few hours.

I’ve had it much worse before.

Yor remembered all those days she spent without eating when she first arrived in Westalis. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she was hungry for a few hours.

To keep herself busy, and her mind away from thoughts about food, Yor thought of an idea―she needed to learn about Westalis’ history. So, she asked Sigmund Authen if there was a place in the castle where she could read about that.

“You can go to the Scroll Room, my Lady,” Sigmund Authen advised. “The Scroll Keeper may be able to help you with that.”

Since she didn’t know the location of this room and this was a big castle, Sigmund Authen was kind enough to take her there himself and introduce her to the Scroll Keeper.

“This is Thomas Austin, my Lady,” he said.

A short, chubby man greeted her and excitedly showed her many scrolls that contain some of the most important parts of Westalian history.

“When the King’s grandfather reigned, he worked hard to record as much of the kingdom’s history as possible,” he commented. “My father, who was Scroll Keeper before me, often talked about him,” Thomas Austin continued. “He was quite the scholar and a sharp man, very similar to your husband, my Lady.”

Yor smiled thinking about Twilight. Every time someone mentioned something good about him, Yor felt proud. She not only admired him, but she also loved him deeply. Which reminded her…

“Mr. Austin, do you have any scrolls on the Northerners’ invasion about thirty years ago?” she asked.

“Of course, my Lady!” he beamed and walked to a nearby cabinet. “That’s recent history. I was still training under my father at that time, but we made sure to record everything, by order of the Queen.”

Yor spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the early evening reading scrolls about the invasion. That’s how she found out that Twilight’s mother was a courageous woman who commanded armies but also knew how to negotiate well. Yor felt instant admiration for her and hoped in her heart to be a good Queen one day.

Listening to the Princess’ comments and observing admiration in her eyes, Thomas Austin reached for something in another cabinet, so he could show her.

“Here’s a small painting of her, my Lady.”

It was an old painting of her riding a horse in battle. The former Queen did not carry a traditional sword, but two long golden needles. Yor also noticed she had pink hair.

“So beautiful!” the Princess exclaimed in awe.

“And smart!” Thomas Austin added. “Smarter than her own father and any other man she ever encountered,” he told her. “This was painted right before she rode up north to propose to the leader of the tribes.”

“She proposed?!”

In Ostania this would have been considered highly inappropriate―a woman could never propose marriage to a man, not even if said woman was a queen.

“She did, my Lady,” Thomas Austin confirmed and looked extremely proud of the fact. “And with that, she ended a war, united the Kingdom, and gave us our current King.”

He showed her another painting. In it, Yor saw the former Queen standing proud next to her Northerner husband (who looked very similar to the men she had seen today at the market) and holding a blond baby with bright blue eyes. The Princess caressed the baby’s face on the painting.

So many things had to happen for Twilight to exist in this world and she felt so grateful for it.

***

Rain finally stopped and Yor felt relieved. Her husband’s journey back home would be easier.

She had spent quite some time in the Scroll Room but was now back in her bed chamber, waiting for Twilight.

“Would you like me to serve you dinner, my Lady?” Mrs. Authen asked her.

“Not yet, Mrs. Authen,” Yor replied. “I’m waiting for the King.”

“It’s late, my Lady. The roads get muddy with the rain and he may take a while to return,” she insisted. “Are you sure?”

Yor nodded. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Authen. I’ll be fine.”

Yor waited. At first eagerly but somehow patiently, however, as it got late, she began to worry. She wasn’t even hungry anymore; she just wanted her husband to get home.

What if he got into an accident? What if he was attacked by robbers? What if someone hurt him?

Anguish invaded every bone in her body, as she waited on the balcony looking at the gates of the city from afar.

Just when panic almost swept her away and tears began to form in her eyes, she saw some horses approaching the castle. Her husband had at last returned.

The Princess ran to find Mrs. Authen so she would send in the girl who filled the bathtub for her husband every night.

“And I know it’s late, but would you also mind serving us dinner?” the Princess requested. “I’m sure he’ll be hungry.”

Now that Twilight was back, she was hungry too.

“Of course, my Lady.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Authen!” she said before running back to her bed chamber. She wanted to be there when her husband arrived.

Twilight showed up shortly after―covered in mud from head to toe. That did not prevent Yor from jumping into his arms to kiss him.

“I’m home!” he laughed kissing her back.

“Welcome home,” she said in between kisses. “I was worried.”

“I’m sorry to be late, my love. I rained so much!” he said. “But you don’t need to worry about me. I know every corner of this kingdom and I’ll always find my way home.”

Yor beamed. Her husband was a capable man, deserving of her trust.

“Do you want to take a bath?” she asked him.

“Yes, please,” he said. “I don’t want to go to bed like this.”

“Bathtub is ready,” she informed him. “Go ahead.”

He kissed her one more time and headed to the bathroom.

“And I asked Mrs. Authen to bring us dinner,” she mentioned. “It should be here by the time you’re done.”

“Great. I’m starving!” he said.

“Me too!”

“My love, it’s so late. Have you not eaten dinner?” he asked

“I was waiting for you,” she told him.

Once Twilight was done washing himself, dinner was already on the table. The couple ate and talked about their day. Yor was eager to give him good news:

“Clara’s baby was born earlier this evening,” she announced. “It’s a girl.”

“Fantastic!” he beamed. “How are they naming her?”

“I forgot to ask,” she laughed. “I’ll ask her tomorrow when I go visit them to meet the baby and bring some gifts. I was there today but Clara was still in labor; I only saw Chloe and Olka’s children,” she commented. “And I also ran into…Wheeler.”

“Wheeler?” Twilight frowned.

Yor didn’t want to keep anything from her husband, so she told him about that encounter in the town’s market. He didn’t look pleased.

“My love, nothing bad happened,” she assured him. “Clive protected me well. It was a simple minor inconvenience; I was just late for lunch.”

His eyes sweetened. They had just finished dinner, and he pulled so she would sit on his lap.

“Did you eat lunch afterwards?” he asked.

Yor blushed. “I got distracted.”

She then proceeded to tell him about her visit to the Scroll Room and all the things she learned from Thomas Austin.

“Well, now you know about my family’s history,” he said.

“That’s right!” she beamed. “And I’m going back to learn more.”

They heard a soft knock. She kissed him one more time and got on her feet. Twilight groaned.

“Come in,” she said.

Two servant girls came in to pick up the dishes. It didn’t take them long and once they left the room, Twilight grabbed Yor by the waist. Yor brushed some damp hair off his face. She loved those gorgeous blue eyes.

“Are you tired, my love?” she whispered. “We can go to bed.”

“In a moment, first, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious; Yor why is it that you never eat alone?”

The Princess felt as if all the air had suddenly left her body. As fear invaded her whole, she tried to keep her composure but was so taken aback by his question that she was incapable of coming up with an excuse. Without realizing it, she disengaged from her husband’s embrace and walked to the balcony. She desperately needed some air. Twilight followed her.

“Yor, are you alright?” he worried. “You suddenly got so pale. Why are you shivering?”

No one had ever asked her that question. Back in Ostania, the servants had probably noticed it was odd she never ate alone but said nothing and here she thought she had made sure to hide that strange habit well.

“How did you notice it?” she asked, still shivering.

Twilight took her hand and caressed it delicately.

“Well, I’ve spent most of this year observing you,” he replied. “I’m in love with you; I like watching you and I notice everything about you.”

Yor lowered her eyes. She felt so embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered, trying to meet her eyes. “Please tell me, Yor? I’m your husband and you can tell me anything.”

The thing was, she had never told this to anyone, and she didn’t know if she was capable. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to hide anything from the person she loved the most. She squeezed Twilight’s hand and began to talk:

“My mother died when Yuri was born,” she said.

“Yes, you’ve told me about that,” he remembered. “She died during labor, right?”

Yor shook her head. “That’s what everyone believes but it’s not true,” she confessed. “My mother died of poisoning.”

Yor and her mother were inseparable. They spent most of the time in the castle’s gardens, playing, and looking at and talking about plants and flowers. Her mother taught Yor everything she knew about plants.

“I rarely saw my father,” Yor said. “I was a girl and unable to inherit his title, so I wasn’t important. But that didn’t matter; I was happy.”

Her mother’s health was always frail, but she still conceived another child to appease her husband. She was convinced that, this time, the baby would be the boy the King wanted so much.

“My father began to show up more and he would constantly ask me if I was jealous of my brother,” she recounted. “But that wasn’t the case. I was happy to have a baby brother. I loved Yuri since before his birth,” Yor said. “As months went by my excitement grew; I couldn’t wait to finally meet him.”

Twilight shook his head in disapproval of Ostania's King.

“One day, almost at the end of the pregnancy, my mother and I were eating lunch together, like always,” she closed her eyes, and two big tears rolled down her face. “They had served us a dessert. I cannot remember what it was, but I wanted to eat it. My mother said I had to finish my vegetables, but I always took so long!” the Princess began to sob. “She ate a slice of that dessert before I could finish eating. I remember she said I should hurry because it was very sweet.”

Yor quieted down, remembering what happened next but unable to say it aloud: Her mother’s nose began to bleed; her mouth foamed as she fell to the ground. Yor remembered the sound of her plate crashing against the floor and her own screams calling her mother. She ran to seek help and found two servant girls. They all ran back to the dining hall but by the time they did, her mother’s skin already looked purple. The servants lift her up and took her away, completely forgetting about Yor.  

“I don’t know how long I waited outside my mother’s room while the doctor tended to her,” she continued. “When I heard Yuri’s cry for the first time, I thought everything was going to be alright,” she continued. “I snuck into the room and saw my mother’s face covered with a sheet. I was seven years old, and I didn’t understand what that meant.”

The doctor and his assistants wouldn’t let her see her mother or her brother. Instead, they took her before the King.

“Father, can I see my…?”

“Did you do this?” her father accused.

Yor couldn’t respond because she had no clue what her father was talking about.

“DID YOU POISON YOUR MOTHER? DID YOU TRY TO KILL MY HEIR?”

Terrified of her father’s eyes, Yor shook her head.

“She’s dead!! Did you kill her?”

Her mother was dead. Yor wanted to scream and cry but no sound came out of her.

The King ordered for her to be taken to a room she had never been before. It was pitch dark and very cold.

“I don’t know how long I was in there,” Yor spoke. “Perhaps a few days.”

“That’s why you’re scared of the dark, isn’t it?” Twilight asked kindly.

“You know about that too?” Yor asked and her husband nodded. “Yes, that’s why.”

When they finally let her out, Yor couldn’t speak. Servant girls had to feed her in the mouth like a baby, otherwise, she wouldn’t eat. Nevertheless, Yor could still listen. People talked in front of her without any care and they said many things. They believed she had become stupid after staying in that dark room. That’s also how she learned her father had executed every single person who worked in the royal kitchen and that, later, they did find the real culprit for her mother’s death: a jealous concubine of her father. According to rumors she heard, the King had promised her to marry her if the Queen didn’t deliver a boy.

“I spoke again the day I finally met Yuri,” Yor smiled sadly. “By then he was already almost a year old, and he crawled to where I was sitting and grabbed my skirt,” she remembered. “When I saw his little face, it was as if I suddenly became alive once more.”

Yor started sobbing again and this time her husband embraced her with so much tenderness and strength, she felt as if all her pieces finally got put together and she became whole. He sniffled and she realized he was crying too.

“How could you go through so much sorrow alone, my love?” he said still holding her. “I’m sorry for making you relive all that. I promise…”

Yor separated just a bit and shook her head.

“On the contrary, finally telling someone after all these years made me feel lighter,” she smiled. “Even though they found out who did it, there was always a part of me who wondered if somehow it was my fault.”

“No, my love. You are completely innocent,” he kissed her forehead. “You were a little girl. If anyone is to blame, that's your father," he balled his fist. "He should have never treated you that way. If one day I come face to face with him, I’ll drag him by his hair and force him to apologize to you.”

“You will do no such thing,” she reprimanded. “My father is a proud and selfish man, capable of unspeakable things. We’re not going to jeopardize peace for something that doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It matters!” he argued. “It matters because it’s you.”

She caressed his face.

“It’s in the past,” she said. “I’ll probably never see my father again and I dare say, I am content with that.”

Twilight sighed.

“I swear, I will not let him or anyone else hurt you again,” her husband promised her, and she believed him.

They stayed a long time embracing each other, sneaking a kiss here and there, and, when they became tired, Twilight picked her up and carried her to bed.

The candle had already burned out, and the room was now dark but, in her husband’s arms, Yor was not afraid. She closed her eyes and placed her face on the crook of his neck. As long as she was with him, nothing could happen to her.

“You are safe with me.”

***

The next day, Twilight and Yor walked to town meet Clara’s baby girl.

After what she had told him last night, it was hard for Twilight to separate from his wife; he wanted to make sure she was alright. They left the castle holding hands; occasionally, Yor would lean her head on his arm, and, in response, he kissed her head.

“I’m so happy you decided to come with me,” she told him. “We rarely come to town together.”

“We should do it more often,” he replied.

As they crossed the market, they ran into Wheeler, who perhaps knew the Queen would visit Clara today and intended to run into her once more. However, he was not expecting to see the King, so he couldn’t go near her.

Good. Stay the fuck away from my wife.

Twilight shot a menacing look to the Northerner as a clear message. Every day, he liked Wheeler less. He had to find a way to get rid of him and send him back up north.

As they made their way to Clara’s house, several people greeted them. The King felt glad so many Westalians behaved friendly towards his wife. After everything she had been through, Twilight wanted Yor to be permanently surrounded by love and kindness.

When they finally made it, Yor didn’t even had to knock on the door; Clara’s mother was already waiting for her.

“My Lady! It’s so nice to see you, please come in!” the woman said. “You too, my Lord. Welcome!”

It was a small home but very tidy and clean. They made their way to one of the bedrooms, where Clara was resting. There was a man with dark hair and a mustache sitting next to the bed, probably the baby’s father.

“I couldn’t wait to meet your little one. I hope you don’t mind,” Yor said to them.

“Not at all, my Lady,” Clara responded. “We’re glad you’re here.”

The man was holding the baby and seemed besotted by that little creature. Twilight wondered if one day he would get to experience that.

“Would you like to hold her, my Lady?” the man offered her.

“Can I?”

“Yes, of course!”

Yor extended her arms and carefully held the baby’s head.

“She’s so warm,” she whispered smiling. “And so beautiful.”

“She looks just like my Clara,” the man commented proudly. “They both have those big brown eyes.”

Indeed, Twilight could see the resemblance.

Yor kept holding the baby for a long time; she seemed so happy.

“My Lady, Bernard and I would like to ask you something,” Clara said after a while and Yor temporarily lifted her eyes from the baby to look at them. “We would like you to be our baby’s godmother.”

“Me?” Yor asked surprised.

“That is only of you want,” Bernard added. “We wouldn’t want to impose.”

Yor looked at Twilight for a second, grinning from ear to ear. Of course, she didn’t have to ask him permission for this or anything else. She was a free woman.

“It will be my honor!” she finally answered. “I love her already.”

“Thank you, my Lady!” they said at the same time.

Yor kissed the top of the baby's head and then asked the parents:

“How are you going to name her?”

The proud parents looked at each other and nodded just once, as if they had just decided.

“We thought quite a lot about this, my Lady, but I think we’ve finally agreed on one name,” Bernard answered. “Becky. Becky Blackbell.”

Yor looked at the baby’s face again. “I think it suits her well.”

Twilight couldn’t agree more.

Chapter Text

He returned home emptyhanded.

Hemlock had seen Yor; he’d been so close to her and yet…he couldn’t bring her home.

Yuri cried when he saw him arrive at the castle alone and Hemlock felt worthless. He had made him a promise, and he had failed to deliver.

“She’s alive,” Hemlock told him. “That’s what’s important. As long as she’s alive, we can still bring her home one day.”

“But she’s not here!!” Yuri cried. “That man won’t let her go. And who knows what he’s doing to her. He’s probably torturing her!”

“She says the King treats her well,” Hemlock assured him but he didn’t believe it himself. For all he knew, Yor was probably trying to put her little brother’s mind at ease. “She’s healthy too. I saw her with my own eyes.”

He didn’t dare to tell Yuri what that evil Westalian had said about Yor being pregnant. Yuri was upset enough as it was. If he knew that man had forced Yor, that would probably devastate him.

I’m going to kill him.

Hemlock swore to himself over and over. What Twilight had done to his oldest and dearest friend was unforgivable and one day, he would make him pay.

I swear.

“My father wants to see you,” Yuri told him after a while. At least he was now calmer.

Of course, his absence hadn’t gone unnoticed. Now he had to see the King and there was a big chance he would be in trouble. He left Yuri and walked towards the throne room anyways. It was time to face the consequences of his actions.

Back when they believed they could pay a ransom for the Princess and get her home, Hemlock had asked the King to be part of the caravan who would take the ransom to the meeting point. He wanted Yor to see a friendly face after this ordeal. Once there, he had waited for a whole month before a letter from the King arrived ordering him to return home.

When Hemlock returned to Berlint with the ransom and without the Princess, he learned about Yor’s marriage. The bodyguard expected the King to order him to join the army to go to Westalis to rescue his daughter. Instead, the monarch had only lamented that his daughter wasn’t a viable option for Lord Desmond anymore."

“She’s no longer pure. That Westalian has defiled her,” those were his words.

“We can still bring her back!”  Hemlock pleaded.

Yor was probably scared out of her mind and deserved to come home.

“What for?” the King asked. “She’s no longer useful and it would be a mistake to spend our resources on something we can no longer fix.”

For a moment, Hemlock considered murdering the King. If he did, Yuri would be next in line, and he would order the army to bring Yor back. In the end, he decided against it only because he didn’t want to cause any more grief to the Briars.

Instead, he decided to rescue Yor himself.

It took him a few weeks to buy a boat and plan his trip. He knew nothing about Westalian geography, and he couldn’t go unprepared. Yuri helped him. The young prince financed the rescue; he bought the boat and helped Hemlock learn about Westalis Bay, so he could infiltrate the castle and bring his sister home.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.

“Your Highness,” Hemlock was now in the throne room, kneeling before the King. “You called me?”

“Yes, Hemlock,” he said. “I heard about your excursion to the West. How did it go?”

“I’m afraid it was unsuccessful, my Lord,” he reported. “I saw the Princess, but I was unable to rescue her from the hands of your enemy.”

“Is that so?”

Hemlock gritted his teeth. Yor deserved more than this. She deserved more than one person sneaking into an enemy country to try to rescue her. If he had control over Ostania’s army, he would have sent all legions to Westalis to bring her back.

“Yor is alive,” Hemlock reported. “The Westalian King treats her well.”

The King scoffed.

“Ostania is suffering a great deal because of her,” he complained. “And she’s enjoying her time in Westalis.”

Hemlock balled his fists and bit his tongue. How could he say that? None of this was Yor’s fault!

It wasn’t a secret that Ostania had a huge debt with Lord Desmond, who of course would not finance the war anymore. Apparently, the King had already acquired hefty loans from that Southerner before the wedding. Yor was the payment for those loans, and since the King couldn’t deliver, now he had to pay back everything he owed.

Ostania already suffered from a financial crisis (due to the war and the King’s questionable choices and lifestyle), now because of this debt, taxes had increased, and people were not only struggling but also starving.

Still, the King wasn’t willing to change his ways; he still behaved as if Ostania had unlimited resources and he was one of the richest men in the world.

“My Lord, please, I beg you, send the army to Westalis,” Hemlock swallowed his pride. “I saw her: Yor is scared, and she wants to come home. Please, she’s your daughter.”

The monarch let out an exasperated sigh.

“Stop insisting, Hemlock,” he said. “I’ve already told you that it’s useless. That Westalian has already taken her and she can no longer serve her purpose. Lord Desmond won’t take a woman who…”

Hemlock remembered that Westalian’s words right before he had left: Yor was with child.

But then, he also remembered Yor’s face. Sure, she had looked embarrassed by her husband’s declaration, however, she had also looked…surprised.

The King kept talking but Hemlock was no longer paying attention. He and Yor had grown up together and no one knew Yor better than him. That’s how he realized that it was a lie!

Yor wasn’t pregnant. If she had been, her face would have looked different. And yet, why was she so surprised by her husband’s words? Surely, after more than a couple of months of marriage, a child was a possibility. Unless it was something completely out of the question. And the only reason why that would be out of the question was…

“They haven’t consummated the marriage!” Hemlock exclaimed.

“What did you say?” the King asked.

“My Lord, I cannot tell for sure, but I believe they have not consummated their marriage,” Hemlock responded.

“Oh, Hemlock, don’t be absurd!” he reprimanded. “This wild conclusion is probably a product of your mind wanting to believe…”

He shook his head. He was putting all the pieces together and it made sense.

“That Westalian is in love with her,” he argued. “I saw him; the way he talked to her, the way he touched her.”

“With more reason to believe they have…”

Hemlock shook his head again.

“No, my Lord,” he fought. “The more reason to wait and not force her. I think he wants her to love him back.”

The King frowned. He didn’t believe him, so Hemlock had to elaborate.

“They caught me trying to sneak into the castle and brought me before the Westalian King,” he began. “Without a doubt he was going to kill me. I thought I was a dead man, but Yor intervened,” he recounted. “She asked the King to forgive my life and let me go. And he did!”

Why else would a Warrior King let an enemy go?

The Ostanian King remained quiet for a long moment, surely thinking of that possibility. Hemlock prayed he would believe him. If he did, there was a chance he would want to rescue Yor.

“I want you to do something, Hemlock,” he finally said after a long while. “Travel to the southern lands, where Lord Desmond lives. You must tell him everything you have told me.”

“As you command, my Lord,” Hemlock said feeling hopeful once again.

It would be a long, perilous journey all the way to the South, but Hemlock was willing to go just for a chance to get Yor back.

“This is Lord Desmond’s decision,” the King added. “He’ll decide whether or not he wants to claim what belongs to him.”

Hemlock left that same day. It took him weeks to finally reach Donovan Desmond’s lands. When he arrived to his castle, he showed the guards a letter from the King of Ostania and because of that, they let him through.

Months have passed since he last had seen Yor, but he was unwilling to let her rot in that country with that Westalian King. Now it was time to act; he would see Lord Desmond and convince him to rescue Yor. However, the man who received him was not Lord Desmond.

“How can I help you, my Lord?” an old man asked him.

“I’m here to see Lord Desmond,” he answered. “I have news about the Briar Princess.”

“Is that so?” the old man raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, my Lord. The news concern Lord Desmond as well.”

The old man studied Hemlock carefully before speaking again.

“Lord Desmond is currently travelling,” he announced.

“Will he be back soon?”

“I’m afraid not,” the old man responded. “He’s travelling to another country, and he won’t be back for a couple of months, at least.”

Damn it. Hemlock let out a sigh of frustration; he had terrible timing.

“It’s funny you should mention the Briar Princess,” the old man smiled, and Hemlock saw a hint of malice in his eyes. “That’s precisely the reason why my Lord is travelling.”

Hemlock suppressed a gasp. Could it be?

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is Lord Desmond headed?”

“To Westalis, of course.”

***

Yor couldn’t stop giggling.

“Well, Mrs. Forger, you are now a full Westalian,” her husband declared.

“Mr. Forger, we are in grave danger of falling to the ground and you choose this moment to invest me full Westalian nationality?” she laughed again.

Sometimes that’s how they would call each other when they were alone. It had started as a joke, and it was now a private game between them: Mr. and Mrs. Forger.

“I can assure you, my love, this hammock is perfectly safe.”

“For one person!” she responded, and her husband rocked the hammock some more just to make her laugh again.

The weather in Westalis Bay had turned unbearably hot in the last few days. Nights were especially warm, much so that Yor had replaced her frilly nightgown for one of her husband's shirts. Still, that wasn't enough; neither the Princess nor the King were able to sleep in their bed. That’s why that night, Twilight suggested sleeping outside, like everyone else in the city.

At first Yor hesitated. She had never slept outdoors, let alone in a hammock. Even if it was just the balcony right outside their bedroom, it seemed strange to her. Nevertheless, the prospect of sleeping in bed without her husband seemed unbearable now, so she ended up following Twilight to the balcony.

The hammock itself was wide enough for two people; the couple brought their pillows along with a light blanket and, after some adjustment and many giggles, they finally settled there for the night.

“Ahhhh it’s so fresh out here,” Yor breathed.

“We should have done this days ago,” Twilight said.

It was pleasantly breezy and Yor cuddled with her husband. In return, he kissed her forehead.

“Are you comfortable, my love?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I love it out here,” she responded. “The stars look so shiny.”

Twilight smiled. “I’m so happy you’re here with me,” he told her. “My parents used to sleep in a hammock like this and, when I was a little child, I used to sleep in between them.”

Yor smiled imagining that adorable scene.

“Do you think one day our child will sleep between us?” she asked hopeful.

“Yes, my love,” he kissed her. “I’m sure of it.”

Spending so much time with Becky, her goddaughter, made her want a baby of her own. But there was no rush. For now, she just wanted to enjoy her life and her husband.

Yor couldn’t believe how happy she was and how much she loved Twilight. She still missed Yuri, of course, but her life was here now―by Twilight’s side, and she wished to never return to Ostania.

“By the way, your birthday is coming up soon,” he mentioned, and she groaned.

Back in Ostania, the only people that celebrated her birthday were Yuri and Hemlock. There was never a big celebration for her, but knowing her husband…

“My uncle invited us to spend a few days at his estate,” he continued. “But if you prefer to spend your birthday here in Westalis Bay, I’ll just decline the invitation and tell him we’ll come some other time.”

Yor thought about it for a moment. She didn’t care much about where she spent her birthday, as long as she spent the day with Twilight.

“I would love to meet your family,” she said.

It was her husband’s turn to groan. “They can be a bit…overwhelming. Believe me.”

“Is that so?” she asked, and he nodded. “Do you think they’ll like me?”

Suddenly Yor felt nervous. She was a foreign princess from an enemy country.

“You have nothing to worry about; I think they will love you,” her husband responded, and she felt much more at ease. “I’ll write to my uncle, and we’ll leave in a few days.”

Yor felt excited about the upcoming trip; she had seen very little about this beautiful land and couldn’t wait to see more.

Before, whenever she travelled, she always felt unsafe. That's why she avoided leaving Berlint. Now, things were different. Everything was an adventure and, as long as she remained by her husband side, she knew she would always be safe. 

Chapter Text

Westalis was more beautiful than Yor ever imagined.

In order to get to Eden, her husband’s uncle’s estate, they had to cross several villages and a whole forest.

Yor had already learned how to ride a horse (Twilight taught her how) but her husband considered the trip was too long for her to travel by horse, so instead, Yor travelled by carriage.

A small entourage travelled with them, including McMahon, other trusted soldiers, some servants and a couple of errand boys.

Twilight rode his horse next to the carriage. He said he wanted to keep Yor safe but also, he wanted to show his wife everything he could about his home country. He looked so tall and handsome while he rode his horse and pointed at all those wonderful things. He really knew every nook and cranny of his kingdom.

While they crossed the forest, Yor observed plants and flowers in colors and textures she had never seen before. They were surrounded by the trees that looked like giants. Westalis was like an infinite garden.

“Demetrius!” her husband stopped and called one of the errand boys who were riding with the carriage’s driver.

A young boy of about 15 years old appeared in front of her husband in a matter of seconds. Twilight had hired him a few months ago. Yor saw him sometimes; he had a strange look in his eyes, and he reminded her of someone, she just couldn’t remember who that was.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Take my horse for a while,” Twilight ordered him. “I want to ride in the carriage with my wife.”

Twilight jumped off his horse, opened the door of the carriage, got in, and kissed Yor before he even sat.

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he told her. “You look so beautiful. How am I supposed to resist you?”

Yor giggled and kissed him back. She also preferred him to be with her.

He spent the rest of the journey in that carriage; kissing her and showing her everything he knew about Westalis.

Before sunset, they finally made it to his uncle’s estate. As they entered the gates of the property, Yor was surprised; Eden was like a small city. When they finally stopped in front of a big house, an older man with a long gray mustache awaited them right by the door.

“Good evening, uncle,” Twilight said as he got out of the carriage.

As she stepped out of the carriage herself, Yor suddenly felt shy.

“Welcome home, son!” the man hugged Twilight. “Is this your Princess?” the man asked looking at Yor.

Twilight smiled proudly and took Yor’s hand. “Yes, uncle. This is my wife.”

Yor did a curtsy. “I’m honored to finally meet you, Lord Henderson,” she bowed her head. “My husband speaks so fondly of you…”

“Lord Henderson?” he frowned. “None of that, my dear! You’re married to my nephew, and you will call me uncle as well, or at the very least Henry.”

Yor blushed and nodded.

“Let me introduce you to my wife, Martha.”

An older lady stepped forward and greeted Yor with a curtsy.

“We’re so happy to meet you,” she said. “We’ve been anxiously waiting for you. Please, feel right at home.”

Her voice sounded so warm. Yor felt like they had immediately welcomed her into the family. They got into the house.

“And these are our ten children,” she said smiling.

Yor’s eyes opened big when she saw a long line of people. Martha and Henry’s children were there along with their spouses and children. Only then, she realized Twilight came from a big family.

The Princess spent the next 30 minutes getting acquainted with everyone. Just like her husband had warned her, it was overwhelming; a lot of people hugged her and talked to her at the same time. However, they all seemed welcoming and friendly.

“You are as beautiful as Twilight described…”

“How do you like Westalis, Yor?”

“I hope you like apple strudel! Twilight told us you loved eating apples, so we prepared that especially for you…”

After a that welcome, they went into the dining hall and sat at a long table.

Twilight’s uncle sat at the head of the table―his wife on one side and Twilight on the other. Yor sat next to her husband, of course. However, the Princess found the seating arrangements odd. In Ostania, no matter where the King ate, he always sat at the head of the table. She realized that this was perhaps a less formal environment; this was a family.

At dinner, they served Westalian food. By then, Yor had grown accustomed to Westalian cuisine and enjoyed it. While the whole family chatted away, Yor observed and ate quietly. Even though her husband’s family had welcomed her, she still felt shy. Back in Ostania, during any social occasion, she was expected to remain quiet while other people talked. 

Her husband squeezed her hand and looked at her.

“Have you noticed the flowers, my love?” he asked softly.

Yor looked up and she saw several floral arrangements distributed along the table. She had never seen these kinds of flowers. It was love at first sight.

“How are they called?” she asked fascinated by them.

“I’m afraid I’m not well versed in that subject, darling,” he answered. “Perhaps you should ask my aunt about it.”

The Princess shy nature usually prevented her from talking to people, but this time, she decided be brave.

“Aunt Martha?” she called in a soft voice.

“Yes, dear?”

Yor felt her cheeks turn red but pressed herself to talk.

“The flowers on the table…they are quite beautiful,” she said. “I’ve never seen such rare flowers before.”

“These ones?” Aunt Martha reached for a flower. “These are typical of this region. They are called paper flowers or Bougainvillea.”

Aunt Martha handed her the flower and Yor felt enchanted by that vivid dark pink color and the softness of the petals.

“If it pleases you, I would love to show you our gardens tomorrow,” Aunt Martha suggested.

“I would love that!” Yor answered promptly.

“Perfect! We’ll walk through the gardens and have a lovely morning while our husbands go hunting,” she beamed. “I have a couple of things I would like to show you; I know you’re a skilled gardener.”

“You do? But how do you know…?”

Aunt Martha and several family members laughed.

“Your husband told me the last time he was here,” she responded.

“You should have seen Twilight,” another man commented. “We couldn’t shut him up about you: ‘My Princess loves plants!’ ‘My Princess is the best gardener in Westalis’ ‘My Princess’ loves apples.’”

Yor turned her head to look at her husband. Twilight blushed furiously and that only made her giggle.

“For the whole time he was here, he was insufferable!” another one of his cousins blurted. “We threatened him to never come back here without you. Isn’t that right, Twilight?”

Unable to answer, her husband just groaned and hid his face in his hands. He was simply adorable.

Everyone laughed, included Yor.

Twilight was the King of Westalis and everyone respected him. However, seeing him like this, like just another member of such a big, lively family was an amazing feature. No wonder her husband came here often and no wonder he was such an amazing man.

***

The next day, while Twilight, his uncle and all his cousins hunted, Aunt Martha took Yor to see, not only the gardens, but the whole estate. Twilight knew she would be in good hands; his aunt was a kind woman.

However, he did not anticipate his family would steal his wife away the whole day. When he finally saw her again at dinnertime―a bit sunburned and laughing with her aunt and other cousins―, Twilight felt relieved. He wasn’t used to spending so much time away from her.

That night, when they finally retired to their bed chamber, Yor told him about all the things she did during the day. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her eyes sparkled.

“Your family is wonderful!” she beamed.

“I’m glad to hear you think so, my love,” he caressed her face. “I knew they would love you, but I wasn’t sure how you would feel about them.”

They were already in bed. Eden was at a higher altitude than Westalis Bay and it didn’t get as hot as the capital, so there was no need for hammocks.

“My love, how come your family doesn’t live in Westalis Bay?” Yor asked.

“Because, originally, this is my family’s land,” he said. “Westalis is formed by many tribes, you know this,” he began and Yor nodded. “A couple of centuries ago, when these tribes united, they chose a member of my family as their leader and declared him King of Westalis. He moved to Westalis Bay, however, his brothers and sisters remained here,” he explained. “My family could move to Westalis Bay if they wished to do it, but they are very attached to Eden.”

“I see.”

“And I also like visiting here every once in a while,” he disclosed. “Especially when the weather is excruciatingly hot in the capital.”

“I’m glad we came here,” she said. “I love it here.”

Twilight smiled. His Princess was so easy to please, she was just a happy person, and he loved her so much.

They didn’t talk much after that. Now they were just kissing in bed, like every night.

Suddenly, they heard a knock.

It wasn’t that late, but it was still unusual. Back home, in Westalis Bay, no one dared to knock on their door at this hour. They stopped kissing and just stood still.

“Son?” a voice called on the other side of the door. “It’s Uncle Henry.”

Twilight frowned. This was his private time with his wife, and he felt tempted to keep quiet and pretend they were asleep until his uncle gave up and left.

“Maybe he needs something,” Yor suggested.

“He has ten children and a household full of servants,” he replied in a whisper, so his uncle wouldn’t hear him. “I’m sure someone else can help him.”

“Perhaps he needs something specifically from you, my love.”

Twilight wanted to roll his eyes but contained himself. Instead, he got up and opened the door.

“Uncle Henry, did you call?”

His uncle smiled and Twilight noticed he was carrying an embroidered blanket.

“Yes, I wanted to give you this,” he handed him the blanket. “I thought about it today and realized you may need it.”

“It’s not cold,” Twilight took it anyways. “Yor and I are quite comfortable but thank you.”

Uncle Henry chuckled.

“Its purpose is not precisely weather related, my boy,” he smiled. “You see, I couldn’t help noticing that your Princess and you have been married for almost a year and you still have nothing to show for.”

“Nothing to show for?” Twilight repeated “I’m afraid I’m not understanding you, uncle.”

“I mean that you two still haven’t been able to produce an heir.”

Oh. So, this is about that.

Twilight remained quiet. He didn’t know how to respond.

“I realize that your father died when you were still young and probably did not have the time to educate you about a certain matter that pertains marital life,” his uncle continued. “And McMahon is not the best at that either.”

Twilight’s eyes open big. Surely, his uncle wasn’t talking about…

“So, after careful pondering, I took it upon myself to come ask you if you would like to discuss that issue with me,” he offered. “As an older male relative, perhaps I can enlighten you about this rather private topic.”

Oh God. He was talking about that.

Twilight didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or yell. He certainly did not need advice about bedroom matters; he was close to thirty! THIS was the real reason why his family did not live in Westalis Bay.

“No, uncle. I appreciate it, but I have this issue figured it out,” he blushed.

“There is no shame in talking to someone with experience,” he insisted.

“I can assure you that won’t be necessary.”

“If you say so,” he affectionately placed a hand on his shoulder. “But if you ever need advice about that or about anything else, please know that I am here.”

“Thank you, uncle.”

Twilight thought that would be the end of it and began to turn around but before he could bid his uncle goodnight, the old man began to talk again.

“And about that blanket,” he said. “My grandmother made it for Martha and myself,” he continued. “We were young and quite inexperienced and, a year after our wedding, we hadn’t made much progress in our marital relationship.”

Twilight could see where this was headed and did not want to hear anything more.

“That blanket served as a good luck charm,” he chuckled. “Each of our ten children were conceived under it.”

Twilight wanted to drop the blanket on the floor and run back all the way to Westalis Bay. He did not want to know any of this.

His uncle sighed. “I was worried about you,” he told him. “Given the circumstances of your marriage…”

How did he know about that?!

It took him about a second to figure it out: McMahon.

Uncle Henry and McMahon were longtime friends. His old teacher probably talked with him the last time they were here.

“Uncle, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about,” Twilight stated. “Yor and I love each other.”

“I know, son” he squeezed his arm. “I realize I have nothing to worry regarding that.”

He chuckled but sobered up quickly.

“I’m glad you and your Princess found each other. However, because of your wife’s family and circumstances, let me advice you to solidify your marriage as soon as possible,” he continued. “It’s dangerous for a King to lack an heir.”

Twilight sighed. He really didn’t need this lecture.

“I know, uncle,” he said. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

Uncle Henry smiled and looked at him just like he did when Twilight was a child.

“Now, go back to your Princess,” he said.

“Good night, uncle.”

“Good night,” he turned around. “And don’t forget to put that blanket on the bed!”

When Twilight reentered the bedroom, Yor awaited looking at a window.

“Is your uncle well?” she asked.

“Yes, my love,” he answered. “He just wanted to make sure we felt comfortable in this room and brought us a blanket, in case it gets cold.”

“How thoughtful of him!”

The young King chose not to discuss the conversation he had with his uncle. Although he knew Uncle Henry had nothing but good intentions, the topic seemed rather ludicrous to him. Plus, he did not want to pressure his wife. They had yet to consummate their marriage, but they were getting rather close. He figured sooner or later, they would get carried away with their late-night kissing and it would finally happen.

As for the issue of his heir, Twilight wasn’t concerned at all. Yor wanted children; she’d told him several times and he was in no rush.

“It’s a beautiful blanket,” Yor commented looking at the colorful embroidered flowers.

“Indeed, my love.”

***

A couple of days later, Yor turned 21.

This was the first birthday she would spend far from Ostania, but she didn’t mind that at all. 

Her husband woke her up with kisses and she giggled with happiness before even opening her eyes.

“I have a surprise for you, my love,” he grinned.

“Is that so?”

They both got up and his husband dug in his trunk until he produced a small leather cylinder and handed it to his wife.

“What is this?” Yor asked looking at it.

“Open it.”

Yor took the lid off the cylinder. There was something inside―a paper? A piece of parchment? She took it out.

Yor gasped when she saw the content.

It was a painting like the ones she saw in the Scroll Room, but instead of portraying Westalis’ kings and queens from the past, it was a painting of Twilight and Yor.

“Do you like your gift, darling?”

Yor liked it so much, she was speechless. She nodded and smiled big.

“Thomas Austin told me you enjoyed looking at the paintings, so I commissioned this one.”

“Thank you!” she hugged him and kissed him. “This is the most wonderful gift someone has ever given me!”

That wasn’t the only gift the Princess would receive that day.

When Aunt Martha found out about Yor’s birthday, she prepared what she called “a small family get together.” Nevertheless, their family was so large, it soon turned into a big celebration. This was the first time Yor spent her birthday like this.

In the middle of the celebration, Uncle Henry discreetly pulled her aside and asked if he could talk to her privately.

“Of course, Uncle Henry,” Yor responded.

She wanted to let her husband know, but at the moment, Twilight was fighting a set of 8-year-old twin boys. Yor giggled and followed Uncle Henry into his studio.

“I have something for you,” he told her and opened a desk drawer. “It’s not precisely a birthday present but it just happens that I am delivering this to you today.”

He pulled out a long and narrow wooden box.

“This is yours,” he said and handed her the box.

Yor took it and opened it; thinking it was another birthday present. She realized it was more than that: A pair of golden needles.

“Do you know what these are?” he asked.

Yor nodded. She’d seen them before, in the paintings of the Scroll Room.

“They belonged to my late niece, Twilight’s mother,” he said. “They are yours now.”

Yor was surprised to hear that.

“Uncle Henry, this is a family heirloom,” she argued and tried to give them back. “Perhaps, these are better suited for one of your children or perhaps your grandchildren. I am nothing but a foreigner and…”

“My darling girl, these don’t belong to me. I am just the safekeeper,” he disclosed. “You are right in thinking these are a family heirloom. They have been in my family for more than 200 years. However, they have always belonged to the same person, generation after generation,” he told her. “These belong to the Queen of Westalis.”

Although Yor felt unworthy of such precious gift, she realized she wouldn’t be able to reject it. She put the lid back on and placed the box against her chest.

“In that case, I will be a safekeeper too and I will treasure this for the rest of my life, until the next Queen of Westalis receives them,” she declared.

Henry Henderson smiled. “I appreciate the sentiment, my Lady. However, you need to learn how to use them as well,” he recommended and Yor frowned.

In Ostanian culture, a lady fighting and using weapons to do so was simply unheard of. In addition to that, Yor had no need to learn such a violent skill; her husband was there to protect her.

“We live in peaceful times, but I have lived long enough to know that no matter how much we try to keep the peace, it rarely lasts,” he warned her. “You need to learn how to fight. You may need to do so one day.”

Yor nodded and thanked him again. Then, they returned to the party.

A seed on anguished installed itself in her head but she chose to let it be. Instead, she preferred to trust her husband. Twilight would keep the peace in Westalis and they would live their whole life like this, in perfect happiness.

Years later, Yor would remember this day with fondness and pain. Year after year, on her birthday, she remembered her husband clean smile, their family's affection and her own heart bursting with joy. Back then, she didn't know it, but she would never have a birthday as happy as this one. Regret crawled the walls of every joyous memory and, at times, she wished to scream at her past self: Heed that warning! 

Chapter Text

It was time to go back home.

Everything was already well packed in the carriage, now Yor and Twilight just had to say goodbye to their family.

“Thank you for everything, Aunt Martha and Uncle Henry,” Yor hugged both of them.

“It was a pleasure to have you both,” Uncle Henry responded. “Come back soon.”

“We will, uncle,” Twilight said.

“Take care of yourself, my darling girl,” Aunt Martha handed her a flowerpot with a planted paper flower, so Yor would take it back to Westalis Bay.

“Thank you so much,” her eyes sweetened. “I’ll plant it in my garden as soon as I get home.”

Yor waved at everyone and got in the carriage. Her husband got on his horse and they left Eden.

As they crossed the gates of the property, Yor couldn’t help feeling nostalgic. She wanted to stay a bit longer, but Twilight had many things to manage back at the capital.

“We’ll be back soon, my love,” her husband told her while he rode his horse next to the carriage. “Don’t look so sad.”

“I know, it’s just that…” Yor hesitated. “I’ve never been part of a family. You’re very lucky to have them.”

Twilight frowned.

“Don’t you have uncles, aunts, and cousins back in Ostania?”

Yor shook her head.

“Before I was born, my father had a falling with his brothers. He thought they were plotting against him, so he had them executed.”

Twilight scoffed. “Just when I think your father cannot surprise me anymore, something else always comes up,” he joked. “How about aunts and cousins? Did he have them executed too?”

Yor shook her head again. “Women cannot be monarchs in Ostania,” she said. “So, he just sent my aunts to a convent. They did not marry, so I don’t have any cousins.”

“I see,” he appeared a bit pensive. “What’s a convent?”

Yor laughed. “It’s a monastery, a religious community of women,” she explained.

“Like a women’s prison?” he asked and Yor laughed again.

“Not exactly,” she said. “It’s a place where women serve God in prayer and contemplation.”

“But they have to stay in that place, is that right?”

“In most cases, yes.”

“That sounds like a prison to me.”

Yor laughed again.

They spent the next few hours of the trip talking and laughing.

Until her husband, suddenly got quiet. They were in the middle of the forest, and Yor could only see were trees and bushes, but Twilight’s attention seemed to be fixed on something else.

“YOR, GET DOWN!”

Before she could duck, an arrow hit the side of the carriage, missing her head by a few inches.

“Get to the floor of the carriage and cover your head!” Twilight instructed.

She did exactly that. Yor couldn’t see anything, but she could hear a fight happening right outside the carriage―more arrows, swords clashing, her husband’s voice giving instructions to the other soldiers, and her own terrified whimpers. They were being attacked.

It lasted for an eternity, and she was having a hard time breathing. She just wanted it to be over; her husband was out there, and he wanted him to be safe inside the carriage with her.

Please, please, I beg you, keep Twilight safe…

She repeated this over and over again until silence finally returned. Would it be safe to go out? She needed to know if Twilight…

“YOR!”

She heard his voice, and her soul returned to her body.

“YOR! Are you alright?!”

The door of the carriage opened and as soon as Yor saw his face, she threw herself into his arms, crying.

“Everything is alright, my love,” he rubbed her back and kissed her head. “Are you hurt?” he inspected her, and she shook her head, still crying. “Nothing happened, I’m unharmed.”

She separated from him for a moment to look at his face and touch him with her trembling hands. Other than dirt, he didn’t even have a scratch.

Only then was she able to stop sobbing and take a deep breath. Her husband embraced her again.

“That’s the last one, my Lord,” a soldier threw a body on the ground.

Yor separated once more from Twilight. He had to deal with the aftermath and give instructions to his men.  McMahon joined them shortly after that―his sword covered in blood.

Fortunately, they didn’t have any casualties. The people that travelled with them were mostly soldiers and knew how to fight. On the other hand, every one of their attackers succumbed. The Princess didn’t want to look but it was unavoidable; there were at least ten bodies around them.

“They look like Ostanians, my Lord,” one of the soldiers commented, while carefully avoiding looking at Yor.

Twilight nodded but didn’t say anything else.

Yor looked around. Sure, those men looked like peasants from her home country. They wore traditional Ostanian clothes, but something didn’t feel right. Their skin and their hair were lighter than the average Ostanian.

Carefully, Yor leaned in to observe one of the bodies and saw something revealing.

“My Lord, these men aren’t Ostanians,” she said firmly and both Twilight and McMahon looked at her. “Their skin and hair are too light. I believe they’re wearing a disguise; the clothes are worn incorrectly and most importantly, the necklace around their neck is wrong.”

“What do you mean, my Lady?” McMahon asked. He grabbed one of the straw necklaces from the body right next to him. It was a strange letter ‘X.’

“Ostanians wear a cross around their neck to remind them of our God,” she disclosed. “Nobility wears a gold or a silver cross, but lower classes wear a wooden, metal or even a straw cross. These men aren’t wearing a cross.”

McMahon and Twilight made eye contact. Without saying a word to each other, they each tore the sleeve of two different bodies.

A familiar mark showed up on their wrist. Yor had seen something similar before, the day she had met Winston Wheeler.

“Northerners.”

***

After the incident, they took a different route to get to Westalis Bay.

They arrived later than they had estimated, but at least no one else had attacked them. As soon as they got to the castle, Twilight left again.

“I need to talk to Franky,” he told his wife. “Take a bath and rest, my love.”

Yor nodded, he kissed her forehead and marched quickly out of the castle.

Yor took a bath, grabbed a clean shirt from her husband’s wardrobe and put it on. She tried to relax, tried not to think about the attack but it was still so fresh in her mind, she couldn’t help it.

Why had those men attacked them? How did they know they were heading back home? And most importantly: why were they pretending to be Ostanians?

Just like her husband predicted, more Ostanians had come to Westalis in the last months and, just as he had promised her, he hadn’t turned them away and had found a way to help them. Most Ostanians lived in a small village outside Westalis Bay. General opinion about them was mixed. Some people welcomed them―aware of the famine ravishing Ostania’s population. Others, especially those who had lost family members in the war, did not welcome them and wanted them to leave.

Could it be that those Northerners attacked them pretending to be Ostanians so the King would force all Ostanians to leave?

Yor couldn’t think of any other explanation, and it worried her to no end. She got up from the bed and went to her trunk, still unpacked. It didn’t take her long to find that set of golden needles Uncle Henry had given her only a few days ago. In a small corner of that box, she had also placed a pouch with Bougainvillea seeds. Her smile tingled with sadness; Yor was not a warrior like the previous queen; she was a gardener.

Suddenly, she heard a soft knock, and she quickly put the needles away.

It was the girl who filled the tub for her husband every night and Yor felt relieved. He was on his way.

Minutes after the girl left, Twilight finally arrived―sweaty, dirty, and very tired.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” he said, and she shook her head.

“It’s quite alright, my love,” she said and caressed his face. “I’m just happy you’re back.”

He took a bath and shortly after, they were already in bed.

“What a tiresome day!” he said, laying on Yor’s lap while she raked her fingers through his hair. “I’m just happy we made it back home safe and sound.”

“Me too,” she leaned to kiss his face.

They stayed like this for a long time. Often, this made her husband sleepy, but tonight, even though he was tired, that wasn’t the case.

“My love, I want you to do me a favor,” he said. “For the next few days, I would like you to stay in the castle. I know you want to see Becky, but she and Chloe’s family can come and visit you here. And if you need to go to town, I’ll come with you,” he suggested. “At least until I sort things out with the Northerners.”

“Alright,” she agreed and in return he kissed her hand. “If it makes you feel calmer, I will do as you ask.”

Twilight looked pensive and Yor wanted to ask him so many questions, but she wasn’t sure it was appropriate. Back in Ostania, a wife was not allowed to meddle in her husband’s business.

But this is not Ostania. Yor reminded herself.

“My love,” she called. “Do you know why we were attacked?”

He shook his head. “I am not sure.”

Yor hesitated to ask the next question, but she really needed to know:

“Was it because you married an Ostanian?”

“No,” he sat up on the bed and held her hands. “Not at all,” he reiterated. “Believe me, I’ve had problems with the Northers since the minute I became King.”

“Is that so?” she asked worried, and he nodded.

“After fighting together in the last war, I truly believed we have mended our differences. That’s why I invited them to collaborate in my government,” he continued. “But I can see now I was wrong.”

“What are you going to do?”

“For now, I need to keep things quiet,” he said. “That will allow me to plan things and hopefully avoid conflict with the Northern Tribes.”

A pinch of anguish installed in Yor’s chest. If a conflict arose, Twilight would have to fight.

She hugged him tightly.

“I don’t want you to leave to go to war!” she fretted.

“My love, there won’t be any war,” he chuckled. “Not if I can help it.”

Yor separated from him to look into his eyes. She needed to know if he was just trying to reassure her or if he was telling the truth.

“It’s a tiresome issue, but McMahon and I know how to handle those Northerners,” he told her. “Believe me, your husband knows how to reign his kingdom.”

Of course, Yor believed in him; he was smart, and kind and she loved him more than anything and anyone in the world.

“Come on, let’s lay back down. It’s late and we’re both tired,” he kissed her again and they got comfortable in each other’s arms. “We will sort all this out tomorrow.”

Now that they were cuddling in bed, Yor felt much calmer. Everything was right as long as they were together.

Her husband caressed her face and gave her tiny kisses; he often did this so she would fall asleep. Yor began to drift off but before she closed her eyes, she wanted to tell him one more thing:

“Teach me how to fight.”

“You want to learn how to fight?” he asked puzzled. “Why?”

“The Queen of Westalis should know how to defend herself,” she stated with her eyes already closed, but she still heard her husband chuckle.

“Alright, my love, I cannot argue with that,” he said, and she smiled half asleep. “I’ll teach you.”

***

Training Yor was more challenging than he expected.

She was strong and skilled―a natural fighter, which impressed him. However, Twilight was also constantly distracted by her.

After training hundreds of soldiers, the King considered himself a good teacher. But training his wife was a different story.

While training other men, he was harsh because he knew that, at some point, they could find themselves in a difficult situation and they needed to be prepared. He simply could do that with Yor. Raising a hand against her, even in a training setting, was unacceptable for him. Twilight was used to treating her as a delicate flower―with care and abundant affection. Hence, he couldn’t be strict with her, no matter how much he tried.

He understood why Yor wanted to learn how to defend herself, but all in all, it was unnecessary. As long as he was with her, as long as he was King, she would never be unprotected.

After that attack, Yor worried about the Northerners, but Twilight didn’t. Of course, he was angry they had dared to attack him and his wife, and the people responsible would pay for it. Nevertheless, Northerners as a whole, weren't such a big concern to him. He had dealt with them countless times. For the young King, more than a threat, they were an annoyance.

The truth was that the Northern Tribes were rowdy, but they lacked many things to take Westalis from him: First, they lacked funds. As much as they would love to attack Westalis Bay, they did not have enough resources to feed an army. Second, they never presented a united front. There were at least thirty different tribes, and they were always at odds with each other. In fact, Twilight had served as mediator a couple of times in the last few years to prevent bloody conflicts between them. Third, he would always be a step ahead of them. He had already asked Franky to use his spies to find out what they were plotting and which tribes were involved.

McMahon often warned him not to underestimate the Northerners, but Twilight could help it: They had come from Nordica over 30 years ago to conquest Westalis and, so far, they have achieved very little. They lived in a part of Westalis nobody really wanted. They were gifted warriors, he couldn’t deny that, but without a good leader (like he had been in the last war), they amounted to nothing.

“Am I doing it right?” Yor asked him after trying to swing a wooden sword at a dummy while in training.

Yor had showed him the needles that had previously belonged to his mother. However, since she had never had combat training, he suggested they started with something less advanced.

“Not quite,” he responded. “Let me show you.”

Twilight placed a hand on her hips to arrange them to the correct position. This was something he would never do with any of his soldiers…but she didn’t need to know that.

He really was taking advantage of these training sessions and touching her and kissing her as much as he wanted. His wife looked especially delicious wearing a training outfit. Twilight himself had suggested this outfit after Yor took a tumble on her first session due to the length of her dress. Following his suggestion, Yor had hired a seamstress for her to fashion a couple of training outfits for her.

They trained every evening, just before dinner. He would teach her a couple of defensive moves, then, while testing these, they would end up playing, laughing, and kissing. More than training, it was more like playtime.

And these sessions also served for another purpose; a side effect neither of them predicted: Things were heating up in the bedroom.

Maybe it was all that playtime, or perhaps that his wife felt more confident, but every night their late-night kissing sessions lasted longer and were becoming more daring.

Consummating their marriage was probably a matter of days, still, Twilight felt Yor was holding back, and he didn’t know the reason.

“Can I ask you something?” his Princess asked right in the middle of kissing in bed that night.

It was difficult to stop, but he did anyways. “Of course.”

Yor separated from him and sat up but didn’t ask her question right away. She opened her mouth as if she was about to speak but closed it again.

“What is it, my love?”

“I…I…I would like us to have a baby,” she covered her face with the bed sheet.

He laughed. That was not a question, but Twilight didn’t care.

“I can certainly help you with that,” he joked.

“But that wasn’t my question,” she said still covering her face. “What I want to ask is if it hurts a lot.”

“Well, I’m not an expert in the matter, but unfortunately, I have heard giving birth can be painful,” he answered. “Perhaps, Clara can tell you more about that topic.”

“No! Not that!” she lowered the sheet from her face.

Twilight frowned and shook his head. What was his wife talking about?

Yor grabbed her pillow and covered her face again before speaking.

“Making one,” she said. “Does making a baby hurt a lot?”

Twilight cackled. His wife could be so funny sometimes. “No!” he said while laughing. “Not at all. Where did you get that idea?”

Yor didn’t respond, she just pressed the pillow harder to hide her face deeper into it.

“Wait, is this why you’ve been holding back? You think it’ll hurt?”

Still behind the pillow, she nodded.

He frowned again but refrained from laughing. This seemed like a serious issue for her.

Often, Yor would tell him about Ostanian ideas and traditions that puzzled him. Ostanians lived in a very conservative society, and yet, many behaviors were just plain brutal. This was especially true for Ostanian women, who were completely submitted to their husbands and fathers.

“Yor,” he called and gently pulled the pillow from her face. “What did you hear about that?”

Yor whimpered and he could only imagine the kind of information she had probably received.

“Please, I know this is embarrassing for you, but this concerns me too,” he told her.

Yor nodded and proceeded to tell him about a not-so-friendly chat his wife had had with a court lady called Donna Schlag the night before her wedding. Even for someone with previous experience in that matter, like Twilight, the information was pretty gruesome. No wonder his wife had felt terrified on their wedding night.

After she was done talking, they stayed silent for a bit, both sitting on the bed, looking at each other.

“Is all that true?” she finally asked. “Because, if it is, I need to be prepared.”

“No!” he responded promptly. “Not at all,” he emphasized.

His wife kept frowning; she didn't look very convinced by his words.

"I know that especially in an arranged marriage, that part of the agreement is done out of obligation. In those instances, when love isn't present, I imagine it can be an experience like that court lady described," he began. "However, that will not be the case for us." 

“But how do you know?”

“Because we love each other,” that was the best answer he could give her. “That makes a big difference, believe me," he said. "Making love won't be about fulfilling an obligation or sealing a marriage contract; it will be about giving ourselves whole to each other."

Her eyes suddenly sparkled and he could tell she liked that idea.

"And when we finally decide we're ready for that, I’ll make sure you’re not hurt,” he promised. "In fact, I will do my best for you to enjoy it."

Yor blushed.

“But what if there’s something wrong with me?” she insisted. “I love you so much, but I also feel so frightened.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, my love,” he caressed her face.

“But how do you know?” she asked again.

“Why don’t you let me show you?” 

Yor startled and tensed up.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise,” he assured her. “I just want to show you how this can be enjoyable for you too.”  

Yor studied his face; she did that a lot, especially at the beginning, when she was getting to know him.

“Do you promise?”

“Yes,” he answered truthfully. “And if at some point you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and I’ll stop.”

Still sitting on the bed, he pulled her towards him and made her straddle him.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I just want you to feel me with your whole body,” he explained. “That’s all.”

He wanted her to forget all those awful things she’d heard before and stop being afraid.

“Just trust me,” he softly brushed some hair off her eyes. “I love you more than anything and anyone.”

Her eyes sweetened and Yor kissed him.

Twilight had experience but did not consider himself an expert in this matter. Nevertheless, he believed himself capable of changing his wife’s mind about this issue. He simply wanted Yor to experience pleasure; that was his goal that evening.

His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, then to her chest, while his hands held her tightly against him. They had kissed like this before and Yor had enjoyed it plenty.

“May I touch you?” he whispered.

“You’re already touching me,” she replied.

“I meant to ask, may I touch you anywhere.”

Twilight looked at her face; he wanted to make sure she didn’t feel forced to agree.

“You may do so,” she blushed.

Twilight loved that his wife now wore his shirt as opposed to that bulky nightgown. This shirt was shorter and easier to maneuver. While kissing, he slowly lifted the hem of the shirt and sneaked his fingers underneath. Then, he slowly slid his hand on the skin of her long legs until he reached her hip. Yor shivered but didn’t stop him.

He had to pace himself. He felt the effect of touching and kissing his wife and didn’t want to get carried away. Tonight was not about him, it was about Yor.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he kissed her neck, and he moved his hand in between her legs.

When he reached her center, he felt her tense in his arms. Her hair covered her eyes, and he couldn’t see her expression. Twilight did not take her fingers off that spot but didn’t move either. He was about to ask her if she wanted to stop but Yor kissed him and then did something that surprised him: she used her own hand to push his fingers inside her.

As he moved his fingers, he heard her moan in his ear and felt his own body respond. She felt so wet and so warm; he was dying to be inside her. Twilight’s breathing quickened and with his other hand he pushed her body against him.

Her dark hair cascaded on his face, her hips rocked against him; he could feel her breasts and hear her sighs and moans, as they embraced each other. Friction felt delicious but if this kept going, he was not going to last. Still, he wouldn’t stop until his wife finished.

Yor skin felt damp with sweat and there was heat all around them, inside them too. She embraced him as she kept rocking her hips until her breathing became uneven and her moans louder. Suddenly, her walls throbbed against his fingers and at that precise moment he couldn’t take it anymore and ended up coming too. Moments after, Yor stopped moving and collapsed in his arms.

“I told you so,” he joked.

Yor laughed and kissed him again.

Chapter Text

In the end, they decided to wait for their wedding anniversary to finally make love for the first time. They wouldn’t have to wait long; their anniversary was barely days away.

Twilight suggested a celebration. Since they hadn’t had a wedding banquet the day they married, he wanted one now..

“And I can wear my wedding dress again!” Yor cheered.

“Of course, my love,” he grinned

Yor not-so-secretly loved that dress more than any other. So, it was decided.

It wouldn’t be a big celebration; there wouldn’t be many guests either, just close friends, and it would take place in the Queen’s Garden.

“I hope it doesn’t rain!” Yor exclaimed while decorating some stone pillars with ribbons and flowers.

“Don’t worry, my Lady,” Chloe said. “It won't!”

Yor and her ladies were adding a few final details; the celebration would take place tomorrow. Yor felt as excited as if she was marrying Twilight for the first time. Only this time, she wasn’t terrified, she was completely in love.

She giggled.

A year could make a big difference in a person’s life. The Princess felt like the flowers that had bloomed in her garden. She too had bloomed under Twilight’s care and love. Now, there was only one thing missing for her happiness to be complete: a child.

“I ran out of ribbons,” Chloe said and interrupted Yor’s daydreaming.

“I think I have some more in my bed chamber,” she said. “I'll go get them. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll keep placing the flowers in the meantime,” Chloe said as Yor was leaving.

Yor ran to her bedchamber, found those ribbons promptly, put them in the pocket of her apron and ran back downstairs. Lately, she felt full of energy. Perhaps it was all the “training” her husband and her had every night. She blushed.

On her way back to the garden, the Princess ran into a strange woman she had never seen. Ever since the attack on their way back from Eden, Yor had become a bit more cautious with people.

“Ma’am, may I help you?” she asked the stranger.

“My Lady, I’m just a traveler and I mean you no harm,” she said. “Would you spare some food for a woman down on her luck?”

Yor was now weary of strangers, but she could never deny food to someone in need.  

“Of course, ma’am,” she said. “Let me take you to the kitchen. I’m sure we can find a warm meal for you there.”

The woman followed Yor. The kitchen wasn’t far and, when they got there, Yor requested one of the cooks to prepare something for the woman. Since it was almost lunch time, they served her a plate right away. Yor wanted to leave after that and return to the garden, but when the woman sat, she asked her:

“Would you be so kind to keep me company, my Lady? I don’t like eating alone.”

In the eyes of anyone else, this was a strange request. However, Yor understood better than anyone.

“Of course,” she said as she sat in front of her.

The mysterious woman ate slowly and kept staring at Yor, who began to feel uncomfortable. The Princess wondered where she had come from; her features weren’t precisely Westalian, nor Ostanian and it was hard to tell her age; she could be a mature woman or barely a few years older than Yor. Additionally, the color of her eyes featured a tone of gold she had never seen before.

“Have you travelled from far away, ma’am?” Yor dared to ask.

The woman nodded. “From the southern lands, my Lady,” she responded. “It has taken me almost two years to get here.”

“Was Westalis your original destination?”

“Yes, my Queen, I have come here to warn you about the future,” her ominous voice announced and Yor suddenly froze. “Every joy and every sorrow, you owe it to my sight.”

Instinctively, Yor grabbed the fabric of her skirt and balled her hands.

“The child you desire so much will soon be on their way; a child conceived out of pure love between you and your husband,” she foretold.

Yor placed a hand on her chest and felt overjoyed.

“The child will be born under the shadow of the war, but what you fear most right now, shall not come to pass, my Queen,” she told her. “Your husband will not fight in that war.”

How did she know that was her biggest fear?

“But…?” Yor tried to formulate a question, but the woman put a finger over her own lips to signal she should remain quiet.

“A bottomless pit of sorrow awaits for you, my Queen,” the woman’s expression looked painful. “But it will end, when you stop being a queen and become a princess of thorns. You will recover what you thought was lost forever.”

Yor could not understand a word that woman was saying but could not take her eyes off her hypnotizing golden gaze.

“But just as you find happiness at dusk, daybreak threatens to bring sorrow yet again, beware my lady,” she said. “The one who chases you today will always find you and will chase you until the day he dies.”

The one who chased her? Yor shook her head.

“One last thing, my Queen: when the day of an impossible choice comes, you must remember…”

“What are you doing?!” Chloe yelled and startled Yor, who let out a little scream.

Chloe stood by the kitchen table with her hands on her hips. “Stop scaring my Lady!” she yelled at that mysterious woman.

“Well, well, if it isn’t another queen…” the woman responded.

“Enough of this nonsense!” Chloe reprimanded her. “You’ve eaten your meal, now go. The King doesn’t like strangers inside the castle, especially those who frighten his wife.”

“I’ll leave, then,” the woman stood up. “I wouldn’t want to infuriate the Warrior King.”

And just like that, that mysterious woman left.

Yor remained frozen―those senseless words still repeating in her mind.

“My Lady, don’t listen to that crazy woman,” Chloe advised. “She probably just wanted to scare you.”

“You’re right, Chloe,” Yor got up and they walked back to the garden.

Chloe spoke the truth, nevertheless, the Princess spent the rest of the day unsettled by that woman’s words. She could not understand most of it, but she had clearly heard that there would be a war and that a bottomless pit of sorrow awaited her. That was very concerning.

“You’re quiet and distracted, my love,” her husband told her that night. “Is there something wrong?”

They had finished dinner and now stood on the balcony, looking at Westalis Bay and the stars. For a moment, she thought about concealing her encounter with that woman, but she didn’t like keeping any secrets from her husband, so she told him everything.

That earned her a hearty laugh.

“My darling, don’t tell me you believe in that silly superstition!”

That was right, Twilight was as skeptical as McMahon, the man who had raised him.

“I don’t, but if someone comes with those awful words it’s difficult not to feel unsettled,” she replied.

“My love, everything is alright,” he cupped her face in his hands. “War has been over for almost three years now, your father doesn’t have the necessary funds to attack us, you and I have been married for almost a year, and I’m dealing with the Northerners,” he listed. “There won’t be any war. If there was even a small possibility, I would know.”

That put her mind at ease. Of course, Twilight had been king for almost a decade, and he knew how to handle his kingdom.

“And about that ‘bottomless pit of pain’,” he laughed.

“Sorrow, the woman said sorrow,” Yor corrected him.

“My apologies, the ‘bottomless pit of sorrow,” he cleared his throat. “Well, that woman obviously wanted your attention. No one feels alarmed when the prediction says you’ll enjoy a long life in a castle full of pretty flowers.”

Yor pouted. She was still a bit scared about that part.

“Come now, my love! Do you want to spend the night before our wedding anniversary frightened?” he said. “You did that already a year ago, remember?”

Yor looked at her husband’s beautiful face. If a year ago that mysterious woman would have shown up and foretold she would be completely in love with the King, she wouldn’t have believed her. Instead, if she would have predicted she was meant to suffer throughout her marriage, Yor would have believed that instead. Maybe her husband was right.

“Perhaps, I need to distract my mind with some practice for tomorrow’s big event,” she kissed his neck.

At once, Twilight picked her up in his arms and took both of them to bed.

“I can certainly make that happen, my Princess.”

***

Chloe’s prediction about the weather came true. On the night of the celebration, the moon shone bright in the sky.

Twilight and Yor stood on a large terrace in the castle. They wanted a few minutes alone before heading to the party. Yor wore the same red dress she had worn the year before. Her husband wore the same suit and he looked dashing.

“You look so beautiful,” her husband whispered and kissed her hand. “I wanted to tell you on our wedding day but…”

“I would have probably not listened,” Yor chuckled. “I was so scared I even considered jumping off the balcony.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he said. “Thank you for giving me a chance to make you happy.”

“I love you so much!”

She pulled his face towards her and kissed him.

This felt like a happy ending from the books the Princess used to read when she was younger. Yor was living nothing short of a fairytale ending.

Their kissing became more urgent; they knew what would happen between them tonight and neither of them could wait. In fact, for a moment, the Princess considered going back to their bed chamber to enjoy a preview of their wedding night.

“If we keep going, I’m afraid we’ll miss our party, my love,” Twilight warned her in between kisses.

Yor groaned.

“You’re right,” she said. She knew that once they made love, they wouldn’t want to separate for a very long time. “Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they headed to the Queen’s Garden, where their guests awaited. Under the moonlight, illuminated by torches and full of flowers and ribbons, that place looked magical. Perhaps, in a way, it was. That’s where Yor became alive and fell in love not only with her husband, but also Westalis. Right there, she began to build a life from scratch and found a home in the process.

Their friends were already there; Yor went straight to Clara, so she could kiss her goddaughter’s baby cheeks.

“My Lady, you look so beautiful!” Clara exclaimed.

“Thank you, Clara,” she said and took Becky from Clara’s arms. “This is my wedding dress. I wanted to wear it one more time.”

“It suits you so well; very fit for a queen,” Olka, who was sitting next to Clara, commented.

“Thank you, Olka,” she said. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

Becky, who was now a few months old, smiled and played with the golden embroidery of the dress.

“Even Becky likes it,” Clara said. “But that does not surprise me; she acts like a little princess.”

The three women laughed and Yor kissed the top of Becky’s head.

“Stop running! And put your pants back on!!”

A little boy with curly black hair and no pants ran around the garden, followed by his father. Poor Franky, he always had such a difficult time with his three children, who were all under the age of five.

“Maybe you should help Franky catch him,” Yor suggested to her husband, who had just joined her.

“I think he can handle it,” Twilight said. “Plus, it’s funny to see him struggle.”

Shortly after, Franky finally caught his little one and, after much struggling and plenty of screaming, he successfully put the pants back on the child. Breathless, he approached Twilight and Yor.

“Just so you know, the wedding cake has been maimed by my oldest child,” he declared. “I’m sorry, he was probably hungry.”

“Don’t worry about it, Franky,” Yor said. “It’s fine.”

“And they said having children would be fun,” he complained. “You’ll see how fun it is when you have yours.”

Twilight scoffed.

“I mean not to offend you, but I can assure you our children will have a calm temperament,” Twilight declared.

Franky smirked. “Let’s talk about this in a few years,” he said. “We’ll see if you think the same way.”

They ate delicious food, drank good wine, and even ate a piece of that maimed wedding cake. The King hired musicians to play during the party, so after dinner, Twilight and Yor had their first dance. It was a lovely party and Yor thought it couldn’t have been better than this.

Nevertheless, a couple of hours later, when the full moon was high in the sky, uninvited guests suddenly showed up.

“I heard about your celebration, and I wanted to congratulate you, my Lord,” Wheeler said.  

Yor startled as soon as she saw that Northerner. Ever since the attack on the way back from Eden, she feared people from those rowdy tribes. On top of everything, Wheeler hadn’t come alone; a group of six or seven men followed him.

“Thank you for your unexpected visit, Wheeler,” Twilight replied in an icy tone.

Wheeler smirked.

“I must admit I feel deeply hurt by the lack of an invitation,” he clearly was pretending to be offended and mocking them. “It looks like a wonderful party.”

“You are welcome to stay and eat with us, as long as this remains a family celebration,” Twilight offered but Yor could tell he felt outraged by Wheeler’s behavior.

“Thank you, my Lord, we gladly accept,” Wheeler said as he sat down.

Yor did not appreciate the way he referred to her husband as “my Lord.” She knew Northerners were much less formal, so the fact that Wheeler had used that title felt more like mockery than respect.

The party changed after that; everyone seemed uncomfortable by those Northerners’ presence.

Twilight had confided in her that Wheeler’s tribe had not been involved in the attack. However, that didn’t mean he trusted him or his people.

As the party went on, those Northerners drank too much and got quite intoxicated. Their loud laughter ended up frightening Franky’s children, so he and his wife decided to leave.

“Thank you so much,” Franky’s wife told them as they said goodbye. “Dinner was lovely.”

“We’ll probably take our leave too,” Olka and Clara said, each carrying a sleeping child.

After they left, Yor figured perhaps if they ended the party, those Northerners would leave as well.

“I feel a bit tired, so I wouldn’t mind retiring to our bedchamber,” she told her husband, and he nodded.

He whispered something to McMahon, who was sitting next to him. Right after this, McMahon got up and approached the musicians, who finished the song and began to pack their instruments.

“HEY! WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU TO STOP?!”

The musicians looked so frightened, neither dared to reply.

“The King did,” McMahon responded firmly. “The party is over and it’s time for you to go home.”

“Fuck off, old man!” another Northerner yelled. “No one tells us what to do!”

The King got up and walked towards the Northerners.

“That’s enough,” he said irritated. “You’ve had your fun; it’s time to leave. NOW.”

Wheeler got up and walked towards the King. Even from where Yor was sitting, she could tell he was stumbling.

“And who the fuck do you think you are?!” Wheeler spat.

Twilight scoffed but Yor could see he was furious.

“Your King,” he responded. “Or are you too stupid to recognize me?”

Wheeler cackled. “You?” he asked. “A weak man like you doesn’t deserve to be king!”

Twilight balled his fist and Yor could tell he was beginning to struggle to restrain himself.

“Wheeler, this is your last chance: leave,” Twilight warned him. “Or I’ll kick you out myself.”

“What happened to you?” Wheeler asked, completely ignoring the King’s warning. “I used to admire you; you were the best fighter I knew,” he continued. “But you’ve changed. Now you throw parties and grow flowers, plus, you’ve let those Ostanians rats into our land, and you don’t even want to fight. It’s all her fault,” he pointed at Yor. “That Ostanian whore has made you weak.”

McMahon had to restrain Twilight. With a simple gesture from his face, he ordered the guards to take care of those Northerners, so her husband wouldn’t have to get into a fight with them. It didn’t take much; the Northerners were so intoxicated they couldn’t even fight.

“Bastard! Why won’t you fight me?” Wheeler yelled at Twilight who was already walking away from him. “Perhaps if I fuck that whore wife of yours, I’ll understand!”

This time McMahon couldn’t stop him.

Twilight leaped and punched him repeatedly. Wheeler had no chance; he was on the floor after the first punch.

“Animals like you only understand this way,” Twilight kicked him one last time. “You’re going to leave Westalis Bay tonight, and I don’t want to see your disgusting face ever again.”

He walked away and McMahon immediately came close to him. They whispered to each other. McMahon kept shaking his head; he looked like he was trying to calm Twilight down, but it wasn’t working.

Twilight walked back to their table but before he reached Yor, he called someone else.

“Clive!”

Clive ran to him. “Yes, my Lord.”

“Please, escort the Queen back to our bed chamber and stay outside our door until I come back,” he ordered.

"Yes, my Lord."

“Where are you going?” Yor asked him.

“To town, to deal with a pressing situation,” he answered, and she could tell he was still fuming.

She grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him. “My love, it’s well after midnight, couldn’t this wait until tomorrow morning?”

“I must sort this out tonight,” he insisted. “You’ll be safe, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried about myself,” she said. “I’m worried about…”

Twilight didn’t let her finish; he just walked away.

“…you,” she said to no one.

Twilight left with a group of guards and the words of that seer suddenly appeared in Yor's mind: a bottomless pit of sorrow.

She placed both hands on her chest. This was the first time her husband hadn’t kissed her goodbye.

Chapter Text

This is not how she envisioned spending the night.

Her husband wasn’t with her and Yor awaited nervously for him to return. It had been hours since the party was over, and he had gone.

Occasionally, she would open the door of her bed chamber to find Clive standing there. She wanted to leave her room and search for Twilight; uncertainty was eating her away.

“It’s best if you stay here, my Lady,” Clive suggested. “The King will be back soon.”

Defeated, she always went back inside, then she would walk to the balcony and back. No news, no Twilight either.

By dawn, when she thought she would go crazy, the door suddenly opened and her husband at last appeared.

She was so mad at him for leaving her without a word but that did not prevent her from embracing him first.

“Where were you?!” she cried. “I was so worried!”

“I told you I was going to town,” he reminded her.

“To do exactly what in the middle of the night?”

Twilight didn’t answer right away. He took off his wedding suit and then sat on the divan to take off his boots as well―tiredness and sweat dripping off his brow.

“To vacate all Northerners from Westalis Bay,” he finally responded.

Yor’s jaw dropped.

“Pardon me? Did you say you vacated all Northerners?”

“Yes,” he said as he untucked his shirt. “All of them.”

“My love, I don’t mean to question you, but don’t you think that was a bit severe?” she said. “What Wheeler said during the party…”

Twilight sighed. He seemed much calmer now than last night or even a few minutes ago.

“That was not the reason, my love,” he explained. “This is something I have been thinking for a while. They don’t belong here in the city. In fact, I could argue they don’t belong in Westalis either,” he said. “After what occurred with Wheeler yesterday, I considered it dangerous for any of them to remain within the walls of Westalis Bay.”

Yor understood his reasoning. However, forcing them all to leave in the middle of the night seemed extreme; especially if the relationship between the King and the Northerners was delicate at the moment.

“And before you ask me: no, it couldn’t wait,” he declared. “After kicking Wheeler out, they could have created a revolt and even burn down the city. It had to be done.”

“But won’t that create problems with the leaders of the tribes?” she asked.

“You sound just like McMahon,” he commented.

“I’ve heard they are proud people, and they probably won’t be happy to hear about such event,” she reasoned.

Twilight scoffed. “Let them come,” he said defiantly. “Quite honestly, I’m tired of playing fair with them. They have taken advantage of it long enough.”

Yor knew very little about politics, but she feared the Northerners and believed that angering them was a bad idea.

“But…” she didn’t know what else to say.

“My love, it’s done,” he took her hand. “Don’t worry, believe me, I can handle this.”

Yor wanted to believe him; she also wanted to dismiss the Northerner threat as easily as he did, but instead she felt frightened. She just wanted Twilight to be safe.

Yor caressed his face.

“Did you sleep at all?” her husband asked in his normal soft tone.

She shook her head.

“I figured you would wait up,” he said. “Let’s rest now.”

He took his shirt off and led them to bed.

“I’m sorry I left you alone on our wedding night,” he whispered but she couldn’t answer.

Yor underestimated how tired she was; as soon as her head touched the pillow and she felt her husband’s arms around her, she fell asleep.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered. “I promise.”

***

Yor didn’t see Twilight much the next few days. There was much work to secure the city, in case the Northerners decided to attack.

Th King left at dawn and didn’t return until late at night.

Yor’s training was temporarily suspended, along with their daily dinner together. Most evenings, Mrs. Authen sat with the Princess, just like she did when she had first arrived to Westalis.

“He’s not coming today either, is he?” Yor asked the old woman and couldn’t help sounding disappointed.

“The King sends his apologies, my Lady,” Mrs. Authen responded.

Twilight did not need to apologize. He was ensuring their safety and doing his best for the people of Westalis Bay.

Most nights, Yor waited for him until sleep finally defeated her. Still, every night she would feel his arms embracing her, his lips grazing her skin, and his voice whispering, “I love you.”

The next morning, she almost expected her husband to be already gone like most days. That’s why she was so surprised when she opened her eyes and saw him sleeping next to her. She sighed and smiled before embracing him.

He looked so tired and, even though he wouldn’t admit it in front of her, Yor knew he worried about the Northerners.

“Good morning,” he mumbled after a while. “I had forgotten how wonderful it is to wake up like this.”

Yor sighed and kissed his face.

“It’s still early,” she said. “We can stay like this a bit longer.”

“Alright,” he said. “Who am I to argue with my Princess?”

Yor grinned, cupped his face and kissed him again. It had been less than two weeks since their wedding anniversary, but she had missed him so much.

“I have neglected you these couple of weeks, my love,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel lonely. I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head. “I know you’re doing something important, and I don’t mind waiting, as long as you come home,” she caressed his face. “But I have missed you. I don’t like spending my days without you.”

“Me neither,” he said. “I just want to be with you all day, every day, Mrs. Forger.”

Her eyes softened. For a moment, Yor wished for them to be just a normal couple without the responsibility of a whole country.

“I haven’t forgotten about our wedding night,” he mentioned.

“Oh, is that right?”

He kissed her nose. “I just want to make sure we’re completely safe,” he explained. “Because I want to spend the whole night making love to you.”

She liked that idea a lot.

They kissed for a long time, and it was so difficult to separate. They didn’t want to spend the whole day without each other, but keeping Westalis Bay safe was too important.

“I’ll come home for dinner tonight,” he announced before leaving their bed chamber.

“Do you promise?”

“Yes, my Princess,” he kissed her hand. “I promise.”

Yor felt much more cheerful after that. While working in the garden, she counted the hours to see her husband again.

The Princess and her ladies had a late lunch that day, and, as they were heading back to the garden, someone unexpectedly called Yor.

“My Lady, may I have a few moments?” McMahon asked her.

In more than a year that Yor had lived in Westalis Bay, McMahon had never once spoken to her directly.

“Of course, Lord McMahon,” she responded promptly.

Chloe immediately moved next to her.

“If you don’t mind, I would prefer for us to talk privately,” he requested.

She nodded. “I’ll be back shortly,” she told Chloe and her other ladies. Then, she followed McMahon.

In all honestly, Yor would have preferred for Chloe to accompany her. McMahon was the person Twilight respected the most; not only had he taught him everything her husband knew about ruling Westalis, but he had also raised him. More than an advisor, McMahon was like a father to Twilight. And Yor knew he did not care for her and had vehemently opposed their marriage from the beginning.

“Please, do come in and sit down,” he said as they arrived at Twilight’s studio.

Yor had been there a handful of times―alone with her husband and not precisely to work.

McMahon sat on Twilight’s chair. His expression reminded her of the strict governess in charge of her education while growing up in Ostania. He hadn’t said a word to her, and she already felt like she had done something wrong.

“I presume you are aware of the situation with the Northerners,” he said as he rearranged some papers on the desk.

The Princess nodded slowly.

“The King is handling this issue to the best of his ability, of course,” he continued. “However, the situation is more delicate than he wants to admit.”

Yor just remained quiet, listening to McMahon. She had no clue why he was discussing politics with her, but she didn’t dare to ask.

“My Lady, the King may choose not to see it, but we’re in the brink of civil war,” he said and Yor trembled at the mention of that word she feared so much. “Given that you are not Westalian, perhaps this does not concern you…”

“It concerns me!” she dared to speak up. “I may not be Westalian by birth, but I care deeply about my husband and the people of this country.”

McMahon raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“How can I help?” she asked. “If you brought me here, if you spoke to me, it must be because you need something. Is that right?”

His expression was unreadable, but Yor still felt scared of him.

“Yes, my Lady,” he said. “It won’t be a pleasant solution, but I believe you are the only person in Westalis capable of halting this war.”

“How?” Yor felt desperate to keep her husband from going to war. “I will do anything you ask.”

“You must leave the King.”

“Pardon me?”

Clearly, Yor must have not understood well.

“You must leave the King and leave Westalis for good,” he repeated and Yor was too aghast to respond. “The Northerners took Twilight’s marriage to an Ostanian as a betrayal and have not trusted him ever since. In addition, they also believe you have made the King a weak man. Unfortunately, for the Northern Tribes, strength is the most important quality in a ruler.”

Yor remembered Wheeler’s words during her wedding anniversary celebration. Was she the cause of this?

“Fortunately, it is possible to rectify that situation,” he continued. “Nightfall, the northerner woman he was supposed to marry, is still infatuated with him. She would be willing to take him as a husband, even after all this time.”

“Lord McMahon, you are forgetting that Twilight is married to me,” she spoke up with a sliver of anger. “Even if I left, like you suggested, divorce is not possible, so that marriage to that Northerner woman would not be valid.”

“You are correct, my Lady; divorce is not possible, but an annulment is.”

Yor’s eyes opened big―her mind worked rapidly.

“Is not uncommon in Ostania, isn't that right?” he commented and Yor shivered remembering that. “If after a reasonable time, a wife fails to conceive and deliver a child, a husband can repudiate her and ask for an annulment.”

It was true. Her own father had threatened her mother with that because he needed an heir.

“Twilight would never do such a cruel thing,” she whispered.

“Of course he wouldn't, my Lady. As detrimental as your marriage is for him and Westalis, the King loves you too much to give you up,” he condemned. “But if he doesn’t, he’ll lose not only his kingdom, but also, his life. Unfortunately, it will be your decision. You did say you would do anything to prevent war, did you not?”

“Not that…”

Her head hung low, and her eyes were fixed on her hands on her lap.

McMahon got up and walked towards the door.

“My Lady, I understand that it’s a terribly difficult decision for you, however, I believe in the end you will do the right thing for Twilight.”

And then he left.

Yor remained sitting in that studio for a long time, too terrified to even cry.

***

Just as he had promised, Twilight made it right on time for dinner.

By then, Yor had been thinking about McMahon’s words for hours. The Princess tried hiding the tremor in her hands and her anguished heart from Twilight.

Her husband seemed as cheerful as always. They had dinner together and Yor forced herself to eat but didn’t talk much.

“In a couple of days, we’ll be done with the work to secure the city,” he announced as he stretched his arms. “It’s unlikely those Northerners will try anything, but I’ll feel more at ease once that’s finished.”

Yor tensed at the mention of the Northerners; still, she mentioned nothing.

When they finished eating, they changed into their sleeping clothes and moved to the balcony, where they usually talked and kissed while looking at the stars and the city.

“You seem quiet today,” he noticed. “Is everything alright?”

Yor nodded and clung to him, unable to say anything. She was afraid of opening her mouth and spilling everything McMahon had told her that afternoon. Instead, she kissed him as if this was the last time.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered in between kisses. “I don’t want to be apart from you.”

She felt her husband lifting her up and carrying her back inside the bedroom. It didn’t take long for them to make it to bed, where they continued kissing.

Yor refused to let him go. She loved him more than anything in the world and to separate from him would be worse than death. All she wanted was to live by her husband’s side. Was it wrong to want that?

She felt his lips on her neck and her breasts, as his hands reached for the hem of her shirt. If they didn’t stop now, they probably wouldn’t be able to do so. But Yor didn’t want to stop; she didn’t want to wait anymore.

… he’ll lose not only his kingdom, but also, his life…

McMahon’s words echoed in her mind.

If Twilight and she made love and she got pregnant, annulment would no longer be a possibility. Could her husband die because of her?

“Stop,” she said a lightly pushed him away from her.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I want to go to sleep,” she said. “I don’t feel well.”

“Oh…” he looked at her. “Is it your lunar cycle?”

“Yes,” she lied.

He caressed her face. “I understand,” he said. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Just like every night, Twilight left the candle on and put his arms around her. This made Yor feel safe and very comfortable, but not tonight. She closed her eyes and really tried her best to calm her breathing but merely a few minutes later, she began trembling.

“Yor, what’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

Yor sat up and just like that, she couldn’t contain herself any longer.

“I have to leave,” she could barely breathe when she said that.

“Leave? To go where?” he asked, sitting up too.

“I do not know for certain. Ostania perhaps? Somewhere far, so I don’t hurt you.”

“You’re not making any sense,” he frowned. “You’re not hurting me.”

“If I stay with you, there will be a civil war and the Northerners may kill you,” she was struggling not to cry; she could feel her throat tight and her sight already blurry.

“My love, what do you have to do with all that?” he asked while rubbing her hands so she would calm down.

“The Northerners feel betrayed because you married an Ostanian instead of one of their own, like you promised,” she explained. “They also think I have made you weak.”

“I do not care what those ruffians think,” he said. “You’re my wife and…”

“Twilight, we need to annul our marriage.”

He gasped. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“The only way to prevent a civil war is for you to marry Nightfall,” she cried. “I haven’t given you any children, so you could repudiate me as a wife and…”

“I WILL DO NO SUCH THING!”

“Listen to me, please!”

“Listen to yourself!” he exclaimed. “You want me to annul our marriage and ship you back to Ostania as if you were rubbish? For what? So, Desmond can take you the moment you set foot in Ostania? Absolutely not!”

“Please, we’re still on time,” she continued. “We have not consummated our marriage; maybe there’s a reason…”

“That can be solved at this very moment,” he said angrily.

“You don’t have to worry about Lord Desmond,” she argued. “After a year of marriage without any children, he’ll think I’m barren and he won’t want me. He needs an heir, and he won’t want to take his chances with a woman who cannot give him that.”

Twilight buried his face in his hands.

“This is ludicrous,” he mumbled. “Have you thought about what would happen to you if we did that?”

Of course, Yor had thought about it. Back in Ostania, to be repudiated by a husband was, perhaps, the biggest disgrace that a woman could suffer. In many instances, the family would turn their back on them, in order not to further smear their name. The disgraced woman in question, often would end up…

“I will probably end up living in a convent,” she disclosed.

“A women’s prison,” he said.

“It’s not a prison,” she argued. “And I could do much worse than spending the rest of my life in prayer.”

Twilight fixed his eyes on her and shook his head. He looked like she had hurt his very soul.

“Of all the things you have told me this past year, this is the most unhinged one of all,” he declared. “How did you come up with…”

He stopped mid-sentence. Then he jumped off the bed, quickly put his pants on and marched outside the bed chamber.

“Twilight? Where are you going?”

He did not reply.

Alarmed by his strange behavior, Yor ran after him. She didn’t even have time to put on her shoes.

“Wait, wait!” she exclaimed while her husband marched furiously through the dark corridors of the castle. “Where are we going?”

She kept saying this over and over, until they reached another room in a different part of the castle. When he opened the door and went in without knocking, Yor finally figured it out: McMahon’s room.

“My Lord, it’s late,” he said, already in bed.

“Why did you tell my wife she had to leave me?”

McMahon slowly got up from the bed before answering. “Because I consider it the best choice for you and for Westalis.”

Twilight narrowed his eyes. “So instead of suggesting this brilliant idea to me, you went behind my back and talked to my wife.”

“I knew you wouldn’t even consider it, my Lord,” McMahon countered. “That’s why…”

“That’s why you went to Yor, who you knew would be incapable of defending herself, and took advantage of her love for me to manipulate her,” he seethed.

Yor remained quiet; she’d never seen her husband this angry before.

“I brought to her attention a simple solution to a very complicated problem,” McMahon explained. “A Westalian King should not unite himself to an Ostanian woman. The Northerners and many others consider this betrayal.”

"A betrayal," Twilight scoffed. "Says who?"

"All the people who fought along your side against Ostania," McMahon answered. "And every person who lost a loved one in the war."

Twilight balled his hands and gritted his teeth.

“This is ridiculous!” he spat. 

“My Lord, as of now, not all the Northern Tribes are against you,” McMahon continued. “You need to prove to them that you are on their side, that you are on Westalis’ side.”

Twilight scoffed angrily.

“And the way to do that is by shipping my wife away and taking a Northerner woman?” Twilight mocked. "I'm guessing you have also been talking to Nightfall's clan behind my back." 

“Yes, it was necessary and I took the chance. They are willing to make an alliance with you as long as Nightfall becomes queen," he disclosed. "Sacrifices must be made for the good of the kingdom, like a good king should.” McMahon proclaimed. “Your mother did that when it was needed. She sacrificed herself and married a savage to…”

Visibly irritated by McMahon’s comment, Twilight rubbed his face.

“That was thirty years ago; circumstances are very different now and most importantly: I am not my mother,” he fumed. “I will not yield to appease the Northerners. They can do as they please; they can unite against me and threaten revolt like they have done for the past three decades,” he said. “For the last time, McMahon: I do not care!”

“You should care, Twilight!” McMahon raised his voice. “A civil war is imminent, and you choose to close your eyes and pretend nothing is happening. And all because of a woman,” he shook his head in deep disapproval. “Don’t you see? She’s poison to you! Poison!”

“McMahon! Not another word!” Twilight warned him but McMahon did not listen.

“You’re throwing away your life and the future of this country for her!” he yelled some more. “And if you think I’ll just sit and watch while you lose everything because of her, you are mistaken!”

“ENOUGH!” Twilight yelled louder.

Yor’s heart raced faster than ever before.

“Let me be clear: There will be no annulment,” Twilight said firmly. “Yor is leaving Westalis over my dead body.”

McMahon did not say anything else.

“And as for you, McMahon, you are correct, you will not sit and watch me do anything. As of now, you are no longer my advisor,” he sentenced. “Tomorrow morning, you will receive a fair compensation for your years of service to my mother and to me and you will leave Westalis Bay for good.”

A long silence ensued between them. Yor could barely believe what had happened.

“As you wish, my Lord,” McMahon finally said.

Twilight didn’t reply. He simply took Yor’s hand and left the room.