- Four days after the "kiss" incident-

It was strange, being at home again after so long. Despite how long she’d been away, she still remembered everything about the place. The pink chameleon lavender planted in the front yard. The soft tinkling of wind chimes that reminded her of those peaceful summer afternoons. Eireen sighed and took a sip of sweet blue ginger ale her mom made for her. Her eyes roamed the front yard emptily until it stopped at a swing that hung under the Oaku tree. She glanced at the old, worn swing. Years ago, she had swung there, alone. She had always been a strange child, quiet and private. Until she entered the Academy, that swing had been her only friend.

Putting down the mug on the table on the porch, she made her way over to the abandoned swing, her roseate eyes taking in the peeled yellow coat and rough wooden seat. Her fingers tiptoed the old swing’s rope, carefully she took hold on it, twisting the swing’s lone rope; round and round; till the poor weathered tether was taut with tension, the binds creaking with pleas for relief. She sat on the dried out seat -the wood complaining noisily under her weight-, and had the frayed cord securely between her legs, did she finally release all the strain she had caused the worn-out, but deeply love elder swing. The girl closed her eyes, enjoying the almost floating sensation as the world blended together and spun around faster and faster.

“I will miss you,” she breathed tenderly holding the coarse rope close to her forehead, the frayed, severed threads playfully tickling her nose.

“I will remember you when all else has failed.”

Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed with emotion and tears trickled down her cheeks. Alarmed, she wiped them. Her fuschia eyes once more roamed the fast horizon in front of her.

“Eireen!” a melodic voice call her out from the porch. She turned her head to find her sweet loving mom stood there waving at her.

“Come now, lunch is ready.”

She hesitated to reply to her, but she stood up nonetheless and making her way back to the house. Her mom watched her and smiled; the crow’s feet around her eyes deepened as she smiled.

They strolled to the kitchen without words shared; both with their own thoughts. Eireen sat on the stool, head slumped onto her hands watching her mother prepared her meal.

Then she put her head on the table, her brows creased and face tensed. When her mom sat -with 2 bowls on her hands- she asked worriedly, “What’s up?”

“… Do I really need to go back?” she muttered more to herself than to her mother. Today was her fourth day since she got back home. She must return to the palace in three days. Something she wished she could avoid, but to be a deserter could cause harm, not only to herself but also to her mom and tainted her dad’s family name.

Her mother hand softly caressing her rosy hair; comforting her, “What’s wrong dear? Is there something troubling you?”

Eireen sat up and gazed at her mom. Her mother was not overly old, but her body had aged passed her years, the occasional strand of her once red hair could still be seen through the lifeless grey mane that limply framed her aging tired face. Her forehead wrinkled by many peaks and trenches, but her beautiful dark ebony eyes cover all the flaws. Eireen hated to make her worry, her lips opened and closed, unsure of how to bring up the topic about the ‘kiss’. The heat started to grow in her cheeks as the memory of the kiss crawling out her mind.

She decided to go home on her ‘time off’, a gift granted by Princess Amierra instead of his royal highness king Jace. That night Amierra dismissed her on the spot, she didn’t request or even order an explanation on why her fiancé kissing a commoner. But if a stare could kill, the way she looked at her that night was enough for Eireen. She would lose her head on the spot if the one who kissed her not the king himself. The only reason she was still alive, was because Jace out ranked Amierra.

“Are you worrying about me?” Her mother caressed Eireen’s right cheek.

“Of course I am, you know I will always do,” she frowned, “really mom, why don’t you just move to the capital with me? Living all alone in the outskirt of the border while the war is ongoing…”

“Hey, are you forgetting that I was in the army a long time ago? Your mom is more than able to protect herself,” her mom cut her off and flicked Eireen’s forehead with her index finger, “beside… I can’t leave this place. Your dad made this house for us, to leave it empty and let it be mugged or ruined… I can’t let that happen.”

Rubbing her reddened forehead, Eireen pouted, “I know, but I would rather lose the house than you.”

“Eireen Silver, how could you say that!” Her mom raised from her seat with her hands on her sides. Her eyes flared up.

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean it that way, just that…”

“Besides I trust you to defend the country. After all, you are in the elite troop and actually march with the king himself,” Her mom's eyes softened and proudness settled in her face, “I believe in you.”

Eireen’s face went sour on the part ‘elite troop’, but she quickly covered it up with a grin, “anyway…, I am hungry! Let’s dig in!”

Grace Silver watched her little girl as she chomped down the simple lunch she made. Her brows gathered; making creased on her forehead deeper; her face looked slightly stiffen with worries, but she forced a smile and focused on her lunch. She thought that her baby wasn’t ready to talk, so she didn’t want to force her.

“So…, how is it?”

Eireen diverted her attention from her bowl of mushrooms and salmon with rice to her mom with her mouth full.

“How does it feel to be in the king’s elite troops?,” her mom repeated her question, “I heard that he even trained you personally.”

That last sentence sent her spoonful of rice to the wrong part of her throat, and she coughed hard; choked by food could be funny but deadly nevertheless. Her mom quickly patted her back and gave her some water to recover.

“Are you alright? You should have eaten more slowly, the food won’t go anywhere,” said Grace while continue rubbing her daughter back

“W-Who told you that?” croaked Eireen.

“Told me what?”

“The part that he trained me…”

“Oh, that? Do you remember Naomhan? Naomhan Cuirc, the boy who got drafted the same day as you,” her mom explained.

The image of a young man with his shoulders hunched together, dark eyes, dark skin, and wavy short Aegean hair played on Eireen’s mind. She thought he was as quiet and reserved as she was.

“He is the one who told you that?” Eireen begrudgingly commented, “I didn’t even think that he is the type who likes to gossip. That’s a surprise.”

“He wasn’t gossiping about you. Don’t take it the wrong way,” Grace said, her ebony eyes pierced through Eireen and her lips tighten unhappily, “I asked him when he went home last summer. Can you blame me for that? You never send me any news, not even a telepathic message, when I already gave you my True Name.”

The guilt sat not only on her mind but also her chest, Eireen knew she should have at least contacted her mom once in a while. Her mom was the only one she had left in this world and she was her only daughter, they only have each other in this world. But, the girl really didn’t know where to begin, a confession about how her life in the military was out of the question. She didn’t have the heart to tell her about how she had been treated, how lonely she was and how being chosen to be one of the king’s elite troops didn’t really make her life any easier.

“Urgh… why are you so much like your dad,” Grace complained seeing Eireen quietness, “keeping everything inside won’t get you anywhere.”

“I am sorry…,” Eireen feeling contrite, as she put down her spoon her eyes dropped to her hands.

“Here it goes again,” Grace raised her hand; she conceded and sighed. Silence settled in, seeped into their every pore, like a poison slowly paralyzing them from either speech or movement.

“For once, I wish… you could be more like me,” Grace grumbled breaking the stillness, but then she put her hands on top of Eireen hands warmly, “you know that I will always love you right?”

Eireen nodded softly, still didn’t move her eyes away from her hand.

Her mom smiled gently and cupped her daughter’s face, “I will always be here, ready to lend you my ears, sharing your burden. Please… tell me what’s going on? I know something had happened the moment you showed up four days ago.”

Hearing her mom, Eireen’s heart sank. She finally dared to look at her mom’s doting face, she could feel the heat on the corner of her eyes, threatening her with the tears that already ready to pour down anytime.

“… what else did Naomhan tell you?” The rosy haired girl started, her voice was shaking with emotions.

“He didn’t tell me much, he just told me about you were busy with the king's training,” Grace explained patiently, “So did something really happen?”

‘I guess he didn’t tell her about the rumor that has been going on,’ thought Eireen, ‘what would she said if I told her that the king had kissed me, his fiancé saw it and I was given a week off because of it?’

“Eireen… we do have telepathic ability, but that doesn’t mean I can read your mind, come on dear tell me what is going on?” Grace said half choked with sadness while softly wiped Eireen tears that had poured without she even realized it.

“Mom… the king --”

A sudden knock on their door surprised both of them. They looked at each other half confused half unprepared of the disturbance.

“Are we expecting someone?” Eireen asked with a hoarse voice. Her mom shook her head as she walked to the front door. She peeked out the window to see a small group of a soldier stood up outside her door.

“Soldiers…?!”

Her mother’s words made Eireen alerted, she leaped off her chair and quickly grab her Katar that lies on the weapon cabinet near the living room.

“In the name of King Ursa the fifth, open the door! We have come to officially escort Eireen Silver to the Palace! ”

Grace turned her head toward her daughter and her voice echoed in Eireen head, "Were you deserting? Is that why you are home unannounced?"

"No! I am not a deserter, believe me, mom! I would never… "

Eireen's telepathy was cut off when her mom jumped to take her own Katar, “I trust you, now go! I will protect you.”

Eireen stood there conflicted and froze. The knock on the door got louder and louder, she looked at the door and looked at her mom.

“What are you doing?! GO NOW!” Her mom screamed in Eireen head. The knocking on the door had changed to banging. She must make a decision and soon.

“No! I am sorry mom. This is something that I can’t run away from. I must face it whether I like it or not!” she said assuredly as she stepped in front of her mom and opened the door.

“I am Eireen Silver, please escort me back to the palace.”