There was a sudden silence in the room following Ren's blunt question. 

Illian said, "General Ren, you forget your place." 

"Oh, come off it. You've all been dying to talk about it all this time." Ren tilted his chair back so he could set his boots on the polished hardwood table with a loud "clunk." 

"Can't you at least act like a General?" one of the other men growled. 

"Generals are supposed to lead by example,” Ren told him. “I’m leading… in relaxation. Anyway, your highness, my question still stands. Are we supposed to pretend we don't know?"

"Since you've brought it up, there's not much point in avoiding it. Thanks for that," Illian said wryly. 

Ren bowed his head in acknowledgement. Another general remarked, "It does seem sudden. I understand that the original proposal was for yourself to be wed to the princess of Navinor. Is there a reason Princess Kathryn has been chosen to marry the second prince instead?"

Ren noticed how Illian’s fingers drummed on the arm of his chair as he said smoothly, "The king and I agreed this was not an opportune time for a match for myself, and that it would grant Navinor too much power were we to allow a foreign princess and her retinue to enter our royal society. Therefore, Kathryn was the logical choice to secure a treaty."

"Your highness." Another general leaned forward and spoke in a voice well-trained by shouting orders over the noise of countless battles. "What was the reaction of the princess to such a suggestion?" 

"It was quite positive, General Valen. She assured us she was more than willing to do her duty in the matter. She believes it is a necessary step to secure the treaty, and of course she wishes to be of use to the kingdom." Ren wondered why Illian was avoiding the fact that Kathryn had in fact made the suggestion herself. Or at least, that was what Ren had heard from the guards and the nobles who had been gossiping the night before. 

"I see. But that seems odd to me," the battle-scarred general continued. Ren took his boots off the table and fixed his eyes intently on the speaker. 

"Odd?" Illian asked. 

"Yes, my lord. As I recall, the princess has steadfastly refused all past marriage offers, regardless of their potential benefit to the kingdom. So it seems to me that this offer must provide some personal benefit instead."

A flash of anger passed through Ren's pale blue eyes, but before he could interject, Illian said, "The Princess knows her duty, General Valen, and it is unquestionable that this marriage will provide her with far more status and power to be used for the kingdom than any other match could."

"What if there is another war?"

Valen's words seemed to awaken a dread in all of them that rendered them silent. Except of course Ren, who was quick to retort, "That will never happen."

All eyes turned to his face, which was flushed with annoyance. "And how can you be so sure of it?" Valen questioned as if humoring a child. 

"'Cause the princess won't let it. As I recall, General," mimicking the older man's words and tone, "The Princess's grasp of both strategy on a battlefield and in trade has been unmatched, even by our own crown prince, so much so she’s become quite popular among all the folks she saved from starving during the war. So I'd say she's smart enough to avoid another one." 

Illian's face twitched and he interrupted, "This argument is pointless. The princess’s qualifications are not in question."

"I disagree," Valen argued. "If anything, General Ren's point only makes the concern greater. The Princess has intimate knowledge of our defenses, tactics, and secrets. She also has the intelligence to understand their significance. How can we be sure that knowledge will not be used against us one day?

The loud "crack" from Ren's fist slamming into the table made them all jump. "What in blazes are you talking about? Who do you think you are?!" 

"Ren, that's enough," Illian said quietly. "It's a legitimate question."

"Legitimate! Are you honestly saying you think Kathryn would turn traitor?" Ren’s fists were clenched so hard they hurt. 

Valen held up a hand to stop the flow of words. "I am not suggesting she would do it willingly. But those of us who fought in the war know what sort of animals those people are." Several of the generals at the table nodded in agreement, a shadow crossing their faces like the ghost of a dead comrade. "Is it so unreasonable to think this may be a trap designed to lure the princess to the kingdom so she can be held hostage and the information extracted by any means necessary?" As Valen spoke, several generals shifted uneasily, avoiding Ren's fierce gaze.

"I think you're forgetting something." Ren stood up so his bulky frame towered over them. "I'm going with her." 

Illian allowed the silence to stretch out before saying, "I think that's enough of that. You are all dismissed." 

Ren shoved back his chair with a sharp scraping sound and left the generals to collect themselves and follow after. 

But he waited not far from the door, leaning up against the wall with his arms folded. When Valen emerged, the General said, "No hard feelings, Ren."

"Shove off, Osric," was the only reply he got. 

Valen shrugged slightly. "Are you still sparring with me later?" 

Ren grinned, and there was something menacing in the innocent look. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Valen shuddered a little and hurried away. 

Lastly, Illian emerged. Unlike the other generals, he moved with remarkable grace, like a dancer. He paused when he saw Ren. "Did you have something else you wanted to say, General?" Illian was smaller than Ren, but still powerfully built. That was the only similarity between them, however. Illian’s neat dark hair and shadowed eyes contrasted strongly with Ren’s blond mess of a braid and his open blue eyes. And while Ren was usually found lounging about, joking, or making a nuisance of himself, Illian would have intimidated anyone with his regal bearing and ice-cold demeanor. 

Almost anyone, that is. "You did that on purpose," Ren accused.

Illian raised his eyebrow. "You'll have to elaborate, Ren."

"You're trying to discredit her. I know Valen never does anything without your say-so." 

"And why would I do that?" Illian asked with a hint of exasperation. 

"I don't know! Probably because you know she's smart and capable, and you can't measure up to her no matter how hard you try!"

"I don't need to. It just so happens that I'm the crown prince," Illian said softly. "Stop embarrassing yourself with all this nonsense." He started to walk past Ren. 

"You're afraid of her, aren't you?" The words stopped the prince dead in his tracks. Ren pressed, “You’re afraid she’ll surpass you. You may have been the most important person in the kingdom during the war, but now that it’s over, you’re afraid of her supplanting your place and getting all the glory. Isn’t that right?’’ 

Illian allowed him to speak without interrupting. Then when he responded, his voice was very gentle. "Ren. I am not the one who is afraid. Why do you suppose Kathryn has decided she would be better off marrying a mortal enemy than staying here?" The prince smiled sadly at the young General. "Stand by my sister, General Ren. She will need you now more than ever." With that, he left. 

Ren muttered a curse under his breath and wandered away to the library, where he knew Kathryn would be reading. 

He found her there reading a book on the political history of Iridalys. He stood for several minutes, watching her turn the pages far too rapidly for his taste. Ren said, “You can’t possibly remember anything you read if you read that fast.” 

Kathryn looked up. “According to legend, Queen Reblinka was the first and only warrior-queen of Iridalys, and won the Battle of Calder in the Great War of Tephraya by hiring pirates to plunder her enemy’s camp in the dead of night. But since she paid them with opals belonging to the four great noblemen, she was executed days later by her own people.” 

“All right, all right; keep showing off.” Ren flopped down on an elegant couch, put up his boots, and clasped his hands behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling and whistled aimlessly. 

Kathryn cast a quick glance at Ren, sensing his unease. She knew him well enough to guess that he was pretty upset, and she also suspected why. She didn’t think there was any point in talking about it, but in the end, she couldn’t bear the silence. She closed the book. “I was going to tell you,” she said. 

“Oh, well, that’s exactly the same thing as telling me.” Ren’s tone was cold, and it cut her to the heart. She tried to think of something she could say to placate him, but the words eluded her.