“Laelia Asiaticus.” His highness Adelphus replies, his hand still strumming the white colored lyre as he sits crossed inside the gazebo, “sit with me, my sister.”

Not knowing what else to do, I follow along, sitting next to him, when I do, he begins to play again, the tune as solitary as can be. I lean my back on the pillars of the gazebo, commenting on his playing, “It feels like a mountain. This piece. Like a mountain fresh fallen with leaves, and snow and todays.” But never a tomorrow.

He does not comment on my words continuing to play, instead saying, “It seems, you’ve finally encountered the first faction.” 

I breathe in, trying to hide my nervousness. That second girl’s voice fills my ears. Nonsense. She is just speaking of nonsense, right? I peer slightly at his countenance, the calm, insouciant face. His amber eyes that glimmered under the lantern at the side of the gazebo. It does not seem as though he is upset.

“Did Marcus tell you?” I ask probing for the depth of his role as a supervisor.

His highness Adelphus merely looks at me, slightly before stopping his play, “No. I figured, you would not cut your hair for no reason.”

I look down and touch my hair, which had been neatened into two sections of shoulder length fringes, and the rest which reached under my chest. For a hair that survived an assassination attempt, it is not too horrid.

The sight of the girl, flash through my mind. It is not easy. This guilt. In the end, I decide to come clean, “I whipped a person today.”

He continues playing the lyre, as though not hearing me, “I… whipped a person today.”

His highness Adelphus continues to play, looking into the foliage for a second before he speaks, oddly gentle, “Go on.” 

I gulp, braving myself, “She was neglecting her duty and endangering me without showing any remorse. I- I just want you to know, it was a last resort measure. This girl said… her father worked with you. That you would be mad.”

He does not stop playing, his eyes finally fall on me, counting the bandages on your hand which peaked out from the white palla (rectangular shawl), instead of being amused, or mad he asks instead, “How are your injuries?”

I look at myself, at my arms, patting it lightly before saying, “I am fine… Will you be fine though?”

His highness Adelphus, scoffs so lightly I barely heard it, “Care should be afforded for the weak. This amount of trouble? It’s not even worth thinking about. But you, try to be less alone from now on, and… don’t get emotional.”

The illusion that he cares for me shatters, he finally puts the lyre down and takes out a bottle from his coat, before putting it in your hands, “There are many more efficient ways to deal with your enemies than staining your reputation. The court has many eyes, the less enemies, the better, this time it’s just a servant, but what happens when you meet someone with strong influence?” 

His chiding reminds me of a teacher, I can’t help but laugh for a second, before  his words bring me back to reality, “I am being serious.”

Still, maybe it is the music, but something in the air makes me relax, “And I am being serious, you have a serious symptom of being a preach.”

His eyes fall on me strictly, and I end up shutting up, my laughter washed away by his chilling words, “Laelia. Don’t forget the reason I brought you here.” 

The trees sway in the breeze, the pitter patter of a newly arriving drizzle. I remember Marcus’s words. It is not kind, what the battlefield has done to him. Maybe it is true, that the second prince Adelphus does not possess a heart. But, if that’s true, why? “How are your injuries?”  Why, is he so nice to me? In the end, is it to use me?

I stare at his amber eyes, still reeling from his words, don’t fool me again, please.

“I know.” I say, “I am here to help you broker peace with the barbarian tribes… Though, I should ask, why? Why me?”

His highness Adelphus, looks at you, again, that obscure stare, “Because, I need someone who can execute my plans. Someone smart and loyal.” 

A very flimsy reason. If status is needed, there is her highness Alcippe. If intelligence is needed, there is her highness Calista. What sort of plan is even in that mind of his?

He returns back to playing, the melodious sounds slowly makes me sleepy. I lean against the pillar, just listening to the sound of the leaves swaying and the sound of the lyre playing, a sound that does not haunt me for once. 

When I have slowly fallen asleep, I heard a voice say, “Marcus, do you think I am cruel?”

The praetorian guard replies, “She’ll understand one day. The price paid… to keep… safe.” 

When I wake up, I am already in my room. Dim daylight entering into my room. It’s already noon? Next to me, the familiar sight of Janae enters my eyes. I nearly tear up. It’s true after losing a person, you end up treasuring them more. Those servants from yesterday, makes me realize, how wonderful Janae is.

“What time is it, Janae?” I ask.

Janae smiles at me, replying, “3 o'clock noon. Take a break, your highness, you’ll need it for the meeting with his majesty tonight.”

She pours a cup of grape juice for me, I notice the new bandages on my body, and the ointment that his highness Adelphus has given me. A small smile forms on my lips until I finish digesting her words.

“His majesty- the emperor?”