“What??”

The shouts came from a group of people walking together across the road. They stopped and overheard a store owner go about their business. The group outside the store began shouting, “Who did you just say you’re making a wedding dress for?" The maid began answering their questions. Still, she was nervous as she tried to get the words out.

“The archuchess… she’s getting married soon”

The group couldn’t believe the answer, they’d heard it twice and asked thrice, they still struggle to accept it amongst themselves, “Maybe it’s another archduchess" “but there is only one, maybe she’s been forced to”, “As if that would ever happen”, and they all had shocked expressions. They've changed the meaning of marriage”. One ridiculous conclusion, after another as the group slowly started to dissolve yet still wondering why she would get married so the rumour of the archduchess marriage spread across the empire, left and right it’s all you’ll hear, the news was the hottest gossip. All nobles, commoners and even criminals, the news invited people from other parts of the empire. Anyone and everyone rushed to the capital city of Mentakol, with a burning question in mind.

The wave of noise generated by the inflow was deafening She disapproved the emperor and he couldn’t careless, he was too busy organizing the formation festival, a festival celebrating the formation of the empire, to him her marriage didn’t matter his jest to himself that Wania had finally learned to live under authority. The emperor spent his day planning, paperwork all over his desk not a moment to rest even when the sun sets. He poured himself a glass of wine and sat in his coffee chair, he snapped his fingers three times, then a servant comes through a secret door and bows.

“You called your majesty”

With a slip of wine and a sigh of exhaustion, the emperor speaks

“Have you found the commander’s son yet?”

“No your majesty, he seems to have hidden himself well, and Commander Tushar doesn’t mention or communicate with anyone abot it”

The emperor rubbed his eyes and then , then gestured for the servant to leave, him, and the servant left wondered through the palace to a shadowy hall leading to an outdoor garden as he approached his form began to dissolve until only a dark outline, entered the garden wherhad the familyting on a bench.

“He still asking of Agnius?” the shadow asked.

“He’s growing impatient, but not lashing out, how should we proceed?” it replied with a scratchy voice.

“Just keep it as is, we need to give him more time”

“What is your plan, Tushar? What are we doing here? I know we wanted to get attention for more jobs but the men are getting restless”

Tushar chuckled “I don’t know, after the fight in the tavern Agnius looked lost in thought, he kept going back and standing where he fought the general lady. I’m just helping the boy clear his head. He didn’t seem like a tool for the first time in a while”

The shadow nodded its head before disappearing Tushar waited for a bit and then also left, he was been watched by a female maid but all she could see was Tushar talking to himself.

In the archduchess’ home, Wania received a letter from the emperor, stating she was to send a representative to participate duringthe formation opening festival which was a going to be a warrior’s tournament, and she was to bring her husband, tossing it aside when done.

“Helga replied to the emperor that I will not be attending the festivals this year that I am too busy planning my wedding which he is invited to”

Helga obeyed and drafted the letter immediately but she stood before her master and asked.

“My lady, why not go to the festival, surely there is no harm”

“The emperor insists I bring Agnius” She lays into her chair kicking her feet on the desk, chugging from the glass in her hand, once finished she kicks a trwholeilled with letters and sighs loudly.

“Every letter I received is some form of congratulations, and . It is either an attempt to ridicule me or use him.”

She pours herself another, Helga sits on the floor organising the letters by merchants, low-level nobles and high-level nobles. “Said man was rumoured to have defeated the ,war hero, even I was curious to meet him.” Helga said

"Then you brought him to sleep in your bed the next day" she mumbled under her voice but Wania still heard her.

“Where is Agnius? I should use him to relieve all the headaches his giving me”. Wania asked for Agnius who was at the time at the training grounds, alone under the hot afternoon sun, propped up against sandbags with a book in hand and others to his side, the said lowly mercenary was entertaining himself as the shadow of Wania descended upon him.

“You can read?. She asked

“And write” he replied, Wania seemed impressed

"Sure skills aren't normally seen in your type"

“I’m a mercenary, on one of my jobs a noble taught me to read, write, arithmetic and common etiquette"

"My thanks to them" She she waved her hand and her servants brought out a table, chairs, pens and paper.

“Then you'd have no problem replying to all of these” Agnius sat up, looking at the number of letters as Helga directed men to set up and the table.

“We’ll get through them and chat while we’re at it” Wania walked over to her side and Helga gestured for him to sit, Agnius got up and joined Wania, he told the pen and was about to start.

"Write your name, I want to see your handwriting" Wania asked and he complied. It wasn’t the most beautiful but it was readable and neat enough, "It’s average at best, It would do. Open the letters read them and reply with a rejection, no need to be nice about it"

“People from all over want to meet you, so reject them all” Wania was already writing one rejection after another without even reading any. She kept them brief not business-like but more like a quick reply to a question you’re tired of hearing. Agnius on the other hand opened and read them carefully before penning a rejection. He was doing exactly as told.

“You're very obedient and quiet, you would have made a great wife for someone if you were a woman...but I could still arrange for you to be a Male escorting for so men and women." Wania tried to break the silence.

“My mercenary group only accepts payment, in gold, jewels, and property or items of matching value.” Agnius replied

“Does your group have a name?”

“The black dragon trope of the north mountain” He looked up from the letters to meet her gaze but she went back to writing rejections.

The two continued to reject letters one after another in silence, the maids stood watched the sound of pen scratching on paper surrounded them, they felt like they had to control their breathing to so it won’t be so loud thankfully Helga dismissed them. The two finished replying to all the letter and had dinner together at Wania’s request, the silence followed along and later joined them as they went to bed for the night.

The next day Wania returned to her duties in her office and . She handed Wania divorce papers while she was going through more letters.

“What is this?” Wania paused.

“I’m just preparing ahead my lady” Helga answered with an avoided glaze

“I know the marriage was nothing bu a ploy, but if you act like this in front of the emperor he will force a divorce, and it will all be for not” she continued

“Aren’t most arranged marriages like this?”

"Some are, and those are the ones that get anulled or they divorce later on, and your marriage isn’t under the guise of an arranged marriage, your rushed engagement and marriage is believed to be a love of buring passion and romance by all” Helga was gesturing in enjoyment.

“A romance between a lonely archduchess and a rough and wild mercenary that met at a bar, a chance encounter that stirred up a, ravaging desire for one another”

“Stop, who is spreading such nonsense?” Wania interrupted

“Your sister, she’s trying to justify your marriage in the eyes of the public”

Wania’s eyes widened, was this her sister’s way of getting back at her for earlier, she stood and began heading for the door

“The empress has banned you from visiting her and her son until the start of the festival, she also asks that you make a grand showing during the festival’s fallen soldiers tribute”

Wania turned around and Helga handed her an opened letter with the empress’ seal, she took a deep breath and headed out the room Helga following along towards the training grounds to see Agnius, it was still early in the day so he was training his body doing laps with weights attached to him, the other knights at the training grounds were already exhausted by Agnius was still going Wania presence made him stop.

“Agnius, I need you to participate in the fallen soldier’s tribute tournament”

“What’s that?”

His question surprised everyone, shocked expressions all, Claris a female knight from a family of knights shouted “Are you serious? How could you not know it? It’s the tournament held to honour those who passed during the war that formed the empire” the other knights held their mouths shut as Wania was standing right there but their eyes still passed ridicule and judgment.

“Anyways you be representing house Sapphire, and you must win” Wania ignored her knight’s glaze as she turned around and walked away, her eyes met Helga’s who likely shook her head, she was disapproving of Wania’s behaviour towards Agnius.

“I have warned you all about disrespecting my husband, your shoulders are too high for me to train you. You are all expelled from my knight order if you wish to re-join defeat Agnius in the fallen soldiers' tribute”

They begged Wania to reconsider as she walked away, citing that expelling them would cause friction between her and the other noble houses, but Wania laid no deaf ears for their words to fall on, Helga commanded the senior knights to remove the trainees. Agnius remained silent still gave a nod of thanks.

“I thought you rejected the emperor’s invitation?” Helga asked

“I did but my men sent a letter about the emperor inviting a special guest into the palace, they were talking about attending the formation tournament, another reason for me to go it”

Wania lay on the couch, and out of seemingly nowhere there were things she needed to do, her sister was making requests of the emperor and may finally be making a move, there wasn’t enough information and the emperor was being cautious so her can’t tell what is going on yet, but their main priority is to protect the empress and her son. A numbing ringing in her ears like she’d been forced to sleep, and dream of a little girl playing in a garden, and giggling.

“There is hope for you yet my lady” Helga giggled and wrote a report to send to the empress.

“Oh, shut it, Helga, Agnius is an adult and a mercenary. He’s heard ruder and viler comments before and can defend himself” Wania rubbed her temples thinking caring for an imaginary headache.

“True, but it’s always lovely when your spouse comes to your rescue”

“That rescue just cost me, valuable connections and potential spies”

Helga and Wania glared at one another for a few seconds before Helga broke the silence

“Love always wins in the end, plus he'll be more motivated to work for an employer that cares about him”

“It’s a fake marriage, Helga”

Several days passed after Wania's supposed display of love for her husband, and the rumours spread all through the capital, mostly thanks to the empress and Helga’s effort, some of the noble families of the trainees Wania dismissed came saying the punishment was too harsh and unwarranted for the defence of a commoner, but Helga stood firm on Wania’s shoulder urging her not to crack, Wania, on the other hand, was furious at the nobles for daring even to consider complaining of her judgment towards her knight order and Agnius was practising his sword swings.