“I didn't want him around. What was that all about?” Helga said as she and Wania were riding in the carriage heading home. My lady, what happened? Is it bothering you?” Helga was concerned.

“Is what bothering me?” Wania said “Are your actions with Agnius bothering you, I promise you didn’t do anything questionable” Helga tried comforting her with jokes but Wania replied with a raised brow.

“It’s strange, Helga I married a stranger, and told myself it was to stop Ras’s plan and protect my sister. My only option. I don’t know why I thought like that” Wania said

“It isn’t exactly off character, you've done some extreme things in the past but not in this sense. I was surprised when it happened but can’t question it, I can only help my lady. So tell me how to help you” Helga said, the two shared a comfortable silence between them “Could you stop teasing me about it?” Wania said

“Even the entities are not all-powerful” Helga replied.

The carriage returned to the Sapphire home, and without missing a beat Wania asked for some paper to write a letter and asked nine of her knights to accompany Helga to deliver it. It was already late, the sun had set, the stars were getting bold, and everyone outside should have been homeless they did improper things.

“Head straight to the Jabbar residence and hand deliver this to Naomi herself, if anyone gives you trouble, brandish them with sword and spear” Wania said, she handed the letter with a firmed grip, the look in her eyes was malice, the intent to do harm. And with a smile, Helga took the letter, turned around and walked straight to the Jabbar residence with knights matching right behind her.

Matching knights through the city, not as a show of power, but make a promise. It took some time but Helga had made it, the guards at the Jabbar gates stopped her, and told her to state her business.

“I am sent by Archduchess General Wania Sapphire to deliver a letter to Grand Duchess Naomi Jabbar. I ask you to excuse us and let us in” Helga said.

She did not mix her words nor did she sound like a cheerful old maid, her words came out like arrows swift and straight to the point. Not to be taken lightly. So, they let her through, they work for house Jabbar but the knight for house Sapphire stands in front of them, armed with eyes that want to fight, a silence that observes waiting for the moment to strike. It didn’t help that they all placed their hands on their blades ready to draw them.

Helga made her way to Naomi Jabbar who sat in the parlour to receive guests, the knights followed right behind with every step, which gave Wania Sapphire the right, the gall to do such a thing. To match her soldiers right into my home, I should report this to the emperor but it would be pointless. Her influence over the empire is too much, nobody can challenge her, nobody would challenge her. And yet, the emperor sent such an interesting letter to us.

“Good day to you, I greet you, Grand Duchess Naomi Jabbar, I’ve come with a letter from my master,” Helga said

Naomi looked at her, Helga greeted her but there was no respect in her eyes, she did not respect the fact that Naomi was a grand duchess, but she did respect the name of Jabbar. It all means little to her.

“Matching your knights into my home, just to deliver a letter? Do you not think that is too much? Or do you mean to ridicule me, for others to spread rumours about me, or did you and your master not think at all” Naomi was fuming with anger.

If Wania could do whatever she liked, she too would could also live like that, and the first step for her was to go against Wania, Wania was just a bully, no one would stand up to her so she does whatever she wants, but Naomi Jabbar would not let that happen she would be the one to stand up to Wania Sapphire.

Helga walked up to her and handed her the letter, Naomi held the letter with two hands looking at the seal, A basket of sapphire gemstones with cross swords and a spear behind it, the same crest on the knight’s shield representing house Sapphire, oh how she just wants to rip it up and throw in her face. “I advise you read that first” Helga was glaring at her now, the two were face to face and a lowly maid was staring into her eyes and glaring at her, just because she is Wania’s Sapphire's maid.

Naomi clenched her teeth, and hesitantly opened the letter. As she read the line the colour drained from her face, and her anger was replaced with fear. She dropped the letter and immediately ran out of the room.

“Lisandra, Lisandra!! Get me a carriage quickly” she shouted, running through the halls, stumbling into her bedroom and grabbing what she needed.

The letter was simple, Wania had told her to rush home, rush back to her husband and her children, and hold them close to your breast like when they were born.

That was all the letter said, and it was enough to run Naomi Jabbar out of the capital. With her job done Helga returned to her master and reported what had happened. Wania just spent the evening waiting for her husband who was currently out and about.

Agnius had entered back into the city through a different gate, heading to a local inn, one where nobles would be rodded if they dared enter. There sitting in the mess hall, with jugs in hand and food on their plates were the other members of his mercenary group.

“Everyone look! T’dregi’s wife let him come out today.” The room exploded with laughter as they all noticed Agnius, they were a cheerful bunch which was ironic considering they were all dressed in black, their uniforms differed in style but black leather armour all around. The place was filled with singing and questions.

“How come you didn’t invite us to your wedding?” one man said “They sent you to travel and you returned married, how am I going to explain this to Mira?” another spoke “You never told us the fancy muscular ones were your type” all the way from the back, they’ve crowd him, embracing him and ruffling his hair “What did you bring for us?” that was the question that silenced the room.

Agnius reached into his pocket and brought out a scroll, it was tired with a red thread, to their group that thread meant orders. A slender man walked up to Agnius and took it, reading the letter out loud for all to hear.

“Gather your things, everyone is heading north, we’ve acquired a supply delivery for home, Agnius, Bilgar and I will remain here. Send Elliot, Tristain, and Elari to the western gate in three days Bilgar will pick you up”

The room went silent for a bit, a man at the bar clicked his tongue and said “Here I thought that y’all were just wasting time” Elari was talking, his slim physique that was covered with bear tattoos, rough overgrown hair, the bangs covered his eyes and a stubble bread on his chin.

“Agnius, with all due respect what are we doing here? We could have ransacked some quality field to the west and been back home in half the time we’ve been here” Elari continued.

They all looked to Agnius for answers, “This isn’t our usual way of doing things” “Yeah, and bringing them to our home, that is crazy, Agnius we can’t have them in our north” the men were now verbally questioning Agnius.

“Stop, things haven’t gotten to that level yet,” Agnius said, they all decided to stay quiet still having their grievances about the way Agnius and Tushar were going about the situation, they were from a place the empire did not touch, where the war was just a story to tell, although these men venturing into the war for profit, they never truly joined the empire.

“Look, the supplies are just a one-time thing, as long as we don’t start depending on it, they can’t hold power over us,” Agnius said.

“Plus, if things go as planned, we won’t need to do missions to feed our people anymore” Everyone turned to the door, Tushar had walked in, and he said these words while leaning on the door frame.

“Tushar, you’re back,” Elari said “Not for long, I came to reassure you guys and see my son” Tushar said. He walked up to his son, the two sitting next to one another, the height difference between father and son is rather strange, Tushar stood tall face to his son’s chest.

“Sir Cassanova himself, kissing an archduchess days after punching her in the face,” Tushar said.

The room started laughing again, Tushar and Agnius excused themselves, Elari, Elliot and Tristan followed them, and they went to a private room.

As soon as the door shut Tushar took Agnius by the throat “What are you still doing in this city? Do you not know how to follow orders?”

“Tushar, relax, the boy probably had a plan” Elari placed his hand on Tushar trying to calm him down but was swatted away.

“I don’t care about whatever plan you had!!, you were told what to do and you didn’t follow orders!!” Tushar pressed Agnius against the wall “This is a nation built from a war, a nation with murders still at the head, they would not hesitate to wipe out our home, and you, you jumped into bed with their greatest weapon” Tushar said.

Tushar let him go and sat down “We got in over our heads here, frankly we shouldn’t have come out, to begin with not at this time.” Tushar said

“Can’t we just leave?” Elliot asked “We can’t, they won’t let us, especially not Agnius’ new wife,” Tushar said “I sent her to find you, I hoped she’ll just rough you up a bit, spread the word and make the emperor lose interest we you, then we go about our business.” Tushar said.

“So, what went wrong?” Elari asked

“The general is the emperor’s sister-in-law” Agnius answered “And he has a plan to make me the next general” he continued.

“No, the emperor had a plan to replace her with someone else but nobody stepped up, then we came in and now they all want you to do it. Their plans go far but the general lady is standing in their way so they want to remove her” Tushar said.

“So how does that stop us from leaving?” Elari asked

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration “Bilgar’s been spying on his meeting with the elves and they’re trying to gather forces”

“Hold on they are elves here? Are they insane?” Elari said, he stepped forward in outrage “Tushar don’t tell me they know we are here?”

“They do; they haven’t revealed to the emperor that they wanted us but they sent a message through Bilgar while he was spying on them” Tushar looked at them “We are so fucked”.

“The worst part is we can’t do anything to save ourselves; those nobles would give us to them at the sign of something going wrong,” Elari said

“So, you’re sending the others away first”

“Yeah, worst case we all escape, each person by themselves, spread out and regroup later. At the rest of us Agnius’ wife however would kill him before they could even see the gates” Tushar said

The room looked at him, and with eyes of pity patted him on the shoulders before exiting the room, the only two left with Tushar and Agnius.

“Why don’t you come over to the emperor? I'm sure his irrational fear for the general would at least make him protect you against the elves”

“Maybe, but who would protect me from the general? She would kill me if I left”

Tushar stood up with the same look of pity patted his son’s back “Welcome to married life” and left the room.

Agnius stood only in silence for a bit, when he looked outside the room everyone was drinking and dancing together, so he quietly left the inn and headed home.

It was late into the night, and the moon was already shining bright Agnius walked to the Sapphire home, and he was welcomed by Helga who told him that Wania wanted to see him. He walked into the room she sat waiting for him. No drinks on the table and no glass in her hand. Only when she noticed that the lights were turned on.

“Agnius come in, let’s talk for a bit”