Martia would have needed someone to help her, and Lyana looked just perfect for that. She was young, but there was time to learn.

«I can find you a job at Stoneyard,» I explained to her. There wasn't any need to say why that job was available.

She just nodded, relieved that there was some hope.

When Jeffrey saw us arriving, he opened his eyes wide and smirked cunningly.

«Now I understand why you were in such a hurry to leave the front,» he whispered.

I slapped the back of his head before he could overstep the boundary and offend Lyana.

«We're related, you idiot,» I warned him.

«Not too closely. Your highness doesn't have close relatives, as far as I know. Other than his majesty.»

«That's true. And you don't need to continue with this your highness farce. Just call me the same way you have used for years.»

«You're a war commander now. And the crown prince. How do you think I can call you by name?» he noted.

«I'm not the crown prince,» I pointed out. «His majesty has a son.»

«It's a bastard. You're the next in line, Alexander.»

I hadn't ever considered things from that point of view.

«I don't want to be.»

«Well, it's too late for that. You shouldn't have won all those wars.»

«I didn't win. I just played my cards well.» We were going to win regardless. Maybe not this fast and with so few losses.

«Too well, if you ask me.»

«I'll go buy a carriage for Lyana.»

«Her name is Lyana?» my friend asked, his eyes suddenly shining.

«She is my relative.»

«Oh, we can become relatives too!»

«She's a widow. Has become a few weeks ago.»

«Oh.»

After that, he stayed silent for a minute or two.

«How convenient,» he realised.

I couldn't believe that, out of all that I told him, he only heard that Lyana was free.

«Is she deeply suffering for her husband's demise?» he inquired, more to come up with a technique to approach her than out of concern.

«Not much.»

After all, she proposed to be the one killing him. She certainly wasn't sad. Yet, she did suffer after the incident because of the rest of that family.

«Oh, what a pity. I was planning to console your relative. How long has she been married?»

«Jeffrey, stop it. I bet your father sent you to war to fix this bad character of yours.»

«You might be right.»

After finding a carriage, we returned to our journey.

Jeffrey started talking with Lyana with an annoying insistence. Luckily, the lady didn't even notice that he was trying to flirt.

She just replied to his questions and stared dumbfounded when she couldn't understand the point of his odd sentences.

Observing my friend making a fool out of himself made the journey tolerable. At least, I could learn what not to do.

I have never needed to flirt to get my Queen's attention. It just felt natural after a couple of years together.

I wanted to see her blushing face, so I had to say naughty and even naughtier words. She would get used to it after a few times, so I had to invent something new quite often.

All I hoped, at that moment, was that I would not be as clumsy and clingy as Jeffrey.

Somehow, his methods had the opposite effect.

«Your highness's friend indeed is chatty,» Lyana commented during the last days of travel. «He can continue talking for hours straight. I'm impressed.»

Rather than impressed, she was tired of his voice. I was too, and I didn't have to politely listen to all his blubbering.

«I can tell him to stop bothering you.»

«Oh, there's no need.»

Her timid smile was a bit uncertain, in fear that she just said something excessive about Jeffrey.

After weeks of travel, almost three to be precise, we finally reached Stoneyard. Jeffrey rode home as soon as we passed next to his father's fief, so the rest of the journey was a silent trip with Lyana. The carriage slowed us down, but at least it was easier to sit on it than on a horse.

The guards struggled to recognise me.

«Call the head of the knights,» I ordered, snorting impatiently.

When he saw me, his jaw dropped for a second or two.

«My Lord!» he shouted, then. He bowed his head, and the rest of the passers-by did the same. «You're finally back, my Lord!»

I must have changed quite much during those three long years.

The Countess came towards me, and she seemed relieved.

«We were waiting for you and our guest, my Lord,» she said.

«Martia?» I asked quickly. I hadn't seen her in so long. Maybe she had forgotten me in all that time...

When a flying kid threw herself at me, the only thing I saw before the impact was short, messy hair and her grinning black eyes.

«Brother! Xander! Brother!» she shouted, laughing and crying at the same time.

No matter the time we were apart, she recognised me immediately.

«You've grown so much, little brat,» I said, rubbing her messy hair. «What is this about? Where are the long braids ladies are supposed to have?»

«I didn't like it, so I cut it,» she shrugged.

«When?»

«Last week.»

«She had such beautiful hair,» the Countess commented, glaring at her with a stern expression.

«It will grow again, gran'ma,» she pouted.

Somehow, hearing my sister call the stern Countess de Ruis grandma was so funny. I bit my lower lip to avoid laughing loudly, but the glare that came from the side told me that I failed at hiding my thoughts.

«Lady Lyana, right?» she continued, pretending to be untouched by the accomplice glance that I exchanged with Martia. «I prepared your chambers. I hope you'll find them satisfying.»

Just like that, Martia and I were finally left alone.

«Tell me, how have you been doing?» I asked her while walking towards the main building.

She grabbed my hand and started talking. She spoke about everything: her daily life and struggles, foreign people's visits, the Countess's way of dealing with issues...

That little brat was so different from the sister in my dreams, but I wasn't that displeased with the change. At least, she was happier.

«I'll need to leave soon again,» I sighed, and her eyes filled with tears, and she started sobbing melodramatically on my shirt.

After a whole minute, I could split from her.

«What is this? It's the fakest cry I've ever seen.»

«I don't want to stay alone anymore. I want to come with you!»

«Oh, next year.»

She stopped crying and looked at me with surprise.

«Really? You'll really bring me along?»

«Yes, but I don't want to be seen with a girl with such hair. You have to let your locks grow again before that.»

She moaned as a complaint but didn't say anything against my condition. Not that it made any difference. She was cute and adorable with short hair just as much as she would be with long hair.

«I will,» she said in the end. «But if you change your mind and leave me here alone, I won't forgive you!»

«I won't leave you alone.»

I smiled and kissed her hair before walking inside. She didn't stop smiling, but my heart was aching for the lie.

My destiny was to leave Kyre and become a nobody far from there.

My sister was going to become the Archduchess. She had done a good job in my previous life. She would become as competent as before, with time.

However, there was no need to involve her in those matters before time. Her childhood had to be protected.

«We heard that you won again,» she started. «Everyone says that you're the best general.»

«I'm not a general, Martia. I'm just a counsellor.»

«You should be general. It's good that wars are short and that we win, right?»

«Who knows what's good?»

«And also, the Emperor won't kill you if you're a winner.»

Her face became solemn all of a sudden.

«You won't disappear, like mum and dad.»

«I won't, Martia. I will do my best to avoid that, all right?»

«I want to help you.»

«Oh, you will.»

«I want to come with you and see the Palace. I want to talk with that man that executed our parents!»

«Martia, don't say something like this ever again!» I warned her, whispering. «You can't know who is listening.»

She widened her eyes, but she soon calmed back down.

«I don't want to be just a burden to you,» she explained. «I want to help.»

«You will, but for now... For now, you need to focus on having fun, growing up, and making good memories for the future.»

«You're the best, Xander,» she exclaimed, and we headed towards the dining hall. «I've always known that you would understand me.»

Many wars were waiting for me and a challenge that I hadn't predicted.

However, the Emperor surprisingly left me home for quite some time. Almost a year.

It was a peaceful period, and I could spend more time with my sister under the Countess's approving gaze.