«Your lodgings are almost ready, your majesty,» the general said.

I tilted my head, surprised. He was calling her your majesty.

I had already noticed the well-hidden respect he had towards my wife. He had been sad for a while after the surrender, and he worried about her well-being after it. Yet, I couldn't understand the glance he threw at me after the final negotiations.

Did he realise that I was aiming at Thea? Was he... worried?

It was weird. Those two were war opponents. Yet, they seemed to get along. They were talking in front of a cup of tea, discussing what had just happened as if it was history.

My Thea was just beautiful, in her dark dress. Her hair was braided, her face framed only by a couple of small earrings. No makeup, nor other decorations.

She observed the camp absent-mindedly, wondering about the future.

«See you at dinner, your majesty,» the general finished and walked away.

It seemed that he would have treated my Queen with regard.

At least, I didn't have to worry about that. I could entrust her to him.

It was past dusk, and the night had filled the camp. The soldiers were still celebrating and drinking, disregarding that they would have been marching the day after. I prepared my things, saddled my horse, ready to reach the capital.

I had to talk with his majesty to make sure he hadn't changed his idea about Thea. I couldn't risk losing her after so many efforts. I ruined a country; I couldn't let her end in someone else's, potentially lethal, hands.

I was ready to leave when I noticed the movements around my Queen's tent. A group of soldiers was whispering something, and they didn't stop even when I reached them.

«What are you doing?» I asked.

«We're playing it at rock paper scissors,» one of the answers.

«Playing what, exactly?» I inquired, my hand already on the sword.

«Oh, we won't come in your way, commander!» another one added. «You go first, of course! It's a given!»

«What are you talking about?» I repeated, considering to slay them all without finishing the interrogation.

«The queen,» the first one specified, as if it was evident. «She's in here, alone. We're deciding who will be the first to...»

He couldn't finish the sentence because my sword cut his head off.

The rest of the soldiers reacted immediately, raising their weapons. I was their superior, so their reaction was undoubtedly treason. Yet, they didn't notice that point and stood their ground against me.

I wouldn't have let them run away even if they tried.

They weren't some drunkards that had a stupid idea after a glass too much. They were sober and planning.

They would have come back if I didn't take care of them.

When the last one fell down, cut into two pieces, I noticed the stains of blood on my armour. It was a gory sight.

A set of light steps reached the entrance of the tent, and my wife's head appeared all of a sudden.

Luckily, I hid in time.

She observed the corpses dismembered in front of her tent, and her face turned pale. She pressed a hand on her mouth while a few tears decorated her face.

I wanted to step up and remind her that those were her enemies, that she didn't need to feel piety towards them. Yet, it would have been problematic to explain why I was covered in blood right when a few soldiers were found dead next to her lodgings.

Only after calming down a bit, I realised what was troubling her.

She thought that someone from Polis was trying to free her and killed the soldiers in the attempt.

Her face showed fear at first and then worry for her people.

Ah, I should have predicted all of that, damn it! Everything, from the soldiers to my Queen's expression.

Before leaving, I had to make sure that something like that never happened.

«What happened?» the general asked, attracted by all the noise. People were crowding, wondering, and making theories about the events. I walked away, not to risk being noticed.

It would have been tough to explain, and my wife could have become scared of me. That was undesirable.

The general spotted me, and he frowned. Then, before turning again towards Thea and the rest of the soldiers, he calmed his expression.

«Please return inside, your majesty,» he murmured, pushing my wife inside and closing the tent.

He turned towards a couple of his trusted guards and left them to watch over her.

«No one goes in, no one comes out. Am I clear?» the general said.

The guards nodded, saluting with their right hand.

«What happened,» he asked me a few minutes later.

I had just finished cleaning the blood from the uniform, and the general marched into my tent without even knocking.

«They wanted to assault the queen,» I shrugged. «It was unacceptable.»

The general widened his eyes, but he already knew the nature of soldiers. A beautiful captive in the middle of the camp of a tired, unsatisfied army was difficult to protect.

He couldn't leave her in an unguarded tent. Especially because soldiers hated her after so many years of war.

«I have an idea,» I said.

After all, I had to put Thea in a place where anyone couldn't just approach her. A tent was too difficult to defend. There were many potential ways in, and Theodora wasn't visible for most of the time.

«A cage,» I murmured.

The general's face turned red like pepper.

«She's not some kind of animal. You can't just lock her in a cage and show her around as your prize!» he shouted.

«Indeed,» I sighed. «I won't be showing around anything because I have to reach the capital. I can't afford to waste time with the army. His majesty is waiting for me.»

«It's a queen you're talking about, not a slave from a far land. She can't survive a journey like that.»

«She can,» I replied. «It's less dangerous than letting her stroll around freely.»

«Do you seriously think that a cage will be enough to protect her?»

«No, of course not.»