"I never thought that we will be meeting again this way, Masked Commander."

What Nico Petrus said only made things more clear to Iria Alewine but... why did he suddenly recognize her? It was clear that he didn't know who she was when they met in the tent before.

"It seems like His Majesty also knows about your relationship with Princess Iria. Did he tell you who I am?" Commander Iria simply said. There wasn't a hint of nervousness or anxiety in her tone or expression.

"He only tells me that you're the Princess's best friend. I figure out your identity on my own," Nico Petrus replied. "It turns out that you're still smart as before.

"But I'm curious. Why is the Masked Commander here disguising as the Princess?"

"Why don't you go and ask your Queen that question? If she didn't spread the false rumor, we won't be meeting here but on the battlefield." Commander Iria's face turned sour when she thought of the false rumor that the Queen spreads.

If only that didn't happen!

Battlefield. Nico Petrus recalled the only time when he fought against this woman. Though her father was still the Commander at that time, she still stood out and on the battlefield, she was quite a force to reckon with!

"Tell me, Commander Nico," Iria said, observing the man in front of her. "Do you really love Princess Iria? What happened between the two of you?"

Though Iria was the Princess's best friend, Commander Nico understood why she didn't know anything. King Tobias advised his daughter not to tell anyone about her lover to avoid some possible problems. Not to mention that her lover was a Commander from a rival kingdom!

Then Nico Petrus narrowed his gaze at the red braided bracelet again. "This already make everything clear. What more do you expect?"

"Are you the one she loved? I remember her telling me that if she falls for a man, the man should have olive-green eyes and auburn hair. She was talking about you," Iria Alewine uttered.

"You already know the answer. Why are you asking me the obvious?" Commander Nico simply said. Though he appeared nonchalant, Iria could feel his sincerity.

Iria Alewine narrowed her eyes at the sword hanging in her waist. She wanted to unsheathe it and wield it right away but...

"You know who I am. That's why I'm supposed to kill you but... if you are really the one Iria loves, how can I do such a thing? I can't commit such a big crime against my late friend who always considers me as a family," she muttered.

"Don't you know that we are in the same situation?" Nico Petrus asked and stared out of the window again. "My ancestors are loyal to our kingdom and so am I. Ever since I was young, I fight to protect my kingdom and I'm willing to shed every drop of my blood for Qalagon. Just like you, I'm willing to give up my life if necessary but..." He paused and hesitated to continue.

How could he kill the best friend of his late lover? He knew that what King Tobias said yesterday was right. He knew how much Princess Iria loved her best friend and if he was to kill the friend, his late lover would never forgive him.

Of all people, why must the Masked Commander be the best friend?!

Turning around, Nico Petrus faced Iria again. "As long as you can promise that you won't cause any harm to the Crown Prince and Qalagon during your stay here, I will ignore it but if you make a move, I will make sure that you won't return alive."

"If I give you my word, will you believe me? We're enemies," Iria Alewine said to Commander Nico. However, deep inside, she had no intention to harm others during her stay here but... the moment she returned, her sword will be pointed against them like it always was.

"Iria told me that her best friend is a good person. I chose to believe her," Nico Petrus responded. "Besides, I don't think the Masked Commander will be a coward who takes back her word."

"Then you should already know this, Commander Nico," Iria started. "If I return to Jerivia alive, my sword will be pointed to your beloved kingdom again. Are you saying you're okay with that?"

There was a slight smirk on Nico Petrus's face when he heard the Masked Commander. "Last time, I lost to you but if there is next time, it would be different. What's wrong with having a fair battle on the battlefield? I only tell you not to play a trick while you are here. Besides, it's not like you're easy to kill."

"You're not the only one who hates playing unfair. Do you know how hard I try not to lose control? I wish to kill the one who started this mess," Iria Alewine said with all seriousness. It was always so tempting to wield her sword against the Qalagon Queen!

"I won't allow you to do that. So, you should return to your kingdom as fast as possible. The moment you return, we will both be free. Even if we kill each other on the battlefield, we don't have to feel guilty."

"Then let's do that. I give you my word but once I return, our deal with end."

Though it was hard for Nico Petrus, he nodded as he thought of this as the last thing he could do for his late lover. So, for just once, he decided to put his kingdom second. However, he was determined to make the Masked Commander pay if she broke her word!

"What about the Crown Prince?" Iria asked. Even now, the one she worried about the most was the Qalagon Crown Prince.

"You should keep your word and don't cause any harm to His Highness," Nico Petrus replied. "Once you return, I will tell him the truth. I will accept any punishment that comes with it."

Nico Petrus wondered how short he was on time now. He should find out the one behind the Princess's death first and that's the only thing he wished for now.

Once he confessed the truth, he might even have to pay for it with his life but he didn't care. He must pay for concealing the truth. That's only fair. So, he should hurry and solve everything before he ran out of time.....