"What you achieved this time is phenomenal, Iria. I'm very proud of you!"

King Tobias was in a meeting room with Commander Iria who just returned with victory. The biggest victory was achieved in the least expected time and the Jerivian King couldn't stop beaming due to it.

Shifting his gaze to his younger son who was standing beside the Commander, King Tobias said, "It's your first time, Orius. But you really exceed my expectation. I'm proud of you, son."

Commander Iria glanced at the Second Prince who didn't even bother to respond to his father. Then she said, "You're right, Your Majesty. His Highness is brilliant this time. If he didn't do that good of a job in cornering King Rozalez's soldiers, I will surely be in trouble."

King Tobias nodded and looked at his younger son again. However, just when he was about to speak up...

"I will go and rest in my chamber if there is nothing important. I'm tired."

Without even waiting for a response, Orius Aventine turned his back at them and walked out of the room, making the King sighed.

"He won't change," Tobias Aventine muttered and retreated to his seat. Then the Commander also took a seat on his left.

"You have such a great relationship with Zaro, Your Majesty. Why is it so different with the Second Prince?" Iria cautiously asked the King. She was being careful not to cross the line.

King Tobias glanced at the empty door and said, "I have no idea. He is always like that."

Iria Alewine was feeling quite confused. However, she tried to brush it off her mind. She shouldn't get too much involved with the royals.

"King Rozalez is captured but the Crown Prince of Helsia and all the Generals died. Some soldiers will still be in the capital of Helsia, waiting for your further orders. General Trevor will be guiding them," she reported to the King and asked, "Will you go there or King Rozalez will be brought here?"

"I think none of them is possible for now," King Tobias promptly said, much to the surprised of the Masked Commander.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"You heard about the feast which will be held to celebrate your victory, right?" King Tobias asked to which the Commander nodded. "We will be having a guest there."

The Masked Commander raised a brow as having a guest on such occasion was so out of ordinary.

It made her wondered what kind of guest was the King talking about. 

"I received a letter," King Tobias started explaining when he noticed Iria's confuse face. "The Nardodians just claimed back their lands and they want to create ties with our kingdom. The new King of Nardodia will be sending the Crown Prince here for discussion. The Crown Prince will arrive tomorrow and he will also join us in the celebratory feast tomorrow night."

Nardodians.

Iria Alewine had heard how they claimed back their kingdom from the hands of the Qalagons. She heard how Crown Prince Arin managed to make the Alorians withdraw but failed to stop the Nardodians from claiming back their lands.

The Nardodians were the number one enemies of the man she loved and... she someone felt hostile towards them.

It even made her finds herself laughable.

The Nardodians and she... won't they be the same in Arin Helev's eyes? 

"Your Majesty, are you planning to accept their proposal?" she cautiously asked. She didn't want to show anything which she felt on the inside.

"Maybe," King Tobias responded. "I know that they are enemies with the Qalagons but the officials think that it will be great to have ties with Nardodia. I also understand the officials.

"Considering what happened, I bet the Qalagons won't want to do anything with us. We might even have to fight them again. So, the Nardodians are a better choice for us. As the saying goes, the enemy of our enemy is a friend."

Commander Iria knew that her King had a point. Everything he said made sense but... a part of her can't agree. But what could she possibly do?

She was a warrior and the administration of the kingdom had nothing to do with her.

"When the Qalagons announced the broken alliance marriage a few days ago, they don't say anything about the false rumor and how you were the fake Princess. I don't know what's wrong with them," King Tobias said with a troubled face.

Thinking of his deceased daughter, there was an undeniable sadness on the King's face. "Once things are settled, we also have to announce the death of Iria."

The King's words put the Commander in a daze. The world will finally know that her friend was dead. But even now, more than a month had already passed since her passing.

King Tobias tried his best to not think further when he saw the reaction of Iria. Then he spoke up. "About the matters in the capital of Helsia, I will first send the Minister of War to settle things there. After the visit of the Nardodian Crown Prince, I will decide if I should go there or not."

"I understand. Then I will arrange some soldiers to escort the Minister of War," Commander Iria promptly replied.

King Tobias nodded as he forced a little smile. "You should go home and rest now. You must be tired."

* 

Iria Alewine walked out of the meeting room with a troubled mind.

The Crown Prince of Nardodia? Just who was he?

She had heard some rumors but none of them was reliable.

However, when the Qalagon Crown Prince crossed her mind, she felt even more troubled.

How will he think when he heard that her kingdom and Nardodia will be forming an alliance? 

Arin Helev was deeply scarred due to his childhood experience and... the main reason was the greed of the late Nardodian King. He had to part with his mother because of that.

On their last encounter, he declared that he won't allow her to be out of his life forever but... why does it seem like they were drifting apart further and further as time passed?