Sunlight crept in through the slats of the room. Raulin felt fingertips gently brush his chest. He inhaled, then smiled before opening his eyes. “Abene mautin, ainle.”

“Abene mautin, ainler.”

She rested her head on his chest. “Still feels so strange.”

“Not a bad strange, though?”

“Not at all. It feels right, but it also feels like I don’t deserve this. I haven’t been happy in years, since my parents died.”

“With the exception of the last year, it’s the same for me. It’ll take some time to get used to, I’m sure.” He brushed her hair from her face. “Mind if I ask a question?”

“No. I’ll never mind.”

“When should I have told you that I loved you? I’m sure there was some point much earlier than yesterday when it would have been better that would have saved us much grief.”

She drummed her fingers lightly on his chest to show she was thinking. “It’s hard to say. I knew I loved you in Riyala, that’s definite, but I was also angry with you then. Before then, I probably loved you, but didn’t realize what that was. I do remember feeling jealous at times. I remember missing you the most when the baerd hunters had me and thinking that you were now in the same place as my siblings, as far as people I needed to see again. I missed you in Calaba, when you decided you weren’t speaking to us. Before then, perhaps I would have thought you were like all the other men who’ve said as much, trying to bed me or being infatuated with my looks. After that, I would have stopped to think more about it.”

“Calaba? That far back?” He let out a loud sigh. “Such a waste of time.”

“We’re together now. I consider it a journey that took longer than needed, but the destination was still made.”

“That’s fair. Um,” he said, smiling, “I do have some news to share as well as an admission. You were right. I should have committed to leaving Arvarikor earlier. We should have taken the next train to New Wextif to get him.”

Her face fell and she moved to lay on her back. Raulin turned to look at her. “We were so close,” she said. “I sat next to him and kissed him. I am sorry I was so angry with you. I know you tried as hard as you could to retrieve him. It’s just…he means so much to me.”

“I know,” he said. “That’s why I made a deal with the Cumber.”

She shook her head and blinked. “The Cumber?”

“You didn’t notice they were following me in Riyala? You noticed the trirec. Thank you for the warning, by the way.”

She turned her head to look at him. “You knew that was me?”

“Who else would want to help me, but not be able to speak to me directly? It was either Tel, who would have spoken to me, Al, who didn’t have the ability to follow the trirec, or you, who could tail him discreetly, but also weren’t speaking to me. But, yes, the Cumber was also on my trail. I met with the director and we made an exchange. I told him about the Freeman’s Army and their capabilities and in return I asked that the Cumber look out for your brother.”

Anla sat up with a start. “What does that mean?”

“It means that we will work on that plan to get me out of Arvarikor. After that, we’ll go to New Wextif and I will contact the director again. Hopefully they will have found him and moved him somewhere safe until we can retrieve him.”

When he finished, she hugged him fiercely. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Don’t thank me until we have him.”

She looked up at him. “You were angry with me. Why did you do that?”

“I wasn’t angry, I was hurt. But, regardless, your brother didn’t deserve to die. Your sister didn’t, your parents didn’t. None of the half-elven children do and the elves don’t deserve to be crowded out of their homes and harassed into starting a war to keep what they have. It’s all sick and cruel. I can’t stop it, it’s too grand, but I can try to help one child escape.”

“I’m sorry I said those things about you being spoiled…”

“No, you were right about that as well. I always said I’d marry you if you said ‘yes’, but I wonder if I’d actually know what I’d need to do to make that happen. I should have given it up then.”

“And they would have chased you down. This way we have a plan to get you out and get Garlin before leaving for Aviz. We’ll have the greatest chance of success if we do it quietly, keeping things seemingly normal for as long as possible.”

“Which means we’re going to have to be careful once we reach Hanala. I was caught once before because I was sloppy. This time, I won’t be. There’s too much on the line.”

“Speaking of being careful, there’s someone else you need to talk to about how he acts around you.”

“My ‘vizier’?”

She nodded.

He rested his head on his pillow. “Anla, I can’t be what he wants me to be. I’m not going to do what he wants me to do. Hell, I can’t even pay him.”

“I don’t think he wants to be paid, or at least not in coin.”

“What do you mean?”

“Al spent years working a job that paid little. He’s never shown me to be greedy. He’s not interested in being your vizier to get wealthy. He’s happy to help you. I’m sure he’d be satisfied if you answered some questions for him and gave him a little guidance.”

“I so very much wish to not talk about my past.”

“I know, but you have. You told me things about your family and your childhood because you knew it made me happy. Now, you should do the same for him.”

Raulin sighed. “I’ll…go check on him.” He kissed the top of her head and told her he loved her before dressing to go outside.

Not too far into the forest he heard the rhythmic thunk thunk of someone hitting a tree with an ax. He followed the sound until he found Al practicing. “I’m glad to see you didn’t stop.”

Al paused to bow before continuing. “I practiced all last month.”

“Good. You’ve reached the point of being a warrior.”

“I have even more reason to train now.”

“We’re going to have a talk about that soon. For now, though, I’d like to again ask which king you plan on killing with that ax.”

The ax slid from his grasp and he turned. “Not you. No, I’d never turn on you.”

“Even if I don’t go back? Even if I make poor choices?”

“I chose to go with you wherever you wish before I knew who you were and that is a stronger choice than supporting the crown. Besides, you’re technically a prince, not a king, and therefore you don’t fit the bill. It’s not you, anyway. I don’t know who it was, but I do know it was someone I hadn’t met before. And it was ravings of a mad man.”

“Sometimes they call mad men ‘god touched’. I feel like there’s a bit of meddling going on.”

Al looked at him with wide eyes. “You believe me? I said that They were meddling. They need to keep a balance and Arvonne is without its monarchy. They would…”

Raulin held up his hand to quiet him. “Show me where you’re at.”

Al sighed, but went through all the techniques Raulin had shown him, adding a few he’d discovered on his own. He ended in a two-handed hold that signified he was finished.

“Good, Wizard. I’m proud of you. You’ve been doing this for well over six months now and you handle your ax like it was a part of you.”

“No criticisms?”

“Oh, now you want me to criticize you?”

“I want to get better. I don’t want to fail you.”

Raulin took a slow breath. “You still need to get your weight right. Back foot…there. Front foot…there. Now, how does that feel?”

“Stronger.”

“Good. Now, run through it again.” Al began from the beginning, slicing from the top, then the sides. “I think we should talk seriously about the plan. Any thoughts?”

“Plan? To fake your death, you mean? I told you the best one I’ve come up with. We can hash out the details if you want.”

“That’s what I mean. We’ll break for camp tonight and I want the best, most intricately detailed plan you can come up with. With the four of us on it, we’ll be able to come up with something that will allow me to slip away from Arvarikor.”

“You really want to do it?”

Raulin folded his arms. “I’ve wanted to do it for a long time, I’ve just never had anyone to help me. It’s the reason why Arvarikor refuses you every tie you could make. No family, no friends, no allies. They know this is unbearable work even for Merakians. No man wants to kill another, and try as I might, I just can’t steal and ruin lives anymore, either.” His eyes flicked back to the room where Anla was. “I have a future now.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Al said, returning to his forms, “because your future is my future.”

“Al…you don’t have to be my vizier. It won’t hold you to that. I understand that you were emotional and made a rash judgment when you pledged yourself to me.”

“I didn’t make a rash judgment. I’ve always said I’d pledge myself to a nobleman who needs me. It’s why I’ve been training.”

“I know. But, it’s going to seem strange that you’re a vizier to a man who’s renounced his titles.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what you do. I said I’d stay with you and that means whatever you need me for.”

“I can’t really pay you. Whatever money I have is going to go towards buying property or a business.”

“I know. I can get a license in Aviz and help you and Anla out.”

“That’s the opposite of how employment works.”

“I know. Don’t call me a vizier, then. Call me whatever the Arvonnese term for someone who helps someone out in their life.”

“Pada.”

He smiled. “What did I sign up for? What does that translate to exactly?”

“Brother.”

Al froze mid-slice and dropped his ax again. Raulin walked forward until he was in front of him, then embraced him. “Thank you,” he said and Al hugged him back.

“Now,” Raulin said, stepping back. “We need to talk about how you are around me. I know it’s been a lot to take in and you have a different perception of me, but we need to go back to how you and I were…let’s say in Kinuestra. I liked us then. And we worked well together, as equals.” Al began to protest. “I understand there are some things you are curious about. So, tonight only, I will allow you to ask me one question after dinner. Then, we are to return to normal. Is this fair?”

“Yes, fair.”

“All right,” Raulin said, leaving Al to practice. “We’ll take to the road in a little while, maybe a few hours. I am on my honeymoon, after all.”