No matter how much luxury Urian demanded wherever he went, no place could compare to his home.

Before the first rays of morning, the wide windows of his room let in the sun's rays, bathing the stone, rugs, and trophies in the room until they reached his large bed.

The sunlight crawled all over the bed until it hit his face, and he quickly opened his eyes. Sometimes, he couldn't let his guard down, even at home.

Slowly, the proud warrior swept his look around the room; everything was still the same, just as he had left it the night before, from the heads of the beasts he had slain to the weapons and armor in their respective displays. But, of course, the most crucial thing upon awakening for him was to lower his gaze to his chest, where his beloved rested peacefully.

Urian slid his weathered fingers across Carine's delicate face, and she slowly quirked a smile on her rosy lips.

"Good--"

The proud warrior attempted to greet his beloved with a whisper.

"Don't finish that sentence," Carine interrupted in a sleepy voice and pressed her face against the man's bare chest. "If you say it, it will be time for me to get up..."

"Does the title weigh you down?" asked Urian with a smirk. He gently stroked the bare back of that woman to whom he had sworn fealty, and she shrank and sought shelter beside him.

Carine was silent, making Urian soon wipe the smile from his face.

"Did something happen?" asked the warrior.

"Things have not been easy lately," said the Countess. "Between the court, Sallen's tempers, the rumors in the Kingdom..."

Urian pressed his beloved against his chest, and she sighed as she rested her head against it.

"It hasn't been the best of months. And when you leave here, you cross borders. So I often think the worst..."

The man snorted, "I won't die on a desolate battlefield or in the back alley of a tavern."

"You have enemies out there. After what you told me, you have even more..."

"The Order is not coming for me," Urian exclaimed. "That man, Cardinal Vandac, took my deal. He tried to send his men against me when I tried to leave, but he had no choice but to let me go when I disarmed his best warriors with just a couple of blows."

Carine was worried, and Urian knew it all too well; when that woman was silent, it was only when negative thoughts haunted her.

"I shouldn't have taken that assignment from them," Urian exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I guess riches blinded me..."

"They always do," she scolded in a firm voice. However, her gentle caresses on his chest and neck showed the warrior that his beloved wasn't so angry with him.

"I guess I saw it as a good investment; good money to use here and there. Maybe a new hall for the castle, or some improvements to the ports..."

Carine couldn't stop a soft chuckle from escaping her lips, "You speak as if you will rule..."

Urian smiled and let himself get lost in his beloved's caresses.

"You have the arrogance of a ruler. You would only lack the crown..."

"I wish I could wear it," Urian exclaimed as he took Carine's hand. "I wish to show the world how I feel about you..."

The Countess smiled and lifted her face to bring it close to his.

"Nothing would make me happier than to rule by your side. Nothing would make me happier than to let Sallen call you as he should in public."

Urian lowered his gaze and nodded. Sometimes, that man who liked luxury so much wished to settle for such simple things as she mentioned.

The proud warrior took his lips to close his beloved one and finally dedicated the first kiss of the morning. Both rested their foreheads against the other's, and with closed eyes, they enjoyed that last moment of peace before starting the busy day.

___________________________________________________________________

The sabers clashed rapidly; they resounded in that spacious room with a balcony overlooking the sea. There, the future members of the royal guard could practice under Urian's tutelage.

The man, arms folded, watched the movements of these young men in padded armor adorned with the symbol of House Veelta on their chests, a purple flower that only grew off the shores of Dyndra.

Six young men stoically watched the combat raging in the center of that enclosure; the two young men fought fiercely and cunningly, trying to disarm their opponent.

Urian paced back and forth, and beside him, little Sallen followed faithfully.

"Halt," he commanded with firmness and a voice that denoted his annoyance.

The pair of young men saluted each other with a bow and sheathed their sabers before looking at the Marked Warrior.

Silently, Urian approached them; the pair of boys tried to remain as stoic as their companions around them, but the man's piercing gaze silently judging them as he walked around them made them tremble slightly in place.

Urian turned to Sallen, "Your highness, how was the combat?"

The boy, dressed in delicate velvet garments, smiled and excitedly watched the boys.

"I think it was amazing!" the boy said excitedly. "Neither one let the other one have a chance! It was awesome!"

The pair of youngsters smiled, knowing that the one they were to watch over in the future was pleased. However, they weren't to please that child, the future Count, but the one who secretly cared for his son's welfare.

"They seem to have won their heir," Urian exclaimed. "However, they seemed to be fighting to please him..."

The smile on those young men's faces soon faded as Urian looked them in the eye as he stood in front of them.

"Are you both trying to please me with a show? In my eyes, that wasn't a fight..."

Urian released a heavy sigh and soon nudged one of the boys.

"What's your name?" asked Urian to the boy he left in the center of the room.

"Nalar Demetroz, sir," exclaimed the boy with long tied-back hair and two locks in front of his face.

"A noble boy, from House Demetroz," indicated the Marked Warrior, who spun around until his back was to him. Urian saw his son and grinned at him.

Draw!

The Marked Warrior forced the boy to fight him. The boy's eyes widened in disbelief as he drew his saber and was engaged in a short series of clashes with Urian.

Then, Urian stepped back but always kept his saber pointed at the boy.

"Come on, attack!" Urian ordered.

The boy hesitated, but he tried to attack under Urian's judging gaze. At that moment, his saber felt much heavier than usual as it also carried the pressure that man was causing him.

The boy gave of himself in the circle, but that would not end well. The boy wasn't fighting cunningly but attacking without thinking, so it was evident when Urian managed to disarm him before a clash of blades that it was all over before it began. Urian swung his blade and, with a circular gesture, ripped the sword from the boy's hand and swung it in the air, only for it to land in Urian's free hand.

"I don't even know where to begin," the Marked Warrior said judgmentally.

The boy stood firm before his master and lowered his gaze in chagrin. Then, Urian held out his sword for his son to take and marvel at the carving on the blade and hilt.

Urian crossed his hands behind his back and gently twirled the blade of his sword as he paced back and forth in front of the boy.

"First, you fought to impress me. Then, you gave me an even more pitiful spectacle than the last. Do you really plan to guard your highness like that?"

"I'm sorry, Champion Urian," the boy exclaimed pleadingly. "I'm very sorry for not living up to your expectations."

"Oh boy, you are clearly not up to it. None of you are."

The young men who would be part of the royal guard looked at each other, some annoyed, others unsure how to react.

"You fight crudely, as would someone who will spend most of his life in the halls of a palace and not on a battlefield. As a result, you all look like children and not warriors."

Nalar swallowed saliva as if he had to digest the man's words. Demon's words.

"What will happen when a Marked One comes to court?" asked Urian.

The boy opened his eyes in surprise.

"You will stop him?" interrupted Sallen smiling.

Urian paused and looked at his son. If it hadn't been his son, he would likely be annoyed at being interrupted. Instead, however, he gave him a smiling grin.

"Of course, I would stop him, disarm him, and force him to bow to your highness. Then I would finish him off. But it's not what I would do; it's what you would do..."

The boy swallowed saliva and puffed out his chest.

"If necessary, I would die to save Countess Carine de Veelta, and al-"

Urian turned, and Nalar felt the edge of the warrior's sword come very close to his face. The boy opened his eyes, dumbfounded at what had happened. As he lowered his gaze, he noticed how on the ground were the locks of hair hanging over his face. As he raised his watch again, Urian was glaring at him.

"Don't give me those empty phrases," Urian exclaimed contemptuously.

The boy shivered in place, unable to stop looking Urian in the eye.

"Urian!" Count Pircen was heard shouting down the hallway.

Quickly, he and the young men he was training stood at attention to greet the man.

"Count," greeted Urian with a bow which the young men quickly followed.

"Come with me," said the man, who in his black eyes reflected concern. The concern that man had was not to be underestimated.

Urian was led by Pircen to the throne room, but not before leaving Sallen under the tutelage of his governess. There, Carine was surrounded by her advisors and advisors, but also by other people. Those people, seeing Urian arrive, watched him with utter distrust.

"Countess," exclaimed Urian, without taking his eyes off those men.

With several papers in hand, Carine addressed her beloved in secret, "We have a problem."

The Countess quickly extended the letter to Urian. The man looked at the letter and then at his beloved, finally taking that paper in hand.

Urian read it in a quick, skipping manner. What he read, however, made his blood run cold.

"Am I accused of killing Cardinal Vandac?" asked Urian in bewilderment.

"I was just handed this letter by the King's diplomats," Carine pointed out. "The Empire of Mordia sent that letter along with the rulers of the Union of Mizuna. Apparently, they accuse you of killing a White Flame Cardinal."

"In the name of Darneter, what did you do?" exclaimed one of the diplomats, an elderly, balding man in little mood to have Urian around. "We let you live in our Kingdom, and this is how you repay us?"

"I didn't kill that man!" exclaimed Urian.

"We don't know; your sword is always full of blood, Champion," another diplomat replied.

"The King wants to place this man under arrest immediately," said the elderly diplomat. "Men, arrest the demon."

The court guards approached Urian, who quickly went on alert.

"Halt!" shouted Carine firmly to her guards. The diplomats stared incredulously at the Countess.

"Your Highness, it's a-"

"I know it is an order from the King," interrupted the woman with ferocity in her voice. "But this is my court, and as our agreement with the King says, I am the one who fulfills the function of justice here."

"Countess Carine, this exceeds your rights and powers with all due respect."

"When did the rights grant to me become so insignificant to you?" the woman asked scathingly. The woman frowned, eyes boring like a burning edge into that elderly diplomat.

"Countess, please," exclaimed one of the younger, softer-voiced diplomats. "The King demands that you submit your Champion to the Imperial court of Mordia."

"So the Mordians plan to rule over our territories?" asked Carine.

"Carine, calm down..." said Pircen quietly, trying to appeal to that woman's reason, not her heart.

The woman watched him from the corner of her eye, then looked at her beloved.

"Tell the King that I will take action; tell him that my Champion, who has brought glory to the lands of Marlisia and our people, will be judged as he deserves. Guards, escort Urian to his chambers immediately."

Urian stood silent as the men approached him. Finally, the man brought his hands to his sword, which brought the guards to alertness. At that moment, Urian removed his sword sheath and extended it to the nearest guard.

At that moment, Urian knew he had ceased to be for those people the Champion of Marlisia, to be a demon again.