Airin spent the next few days just wandering around with Prissa, quiet and austere, followed a few steps behind her. She would warn Airin of rooms or bends or corners or walkways she should not venture in. Her question about Xander's abode had clearly put Prissa on edge.

Her chambermaid became quieter, as well as more rigid and nervous now.

Her eyes brightened when she realized there was a small, unused room close to her bedroom. An idea came to her and she turned that room into a classroom. Prissa was not keen on it, but did not find a strong enough reason to stop her because the room was literally dusty and empty. She promised Prissa she would not venture anywhere else in Halgard's palace complex if she could have the room for her origami class.

Prissa thought for a moment, realizing that it would make her job easier by having to watch Airin only in one room. The chambermaid huffed her agreement.

On her first day of "class" she just sat on the floor in front of the room, ready with some paper. Some children would pass by, and she would use her best preschool teacher's voice to entice them to learn paper folding.

They hesitated, but Airin's smile convinced them to try. Soon she was surrounded by some children as old as ten and as young as three years old learning how to do some simple folding. Goldfish and frog folding.

The news of her origami class reached Lyanna, and the princess came once or twice to the room with her nanny.

She taught Lyanna how to fold origami, but the kind of paper that they had in Halgard was rough and rather inflexible, thus not that easy to work into an origami folding. But they made do and made different animals. Lyanna was happy. Her nanny, whose name was never told to Airin, just stood and watch, arms stiffly crossed, side by side with Prissa. Once in a while they whispered to each other, with eyes fixed on Airin.

Lyanna was back like the Lyanna in her universe. Gentle, smart, and sometimes stubborn. She brought four friends from the palace to learn origami too, those were the children of the palace officials.

Prissa was not happy, and Lyanna's nanny too, that Airin conducted an informal class like that to children whom in their eyes were not in the same league as their dear Princess Lyanna.

Airin did not care, she had to do something or she'd go nuts from boredom.

But after a couple days, trouble started brewing.

That morning, as she was busy showing some more difficult base folds to a couple older chidren, an angry man barged in the room and started shouting.

Airin was startled. She rushed to stand up and instinctively extended her arms to shield the four children who were her students that morning.

"You witch!" shouted the man. "What have you taught my daughter? She has been busy folding all kinds of weird paper shapes! Soon after my baby son got sick! You witch!" he was hysterical.

Origami. Witchraft. Baby son sick. Those three formed an argument in Airin's mind, and she shook her head in disbelief and shock. "No! Listen, Sir, please. Origami is not witchraft. It's got nothing to do ... nothing ... with your son being sick!" she tried to sound calm, but her voice broke nevertheless.

The furious father did not care. He charged forward as the children started crying and Airin readied herself to defend them and herself. She stepped backward with the children followed behind her. "You are a witch! Dark witch! Evil!" the father started flailing his arms trying to grab Airin.

Airin screamed as she saw the hands of the man almost grabbed her hair, the screams of the children got louder, and she started trying to push the man.

"Stop! Please! Don't you dare touch the children!" she screamed and used her body and one arm to shield the children, and the other arm to shield her face. The children wailed louder. The man kept barging forward, until suddenly a loud thudding sound was heard.

The man stopped his flailing arms, and Airin opened her eyes and saw where the thudding sound came from.

A dagger, small one, stuck deep in the wood pillar of the room a few inches from the man's face.

It was then that Airin saw that it was Xander who had thrown the dagger to stop the man from reaching her and the children.

The angry father turned around to see Xander, and he fell on his knees.

"This witch from another universe has been teaching my daughter some weird paper folding, my Lord! My son is now sick!" he stammered as he explained to Xander.

Airin caught her breath, lowered her arms slowly.

"Take the children away!" Xander commanded one of the soldiers who followed him. The soldier rushed to gather the sobbing children and took them outside. Xander now focused completely on the father who was still on the floor. "What is your name and duty?" he asked.

"Gregos, my Lord. My duty is at the horse stable. I am the stable manager for the working horses. You may not have heard my name because I do not work with the soldiers' war horses. But I am telling the truth!"

Xander's gaze lingered on Gregos, he did not really care which horses the man worked with. He motioned for Gregos to stand up and said,"Gregos, Airin is not a witch. She is a teacher of young children. She has my permission to conduct the class for the children here."

Airin startled. Gregos stood up and was still tense, but the man nodded anyway.

"Now go. Airin can do what she wants in this room. I will send a healer to have a look at your son," Xander was still calm. His blue eyes pierced Gregos, and the man whispered his thank you, shot a disgruntled look at Airin, and ran outside.

The room was now empty, and Airin struggled to find something to say. Only a whispered thank you escaped her lips.

"Are you alright?" Xander stepped closer, and Airin took a few steps back, her body seemed to just instinctively want to move away from him. Maybe because Xander in his military gear seemed much taller, much more powerful to her. Maybe the small room they were in made towering Xander that much more menacing. Maybe because he was the assassin of Halgard.

One thing for sure: He was different from the quiet guy in hoodie in her own world. He now wore much more formal attire, with silver breastplate with carvings of the symbol of the House of Metiocles, shoulder protector, and a dark red cape. In the clutch of his right arm was his warrior helmet. Silver with carvings and gold linings. His sword hung in its scabbard. His dark hair was tied on his nape, the tattoo on his forehead looked dark and menacing, and his captivating blue eyes pierced her.

"Yes," was the answer she gave. "How did you know about the commotion with Gregos?"

"Prissa ran screaming to find help, it was hard not to notice that. You can use this room from now on. Teach what you want. If anyone makes a commotion about it, you let me know."

"I will be fine," she sounded cockier than what she had meant for it to be, but she did not want to sound weak either.

Xander nodded, his eyes lingered a bit longer on Airin as if trying to make sure she was alright before he turned and left the room.

Airin wanted to say so much more to Xander. The way he just acted like nothing happened, nothing to be explained to her. She bit her lips. Damn you, Xander.

The matter did not finish there, however.

<<<>>>

At the end of the day, Xander found himself in the throne room.

An emergency order had come for him to see Rovan. Rovan was not pleased with the incident at the classroom.

"Airin cannot teach anything here. Particularly not to Lyanna. Her tutors are up in arms about this!" Rovan was not shouting, he was twiddling his thumbs, and anger was obvious in his glare at Xander.

"She is a teacher, Your Majesty. Teaching children is something she likes to do. She was taken away from her world against her will, surely she could do something here too?" Xander stared at the king unblinked.

"Lyanna is the future queen!"

"What's the harm for a future queen to learn how to fold a crane from paper?"

"That is not her lesson! That is useless!"

"She, and those other children, should be able to just be a child, learn what they like!"

"Oh? So you are now the defender of the children? You have grown soft, Xander." Rovan snickered condescendingly, then he broke into a wide grin, and said,"You love her, don't you? Airin. You want her so much but you cannot get away from the shadow of your ... past."

Xander shot a raging glare at his brother. "Rovan! That is none of your business!"

"Angry, aren't you? No more Your Majesty," Rovan snickered.

"I speak to you now as a brother, your brother. You have changed a lot, Rovan. I have heard about all the callous deeds you did while I was away at another universe. Those executions of longtime palace officials over small misdeeds. Burning of some of their houses too. The damages were done and they reverberated through this kingdom."

"They displeased me," Rovan scratched his chin while his eyes looked up to the ceiling. Those lives taken by his order were non essentials for him, that much was clear.

Xander clenched his jaws in an effort to suppress his rage. "Do you even think about the political and military consequences of those executions? Those are members of some of the most powerful families in Halgard. I have been busy calming anxious officials and unhappiness is growing among our people. The war damage is great, but you do not seem to move fast enough to start rebuilding. Myrana might relaunch an attack when spring comes and the weather becomes more favourable. At this point we are not prepared for that!"

"War changes people, Xander. And thank you for your concern." Rovan still looked around the high ceiling of the room, and sounded lighthearted, bored even.

Xander shut his eyes in exasperation. His jaws tightened as fury bubbled within him. "You were such a good, well-loved king, Rovan. War was brutal, yes it changes all of us. But this kingdom needs their king back!"

"Stop telling me how to be a king, Xander. The throne of Halgard is mine. It was yours, but you have forfeited it a long time ago. You let go the throne of Halgard. Do you remember?" Rovan whispered loud enough, articulated each word to the point of a mock for Xander to hear.

Xander let out a long exhale, shut his eyes, and nodded.