"You were right," Darius spoke once he and Torcan were alone, "about the girl."

Torcan looked up confused, but then a slow smirk appeared on his face. "Did the great Darius Tirzé just admit someone was right other than himself?"

Darius scowled. "There's no need to rub it in. Careful or I'll take it back."

Torcan chuckled lightly. "So what is it exactly I was right about? "

"I'm not saying I like her," Darius said, "she is still infuriating and rude. But she is not after fortune and fame as I initially believed. It seems she let go of prince Cyrus and settled for a life with that soldier. She seems to genuinely care for him."

Torcan sighed sadly. "It is not 'settling'. She loves him. It was never about position, Darius. Yes, they cared for each other. Perhaps they still do, but Vara has never acted on it. I told you this."

Darius poured himself a goblet of wine and ran a hand across his face. The experience he had with women told him they were all after high positions. In Tirèze, it was all they could achieve to secure a good future. Zara had been like that. When he had first met Vara, she had reminded him of his wife. Sharp tongued, arrogant, hotheaded. It was obvious to him that she and prince Cyrus loved each other. He had convinced himself Vara was just like Zara, manipulative and greedy. He had stubbornly held on to that image of her throughout the years.
Now, after seeing her at Boncini, he reluctantly had to admit to himself that his depiction of her had been wrong. He had heard the men talk about how she had fought alongside them without food and rest. He knew from Torcan she was a good archer. And in the absence of Iason, she had been the one to have to make all the decisions. With the limited resources she'd had, she had done a good job. She was brave. And her reaction when Iason had returned was not an act.

Darius sighed. "Alright. I believe you."

An amused smile played on Torcan's lips. "Hmhm," he mused, "so you will give her a chance then?"

Darius put his goblet down and gave his friend an annoyed glare. "Talk about what we should do about your father," he said, ignoring Torcan's previous comment.

Torcan blinked confused. "Huh?"

"He is undermining my authority," Darius said, "he had no intentions of sending men to Boncini. What your brother said concerns me."

Torcan hesitated. "I don't think he will be bold enough to move against you."

"But you are hesitant to trust him."

"I haven't seen him since I was a child," Torcan said, "back then, I didn't concern myself with politics. I have seen how he acts with Mikos. I know he is ambitious, but not that ambitious." He sighed. "Have him under supervision, but without him realizing. That way, when he steps out of line, you can take appropriate action."

Darius thought it over. "I have considered it, but I can't simply place one of my men in his household."

"Perhaps you don't need to," Torcan said, "there is someone already in the Salvire household who is eager to prove himself."

Darius frowned. "You mean.."

"Yes," Torcan nodded, "Mikos."

...

"How are you feeling?" Cyrus asked his wife as they prepared to go to bed, "what was it like to see your brother again? "

"Good," Ariane gave a small smile, "he has changed. Marrying Elora was good for him. I hope I will get to meet her one day. Torcan told me she is very kind."

Cyrus nodded. "So I have heard." He sighed and ran a hand across his face. He was still exhausted and now that the whole event was behind him, all of his emotions caught up with him.

"Are you alright?" Ariane asked him concerned.

"I will be," Cyrus said, "after a good night's rest."

"At least Boncini is secure," Ariane said, "it is one less thing to worry about."

"It is still going to take a long time for them to recover," Cyrus answered, "we lost a whole regiment. Iason lost his brother. People at Boncini died. The estate is badly damaged. I almost lost Vara. If Torcan hadn't been there..." He sighed.

"But she is alright now?"

"Rattled," he answered, "but safe and sound. It doesn't help though that Iason has departed so soon."

"Departed?" Ariane questioned.

"To bring home his brother's remains," Cyrus clarified, "Vara stayed at Boncini to make arrangements for the injured and to oversee the repairs. There is so much to be done."

"Vara is strong," Ariane comforted him, "she is resilient. And you left soldiers behind to take care of things. Perhaps when my brother returns home, he can check in on her."

Cyrus shook his head. "Your brother will take the Southern route back to Tirèze. He'll cross the border at Valais."

"So... you will be going back then?" Ariane asked in a small voice.

"No," Cyrus said, "Iason should return in a few days. The soldiers we left behind will send word if they have need of anything. And I am needed here. My father has a lot to deal with and I'm taking over some of his duties." He sighed. The attack on Boncini had reminded him on how short life really was, how quickly you could lose it all. "I want to spend more time with Lucius. He is growing up so fast."

"He will like that," Ariane smiled gently. "He has missed you. You are right. Time goes by so fast. It feels like yesterday that I held him for the first time. Now he is too heavy for me to even lift."

"I have been thinking lately," Cyrus said, "I don't remember much of my brothers. I was young when they passed. Some even passed before I was born. It isn't good for Lucius to grow up alone."

Ariane nodded. "You are right. He needs playmates," she agreed softly, "are there any of the lords that have boys his age? We could invite them to court to be raised here."

Cyrus gave a nod and a gentle smile. "We could do that. And we will. But that was not what I was referring to."

Ariane blinked confused. "What do you mean?"

He leaned over and his smile turned amused. "Why don't we try for another child?"

...

It was the second time today she visited the barracks where the injured had been placed. Boncini soldiers, along with men from Tirèze and Salvire. Ranks made no difference here. They were al brothers in arms, fighting the same battle.

When the Salvire men had returned home, Vara had sent a missive with them to inform lord Izem of the state of his injured soldiers that had stayed behind to recover. She had not heard back from him since.

Did he care so little for the men under his command?

"My lady," Drusus sighed when he noticed her, "you should not be here so often. I am sure there are many matters that require your attention. The men are well taken care off."

She smiled at the captain of her guard. "I appreciate your concern, Drusus, but these men risked their lives to defend my home. There isn't much I can do in return , so at least allow me to see to their comfort." She sighed. "Besides, it takes my mind off things. I wish Iason had returned. But at the same time, I know he needs to be with his family now."

"Lord Iason will surely return soon," Drusus assured her, "he was reluctant to leave. He will perform his duties to his family and pay his respects, but he is also a soldier. And a lord in command of an estate. He understands, my lady, what it means to be divided between duties."

Vara nodded. "I know. I just feel so useless. At least here I can help, even if it is only a little."

Drusus smiled kindly. "It means a lot to the men, my lady, that you show them so much care. Even our guests from across the border value your visits. Still, you should not spend so much time in the company of men. At least not unattended. "

Vara returned his smile. "I appreciate your concern, but I am quite capable of handling myself."

He gave a light bow. "I did not insinuate you were defenseless, my lady."

"I know you are looking out for me, Drusus. Do not worry for my welfare."

Drusus inclined his head.

Vara nodded and continued her rounds. The past few days she had been worrying about the possibility of a traitor amongst the lords. The thought alone of one of her neighbors trying to harm her was horrifying. Whom cold she trust? Would she have to look over her shoulder for the remainder of her life now? What if the traitor was lying in wait to strike again? What if they would attack Iason this time? It was a long way from Valais to Boncini. A lot could happen.

A shiver ran down her spine and she shook her head to get rid of the thought. She couldn't think like that. Instead, she let her mind drift off towards Torcan's younger brother. She was happy for Torcan that the boy wanted to get to know his brother. Mikos was so very different from his father. It was almost amusing how the youngest son of Izem was more like his brother whom he had never known than like his father, but Vara was glad for it. That was why she had suggested the boy ride on with Darius and his company to visit Auros. It would give the brothers some opportunity to spend time together without their father's interference.

She had been surprised about Darius. Though the still didn't really get along, he was more tolerable now. She seemed to be less concerned with her and Cyrus, though perhaps it was because she was a married woman now.

Whatever the case, she was glad for it. It was one less thing to deal with.

Slowly she made her way back outside. Brick by brick, the walls were being rebuild. Carpenters and other workers had come from nearby villages to aid in the process. Eudemas was still here to assist with daily household chores. Vara was happy to have her friend close again, though there hadn't been much time to talk and catch up. There was simply too much to do.

With one more longing look, Vara stared at the now fixed gate in hopes of seeing Iason. It had only been a few days. She knew it would take time to travel back and forth and it would be a few days he'd spend with his family, but she missed him. She needed him here, now more than ever.

"My lady." Chloe's voice interrupted her thoughts and she focused on the servant girl. "We need to discuss new provisions. We are running low with all the soldiers residing at Boncini."

Vara nodded and took a deep breath. "I will be right there." With one last look at the gate she headed towards the kitchen. There was work to be done.

...

King Marcos rubbed his eyes and sighed in frustration. His talk with Felix Matís hadn't given him the answers he had been hoping for. Almost six years of imprisonment hadn't done much for the man's attitude.

"I don't know if I should feel honored or insulted that you think me capable of orchestring an attack on Boncini. "

King Marcos narrowed his eyes. "You have already attempted to kill Iason once. Don't say you don't still hold a grudge against him. Or Vara."

Felix smirked and gave a casual shrug like he didn't have a care in the world. "The man insulted me. I was in my right. He was a mere low solder then. I wouldn't take that kind of action now that he is a lord. And related to the crown no less." He leaned his hands against the bars of his prison cell. "You seem quite certain that I have something to do with this, king Marcos, yet I was not the only suitor scorned by the lady Vara. Perhaps you should look for your traitor closer to home."

"Are you suggesting that the Strega family is involved?!" king Marcos growled.

Felix shrugged. "How would I know? I've been locked up here for the past few years without the privilege of being allowed visitors. You must be quite desperate to come to me for information." He smirked. "Such a pitiful sight. A king, that can't even trust his own council."

With a frustrated growl, king Marcos threw his goblet against the wall. He shouldn't have sought out Felix. It had been a mistake. Oh, how he longed to wipe that smug look off the young man's face.

But he hadn't. It would only make him lose credibility. He wouldn't lose his dignity because of some arrogant youth.

But Felix had a point. He couldn't trust his council. And for a kingdom at war, that was a destructive thought.

King Marcos ran a hand across his face. Not for the first time he wished his father were still alive to offer advice. What was it he had always said? Ruling is like a game of latrunculi?

He sighed. Latrunculi was a strategic game that was all about boxing in your opponent's pieces. He wasn't really a latrunculi player. Vara was. As a child, even as a young woman, she would spend hours playing the game with Caius.

Marcos remembered the stories his father used to tell about the insight of that girl. He was the one that had pointed out what a good advisor Vara could be.

Marcos sighed again. He didn't want to bother the girl at a time like this when she was recovering from a fierce attack on her home, but he didn't have much choice. As long as he didn't know who he could trust, Vara was his best option.

He called for a servant.

"Saddle my horse," he instructed, "the regular gear not the royal." He didn't want anyone to recognize him and draw suspicion. He would ride to Boncini in disguise and leave the kingdom in the hands of his son for a while. Cyrus was capable enough to handle things in his absence.

With determined steps he left the room.