To say Mikos was nervous was an understatement. He hadn't received any news since he had sent his message to king Darius. There was no way to be sure it had arrived. His father, however, had received a reply. And Mikos was sure he had received other messages as well. His father had been awfully secretive the past few days, but now he was stomping across the hallways with a frustrated expression on his face.

Something was amiss.

"Father?" he inquired carefully, "is there something the matter?"

Izem narrowed his eyes. "I am awaiting a reply to our message. It should have arrived days ago."

Mikos did not dare ask any further questions. A delayed message from his king wouldn't get his father so worked up. The only other explanation was that the was waiting for word from one of his allies.

More treason.

"Can you not send another message?" Mikos inquired, "to ask about the delay?"

Izem snorted. "Foolish boy. You should never appear too eager. They need our help more than we need theirs. Most likely they are playing mind games to see how desperate we are."

Mikos bit his tongue. His father seemed quite desperate to him but he knew better than to point that out. Instead he put his focus on the reports he was writing. Inventory and requirements for the troops. Damage reports and feed for the horses. Once the report was finished it would be sent to Tirzé, to the king, and Mikos intended to slip in a note himself. Two notes to be exact. One to warn the king once more, and the other for Malati. Surely the king had found her by now. He wanted to reassure her he was thinking of her and doing everything possible to be with her soon.

"Then what should our next action be?" Mikos asked, "what did you write to our allies?"

A chuckle left Izem's lips. "It's quite amusing actually. The horses Boncini confiscated from Balor... we will return then to their rightful owners. In turn, Balor will help us secure the crown. It should have been mine anyway. It was my great-grandfather that was the eldest brother."

Mikos averted his eyes. It wasn't the first time his father mentioned this so called birthright. Yes, his great grandfather had been the oldest, but the title of king wasn't hereditary perse in Tirèze. After the last war, it was the former king, Xerex' great-grandfather that had secured the crown first. House di Salve had been reduced to some valley in the far corner of Tirèze. The lineage of Xerex' great grandfather had managed to hold on to the throne to this very day. Tirèze had prospered under that rule. Minor disputes had been diffused, rebellion suppressed. Life was not always easy in the harsh climate of the desert, but there had been relative peace.

Apparently all of that was not enough for Izem. Mikos hadn't known his grandfather. The man had already been dead when he was born. Had all his ancestors held a grudge? Or was it just his father being greedy?

He thought back on Darius' coronation. Izem had already been displeased then, but Mikos had thought that was because of Torcan. His father made it no secret that he despised his eldest son. In hindsight, it must have been more than just seeing the son he discarded rise in rank alongside the new king.

Mikos sighed and rubbed his eyes. He'd almost wish his father would be simply taken into custody and have this all over with. But he knew things were not that simple. They never were when politics were involved.

"Is the task too demanding, boy?" Izem scoffed at him.

"I'm merely thinking of a way to contact our allies without seeming too eager," Mikos lied. Another thing he was getting good at, deception.

His father snorted. "Leave the thinking to me. You just do as I tell you. This is to precarious for you to involve yourself with. I can't take the risk of you messing things up. You just make sure those reports are send to the king."

"Yes, father," Mikos replied solemnly, taking the opportunity to excuse himself from the room. "I have almost completed them. I will find a rider to deliver them as soon as I'm done." He gathered all the papers together and walked out of the room. Time to send his own reports.

...

Ariane was both happy and concerned when she learned of Torcan's arrival. Happy, because he was her childhood friend and she had missed him. Concerned, because usually his visits meant there was trouble.

This time was no exception.

Still, when he visited her, they pushed those matters aside for a while and just talked. About trivial things, homely things.

Of course Ariane inquired after her brother and his wife, and if the children were well. It was also when she told Torcan of her own pregnancy. The physician had confirmed her condition.

Torcan smiled at her. "Congratulations, Ari, I am happy for you. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Ariane smiled back. "It is. I can't wait to tell my husband. Silas will be pleased. Now Loukios will have a brother or sister."

"Do you know when he will return?" Torcan asked, "I understand he is in the North, trying to find the traitor."

Ariane's smile dropped and she nodded. A concerned expression marred her face. "He sends reports to the king whenever he has met with one of the lords, but there is nothing firm yet that points at someone specifically. It can take a long time before he returns home." She let out a sad sigh.

Torcan smiled kindly. "It is a small sacrifice now, if it will mean your children can grow up in peace. Darius is much the same. He is doing what he can to ensure his family's safety and that of the nation." He looked down at his lap sadly. "And I am doing what I can to support him." He looked at her with a faint smile. "Did you know Mikos has let his eye fall on a nomad girl? She's quite lovely."

"Your brother?" Ariane blinked. She bit her lip. "What does your father say?" She knew lord Izem was not a very agreeable person and a girl from the nomads had not much wealth and status to offer. The only reason Darius had married Zara that time was to bind the loyalty of the nomads to the crown. Salvire had no crown, and not much to offer the nomad people either.

Unless he became king.

Ariane shivered at the thought. Salvire was already conspiring against her brother. Was that the plan? She had been away from Tirèze for so long. What did she know about the inner machinations of her homeland?

Torcan seemed to follow her trail of thought and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ari," he said, "lord Izem has no love for the nomad people and they know it. They would not support his aim for the crown. No, lord Izem has set his sights elsewhere. He does not yet know about my brother's infatuation and he would not approve. Darius took her to the palace. She resides with Elora for the time being."

Ariane nodded in understanding. It was probably for the best. "I wish them well. I liked your brother. He seems fond of you."

Torcan's smile turned warmer. "Yes, I suppose so." He tilted his head. "Where is Loukios? I haven't seen him yet."

"He has lessons today," Ariane answered, "he is being taught to read and write and do math. This afternoon he will be educate in the trade language and that of Tirèze."

Torcan nodded. At home, Darius' two sons were educated in the same manner, according to their age. Ardashir, only a year younger than Lucius, was educated in riding, archery, math and language. In his case, that meant the language of Tirèze, Zeir and Lavos, as well as the trade language. As he'd grow older, more lessons would be added. Lessons like etiquettes, diplomacy, dance and debate.

Shahzad, younger by two years, was already being taught to ride, though his other lessons would come later. And once their sister was old enough, she too would be educated. Only her lessons would most likely include the Arts.

"He's not learning how to ride yet?" Torcan asked. In Tirèze, children learned to ride a horse before they could walk.

"He has riding lessons too," Ariane said, "but not today. Weaponry will come once he's older." She knew her brother had been taught archery when he was Loukios' age and sword play after that, but in Zeir, noble children weren't trained in arms until they reached the age of ten. "I'll tell him to greet you after his lessons."

Torcan smiled and inclined his head. "That would be nice." he hadn't really seen the boy last time and he was sure Darius would appreciate hearing about his nephew's development. From what he remembered, mostly for Vara's letters, the boy was rather shy. "I should leave you to rest now," Torcan continued, "the king invited me to have the evening meal with him."

Ariane nodded. "I will dine with the lady Eurydice myself," she said, "I hope to see you again before you return home. Perhaps you can carry a letter from me to the lady Elora? I feel bad for not having had the chance to meet her yet."

"Of course," Torcan smiled. He was sure Elora would be delighted to receive a letter from her sister-in-law. She had often expressed her wishes to meet Ariane. Unfortunately, there hadn't been opportunity yet. He feared there might not be any in the near future either. Not until this war was under control.

Torcan stood up and bowed at Ariane lightly. "I will let you know when I return home so you have the time to finish your letter."

Ariane had stood up too and inclined her head. "Thank you. Stay safe."

"You too," he smiled, "take care of yourself." He didn't know when he might see her again. It would probably be a while. He smiled when he thought back on the awkward child she had been, the timid young woman that child had grown into. And now, he was looking at a mother and a wife. She wasn't as shy anymore around her husband. She had grown more confident. He was happy about that. It had been a good decision for her to marry Cyrus.

With one last smile, he walked out the door.

...

"Octavius," Iason said surprised when the commander of the royal guard rode through the gates of Boncini. "What brings you here? Is all well at Auros?"

Octavius dismounted and shook Iason's wrist. "It's still strange to address you with 'my lord'," he smiled.

Iason let out a soft chuckle. "Then don't," he said, "be welcome, please. What is the nature of your visit?" He was no fool. Octavius was not here for a pleasure call.

His former captain pressed his shoulder and looked at him with a serious expression. "Let us talk inside. Where is the lady?"

"In the study," Iason answered. Vara had been cooped up there all day, finishing financial reports and inventory. Most likely, she was writing a few personal letters as well. It was what kept her busy and distracted her from worrying.

He preceded Octavius inside and knocked on the study door.

Vara stood up when she recognized Octavius. "What news is there?" she asked concerned. The desk was covered in paperwork and there was a smear of ink on her cheek.

Octavius cleared his throat and tried not to stare at it. It had been a while since he had last had dealings with Vara, but he remembered all too well the wild spirited girl she had been. Not much had changed it seemed.

When he heard a soft chuckle from Iason behind him, Octavius came to his senses and bowed. "The king sends an answer to your letter, my lady." He reached inside his tunic and pulled out a scroll.

Vara read it carefully. Torcan di Salve had arrived in Auros with a message from king Darius. Apparently lord Izem was involved in the treason and he had mentioned an alliance with one of the lords from Zeir. It tied in with the reports that Cyrus had sent to his father. Vertalis was now the main suspect. The king planned on sending soldiers to further investigate. They would be traveling through Boncini under the guise of aiding with the reconstruction and replenishing Boncini's guard. Furthermore, the king was releasing rumors that one of the prisoners had talked. He was waiting to see which one of his lords would react to that news. Cyrus was currently headed for Matís. The king would try and reach out to him and direct him to come home and plan out a new strategy. Meanwhile, king Darius was collecting proof on his side. The most important thing right now was finding out the names of all that were involved in the conspiracy as soon as possible.

The king concluded with informing her that a separate message had been sent to lord Riccardo Prias, thanking him for his aid and with the promise of reinforcements from Auros to assist in guarding the border.

Since lord Prias had stepped up to replace the men that had lost their lives in the attack, aid would surely be appreciated and they would, at the same time, investigate further, as well as try to intercept any new messages that might be smuggled in and out of Balor.

Perhaps they would even intercept the horses that were promised in that message the bird had been carrying.

Vara sighed and handed the letter to Iason to read. She looked at Octavius. "Do you think the king will capture the traitors this time?" It was safe to say there was more than one traitor at work. It pained her to think her neighbors wished her harm, people she had known most of her life.

And Salvire. They were allies. They had sent lord Izem men and supplies. And all this time he had conspired against her. Not just her, against his own king as well. And Torcan! How must he be feeling!

"He is doing what he can, my lady," Octavius said.

Vara sighed and placed a finger against her lips. "The mountain range," she muttered. It made perfect sense now. The mountains ended near the fortification. If the traitor held the fort, they had free access to the mountains, and by extend to the surrounding nations as well.

"You think Torcan is right?" Iason asked after reading the letter, "that the traitor wants to use the mountains leading to the fortification to smuggle messages and goods?" He looked at Octavius with worry. "It would give our enemies easy access into Zeir."

Octavius nodded gravely. "Who knows what might have happened if Boncini had not received aid that time. We might have already been overrun."

Vara sunk into her seat. Lord Izem had refused to send men. If Darius Tirzé had not been visiting Salvire at that exact time, no help would have come at all. The thought alone was disconcerting. How many of these message had already slipped through?

"Lord Prias holds the fort at the border," Vara said, "there haven't been new reports of an attack. Is all still well?"

Octavius nodded. "Yes, my lady. Prince Cyrus visited there as well while at Vertalis."

Vara sighed in relief. The men the king would send would be most welcome and strengthen the defenses even more, especially now that they knew their enemy's intend. "Lord Strega was right," she mused, "they did use the mountain trails. And they came in from Tirèze. We might be allied, but we still guard our own side of the border. They made use of that and travelled right through the center." She had heard what had been discussed at the council meeting she had not attended. Now she was trying to piece it all together. "I am confused, however, why lord Vertus would claim he couldn't send men to the border. He could have used the opportunity to gain control of the fort. Yet he did the opposite."

"It might have been a ruse," Iason said, "to divert attention away from him. He did not know the king had already given instructions to lord Prias. Perhaps he had expected the king to insist. Or perhaps he didn't expect me to survive." If he, too, had died that day, things might have played out very differently.

"Whatever the case," Vara said, "we can only look forward now." She looked at Octavius again. "Does the king have any instructions for us?" she asked.

"Only that you house the king's soldiers once they arrive," Octavius informed her, "and that you relay any message you might receive."

"Of course," Vara nodded, "that goes without saying."

"When the king's soldiers arrive," Iason stated, "I will ride with them."

Vara looked at him startled. "Iason," she said, "what are you saying?"

He smiled at her, but his expression was serious. "They attacked our home, Vara," he said, "they killed my brother. They tried to hurt you. I want to make them pay. I am a soldier, Vara. I can't sit back and wait while others fight my battles for me. I need to do this."

Vara sighed. She wasn't happy about it, but she understood. "I know," she said softly.

Octavius, sensing a private discussion forming, bowed respectfully. "I will take my leave." He still had other duties to perform.

A/N I put up a map of the countries featuring in Duty and their positions :) I hope it wil help you guys get a clearer idea of how they are connected and where all the different noble houses are located. I hope you guys like it :)

Please also check out my new story Cracks. Chapter 13 was just uploaded :)