"Listen!" I screamed. "From here on out, you call me 'Sir', or 'Master'... Or 'Daddy'."

The king's soldiers, standing in the grass, looked at me as if I were crazy and blinked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tobirama looking at me from where he stood next to me, one eyebrow raised.

I burst out laughing.

"No, no, good gracious me, I'm joking. Call me whatever you like, I don't care. But listen! I'm human. I have no interest in teaching you how to kill other humans. I do, however, have an interest in teaching you how to kill them off more efficiently, so they don't suffer to death once you get hold of them."

I started teaching them techniques I'd learned from listening to the master teaching the people in our village when I was a kid, and also things I had figured out myself. I walked in between the king's soldiers as they worked, correcting their stances, showing them more details. Once in a while, I stepped in with my sword against an unknowing soldier that was training with their partner.

"You show too clearly what you want to do. It's very easy to block. And if the block is half-good, you will get in a half-blow and your enemies will bleed to death." I thought of Madara. "We don't want that."

I noticed Tobirama was looking at me sadly.

"What?" I asked once I came to stand beside him.

"We've... I've just always assumed humans are more primitive, more morbid. But you have techniques for preventing your enemies from suffering as you kill them. We don't have that. We don't have any of that."

I looked at him and blinked. It was only hours ago he had kissed me. After that, everything had been as usual between us. But I was surprised at this display of softness.

After the training, I was invited by the king into the round meeting room with his captains.

"I need to travel", Tobirama said. I need to be away three weeks, with one week to train my army before that, so I will be back in four weeks from now." I looked at him, surprised at how much it saddened me that he would go. "Is there time?"

"Three weeks total", a lady named Erika, whom always spoke nicely to me and whom I liked greatly, said. "Maximum. So you have to cut the training of your army, or cut one week off your travels."

"Fine. Ill cut one week off my travels. I'll bring Izuna."

I gaped at him.

"And the guards", Erika said.

"No."

What?!

"And five captains."

"No. Me. And Izuna. Don't go against your king."

Oh my God...

"It's the law."

"Fuck the law."

Erika jerked, making me guess the king rarely swore.

"You cannot go alone, and that's that."

Tobirama tapped his fingers on the wooden table in the circular, windowed room, as if considering if it was worth going up against Erika.

"Fine", he finally said with a sigh.

There wasn't much more to the meeting other than planning the trip. I couldn't help but feel disappointed that I was not allowed to go alone with the king. 

And judging by what a hard time the king had focussing during the rest of the meeting, he felt the same.

Late that night, there was a knock on the door to my room. I had understood my room was one of the smallest ones in the castle, but to me, it was ginormous. The colours went in the soft salmon of the castle walls, with dark wooden floorboards and furniture and violet fabrics. It was all very soothing to the soul. My favourite part was the giant bath. Even if I preferred taking my baths in the fresh lakes of the autumn forest, I had taken a warm bath in my room this night.

When I heard the knock, I reluctantly got up from my big elven bed, where I had been reading a book about swords I'd found one of the first nights when I'd snuck out of my room and wandered around the castle in search of Madara. I walked to the door and opened. Outside stood Nicholas, the flamboyant seamer.

"Hi!" he said happily.

How dare he be so energetic in the middle of the night? He looked marvellous in a dark green silken robe with embroideries of flowers in metallic magenta, turquoise and gold. His hair was long and white with a side-part. He always painted the most amazing pieces of art on his face, this time thin branches. On his forehead he had gemstones that looked like they were fastened directly on his skin. His lower teeth were crooked, giving him a very interesting appearance. I noticed he held a parcel under his arm.

"I'm so happy to see you!" I said earnestly. He was the only elf that was friendly to me, except for Erika. And maybe the king...

"You've been suffering?" he asked and my heart melted at how worried he looked. He had a soft and dramatic way of speaking, as if he was part of a story the entire world was engaged in. He truly was the main character in his own life, but his life was all about helping others. I had never met a human even half as genuine as him.

I held the door open so he could come in, and he went and sat on the bed, placing the parcel beside him.

"It's all a mess, Nicholas", I said, sighing, laying down again behind him on the bed. "I want my brother's body back. But I also can't hate the king. I kind of enjoy training his army, seeing them become better and better every day. But I keep trying to convince myself it's because I want to diminish the suffering of humans by making them quicker killers. I don't think that's the case. I mean, I don't want more humans to die!" I added hurriedly. "But I don't want them to kill elves, either."

Nicholas smiled. "You're in a terrible situation. To be completely honest, I think the elves deserve this war. We've been terrible to the humans."

"I know", I whispered. "Sorry, I don't want to make you speak against your own kind. What brought you here?"

Nicholas face lit up, and he held up the parcel.

"Nicholas, you really don't have to give me clothes", I said. "I came here with two pairs. I'm glad you gave me the two silken ones so I can look presentable, but it's enough."

Nicholas turned in bed so he was facing me. He was twenty, which was mature for an elf, but had a childish, giddy way about him that I adored. I knew I would do anything for this man.

"The king has asked you to dinner", he said eagerly. I was taken aback. "He wants the two of you to eat together in the great dining hall. And I thought you might need something different." He held up the parcel.

"Absolutely not!" I said. Nicholas looked surprised and hurt, which made me feel terrible but I forced myself to stand my ground. "I'm not letting the king doll me up!"

"Oh!" Nicholas face lit up again. "But this wasn't the kings asking!" He gestured to the parcel. "The king just let us know an hour or so ago. This is all my doing."

I couldn't help but notice how he didn't say 'The king asked me' but 'us', as if he hadn't spoken to Nicholas directly. "You did that in one hour?"

"Oh no, I begn from the moment you arrived." That made me even more confused. "I haven't had anything else to work on, except to repair Erika's clothes for war, so I've had time to work for hours each day. It has been a pleasure."

"But... Why did you do that?"

He smiled a sneaky smile. "I thought you might need it." Excuse me, wait, what? "So..." Nicholas stood up. "Shall we put it on you?"