The king was stood at the head of the table with Edwin by his side as they looked over a map of their kingdom and neighboring ones.

Stood further behind them was Victor, who had been listening to what they said intently, occasionally glancing to where Clara stood with Julian, both as concentrated.

"We'll be advancing from this point, since Crounia will come from here." Edwin explained, pointing at the respective areas. "However, there is a chance that Cupia would join them from this side, and that would make things harder, but still manageable."

He called Clara over so that she explains the strategy she had come up with not so long ago.

"They have more men than us, so we'll need to intimidate them with an illusion." she explained. "We could have the army from Elvaria positioned around these hills, and some hidden in the forest here; that way we could surround them wherever they come from, and we'd trick them into thinking we have more people and backup."

The king nodded, lost in thought as he analyzed her plan.

"And we could have the archers hidden around these higher areas, so they could fire at them early on."

"Victor, what do you think?" his eyes widen at his father's question, and he steps closer to the table to look at the map.

"This would keep them away from Avelyn," he nodded, sparing a glance at Clara. "I think it's a wise choice.

"I agree." king Harry said, smiling at Clara to which she returned politely, blushing when Julian lightly nudged her hand with his, biting his cheek to keep away his proud smile.

The group continued to plan strategies and theorize as to what the opposing armies' strategy would be, so that they would have a plan for whatever situation that they would come across. 

The sun had begun to set, leaving a golden hue in the room, reflecting off the marbled grounds and statues.

Suddenly the doors opened and in walked a knight wearing the crest of Crounia; a combination of green and yellow covered the chainmail he wore.

Instantly, the three knights of Avelyn unsheathed their swords, pointing it at the intruder cautiously. Edwin had stepped in front of the king, just as Clara had done with Victor, and Julian stood close to Clara, ready to protect her if needed but still leaving room for her to be able to do her own thing.

The unnamed knight didn't take off his helmet, nor did he halt in his steps which prompted Clara to step closer and grip her sword tighter, prepared for the worst. He pulled out an envelope and threw it on the ground then left without another word.

The silence was deafening.

Edwin was the first to move towards the envelope as the rest put their weapons back into their leather sheathes. He pulled it up and cautiously opened it with his dagger, emptying the contents on the table.

A lock of hair and six orange pits.

By now the sun had completely set, and clouds covered the moonless night sky. Fear plunged itself into the hearts of those who had seen the contents of the envelope. The air felt heavy, and the torches weren't enough light to make the room brighter.

There was no more denying it.

"They announced war on us." the king spoke, his voice close to trembling. "We have six days."

Time.

What a strange thing time is; it can go by so fast but agonizingly slow just the same.

Unfair is what Clara deemed time to be. It went by too quickly when she was happy, and those moments never lasted enough for her to truly cherish them. But then came the fear and darkness; when she's caught in a well of all her doubts, time does not move.

That's how the two days leading up to the departure of the army felt; it came too quickly, and the fear of not being ready shadowed over them. They didn't have enough time to spend with their loved ones before they left for something in which none of them could guarantee their return.

Then there was the agony of suspense; the end of the war seemed so out of reach, and the despair of not knowing whether they'd be able to see it weighed them all down. Time was slow, so slow they wished that they would be on the battleground fighting for their lives and for the lives of the people of their home, just so it would be over and done with. 

Damn their lives being lost in the war; they just wanted their home to be safe for everyone again.

Because, what's a home if not the place where your heart is at ease? What's a home if not where you can hear the laughter of your children echo around you? What's a home if not spending time with your friends and family, nothing but bliss overwhelming your senses?

What's a home if not safety?

And so every warrior geared up as they allowed their loved ones to help them get into their armor before they left for the worst invention of mankind.

Clara's heart was heavier than the chainmail Hazel tied to her chest from behind. She adjusted it so it was perfectly placed and covered her upper body well.

"How do you feel?" Hazel asked.

"Nothing and everything in the same time." she chuckled, trying to lift the mood.

"After all these years..." she mumbled, fastening another piece of chainmail around her best friend. "You're finally here."

"How do you feel?" she asked her in return. 

"Anxious, sick, terrified..." she counted on her fingers, listing all the negative emotions she'd been feeling lately. "I'm so worried for you."

"I'll be fine." she smiled.

"I don't think you will." she said softly, now starting to braid Clara's hair. "War changes people. But no matter what, I'll stick by you through it all."

"Thanks, Hazel." she awkwardly moved her arms behind her to wrap around Hazel, causing them to laugh. "You've been a miracle, really."

"Promise me you'll come back?" her voice trembled as tears welled in her eyes, falling freely with a single blink.

"I promise I'll do my best to do so." she turned and held her hands in hers. "But if I don't-"

"No." she shook her head. "You'll come back."

"Zee..."

"No, Clara." she cried. "I can't even hear the words, I just can't. You have to come back."

Clara nodded, not trusting her voice from all the tears that began to fall down her now red cheeks. The two girls embraced each other tightly, wanting to engrave the feeling of their sister and best friend in their arms.

A knock made them pull away, and Clara instantly wiped away her stray tears, composing herself once more.

"Julian, hi."

"Hey."

Hazel decided to leave them alone to find Alan, but not before she gave Julian a tight hug and threatened him to take care of Clara and for the both of them to come back.

"I'll see you in a bit." she waved at her friends before walking out of the spare room given to Clara to prepare in.

Julian walked over to her and took her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over them. Their gloves were still neglected in their pockets, allowing the warmth of their skin to intensify along with blushes on their faces.

"We're really doing this, huh?" she chuckled lightly, meeting his eyes.

"Unfortunately." he sighed before tugging on her hands to pull her into a tight hug. 

Despite the cold armor separating them, they didn't pull away. Their fates after a couple of days were uncertain, and they made the most of their last moments together before they faced their worst nightmares.

"I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you either."

Their grip on each other tightened.

"We can do this, we'll win the war, and we'll come back home." Julian nodded, reassuring himself more than Clara. "And we'll be happy...together."

"I'd like that." she mumbled into his chest.

The two knights shortly left the room to meet up with Edwin in the royal courtroom, where he had been conversing with the king about details of their safety.

"Our men and Clara are more than enough to have a chance at winning." he reassured the king. "I've watched them grow into warriors and I trust them to lead us into victory."

"Be careful, Edwin." the king sighed, placing his hands on the general's shoulder. "I don't know what I would do without you."

He glanced at Victor, and Edwin understood.

The king and Edwin exchanged a quick hug before Victor came over, hugging Edwin as well.

"Take care, Edwin." he said. "I'll be waiting for your return."

"Try to not burn down the castle, you two." he joked with the two royals, who laughed in return as Harry pulled his son to himself in a side hug.

"We'll be alright."

Clara hugged Hazel once more, tears once again falling down their faces.

"I swear if you don't come back, I'll hunt you down in the afterlife and kill you myself."

"That kinda beats the point, doesn't it?" Clara laughed, wiping away Hazel's tears.

"Please be safe." Clara nodded and squeezed her hands before she let her say goodbye to Alan.

She smiled as she watched her two friends share a kiss before she turned to her little sister who was staring off into the distance.

She hugged Lila fiercely, playing with her hair as they began to cry. They'd never been apart for more than a few hours, and it was hard on them both.

"You'll be back, right?" she cried. "I don't want you to go."

"I'm sorry, butterfly." she kissed her forehead, not pulling away. "Dad and I will come back as soon as possible, okay?"

Lila nodded, a waterfall of tears cascading down her rosy cheeks.

"I love you so much, Lila." Clara tried to muffle her sobs for the sake of her sister; she had to be strong for her.

"I love you too."

Edwin joined their hug, and the small family said their heartfelt 'see you soon's before they waved at her as she cried into Hazel's skirt.

The few knights and their general were about to leave when Victor called out her name.

"Cleo," she turned to look at him. "Be careful, please."

She smiled at him.

"I'll be fine, your highness."

"I really hope you don't mean your usual 'I'm fine', or else we'd have a problem on our hands."

Clara laughed, making Victor smile as they waved goodbye.

With one last look at her family, Clara left the room, clinging to Edwin for much needed comfort.

War was upon them.