Word of my heroism spreads through the agency. Two days after getting wounded, Haleema leaves a meeting with Thubet''s asylum hearing to come to see me. Ulrika brings the doctor into the nursing room to remove my stitches so Haleema can flash-heal the wound. The instant relief takes away the throbbing pain.


    "I can finally walk," I say, placing my weight over my foot.


    "Make sure you have full mobility," the doctor says. I squat, jump, and walk around to check for issues. "Well?"


    "I''m back to normal."


    "Doctor, you should learn magic," Haleema says. "It can be useful in a pinch."


    "No, thank you," he says. "I prefer using and studying medicinal uses."


    "Suit yourself." He takes his leave. She heads to the door but stops to look at me. "Kaioson."


    "Yes?" I say.


    "Your mother is here. She''s in the war room with Thubet and her cousin. I thought I let you know." She leaves after I thank her for notifying me that Thyrna is around.


    "That''s one less thing to worry about," Ulrika says. "Now I got to deal with Thubet."


    Ulrika doesn''t have to tell me what she means by she has to deal with Thubet. Thubet has some sort of bounty on her. It is not international, therefore no one has come after her in months. But now Thubet is here. Zadione has full control of her kingdom. All I know is that her cousin and a few of their people are here. Haleema is deciding what to do with them since they''re a hostile nation to us. The new king of the Shemoreites, Rainguard, Andodon''s brother, has given her the authority to decide their fate. With all of that going on today, I need to visit my mother.


    "I wonder what my mother is doing there," I say.


    "Shall we see what''s going on?" Ulrika says.


    "What about the bounty? Wouldn''t it be best to not show your face?"


    "It would," she says, smirking. "I''ll keep my distance."


    We head down to spectate the hearing. I recognize a few faces in attendance from Garret''s trial. The five senior Paladins are here. Thyrna, Zadock, and Haleema are sitting with the seniors. And to my surprise, Coretha is with them. Thubet and Elred stand before them. I don''t see any of her people among the crowd. Everyone in the room is human.


    Ulrika and I take a seat on a bench near the door. I sit next to the aisle with a perfect view of Thubet and Elred.


    "Listen well," one of the senior Paladins says. "You are welcome here," she says before sternly pointing his finger to the ground. "But, your neutrality during Roven''s war will cause some people to abhor you."


    "I don''t care what your people think of me," Thubet says.


    "Gods, she is insufferable," Ulrika whispers with her hand over her mouth.


    "We''ll set up tents in the field behind our building for the people you brought," the senior Paladin says. While he goes over some Shemorite common laws, I notice Coretha staring at me from time to time. I raise my eyebrow to show her I''m aware. She scratches her head, covers her mouth nonchalantly with her fingers, and glances at Thubet.


    "I heard you were stabbed. Are you well?" Coretha says, speaking in my mind.


    "Thanks to Haleema, I am," I say in my head.


    "I''m happy to hear that," she says and doesn''t say anything for a few seconds. "This war has taken so many lives," she says and scrunches her face. "We need a miracle."


    "What about those champions?"


    "Vahloin and Syren are still working on them. The few they got are in Kromagia."


    I sigh with relief. I''m happy the plan isn''t in the water, but I worry for the future. If our combined armies can''t turn the tide of the war, I pray the champions can create a devastating dent in Zadione''s vision. It is still hard to believe that Xanlos refuses to intervene when one of his own is closing in on taking his created world. Will he make his move once she wins? Will he remain silent, or does he truly think we can win?


    I have to stop overthinking. I need to focus on the now. Thubet and Elred are about to leave. Coretha catches his attention and speaks with him in private. Thubet walks down the aisle with most of her attention forward. She glances to the left, looking at something ahead of me. The second we''re parallel, she stops. She blinks and looks past me. I stand to block her line of sight to Ulrika.


    "Keep moving," I say.


    "You don''t scare me," Thubet says in my face. "You better watch your back," she says, leaning around me. "I won''t forget your crimes." She leaves before I can make a rebuttal.


    "Stop," Ulrika says the second I walk after Thubet. "Let her be." Thubet looks over her shoulder, and the second Elred excuses himself to pass by me. His polite jester catches me off guard. He says my name, nods his head to Ulrika, and jogs after Thubet.


    "That was..." I say.


    "Yeah..." Ulrika says.


    "Kaioson! Ulrika!" Coretha says. "A word?" As everyone exits the room, Ulrika and I walk over to Coretha. "Gentlemen, this is Kaioson and his wife, Ulrika."


    "These are two bounty hunters you hired, yes?" A male senior Paladin says. Haleema grunts to confirm. "Greetings," he says and offers his hand to shake. "They call me Ayborn."


    "Hold on," Ulrika says, while I''m shaking his hand. "Aren''t you a priest?"


    "I was, twenty years ago," he chuckles. "Did you come to my sermons?" He offers his hand to her.


    "No," she says and crosses her hands over her lap. "I heard your voice a lot when I was little, visiting the square." He crosses his hands just like hers.


    "Most people don''t recognize me with the long gray beard now. Anywho, Coretha brought you two over here to talk strategy."


    "What''s the plan?" I say. He glances at Ulrika with the side of his eye.


    "It involves you, Ulrika," Haleema says.


    "What do you want from me?" Ulrika says gently.


    Haleema has what seems like an impossible task. The Paladins and their allies are already creating strategic counterattack operations. They going to send warriors to cripple Zadione''s fairy forces from within. She also plans to do the same with Thubet''s lost kingdom, but there is one problem she needs to solve before anyone can set foot within the walls. Ulrika and Thubet must reconcile their difference to help rebuild human and elf relations.


    "You''re crazy," Ulrika says. "And, how in the hell will I make tensions better?"


    "I''m with her. She can''t do this alone," I say.


    "I''m aware of that," Haleema says. "Elred will speak with her to drop her senseless hatred against humans so we can unite against Zadione."


    "Good luck with that," Ulrika says.


    "Will you do it?"


    "Last time I talked with her, we fought. The answer is no."


    "Ulrika," Coretha says.


    "What?"


    "Please." Ulrika squints her eyes and gives everyone but me a stern look, then abruptly walks away.


    "Ulrika!" Haleema says. Ulrika continues walking. "Ulrika!" She continues to ignore her. "Kaioson, go speak with her." I take her demand under consideration. I''m not in a hurry to sway my wife to make peace with a personal enemy. What Haleema is asking will be tough, or impossible. She needs to make sure Elred can open Thubet''s mind to anything considered peaceful.


    "I''ll see what I can do," I say. I head outside to find Ulrika standing near the entrance of the room with her back to me. "Ulrika..."


    "Don''t."


    "I wasn''t." She looks over her shoulder to see me. "Thubet wanted you dead. I''m not going to tell you to go make peace with her." She smirks and soothes her forearms.


    "She was close to killing me," she says and then frowns angrily. She tightens her lips for a moment. "Fuck that elf," she whispers through her teeth.


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    "Agreed." Her frown turns into a grin. She wraps her arm around my waist to lead me to the front doors of the agency. "Where are we going?"


    "My home."


    I ride with Ulrika from Neblas to Ambagra. It takes us a few hours to get there. When we arrive, we are drenched in sweat. She hands off the horse to one of the two gardeners tending weeds in the courtyard without asking him to look after it.


    "Evening, sir," the second gardener says softly. "I hope you and Mrs. Pence are in good spirits." Ulrika curls her finger for me to come. "She seems happy."


    "Was she not?" I say.


    "Not after what you did," he whispers. "By the way, I think what you did was heroic," he says, covering his voice with his hand.


    "Kaio, let''s go!" Ulrika says.


    "Coming!" I say. I run after her as she walks inside. She walks straight inside despite the maid''s greeting her. "Where are you rushing off to?" I say when she turns down the hallway to her room. When I turn the corner, I see her finger over her mouth. I close my mouth. She draws me to follow quietly by curling her finger. She strips when I close the bedroom door behind me. "So," I say, staring at her naked body as she stands boldly with her fists resting on her hips. "I take it this is what you wanted to do on this trip, yes?" My question is answered with a slow thumb point to the stand-in bath.


    The second I enter the stand-in bath, she pulls me close to her wet, warm body underneath the falling water. She lays the side of her face under my jaw. Her arms are locked firmly yet gently around my back. Our bodies press and rub against each other. I hug like there is no tomorrow. We stand under the water for a minute without saying a word. My mind is at peace. Nothing but her essence fills every corner.


    "Darling," she says under an erotic breath. "O darling."


    "Yes, my love?" I say, matching her arousal voice. "What do you need?"


    "Anything you can give to subdue my worry," she says, and then looks at me. "And my anger."


    "Are you still mad with what I did?" She nods while looking away, and then rubs the scar on my hip.


    "You did something good. I can''t deny that."


    "But?"


    "No buts. I''m just a bitch, Kaio."


    "Don''t say that."


    Out of nowhere, she surprises me with a long kiss. She moves away and does it again. We kiss, bathe, kiss some more, and then lie on the bed. She dozes off. I follow suit. We sleep into the evening. I wake up in the dark with her on top of me.


    "Ulrika," I whisper while rubbing the back of her thighs.


    "Five more minutes," she says. Ten minutes later, she wakes up. "Gods, what time is it?"


    "Here." I hand her a fire orb to light her. She takes it with her to peek around the bedroom door.


    "Oh..."


    "What?"


    "Must be dinner time. I can smell the food." I ignite my hand to search for my clothes. "You don''t have to wear those again," she says the second I grab my shirt. "I have clothes for you under the bed."


    "When did that happen?"


    "I learned this yesterday. My mother made sure to have something spare for you if you want to live here." She pulls out a large chest from underneath the bed. There are several colorful shirts to choose from. They are folded next to multiple pairs of pants and underwear.


    "Did she think of shoes to wear?" She pulls out a second chest. It''s slightly bigger than the first one. Inside are leather boots ranging from light brown to black.


    "She even thought about giving us a room and room for our children."


    "Seriously?"


    "Mhmm."


    I have a newfound respect for Ulrika''s mother. Our children will have access to more things here than in Thaa Alora. Even though Thaa Alora is beautiful and has a friendly community, I think living here for a few years won''t hurt. Plus, we''re closer to Kromagia. My mother can come and visit from time to time. Maybe when the war is over, I might be able to convince Ulrika to start a family here for a time. As of now, let''s see what''s cooking.


    Ulrika puts on a sage dress. The sleeves go down her arms. The hem barely touches the ground. It''s stitched with a white ribbon, including the cuffs. Her physique is shapely, but the dress has enough room to make it not conform tightly around any section of her body.


    "Whatever they''re cooking, it is making my stomach growl," Ulrika says. "How do I look? This is the second time you''ve seen me in a dress, yes?"


    "It is," I say, rubbing the back of my hand against her flat stomach. "You look splendid."


    "If I weren''t so hungry," she says as we head into the hallway. "I would''ve used Syren''s makeup kit." Two of her mothers, Violetta and Anemone, walk by without noticing us. Jenifry, the third mother, calls Ulrika''s name from down the hallway to our left.


    "Evening," Ulrika says.


    "Welcome home," Jenifry says. "It''s been a while since I''ve seen you." She gives her a hug and kisses on the cheek. "Gods! Have you gotten bigger?" I get the same greeting after she asks that question.


    "I guess." She bends her right arm to see how much her bicep grows without flexing it. "Kaioson keeps track of that."


    "This war is making us work harder than before," I say.


    "It still rages on in Dako and Clane. What''s the news in the south?" As we walk to the dining room, I explain in great detail what''s going on since Ulrika and I departed. I continue talking until I realize everyone sitting at the table is looking at me in awe. No one except for Ulrika is eating their hot food. Even the maids have stopped what they are doing to listen.


    "Forgive me. I''ve spoken too much," I say.


    "It''s fine, son," Anemone says after taking the first bite of her food. "We don''t hear much of what goes on beyond these walls."


    "So, is it just us?" Jenifry says. "Kromagia and Shemore?"


    "Yup," Ulrika says. "Haleema is trying a different approach to turn the tide. And she thinks I can help."


    "What does she want you to do?" Violetta says. Ulrika shifts her mouth to the side and glances at me, turning her head as if she doesn''t like something.


    "She wants me to speak with Thubet and reconcile our differences." All of her mother''s reactions are negative. They frown and look at her as if what she is saying is a joke.


    "Why would she want you to do that?"


    "Doesn''t she know that bitch tried to kill you and let a madman run wild against our people?" Jenifry says, nearly shouting. "What the hell is she thinking?" Ulrika shrugs.


    "She''s desperate," Ulrika says.


    "She''s acting foolish. Thubet is an enemy of the people." For a moment, she pauses and stares blankly at her food. "My sons were killed because of her actions."


    "Jen, that was Roven''s doing," Anemone says.


    "Her neutrality caused it!" She says after slamming her fists on the table. The whole room goes silent. My ears feel like they are searching for sound. I can hear a faint buzz. "Forgive my outburst."


    "It''s fine."


    "Ulrika, why does Haleema want you to talk with Thubet?" Violetta says. "What''s the end goal?"


    "More allies," Ulrika says.


    "Well," she says and looks at everyone. "Do we need them?"


    "Um," she says, sighing. "The bigger our armies are, the more we can fight, I guess." Her mothers talk to each other about whether Haleema''s idea is smart or stupid. They discuss for minutes. The more they go on, the more heated it becomes. Ulrika chimes into the fray. She supports Jenifry. Jenifry doesn''t want Ulrika to talk with Thubet because of Roven''s war. Anemone and Violetta like Haleema''s idea. Unfortunately, I''m on the fence. I don''t know what to say. I understand what Anemone and Violetta are proposing, yet I feel for Jenifry''s anger.


    "Ulrika," I say, resting my hand on her lap. She pulls out of the conversation to give me all of her attention. Her face is a mild pink from all of the talking. It is not as red as Jenifry. "Don''t get mad at me... But..."


    "No," Ulrika says, nodding her head no. "I thought you agreed with me."


    "I do, but I''m starting to see the bigger picture."


    "And that is?"


    "To end this foolish war."


    "Kaio," she says with a stutter and sighs.


    "I know you don''t want to," I whisper, soothing her lap. "But could you at least see if it can be done?" For a long moment, she thinks about it. Her eyes look down at the ground and jitter. All of a sudden, she tells her mothers to stop talking. The echoing authority in her voice makes them cease their debate.


    "I will speak to her."


    "Ulrika?" Jenify says.


    "I understand your worry. If Haleema thinks that''ll break the tension between our people, I''m going to try it."


    "What if it doesn''t work?"


    "Then it doesn''t."


    We eat in silence. One by one, after Ulrika''s mothers finish their dinner, they leave heading in a different directions.


    "I''m going to see if Jenify is okay," Ulrika says.


    "I''ll head back to your room," I say.


    I head there after eating and meditate as I wait. Training on a full stomach is not an option, plus it is too late in the night to do such work. I picture our bedroom in the cabin. The bed is plump and soft to the touch. Across the room, on a table, are our swords neatly placed on top of each other. All of the wooden walls, floors, and furniture look to be freshly cut.


    "Interesting," I say. Suddenly, I hear a faint noise in the doorway. Ulrika steps inside without taking her eyes off me. Her face is dazzled with beautiful colors of makeup.


    "Why are you smiling?" Ulrika says.


    "Because you look beautiful."


    "Are you..." I open my eyes back to reality. She''s standing in the same spot I last saw her.


    "Not anymore. How was Jenifry?"


    "Disappointed," she says, lying next to me with her legs out to the side. "And worried for my safety because of what Thubet tried to do."


    "You can handle her."


    "I know," she says with a smirk.


    The next day, we ride back to the Paladin headquarters and walk to the fields behind the building where Thubet is camped. Her tent is set up in the middle of several other tents. It isn''t cone-shaped like the rest of them. The fabric is red with white open flaps. Her tent is wide and comes to a point at the center. I can see her inside staring at us. She''s sitting sideways on a chair with her left leg over the armrest, and her right arm propping her head up. Ulrika puts me behind her arm once we make it a few feet from the tent.


    "Who''s that?" Elred says. His voice is coming from a small area to the left of the tent.


    "A murderer," Thubet says. Ulrika''s arm braces the moment I think about defending her honor. I bite my lip to avoid speaking.


    "She''s here?"


    "Mhmm." He steps out to see Ulrika. She puts her hand down to rest it on her sword. "Looking for a fight?"


    "You would want that, wouldn''t you?"


    "You''re damn right, bitch," she says gnawing her teeth as she stands up. "Draw your weapon!" She takes out her sword, but Ulrika hands me hers.


    "I''ve come to talk peace."


    "There will be no peace between us," she says, pointing at her. "Fuck you."


    "Thubet!" Elred says.


    "You will pay for your crimes."


    "If you lay a hand on her, I will not hesitate to—" I say before Ulrika cuts me off by whispering my name sharply.


    "For the sake of everything we hold dear, we must find a compromise," Ulrika says.


    "Yes, please," Elred says, eyeing Thubet closely. "Cousin," he says, pulling her arm down to bring the tip of the sword to the ground. "Let this obsession with the knights go."


    "I won''t till they are dead or tried and executed."


    "At least forgive her. She is innocent! I''ve seen her actions."


    "What you saw was fabricated." She points her sword at her. Elred manifests a shield from his hands and steps between her and Ulrika. I pull Ulrika away from them.


    "Back off!"


    "How dare you!"


    "She came here in peace. All we want is unification."


    "Unification?" She says, raising in volume as if she''s moments from yelling.


    "We need to unify against Zadione," Ulrika says. "Let''s put our differences aside. If you can''t, then think of all the innocent from our worlds."


    "Thubet, consider all we''ve lost to Zadione," Elred says. "Do you want our people under her thumb?" Thubet doesn''t answer but gives Ulrika a dirty look. "If you don''t conceive, then I will."


    "I''m the queen. Not you," Thubet says.


    "Then act like one." She sheathes her sword after taking a deep breath in and through her nose. I keep my guard up just in case she tries anything funny. Just because she''s not armed doesn''t mean she won''t try something.


    "Let me be clear," she says, walking towards Ulrika with Elred''s shield inches from her chest. "Once I regain my kingdom, this truce will be void and I will hunt you down."


    "Thubet!" Elred says.


    "Good," Ulrika says. Her response confounds me. Elred seems shocked, too. He''s staring at her as if he is hearing something outrageous. "Send your warlocks after me. No, send yourself."


    "Ulrika?!" I say.


    "Let''s agree to a duel to end this shit once and for all."


    "I like that," Thubet says, grinning in a sadistic smile. "Once I kill you, I will find the rest of you murderers and kill them myself."


    "Do you agree?"


    "I do."