《Ares&#x27; Witch》


 Is this it...?

    The pain was burning. Blood was dripping quickly from the wounds on his shoulder and forearm. He pushed his hand onto the bloody gash as he ran through the thick forest. He was still reeling over the ambush, particularly the sheer number of enemies this close to the capital city of Atrana. His entire company had been killed, horses included, by countless archers. He probably could''ve fought back if he hadn''t been so caught off guard that he lost his own horse and sword. He chuckled dryly at his own silliness and blinked as his vision began to blur. ''I''ve lost too much blood...'' he thought to himself as he grit his teeth. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the enemies draw closer.

    His ears began ringing and he lost control of his legs for a moment, tripping over a tree root and falling sideways over a small cliff. Pain shot up from his ankle. He groaned quietly. ''Great, definitely sprained if not broken.'' As he began hearing the voices of the assassins, he half-crawled and stumbled his way under the edge of the small bluff. There was a thin cave that was partially covered by vines in the side of the cliff. He shuffled as quietly as he could into it, his head beginning to swim in bright light. He sat inside as he began to feel the numbness in his body. He heard the enemies shouting and running by above him, but only barely. He was losing consciousness. ''So this is how I go...'' he thought as he faded from awareness.

    For just a moment, his eyes tried to squint open as he felt jolts of pain in his shoulder. He didn''t know how much time had passed. He could barely make out a face in front of him, and there was a veil over everything but the eyes anyway. The person didn''t seem to be landing a death blow. After determining that this was probably not an assassin, he lost consciousness again.

    It was bright. Painfully so. His eyes snapped open and he flinched at the sunlight glaring down at him. He sat upright abruptly. He was on a cot of some sort and his wounds were bandaged, although still aching terribly. He was in a tiny cottage with no roof amidst the forest. The windows also had no glass and there was no door in the frame. Which made it pretty easy to see the woman walking inside.

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    "You''re finally awake. I was about to leave you to your fate if you hadn''t," her voice was highly sultry. As was her straight black hair that swayed down to her thighs, contrasting to her very fair skin. She wore a black dress with long sleeves and a black veil covered her face, only leaving her bright, honey-colored eyes visible beneath long lashes. "I brought your armor," she continued, realizing that he wasn''t going to speak. She gestured to the armor on the ground next to him, which clearly bore the insignia of Otha country. "I had to take it off to get you here, it was too heavy. You slept all night." She paused again, waiting to see if he''d answer. He did not. Her eyes squinted momentarily, annoyed. "Fine. I won''t ask any questions since you evidently won''t give me any answers. I don''t want anyone to know I was here either so if you agree that you never saw me, then I will do the same. Deal?"

    She held out her hand to him, which he reached out to shake until he noticed how covered in grass stains and blood she was. He looked up at her with bewildered eyes. He was actually quite handsome beneath all that dirt and blood. His hair was a light ash blonde and those guarded eyes were dark green. And she knew from having to half-drag his practically lifeless body to the cottage that he was very tall and almost too well-built. She looked down at her own dirty hand.

    "Ah... Sorry, the river is on the other side of the mountain so I didn''t have time to wash my hands after tending to you. I''ll just take it as a yes." Her golden eyes seemed to flash a smile sheepishly as she pulled her hand back. She walked over and grabbed a basket with plants sticking out of it from the tiny table in the cottage. There was a second basket with fruits in it that she did not pick up. "You can eat those if you get hungry. I prevented you from dying but you need to rest here if you want to heal up. Try not to walk too much, you sprained that left ankle." She turned and walked out of the empty door frame as she waved without turning around. "It was nice not meeting you!"

 Your Majesty

    Ari finally made her way down the mountain and out of the trees to see a very agitated Vida tapping her foot while waiting next to the city''s entrance guards. As soon as Vida caught sight of Ari, she stomped up to her.

    "WHERE have you been?!" she asked in a slightly hushed but still rather angry voice. Vida was dressed in the same men''s attire that she had worn when they parted yesterday, meaning she had waited all night for Ari''s return from the mountain forest to the capital.

    Ari scratched at her head nervously. "I was, um, caught in a rainstorm last night and couldn''t make it back down until now," she answered quietly as her eyes tried desperately not to meet those of her personal guard''s.

    Vida made an unattractive snorting noise. "Alright, Your Majesty. I''ll pretend to believe you if that gets you inside this city faster."

    "Indeed, it will. Don''t call me Your Majesty."

    Vida rolled her eyes and gestured for Ari to lead the way through the city''s gates. Algeva was bustling, just as you would expect of a capital city. The main road that they were on had countless vendors, some displaying gorgeous jewelry or bright and ornate clothing, some selling aromatic foods, some selling different forms of creative art pieces. Many times along the path there were groups of musicians and dancers performing, some very elegant and some just for fun. Ari gazed at the dancers admiringly at she walked past.

    Finally, the bustling gave way to some larger homes and estates, until they came upon the golden palace gates. Vida and Ari nodded at the guards who stepped aside and greeted them as they passed through, "Welcome back, Royal Physician."

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    The girls made their way to the princess''s quarters, bowing their heads to greet the guards along the way, until finally reaching her shaded room. Vida immediately let her hair down from the cap she was wearing and put it up into a ponytail, then stuck her head outside to call for the maids to run a bath. She turned around on her heel and folded her arms at Ari.

    "Do you want to tell me why your hands and arms are covered in blood?" she asked, tapping her foot angrily again as Ari began dressing into her bathing robe.

    "I would much rather not to, actually," Ari replied. She stepped into the bath that the maids prepared and Vida couldn''t help but again be amazed at Ari''s eyes. It shocked her every time they entered the princess''s dark room that those golden eyes changed to a teal color. It was quite convenient when they were in disguise, though. She was the only one who knew about Ari''s eyes and what actually happened due to their sensitivity to light. Everyone else just thought that the princess was very frail and couldn''t handle bright lights. Vida chuckled to herself remembering several times when Ari would pretend to faint when exposed to harsh light, so as to not show anyone her eyes turning honey.

    Vida was going through the princess''s dresses when Ari called to her over her shoulder from the bath, "Actually, I have a request for tonight if you could arrange it for me."

    Vida pursed her lips. "Your father said that there''s an important meeting for tonight. I''m already afraid of what you''re planning."

    Ari grinned. "It''s nothing terrible. I just want to surprise Father."

    Vida combed and began braiding Ari''s long hair. She braided the top half into a french braid and adorned golden clips on the sides, then smaller braids throughout the bottom, weaving in several golden beads. "I worry when you say things like ''nothing terrible'' and ''surprise''..."

 Surprise...?!

    Meanwhile in the royal court, Ari''s father, King Assur, sat surrounded by pillows at the end of the large hall on a small, raised platform. There was some quiet chatter in the glittering, golden hall as prominent people entered, including two of Assur''s sons. They were sitting in comfortable places along the sides, leaving the spots closest to the king for royal family members. After things settled down and the sun had set, they all began to wonder what was so important about the meeting that night.

    King Assur''s personal guard whispered something into the king''s ear and his face lit up in excitement. The announcer at the door of the hall called out, "His Highness, Prince Arellan of Otha enters, Your Royal Majesty."

    The prince glided up to the platform with his personal guard trailing behind and knelt on his knee, bowing his head to King Assur. "Prince Arellan greets His Royal Majesty," his deep voice echoed throughout the now-silent hall.

    The king waved his hand at Arellan. "No need for formalities! Please, stand! We welcome you to Atrana, young prince. If you''ll sit next to me here," Assur gestured to a spot of pillows directly to the right of the platform. Arellan sat while his guard stood behind him and King Assur announced, "Prince Arellan will be our royal guest while he is here. Please welcome him kindly and show him our unique culture."

    Maids went around blowing out candles and dimming the lights. As everyone clapped, dancers dressed in purple and gold tops with flowing pants, purple face veils, and twirling scarves entered the hall. Arellan thought they looked like desert beauties. Music started and they began dancing in sync, the scarves flowing wonderfully around them. This kind of dancing was very new and intriguing to Arellan, who was used to a more formal style of dancing with partners. Suddenly, one of the dancers broke from the synchronization and the other dancers immediately became more of an accessory. The woman moved with complete grace, as if she were fluid and floating with her scarf. Her legs moved around her effortlessly, sometimes even straight in the air. Arellan almost gawked at the strength and flexibility the dance took. The woman spun as the music got louder until she was a blur of black hair and purple scarf. The moment the music ended, she stopped her spin with her foot pointed out, at a perfect bow to the king.

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    Assur stood and clapped loudly and everyone else in the court followed suit. Arellan was stunned speechless and the king grinned at him. "Are you that shocked, young prince?" Assur asked.

    "Ah... Yes, actually, Your Majesty. That was the most beautiful dance I''ve seen as of yet. It was quite... passionate." Arellan tried to blink away the amazement and smiled.

    "Ho ho. Well, it just so happens that the reason we are here tonight is because of this young woman here." Assur gestured to the solo dancer. She looked at the king with furrowed eyebrows, then at Arellan. For a moment, her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened, then furrowed again, a more confused look in her teal eyes.

    She removed the veil from her face to reveal lovely fair skin, a small nose, and luscious lips. "I can never hide anything from you, Father."

    King Assur raised his chin proudly. "Of course! My daughter is the most incredible dancer in the whole country." He turned to Arellan. "This is the only princess of Atrana, Her Highness Arinja." Ari and Arellan bowed their heads toward each other as the king continued. "The reason I gathered everyone for this meeting tonight is to officially announce the engagement of Arellan and Arinja!"

    There was an awkward moment of silence before everyone began clapping slowly. Ari''s eyes widened as she gazed at Arellan, whose dark green eyes were also wide with shock.

 The Voice of Reason

    Ari quickly composed herself and forced a smile. There was a whirlwind of thoughts in her head as her father''s voice boomed out, "I know this is somewhat of a surprise to everyone. We can speak on it more as dinner is served."

    Ari jumped at the chance to leave as the maids entered with dinner trays. She bowed again to King Assur. "Excuse me for a minute while I change into appropriate attire."

    Assur chuckled and looked at Arellan while saying quietly, "Women here are always changing their clothes like this. Clothing is a large part of our customs. You probably noticed all of the dyed cloths in the markets on your way here."

    After Ari left the hall, she began half-running to her room. Her face was stern and Vida, who was right behind the princess, was afraid to ask what she was thinking. Inside of Ari''s spacious room with the door slammed shut, Ari snapped out, "Please pick a dress. I need to speak to Athena."

    "Wait, Your Highness, I understand why you might be upset about the abrupt engagement but is this something that Athena can help with?" Vida asked, bewildered at the princess''s actions.

    Ari thought for a moment, then sighed despondently. "I think I need to tell you why I was late coming back down the mountain." She took a deep breath and began as Vida cocked an eyebrow. "I was following a trail of blessed thistle and found some of it covered in blood, which was pretty annoying. But more annoying was that the trail led to a bloody man who was all but dead. And I happened to have picked up some witch hazel and feverfew earlier as well so the man was lucky. Strangely lucky. No, wait. Was this fated? Crap. Anyway, I took him to the emergency cottage and he was out like a light so I did manage to use a tiny-- TEENY tiny-- bit of... healing magic on him..." Ari trailed off as Vida''s eyes lit up with imaginary flames of anger. "But in no way did I think he would be able-bodied enough to move for at least a few days! Uh, so, that guy happens to be... Prince Arellan." Ari flinched at her own words.

    Vida blinked a few times then rubbed her temples with one hand, the other placed on her hip. "Ari... please go consult Athena."

    "Yes, thank you..." Ari smirked sarcastically, grabbed her herb basket, and opened the thin double doors at the end of her room that led into the candle-lit shrine room. The table on the far end of the room was covered in loosely bound herbs, with a small brazier in the center. She set her basket at the end of the table, then picked small bunches of wormwood, bay leaf, peppermint, star anise, spearmint, marshmallow root, and mugwort. She lit them on fire in the small brazier, then sat on her knees in the lavish pillows on the floor and closed her eyes.

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    Moments later, she felt a warm hand lift her chin up and Ari opened her eyes to see the golden glow of the goddess Athena. "My beloved vessel, you are troubled," Athena''s velvety voice flowed musically into Ari''s head. The goddess''s honey-colored hair floated softly behind her, although there was no breeze. Her draping white dress was adorned with a golden chest plate that matched the shining crown on her head, resembling a helmet. Athena''s teal eyes gazed into Ari''s like those of an affectionate mother, especially since Ari now had one teal eye and one golden eye.

    Ari smiled. "Is fate playing some sort of joke on me?" she asked Athena, chuckling softly in denial. "Why have I suddenly been betrothed to a prince of Otha, known particularly for its brutal army force? And why, ESPECIALLY, is that prince the man that I saved with magic just last night? I''m lucky that he did not recognize me."

    Athena waved her hand in front of her face and wrinkled her nose. "The fates must be cruel to inflict a marriage upon you, and THAT I am sorry for. However, although you were raised in this peaceful country, my little witch, the world out there needs your gifts. I am not surprised to see you have been called away from this pacifistic lifestyle." Athena stood up straight and lifted her chin proudly, continuing with, "And although I have always only been to you a guiding voice of reason, I am also a goddess of war. Therefor, I thoroughly believe that there is a warrior in you as well."

    Ari sighed. "As always, you are too wise. And think too much of me." She squinted and smiled slyly at the goddess who flashed a grin in return.

    "I think just enough of you. There are a finite number of witches in this world and even further limited number of witches who can connect to a god. To think that you would have these abilities for nothing would be ridiculous. Although I think that getting married is harebrained and I''d like to have some choice words with Hera and Aphrodite when I get the chance." Athena looked away, lost in agitated thought for a moment, then shook her head with a sigh. "Nevertheless, you''ve been granted a connection and great things are expected of you, whether you think you are capable or not."

    "I will... try not to let you down, Goddess," Ari replied, feeling slightly childish for reacting this way.

    Athena smiled at Ari fondly as the golden glow enveloped her entirely until she vanished. Ari''s eyes snapped open as she adjusted her mind to reality.

    Although the interaction with Athena felt long to Ari, only a few short moments had passed since she lit the ritual herbs. Vida quickly helped Ari change into an extravagant dark coral-colored gown and switched jewelries, double-checking that her eyes were changed back to completely teal before they returned to the royal court.

 Did you agree...?

    Ari entered the room quietly and walked around the edge to her seat next to the Othan prince. Of course, she was still noticed by the attendees and several of them spoke and laughed while looking at Ari pointedly.

    The seat placements were unusually close, making both Ari and Arellan nervous, though neither showed any sign of apprehensiveness. She glanced at the man seated next to her. It was the same man from last night, undoubtedly, but today he seemed perfectly fine. And clean. And healthy. His ash blonde hair was short on the sides and purposefully tousled on top. His dark green eyes looked stern and showed no hint of emotion. His jaw line was strong and his cheek bones were high, giving him a strangely godlike aura. She noticed he was actually wearing very flamboyant clothing for an Othan and with a closer look, he must have purchased ornate clothing from a merchant of Algeva. Which made sense, considering how tattered and filthy he was only just this morning.

    Ari glanced at him again, willing her eyes to see through his clothing. ''How did he heal so quickly? I didn''t use enough magic for him to be looking like nothing at all happened yesterday. I only used enough to keep him alive...'' she thought to herself.

    "If you keep ogling me so, people will think that you arranged this engagement yourself." Ari looked up at the prince''s face. His eyebrow was cocked and a corner of his mouth was smirking slyly. He WAS quite handsome, but Ari plastered on a fake smile.

    "I''ve been quite taken aback by the engagement, actually. I had no idea any of this was in talks. I feel a little betrayed by my family." Ari sipped elegantly from the wine on the dinner tray in front of her.

    Arellan squinted his eyes, trying to read Ari''s face before admitting, "This was actually a surprise for me as well. I was told to come here as a negotiator for trade. If my father had mentioned that I was negotiating my future wife, I may have been better prepared."

    Ari chuckled, swirling her wine glass. "I''m not a fan of being referred to as a negotiation. But I am interested in how you would have better prepared yourself?"

    Arellan''s heart skipped a beat. Ignoring it, he drank from his own wine glass. "I would have dressed nicer."

    Ari laughed, not expecting that response. "Nicer than THAT?" she asked, gesturing to the flashy, traditional Atranian outfit. He was dress in a long-sleeved, v-neck kurta in a rich green with gold trim and slits on each side. It was snug across his larger chest and shoulders but form-fitting down his waist. The embroidery on it was immaculate and the pants were the same gold color, though loose around the ankles. His shoes were also green with gold trim. He would almost look as if he belonged in the royal court, if not for his foreign looks.

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    Arellan''s mouth turned up slyly again as he caught Ari staring at him. "Why? Does this outfit suit your taste? We don''t have clothing like this in Otha so if this is what you prefer, maybe I''ll purchase a few more for the return trip."

    As Ari was about to retort, she heard doors slam obnoxiously and pounding footsteps before her brother, Aasif, and his guard, Jai, entered the hall. Aasif was the commander of Atrana''s small army and normally looked fierce, but his guard and closest friend was absolutely feral and ferocious. Every time Ari saw him, he reminded her of a black panther. His dark eyes burned angrily as he glided behind Aasif.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Aasif asked his father garishly. "I''ve been informed that you announced an engagement between Sister and a prince of Otha."

    King Assur cleared his throat and looked at Aasif sharply. "Indeed. Tonight is a celebration of that fact."

    Aasif turned to Ari. "And did you agree to this?"

    Everyone was silent and gazed directly at Ari. She lifted her chin and nonchalantly answered, "It was a splendid surprise."

    Aasif''s jaw tensed and he was about to speak again, but his guard cleared his throat softly, looking pointedly around the room at the anticipating audience. Aasif closed his mouth and squinted at Arellan while saying, "I''d like to speak to you tomorrow, Father." He then turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his guard bowing gracefully and following after him.

    It was still quiet in the hall as the footsteps faded until Assur bellowed out, "My apologies for the interruption. Please, carry on with the festivities!" and the music resumed playing while the court chattered and gossiped.

    As a maid refilled Arellan''s wine glass, he noted, "It seems like that man is against the marriage." Ari looked at the prince''s stern face, which looked almost bitter now. ''Is he... angry?'' she thought. She had to turn her face to hide her sudden amusement from him.

    Straightening her expression, she said, "My brother is probably not the only one. Otha has a bad reputation here. It''s only expected that there are those who react in defiance to marrying their only princess off to a kingdom said to be filled with nightmares and death."

    Arellan cocked an eyebrow at her, somewhat amazed. "You speak as if you are fine with those things. You''re not afraid to leave this country behind?"

    Ari faked a sweet smile and shrugged. "Leaving my country is less terrifying than the permanence of marriage."

    Arellan raised both eyebrows. "Ah, the truth comes out. So you''re afraid of commitment."

    Ari glowered at him. Who was he to be trying to get under her skin like that? "I''m not AFRAID of commitment. I just don''t agree to marrying someone that I know nothing about. I only described this surprise as ''splendid'' so as to not alarm my family and those of the royal court. And, no offense Your Highness, but the men in your country are known to have a questionable morality so you can see why I''d be even remotely hesitant to bind myself to someone of that nature." Ari stood up abruptly, not giving him the chance to refute. She bowed, a tight-lipped smile on her obviously angry face. "I''m tired so I will be resigning. Good night, Prince Arellan."

    Arellan huffed to himself, running a hand through his hair, and watched as the princess promptly left the royal court. ''I guess I pushed a button.''

 Its for the best

    Early the next morning, Ari changed into her black dress and covered her nose and mouth with the sheer black veil. Vida changed into her men''s clothes, winding her straight, chestnut brown hair into a tight bun before putting a cap on. The women each grabbed a basket of elixirs, pastes and healing herbs that Ari prepared before exiting the palace.

    In the market, Vida arranged a table, a few chairs, and a cot while Ari unpacked the baskets. They did this every morning when Ari didn''t have any royal duties, which was quite often. Since her family always assumed that she was too fragile or sickly to take on as much work as the rest of them, Ari was able to sneak out and do what she really loved: being a physician. The sun shown brightly and the princess''s eyes were a prominent golden honey color in the light. Many people lined up to see Ari on account of the fact that Ari didn''t charge for her medical services. She accepted donations however, and people were happy to give them if they were able. At lunch time, they packed up and dropped the earned money off at the orphanage along with vitamin-type herbs to brew with tea.

    After bathing and changing into her sparkling jewelry and gown, Ari sent a maid to bring lunch for Vida and herself. She rarely left her quarters when she was at the castle. When she did, the maids had to scurry to cover the windows of the palace just for Ari to walk the halls. It was easier for the princess to stay in her quarters, which was a building somewhat separated from the main halls whose windows were always covered. It also added to the act of being frail and unhealthy.

    As the maid returned with trays of food for the princess and her guard, she gave her report of the goings-on in the castle. This was a normal routine for them and they didn''t mind doing it, as they knew the princess was rarely in good enough condition to stay in the know herself. "Crown Prince Aasif has plans to meet with His Majesty after they''ve finished their lunch. If you''re able, you''re expected to be at a formal dinner with your family and the Othan prince."

    Ari smiled at the girl and thanked her before the maid curtsied slightly and left. She quickly ate her delicious meal with Vida and informed the maids that she would be going to the meeting room. This was necessary because the windows from the hall that connected her quarters to the main palace building would need to have the curtains down. The maids scurried ahead of the princess.

    As Ari neared the room, she heard the loud voices of her brothers arguing. The loudest, of course, belonged to Aasif. Ari understood him clearly before she even made it to the door.

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    "NOBODY is fine with sending her to the wolves! We can''t trade the life of our sister for a little extra protection!" he yelled.

    Ari knocked on the door, then pushed it open with Vida following behind and closing the door for her. "Thank you all for worrying over me, but I''m fine with protecting our people, even if it means leaving this country."

    Everyone turned to see Ari, then looked away sheepishly, feeling guilty that they were discussing her fate without her. Ari held her chin up and her shoulders back, looking more like a royal than any of the others in the room.

    Their father cleared his throat to break the obvious tension between the siblings. "Arinja is right. It''s for the best. And it is normal for a princess to marry into another country."

    "Yes, for countries that think nothing of family..." scoffed Aviir, Ari''s eldest brother. He had long, black hair that ran just past his shoulders and was tied off to the side. King Assur threw him an annoyed look.

    "I agree, I believe that Ari should be able to choose her own husband in her own time. Arranged marriages are against what we believe," commented her youngest brother. He was a few years older than Ari and was married with his first child on the way.

    "Not only that, but that man is a legend in his country in the worst way," Aasif continued. "People call him the Demon of O-"

    Assur suddenly slammed his hand on the desk in front of him and glared at his sons for a long moment before everyone heard a light rapping on the door.

    "I apologize for the intrusion, I couldn''t help but overhear as I passed by the hall." Arellan swept into the room and stood next to Ari, glancing at her briefly with his cold green eyes. Ari felt shorter than she had in a while as she stood next to him. Not to say that Ari was short; in fact, she was 5''10" without shoes and typically towered over women and even some men. But Arellan was at least 6''3", probably closer to 6''4" in height.

    "No please, pardon me for not calling for you. I expected this meeting to have significantly less people attending but now it has turned into a debate." Assur smiled at Arellan apologetically.

    "I assure you that I would not force Princess Arinja to marry me. I''m well aware of the dangers this marriage will be placing her in." The room went quiet as the brothers fumed in silence.

    Again, King Assur was the one to break the awkward atmosphere. "So you are all in agreeance that Arinja should be the one to choose her own husband?" He looked into the eyes of everyone in the room and nobody had the nerve to speak out in opposition. He sighed heavily. "Then it shall be so--"

    "I will marry Prince Arellan."

    Everyone froze and turned to Ari, Aasif opening his mouth before Ari cut him off in a firm voice. "I choose willingly to marry Prince Arellan."

 Yikes

    "I choose willingly to marry Prince Arellan."

    The air was intensely palpable in the meeting room as everyone stared at Ari with mixed emotions for what seemed like minutes on end. Ari wanted to shift nervously but she held her ground, not showing any hesitation.

    Arellan felt his cheeks burn and was glad that everyone''s attention was on the princess.

    King Assur, ever the diplomat, clapped his hands together, making everyone jump in shock. "That settles it then! The one getting married is Arinja, not you boys, and she has made her choice. I''ll hear no more arguments on the matter. Tomorrow night will be her last as a resident of this palace."

    Ari smiled as she bowed, though her father''s last words stung in her heart. She loved this country dearly. The people, the culture, her family. All of it. But even if you love something, sometimes the best thing to do is to leave it.

    Dinner that night was as awkward as one would imagine it to be. Luckily after several minutes of strained silence, Andile (the youngest of Ari''s elder brothers) arrived with his wife. Ari stood up in excitement as the woman waddled into the room. She braced herself for Ari''s hug attack and grinned at her sister-in-law.

    Ari stepped back and gently touched her fingertips on Mei Lin''s belly, giving her a questioning glance. Princess Mei Lin nodded and smiled at Ari, giving her permission to touch her belly. Andile took his seat and spoke with the men of the family as Arellan watched Ari curiously.

    Ari felt her little nephew in Mei Lin''s belly with her eyes closed for a moment, then stepped back. "He''s growing well and seems to have flipped already. That should make your delivery a little easier. Not much longer until my nephew is born!"

    Mei Lin giggled. "You''re so good at this. You must''ve been a physician in your past life. But how do you know that it''s a boy? I want a girl!"

    Ari gulped nervously. Obviously she couldn''t say that she was a well-known physician NOW and definitely couldn''t say that she asked the goddess Athena to find out the gender for her months ago. Ari twirled a strand of hair in her fingers anxiously. "Just a hunch!" she answered flippantly. "What will you name him?"

    Mei Lin leaned in close and peeked around to make sure nobody was listening. Arellan pretended to listen to the king speak. "If it''s a girl, Amaya. Akira for a boy."

    Ari nodded seriously in agreement. "Akira is a wonderful name."

    Mei Lin laughed and let Ari lead her to the table. Names that start with A were a tradition in Ari''s family, and she was glad that Mei Lin was keeping to that tradition. Though she was quite upset that she wouldn''t be here for her first nephew''s birth, she would surely visit after she got settled in Otha.

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    King Assur looked knowingly at the bitter expression on his daughter''s face as she took her seat. "I''m a little sad that I won''t be able to see your wedding ceremony," he confessed as the women sat down, almost mirroring Ari''s thoughts. "But maybe we''ll hold a small one of our own when you have time to visit!" The maids entered with dinner trays for everyone. Ari reached over and took Mei Lin''s teacup from her tray, whispering to a maid asking for a second glass of water.

    Mei Lin sighed. "I miss tea."

    Andile chuckled at his wife. "You think I don''t notice that you wake up in the middle of the night and sneak to the kitchen to make tea cakes?"

    Mei Lin pouted. "Don''t tell everyone that!"

    Ari gave Mei Lin an accusing glance before smiling softly. "Cravings are natural. If you notice her getting up, dear brother, maybe you can help your wife bake so that she can get back to sleep faster."

    Andile scoffed. "She''d probably be done faster if I didn''t interfere."

    The family laughed as Arellan gazed at them. He''d never experienced a dinner like this. Everyone was sitting closely around a table, laughing and talking so easily. His family wasn''t like this, and he regretted pulling Ari from such a happy home.

    But... maybe... he might be happier in his home. With her in it.

    Ari glanced at him. "Are you okay?"

    Arellan nodded and finished his cup of tea. He hesitated for a second, then asked, "Will you join me before dinner tomorrow? I plan to go to the market and purchase some things that we don''t have in Otha."

    "Yes, please. There are some things I''d like as well and wasn''t sure if I had the time to get them," Ari answered, her eyes sparkling at the idea. Arellan felt a little victorious, coming up with an idea that she liked. Especially after making her so angry the night before. Yikes.

    The next morning, Ari and Vida woke up extra early to go to the market and set up the physician''s table. Ari was adamant about saying goodbye and letting people know to see the other physicians in town from that point on. She left a large additional amount of money for the orphanage that she usually donated to, and hugged the owner before waving goodbye. Tears threatened to sting her eyes on the walk back, but she held them in well enough. They made their way into the courtyard leading to the princess''s quarters when...

    BAM! Ari nearly tumbled backwards after knocking into something, but she felt a hand on her arm steadying her.

    Ari looked up into Arellan''s green eyes and his darkened when he looked at her golden ones. He probably didn''t take kindly to being run into.

    "The forest physician?" Arellan asked aloud, suspicion lacing his deep voice. "What are you doing in the palace?"

    Ari shifted nervously, then stood up straight while clutching her basket so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Vida kept her head down, avoiding the scrutinizing gazes of the prince and his guard. Ari raised her voice a bit higher than her normal one when she answered and tried not to look him in the eye. "I''m the princess''s personal physician. I came to do a quick examination to ensure that she can make the journey to Otha in good health. Please forgive me for being unaware of my surroundings." She bowed swiftly.

    She glanced at his hand still wrapped around her arm and he looked at it too. "Ah," he said as if remembering that it was indeed his hand on her arm and removed it. "Apologies. If you could, please let the princess know that I''ll be waiting at the front gate."

    Ari bowed her head in response and quickly scurried inside.

 ...Salt.

    Inside her room, Ari finally let out the breath she''d been holding. As a prince, Arellan could have easily had her punished for bumping into him. Her face could have been revealed and years of being careful to hide her identity would''ve been ruined in an instant. She sighed heavily as she changed into one of her more simple teal gowns and Vida began braiding and decorating the princess''s hair. She applied some makeup and then placed a matching sheer teal veil over Ari''s head. Typically, this type of veil was used solely for wedding ceremonies in Atrana so Ari would get a lot of strange looks when she didn''t go out in secret as a physician. Brides don''t usually go walking around the city on their wedding day. But this was the price that Ari had to pay to keep her eyes shaded from the light.

    She had hoped that by this age she would be able to control her eye color but that wasn''t the case. She wondered what that meant as far as her connection to Athena. Was it not complete? Or not strong enough?

    Vida appeared in front of her, shaking her from her thoughts. She was finished changing back into her usual guard''s uniform. "Are you ready?" Vida asked cautiously, an eyebrow cocked at the princess.

    Ari smiled and nodded. "Sorry, I''m just tired of wearing this." She flipped up an edge of the veil and it floated back down softly.

    Vida nodded in understanding. "It does seem bothersome. But on the other hand, it helps your skin look amazing."

    Ari laughed as they exited the room, then paused at one of the doorways down the hall. She lightly tapped on the door of her maids'' room, which was answered swiftly by Milli with a slight bow.

    "How can I help you, Your Highness?" Milli asked. Upon hearing ''Your Highness'', the other maid in the room, Jannah, stood from her vanity chair and bowed slightly at Ari too.

    Ari shook her head. "I don''t need anything but I do have a request. You may feel free to deny it if you wish, so please don''t feel pressured by me."

    Milli and Jannah looked at each other, then nodded at the princess with big eyes.

    Ari continued. "I would like for you to come to Otha with me. I would rather have people that i can trust near me than total strangers. And of course, I''ll raise your wages. It''s not easy to leave your family and country behind, especially just for a job."

    Milli''s gaze softened. "This is more than just a job. And you have to leave too, without even getting paid!"

    Ari blinked in surprise, then laughed at the maid''s words. "Yes, you''re right."

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    Jannah walked up next to Milli and grinned at Ari. "I don''t have anything here anyway. I could use a change of scenery and a little extra pay." Jannah rubbed her thumb and pointer finger together with a mischievous smile.

    Milli nodded enthusiastically. "I have to tell my parents, but obviously I''m coming too!"

    Ari relaxed her shoulders and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was actually worried sick that you wouldn''t want to go." The three girls laughed and Vida smiled softly behind Ari.

    Ari and Vida met with Arellan and his guard in front of the palace gates. Arellan raised his eyebrows at the veil on Ari''s head and opened his mouth to ask about it when she held up her hand to stop him.

    "I''m sensitive to light. I''m sure you''ve heard by now that your bride to be is actually a frail and sickly woman."

    Arellan''s face darkened a bit, looking almost angry at the remark. "I find that odd. You seem quite... energetic, in my opinion."

    Ari raised her eyebrows at the word ''energetic''. She grinned and began walking down the road as she answered, "My health may be lacking, but I assure you that my personality can be too strong to handle."

    "Mmm, I''ve gathered that," Arellan chuckled sincerely, causing his guard to look at him in shock. He''d never seen the prince actually laugh at something that he wasn''t mocking!

    They reached the market by late afternoon and food vendors were switching from lunch dishes to dinner dishes. Ari hurried over to a few stands and bought some of the last remaining snacks from lunch. She glided back to Arellan with hands full of food and a grin under her veil.

    "This is the last time for me and first time for you having these. At least for a while," she said, feeling a little embarrassed about the amount of food she bought. She held up a skewered piece of meat near Arellan''s face. "This one''s my favorite! Try it!"

    Arellan looked around to make sure nobody was watching (not that he knew anyone here, other than his guard, in the first place), then took a bite while Ari held it out for him. He chewed for a moment, then his eyebrows shot up. "What is this cooked with?" he asked, quickly swiping the stick from Ari to wolf down the rest.

    Ari tried so hard to hold in her giggle as she answered, "I think it''s curry and a few other spices marinated overnight but the vendors here are so stingy with their recipes." Ari pouted a little under the veil and was glad he probably couldn''t see her expressions well. She always got overexcited when going to the bazaar and it was difficult to maintain her royal composure.

    Arellan finished the skewer and furrowed his eyebrows. "You... have a lot of spices here?"

    "Hm? Yes, we do. Agriculture influences our food greatly. What spices do you have in Otha?" Ari took a bite of some roasted squash as they walked.

    Arellan thought in silence, eyebrows still furrowed. Finally he answered, "Salt."

    Ari laughed. "And?"

    "...Salt."

    Ari''s smile fell to the ground.

    "We... should buy some spices while we''re here," Arellan stated, a hint of nervousness lacing his voice.

    Ari nodded slowly. "Yes. A lot of spices, actually. All of them." Her facial expression was slowly changing to one of terror. JUST SALT?! How did they even eat food?! "Here, take these." She shoved all of the snacks into Arellan''s arms, then ran off to a shop with Vida briskly following behind.

    A grin made its way onto Arellan''s face as he watched Ari hurry away and took another bite of a meat skewer. His guard, Ronan, walked up to stand beside and stare at the prince with an appalled look on his face. Arellan glanced at Ronan''s shock, then cleared his throat and straightened his expression.

 Wish to the Heavens

    Ari could barely hold anymore by the time they made it through the market. Her arms were full of cloth bags and baskets. Evidently she needed this little trip into town more than she had anticipated. Arellan had purchased a few more outfits and trinkets as well while Ari had been rushing around on the brink of distress. Luckily Vida and Ronan were there to help them haul their souvenirs back to the palace in time for dinner.

    Ari tried to act as natural as possible at their last family dinner. Her brothers, however, all had sour faces and Mei Lin would have tears in her eyes every now and then. Her father was uncharacteristically quiet while eating. Ari was the one who tried to keep conversation going by asking questions about their day and talking about the trip to the market.

    "And he said that they only have salt there..." she trailed off as everyone sat in silence after finishing their meal. She sighed, not looking forward to having to address the elephant in the room. "I realize that you all are upset that I chose to leave, but could you at least make my last night less gloomy?"

    Aasif scoffed while the other two brothers looked at Ari with guilty expressions. Ari stood up and nodded at Milli who was waiting close to the hall''s entrance. Milli bowed her head softly and exited the dining hall.

    "Before everyone parts ways to sleep, I''d like you all to join me in the garden. Just briefly. Please." Ari gave them all puppy eyes. They were all weak against their little sister''s puppy eyes.

    King Assur stood up first. "Of course, my darling daughter. We''d be happy to." He looked pointedly to his sons, who then stood up as well. They went towards the garden while Arellan bowed softly, then turned to head to his room.

    Until he felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Ari''s teal eyes looking up at him.

    "This is for you, too. You''ll come, right?"

    Arellan felt his heartbeat speed up for a moment as he nodded at her. She grinned in response and it felt like an arrow through his chest. Gods, what was she doing to him?

    The royal family with their guards and maids stood in the candlelit garden with paper lanterns ready to be tossed into the sky. Ari smiled as she noted how perfect the wind was tonight. It felt like the heavens were praising Ari for her difficult decision to leave Atrana. Milli smiled softly as she handed Ari and Arellan their paper lantern.

    Ari turned to address her family. "Thank you for doing this with me. I think this is as good a time as any to light wishing lanterns. I know not everyone is keen on me leaving, but I hope that doesn''t stop you from wishing Prince Arellan and I well in our futures." She turned to Arellan as everyone began whispering wishes close to their paper lanterns.

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    Before she could speak, Arellan said, "Call me Arell," and looked at her with his piercing green eyes.

    Ari gulped, then tried to smile normally. "Arell, then. In Atrana we send our wishes to the gods with these floating lanterns. You whisper your wish to the lantern and it will deliver your wish to the heavens. I''ll start." She leaned close to the glowing red lantern and whispered softly, "I wish future happiness and peace upon our families."

    Arell leaned close to her face, gazing down directly into her eyes as he whispered, "I wish happiness upon my future wife and I for years to come." As he spoke, his breath warmed Ari''s cheeks and she pulled back, clearing her throat awkwardly. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and his eyes glinted wickedly.

    Ari tore her gaze from his face. "And... and now we lift it up!" They both pushed the lantern into the air and let the wind take it away from them. Everyone watched the lanterns rise into the starry night sky until the lanterns looked like stars themselves. Then they bid each other good night and Ari was glad to hurry into her room to calm the beating of her heart.

    It wasn''t that he was handsome! Of course, he WAS. But it was mostly that he KNEW he was handsome and used his looks like a cunning fox hunting down prey. Ari didn''t like they fact that she was becoming a type of prey in the eyes of her fiance. It was becoming more of a challenge to deny attraction to him. But it was just attraction, that''s all. It''s not like she knew anything about him and he never showed any emotion other than amusement from taunting others. He was so steely and serious most of the time. She wanted to crack him open and see what was going on in his head.

    The next morning, Ari woke up early and had breakfast in the garden to let Milli and Jannah pack her room up. Vida had already packed up the ritual room the night before, which was mostly herbs and candles. Ari decided to walk the palace grounds while she waiting for the caravan to ready itself. The wind blew her veil gently and felt nice on her arms. It also brought the sound of weapons clanging and Ari was intrigued as to who might be in the practice courtyard.

    As she rounded the corner, she saw Jai, Prince Aasif''s guard, sword-sparring with a blindfolded man with familiar ash blonde hair. Arell''s jaw was tense and his eyebrows were furrowed as he focused on fighting without his eyesight. A bead of sweat gleamed as it trailed down the side of his neck and pooled into Arell''s undershirt.

    Ari had to ignore his magnificence and focus on the sword match because, frankly, it was mesmerizing. Although Arell couldn''t see, Jai was having a hard time getting anywhere close to a solid attack. Arell moved like he knew exactly what was happening. Like the black blindfold wrapped around his head was nonexistent. He countered every attempted strike until he finally caught Jai off-guard and held his sword mere inches from Jai''s Adam''s apple. As Ronan walked up and handed Arell a cloth for the sweat, Jai''s eyes were dark with contempt at the outcome of the match. But after a minute, Arell pulled the blindfold off and bowed to Jai anyway out of respect.

 Hyah!

    Jai sheathed his sword and bowed back to Arell, avoiding eye contact.

    Arell''s expression was unaffected, though he gave the guard a tired smile. "Thank you for exercising with me. I was starting to feel stiff." He rubbed his toned shoulder, then turned to leave only to realize that his fiancee was standing dumbstruck at the edge of the practice yard. He strode up to her, breaking her captivated gaze. He thought he could see her face reddening beneath the veil.

    "Good morning. Are you packed already?" she asked in her alluring voice.

    Arell nodded. "I''m just going to take a bath. I assume we''ll be ready to leave by the time I''m dressed. Where are we meeting to say goodbyes?"

    "At the caravan is fine," she answered. She hesitated, then asked, "How did you do that? I mean, fight so well like that without being able to see what the enemy was doing?"

    His lip curled up. "Practice," he said with a wink, strolling away towards his guest room.

    After about an hour of taking in the palace surroundings for the last time, Vida and Ari made their way to the gates. Some Othan guards were securing the luggage cart at the back of the convoy. There were guards sitting on the driver''s seat at each of the three carriages and then several on horseback to accompany them. Milli and Jannah bowed as they noticed Ari nearing the caravan and climbed into the front wagon. The middle carriage was highly decorated and obviously meant for the royals. It was painted black with ornate gold trim and matching wheels. Ari was annoyed that it was so obvious where they''d be in the convoy.

    "Are you regretting your decision already?" she heard the increasingly familiar, deep voice coming up behind her and turned around. Arell''s signature arrogant smile adorned his apathetic face as he joined her and turned around to see Ari''s family on their way as well.

    Ari chuckled softly. "Why, were you expecting me to?"

    Arell put on his impression of a kind smile for her family as they grew nearer and answered, "Yes," in a voice so quiet that Ari almost missed it.

    She wanted to retort, but her father suddenly engulfed her in a tight hug, letting go after a moment with tears in his soft, brown eyes. "Your mother would be so proud of how strong you are," he whispered to her. Ari felt a lump form in her throat as her eyes stung and threatened to spill over.

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    She had to quash the emotions and was glad, as always, for the veil over her head as Mei Lin and Ari''s youngest elder brother, Aamil, group-hugged her next. "It seems ridiculous that the godmother of our first child is going to live so far away. But... I pray you''ll be happy there little sister," Aamil said, putting his arm around Mei Lin who nodded. They looked at each other lovingly, then at Ari once more before Aasif walked up.

    He gave Ari the quickest hug of her life. She didn''t even realize that it was a hug until it was over. He bowed slightly to Arell, his face as cold as ice, then joined the rest of the family without so much as a word of goodbye.

    Aviir was glaring at Aasif as he strolled up next. He sighed before his gaze and smile softened at Ari and he hugged her gently. His long hair tickled her shoulder when he pulled away. "I smuggled a few dresses I made into your luggage. And your REAL wedding dress will be waiting for you when you two come to visit again." He grinned and pet his little sister''s head before turning to clasp Arell''s shoulder. "Keep her safe."

    Prince Arellan gave a small nod and watched as Aviir stood in the Atranian family line. They all bowed their heads at the engaged couple.

    "We bow now," Ari whispered at him. Arell and Ari bowed deeply back to them in unison.

    Arell held open the carriage door for her and as she stepped up, she turned around to wave at her family one last time. As she sat, Arell climbed in next to her and shut the door behind them. Outside the carriage windows were Vida and Ronan, already on horseback. Arell nodded at Ronan, giving him the signal to begin their journey.

    "Hyah!" Ronan called to his horse and was swiftly mimicked by the other Othan guards. The caravan was set in motion and Ari bit her lip in an effort to suppress her heartache. She watched out the window until they were out of the capital city.

    The trip into Otha would take about a day and a half if they took the path through the mountains. It seemed they were indeed taking that route, though Ari desperately wanted to ask about what happened to Arell on the way into Atrana. He must have been attacked, since he was on the brink of death. Did that mean whoever did it would attack again, but with Ari as an added bonus? Anxious thoughts filled Ari''s head but as she glanced over at Arell, he was looking out his window as cool as a cucumber. His usual emotionless expression made her click her tongue. He blinked at the noise and looked at Ari questioningly.

    "What are you thinking?" she blurted out. She was surprised at her own question, but focused on his face.

    His eyebrows furrowed. "Is this a trick question? Should I be thinking of something in particular?" he asked cautiously.

    Ari sighed and put her chin in her hand as she turned to look out the window. That man''s head was like an impregnable fortress. There was a lovely breeze outside blowing the tree branches as it swept by and it wasn''t too warm out. The sun wasn''t even shining too brightly, even though it was close to dinner time at this point. Ari gazed absent-mindedly at the lively bushes passing by with different flowers, berries, birds, and bugs inhabiting them. One even had a child laying under it.

    Wait.

    ONE HAD A CHILD LAYING UNDER IT?!

 The Demon of Otha

    "Dear Gods," Ari barely managed to whisper before she began pounding on the walls of the carriage. "Stop!" she yelled. She was practically climbing over Arell''s lap.

    Arell was completely taken aback. "What on Earth are you doing, Arinja?!" he asked in a panic, trying to scoot out from under her.

    Ari shoved the door of the carriage open and stumbled out while it was still attempting to stop. She regained her balance and hurried through the horses to the bush with the young boy. He was laying flat on his back behind it, with part of his body under it and his head exposed. He looked to be about nine or ten years old, with short brown hair and a dirty face. She quickly checked if he was breathing and felt for his pulse. Both seemed normal.

    Arell hastily came up behind her. "Is that a child?" he asked, with a hint of concern in his voice. Ari nodded, gently checking the boy''s arms and legs for wounds. She didn''t find any and there were no blood marks on any of the clothing. Milli, Jannah, and a few guards stood behind Arell with confused expressions.

    Ari studied the boy''s face for a moment while thinking. Then, she pushed back his hair in several spots until she found a large, bruised bump on his head. He was attacked. Ari stood up shakily and turned to Arell. She whispered, "Take him with us. Quickly. This is a trap."

    Arell''s eyes widened, then narrowed in anger as he nodded and scooped the boy up as per her orders. As he headed back to the carriage, he warned the guards of the potential attack. Ari told her maids to hurry back into their carriage as she and Arell, holding the boy, did the same.

    Mere moments after resuming their journey, an arrow pierced the back of their carriage and they heard war cries coming from outside. Arell clicked his tongue in annoyance, laying the boy down on the seat and leaping from the carriage. Ari leaned her head out the door, with the boy''s head in her lap. She watched Arell pull a blindfold out from his belt and wrap it over his eyes before taking out his sword. Then he ran towards the war cries.

    As worried as she was for his safety, she was also insanely curious as to why he put the blindfold on. Wouldn''t it be easier to fight without it? It''s not like murderous bandits were sparring partners. They wouldn''t go easy on him because of the blindfold.

    Ari bit at her lip nervously for several minutes until the yells began to subside into silence. She heard confident footsteps stride up to the open carriage and Arell stopped near the door, his sword dripping with blood.

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    "Are you okay?" he asked nonchalantly. The blindfold was still over his eyes.

    Ari nodded, then realized that he couldn''t see her and answered, "Yes. I''m fine. But--" Before she could finish, he pulled the arrow out of their wagon, then walked away towards the maids'' carriage to check on them. Ari squinted her eyes at him. She had so many questions.

    Vida rushed up to the royals'' carriage door, sheathing her newly cleaned sword. She leaned to peek into the wagon and examine the princess while asking, "Were you hurt?"

    Ari''s whirling thoughts were interrupted but she shook her head in response. "Did any of the guards get injuries?" she asked, checking her own guard for wounds.

    Vida exhaled and smiled weakly. "I didn''t get any, but a few of the Othans received a few scratches." At Ari''s worried look she quickly waved her hand in the air. "Nothing you need to help with, though! Just minor injuries. They''ll live to tell the tale. YOU need to be more careful showing your experience as a physician..." Vida trailed off as Arell returned from the maid''s carriage with Ronan now glued to his side.

    Arell pulled off his blindfold as Vida bowed her head to each of the royals, then resumed her place on her horse. Arell turned to Ronan and told him, "Let''s travel for two more hours, then make camp. I''d like to be far away from these mountains before we rest." He looked at the surrounding area in disdain, then climbed into the carriage as Ronan called for the caravan to begin moving yet again.

    Arell positioned the unconscious boy between them comfortably, then sighed heavily. "I hate travelling," he mumbled under his breath.

    A smile played on Ari''s lips before it fumbled while she thought of how to ask him about the blindfold. She bit her lip, then straightened herself. "Are you, perhaps, afraid of blood?" she asked cautiously.

    Arell''s jaw tensed, though his nonchalant expression wasn''t fazed. "Why do you ask?"

    Ari shrugged casually, then decided to just go for it. "I was just wondering about the blindfold. I originally thought it was just for practice but you wore it again just now, so I was curious." She swallowed hard, trying to see if he was angry or not but it was SO hard to tell with this man. She couldn''t read him at all!

    He turned to look out the window, silent for a moment. His gaze was fixed onto something distant under his heavy lashes. Without turning back, he asked her in a low voice, "Have you ever killed anyone, princess?"

    Ari''s eyebrows furrowed, confused at the question. "Of course not," she answered simply.

    Arell chuckled dryly. "Of course not," he repeated. Ari''s stomach turned painfully at the bitterness in his voice. The setting sun was bathing him in an almost red glow that only emphasized the dark aura he was giving off. His head turned just enough for him to look at her from the corners of his eyes. For the first time since meeting Arell, Ari thought that he looked... extremely dangerous. "Should I describe it to you?" he asked, a corner of his lip turning up menacingly.

    Ari shook her head quickly, trying not to show fear on her face.

    "Hmm," he mock-laughed, then turned back towards the window.

    Ari slowly let out the breath she had been holding under his gaze. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears as the caravan continued to ride away from the bloody massacre of bandits.

    She thought, ''Maybe... this WAS the Demon of Otha...''

 My vessel

    The awkward silence made Ari nervous for the next of couple hours. Arell had not turned away from the window until the caravan finally pulled into the forest away from the road and came to a stop. It was dark out now, the night sky full of twinkling stars. Ari could see the mountain ridgeline over the treetops behind them, indicating that they were now in Othan territory. Two small fires were made right away. A few guards were cooking some fish bought from the Atranian market over one fire and a pot of rice was simmering above the second. The rest of the guards went to work putting up tents, which proved to be a difficult task in the dim light. Arell left Ari in the carriage to help with the tents.

    Ari took that time to check once more on the boy. There didn''t seem to be anything wrong other than the head wound, so she tried to rouse him by gently patting his cheek. The child groaned softly and his eyes fluttered, then squeezed as he winced in pain. He brought his hand up to his head as he slowly opened his big, brown eyes and took in his surroundings. Suddenly, he was panic-stricken and hopped away from Ari.

    "Wh-Who are you?!" he asked loudly.

    Ari gave him her sweetest smile, lifting her veil now that it was dark out. "It''s alright," she cooed. "My name is Ari. You''re safe with me."

    The boy eyed her cautiously, then relaxed just a tiny bit. She certainly didn''t look anything like a bandit in her lavish clothing. "I am Odion," he told her nervously.

    Ari nodded, trying to read the boy as best she could. "Odion, please be careful moving around so quickly. You''re probably feeling light-headed and have a headache on top of the pain." Her hand floated above his head where the bump was hidden, not actually touching it since he was bruised so badly. "You should try to relax until you feel better."

    "I feel fine," Odion lied. He tried to stand up and get out of the carriage, but swayed and fell to the seat as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

    Ari took hold of his arm to steady him. "Let me help you," she told him sternly.

    Odion''s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why do you want to help me?" he asked, bewildered.

    Ari furrowed her own eyebrows right back at him. "Why wouldn''t I?"

    After a moment of Odion trying to process that question, Arell cleared his throat at the carriage entrance, startling the boy. Which was understandable. Most people would be frightened by a very tall, scary-looking man suddenly appearing behind them.

    "You''re up," Arell stated the obvious at a near-hyperventilating Odion before peering around to Ari. "Your tent is ready. Food should be ready soon as well." He glanced away from Ari awkwardly, then made his way back to the row of tents being put together.

    Ari sighed, feeling every bit of that awkwardness herself, then smiled at Odion. "Let''s go eat." She kept her hand on his arm while he staggered out of the carriage. She got out herself and helped him walk over to sit on a log next to one of the small fires. The night was quite chilly now that the sun wasn''t out and the breeze still blew. Ari held her hands out closer to the fire, rubbing them for extra warmth and Odion followed suit. Vida brought plates of food for them and herself, plopping herself down next to Ari tiredly.

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    Grateful for the hot meal to warm her further, Ari took a bite of the fire-roasted fish with rice and chewed for about one second until she really tasted it. BLAND. Ari didn''t like seafood very much to begin with but the taste could be masked. Except that this fish had nothing on it! It tasted WAY too fishy. Swallowing hard, she looked over to find the same sour face as hers on Vida, but the guard powered through the lack of flavor. When she glanced at Odion, she had to do a double-take. His plate was empty. Ari looked around the log to see if he might have dropped his food and he looked at her with an eyebrow raised. When she blinked back at him in confusion, he opened his mouth and pointed inside.

    "I ate it," he stated bluntly. Ari blinked at him again in awe, then quickly deposited her almost-whole fish onto his plate. He looked up at her with adorable brown eyes sparkling in admiration before he wolfed that one down as well. Ari watched him, somewhat fascinated and somewhat disgusted, as she ate just her rice, trying desperately to get the fishy taste out of her mouth. Judging from the rags Odion was dressed in and the complete lack of meat on his bones, Ari didn''t think the boy had a family to go back to. He was probably taken from the streets to be used as bait for the bandits.

    After they were finished, Vida led them to one of the two large tents, surrounded by the row of smaller tents. Before Ari entered, she looked over at the other large tent to see the shadows of Arell and Ronan already inside. At the other fire, Milli and Jannah were eating and listening to the Othan guards boisterously chatting. Vida handed Ari a lantern, then took Odion to one of the smaller tents before returning to Ari''s.

    Inside was a small cot set up for Ari and heavy bedding on the ground for her guard. Vida had also brought in some of Ari''s bags so they could change clothes in the morning. Mere minutes after Vida blew out their lantern, Ari was fast asleep.

    ~*~~~*~

    Athena''s golden hair flowed behind her as she strode determinedly into Hera''s garden. The ground was the softest of grass and felt like walking on pillows. The greenhouse walls sparkled with some unknown source of light and the ceiling shown a most vividly colorful sunrise, never before seen by man. Rows upon rows of colorful plant life filled the garden with statuesque water fountains marking the ends of each row, filling the room with the soothing sound of flowing water. Athena stopped a few feet behind Hera, whose back was turned to her.

    Hera bent down and smelled her flowers with a soft smile on her beautiful face, her long chestnut hair floating in waves around her. She wore a blue and white gown that resembled a perfect sky and clouds, and was adorned with a gaudy golden crown and jewelry to match. She was surrounded by the glow of a blue light that somehow still seemed warm. There was no mistaking the Queen of the Gods.

    Hera spoke to Athena without looking up from her flowers. "To what do I owe this pleasure, dear daughter?"

    Hera''s voice was as sweet as a voice could possibly sound, but Athena knew that her visits to Hera were never a pleasure. She straightened herself behind her step mother and asked, "What, exactly, are your plans with my vessel? None of my previous ones have ever gotten married. I assumed that this was an unspoken agreement between us."

    Hera stood up straight and turned around to face Athena, her hair and dress swirling slowly with the motion. "Well, this one is different," she answered nonchalantly, still smiling sweetly.

    Athena narrowed her eyes, trying desperately to hold in her anger. "Why?" she asked slowly through her teeth.

    Hera walked the garden, with Athena following behind her. "Her marriage was decided even before her birth. Just as it was decided that you would be connected to her."

    "She doesn''t need to be married to become a great woman. I can assure you that she is MORE than capable by herself. She''s very strong," Athena informed her confidently.

    Hera only nodded, stopping at a group of daffodils shooting proudly up out of the ground to gently caress the petals. "I''m fully aware of your vessel''s capabilities." She glanced at Athena, her smile growing deeper. "Her mother was my vessel."

    Athena couldn''t hide her shock. "Then, why...?" Her question hung in the air.

    Hera glided up to Athena and placed a daffodil in her step daughter''s hair. "I think it''s time for some change."

 Back on the road

    ~*~~~*~

    Ari awoke to Vida gently shaking her shoulder. She sat up and groggily rubbed her eyes before opening them to see her guard''s stoic face. A familiar view that she saw almost every morning, since she was terrible at waking up herself. Vida had prepared a bowl of warm water and a cloth for Ari to give herself a quick clean before changing. She glanced down at the cot where an overly extravagant gown and jewelry that Vida picked out for her was laid out and scrunched her nose up in response.

    "Why am I wearing something this lavish to travel in? That seems a bit much, don''t you think?" she asked Vida pointedly.

    Vida''s lips pressed together as she picked up the bowl to go empty it and reminded the princess, "We''ll be arriving at the Othan palace today. You''ll want to wear something appropriate to meet everyone there, yes?" With another terse look and a turn on her heel, Vida exited the tent to give Ari some privacy while she changed.

    Ari flinched at her friend''s words, then sighed heavily. Because Vida was right, as she always was. The bitter expression never left Ari''s face, though, while she pulled the dress on. It was truly beautiful and still probably one of the more "simple" gowns that her brother had designed for her. It was a mint green color but the sleeves that hung off her shoulders were a sheer gold that flowed down as a layer over the flowy skirt. There was a slit on both front sides of the skirt that would reveal Ari''s long legs when she walked, which were only covered with translucent golden harem pants. An intricate golden leaf design connected the sash under her chest to the sheer fabric that cascaded from her shoulder, down her back, and up to the other shoulder in a scooped shape. She decided to pair it with more simple jewelry, swapping the chunky jewels that Vida had picked for thin, gold options instead. Vida returned just in time to brush and braid Ari''s hair. Ari didn''t miss the decorative gold beads that her friend wove into the braids. The veil Ari donned matched her dress, mint green in color embroidered with the gold leaf design. She scowled at Vida, with her comfortable clothes and simple ponytail, in disdain and jealousy.

    They packed up what little they had in the tent and exited just in time to catch Arell and Ronan leaving their tent at the same time. The four of them paused and looked at each other apprehensively for a while until Ari cleared her throat gracelessly and made her way to the carriages, Vida in tow. She didn''t know how to feel about Arell now. She had thought he was cold and arrogant at first and she really didn''t mind him, but after last night�� there was an inkling of fear mixed into her emotions. Though the last thing she wanted was to be afraid of her future husband. She hoped that the rumors of Arell being a demon were just that; rumors. She hoped that the fiendish glint in his eye was a trick of the light from the setting sun. As silly as it was, she also hoped that Arell would never have to kill anyone ever again. But maybe that was the physician in her that conjured up such a pipe dream.

    Vida touched Ari''s arm gently, jolting her from her thoughts. "You can get in the carriage now, Princess Ari," Vida told her slowly with a slightly concerned look on her face. She held out a small basket for Ari. "It''s breakfast," Vida informed her.

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    Ari smiled, then searched around the campsite for her maids. Jannah was in the process of taking down Ari''s tent with Milli crouched beside her, wiping Odion''s face with a cloth. Milli was speaking to Odion with a strangely parental look on her young face and Odion was nodding in response to her words with wide, attentive eyes. As Ari sat down in the carriage, she felt a surge of consolation once again that her maids had agreed to join her. They worked basically the entire time that Ari was conscious, every single day, and never once complained about their jobs. Not that Ari tried to make their jobs difficult in any way. It mostly consisted of cleaning, cooking rarely when necessary, and minor errands like drawing a bath or fetching some paperwork. And they were paid quite well, in all fairness. But to be at someone''s beck-and-call at all times wasn''t something that Ari took lightly and was thankful for everything that they did.

    Arell sat down next to her and closed the carriage door. As Ari looked outside, she realized that she had been lost in thought long enough for the entire camp to be packed back up. The sunlight was beginning to bare itself over the horizon now. She gulped quietly and glanced at Arell out of the corner of her eye. He looked so stiff, sitting completely straight with his hands on his knees and his lips pressed together tightly, staring straight ahead. Honestly, he looked kind of amusing that way.

    After a few minutes, the caravan made their way back on the road. It would only be half a day until they reached Otha''s capital city, Isara. They''d arrive before dinner if the rest of the trip went smoothly.

    Suddenly, Ari heard a gurgling sound. She turned and looked at Arell with a questioning expression. He quickly reached up and put his hand on his stomach, as if the noise would stop if he physically held it in.

    He chuckled sheepishly. "I haven''t eaten yet," he admitted.

    Ari looked down at the basket she was all but squeezing the life out of in the tense atmosphere. "Ah��" was all she said as she loosened her grip and held it out to him.

    He shot her a grateful look as he took out an apple. He finished it quickly, tossing the core out the window to become fertilizer. He resumed his rigid position, opening his mouth to speak several times, then shutting it with furrowed brows before Ari finally cut him a break.

    "Is there something you''d like to say?" Ari tried to keep her voice neutral, although she was suspicious of him after yesterday''s episode.

    Arell blinked anxiously. "I have rarely ever had to apologize in my life�� But I''ve realized that I need to now. For my behavior, I mean. I spoke unfairly to you and that''s not how I want to start our relationship." He paused, considering all of his past actions and his next words carefully. "I can''t promise that I''ll be completely righteous because that would be a lie, but in no way do I want to disrespect you. I will try my best not to do so in the future." He searched Ari''s veiled face for a reaction but she kept her poise.

    Ari took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "Thank you for apologizing. I''m sure it took a lot of courage to admit that you were wrong and I can appreciate your efforts."

    For a moment, there was a look of complete surprise on Arell''s face, but he suppressed it just as quickly as it came. His body relaxed like a weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. Ari wondered why in the world he was so surprised at her words.

 Welcome to Otha

    Isara was not like Algeva. The first thing Ari noticed was that the soil was more dry here in Otha than on the other side of the mountain range. The city gates were heavily guarded by strong, fully-armored men. There was a tall stone wall that surrounded the city, wide enough for guards to walk along it and scout the surrounding area. Heavy, solid wood double doors opened for the caravan and the guardsmen bowed at the hip while the carriages passed through. Inside Isara, everything seemed�� cold. The border wall casted lengthy shadows over the city. Guards patrolled the dusty streets regularly. The air seemed almost stifling to Ari. There was a significant lack of color in both the construction and the citizens themselves. Most clothing was a neutral gray, brown, or tan and buildings were made of stone and wood. But it was as if Othans didn''t know what paint was. Or didn''t care. There was not much of a "bazaar" along the main roads, with almost all of the shops running from inside of the buildings themselves instead of the tents and tables located outside that Ari was used to. It made the mood seem less carefree. The surprisingly pale residents who wanted to buy something here would usually go into a shop with a purpose, as opposed to merchants displaying their goods enthusiastically and calling people over to them. Also, the buildings were very tall, some two or three windows high. Atrana didn''t have very many buildings that tall, most were one-story constructs, maybe with a small loft or attic of sorts. Even the Atranian palace''s main roof was about the height of a regular two-story building here.

    Then, the dirt road gave way to cobblestone and they came upon the castle. It was hard to miss. If Ari wasn''t used to three-story buildings, the Othan castle was another world entirely. It was almost as tall as a mountain and about as wide as one, too. Ari had read about some countries having astonishingly large homes such as this, but it was completely different to see it in person and not as words on a page. The castle was�� intimidating. She could see why very few countries would choose to attack Otha with a capital city as threatening as Isara.

    Another gate opened for them to lead onto the castle grounds. There was plant life inside but it mostly consisted of trees (several kinds of oak and a few others), ivy vines climbing up the castle walls, and weed-like, spiky grass. Nothing even close to the soft, luscious greenery that Atrana boasted. Ari bit her lip and thought uneasily about her herbs. She had wanted to start a garden, since she needed the herbs for talking to Athena and practicing medicine. It would take a lot more time and effort than she was expecting to get a garden started in unyielding soil like this. Luckily she had a decent supply stocked to bring along when the news of her engagement was sprung upon her. But it wouldn''t last forever.

    The carriage drew to a stop as the road wrapped in a circle in front of the palace. The middle of the circle path housed a water fountain with a statue on top. The statue was of a man holding a tall, curved spear with a round shield strapped to his other arm. The face of the statue was covered by a helmet but whoever built this statue did not leave out the muscles. It was a large man.

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    Finally, everyone stepped away from the caravan. A collective relief was felt amongst them as the journey came to an end and they didn��t have to endure the constant movement anymore. Nobody wanted to so much as look at another horse and carriage for weeks to come. The guards began unpacking as maids rushed out of the palace to instruct them on where to go and to greet the arriving royals. Ari glanced at her own maids who were issuing orders to the palace maids as well. It was a strange sight to see. The maids of the castle wore cream and gray colored dresses with tan aprons tied around their waists while Milli and Jannah were dressed in lovely matching lilac gowns. It seemed like Ari''s maids were of a higher station somehow, or the Othan maids were of lower station somehow, and she wondered if that was normal here.

    As Arell noticed Ari''s observations, he touched her arm gently. "We should greet my father first," he told her and Ari nodded in agreement with a small smile. The sun was beginning to set already and she was getting hungry, so she really wanted to get introductions out of the way as quickly as possible. Their personal guards trailed behind them as he led her inside the palace through a few large, under-decorated halls until he stopped in front of a set of double doors and knocked on them. Ari watched as Arell straightened his shoulders and she tensed up nervously herself.

    "Yes, come in," they heard a deep voice reply tersely. Arell threw Ari a tight smile before opening one of the doors and sweeping inside.

    There was a long table where several men stood. Some were dressed in nice nobles'' tunics of dark colors and some men wore light armor. At the end of the table was a grand chair that a tall, middle-aged man in a rich purple and gold tunic stood in front of, clearly the forerunner of this meeting. He had salt and pepper hair and matching stubble on his strong face. His narrowed eyes were a striking light green and Ari knew instantly that he was Arell''s father. He had the same cold, austere aura about him that Arell did as well. As there were no windows in this room, Ari gently flipped back the front part of her veil and bowed to the king in respect at the same time that her fianc�� did.

    "King Titus, we have returned," Arell announced and he stood up straight. Ari noticed how he referred to the king: ''King Titus'' instead of ''Father''.

    There were whispers among the men in the room as they inspected a flamboyantly dressed Arell and the woman that entered with their prince. To them, Ari must have seemed as foreign as Otha was to her. King Titus'' gaze shifted behind Arell to Ari, as well, and a warm smile spread across his callous face while his eyes softened, causing all whispers to cease immediately. The King strode right past Arell and up to Ari, taking her hands in his.

    "Welcome to Otha, Princess Arinja. It''s wonderful to finally meet you in person," the deep voice uttered tenderly. Ari froze in her place with an awkward smile, looking to Arell for help. But considering his cocked eyebrow and look of bewilderment, it didn''t seem like he was going to offer any explanation here.

    King Titus let go of Ari''s hands to wave his hand in the air as he turned to the men, shooing them out. "That''s all for today. You''re dismissed," his voice reverted back to a serious tone while addressing them. The men blinked, then shuffled out, resuming their gossiping as they exited. Titus turned back to Ari and Arell. "You must be tired and hungry. Let''s go eat dinner, shall we?"

 The frozen tundra

    The dining hall was as large as the Atranian palace''s entire throne room. Did they have parties in here? Why was it so big? Ari couldn''t even see the chairs at the other end of the long dining table from where she was seated. This room was somewhat decorated, though not nearly as colorful as any room you''d find in Atrana. The table was set beautifully with candelabras flickering every few feet or so down the deep purple and gold tablecloth. Matching curtains draped the windows and beautiful, sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The chairs were especially plush and comfortable and each was adorned with a golden sash tied into a perfect bow. Maids stood aside, waiting to carry in the meal and Vida and Ronan joined the guards at the doorway.

    Ari sipped her wine awkwardly while she sat in silence between the king and Arell. Apparently King Titus had to send for the rest of the family to join them, as eating together was not a daily routine for the royal family of Otha. In fact, it was quite rare for any of them to eat together. But apparently Titus thought that this was a special enough occasion.

    Finally, a woman entered that was not much younger than Ari. She had long, wavy black hair and lovely, light hazel eyes. Strangely, her skin color was very similar to Ari''s: a caramel tone but very fair. Like a caramel whipped cream. Very different from the pale complexions of the city''s residents.  Actually, a lot of her features reminded Ari of Atranian women. Arell stood up and walked over to greet her with a warm smile and Ari followed suit.

    "Oh, you stupid brother. You didn''t even tell me you were leaving!" She smacked his back gently while she hugged him. As she pulled away, she glanced at Ari before giving Arell a pointed, questioning look.

    Arell''s smile turned sly. "Yes, it''s as you think. This is Arinja."

    "So that''s where you went!" the woman excitedly exclaimed to Arell before she rushed over to Ari and enveloped her in a warm hug. "Welcome to Otha, Arinja! I''m Arell''s younger sister, Atia."

    Ari''s eyebrows shot up, then furrowed and she quickly let go of Atia. "Atia is��"

    "Your mother''s name, yes. We named her after your mother," King Titus piped up to answer the question before Ari could form the words. He smiled gently at the girls.

    "You knew my mother?" Ari asked Titus.

    But before he could answer, the doors opened again and an extremely handsome man strode in. He had dark brown hair that swept over his eyes and the same light green eyes as Titus. But he lacked the coldness that the other two men in the room shared, instead appearing suave and every bit like the storybook princes that Ari read about as a child. However, his greeting consisted of pausing in the doorway, saying nothing except, "Brother," and immediately sitting at the table with a straight face.

    Ari noticed the way Arell rolled his dark green eyes and clicked his tongue softly. She was beginning to suspect that he clicked his tongue when he was annoyed by something. It was a cute little quirk.

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    "That''s Marcus," Atia whispered to Ari. "They don''t get along very well." That last part Ari had already guessed herself, but having the confirmation was nice.

    Moments later, a goddess entered the room. At least, she looked like one. She was petite but her hair was as long as Ari''s, golden, and curled at the ends. Her face could easily compare to Athena''s, which was saying something because Athena was the most beautiful woman that Ari had ever encountered. The woman''s facial features were sharp and her eyes were the most incredible shade of purple. She wore a violet gown with an empire waist and a long golden cloak draped on one side. She somehow pulled the look off seamlessly despite her average height. Without a word, or even a glance in Ari''s direction, the woman took her seat next to Marcus. She smiled at King Titus and bowed her head, but that was the only greeting she offered.

    Atia sighed next to Ari. "And that is Tatiana. She''s�� complicated."

    Complicated? Ari wanted to pry further but Atia moved to sit down as well, in the open chair next to Arell''s.

    Arell gave Ari a painful smile as he whispered, "I''m so sorry for this. Family gatherings here are nothing like yours."

    Ari bit her lip nervously, then took a deep breath and smiled back at him. "It''s okay. It''s what I signed up for, right?"

    Arell''s face fell for a moment. Then, he straightened himself and led Ari back to their seats. It was amazing how quickly he could compose himself. But that was probably a necessary trait for someone of royalty in Otha. Ari wondered briefly if she had upset him with her words.

    Dinner was served and while it was bland, Ari was hungry enough to ignore the lack of taste. At least there was no fish in this meal. Everyone remained silent as they ate. There wasn''t even the sound of silverware clinking against the dishes. Ari had to be careful to put her table manners to good use amongst this family.

    After he finished eating, Titus finally broke the silence. "Everyone, this is Arinja. She''ll be staying with us from now on." Neither Marcus or Tatiana seemed to care about this announcement until King Titus added, "As Arellan''s future wife."

    Tatiana spit her wine out onto the beautiful tablecloth and Marcus choked on a piece of chicken at that wonderful bit of news. Atia pressed her lips together but Aria definitely heard her chuckle as Arell''s eyes narrowed at the two people across the table. She could already feel his aura getting icier. She even got goosebumps.

    Marcus managed to swallow his chicken properly, then stood up to point an accusing finger at Arell. He turned his reddened (yet somehow still elegant) face to Titus, his finger still aimed at his brother. "You''re not thinking of letting him get married first, are you?!" His voice was really trying to be loud but he was still coughing a bit from the choking incident.

    Titus only sipped his wine, the cold aura around him seeming to freeze the entire room as he looked up at Marcus with narrowed eyes. Ari could really see the resemblance between Arell and Titus at that moment. The two men were like merciless fiends. Titus set his wine glass down slowly and replied to Marcus in an indifferent tone, "I don''t think it''s any of your business which son of mine I let marry first."

    Atia put her fork down loudly, causing everyone to look sheepishly in her direction. When she looked up from her plate to Marcus, her eyes held the same fierceness that her father''s did. "You just learned that your younger brother is engaged and the first thing you think of is yourself?" Her voice held none of the warmth that it did earlier. Atia had turned into.. well, a female version of Arell. Ari was feeling pretty awkward in this frozen tundra.

 OUR quarters

    Marcus huffed as his arm dropped to his side. He scowled at his brother, but it was like a tiny drop in the pool of rage that Arell''s eyes held. Marcus looked as if there was a lot more he wanted to say on the matter but just spat out a bitter, "Congratulations, Brother." Then, he emptied his wine glass and sat down with a loud thump.

    Tatiana used a cloth napkin to dab at her mouth with her eyes closed and her back stiffened. Ari swore that she saw her eyebrow twitching, too. When she opened her eyes, they held no emotion that Ari could pinpoint.

    "This is truly a night for celebration." Tatiana stated in a monotone with her chin in the air. Her voice was gentle, yet confident and sounded higher pitched than Ari''s own sultry voice. Tatiana was the epitome of what Ari imagined an Othan princess to be. Tatiana continued, "I have also decided to accept Marcus''s proposal."

    Everyone''s eyebrows raised except for Marcus''s, whose eyebrows furrowed.

    After about a full minute of uncomfortable silence, Marcus finally cleared his throat. "Uh, whi-which proposal?"

    Tatiana threw him a scornful look with fire in her dark magenta eyes. "The marriage proposal," she answered through her teeth.

    Marcus froze with his eyes widened. He lost all of the cool, princely aura. He looked like a possum that was about to keel over and play dead. His voice came out as a whisper. "Were we taking that seriously?"

    Tatiana sipped her wine nonchalantly. "You said yourself that you wanted to marry first. What better time is there to respect your mother''s suggestion for our marriage than now? You agreed to it back then. Have you changed your mind?"

    "I''m�� I''m not complaining, don''t get me wrong. It''s just�� sudden," Marcus stuttered. Apparently he wasn''t expecting Tatiana to ever give him an answer. Let alone have that answer be a ''yes''.

    Atia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sudden is right." The two women gazed at each other intensely, Tatiana with blazing eyes and Atia with icy ones. Ari looked back and forth between them, not knowing what kind of face she was supposed to be making other than confusion.

    Suddenly, Arell stood up, his chair almost falling back from the force. "Well, this was another lovely family dinner but I think I''m going to take Arinja to our quarters now. Congratulations to you two and good evening." He bowed his head to King Titus, then held his hand out for Ari.

    Ari was quick to take it gratefully. She smiled nervously and gave a swift bow to everyone before Arell gently pulled her away from the battlefield of a dinner table. She was so relieved when they left the dining hall that she didn''t realize how vocally she let out her breath.

    Arell chuckled. "I did warn you."

    Ari felt her cheeks warm at the sound of his deep chuckle. "Yes, you did," she answered. "And yet it was still worse than I had imagined." Ari replayed the entire scene out in her head as Arell led her up one of the two grand staircases that graced the castle''s large foyer. There was one thing that bothered her. "Did you say�� ''our quarters''?"

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    Arell said nothing, just glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye with a dangerous smile curling at his lips. Ari became acutely aware of her hand wrapped in his just then. She was barely paying attention to her surroundings, apparently, because they unexpectedly stopped in front of a set of large double doors with curled, golden handles.

    Arell opened one of the doors and stepped aside with his arm gesturing towards the dimly lit interior. "After you, Your Highness."

    Ari anxiously entered a small living area. She faced a lit fireplace that warmed the room and bathed it in a soft orange glow. It was surrounded by a few comfortable chairs and a beautiful chaise lounge that was arranged on an intricate rug. To the right was an intimate dining area. A small table with two chairs sat under a simple gold chandelier. There was a door to the right as well.

    "What''s in there?" Ari turned around to ask, but was surprised as she found herself inches away from Arell''s collarbone. She instinctively took a step back and glanced away, flustered.

    "Hmm." Arell''s lips were a straight line as he answered, "We''ll come back to that. Let''s tour the bedroom first."

    Bedroom. As in, one room. Singular. But she couldn''t complain. This was to be expected of a couple about to be married.

    Ari gulped and followed him to the left side of the living area through another set of double doors. She was pleasantly surprised when she entered. The room was full of bright colors! The windows were draped with heavy, forest green curtains and had patterns of colorful flowers sewn at the bottom. A huge canopy bed centered the left wall with teal and gold curtains, blankets, and pillows. Gracing the ground in front of the bed was a rug of the same floral pattern that was sewn into the drapes. Warm light emanated from candelabras sitting on small dressers next to either side of the bed. Vivid paintings of flower fields adorned the walls. There were three doors on the right side of the room.

    Ari turned to Arell with an eyebrow lifted. "Are these things from Atrana?" she asked, knowing already that they were.

    Arell''s face softened with a smile. "I thought you''d like it better than the dull Othan furnishings." He looked away and scratched the back of his head, mumbling softly, "It''ll be like your haven." He strode over to the other doors and opened them, gesturing to each one as he told her, "My closet, wash room, your closet."

    The closets each had a beautifully painted changing screen and large chests for clothes inside of them. All of her luggage had been placed inside of her closet as well. But Ari gasped when she stepped into the wash room. It was huge! The far wall was almost entirely made of glass, basically a sunroom, with French doors leading outside. The same heavy curtains from inside the room were hanging on these windows too, but pulled back to give Ari the full view of the private courtyard. In front of the French doors inside of the washroom was some sort of in-ground pool with sparkling blue water. Steam rose from the water and looked incredibly inviting to a tired Ari. There was a generous vanity area and a private toilet area on either side of the room.

    Ari wandered over to the pool and dipped her hand in, letting the water fall as she lifted her hand back up. It was so hot! She gazed out into the courtyard as her hand trailed the soothing water. It was a hill that lay flat with the second story of the castle on the left side before it dipped up into a mountain. The yard formed a sort of grassy bridge between the mountain and the castle. They must have built this castle into the hill and dug it out just enough to have this yard. But it was worth it. On either side of the courtyard, Ari could see the mountains in the distance and the stars and moon looked as if she could walk to the edge of the hill and grab them.

    Arell crouched down next to her, watching Ari as she ogled the view. "I received this part of the palace as a reward after I commanded in my first war. The whole castle was built here because of this hot spring." He dipped his hand into the pool as well.

    Ari tore her gaze away from the night sky. "That''s a fairly good reward. This is amazing!" She stood up and began slipping out of her sandals while removing her jewelry.

    Panicked, Arell stood up as well. His eyes were the widest Ari had ever seen them, very different from his usually tense expressions. She could get used to that. "What, exactly, are you doing?!" he asked while shielding his eyes.

 Goddess of Temptation

    Ari giggled quietly at his flustered response. After she removed her accessories, she stepped into the hot spring water with her sheer harem pants and fancy gown still on. She slowly edged into the middle of the pool while her body got used to the heat and quickly dipped her head in. It was complete bliss, warming her body and soothing her soul. She glanced at Arell, who was still turned away and giggled again softly.

    "Don''t worry, I''m decent," she informed him, scooping some water and pouring it down her shoulders to stay warm.

    Arell cautiously peeked his head over his shoulder and relaxed when he noticed she was still dressed. He sighed, then smiled. "If you wanted to bathe, I would''ve left."

    Ari smiled back at him, fully enjoying how tense he was. "I just wanted to feel the water. Will you join me?" she teased further, her smile widening with a glint in her eye.

    Except, too bad for her. With a mischievous grin, Arell pulled his kurta right over his head and threw it on the vanity desk. Ari''s smile faltered and she froze up, turning away from the broad back and rippling muscles that she was already familiar with. But this was quite a different situation than just bandaging Arell up. She was now alone in the wash room with her fianc�� who was half-naked. Very dangerous. He took off his boots and entered the pool in only his silk pants. He also dipped underwater, then whipped his head back and Ari swore it was as if he was in slow-motion as she watched the water flick back from his hair and glisten off of his shoulder muscles.

    Which was when she realized something. His shoulder was perfect. He had a few scars across his lightly tanned chest and back, but the shoulder that was clearly injured just days before? Flawless. Now, Ari had healed people before and the wounds had closed up much faster than usual. However, even with her best magic previously, wounds still left a scar of some sort. And she didn''t even use strong magic on Arell!

    "Ogling me again, are we Princess?"

    Ari blinked up at his cocky expression and instantly blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring at his body yet again. Although she wasn''t actually ogling his body, any woman would in this situation. It was truly a sight to behold. And she had no excuse to give him because she couldn''t ask about the wound that she stitched up in secret. So she kept her mouth shut and began unbraiding her hair while enjoying the water.

    ~*~~~*~

    Arell leaned back against the wall of the pool and watched Ari take her hair down. There was something on his mind that he''d been itching to ask. This calm silence was probably as good a time as any to bring it up.

    He tried to pick his words wisely. "I once came across your personal physician. I know your health isn''t�� the best. I was wondering if I should send for her to join us here in the palace. If you''d be more comfortable with her than with another physician, that is." He pushed his dripping hair back with his hand to see Ari better.

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    She paused mid-braid and bit her lip gently, looking away. She replied in a quiet voice, "I''ve�� already asked her to come. She may arrive soon. Thank you for thinking of me, though."

    Arell nodded solemnly. For some reason, he felt intrigued by the royal physician. He would never, by any means, cheat on his wife! But something about the physician''s golden eyes and selfless charity stirred something in him that he didn''t know could be stirred. Was it gratitude? A sense of being indebted? He wasn''t sure, but he wanted to know more about the mysterious woman. And he wanted to thank her for saving his life.

    Of course, he didn''t think any woman could surpass the one in front of him. With her long, black hair swaying in the water, her stunning teal eyes, high cheekbones, and regal face. She was more than the woman of his dreams because he couldn''t have dreamt of a woman so perfect. Her light caramel skin glowed in the moonlit water as she finished unbraiding her hair and dove one more time beneath the pool''s steaming surface. There was no way that this woman wasn''t a goddess. That''s it: Arinja, the Goddess of Temptation. Ari stood up with a comfortable sigh and smile, then began stepping out of the spring. Her wet clothes clung to her ample curves as she exited and Arell could practically see right through the sheer fabrics. He choked on nothing but his own sinister thoughts and coughed violently as he looked away.

    Pulling one of the matching robes hanging near the vanity to wrap around herself, she looked at Arell questioningly. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

    He nodded and smiled awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Perfectly fine!" He wasn''t. She was going to be the death of him. She was nothing like the thin, petite Othan women that vied for his attention and he was so glad for that. He wasn''t attracted to most of the women in this country. He preferred Arinja, tall and just curvy enough.

    She raised an eyebrow at him but didn''t question further on the topic. Instead, she asked, "So what was in that other room?" while she gently patted her wet hair with a cloth.

    "Oh, right." Arell got out and lazily threw a robe on, not bothering to wrap it at all. The cool air on his wet skin felt welcoming right about now, especially when trying to get his mind off of Ari. He led her back through the living area and opened the aforementioned door to the right. Inside was a prayer room, as specifically requested by Ari''s maids. At one end of the room was a simple table with large candles on it and on the ground was a pile of comfortable pillows to kneel on for praying. "Your second haven," he told her in a velvety voice.

    She looked surprised for a split second, then turned and flashed one of the heart-stopping smiles she''d been giving him all night. "This is perfect! Thank you. Everything is wonderful."

    He felt a surge of relief that she seemed to like everything.

    But then he felt a surge of something else. A wild thirst for conflict. A need to relish in destruction. The raging desire was suddenly overwhelming. It consumed him as his eyes blazed deep red. He tried to squeeze his eyes shut quickly, though he knew that Ari was staring right at him. She must have seen the abrupt change both in his eyes and demeanor. But he didn''t want to open his eyes to see her terrified reaction.

    Dammit. It was Ares. Why?! Why now, of all times?!

 A dizzy spell

    Arell fought Ares for control. He wasn''t sure why Ares even wanted control. Nothing about this situation with Arinja hinted towards a fierce battle of any kind. He wasn''t even arguing with her at the moment! Everything was perfectly fine.

    ''Like hell it is.'' Ares'' impossibly deep voice scoffed arrogantly in his mind. ''Give me control!''

    Arell turned away from Ari, not wanting to give away anything from his angry expressions.

    ''You''re not needed now Ares. Leave me!'' Arell attempted to persuade the aggravated god.

    He heard a low growl in response and a long pause before the god finally spat, ''This time, vessel. Just this time��'' as Ares'' overwhelming feelings slowly faded back into the depths of Arell''s soul. He wasn''t sure why Ares was so fired up, but he hoped that, despite the clear warning, Ares wouldn''t surprise him like that again. Ever.

    Arell felt a delicate hand on his arm and Ari''s hushed, sultry voice cautiously asked, "Is everything alright?"

    Knowing that his eyes were probably still changing back to green, he kept them closed and pretended to rub his temple with a pained expression. "Yes, I apologize. I suddenly felt dizzy. I must''ve soaked in the hot spring for too long."

    ~*~~~*~

    Ari bit her lip. She could''ve sworn she saw that red glint in his eyes once more earlier, as they reflected the warm glow of the candles dancing in the otherwise dark prayer room. She considered that he might be angry with her for something, but she didn''t think that she did anything to be angry for. That time, at least. She proceeded to pry him carefully.

    "I can ask for some water. Would you like to sit down?" She tried to peer around to see his face, as he kept his back turned from her. His eyes were still tightly shut and his face slightly scrunched, but he nodded slowly. She really wanted to make sure he was okay, but considering he had already mentioned her alternate identity as a physician just before, thought that might not be the best idea. Instead, she slowly walked while leading him over to the chaise lounge in the living area. While he sat down clutching his head with one hand, Ari quickly rushed to the double doors of their quarters to find Vida and Ronan standing just outside. They looked a little taken aback to see Ari''s head poking out of the doorway but Ari brushed their reactions off.

    "Ronan, could you please ask a maid to bring some water? Arell is feeling a bit dizzy."

    Ronan, a tall young man with burnt orange colored hair, light blue eyes, and a seemingly slender body, furrowed his eyebrows. Although he seemed confused, he still nodded and replied, "Right away, Highness," without question.

    Before he was able to take a step, Ari added, "Oh, also some chamomile tea, please."

    This time, Ronan''s expression was clearly bewildered. "I shall�� ask for it, Your Highness," he stated hesitantly.

    At his expression, Ari sighed. "If they don''t have any, hot water and tea cups will do just fine." She thought that chamomile would grow fairly well in Otha, but maybe it wasn''t as common as she assumed it to be.

    Ronan nodded quickly as he hurried away and Ari left the door cracked open for the arrival of the drinks. She sat beside Arell on the chaise lounge, trying to evaluate his condition without actually touching him. His eyes were still shut, though not squeezed tightly anymore. He had subsided to rubbing small circles on his forehead as well, leaning back against the lounge with one of his ankles resting on the other knee. She desperately wanted to make sure he was okay. He was a bit pale, probably dehydrated. But if he had a fever as well, it could get to be much worse than a simple dizzy spell. She was stuck in these thoughts for several anxiously silent minutes.

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    She bit her lip and decided to risk it. "Can I check if you have a fever?" she asked softly. She watched his face closely as his eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded anyway. She scooted closer to him and leaned forward, gently taking the wrist of the hand he was using to rub his forehead. She tried to place her fingers inconspicuously on the precise spot to feel his pulse as she lifted herself onto her knees to place her forehead on his for a more accurate temperature. She closed her eyes to listen to his pulse for a few moments.

    As the sound of a throat clearing came from the front doors, Ari jumped in shock and opened her eyes to stare right into Arell''s widened green ones. Both of their cheeks reddened at the same time and Ari swiftly sat back down with her back stiff, staring into a random corner of the room. Ronan stood in the foyer carrying a golden tray and desperately fighting to keep a knowing smirk off of his face. Vida peered out from around him, her eyebrow raised and her mouth in its usual partial frown. Ari felt like she had been caught doing something indecent, although she definitely wasn''t.

    Ari cleared her throat as well. "Th-Thank you, Ronan. You may leave it on the table." She tried to keep her chin held high, even if she wanted terribly to hide her flushed face with her hands.

    Ronan purposefully avoided looking at the royals while he placed the tray of drinks on top of the small dining table. He turned on his heel and smiled like an old, wily fox. His hair color only further aided his foxlike expression. "If anyone wishes to bother you, I''ll inform them that you are both feeling unwell tonight. Let me know if there''s anything else I may help with," he said and then bowed at the hip. His tone was borderline mocking. It reminded Ari very much of her best friend, whose eyebrow was still lifted as she stood at the door. Ronan exited the room, having to drag a narrow-eyed Vida out behind him and shutting the double doors with the same wily smile.

    After several awkward moments of neither Ari nor Arell gathering the courage to look at each other, Ari stood up and shuffled over to the dining table. As expected, there was merely a teapot of hot water instead of tea. Ari sighed again, then poured Arell a glass of regular water from the pitcher on the tray. She brought him the glass and stood in front of him as he held it tightly in his hands.

    After a second, he glanced up at her just standing there watching him fiercely. "Is something wrong?" he asked tentatively.

    Ari shook her head, pointing to the water glass. "I want to see you drink some."

    Realization made him relax and he took a few large gulps before looking back up to Ari. She nodded back in satisfaction, then made her way into her closet. She opened the chest that she knew was packed with her plants and herbs, gently shifting them around to find a small pouch of dried chamomile flowers and her small, metal strainer spoon. She put a few of the flowers into the spoon and closed it, then went to another chest filled with things she bought from the bazaar in Algeva. She pulled out a jar of honey, knowing it would taste much better than the sugar that the kitchen staff put on the tray. She rushed back to the dining room, her long robe floating behind her as she glided through. She immediately placed the spoon infuser into the pot of hot water and placed the lid on as best as she could with the spoon protruding in an attempt to keep the heat inside for as long as possible.

    When Ari turned around to refill Arell''s water cup, he was staring at her with the most confused expression. She laughed softly as she handed him another full glass of water. "The kitchen didn''t have chamomile tea so I''m making it myself," she explained. Then, she hesitated. She went over and poured a cup of her tea, stirring in a tiny bit of honey and milk before bringing it back to her fianc��. As he sipped it, his eyebrows went from their furrowed confusion to a raised, surprised look. She continued gingerly, "Chamomile has calming effects. Earlier you seemed��" She bit her lip, thinking of a nice way to put it. "Discontented? Anyway, it''ll also help you sleep comfortably." She didn''t want to outright say that he might have trouble keeping his emotions in check. Because, well, then he would probably just get angry.

    Arell finished the tea quickly, then put both of his cups back on the dining table. He turned back to Ari, his eyes closed and his lips forming a solemn expression. "That was by far the best tea I''ve ever had. But I don''t think I''ll be sleeping comfortably tonight." When he opened those forest green eyes, they were narrowed arrogantly with an evil glint in them to accompany that sexy half-grin.

 Only rumors

    Ari gulped as she fought down the blush creeping up her face. For some reason, the terrified thoughts of staying with Arell at night had escaped her. It may have been the instinctual distraction of making sure that he was healthy or the nagging thoughts about the angry, red glow in his eyes. Either way, she was frozen in her spot with the sudden realization.

    After noticing how tense Ari got, Arell chuckled and walked away slowly. He made his way into the bedroom and Ari followed tentatively behind. She stood in the middle of the room twiddling her thumbs as he stepped into his closet and changed out of his wet clothes behind the changing screen. Though Ari was purposely avoiding looking into his closet, she could see out of the corner of her eye that he was much too tall for the screen. Everything from his shoulders up was clearly visible and she made a mental note to never look directly in there while he was changing. That would be dangerous considering how he looked in the washroom earlier. Even just the thought of it made Ari blush again.

    Arell cleared his throat as he exited, breaking Ari from her anxious trance. When she turned to him, he was wearing a simple sleeved shirt and pants. She looked down to see him clutching a pillow and a few heavy quilts under one arm. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she glanced back up at his face.

    His sly smile faded as he laughed genuinely at Ari. The sight of the wide smile and sound of his deep, warm laughter made her heart skip a beat unexpectedly. It was the complete opposite of his usual coldness.

    "Sorry. I couldn''t help but tease you," he admitted as his laugh subsided. He lifted the blankets up a bit to show her. "I''ll be sleeping on the floor until we''re properly married." He began laying the quilts down and chuckled quietly. "So get your mind out of the gutter, Princess."

    Ari narrowed her eyes at him. "It''s because you-!" She stopped herself and groaned. She didn''t think there was anything to say here that would help the situation, so she huffed away into her closet, ignoring the soft laughter she heard from Arell. She pulled out one of her satin nightgowns and painstakingly changed out of her damp dress, then looked down at herself. She''d been so comfortable wearing these nightgowns to bed because of the soft, thin material and the only people that saw her in them were the women that helped her get dressed so frequently. Now that she was alone in a room with a man that she was regrettably attracted to, she decided to throw the bathrobe on as well and wrapped it around herself. Then she rushed from the closet to the bed and pulled the covers over her body quickly. She turned to peek at Arell, wondering if he''d seen her, but he was turned away from the four-poster bed and already on his makeshift floor-bed under a heavy quilt. Ari let out her breath and relaxed, closing her eyes. She felt a little guilty that he was sleeping on the floor while she laid in the fluffy Atranian blankets. Then, exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. She drifted off to sleep, reliving the events of the day in her dreams.

    The next morning, Ari was up early. Even so, Arell was nowhere to be seen and the pillow and quilts were already put away. Milli and Jannah were waiting patiently outside the bedroom door with Vida when Ari poked her head out. They bowed their heads and the maids began making the bed as Vida picked out a moderately simple dress for Ari.

    While Ari was getting dressed and her hair was being done, she asked, "What is Prince Arellan doing this early?"

    Vida''s lip twitched slightly as she answered, "His Highness is being briefed on the matters that came up while he was away. He''ll more than likely be in meetings all morning."

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    Ari sighed and began packing up a basket with spices. "There''s something else you want to say." It wasn''t a question. She knew Vida well enough to tell when she was holding herself back. Probably trying to respect Ari''s position as royalty.

    Vida pursed her lips. "You like him," she stated abruptly. Milli and Jannah paused and shared a look with each other before pressing their lips together and returning to work.

    Ari blinked at Vida, then attempted to scoff but it sounded fake even to herself. "I most certainly do not!" she lied. When she finally met Vida''s gaze after a few silent moments, Vida''s eyebrow was raised and she had on her yeah-I''ll-believe-you-when-pigs-fly face. Ari huffed, then shrugged defeatedly. "I�� I find him handsome. And intriguing. But I can''t honestly say that I''m in love with him."

    Vida searched her face for a minute, then nodded. "Alright, then. Just be careful. If the rumors were bad about him in Atrana, I have to say that the rumors here in Otha are even worse."

    Ari flinched. "Worse than a land-thieving, murderous demon of the battlefield?"

    Vida nodded again. "Milli and Jannah have heard many maids say that he has no respect for life. In battle, he kills all who cross him. And off the battle battlefield��" she paused, hesitating. "Women flock to him like birds fighting over the last breadcrumb. They say he had a different woman at his side every week, but he was never in a real relationship. He only used them." She shrugged. "Of course, rumors are only rumors. But they usually spread from some form of truth."

    Milli piped up while fluffing a pillow, "Apparently, having many concubines is very normal here. All of the women in the court fawn over him in hopes of becoming one."

    Jannah nodded. "I can understand sleeping around before marriage, but taking multiple wives?" She stood up straight and gave a mock shiver. "Gross."

    Ari''s eyes widened and she looked around at the women in the room. Her voice sounded tiny when she spoke. "Will he take other wives?"

    The girls immediately shook their heads and waved their hands in the air. "No! Of course not!"

    That didn''t help Ari''s anxiety at all. Polygamy was pretty taboo in Atrana, but she knew that other countries didn''t share the same views on marriage. She bit her lip, then picked up the basket of spices and let the maids lead her down to the castle''s kitchen.

    The four women clearly stood out in the kitchen. Though Ari''s skin tone was one of the lightest in Atrana, it was still a much darker shade than any of the Othan maids and chefs scurrying around. They all eyed Ari curiously, some completely shocked, as she got to work making a small breakfast for Arell and herself. Jannah stayed behind to clean up Ari''s prep area while Milli helped carry the tray of food up to the meeting room.

    Ari caught sight of Ronan standing guard outside of the room just as she made out the sound of Arell''s deep voice seeping through the cracked door. Ronan briefly bowed his head in greeting and Ari returned the gesture with an added smile. She quickly knocked on the wooden door and pushed it open before the nerves could make her hesitate. The men sitting around the table all turned to look at Ari with furrowed brows. Arell was leaning over the end of the table, but stood up straight when he saw that it was his fianc��e that had entered.

    His eyes softened ever so slightly. If Ari wasn''t looking at his reaction, she probably wouldn''t have seen the minute change in expression. "What brings you here?" he asked curiously.

    Ari ignored the narrowed gazes of the noblemen burning a hole in her face and smiled softly. "I made breakfast," she stated simply. A few of the nobles pressed their lips together to hold in their laughter or sneers, but it didn''t faze her.

    Arell nodded. "Thank you." He turned to the rest of the room. "Look over those papers again and we''ll meet back here in an hour." Then he put a hand on Ari''s back and led her out of the meeting room to a similar door further down the hall. "This is my office of sorts," he explained as he held it open for her.

    The room was a large den with a formal sitting area on the right and a huge desk on the left. Behind the desk was a wall of bookshelves, all filled with books. Ari stared at it with sparkling eyes for a moment before she heard Milli set the breakfast tray down on the coffee table and leave with a small bow. Vida and Ronan also bowed their heads and stood outside of the office.

 Persistent

    ~*~~~*~

    Ares threw his helmet across the room with a loud growl. It clanged obnoxiously against the large door, which was slowly opening. The woman who entered glanced down at the helmet rolling around her feet and sighed before turning her gaze to Ares.

    The word beautiful was created solely for this woman. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in perfect waves down her back, amazingly long even while tied up and adorned with a golden laurel leaf and pink rose crown. Her face and body looked as if it were drawn from every man''s lustful fantasy. Under heavy eyelashes were sensual eyes the color of rose-gold. She was surrounded in the glow of her warm pink aura that only accentuated her features even further. Her luscious lips pouted as she placed a slender hand on her hip, not far above where the slit in her dress began exposing her thigh. Ares frowned even further as he looked up and down at the off-the-shoulder, low-cut gown with a sneer.

    Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "I''ll not be changing, Ares, so don''t even ask." She swept her long ponytail over her shoulder and sat on one of the chaise lounges in Ares'' bedroom, crossing her bare leg over the other with a knowing smirk.

    Ares cleared his throat and glanced away from her. He couldn''t let her beauty distract from the anger that he felt. "I have more important things to worry about than the promiscuity of your wardrobe." He rubbed the stubble along his tense jawline as he lost himself in his thoughts.

    Suddenly, he felt her hand sliding down his arm, not missing the chance to feel his muscles as she "comforted" him. "Is it your vessel again?" she asked softly, close to his ear. "He is always fighting you. I''m starting to wonder if your connection was made by mistake."

    Ares groaned, then shook his head. "No. My vessel is perfect for me. But that is the problem; We share the same commanding qualities. Not excluding excessive stubbornness." He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed black hair. "No, the problem is that he is now engaged. To be married."

    Aphrodite curled a lock of his hair around her finger nonchalantly. "Mm. Yes, mine as well."

    Ares'' jaw locked as his eyes blazed with fury. "But not to Athena." He spat out the name like it was poisonous.

    That sudden news made Aphrodite pause and blink at him for a few moments. Then, she had to stifle her laughter. Athena might have been her friend but everyone knew that Ares and Athena were immortal enemies. The half-siblings were always fighting and they''d done terrible things to each other. However, both were necessary in the realm of gods, as they represented the two sides of the coin that is war. But also, it was hilarious that Athena would have a vessel that is married. That was an unexpected first.

    After she suppressed her amusement, Aphrodite let her hand fall into her lap and sighed softly. "You know that we cannot control the lives of our vessels. I am sure Athena is just as angry as you about this arrangement. But it seems to me that you two are meant to work together in these lifetimes." Ares just scoffed at the appalling idea. Aphrodite continued, "Anyway, for as rare as vessels are, there sure are a lot in one place this time. There must be some big changes ahead for the human realm, don''t you think?"

    Ares nodded and absentmindedly swept his gaze over his extravagant palace bedroom, his thoughts traveling to the battles he and his vessel had already fought. And already won. As far as Ares was concerned, he''d made Arellan a legend in the human realm, despite the man''s young age. They''d been fully connected since Arellan was a teen fighting in his first war. Ares felt like he had fulfilled his godly duties for the country of Otha. Entertaining the idea that the worst had yet to come in the human realm suddenly seemed�� exhausting.

    Even so, he''d rather fight in another three wars before being forced to work with Athena. Ares may be brutal and merciless but Athena was even worse in his eyes. She hid her rage inside of cunning, cruel tactics and strategies. But for some reason, everyone adored her nonetheless. They would rather pray to her for wisdom in upcoming battles than accept the darker, harsher reality of war. They don''t want to think about the lives lost or the bloody savagery that goes on during the battle and they certainly don''t want to pray to a god that reminds them of those horrors. So of course, Athena was praised and Ares was essentially ignored by all. Which was fine for Ares, except for the fact that Athena used such underhanded methods in order to win and then had the nerve to boast about it. And every time Ares confronted her about her behavior, Athena would find some way to punish him for it. Hence, their innate hatred for each other.

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    Aphrodite stood up abruptly, shaking Ares from his angry daze. "I didn''t come here to watch you think about another woman all night Ares," she stated and folded her arms with a pout.

    Ares'' expression softened as he gazed at the goddess. He reached out for her hand and pulled her into his lap. "Alright, alright. I''ll let it go tonight, for your sake." He placed a small kiss on her jawline as her pout cracked into a smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ares didn''t want to waste the nights he had with Aphrodite complaining about the wretched Goddess of Wisdom.

    ~*~~~*~

    Ari set her teacup down on the emptied breakfast tray and stood up to scan the titles of the books on the shelves. An entire shelf was dedicated to the history of Otha and a few titles Ari recognized from her previous studies growing up. Several other books caught her eye that were written by people with royal names, possibly Arell''s ancestors. She was more interested in those, since the books she used to read were just an overview of general events in Otha. She pulled out a book written by Prince Elias of Otha and began flipping through.

    Arell was finishing up his bowl of porridge when the door flew open and a woman threw herself onto the lounge next to him, causing him to choke on his last spoonful of food. He looked up pointedly at a very apologetic Ronan. Ari took in the dramatic scene with an eyebrow raised in surprise.

    Ronan bowed his head several times and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, Your Highness. She was�� persistent."

    The woman had a similar body type to Tatiana, thin and petite. Her hair was a silvery, platinum blonde that was curled meticulously and placed over one shoulder. Her skin was very pale and her nose and chin were pointed. She pouted and clung to Arell''s arm. "Prince Arellan, you''ll be taking me to the ball tonight, right?! It was my turn last month but you said you were too busy preparing for an important negotiation journey. I just wanted to remind you that I didn''t get the chance!" She blinked her large eyes at Arell.

    Ari closed the book promptly with both eyebrows raised now, her attention successfully diverted to the clingy noblewoman.

    Arell cleared his throat and gently took the woman''s hands off of his arm. "Thank you for the reminder, Lady Nina, but I am no longer required to accompany the court women to royal events. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you for tonight." His voice sounded overly polite.

    The woman named Nina stood up and huffed. "I''ve been waiting for a month! Who will you be taking then? Hm?!" Nina finally tore her gaze from Arell to land on Ari. She narrowed her big eyes and folded her thin arms. As she examined Ari from head to toe, she made a small snorting noise that was somewhat unbecoming of a noble lady in the presence of royalty. "Don''t tell me you''re taking her."

    From behind Ronan, Vida began to unsheathe her sword and charge into the room. Ronan immediately put his arm up in the doorway to block her entry, shaking his head while Vida gritted her teeth in anger.

    Arell stood up and was about to answer Nina when Ari held her hand up to stop him. She then turned towards Nina, gently tapping the cover of the book in her hand with a fingernail. "Lady Nina, was it?" The woman nodded in response, her face contorted in a sneer. Ari smiled at her, making sure to keep her face looking as innocent and sweet as possible. "I wasn''t aware that it was appropriate in Otha for mere nobility to speak to royalty in such a manner. That must mean that I may be free to speak my mind as I wish as well, correct?"

    Nina''s eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she didn''t answer Ari''s question, so Arell answered for her. "Yes, Princess Arinja. It''s only fair that you are allowed to behave in the same way," he said with a smirk.

    Ari nodded solemnly as she slowly stepped in close to Nina so that only she could hear her whisper, "I''m sorry that you had to wait so long to be told no. But I''m not a great fan of sharing what''s mine, so do not ever come into this office again." Ari pulled back and flashed a lovely smile at her. "I''ll see you at the ball tonight, Lady Nina."

 Be Confident

    After Nina scurried out, Ari turned to Arell. "Is there a ball tonight?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Arell shrugged as Ronan closed the office door again. "I wasn''t aware. I''ve been in political meetings for the past few hours and the noble women are usually the first to hear of these things." He sat back down with a sigh. "It''s probably true, with two engagements to announce to the people now."

    "It just seems a bit abrupt," Ari replied as she returned the book to its spot on the shelf.

    "My father is not one to delay such things. Not good at waiting, that one."

    Ari chuckled. "Our fathers have that in common. I suspect that''s why our engagement was so sudden as well."

    Arell smiled briefly before his face went stern. "I have to warn you that Nina is mild, comparatively, to most noble women in Otha. They can be truly malicious."

    "Are you worried for me, Prince Arellan?" Ari smirked at him and lifted her chin. "I believe I can hold my own in Otha''s royal court."

    "Just remember that you don''t have to hold your own. You''re my fianc��e, so I''m here for you if you need it." Arell''s face gave no emotions away but her heart skipped a beat from just his words.

    Ari cleared her throat. "Well, thank you. I should go prepare, then. Apparently I''m going to a ball tonight."

    The corner of Arell''s lips turned up slightly. "I''ll see you later."

    When Ari left the office, Ronan was lecturing Vida in the hallway. "You can''t scare the nobility! They will be dealt with politically, not by the blade of your sword," Ronan was saying as Vida scoffed at him and rolled her eyes. Ari held in her laughter at Vida''s form of protectiveness as they made their way back to the bedroom.

    ~*~~~*~

    Persephone gently touched the forehead of the young woman kneeling in front of her with the tips of her fingers. Her memories came flooding in and the goddess instantly knew that this was to be her vessel. The woman''s name was Nadina and she was a young witch that fervently studied plants. Her skin was a beautiful, light mahogany color and her hair was a mess of brown ringlets . When she opened her eyes, she had one chestnut colored eye and one that matched Persephone''s greenish-yellow eyes.

    "Hello, Nadina," Persephone greeted her vessel with an enchanting smile.

    "You''re�� not Demeter are you?"

    Persephone chuckled and shook her head, her wine-colored braid swaying with the movement.

    "Oh. You''re Persephone. I can feel it somehow. I don''t know much about you, though, if I''m being quite honest." Nadina looked away from the goddess sheepishly.

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    Persephone pushed a curl back from Nadina''s face. "You don''t have to know all about me. We''re connected now. I''ll be a part of you, to help you fulfill what you wish to do."

    Nadina returned her gaze, searching Persephone''s eyes for any hint of untruth before she spoke again. "I''ve come to a country that''s in need. But I don''t know how to help it."

    "I know, little one. It''s time to be confident in yourself. We can do anything now that we''re together."

    ~*~~~*~

    Ari could hear the music coming from the closed double doors at the end of the hall. Arell stood waiting for her there in formal Othan clothing. It was very different than what Atranian nobles wore; He had a black vest and long jacket, both trimmed with gold embroidery. From one shoulder hung a short, decorative cape in white and gold with black trimming. He looked incredibly tall and dashing.

    Ari was dressed in a white and gold gown with two layers: a white layer that was form-fitting to her knees, then flowed outward and a top layer of sheer gold that cascaded in waves from the front down to the side. The white and gold patterned sleeves ended in a point at the tips of her fingers. She wore a golden chain circlet in her hair that was pinned half-up with small braids woven throughout.

    Arell held his arm out for her to loop hers through. "They just announced Marcus and Tatiana''s engagement. It''ll be our turn in a couple minutes," he informed her. "And you look stunning." Ari bit her lip and he noticed it out of the corner of his eye. "Are you nervous about the announcement?"

    She looked over at him. "Not about the announcement, no. But meeting Othan nobility? Slightly terrifying."

    Arell blinked, then let out a short laugh at her answer. "You''ll meet a lot of people but I doubt you''ll really have time to remember them. And we don''t have to stay all night. This is really just a formality to get the word out about our marriage and for everyone to see your face. There''s no pressure at all and I''ll be with you the whole time."

    Ari''s teal eyes sparkled with thanks and she gave him a small smile. Then, the doors in front of them opened and the music stopped. A man beside the doorway yelled, "Announcing Prince Arellan of Otha and his future bride, Princess Arinja of Atrana!"

    Arell led Ari down the left side of the imperial staircase to the half-landing above the large ballroom. There were around two hundred people in the room clapping politely, though most of the women had bitter looks on their faces. Ari noticed that this room was decorated extravagantly, compared to most of the castle. The carpet was a lovely maroon color and actually had a pattern on it. Chandeliers adorned the ceiling, with the largest one hanging just above where Ari and Arell stood. There were floor-to-ceiling windows along the length of the room that let in sparkling moonlight and were embellished with maroon and gold curtains.

    After the clapping subsided, the couple proceeded down the rest of the stairs and King Titus was announced into the room. His face was stern as his deep voice boomed out, "Thank you for joining us in celebration tonight. The return of my second son brings wonderful news for Otha. I''d like to give my congratulations to both of the new couples as we commemorate these joyous occasions." Another round of clapping ensued and the music started up again.

    "Here we go," Arell mumbled to Ari as a group of nobles enthusiastically walked up to him, quickly shaking his hand.

    After a few hours of fake smiles and speedy introductions, Ari overheard a group of flashy noblewomen gossiping close by. "That foreign woman next to the king?" one asked in a low voice. "Yes, I heard she''s a mage they hired," another whispered. "A female mage? How strange!"

    Ari followed their scrutinizing stares to the woman who was standing silently next to the king. She stood out in the room, with her dark skin tone and tousled curls that fell over one eye and halfway down her back. Not only that but instead of an evening gown like all of the other women in the ballroom wore, she had on flowing slacks and a lovely jacket that was lengthened in the back, almost resembling a shorter dress.

    Arell followed Ari''s gaze inquisitively. "Would you like to meet her?"