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"Actually.." he paused, "it's completely believable. Considering it's her."

It was only after wasting months filled with nothing but disappointing news and false leads that he finally found her. When Ira managed to persuade him to return to his troops, he discovered the girl had been under his nose the entire time.

He had spent months.

Months full of sleepless nights and even more agonizing days, and yet there she was, shivering like a lost puppy surrounded by his own soldiers, wearing one of their uniforms.

He was furious, naturally.

But also relieved.

Still, the naughty girl needed to be punished.

He thought he could restrain himself and avoid getting involved directly right away. If Keliyah was revealed, it would only put her in danger.

But now, his hands shook in anger as he finished dressing.

Why?

Just now, when Keliyah was vulnerable and completely soaked with the thin fabric of her undergarments clinging provocatively to her skin, why did another man come to protect her?

Why did he call out her nickname so casually as if they were friends?

"You there!" He hailed a stocky colonel named Senf, who was standing guard nearby.

"Ah, how was your bath, Sire?" The man stopped mid-yawn to turn and salute his commander.

"Terrible," Calix clicked his tongue, thinking of how Kel must be in the care of that other man by now.

"I-is that s-so, Y-your Majesty?" Colonel Senf trembled in fear.

"Yes," Calix glared. "I need a personal attendant from now on."

"F-for your baths?" the man stammered.

"Yes. Well.." Calix paused, his lips curling into a smile. "I need an attendant for everything."

The colonel's jaw dropped.

"Er.. everything, Sire?"

"Yes, everything," Calix grinned. "And I have just the soldier in mind for it."

Having Keliyah as his personal attendant turned out to be more fun than the emperor expected.

He found it to be both entertaining and satisfying watching her scamper sleepily in and out of the tent all night, completing a mountain of useless errands. His usually spirited bird was so uncharacteristically docile, afraid to decline any of his frivolous commands.

When the night finally began to fade, Calix ventured from his bed to find what happened to his attendant. She hadn't made a single noise since returning from the last errand she'd been sent on.

"Cute," the emperor breathed when he spotted his little bird curled up on a chair with a tent lashing dangling from her hand.

"What would I even need this for?" Calix chuckled, gently untangling the lashing from Keliyah's delicate fingers and tossing it to the ground.

Scooping her up in his arms, he whispered, "It's almost amusing how diligent you are at a time like this, Kel."

"... Kel," he repeated one more time as he laid her softly down on his bed.

He'd never been able to call her by her name when she was in his palace. It rolled off the tongue easily and seemed to fit the golden bird perfectly.

After pulling the blanket over her, he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Kel."

Minutes later, as he took large strides across the early morning camp, the emperor couldn't help but catch a few petty whisperings regarding his new attendant. It only made sense for the others to be upset or jealous or whatever trifling emotion was fueling their babbling.

And, since Calix had no intention of releasing Keliyah any time soon, he knew the camp's opinion of the pitiful attendant would only get worse.

"It's better for me then, isn't it?" he smirked. "Now that pretty bird will have no choice but to stay next to me."

"A bird, Sire?" Colonel Senf piped up nervously from where he was trailing dutifully behind Calix. "Is Your Majesty perhaps.. raising a pet?"

"Something like that," Calix immediately replied.

"O-ok. Uh! I have Your Majesty's breakfast!" the man bumbled, jogging ahead of Calix and extending a bowl.

"Hmm.." Calix paused to scan the heavily laden bowl. "Go feed that to my pet, will you?"

Colonel Senf raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Your pet? I'm not quite su-"

"To the pet sleeping in my bed," Calix clarified, "my personal attendant."

"Oh.. OH!" the colonel's cheeks reddened as he misconstrued Calix's words.

How fun, Calix thought to himself.

"Hurry now," he teased his subordinate. "That child exerted quite a bit of energy last night."

After sending the embarrassed colonel on his way, Calix whistled happily imagining Keliyah's face when the bashful man relayed his message.

That joy didn't last very long, however.

"The situation in Mevani is not good."

The First General was reporting the latest war updates to the circle of men gathered around a map in a large tent.

"They still haven't recovered from the sudden uprising, but the new king has declared open war against the entire continent."

"What have our spies been able to find out about this new king?" one of the other officers questioned.

"Nothing useful," the First General shook his head. "All the reports say that the kid who took the throne is crazy and unpredictable. His actions are both vicious and volatile."

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person we can reason with then," the Third General spoke up, rubbing his chin. "Perhaps we should fall back and let this play out."

"It's a good strategy," the First General agreed. "If Mevani continues to attack Vitocia and Pandreia, they'll all end up destroying each other."

Most of the rest of the circle expressed their approval of the new idea--to allow Mevani, helmed by its capricious young king, to take down the other western kingdoms.

Of the many concurring voices, only the emperor remained silent, a frown spreading across his face.

"What do you think, Your Highness?" the Third General broached carefully, wary of his leader's mood.

".. Isn't the answer obvious?" Calix answered quietly.

Many sighs of relief spread through the circle, only to be nullified by the emperor's next words.

"Fall back?" Calix scoffed. "We will do no such thing."

A flurry of cautious questioning and convincing instantly erupted.

The rest of the officers couldn't understand. Why would the emperor make such an imprudent move, when they could minimize their own casualties by holding off? Was the man so crazed by love of bloodshed that he couldn't see the situation rationally?

"My goal is to unite the continent," Calix interrupted sternly, his red eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Not build it back from the rubble of its destruction."