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Aryan knew the city would only survive if the gates are guarded by strong men, not allowing an enemy to enter inside was the only way to survive.

Rush learned of Aryan’s return to the capital, she was delighted to see that she was safe and she had come during the time where the realm would be defeated anytime soon. The city would be at war and who knows what will happen next. Where she comes from, she had seen cities fall and what happens next wasn’t so kind.

Women were raped out in the open, men were butchered without mercy, children even at age two were raped by merciless men. The Raven she loved and cherished during that time, wouldn’t be the same city when the army knock on their gates. It will be flooded with blood, rotten dead bodies, ruined brothels, shops, wine sinks and even the main palace.

So why would Aryan come back? Rush asked herself, because she wanted to know more, she made her way to the palace. She was dressed in blue silk dress adorned with few pearls, a golden necklace on her smooth long neck, and with each step she made ─ her golden anklets on her feet made fainted sounds. Her hairs were scented with heavy oils, and she was smelling so good with the perfume she used. On top of her dress, she covered herself with thick fur coat to keep her warm.

The guards allowed her inside the palace without hesitation, then she made her way straight to the chambers of the palace. It was dark, and cold but somehow inside the palace it was so warm. That’s because they were torches from every corner of the corridor, and every chamber had a fireplace.

The first person Rush met was Sir Thomas, and they greeted each other. “You missed the Queen yesterday when she arrived” said Sir Thomas grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, sadly… I had to attend to some things. I am actually here to see her” replied Rush while trying to smile.

.....

This isn’t what Sir Thomas expected. His grin suddenly faded, “Well she is inside her chambers, but I can have the Kingsguard summon her if it’s important” he said and his eyes were fixed on Rush’s breasts which were covered by her dress, yet somehow they made such an impact in trying to be visible.

“Is… Mistress of Coin with her?”

“I… I think so” This time Sir Thomas turned his gaze from Rush’s breasts to actually looking at her eyes, but he was so ashamed to have been caught eyeing the woman’s breasts. Then out of nowhere, he asked Rush. “Would you mind if we have a drink?” he asked.

“A drink?”

“Yes, I mean… like… honeyed wine from Penrith?” He stuttered, it was obvious he had feelings for Rush. It was so rare to find Sir Thomas Buken out of words.

Rush somehow smiled, she seemed to enjoy seeing Sir Thomas taken by her, “I am from Penrith” she replied. “But I would love to taste that wine” then she added with a smile.

Sir Thomas was so nervous and he couldn’t even hide it. He led the way inside his chambers where he kept this mug of honeyed wine from Penrith, Rush followed behind knowing fully well the servants and guards were looking. She knew by the next day, the whole palace will know that she entered inside Sir Thomas’s chamber during the night and that meant even Aryan will know.

That whole night, Sir Thomas and Rush bonded over stories of the Liberty Cities where Sir Thomas lived for years before he returned back to his place of birth, Claydall. He said he was a true Prophisian but when he was just thirteen, he fled Claydall and travelled to the Liberty Cities because he despised the cold.

Hence he became a merchant and he knew all the cities even beyond the Liberty Cities, when he reached twenty, he was a trained sell sword and he sold his sword to wealthy men who needed help. Five wars he fought, and he survived each of them.

Rush was mesmerized by Sir Thomas’s strength and bravery, that night she knew more about this man than she had ever learned in a lifetime. She was taken from Penrith to Whitebridge to Doha, and finally to Arkala in a spin of just few hours of talking and drinking. That’s how good Sir Thomas was with stories, but there was an elephant in the room and Rush was quick to address it.

“What will happen to us when the city falls?” she asked Sir Thomas. “Because I know it will fall, and I don’t want to be here when it falls. I’ve seen women raped in the streets, children butchered. The losers of wars usually end up in a blood bath”

Sir Thomas sighed softly, he was also scared of what will happen next. Everyone who knew the real situation was scared. The war of the kins would take place, and whoever wins it will march towards Raven and they didn’t have enough men to fight.

“Is that why you came here today, to say goodbye to the Queen?” he asked Rush.

Rush smiled, then she replied softly, “The Queen and I have far more complicated matters that I needed addressing. They are matters of the…” she paused. Then she suddenly turned her full attention to Sir Thomas, “Are you married Lord Hand?”

Caught off-guard by that question, Sir Thomas stuttered. He couldn’t reply to that, and suddenly his door was banged. They were both startled, Rush stood up quickly and walked out of Sir Thomas’s chambers ─ she bumped into Olivia and her eyes widened with amazement.

Olivia was also shocked, “Mistress of Spies?” she asked. “I… I didn’t know you were inside, do pardon me”

“No, no, nothing was going on. We were just…” Rush couldn’t complete her sentence. At one point she wanted Aryan to hear the rumors that she was inside Sir Thomas’s chamber tomorrow, but to hear it from Olivia, well that was something she didn’t expect. “We were having honeyed wine from Penrith”

“Oh, I see. I was just here to deliver the war plans my Aryan had crafted for the Lord Hand. Should I give it to you now, Lord Hand?” Olivia called out for Sir Thomas.

Sir Thomas quickly reached out for the plans and took them from Olivia. Rush left the chamber without saying any word, she didn’t even look back.

Olivia thought it was strange, hence she asked Sir Thomas. “Is everything alright, she seem to be so angry?” without taking her eyes off Rush.

“I think she didn’t expect you to be here. And I also think she wouldn’t like it if you were to tell the Queen that she was here”

“Oh, alright I won’t” replied Olivia, then she said goodnight to Sir Thomas and walked away to her own chambers.

Along the way Olivia was stunned by Rush’s sudden change of mood and she thought she was strange, but it was none of her business and hence even when she went inside her chambers, she didn’t tell Aryan what she saw.

The cold winter haunted Prince Ambrose’s men who weren’t fully equipped with warm clothes. Their tents had fires inside to keep them warm, but they had to fight for fur coats from each other, and those who were so civil decided to share the coats.

It was an hour of the wolf when Prince Amabel’s men ambushed his uncle’s men in the deep snow. Every man was inside his tent because it was extremely cold in the outside, no man stood by to take cover or to guard others. They all wanted to be warm and Prince Ambrose assured them they were safe and hence they should just sleep so as to prepare themselves for a march tomorrow.

The absence of guards outside the tents made it easy for the Lead general to pass through the whole camp with his men silently. The archers were stationed at the top, on the trees and mountains, they had only had one task and that was to shoot their foes when they want to escape. One tent after the other, Prince Ambrose’s men were slaughtered in silence. By the time they wanted to shout or scream, they found themselves slit by a sharp sword and that returned them to silence once more.