Gathering the folds of her dress, Cassandra hurried down the stairs of the inn. She was greeted by her mother, who was stiffly talking to the innkeeper. "So you're really not going to tell me?" the Queen asked. The short man snorted, leaning back against the wall. 

    "Queen or not Queen, you're not getting any info from me," he replied. "You may be the King's wife… But just know you don't control us." The inkeep and Queen glared at each other, when Cassandra interjected.     

    "Mother, that's quite the stir you're starting," the Princess said, her voice tight. Abigail peered at her daughter coldly, huffing as she turned away from the innkeeper. Sighing, Cassandra hurried after her mother as she stormed out of the inn. Walking in stride beside Abigail, Cassandra asked, “What were you trying to get out of him?” The Queen glared at her daughter, rolling her eyes. 

    “To get some more info on your ‘disappearing into the night’ friend,” the mother scoffed. Cassandra felt her face heat up, and she growled. “Now, hurry up. We still need to meet up with Doran and your father.” Abigail rushed down the road and Cassandra followed until they reached the town square. Doran and Theo stood by the water fountain, while Elroy stood off to the side. 

    The two royal women joined the King, while Doran and Theo walked over. 

    “I forgot that I’m supposed to help Violet plant her corn this morning,” Doran explained when he reached the group. “I figured we could all go by, I can help, then we could be on our way.” Elroy nodded in agreement, while Abigail studied Doran critically. 

    “Who’s Violet?” she asked. Doran frowned, shaking his head in annoyance. 

    “An old widower,” he growled in response, glaring at the woman. Abigail tilted her head back, as if silently scoffing at the man. But she said nothing and Doran led them away. Silently, the group of five made their way to the edge of the village, where the farms were kept. 

    Pausing, Doran turned to the Queen. "If Her Highness finds these matters.. boring, then be sure to let me know." His eyes stared at Abigail harshly, watching as the Queen's lip twitched in annoyance. 

    "It's been noted, Father Doran," she growled. Grunting, the ex-knight carried on with their trek. Behind the older men and woman, Cassandra and Theo frowned. 

    "Is he like that to everyone?” she asked the fellow ravenette. He shook his head, his lips tightly pressed against each other. 

    “No… This is the first time I’ve seen him like this,” he admitted. Slowly, Cassandra nodded, when she spotted a hunched over shape, inside a fenced off plot of ground. An elderly woman stood at the gate, watching the person as they dug new holes into the ground. 

    "Fay!" Doran boomed loudly, striding quickly towards the fence. Theo then hurried after his father, the royal trio stopping at the edge of the fence. The shape stood up and turned, dusting her hands on her pants. A light smirk crossed her lips as she watched the priest. 

    "You're late, ya tinker," she called out, crossing her arms over her chest. Father Doran snorted, quickly jumping the fence. 

    "Yeah, I know, and you're an unwily filthy cunt," he shot back in response. The golden blonde threw back her head, a belly laugh leaving her mouth. 

    "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before, Father Doran," Lillith chuckled. Cassandra shared a look with her mother, who looked unimpressed with both the woman and man. 

    "Doran," Elroy growled. "I thought you were a priest. Not a sailor..." Both Lillith and Doran stared at the King, when the golden blonde sneered. 

    "Like you're one to talk," she hissed scornfully. "Letting half of your-.” Doran covered the soldier’s mouth, glaring at her. 

    “Enough, Fay,” he ordered. Cassandra watched as Lillith glared at him, then turned her green gaze onto King Elroy. He said nothing, but he frowned deeply. Abigail looked annoyed with the soldier, turning her nose to the woman. 

    “You would think for a prosperous village, they would at least teach the children to be civilized,” she hissed scornfully. Lillith’s stone cold gaze turned to the Queen, but a voice to their right silenced them. 

    “You would think the King knows better than to let his Queen rule… No disrespect to you, Abigail, but you weren’t raised to protect the Kingdom, and to know what it needs.” Cassandra looked over to see the elderly woman watching them calmly. “The King is the King for a reason,” the woman continued. “When Queen Myrtle married her husband, he wasn’t crowned King. He was Prince Julius, even if he married the Queen. 

    “And she was in charge, not him.” Cassandra quickly looked back at her mother, who was scowling so ferociously, she was afraid a vein would pop. Elroy said nothing, just eyed the old woman, before looking back at the priest.

    “Back to work, Fay,” Doran ordered the soldier quietly, removing his hand from her mouth. She said nothing as she got back to digging, shortly accompanied by Theo. Doran eyed the King and Queen, before joining the two soldiers. 

*

    When they had finished, the soldiers bid farewell to Violet. Doran led the group along the edges of the village, explaining various objectives to the King and Queen. Theo stood off to the side of them, simply observing as they walked. Behind them, Lillith walked alongside Cassandra. “So… You’re still not going to tell me your name?” the Princess asked, looking slyly at the other woman. 

    She watched as a playful smirk crossed Lillith’s face, her eyes focused straight ahead of them. 

    “You’ll learn it…” Lillith reassured her, her green eyes flicking to examine the Princess. The blonde paused, her hand very lightly brushing Cassandra’s. “If you stick around long enough, that is.” Lillith continued on, still smirking, as the Princess’ face turned a pale pink. Rushing after the soldier, Cassandra reached out and pinched Lillith's butt cheek. 

    The blonde furrowed her brows are the ravenette, who was smirking back at the soldier. The Princess said nothing as she hurried after the group, who was well ahead of the two women. With a laugh, Lillith ran after her. Cassandra gathered up the silk of her dress and held them up, allowing her to run faster as the soldier gained on her. “You’ll have to run faster than that to outbest me,” Lillith shouted as she jumped over a grate full of fruits. Cassandra laughed, shouting over her shoulder, 

    “Try me!” Then, she suddenly turned down a corner and disappeared out of sight. Lillith briefly paused, blinking, then raced after the Princess. Cassandra ducked out of the alleyway, finding herself on a crowded road. Giggling, she quickly weaved her way through the throng of people. Lillith slammed to a stop just outside the alley, blinking after the running Princess. Grinning to herself, the blonde ran back down the alleyway. 

    After several minutes of running, Cassandra found herself at the end of the road, which opened up to the grassy, rolling hills of Roiphynx. She panted, gazing at the morning sun delightedly. For a moment, it was just.. peace. 

    “Ah-ha!” Lillith’s arms wrapped around Cassandra and the Princess squealed as her feet were lifted off of the ground. She was swung into the soldier’s arms, bridal-style, and the blonde flashed her a cheeky grin. Cassandra blushed lightly, narrowing her eyes at the woman. 

    “You’re quite bold,” the ravenette noted. Lillith chuckled, and the Princess felt her ears heat up as Lillith’s chest rumbled. 

    “So are you… The difference is I have no fear of repercussions,” the soldier hummed. Cassandra couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips, when a voice shouted at them. 

    “Cassandra! Get back here, this instant.” Scowling, Lillith looked over her shoulder to see the furious looking Queen Abigail, her eyes practically aflame. Elroy stood behind her, his face blank, while Doran and Theo quietly talked to each other. Sighing, Cassandra felt a growing annoyance of the aging woman. 

    ‘Leave me alone already,’ she thought as Lillith set her down. The Princess returned to her Mother’s side, where the older woman looked Cassandra up and down. Abigail’s glare turned to Lillith, who slowly approached the group. The blonde carefully tracked the Queen, her green eyes hard. Abigail’s lip twitched, her eyes seeming to darken with anger. 

    “Don’t look at me like that, you kinas oluka,” Abigail hissed. Lillith practically bristled, her eyebrows furrowing and face twisting into a scowl. Behind Abigail, Elroy flinched and Doran’s face became a thunderstorm. Cassandra blinked, confused. 

    “What did you just call her?” the ravenette asked, oblivious to the words. Lillith took a step closer to Abigail, eyes narrowed. 

    “Yeah… What did you just call me?” she hissed, even though it was clear that the soldier knew exactly what it was. Abigail started her dead in the eye, her shoulders pulled back. 

    “Kinas.. oluka,” the Queen spat. Lillith darted forward just as Cassandra felt a hand tug her backwards. Out the corner of her eye, she watched as Theo jumped in front of Lillith. He held up his shield, pressing it against her chest, and slowly pushed her backwards. Lillith’s eyes never strayed from Abigail, but she allowed Theo to guide her backwards. Cassandra looked up at her Father, who was frowning at the Queen, clearly disapproving of the woman’s choice in words. 

    Swallowing, the Princess looked away in time to see Lillith turn and storm back into the village. Heart pounding, Cassandra chased after the soldier, watching as she disappeared into the crowd of people. Gritting her teeth, the Princess weaved her way through the crowd. From time to time, she spotted the woman bob into view, then back out. After finally making her way out of the crowd, Cassandra frantically looked around for Lillith. She just barely saw her scabbard disappear behind a building. 

    Rushing forward, the ravenette slipped around the corner. Lillith was already disappearing behind another building, and Cassandra practically hissed in annoyance. Grabbing up her skirts, the Princess kicked off her heels and sprinted after Lillith. As she rounded the building, she watched the soldier jog up a hill and stop at the edge of the woods. Lillith paused, then plunged into the thicket. Cassandra didn't hesitate, still running as she jumped through the grass and into the line of trees. 

    Up ahead, she could barely see the outline of Lillith. The blonde was facing her, a playful grin on her face, as Cassandra walked towards her. 

    "You really are persistent," the soldier noted, walking along the log she stood on. The Princess huffed, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. 

    "You did that on purpose?" Cassandra demanded, joining the soldier on the log. Lillith flashed her a cheeky grin, leaping off of the log and onto a small trail. The soldier paused and waited, as if hoping to see what Cassandra would do. The ravenette glowered at her, but was unable to suppress the smile on her face. Jumping down onto the trail, Cassandra shuffled after Lillith. 

    Lillith led the way through the forest, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

    "Did you really have me chase you.. on purpose?” Cassandra demanded while following Lillith. The blonde grinned, shooting the Princess a quick glance. 

     “Perhaps I did,” the soldier hummed lowly. She hopped onto a nearby rock, pausing to peer down at Cassandra. “And if I did do it.. what would you do about it?” Lillith gazed steadily at the Princess, who’s cheeks were a light pink. 

    “Well… I am the Princess, after all.” The ravenette leapt up beside the soldier, Lillith’s eyes sparking with surprise. A smirk then pulled at her lips and she jumped back down onto the trail. 

    “Okay, then, Princess… We’ll just have to see how far you’re willing to go.” Lillith paused in the shadows of the trees, looking back up at Cassandra. Her green eyes twinkled teasingly, and Cassandra’s dark brown ones narrowed. Before she could say anything, Lillith was disappearing back into the trees. Cassandra hurried after her and when she rejoined the soldier, she said,

    “Oh, I’m willing to go far.” Lillith slowly looked at her, snickering a little. 

    “Okay, Princess.” The two women continued their trek, the ravenette staring up at the tree branches. Pursing her lips, she asked,

    “What are we doing out here, anyway?” The blonde shrugged, pushing aside a low hanging tree branch.

    “Walking,” the soldier said.

    “Yeah, but.. why?” 

    “Because I chose to.”

    “... You’re mean.”

    “And you’re practically a child.” Lillith looked over her shoulder to glare pointedly at Cassandra. The Princess rolled her eyes, snarkily replying,

    “At least I’m not called Fay.” Cassandra watched as Lillith slammed to a stop. The soldier turned to face the Princess, her face unreadable. 

    “I’d rather be called Fay, than be the daughter of Elroy,” Lillith hissed. Cassandra flinched, surprised by the venom in her voice. The soldier went back to walking and she slowly followed. After a few minutes of silence, she asked,

    “Why are you called Fay?” Lillith glared at her, rolling her eyes. 

    “For reasons that you don’t need to know,” she grumbled. Cassandra frowned at Lillith, when they both stopped. A scattering of boulders stood in their way. Grunting, Lillith walked towards the closest rock. “Come on,” she called over her shoulder. Looking down at her dress, Cassandra sighed and shuffled after the blonde. 

    Lillith easily scaled the boulder, leaning down towards Cassandra with a stretched out hand. “Let’s get going, Princess,” she ordered. Grabbing the soldier’s hand, Cassandra let Lillith guide her up the boulder until she could pull the Princess up. Once standing atop the boulder, Lillith jumped down the other side and turned to Cassandra. The ravenette followed Lillith’s directions, wiggling her way down the boulder, until Lillith scooped her up by the waist and swung her back onto the trail. Lillith said nothing, leading the way back along the trail. 

    “Alright, if you won’t tell me why you’re called Fay, can you at least tell me if it’s your middle or last name?” Cassandra asked. Lillith glanced back at her, raising a brow. 

    ‘She never gives up, does she?’ Lillith asked herself. “It’s my middle name,” the soldier grunted to her. The Princess blinked, then hid her smile.

    ‘Maybe I can get through to her after all,’ she thought. “Okay… Why did Doran adopt you?” Lillith’s eyes flicked to the sky, jaw clenched. 

    “For reasons,” she growled, “Now, either stop asking such personal questions, or keep your mouth shut.” Cassandra frowned, all excitement gone.

    ‘Damn… She really is a tough nut to crack.’ Sighing, she fell quiet, observing the scenery around her. She wasn’t sure how long it took her to gain her nerve back. “Yesterday, you were looking for a specific statue. What was it that you were looking for?” she asked. Lillith said nothing, just continued walking. 

    At first, Cassandra thought she was ignoring her. Until they both stepped into a small, grassy clearing. In front of them was a small waterfall, pooling into a pond below. A log lay on top of some boulders at one end, while the other was buried beneath the water. Lillith approached the log and climbed on top of it, while Cassandra walked up to the water. 

    “That vendor, Maurice, travels to Teloiv for his merchandise,” Lillith explained. “His son lives there, and he’s the one who carves the statues. Maurice sells them elsewhere, to grow his business. A long time ago, they once had a wolf that had been carved out of lava rock, with glass etchings. That is what I was looking for.” Cassandra nodded slowly, sitting on the log, closest to the water. 

    Lillith straddled the wood where she was, watching the clouds as they scuttled overhead. 

    “Fay.. what does kinas oluka mean?” The ravenette asked after a few minutes. The blonde stared at her, then looked away and grunted. 

    “Wicked wolf,” she said, her voice taut. Cassandra’s eyebrows furrowed. 

    “Really? That’s it?” The Princess huffed. “I thought it was something worse, like…” Cassandra’s words faded to Lillith, a ringing filling her ears. The soldier’s jaw clenched as she watched the ravenette chat away. It wasn’t until the Princess looked at her did she stop. 

    “Are you okay?” The ringing had finally stopped and Lillith shook her head. 

    “Here, we don’t taunt the wolves. They are who protect us,” the blonde warned. Cassandra’s face twisted with confusion. 

    ‘What does that mean?’ she asked herself. 

    ‘This is not going as planned…’ Lillith inwardly groaned as she stood up. She jumped off the log and kicked off her boots. Cassandra tilted her head at the soldier as Lillith slipped off her socks. 

    “What are you doing?” she asked.

    “Dipping my feet into the water,” Lillith said as she rolled up her pant legs. 

    “Why?”

    “Because it’s hot.”

    “It’s not even the afternoon yet!”

    “Have you been wearing boots since before dawn?”

    “Uh… No?”

    “Then you wouldn’t know how hot and stuffy these are.” Lillith walked into the water, immediately shivering as the cold lapped over her feet. Cassandra watched the soldier as she walked deeper into the water. The blonde’s lips pursed and she walked back onto the shore. The ravenette rose a brow teasingly at Lillith.

    “Done already? Was it too cold for the tough soldier?” she asked. Lillith flicked her eyes to look at Cassandra, only humming in response. Then, she removed her vest, shirt, and pants. Cassandra’s eyes widened as the blonde slipped out of the clothes and threw them across the log. The Princess’ eyes were caught by Lillith’s, now trapped by their teasing stare. Lillith smirked, swaying her naked hips as she walked backwards into the water.

    “W-wha-... What are you doing?!” Cassandra hissed, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink. 

    “Swimming,” the soldier hummed teasingly, stopping waist deep. The Princess’ eyes broke from Lillith’s gaze and they scoured down the soldier’s body. First her neck, then shoulders and arms, followed by Lillith’s bare breasts. “See something you like?” Lillith called tauntingly. Cassandra could feel the blood pooling into her cheeks and quickly looked away from the blonde. 

     Smirking to herself, Lillith laid back in the water, relaxing on her back. ‘Now this is fun,’ she thought, feeling the need to tease the Princess even more. She silently watched Cassandra as the Princess slipped off of the log. For a moment, Lillith felt a stab in her gut, worried Cassandra would walk away. To her surprise, the ravenette wiggled out of her dress and threw it alongside Lillith’s clothes. She watched as Cassandra gripped the swan necklace and stormed into the water. 

    Raising a brow, Lillith regained her composure. “Did the Princess get bored, sitting on her throne all alone?” she teased. Cassandra rolled her eyes as she walked waist deep into the water. 

    “What, did Fay want to be Queen for a day? I thought you didn’t like royalty,” the Princess shot back. Lillith barked a laugh, paddling backwards. 

    “Only fools want to be King or Queen,” she told Cassandra. The ravenette rose a brow at her. 

    “Oh, really?”

    “Yes, really.” 

    “How so?”

    “Because reigning a Kingdom of over thousands upon thousands of people is not easy. You have to manage your time, write and read letters to those watching over each state. Then you have meeting after meeting with generals. You have to enforce borders. You have to keep the economy in check. And that’s just scratching the surface.” 

    Lillith rose a brow back at Cassandra. “So, what else am I missing?” she asked. The ravenette let out a breath, shaking her head. 

    “A lot more,” she admitted. The soldier huffed a laugh, smirking at her. The Princess dove in after her, and the two women slowly swam around the pool of water. Cassandra looked up at the sky, tilting her head. “Have you ever been in a relationship?” the ravenette asked Lillith, startling the soldier. 

    She rose a brow, before shrugging. 

    “As in romantic? Like, dating?” 

    “... Yeah.”

    “Oh, well, then no. No, I’ve never been in a relationship.” For a moment, Cassandra grew excited, smiling immediately. Lillith caught the look, eyes slightly narrow, and she swam back towards the log, standing on the water-submerged portion. She stretched, enjoying the warmth, when Cassandra asked,

    “Have you ever wanted to be in one?” Lillith blinked, looking over at the ravenette, who had made her way back to the log as well. 

    “Be in one.. what?” she asked.

    “Be in a romantic relationship.”

    “... No.” Lillith watched as Cassandra’s face broke. “I only do fun… I don’t do serious.” The Princess nodded, pursing her lips. 

    “I.. see.” The soldier remained on the log, watching the clouds. 

    “We should be getting back now. We’ve been out long enough, and we still have the walk back,” Lillith said. Cassandra nodded and got out alongside the soldier. They sunbathed for a few minutes, long enough to get semi-dry, then they dressed and walked out of the clearing.