After the battle, I felt the urge to return to Loom. Not to hide away, but to figure out other ways of fighting. There must be something, somewhere in this magical world, that can give an alternative solution to the fighting.

“There’s still two villages.” Anne says, as we depart the village.

“Fine let's go for that two and then lets head home. We need to start training properly as a team, and develop new strategies together.” But my mind is still occupied with the deaths. It's senseless. Even if I am numbed by Carlos's memories of death, of brutal wars. Scenes of gruesome deaths from my, no, his past.

I need some other kind of strategy.

Sara walks up next to me. She looks a bit distant, but I somehow sensed that she wants me to reassure her, that things will be fine. I think that's my [prince] ability working.

[Sara needs assurance. Rewards +10% affection]

Ah, yes.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, as she walks a bit nearer.

Sara pauses, and our eyes cross. I give her a knowing look, a nod, a look of assurance, if I could. She then takes a breath, and then shakes her head. “It feels… it feels empty. Sometimes I wonder whether we have failed, even though we did not. We successfully defended the village.”

I nod. “That is how I feel too. We should have done better, even though such is the nature of this world, where death often accompanies combat.”

I pat her on the shoulder, my palm lands on her leather shoulderpads.

"But we will survive. We will remember them for their sacrifices, and protect those who remain with us."

“Yeah. I’ll get stronger.” Sara says, she looks into the distance. “And I will shoot more, all of them down before they get near."

I pat her on the head, I am glad all she needed is just a bit of comfort. “Good. I will count on you. Every one of you.”

She smiles, and I smile back. It’s not an unreserved smile, after all we just walked away from death, but I suppose in such a sombre mood, it is good enough.

She nods. "Thank you, Prince Carlos."

"It's nothing. We all need to talk it out after a tough day."

"Yeah."

I dig into my pocket and look at the small piece of emerald, and decide to start crafting something on our way to the next village.

As we walk, Anne comes up next to me and notices me working.

“Making something?”

“Yeah, for Sara.”

“Ah… Any reason?”

“I thought of cheering her up abit. She’s a bit upset she failed to shoot down some orcs before the orcs got to some of the men.”

Anne nods, “Yeah, some of the guys are unhappy too.”

“I plan to buy them a toast once we get to the next village, let me feel a bit better.”

“Yeah, I think the men need a pep talk.”

I nod. And I smile at Anne, her skin a little dusty. I think she probably didn’t get a bath since yesterday, as she worked really hard on the burials and the transportation arrangements for the corpses to be shipped back to their homes, so I lean in closer to her, and whisper.

“You should take a bath.”

She blushes. “Oh dear, am I smelly? I’m… I’m sorry if I stink.”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I think you need the rest. You’ve been working really hard too. A bath will do you good, you look like you need it."

“Ah…” Anne nods. “It’s nothing.”

I think she’s look gorgeous in a bath, but I didn’t say that out loud. I am after all a man, and lately, I’ve been sleeping and dreaming about Anne. “I insist. You take a rest at the next village."

"I think I can have that once we get back to Loom."

"No." I use my princely, commanding voice. "Rest. That is an order. Take the girls with you"

Anne's eyes widen, I think she's surprised to hear that from me, but strangely, after a short pause, perhaps that is her mind trying to digest the order she's given, she decides to nod. "Yes, Prince Carlos."

"And take the girls with you. They need a break too."

She nods.

-

We arrive at the village later that evening, and once again, a feast. Why do I still continue with the feast?

Because consistency. As a prince, and Lord of Loom, I must be seen as treating the villages equally, and so, even though we had an unfavorable background of just having some of our men dead, I still pressed on with it.

"Our journey here has not been easy. From Loom, me and my men visiting multiple villages, and, along the way, we have fought monsters. Most of them time, we got out with just some scratches, nothing a healing spell won't fix. But two days ago, we had a battle with casualties, defending the village from the orcs. Few of my men, and the villagers who took arms to fight with us, perished in the battle."

The villagers gasp. A look of fear passed through the men.

"So, it must be said that my heart is heavy, my conscience clouded by the blood on my hands as Prince of Loom."

A eerie silence in the hall.

"But, their deaths are not burdens. Their death is a reminder of the dangerous existence we live in this world of monsters and magic, we must always strive, to be at our best, so, a feast like this must continue. We must all be able to appreciate and thank the dead for their sacrifice, and continue living the life they fought, and died to give us."

Its a statement the villagers already know. They are all too familiar with the fragility of life, and how death may come ever so easily.

"Eat. And drink. Be merry, eat up your fill, and more, eat the share of those not here to share it with us too. Let that fullness remind us that it is their sacrifice that gives us this luxury and life of plenty."

There's starting to be some smiles in the crowd.

"And for those among you who feel like taking the monsters on. Join the guards. Train. Monsters are coming, and we will be ready for them."

Everyone seems to be waiting for me to continue. I think I ran out of words to say.

"To the fallen, we are here to remember you. To eat for you. To the living, be better, stronger. We will fall no more."

[You've given a pretty good speech]

[All units affection +5%]