Overlooking the capital of Alsenia, Princess Maria stood on the balcony of her father's garden. The large canopy with its golden pillars that her father frequently rested under sat vacant behind her. Amidst the many plants in the garden, Cu Chulain marveled at their beauty as he wandered around. Yet, the princess grew worried as to the north, she could see the lights of an army camping just beyond their borders. She had already sent some of the troops to ambush them in the mountain pass but they can only do so much against a force the size of Paslone and Hutch’s military.

Assuming the ambush squad fails, meeting them in the fields would give their troops as well as the Swalli forces an edge. That is, if General Nankan keeps his promise to the now-dead King Appius and arrives on time. If he did help them then her victory was assured. If not, then she would surely become nothing more than a trophy for the victors. This wasn’t what worried her though. She had a hero who was sworn to her so she could at the very least escape. What worried her was her sister, Lucia. She was technically an equal heir to the throne. The only one capable of taking away the power she had worked so hard to achieve. Her hands clenched into fists at the thought of it. 

“You look to be in a bad mood. What seems to be the problem?” Cu asked with a concerned look. The four colored dimples on his face twinkled when she looked at him. Strangely, her anger almost magically faded away.

“I am simply worried about what my sister is doing. She is out searching for an already summoned hero. I assume she intends to use it against me. She, my father, and my brother have all worked to instigate a war with the rest of the world. It’s why they needed to die. I have so few allies in this.” She lied casually as if it were a nonchalant truth. 

Cu Chulain looked out at the light in the distance with a thoughtful expression. “Before you summoned me, the last thing I remember was fighting my friend. You could say he was like my brother. In the fight, I tied myself to a rock to keep fighting because I was stubborn. My brother, in the end, died, and so did I. I may have won but it was a fleeting victory. I would have preferred that we never had become enemies.” He said with an empathetic look as he continued gazing out into the distance.

“Are you saying I should make amends or that our rivalry will get us both killed?” She asked, trying to guess which lesson he was trying to impart to her.

“... Yes.”

Her gaze fixed on him with a cruel mix of offense and shock. Out of everyone that could have called her out, it was shocking to her that Cu, her summoned hero, would be the first. Slapping him sounded like a reasonable response in her mind but doing so wouldn’t help her keep his loyalty. That said, Maria knew he couldn’t betray or harm her in any way. Considering what she could say next, the princess’s train of thought was interrupted by a guard rushing into the garden.

“Princess Maria, It’s urgent.” The guard exclaimed in a frantic tone. His knees quaked from the news he was bearing and his breath ragged from running.

“What is it?” Princess Maria asked with a demanding tone. Cu’s response still angered her to no end and only made her seem incredibly frustrated to the already quaking guard. 

“Your mother, the Queen, she… she’s collapsed.” He replied. His words lingered in the air, stale and devoid of meaning. No one moved for a moment as the Princess processed the information.

“Take me to her, now!” She barked. Her lips quivered after she spoke. Nodding, the guard rushed them to the room where the Queen now lay.

Cu waited outside while the Princess entered the room. The Queen, upon seeing her daughter turned to the doctor and held up her hand, signaling to stop and leave them. The doctor bowed with an understanding and empathetic frown before walking past the princess, out the door. Looking at her mother, Maria could see that she was having difficulty speaking with barely any strength left in her. It was obvious that she had suffered a stroke.

“Mother, what happened to you?” Maria asked with a concerned tone. She dared not to go any closer to her. Not due to any fear of sickness but due to not wanting her mother to sense the blood on her hands.

“The shock... of hearing of your brother and... father’s death was too... overwhelming. I’m sorry to have made you worry. At least... you and your sister are alive.” The Queen said apologetically as tears welled up in her eyes. 

Walking forward, Maria took her mother's hand and held it tight. There was no holding back anymore as the Queen bawled her eyes out, embracing her daughter as much as she could. Minutes passed before the Queen calmed herself enough to speak again. 

“The doctor told me that I will not be able to do much for the time being so you’ll have to manage things till your sister returns. I really am sorry to have to put this burden on you. Though I have no doubt that you’re going to do just fine.” 

Maria’s face grew stark. Her eyes were cold and distant. Albeit, a mask to hide her true reaction. For her, this was perfect. Without her mother, she was free to rule the nation as she pleased until Lucia shows up. She could deal with her when she arrives. All she had to do now was keep up her perfect child act long enough to become the ruler.

Wiping the tears from her mother's face, Maria spoke with a reassuring, borderline emotional tone. “Of course. I’ll do whatever I need to in order to keep this country, its people, and the throne safe. You have my word.” Her tongue was a venomous snake, invigorating a false hope and contentment within her mother's heart.

“Thank you, my precious daughter.” The Queen said before falling asleep from exhaustion.

Setting her mother back onto the bed in a comfortable position, Princess Maria exited the room. Still waiting patiently outside, Cu had attracted the attention of some of the maidservants as well as one of the guards. Some were watching from afar whilst some had struck up some flirty conversation with the heroic spearman. The conversations had devolved into a banter of innuendos. The last of which came from Cu just in time for the Princess to hear him say, “Would any of you care to hold my shaft?” and holding out his spear.

The maidservants and the guard froze in fear, causing Cu to look behind him where they were staring. The Princess’s face gave the impression that she was annoyed with him. However, her demeanor was the complete opposite. Cu didn’t seem to care though as he simply turned to the Princess with a concerned chuckle while the rest of the staff returned to their work awkwardly. “Is everything alright? How is your mother doing?”

Taking a calming deep breath, Maria’s expression returned to normal. “She is fine for now. My mother will probably be bedridden for the next several weeks. Until then, we’ll have to manage on our own.” She said. Although she was honest, her motivations and joy over the matter were kept solely to her own mind.

“I understand. How may I be of assistance?” Cu asked with a respectful bow.

“Help me defeat my enemies. That is all I ask.” She replied, covering her mouth as she did. Her hand barely covered up the devilish smile she wanted so desperately to hide. An old habit that appeared when she felt she had won, yet, she still felt so far from victory.