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Rendelen. One of the largest cities in all of the Great Continent. Conveniently named after one of the great houses. Cadmus, Aries, and Giscela sat around a campfire with the stars gleaming overhead. Their wagon was thrown together so haphazardly for their trip that the cords of rope looked ready to untie at any moment. They had enough for the three day trip. Aries had a strange sense of familiarity as they were packing. It reminded him of when he came to the cave to kill Cadmus so long ago.

He leaned into Cadmus' chest and looked up into the night sky. He had always found it strange how the Gods interacted with mortals below. If the Gods had any sense, they should have made the world less painful. Aries stretched and relaxed. Cadmus did not seem to mind the weight shift and a pleased rumble left his chest.

“At least the Gods have given us some reprieve," Aries joked and glanced up towards his lover. The dragon's blue scales shimmered in the moonlight and the fangs that stuck out of his muzzle had a similar sheen to them.

“From the snow, wind, or…?"

“I think he means something different," a voice said with a mischievous twinkle.

Giscela leaned against the wagon. Even in a robe and trousers, she still had a royal poise to her. The blonde hair was curled and came down to her shoulders. Her hair was braided in the back to keep out of the way of her arms. Her sword belt had a dagger on the left and a sword sheathed on the right.

Cadmus huffed and he brought his tail around to Aries' leg to wrap around his human's right ankle possessively.

“I'm only kidding," Giscela chuckled. “The mountain was not easy on us."

If they had gone out in the winter rather than the spring, Aries figured that no amount of clothing would have saved them. Cadmus picked a wonderful spot for his previous home but a horrible spot for guests.

Cadmus was still quiet. He had been quieter and more contemplative since they had left. Aries could sympathize. The dragon had everything he could want in the cave. Books, company, and his love. But it was not meant to last. Even though he seemed confident in his resolve before they left for the unknown, Aries knew there was an unresolved tension. As much as Aries was forced to change, Cadmus had to as well.

The silence between them was awkward. Aries shifted. Perhaps the Gods did have some tricks left. Giscela went quiet.

“Cadmus…"

Aries reached up to his dragon's cheek. The blue scales felt warm and inviting on his fingers. They had the same fire in them that glowed in Cadmus' eyes. The pondering dragon snapped out of his trance.

“I'm sorry, love…"

“Do you wish to talk about what has been on your mind for the past day? You look like something is haunting you…" Aries frowned. The knight was not stupid but being direct always worked for Cadmus. Well, it worked when Cadmus was in the mood for it.

Cadmus sighed. “I'm not upset. It is common for us to leave our homes for extended periods of time but you must understand that I had lived in that cavern for most of my life. It is exhilarating to be out but I also have questions."

His eyes flicked towards Giscela.

“You fought by my side, Giscela and I trust you. But you must have your reservations."

Giscela nodded.

“Cadmus, you speak as if you are a diplomat, but you are more than that," Giscela walked forward and took a seat beside them. “Do not use such a diplomatic tone."

Cadmus chuckled and his tail flicked. Aries' felt the chest he was laying on rise and there was a nice rumble underneath. The weight that was in Aries' chest lifted.

“Very well. Then tell me, will we really be spared from the Senate?"

Giscela crossed her legs. “We will be resisted at every turn but I will do everything in my part to protect you, Cadmus."

It was Aries' time to frown. “Edward might have different ideas."

“Yes, well he is incompetent, so I will not have any trouble-"

“Giscela, he is a Lord. He will not go quietly."

The Queen shook her head. “I may not have all the power that the Senate has but I do have say with the other Lords and Ladies of the various houses. Particularly, the Lavish family entrusted pieces of art with our family after our wars."

“Art can be used as a bargaining chip?" Cadmus questioned. “Seems like a waste of culture."

Giscela smiled. “These are not just any pieces. I will show you when we get to the capitol."

Cadmus' pose relaxed. Perhaps it was Giscela's confidence or maybe it was the way she reassured the dragon that everything would be okay. Her charisma was like a bright beacon in the dark night sky and both Cadmus and Aries felt maybe something could work their way in Rendelen.

“As strange as it is, I hope that you are correct about the pieces. I would hate to spend most of my time in the dungeons of this grand capital."

“You have to trust me," Giscela encouraged and placed her hand on Cadmus' own. “Both of you."

“We do, my Queen," Aries answered.

Cadmus' grumpiness subsided for a moment and he looked at his lover snuggled up to him.

“I am glad to be out of the cold more than anything."

Aries smiled and leaned back against the dragon. There was hardly any space between them. They took up most of the spot on the dirt road. The wagon may have been old but it was durable and still had some life in it. The cracks in the wood along with the wobbly left wheel gave the wagon character. Or so Cadmus would joke.

An idle finger started to twirl around one of Aries' long locks of hair. The sharp claw that it was attached to was only inches away from Aries' right cheek and the human shuddered. They were as sharp as swords but so gentle on his hair. The dragon gave a pleased rumble as he felt the soft locks of blond hair and Cadmus spoke up.

“I always was fascinated with hair…"

Cadmus gave a bashful chortle. “It is kind of strange to even feel it again. I…"

The dragon shrugged. It was rare for Cadmus to even talk about the past but to hear that humans were getting their hair cut by dragons was other worldly. It felt like there was some sort of secret. Something that Aries was missing and the human could not put his finger on it.

“You can continue if you wish…," Aries said and the fingers that were going through his hair stopped. There was pain behind the sigh of his voice. Cadmus fumbled with the scissors, opening up the small, metal case.

“Perhaps."

There was a wistful sound to his voice and Cadmus looked towards the stars. The two were quiet and enjoying the ambient sounds of the night. Cicadas chirped in the tall, wavy prairie grass. The crackle of the fire in the middle of the group casted a warm, welcoming glow across the dirt road. The mountain that they spent two days making their way down loomed over them. There were hardly any trees where they were located. They stood like lonely guardians over the planes and their odd shape was due to the heavy winds that cut through the valley.

There was an odd, stoic calm to them. Even with the winds pummeling at their bark and peeling away their leaves, their seeds still scattered across the desolate valley.

“Do you mind if I…cut your hair?" Cadmus asked with shyness to his voice. Giscela's eyebrows rose.

“You know how to cut hair?"

“Why yes I do," Cadmus said with a charming smile. He got up from his sitting position and walked over towards the wagon before digging through it. Aries looked over his shoulder, watching the large dragon dig through the wagon. There was absolutely no way he would have any type of tools, right? The absurdity struck Aries mute, his mouth open in awe as he watched his lover dig through the wagon with clear intention.

“Are you sure you can cut my hair? You cannot have a barber kit in-" Aries began until Cadmus pulled out a small, silver case.

As Cadmus walked forward, he had a smile fit for a small child who found a beautiful stone in a river. Aries could see the engravings on the front, the divots in the metal looking like a pair of dragon wings and the clip that held the small box shut was made of a beautiful gold.

“I stand corrected," Aries said and Giscela, who had been standing by and watching, seemed even more impressed.

“The fact you kept the small thing in such shape shows your commitment to the craft," Giscela said as she eyed over the two lovers carefully.

“Mmm, I suppose so," Cadmus hummed and his tail flicked happily as he walked over to Aries. The dragon walked behind his human, opening the box and looking over his tools. A dark black comb flanked by two pairs of scissors and there was a straight edge blade held in a black pouch. The scissors were as silver as their case and the silver was engraved with a tail. The appendage started at the handle and made its way out. At the midpoint of the blades, it split.

Cadmus held the black comb in his left hand and took the smaller scissors in his right. Aries did not have to turn around. Cadmus kneeled in front of him, his large frame practically blocking Giscela from view and he felt a comb come up through his bangs.

“You really don't have to cut my hair, Cadmus," Aries blushed as Cadmus brought the scissors up to the long bangs and snipped across them. The first strands of hair fell from the front of Aries' head and onto the ground.

“Nonsense. You will feel better if you have a haircut and a clean shave. I want to do this."

Aries chuckled as Cadmus made his way around his bangs. He already could see strands beginning to fall as he lined up his comb and more hair fell to the ground. Giscela watched in the background as Cadmus worked around Aries' head and more and more hair fell.

The human thought back to when he had long hair. It was probably during his long three day adventure when he made his way to Cadmus' cave and then stuck inside. Well, maybe not stuck. At least, not after he grew to know Cadmus. Aries gave a soft smile as Cadmus started to move to his back which had the long, curly locks. Cadmus brought the scissors forward and they cut through his hair like parchment.

“Are these enchanted?" Aries asked curiously as Cadmus worked his magic, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on his craft.

“No."

There was a pause from Cadmus and the dragon brought his hands down to his side momentarily.

“Do you mind if I tell you a story, Aries? I do have your attention after all…"

Aries shook his head. “Of course I do not mind."

“Very good."

There was a pause. It felt as if it would go on forever. Giscela moved closer, her ears perking as Cadmus looked for his voice.

“After I was banished from my Kingdom, I had no money to speak of. I was alone in a foreign land surrounded by creatures that I had no bearing being around. My cave was situated on top of a mountain, far away from civilization but not far enough to be away from the graces of townsfolk."

Aries listened politely, wondering what his lover had in mind with the story. He had never heard Cadmus talk about running away from his home. It was such a painful topic that Aries decided to let Cadmus make the decision when he wanted to talk about it.

Cadmus started to work again, the scissors coming up to the sides of Aries' head and clipping along the sides.

“The cave that I was in had nothing in the way of amenities but I managed. An enchanted mobile bag that carried all my belongings helped."

Cadmus chuckled. “I do wish I still had that bag. Some birds took it. Probably live inside of it now."

Cadmus shook his head. “Anyway, I decided to look for work and it took a long time to gain the trust of the village next to the cave. When the townsfolk realized I could perform magic, I was given the sick to heal. I was tasked with bringing livestock back to health. All of it could be done with basic healing but humans lost their connection to magic long ago."

Aries hummed. He thought back to how natural it felt to connect to the strings of magic and energy around him now that Cadmus had showed him the technique back in the cave months ago.

“When the village started to trust me, I was allowed to come down. They kept me as their secret. I was paid in food, water, and clothing. Sometimes, they would give me furniture that they built with their own hands. It was quite….charming."

Aries could feel the smile Cadmus was making even though he was turned away from the dragon.

“However, I was offered something strange one day. A husband of a sick wife came to me and asked if I would cut her hair. He was far too old for such chores even though he was raised as a barber. His fingers were beginning to lock up and he was having trouble holding the scissors."

Cadmus paused, quietly making some small cuts to Aries' hair and using his paw to wipe away some of the top. Giscela watched quietly, the merriment in her features now stone. There was a pit in Aries' chest. He had a feeling where the story was going.

“The woman was blind and the husband dutifully took care of her. I was tasked to cut her hair. The husband taught me how to hold the scissors properly and how to use the comb appropriately."

Another cut and Aries felt hair roll down his back.

“The husband fell ill as well."

Another lock of hair fell.

“His final wish was for me to care for his wife and continue to cut her hair. So…"

Cadmus stopped.

The courage he had in the beginning of the story faltered. Giscela stepped forward and placed her hand comfortably on Cadmus' right shoulder. She gave a comforting squeeze.

“I…"

Cadmus sniffed. “I would stop by and cut her hair, but I also took care of her. She was blind. She never knew what I was. Her mind was also torn. I don't know what kind of illness she had but it consumed her. She would merely hum as I cut her hair. There was nothing I could do. I have seen the village torn down and rebuild itself countless times from a distance but I had never seen a human die."

“Cadmus…" Aries whispered. The human pulled away from the dragon but Cadmus placed a hand on Aries' chest and pushed him back into the chair.

“It is fine, Aries. I want you to know about my past."

Cadmus continued to cut Aries' hair, his hands steady even with the emotion in his words.

“Strangely, I hoped she would not know her husband had passed. Each time she hummed, I think it was what her husband would hum when he was working outside."

“I remember one night, I felt different. There was something inside me that compelled me to go to the village. I don't know what it was but I could feel it. Something deep inside of me that told me to fly and to see her. When I was in the skies, I could see the candles flickering around her home. In the night, it pulled me in. When I landed, the villagers did not react. I cannot remember who handed me the husband's scissors but they were tasked to me and the villagers from that point forward considered me as one of their own."

Cadmus took a long breath, a small puff of smoke leaving his nostrils. He brought his hand up to wipe his eyes.

“I-I'm sorry, Cadmus," Aries began. “You must have lived through so much."

“it is fine, my love. You humans are quite resilient, even with your small lifespan."

Cadmus smiled through his tears, giving another sniff. “I know, I should not be crying while cutting your hair but…"

Giscela rubbed Cadmus' back soothingly. “Cadmus, your story is one that celebrates life. You have helped so many. Including us."

The scissors shined in the moonlight as Cadmus used them. The blade moved a bit quicker with Giscela's words.

“I…thank you."

Locks of blonde hair fell down onto the ornate scissors and onto the dirty ground below. They held memories within the strands. Strife for the ones he loved and commitments he made. A commitment to kill Cadmus and save the princess. A commitment to his mentor to come back as a man with the head of a beast. He was like a lizard molting an old skin to replace it with an old one.

“Your neck might feel lighter after all this," Giscela joked with a smile as she made herself comfortable near the fire. “You have as much hair as me."

Aries came out of his trance. Cadmus was to his left, his warm breath in his ear and tickling the sensitive skin there. “Yeah. I never thought I would get groomed by a dragon."

Cadmus smiled. “Nor did I think I would ever get the chance to cut the hair of a human, once again."

A comfortable silence fell between each of them. The snip of Cadmus' scissors curtly snapped around Aries' head. Locks of hair turned back to strands and soon Cadmus was grooming the sides of Aries' hair. The sparrow was lost in thought and his mind wandered back to the intensity of Edward's face. He had the sword of the Lanishes and the way he scowled sent a shiver down Aries' spine. Would they really be safe when they made it to the capital?

Even if Aries had the strength of a dragon, would they be able to stay safe? Aries wished they had the crystals. He would be able to at least lean on magic. Maybe Cadmus could have even taught him how to properly wield it.

“Cadmus, is there any way to gather those magic crystals again?"

The dragon continued cutting Aries' hair, but gave a small tisk. “I would not want to abandon our quest for the ability to use magic."

“That is not what I intend," Aries replied. “I just want to know what all our options are…"

Cadmus sighed and moved up towards the human's scalp. He was careful around the more tender area. “My little sparrow, those are crystals I took when I fled from Cinere. The only way to get more is to wait for the volcano to erupt."

Aries hummed thoughtfully. The fact that he had never heard of such an island in any of his education was concerning. If the island was hidden from him, he would know any different. His curiosity kept eating at him to know more.

“The volcano produces the crystals?"

“Yes. No one knows when or how they are created but they are filled with the energies of the Earth. Much like how everyone in the world is connected by this energy, so are the crystals. Since the middle of the Earth is where we are all born from, the crystals are the purest of crystals."

Aries tisked. “So, we can wait until the next eruption."

Cadmus paused. “I do not mean to be rude, love but have you ever seen a volcano or know what it is?"

Giscela chuckled. “Don't bully your lover, Cadmus."

“I am not bullying! It is an honest question."

Aries shrugged. “No clue. I thought it was some sort of tool."

Cadmus and Giscela looked at one another before their eyes snapped back to Aries. Cadmus was careful and patient as he continued cutting Aries' hair. “A volcano is a natural structure. Something here before even you and I were. Imagine a mountain with a massive hole on the top filled with liquefied rock."

Aries' mouth went agape.

“I only thought crucibles could melt metal."

Cadmus chuckled. “It is surprising that you have never heard of such a thing."

“Randelen is like a trap that people stay in for most of their lives. Aries is a tad bit sheltered," Giscela chimed in.

Aries shot Giscela a look and in defense, the Queen held up her hands. “What? You leave the Capitol for an extended time and now you are going on hiatus with a dragon."

“Heh, fair," Aries smirked. “But anyway, tell me more about this volcano."

“Very well."

Cadmus took a moment to collect himself. He gave a couple last snips to the top of Aries head. The look was coming together but more needed to be done. He started to move around to the human's side.

“When a volcano erupts, the molten rock spills out the top. It rolls down the sides of the mountain and into the valley below."

Aries was respectively quiet. His breathing was slow and steady as he imagined standing at the foot of the volcano and looking up. He could not imagine anything that spewed pure hell out of its belly, but Cadmus was telling him things that could be in a fairytale.

“What does this molten rock do?"

Cadmus smiled. “Well, it hardens because it cools and leaves the crystals behind."

“Interesting," Aries said as he digested the information Cadmus fed him. “Is there any way to tell when the volcano would erupt?"

“We do have ways of predicting when it would erupt but it can be off. Our scholars used to have resources scattered along the volcano's rim. We have devices and measurements but it is sometimes unclear," Cadmus replied and finished up the left side of Aries' head. He swiftly moved to the right.

“Hmmmm…"

“Sounds like you have a question," Cadmus said with a gentle rumble to his voice. “I know that sound anywhere."

“Where did you live on the island?"

Cadmus gave a wistful smile. “The ash from the eruptions would rain down on the valley and would blanket the ground. Most of my subjects lived at the foot of the valley while the royalty lived further up the mountain."

Aries blinked. He had forgotten about Cadmus' royal heritage. It was strange to think of his dragon wearing more formal wear and dressing for diplomatic talks or socializing with the upper class. At least, that was how Aries thought of it. For all he knew, the way dragons did things could be completely different than humans.

“I had almost forgotten that you ruled over Cinere."

Cadmus paused. “Yes. Sometimes I do too. It feels so long ago. Almost like a second life."

Aries remembered back at the cave when Cadmus confided in him. How he wanted to take back the kingdom that rightfully belonged to him and how his position was stolen from him. Aries did not know the full details but he figured that the dragon would open up to him over time.

“Do you miss Cinere?" Aries asked softly.

Giscela shifted in her seat. Even she looked visibly uncomfortable with the question. It did not take a spymaster to know that Aries was treading into an old past and one that Cadmus could be afraid to share.

“Of course I do, my love. That answer should be clear," Cadmus said curtly as he finished up the right side of Aries hair. The dragon moved around Aries' body until he was facing him. He squatted down like how he started. Aries could see the intensity in Cadmus' eyes as he made some of the final touches.

“I'm….sorry. That was inappropriate of me to pry."

Cadmus sighed. His hand came up to brush against Aries' face and his thumb rested gently on his lover's cheek. “You are fine. What you must know is that I wish to retake my throne and I will see to it that you find your own secrets about your father."

Aries nodded. “I know."

“Good."

Cadmus grabbed the silver case for his tools and opened it. He placed the scissors and comb back inside and closed the case. “I will tell you when we reach Rendelen. I do not wish for you to worry about my past. And…I don't know if I am ready to talk about it."

Aries was conflicted. He wanted to be fully available for Cadmus but at the same point, he also knew why Cadmus was withholding. It was not the time or place and Cadmus was exhausted. Aries could see it in the way Cadmus' appeared. His eyes had bags and he did not have that same spark of excitement that he had in the cave. He was still Cadmus but his resolve had been chipped away.

“I understand," Aries said and leaned forward to give his lover a kiss on the cheek. “Tell me when you need to."

“You are too good to me, my little sparrow," Cadmus blushed and stood up over Aries. His impressive wingspan loomed over Aries and he reached down to offer a hand to his human. Aries brought his hand up and he was pulled to his feet and turned around. His back was up against Cadmus' broad chest and his relatively large arms wrapped around him protectively.

“This coming from the guy who cut my hair."

“And he did a fantastic job, too," Giscela explained with a smile and walked forward. In her hand, she held a small pocket mirror. The tool was small enough to hold in the palm of her hand and the gold that built its casing was chipped. The metal made intricate patterns and crossed through like a river through a forest. She opened up the mirror like one would open a pocket watch and brought it towards Aries.

The human's once unkept and long hair was now cut short on the sides while keeping some of the length on the top. Aries brought his hands up to the shorter areas and his fingers moved across the sharper edges of the cut hair.

“I would shave your face as well, but I do not have shaving cream," Cadmus said with a shyness to his voice. “Do you like it?"

With his beard and light amount of facial hair, he still had a mature look about him but his new hair style gave him a more trimmed and clean look. Giscela moved the mirror to show the different sides.

“I'm at least impressed," Giscela said with an uptalk to her voice. “You are quite the artisan, Cadmus."

Cadmus' hand came up to rub the back of his head. “Let's not go that far! I'm not virtuoso but….thank you. I'll cut your hair sometime as well."

“I'd like that," Giscela replied with a smile. She turned towards Aries who was speechless as the two were having their own discussion. “Well, Aries? What do you think?"

“I love it. Thank you, Cadmus," Aries said as he looked himself over in the mirror. Giscela closed the mirror, the smile she had was contagious between the three and each of them gave a long sigh.

“There is one thing that I have always wanted to try, however…."

Aries raised an eyebrow.

“And what would that be?"

Cadmus looked practically giddy. “When we get our scales cleaned and groomed, we use hot coals to bring out the brilliant colors. Perhaps some heat can help with your hair?"

Aries looked over at Giscela and the queen shrugged.

“Never tried dragon fire for hair care before. Perhaps it could yield a different result than regular fire?"

Aries nodded. “I suppose. It doesn't hurt to try!"

Cadmus smiled. “How adventurous!"

Cadmus took a large breath in.

“W-wait! Let's not light my whole head on fire!"

Cadmus blinked and then chuckled nervously.. “O-of course I wasn't going to do that! You aren't a dragon after all."

Cadmus walked closer. “I'll simply do one small area to see the effect!"

“Alright, that seems fair. Just use that same amount of pressure you used when we first had our little spat," Aries joked.

“Awwww but I want to see if Cadmus can light you on fire!"

The dragon snorted.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence," Aries huffed and readied himself.

Cadmus leaned forward towards Aries, his large chest puffed out as he inhaled. His lungs filled with air and the gas that built up in his lungs lit.

“Prepare yourself, Aries," Cadmus huffed through his breath.

With one puff, a small amount of flames gently left the dragon's nostrils. They moved towards the side of Aries' hair and the hair lit much like hair would with a regular fire. The putrid smell of hot, burnt hair reached each of their noses and all of them gave a unified gag.

“Blech! It is exactly like regular fire!" Giscela said as she grabbed her water skin from her belt and splashed Aries' head.

“Gods, what were we thinking?!" Aries shouted as he patted the back of his smoldering head. The stench of hair still permeated the environment and a small, dark black streak of burnt hair was on the back of Aries' head.

Cadmus blushed. “Sorry, my love."

Aries laughed. “No need. It was our dumb idea. But anyway, how does it look?"

Cadmus clicked his tongue. “Not as bad as I thought. It should go away in maybe a few days or so."

“Thank the Gods."

The three stayed up for a moment, chatting about their dumb decision. Cadmus started to tell another story from the village. This story was about Cadmus trying to herd a pack of cows back to the village. Even though he was a big, scary dragon, he still struggled with a couple. Some of the bulls took Cadmus' horns as a challenge.

“Well, it is time we turned in for the night," Giscela said as Cadmus finished his story to a starstruck Aries. Giscela walked over to the fire to add more twigs to it. “We have quite the walk in the morning but we will be at the Capitol tomorrow."

Giscela frowned. “It will be strange not to have my father waiting there for me, but…"

She shrugged. There was another awkward pause.

Cadmus spoke first, coming to his feet and walking to Giscela carefully. “Giscela, I know you did not care for your father but he was still your father. Are you sure you are ready? We can turn back and I know people in my village."

Giscela turned on her heels, her eyes filled with a fire that struck the dragon to his core. “Each of us have made our choices and we have gotten this far. There is nothing we can do now but find out what is going on in Rendelen."

Cadmus took another step forward. He knew he had to be careful talking to Giscela about such personal topics but something had been bothering the dragon about the circumstances regarding Giscela's father. It all happened so fast in the cave. One moment, they were wondering if Rendelen was going to send more troops after them and they would have to scavenge whatever resources they had to fight whoever Edward decided to bring with him the next time but the King's death was almost a morbid breath.

“Giscela, you must admit that this feels like it could be a trick. What if your father is alive and the Senate has lied in order to bring back their spymaster?"

The Princess briscled for a moment but the anger subsided. Cadmus was right; it could have all been a ruse and as a spymaster, Giscela had thought of all the possibilities before they had even left the cave. Cadmus had sacrificed so much. He had left his home that he had lived in for multiple human lifetimes.

“The possibility is there," Giscela replied with a thin veil of annoyance. “I believe that if he was alive, we would not have had as quiet of a time as we did. After all, Edward would have raised enough of hell for more than just one dragon to deal with."

“That is a fair point," Cadmus mumbled. Even though Giscela was right, Cadmus' ears folded downward and guilt creeped up into Giscela's conscious.

Giscela tisked and shook her head. “I'm sorry. You are right. We have to think of every scenario." Giscela's shoulders relaxed as if she had been in a stance to defend herself.

“After all, I'm not the only one who had to sacrifice parts of themselves. I know that home and your village meant a lot to you," Giscela expressed. “I must be careful with my own selfishness."

Cadmus nodded. “I know that you do not mean any harm. If I could stay in my cave forever, I would but…"

Cadmus looked over at Aries with resolve. “There is something about our situation that has brought us together. I do not think I would be in the cave for long anyway."

“I think my whimsical charm would have led you out," Aries joked and got up off of the ground to walk to the wagon. He grabbed the small bedroll and unrolled it near the fire, the warmth from the flames coming off and sinking into his tired body.

Cadmus snorted. “You came at me with a sword. My first impression of my knight in shining armor, ladies and gentlemen."

"Yeeeeah. Sorry about that."

“You kinda did deserve to get knocked on your ass with the stance you had," Giscela teased as she grabbed her own bedroll with more of a pep in her step.

“And I remember you being drunk," Aries shot back as he pulled off his shirt and then his trousers. “The most beautiful, charming Princess that the Capitol had ever had could hardly keep her balance. You certainly gave Cadmus hell."

“Mmmm, and what a night that was," Giscela gushed and started to fiddle with her own leather straps. She pulled off the armor which clattered to the dirt below. She wore a simple undershirt along with trousers. Her fair complexion was a nod to her royal heritage. Immediately when her armor was removed, Aries cleared his throat and Cadmus sheepishly looked away.

“I promise I don't bite," Giscela snickered.

Giscela giggled when Aries looked back up to her and Cadmus stopped shuffling nervously.

“Well, you are the Queen of Rendelen now…" Aries whispered and Cadmus blushed.

“I think both of you are well within your right to address me as Giscela and there is nothing that makes me any different from before. Both of you are my friends and not my subjects."

Giscela's mouth twisted as if she had bit into something sour. “That word still seems a bit strong. To think that I would be fit to rule."

“I certainly would feel protected within the region you rule over," Cadmus said and he walked over to Aries' bedroll and started to strip down himself.

Giscela smiled and she fell quiet as she made herself comfortable. The moon was high in the sky and a light, cool breeze blew through the valley. A warmth was carried on the wind now that the bite of the mountain was behind them. It was strange not camping underneath a rock grotto.

Aries and Cadmus were huddled together, the dragon's muzzle perched protectively on his human's head. Their chests breathed in rhythm and Giscela could hear their whispers to one another. The small kiss and their giggles.

Giscela started to think back to the magnificent balls. She remembered first meeting Edward. He was a handsome noble. He had the look of someone who knew he was born into something. It was as disgusting as it was charming. His ego may have been insurmountable but Giscela knew she would have no trouble getting secrets out of him.

The Queen closed her eyes. She could hear the waltz in her mind. She stepped in rhythm as she has always done and turned like a doll on a string. Her movements were graceful but any dance trainer could have seen they were forced. She still remembered feeling the stings of her instructor's training whip. It was a small, tortuous tool that had just enough of a sting to bring tears to one's eyes but not draw blood. Her own father had hired him in order to make sure she fulfilled her role and stepped in rhythm.

Edward offered his hand and she pretended to be enthralled. Everything was going to plan. The satisfaction she would receive from her father and Senate was like a drug laced with poison. They danced the night away and for a moment, she almost forgot she was a spy. She could see her own father smiling in the background as she twirled and she received another smile from Edward as he watched. She would cement her legacy as bringing both Rendelen and Lannish together at last through marriage.

Her father demanded it. Honeyed words that were cut with beautiful dresses and jewelry and she would willingly be going back to it. There was no doubt in her mind that she hated her father but…

Warm tears streamed down her cheeks.

Her father taught her how to use a bow. Her father taught her how to defend herself and to stand up to others. Her father taught her how to be independent. He would hoist her up onto her own horse and then be proud when she could pull herself up onto the saddle by the stirrups. He cried when his wife died from consumption. He was human and part of Giscela wondered if he deserved to die with a knife in his back or by poison.

The thought that she was not there when he was killed or knew how he died was nauseating. His face could have been mangled beyond compare and she wondered what his last thoughts were before he died. Giscela wondered if his last thought was regret about how he treated her. Maybe he thought about not being able to see her get married and carry on a legacy.

Giscela tossed and turned. She remembered how Edward would hold her and the warmth of companionship even if it was fake. At least the pretend felt better than the reality. The thought that soon she would know the truth was her only comfort in the night and she fell asleep to the thought of dancing, her beautiful dress in her dreams stitched tight to hide the secrets in.