The next time she saw him, he was grinning as foolishly as he ever did. With their usual banter, he finally offered to help fix her tent; she'd never camped out like this before. His smile was infectious, his good cheer palpable. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

It was his hands.

They were large and roughly calloused, confident as they fixed her tent, but they were bare. She'd thought – perhaps hoped, perhaps foolishly believed – that he would have been wearing the ring she'd given him. Though, to be fair, in her embarrassment – a feeling that she was not accustomed to, but she had learned to expect unexpected things when she was around Lex – she had told him that he could throw it away if he didn't need it.

But she didn't think he would actually do it. Surely he kept it! He could not have found out its true meaning, could he? If he knew a ring such as that was commonly used a lover's token… would he have thrown it away then?

"All done!"

Aira jumped at his voice. He glanced up, grinning broadly, but his face fell a little when he noticed her expression. "Something wrong?" he said.

"No! Nothing!"

Obviously, he didn't believe her. He stood up and was very close to her now, their faces inches apart, though he was quite a bit taller. She tilted her head, unable to break away from his gaze. He narrowed his eyes a little bit, studying her. "You look absolutely furious."

She crossed her arms, not trusting herself to answer. After a very long moment, Lex took his leave, waving casually over his shoulder and calling out a very plain farewell.

Men, Aira thought bitterly, furious at herself now for apparent incapability to speak whenever Lex drew close to her like that. They're all the same, arrogant, conceited, fools –

"Lady Aira, do you like Lord Lex?"

It was Lachesis. Aira jumped at the question, and immediately felt her cheeks burn. "No!"

Lachesis, in her innocent beauty, looked a little confused. "But you're so relaxed when you're with him. Don't fight that."

Relaxed? Almost every word that passed between their lips was an argument of some sort, even if they were always light and teasing. But, then again… he was the first person to be kind to her, to speak truthfully to her, to respect her. Could that all mean something more? She kept thinking back to that day, their first battle, when at some point, they'd both had their blades at the other's throat. What if she had killed him then? Where would she be now? She nearly shivered at the thought – no Lex, no playful banter, no cheeky smile.

"He wouldn't like me," she murmured, almost to herself. "Our countries are at war. I'm not… feminine, like you, or Deirdre, or Ethlin."

"So you're just going to give up?" Lachesis fired up at once. "Make him notice you. Whenever you're near him. The person I love is far away… and I would give anything to have him here, beside me, like Lex is beside you."

A dark, sad look passed over her face. Aira struggled to sort out her own thoughts. Love? Surely they were not discussing love. But even amongst her own worries, a surge of worry and feeling for Lachesis, looking so sad and lonely, welled inside her.

But Aira could think of nothing comforting to say. Eventually, with a nod of farewell, Lachesis left, leaving Aira alone with nothing to do but contemplate her mysterious words.


This was it, then. He knew. Shanan, in his boyish arrogance, had just talked on and on and – now Lex knew. What a fool she was.

Aira dashed away as fast as she could. She barely noticed where she was going, feeling only the wind against her face, the ground beneath her feet. Faster and faster she ran, until she reached the top of the castle, her favorite turret, and there was really nowhere left to go. Now what? What was she to do? She could not bear facing him. Her pride would not allow such ridicule from all the others, for doing something so foolish as making a lover's token. A lover's token, nonetheless, that he had simply thrown away.

Aira closed her eyes tight to stop herself from crying. She was too strong to cry. She would not let herself be ruled by this silly fancy, this stupid man. She would be the master of herself and her emotions.

"You had to run… all the way to the top, didn't you?"

Aira whipped around. Lex was there, his hands on his knees, bent over to catch his breath. His face shone pink with exertion. At once, Aira turned away again, refusing to look at him. She couldn't stand the thought of the mockery that was to come.

"Please, Aira… turn around?"

His voice was cautious and hesitant. It was a request, not an order. But still she could not comply.

"Why did you follow me?" she said angrily. "Don't lie! I hate people like you – people who lie, who just throw away trust – who laugh and tease, but in the end, it's all – it's all – I hate it!"

"What are you talking about?"

She could hardly breathe for the exertion of her own rage, at him, at herself. Mostly herself. Her whole body filled with the heat of it, some of it spilling out in hot tears, and she couldn't stand it. "I hate people like you!" she said again.

Silence. A very long, thick silence, broken only by the pounding of her own heart inside her head.

"Is that the case?" Lex said quietly. He was closer behind her now, as if he had approached when she was shouted, and she hadn't even noticed. "If that's so… then there's no point in me keeping this ring, is there?"

The ring.

At once Aira turned, eyes wide. Lex stood tall before her, and in a smooth movement he pulled open his tunic shirt, revealing his chest and the woven-hair ring hanging from a thread around his neck. Before Aira could say a word, he grabbed it and ripped it off, his eyes never leaving hers as he threw his arm back, ready to toss it off the tower.

"No! Stop!"

Desperately Aira grabbed at his raised wrist. In one breathless moment, the thread necklace with the ring on it left his hand, and Aira caught it tightly in her fist. Without a second's delay, Lex's hand closed around hers, while his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close. Suddenly she found herself pressed against him, immobilized, breathless, the ring she had given him digging into her palm. His face was so close that she could feel his breath warmly on her cheek.

And then, before she could move, before she could speak, he kissed her. He tangled his hand in her hair, squeezed her hand, kissed her lightly until she remembered how to relax, how to breathe.

"You know…" Lex said softly, very nonchalant, his lips brushing against hers. "This ring…. it's tailored to fit your finger, isn't it? It wouldn't even fit on my pinky. Did you really think I'd throw it away?"

Even now, his voice had a teasing note to it. But Aira found she did not care. She flushed, placing her head on his chest and listening to his rapid heartbeat. "I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed once again. "I shouldn't have thought so poorly of you. I'm sorry."

His arms encircled her warmly. He murmured into her hair now. "I forgive you."

"I wonder sometimes… what would have happen if I killed you, the day we first met," Aira said. "It scares me. I hated everyone here… They were all from Grandbell, the enemy of my country, of me. I was so alone in this army, except… except when you were here. Because of you, I learned to embrace something other than hatred." Aira pulled away from him a bit and slipped the thread back around his neck, tying it briskly. He watched her as she laid the ring gently back to rest on his chest, then he tilted her chin up with his hand, meeting her eyes.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance to you," he murmured, and kissed her again. Aira had never felt anything quite like it. She had never before experienced this bubbling warmth in her chest, the powerful sense of peace and comfort from being in his arms, the taste of his lips against her own. It sent a thrill through her body like adrenaline in a battle. Lex drew away slowly, leaving her longing for more, and wondering what all she could give.

"I am at your service," he said.

Aira smiled.