MIRROR IMAGE | ILYA PETROV

- i -

"Welcome aboard my ship, you traitorous cur," spat Louise Rousseau, the princess of Lorah, with her thin arms crossed over her chest armored. Ilya noticed that as she insulted, she looked directly at Melik. His poor reputation upset Ilya, greatly, but only for the potential that he possessed.

At the tender age of eight, she was a short girl with her chestnut hair styled in a boyish cut and wide hazel eyes. She traded her dresses for pants at an early age and abandoned her dolls to pick up a blade around the same time. She was not currently the most fearsome warrior in the Byzen Cluster, but the expectation was that she one day would be, until then, she was relied on for her military prowess as a strategist.

"Precious Louise," started Melik.

Louise raised her hand up to silence him. "It was made clear that the exchange would be between Ilya and myself, not useless philanderers."

"Oh, Louise! How you've grown!" Melik covered his face and pretended to weep, moving closer to Ilya to rest his face on his shoulder, but Ilya pushed him away. He hated this side of him, the useless prince.

"I don't associate with philanderers often, but I do promise that our cause is a good and just one."

"Siding with the Kou Empire is an affront against the Byzen Cluster," said Robert Durand, her second cousin and retainer. He followed her where she went, protected her and led the Lorahian army in her stead. He was her most faithful servant. Lived, breathed, and would die for the girl. As such, his response was expected and his opinion highly respected by the princess.

"You will bring about the destruction of our people," added Louise strongly. She drew the short blade hanging from her belt and pointed it at Ilya, a warning sign. "You will answer to this blade if your cause is not good and just. Do you still wish to speak?"

Ilya and Melik were stripped of their weapons and armors before they were allowed to board Louise's ship. Together they stood surrounded by Lorahian forces, all ready to attack at the drop of a hat. It made him anxious to stand in the center of them all in nothing but the simple black clothes that he wore underneath his armor, but the sacrifice needed to be made for the sake of peaceful negotiations.

"The truth of it is that as things stand, we have no hope in defeating the Kou Empire," stated Ilya.

"Is that any reason to side with them?" demanded Louise. "Our code is that if we cannot defeat them, we are to die trying. There is no joining them or persuading the rest to do the same. It is unseemly."

"And we are honor bound to our code, but—"

"Should we not band together then? Melik acquired strange power in that dungeon and that's worth something," interjected Louise, "but putting our weapons down, dishonoring our ancestors who fought hard to keep the peace in this land, and allowing ourselves to be conquered by an aggressive country like the Kou Empire and the likes of Ione? We might not win alone, but if we could extend an offer to the Reim Empire, we might stand a—"

"The Byzen Cluster fought hard to break free from the Reim Empire to be subjected to their rule once more," interrupted Melik, his voice calm as he moved to stand between Ilya and Louise. "If they are brought into the fray, we would only be asking to be conquered by them. It is an unfortunate thing to say, Louise, but we are trading one evil for another and committing to making the best out of a bad situation."

Ilya gratefully stood back, overwhelmed by the girl's fervent spirit. He wasn't quite as skilled as Melik in handling her type.

"Lorah will never bend their will to the Kou Empire," stated Louise. "If we cannot fight for our countries, we do not deserve to be called royalty."

Robert nodded loyally. "Indeed. What message do we send to the people in allowing ourselves to be ruled by others simply because they were bigger and stronger. We will be mocked for being weak."

"We lost our right to consider ourselves powerful when we let Hákon take control of Ione," stated Melik firmly. "If our kings and queens had not decided to bury the truth of Queen Aquila of Baryon's death the day the last Byzen Festival was held and we would have done what we had gone to do, we would not have had the Kou Empire on us so early on. We might have stood a chance against them if we truly banded together by becoming a nation as a whole and not a cluster of kingdoms run by six monarchs more interested in pursuing their useless hobbies or ambitions. Perhaps, that is why the Tzap Incident occurred and why we are suffering still so many generations later. We don't know. As such, it is irrelevant to bring up such fairytales to something that is happening now and is in dire need of attention."

Louise looked to Robert. Ilya understood that she was either at a loss for words or needed help in expanding her knowledge in something. He imagined it had to do with the Byzen Festival. She had not yet been born when all of that occurred. She wouldn't have been told about it either. However, Ilya recalled that Robert was there in the king's company, present during the outrage in the Great Hall of Io Castle.

"We are not here asking you to bend you will to the Kou Empire, we are asking you to enter into peaceful negotiations with them. Hear Prince Kouen out," finished Melik. "Listen to his queen's words."

Robert huffed. "That traitor. Her father started this mess and she intends to finish it. Determined little roaches those Io."

"Asta is the reason we are being given the option of negotiations. We can blame her father all we want, but she was his pawn as well and should not be burdened with any guilt you wish to instill in her," said Melik.

Louise gestured Robert closer and once he bent down, they deliberated in quick whispers.

"I will consider the option that you have brought me, but my answer is not yet definitive," stated Louise. "You are dismissed. Once I have made up my mind, you will be informed."

Ilya and Melik ambled through the crowd of soldiers blocking their path and safely returned to their ship.

"See? And you thought coming together would be a bad idea," commented Melik, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Stop talking," grumbled Ilya. He planned to thank him for taking control of the conversation and steering it in the right direction, but if he complimented him at all, his head would likely grow so big it would explode. The last thing Ilya wanted was to give him anymore boasting material. He was annoying enough without it.

"We work, Ilya," he continued. "Our partnership is one of a kind. You sneak me into places where I would usually be turned away—"

"For good reason," he interjected.

"—and once you've got everyone talking, I'd sneak in my piece and win the room over. We should do this more often, Ilya. Clear your schedule. Make room for me."

Ilya grabbed Melik by the collar of his white shirt and pulled him forward, annoyed with his cheery face every time he looked at it. "Why didn't you fight me seriously before?"

Melik blinked. "Wait? What?"

"On the beach!" snapped Ilya, shaking him violently.

"Well, you weren't fighting me seriously either."

"What? I was!"

"Really? I could've sworn I've seen you stronger." Melik shrugged. "Meh, I must've been imagining things."

Ilya wanted to drown him.

"Prince Ilya, we've received word from Corrin!"

Ilya released Melik and snatched the message his attendant brought him. As soon as he read it, he looked up to Melik.

"What?" asked Melik.

"Prince Kouen is departing to Nohr."

"Oh, and we don't even have negotiations handled here."

"This is your fault!" snapped Ilya.

"My fault?" cried Melik, affronted. "What did I do?"

"You steered our ship in the wrong direction on purpose!"

"You shouldn't have let me steer the ship!"

"You said you—"

"Sheesh, Ilya, you have to stop listening to all of my requests, you're going to do something really stupid one day," Melik said haughtily.

Ilya pushed his sleeves up over his elbows and stalked towards the older prince. He was going to drown him.

"Ilya, what are you doing?"

He grabbed him by the kaftan. "How does a bath sound?"

Melik giggled. "Aren't you coming on a little strong?"

He punched him in the face.

"Prince Ilya! You'll kill him! He's delicate!"

MIRROR IMAGE | END