Somehow Daryun couldn't be surprised when Étoile walked out to give a prayer to the dead of the Lusitania. He did sigh at his prince for it, though. Perhaps he might win a few points with the Lusitanians or their god, but he rather suspected it would fall on those ears already so deaf to anything but their own fanatic beliefs. Étoile herself only continued to prove such deafness and blindness to the prince on a regular basis.

"I'm not sure he'll ever win through to that head," he grumbled at Narsus as they turned away from the memorial. Servants and soldiers alike were already shoveling the waiting dirt over the rows and rows of dead in the group burial space. Narsus only smiled. "Will you see me back to my tent so I'm not found sprawled out on the ground half-way there this time?" Daryun tempted Narsus.

Narsus's eyebrow went up. "When was the first time?"

"The first day," Daryun said easily, "only I was kept on my feet by someone else that time." He let Narsus puzzle that out, knowing he loved to have puzzles of that sort to entertain his mind.

"Will I get to meet this person when we arrive at your tent?" Narsus asked.

"Not likely," Daryun put down that hope quickly. "I haven't since around that same time, although I've appreciated the effects of the aid."

"Too bad," Narsus said with false despondency. "So why am I coming with you, then?" he asked, insinuating he was really too busy to visit with his injured friend for even a little.

Daryun gave him a slight smile, teasing him, "Because if you don't even come visit me once before we're divided on the march, you won't get to hear what I've learned these last few days, to add to that map you're trying to see in your head."

Narsus glared at Daryun, who only looked back with an arch surprised look. "Or, you'd rather I sit on information for that long, just because you've sent other people who think they've learned enough? That isn't like you, Narsus," he gave a sad, disappointed look to the next king's strategist, who was neglecting his proper responsibilities. He was rewarded with an irritated expression of a man who'd lost the gambit, making him want to hum in delight - which he didn't. He wasn't that mean.

Daryun waited to speak until they were settled in Daryun's tent, the door open and their ears attuned to others being around, listening to their conversation. The bowl was empty again. Daryun was relieved just enough to know that the priestess had at least rested that night and eaten. If she was in the tent, she was hiding as excellently as she always did. Even he couldn't tell where she was or if she was.

"Of the details Jaswant told you, did he by chance tell you how to find evidence of who the prince's birth father is?" Daryun asked quietly.

Narsus's eyebrow raised. Daryun kept a calm expression. Narsus shifted to sprawl languidly, resting on an elbow, his other arm draped on a raised knee. "I've sent my explorer to a place where we're hopeful he can learn more clues about that man, but no, nothing was said about that particular person in what I was told."

Daryun gave a thoughtful nod, placing that information where he needed it to be. "I suppose for curiosity's sake it might be good to know, but it isn't necessary."

Narsus gave him an uncertain, surprised look. Daryun asked his next question. "Do you know if the Queen has ever given birth to any child? It seems to my limited knowledge that she hasn't."

Narsus pondered on that. "I suppose I could ask around. I haven't heard of any rumors to that effect while I was at the court. Certainly if one did exist there would be those who would want to bring any rumored child into the conflict while it's ongoing." He pondered that, looking out the door and into the distance.

"Arslan is quite sure his birth mother loved him, unlike the parents he's heir to," Daryun said after a bit. Narsus' eyes came to him sharply. "To look so much like the Queen, he has to have been born to close family, if not her, don't you think?"

Now Narsus was positively glaring at Daryun, wanting to make him just spit it out. Daryun wasn't really disposed to, but he might have to eventually. Instead he asked another question. "Was there anything in Jaswant's details about the Sacred Mountain and the habits of the priestesses? Do they usually go around requesting children for themselves?"

Narsus sat up suddenly at that, a frown on his face. "No, but I've already done my own studies on that as a separate issue. I do know that the priestesses are only seen outside the mountain when that's what they want, and almost exclusively for a daughter, to take their place when they're getting to the end of their own service."

"Only for daughters, huh?" Daryun mused, rubbing his chin with his hand. "But..., if it was for the time of prophecy, would it happen so she could give birth to a son?" His eyes went to Narsus sharply. His friend was deep into hard thought. Eventually he gave a nod, allowing as how it could happen.

"Well," Daryun relaxed back, "considering that the woman who came to me the night before I left for my duties out of the city –," he glared at Narsus, "right before you got banished from court because I wasn't there to protect you," Narsus blushed and rolled his eyes since Daryun kept bringing that up, "– showed up to ask such a strange thing."

Narsus stared at Daryun in utter shock. Daryun waved a hand. "Not a daughter. A son, 'as a blessing for your uncle in his old age to reward him', as she put it."

"Seriously, a son?" Narsus could barely keep his voice down. Daryun gave a solemn nod. "How old would such a one be now?" Narsus asked.

Daryun looked out the door now, calculating although he didn't really need to. "Close to three years."

Narsus snorted. "You'll have to wait a long time for that one, then." Daryun shrugged. He knew Narsus had only wanted to confirm it wasn't Arslan himself. "Still, that long before, huh?" Daryun nodded, and then Narsus got it and his wide eyes turned to Daryun. "The Goddess has known that far in advance of what was coming?"

Daryun looked at his friend, very sober. "Yes. And is planning for that far into the future as well." He answered the wrinkle on Narsus's brow. "The child is to learn to stand in my place when I'm too old to watch over the Kings of Pars, as he will stand in his grandfather's place who did that also in his time."

He leaned forward and spoke urgently to Narsus now, his finger pointing to emphasize his ponderings. "Narsus, I believe that the Goddess not only blessed my uncle with a child to follow him, but also blessed him with knowledge - a vision, dream, or something. Vahirz knew before that battle to warn me to stand loyal to Arslan and only him.

"He sent a letter to his old friend at the place that became the only place we could go for safety, even though he knew his friend had supported and trained Hilmes the same as Vahriz had trained Arslan. He knew what regard Marzbān Bahman held Hilmes in, yet he asked him to support Arslan anyway. Why?"

Narsus nodded slowly. "If the Goddess had shown him who Arslan truly was and that we would have only there to retreat to, he would have tried to win us favor early with someone who might be hard to convince." He rested his chin on his hand resting on his knee as he added the new things to the picture of the whole, for all many of them only filled in holes from earlier.

His eyes eventually came around to Daryun again. "Why? Why has she been involved?"

"The Goddess is involved to see that peace is restored to Pars and the nations, to counter the evil priests of chaos."

Narsus shook his head. "The priestess."

Daryun wrinkled his brow. "Because she's commanded to?"

Narsus considered that, then shook his head. "It's more than that, I think."

Daryun shook his head. "Love, possibly. She loves Queen Tahameny, and according to Arslan, also loves him. But most likely it's mostly duty."

Narsus gave Daryun a long look. Finally he asked, "And does she love you also, to just show up and heal you?"

Daryun flushed, not able to help himself. "When all I get are glares, scoldings, and the invisible silent treatment? I think not. Every time it might even come up, she scolds me, even if only in my own head, that my duty is to my liege and my focus to my duty, not any wife or family." He sighed an irritated sigh at Narsus. "Besides, what priestess is any man's to have? They're given to the Goddess only."

"Oh, good," Narsus said as he rose to his feet as if Daryun hadn't even said anything, "I finally get to tease you for having a wife you didn't ask for." Daryun groaned and put his hand to his head. Alfreed was still going on about that for all she was still too young a child to even understand what she was talking about. Daryun was sure he didn't need that kind of teasing.

As Narsus moved to the door, he glanced back at Daryun, "Really, you spoke of your son with too much of the pride of any father pleased to have an heir to follow in his footsteps." Daryun flushed again, wanting to deny it and unable to. Still, his friend took some pity on him. A quiet, "Congratulations," came from Narsus' lips as the door fell closed behind him, untied so that Daryun could have the one more afternoon of rest and healing.

Daryun lay there, but sleep didn't come suddenly, nor did warmth come to sit by his side. He finally sighed and worked at falling asleep instead of expecting it to come. Perhaps he'd offended her, but Narsus had needed to know those further details, he was quite sure of it.

The next morning Daryun was up early, aided by Jaswant one more time. This time he dressed fully, but kept the armor light. His core wouldn't hold up all day in heavy armor on horseback. Perhaps by the end of the week.

He'd been a little sorrowful to see that the food he'd left the priestess from the night before was still in the bowl in the morning. Jaswant's eyebrow had raised, but when Daryun handed him that morning's bowl, he'd eaten everything he could hold and shook his head slightly. Jaswant had taken both out when he'd left. The remainder of his healing would likely be on his own and blessings directly from heaven.

As he reached the gathering of the wounded and captives, he looked first for Elam. "Good morning, Elam," he said openly.

"Good morning, Marzbān Daryun," Elam answered respectfully.

"And are you feeling ready for travel this morning?" Daryun asked him.

Elam's eyes brightened a little. "Yes, actually. After my morning chores were done I retired to rest and actually fell soundly asleep. I didn't awaken until this morning again." His look fell to a chastened one. "Master Narsus forgave me, saying I surely needed the recovery before we traveled."

Daryun smiled. "Surely it is so." His eyes went to the young female knight. "You'll make a ruckus immediately so I can arrive as soon as possible, will you? Prince Arslan would sorrow to see either of you harmed in the confusion."

Elam looked at Étoile and sighed. "Yeah. I won't hesitate, but she's been doing well so far, really. At least it isn't babysitting the loud-mouth that needs to go home already," he scowled.

Daryun chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll count on you then," he said and headed for the Pars soldiers that would be guarding and watching over this caravan. It was kind of the Goddess to grant the desires and worries of the Prince's for his friend. Daryun couldn't begrudge Elam one day's worth of healing, when he'd received three of his own to be grateful for.