Interlude – Grust

Diana POV

Given the very unexpected, and completely illogical, attack on a village, we linger to ensure that Grust would be safe. It had practical uses as well; no one wanted to have enemies at our back. That was why we'd gone to Grust in the first place, instead of securing boats immediately after we were done with the Fane. Of course, securing good boats to carry all of us also took quite a bit of time. So, we relax. We gather supplies. Once we've sailed, we'll be in Macedon. It was likely we wouldn't have much time, if any, to stop and regroup once there.

This could be the last break we had before the end of the war. That was strangely sobering.

"You're balancing quite well," I noted, watching Yuliya walk along the edges of a garden box. She, Jubelo, and I were walking through the gardens, enjoying the quiet. Yuliya showed off her balancing skills, while Jubelo held onto my hand. "I'm glad. You had trouble walking not too long ago."

"We've recovered very well," Yuliya agreed. She reached the edge of the box and hopped down to take my free hand. "Have… have Jubelo and I thanked you?"

"You have." Perhaps they hadn't in outright words, but I saw their gratitude everyday in their voices and smiles. "So, there's no need to try and be formal."

"I suppose." Yuliya fell silent and leaned into me. On my other side, Jubelo did the same, making it a little hard to walk. But I let them cling. I knew why they did.

Whenever we left Grust, likely within the next couple of days, they would be remaining here. It made perfect sense, and they'd be taken care of by a family trusted by Sir Lorenz, Camus, and them. Still, it was a very bittersweet feeling. I'd grown used to their presence. But in the coming battles, we really couldn't be looking after them. There would be simply too much chaos. We'd have enough trouble with Maria and Tiki.

"When things are calmer, I'll come back to visit," I promised them. They both nodded, accepting the words silently. "It'll be fun. You can show me how your health has improved, and how your lessons have progressed. You'll be taking magic lessons, right?"

"We will," Jubelo confirmed. He absently kicked a rock off the path as we continued walking. The flowers were pretty and smelled nice, but I couldn't identify any of them at the moment. "I'm going to train as a mage, and Yuliya is going to be a cleric. Master Wendell and Sister Lena already have teachers for us."

"We'll train very hard," Yuliya whispered. She held my hand a little tighter. "That way, we don't have to be…"

"Come now, you're still children," I chided. I stopped walking and knelt in front of them, still holding their hands. "Let the adults take care of you. You're still growing and becoming stronger. You'll be doing that for a long while yet." They both looked at each other before tackling me with hugs, knocking me onto my ass. "I've enjoyed taking care of you both as well, so don't feel you need to apologize. And if it's Camus making you feel this way, I'm going to hurt him."

"No, don't hurt him," Jubelo pleaded. He sounded close to tears. "We just…"

"I was joking. Well, unless you two asked." I did think I'd have a talk with Camus later about making sure he cleared the air with these two before we left. "But don't try to grow up too fast. You have plenty of time to learn." I smiled warmly at them both. "And if you do get in trouble again, I'll come running."

"Promise?"

"Promise." If Camus didn't beat me to it, at least! Well, no, I'd still come running. I'd just be behind him. "It'll be okay."

"K…"

They clung to me a bit longer before letting me stand up and continuing our walk through the gardens. When we came upon an open field just outside the gardens, we saw Maria making flower crowns. I nudged them to go join her, since they wouldn't be able to play together for a long while, and hung back, simply watching. I wasn't alone for long, though. Minerva must've been flying near because she landed not far away and dismounted.

"I'm surprised they're being agreeable about remaining behind," Minerva noted, walking over. Her wyvern stretched out lazily in the grass, perfectly content. "I'm so used to Maria being stubborn."

"I wonder where that came from?" I teased, laughing. I laughed harder when she rolled her eyes. "Sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have."

"No, you're right. She does get it from Michalis and me. Not sure which one of us had the bigger impact. I'm also not sure where her sweet disposition came from either." She smiled slightly, but it was bitter. "Mother died shortly after Maria was born, and she was a standoffish parent before then, so I don't have many memories of her. Father was busy with the kingdom and also standoffish. Michalis and I were raised more by the servants than them. And we raised Maria."

"Interesting." I wondered how she ended up as a healer when raised by two warriors. Maybe she thought it was how she could support them. Or maybe Micky and Minerva had pushed her onto a different path? "Well, she has been a great help. Both as a healer, and as a mood lifter."

"That's true. I'd just rather she not have to deal with… any of this." Minerva sighed, and her smile became even bitterer as she looked at Maria, Yuliya, and Jubelo, all happily playing in the flowers. "This is what they should be doing. This is what they should've been doing. Playing about, laughing. Not be used as hostages and stuck in dank prisons. Not to see blood everywhere, to know the smell of death so well that they no longer register it…"

"Childhoods and innocence are the first casualties of war." Some part of me had always known it, but looking at the three of them, I felt it keenly. "They should be more worried about puberty. Though, Yuliya is actually worried about that."

"Is she?" Minerva frowned. "She's a bit young for that."

"Apparently, one of the palace healers told her…" I snickered as Minvera just instantly glowered. "I don't know names! She wouldn't tell me!" If she had, I would've already have dealt with them!

"Fine, I'm going to smack all of them." She rolled her eyes and I just snickered more. "Gods, let children be children! She doesn't need to worry about that! For fu…" She trailed off as she noticed the three children looking over at us curiously. "I'm just ranting. Go ahead and keep on playing."

"I suppose we probably should try to talk about happier things." I smiled softly as the three children did go back to their playing. "If only to make sure we don't ruin their mood."

"I suppose so." Minerva chuckled and nodded. "What should we talk about? You upcoming empty nest syndrome?"

"Hey!" I scowled and she laughed, but before long, I was laughing too.

I supposed she was right. I was nervous, leaving them. But this would be safer for them, and that was most important. I'd deal with the anxiety. That's what adults should do for children.

Something I made sure to do every day was try to talk to the Archaneans and ease their concerns about Camus. Sharing my observations, urging them to give him a chance for Nyna's sake… most glared and even spat at me. But I kept at it. I was the one who convinced Camus to surrender. I was the one who encouraged Nyna. So, I felt that I had to. It was my way of trying to protect them. I couldn't stop all the rumors and difficulties, but if I could at least convince these soldiers, who had fought for her for the past few months… hell, even years… if I could convince them to at least not make trouble, to give them a chance… that was worth any trouble.

This had the side effect, though, of me listening to people ramble about Camus. Which was fair. But gods above, when Midia got on a rant, she went!

"Just… argh!" Midia finally exclaimed, stomping her feet. I waited to reply, uncertain if she was really done. I'd spent the better part of two hours just sitting here in some unused room and listening to her vent. I mended everything in the mending basket. "Why of all the people Princess Nyna could be in love with…?!"

"It's a question she asks herself quite often," I gently reminded. I still remembered how she'd cried, feeling like she'd betrayed everyone, but also being so very happy. "But…"

"Oh, don't think I'm going to sabotage anything. She's smiling, and I also faced some hell for choosing Astram. But Camus just… aggravates me… so much!"

"Because he beat you and was involved in the deaths of people you're sworn to protect?" He might've also been involved with her father's death, now that I thought about it, but I wasn't sure on that. This was also definitely not the time to ask.

"Because he's just so damn apologetic and kind! I feel like I'm kicking a puppy when I try to yell at him! The jerk!" She threw her hands up with the words and I had to laugh. "Argh! What a nuisance!"

"We're working on the apologetic thing." Though, honestly, Camus's pride and stubbornness meant that was much harder than it sounded. "Regardless, that went long. Weren't we supposed to met Nyna?"

"Oh. Hell." She facepalmed and I laughed. "I'll take full blame."

"Right." I held out my hands and she helped me up. I staggered a bit as my legs reacted badly to the movement. "Ugh… painful…"

"I'm sorry." Midia let me lean on her as we walked out of the room and down the hall. "And here I was just ranting and rambling."

"You clearly needed it, and I have stolen your ear many times."

"Speaking of which…" Midia gave me a knowing look, and I groaned. I walked into that one. "Have you talked to Jeorge?"

"Not… really?" We had short little conversations in between duties, but we hadn't had a heart to heart since… since he promised to wait. "I've been more focused on-"

"On Nyna. Again." She poked my cheek and I made a face. "Not necessarily a bad thing, mind, but…"

"It was also Camus! And Yuliya and Jubelo!" I felt very, very defensive. "It was multiple people."

"That is true, and it was admirable, no matter what my issues with Camus are." She continued poking my cheek and I just accepted it. "This will likely be our last break for a while. If you don't say something now, I doubt you'll get another chance again until the war is over. You don't want something like that over your heads."

"Maybe." I didn't know what else to say. It was nervewracking, and I honestly thought I'd prefer fighting the dragon again than talk. "Might be a distraction."

"Might be a distraction if you don't say anything. Besides, you have your answer. You and I managed to work it out."

"That answer had a lot of 'thinks' and 'maybes'."

"You'll take a gamble to save Camus, but you won't take a gamble for your own potential happiness?"

"I could control that gamble!" You couldn't really 'control' a relationship. "It needs a lot of work and…"

"Ah." Midia stopped poking me to hold up her hand in a silent 'stop right there'. "No, it's not. Oh, sure, there's compromising. There will be arguments. You're two people. But it's not work. It's things that you're happy to do. A relationship isn't easy necessarily, but it's also not something you have to constantly work on, like swinging a sword. It's something that flows rather naturally. You learn more and more about the person and each of you adapt to having each other in your lives. You'll clash, but make up, finding the compromises. That's what it means, really, to be in love with someone and to walk beside them."

"Um… that's…"

"It is a commitment, but that's not necessarily the same thing as 'having to do a lot of hard work'. You're committed to guarding Nyna, but you find a lot of fun in it, right?"

"Well, yes…"

"Same concept. Slightly different setting." She frowned suddenly and almost stopped walking. I made her keep going, since we were almost at the throne room, where we were supposed to meet Nyna. "Wait, is 'setting' the word I want? Whatever. The point is that you're thinking too hard. It's not like the two of you will be all alone. I'm always here for an ear, and Astram… well, he's awkward, but he does know how to be a romantic."

"After a few hiccups. I heard some stories from Charles."

"The thought behind those hiccups were sweet." She sighed happily, and I chose to not remind her about the time he attempted to get her flowers, and somehow managed to get a bunch of poison ivy with it. Without noticing. Astram wasn't allergic, but Midia was. "I'm sure Nyna will also help, and Camus owes you like… a lot… so…"

"Okay, okay, I'll think on it!" I nearly breathed a sigh of relief as we opened one of the side doors to the throne room, because that it meant that I was free from the conversation. "Sorry, but that's the best you'll get for…" The reason why I didn't, and the reason why I trailed off, was because Nyna and Prince Marth were talking to someone. Someone noticeably older than them, wearing a dress that was deceptively simple. Someone with a calm smile and an aloof disposition. Someone with… with a face I knew well. It was older than what my memory said, more tired, and part of me wasn't even sure I was right since it had been many years since I'd seen it.

But the rest of me froze because it recognized the face. It knew the smile. It knew the disposition. This… it…it was Rosalind, my… my 'elder-elder' sister. My sister. Rosalind.

Someone said something. Maybe Midia. Maybe Nyna. I didn't hear because of the roaring in my ears and because I had to fight off the urge to run, throw up, and collapse, not necessarily in that order. It didn't really matter because Rosalind looked over to us, to me, and froze too. This was the first time we'd seen each other since she helped me escape the reception. I hadn't expected this. I wasn't sure why I hadn't even considered it, but of all the things that could've happened, I never…

"Kresimira?" Rosalind breathed after a long moment. She was as frozen as me, and I couldn't blame her. I looked… I was so different. "Kresimira, is that…?"

"Diana," I corrected automatically. Before her expression crumpled with disappointed, I made sure to add, "I go by Diana now."

"That's a lovely name." Rosalind smiled, and it trembled slightly. She was holding back tears. I could see them in her eyes. "Suits you better."

"Well, our parents were rather pretentious."

"Yes, they were." There was an awkward little bit of silence. Nyna, Midia, or Prince Marth did nothing to dispel it. Then again, all three were noticeably startled. I supposed I never did tell Nyna my birth family's house. "So…"

"Are you here to take care of Yuliya and Jubelo?" That was a topic I, at last, had some stable footing on, and I remembered how I'd gotten them to trust me initially because of my resemblance to her. "Heard about that."

"I am, yes. I've watched after them before, and they like us."

"In that case, come with me." I pointed to the hallway. "I think they're with Camus at this hour, but I can tell you about what I've been doing to care for them on the way, and about where they are healing wise."

"Of course." Rosalind's smile grew, though a tear did escape. "Tell me everything."

While I told her about Yuliya and Jubelo, I managed to weave in some bits and pieces of my new life. Rosalind responded in kind, telling me about the family. Our parents were dead, good freaking riddance, but the rest were alive and doing well. Perhaps when I visited Yuliya and Jubelo, I'd visit them too. Perhaps I'd reconnect with that past.

We'd see. There was a war to fight still.

Rosalind stayed for dinner, so I spent a while catching up and introducing her to people. The whole thing left me horribly jittery, to the point that even after everyone had settled in for the night, I was wide awake. Nothing I did helped me fall asleep. It didn't help that seeing Rosalind again brought back some old memories, which just made it harder to rest. After a while of tossing and turning, I gave up and got dressed again before going on a walk through the gardens.

I breathed in the scent of fresh flowers, enjoying the night breeze. I still knew none of them, but walking alone with no one to distract me… it made me remember that, once, I had known each one, and their meanings. Once, I would've happily told everyone I saw them, to brag and because I had enjoyed it so. Seeing Rosalind again made me acutely aware of just how different I was. The little!me would've fainted from all the blood I saw. The little!me didn't want to hurt a fly, and probably couldn't either. Back then, I had scoffed at the 'brutish soldiers', and did everything I could to keep away from them. It was almost amazing how much of a brat I was. Then my parents basically sold me.

Rosalind hadn't brought up that duke at all. Part of me wondered what happened. The rest hoped he was dead in a hole like my parents. Forcing a child who knew nothing… I hoped he was dead. I hoped I'd never have to see him. I was glad I'd never have to see my parents again. Though, I did have to admit that part of me had hoped, just a little, that they were still alive. That way I could've called them out directly, and rubbed my new life in their faces. I hoped they'd just be absolutely miserable, cut off from everything.

But, then again, it was probably a good thing that they weren't around. They were dead and gone. I could safely reconnect, if I chose. If. I honestly wasn't sure, and was more than a little scared. I was so different than the little girl who ran away, and I spent so long just running from everything that I couldn't remember a lot of things. It might be better just meeting and befriending them as 'Diana'. I wasn't sure, though. This might be a conversation for later, after the war.

After the war… it really was coming close. Conquer Macedon. Get Starlight. Kill Nefy. Fight our way through Dolhr. Kill Medy. That was it. That was all we had to do. Ha… 'all'… as if it would be that easy. But still, considering where we were two years ago… over two years… it seemed incredible really. How far we'd come? How far…

A whizzing sound gradually snagged my attention, and since I was just wandering about the gardens and thinking far too much, I decided to head towards the noise. Eventually, I made it to the practice yard, specifically where the archers had targets set up. Somehow, I wasn't surprised to see Jeorge practicing. He was the type to practice when no one could watch, so what better time than when everyone should be asleep.

He was so focused on his practice that he didn't notice me near. I honestly could just leave and he'd probably never know I'd been here. But I thought of what Midia said. She was right. I did have my answer, really, and there wasn't really anything holding me back but my own anxieties. She was also right in that this would really be the last time we'd be able to talk about things like this.

So, I waited. I waited for him to finish up training and turn to start cleaning things up. He caught sight of me then, though, and paused. He didn't say anything or walk over to me, but he did give me a confused look and waved to let me know it was okay to get closer if I wanted. I did so, and looked up at him. Still silent. He wasn't saying anything. He simply smiled at me, and waited. Just like he said he would. It made me smile back, and gave me that little bit of extra courage.

"I love you," I whispered. I did my best to look right at him, though my embarrassment threatened to have me look away. "I think. It's all still a little confusing, really. Mostly because I'm still a mess. And I probably always will be, a little, but, if you're willing…"

"I told you I was willing to wait," he reminded me gently. He even laughed. "I already know you're a mess. All of us are, really. It was my 'mess' that led me to push too hard."

"Right, so…" I rocked back on my heels, still horribly jittery. But now for very different reasons. "I'd like a proper courtship. A proper, and more than likely slow, courtship. So that we can learn to deal with each other's messes."

"And also not make Princess Nyna mad. I recall her telling me I had to properly court you."

"I vaguely remember that too." I found myself laughing. "But, I'm willing. Are you?"

"Of course." He took my hand, probably to kiss it, but I pulled him closer instead to kiss him on the mouth. He froze in surprise briefly before reciprocating, kissing me back gently and slowly.

This would be enough for us. It would probably be awkward and we'd probably trip over ourselves a few times as we figured out what worked and what didn't. But it would be enough for us. I was sure of it.

Author's notes: So here's an 'official' couple? Yay? Also, have Diana reconnecting to her past (her 'real' name was mentioned LONG ago, in Chapter 7. Coincidentally, the chapter where Jeorge joined, actually.) And yes, Yuliya and Jubelo will be remaining in Grust. I didn't mention it last time, but this is the last interlude for the story. Also quick warning: Shadow Dragon is sparse on plot anyway, and we're reaching the endgame, so chapters are likely going to be on the shorter side.

Next Chapter – Intermission, Royals of Hope (last intermission)