Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It's always really nice to hear from all of you. Hope you're staying safe and healthy.

Once I was sure I wouldn't be experiencing any more vomiting spells (and at Soval's insistence), I downed the rest of the electrolyte solution, and found that the lack of sleep from last night was finally catching up to me.

I dozed on and off throughout the rest of the morning, and Soval did not move from his position. If I was less tired or maybe more paranoid, I might have tried to understand better why he felt the need to linger beside me, especially so close. But I couldn't deny that it felt good to feel his warm, toned chest rising and falling against my back, and when I drifted awake from a brief nap right before noon, I thought I had felt his hands wandering down my arms, stroking me softly.

In any case, by lunchtime I was feeling up to eating something, though Soval kept things light with a simple plomeek broth. He wanted to bring it to me and have me eat it in bed, but I insisted on eating at the table, just to get up and stretch my legs a little. He apparently saw the logic in this, and chose this time to call the housekeeper and have him change my sheets.

The young man barely glanced my way as he headed into my room, and I turned my attention back to my broth, taking slow, measured sips and relishing the heat on my throat. Hours of vomiting had left my voice scratchy and weak, and the broth helped me feel more like myself.

"After you have eaten, do you wish to sleep more?" Soval asked me, sitting down next to me with a bowl of his own. I shook my head.

"No, I'm awake now. I think I'll hold off on more sleep until tonight."

"Very well," he said, and he took a sip of his broth. "Perhaps we could play a game then. We haven't had much chance to play since I was in the infirmary."

"How about chess?" I offered, smiling at the prospect. I could use something to take my mind off my sore muscles. "I don't think I'd do so well at kal-toh today, but I could put a decent fight with something else."

"Then we will play chess." He smirked slightly, seemingly pleased with my answer. "And if you like, we could play other games, perhaps some of the ones you gave me at Christmas. My schedule is clear for the rest of the day."

I nodded eagerly, and we ate in contended silence. I nodded in appreciation as the housekeeper left us, looking forward to fresh, clean sheets tonight.

We played several rounds of chess after lunch, and he thoroughly thrashed me every time; though I did get a little closer than I usually did to beating him. I managed to hold on for longer on every round, and despite my losses, I felt a sense of elation at my slow and steady progress.

Next, we broke into the War of Kings board game I had gotten him for Christmas.

"Alright, I'm going to move this legion ten spaces west," I muttered, moving my forces with a smile. "And then for my next action, I'm going to discard three Brick cards to build a supply line, and then I'll...hmm..."

I pondered the board in front of me, carefully examining all the pieces. Soval had arrayed his forces across our shared border, and I could tell he was poised to attack me on his next turn. My western legions had looked a little weak, so I decided to pull a legion from the fringes of my army and bulk up my forces along the northern mountain pass between our lands. However, Soval had three legions close to that pass, and between that and his forces by a ford further south, I knew he would make a decisive move fairly soon.

My only saving grace with this game was that it relied somewhat on luck of the draw, and I had actually gotten a rather good hand. I pondered my cards again, then the board, then grinned.

"For my last action, I'm going to play Treaty Negotiation – 'play this card if you have a Diplomat in play." I gestured to the Diplomat card laying on the table in front of me."'You now have two rounds of play where your opponent cannot attack you.'"

I smirked across the table at him, tossing the Treaty Negotiation card at him, then drew back up to a full hand. Soval raised an eyebrow at the board, then raised his eyes to me, something dancing in his eyes.

"Very well," he said, deftly placing the card on top of the discard pile. "We shall commence treaty negotiations. For my Buy phase, I will trade the gold necessary to buy a Brick card and two Stone cards. Would you care to trade with me, Genevieve?"

I smiled. "It depends on what you've got."

"I will trade you two Brick for a River card."

I looked to my hand, my gaze raking over the four Rivers currently stuck in my hand. I could certainly afford to do it, but doing so would probably seal my fate when he attacked. Still, I could really use more Brick. My supply lines were few and far between, and if he attacked me, I doubted I would be able to hold my own against him.

I looked up at him. "I'll do it for three."

"I accept these terms," he said with a nod, and we traded cards. I smiled as I tucked them into my hand, secure in the fact that I still had two more turns before he could attack me, and I still had time to bolster my forces.

"And since I cannot attack you, my actions are as follows – I will move this legion ten spaces north, and this legion will move seven spaces to the east, and I will discard these three Stone cards to build a Fortress."

I nodded, my theory confirmed – he had moved his forces to bolster the legions around the mountain pass and the ford. At least I had bought myself some time. "It's kind of funny that Treaty Negotiation card doesn't do more," I wondered aloud, buying some more Brick and moving another legion. "You'd think those would last more than two rounds."

"Are you attempting to give yourself more of an advantage?"

"No, Soval, I'm saying in real life...say this board is actually a map of space, the border between Vulcan territory and another powerful spacefaring race. How long would treaty negotiations take in a situation like this?"

He blinked, clearly surprised at my question, but then he examined the board and sighed. "If we are fortunate...we could negotiate for years if needed. The longest treaty I negotiated was with the Klingons, and it took nearly three years."

I did some quick calculations in my head. "And in this game, considering how fast your legions move, I'd say a turn is, what, a week at most?"

He considered it. "Eight days, but yes, you are essentially correct."

"Have you ever negotiated a treaty in fourteen days? Or had negotiations fall apart on you that quickly?"

Soval raised an eyebrow. "To my understanding, we had a basic working treaty with the Denobulans in less than a month. But they are a very welcoming people, and objected to very little. The treaty with your people took almost two years to negotiate, and another two years after to be ratified by the new United Nations of Earth."

He paused and watched me build a bridge near my southern flank. "I remember when I was younger, I thought that Solkar must have disobliged the High Command at some point to have received such a post. I had heard you humans were too impulsive, too irrational, too immature to really take your place in the galactic sector." His eyes trailed upward, finally meeting mine. "You proved us wrong in less than a century. We have severely underestimated you...but no longer, Genevieve." His gaze found the board again. "I never thought I would find myself taking over Solkar's position, as I thought I would continue my service with the military. But...I am pleased I came here." His eyes found mine again. "I am pleased I found you."

I swallowed thickly, my heart racing in my chest, and I stared at the board without really seeing it, just to gather my thoughts. I took a deep breath, built another supply line, and looked up at him.

"I'm glad I found you too," I said finally. "For better or worse, you have been good to me. I appreciate everything you've done...and I hope I can make up for the last few months. I'd be doing more, but today-"

"You are ill, and that is enough of an excuse," he said gently, holding up a hand. "I believe it is my turn."

"Yes, I'm sure you noticed everything I just did." I gestured to the new bridge and supply line.

He nodded and built two fortresses behind his lines, presumably so his troops could retreat to a safe haven should I counterattack and force a rout. He then bulked up his forces on the ford, and looked to me.

"Your Treaty Negotiation card has expired, Genevieve."

"Yup, and it's a pity our two kingdoms couldn't make a better effort to establish peace. I might fire that diplomat," I said, pondering my next move. I mulled it over, then decided to buy more Stone and build a fortress defending a reserve force I had behind my legions at the pass. It wouldn't hurt to have a little bit more defensive structures, since I knew he was about to attack me on his next turn.

"Perhaps your diplomat was not at fault. Perhaps my kingdom is simply ruthless and has no interest in peace." He smirked at me from across the board, watching me bulk up my legions near the ford. "Perhaps I am too keen on the resources you possess, or I wish to expand my power base...or I simply have a taste for bloodshed."

I looked up at him, frowning. "You're the head of your kingdom. Are you really that hungry for blood, Soval?"

He shook his head. "No, I was merely pointing out an opponent's possible motives for war. My ancestors are guilty of all three motives, and far more petty ones. One discovery of a valuable resource could plunge regions of ancient Vulcan into war for decades. The warlords lusted after lands, after minerals and precious metals, and especially after water. And ever did they thirst for bloodshed. War was their livelihood, setting fire in their blood, consuming all reason with horrible, twisted passions."

I frowned. "My people are just as guilty of all of that. Don't think ancient Vulcans were singular in lusting after resources. That's the reason for half the wars on my planet."

His eyes grew darker still, his pupils blooming over his irises until they were almost black. "Warring over resources seems to be a common trait among most species. But I doubt even humans are guilty of some of the petty motivations that plagued my world long ago." He shook his head. "So many wars were waged, so many lives lost...all for the possession of women."

I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head. "Okay, you're going to have to elaborate on that."

"Ancient warlords kept scores of wives and concubines, and ever did they seek to expand their harems to feed their appetites. When a local warlord or tribe leader happened to have a beautiful daughter...if treaty negotiations for her hand did not succeed, war often erupted shortly after."

I narrowed my eyes in disbelief. "Well, I would say that's an immature reaction, but it's not like humans didn't wage war because a marriage contract or whatever went south. And this was all because marriage was more of a political thing back then."

He raised both eyebrows. "It certainly had a political component on my world as well, and often still does." He paused a moment. "I'm sure you know that our marriages are arranged for us by our parents when we are young, and we, in turn, arrange marriages for our children when their time comes. In ancient times, it was not so. Men fought and bled and died for the right to possess a woman, and the females in question had no rights outside what her husband or master granted to her. Some broke free of this cycle of oppression and became warlords in their own right, but only a few notable cases are recorded in history." He took a deep breath. "On our world, if a woman wishes to end her prearranged marriage...when the proper time comes, called the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, she can call for a kal-if-fee, a challenge. Her selected mate must fight her arranged mate for her hand."

He paused again, perhaps letting me digest this new information, and his eyes drifted down to study the board. I leaned forward, intrigued at this glimpse he was granting me into his culture.

"Such challenges these days rarely result in more than easily treatable injuries, though there have been some instances...the challenge turned more violent." His eyes drifted back to meet mine. "But in ancient times, such challenges always resulted in death. They were brutal, terrible rituals then. Since the time of Surak, we have taken a far more logical approach whilst still maintaining some ties to our ancient heritage." Soval sighed. "The kal-if-fee is a rare sight in the present day, for which I am grateful."

"Okay, now I'm really confused." He frowned and leaned forward, his eyes bright with attention. I took a deep breath, pressing my lips together as I tried to find the right words for my question. "Your people...embrace logic to such an extreme degree...why would you...why do you embrace this ancient ritual when it's so violent? Shouldn't words be enough? Shouldn't it be enough for one party to say to the other...'my spouse, I believe we are not compatible. I wish to dissolve our union'?"

His eyes turned dark once more.. "I...one would hope that words would suffice. And truly, logic often prevails in such situations as these, but..." He paused, and breathed in slowly and deeply. "There are times when even logic fails us."

I stared at him. "Huh...I find that...hard to believe," I said slowly, and his gaze grew darker still. He frowned incredulously, then shook his head.

"No, Genevieve, you think far too highly of us. But no matter...you still have one more action."

My mind had drifted so far from the game that it took me a moment to realize what I had planned to do. I considered my options, and decided my best bet was to further reinforce my troops at the border, and wait for his inevitable attack.

"Your turn," I said, sighing as I anticipated my defeat.

He smirked and bought a few supplies before laying down what I knew he had to have been holding for several rounds. With his Attack card laid on the table, he moved his troops to invade my land at the ford, and I sighed again. I had no Counterattack cards in my hand, so I was powerless to stop him as he conquered a base and made preparations to move further into my territory.

"It is your turn now, Genevieve. Despite the fact that we are at war, I am still open to trade."

I shook my head and went forward with my Buy phase, stocking up on Stone to build more fortresses. I knew I would need them in the coming rounds. "And thus, violence prevails in our lands. How did it come to this, Soval? Whatever did my people do to you?"

He seemed amused at my sarcasm at least, and leaned back in his chair, watching me build in anticipation of his advancement. "As I was saying earlier, perhaps there was no great offense on your part, but simply an abundance of resources I wish to possess. Or I simply enjoy conquest and destruction and have made you my next target." His eyes drifted upward, and I stared helplessly at him, knowing that my strongholds probably wouldn't hold out against him, what with his tactical knowledge giving him the upper hand.

"Or if this was ancient times," he continued, still staring at me, "it is likely I have heard rumors of a beautiful queen ruling these lands, and I have come to take her lands from her and claim her as my wife."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Soval, but those rumors were highly exaggerated. Plus, why would I be inclined to let you be my husband when you've attacked me with no provocation?"

He bought more Brick, presumably to extend his supply lines, and built a bridge over the ford to make his troop movements more streamlined. He then turned his attention to his attack, and continued his assault on my fortresses. Once again, I had no Counterattack cards in my hand, and had to wait until I had the right resources to fight him.

"There was no option to send your diplomat back to you with terms of peace. If there were, I am certain those would have included an offer of marriage." His eyes flashed darkly as he took in the board, gesturing to me that it was my turn.

Once again, my desperate bid to stop his forces looked to be futile. "I see...well, I'd probably still refuse this ancient warlord unless I was absolutely, positively desperate. I'm not one for the whole polygyny affair he probably has going on."

Soval quirked an eyebrow. "As a modern Vulcan, I completely understand your rationale. But an ancient warlord would not stop his assault on your lands until he achieved his goal. And despite what you say, the rumors were not exaggerated. They hardly do you justice."

I could feel my face flushing, but did not comment on his compliment. "I'm still not down for the polygyny." I drew to end my turn, and tried to hide my smile as I saw a long-awaited Counterattack card finally in my hand, along with a few more cards I would find useful.

"Unfortunately, in ancient times, such an opinion would do you little good. The warlord would have still attacked your lands and decimated your armies. And on that note, it is now the third turn where I can attack, and since I have focused on this fortress here," he pointed to my besieged stronghold by the ford, "for that duration, the fortress is now mine, and your troops are now prisoners of war. I am willing to negotiate for their release, but it will take quite a lot to convince me to agree to terms." I nodded with a brief shrug, and he proceeded with the rest of his turn, pushing further into my lands until a third of my territory was behind his lines.

"Is it too late to sue for peace?" I asked, eyeing the one saving grace in my hand. He smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"On what terms? You have very little to bargain with here, Genevieve."

"Are you sure about that?" I said with an admittedly smug expression, and tossed down another Treaty Negotiation card. He stared at it, a slight tick in his eyebrow, and he sighed.

"Very well, we will once again commence treaty negotiations. However, considering I still have, as your people put it, the upper hand, I doubt these negotiations will produce anything more than empty words."

"Probably," I said with a shrug. "You know I'm just buying time."

"I am aware of your strategy," he conceded, and watched as I pulled in troops from the outskirts of my lines, consolidating them to battle near the fords. I had hoped I could come around his flank and smash him between two lines, but he was too guarded for that.

Despite the breather that card had granted me, I still found myself several rounds later with far fewer troops than Soval, outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded on all sides. Even though this was his first time playing, he had managed to perfectly balance resource management and tactical strategy, and to thoroughly stomp me.

I tipped over my castle and set down my deck, finally conceding that there was nothing I could do to win. "So falls Queen Genevieve and her legions to the evil warlord Soval. Surely, this is a sad day for the history books."

He raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes glittering in what looked like amusement. "It is fortuitous you managed to draw two Treaty Negotiation cards, else I might have had you forty-five minutes ago."

"Yup, I would have been dead in the water if I hadn't had those cards. And I finally managed to Counterattack you after three rounds of nothing. I know I'm not good at this game, but I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly had fun."

He bowed his head, deftly shuffling the discard pile into a neat stack and placing it into the box. "I enjoyed our game, mostly because I was able to play it with you."

I flushed again, and smiled. "I think it was that much more fun because I got to watch a mastermind at this game. Seriously, is poker the only game you've lost at?"

He tilted his head. "Timok is very capable of holding his own against me in kal-toh. And Sorak has managed to win several games as well. But against humans...I have not played many games, and the loss to your mother is perhaps the most serious defeat I've suffered." We packed the rest of the pieces away, and Soval set about cooking dinner. I sat at the table still, pondering the game and all the information I had learned over it.

"What I still don't understand," I said after a long spell of silence, "is how in the world Surak managed to wade through all that violence and turn your people towards logic. If they were as ruthless as you say...how did he survive? How was he not assassinated or something?"

Soval turned a little towards me, his brown eyes laden with contemplation. "The traditional answer is that Surak's logic was powerful enough to turn even the most vicious warlord from violence. But in truth...that part of our history still remains somewhat...muddled. There are differing accounts of Surak's quest to bring logic to ancient Vulcan, and since his original writings were lost to time, we are only left with the fragments. A few letters have survived, several artifacts have been uncovered, and we have translations of his writings from the early society builders...but the full story of Surak and the Time of the Awakening will most likely never be discovered, at least not in our time."

I sighed. "That's really a shame. From what little I've read and heard, it sounds like a fascinating time in your history."

His lips twitched upwards ever so slightly. "It is truly fascinating...and it is gratifying to see you take such an interest in my people's history."

I shrugged, and offered him a smile. "I would argue that it's objectively fascinating, Soval. It was such a turning point in your history and your culture...but I have to admit, I'm most intrigued by what little you've told me about life before the Awakening. I really didn't appreciate how much your people have changed."

"It is not a topic we typically dwell on," he said quietly. "I have not impressed on you the scope of the violence committed by my ancestors, else I doubt you would want to dwell on it either."

"Have I made you uncomfortable?" I said, regret and shame welling in my stomach.

"No, Genevieve, it is simply not a topic I favor, but I believe I can understand your fascination with it. After only being presented with our more logical selves, it must be intriguing to discover the turbulence and violence of our past." He paused a moment, his eyes brightening. "Your people emerged from such a catastrophe and rebuilt yourselves in less than a century. Surak conquered Vulcan with his logic and we marvel at his work, but how fascinating to see such a young, seemingly divided species unite and grow beyond our expectations?"

"You gave us proof that there was something more to life than our tiny little planet in a tiny corner of the universe," I said, and for some reason my voice was shaking. "I can't...I don't think I want to imagine what would have happened if you Vulcans hadn't been so friendly."

He stared into the pot of stew, stirring slowly and methodically, seemingly at a loss for words. When he spoke, his voice faltered slightly. "We should have been better to you from the start. Only now are we realizing how dear our alliance is with you. What that we could have seen it sooner."

I stared at him in silence for a moment, then stood and slowly approached him. He did not react until I was an arms-length away from him, but he raised his eyebrows in full attentiveness as I leaned against the counter next to him.

"Soval..." I said gently, and his gaze softened. I smiled. "Anyone could have landed on this planet all those years ago...I'm just grateful it was the stoic and ever logical Vulcans...and not evil warlord Soval, or something worse. Do you realize how lucky we were? Do you realize how different things might have been?"

His eyes welled with some unreadable expression, and he put down his spoon, reaching out to grip my shoulder. "No matter what comes next...I am...very grateful you have such faith in my people, and in our alliance, Genevieve...you give me hope that our future might become brighter than our present."

I nearly teared up at that admission, and I couldn't help but draw him into a brief but tender hug. "Yeah...may we, together, become greater than the sum of both of us...isn't that how your saying goes?"

He murmured an affirmative, his hand drifting slowly down my back, and I closed my eyes, relishing this moment before he inevitably pulled away. But, to my surprise, that moment came later than I thought it would, and I thought, for a brief second, that he seemed disappointed to let me go.

But I turned my thoughts away from such speculation, and basked in the contented silence that fell between us.