Runa knocked lightly on the tall, rosewood doors of Narran’s apartments. She could hear her heart hammering in her ears and felt a slight flush to her cheeks. She heard footsteps behind the doors and quickly smoothed her hair, tucking pale, loose strands behind her ears.

When the door opened, Narran stood before her in a soft yellow robe with blood red flowers curling up both sleeves. His hair, which hung in dreads, was pulled back from his face and away from his pointed ears, tied in a tail. His facial hair was regrowing on his lip and chin.

She could feel his emerald eyes on her and felt as if they could see straight through her. She bent at the waist, bowing low.

He gave her an exasperated look. “Runa,” he groaned while smiling, “we’ve been over this.” His hand touched her shoulder and brought her to her full height again. “You don’t have to knock.” His other hand rested on her shoulder as he rose on his toes to meet her height as she was far taller than him. “And you don’t have to bow.” He kissed her softly.

She snaked her armored arms around his waist and deepened their kiss. She could feel her face burning. His lips were incredibly soft and his voice held a husky tone.

He chuckled as they finally pulled apart. “Perhaps it would be better if you came in.” He tapped a finger on her breastplate. “You should take that off too. I imagine it’s hard to relax in your plates.” He gestured for her to enter and she obliged.

“My pri– Narran, you know that I need to be ready in the event that my services are required.” She looked around his rooms. In truth, it was closer to one large room with a massive bed far too big for one person, shelves of books, sofas and tables and chairs, and a balcony with large shutters well over twelve feet tall that had remained open for as long as Runa could remember.

“You worry for my safety.” He sighed as he passed her. “Just like mother and her new husband.” He went to a table with decanters and poured her a fairly weak drink, a cider made of citrus fruits that he kept in his room for her.

“They ... we want the best for you and care about you.” Runa hugged him from behind. “Allow us to be there for you.” She kissed his ear.

He turned around and offered the drink to her. “I would like that. If you were here for me, that is.” She saw him lick his lips and look away, smiling. “Why don’t you just stay here? You have your own quarters but you leave me so late and come back so early.”

She felt herself blush and took a sip of the drink to hopefully give her ... something. Perhaps time to think of a way to refuse.

Or a reason to deny what she really wanted.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just stayed and slept here? I daresay it’s a lot nicer than your quarters.” He looked back at her and bit his bottom lip. “I know that I always enjoy when you spend the night.”

Runa laughed nervously and took another sip only to find it empty. It seems she had been nervously drinking for some time without realizing. She wouldn’t deny that she didn’t want it. It would be wonderful to be near him constantly and it would make her job a lot easier as well.

She wasn’t sure she could blush harder. “I ... I would like that ... ” She put her cup down. “But I won’t disobey the queen.”

Narran kissed her again and she melted into him. When they separated once more, he smiled at her lovingly. “I can be very convincing. She’ll see it’s in my best interest.”

Their hands entwined.

“Runa.” Antyza’s voice cut through the moment.

***

Runa cracked her eyes open to see Antyza kneeling beside her in the dim light of their room, the woman’s hand hovering over Runa. “What?” Runa mumbled in a rough tone.

Antyza cocked her head. “You woke up immediately.” She stood. “All I did was say your name once.”

Runa sat up and cracked her neck. “This better be good for you to have woken me up.”

Antyza started putting things into her bag. “You can dream about your sweet prince later.” She slid the poncho over her head.

Runa felt herself flush. “I didn’t dream about him.” She tossed the makeshift bedding she had in a rough pile on the bed, beginning to stand.

Antyza settled her bag over her head. “You talk in your sleep, princess. You kept saying his name.” She picked up Runa’s bag and offered it to her. “Now here, c’mon. We have to go. Now.”

Runa brushed the bag aside and grabbed her sword belt, beginning to put it on. “I’m not going anywhere until you start making some d*mn sense. What’s the hurry?”

Down the stairs, Runa could hear raised voices.

Antyza drew a dagger from her bag and thrust it into her cloth waist wrapping before covering it again with the poncho. “I went for a walk. It seems soldiers have come to collect taxes.”

Runa was already getting her things together. She raised an eyebrow. “Why is that bad for us? I’m a Yeniczar.” She shouldered her bag. “We can just go about our day.”

Antyza brushed past her. “Just come on.” She held the door open. “You overslept anyway. We still have to get going.”

Antyza was blatantly nervous about something.

Perhaps Runa could figure it out better if she saw what was going on.

Following Antyza down the stairs, Runa found three soldiers drinking at the bar. They wore the armor of Ti’yan but they were not the kind of soldiers that Runa was used to. They were rough. Their hair and beards were long and unkempt and more than a little greasy.

She wasn’t scared of them, though, and met their glares with her own.

A man with silver hair that was well kept and an officer’s uniform that was just as nice sat at a table with a man wearing an apron.

‘The man in the apron must own this place,’ Runa thought.

Antyza pulled on her arm gently but Runa shook her off. She was making her way to the door at her own pace and wouldn’t be rushed by Antyza. She was more than a little curious about what was going on.

“You must pay, good sir.” The silver-haired man’s voice was smooth and cold. “All pay their pittance to the queen. All good men, at least.”

The man in the apron wrung his hands. “I would give what I can but alas I can not give anything of substance.” He pulled a little leather bag from his apron. “I have this, though.” He pushed the bag across the table. “This is all the money I have made in the last three moons.”

The silver-haired man picked it up and felt the weight before opening it and looking through the coins. He looked up and shook his head slowly. “This still is not enough.”

“Well, I haven’t anything else.” The owner of the inn pleaded.

“Not to worry.” The silver-haired man patted the air. “We’ll just take the rest from your possessions.” He made a hand motion to the men at the bar. “Find what this man owes even if we have to take the entire building back with us to pay it.”

The men nodded and began making their way to the back of the inn where the innkeeper and his family lived.

Runa took a step, her mouth opening and her hand resting on her sword hilt but Antyza’s hand wrapping around her arm stopped her. She looked at the blue woman who shook her head.

“You can’t do this!” The innkeeper stood and crossed the room, hitting the soldiers on the back. “Please! I don’t have anything else!”

One of the soldiers that he was hitting on the back turned and shoved the innkeeper hard. “Get off me!”

The innkeeper went down, his skull making a sickly wet crunch when it hit the floor. He didn’t move after that and Runa could see a little trickle of red coming from his head.

Runa couldn’t believe what she had seen. These men had killed him for nothing more than taxes!

A quarter of her sword was out of its sheath when Antyza grabbed her and turned her around. “Runa, stop!” she pleaded in a low voice. “We. Need. To. Leave.”

The silver-haired man looked down at the innkeeper indifferently before raising his head and making eye contact with Runa. “They killed him.” She growled, attempting to pull the rest of her sword free.

Antyza appeared between the two of them, forcing Runa to look at her. “Please,” she begged. Runa could tell she was scared and let herself be pushed out the door by Antyza.