Runa trudged along the road after Antyza, a scowl plastered on her face. They had left the town an hour prior but her mood had not abated.

They had killed the innkeeper for not paying his taxes. Runa couldn’t believe it. And when she was going to serve justice, the QUEEN’S justice, Antyza stopped her. Antyza had prevented the town from getting the justice it deserved.

Antyza, who was now picking her way along the road ahead of Runa. She turned her head to the side and, seeing Runa’s face, frowned. “Let it go, princess.” She turned back to the road. “You couldn’t have done any good.”

Runa scoffed. “Couldn’t have done any good? Really? I could have taken every man in that room!”

Antyza stopped in her tracks and turned back to Runa, her frown deepening. “You think you’re that good, is that it?” She stepped closer to Runa. “And what would happen to those people you were saving once word spread of a lone Yeniczar dispensing violent justice?”

Runa looked at her confused. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t be serious!” Antyza laughed mirthlessly. “Don’t tell me you’re that naive!” She crossed her arms under her breasts. “Alright. So you kill those four men. What then? Kill the rest of the soldiers when their comrades and leader are slaughtered? Could you have taken all the soldiers in the town? Hmm?”

Antyza had a small point. There had been quite a bit of soldiers in the rest of the town. Runa shrugged, scowling. “I could have done something.”

“What?” Antyza raised an eyebrow. “What could you have done?”

“I could have tried!” Runa yelled. “I could have at least tried to help them! That’s what I’m supposed to do! It’s what Yeniczars do! I could have tried to help them!”

“Even if it killed you?!” Antyza met her volume and ferocity.

“Yes!” Runa swung her arms out to either side. “I could have done my duty and–”

Antyza took a step closer to her. “Your duty would have killed you! More soldiers would have come after you were done cutting those men down! More evil men would replace the old ones and on and on until they got what they wanted from that town! It wouldn’t have mattered and you would be dead!” Antyza turned her head away. “And I would have been dead with you,” she said quietly.

Runa narrowed her eyes at Antyza. “You didn’t think of helping those people at all?”

Antyza looked at her and scowled. “I didn’t sign up to be a small-town hero,” Antyza spat. “It wasn’t our problem. It wasn’t our fight.” She closed her eyes and sighed before opening them and turning back to the road. “Come on, princess. Your love awaits.” Her tone told Runa that she wanted the conversation to end.

“I still think we should have stayed and helped in whatever way we could,” Runa muttered as she began to catch up to Antyza.

Antyza only furrowed her brows, her eyes locked on the road passing beneath their feet. “What’s more important, your love for the prince or dying for your pride?” Antyza exhaled heavily through her nose. “For the record, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with both.”

Runa blinked in indignation as she felt her face heat. She opened her mouth to reply but ended up only opening and closing it wordlessly. No words came to her.

What was more important to her? It was a simple enough question. What did she value most?

Runa wasn’t sure she had an answer. She loved the prince, but her duty was to the queen and the kingdom as a noblewoman. But she loved the prince.

“F*ck you,” Runa wanted to scream but only managed to croak it out in a loud mutter.

Antyza turned her gaze to the sky. “Choose a time, princess. I’ll make space in my busy schedule.”

Runa blinked at the blue woman. Antyza was right about her differing desires and Runa hated her for it. “It’s easy for you to make light of my heart and my duty. You value nothing that I can discern.” Runa knew it was hurtful to say but she felt jagged like a piece of broken glass.

Antyza didn’t respond how she anticipated, though. She merely nodded and spoke levelly. “I value living.” She flicked her gaze to Runa. “I’m not going to be buried with you because you decided that death is better than dishonor or that dying for strangers is better than living for someone you love.”

She looked at the road again. Her feet were dragging slightly. “You’re my ticket to freedom, princess. I mean on getting back to my life soon so don’t go dragging me down and ruining my life just because you want to ruin your own.”

They lapsed into silence, which Runa was glad for. Despite how much she hated Antyza, the woman had a point.

But she would be d*mned if she apologized to her.

By the evening of that day, they had walked farther than they expected to. The sun was dipping lower, casting the sky in purples and oranges. The chill wind was beginning to sweep across the hills.

Runa wiped the sweat from her brow and was dismayed to find a brownish liquid on her hand. Looking at Antyza, she found that the woman was less a dark blue and was fading to a muddy purple as the red of the dirt coated her skin.

In short, they were both filthy. Neither had bathed since leaving prison, and Runa thought it was finally catching up to them. Perhaps when they reached the next town they could bathe.

It was some surprise when Antyza, who Runa was becoming very aware had far better sight than she, spotted something in the distance from the top of a hill.

“I think there’s plants over there.” She croaked, her throat dry. She pointed off of the road. Roughly a mile away.

Runa squinted. “What is it?”

Antyza smiled tiredly. “I think its water.”

She turned out to be right.