The letter

"Will you leave us alone?" Mircea asks the guards that are trailing her.

"We will be standing outside, your majesty." The guards close the door. Athos's room is bland compared to her room's soft colours. This room is decorated for a guy who barely stays in it with minimum furniture and blue and whitewashed walls. 

Urban is sitting leisurely on the chair next to the bookshelf inspecting its wood, while Athos and Leigh are nowhere to be found. 

"Where are the others?" Mircea perches on the neatly made bed. 

"Leigh wanted to see the library. Palace library. So Athos guided him." Urban's tone is light as he dusts his hands on his thighs. 

"Oh" 

"Yes, here is the letter." Urban hands her the letter. Mircea looks at the letter pensively. She is wearing a deep blue gown with minimum jewellery. Her crown is placed gracefully on her head, however, it doesn't fit right. 

A moment passes before Urban speaks again, "I didn't read it if that is what you are wondering." She glances up at him. He is looking at her again. 

"Why did you save us that day?" Mircea questions him putting the letter aside. 

"What?" Urban blinks.

"Athos told me exactly what happened. Why did you save us? Save me." Mircea whispers.

Urban shifts in his chair before answering, "Err… Well, as you know, the King's court did tell us we were expecting human guests."

"Athos told me you didn't receive the notice till the next morning. You took us in before you knew what was going on. He also told me you practically ran to my aid. Why?" 

"Why are you always staring at me like I'm some answer to a riddle?" Mircea continues.

"Maybe you are overthinking this, Mircea. I saved you because I saw someone who needed my help. I'm a healer just because I'm a witch and you are a human doesn't mean it has to be some meaning to it." Urban states sharply, Mircea flinches a little. She didn't miss how he called her by her name and not your majesty. 

"Right…I guess I should simply thank you and send you back." Mircea picks up the letter and rises on her feet. Urban says nothing. He is glaring at the small hearth present on the left side of the bookshelf. 

Who does he think he is? Mircea breaths deeply, trying to calm her anger as she steps out of the room. The guards check her for any possible injury and when they find none, they fall back in step with her. 

First, he keeps staring at her as if she is some otherworldly mystical being and when she calls him out on it, he regards it all as her overthinking. 

Bastard. 

She will see to it that her court expresses their deep gratitude and he is sent back as soon as possible. Devils, she will send him in a personal ship if she has to. 

Two hands close around her arms holding her in place. Mircea looks up in alert. 

"Hey," Athos is standing in front of her with Leigh on his side. 

"We were just coming to meet you," Leigh says.

"Oh" 

"Are you okay? You look a little red." Athos loses his grip on her noticing the guards standing behind her. 

"Yes, I'm just…tired." 

"Oh, okay. Let's take you to your chamber." Athos looks at Leigh. 

"You can find your room, right?" He asks him. 

"Not really." Leigh looks at Mircea, perplexed, but she is busy glaring at her feet. 

"One of you take him to his chamber. I will accompany her majesty to her chambers." Athos orders the guards. 

"Keith, you accompany her majesty and general Athos, I will escort the healer." The tall guard nods at his partner. 

***

"What did the letter say?" Athos questions as soon as he closes the door to Mircea's study chamber. 

Mircea tosses the letter on her table as she plops in her chair. "I didn't read it." 

"What?" 

"Can you leave me be, Athos? I need some time alone. I will find you after I read the letter." Mircea massages her temples. Closing her eyes, she lays back in the chair.

"But…okay. Take care. I will come by later." Athos huffs in defeat. 

Why did Mircea ask him that in the first place? She hadn't planned on it. When Athos accidentally told her this morning after the small gathering how Urban had carried her in his hands-she felt something. 

However, it couldn't be anything. After all, he was a witch and she a human. Maybe Urban was right. She was simply overthinking. 

It didn't change the fact that he saved her and travelled all the way here. Athos did tell her he had the option of saying no to the king's request. But he did come. 

"I'm getting nowhere with this," Mircea mumbles to herself. 

What is she even thinking? Urban is still a stranger. Mircea picks up the letter and unrolls it. Lest she can do stop herself from overthinking and fantasizing about something unreal and read the devil's sent letter for once and get over with it. 

Your Majesty Queen Mircea,

His highness King Diomedes sends his condolences for the late King, and he would rather refrain from talking about the pretence Princess Faustina played. However, he has not forgotten the promise Princess Faustina and Prince Pyron made while forming the alliance. 

He hopes her majesty will maintain the alliance between the two kingdoms by marrying his second son, Prince Wylan. To show his sincerity and how sorry he is for the way things have turned out for Slyve's Kingdom. Prince Wylan gifts her majesty one of our court's elite healer-Urban Waldwick. Her majesty can do whatever she wishes to do with the healer. 

His highness King Diomedes awaits you to fulfil the promise as soon as possible and make the alliance permanent for once. 

Mircea closes the letter with shaking hands. This was what Faustina and Pyron were keeping from the council and everyone. Faustina had sold out Mircea even without asking her. How could she do this?

Lest she could do was ask Mircea! It was not like she would have downright objected to the marriage but she couldn't even take the liberty of simply asking! 

What is Mircea going to do? Marry the guy? 

One thing is clear from the letter, King Diomedes is in haste for the marriage and holding him off until she finds a way out is going to be quite difficult. Directly breaking the alliance is out of the question. 

The council is going to be furious. They will never forgive Faustina for keeping this from them. Mircea will have to handle this very delicately. Although she cannot hide this from the council anymore, she will have to tell them. Perhaps they can find some solution. Or perhaps they will force her to marry the prince to avoid war with Gyyza. 

What else has Faustina promised to complete the alliance between the two kingdoms?

Mircea needs to meet Faustina. She still hasn't gotten the chance to meet her, but it looks like she will have to visit her sooner than later. Before informing the council, Mircea will need to know everything that is there to know. 

Saints know how many more things Faustina and Pyron hid from her and the council!

Mircea glances outside of her window, it is dusk and the slammer is fifteen minutes from the palace if she takes a horse. She places the letter in her undercoat pocket and packs two small knives. 

Next morrow she will be besieged with new problems, she must meet Faustina tonight. Mircea removes her crown and keeps it on the dressing table. She can ride in this dress. Now she just has to find Athos and ask him to accompany her to the slammer with the two guards that follow her everywhere.

Mircea pulls the door to her study open to step out when she runs into Urban, who looks in a dilemma. 

"What are you doing here?" She queries.

"Um…" He looks at the guards stationed, looking straight ahead.

"Can we talk?" Urban looks down.

"Not now. I have to be somewhere," Mircea replies briskly, making Urban flinch.

"Okay…well." He looks around, putting his hands in his coat's pockets. 

"I won't take any more of your time." Urban steps aside, giving her space to go. It reminds Mircea of the incident that happened just a week ago in Gyyza. 

"Get your horses ready and find Athos," Mircea commands the guards. 

Urban leans on the wall as the guards disappear down the hall. Mircea gazes at him, "You can come if you want." She says airily.

"Huh…where are you going?" he stands straight, his hands still lazily covered in the warmth of his coat jacket's pockets.

"To meet my sister." 

"I would accompany you because?" Urban bends his neck slightly. It seems as his whole body is asking Mircea the question. 

"Because of this," Mircea fishes out the letter and hands it to him.

"You are not going anywhere for a long time. So do you want to be bored or…" Mircea nods her in the other direction. 

"I am your gift?! A fucking gift?" Urban asks her incredulously. He clutches the letter tight in his hands. Mircea huffs, looking at the letter in his hands.