Chapter 10

The Great Khan's bedroom was silent except for the soft rustling of the curtains as a gentle breeze wafted through the open window. The first rays of dawn filtered into the room, casting a soft glow on the stone walls. Khojin sat by her husband's bedside, her eyes red from sleepless nights and constant vigilance. She held his hand tightly, her fingers tracing the lines of his palm as if willing him to wake up. Vel stood nearby, his posture rigid with anxiety. Azul had done all she could, and now it was a waiting game.

Suddenly, a slight movement caught Khojin's eye. She leaned in closer, her heart pounding. The Great Khan's fingers twitched, and his eyelids fluttered.

"Vel!" Khojin whispered urgently, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and hope. "He's waking up!"

Vel rushed to his father's side, his eyes wide with anticipation. The Great Khan's eyelids fluttered again before they slowly opened, revealing eyes that were tired but alive. He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the faces hovering above him.

"Nachin... can you hear me?" Khojin's voice was soft, as if afraid the slight increase in volume would hard her husband. 

The Great Khan's gaze settled on his wife, and he managed a weak smile. "Khojin..." His voice was barely a whisper, but it was the sweetest sound Khojin had ever heard.

Tears streamed down Khojin's face as she pressed a kiss on his hand. "You're awake... thank the heavens! You're awake!"

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Azul ran through the brightly lit hallways, she had dropped everything upon hearing the news that the Great Khan was awake. She couldn't believe he had survived such a brutal injury. She was excited to reap the rewards of saving a king.

"Please slow down, Khatun! You might fall!" Arthur called out in worry.

"There's no way I'd actually fall," she said with a loud laugh.

She fell.

Stepping on her dress, she stumbled and her face narrowly missed hitting the stone floors, only being saved by her arms, which were now scratched.

Arthur rushed to help her up. "I don't think you should run next time," he said with a sigh.

She nodded painfully; her arms stung.

"Let me see," he said. She gave him her hands, and he moved them around a bit. "Nothing's broken, just superficial wounds. You'll be fine."

She nodded silently. "I broke my bangles." She was devastated. She didn't have a lot of jewelry in the first place, and now the ones she had were being broken by her carelessness.

"It's okay. You can always get more. Your well-being is more important."

She nodded, but her mood was significantly dampened by her broken bangles.

Arthur sighed, he might as well just go get another set. "Wait there; I'll go get you some more."

She nodded again.

Since coming to the Kuraltai Khan, she was showered with jewelry. She loved sparkly and glittery things, so she was always wearing them.

While waiting for Arthur, someone else crossed her path.

It was Sisi, coming back from visiting the Great Khan. She was as graceful as the sea, a blue robe wrapped around her delicate frame held together by gold clasps. Her black hair fell in waves down her back.

"Azul? Are you on your way to see my father?"

Azul paid her respects to Sisi. "Yes, I'm just waiting for my guard to retrieve something for me."

"Did you forget your bangles? You're not wearing them today." Even the princess knew she was a leprechaun.

Azul blushed fiercely, and Sisi couldn't help but laugh at how cute she was.

"I'm glad you like them. I made sure the servants allocated you quite a bit so you wouldn't get bored of it," she spoke as if she gave a child a toy. "You know, I will miss you when you return to your tribe. Despite knowing you for a few days, you feel very much like a sister to me, Azul."

Sisters. Azul wondered why Sisi thought of her so fondly. The Great Khan had numerous children. Sisi and Vel were born from the Khatun, but she had other sisters.

"You have been kind to me, Sisi. I cannot deny that. If you ever need my help, you know where to find me."

Sisi smiled, a rather bittersweet smile.

"Thank you, Azul. I will take this as our parting gift."

She stepped forward and kissed Azul. It was a brief, tender kiss, and she left right after as if she wasn't ready to see Azul's reaction.

Azul watched her leave and merely stared blankly into thin air.

Sisi walked away, her heart pounding. She could not take more than she had already taken. A kiss was enough...

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Ragnar was at the Great Khan's side, kneeling next to his bed. The Khan's eyes were open, though still weary, and he gave Ragnar a grateful look.

"You have great filial piety, Ragnar," the Great Khan said, his voice still weak.

Ragnar smiled. "It was not I who saved you, Great Khan. All credit goes to my Khatun."

Vel rolled his eyes, to him Ragnar was just trying to suck out some money form his father.

The Great Khan smiled, a look of deep gratitude crossing his face. Ragnar was trying to secure a reward for her, it amused the Great Khan to see him this way. "She shall be rewarded. Her deeds do not go unnoticed."

At that moment, Azul burst into the room, breathless and flustered. Seeing her so unpolished made Ragnar want to laugh, did she run all the way here? She quickly paid her respects to the Great Khan, bowing deeply.

The Great Khan's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Stand up, Azul."

Khojin, seeing Azul's scratched arms, moved quickly to her side and gently pulled her up. "Come, child, let me see those wounds."

Azul let Khojin guide her to a chair, feeling slightly embarrassed by all the attention. "It's nothing, really. Just a small fall."

"Nonsense," Khojin said, examining the scratches. "Let me see.."

The Great Khan watched the scene with a gentle smile. "Azul, you have my eternal gratitude. You have saved my life and, by extension, the stability of our tribe. Whatever you wish for, name it, and it shall be yours."

Azul blushed, finally she could get more gold.

[You probably shouldn't do that..]

'Huh!? But why?'

[Are you really asking?]

She wanted to cry, if she asked for gold she'd probably get looked down on, is that it?

'Are you even allowed to interrupt?'

[.. I'll keep quiet]

Azul forced a humble smile on her face, "It was my duty and honor, Great Khan. I am just glad you are recovering."

The Great Khan nodded, satisfied. "You are humble, Azul. But know that your actions have earned you a place of honor in this tribe."

Ragnar wondered why she didn't just ask for the gold she had been going on about. Had someone replaced his wife with a more modest woman?

Khojin finished tending to Azul's scratches and looked at her with a smile. "There, all better."

"Thank you, Khatun," Azul thanked her appropriately.

"Father, what are your plans regarding Jeder?" Ragnar asked.

This time, Azul had done her homework. According to Arthur, Jeder was Ragnar's sworn brother. They had grown up together since their tribes were close by. When Ragnar's father died, he sought refuge under the Great Khan, who took him in as his godson out of respect for his late father. The two friends were separated only to reunite as teenagers.

Their reunion was quickly soured when the woman Ragnar was expected to marry turned out to be Jeder's lover. So, Ragnar broke the engagement to maintain their relationship, but a rift had formed between them. The rift only grew larger when Ragnar became a minor Khan, and it had reached this extent.

"That boy thinks he can play tricks in my territory; he is too insolent. I will crush him," the Great Khan said with conviction.

The Great Khan felt no remorse. To him, Jeder was nothing but a pest.

"Then, the Valthorn tribe will stand by your side. Once we return, we will recruit the minor tribes to stand on your side, Great Khan," Ragnar said with much reverence.

"Then you should set off as soon as possible. I have already kept you here longer than intended. You need to unify the minor tribes in your area in six months. The more men we have, the better."

Azul listened in anticipation. This was it; this was what she had been waiting for.

The meeting came to an end shortly after, and the two left the family members to talk.

Azul walked by Ragnar's side with an extra pep in her step.

"Are you that excited to go to war?" Ragnar asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not the one fighting. Should I be sad?"

"Your husband might not come back alive."

"I don't underestimate you so casually, Ragnar. You are a man born to conquer nations. You cannot lose."

"Azul, you have more faith in me than I sometimes have in myself."

She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. "It's because I know the man I married." And he was also bloody famous in her reality. Who didn't know of him?

He couldn't resist any longer. He leaned down and kissed her, pouring all his emotions into that single act. Azul responded with equal fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her unwavering confidence in him was silly and also stupidly hot.

This woman, she was irresistible.

After a night of wrestling, Azul stepped outside for some fresh air. Now that the system mission had started, she'd be able to finish quickly and level up her system.

She hummed idly to herself as she sat on the large balustrades keeping the open hallway separate from the gardens. The moon bathed her skin as she amused herself with her imagination.

"Khatun, why are you up so late?" It was Arthur.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm really happy today."

"Did you get lots of gold?"

"I'm not that greedy!"

Arthur looked at her as if expressing his doubt.

He climbed up and sat next to her, leaning against the large stone column. The two sat quietly for a moment, only interrupted by the occasional sounds of slithering.

"Hey Arthur, what are you going to do once the war starts?"

"I'll join it."

That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. Arthur was a name she had never seen in a history book, which most likely meant he would not live if he joined a war.

"Don't you have anything else you want? A war would mean putting your life in danger."

He looked at her for a moment. Was she worried about him? His heart felt warm, but she didn't need to worry.

"Khatun, I was born from a slave woman. This is the only way for someone like me to climb higher, by risking my life."

She sighed. She was from a tribe that didn't have a caste system, but she knew bigger tribes did.

"I won't dissuade you. I do hope to see you alive and well on the other side of the battle."

"If you wish me to remain alive, then all I can do is live."

She giggled and slid down the balustrades, the snake on her neck eyed Arthur curiously. And he looked straight at it.

The snake was confused. There was no way he could see it, right?

Luckily, Arthur looked away after a few moments, and the snake felt at ease. He was probably looking at Azul.

"Good night, Arthur," she said before leaving.

"Good night, Khatun."