Chapter 18

After the meeting, Azul and Ragnar walked out to see Khan Jarek waiting. Amongst the camp full of large men, he stood out significantly with his sharp features and piercing gaze.

"Khatun," he greeted respectfully with a slight bow.

"How did you know I had a plan?" Azul asked, amused.

"Well, if you didn't have a plan, I don't believe you would show up with Khan Ragnar for a useless reason," Jarek replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

In other words, he trusted her ability to read the room and contribute meaningfully.

Azul laughed. 'Yisui was right; the more intelligent the better.'

Azul inclined her head slightly, appreciating the compliment. "Have a good night, Khan Jarek."

Jarek nodded, his eyes following them as they walked away. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find a Khatun like her.

As Azul and Ragnar continued to their tent, Ragnar glanced at her. "You've made quite an impression on the Khans."

Azul smiled softly. "It's not about making an impression; it's about ensuring our survival. If they trust me, they'll trust our plans."

Ragnar nodded. "True."

They reached their tent, and Azul paused at the entrance, looking up at the stars that dotted the night sky. "I've forgotten how beautiful the stars are here."

Ragnar looked at her, slightly puzzled by her words. She acted as though she wasn't used to seeing the stars so vividly. "Should we take a ride?" he asked, for once knowing the right words to say.

Azul turned to him, a smile spreading across her face. "I'd like that," she said softly.

Ragnar arranged for their horses, the very same ones they used when she married him. Within minutes, they were riding away from the camp, the cool night air brushing against their faces. The silence of the night was only broken by the gentle sounds of the horses' hooves on the ground and the occasional rustling of the trees.

They rode in comfortable silence, the vast expanse of the steppe unfolding before them. The stars above were brilliant, a magnificent chaos of light that seemed to stretch on forever. Azul couldn't stop the unrestrained smile on her face, the feeling of freedom was second to none.

Her body felt like it had wings.

Ragnar watched her release her arms from the reins, spreading them as her horse rode on. Her hair flew wildly behind her, and she looked magnificent, a vision of unrestrained joy and beauty against the starlit backdrop.

He had made many mistakes in his life, but at least marrying her was the best decision he ever made.

They reached a small hill that overlooked the camp, and Ragnar gently slowed his horse, signaling Azul to do the same. They dismounted and stood together, taking in the breathtaking view.

"This world is beautiful," Azul said, her voice filled with sincerity. "What I would give to just ride here with you Ragnar."

"You act as though you are going somewhere far away." Rangar said with a laugh.

She merely smiled, her hair covering her eyes, overlooking the world beneath her.

Seeing her silence he felt hai heart drop.

"Azul?"

She turned to meet his gaze.

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Sisi stood outside the war meeting tent, her heart pounding with frustration and rage. She had tried to enter, but her father, the Great khan, had stopped her with a stern look.

"Go back, Sisi. This is not a place for you," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She clenched her fists, feeling the sting of his dismissal. As she turned to leave, she heard the snickers and whispers of the women in the camp. They thought she was spoiled, pampered, and unfit for anything beyond dancing and looking pretty.

"She thinks she can join the men," one of them sneered.

"Probably just wants to catch their attention," another laughed.

Sisi bore their words silently, holding her head high as she walked away. The camp felt suffocating, the weight of her frustrations pressing down on her. She found a quiet spot near the cook's tent, where Arthur was sitting with his dinner being shared out by the cooks.

Arthur paid no heed to her, since she had found him in the camp she came to vent to him daily. He was beginning to wonder if she was really as kind and docile as people say.

Also, how did she always find him? It was creeping him out.

"He's such a jerk! He lets that idiot listen to everything but I can't!? I'm the one who knows what to actually say!" She ranted. Arthur absentmindedly ate his bread and drank the tonic soup the kitchen handed out, it tasted better today.

"He's always like this! I think he trusts me but then boom! I'm back at square one."

Arthur drank some water.

"That brat! I'll stab him in his sleep! Let's see if he still has the audacity to be the heir! #$$#&*#!"

Arthur choked on his bread. What kind princess? What beauty?

"Princess, if you have nothing to do, why did you come to look for me?" he asked, exasperated.

She glanced at him, blinking. "Oh yes, I came to ask you your name."

Arthur's eyes twitched. All this talking and she didn't even know who he was?

"My name is Arthur, Princess."

Sisi's eyes widened. "Arthur? That's a nice name."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Princess, if you're looking for someone to vent to, that's fine. But remember, I am just a soldier, my ears are too humble to hear your words."

Sisi stared at him, his words not sinking in. "I just want a chance to prove myself," she muttered.

Arthur sighed; she definitely wasn't listening to him. "If you want to prove yourself, just become a man. Problem solved."

She pondered his words, a light bulb going off in her head.

"That's it! I'll just become a man!"

"I wasn't being serious," he prefaced, unsure if she had finally lost her mind.

"All I have to do is dress as a man! That will solve my problems."

"If you do that, you'll just become a common soldier like me."

"I can start from the bottom!"

Arthur kept silent. Sisi had never seen war or poverty. No matter how smart she was, she only knew the four walls of the palace. Wanting to dress up as a man and join the war?

"Stop acting so spoiled." His words shocked her into silence. "You're a rich, sheltered princess, wanting to play dress-up. It's so selfish. Some of us are here because we don't have a choice."

"Arthur, I didn't mean it that way—"

"What did you mean, Princess?"

She had no answer for him, and he didn't expect one. "Excuse me, Princess. I need to go back to my team." He got up from his position and left.

Sisi sat there, stunned by his harsh words. She had never been spoken to like that before. The truth in his words stung, but she couldn't deny them. She had always lived a life of privilege and ease, and her desire to prove herself was born out of frustration, not necessity.

To Arthur she must have seemed painfully childish.

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General Thane sat with his sword in hand, polishing it with the precision of a seasoned warrior. His feet rested on the table, and his chair balanced precariously on two legs. Across from him, Ragnar stared blankly at the goblet of wine before him, deep in thought.

"So, what did she say after that?" Thane inquired, curious about the events of Ragnar and Azul's late-night ride.

"That's the thing, she didn't say anything. She merely smiled at me," Ragnar replied, his face buried in his hands, elbows propped on the table. He couldn't fathom the meaning behind her actions, no matter how hard he tried.

"Perhaps she suffers from an illness that might claim her life?" Thane suggested, trying to consider all possibilities.

"No, she is in good health."

"Then, perhaps she has plans after the war?"

"But then we could simply go together," Ragnar countered. "No matter how I consider it, her words are too ominous. I feel an unease and so I can't rest."

"So, that's why you're here, troubling me in the dead of night," Thane said wryly. "Be patient; she will reveal her thoughts in due time."

"My anxiety is suffocating. I dread that I will wake up tomorrow and find she has vanished like a fleeting dream."

"Don't talk nonsense; people do not simply ✨disappear✨."

"Precisely!" Ragnar's stress was palpable, his mind racing with dark possibilities.

"Take my advice, Ragnar: rest, she will share her mind with you eventually."

"What other choice do I have?"

"You speak as if I don't understand the love between a husband and wife. You forget, I have many concubines,"

Ragnar retorted. "Ayunn refused to wed you because of your 'many concubines'."

Thane's expression darkened while Ragnar looked smug.

"I intend to send them away. Observing you and the Khatun has given me hope that one woman can suffice. Besides, Ayunn's form is—"

"Spare me the details! I don't want to hear that!" Ragnar interrupted. "Keep such thoughts to yourself."

Thane chuckled. "Indeed, Ragnar, I envy what you and the Khatun share. Cherish waking up next to her every morning."

Ragnar drank deeply from his goblet, trying to drown his unease.

"Jeder sent another message today."

"Again?"

Ragnar nodded, "he seems to be entertaining himself. Sending weird messages."

Thane looked at Ragnar's face, his scar still stood as evidence of Jeder's feelings towards him. There was no point hoping for peace, that option was long gone.