She's been here before. Astrid looks around at the nothingness that surrounds her, feeling an unexpected wave of calmness taking over her. Loras is not here this time. "Loras..." She says his name out loud, slowly remembering how she ended up here. He killed her. How funny life is. A long time ago she wished for a swift death at his hand rather than being forced to serve him. Now, she would give anything to return to his arms, but he gave her a quick death instead. "Now what?" Astrid asks herself. If this is the afterlife, alone in your own mind, then she will go insane. She hoped if she died she would at least see her parents and her brothers. And if she can't speak with other dead, maybe look down on Earth and see if her plan to bring Loras back worked. She hopes it worked. Dying is bad enough, but dying for nothing? She thinks back at the moment before everything went black. He was fighting her. Initially, he wasn't swinging his sword directly towards her. It was meant more as

Tamara's muscles are sore and her feet are killing her, yet she has no choice but to keep moving. She's mad now that she was spoiled all her life. She was sitting around while maids took care of her every wish. If she walked too much in the garden they would massage her feet. If she scratched her arm, three doctors would have rushed to prepare unguents and pain medicine. And now? She's pretty sure her ankle is twisted, but what good would it be to complain? The others are in the same situation. It's not like they can carry her around. They need to move fast and stay hidden.Roland's arm is hurt after they encountered one of Tommen's rangers and had to take him down. One of the other guys is dragging his feet after a mountain lion bit him the other day. The beast smelled their food and attacked them out of nowhere.Tamara wipes her sweat and calls the dragon again. Yesterday, she couldn't hear it and they spent an entire day walking in the wrong direction. But today, the song it sings

"There's a lot of things that require an explanation..." Astrid looks at her mate with a doubtful heart. She thought she knew him, but this... this was an entirely different person."I am aware. I shoved my past away, thinking that if I ignored it, it will disappear, but it became my weakness." Loras takes her hand. "I will explain everything. I will tell you what you want to know and a few things that you don't. But now, we have to get out of here.""You have to get out of here. I don't know where I should go, but...""Do you think I would leave you here? No, little one. You stuck your nose into my problems, now you're stuck with me forever." He gives her that blessed familiar smile and she relaxes a bit."And how do you plan to get out of here? And by the way, what even is this place?" She asks, looking around. The cloud around them started to evaporate. The curse is lifting."I am not sure. But my mother used to read to me from an old book. Childish legends and adventures. She used

The next few days pass like the wind and Astrid finds herself, not at all ready, in front of the war council again."The left battalion can attack from the forest, giving them higher ground, but they will be exposed to the rangers' attack from behind." James moves a soldier statute forward on the map that lies in front of them. A Kralich Maneuver. After complaining that she feels like the odd one out when in the council, Loras gave her a bunch of military and strategy books to read."What if we move the entire army more to the left, that way the left battalion can't be separated from the rest." Astrid gathers enough courage to ask and Loras gives her an approving nod."Then the middle part will be in between those hills, it will become a weak point." General Carson explains to her, but with a warm tone in his voice. Such a striking difference from the first time she met him."We can use that to our advantage. Create an illusion of a weak point. Make them strike there and surround them

It's rare to see Loras hesitate. Not because of arrogance, but because he thinks about his decisions thoroughly before he starts acting towards them, so when the time comes, the outcomes never surprises him. Until now."The fact that you felt unseen. Unheard. That is not an excuse for this bloodbath. Yes, you betrayed me for my own faults, but those people who died for it, what blame do they have?" He points at the prisoners that are sitting on their knees, waiting to hear their fate."I am done with explanations, brother. You can use your imagination to fill the gaps in my story. Assume the worse and it will be fine." Tommen rolls his eyes like this stretch of his life is too bothersome to deal with."You are right. No explanation will excuse what you and your supporters did. Everyone will get their pay." Loras shakes his head, but his words seem to have triggered something inside Tommen, because the rebellious prince's facade cracks. He rises his head, a bit of panic in his eyes."S