"Balkrav has no, so to speak, ruler. We are composed of clans, or gangs to be precise, all of which are led by a chieftain. If one were to ask a balkravian who governs the clans, we would answer the king of Thieves. Master thief himself determines laws and regulates that the quarry is fairly distributed. We call him the Ravenking, " Ceva explained.

"So, you are nomadic clans."

"We have some insignificant towns where we can gather, divide the quarry and drink us merry. But if you want to sum up what we are, nomadic clans work as a term," Ceva nodded.

"Balkrav must resemble Auone. A few cities with nomadic clans moving between them," thought Akana contentedly, but also noticed Ceva doesn’t seem describe the clans as merchants but more like bandits.

He was just about to ask when an older man arrived and faced the class. He had close-cropped, curly, dark brown hair with marvelous green eyes which presently perused the class. He had no wrinkles but Akana determined that he was over thirty years of age at least. He had a wide face with a sharp chin and aquiline nose. The eyes were sharp but radiated intelligence. He wore a golden embodied, dark red tunic with a toga atop the tunic. He also wore several golden pieces of jewelry and was without a doubt of higher class.

"Welcome to the beginner's class in Diplomacy. My name is Aureus Lingua. I am a Senator from Relevium and will handle the courses in Diplomacy and Political Science," the man introduced himself.

"In Diplomacy, we will be examining relations between kingdoms both historically and in our contemporaries. We will analyze the balance of power and how to negotiate in different situations. Diplomacy in itself leads nowhere without knowledge from Political Science and language for communication. So I suggest you review these courses even if you haven't read them or selected them this semester," Aureus explained and the class listened intensely even though most lost the focus after a while.

Diplomacy, according to Akana, was an abstract subject and he wished he had chosen Political Science first.

A mistake that Sidastir will hear about. After all, he was the one who helped him choose the courses.

*****

Sidastir made a grimace of pain. Magnus training sword him in the back.

"Why did I take Sword Art again?"

Sidastir could not stand his friend's grin at his defeat. Sidastir was not incompetent with swords. He could the basics as he has fought in a war but his combat is more based on magic than physical movement.

Sidastir made a thrust with his training sword, but Magnus countered the attack perfectly and Sidastir landed on his back in the square arena. Sean stood in a corner and watched contentedly his new pupil. Sidastir had realized too late that it had not been wise to threaten his teacher a week before the first lesson.

"Why did you take Sword Art?" asked Magnus, who had offered his hand to help Sidastir up. Sidastir took the help with a groan and brushed off his clothes as he got onto his feet.

"Are you considering adding the title Norn onto your already impressive title?"

Sidastir gave him a bitter grimace.

"I just chose at random. Thought that Sword Art would give me an advantage in battle. "

"Or you hoped to keep yourself in shape, for your little darling. Is he so good in bed that you have to make an effort to look good?" Magnus laughed and Sidastir granted him a devilish grin.

"He's like a dead fish in the bed!"

Magnus gaped in amazement which gave Sidastir the opening to get a hit in. The hit threw Magnus to the ground. Sidastir looked triumphant while Magnus grunted into pain.

"Keep the garde up, Ferrum! you know better than that, I hope, after six years of training, "cried Sean with a loud voice.

"Understood, Scolator!" Magnus mumbled while Sidastir helped him up.

“Eh! Take a break and drink a lot. Tlig and Gath! It's your turn to disappoint me," roared Sean and Sidastir and Magnus got out of the arena.

They made it to the bench and gulped down the water from the barrel.

"If he is so dreadful both as a person and in the bed. Why marry him? "asked Magnus and Sidastir laughed as if Magnus had said something funny, which led Magnus to frown in dismay.

"Who said he is terrible in both as a person and in the bed. It is true that he is shy in bed but I'm sure he was inexperienced so I didn't expect much. He is eager and careful to be appeasing. In addition, I like his personality. Strong-willed, intelligent albeit slightly credulous. He is easy to please and industrious. He is simply fascinating to socialize with. "

Magnus looked like someone had hit him a little too hard over his head.

"Who are you, in a matter of fact, talking about?" Magnus muttered but Sidastir decided to ignore him.

"I am more surprised that you dared to marry with your powers," said Magnus, who decided to change the topic when he realized he would never understand Sidastir’s delight at the auonian boy.

"He is immune to my powers. Cold, in general, doesn’t seem to affect him the least, " Sidastir said and looked triumphant as if he had just won a great victory.

"Are you jesting? how can you be sure? " coughed Magnus, who spat out the water he had been drinking during Sidastir’s speech.

"That he had traveled through Eitir in only a toga and sandals was a relatively safe sign. But I also used my ice magic against him, " Sidastir confessed and Magnus waited patiently for the answer.

"And?"

Sidastir gave him a devilish smile.

"The little rascal didn’t even notice that I used magic against him. He just stood there and waited patiently for me to do something. This is the first time I felt so feeble. "

"It's not every day one is impotent," Magnus muttered and got a blow on his abdomen in response.

"So you decided to marry him after throwing a frostgale over him?" Magnus grunted and massaged his belly.

"More or less," said Sidastir and shrugged casually.

“Romantic. You didn't think it was better to wait? do more testing maybe, even seduce the young man. What did you do? Did you threaten him?" murmured Magnus and gave Sidastir a suspicious glance.

"What is the purpose of waiting? I have lived alone for over a hundred years. Most of that time, I have been at war. Why hesitate when the opportunity finally presented itself? I saw something I wanted and seized it. I did not threaten him! I suggested marriage and convinced him that it was in his best interest to wed me, " Sidastir said and did not even notice that his response was hardly convincing. Magnus rolled his eyes at him.

"You didn't even give him an official wedding. No wonder people see him as a jester, "mumbled Magnus and Sidastir gave him an enraged gaze.

"Who sees him as a jester? he is Rial Caraid! It doesn’t matter what kind of wedding we had, " Sidastir hissed. Magnus raised his arms as to surrender.

"I have only respect for the marvelous little creature. It's you I have a problem with. You handled it all with an immense disrespect and it will be reflected in the way they treat your new spouse, " he said and Sidastir glared bitterly at him even though he knew his friend's words were true. He had not presented Akana to the world but had instead hidden him away like a shameful lover instead of the royal consort he actually was.

The rest of the world had not accepted him because of his actions and this was solely Sidastir’s fault.

*****

Akana sighed behind the enormous book from where he sat in the armchair. He had gone through Diplomacy with difficulty, while the Moranian had gone excellent. Learning languages was much easier with all the rules and memorizing. Diplomacy, on the other hand, seems to be based on improvising and the ability to adapt. Akana prefers established rules.

The door opened but Akana didn't need to raise his gaze from the book to know that Sidastir had come home. Sidastir tossed his equipment from the Sword Art on the bed and removed his damp shirt which fell onto the floor. Akana’s husband began to wash himself in the basin which Akana was grateful for as he had difficulty with the smell of sweat. Akana peeked over the edge of the book towards the mess Sidastir left behind.

Sidastir seem to have forgotten they were not in Eitir anymore and they needed to clean up after themselves. Akana had tried to introduce a routine but Sidastir seemed completely incapable of learning the new system. Akana sighed again and closed the book. He removed it to clean up after Sidastir and sat down on the bed to start perusing the white shirt and the blood stains on them.

"Why wear white clothing to the Sword Art? It’s a fool's choice of clothes," Akana sighed again and decided that it is up to him to dress his husband in more practical clothes.

"How was your lesson?" Sidastir asked. He stood in front of the mirror and treated his cracked lip.

"With a white cloth, of course."

"Moranian are like a multitude of other languages. They are easy to learn if you are able to memorize. Diplomacy was far more difficult to fathom," Akana said with a focused expression on his face as he tried to remove the blood stain from the shirt, which merely led to it becoming larger.

"Really, I've heard that diplomacy is a bird course," said Sidastir absently.

"What is a bird course?" Akana mumbled, he refused to allow himself to be defeated by a stain. He rubbed the stain violently.

Sidastir interrupted what he was doing and turned to Akana. He was about to reply when he witnesses Akana occupation with a puzzled visage.

"A course in which fly through. What are you doing? " he asked after a while.

"I'm trying to salvage your shirt," Akana said.

"Why?" We can buy a new one if it is not salvageable, " Sidastir said and received a grim look from Akana as an answer.

"So, you can mar one more shirt? Absolutely not. From now on, you can use this shirt in Sword Arts. It is already ruined so more blood will not play any role in future grievances but put on black pants next time. The blood is not visible on dark colors and tells Magnus that he can at least try not to draw blood, "Akana finally mumbled and ignored Sidastir’s sullen expression.

Sidastir threw himself on the bed and let his arms wrap themselves around Akana’s waist.

"You mean you wouldn't bet on your own husband in battle," Sidastir whispered seductively in Akana’s ear.

"I bet solely to win. It is the solution for a long and full life, "Akana said and held up the shirt towards the light only to see the battle he lost. He sighed and threw the shirt over a close by chest.

"I thought to keep your husband joyous was the answer for a long and full life,” Sidastir muttered in malcontent.

"Keeping your husband alive and avoid losing money in futile games is a safer choice," Akana said and leaned against Sidastir, who rubbed his face against Akana’s hair which laid like a blanket over his shoulders. Akana prefers to braid it but knows that Sidastir appreciates released hair more than the strictly braided hair.

Sidastir intertwined his hands with Akana’s.

"Do you regret our marriage?" he asked and Akana frowned in bewilderment.

"Why would I? Because you have ruined a shirt?"

Sidastir mumbled something and Akana waited patiently for him to respond.

"Because I didn’t deliver you a wedding worthy of a royal consort,” Sidastir murmured at last.

"If a smaller wedding had made me embarrassed, I would have called for a public wedding," Akana proclaimed with no hesitation.

"I found a minor wedding more to my liking and we invited the majority of the Eitir’s population. Which not many royals can likewise claim."

"Even if it means that the other royal families do not recognize you as a royal consort?" Sidastir mumbled after some time past.

Akana writhed about in Sidastir’s arms so that he could meet his husband’s gaze.

"They wouldn't have accepted me regardless of what kind of ceremony we had on our wedding. The only difference is that we did not have to hear their complaints about the situation during our ceremony," Akana said with an unyielding voice. He kissed Sidastir’s forehead as if he were a child.

"Why contemplate the past when you can see to the future? something you can actually change at that."

"Or the present. I have my fair husband in my arms," Sidastir grinned and pressed closer to Akana who frowned in response.

He had never been called fair before, but he has never thought about what a handsome man looked like either. On the other hand, he understood what Sidastir were currently looking for and turned into a more comfortable position so that his spouse's hands could inspect his body without hindrance.