“What? How did I lose again?” Tristan grumbled in disbelief as Ella defeated his king in the board game flowers-and-swords for the umpteenth time.

How is that possible? He hadn’t lost a strategy game in years! And yet, Ella somehow managed to disrupt every strategy that he pushed forward, unraveling his plans like they were balls of yarn.

“I guess your god’s blessing doesn’t extend to strategies.” Ella snickered, then tapped on one of the sword pieces. “Maybe these board game pieces aren’t considered real weapons?”

Tristan sighed as he reset the board once more. “Wait, let’s do one more round. I was going easy on you last time.”

“I would have believed that had you not lost ten times in a row already.” That cheeky woman did not hesitate to rub it in his face.

“Are you sure you’re a war nurse, not a war strategist?” Tristan grumbled.

“Are you having doubts about my healing skills after I brought you back from the brink of death?” Ella crossed her arms.

“No, not at all. I’m sorry for questioning Miss Nurse, my dearest savior.”

Ella’s ears turned red at his teasing, and she averted her eyes again like she always did whenever she was feeling shy. In a sterner tone, she told him, “Since you’ve lost, you’ll have to do the dishes again.”

Her command had no weight to them since Tristan had been planning to do them anyway. It’s the least he could do after she saved his life and gave him food and shelter. 

“Alright, a deal is a deal. But I’ll defeat you next time.”

Ella simply laughed at his empty threat, and he thought to himself that there isn’t a lovelier sound in the world. 

It’s been a little over a week since he woke up in this charming cottage. Although he had mostly recovered by now, due to his healthy physique and fast recovery, he still pretended to be somewhat weak in order to drag out the current circumstances. He did feel the occasional pangs of guilt whenever he remembered about how he was basically abandoning his soldiers. 

When was the last time he felt so at peace? Back on the battlefield, he had no time to rest. Whenever he wasn’t leading soldiers and fighting, he was taking into account the numbers of injured soldiers and the remaining supplies they have, as well as working out when more supplies will arrive. He read reports from the reconnaissance team and worked out strategies for future battles. There was so much to do, at all times.

But now, in this place, there was no urgency or responsibilities. From what Ella had told him, all three armies had withdrawn since the battle and there had been no fighting sense. This meant that he could allow himself to enjoy this temporary reprieve from war instead of rushing back to the battlefield.

But most of all, he was grateful to have met Ella. She had taken a serious gamble when she decided to save him, an enemy soldier, out of the kindness of her heart. She was the first person to treat him as a normal person, not the prince of Terravale or a commander or an enemy. 

On top of that, she managed to disarm all his insecurities and fears toward his god’s blessing with only a few meaningful sentences. For years, Tristan lived under the shadow of being blessed by the most infamous god in the pantheon, the one deemed responsible for keeping the mortal realm in a constant state of war. He saw himself as nothing more than a weapon meant to create destruction. 

And that was what he did. They didn’t call him the Sword of Terravale for nothing.

And yet, when Ella looked at him, she saw an entirely new side. It’s not about who gave you that power, nor what that power can do, but what you do with it.

And just like that, Tristan was able to emotionally and mentally distance himself from the god of war, whom he hated so much nowadays. No wonder he always lost to her in flowers-and-swords. He’d spent years sharpening himself into a blade, yet here, defeated by a woman with gentle hands and a laugh like wind chimes, he felt… lighter. As if she’d disarmed him without lifting a finger. 

This warm feeling within him was something he had never felt before. He couldn’t stop thinking of her, even when she wasn’t around. He wasn’t prepared for the day they would inevitably part ways back to their own separate lives.

Of course the peace didn’t last long. The next day, Ella came back with a serious expression holding a letter in her hands. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she had a downcast look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” He blurted out as soon as he noticed her face. 

Ella took a deep breath. “I received a letter from my friend by bird just now. I have good news, bad news, and worse news.”

Were those news about the war? Reality had crashed into them sooner than he expected.

Tristan leaned forward, attentive and solemn. “Tell me.”

“First of all, the good news: the Eastern Alliance has surrendered.”

Tristan blinked. Never in his entire life had he expected to hear that. The Eastern Alliance surrendered? After so many years of fighting? What happened?

As if sensing his question, Ella explained, “I told you about the heavy casualty in the mudslide battle for all three sides, right? Well, it finally convinced Ardustan to call it quits, and Pyralis decided to do the same since it cannot fight alone.”

“Who did they surrender to? The Northern Alliance or Southwest Alliance?”

“Both?” Ella seemed uncertain. “Well, there has never been such a big war before, nor a war with three fronts, so I’m not completely sure. All I know is that the Eastern Alliance is no longer fighting.”

This was good news. This means one less enemy in battle.

“What’s the bad news?” Tristan asked. Please don’t say the Northern army and the Southwest army had decided to fight each other again. 

If there’s one thing Ella and Tristan can both agree on the most, it was that the war was stupid and ridiculous.

“My parents have noticed my absence. My friend did give them a false lead that I went to the Temple of Elysara to see the oracle, but they are heading there right now to find me, so I’m afraid I have to leave soon.”

“Are you a noble?” Tristan asked. “Since your parents seem to be the strict type. Only nobles would be so strict with their daughters…” Not to mention, only high-ranking nobles can visit the oracle as they please.

“Yes,” Ella confirmed as she folded the letter back up.

So that was why she had an air of elegance to her that only an aristocrat could possess after years of etiquette. He had suspected that she was no ordinary war nurse, but didn’t want to call her out on it. After all, he was also hiding his true identity.

“Wait, if you don’t live here, then…?”

“This cottage belonged to my friend.”

“The same one who just wrote to you?”

“Correct. She told me to spend some time alone to calm my mind, so here I am. Although, I didn’t expect to end up treating another patient while on vacation.”

That explained a few things, such as why this cottage didn’t seem to have been lived in that long. And Evan already noticed the lack of livestocks, despite having a pen near the cottage. There’s no way anyone could live here long-term with just that small garden. Especially not alone.

“My bad.” Tristan apologized. “I’ll try not to inconvenience you next time.”

Ella’s lips twitched in an effort to suppress a smile.

“Well, what’s the worst news?” Tristan asked. Might as well get that over with.

Ella took a deep breath. “The Sword of Terravale is dead.”

Wait. The Sword of Terravale was his sobriquet. That’s him! He was… dead?

But he’s clearly alive and sitting right before her!

Unless, this was the afterlife and he’s been dead all this time? He should have known everything was too nice and peaceful in this place!

“What do you mean?” Tristan managed to get out. 

Ella gave him a sympathetic look, clearly confusing his confusion and distress as a mourning comrade and not someone going through an identity crisis.

“They found his body in the river. It was bloated to the point of unrecognizable, but they identified it by his golden armor.”

Tristan’s stomach lurched.

Ah, the golden armor. The one that was stolen from him before the start of battle. So the fool died, then.

Now, Tristan was worried about how to clear this ridiculous misunderstanding.

“Why would someone wear gold armor?” Ella scoffed. “Gold is soft. Did the prince lack brains?” 

“It was a gold alloy, not pure gold. It was a pretty strong alloy.” Tristan couldn’t help but blurt out. It wasn’t the first time someone brought this up, so he immediately informed the other person out of reflex.

Ella gave him a weird look. “How do you know that?”

“Have you forgotten I was one of his soldiers?” Tristan pointed out.

Ella seemed convinced by his excuse. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Well, it wasn’t his loss considering that he was still alive, but something bothered him.

“Why is that the worst news? Is it worse for me because I’m from Terravale? Shouldn’t this be good news for you since he’s been a major issue for you for years?”

Ella’s fingers clenched. “It’s the worst news for me because he was the only commander who counted.”

Tristan was rendered speechless by her words. What did she mean, he was the only commander who counted?

Ella continued. “Even though he was from the enemy side, I couldn’t help but respect him because he was someone with conscience, someone who treated all lives as precious. Did you know that the casualties were much lower when he was involved in the battle? On both sides, not just his. Losing battles is a matter of pride for any kingdom, but I don’t care that much for pride. I care about lives, and so did he. And now that he’s dead, that means more soldiers will start dying in battles again.”

Tristan did know about the casualty thing. He didn’t enjoy the thought of taking lives needlessly, so even though he made sure to prioritize the lives of his men above everything, he also made sure not to take too many lives on the opposing army’s side. Perhaps it was also his way of rebelling against the destructive nature of his power. He never knew that anyone from the opposing side would notice.

But Ella had, and probably the other nurses too. It surprised him, but it also warmed his heart, knowing that others acknowledged and even praised his efforts. 

“I…” Tristan’s voice trailed off, unsure of what to say. “I’m sorry for your loss?”

Ella cracked a small grin that didn’t completely reach her eyes. “Thank you, Evan.”

She still doesn’t know his identity.

Tristan nodded. “So when are you leaving?”

“Today. As soon as possible.”

Today. It was too soon, too fast. He didn’t have enough time with her, and now she was already leaving.

“Wait,” he said. He took out his dagger and handed it to her handle first. “Take my dagger.”

“Why? I already have a weapon on me.”

“This emblem on my dagger is proof of my identity. I still owe you for saving my life, so if you are ever in danger and need help from Terravale soldiers, just show it to them and ask them for help and they should help you.”

Ella glanced at the dagger with a raised eyebrow. “I already suspected that you were a noble as well, but now I’m wondering if your status is higher than I thought.”

Tristan merely smiled in return. “Please be careful, Ella.”

She nodded. “And I believe you’ve recovered enough to return to Terravale by now. So you should also return home to your family and friends, Evan. But promise me one thing. Don’t sacrifice your life fighting this pointless war. You’re better than that.”

You’re better than that too, Tristan wanted to reply. But he held his tongue as he helped her gather her stuff and watched as she mounted her horse.

“Will you be fine?” Ella asked. “I would see you off first, but I’m worried about being short on time…”

“Don’t worry about me.” Tristan reassured her. “I won’t burn this cottage down. I’ll clean it up a bit after you leave, then I’ll get going tomorrow.”

“You don’t have a horse.” Ella pointed out with a look of concern. “Terravale is a bit far.”

“I’ll find a way.”

“Here,” Ella took a bag of something heavy out of her traveling pack and shoved it into his hands. “I have some Etherian currency. That might be enough for some supplies, or at least a horse.”

Tristan opened the coin bag to find gleaming gold coins. He immediately tried to return it. “Isn’t this your emergency fund? You don’t have to…”

“Take it.” Ella insisted as she waved off his attempts to return it to her. “If it makes you feel better, you can simply pay the kindness forward to another person once you’ve arrived back in your kingdom.”

Tristan nodded in response. Suddenly, he felt that he had to tell her how he feels, how much she truly meant to him. He wanted to tell her that she had stolen his heart during their short time together, but before she could, she placed a finger on his lips, immediately silencing him.

“Shhh,” she whispered. “Don’t say it, Evan. I can’t give you the answer you want.”

Tristan blinked in surprise at her response. Did she know what he was meaning to say? Does her words mean that she doesn’t share the same feelings as him? Or does it mean she is unable or unwilling to accept those feelings?

“My divine power,” Ella said slowly, as if confessing to some kind of crime, “is the ability to read someone’s heart.”

Up until now, Ella had never divulged her power. But now, she was revealing the fact that she was aware of every emotion he felt during their time together. 

Without another word, Ella then spurred her horse into action.

“If there ever comes a day when this war ends,” she said, turning her head to face him one last time. “Let’s find each other again, and I’ll listen to everything you want to say.”

She is definitely aware of his growing affection for her, he realized. But she was making a point not to acknowledge them, to make it easier for the two to separate.

“When this war is over, I’ll find you,” Tristan shouted back at her retreating figure. “I’ll find you, even if I have to cross through every battlefield between us.”

Ella gave him one last look, a small smile playing on her lips, and then she was gone, having vanished between the trees.

In that moment, he prayed that their path could somehow cross again, in the future or in another life, and he prayed that it would be under better circumstances.