"Ettinsmoor? Is that what we're calling it now?" Imira asked.
"Better than 'the northern lands the Ettins inhabit' don't you think?" Peter asked in return.
"I suppose it's catchy," she agreed. "So what do we do now?"
Peter looked around the room...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Hi," Imira smiled. She had just woken up and she couldn't have woken up to a better image. Staring at her was a shirtless Peter, one arm flexed rebind his head while the other played with a lock of her hair.
"You smell like flowers,"
Imira smiled sleepily. "What time is it?"
"Late. Very late," Peter said, though he made no move to get up.
"Why didn't you wake me?" She ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to tame her waves.
"You looked too peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you. Besides," he pushed off the sheets and planted his feet on the ground, "you're always cranky when I wake you up,"
"I'm not cranky," Imira complained as Peter put on his shoes.
"You're not exactly cheerful," he replied, earning an eye-roll he didn't see. But Imira was in a good mood so she didn't really care.
"Do we have things to do?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, we do," Peter stood up, "But first, breakfast."
"You never told me about your trip," Peter said, cutting another chunk of cheese with his knife and offering it to Imira.
She took it from the tip of the blade and smirked. "That's because you sidetracked me,"
He smirked at the thought of it.
"Well, let's see," she stuffed the cheese Peter had been cutting inside a loaf of bread and added some grapes before cutting it in two and offering half of it to Peter, "There's not much to tell. I just flew over the mountains, took a few breaks to eat and sleep and then talked Firestream into helping. Did we send someone to guard his treasure?"
"I did,"
Imira nodded. "Good. Well, after he agreed we decided it would be best to leave at first light and try to make it back in one day, so we spent the night in his cave. It was either that or travelling to the prisoner mines and I was not about to freely choose to sleep surrounded by enemies, no matter how many guards there are. The rest you know, we reached the wood, I sent Dehlios down to inform you, we killed the giants, not much to tell. Now what I'd like to know is what you did while I was gone. Were you just hoping I'd arrive in time to save your behind, or did you have a plan?"
"You know I had a plan,"
Imira laughed.
"Ah, let's see... not too long after you left we arrived at Derrick's camp. While the camp was being set up he showed us around and I got all the details on what's been going on, I'll show you around once we're done here. That first night we sneaked to New Castle to assess the situation, the next day we started working on a plan to take it back. The trenches were already dug so we just set up some traps and then last night we attacked. They had no clue, walked straight into it. We sent a group to draw them into the tree-line. They thought they had us on the run and were not expecting the trenches. Or the caltrops. Or the two hundred soldiers waiting for them on the other side. They fell like flies," Peter said nonchalantly, taking another bite of the grapes and cheese sandwich. "You chasing them off was a great touch though. My plan was to just run them off, but when you showed up I figured it wouldn't hurt to have you go after them. I thought you'd just have Firestream chase them off, perhaps he'd burn a few of them, but then you leapt off his back and took them down by yourself," He shook his head with a smile. "My dragon-ridding, giant-slaying queen," Imira was grinning. "You are incredible,"
"Perhaps next time you should come with me," Imira picked up her goblet. "There is more than one pegasus around,"
"Oh, you bet I will," Peter clinked his goblet with hers. "You've got to teach me that trick, you're taking all the glory from me,"
Imira laughed and promised she would.
They finished their breakfast and decided it was about time to go out. Imira changed into a dress, which Peter found a little odd since she usually oped for battle-ready gear whenever they were preparing for a fight, but he thought she looked pretty and she secured her sword belt around her waist so he didn't say anything.
He thought she was done and so he turned to head out, but when he didn't hear her follow he turned back.
"What is it?" He asked. She was staring blankly at her chair.
"Huh?" She looked up to meet his eyes. "Nothing, I... I was just thinking,"
"About?"
He debated whether or not it was a good moment to have this conversation. It probably wasn't, but she chose to either way. "You know I enjoy a good fight as much as anyone, and the glory that comes with victory, but I enjoy peace even more,"
"Sweetheart, when we defeat the Ettins no one will think to mess with us for the next century,"
"I sure hope so," Imira sighed. "I just..." What she was bout to say felt strange in her mind and even stranger as it left her lips. "I think I've had enough fighting," she realized out loud.
A short loud laugh escaped Peter. He figured she must be joking. "There's something I thought I'd never hear,"
She punched his arm playfully.
"I thought you had had enough fighting," He laughed.
"It's complicated. Fighting is all I know," she said in good spirits, "but I think it's time for me to grow past it. You know sometimes I can get a little carried away,"
Peter nodded, recalling the time his brother called her Peter's 'murderous girlfriend'.
"I don't like when that happens. Not afterwards," she admitted. "At the moment's all good because I'm not really thinking about it, but afterwards... there's too much blood in my hands already. Even if they were all enemies,"
Peter nodded. "I understand,"
"They wake me up at night sometimes," Imira said.
"Me too," Peter admitted. "But, and I don't want to be unconsidering, can we discuss this after we defeat the Ettins?" Peter asked. He too wanted to stop the bloodshed, but this was not the right moment for his wife to be having second thoughts, he needed her to kill Ettins. If she wanted to hang up the towel after this he was all for it, he'd rather not see her risk her life and almost die so often, but for now, he needed her to fight.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I still plan on killing the lot of 'em. They chose the wrong kingdom to invade," she picked up her goblet and drank the last of the wine. "I'd just like to know we're getting closer to peace,"
Peter nodded. He wanted to know that as well. He hoped he was getting closer, every day of his life he worked towards it, but every time he thought he had achieved peace something would come to disturb it. So desired yet so elusive.
But before Peter could reassure her they were getting closer to peace, Eurybe walked in.
"Your Majesties," she bowed her head. "New troops have arrived. The Lords request an audience,"
Peter nodded.
"We'll be right there," Imira dismissed her guard.
"I think we are," Peter said, going back to their previous conversation. "The Ettins are the last of our enemies, we are at peace with everyone else. They are the last problem we have to deal with. At least for a while,"
"Let's hope a long while," Imira agreed and followed him out.
