Yat-sen was sparring once more with a random soldier, and although he wasn't doing badly, I noted that Atreus was much better at fighting than him. Not just Yat-sen, however; I noticed that Atreus was much better than most of the soldiers around the base. His movements were more quick and fluid, and he was leagues stronger than most of them. Whereas some soldiers might've been more experienced than him, Atreus could beat them with his skill and raw strength.

People from Sanguis truly were monstrous when it came to fighting.

Speaking of Atreus, he was seated against a tree watching a few soldiers as they sparred. He had a faraway look in his eyes and his green eyes were cloudy with thought. Light brown hair tousled and skin as tan as gold, he looked younger when he wore a somewhat lost expression on his face.

"He's improved in fighting," a smooth voice called from behind me.

I gasped and turned my head to see Meilin standing a few feet behind me. He had his eyes on Yat-sen and was watching his movements critically. His dark eyes moved towards me and he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, he's good at fighting," I said carefully. "He's learning."

"He was horrible when he first began. Now he's steadily becoming better and better," Meilin mused as he watched Yat-sen. He leaned back against one of the trees that was near me and glanced around the field, where multiple groups of soldiers were sparring. His gaze lingered on Atreus's lone figure before he turned back to me. "You'll be leaving to the palace soon."

I furrowed my brows together and looked over at him. "How soon?"

"A day or two," he said with a shrug. "Nikator unexpectedly came and said that he's going to be taking you to the palace."

"But I thought that Vita was supposed to be my bodyguard," I said in confusion. I didn't know who Nikator was, but since his name was foreign and I vaguely remembered his name coming up when Yat-sen had spoken to him, I was assuming he was a part of the Peccata.

He nodded, his eyes still following Yat-sen. "She was supposed to come, but unexpected things happened. The letter telling her to come here was somehow mixed up and given to him instead of her. He was closer to our location, anyway, so he came here. Vita will try to rendezvous back to the palace. Before she's there, though, Nikator will serve as your bodyguard."

"So he is here? This . . . Nikator man?" I asked him hesitantly. Although our relationship had improved, in my eyes, after he told me about the dragon's blood, our 'bond' was still very strained. It was hard for me to completely trust him.

"Man?" Meilin laughed and turned his obsidian colored eyes to meet mine. "He's hardly a man. He's only sixteen. And yes, as to your first question, he came to the base early this morning."

I wondered what type of person he would be and what he would look like, since I hadn't seen many foreigners in my life. He was a member of the Peccata, which already struck my interest. He was, after all, one of the few that Meilin had raised himself and even admitted to loving.

We both watched Yat-sen spar a little bit longer, and it was then that I remembered Meilin's promise to me. I rose to my feet and dusted off my clothes, watching him from the corner of my eyes. He was invested in Yat-sen and seemed to genuinely care for his growth, which surprised me.

"Your Majesty," I said suddenly. "Yesterday when we were talking about your blood—"

He turned his eyes to me and the corner of his lip lifted into a half-tilt of a smile. "You want me to show you my strength?"

Heat flushed over my cheeks and I nodded.

"Well—"

"Drakkon! Master Drakkon!" a loud cheerful and youthful voice resounded throughout the field, interrupting Meilin. There was an accent to his words, much similar to Atreus's, though this accent was a bit thicker.

Both of us turned around to see a young man jogging over to where we were at. He was waving his hands around and had a mischievous grin on his face. The most shocking thing about him, however, was the deep red color of his hair, which was a shade lighter than maroon and was a brilliant red. It wasn't orange, but red. Red hair meant he was originally from Lebel, the savage land of tribes and warriors.

When he drew near, I sucked in my breath when I saw that his eyes were the color of sapphires. They were such a pretty shade of blue! I had heard that some foreigners possessed different eye colors, much like Atreus's pretty green eyes, but this was the first that I had seen blue eyes.

"Nikator, nice—" Meilin started.

"I see Atreus is over there," Nikator said with a laugh as he waved at him. "Master Drakkon, you look tired. Not sleeping well? You need to relax or you'll become an old man."

Meilin frowned and scoffed. "As if. You'll be looking older than me in a few years. That red hair of yours will turn gray."

Nikator made a face and touched the ends of his hair. "I don't think it'll ever turn gray. You've heard the stories of how the blood of Lebel runs deep, right?"

"Right, whatever." Meilin smirked. "Still, you'll have wrinkles before me."

"Who's to say you're not wrinkly right now?" He smiled widely while Meilin frowned at him.

I was shocked that he could speak so crudely to Meilin.

" Anyway, joking aside, Atreus and you haven't seen each other in a few weeks, right?" Meilin asked as Atreus made his way towards us. Atreus, who usually wore a serious, sullen expression, was now beaming and had his eyes locked on Nikator.

"My little idiot," he said when he drew near the red-head. He smacked the back of Nikator's head and laughed as the shorter and younger boy scowled. "You're looking rather chipper."

Nikator's glower disappeared and was replaced with a wide grin as he nudged Atreus's shoulder. "You look as dead and beaten as the Black Dragon of Raia. At this rate, I'm sure I'll beat you in a battle."

Atreus rolled his eyes. "You, beat me? Are you dreaming, Nikator?"

"I am victory itself," he said as he puffed up his chest. He then turned to Meilin, his eyes wide and his smile even wider. "Isn't that right, Master Drakkon? You told me I was the fastest and the best."

Atreus's mouth hung open and he turned to Meilin for confirmation. "M-Master wouldn't—"

"I didn't say that," Meilin said with a laugh as he raised his hands. "Nikator, you are the fastest, but I would never say that you're the best."

"The fastest, he said I'm the fastest!" Nikator said with another laugh as he smacked Atreus's shoulder. "I'm faster than you—"

"I'm stronger than you," Atreus said as he returned the smack, to which Nikator swiftly ducked and dodged it.

"Both of you, calm yourself," Meilin said with a sigh. "Have you forgotten that my little rabbit is here, waiting to be introduced to you?"

Nikator's eyes were wide as he turned them towards me, as if noticing me for the first time. I had expected him to bow down, drop to his knees, or do something unnecessary like that—that seemed to be the reaction people had when introduced to me—but he surprised me by walking forward and engulfing me in a hug. Meilin's jaw dropped while Atreus's eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets.

He held onto me tightly and he smelled of lemon and grass, a pleasant smell. He was taller than me and I could feel the leanness of his muscles despite his slender build. "My lady, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said as he pulled me at arm's length away, his hands still on my shoulders. He was smiling widely at me and I couldn't stop thinking of my little siblings as I looked at him.

"Likewise," I said with a gentle smile as I patted his hand. "You're sweeter than I thought you would be."

He beamed at me from ear to ear, as if he was proud to have my approval. He turned to Meilin and Atreus, who were both staring at us in shock, most likely not appreciative of Nikator's boldness—though I found it refreshing. "Master Drakkon, you did well in finding a wife! Now you have to have little kids so I can have one and raise him."

Atreus was sputtering a response while Meilin laughed out loud. "One thing at a time, Nikator. We're not even married yet."

Nikator pulled away from me and placed his hands on Atreus's shoulder. "Atreus, my brother, I am the favorable one to Lady Daiyu."

I was quick to realize that Nikator was very competitive.

Atreus pushed his hand away. "You're too inappropriate, Nikator. You need to calm yourself. You can't just . . . just throw yourself onto the Empress! That's rude."

"You're too stiff."

"And you're too inappropriate."

"I'm just so happy to see Master again," he said bluntly, grinning at Meilin, who smiled back at him and ruffled his hair.

"Before we get along to business," Meilin said as he looked between Atreus and Nikator. "I want you two to do something for me."

"What's that?" they both said in unison, not missing a beat or even batting an eyelash.

"Spar with each other," he said simply. He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced over at me before turning back to them. "You both have been dying for a fight, right?"

Like a light had been lit in their eyes, both Atreus and Nikator both sucked in their breaths as excitement burned within them. Although it was clear that the two boys loved each other like brothers, it was also clear that they both loved to fight, seeing as how they both were instantly animated at the prospect of fighting one another.

"No weapons, please," I said to them. Although I was curious to see them fight, I wasn't keen on seeing either youth injure himself.

Meilin stared at me oddly for a moment before nodding. "As Daiyu says, no weapons."

Nikator bounced on his feet and stretched his arms out, his eyes bright as he stared down at Atreus, who was also stretching. "Prepare yourself."

"Only inexperienced children are in need of preparation," Atreus said haughtily as he cracked his knuckles. "I advise you to be prepared."

Nikator smirked. "Arrogant little prick, huh?"

"Wait, don't start yet," Meilin said as he turned towards where Yat-sen was still sparring. Yat-sen was lagging behind and his movements were slow. His concentration, however, was unwavering, because he didn't even notice that Meilin, Atreus, Nikator, were a little farther away. "Yat-sen," Meilin called out. "Come over here."

Yat-sen's arm dropped from the weight of the sword and fatigue, and he slowly glanced over his shoulder at where Meilin was at. He instantly perked up at seeing him and then seeing me. He hesitated when he saw Nikator and Atreus, who were suddenly giving him a reserved look, but that didn't stop him from running over to Meilin.

"Uncle Meilin, Aunt Daiyu, were you watching me spar?" he asked when he drew near.

At the 'Aunt', Nikator and Atreus straightened up, looking at him oddly once more. Meilin looked surprised for a split second before clapping Yat-sen's skinny shoulder. "You've gotten better," he said.

"Thank you," he stammered, embarrassed and happy as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "I'm not that good yet, but I'll beat Commander Bohai one day! Maybe even General Fang."

"I'm sure you will," Meilin said with a nod. "Right now, how about we watch Nikator and Atreus fight? They're great fighters, as you may know."

Yat-sen bobbed his head energetically. "Yes, I've always wanted to watch a fight among the Peccata."

"Best watch out," Nikator said with a savage and wild grin as he raised his hands in a different type of stance. "I've learned a few different styles of fighting."

Atreus raised a brow. "Are you trying to scare me?"

Meilin raised his hand. "Just start the fight already."

Before Meilin could even finish the sentence, Nikator ran forward so fast that I gasped, completely taken by surprise with his speed. Atreus's eyes widened and even Meilin's brows were raised. Yat-sen was holding his breath while I watched in awe.

Atreus took a step back in the last second and they both began their spar, exchanging blows quickly and dodging. They were both moving swiftly and neither of them had landed a punch yet. Their movements were fluid and although they both were using different fighting techniques, they were up to par with each other.

"Pay attention to their footwork," Meilin said to Yat-sen. "Watch how Atreus and Nikator move."

"Yes," Yat-sen murmured, his eyes glued onto the two.

Their feet were moving and there was even a moment that Nikator fell down and jumped back up. As they continued to fight, it didn't take long until more soldiers joined in watching the spectacle.

In moments, Nikator was knocked down by Atreus. They both were panting heavily and Nikator was frowning as he sat upright, completely beaten.

He spoke to Atreus in a different language then, his words sounding harsh.

"What's he saying?" Yat-sen said as he watched Atreus grin and help him up.

"He's just swearing at him," Meilin said calmly. "Atreus is the best fighter in Peccata, but Nikator did pretty good for himself. He's improved greatly since the last I saw him."

Nikator and Atreus came over to where Meilin was at, the both of them smiling ever so slightly. Although Nikator looked a little upset that he lost, his sullen expression had disappeared when Atreus helped him to his feet.

"Not as good as I thought I would be," he said with a laugh. "Man, I've never been able to beat you. At least with Minos I can sometimes trick him and beat him."

Atreus rolled his eyes. "Minos is too nice. I'm pretty sure sometimes he just lets you win."

Nikator's mouth was hanging open and he vigorously shook his head. "Take that back."

"No."

"Guys, stop bickering," Meilin said, even though they were far from bickering. They were just exchanging playful banter, something my brothers did many times. "Atreus, you're just as good as I remember you; strong and fierce, good job. Nikator, you've greatly improved and your speed has increased even more. Keep this up and I'm pretty sure Atreus will have a harder time with you."

Both boys looked overly content to be pleased by Meilin, to which I also couldn't help but smile at.