Thea had not seen her brother since he had stormed out the evening before and though the thought of that conversation frustrated her, his absence sent a rush of sadness through her as she stood in front of Captain Brayne, who had just knocked at the door.

"Good morning, Miss. Rhaanan," the tall man greeted, taking his hat off. "Judging by the sight of the luggage and your outfit, I think it's safe to presume that you have accepted General Killian's offer?"

The trip from Abureth to the Capital was about four and a half hours by train and so Thea decided that the best outfit choice would be something comfortable. Though Thea would have preferred to wear one of her many cotton dresses, since it was July and the weather was as hot as it could be, she thought that an outfit like that would be a little too casual for a train trip with the General of the Aiverian Army and the Deputy Secretary of Defense. So instead, she opted for a slightly fancier navy blue pleated skirt and white button down blouse which she tucked into the skirt. Though the fabric of the skirt was incredibly thick, the blouse was, thankfully, light.

Hopefully she got a window seat in the train.

She smiled at him, wringing her hands together. "Yes, it seems that that is what I've decided."

For the first time since she had met him, the Captain smiled warmly at her. "I am happy to hear that, and I'm sure the General will be quite happy as well. You won't regret this decision, I'm sure," he said. "Let me take your things."

Stepping aside, Thea let the soldier enter her home and grab the largest suitcase and walk out. Thea's father then let out a silent sigh, which Thea did not miss, before grabbing the other two smaller suitcases and walking out to assist the Aiverian soldier.

Thea then turned to her mother and grandmother.

As always Thea's mother looked incredibly worried, tears welling up in her eyes. Thea smiled at her mother and took her face in her hands. "I'll be fine Mama," she said. "And if anything goes wrong, I promise I will come right back home."

Her mother nodded slowly. "Call me as often as you can, do you understand?"

Thea chuckled. "Of course."

Then her grandmother came to her, pulling her into a warm, tight hug. Her grandmother was much shorter than Thea was, especially now since Thea had on her little heels, but her hugs were always incredibly loving nonetheless. "I know you will always make us proud," she said. "Just remember to keep your eyes open and don't ever allow yourself to be fooled." When Thea pulled away and looked at her grandmother, the woman looked back at her sternly. "Trust your instinct... if you think that your work is going to be used against our people... if it begins to bother you... come home," she said. "Money means nothing in the face of honour."

Thea nodded. "I understand."

After kissing her forehead and sharing a hug with her mother and then her father, Thea turned to the soldier.

"Are you sure you've got everything you need?"

She did a quick check in her hand bag as well as the extra satchel she carried over her shoulder and then nodded. "Pretty sure."

"Then we should be off," the Captain put his hat back on and nodded his head once more at Thea's family before turning around.

"Captain Brayne," her grandmother suddenly called.

The tall man turned to face her grandmother. "Ma'am.".

"I am certain that you are well aware of what our people go through in the Aiverian Capital... and I must make this clear," she started, "you are taking with you an incredibly intelligent, incredibly honorable and incredibly respectable young woman. I'm sure that General Killian picked her because he understood that himself, but I ask that you not forget the potential that this girl has and ensure that she is kept safe."

"Grandma," Thea sighed, embarrassed.

Her grandmother ignored her. "She is coming with you against the wishes of an individual whose opinion means the world to her," she added, referencing Theus, clearly. And she wasn't entirely wrong about that, no matter how upset Thea was. "So know that our family wouldn't mind if you kept all the money you offer, if it means keeping her safe."

Captain Brayne showed Thea's grandmother a small smile. "Ma'am, I understand your concern and I will keep your words close to heart," he started. "And in order to ease your mind, let me say that I know very well that General Killian has an unflattering reputation among your people, but after working by his side for years, I can assure you that the one thing General Killian is known best for back in the Capital is his unwavering commitment to the safety, satisfaction and trust of those who work for him," he said. "Miss. Rhaanan here will be working directly under the General and therefore, whatever her race, beliefs or gender, she will be no exception to this rule."

Thea was surprised by not only his words, but also by the respect the man showed when speaking to her family. She was not used to seeing an Aiverian State soldier who wasn't trying to prove that he was superior to them and when she looked at her family, it seemed they were too.

"So please, rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure that she is given ample opportunity to increase her intelligence, to maintain her honour and to improve her respectability."

Thea's grandmother smiled and Thea, for whatever reason, felt her cheeks warm. "Well, you will certainly be the first Aiverian State soldier that I will allow myself to trust... so please, don't let me down."

"I do not plan on it, Ma'am," the soldier said, before touching his cap again and making his way towards the Rolls Royce that waited just outside their gate.

Thea took a deep breath before giving her grandmother a silly smile, a smile that her grandmother returned as she handed Thea her gloves and hat. "Stay safe, love," the older woman said before blowing her a kiss.

Thea returned the kiss before following the Captain and getting into the back seat of the expensive car. As Captain Brayne shut the door and walked up to the driver's seat, Thea looked back at her home and to her surprise, she saw a shadow peering down at her from the upstairs window.

She knew very well that it was her brother... he had returned at some point and she didn't even know it.

Despite the argument the two had the night before, Thea's heart still managed to ache a little at the thought that she would be leaving him behind on such bad terms. And if her brother had an ounce of his old heart still within him, then she knew well that he probably felt the same way.

So, pushing aside her ego she lifted her hand up and waved at the shadow at the window.

The shadow remained for a moment and then without waving back, the shadow vanished.

Frowning, she looked up at Captain Brayne, who started up the vehicle. "Are you ready? You are sure you have everything you need?" He asked as he looked at her through the rearview mirror.

She nodded. "Yes, sir," she said, but then hesitated, realizing that Laila had no idea what was going on. She would have to give her a call as soon as she could. "I think I'm ready."

The man continued to look at her through the rearview mirror, looking surprisingly patient. "Are you sure?"

Thea nodded. "Yes."

The Captain nodded. "Alright, let's head out."







They weren't late, not at all, but Niall nevertheless eyed the clock in the station with quite some intensity as his cigarette sat at the corner of his mouth, smoke escaping through his lips with every breath.

It was nearly ten-thirty on a Sunday and the station was as crowded as it could ever be. Hundreds of people passed by him on the platform of the station which smelled of iron and coal and dust and sweat. And all these people went on with their own lives and thoughts and concerns.

Yet despite this, nearly all the people who passed by close to him managed to shoot a glance over at his direction, eyeing, even for just a brief moment, the green-eyed man who looked surprisingly Elorian and wore a State Military Uniform.

And even if it was for a brief moment, Niall hated how for that moment, his curious image became a part of the lives and thoughts and concerns of the strangers who passed him.

He pulled his cap down lower over his head, hoping to cover his eyes a little better.

"Sir," he heard Julian suddenly call.

Niall turned, but only after pulling his cigarette from his lips and letting out a breath of smoke. However, just as he looked at Julian, he was surprised by the sight of Theavi.

The girl looked at him with an expression of nervousness, wide eyed and lips slightly parted. She looked more like the childish image he had of her from her university days, gripping tightly onto her handbag, except her hair was long and braided back into an intricate bun.

One thing he knew about Elorian women was that they always ensured that their hair was perfect. It was not just a cultural thing, it was also a pride thing.

This fact was also why Niall was so intrigued by this girl's short hair in her university photo. Why on earth would she cut it all off? Especially when she looked nice when it was so long. Was it so that she could fit in? So that she could look less Elorian? Or maybe she just preferred it short.

Whatever the case, Niall did not delve on it for too long, reminding himself that it was her hair. Elorian or not, she could do whatever she wanted with it.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be here," Niall said, turning to face her as he dropped his cigarette on the ground.

He noticed her watch the cigarette fall before she looked back at him. "My family wasn't entirely pleased, but I decided I couldn't turn the offer down," she said. "I want to at least give it a shot."

"Good," Niall said before he reached a hand out. "I'm looking forward to working with you, Theavi Rhaanan."

The girl smiled, a little less nervously now, and took his hand in hers, shaking it firmly.

Niall then gestured towards the car of the train that he was standing in front of. "We can discuss more and complete the paperwork inside."

She hesitated. "My ticket?"

"Already handled," he responded.

She seemed surprised. "What if I hadn't come?"

"Then it would have been a wasted expense."

To that, she chuckled, before making her way towards the passenger car.

Once they were in, Niall led them to the door of the cabin they would be sitting in for the trip to the Capital and he could tell that Theavi was thoroughly impressed. Her eyes even widened when he slid the door open and revealed the spacious cabin, though all it contained were expensive looking seats and a dark wooden table.

She slid into her seat first, taking a seat next to the window and placing her larger satchel near her feet and her handbag on her lap.

Niall took the seat in front of her and Julian slid in next to her, but only after sliding the cabin door shut with a deep thud.

Niall had already had a chance to pull out all the paperwork ahead of time, just in case she did end up showing up, and so by the time they got comfortable for the four hour ride, the tedious paperwork that everyone hated doing was ready.

"So," Niall started. "Let's get this out of the way, shall we?"

Almost perfectly, just as he finished speaking, the whistle of the train blew, signaling that the train would be departing soon. Niall kept his eyes on Theavi, who looked out of the window and at the now rushing civilians before looking at him and responding with a nod.

He gave her a small smile, realizing at that moment that after months and months of stalling, he was now moments away from finally getting back on track.

This girl could be their key.

Their key to ending the decades long conflict with those pesky Revolutionary Crows.