Iria advised Rion to stand guard at the entrance of her tent and the latter quickly complied. Then she bowed before the Prince. "Your Highness."

"You don't expect me here, don't you?" Prince Orius said as he walked towards Iria. He maintained his voice low as he must be careful.

"This is dangerous," Iria muttered in a low voice.

"I know. Coming to Qalagon is already dangerous enough. So, I thought that I should just give my all now that I'm here." Prince Orius simply said.

"How did you manage to come with us?" Iria asked but the Prince made a dismissive gesture.

"That's not important. Besides, it's a great chance to visit Zoris. What's more, I got to see Crown Prince Arin Helev up close."

"If you are up to something, you should tell me. It's dangerous and if anything happens to you, His Majesty will be worried." Iria said, glancing at the second Prince.

"Worried?" Orius muttered and judging from the look on his face, it was as if he had never heard the word. "I don't think so. It might even be better if I die here without anyone knowing." He let out a light chuckle but it was clear that it wasn't out of happiness.

Iria was bewildered by the Prince's words and demeanor. "What are you - "

"Enough of the unnecessary talk." Orius suddenly said which interrupted her from speaking.

"In my opinion, Commander Iria, Arin Helev cares about you a lot." Orius continued, maintaining a nonchalant face.

"According to him, I'm the Princess of Jerivia who left her home for the sake of peace. So, he showed pity on me." Iria promptly responded.

"Are you sure? I doubt that it's just pity." Orius argued yet he seemed to be quite amused.

"What are you trying to say?" Iria asked. It's too hard to guess the intention of this Prince.

"Nothing. I just want to check if we're still on the same page." Orius replied. His gaze remained impassive this time.

"Your Highness - "

"I should go now. It won't be good if I disappear for too long." Orius cut her off and turned his back at her.

"Are you alone? Is Kerin not with you?" Iria quickly asked with concern. After all, he was the Prince and the son of her King. She couldn't just neglect him in this dangerous situation.

Orius halted. He slightly narrowed his eyes. "Kerin can't come." He said and left through the back of the tent again.

After he was out of her sight, Iria let out a sigh. What would she do with him?!

* * *

After riding for almost four more days, they reached the capital of Zoris and soon, the palace.

The Zoris Kingdom was dominated by plains and all their cultures and foods were also very similar to Qalagon. They were quite advanced in farming compared to other kingdoms due to their rich soils. They were also among the richest kingdoms.

When Arin and Iria along with the guards reached the palace of Zoris, they were welcomed by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Zoris. The King wasn't strong enough to greet them and the Queen had already passed away three years ago.

"Welcome, Arin. I'm so glad that you came to fulfil my father's wish." It was Crown Prince Vance Amias who greeted Arin Helev and hugged him. The two had known each other since they were a child and they were good friends.

"Long time no see, Vance. I regret not coming sooner," Arin said.

Vance pulled back with a smile and quickly turned to Iria. "This must be your beautiful new wife." He said and then briefly glanced at his wife who smiled at him.

Arin nodded and turned to Iria who was standing right beside him. "Iria, meet Crown Prince Vance Amias and Crown Princess Zena Amias of Zoris."

Iria slightly smiled and bowed as if a royal should. "Nice to meet you." She said to the couple.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Zoris looked young but they seemed to be a bit older than Arin and Iria. However, they seemed to be quite in love as they often glanced at each other with a smile. With their handsome and beautiful looks, they make an enchanting couple.

"We look forward to meeting you and we're glad that we finally got the chance." Crown Prince Vance said with a friendly smile. Unlike Arin, he talked a lot and he had a friendly aura.

"I hope we can spend much time together during your stay here. I will look out for you often." Crown Princess Zena said with a little smile.

She gave off the same vibe as Lady Vienna - elegant and noble. From what Iria heard, she was the youngest daughter of the Prime Minister of Zoris.

They were friendly and they seemed to be a good person which was in contrast to the royals in several ally kingdoms of Jerivia which Iria knew. Was it because she was in the same class with them right now and not a Commander? She wasn't sure.

"Thank you for your kindness." She formally said and they all walked inside the palace.

"It's your first time here, Your Highness. So, don't hesitate to look for me if you're feeling lonely. You will always be welcomed in the Crown Prince's palace." Crown Princess Zena softly said to Iria while walking.

"I will keep that in mind." Iria promptly said.

After a while...

Iria and Arin stood inside a big chamber and their eyes swept around every corner. However, when they met one another's gaze by mistake, they quickly turned away!

Must they really use the same chamber?! They had never done that before! What's more, there was only one bed which was way more than big!

After what seemed to be forever, Arin cleared his throat and looked at Iria who was standing beside him. "I will tell Vance to give me another room. You can use this one." He said, finally breaking the silence.

Iria understood that this arrangement wasn't an absurd thing as they were a married couple. Who would arrange separate rooms for a married couple? That would be rude, right?!

Then she said, "Don't bother. It's just for a few days. It would only create unwanted rumours if the people here know that we used separate rooms."

The sun was about to set and it will surely be a long night.....