The sun was already setting as Andros crested the hill that led to the small farmstead that had been gifted to him by the king. The already chill air carried the scent of grapes before his eyes caught sight of them. Vines bearing the fuchsia-colored fruit dotted the fields like soldiers standing in formation. They were already heavy with their bounty, but unlike other farmsteads, Andros wouldn’t harvest his crop until the first winter frost. When that happened, the water in the grapes would freeze on their vines and be ready for careful collection. The grapes would then be picked and pressed where they would create the ice wine that his farm was known for. The delicious nectar was thick and sweet. It took ten times as many grapes to create ice wine as it did regular wine, but the taste was divine.

He spotted curling smoke drifting from a stone chimney set into the small cottage he called home. At first glance, it didn’t seem a suitable dwelling for the most well-known hero of Aetolos, but the warrior preferred it that way. He didn’t need vaunted stone ceilings and columns ringing his house. He preferred the squat stone walls and the tiled roof just the way it was. It was his safe harbor in a winter storm.

He descended the hill and threaded his way on the beaten path that led to his home. When he arrived at the thick wooden door, he knocked three times before opening the door. As soon as he entered, a blonde cannonball thumped into his legs and started shouting.

“Daddy! Daddy! You’re home,” little Agathi shouted.

Andros patted his daughter’s head affectionately.

“Of course, little Agathi. I promised you that I would.”

He made his way further into the domicile and gently shut the door behind him. The entire time his daughter clung to one of his legs the entire time and issued a continuous stream of platitudes and details about her day. He answered her approvingly where appropriate and let the exuberant sound of his daughter’s report wash away his fatigue.

He passed across the small area where they entertained guests and arrived in the open kitchen. His wife was busy chopping a collection of olives, tomatoes, and grapes to accompany the goat cheese and bread she had already assembled. She looked up when entered and shared a gentle smile.

“Alexios is bringing in the sheep for the night, he’ll be here shortly.” She informed him before addressing Agathi.

“Let your father go, he needs to get out of his armor if he expects to eat dinner at the table.”

Agathi let go with a frown but tottered over to her mother to pluck a grape from the table and pop it into her mouth.

Andros laughed at the scene and beat a quick exit to comply with his wife’s wishes. He entered into their private bedroom, a luxury for a normal family, and stripped off his armor. He placed it on the wooden rack in the corner and gave it a careful look. He saw that some of the leather thongs would need to be replaced and spots of blood that needed to be cleaned carefully.

Once his armor was stripped, he walked back outside and made his way to the small well nearby. He drew some water and proceeded to wash his face, armpits, and groin. He hadn’t had a proper bath since he left Aetolos and he knew that his wife would require a full bath before allowing him into bed. He smiled at the thought of joining her that evening.

Once he was reasonably clean and didn’t smell so heavily of the road. He re-entered his home and noticed that Alexios had returned in his absence.

“Hey Father” the boy cheerfully greeted him.

Andros ruffled his son’s hair before wrapping him in a hug. “Hey boy, I hope you didn’t trouble your mom too much while I was away.”

“Of course he did,” his wife interrupted. “He takes after his father after all.” She gave him a calculated look while she placed the collection of food on their beaten wooden table.

“Go get changed, the mutton stew is almost ready.”

Andros felt his mouth water, but he complied. He returned to their bedroom and dug through his trunk of clothing. He stripped off his dusty and dirty garb before replacing it with a clean toga. Once he was ready, he returned to their small kitchen and took a seat at the dinner table. His children were already seated and happily munching cheese and olives.

His wife swooped in and placed a wooden bowl full of stew in front of him and he leaned over to breathe in its delectable aroma.

“Thank you, love.” He said. “I’ve been dreaming about your cooking ever night while I was gone.”

She laughed, feeling pleased by the flattery.

“Eat up, then. The king sent over the mutton as a sign of thanks. We don’t get meat all that often, so you better enjoy it.”

Andros frowned at the king’s interference but decided it was petty of him to begrudge the king a good meal. He grabbed a crust of bread and dipped it into the strew before shoving the entire thing into his mouth. When he swallowed his first bite, he sighed.

“It’s good to be home.”

“Are you going on another raid?” Alexios asked with his mouth full.

Lydia swatted the boy for talking while eating, but her sideways glance at Andros told him that she was wondering the same thing.

“I don’t know,” the warrior answered honestly.

“The king has come up with a proposal that I need to talk to your mother about. Our decision will likely affect whether I go raiding next season.”

His daughter picked at her food. “I don’t want you to leave again,” she decided.

The warrior’s heart clenched at her words. He wanted to do anything that would make the little girl happy, but he knew that it was his destiny. He felt pulled in two directions. Part of him wanted to be where there was the most dangerous. He felt called to use his gifts to protect those that were less fortunate. On the other hand, his king and his family wanted him to stay.

“I know, sweetheart. Daddy doesn’t like to leave you, but sometimes he has to do things for the good of the kingdom.”

His wife didn’t let him get away from his platitude. “Even when the ruler of that kingdom wishes you to stay put?” She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Andros took another bite of his food before replying.

“Even then” he replied.

He turned his attention to the children. “The world outside Aetolos is a dangerous, evil place, but if good men don’t stand up to push back the daima then eventually it’ll follow us here.”

Agathi’s face turned white, but Alexios looked determined. The boy’s demeanor made his father feel proud.

“You’re scaring the children,” his wife noted.

“I’m not scared,” Alexios immediately replied. “I want to be a great warrior like my father someday. I want to kill daima.”

Andros chuckled despite himself. “Of course you do, son.” He gave the boy a wink. “Hopefully not for a while.”

He looked into Lydia’s forest-colored eyes. “Unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes, we have to follow the will of men that are more powerful than us, despite what we would wish for ourselves.”

Lydia didn’t miss the subtext of the conversation and her eyes thinned. Andros raised a calming hand in response. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it after dinner.”

“That doesn’t seem fair, father.” He said in response to the warrior’s previous comment. “You’re the most famous warrior in Aetolos. There’s nothing that you can’t do.”

Andros just shrugged. “I wish that were a true son. I may have the blessings of the gods, true, but part of that blessing is knowing when to use it.”

The boy just nodded as he dug into his stew and Andros considered the matter settled. They finished their meal amicably. Agathi proceeded to chronicle every single thing that had happened to her since he had left on the raid while Alexios told him funny stories about the goats and the sheep and the antics of the other children in the village.

Andros nodded along and basked in the warmth of his family. It was more sustenance than an entire feast of mutton stew. When everyone was finished, Lydia brought him some mulled wine and hustled the children off to bed. He sipped his drink in contemplation while he waited for her to return. The kids were more excitable than usual and took repeated attempts to finally settle them down.

Sometime later, his wife returned to the table with her mug with mulled wine. Andros was already on his third and could feel his cheeks warming.

“Don’t drink too much,” she lightly scolded him with a wink. “I want you in prime condition for later tonight.”

He laughed and tipped his cup toward her. “Of course, my love. I wouldn’t dream of being anything less.”

Her face grew thoughtful and her voice was serious. “So, what did the king ask of you?”

Andros shrugged. “At first, I thought he was going to ask me to rule Myros in his stead.”

“He didn’t?” His wife wondered.

“Well, he did.” Andros hedged. “But that wasn’t all. He offered a betrothal between Agathi and Aleximenes.”

His wife frowned as he quickly understood the implications. “He means to bind you to his line,” she said thoughtfully.

“Would it really be so bad, Andros?” She asked him. “Our daughter could be a queen, and we would have our own palace in Myros. I’m not sure I see the downside.”

Andros sighed. “Aetolos needs to be colonizing the mainland. If we’re stuck on these islands, then one outbreak of white fever and the daima could topple us.”

He lowered his voice. “But more than that, the king is playing a dangerous game. He seeks to create a dynasty. For all of known history, our kings have been chosen by the noble council. Up to this point, a king has just been the first among equals. If he succeeds, then we’ll be drawn into his political games and instead of doing good for the kingdom, I’ll be the boogeyman to scare the nobles into compliance.”

Lydia considered his words. “In these troubled times, would it not be better for a strong, secure ruler? You’ve often complained that the council has been too slow to make decisions and that they argue instead of acting. You could bring clarity and decisiveness to their ranks. That’s doing good for the kingdom.”

“Maybe,” Andros said noncommittally. “He’s asked for an answer tomorrow morning.”

Lydia nodded. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think you should accept the King’s offer, but I know you’ll make the right decision.”

She gave him a level look. “Come, I’ve already prepared your bath.”

Andros eagerly set his cup down and followed his wife outside. They rounded the corner and Andros spotted the stone bathtub that had been heating while they were enjoying their meal. Hot coals surrounded the tub and heated the water within. He could smell the scent of flower petals wafting from the tub.

He watched as his wife slipped out of her dress and slid into the hot water. The sight of her sensual curves exposed to moonlight inflamed his heart and sped his actions.

The warrior quickly took off his clothing and snatched the lye soap sitting nearby. The air was cool on his bare skin, but his body quickly acclimated to the temperature. He hurried back to the well and drew another bucketful of water. He methodically and carefully used the soap and cold water to wash away the majority of the filth and then returned to his waiting wife.

When he lowered himself into the tub, he sighed in contentment. When he was up to his shoulders in the water, Lydia floated over to him and straddled his lap. He felt himself responding to her presence, but he knew that she wasn’t ready. She kissed him on the lips and then started to massage the tense muscles in his shoulders and neck. He felt himself melting under her ministrations.

When he entered a blissful half-sleep, she kissed him softly. She continued her massage until she had worked the knots and kinks from every part of his body. When he was fully relaxed, she lay against his chest while he wrapped his arms around her.

“I love you,” she murmured. “I fear for the day that you don’t return home.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll always return to you. There isn’t a force on earth or in the heavens that could keep me from you—I promise.”

She sighed and they held each other until the water started to cool. Before it could grow icy, she stood from the bath and carefully dried herself off with some nearby linens. Andros begrudgingly exited the bath himself and dried himself.

When they were fully dried, she took his hand and led them back into their home. They crossed the main room and tiptoed their way to the bedroom to avoid waking the children that slept nearby. When they finally reached their bed, they were both breathing heavily in excitement.

They spent the night enjoying each other’s bodies and reaffirming their deep love for one another. When they finally drifted off to sleep, Andros slept more deeply than any night in the past three months. Even though the king had given him a whole host of new problems to worry over, he was just happy to be home with the ones he loved.

The sunlight streaming into the room woke Andros abruptly. He immediately clutched for his sword before realizing that he wasn’t on The Bountiful Harvest and that he didn’t sleep with his weapons close at hand. He blearily rubbed his eyes and took in his surroundings.

His wife had already left the bed and he could hear her in the kitchen beyond. He took a moment for his momentary panic to settle before rolling out of bed himself. He groaned as he stretched languidly. When he was ready, he got out of bed and put on a casual tunic and trousers. He pulled on his leather boots and then left the bedroom.

“Hey love,” his wife greeted from the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Andros said pleasantly before looking around their home. “Where are the kids?”

“Agathi is outside playing with the chickens and Alexios is taking the sheep out to the pasture. I’m heating up some leftover stew. Are you okay with that?”

“It’s perfect,” Andros replied.

He exited the cottage and drew some water for the well. He splashed his face and took a couple of gulps before returning the bucket. He felt completely at peace as he heard a combination of birdsong and Agathi’s laughter coming from the chicken pens. He stopped by the pens to check on her and chuckled as he witnessed her chasing the chickens around their coop.

He decided not to interrupt the girl’s play and returned to the cottage. His wife had already set aside a bowl of stew and a mug of mulled wine. He was just digging in as the door slammed open.

“Father! You have to come look,” Alexios shouted.

Andros had a torn expression as he alternated his gaze between his stew and his son.

“Father, I’m serious! Fire is falling from the sky!”

Andros frowned and exchanged a look with his wife. She shrugged so he got up and followed his son out of the door.

“Look, it’s up there.” His son pointed.

Andros peered into the blue sky and he could barely make out a fireball hurtling through the air. He was about to comment when a thunderous sound cracked in the air above his cottage. He glanced up and his mouth dropped open as he witnessed a metallic object hurtling through the sky.

He quickly calculated the trajectory of the object and his son came to the same conclusion.

“Father, that’s heading toward the palace!”

Lydia rushed from the house after hearing the sound and clutched her husband’s arm.

“Andros, what is it?”

“I don’t know,” he answered uneasily. As he watched, more objects cracked into existence. He started to hear the pealing of alarm bells in the distance.

“Get your sister and get inside,” he ordered Alexios. The boy hurried to comply while his parents watched the sky.

“I need to get to the palace,” Andros decided. “People could be getting hurt.”

His wife nodded. “Okay, she said, let’s get you dressed.”

The pair hurried inside and the two children followed shortly after. Andros rushed to the bedroom and started donning his armor while his wife gathered up his swords and helped belt them to his waist. He secured one of his leather bracers over a bare forearm while his wife secured the other. In a few minutes, he was ready.

“Stay inside, and don’t come out until I come back to get you.” He ordered before sprinting from the door.

His farmstead wasn’t far from the royal palace, so he started running at top speed. He sucked in great lungfuls of air as he powered his body to greater speed. The scabbards of his weapons were slapping painfully against the sides of his thighs, but he didn’t let the pain distract him. His stomach was twisting as he remembered the warning the twins had delivered to him the previous day.

As the palace came into sight, another loud burst echoed in the sky above him and caused him to stop short. He watched as a metal projectile that looked like four hulls of a ship glued together came hurtling to the ground in front of him. Tongues of fire were still licking against the object as it slammed into the earth.

The force from the impact of the object was enough to knock him from his feet and he crashed to the ground. As he was getting up, the flame around the object disappeared. He heard a hissing sound as panels around the foreign objects were erected in all directions. He couldn’t reconcile what he was seeing when metal man-shaped objects started jumping from racks inside of the object.

Andros counted six of the creatures before they collectively turned to face him.

Fuck, he thought.