commander

me

Nala

I hugged her. She saved me.

What?

"How . . . how did you know I was here?" The sound of my voice was disgustingly hoarse.

"Torra." She backed up from the hug for a second, looking at him. Jonah stood awkwardly in the side.

"That-" I took a deep breath, because just a conversation was exhausting. "Isn't an answer."

"He told me if he didn't bring you back in a day, I was meant to bring a company and find you." Anya hugged me once again. I felt so happy that I no longer had to hate her because she redeemed herself. "Go change." She nodded to the area divided by red curtains.

I grabbed the bag of my clothes and changed, feeling very conscious as the clientele watched me walk back and forth.

"Can we please leave?" I whispered into Anya's ear nonchalantly.

"Let's go." Anya yelled in Tonanor, her guards collecting Pierre and Janine, the working girl who told me of Pierre. "Janine and Pierre are spies. They were helping me shut down underground illegal whorehouses. Guess it was just lucky you came here." Anya said before giving instructions to her soldiers.

"In the end, why did you marry Jonah? He didn't have anything you wanted." Anya inquired.

"Peace. Aurora and Joseph promised peace if I were to wed Jonah. Jonah and Joseph destroyed Military Base Rhoda. I planned to ditch him at the altar, exposing him, Aurora, and Joseph. Lanca and Napoli both believe in the transfer of death through murder. They were going to die, I would do it, and take their lands and people." I said, still talking in a language twenty people could understand.

"And why didn't that work?" She pryed in a different language, Minatonen, the southern language.

"Andi and Sasha lied. They made us surrender weapons at the beginning. It was embarrassing and I looked like an idiot." I whined, taking the reins of a horse from the stable we had walked into.

I got on the horse, clicking my tongue and riding towards Rio, not wanting to continue the sad conversation of my failure.

"But-" Anya started.

"Not right now." I rolled my eyes and followed a unit of guards.

-

We rode for a few hours before the streets became too crowded for thirty horses. I jumped off the horse, finding Jonah and putting his hand around my shoulders. The best thing I need is for hundreds of people to recognize Jonah ad I married, showing off casual intimacy.

"What are you doing?" Jonah asked casually, and quietly, thankfully.

"Even though I might be killing your sorry ass in a few days, I don't want to be labeled a whore." I whispered, smiling.

"And what makes you think I would go along with it?" Jonah asked smiling, though his voice was cocky.

"I'm the best woman you've ever had on your arm. You are more powerful by association." I smiled, keeping up a decent facade.

Torra was staring at me like I had two heads.

I watched him for a second, smiling genuinely before remembering Jonah and me last night. My face fell and I looked away, not wanting to be with Jonah anymore. I walked away from him to join Anya.

"You and your husband make quite the couple." Anya joked in Minatonen.

"So do you and yours." I joked back with hostility.