What Beautiful Love / What Beautiful Sky / What Beautiful Moon

The young Illya arrived under the cover of the night, feeling restless and hungry from the long trip. On arrival at the gates, he came across Philippus, one of the shield maidens that had accompanied her lord to Belomas. The shield maidens raised their swords against Illya, confusing him for an intruder.

Philippus burst onto the scene, signaling to her fellow maidens to put down their swords. “Put your swords down,” she yelled. “This is lady Diana’s fiancé!”

The shield maiden’s eyes widened at the reveal, finding the boy to be quite young for their lord.

Illya hauled himself out of the saddle, his boots hitting the dirt with a heavy dud. The boy wore a black robe, brown leathered boots, green trousers, and a purple tunic that would signify his status to anybody who laid eyes on him.

“Young Illya, what brings you here?” Philippus asked. The woman was intrigued to see him here, considering Diana had not left Belomas too long ago.

“Forgive me, miss, but what is your name?” he asked, not recognizing Philipus to be amongst Diana’s guard from this morning.

“My name?” she replied, surprised to hear the young boy take an interest in learning her name. “My name is Philippus. I am a one!”

“A one?” Illya repeated.

“Yes, a one,” she said. “You see, young Illya, we shield maidens are ranked from one to four. Four being the highest and one being the lowest amongst the warrior class. A four can be promoted to be a five, but that is only with the Jarl’s approval.”

“How interesting,” Illya replied. “Anyhow, is there any chance that I can see the Jarl, right now? I really need to talk to her.”

“Uhh,” Philippus said, not thrilled to fulfill his request. “I do not know, sir. If I were to let you enter, I might lose my head from doing so. The Jarl was in great spirits when she left yesterday, but today she seems to be in no mood.”

“I rather not help you, sir,” she continued. “I am truly sorry.”

“Please, Philippus,” Illya pleaded, grabbing onto her hand. The boy was desperate to see her, again. Phillippus could sense his desperation, and being the young girl she was, she was moved by his pleas.

“Fine,” Philippus said, feeling almost forced to help him. She could not deny him, especially when he might be the only way to fix the Jarl’s mood. “Follow me, sir.”

Illya jumped out of joy, kissing Philippus on her cheek. The girl blushed at his kiss, smacking his shoulder. “What are you doing!?” she lashed out. She looked around, making sure none of her comrades saw that. “Do you want me to get killed!?”

The boy was embarrassed at his outburst, lowering his head out of shame. “Sorry,” Illya said. “It has been a long day, and your help has been the best thing to happen all day.”

Philippus sighed, ordering the maidens to open the gate. When asked where she was taking him, she replied that she was taking him to see the Jarl. The maidens obliged to Philipus’ request.

The gates opened before them, and Philippus began to lead the way. This was the first time Illya had entered Diana’s domain. As the two entered the gates, Diana was informed that Illya had entered Stalavat and that he was being guided to her fortress by Philippus.

On learning of the young Illya's arrival, the brazen Diana grew visibly irritated at his untimely appearance. The stars were gathering for their peak, and yet he chose to bother her at this hour.

“So,” Hermes uttered. “Shall I tell the guards to grant the boy entry?”

“No, Hermes,” Diana replied. She brushed away the dried ‘sleepy seeds’ left in her sleep, blinking as if morning had come. “He should not have come unannounced. I have an idea of what he came here for, and I do not have the energy to entertain his lies.”

“Understood, but,” Hermes said. “What happened between the two of you? I know, it is not my business to ask. I did not hear much, but I could tell something happened between the two of you.”

“You are right about one thing,” Diana barked, her tone firm and aggressive. “It is not your business to ask. I suggest you do as you were told. Before I have you punished for your insolence.”

Hermes gulped at her reply, Diana’s eyes piercing into her soul. “I—I will get to that, my lord. Forgive me, I will be leaving now…”

“Another thing, warrior,” Diana added. “No matter what reason he gives, do not let him in. Do I make myself clear, Hermes?”

Hermes nodded, her eyes not daring to meet Diana’s. “As you wish, my lord.”

“One more thing,” Diana shouted.

Hermes felt goosebumps at the sound of her yell, her hand hesitating to turn the door knob. She replied, “Yes?”

“Do not let him leave,” Diana insisted, her voice softer and tender now. “It is too late for him to leave for Belomas. Please, Hermes, I beg you to let him sleep in the old barracks.”

At her request, Hermes turned to Diana, in disbelief, to be asked to shelter a man in the district of the woman. “My lady, you cannot do that!” Hermes exclaimed. “If the advisors learn of this, you will be punished for it!”

Diana kept her head low, her hand on her heart. She began to tear up, not because of the consequences of her actions. But because she still felt love for him, despite being angry at him for his dishonesty.

“My lord?” Hermes muttered, surprised to see Diana cry. There had been nobody in Stalavat that had seen Diana cry until now.

“Please, just do as I say, Hermes,” Diana pleaded. “Do not do it because it is an order. Do it, Hermes, because it would mean a lot to me, if you did.”

Hermes nodded, not needing another word to be said. Diana was in love. That much was obvious. Despite her anger, deep down the woman could not help, but feel an internal struggle building inside her.

On the one hand, she wished to send the boy packing. Diana had no need to hear his excuses, or so she thought. However, another part of her felt hurt from having him nearby, yet she could not bring herself to embrace him out of the anger from his lies.

Within the village, Philippus and Illya continue their walk to the fortress. The night was still young, and it was the perfect chance to spark things up.

“So,” Philipus asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. “How is it that you are the one marrying our Jarl?”

“I beg your pardon?” Illya said. “I do not understand the question.”

“Well,” Philippus replied. “I thought that the person named 'Illya' was a much older man. I did not expect him to be around my age.”

“Oh,” Illya said. For a moment, he did not know what to say. “Well, it is a long story, Philippus. All I can tell you is that I have the best intentions for Diana.”

Philippus giggled, his reply being typical of a man. “I do not have a lot of experience with your kind, but it appears the older ladies at the barracks were right! You men say anything to keep us around.”

Illya smiled, lowering his head not out of shame. But because Philippus was right. “How can I not say that? Women are the most beautiful thing in this world. If there is anything that can claim divine status, it is women.”

Philippus was all smiles, feeling flattered by his words. “I can see why she is head over heels for you now. You have a way with words, like I thought you would. I do not know if I can believe those words, but if they were said to me, I would surely believe them.”

“You would?” Illya chuckled, finding Philipus to be quite the character. “I do not lie, Philippus. Women are able to create life from their own body. They sustain it. They have the motherly instinct to nurture and care for that life. The body of a woman is perhaps the greatest gift of the gods. I hold these truths to be self-evident, too.”

Philippus playfully shoved him, finding him to be quite foolish but cute. “If I were born again, I would like to be born in a world different from mine. A world where I could meet a boy, like you.”

“Oh,” Illya muttered, her comment feeling out of place. “That is quite a wish.”

“It is,” Philippus said, her eyes looking at him more attentively now. “Unlike her, I was not born into a position where I can take hold of my destiny.”

“If there is anything we can control, my friend,” Illya said. “It is our destiny. Man is the master of his own fate, not the gods or people in power. The gods are mere constructs of man to give the answers and comfort that they themselves cannot give.”

“I did not think you were the type to doubt the existence of the gods,” Philippus added.

“It is no doubt,” Illya retorted. “It is acknowledging that I made mistakes, and that there is no third-party to hold accountable.”

“I never thought about it like that,” she admitted, liking the idea of it. “Is that what those scholars call 'philosophy'?”

“You are asking the wrong person, miss,” Illya replied. “I merely say what is on my mind.”

“That you do,” Philippus said. “Well, you can say what is on your mind to her now. Because we are here.”

On their arrival in the fortress, Illya was amazed by the structure of the building. It was formidable. The fortress was built of rough-hewn granite. It rose above the curtain walls. The arrow slits were like watchful eyes.

There was not a single spot that did not have guards stationed. The security was tight. As Illya’s eyes wandered around, Philippus spoke with the guard, informing them that the Jarl’s fiancé was awaiting her. The guards were not informed of his visitation at that hour.

As confusion arose, Hermes, one of the two personal guards of Diana, had arrived to clear the air.

“Philippus!” Hermes scolded. “In what world, do you think anybody in your position would 'think' it was okay to let a foreigner within our domain? It must not be the world that I and your comrades here live in! You idiot!”

Philippus' smile faded, as her comrades roared in laughter. Phillipus lowered her head out of shame, considering that Hermes outranks her. For a moment, she tried to explain herself to her superior. However, it was at that moment that her stutter began to kick in. It was a complete humiliation for Philippus, who grew flustered at her inability to speak.

Illya could notice the embarrassment in her eyes, she wished to run away. But she did not. She stood her ground, albeit still unable to speak. Hermes sighed at Philippus, realizing she had been too harsh on the girl.

“Hey!” Illya barked, furious at Philippus’ treatment of her superior. “What gives you any right to talk to her like that? She is new to this. You cannot expect her to get things right!”

Philippus blushed at his outburst, pleading with him to be quiet. “Are you kidding me? You cannot let anybody talk to you, like this! Carry yourself with some grace, woman!”

“N-No,” Philippus retorted. While she appreciated him coming to her defense, Stalavat had different ways of handling things. “She is right, sir. I did make a mistake by letting you in.”

“Glad, you can admit it,” Hermes said. “As for you, try not to butt into what does not concern you, please. I was ordered not to grant you further entry, but I admit that I am a bit curious about the spawn of Belomas. Why is it that you are here?”

“Oh,” Illya muttered. He put his hand into his satchel, trying to find that piece of paper that Stanillo gave him. At the sight of this, the guards reached for their swords. Hermes, however, signaled them to stand down.

She did not believe this spawn of Belomas to be the type to harm others. Philippus raised an eyebrow at him scavenging through his bag. She did not think to ask why he was insistent on seeing Diana.

‘How could I forget that,” she thought. ‘At this rate, I will never make it past one!’

“Found it!” Illya exclaimed, stepping forward to hand the paper to Hermes.

Hermes reluctantly took the folded paper from him. She unfolded it. Her eyes widened as she read what it said, its request being quite simple and direct. “You were sent here to be trained by the Jarl?”

“You came all this way for some training!?” Philippus blurted out, furious that Illya had come for something so simple that nearly costed her head.

“Yes, I have come for that,” he said. “I am to be named the next general for the campaign, and at Belomas there is nobody capable of training me right now. I was wondering if I could have a talk with the Jarl, so I could explain the situation to her personally.”

“I do not know,” Hermes replied. The letter was authentic, but the motives for the visit could be for something else. Not to mention, Diana did not wish to see him right now. “The Jarl is unable to see you right now, but she ordered me to have you sleep the night at the old training grounds.”

“Oh,” Illya uttered. “And where would that be?”

“At the old barracks, it is not quite far from here,” Hermes replied.

Illya’s joyful smile quickly became a somber one. Philippus noticed, feeling a bit sad for Illya. The boy did not try to fight Hermes, finding her words to be something Diana would say.

“Lead the way, then,” Illya said, his voice lacking the enthusiasm and life it usually had.

Hermes nodded. “Right this way, spawn. It should not take too long.”

As Hermes prepared to lead him towards the barracks, a woman of restless beauty burst onto the scene. Her bare feet — soft and unaccustomed to such toil — met the abrasive grit of the grindstone. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, her loose tresses waving softly over her face as her gown billowed behind her.

“Wait,” she called out. “On second thought, Hermes. I will attend him.”

Hermes turned over to Diana, surprised to see her come out dressed like that. “But you said,”

“I know what I said, Hermes,” Diana grumbled, unable to control her fury any longer. “Now, I say that I will attend him. Is that fine with you? Lately, you people have been taking a different tone when speaking to me. Just who do you think you people are?”

Hermes knelt towards Diana, lowering her head. Diana was emitting her presence onto all those present, and most knelt out of respect and fear. “My sincere apologies, my lord,” Hermes uttered, fearing Diana’s instability.

Philippus and Illya stood, unlike the guards and Hermes. Philippus stood not out of bravery, but out of admiration at what she felt from the Jarl. She was emitting her murderous intent. Something that had not happened in years...

Illya smiled at her. She had come at last to attend him. Looking around him, he did not see any of Diana’s personnel willing to take him to her. So, he walked on over to her. Hermes was stuck in place, still feeling the backlash from Diana’s outburst.

“Hey —,” Illya said.

“Whatever you have to say to me,” Diana replied, cutting him off before he could finish his greeting. “It can wait. Follow me, now. Hurry, I do not have the patience, Illya.”

Illya gulped. He had never once dealt with an angry Diana before — was this the woman that Stanillo had warned him about?

As the two walked over, Illya noticed how lonely and depressing the inside of the fortress looked like. There was no life to it. It was no different than the Furia, which was no place to call home by any means.

“So,” she said. “What have you come here for?”

Illya's eyes shot up, surprised to hear her engage in conversation with him. “Uh,” Illya muttered. “To put it simply, I guess…”

“To put it simply?” she repeated, her tone angry and offended. “Am I someone that you need to speak in simple terms to? The audacity of you!”

Illya sighed, her attitude was unbearable as of late. “Look, Diana,” he declared. “I came here with the goal of having you train me for the battle to come. Stanillo sent me here to train under you, considering that you are one of the strongest warriors in the region.

She came to a halt, her back turned to him. The brazen Diana blushed at his claims of her being one of the strongest warriors. “However, if you do not want to help me. I understand, I really do. However, I will not leave out the truth, again.”

The boy approached her, grabbing her waist from behind and turning her over. The two locked eyes, her gaze unable to not resist his. “If you do not want to see me again, say it again,” Illya demanded. “This time, say it to my face and not with your back turned! You called me a coward, but you are no different when it comes to expressing how you feel. Tell me, Diana, do you not wish to see me again? If so, say the words, and I will move on with my life.”

The silence that followed after was heavy. Diana’s mask began to brittle before Illya. The mask that she had worked so hard to maintain, as she tried to act superior to the person that she had berated for being a child and coward earlier. Her eyes began to water, her heart no longer able to contain herself.

She bit her lip, finding it hard to contain herself any longer. In all truth, she felt trapped by his grip — no, it was not his grip, it was his honesty.

“You foolish boy,” she cried. Diana embraced him for a hug, her grip tight on his back. She sniveled like a little girl — an unexpected outburst on her part. Illya embraced her too, his warm smile returning to his face.

“I know,” Illya admitted. “I should have told you the truth from the beginning. I never intended to hide it from you, but you must understand that I had a life prior to you. There should be no need for explanations for things that occurred outside of us.”

She nodded, sniveling still. “I am sorry,” Diana said, a set of words unfamiliar to her tongue. “When I learned of it, I just felt so deceived. Although, I admit that learning of her age did bother me, considering she is more appropriate for you than me.”

Illya pulled back from their embrace, tilting her face to meet him halfway. “If that was what bothered you, it should not have,” Illya whispered, his forehead meeting hers. “You are the one that I am with now.”

“I know that,” she whispered, her eyes locked onto his. The two were struggling not to kiss one another, but Diana had much more to say. “It just bothered me to have learned you had another woman prior, and a woman that will rob me from doing the one thing that I desire most.”

“And that would be?”

“To be the mother of your first child,” she said, her lips no longer able to contain herself. She kissed him.

As the kiss lingers in the quiet hall, the 'murderous intent' that she had terrified the guards with just minutes ago disappeared. For tonight, she was in the arms of her partner.

For a moment, Illya was completely immersed with her lips. He pulled himself away from her grasp, huffing and puffing as his gaze met hers. Diana bit her lip — clearly wanting more. Illya awkwardly chuckled, scratching the side of his head as usual.

“As much as I would like for this to continue,” Illya said. “I must admit that I have not eaten a thing! It might be too much to ask for, but you would not have any food, would you?”

Diana’s reaction was priceless, her poker face — not believing what she had heard. He had stopped their moment of intimacy — for fucking food.

She sighed, putting her hand over her face. “Yes, Illya,” she said, sounding annoyed at his request. “I can have the servants prepare your meal. Although, a meal for you, is more like a feast.”

Illya chuckled at her retort. He pulled her towards him, for a big kiss on her forehead. “For the short amount of time, we have known each other — you have learned many things about me.”

“How could I not?” she chuckled. “You do not make it hard to not know you.”

At a moment’s notice, Diana ordered her servants to prepare a feast for her and Illya. The heavy silence of the granite fortress was quickly replaced by the clatter of pans and frantic footsteps of servants, who had been summoned at such short notice by the Jarl.

Diana sat across from Illya, her chin resting on her interlaced fingers. She had changed into a simpler robe of deep emerald, and though her bare feet still felt the chill of the stone floor, the warm flutter in her heart made it irrelevant.

One by one, the servants of Diana brought the plates for their masters. As soon as they hit the table, the young Illya grabbed the plates and finished them quicker than they could come out. Each time, the young boy offered her the plate first, but every time Diana turned down his offer. Last time, he treated her. This time, she would treat him.

As the piles of plates grew, Diana sipped a cup of dark tea, her eyes never leaving him. She noticed the way his hands, though calloused from the sword, handled the silverware with such delicacy that it made her feel jealous.

Eventually, he found himself full. Illya leaned back a little, a faint sheen of sweat forming alongside his brow.

“I think…” he panted, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “I think the people in the kitchen can go back to sleep now…”

Diana laughed — a genuine laugh that startled the servants, who had never heard her laugh before. “I do not think so,” she said. “You have yet to try the chef’s dessert.”

“No,” Illya replied. The boy felt that he could not handle another glass of water. He definitely could not stomach the dessert. “I seriously feel like I am going to explode…”

She leaned forward, her expression turning a lot more serious. “Okay, now that you are fed, Illya…tell me more about this ‘training’. And tell me why I am the most suitable to train you.”

“Well,” Illya said. “Belomas has quite a number of problems right now. They do not have the time to train me. From what I heard, Diana, they say that you are as strong as my father. Is that true?”

“As strong as your father…” she muttered. “I would not say that. Compared to the feats of your father in battle, mines simply do not compare. He is infamous in this region, but his fame also goes beyond the other regions of these lands, Illya.”

“Wow,” Illya said, amazed to hear his father being held in such high regards. “I thought he was powerful, but I did not think he was that powerful.”

“There is a reason, Illya,” Diana said. “Rostov has crawled back to Alkibiades. He is a fighter of the same caliber as your father. Alkibiades is their ace in the hole.”

“This man, Alkibiades, was it?” Illya muttered. “He sure must be something, for him to have killed Bay of all people, like that.”

“He is quite a fighter,” Diana admitted, her voice sincere and warm. “If I have to be the one tasked with the responsibility to train you, we must start as soon as the sun rises.”

“That early, huh?” Illya said, his voice nervous and tense. “If you say so, I will follow suit.”

Noticing his nervousness, she sighed. “Do not worry, love,” she said. “I will not send you unprepared to fight him. In one month, I will make you half the warrior that Alkibiades is.”

As the servants cleared the table, Diana stood up, her bare feet steady on the floor.

“The sun will be up in three hours,” she said, her voice to a low, commanding hum. “You will sleep in the room across the hall. I want you focused and well rested, Illya. Starting tomorrow, I am no longer just the woman that you will be marrying. I am your teacher. I will be as cold and as unforgiving as I am to my maidens, because what awaits you will be far worse. “

She walked over to him, placed a hand on his shoulder. “Go. Rest. Your time as the boy who had others make decisions for him ends here. Tomorrow is the beginning of where you will take control of your life.”

“I understand,” he said. He stood up, mirroring her posture, though the exhaustion of the journey and massive meals made him weak on his knees. “First thing tomorrow, I will be waiting for you outside your door.”

He did not try to steal a kiss from her. He recognized that Diana was drawing boundaries between their personal relationship and his training. If he were to face Alkibiades — he could not afford to be just Illya, he needed to be better than that.

Diana watched him walk toward the door. As he stepped into the hallway, her heart sank from the words that she had said to him.

She knew those were the right words to say to him. As the door of the chamber closed, Diana remained outside the dining room, for a moment longer, staring into the abyss. She knew by becoming his teacher, she would have to break him apart and rebuild anew.

She looked at her bare feet on the granite. Three hours of sleep. It had been a long time since she had slept that little.