Lia blinked hearing the name. After the mask came off she finally got a good look at his face. Roland’s eyes were jade in color and that color was moving around his eyes like a mist changing and moving all the time. To Lia it felt like his eyes were looking at her soul to the point that she was afraid and broke eye contact. “Florence take the guard and leave the room” Lia said in a tone that left no room for argument. Florence and the guard left. Lia turned her attention back on Roland. He was lean muscled and very tall about 6’ 4” and dwarfed her horribly his hair was shaggy and dirt brown colored it was put up in some semblance of spikes on top and a ponytail in the back. The look on his face now that the guards were gone was that of a rough gentleness. Lia looked back at his eyes “you know I have thought you were dead for almost 13 years and it still hurts” Lia said; then her face turned mad “you could have told me you were alive” she shouted looking hurt. “Something just to let me know you were ok” she said walking up to him so that her face was even with his chest “were have you been all this time?” she asked looking up at him wondering why he was so silent. Roland’s face went through a torrent of emotion sadness regret more sadness and above all a deep loneliness and a great hurt “I was in a coma for a year after the landslide got my father’s cart and drug us both into river, I woke up and was apparently a year older and in Corona father was dead and suddenly I was the princesses playmate soon I was inducted into their family my memories of my past life slowly coming back I could remember you, but not who you were till about 4 months ago but after all this time you thinking I was dead it wasn’t an easy way to think of how to approach you though this wasn’t one of my plans” he said and looked at the ground ashamed. Lia laughed “so what kind of craft are you in now” Lia asked a pure curious smile on her face. “I’m a knight of Corona” he said. Lia smiled “the thing you always wanted to be your supposed noble role men like those of gods defending the weak and poor” she said. Roland winced “yeah” he said rather bitterly. Lia blinked, “I have found in my long training that knights are not as grand as they had once seemed they are simply men, some are greedy filthy and degrading to all that is honorable” he said a growl in the back of his throat. Roland then shook his head trying to throw off his bad mood “so I am wondering how did you become queen I thought it was required that you were married” he said. Roland saw the look he had drawn from her upon the asking of his question. “Was it really so bad to be married” he asked. Lia nodded as tear fell from her eye “the man was worse than any I have ever met” she said. “Was?” he asked looking curious. “I killed him” she said and began to tell him how
Flashback

Lia was sad she had just turned 20 and was being forced by the advisors of her now deceased father to marry a man she had never met. She was dressed in a grand long flowing gown which she hated awaiting the arrival of her suitor. The man arrived and Lia immediately had distaste for him because when he saw her he had the look that she was simply a possession and a pathway to a grand title. At dinner he drunk form her wine goblet after making sure she had taken the first sip but refused the water saying that he had seen something in the waters along the way to the castle. Upon heading to bed Lia formulated a plan. On her wedding day she dressed in the colors of purity and done her duty she had felt herself gag upon kissing such a corrupt man but an evil glean in her mind smiled as they went to dinner. Later that night her husband caught fever and died before the morning never getting to even deflower his bride. Later Lia told the advisors what she had done but as queen they could not charge her with anything since she had complete rule. Thus the advisors did not try to marry her off again.

End of flash back

“You killed him didn’t you” Roland stated Lia nodded she was crying now. Roland nodded “you made the right choice” he said making Lia jerked her head to look up at him eyes wide. “A man such as the one you described would have killed the coffers of your people and sucked the wealth from the marrows of your peoples bones one such as him does not deserve nor need a position of power” he said the color in his eyes turning into a swirling pattern around his pupils. “So what did you get him with” Roland asked. “Crilo root powder” she said “I put it in the wine” she said. Roland nodded “barely a smell and the taste would be covered by the wine but how did you know which wine barrel to drug there were four of them set up by your father for the wedding, and how did you get only him” Roland asked. “I took a sip and he got a double dose from my goblet that’s why he was killed drinking more than double every one else and not getting the antidote” she said. “Were did you hide the antidote” he asked. “In the water” she said and Roland nodded “The fool basically done himself in” Roland said. Lia nodded with a sigh then started to tear up. “But still I killed him” she said and put her hands over her face as she cried. Lia suddenly was squished up against something hard but soft at the same time and it was very warm. She looked up Roland was hugging her. She hiccupped in surprise. “Th …Thank you” she stuttered cursing herself mentally at the heat she felt on her cheeks. Roland smiled “I thought I used to be the softy” he said. Lia smiled feeling the heat leave her face “you always were the timid one” she said. Roland nodded “not anymore though” he said and held up his wrists “think you can take care of these” he said looking like he was almost about to laugh at Lia’s blush at forgetting she had had him chained up. Lia walked over and used a key to unlock him. Roland twisted his wrists around after the manacles were off making several popping noises that made Lia wince “sorry it’s a habit when I do something” he said. Lia nodded “so what are you doing after this” she asked. “I’m heading to Loregon to discuss trade for resources” he said. Lia nodded “you might be high up in the knights to be able to act in the stead of an ambassador” she said. Roland nodded “think you can do me a favor” he asked. Lia blinked “my daughter will be coming here today but I have to leave before she gets here you think you could entertain her for tomorrow till I get back” Roland asked. Lia blinked “you have a daughter how come I didn’t hear about anyone of corona’s royal family getting married” Lia asked. “I didn’t get married” he said smiling and Lia slugged him in the arm “you pig” she yelled. Roland laughed “I didn’t do that either Lia” he said “I found her as a baby after a guerrilla attack by rebels her parents were caught in the raid that the rebels had started trying to get a foothold on the village to gain ground on the knights” he said looking sad “she was just lying there crying and cover in her mom’s blood” Roland said. “I have been the best Dad I can but there is only so much a dad can do” he said with a sad sigh and his ears laying down flat on his head. Lia smiled “I’m sure you are doing fine Roland” Lia said. Roland looked at Lia and smiled “thanks Lia” he said. Lia’s heart started to speed up. Roland sighed “well I have to go my daughter Lira will be in an inn called the Warm blanket her nanny Harrot should be with her “he said and opened the door and left Florence’s head poked in the door to look at Lia confused. Lia smiled and waved him off “it was a misunderstanding” she said Florence nodded. Lia left the room and went to get Roland’s daughter. Lia was walking down to the village soon the beaten dusty path shaded by trees and a light breeze was blowing everything seemed calm and happy. But just behind the bushes a pack of rats had found a dead cat. Lia smiled at people while she walked through town till she came to the Inn Roland had mentioned.