Sunlight beamed through the stained glass windows of the abandoned church. It illuminated a dust-covered area, filled with rotting pews. Lady Abene sat on the steeple, right where the priest would place his holy book as he read it.

The great church doors opened, illuminating more of the interior. Lord Armand Concord stepped inside. He was wearing his usual clothes, as well as a cuirass over his chest. Numerous weapons were concealed on his body, and a sword was at his hip.

"I don't want it to come to violence," he thought. "But if it does, I will return to Eris."

Lady Abene chuckled before dropping from the steeple. The girl trailed her hand over the pews as she approached Armand.

"Why, Lord Concord. You come here for a meeting with a girl, but you're dressed prepared for war?" Abene asked.

Armand scoffed.

"You've been spending too much time with foreigners. It is foolish to underestimate anyone. And your blade is well suited to piercing hearts, but it cannot pierce steel," he answered.

"Then, did you come here for a fight? And an unfair one at that?" she huffed.

It was as if a child had just been told she had to go to bed early.

"First, if given an option between a fair and an unfair fight, I would always choose an unfair fight," Armand stated.

"So dishonorable," Lady Abene replied.

"I have plenty of honor. But it is a soldier and commander's honor, not a duelist's honor," he retorted.

Lady Abene shrugged.

"I've known few soldiers," she said.

"Second, I am not here to fight. I wish to make peace between you and my wife," he replied.

Lady Abene narrowed her eyes.

"And if I refuse, you will flood this church with mercenaries and cut me to pieces, no?" the girl asked.

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"I would prefer it if it did not come to that. But any attacks on Eris, my wife, are also attacks on me," Armand answered. "I understand why you hate her. And I will not ask you to forgive Eris. I merely wish for you to recognize that your conflict with her will come to no good end."

Lady Abene's expression turned bitter.

"Lord Armand, if someone killed Eris, would you make peace with them? Would you even consider the notion? Worse still, if they made sure she suffered as she died?" she questioned.

Armand kept his expression stoic.

"I wouldn't. And I will not judge Lady Abene for not wanting to make peace with Eris. It's still hypocrisy to try to have her make peace with Eris, but I must do what is best for them both," he thought before speaking. "Lady Abene, as nobles, what we want is not as important as our duty."

The girl huffed. She lightly kicked a bench.

"Duty, duty, duty. All my life, people kept telling me about my duty. Marry this man you hate, stay in a nunnery, all sorts of orders. But why should I do it?" Lady Abene asked.

"Your lifestyle is better than any commoner's. One of the prices we nobles pay for that is our duty," Armand answered.

The girl folded her arms.

"Maybe I don't care about our lifestyle? Maybe I'd rather live free on the road, singing and dueling, than live in some stuffy palace?"

"That is also the lifestyle of a noble. At least, for the most part," Armand said. "If you were a commoner, you'd probably spend most of your life doing hard manual labor. Even as a woman, you'd be expected to dirty your hands. If you're lucky, and your husband was a merchant, your life would be slightly different than an average noblewoman. You'd just be in less danger."

Lady Abene grimaced.

"And what about common minstrels who travel the land?" she questioned.

"There are some. But compared to the number of commoners, you're more likely to find a travelling noble. Minstrels stand out," Armand stated.

He let out the hints of sympathy he felt for Lady Abene.

"Allow me to be clear about this, Lady Abene. I am not asking you to marry someone you hate. I am not asking you to give yourself to a nunnery. All I ask is that you do not harm Eris. You will be free to live your life however you please. I would even be willing to help you. If your family does not like your lifestyle, I can persuade them," the Concord promised.

A sigh escaped Lady Abene's mouth. She shook her head.

"Lord Armand, I heard of your skill as a swordsman, and for it, I respect you," her expression turned grim. "But I would sooner give up the blade and marry a man who beats me than let Eris live another day."

Flickers of sadness crossed Armand's eyes.

"So be it," he said.

The boy reached for a pistol.

"Lord Armand!" an out-of-breath man burst into the church. "A message...from Lady Eris!"

Without turning around, the Concord replied.

"What did she say?"

"Your worst fear is coming, sooner than they should have."

There was just one way Armand could respond.

"No! By the gods, no!"

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