#viktordaegal

❛ War is not for winning. ❜ 

Valeria laughs with equal parts surprise and disbelief. “What is the purpose of war, then?” They lean their chin against their palm, raising their brows with a challenge in their eyes at Viktor. “We fight to conquer. We battle to prevail. Loss is unthinkable when there is a kingdom at stake.” They hope he notices — that they use the word kingdom and not king.

❛ Tell me you want what you want and damn me forever. But don’t leave me. ❜

“Viktor.” They are tempted to reprimand him for his weakness — but their own weakness holds them back. This rare soft spot they hold for Viktor betrays them and their right to come and go as they please. But how do you win a battle you’ve never fought? Helplessly, Valeria leans into their kinship with Viktor and says quietly, “I will stay until you ask me to leave.”

Even in the winter, when the lush courtyard of Castle Tyrholm has turned cold and gray, Francis loves to visit. In the summer, it is a bustling, sunny place where they can watch lovers and friends meet. In the winter, it is quiet; a place for Francis to find peace. This cycle is the embodiment of the Undying God, and they find solace in watching it unfold: the circle of life and death, death and life. They come to the courtyard to pray, to breathe in the salty air of the sea, to watch the flowers bloom and grow.

Francis does not expect to find Viktor there, when they arrive the evening after the excitement at the tournament, but the Undying God has made their meeting so. They do not understand why, but they are confident it will be revealed in time.

Francis sits on a bench beside Viktor. They do not look him in the eye, but rather they stare outward, toward the sea. It is silent for a moment, as Francis contemplates what to say ( as it is unlikely Viktor will speak first ).

“That was quite a feat you accomplished yesterday,” Francis says finally, their voice meshing with the ebb and flow of the waves. “You have a quick hand.”