𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑂𝑛

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕖

The country was doing better than it has in a long time. It was richer, bigger, and happier.

The age of military service was lower to fourteen, the same age the king was. Grief was more normalized, especially because almost all of the parents in the country had lost a child. Mixed children were encouraged, especially with foreign women from Europe. There was better pay for nurses, better health care, more opportunities for schools, and better medicine.

The king's friendly demeanor was very well known. He managed to do the impossible; be allies with North and South Korea. Of course, there were countries that didn't like them, such as Costa Rica and Coia, but you can't make everyone happy. They were now nuclear weapons made specifically by the king, for he knew his numbers.

---

On November sixth, a country far away from them called Rda was in desperate need of aid, potentially war aid. Their heir was a young lady, and she came all here with her little sister.

Lloyd and François sat in the throne room, looking neat and powerful. The prince was anxious. He never wanted another war ever again. The country was too weak to fight.

The guard played his flute, both of them standing up. "The heir to Rdian Empire, Princess Ayla and her sister, Princess Arwa."

Two short women stepped in, giving the other royal pair curtsey. The men bowed.

"Princess Ayla and Princess Arwa, pleasure to meet you." The prince spoke first, the king being too shy to start any conversation.

The older one spoke. "The pleasure is ours." The youngest must've been around thirteen, the same age as Marcel, who was also in the room. He came here to finish high school because he kept arguing with his grandparents. According to him, they were treating the devil like a saint. According to them, he was talking bad about their dead child.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Lloyd walked over to the older one with the brown hijab, holding out his arm.

She grabbed it, looking into his eyes. "A country wants to go to war with us, Fruan." He nodded. "And I know that you're very gracious, so I was hoping that you'll be able to talk us out of it."

He looked up. "Yes, that's possible. Tell the nation's leader to come to your country, and I'll discuss with them the best I can."

She walked back to her sister, who was signing to Marcel. "Arwa, stop it." She turned back to the couple. "My apologies, good sirs. She's deaf and she tries to communicate through signs."

The prince, who was satisfied for now, guided his brother in front of him. "My brother happens to be mute. He doesn't like to speak. He also knows signs."

The two younger ones smiled at each other. The princess was very pretty. She had a button nose, green eyes, and dark skin. Behind her green hijab was a white hearing aid.

"Why don't they go out to the garden? I'm sure they'll die from boredom by the time we're finished." Lloyd nodded to one of the two guards, the man stepping down.

"Yes, surely."

The guard led them away from the room. The princess was now more serious.

"If it doesn't work out," the couple turned their heads to her. "May your country give us aid? Military aid?"

François looked over at the king, who looked nervous. He didn't want his people, his friends, back on the battlefield. He couldn't just tell her no, that would create unnecessary tension between their countries.

"Hm." He was slow to answer, but his answer was wise. "You will have me, not my military."

François felt his blood boil. How could someone so smart be so stupid? He barely made it out the first time, and now he wants to go in for a second round? What if they put him on a plane? What if it crashes? What-