''Just a crow''

-Game-

"So."

Such a great start to any conversation that would change their lives.

"We've known her for a long time." Mar started.

"Most of it as a bird." Leira replied.

Both of them sitting in what could be an office, it was where he'd sign treaties and laws or have serious meetings. This could be considered a serious meeting.

"But she's not only a bird."

"No she's not but neither is she human, she is something more."

"And if we bring her in this there will be more danger to her than there already is."

"And it would be like putting chains on her."

Both shared a sigh, they were not idiots, neither on of them. Each could easily see how the other's attention was glued to the crow's words and how they thought of her while being aware of their feelings.

While a king could have multiple lovers, usually only one queen or king consort was chosen and the rest were mistresses, hidden away. Mar had sworn that he'd only take her as his wife and she accepted it so there was a bit of guilt there too.

And usually it was not the people given everything they asked for that struggled with this, Leira was a young lady, it was always her father that looked for suitors and Mar was the son of a king, he could have an woman he wanted.

But this crow was something neither of them had ever experienced, something Leira would need to reach for herself and someone Mar would need to ask out himself. Oh why did the crow need to be so gentle, so graceful, so pretty? It would have all been so much easier if she didn't have a gift of the gods, even if she denied it, such a face, such a body, it could have only been made by godly hands alone.

"But what if those are chains she'd accept?"

"But what if she wouldn't?"

Another sign. This was like a game of chess, the queen piece could move all over but could just as easily be killed or avoided as the rest of the pieces while the king was weighed down by responsibility, making him only walk one step at a time, game over if he was killed but unable to run after who he wished.

But the crow? (replacing the horse piece in the story just to make the metaphor of a chess set work)Oh the crow, able to jump over pieces like the queen can't, able to corner the king without getting closer. All the other pieces moving on set patterns but the crow, the crow was unpredictable in all the ways... Surprisingly enough, even before this, it was one of the pieces Mar always tried to keep in game all long as he could.

And this game of crows would need to be harder for them to not try, This game was worth it.

"We'll each try and talk about what's to come."

"Alright?"

"Each their own way, if she doesn't push back, we'll ask as one."

"We'll need to keep it a secret if you want her still as the spy master and only thought of as a bird by those outside, you realize she'll be in more danger then we are?"

"Yes, that's why we can't force her hand no matter how hurtful her answers could become."

"You know she is always nice."

He chuckled, oh he did know.

"Yes is too nice."

"But what if she backs away from only one?"

"Then I'd say own it and live on, if we agree that is."

It would be terrifyingly painful to have the crow only accept on of them but Mar knew if it was only Leira or only him, life needed to go on.

Leira was a bit more hesitant, less of a fighter then her husband but nodded, knowing he was correct.

"Than let the game begin."