Tigris fought the urge to look back as she closed her chamber door behind her. Her ears rang with the sound of Roche's muffled cries of anguish. She leaned against the door, her breath flooding out of her in a rush. Her thoughts were racing in time with her pounding heart.

Her mind was consumed with the image of Roche's blazing eyes, of her kind but scarred hands. Of the desperation in her face as she'd tipped her head up to meet Tigris' gaze.

And then... a moment of pause as something Tigris didn't dare dwell on filled Roche's warm doe eyes. It had taken all of Tigris' restraint to not tug down the strip of fabric between Roche's lips and lean closer to press against those soft lips of wisdom. She wanted to feel the heat of Roche's body against her, to soothe the burning of her skin that demanded the friction of Roche's touch. Tigris wanted to feel all the stories and secrets Roche had to tell her with a kiss.

Her breath hitched. She tilted her head back with a quiet gasp. The hallway was cool compared to her candle lit room. The guards across the hall startled at the sight of her.

"Is everything alright, my lady?" one of them asked tentatively, stepping closer.

Tigris straightened, hoping that the flush of her cheeks had faded.

"Everything's fine," she assured them. And it was. She couldn't retreat back into her chambers now. She couldn't kiss Roche and ply her with all the love she and her big heart deserved. Because Tigris was going to die at Moiris and Roche had already lost one lover.

Tigris wouldn't let her lose another.

The thought settled her. Her breath suddenly flowed a bit easier.

"Goodbye, Roche," Tigris whispered again to the closed door. And then she walked away.

-------

The courtyard was abuzz with activity. Tigris stood at the front of the chaos, at the mouth of the castle beneath large stone arches. She pointed to another squadron atop their horses, checking their weapons and torches. There was only so much they could carry. Their supplies consisted of just enough food to sustain them, flaming weapons to fight the uska, and regular weapons to fight any inkbloods that Finn might have with him.

Three quarters of the army had agreed to march to Moiris. Only one quarter would stay behind to defend the next in line to the throne. All in all, Tigris had an impressive force behind her. She'd never been more proud of her knights and their bravery.

"The third group is ready," Tigris told Ivie. The knight nodded. Tigris had assigned each of her four most trusted knights to command one fourth of the legion. Ruth and Sir Harold were already riding ahead with half of their mobilized force. Ivie and Brom were readying the other half under Tigris' direction. When everyone was ready, Tigris would bring up the rear and then make her way to the front while they were still close to the castle to ensure the smoothness of their procession.

Tigris nodded at Ivie. She raised her voice. "Move out!" she ordered the gathered group. Ivie mounted her horse in a smooth motion. She lifted her brows at the queen as she gathered the reins in her gloved hands.

"My lady, I believe there is someone here to see you," the knight announced, her eyes twinkling. Before Tigris could press, Ivie had flicked her reins and was moving to the front of the group, instructing and guiding her group.

"Tigris."

The queen turned, blanching when she found Kai standing just behind her. He wasn't dressed in his usual attire. He wore a vest of chainmail and fitted trousers, a mirror image of the knights in the courtyard. A weapons belt was slung across his hips, holding a small sword and dagger.

Tigris blinked at him in surprise. "Kai," she greeted, a bit stiffly. The air between them was still awkward, but Tigris was too stunned by his presence to notice, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be inside with Aodh."

Kai shifted, the movement fluid and graceful. "I'm coming with you," he replied simply.

The words filled Tigris with nothing but icy fear. She jolted before she could stop herself.

"You can't!" she exclaimed, drawing a few curious gazes from Brom's knights. She grabbed Kai by the shoulders, tugging them towards a more isolated part of the courtyard. "Kai, you're still legally the next in line for the throne. We never called off the betrothal. If something happens to me during the battle-"

"When something happens," Kai corrected, and Tigris flinched at the words. Kai met her eyes steadily, not thrown in the slightest. He smiled when he noticed the queen's surprise. "Aodh told me about the prophecy. I'm not a fool, Tigris. Something will come for you during the battle, and I will not leave you alone to your fate, betrothed or not."

The steely resolve and warmth in his voice made a lump form in Tigris' throat. Her eyes burned as she peered at the man before her.

"Kai, you can't," she repeated, "You're next in line-"

He wordlessly held up a sheet of paper. "I abdicated. Aodh helped me with the legislation. Aodh is now next in line for the throne. If he falls in battle, Sir Harold will be next to assume power as the highest ranking official."

Tigris accepted the paper, her throat going dry as she scanned it. The page was legitimate. She lowered it, dread curling in her gut. Kai watched her face carefully, warmth and fondness in his eyes.

"Why are you coming?" she asked quietly, her heart flipping in her chest, "We aren't betrothed anymore, you don't have to."

Kai's smile turned pained. He carefully crossed the distance between them and cupped her hands in his, squeezing them gently.

"Because even if I am not your betrothed," he murmured, his eyes utterly focused on hers, "I am your friend. Aodh told me that Roche won't be coming. You'll need someone to watch your back."

"I can watch my own back," Tigris replied instantly. Kai's grin widened.

"I know," he said, giving her hands a quick squeeze, "But that doesn't mean you have to. I don't want you to be alone for this journey. You deserve better than that."

You deserve a better end than that. The words went unsaid, but they were perched on Kai's lips. Tigris felt her resolve weakening, the fear she'd been fighting since the moment Aodh had pointed to Moiris on the map breaking through the steely wall of calm she'd raised. She desperately wanted to be near her friends and family for this battle. She had her knights, but what she really wanted was Aodh's banter, Kai's reassurance, and Roche's jokes and stories. She wanted her family to be with her before she died.

But she wouldn't dare risk their lives. Just because she was destined to die didn't mean that everyone else had to.

"Kai," Tigris murmured, careful to keep her voice steady, "You don't know how to fight like a knight and without Roche's protection, this is going to be one of our deadliest battles yet."

Kai tilted his chin towards a few of the maids and servants darting around with armfuls of medical supplies. "I won't be fighting. I'll be with the healers. I won't be sitting on the sidelines twiddling my thumbs while you're out there fighting. If I'm half the man you think I am, then I must help in some way."

Tigris was still uncertain. It must have shown on her face because Kai's smile dimmed. He looked away, his cheeks darkening with a flush.

"I also have a less noble motivation. I... I want to see Finn," he admitted.

Tigris startled at that. "What?"

Kai bit his lip hard. "I have to see who he's become." His voice was pained and twisted with an almost tortured emotion. Tigris could see a faint longing in his eyes for a boy who no longer existed. She squeezed his hands gently, her heart aching for him.

"Kai, you don't have to," she said quietly.

"I know," he said, heaving a breath. He met her eyes, and his eyes shone with tears, "But I know that you'll win this battle, just as you have every other. And I won't ever see him again. I need... I need to see him one last time and sort out how I feel about him because I won't have another chance."

Kai squeezed his eyes shut. Tigris could see tears clinging to his lashes. "If I don't do this, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering about him and if I'd be able to help him if given the chance. I'll never be able to let him go, and that already has nearly cost us the kingdom once." he added quietly, eyes still shut, "I need to let him go. Please let me do this."

Tigris swallowed. She couldn't deny him this. "Alright, Kai," Tigris whispered, "I won't stop you from coming." Her heart went leaden in her chest with the words.

Kai's eyes popped open. Gratitude shone brightly in his gaze. The air between them warmed, and he leaned closer like a magnet had drawn him in. Tigris didn't hesitate. She pressed her lips against his. His tears mingled into the kiss, a salty contrast to his sweetness. She wasn't sure how long they clung to each other, drinking each other while pretending the other was someone else, but it felt like an eternity.

When they finally pulled away, Tigris brushed away the tear stains from his cheeks with her thumbs. Her own eyes burned with tears.

"You would have made an excellent king," she whispered, "I'm glad we had our time together, Kai. Even if we weren't meant to be."

"And it was an honour to be yours," Kai replied, his eyes gleaming bright.

This was an end, Tigris knew. This was a goodbye that they might not get on the battlefield, and she was grateful for the chance. She trailed her hand down his jaw for a moment, lingering on the smooth, unmarred skin of his chin. Her fingertips felt the steady bass of his pulse. Alive. He was alive, and soon she wouldn't be.

She let him go.

She let him live without her and the weight of her crown.

Kai's breath quavered as she pulled away. Then he smiled and stepped back.

"I should go with the healers," Kai said after a moment.

Tigris nodded. "Goodbye, Kai," she murmured.

She would remember his kind smile for the rest of her days. He turned and began to walk away for a moment before he paused.

"Tigris?" His throat worked when she lifted a brow curiously, "Don't give up. Finn once told me that the futures in his visions looked muddled, like he could never tell how they would end. The future is not always what we think it will be. And I think Roche would want me to tell you that."

Tigris furrowed her brows. So even Finn, with all his visions of the future, didn't know how this battle would end? The thought was somehow comforting. Tigris wasn't foolish enough to think that Kairon's prophecy wouldn't come to pass, but it helped to know that perhaps her army could still win on her behalf.

"We're ready to go!" Brom called, dragging her attention away. She nodded at him, turning back to say farewell to Kai before she realised he'd been called over to the huddle of healers. She only had time to wave goodbye before her eyes caught on a figure standing on the parapets.

Aodh stood there, staring at her. There wasn't any emotion on his face. He gazed at her blankly, like he had no feeling or emotion left to give her. She gazed back at him.

Goodbye, Aodh.

His lips crimped like he heard the thought. He turned away and retreated into the castle, unable to bear the sight of her any longer. A lump formed in her throat. As much as she would miss her brother, she was grateful that at least he would be safe from this battle.

The thought reassured her. She turned to her waiting knights.

"Alright, let's move out!"

-------

The first part of the trip was tense. They were following the route from the scry. It had the least amount of reported uska and was the quickest path. It would take about three days to reach Moiris. Tigris rode at the front as they ventured into the darkening forest. Their group was tailed by a small contingent of knights that protected the healers and their extra supplies.

At first, Tigris spent the first part of the journey jumping at shadows. Each one was a threat. She kept turning to the side, expecting to find Roche there with a teasing grin. But all she found was Sir Harold or Ivie or another one of her knights riding there.

She missed Roche, but she was glad that the maid was safe.

After the first few hours of riding, her tension began to seep away. Boredom filled its place. She wasn't the only one. Without the uska, the knights were beginning to shift. Around midday, Brom was riding around with a half uncorked flask. Tigris scowled when Sir Harold reported as much to her. Inebriated knights were not aware knights. If Brom began a party during their death march, the battle would not be victorious in the slightest. She decided to draw their party to a halt for lunch, taking the opportunity to drag Brom away from a few eager young knights who were accepting his flask gratefully.

As the knights chowed down their meal, quickly made by the servants who had valiantly tagged along, Tigris took the opportunity to reprimand Brom and reassign him to a place at her side. She was halfway through her admonishment when she sensed the eerie stillness that had fallen over the forest.

"What is it?" Brom grumbled as she leapt to her feet and drew her sword, "Are you going to behead me for having a little ale? Because-" He was interrupted by a shadow that darted straight for his neck.

"Torches!" Tigris ordered over the sound of Brom's loud cursing. She shoved him back a step and lofted her enchanted sword before the uskoi could sink its teeth into his throat. She swung it down hard, a blinding glow filling the clearing as Roche's runic enchantments struggled against the malevolent uskoi. Combined with the brute force of her blow, the uskoi dissolved with a malevolent hiss.

Brom unsheathed his sword, suddenly alert, but Tigris waved at him frantically. "No, yours won't work!" she exclaimed, sweeping her gaze across the rest of the army. Half of them seemed to have drawn their swords like Tigris while the rest had lurched towards the burning torches. Their eyes had locked on her glowing sword.

"My lady," Sir Harold cleared his throat, nervous glancing at the pulsing weapon in the queen's hand, "Your blade-"

"Torches! Now!" Tigris ordered curtly, pointing to the hungry, glowing eyes peering out from the trees in the surrounding forest. It seemed that her army's fear of the uska outweighed their fear of a clearly enchanted weapon. They scrambled towards the torches, forming a perimeter.

"Nice torch, queenie," Brom pointed out offhandedly, his eyes twinkling as he gestured to her sword. The light from Roche's enchantments was finally beginning to fade.

She held up her blade, smirking back at him. "Thanks, it's one of a kind."

Brom huffed something about designer swords before jogging over to the pile of firewood. Tigris lofted her blade, peering at the lines of shadow creatures surrounding their army. The knights formed a perimeter, burning wood hoisted high in their hands. They stood at the ready behind Tigris, waiting for the uska to move again.

They didn't.

One by one, the uska retreated into the darkness without a trace.

"It looks like Finn knows we're coming," Tigris muttered, startling the knights closest to us. She turned to her knights, "We should keep moving."

The camp was packed up quicker than Tigris had ever seen. This time as they rode, no one made a single sound. Everyone could feel the uska following them even if they couldn't see them. Their procession didn't stop until midnight, and no one rested until a ring of knights with blazing torches had surrounded the camp with flames.

The uska finally attacked in the darkest hours of night. Tigris was roused from her sleep by screams outside her tent. She rushed out in her nightclothes, sword held high above her head.

The uska were tearing into the torch bearing guards. She grabbed a fallen torch and leapt for the nearest man pinned beneath a shadowy leopard, stabbing it through the back with her sword. Sweat dripped down her back as she spun around, barely managing to slice through a dragon with glowing obsidian eyes. She stumbled back, having only a moment to breathe before the hairs on her neck rose in warning. This time, she thrust out her torch, letting the dancing flames dissolve the flying bat that had dove for her neck.

"Reform the perimeter!" she ordered loudly, rousing the unaware knights in their tents.

The battle didn't take long. As soon as the scrambling knights had managed to relight their torches and descended into battle, the uska retreated, hissing at the orangey flames.

They'd lost thirty knights in the attack. It was barely dent in their army, but it was far too early for such a battle.

"He's sending us a message," Sir Harold murmured as he escorted the queen back to her tent.

He was right. The thirty deaths were pointless in the grand scheme of their war, and the timing was off. This fight was just Finn's way of proving that he knew that they were coming.

It was his way of saying that he was ready for her.

A pyre was lit in the night. Not only did it burn away the coppery reek of the blood staining the grass, but the towering jets of flame served to discourage further uskoi attacks.

No one slept a wink for the rest of the night.

A/N: Hoo boy, there were a lot of goodbyes in this chapter and not a lot of action, but I thought it was important for Tigris to shake off the last of her emotional attachments before Moiris.

Up next, we'll get to see Roche again :) And she will be freed from Tigris chambers!

As always, happy reading!