The Lyena was due back from battle.

The entire palace always crackled with electricity whenever he sent news of victory; victory was good, but the Lyena wasn't. It was better for him to be out of sight, out of mind.

Because he never stopped fighting.

He had killed every brother he had ever dueled.

He killed Lyewa-Pollis when he wished to become Lyena. He killed Lyewa-Amset when he challenged him for central district rights. He killed Lyewa-Relfhin when he went to avenge Lyewa-Pollis. When Vivan asked about it, Lyena-Ifrit simply smiled and cheerily informed him that keeping around incompetent underlings was at best inefficient and at worst an active impediment.

" You're lucky I have a use for you, despite your distasteful hobbies," he told him. " Mother would be devastated if she found out you were harboring draft dodgers in your district, don't you think? This arrangement we have is beneficial."

Of course, the arrangement was a circumstance that had been forced on him. He could keep draft dodgers in Felis as long as Ifrit could take prisoners to make part of his 4th fleet.

Still, he resented him.

When painting scenes of battle, Vivan never included Lyena.

Even their mother was pleased by this.

After a few contentious weeks, the Lyena disappeared to the frontlines again.

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