Nina had been thinking about what Ayaka told her. She was so young that getting married in two years or less didn't cross her mind at all. She's only just turned nineteen! But, she did not know if she would feel any different two years from now.

Spring has been starting to show itself. Despite it still being winter, Nina has been noticing a few trees beginning to bud. The war was starting to get worse and worse, so she hoped it was a good sign. Budding trees and flowers are often a sign of a new beginning. 

The war has gotten to the point where people Nina knew were being strongly affected. Nina's good friend Mayuka received a severe injury a few days ago. It was so bad that she had to be transferred to royal medics in the capital city, otherwise she would have died. She returned a couple days after, but it was a scary situation for Nina. Many people in the army have gotten injured or even died, but none of them were quite close to Nina like Mayuka. So, Mayuka getting injured like that opened Nina's eyes a bit. She has to be extra careful not to get hurt like Mayuka. She didn't want Ayaka to worry about her more than she already was... 

Nina sat near a river, its waters now free-flowing again after previously frozen solid during the harsh winter. She was enjoying the warmer weather beginning to set in. Winters are especially harsh when you're forced to stay outside all the time. Campfires and bundling up in clothing made it a bit more bearable, but the threat of frostbite and even hypothermia loomed over all of the soldiers' heads. It has taken soldiers' lives before and it may take more in the future. 

Not to mention the threat of illness. Sicknesses seemed to be worse during the colder months and it spreads much faster due to closer proximity. Nina was lucky not to have caught anything, especially since she was gone for part of the winter, but several people she knew have caught influenza and other illnesses. The medics had to work hard, that was for sure. 

As Nina sat near the river, she thought about trying to catch a fish or two to take back to the army's camp. She shouldn't return empty-handed. So, she sat up and took her sword out of its sheath. With the river now melted, they can fish in the waters once more. 

Nina stood by the water, looking down as she searched for signs of any fish. Eventually, she saw a silvery figure swimming by and acted quickly, stealthily stabbing the fish with her paper-thin sword before pulling it out of the water by its tail. 

Now, she felt like she could head back. 

-

Meanwhile, Ayaka was facing a whole new sort of crisis. 

As Saturdays slowly approached, she missed Nina more and more as the week went on. It was like she needed her near to function properly anymore, otherwise she is in a constant state of fear. She felt like she couldn't even trust any of the royal guards anymore, only Nina. Maybe the attachment she had to the young soldier was not healthy, but she had every reason to feel attached to her. She saved her life when no one else could.

The people who reside in the palace or even drop by to visit have begun to notice Nina's presence on Saturday nights. They've started to ask Ayaka about it, even to the point where every Saturday morning someone would ask her if her "friend" was coming over that night. Even the mailwoman has become concerned with how many letters she was delivering to Private Hillman.

It seemed as if Queen Aina didn't get the memo regarding Ayaka's romantic attachment to the soldier who had saved her life, though. Today, she informed Ay