Chapter 1 - A Missing Duet

'I don't want to marry any of them,' Irelia said firmly, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair across from Karma. 'If you think you did a good job at finding people I would be the slightest bit interested in, then you are sorely mistaken.'

The Duchess sighed and sifted through the papers on top of her desk in the Ionian council chambers. She furrowed her brow as she looked down the long list of names. 'You must have liked at least one of them,' said Karma. 'I organised more than a dozen people to see you this month—are you seriously telling me that there wasn't a spark with a single one?' Karma's voice was tired and weary from the bureaucratic nonsense she'd been tasked with. What had seemed like a simple task of finding the Captain of the Guard a suitor had turned into a lengthy drawn out affair.

'Either they were seedy men leering at me for the entirety of our meeting, or they were as dumb as a dead Noxian,' said Irelia sitting up. She looked across the profiles of the many men that Karma had out on the desk top. She pointed to one in the middle. 'That one was about half my height and had the muscles of a child. How am I supposed to fall in love with something like that?'

Karma looked at the picture Irelia was pointing at. She knew the exact one the dancer was referring to, it had seemed like a long shot at the time and the lad was only a teenager.

'It's not a matter of falling in love with them,' Karma said, steepling her fingers and trying her best to add some assertion to her words. 'It's part of your duty as captain—both to your post within the military and to your country. You've become the last member of a noble house now after the Noxian invasion—surely you don't want your father's name to wither away?'

Irelia looked away. 'No…I don't want that. But still I don't see why I have to be forced to marry some meat-headed man I don't like and have their children. Where are the men on my level? I can think of plenty of decent suitors within my barracks alone,' said Irelia.

'Most are spoken for,' Karma noted. 'Plus, a child you bear has to be born from the seed of a man who has pledged their vows to Ionia. Most of your soldiers are still too inexperienced to be given the offer of a ceremony.'

It was Irelia's turn to let out a frustrated sigh. She huffed and sat back, firmly crossing her legs as she began to fiddle with the fabric of her red and blue battle dress. She normally had her blades to distract her if she was bored or stuck in an awkward situation, but with the council's rules of no weapons inside, she'd left them elsewhere.

'So remind me again why I'm not allowed to go out there and fall in love like any normal person?' the dancer said with a trace of irritation seeping into her tone. 'Why do I have to have my life "arranged" as you say?'

'For the reasons I've already stated. Unless you happen to begin a relationship with a champion or a high-ranking official in the next month or so, then the council will not approve it. Besides, many of the suitors I set out for you were champions. What about Master Yi, for example?' said Karma, raising her eyebrows. 'He's a fine swordsman and definitely within your area of skill.'

Irelia let out a feigned laugh. 'Hah, him? Do you know what he did when we went to talk this over at the teahouse yesterday? Before we'd even sat down, he'd already tried to pinch my backside! I gave him a glare and told him if his hands tried wandering one more time, I'd cut them straight off.'

'I see,' Karma said in defeat. 'Well Irelia, I really don't know how I can help you anymore. I've offered you the best men I could find that would suit the council if you were to marry them and have children.'

'I did not like them,' Irelia said flatly and with gritted teeth.

'In all honestly, you needn't even marry them,' said Karma, trying to reason with the distressed champion. Irelia's baby blue eyes flicked back to the Duchess at her words. 'Just having an heir to your family name will do. We're not so traditional as we once were, if you raised a son or daughter under the Xan family name with or without a husband, that would suffice.'

Irelia snapped and threw her hands up in the air. 'Hardly a good compromise Karma! Let some man have sex with me, carry his child for months and then be tied to them for life. This is a duty I did not ask for when I defended my country!'

The chair Irelia had been sat on hit the floor with a loud crack that made Karma jump as the Blade Dancer stormed out of the room and slammed the door hard behind her.

…

Irelia walked briskly through the council chambers heading straight for the door with her face nearing the same colour as her dress. She wished she'd brought her blades now, she tended to get her own way when she had them dancing beside her.

She didn't understand why Karma wasn't on her side in this argument, it wasn't like the Duchess had been married herself or had any children. Why was it that she was allowed to remain pure and independent but Irelia wasn't?

'Good day, Irelia,' a deep voice said as Irelia strode through a group of councillors and citizens in the courtyard of the Placidium. She ignored it, not even looking to see who it was. It was a beautiful evening in Ionia, the setting sun warmed the polished white stone steps of the assembly halls and the light reflected out across the First Lands with a distinct orange glow. Irelia spared no time to enjoy the splendour of her country, the beauty of the vista had gone stale following her conversation with Karma. She wanted to go home.

She walked further towards the sea and down the mountain path that led to her secluded home. She'd chosen to live away from the hustle and bustle of Ionia's central points. As a public figure and well known hero, she spent most of her time being disrupted by adoring citizens who wanted her attention, and so she made some measures to grant herself enough peace and quiet as she could manage – something that she was particularly thankful for on days like this.

Her house was grand and imbued with all of her homeland's culture. A large villa on the edge of the Ionian coast had been given to her after the rebuilding efforts had wiped away all traces of the Noxian invasion. The house was built into a mountain side, with marble terraces and grand arched entry ways, with all the space inside she could ever need. Sometimes she missed her family's quaint little cottage.

She wandered up the pathway, still fuming and cycling through her predicament again and again in her mind. What if she refused to marry or have a child? Could they force her? Why did it matter to them anyway? It was her business, her own private matters that the Ionian government and Karma were sticking their noses into.

Irelia closed the door firmly behind her as if to ward out prying eyes and intrusive eavesdroppers and went straight through the house towards her bedroom. Well, she called it a bedroom, but in reality it was a vast open space carved into the mountain rock with an open balcony that over-looked the cliff edge and across the Ionian Sea. The East held a perpetually warm climate, so the open-planned room was always warm and needed no windows or walls. It was her favourite place to be, as at night she was given all the wonder of the night sky to watch as she fell asleep.

She felt herself starting to relax as she sat down on her bed and watched as the last of the light began to fade away below the horizon as the stars took their turn to light the inky skies. The darkness however, left her alone with the thoughts that continued to press down on her mind. She was certainly in a predicament, one that she struggled to see a way out of. It wasn't like the Elders of Ionia was simply her friends that were pressuring her into relationships or teasing her about lack of experience - they were the government of her country, the ones who she had pledged her life too.

Irelia started to feel a weight swell up in her chest as she said on the bed, anxieties that she'd hardly considered until this problem has arisen. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom, another stunning room that to any Ionian peasant would have seemed like heaven on earth. Carved from smooth stone, it was a large wet-room that took advantage of the natural springs in the mountainside to feed the shower head with pure water.

She tugged off her steel head pieces that decorated her midnight hair, setting them aside and looking up into the mirror that hung on the wall. She saw herself staring back and saw the tiredness in her baby blue eyes, her youthful beauty tainted by the pressure of her country's expectations that whittled down her spirit. She wanted to hide that face, so she distracted herself by pulling the top half of her complex battle dress over her head. The suit was tailored and fitted tight to her lithe body, so it took some effort to peel it from her skin. She tugged off her plated boots and then did the same with her blue leggings, tossing her iconic attire into a pile in the bathroom.

She dared to take another look in the mirror, this time wearing only her undergarments. Her toned mid-riff with gentle curves that ran down the length of her stomach was definitely attractive to a man, but whenever she looked at herself all she saw were the days she'd skipped training, or the treats she'd allowed herself on days off. It would never be perfect. She brushed her blue hair over her shoulders and pulled on a white satin night-robe, tying the thin belt loosely around her middle.

As soon as she stepped back into her room however, something more than just her mental state felt off. Her finely honed senses were twitching, the itch at the back of her neck telling her that she needed to be wary. Her eyes scanned her bedroom, listening through the silence and watching as the slightly ruffled sheets caught the breeze that drifted gently and lifted the curtains. In the darkness of the corner, she made out a figure.

For anyone else, the presence of a dark shadow in their room would have sent them into a panic, but Irelia was trained to think rationally under pressure, and immediately she worked out what was going on.

'Shen, get out,' said Irelia, the tension of the moment prior leaving her body and her tone sound very unperturbed. The Eye of Twilight moulded out from the shadows, his purple and blue battle armour catching the moonlight along with the two swords sheathed on his back.

'Irelia,' Shen acknowledged her in his cool voice. 'You know why I've come.'

Irelia sighed and let her shoulders fall. 'Of course I do, you always find a way to materialise when I'm even the slightest bit upset. Well for once in your life Shen, this isn't something you can help with by turning up with a sword and a comforting hand – unless you want Ionia's Elders on your back,' said Irelia, beginning to pace across the large room towards him. Her bare feet pattered on the smooth stone walls and Shen watched her from behind his mask with measuring eyes.

'I am tasked with maintaining balance, Irelia. Whether that be the balance of Ionia, or the internal balance of its Captain,' said Shen, and Irelia almost laughed. It was as if Shen already knew what the problem was…then she realised, he probably did.

'Knowing you Shen, you already know exactly why I'm feeling this way. You always find it out before you come to try and put things right,' Irelia said as she came to a stop a few steps away from the ninja. Shen stood rigid with his hands together as he always did outside of combat, but Irelia saw the slight twitch that told her she was right.

'I have spoken with Karma already, yes,' said Shen.

'Then you'll know why I'm upset, because I'm being left with no choice in a matter that should be entirely mine to decide. My body should not be dictated by the expectations of tradition, nor should my future be decided for me.'

Irelia felt herself getting red in the face as a warmth spread over her cheeks. Deep down, she felt a pang of guilt for being so firm with Shen. The ninja had been nothing but kind and respectful every time he had tried to help her. She let her shoulders fall as she deflated internally, feeling the prick of tears in her eyes. 'I just want to be allowed for once to be normal.'

'You have been placed in an awkward position unwillingly, Irelia. No one doubts the weight that was thrust upon you at such a young age. I understand your desires, but also that of the powers that govern our country,' Shen said, relaxing somewhat from his stance and letting his hands fall to his sides.

'Don't you start on it as well. If your means of restoring balance is you coming here and trying to convince me of their way of thinking then I suggest you leave me alone. I don't want to hear it, I want to make my own choice,' Irelia said, turning away with a twirl of her nightrobe and looking out to sea. 'I am still a young woman, but my youth is being snatched from me.'

'You needn't marry anyone,' Shen stated abruptly, echoing Karma's words and Irelia could feel his eyes waiting for her reaction.

'I know. Karma said. But still I'm expected to create an heir as soon as possible, husband or not. That's hardly much better.'

Shen took a step forwards until he was close enough that Irelia had to turn and face him. The ninja watched her with that same stare, but behind the deep purple of his eyes there was more understanding.

'You have within you a power that is unique and never seen before. Your family sigil came alive in a moment of extreme stress for you when you lost your siblings, and now you have been tied to it as your weapon. You and the blades speak to each other, a connection between living and inanimate that has never been witnessed in this world. There is more to you than we know, and the Elders are eager to capture that power to continue to protect their country. Who knows when Noxus may try to take our lands again? Or some other foe we have yet to encounter? While you are in your prime and at your strongest, a next of kin that possesses that same power would be invaluable.'

'I'm not some magic entity to be bottled and misused,' Irelia said shyly, her voice softening.

'Of course you are not. You are a shining beacon of hope for Ionia's future. Think on that. I will leave you now Irelia, I realise this is not an issue that can be solved with action, but careful consideration before all parties are satisfied.' Shen finished speaking and immediately started to walk away, his footsteps as silent as the gentle breeze that still danced through her bedroom.

Irelia stood still in thought, Shen's words swirling around in her mind. He was right, and the Elders too were right to some degree. Their intentions weren't to steal her life away from her, they just wanted to protect their homeland, as she had done against the Noxians.

'Shen, wait,' Irelia said, calling out into the darkness where Shen had disappeared into. She did not hear him, but knew that her words had been registered by him. The ninja's form came back into view as he stepped towards her. 'You can fix this issue…and restore balance,' she said slowly. Shen did not speak, but calmly allowed her to continue. 'I guess…I was just worried about who I would be made to be with, who would…not look after me. No one from the many men that Karma had arranged for me saw me for who I am, they were shallow or inferior.'

'You may not believe me, but I understand your need for a suitable partner, Irelia,' Shen said, but Irelia knew the ninja was missing her point. While his knowledge went unparalleled by everyone he met, Shen was never one for nuance. She turned to face him and stood close.

'You understand me, Shen. You protect me, listen to me and always consider my feelings in every matter. Why can't it be you that I am arranged to be with?' Irelia said, and her cheeks burned ever brighter. Her embarrassment reached new levels as she spoke her mind, and the definite uncomfortable twitch in the ninja's demeanour worried her further. Shen studied her face briefly before speaking.

'I am forbidden from marriage, Irelia. You know this, the Kinkou is not allowed-'

'Not even that, just sleep with me, Shen! Just one night and this could be sorted. Let me bear your child and Ionia's future will be doubly protected. I would raise a child with that potential as a proud mother and guide them into the future. It is the best possible outcome for this problem, can't you see?'

Shen went silent. From behind his face mask, Irelia could see countless emotions in those purple eyes that would have gone as unnoticed stoicism by anyone that didn't know him like she did. Shen would never agree to something trivially and would analyse every possible outcome before making a decision. After a pause that felt like an age, Shen finally spoke.

'If you are sure.'