Despite having felt like a solid rock as I went to bed last night, a quick bath this morning had me thriving with energy. With the fragrance of roses wafting through the air mixed with the cleanliness I felt, I was ready to meet the day head on. That was until there was a heavy pounding on my door. It was rapid, demanding my attention as I finished sliding my undershirt over my head. Before I could answer the door, Michael came bursting through, his face red and dripping with sweat.
I paused, stunned that he would just burst through without waiting for my reply. Thankfully I was now at least dressed enough where nothing was showing visibly, but I was still not fully clothed enough to be considered publicly dressed. Upon seeing my frozen form, he glanced up and down once, surprise, and then embaresment encompassed his face. He quickly coughed once, bowed, and then turned slightly so he was no longer staring at me.
"To what do I owe the pleasure Michael? I don't think I've ever had someone desperately bounce into my room before." I said smirking as I pulled on my uniform coat and buttoned it hastilly.
"I apologize your Majesty, but the reinforcements have arrived, and among them is my father." Once again, I paused. Taken aback, I slowly slid on my belt to my sword and fastened it. Trying to process his words. Why would the General show up if he was in no condition to be fighting? That old bastard was going to make more work for me, especially because we would be heading into enemy territory.
"Is there anything else solider?" I asked, fastening my cloak over my shoulders. He gave a heavy sigh, his sad smile turning towards me as I walked towards him. His smile had me suspicious for many reasons, but mostly because he was acting reluctant to tell me.
"You won't like it. You might as well see it for yourself." He said sheepishly as he followed me out of the room. I eyed him from the corner of my eye. It seems that what ever the issue maybe, he didn't want to recieve my wrath. Considering the General was here against orders to rest, I was already starting to become peeved. What could he be hiding to not only make him burst into my room, but to also keep something a secret from me?
"Did your father give you a lashing already?"
"My old man hasn't seen me yet. Marquise and I where standing down in the lobby waiting for you when we saw them walking in. Although, I don't really know what we are going to do with all these men. It seems like the King doubts our skills." I rolled my eyes at his remark, knowing fully well the real reason he sent so many people. He was over bearing and over protective of his future ruling daughter. This was his way of saying 'you better make it home alive'.
The hallway slowly started to fill up with chatter as we got closer to the lobby. It was becoming loud for this poor tiny inn. It was like a large ballroom, inside a tiny square. No room, bodies where close together, and it was obnoxiously hot. I grimaced as I braced myself, waiting for the horrible surprise that Michael had warned me about. I searched through the sea of bodies, and the dread that over came me, was exactly how I thought I would feel. I gritted my teeth together, as my eyes met with Nicklos.
"Attention soliders. I don't know if you are aware, but this is a buisness establishment, not a hang out. Everyone out, and do not disturb these people!" I shouted over the clamoring of all the soliders. Finally it went silent, and everyone shuffled out. Everyone but Nicklos and the General. Both looked displeased and unimpressed as the room emptied. Marquise, who was sitting on the couch just next to the desk, strolled over nonchalantly. Nothing but buisness upon his face as he placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in close to my ear.
"I just got word from Nathaniel and Jeremiah. It seems they have reached Milford and are staying put for now. Jeremiah has recieved some serious injuries and Nathaniel doesn't want to leave him behind." He whispered closely to my ear. Nicklos's eyes flared with anger, but I refused to acknowledge him petty jealousy.
"Damn. Send him a message back and let him know we are organizing troops and we will be on our way. Anything else to report?" His face grew dark, giving me that knowing look in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulders to the awaiting General and pissed off Nicklos, then back to me.
"The attack seems planned out. Our enemies have set the bait, and are awaiting for our arrival. It would be wise to carry a light load." I sighed, anger coursing through me as I nodded once. With a gentle pat on my shoulder, Marquise turned to face the others and walked towards the door. Marquise and Nicklos shared a silent glare before he disappeared. This was going to stop here, the last thing I needed was drama on the battlefield. Nicklos wasn't suppose to be here anyway. I don't know what was making me more angry at this moment.
Was it his disloyalty towards our relationship, was it his lack of being able to follow my wishes, or was it the fact that the General is stubbornly standing before me in a weakened state. I mean he was pale, his face was slightly cut up and bruised. His shoulder was bound and stuffed into a sling. His body was absolutely rigid, like someone had kicked him in his jewels. He was of no use to me in this state, so what possessed him to roll out of bed and make his way here?
"General, you look absolutely awful. I would think after the night you had, you would be in bed." I inwardly grimaced with how tired and exhausted I sounded just by speaking. It's true I woke up in a good mood, but now everything was stacking up against me.
"I could say the same about you. And by the tone you are giving off, you are chewing more than you can handle. You need me." He said with a strained grin. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help a small smile grace my lips as I stood before him. Despite the pain he was in, he was still able to joke. But that wasn't a good enough reason to keep him here.
"I want to know what happened the other night, and then you are to go back immediately. I can't worry about you on top of everything else. You are in no condition to be on the battlefield." I stated blandly, crossing my hands over my chest. I wouldn't budge no matter how much he persisted. The stubborn look upon his face told me he would fight me too.
"So you think my son is a good replacement then?" He growled angrily as he glared down upon Michael. Michael said not a word as he calmly looked up at his father. It was like the General was glaring down at the younger version of himself. If it had been any other time, I probably would have laughed. But I didn't need them fighting, not while every wasted moment meant that Nathianel and Jeremiah where in serious danger.
"General, he is not a replacement. But he is skilled enough to know when something is amiss and a damn good tracker. If not for him we would not be here right now. I also don't have time to argue with you. You can either stay here until I get back or go home." I was nearly shouting at him, the anger rising in me like a volcano about to erupt. My patience was waning and making me more irritable than I felt before.
"As for you, I don't know why you constantly think that appearing in my life is a good thing, but I really wish you would have stayed at the Kingdom. The more people that are sitting here, the more dangerous it becomes for the people back home. If you want to make amends, stay home and out of my way. I don't need to have you distracting me on the field." I barked turning to Nicklos before brushing passed him and towards the door. But a hand grabbed me and stopped me in my tracks.
"Alliah, you aren't telling me something. It's not like you to be so on edge. I may not be able to help you physically right now, but I have been your military advisor since the first day you where pledged in. What is going on, why are you being so vague?" I was backed into a corner on mulitple levels. I was having to risk everything to get my men back home safely. With the vague details of the attack, I wasn't exactly sure how long we had to save Nathaniel and Jeremiah before they became minced meat.
Not to also mention, I had to track down the main leader of the Mercenaries, find the researcher, and avoid the three biggest bosses in Chastewind. Whose to say this wasn't all a big plan just to lure me in and snuff me out. I had no doubts that after all this time, their target was me to begin with. My only question was why?
"It's complicated General. Just leave it to us. If you must be involved, stay stationed here until I send word. I think you can handle babysitting a few soldiers." I yanked my hand away from the General's grasp and walked out the door. The minute he knew what I was up too, the minute he would report back to my father. His duty was to be my advisor, but also to be my guardian too. If he had been in better shape I would have been all for him attending this battle, but I needed to keep him safe for his wife's sake. His son could handle himself.
The air was now tense as we arrived in the middle of town. A large group of soliders sat huddled in the center. Right where the woman were gathered yesterday. There had to at least been three dozen men standing about, shoulder to shoulder. Their heads where close together as they idly chat, a loud murmur filling the air. I could feel the silent wave of anger welling to the surface as I passed my gaze over each absent-minded face. There was absolutely no need for this many men here.
"Why are there so many men here General?" I asked bitterly. I stood before my men, and one by one they fell silent. Their attention turned towards Nicklos, the General, and myself. I was surprised to see that Seria was amongst the throng of men as well. There was a shiney glow in her eye, the sign of an eager solider ready to get her hands dirty.
"It was his Majesty's orders My Lady. You where very vague in your letter so he sent what he could to aide you." General Bregus remarked quietly. I sighed, rubbing my temples with the tips of my fingers. The letter wasn't suppose to get to anyone other than the guard on duty. How did it get to my father? I swear in my father's old age, he wasn't thinking clearly. How could he leave the Kingdom so unguarded?
"Listen up, I don't need all of you. I need at least a dozen men stationed here to guard these people until we return from our mission. With that being said, anyone who is not chosen to stay, will return home and to guard the Kingdom. I only need two additional people to my group. I need them to be agile, stealthy, and above everything else, intelligent. This is no mere task. Your lives will be at risk, and you might be working alone. Marquise, Michael, and myself will be leading the mission. Marquise will be the judge if you meet my qualifications." Marquise, who had joined the large group of soliders, gave a small bow.
A rise in hushed murmurs fell over the crowd. A sense of unease blanketed the area. There where lots of questions that I was not going to answer. Not unless they where onboard with my team. I couldn't have anyone else knowing about what I was planning in case it got back to my father. He would not only throw a fit, but he would also drag me back home and lock me up.
"Your Majesty, if I may ask, what is this all about?" The General stood close beside me now as the murmurs started to become more frantic. A few men had started to gather around Marquise, talking in hushed low voices. In that small crowd was Seria. She was listening intently, nodding her head and then offering a few words in response to Marquise and the others.
"General, with all due respect. If you where to know what I was doing, you would do everything you could to stop me. I can't have you interfering. There are many lives at stake, and the quicker I handle this issue and resolve it, the better." I said hastily. A hand on my shoulder dragged my attention from the General, to Michael, who was firmly resting his hand on me. The dark tone in his eyes told me that he had something important to discuss. I excused myself, following Michael. He didn't take me to far from the group, but silently passed me another note. This time, there was blood smudges on the parchement paper.
I passed him a grim look before accepting the stained parchment, taking care not to tear the paper as I undid the wax seal. Harsh, jagged scribbles where scratched across the surface. The fast and sloppy way they where written, was a sign of distress. I could feel my stomach churn as I passed my eyes over the writting. The feeling of dread rushing through every vein of my body.
Your Majesty, things are getting tough here. I have every reason to believe that the Assassin Kaeden is already on us. We have relocated already, and to be quite honest with you Jeremiah isn't doing well. I am afraid that we can't seek medical attention either. But while we where relocating, we ran into Maxwell. He seems too traumatized to speak at the moment and has been roughed up. With Maxwell in our grasp and the Assassin on our heels, I don't know how much longer we are going to last. For now we are hiding in an abandoned mill just outside of the city. Please make haste.
I angrilly crumpled the letter in my hand. They had sent a message earlier this morning about being in a tough spot. But if the Assassin was already after them, then they walked into an already planned trap. They knew they where coming, and now they where baiting me. I don't know if Maxwell was part of the plan on or, but it really does add honey to the pot. Time was of the essence, and there was much left. I handed the note back to Michael and peered over my shoulder at Nicklos and the General. Their heads where together as they eyed us, quietly talking to each other.
"Burn this letter Michael. Get ready the horses as well. I will let Marquise know what has transpired and we will set out immediately. Do not let anyone else see this letter." With a firm and quick nod, he stalked off. I gripped my hands tightly, a pain forming at the front of my head as the stress continued to grow. Regardless if this was a trap, I needed to extract Jeremiah and Nathanial from harms way. Maxwell needed to be questioned as well, and with the new danger of the Kaedan on their tails, it made this situation that much more dangerous.
I couldn't stand by any longer and wait for people to offer themselves up. If I couldn't find any suitable people, then I would just leave with Michael and Marquise. I was watching Michael practicing the other day and he looked promising. Granted he was still training, but what better way to become better than being out on the field. Marquise was already a Knight, and I know that he would be reliable if it came down to a bloody fight. But it would never be enough. Frustrated, I walked over to Marquise. With a few shakes of my arms, I tried to relax my tense muscles, hoping I wasn't coming off brooding.
Marquise was diligently answering soliders, his face permanently etched into a frown. Seria stood at his side, quietly observing the others as they demanded answers over and over again. Despite his passive face, I could tell by the way his adam's apple bobbed that he was starting to get frustrated. His job was to be vague and to fish out the most potential of soliders while trying not to give away how dangerous this mission actually was. I pushed my way past the throng of angry soldiers and seperated them with a gentle shove. They immediately went quiet, their anxiety pulsing off them like a rabbit being hunted by a wolf.
"Enough! It is under my command that he isn't allowed to give you all the answers you need. Only those I see qualified to join us are premitted to these answers. If you feel as like this is too dangerous for you, then I won't blame you for not joining. But time is of the essence and my patience is running very thin. We need to head out, now." My words echoed off the walls of the houses that surrounded us, and to even my own ears they sounded harsh and desperate. I was trying so hard to be calm and collected, but in the end, I knew that not everyone was going to make it throug this alive. Marquise and Michael knew that too. so to ask someone else to risk their lives, despite if they had family or not, was a terrible feeling.
"Your Majesty, I will lend you my strength and my sword, if you will have me." Seria said quietly standing beside me. Her hazelnut brown eyes still showed that eager edge she had before the meeting. I felt moved by her willingness to join, but still felt guilty all the same. I gave her a small smile and a bow of my head as a silent thank you.
"I too will join regardless if you say yes or no." Nicklos's voice rang out over the crowd. The stubborn edge I knew all to well, basically told me I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was still not in any mood to argue with him, or have him any where near me. In fact if he was hurt while helping me, it could lead to war. But the hard edge to his eyes told me there was no room for argument and I was left to only accept his offering.
"Very well. It would do us well to have an additional Knight on this mission. Then it's settled. General, I will leave you here to organize the troops that are left over. I don't want any more than a dozen men here. That should be enough if they face an attack. The rest of you, let's head out now. I will explain in detail what the mission is on the way."
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