Chapter 30 - Honor Heist

James stopped at the door to stare at his father for some moment. He lied down there like he was still sick.

In his mind, he was fooling whoever had made him sick unknown to him that James was the one. He proceeded to his side.

"The war is about to start" he moaned.

"I thought you said it is nothing to worry about but why are you now in full armor" the Alpha King seemed confused.

James had already told him it was not much of a war. He had just said that using General Brewer's words.

"Yes it is nothing to worry about, Father" he smiled to make him confident.

"Then why are you going to the war?" he asked again.

"Everyone believe you are bedridden. How do you think the soldiers will take that? My presence amongst them will revive all lost vigor within them" he convinced him.

"Be careful out there, James. War is not as simple as it is reported" the Alpha King sat up.

James smiled. His father was showing care to him. That meant he was going to endorse him after he would have been through with his plan.

"I will be" he turned back to continue outside.

"James!" his Father called him back. "You have never led a war before. There are some things you should know. You will be the enemies main target. They know that once they clip you. They will have a greater chance of winning the war" the Alpha King seemed disturbed. He must have wanted James to change his mind and stayed back.

"I have experienced warriors with me out there. General Brewer and the other commanders. All I have to do is watch how everything is going" he said simply.

"Maybe you should let them take care of it. You just have to trust them with it" the Alpha King proposed.

"I have promised to be there with them. Changing that in the last minute will only weaken them more, Father" he grumbled proudly.

"There is nothing wrong in that. I will just tell them I ordered you to stay back" the Alpha King must be thinking something else. He was relating his insistence to pride.

"Nothing will happen to me out there. I will protect this kingdom right now and show you how firm I will hold it when I finally hold the mantle of leadership" James stylishly revealed his plan.

The Alpha King breathed heavily. James couldn't understand why he was so worried. He didn't want him to succeed him anyway. Maybe all that was bothering him was father and son relationship.

"You are dressed for war?" Queen Teresa asked in amazement. She must have walked in when they were busy exchanging words.

"Yes, Mother. It is time to show our valor in guarding our kingdom" he pledged.

"I don't know the war was serious" Queen Teresa stared at the Alpha King with a face full of questions.

"I thought too but we must have mistaken" the Alpha King bemoaned.

"Two heads are better than one. I will call on Michael to go with you. He will stand by your side" Queen Teresa asserted, she whisked away instantly, probably to fetch Michael.

"I will like to say that is not needed. Both princes will not go together to a war. He should watch my back from home" James turned her off.

"Teresa, I am trying to stop one from going and you are rooting for both of them" the Alpha King rescinded.

"I'm just trying not to place the whole burden on the heir. I thought he will be in a very good position to assist him" she explained.

James chuckled. He knew why Queen Teresa wanted Michael to be alongside him. She never wanted him to be left behind.

If she insisted, James would agree. Michael would definitely meet his end in the hands of the illusion and that would solve every problem.

"The invaders are in small number. I am just going to boost our soldiers' morale. If Michael wishes to fight alongside me. There are enough spaces to wield sword" James accepted indirectly.

"No. I won't let that happen. You are not warriors" the Alpha King retorted.

"I heard your story. You also engaged in a war without being a warrior and you were outstanding. Maybe it runs in the veins" James joked and chuckled.

"And if you will both excuse me. I need to gather men at the south gate and stop this stupid invaders" he bowed and left afterwards.

********************

"You are right, it is sorcery" Julia gasped.

She had ran all the way to Michael's chamber to tell him that. She didn't want to waste any more time as that could cause more problems.

"Sorcery! How do you know that?" he asked calmly.He seemed to have a way of keeping his cool.

He wasn't worried as Julia had expected from him.

"I saw Harold. He took something to the dungeons. It was shining like some... I don't know how to explain it" she calmed herself.

"What is he doing with it?" Michael asked again.

"I am very sure it has something to do with the battle. They spoke together secretly before he went down there" she explained in the best way she could.

"Of course, it will have something to do with the battle. We just want to know where to come in" Michael led her.

"If that is the key to end the war. We should end it straight away without waiting" Julia asserted. She believed the shiny plant like talisman that she saw could be easily destroyed.

"No. You still don't understand what we are doing" Michael grinned.

"What we are doing? All I see us doing is sitting down watching with our hands folded to our chest" Julia criticized.

Michael was not taking any of this serious as he should. He could even grin when it was obvious that he was running out of his last luck.

"Yes, exactly. We will fold our arms and watch till he achieve his aim. Then, when he is ready to take the prize, we will intercept. In simple terms, Julia. He will pay the price, we will take the prize" he laughed out loudly again.

"I am completely lost in your plan. You do not seem to be straight" she felt there was a lot Michael must have been hiding from her.

"A good plan should not be straight, simple and the planner should also not be too revealing" he replied her.

His response only made Julia more certain of her assertions. He was keeping things from her.

"Just trust me. That is all you need to do. Trust me and I will trust you too" he said slowly.

"There is nothing hard in trusting you. I have nothing to lose. Either way I will be a queen. I don't need to be worried" she taunted him.

He would really be hurt more than her if his plan didn't work out.

"I don't need to ask too. I know you have already made a choice" Michael moaned. He was obviously not threatened.

"Let us sit and watch, then" Julia had also become lighthearted like him. She realized she had been worried unnecessarily.

"When he ventured out into the battle is our clue. That is when they will want to destroy the soldiers" Michael explained. "That is our clue" he walked slowly towards Julia tracing his finger in the air.

Julia kept moving back away from her. She knew what he was up to. He was coming for her. He had become attached to her in mind.

"Stop. You won't do this right now, you have more pressing matters to worry about" she stopped him from getting closer to her.

"Pressing matters?" Michael stared at her like he was confused.

"Like when he will go into the battle" Julia supposed.

"Yes. That is a pressing matter" Michael continued moving closer to her again. "But do you know that pressing you hard against this bed matters beyond that?. Pressing matters!" he shook his head.

"That is not the kind of pressing that matters" Julia argued.

"Okay. That is understandable" Michael stopped and turned back.

Julia was surprised. She was not expecting him to give up like that. He didn't always do that. She watched silently expecting him to turn back but he didn't.

She wished she didn't say that earlier.

"Michael" she called softly and looked down at her feet. She could not hear any response.

"Michael" she raised up her head but he was no longer there.

"Michael" she moved slowly forward to where she saw him last. He was obviously not there anymore.

She was startled and wanted to run out of the chamber.

Turning around swiftly. She bumped into him.

Michael held her right within his arms.

"How did you do that?" she asked in amazement. She was sure she didn't hear him walked beside her.

"I have been training. To be more tricky" he laughed at her.

"Let me go" she shrugged to get out of his arms.

"Before we start worrying when James go into the battle. I should go into..." Michael sonozed as she held his lips together.

"You talk a lot" she put her hands around his neck and wrapped his legs round his waist.