67 — Confessions

Lily was gazing faraway, thinking of Him, again. She had moved further away from her warriors that were training on the plain and sat, surrounded by a parchment of wild daffodils, overlooking a swords clashing and grunts could be heard afar off from her warriors as they trained rigorously. They would be there till mid day but, it was always worth it. They were the undefeated Kayans and she meant for it to stay that way.
She picked up a smooth stne from the soft earth, brushing off leaves and dirt around it. She tossed it in watching as the waters formed larger ripples from the place where the stone had landed. She felt like that was the way her mind worked at the moment. A small thought or sight would trigger her thoughts, making her to loose focus. These days, it seemed he was all she could think about. She had already resolved in her heart that she would focus only on protecting her people and dealing with the Vampire King. But, everytime she saw Nicholas, since he joined forces with her, it was all she could do to drag her eyes away from his beautiful form. Earlier, she had glimpsed him watching her from the woods, his eyes fixed hungrily on her, telling her promises of the things he would do to her. It was too much! She had to leave her group to get some air. She hadn't been keeping up with the training and she knew that there were people who were starting to notice. She could care less however. Try as she may to work out, once her thoughts drifted to him, she was a bundle of raging emotions, finding it hard to think.
She had already resolved in her mind to be practical about it all. He had betrayed her and didn't deserve kindness from her. It however was not his fault. She could feel his pain, feel the was he blamed himself for what had happened, the anger he felt toward himself for always trusting his father. That's just how it is, how it works. Blood doesn't count when it comes to people and power.
Lily leaneed back on her hands, feeling the wind pick up and blow gently through the field. She wish she had unbounded her hair so she could feel the wind in it. She clutched at the soft earth for a while and made to get up, back to her training. She tensensed suddenly, her hand reaching for her sword as she heard leaves crunching under feet. Someone had been watching her from the small wooded area and it vexed her that she only realized now. It won't be good, she had to get her head straight and away from the distracting thoughts of Nicholas.
Show yourself, she yelled already drawing her sword as she heard her stalker retreat. Fine, have it your way. She drew out her short knife from under her garments and blindly tossed it into the wooded area. A loud Argggh was heard and her stalker finally stumbled out, gripping his bleeding arm.
"Raph." She deadpanned already bored that it was not someone exciting.
"God's blood commander! What is your problem"
"What is my problem? What is Yours? Why were you watching me? What are you up to?" Her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. Nothing good ever came from that head of his. Ever since she'd met him, he'd always been antagonistic toward her. She regretted him coming along.
"Just help me up first before you kill me with your questions." He lifted his arm to her and, she pulled him up, making sure to cause him more pain. She looked at his injury as he cried out.
"You should see to that" she says tempted to draw out her knife from his flesh.
"You don't say." He replied sarcastically and she ignored his jibe. When she was closer to her warriors, she paused to look at him. His palour was already clammy and grey and his lips were stretched out in a long line.
"Tell me what you're up to." She shook him knowing, it would give him more pain that would cause him to reveal his intentions.
"Commander! It hurts!" He tried to push her away but thought better of it as she was his only support.
"Speak!" Her warriors had noticed them and we're already running to reach them. "Tell me at once!"
"Fine!" He yelled. "I've been watching You but, not because I don't like you or, I have a diabolical plan. You have been absent and distant while carrying out your duties. I see the way you act differently everyime that Vampire prince steps in the room." He spits out, venom lacing his voice and his face contorting in disgust. "I don't trust you. Only God knows what you're thinking about. What you two are planning."
Too shocked to reply, she only stared at him mutely. If he could think like this, he could turn many of the warriors away from the cause. Many of them had already noticed that she's not been training with the pack.
"Don't do anything foolish commander. The Kayans will not pay for your sins" he sneers just as three warriors reach us and start to take him away. He still sneers at her as she narrows her eyes at him. She yanked out her knife from his shoulder in response and, he cried out, fresh blood gushing from his wound.
Back to training everyone! She yelled out angrily as she made to do some lifts.
Hours later, Lily found herself walking to Prince Nicholas's tent. She greeted King Alok on her way in as he stood talking to some of his members.
Commander Lily. Nicholas greeted, his face stern and void of any emotions as she came in. Only his eyes said different.
Prince Nicholas. She inclined her head at him, noting the other peoe in attendance. Two from her clan were in charge of some of the warriors, two from the Vampires and four others obviously from the bear kingdom, their disposition rather brutish. She spotted in a corner, Raph, holding his bandaged arm and ignored him when he lifted his haughty head high, as if to challenge her to send him out.
"My apologies." The King Alok's rich voice filled the tent
"No worries, let's start" prince Nicholas moved away from the post he was leaning on and came toward the rest of them that surrounded the table. Large map charts were already spread out and held at each edge with stones. The men bantered and made jokes. They made suggestions toward the attack. Some felt it better if the Vampire King was drawn out to a location they were already used to and finish him off tactically. Others were of the opinion that they attack the city head on. The arguments went on for minutes till Prince Nicholas calmed them.
"We could employ both tactics. Divide up our warriors. Some to attack the kingdom from the east and when they run out, we block them from the west." To this the men cheered
"You would of course want to divide us" Raph says, moving forward, his face already red as he tried to stare down the Prince.
"We would be divide equally" she cut in to stop their stare down and all eyes avert to her. "Half of my men would invade the kingdom along with one third of King Alok's army and Prince Nicholas's. The others will lay ambush outside the kingdom"
"Fantastic!" King Alok roared when she finished and pat her on her back like a father. She threw him a death glare and he immediately sobered up.
"That is all for now" the men split into groups discussing amongst themselves as they made their way out of Nicholas tent. Nicholas nodded at one of his men to pack up the charts.
She made to walk toward him when Raph hastily brushed passed her, hissing in pain again as his shoulder got hurt. Her eyes went back to Nicholas after adjusting her clothing and saw him, standing at the door of his tent, his eyes gazing out at the camp. She however knew he was faraway, with his Father. His thoughts were so full of vengeance toward his Father who, was wholly deserving of it. She moved to leave as everyone but her had cleared out, when his voice stopped her.
"I wonder if I'll be the one to drive a stake through my Father's heart." His voiced was so low, she had to strain to hear him
"Maybe then, he would be proud of me, proud that I've become the heartless son he's always wanted. A son that can coldly look into his Father's eyes and kill him." His hands were whiter than normal as he tightly gripped the post, causing splinters to pierce his palm. Lily walked over to him and placed her palm atop his. He stopped squeezing as he relaxed into her touch and, their light breaths were the only sound that filled the room. She rested her head against his broad shoulder and had it on the tip of her tongue to say something but, she didn't know what to say. He abruptly pulled away from her, flipping aside the tent flaps. She watched as he marched out of his tent to God knows where, taking his cold and yet warmth with him.
__________________
The sound of commotion in the courtyard had Queen Laura running toward her room to hide, forgetting her companions. She could not stand the sight of those bloody vampires and now, they were all over the place, running helter skelter with some wolves. She hurried over her room when she caught sight of a bored looking maid. She didn't care how crazy she looked at that moment, she just wanted to know what was causing all the ruckus; even though she was foolishly running back to her rooms.
You there! She pointed at the maid. What is all this about? The maid bobbed a curtsey and then learned closer to whisper in her ear.
"King Eric's experiment failed" the maid breathes in a hushed tone.
"How do you mean girl?" She pulled her arm as her eyes widened in curiosity.
"Two of the women had miscarriages and almost bled to death in the wee hours of the morning"
"Oh my!" Sh gaspes, her hand going to her mouth and then, "I still don't see how that is causing a ruckus" the maid leaned in closer to her and Laura watched as her cheeks got pinker.
"He wants to try another... I'm... Another experiment my queen"
"What type" Laura's patience was already running out and she squeezed the poor maids arm
"He wants to do it Naturally." It takes a moment before Laura understood her meaning and she immediately let go of the maid who was rather thankful to leave her presence. Laura marched to the experimental room and saw female wolves lined up against the wall while King Eric paced angrily about. Yesterday, he had boasted about the success of his experiment, now he was angry at it's failure.
"King Eric, a word" she had to swallow past her fear of him. Not that she really cared about the females, she just hated the way he upturned her palace and made decisions.
"What do you want?" He asked quietly but she knew that was just a cover. The King was a coiled serpent, lying in wait for the right moment to strike.
"M- maybe you should reconsider this"
"I have nothing to reconsider! It must be done now!" He made to step back in the room and she blocked his path. She could feel the heat of his gaze and knew it wouldn't take more than a nanosecond before he breaks her neck.
"Shouldn't You wait for the next second heat period?" She says sweetly
"I don't have the time for that now, get out of my way!"
"Maybe you should try later, King Eric, the women seem tense and it wouldn't be good for errr- you know- ferti-"
"I've heard You." Murder in his eyes, he only nodded once and walked away
Of Glory and Of Doom
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