Fifty one

When dawn finally reached, I stood up from my bed and turned to face him, I didn’t sleep a wink after the incident but he didn’t know that, it took the man some time to raise his head to meet my gaze. And when he did, his eyes were filled with fury.

“I hope that you have gathered your strength because the next few hours will be torturous to you.” I said to him.

“I will kill you bitch, so you can join your husband in death.” He spat out with venom in his tone.

“Okay but that will be a long time seeing that my husband is not yet dead, but I should tell you. Before you make good of your threats know that Orel will kill you when he comes back. As from the moment you tried to do what you did yesterday. You started to live on borrowed time.” I said to him as I changed my clothes, I could not bring myself to wear the sheath of my swords so instead I held it in my arms and left the tent with the man screaming profanities at me, inside the tent, although soon enough he would wished that he had used his strength to beg instead.

When I got outside the tent as soon as I straightened and took in my surroundings, I saw the strange looks that I was getting at the sound of an angry male voice inside my tent, I could see some of their eyes, they thought I had replaced Orel, well they will understand soon enough.

Boan expression was that of confusion as he approached me, there was no judgement in his tone gotten from ill-concealed assumptions when he greeted me. “Warlady”

“Boan, just the man I wanted to see… what brings you here.”

“Commander Elison said that I should be your guard today as he isn’t sure if he will have the chance to spend any time with you.”

I smiled at that. “Well too bad. I want you to gather all the commander on the order of the Warlady. Including Queen Gwenn and her commander. They should be in the training fields in less than thirty minutes.”

“My lady, I cannot do…” Boan started his protests, he knew that if I sent him some of the commanders will just end up punishing him and my message will not get across on time, I actually wanted them to try that nonsense.

“Summon them with these words. Another demonstration is in order, anyone who misses this one will be used for the third demonstration.” I talked over Boan complaints drowning his voicing of his fears. “Go.”

“As you wish Warlady.”
Boan bows his head and marched back to the direction he was coming from. I stared at Boan until he was out of sight before I turned to two warriors nearby.

“Both of you, drop whatever you are doing and follow me.” I ordered two warriors who were carrying some barrels. Without a second though the two warriors dropped the barrels as if it burnt them and moved to follow me. Their actions brought a smile to my face before I remembered what I was about to do… this morning will not be an easy one.
***

“Lady Themis. What is going on?” Elison asks as approached me while I standing with my hands folded in front of me as I watch some warriors tie a commander to a whipping pole but it was in reverse form, the back was resting on the pole while the front was exposed.

“Oh, now I am back to being Lady Themis.” Everything about my stance was confrontational,

Elison face flushed with shame.

“I am so…” Elison started.

“Save your apologies commander Elison. I believe that you will really have what to apologies for when we are done here.”

I dismissed him by stepping away from him and turning my attention back to watching the commander on the pole, I shivered as I wondered how much he would have broken me if he had succeeded with what he wanted to do to me and I had survived.

“When you are done securing him there, strip him naked.”

“Yes Warlady.” The warriors answered with a shout as they proceeded to do what I had just ordered.

“What happened?” Gwenn asked me as a form of greeting.

I hugged the lady with the guard who was also the commander of Northshore army stood beside Elison with his ever watchful gaze rested on his queen.

“A lot.” I replied. “Had an unexpected night visitor.”

“What.” Elison asked with his face drained of all color. Why, why was it that the one night he decided to let his emotions rule him, something damaging happens.

“Later.” I answered Gwenn who voiced the same question that Elison did. “We are all complete so I guess I should state the reason why everybody is here.”


I stepped close to the opening where the commander was tied which people had gathered around him, I gave an insincere smile to other commanders as they huddled together wondering why I had one of them tied up.

“Sorry for the disturbance from your duties everyone, but I would quickly like to hold this session and based on the fact that we are all busy, I don’t plan on keeping us here for long. How was your night everyone?”

Murmurs arose of the commanders answers, some in confusion other looking a little sick with clarity as they realized where this was going.
“From your answers I trust you all had a good night rest then… no matter how short the night was. You still slept still dawn where you awoke peacefully with your tents safe before beginning your duties for the day, correct?” I asked and when nods and answers of affirmation went round, and that was when my tone turned sharp.
“Well I did not. You see some time last night while most of the Army were sleeping and the ones who were not sleeping were watching over the rest of us. Someone with nefarious plans left his tent and came to mine…”

“She is lying, she is nothing but a slut.” The commander tied to the pole shouted.

“Calm down commander, we haven’t even reached the part of your guilt yet and you are already confessing. As I was saying before the undue interruption. Someone came into my tent, the safety provided to me by my husband and wanted to rape me. I would not put you all through the details of what happened or how far he went in touching place which only Orel has ever touched since we are all busy. Instead I will move forward. I tied him up after giving him something to feel throughout the night and then here we are this morning. Any questions before I carry out his punishment?” I asked in a faked bubbly tone.

“What will be his punishment?” A commander asked with his face red.


“Well, I know that I cannot kill him since that will remove him from his current position and Orel is not around to fill that position. Since I am standing in place of Orel waiting for his return, I cannot make any permanent adjustment until the Warlord returns, he will get to stay in his position… alive.” Cries of otherwise were shouted with Elison voice being one of the most vocal.

Apparently, rape was a touchy subject for them.

“However.” I continued amid the noise. “He does not need his man hood to be a commander since he is going to be a commander in name alone. I am assigning all his duties to Boan. The warrior who summoned you all for me. When Orel returns he will make the final decisions. Any other question?”

“Who will carry out the punishment?” Elison asked.

“The person who was almost raped.” I looked at him straight in the eyes.

“The Warlady. The woman who is underestimated and whom is believed that she cannot hold her husband place for him until his return.”

Elison lowered his eyes as Gwenn bumped his shoulders, he faced Gwenn to see fury in her eyes.

“As soon as we are done here, I want you to explain to me how it is possible for Orel to leave his wife in your capable hands and you let her get almost raped, she had to be frightened in her home… with her unborn child.” Gwenn eyes burned with anger and fury, Elison knew his eyes were just like hers but with an added emotion too… guilt.

“Please, please don’t…” the commander begged drawing Gwenn and Elison attention back to the scene before them where I was approaching the man with a small dagger.

“Why, so that you can threaten another woman this way again and might succeed. How many women have you done this to?” I asked.

“None, you slut… you wanted it.” The commander screamed and Elison growled in answer but my attention was not to be divided.

“No, I didn’t but I certainly want this. Because I am not wanting to keep others from their duties because of your pathetic self, I will not use a blunt knife.”

With those words I severed the groin from the root and the commander screams rent the air. I dropped the part that followed my hand and turned away from the man to address the warriors standing behind me.

“Take him to the healer in thirty minutes time. That would have reduced the blood flow and so would not give the healer much stress in patching him up.”

I faced the Commanders next. “I am sorry for calling you all away from your duties but you can go back to them, in fact. That is what I will do. Boan please come with me.” I said as I began to move away from the training field.

“Lady Themis.” Elison called out as he rushed to her with Gwenn by his side. “I am so sorry, I know that it would not be easy for you to find it in your heart to forgive me but I never intended for any of this to happ...”

“Pardon me commander Elison but right now I am very busy, I done have the time to chat around.”

Apology was not accepted, it was clear from my tone and I was about to make my escape, Gwenn soft voice stopped me on my tracks.

“Themis….”

“I will visit you later in the day Gwenn.” I said to her with my tone soft.

She did not deserve my anger, I nodded to the two of them and after a brief pause, nodded to the commander of Northshore army too before leaving the training field with Boan besides me. Elison stared after me and when he turned to face Gwenn she was glaring at him.

“Tell me every single thing that happened after my departure so that I can know the stupid reason why you left her.”

Elison let out a defeated sigh as he proceeded to do what Gwenn asked of him knowing that no matter what he said, there was still no excuse for his actions. The only thing that is saving him from complete guilt is the fact that the bastard didn’t not succeed. If he had, there would have been no way Elison would have been able to live with himself.