Fifty six

OREL POV

Themis never left my side, all through my healing process she has been always near me, and whenever I was awake she always sang to me. I never had any doubt that she loves but if I did, they have been put to rest. I have been hearing tidbits about what went on during my captivity but nobody will tell me anything even when I threatened to have them whipped, Dyane’s answer to that particular threat of mine was to laugh and say that Themis will do something worse if she did tell me, according to what has been going on, Themis refused to tell me the state of the camp or things that happened in my absence because she wanted me to be well rested before I learnt of anything that happened. She told me this five days after I have arrived at the camp and for the next two weeks after, it was what was repeated to me by the maids who helped Dyane with healing, those that brought food even my commanders repeated the same thing to me when I asked them, it feels like she gained the respect of the whole army while I was in captivity.

And now, this is the third week since I had returned and I am going stir fry crazy with been locked in this tent and not knowing what is going on in the camp even when Themis take me out on a walk to strengthen my muscle.

“Orel, what are you doing standing up all on your own?” Themis said as greeting as she hurried to my side when she entered the tent, like she always does but this time she fluttered around like she didn’t know what to do with me standing.

“I am alright physically, I need to know what happened in my camp.” I replied her sounding gruff.

“Oh… but you still need to rest.” Themis started to argue, like she has always been doing but this time I was not in the mood to listen.

“All the major healings have been done, what is left is the minor healings, those can heal when I am in battle.” I replied her.

“Oh they have fled...” Themis said with a smile.

“What…” I asked confused.

“They retreated, packed their things and left.” Themis beams at me.

“No they didn’t retreat, they left to cause destruction in another part, it is best to crush the military forces once so that it might not spring up as a thorn in another aspect, which is what they will do.”

“You think that we don’t know that. We don’t have the strength to go after them now, that was the only reason why we allowed them to leave.” Themis answered me as I studied her, she seemed more confident in herself, her eyes held more shadows and she has the glint of a warrior in her eyes, it doesn’t matter if she was adding a little weight even though I do prefer her that way but it seems like a lot did happen.

“Tell me Themis, what has happened since I have been gone.” I asked her as she froze slightly. “It is better I hear it from you and you might get to keep me here for one more day if you tell me.” I added to sweeten the deal and when she released a heavy sigh, I knew that I have won.

“I will have you know that I didn’t have a choice, a lot needed to be done.”

“I would not hold anything against you, just give me the highlights of what has happened since I have been gone.” I said to her, cutting short her warnings, I was fully expecting anything she wants to tell me.

“I didn’t want your position to be taken from you so I stood in as the Warlady.” She started as I nodded, I did expect that and I told her so.

“I expected that to happen, I am thankful that I don’t have to kill anybody to regain my position though and at the same time you were protecting yourself… I like what you did.”

“My tribesmen….”

“Former tribesmen.” I growled at her words.

“Former tribesmen” she quickly corrected herself. “The ones who were responsible for your captivity, I took care of them.”

I nodded at that. “You ordered their torture and made them sorry that we were attacked. That’s what I would I done too, there was no harm.” I answered her as she shook her head.

“I killed them.” she whispered.

“You had them killed?” I corrected but she shook her head once more.

“No Orel, I killed them myself.”

Her words shocked me, Themis was not the type of lady who killed people, I know this or rather, and I thought I did. “Continue.” I said as she nodded.

“I got the army where it is, with Gwenn and Elison always supporting me. Alson attacked me, almost raping me…”

“What?” I said lowly with my nose flaring, someone tried to rape my wife and I have been here recuperating with no one to inform me of this so that I can give him unimaginable pain before killing him.

“So I unmanned him and put him in chains, demoted him and put Boan in his place because I needed more commanders in my side at the council then he escaped, joined the enemy then they left.” Themis rushed out the rest part as I stared at her in shock.

I thought I was prepared for anything to come out of her mouth but I was not prepared for that. “You unmanned him, how?”

“With a knife, in public to serve as deterrent to those who think that I am too soft hearted to be the Warlady.” She replied me.

I used to think she is that way too, too soft hearted to be a warrior but with what she just told me, I don’t know if she is the same Themis I knew. Don’t get me wrong, My Themis was always Strong willed with a spirit that burned brightly now I am not sure what me not being around have done to her. “Okay, that’s all?”

“Well yes… except the most important one but I think you already know that one.” She said as her cheeks went red. I am glad that not all of her seemed lost.

“I have no idea what you mean.” I tell her.

“Haven’t you noticed anything different about me?” She asked shocked.

“You gained weight and you are always on bigger clothing now so I really cannot tell.” I inform her as she breathed out then removed her cover cloth leaving only the inner one.

I sucked in a breath as I realized what she meant, how could I not have noticed it… how could I have been this dense? “Themis…” I started with a choked voice. I tore my eyes away from her stomach to look at her face and she nodded with tears in her eyes.

“Yes Orel, I am with child, we are having a baby”

*******

After getting Dyane to check on my wife and my child in front of me, I realized that my wife needed to be strong to protect our child, and then some bastard general wanted to rape my pregnant wife, I was so incensed that as soon as Themis fell asleep next to me in out tent, I stood up and stopped a warrior who was passing. “Get me the commanders to meet me in the war council tent in the next fifteen minutes. Go.” With my order the warrior ran as I entered our tent back, changed into my trousers with some difficulty since Themis didn’t help me, she has been the one helping me since I slowly started recovering but no more, she is supposed to live like a queen with no concern, I was not able to give her that since but gods forbid that I would not be able to give her that now that I am back. After changing and kissing my wife hair, I strode out of the tent and was directed to the war tent where all the commanders already were waiting for me. After Elison looked at my face and bent his head in shame, he knew why I was so angry, I strode to him and punched him in his face.

“Orel.” Gwenn reprimanded me as she knelt beside Elison checking his face to see if my punch left a bruise. It did, not as big as the one I would have liked to leave on his face.

“I left her in your care, tell me how she was almost raped then, you all have explaining to do. Starting with you Elison.” I said as the rest of the commanders refuse to meet my eyes and Elison gulped loudly.

“I had a quarrel with her that day, I left in anger and didn’t think of anything about it, it wasn’t until the next morning I realized how foolish my actions was...” Elison said but I cut in sharply.

“So if my wife was any less of a warrior with a strong spirit as she is, she would have been raped and probably had her spirit broken all because you cannot think clearly when angered.” I thundered at Elison who went to his kneel.

“I am sorry that I failed you as both a warrior, a commander and your friend, I never expected that to happen, I am sorry Warlord.” Elison said.

“Does your being sorry, changes the fact that Themis was almost raped?” I asked him in a serious tone.

“No warlord.”

“Does it at least remove the disturbance she felt or wipe away the memory?”

“No warlord.”

“Then you being sorry is not something I can accept since it doesn’t change any single thing that happened.” I said before I swung my gaze to Gwenn who was standing near Elison but trying to make herself as small as possible. “And you, what’s your excuse?”

“I wasn’t in the camp.” Gwenn replied automatically, unknowingly taking the form of a warrior in front of her commander.

“I learnt that you were back then so why were you not in camp.”

“It was night and so I was with my warriors in our own camp.” Gwenn said.

“Speaking of warriors in your own camp, what happened to the support we were supposed to have from Northshore, I know that they are around but they haven’t been involved in the war so far.”

Gwenn cheeks went red. “They refused to get involved because it is not the right time yet.”

“And when will it be the right time. When half of the Dar empire army is dead? You are the queen of your people, we didn’t give you out for no reason, get them in order.”

“As you wish warlord.” Gwenn said with a bow, her cheeks still red from the embarrassment I just dealt out, it was not common that I cautioned or shouted at Elison in public, it was damn rare that I do anything about Gwenn even when she is acting childish, when I swung my gaze to the rest of the commanders, they all shuffled their feet nervously.

If I could ream my two friends who were family to me like that, they knew that I was not in the mood to pull punches when it comes to them, my next words proved them right.

“Now, what was this I heard about you all making life difficult for my wife even when you knew that she was with my unborn?”