CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

Edgar stared at her hair. It had been combed and pulled up.
The healer behind her held her hair as she emptied her stomach into a pot by the corner of the tent.
He had slept exhausted. Almost like a dead body.
The cold tent calming him and coaxing him to sleep more. But his mind worried. He was not at peace, he needed to see Selene.
As he opened the tent flap, he met the healer forcing a cup to her mouth. She drank and gurgled, emptying her mouth into the pot.
A herb was handed her and she chewed slowly. A minty smell now filling the tent.
"My Lord" the healer bowed
"How is she" he questioned
"She will heal. Her body is fighting a powerful elixir" the healer replied
"How long?" Edgar asked
"She has too much of it in her, we can only pray she fights if off, if she feeds and drinks her medicine she has a better chance" she answered
Edgar nodded.
The healer curtsied and left the tent.
The bed the child laid was higher, crates had been gathered under it. The same bed laid in two places across the room.
Beside the child was a small plate of food. A cup of water and a larger jug that had a peculiar smell.
Edgar went to the bed and sat cautiously, careful of his weight.
"How are you ?" He asked, searching the princess's face
She nodded and looked at him, eyes glimmering with tears
"You came" she whispered
"I came" he responded. Holding her face.
She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
He held her, as she wet his cotton shirt and coughed to his face.
"I will never leave you alone Selene, believe me" he said
She nodded, sniffing and holding to his shirt
"Did he harm you?" He asked, refraining from voicing the burning question on his lips.
She nodded
"He let her hit me. You sister....she hit me. Their men hit me too. And...and they fed me nothing. They gave me no food, no water, only a substance, a foul liquid every night for all the days. I...I would have died Edgar, I nearly died. He wanted to turn me...to a walker! He wante....."
"Shhhhh...he can't do that from the grave can he?" Edgar shushed the child, a mean look on his face.
She shook her head eagerly and calmed.
"Did...did he touch you?" Edgar asked, his eyes searching.
"He touched my face. I have washed it this morning" she replied innocently, showing him her reddened cheek.
Edgar smiled. She was indeed still a child. But he had taught her the ways of a woman, each day left him marveling at her innocence.
Edgar leaned in and kissed her, unable to reaist,, his hands reaching under her dress and cupping a naked breast,
She gasped
"Did he touch you?" He asked, meaningful fondling her.
She turned a deep red
"No" she whispered, understanding dawning on her.
"I told you no man would touch you and still live, I own you" he cooed softly, his lips upon her at once, hands massaging her breast, his warm body straddling hers.
Selene leaped up at once, urgently forcing her body off the makeshift bed, struggling to be let up.
Edgar held her down, afraid she was now avoiding her touch. What had they done to her?
"Do not fear me Sele..." He was cut short as the princess clamped her hand over and mouth and double over, emptying a green liquid in him.
Edgar frowned. She was still sick.
"I'm sorry my Lord. Oh...I'm terribly sorry" she apologized hastily
Edgar did not say a word. He left the tent and returned with another chamber pot, a towel and a fresh cup of water.
He held her up and gently cleaned her soaked dress, damping the towel and cleaning her face.
He turned to the bed and pulled off the sheet. Placing it on the floor.
He handed the cup of water to her
"Thank you" she mouthed as she gurgled her mouth and emptied into the chamber pot.
"Come...I think fresh air will do you good" Edgar replied and covered her with a coat, buttoning up his own fresh coat and leading her out.
The camp was dense with people.
Some war servants cooked above the fire and ladies attended to the office wounded men who laid on low mats outside.
There was enough warmth from the fire to force the cold snow away.
The ground was still wet though, melted snow coating it.
"I killed her" Selene stated as they sat on a large stump
"She deserved to die. I may have been unwilling to do so but she deserved it. Very much" he replied, quickly thinking back at Alexandra. Greed.
"How far is home?" She asked
Edgar smiled. She was calling his manor home. Sol had become her home.
His heart warmed at the thought. He could feel his mind lingering in her sensual body a little more. Oh he yearned for her. He had taken her. And he wanted no man near her. But he was unwilling to marry to give her what she undoubtedly wanted, what every honorable woman wanted, what was he? A cruel rake?
Edgar turned from the child for a while. He needed to see his men.
"I am coming" he said and rose, meeting the wounded men
Faces of young pained men stared back at him. He greeted each with a nod and walked on, asking the healer how they were faring.
Then he paused.
He went into the smaller tent and looked.
There laid his Lieutenant.
Edgar could feel his heart pounding.
He had survived?
He peered down at the man, his left arm was a stump, wrapped in a white bandage. Edgar gulped. He had lost a great warrior, what use was he with one arm?
"Ensure he has all he needs. Everything" he ordered the healer by the warrior, she nodded and he departed without another word.
When he returned to the tree stump he sat, the child was missing.
His heart skipped and he immediately schooled it. She wouldn't be hurt. Helsing was no more and the forest was flowing with people. She wouldn't go unnoticed.
He lifted the flap to the tent she temporarily resided and entered
There she was, on the bed, a maid sitting close to her, a cup in her hand.
He stood by the door watching.
"My Lord" the maid curtsied as she noticed him
Edgar nodded
"Leave us" he said
"She has to eat my Lord and she shouldn't have been out in the cold" the maid said
"I will ensure she stays in, leave us" he ordered
The maid curtsied low and left with a slight frown.
Edgar went to the child.
"You are that tired?" He asked
"I wish to lay down a bit" she replied
Edgar nodded.
"I will wake you when we are ready to ride" he said and left the tent.
*******************************
The cows mooed about as the Lord rode his horse. A few ranch workers bowed and the rest stared in sheer interest and anxiety, no doubt searching for their family and friends, many ran home to announce that they had returned from war after the endless days.
Edgar nodded at the crowd and rode on. The manor could be seen far off. Its marbled walls reflecting the soft ray of the sun. The snow was falling lightly, the woman in his arms now looking like she had grayed. Edgar rode lightly, unwilling to shake or wake her.
The first carriage he spared for the wounded. And the other held the body of his step sister.
His men followed behind in large numbers. Each group having reunited as they journeyed back.
Edgar rode on in the vast field, nodding monotonously as men bowed to him.
The war was over. He would sleep with a sound mind. And his woman was by his side. His heart, his sanity. His undoing.
Edgar could sight the Eastern manor far off. Men stood on the upper floors, staring down at them. He would make it one manor again. Sol was Sol. It was not to be divided.
The crowd had gathered significantly as he neared the manor.
Woman, men and children from the villages and manor itself stood at the entrance, each eager to know. Eager to create rumor and tell a tale at the tavern later.
"Wake Selene" he whispered to the child. She stirred slowly and drifted off again
"We are here" he said into her ears.
She jolted awake, tightening her hold on him.
He dismounted and held the child down, a dozen maids rushing out of the crowd to take her away.
He turned to the expectant crowd.
He looked back with outstretched palms and a man stepped forths a small soaked sack in hand and a cloth in the other.
"Kiro has fallen"
Edgar said, holding the head of Helsing out from the bag and holding it to the crowd, he tossed it, rolling to the far end of the grass and many shied way from the smelly flesh.
He held out the flag of Kiro and tore it swiftly with his sword
A loud shout erupted. The men cheered and the women screamed in joy, some crying and hugging themselves.
Edgar's path was cleared as he left, going into the manor. The princess was not fine. Her mind was troubled. It reflected in her big green eyes.
He escaped the crowd. He knew what would come next. Tears and wails. His men had fallen, a few of them and he did not want to witness the heart wrenching pain as mothers cried and wives went suicidal. There was no peace without war.
Edgar went into the manor. First moving the the child's new chambers to keep her company, It was locked.
He knocked, countlessly and silence replied him. He decided to leave her be a while and disappointedly went away.
__________________________________