Rising Above (Dead War Sequel Book 2)

Prologue: The Decision

A year had gone by with Oliver gone. My heart still felt heavy but I was moving one. Jasper just turned 7 and Edmund just turned two years old. I felt like Oliver was missing all of Edmund first's but I knew it needed to be done. I knew no matter how much I missed Oliver I couldn't let it keep me from doing my duties. We held a fire ceremony for Oliver and Burned his sword and his bow and arrow. Alex per a request from me made Oliver's sword into a necklace that I could carry with me at all times. It had a piece of each of my son's hairs and the metal melted down from my husband's sword. Life was difficult and definitely different. Jasper was just leading to wield a sword and Edmund was just learning to walk. It felt like life would never be the same and yet it had to be. No one had said anything about the war since we held the funeral for Oliver a year ago. No one made a single move or made attempts on my life or others. I hadn't gotten a single letter or any news from prophis in a year. It felt strange not having to worry as much or constantly be fixing things. It was odd. Oliver's crown remained above my bed with his picture on my nightstand. I was beginning to heal and to get on with my life but the one thing I couldn't imagine was that I would never get my daughter merlia. In my dream Merlia and Edmund were a year to two years apart and now I couldn't help but feel like I would never get my full family. Part of me wished I was pregnant but the other half knew I couldn't do three kids all alone especially if my pregnancy goes the way it previously had. I knew if I died someone else would be in charge of my three kids and I couldn't handle that. This was a life I had to learn to live and honestly it wasn't one I was sure I could do. I lived awhile without Oliver and I did okay but now I would be living the rest of my life without him with no hope of him returning. This was no longer a when he returns, it's a he never will return.

I stood in the mirror one early Sunday morning and placed my hands on my stomach. A part of me craved to be pregnant so I could have another piece of Oliver to remember him by. But I knew it was a hopeless venture. I sighed and walked to my closet and put on my black dress I had worn in years previously. I put my crown with black jewels. I pulled my hair back into a low side bun and pulled two front pieces out and curled them. I placed gold earrings in my ears and placed my wedding ring onto my ring finger before looking down and removing the wedding ring and placing it on my pointer finger. I knew it was time to remove the wedding ring and move on for my kingdom. I looked down at my ring and the tears began to form in my eyes and I put it back on my ring finger and walked over and took Jasper's hand and picked up Edmund and put him on my hip and walked out the door down the hall into the conference room. Alex and Nathaniel stood next to each other looking down at the table. Charlie stood at the end of the table with his hands resting on the table. Jasper ran in and jumped onto Alex's lap and hugged him tightly. Nathaniel stood up and offered to take Edmund and I handed him to Nate.

"Sorry I'm late, it's been harder to get out of the room lately."

"It's alright, we were just talking about the next step." Charlie said.

"What next step?" I asked.

"Of the war, we haven't gotten a sign and the men in the guard disappeared last night probably returning to prophis. Other women left as well, probably spies. I feel at a loss he has never cared for his son so I doubt it's for a memorial but why make everyone retreat when you are so close to destroying a kingdom that has lost so much. And a kingdom that doesn't have anything to spare, why waste time and destroy us while we are down?" Charlie asked, looking up at me. I kept my head down pondering what he was saying.

"I mean we lost Oliver two towns were destroyed, a carriage full of women and children were destroyed returning from a neighboring town. I mean we only have 13 men left. We can't win a war with 13 men. Why not come now?" Nathaniel asked.

"Because that's too easy." I finally spoke. Nathaniel and Charlie and Alex all looked up in sync and Charlie looked confused.

"Leonard is a king who prides himself on winning the hardest and most confusing wars in history. He prides himself on being able to take out anyone no matter how many men they have. Half of our knights were his men, half of our women and children were from prophis. He doesn't want the easy fight he wants to win when we are the strongest. He pulled his men out because his men can't fight our own men. He doesn't want this to be a fair fight but he wants us to have a fighting Chance he wants us to have the ability to fight back instead of coming through and destroying everything while we are already weak. That's too easy for him." I explained.