Timeless

21

Once the door closes, the others face Grey. The perplexed looks of his companions already make it harder for him to talk. Then understanding dawns on Anna's face.

"You've agreed. You're going to do it." Anna says almost horrified but at the same time relieved.

"Yes, I told Ari last night that I would. But there's a problem, I don't know how I'm going to kill her. How do I kill the woman I love?" Grey asks despairingly.

Then he looks over at Anna. "I'm going to do this and damn myself for eternity then I need you to do something for me."

"Whatever I can Grey." Anna says in pain.

"I want you to hold the trial as soon as you can the next day. And my execution as soon after that as you can." Grey demands. He wants this settled before Ari wakes up. He'd promised he'd try to live for her, but there was no way he could stand living with her dead and by his own hand.

"As you wish Grey." Anna says sadly. She had feared that she would lose them both.

"Grey..." Taren starts to say but then chokes up.

"It's what she wants. She wants to save the people that saved her." Grey says dejectedly. He's helpless to deny her this. Although he desperately wants to.

"Grey?" Ari calls from the bed.

"We have company Ari. Do you feel up to greeting them?" Grey says as he walks over to the bed.

"Company?" Ari is still sleep slow and is trying to make sense of what Grey is saying.

"Anna and Taren are here. They want to have a war council. They'd like it if you would join us." Grey says sitting by her side and strokes her hair.

Ari sits up slowly, rather enjoying the hair stroking and wished it wouldn't stop, but at her movements Grey stops. "I guess so. Could you straighten my dress for me? I still haven't figured out how to do that."

Even after her nap she still looks very drawn and tired. Grey straightens her dress then picks her up and carries her over to the table where the others are sitting. She smiles up at him in thanks and Grey's heart lifts.

Anna speaks up, "Grey was just telling us that he's willing to do what he must to save the castle." She can't even say the words. She doesn't want to lose either one of them and it hurts to think about their loss. And she doesn't like the look of Ariele either. She's looking very drawn.

"Yes, he told me last night that he would. I wouldn't have asked it of him if there was any other way." She holds tight to Grey's hand. She looks down at the table. "The end is soon now. I can last maybe two more days, but no more. I'm getting very weak and even sleep doesn't seem to help much."

Grey can't help the tears that come to his eyes. Two days, that's all he'll have left with her. He tightens his hold on her hand unconsciously and feels her return it.

Anna nods slowly. "Two days then. What can we do in the meantime?"

"Ari thinks that if she can see all the guards than she can find the rotten ones, so we're going to have a review in the great hall." Grey says to Anna.

"But I'm going to need an excuse to touch them." Ari says a little downhearted. She hadn't thought of that when she suggested it earlier.

"I'll take care of that. I'll be there and say that you want to shake the hands of all the brave guards and what not. We can have the relief guards go first so the ones on duty can come and shake your hands as well." Anna replies thoughtfully thinking it out as she goes.

"I can have the officers greet you as they come in." Taren adds.

"You'll sit at the high dais so that sitting you are their height. Seeing how tired you look they won't ask questions. They might not think nice things about me, but they won't question things." Grey states. It will likely cause a lot of talk. Two days ago she looked healthy if not happy. That's not the state of things now.