Power and Love

Chapter 15: Words

Arthur's POV

I didn't want to see him.

I didn't want to see that lifeless, pale face as he slept.

I screamed in agony, as the soldier behind Alfred pulled the sword out. He coughed and some blood splattered on his chest.

"No!" I yelled, but it came out as a hoarse whisper. I doubt he heard it.

Alfred collapsed on the ground and I started running towards him. Maybe Francis was trying to stop me, but I didn't care.

I kneeled beside him. Alfred lay on a pool of blood, which was slowly spreading. I put my on his wound, closed my eyes and started chanting a healing spell.

"Hey, are you in... Heaven too?" He asked. I opened my eyes and looked him.

"No. Don't you dare to die on me!" I snarled, mainly to myself. I couldn't give up, I couldn't let him die here. Alfred's eyes widened as he realized something.

He turned his head to look at the sky. He was thinking about something, I could tell. I kept trying to heal his wound.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed. It didn't work. I couldn't save him.

"Don't worry. If I die tonight, we'll meet in another life." He said.

"Don't speak like that! You'll live!" I could feel tears in my eyes. Alfred coughed slightly.

He smiled dreamily.

"Hey, Arthur." He said quietly.

"Shh... Don't speak." I said and wiped away my tears. My hand was bloody.

"When I met you for the first time, I fell in love with you right away." Alfred said. I tensed and looked him. My expression was shocked. How he could say he loved me? I'm not lovable, I'm just grumpy Queen, who talked sarcastically and sharply. The King closed his eyes and smiled.

"No! Don't close your eyes!" I begged.

After that incident, Francis had retreated. We had lost many men, but not as much as they had. I sighed. It was hard to lead, and now I understood Alfred perfectly.

"Your Highness, Yao wants to talk to you." A messenger boy said to me. Where did he even come from? I nodded slowly.

"Where is he?"

"Follow me." I followed messenger boy as he walked through our camp. Many of the soldiers bowed as I walked past them, but others, mainly the older soldiers, just nodded and continued to sharpen their swords and spears. They were waiting to avenge for their young King, I guess.

"When are we going to attack?" One of the three lieutenants asked the question that everyone wanted to ask.

I stopped. I had hoped someone would ask that question. I raised my voice to say: "As you know, we lost many men few days ago in surprise attack." Soldiers nodded and someone choked back a sob. Maybe he had lost his friend - or a lover.

"We do not have as many troops as Diamonds, so we have to be sly like foxes. Let they be prey, so we can hunt them down!" Soldiers raised their weapons and roared.

"We'll avenge for our King!" I raised my rapier towards the sky.

"In war everything is permissible."

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"Guerrilla war?"

I nodded. Major named Joshua sounded suspicious, but Yao thought my idea was good. "If this isn't good enough, you can stay here."