Loyalty Or Honour (Book 3)

Chapter Forty Eight

Vote ~ Comment ~ Enjoy!

Pearl raises her head slightly at the peculiar statement. Orion catches the movement out of the corner of his eye. The man steps in front of Cecilia to protect her. "Have you burned all your evidence?" Orion asks, gesturing to the fire. Cecilia frowns and looks back.

"Why would you care?" She strongly asks.

"I do not want my future Queen dragged down by your testimony or any letters." Orion answers honestly.

Cecilia's eyes light up with a new plan. "You are not him. He could barely stand. You must be his brother. Which means the Prince is still unaware of his survival. The letters I received from my sister told me of the man that died and how she was heartbroken. He is believed to be dead. I can only assume his life is in danger. You should let us go. His secret will be kept. The Prince never needs to know." She tries to bargain.

"We were discussing your sister, not my dead brother." Orion snarls. "If I escort you back, alive, will you drag her down with you?"

"Of course not. She had nothing to do with any of this. She was simply in a convenient position for us. Our mother made sure of that." Cecilia denies truthfully. "If I hang she will still be Queen one day."

"But if you take us back to the Prince, your brother will fall with us." The man adds thinking he is in a position of power. Orion snorts.

"You think my only options with you are to take you back or release you?" Orion asks incredulously. "Move one more inch and you will meet the same fate as them." He growls and Pearl freezes, her palm around an arrow. Orion sighs and with one accurate hit Pearl crumbles to the floor. Cecilia's eyes widen believing the girl to be killed. However soft breaths still leave her mouth.

"Most of our people will have seen him alive." Cecilia tells Orion. "They may remain silent if they know we are free."

"I doubt any of them know his importance or how he died on his escape." Orion replies. "I am not completely dishonourable. You may fight me and die honourably if you wish." Orion removes a long deadly blade and waits.

The man attacks. Orion wards him off and the blades clang and shriek as they each block the others attack. Cecilia edges around the men fighting and runs from the room. Orion growls and pushes against the man, cornering him with no way out. The blades screech as he continues to push. The man strongly pushes back and they are both trapped in position. Suddenly the light dies from the man's eyes. They roll down to see a blade protruding from his stomach. Orion emotionless watches as the man slumps down. If Cecilia had not run he would not have resorted to killing him in such a deceitful way.

He stalks off in the direction she ran. He is just in time to see her keel over a blade. Orion stops in shock. The men had all been given orders not to kill the two sketched people. Orion was to deal with them and escort them back to the castle for questioning. Roshi meets his gaze and nods his head. He removes his sword and Cecilia drops to the floor, hands frantically pushing down on the blood pulsing out. "On her orders a lot of my friends were killed." He says as a way of explanation. "Is the man dead?"

"Yes." Orion simply replies.

"Then our job is done. Both died at the hands of their own followers. It happens." Roshi says. "We should go. The fight is about to begin." At those prophetic words they both hear a loud bang. Soon the sounds of swords and grunts echo through the great building.

"You should go. You are not meant to be here." Orion orders. "I must go and assist them." Roshi bows and checks briefly on Cecilia. Her hands still cup the wound but now they are still and the blood has stopped flowing. She is dead. Roshi jogs off avoiding the sounds of fighting. Orion instead follows it and joins in, defending his side and attacking the enemies. Those that do not surrender soon succumb to the blade. Others are lead out in chains to be led back to the castle. The battle lasts less than an hour and soon the men not involved with the captives stride through the halls and rooms looking for the cowards that hid.