A Thorn In The Ice

Chapter 27: A Cold Bed Of Enemies

"Dawn will do."
Agreed the prince with a sigh of visible relief.
"Your alive and I'm here playing hero instead of killer. Much has changed since we last met, so it seems we have many things to talk about. Would you walk with me?"
Iolas asked, weakly nodding towards the gardens.
Simon contemplated this, looking over at the hedge maze, where there was an eerie absence of people, but after looking over the prince once more and fully taking in his obviously exhausted, travel mangled frame, he deemed his enemy in no shape to be a real threat.
"Very well."
He agreed and the pair walked slowly to the icy gardens, and away from the ears of the peasants and soldiers.

"I know I've done nothing to earn your trust, but I don't need it right now," Iolas spoke up.
"What's important right now is Adelaide."

"On that I do not disagree."
Simon Grunted, trying to remain calm despite every fiber in his being still arguing to beat the traitorous prince within an inch of his life, perhaps not even that much.
How dare he say her name in such a familiar fashion? He thought, balling his fists at his side.

"How is it you are alive? She told me that she watched you die, falling from a cliff in an avalanche apparently."
Iolas began with the most obvious question, sensing that his new walking partner stood at a tense gaurd, ready to strike down the former villain at the first sign of treachery.

"I did fall. It broke every bone in my body, but I landed very much alive in a river and was carried down stream far from here. I was found in a coma by a healer and nursed back to health unbeknownst to my knowledge. I've not actually been conscious for very long."
Explained Simon in the briefest possible manner. Not daring to bring up Delilah, for this monster did not deserve to know her name.

"I see..." Nodded Iolas.
"Pleasantries aside unfortunately, as there isnt much time, tell me what supplies we still have left, and how many of your men are now strong enough to fight?"
He crossed his arms to ask the bigger man.

As Simon anwered in detail, the weight of the stableboy's metaphorical resurrection hit the prince for the first time, striking him in place with so many conflicting emotions.
With Simon alive, the prince realized with a suddenly heavy heart, Adelaide, for whatever brief time she had been his in the stableboy's absence, would be his no longer. Should all if any of them survive this war, he knew what choice she would make between himself and her former beloved, and, he realized with a sudden overwhelming sense of acceptance, that it wasn't even much of a choice. He wasn't much of a choice.
Compared to this painfully selfless, compassionate, and brave blond fool who had obviously loved her for years, and had never treated her as anything less than the treasure she is, Iolas knew who she would choose, more importantly who she should choose.

"-but tonight our main priority is arming our men to the teeth with whatever we have."
Simon wrapped up his speech.
"I agree. But we need to work out a strategy. We cannot just march blindly into their territory, that's a suicide mission." Iolas nodded, internally laughing at the irony.
He was loosing count of all his suicide missions, what would one more hurt?

"My apologizes Sir Simon, it seems you are more capable than I had past assumed."
Remarked the prince, doing his best not to sound haughty.
"After all you've done, that is what you want to apologize for first?"
Simon crossed his arms.
"Forgive me, I am quite new to apologies."
Countered Iolas, with a bit of snark, despite the geniality of his last sentence.
Simon only shook his head.
"Look, we can talk and strategise like men, and once we've saved Adelaide and Aelford, we can fight like dogs."
Simon didn't trust Prince Iolas as far as he could throw him. In fact, he didn't trust Iolas a fifth of the distance he could throw him, as he was quite confident in his ability to throw heavy objects long distances.