Saudade (Published under Indie Pop)

Chapter 68: The Battle at the Safety Rock

Chapter 68: The Battle at the Safety Rock

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The three of us knew that I shouldn't be here. It was agreed before the war started on the Lake of Dreams. I should be in the East Land, safe and unharmed in the castle. And yet, I was here; wounded and almost had my death in the hands of a crazy mermaid witch. No, he surely didn't like what he was seeing. He hated me being here with them. And that hatred was soon pointed at Threy when he glared at his direction.

"What is she doing here? What happened to her?" he demanded.

But the Skull wasn't seemed to be in the mood to answer his questions. He remained alert on the duels happening around us. He didn't see Lord Chester as the greatest threat at the moment; it was the war – the situation we were in. And I knew by then that he too didn't like that I was here.

"I'm here to help the wounded–"

"Move faster, Primrose!"

"Are you an idiot?"

They both cut me off from speaking; one was commanding and the other one was demanding. I was annoyed. I knew that there's a right time to be hard-headed and this was definitely not the one for it. But I felt insulted. They made me feel that what I did was wrong. They didn't even know that I helped a number of wounded Borgian warriors and treated a South Land soldier during the time that I was in the battlefield. And none of those things felt wrong.

"This is my battle, too! This is the way I fight: by helping those who are injured and trying to lessen the casualties! Why can't you just let me do what I feel I need to do because honestly, nowhere is really safe at the moment. It's either I placed myself in the battlefield or wait to be killed!"

I had enough. I understood that they only want to protect me. It was important for them that I was safe. However, sitting in the safety of the castle didn't feel right. I knew that I would be hearing screams of agony even though I was in the East Land. It would cry for me and claw at my soul. It would call at my conscience repeatedly until it was the only thing I could hear. And I don't think I was strong enough for such torture and thus, I followed my instinct and do what I think was right.

Lord Chester's harsh expression softened as he gazed back at me. "No one's killing you today, Princess. Come here. I'll have my soldiers escort you to the West Land. You'll be safe there."

But his approach was halted by the Skull as he swung his sword at him and created more distance between us. Lord Chester found no other choice but to step back in caution.

"The lady will go back to the Borgian Castle. I will not let any Weston get near her," Threy warned in deadly tone.

They were sizing each other up, waiting for a chance to attack. And as I watched their figures by the rock, I couldn't help but reminisce of the times when we were still young – those colourful times when all they were doing were teasing and playing around not thinking of the possibilities they would have by the time they grow up. But now, Threy had the past and the future of the Borgian Kingdom on his shoulder while Lord Chester had to defend the present to keep his beloved West Land. Back at the old times, none of these mattered. The old and youthful days of fighting using wooden sticks faded into the darkness. The laughter they shared was gone and the only thing left in their eyes was hatred. When did everything start to change? Why didn't we realize back then that everything was bound to change?