Entangled - A Cursed ff x Medici the Magnificent cast

Chapter 4 - A Dying Warrior

"Captain? What are you doing?".
Guinevere stiffened. She hated being questioned about her decisions.
"We found some survivors. Bring some food and water for the child" she ordered to her crew.
"And that one?" Eilar pointed at the badly wounded one.
"He needs help too" she said waving to other sailors to carry him inside, then she followed them.
"It can be a trap" Eilar hissed, grabbing her arm to stop her.
She rolled her eyes at him and freed her arm from his grip "Look at his wounds. He's too weakened by them to be a menace. He could die".
"Then give him a merciful death!".
Guinevere sighed. That was the most rational solution. She had seen less damaged men getting a quick death.
Dead.
She had seen too many dead.
If that stranger could be still saved, she wanted to give it a try. And if it was all a waste of time, at least she had some peace of mind, because she had tried.
"Maybe I can still save him. Didn't we see enough death around?" she replied strongly, then added hesitantly "He could be the brother of someone else who would be grateful to us for a little action of mercy".
Eilar lowered his head and let her pass.
Guinevere opened the door of her brother's empty room and made her men rest the body on the bed.
"What the hell happened? Some battle?" she asked to Percy.
The child shivered "He fought an army to save me. We've been travelling for days. I didn't know where to go".
"There are not many save places now. Everywhere pop up traitors. Fetch me some waters please".
Percy looked disoriented but he followed the other men to learn how to get the water.

Guinevere was left alone with the dying man.
She couldn't even understand if he was a Blood Man or a Fey.
His body was covered with wounds that made it hard to imagine how he looked like. She wondered how he could be still alive.
She had seen strong warriors die for smaller wounds.
Anyway Guinevere used all her skills to help him, although she feared it was just a waste of time and supplies, but imagining also how many he would get if he had a chance to survive.
But if the leader of the Fey Folk had done anything to help some enemies and freed them, Guinevere felt pushed to do the same.
The memory of her brother haunted her, clasping her heart in a painful grip. She remembered seeing a bunch of her men coming back to the sea carrying the dead body of her brother.
The nausea came back to torment her as she examinated the wounds.
His clothes melted with his skin where the flesh was torn.
She couldn't even understand how he would look like without those wounds.
But he was still alive. She could feel his pulse. Something was keeping him alive. And she wondered what energy held him hanged to life. If she was in his shoes, she would rather end the agony and die.
Guinevere swallowed hard at the idea.
She couldn't take her dagger out and give a clean death to that stranger. She would be too ashamed to face the reaction of that lonely child.
She felt powerless in front of choosing life and death.

Percy came back and Guinevere wore back her mask.
She couldn't steal hope from his eyes.
She thanked him for the water and started to clean the cuts.
"This could have beheaded him" she commented noticing a deep cut on the back of his head.
"Spiked balls" she added scanning the other wounds.
The left arm didn't react to any stimulation.
Some ribs were broken from an impact with the spiked balls.
Guinevere felt like fighting an already lost battle.
It was Percy's will of saving him to give her the courage to keep trying.
"You've been very brave and strong. To travel like this" she said finally, after cleaning and placing few bandages the wounded man. She cleaned her hands from his blood and caressed the child's face.
"I had no choice. The Red Paladins were everywhere. If I haven't seen your ships, I would have tried to swim".
She silenced him "The monks won't bother us anymore. You are welcome and safe here".
She led him to her rooms nearby, where Arthur was waiting for her.
"Arthur?" Percy called widening his bid eyes.
"Squirrel?" Arthur replied, then laughed emotionally and ran to hug the child.
"Squirrel?" Guinevere repeated confused, a bit offended for feeling a stranger on her own ship "How many names do you have, kid?".
"That's how friends call me. I don't like the name my parents gave me. Percival".
"I see. So you belong to the Fey Folk?".
Arthur nodded for him "We lost him when we marched to the shore".
"I was chasing Gawain" Percy protested.
"Where is he?" Arthur asked hesitantly, presuming the answer.
"They tortured him. He's gone" Percy bursted out crying and cried on Arthur's shoulder.
"Just like my brother" Guinevere said gloomily, crossing Arthur's teary eyes "It's a blessing that the Red Paladins are leaving. We'll make sure they'll leave and never come back".
Percy gave her a scared look that made her expression soften.
"I let you two update. I need to get some stuff" she said to give them some private time.