The Forge Of Kings

Chapter 23: A Bitter Sweet Evening

     I stood in the glass room of the observatory of Sylhalin, when Drake approached from behind me with a glass of wine in each hand. I gave a mellow smile and turned back to the view of the city, of all the sights of Rhōva, I could see the highest peaks of Khofte where the dragons swarmed, The valley of Eîthor, The walls of Rhín, and the elven city of Sylhalin below.

     "It's quite the view." Drake said as he took a deep breath. I took a sip of wine, "Yes it is." I gave a light chuckle, for the first time, I felt content. "Cheers." Drake gave me a smile, "Cheers." We clinked our glasses and each took a sip. Our quiet moment was interrupted by a frantic soldier, who had climbed the stairs and stopped to catch his breath. "Ma'am, A wagon has breached the eastern gate."  He leaned down and kept his hands on his knees to remain on his feet. I approached the eastern faced window. Sure enough, the gate was raised, and a convoy of horse drawn wagons rampaging the Village of Calis.

     I let out a sigh, "Well they're being pursued, so I don't see a reason to worry much about it, Close the gate, and it remains closed until I say so." I ordered, The soldier nodded, gave me a bow and disappeared down the stairs, I sighed and turned my attention back to Drake, "Where were we?" In response to my question he finished his wine and took my hand and led me down the stairs, "Come with me." He seemed eager to lead me towards something. I gave him a confused smile and followed as directed.

     We decended into the foyer of the observatory and found Atlas sleeping in his armour. Drake pulled me through the door and towards the stables. "Where are we going?" I asked with a chuckle. "No questions, just experience." He replied, I rolled my eyes at his vague response, we mounted two horses and rode off towards the northern country side of Sylhalin, we passed farms with cows, pigs, and vegetables. I kept close to Drake, who seemed to know where he was going.

     As we rode, The ocean began to close in on the left side of us, and the eastern wall of the kingdom on the right. Drake slowed down and hopped of his horse, there was a small cottage nearby, but ahead of me was ocean, all the way to the horizon, and on the horizon sat icebergs, the sun was beginning to set, and the moon starting to rise, the sky behind the icebergs took on a gorgeous blue hue, with specks of white invading the space. Even without the moon in view to the north, the clashing of Day and night, brought bright orange, against the darkest blues. Merging together in the distance. I let out a gasp, breathtaking.

     Drake walked over to his saddle bags and pulled out a blanket, he laid it out on the ground, and then untied a basket from his horse, he set up glasses, plates, and candles all on this blanket. I gave him a small smile and sat as he motioned to. "I apologise if this seems odd, we haven't known each other for long, but I felt this would be a good, quiet time to get to know each other better." He said, I raised a finger to his lips, "It's alright, it's perfect." I reassured, He gleamed with excitement, I turned my view to the icebergs in the distance as he poured us some more wine.

     Drake smiled and passed me a glass of wine, I gasped and watched the icy landscape in the distance, I saw penguins, sliding down the icebergs and splashing into the water in small groups. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" He asked, Drake gave me a light smile, but it definitely seemed genuine, like he was happy to be here. I gave a nod, and prepared for the questions. "What was your life like? Before, meeting me?" He asked, I considered his words carefully, "lonely, it was lonely, I lived on my own for, a couple of years. Never stayed somewhere for long, it was a very nomadic life. I kept to myself alot, Do I get to ask a question now?" I answered as honestly as I could, I had never told anyone much about me, not even Count Dendrin, and he was a close friend, after my village fell to ruins.

     Drake gave a nod, I considered my question, I pulled out the leather bound diary from my pack. "Did you know the woman who wrote this? Theresa?" I asked. His face took on a saddened grin. He took a deep breath and looked to me, "Yes, I did." I looked down to the diary in my hand and traced the ragged leathers texture. "...She was my wife." He waited a few minutes before speaking, I looked up in surprise. "Wife?" I tried to sound calm but he had completely lost me. I began flipping through the pages of the diary, Theresa did not say he was her husband. That they were married...? My heart went cold, "Mixa...?" Drake nodded, he pulled a small teddy bear out of his back pocket, "Mixa was my daughter, We married out of wedlock." He replied My heart sunk, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing seemed to be coming out. He tried to hold back tears, but they began to drench the bear.

     Drake took a deep breath, and gave me a forced smile. "I may have lost them, but I didn't forget them, and that's what matters." He said as he took another deep breath and looked at me with his tear soaked eyes. "What was your life like before you started living on your own? You showed me your village, may I ask what happened?" He seemed interested, but I couldn't help but think he wanted to change the subject off his family.

     I looked to the horizon, the penguins were still sliding down the icebergs. I looked back to Drake, "It was good, I lived with my mom, but..." I planted my face in my hands, I took a moment and continued. "... My father died when I was an infant, and my mother was murdered when I was 13." My face got hot, as I thought of the day the imperials captured and slaughtered my friends and family. Sunk my village into the bay. I blinked back tears, "A man threw me into a  wagon with a cage filled with other kids from my village, and killed my mother when she fought to get to me. I can still see his face. Every detail of his face." My voice broke as I spoke. "She ran for me, fighting with all she had, when he jammed a sword through her head, it emerged through her forehead, holding her on her feet, but she was gone, her eyes went dark, her jaw fell and he pushed her off aggressively with his foot." I said, Drake's eyes grew wide, and he seemed shocked, utterly shocked.

     I hid my face in my hands again and started to sob uncontrollably. I lifted my head and looked Drake in the eyes I choked back a sob and opened my mouth. "When I first left to be on my own, I was hunting the man who had killed my mother, I was going to make him regret doing what he did, killing my mother, and pushing her off his sword like garbage. I was going to kill everyone he loves, and make him watch from a cage." My eyes were so filled with tears, I could no longer make out Drake, it was all blurred. I took a deep breath, I know my mother wouldn't agree with vengeance, she would say. "Akira, Forgiveness is the strongest weapon you can yield, anger only makes you feel worse in the end."

     The sad thing is, she would be right. Drake set a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "I'm...so...Sorry." he said as he began to blow out the candles, and began to put them away, I wiped my face, "What are you doing?" I asked him, "I feel like this was poorly planned. I planned this to be joyful, and memorable, but now I see that I made a mistake." He said, I reached for his hand, and he stopped speaking and looked at me. "This went as good as it could have." I replied. I gave him a weak smile, He took a moment, as if he was considering something.

     Drake reached into the basket and pulled out a small uniquely carved box. He opened the box and gave me a smile, "Akira, Will you be my wife?" His words echoed in my head, bouncing off the walls of my skull. I tried to speak but I couldn't. Drake took my silence and continued to speak. "This was my late wife's ring, she gave it to me before the elders began the ritual to protect our village. She died to the imperials too. But she told me, that I should give it to my next love, the next woman to take my heart, and my hand, it was her final plea." I continued to listen, but was still having problems comprehending what was going on? I stood up and walked a few steps, and began pacing back and forth.

     I stopped and looked back to Drake, "Why are you asking? This seems sudden." He smiled to my question, "You are the the strongest person I have ever met, In this age and the last. You inspire me to be better, you carry a weight on your shoulders that makes me and all others around you, want to fight harder. Akira. You are a force of nature, You hold an undying will that doesn't fade when others does, you make me brave, an d I want to be brave, You, my dear, are legendary, and I would be lucky, if you would agree to be my wife." His words made me oddly honored.

     I rolled my eyes and sat back down on the blanket. He raised his glass, "let's toast to the pain, To the bad days, to opting for the better, I just want to be happy, and you, Akira, make me happy. So lets toast to the tears of our past, and the euphoria of our future." He gave me a big goofy smile. I let out a sigh, and raised my glass. "Cheers." I said as I returned his smile, We clinked our glasses, and sat there, watching the penguins in the distance, Drake wrapped his arm around me, and I felt a feeling I thought had died a long time ago. Joyful. Cheers indeed.