Duty

Chapter 82 With or without you

Ophelia couldn't believe it when the news had come that her cousin had died. They had been close as children. Being the only daughter in the family, her brothers and cousins had doted on her, and she and Alcaeus had been of an age.

Ophelia's brothers, who served in the Royal Guard, were given leave to return to Santos for the funeral, and they would take Ophelia and Arkmene with them.

It had been a while since she had visited her home. She and Iolaus had made plans to travel there once his duties would give him some time off. Now it seemed the opportunity was presenting itself a little earlier. She only wished it could have been under more pleasant circumstances.

Alcaeus left behind a fiancée. They were going to be married once he'd have returned from the front. Ophelia regretted meeting the girl like this. She had been curious what kind of girl could capture her cousin's heart.

Her mind wandered towards Iolaus, who was still fighting at the border. Every day she feared the news would come that he had fallen in battle. She honestly didn't think she could live through it.

No.

He had to come home. He just had to.

She kneeled in front of her daughter and pulled the cloak tighter around the child's small frame. "It's cold outside, my sweet," she said, "let's pull up your hood, yes?"

It would be Arkemene's first trip to Santos. Ophelia's parents had been wanting to see their grandchild. Perhaps it would ease some of the pain of losing Alcaeus.

"Lady Ophelia," one of the servants curtsied as she entered the room, "your brothers have arrived."

"Yes, thank you," Ophelia said distracted. She fastened her own cloak and took her daughter's hand.

Outside, soft snow had started to fall.

Her brothers greeted her solemnly and briefly embraced her before helping her and Arkmene into the carriage that had been readied. They themselves would ride horseback alongside it.

The journey would take about a day and a half, and they would make several stops. Mostly because of Arkmene, but Ophelia was glad of it. It would give her some time to collect herself too.

The carriage was set in motion and Ophelia leaned back in the cushions. From the corner of her eye, she watched Arkmene lean out of the window to look at the landscape rushing by. The trip must be exciting for the young girl, who had never left the city before and did not understand the purpose of the trip.

For a moment Ophelia wished the girl could stay like this forever, unaware of the hardships of this world. But that was wishful thinking. Soon enough the child would see the world for what it truly was and lose the innocence she had now.

She would try to protect her daughter from it as long as possible. Even if she knew it was futile.

...

Despite the effort of the physician and the medication that had come from Lavos, Byron's leg could not be saved.

Now he was staring at a stump that stopped right above where his knee used to be. It was hard to swallow. All his life he had been agile and strong. He was the king's best and fastest rider.

No longer.

He knew he should feel lucky to be alive. He had been told he had been unconscious and burning with fever for days on end. The physicians had done everything possible to keep his leg, but the infection had spread too far and too deep. There had been no other option to save his life but to amputate his leg.