The Duel

set to sail

It was a hot day in the east of hebor minadrak,  and the Gradriacs were getting ready to sail. The weather looked good and there was no sign of a storm. Meanwhile Madroan sat with priak and Gebular. They had sent messages to hiram and nebular had agreed to war.
“The ships will be ready in few minutes. Don’t you think we should call a diviner?” priak said breaking the scilence
“There is no need for that the weather looks great already”Madroan replied
“Yea. I don’t think we need a clairvoyent, everything is perfect” gebular added. After gebular had spoken scilence filled the hall again. Priak broke the scilence. He wanted to know Madroan’s idea about the war.
“we have ordered for the best swordsmen in Zoba. And they’ve have agreed to come war with us” he paused to know whether it was right for him to continue. When no one spoke he cntinued “With this speed hiram would be left to war all by themselves” Zobak was a city that had the best swordsman, they were good at archery and making swords.
“Perfect.” Was all madroan could say. Priak was disappointed. Later a soldier ran in.
“The ships are ready to sail” he said
“Alright, let the journey begin”
*†**†**†**†**†**†**†**†**†***†**†***†
It was evening and cassandra sat in her room knitting, while Abigial stood beside her. Abigial was cassandra’s personal maid and she was like a younger sister to cassandra. They had been together since childhood and they loved each other like siblings.
“Your embroidery has gotten so good” Abigial told cassandra as she observed her works.
“So good that it makes me want to war”
“are you still mad at your dad?” Abigial asked
“Abi, My dad is sturbborn, really sturbborn but I can do nothing. Even if I withdraw my whole army, he would not still listen to me” she paused a little observed her work and continued to knit. Then she continued “He has changed, he transformed too soon.”
“Why don’t you talk to Bethga” at this point the door opened and Bethga walked into the room.
“Abigial you may leave for some moment, I want to have sometime with your chief” Bethga said and abigial obeyed immediately leaving bethga with his younger sister.
“I heard you withdrew from the war” bethga said as he walked towards cassandra
“You should thank God I did not withdraw my whole army.”Cassandra replied, little concerned in the conversation and more concerned with her needle work.
“Sandra, I thought we had settled this matter?”
”Which matter, and what did we settle?” Cassandra asked already annoyed
“Every single thing that is going on is because of you! Did you get possessed or are you under a spell or a curse? Look at the war you are leading us to, a meaningless,pointless and insincere war. A worthless reason is why we are embarking on this war” she replied trying to hide her annoyance. But bethga was not going to let words overpower him.
“This war is very meaningful, momentous and important. And you shouldn’t be idling around!”
“Ofcourse  I have every right to be immobile and idle , I have every right, this war would have been settled and can be settled. But you chose to war, tell me beth, what did you see in jeanette that cannot be found in any other woman, she is not so special but.....”
“But I chose her, and that is why I chose her, and as long as you are here you either take it or walk away”
“But she is engaged, she is engaged to madroan, she is meant for him, they are meant to stay, why are you eating another man’s pot of soup, why are you taking pills for another man’s headache?”
“Because I love to take them. And if you are not comfortable you can just leave..... And the gradraics would be here in 2 days. They’ve began to sail” Bethga replied. Before Cassandra could say a word bethga left the room and  shut the door behind him.
    As bethga walked down the hallway he found himself crying. He wished he could change everything. As he entered his room he found jeanette lying on the bed and reading a book he didn’t care to know.
“ let me guess,Your sister refused to come back?”
“yes. and there is nothing else I can do.” Scilence filled the room. then bethga broke the scilence.
“Why did you ask me to take you away from madroan?”
“I was tired of sitting one place. The only thing madroan did was to lazy about, go for war, do this, do that, attend this, attend that, while I just sat down alone, not allowed to go anywhere, see anyone or do anything. Reason because ‘I am not yet Queen’ I had to be free. I had to taste freedom”  she said with less feelings or emotions
“But your freedom has put me in detention. It has detained hiram and its inhabitant. It has swallowed joy, and vomitted pain”
“I said I was going to pay you, I promise it is just for a while and I will leave”
“when? When the war get’s serious, jeanette I beg you go back to your parents and lets tell the truth, you and I know we have no feelings for each other,let’s stop telling these lies and I am tired of hurting my family pls, go back to your dad, and madroan”
“I will go back, you are going to get paid”
“I don’t want your money, I didn’t take you out of Gradiac because of the money but because you said you wanted to be free”
“What about my dad’s horse. You had killed it already before we met. If you hadn’t done it we won’t meet each other”
“Your dad’s horse ws a mistake and I was ready to pay for it, if you hadn’t promised to help me. pls leave”
“When should I leave?” she asked  walking towards the bookshelf
“Now”
“That is never going to happen, I haven’t tasted freedom and you want me to leave.No, and it is final” she said and headed for the garden.