Emhyr Var Emreis x Reader

Thirty-Four

"Not a single one of my men wants to go.", Morvran said with a grim look as he returned to the edge of the Nilfgaardian camp where you and the rest of the soldiers had retreated to. "They fear the rebels will kill them before they can make offers."

Annoyed, you rolled your eyes.

"What else did I expect?", you asked and got moving.

With a confused look, he followed. The way he walked could have made people think he was worried about something.

"Where are you going?", he asked while his hand rested on the handle of his blade. "We must find someone to test your tactics."

"We are about to."

Shock appeared on his face.

"Wait.", his hand wrapped around your arm to keep you from running from him. "You can't go."

Frowning, you eyed his grip on you.

A hint of annoyance was visible in your eyes. Yet your body couldn't help but stiffen at the touch.

The memory of the emperor's harsh attack was still as fresh as dawn.

With your lips pressed into a thin line, you glared at him.

He noticed and immediately let go.

"Apologies.", he bowed his head. "I didn't mean to touch you inappropriately."

The look on his face was enough to wash away the anger that tied your throat.

You weren't really angry with him. Your anger was dedicated towards a man who wasn't present in that moment.

You needed to keep your emotions in check. Right now was not the time to scold a man for the mistakes of another.

"No.", you sighed. "Don't apologise. My mood isn't the best right now. I should say sorry."

He was quick to shake his head.

"I'm not in the position to demand apologies from you."

There it was again, this strange behaviour of his that struck you by surprise.

Why did he act this way?

Why did he treat you like a higher noble than you actually were?

With your lips pressed into a thin line, you tilted your head and eyed him for a long moment. A question burned under your nails.

But you didn't ask it.

Now wasn't the time.

"General.", you said to make him look at you. "We have little time to take action. If nobody wants to go, I'll do it."

His eyes widened and a moment he seemed so shocked as if the emperor himself wanted to go into battle.

"This is out of the question.", he protested. "If we need someone to go, I'll make the sacrifice."

You rolled your eyes. A a sigh escaped your lips.

"Don't be ridiculous. Your face is well known. And if you go in there, dressed in the colours of Nilfgaard, while a golden sun hangs from your neck, they kill you within an instant."

"But someone has to go. And I'm a soldier before a general. I'm willing to make this sacrifice."

"For the empire, I know.", you did a gesture to show him how tired you were to hear the same words over and over again. "But this army needs you. Besides, the rebels have never seen me before. I'm no one but a stranger to them. They'll hear me out before piercing me with a blade."

His jaw moved as he gritted his teeth. But no word of disapproval left his mouth.

"Very well...", with a gesture, he called one of the archers to his side. "My men with have an eye on you."

A smirk tugged at the corners of your mouth.

"I heard that Nilfgaard has one of the finest archers.", you eyed the man with a bow in his hand. "But even the finest of archers couldn't shoot through stone."

"It would put my mind at ease to know someone has an eye on you, Voorhis said. Just in case."

You glanced at him from the corner of your vision and gifted him a confident expression.

"Don't worry about me.", you chuckled and raised a hand to let all of your fingers dance while magic licked along the tips. "In case something is to happen, I'll burn everything down."

"Yourself excluded, I hope.", he said with a shimmer of worry in his eyes.

You shrugged.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

With those words you turned on your heel and walked away into the woods.

Steps followed.

The archer was a necessary evil that you wouldn't be able to get rid of.

If general Voorhis had ordered him to follow you, he would do it to the end of the world and further.

If the army of the empire was known for one thing it was their dedication towards the tasks betrothed to them.

Maybe it was loyalty, maybe the fear to loose a hand if they said no.

Either way, it calmed your nerves to know that someone with a weapon stood by your side.

As you reached the cave of the rebels again, you threw a glance over your shoulder and gave the archer a sign to hide in the bushes.

With a nod and a grim look on his face, he crouched down and made himself ready to send an arrow on its way whenever needed.

You stepped to the edge of the shadows.

A dry breeze of winter ran through the strands of your (H/C) hair and made goosebumps grow all over your body.

You needed a moment to think about the words you wanted the rebels to hear first.

You needed to be wise with your next decision. One wrong word and you'd be dead.

Or maybe not.

Surely the rebels wouldn't waste a possibility to take a hostage. Sure, the empire didn't give a lot of thought to those who were held captive.

But being a prisoner to the rebels seemed oddly pleasant to you compared to being stuck with a man as cold as the emperor.

No, you shook your head to get rid of those thoughts.

It wasn't that you were bothered by his cold attitude.

It upset you how unpredictable he was.

Your mother had always said, the most dangerous threat is something you cannot categorise as one.

And that was what the emperor embodied.

Not a single one of his steps seemed to fit into a category. He acted on moods yet he wasn't a moody man.

You didn't know how to deal with him.

You feared it was impossible to win against him.

One last time, you threw a glance over your shoulder to check in with the archer.

He nodded.

You stepped out of hiding.