The Warrior of Avelyn

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It wasn't an unusual sight to see a maiden at this age covered in white cloth.

Many of Clara's peers had already been draped with white cloth on their special days. However, blood did not usually seep through the white fabric. The only difference was that Clara was not wearing a wedding dress; she'd been covered in bandages all over.

Isabel had just cleaned her up with the help of Hazel, wrapping bandages all over her newly stitched and cleaned wounds.

It was fortunate that Clara was already unconscious, or giving her so many stitches would have been much harder.

After she was decent, Alan, Victor and the king were allowed into the infirmary once again.

"How is she?" Alan was quick to ask the physician.

"She's lost a lot of blood, but thankfully it's non fatal." Isabel sighed as she rearranged her supplies, looking at the girl whose hand was tightly gripped by Hazel's as she sat by her side. "I'm just glad we got to her in time..."

"Wait, you're saying she could've died?" Victor's face paled.

"One day later and we would have lost her."

Isabel's words rung in the king's ears like a bell.

He stood there, frozen in shock, just watching everyone who warned him about his brother. Everyone who had insisted that Clara did not leave them. He cursed himself and his blind eyes. He lowered his head shamefully. He promised Edwin he'd protect her, and yet he was the reason she was now laying unconscious on the infirmary bed, covered in cuts and bruises that his brother inflicted on her because she was trying to protect Avelyn.

She saved his life even though he almost lost her hers.

It was so unfair that Clara had to be the one paying for other people's mistakes. With a heavy heart, the king watched as her friends gathered around her, tearing up at the fragile sight of her. They've never seen her look so weak.

"She will wake up, right?" Hazel's words got caught in her throat, barely above a whisper.

"If anyone can wake up from this, it'd be her." Isabel offered a smile, strained by her worry for the young general. "I'm confident she will."

"She has to." Victor mumbled under his breath, his own eyes tearing up thinking about all the pain she'd endured. His eyes glanced over at his father, clenching his jaw at him.

If he'd listened to him, she wouldn't have been tortured.

"Can someone go get Lila?" Hazel spoke up once more, not looking away from her friend, afraid she'd slip away the second her eyes left her. "She'd been away from her long enough."

"I'll go get her." Victor swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't bear be there after all he'd said to her.

He'd accused her of giving up.

He prayed to every star glistening in the sky that she wouldn't give up now. Not ever.

After Hazel told him where she had sent Lila, the prince nodded and walked out the door, making sure to bump his shoulder with his father's, sending him a harsh glare and shaking his head at him.

"I.." The king spoke. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for not believing you."

"You should be." Hazel said calmly.

"I'm truly sorry." He repeated.

"It's not I that you should apologize to," She let out a huff. "Your majesty."

The king did not blame her for her tone. He deserved so much worse. With a shake of his head, he decided it was best to leave them. With one final guilty glance at Clara's limp body, he left the room to deal with all the traitors that fought against her.