The Marquis' Daughter's Second Chance

Episode 17

I had already been sitting at his side for thirty minutes before he woke up and realized I was watching over him. It was worse than I thought. He wouldn't die, but his injuries looked painful and were certainly going to scar. He laid on a cot with his feet hanging off the edge. I found a stool to support his feet and covered them with the blanket. That was when he finally woke up. "What are you doing here?" His voice was faint and gravelly.

"I go where I please." I brought a cup of water to his lips. "Drink. Slowly." As stubborn as he was, he complied.

"Go back, Lucienne." They were words of concern, though I never could imagine he had any for me. I began to unravel his bandages. He suffered several cuts on his arms and one large cut across his chest. He would have only received this injury from protecting the prince. There was no way a knight like him would let his chest get injured like so.

I pulled the large bottle of alcohol from my trunk and poured it over his wounds to sterilize them. He didn't make a single noise, but his face contorted from the pain. "I'm sorry. I know it hurts." I dabbed it dry with a clean cloth before beginning to rewrap the wounds.

"Did you hear me? I said to go back." He turned his face away from me, but his arm remained in my grasp. He was letting me finish the wrapping. "This is no place for you. Besides, you don't favor me. Everyone in the kingdom knows you'll choose the crown prince over me. You'd be a fool not to."

Was he seriously being a baby right now? After what he did to me?

"Alden, I'm not here for you. I'm here for the wounded." I sighed. I had a soft spot for knights. As horrible of a person Alden was, he was still a phenomenal knight and I respected that about him. Until this recent battle, he had been undefeated. "How did you even let yourself get like this?"

"The prince's life is more important than mine." I knew it.

"What happened?"

"Their forces were so many. We did a reconnaissance mission, so I thought their forces were smaller than ours. They always have been. But all of a sudden, they were plentiful. I don't know how they managed it." Alden was disappointed in himself. His voice was strained and thin as he talked about the happenings on that day. He experienced a traumatic and devastating failure.

When I had arrived, the capable knights were already collecting the bodies. We lost many people. It was gruesome. For some, we could only find parts of bodies. Others were so disfigured they were unrecognizable. The knights were surprised to see me when I arrived. I instructed Van to assist them with whatever they needed. The priests that were sent by His Majesty were already doing their work with the gravely injured. Duke Branigan already sent reinforcement troops to replenish the knights that we lost. The kingdom couldn't afford another loss.

I instructed Van to order the troops in Alden's stead while he was recovering. Van, despite his worn appearance, was just above thirty. He served as my father's assistant for many conflicts. Leading an army was something he had experience in and I trusted he would do excellently. I only wished Chester was here with me, but he has yet to return from the other mission I sent him on.

I dipped a washcloth in the water and began to clean the blood and grime from Alden's face. Layers of his comrades' blood came off with each wipe. This time, he didn't complain. He allowed me to wipe all the dirt from his skin. Once I finished, I set a blanket over him and watched him as he rested.

"What are you doing here, Lucienne?" He finally looked up at me. I guess losing really did change people. The fearsome look that once tainted his sapphire eyes was gone. He just looked tired and disappointed. That burning confidence was now just a flame struggling to survive.

"I told you. I go where I please."

"Then go home. Or go to the palace to see the prince. Anywhere but here."

"Alden, stop. I will not discuss this any further. I will remain here for a few more days. I'm not so heartless to leave a broken man alone. When you've regained a bit of your strength, then I'll feel comfortable enough to leave."

"I don't understand why you're doing this."

Planting my hands on my hips, I stood and looked down at him. "Please do not misconstrue my intentions. I do not do this because I care for your wellbeing. I do this to prevent my brother from taking your place. If you die here, then I really won't be able to protect my brother. So save your energy and sleep while you can. I'll bring your dinner when it's ready." This man could still be useful to me. As long as he was at war, I wouldn't have to worry about him.

He actually listened to me and fell asleep. His sleep was so deep that he slept through me tripping on the bucket of water and hitting my knee on the table. I would've died of shame if he witnessed that. Since he was fast asleep, I stepped out of the tent to see how things were going outside.

I looked around for a priest or priestess who had some energy to spare and sent them to Alden's tent. Even a little would go a long way. He was certainly in a lot of pain, and the faster he healed, the faster I could go home. I helped the medics bandage up those with less severe wounds. Medical staff were always short handed, so they were thankful for the help. Plus, Van said that seeing a beautiful woman would help with morale. I don't know how much of an effect that had, but I did share a few laughs with those who felt well enough to socialize.

This was the perfect opportunity for me to look for information. Most of the men were from Duke Branigan. The latest round of reinforcements arrived just after I did. It was few in number compared to how many were lost. After asking some of the soldiers, they revealed that there truly weren't enough knights at the Branigan estate. This last round was all they had left. At the rate of things, other duchies may need to get involved. I don't think that's something the king was expecting.

And as useful as that information was, there were still questions that needed answers. Where were Duke Branigan and his eldest son? Alden definitely was the best knight out of all three of them, but Duke Branigan had experience in war. Alden's brother, on the other hand, seemed to be living a life without worries in the Imperial City with his fiancée, the princess. His blatant disregard of finances would be enough to remove him as the successor of the title. Alden was much more qualified. Anne has been reporting to me that the eldest Branigan as well as the princess have been frequent visitors of our restaurant, which was definitely priced. Believe me, I wasn't complaining. But the Duke's behavior was strange. Even after this incident on the battlefield, he has remained silent.

There was something else at play here. I didn't have enough pawns to play my game to the best of my ability. A lot of the time, it really did feel like me and Chester against the world.

I needed to find someone capable who could gather information for me. Someone unassuming who would swear their loyalty to me. Otherwise, I was at a disadvantage and I hated losing.