To Keep Her Safe

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Freen guided the troops to the location, the king and Freen decided it would be where they would wait for the first canon attack.

" Remember what I said ". Freen shouted, the troops focused their attention on their captain, the argument and confession by the princess was long forgotten but it still lingered in their minds.

" When the first attack happens, we will guide our horses through the forest and wait for the enemy to retaliate against our assault. We should keep this in mind that our main target is to remain in the shadows and use stealth as our prime tool. Once spotted, we go loud and make our presence known ". Freen instructed the troops, everyone nodded and readied their weapons, for stealth they chose bow and arrow for long range combat and throwing for close encounters.

Freen looked up at the sky and counted the seconds in her head, she knew that soon they would strike to attract the death knights attention to the canons, that have been kept safe and hidden from them in the entire battle.

Freen glanced back at the village they just crossed before halting their horses at the stop close to the tree cover. Freen gulped as she remembered her horrific reaction when she couldn't recognise her house, the burnt wood and broken glass, there was no way her mother survived being locked in that house.

Only if Freen could stop their horses and demount Jimmy to look for her mother's corpse in the debris of the hell she once shared with her mother and the monster. Only if she could hug the burnt body of her mother and cry for the final time before going to war, at least that way the child inside her won't cry thinking she didn't see her mother for the last time, even if it was her body and the face would be unrecognisable.

Freen was brought out by her trance when the first canon strike occurred, she signalled the soldiers to go straight and stay close to each other, to remain undetected they maintained a slow pace with their horses.

Back at the palace, Becca came back to her bedchamber, looking like a complete lost soul. Her eyes were red and her body had lost strength to hold her up, her lover had just committed a suicide, the suicide where she went to a war where there were no chances of survival.

Becca offered Freen to stay with her forever but she prioritized something above her and that something was being a warrior.

" Princess ? ". Irin came inside the bedchamber without knocking, she knew it would be frowned upon if someone found this out but she needed to be there for the princess and when she is someone who is going through the exact same thing as she is, they can both rely on each other.

" Irin, I can't right now, please go away ". Becca mumbled, as she stared out to the village from her window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her lover which was impossible from that distance and height.

" My lover too has went to the frontlines, princess ". Irin stated, Becca's body stiffened, she scoffed and nodded. " At least your lover did return your feelings ". Becca wanted to sound mean but she broke into a silent sob, Irin took careful steps towards the princess and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

" It wasn't like what you think ". Irin sighed, Becca knew she was right, she knew that Freen had her reasons to do what she did. " She had a choice, she could have lived with me ". Becca mumbled, Irin took a deep breath and allowed herself to embrace the princess who happily welcomed her maid to hold her crying figure.

Becca hadn't thought that Irin, her personal maid, could be considered as a friend until now, a friend who understood being in her position, sending off her lover to the war.

" If she had stayed, there wouldn't have been you and her, there wouldn't be a  Freen and Rebecca ". Irin caressed the princess's head, who held onto Irin's shoulders and cried.