IV. The Impact of Her

~ Forty ~

We turned our heads, only to find that James was approaching us.

With a horse right behind him, he continued, "Prepare your men, Captain."

The captain bowed and rushed over to his soldiers.

I walked closer to James, brows furrowed. "Are you out of your mind?! You are already in a terrible condition. And you still want to proceed on this journey?" I protested.

"My condition will never hinder us in accomplishing this mission. It must never hinder us. I will not allow that," said James. "Just like you, I have questions that need answers. And like you, I won't stop at nothing to achieve that."

I sighed as I shook my head. I wanted so badly to argue with him. But I knew that my protests would only land on deaf ears so there was no use in fighting back.

"Instead of disagreeing with me, prepare yourself. We have a long way ahead of us."

~*~*~*~

We sprinted through the forest as the sun disappeared from the distance.

We followed the forest trail and the moon was kind enough to shine its light on us. The captain and I, along with most of the soldiers, took the journey by land. Meanwhile, James took some of the men and rode the griffins. We still brought the spare horses along as they could be used for possible diversion tactics.

Finally, after an exhausting journey, we reached Bethilda's borders. We nestled on a nearby cliff. James then sent a few soldiers to spy on the surroundings.

The men enjoyed a simple dinner with the captain and James. I, on the other hand, decided to sit on the edge and stare at the starry sky.

The night sky was a beautiful tapestry, covered in glistening diamonds. The moon, in its wholeness, illuminated the forest-covered surroundings. And as the cool breeze touched my skin, I couldn't help but longed for Laura.

'She would've loved this sight,' I thought to myself. I knew how much the beauty of nature made Laura smile. It was evident when we sneaked out at that particular midnight.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I let out a sigh.

I remembered everything so clearly. Her touch. Her voice. Her smile. Everything about Laura was engraved deeply in my mind. It was supposed to be a happy memory. Something that I could have used so I wouldn't miss her presence too much.

However, it became the absolute opposite.

Instead of being a precious memory, it became a heartbreaking thought in the back of my mind.

I was on the verge of tears when leaves rustled behind me.

"Do you mind if I join you?" James asked as he stood beside me.

I glanced up at James and shook my head. I could use a bit of company right now. Perhaps, with James around, it would help lessen my thoughts.

I moved a bit to give James some space to sit.

"You seem to be in deep thoughts before I came here," James remarked as he made himself comfortable. He then asked, "Would you like to share that with me?"

I sighed as I shook my head once more. "I am trying to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. And I am not saying this to offend you," I replied. "And besides, you already heard my thoughts back home. I am well-aware of your response."

A moment of silence came in between us. James then said, "I may not have been the best person to listen to you. But it helps to tell someone your doubts and worries." He continued, "You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

I remained quiet and looked back at the stars. I don't want another debate with him. I, however, realised and accepted that most of my stubbornness came from James. There was no point in arguing with someone who was the reflection of yourself.

James broke the silence as he said, "With all honesty, if I wasn't made the king, if you weren't designated to be the heir, I would have approved of your every happiness."

My brows furrowed as I turned to James.

With a faint smile, James looked at me and continued, "Since I wasn't the eldest, I vowed to give the very happiness of my future children. Even if it wasn't allowed by tradition, I will." He then sighed as he slapped his thigh. "However, as fate would have it, I couldn't do that. And it breaks my heart that I am too helpless to do anything about it."

Frozen, I stared at James with wide eyes. These were words that I never expected from him.

"I may not be as expressive as your mother," James looked up to the sky, "And I may not act the way she does around you and your sister. But believe me when I say this," he returned to me with a reassuring smile, "Our family - especially Elizabeth and you - mean the world to me."

Shocked.

Stunned.

Amazed.

Baffled.

Suddenly, my emotions overflowed from my heart, which caused my mind to stop for a bit.

I never thought that James felt that way. Whenever he was around Elizabeth and I, he would constantly remind us of our stature as the children of Western Wind's reigning monarchs. Every conversation, every interaction we had with James was always about duty.

But to hear this sudden admission from him, I couldn't help but wonder if all of that was a facade. An act that James had to play on a daily basis because of what and who he was.

As James' child, his only son and heir, this truth - if that's what it really was - caught me in awe at his strength and marvellance again. Truly, I couldn't imagine how James had to bear so many sacrifices.

All in the name of being the king of our kingdom.

The still atmosphere was disrupted when the griffins returned. We rushed towards them as the soldiers hopped off from the magnificent creatures.

"Your Majesty. Your Highness," the soldiers greeted as we approached them.

"What did you see?" James asked.

One of the soldiers replied, "There wasn't as much security as we expected. Only a few guards roamed within the gates. Three kept watch from the front and back gates."

James nodded. "Very well. We shall do a surprise entry. And we mustn't give them any chances to prepare or escape as we raid the castle," he instructed as he looked at all of us. James continued, "By all means, subdue the guards. But never pierce your swords through them. The duchess is still our queen's beloved sister. The last thing that we would want to happen is to upset Her Majesty."

"Yes, Your Majesty," we replied.

"And another thing," James added, "Whoever finds the duchess first, do not harm her. Under no circumstances are you to touch even a single strand from her hair. If she is found, she is to be brought to me right away. Should any of you do anything to her, I will behead you myself in front of all the members of her household. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," we replied.

"Prepare yourselves. We will leave in a moment," said James.

The soldiers nodded and went on their way.

"Robert?" James called me before I could even walk away. Immediately, I turned my head. "I will take some of the soldiers with the griffins. You and the captain ride straight to the front gates. Remove the guards but ensure their safety," he instructed.

"Understood."

James quickly followed with, "And if you come face to face with your aunt for interrogation, please control your anger towards her. I am aware of your disdain towards her. But don't let that cloud your better judgement."

I nodded.

"Very well. Off you go, then," James said as he patted my shoulder.

I turned around and walked over to Wonder. I kept my thoughts to myself in regards to Bethilda. Because I knew all too well that I couldn't guarantee that I would be civil towards her.

But I would not allow for this night to end without getting the answers we needed.