By his Side

Chapter 2: A Second War Begins

Lilliana's POV

"Luke open up I need to talk to you." Ryan's voice rang throughout the my chamber.

"Just a moment your majesty" I exclaimed quickly getting my armor on.

"I don't need that kind of attitude coming from my best friend this morning." What ever crawled up his butt and died this morning I don't want to know.

I could feel his impatiens through the door. He hated that he couldn't look into his best friends face. I for one was glad. To think what Ryan would say if he found out his best friends and soldier was a twenty year old girl. Shit. My life would be over.

I hate keeping this secret from my best friend, but I can't see a world where he can know and I can still work as his right hand man. This is what I'm called to do and I can not let my gender get in the way of that. I've had to give up so many things to be where I am today and I'm not about give all that up.

"Jeez, how long does it take to put on your mask. Just put the helmet on and you can get the rest later. Some would think that you get ready like your a girl." Ryan exclaimed with an amount of annoyance. If only he knew that it takes so long to get ready so people don't find out that I am a girl.

I quickly check in the mirror to make sure all my hair is in my helmet. I turn to the side to make sure that my chest is as flat as possible.

These are the days that I hate having boobs. What is the point when I'm never going to use them. There are some days where i just want to take my sword and chop them off.

But then again I could kill myself by doing that and the. Everyone would know and personally I would fine to be buried in the ground with everyone thinking that I'm a man. A man who is twenty-five years old who has given up a life of pleasure to serve the King. The only way that I can have pleasure is by serving Ryan. I take one last look in the mirror to make sure I'm covered then I walk out.

For the first time in a year I see a look of worry upon his face. His brow is low and his messy brown hair made him appear as though he had just been woken up as well. "Ryan what's wrong? And why couldn't you wait until morning?"

"Because if I waited until morning there might not be a Southern Kingdom anymore." And with that we both rushed to the council chamber.

Great another war. Just what I need right now. This is my chance for the entire council and Ryan to see how great I can be as a leader. The council looks down on me because of my age. They believe that Ryan being the youngest King to rule needs someone who is more that three years older than him to be his right hand man not someone who is five years younger.

But after the last war. Ryan made sure that I became highly decorated. No one really had a huge problem with it. They just didn't think it was the wisest decision. I try to not let that bother me. Through my influence of Ryan I have gotten a number of legislative agendas through the council. So I'm starting to become more respective as a politician but it's time that they see me as a warrior.

Dawn was starting to break when we arrived and just in time to hear the Chief of War state that savages from the unruled kingdom had crossed into our borders and was heading straight for the capitol. I had such disbelief. I had thought that we had put an end to their savagery months ago. There was no way they were acting alone. Though unfortunately now was not the time to debate. I knew I would loose even if I tried and then I would have wasted precious time. For the Chief of War and Ryan both agreed that I was to take my men and put a stop to their raid.

With that the council was dismissed and I sent a squire to go send word to my men that we will leave within the hour. Ryan walked down with me to the stables. "Don't you think that you should come your majesty" I asked.

"No, I trust that you can handle this by yourself. And anyway it doesn't appear to be as bad as what they told me when I woke up this morning. It's only a raid of savages. I bet you can do that in your sleep if you really wanted to." Ryan assured me. His comforts felt nice but something in the pit of my stomach was telling me that this was more than just a raid. But I shook it off.

I hopped onto my horse. But before I could ride away to meet up with my men. I felt Ryan grab me by the knee.

"Hey you got this and if you guys don't come back within a day I'll come and make sure you guys are all right." Some how he could read my mind and by the look on his face I could tell that he thought something was up too.

As I rode to the palace gate to meet up with my men. Then something struck me. There was this sensation that I now just realized I felt when he grabbed my knee. I tingling sensation that is now running throughout my entire body. I have never felt this before.

I wondered what it could be. That was the first time that Ryan had ever touch me besides a friendly punch. I couldn't think about this now. I had men to prepare and a battle to win.

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Ryan's POV:

I watched Luke ride off. I wish that I could go with him, though the Chief of War made it clear that there was no need for me to go and that there were things that I need to attend to here. And by things to attend to he means sitting in the throne room going over tedious documentation. And what's worse is that today we are going over my options for marriage.

I entered the throne room still thinking about how I should be in battle with Luke. As if he could read my mind Father Brandon approaches. "I know you don't want to be here."

"You've got that right. I don't need to be going through marriage plans when I've made it clear that I don't plan on marrying anyone and reproducing an heir."

"If you don't reproduce and heir than your father's line will be ruined. You don't have a brother to continue your fathers name."

"I am perfectly all right with giving the crown to one of my cousins when I die."

"But what about honor?"

"Fuck honor. I'm not marrying someone just to carry on my father's name. If I marry I want love. And by the way things are going that's not going to happen. So you should just be happy that I agreed to take the throne at all when my father died. If it wasn't for Luke, I would either be dead or if I managed to survive I would not have taken the crown with out him nudging me too."

"We'll then how about I make this proposition. When Luke gets back we will see what he thinks. Cause if your going to listen to anyone about this matter it would probably be him."

Sighing in relief that I just avoided having to make decisions now, I agreed to wait until Luke gets back. I'm not sure though who he'll side with. He has great honor for the kingdom, but he also understands how important love is to me. I just hope they come back soon.

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Lilliana's POV

Thankfully all of my men were accounted for and were already to go when I arrived. There was nothing to be said and there was no battle plan to be given. If they were only savages then there was no way to be organized.

The only thing I could think to say was, "We are doing this quickly and efficiently. I don't want to bring home any dead bodies. So lets kick some savage asses."

With that my men laughed and agreed as we rode off. We approached an open field about ten miles south of the palace. the sun was scorching got as I realized I still had on my night attire as well a layer of clothing I between that and my metal armor. We scanned the field and saw nothing. We started to trot closer to the lowlands below when he all stopped dead in our tracks. There was no way this was a savage raid.

There were flags of a kind I'd never seen and a man high on a horse covered in golden armor. In that moment all I could think was to pray. I looked around and saw the fear in the men's eyes and by the time I turned around the enemy was in a charge and they were heading right for us.