Fighting For What?

Survival

   I don't wait for the mare to halt her gallop before dismounting within the gate of the camp. I search for my brother. Within moments, I find Cedar siting around a campfire eating from the pig roasting over the flames. Lunchtime is always a good time to relive hunting stories or heroic acts with fellow soldiers. Around him sits a few of his tag along guards, Preston, and a few rebel campers. I storm toward the group. Pax follows behind, his shoulders hunched and teeth showing.

"Prince Cedar," I scowl with my arms stiff at my sides. "May I have a word?"

Pax growls, his throat the source of the intimidating sound. Everyone watching, my brother stands to his feet.

"Of course, sister," He says.

While my brother approaches, I glance at Preston. His eyes, cold and dark, don't scatter when I look his way. He and I lock gazes for a moment, but he returns to his meal after an exhaled breath. And I lead my brother to the closest tent. Pax's growl softens and eventually silences.

Reassuring Pax to wait outside, I enter with arms crossed over my chest and my hip jutting out. Cedar enters behind me. His face is relaxed. As if he doesn't have a clue what I'm doing. His brow raises and he clenches his jaw.

"Well," he says. "What is it? Out with it."

My fortified stance drops in awe. My arms loosen but remain folded while my hip returns underneath my shoulder.

"Are you fooling me?" My voice is shrill. Much harsher than I meant.

"What, Ivy? I haven't got time for this—,"

"Sure looks that way." My interruption pulls a much more aggressive look from my brother. Afraid of where he'll take the conversation, I stick with my original intention. "Terra. You left Terra alone with Lark and Rose. How could you—,"

"I didn't leave Terra alone with either of them." Cedar seems satisfied with his own interruption. "Prince Preston made sure that Princess Adelia kept our younger sister away from our brother and his fiancée."

My eyes narrow, trying to read his expression. But the anger is overpowering any other emotion he has at the moment.

"Now," Cedar continues. "Is there an explanation for your temper tantrum this morning?"

I roll my eyes, throwing my hands to my hips. "Oh please, brother. Don't play parent with me right now."

He folds his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. The anger dwindles as he exhales. "Then stop playing games and confess."

"Did you have to bring him along?" I whine through my teeth.

"Which one?" The mockery in Cedar's voice comforts me. My brother has stopped playing parent. "Oh, you mean your fiancée? Yes, he insisted. Along with his twelve muscles-for-brains. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, Ivy, I'd consider your prince some other lazy royal."

"Yes, well," my eyes avoid my brother's as he chuckles. "I really would have preferred you. Alone."

Cedar's chuckle becomes silent. "Listen, we followed you. I'm not sure what're you're doing all the way out here anyway, but you should really get a plan together. Or else your loving fiancée is going to drag you back to his pretty palace prison, sister."

"They know, Cedar." The words fly from my tongue with ease. No hesitation or attempt of thought. Cedar's eyes narrow and his brows furrow as he tries to understand. "These rebels. This camp. They know about the Tuer Circle."

My brothers eyes widen at this revelation. "How?"

"This boy, Eliseo. Cedar," I say slowing my words. Placing a hand on my brother's shoulder, I reveal the true discomfort. "He's Alvin's son. His village was burned to nothing but ash by Amias and his goons."

"That's good, that means Alvin is here somewhere," Cedar turns to the flap of fabric used as a door to the tent.

I grab his arm with both hands and tug my brother towards me.

"Cedar, that's not what this means."

My brother stops his steps. He looks at me. Really looks at me. His eyes searching for something; a missing piece. His jaw clenches but his hands begin to shake. Facing me, he pulls me closer into a hug. Taken aback, I have no time to react. I simply hug my brother back. Alvin was our friend. And neither of us were aware that any village was in danger. Let alone out good friend's home. Had either of us known, we would've rode to Alvin's side and fought through Amias' troops. If only we had known.

"Sorry to interrupt," Preston's familiar voice rings within the tent.

My fiancée's head peeks through the opening of the tent. His golden locks falling around his face. Stubble growing along his jaw reveals he didn't shave this morning. Cedar releases his tight grip on me to turn around. Now standing beside me, his right arm still around my waist, Preston enters the tent. I lean my head toward my brother who lowers his ear to my mouth.

"What did you tell him?" I whisper, nearly craning my neck to the back of the tent.

"Nothing." With his reply, he straightens out his shoulders and head.

I'm relieved to know Preston wasn't briefed on my life by my brother. I prefer to tell him. But some part of me doesn't believe my brother's single word reply. Preston stands before my brother and me, his hands behind his back. His jaw is clenched and his arms tense as my brother steps away from me.

"I'll leave you two," Cedar says.

He quickly shuffles out the tent's opening, leaving me and Preston behind. Preston's eyes follow my brother as he exits, but return to me once the mighty Cedar is no longer within the confines of the tent. He doesn't say a word. Simply stares. His eyes are hollow; I can't read their foreign expression. I panic.

"Alright," I say, my hands on my hips. "I know you're probably upset with me for leaving as rashly as I did. But I honestly don't know what you expected of me. I wasn't going to just—," but Preston rushes to me, placing his lips to mine.

My hands are quickly pressed against his chest as he grabs me. He tugs me closer to his body. But after a moment, I am the one to break the kiss.

"I'm just relieved you're alive," Preston says. His right hand finds its way to my face and traces my cheek and jawline.

I free myself from his grip. I throw his hands off me and every muscle in my body tenses in rage.

"I'm alive? Preston, do you not remember the feast at all?"

"I remember everything," he admits with a shameful face. His eyes dart away from mine as he continues. "But I don't want to relive it. I know, you're an assassin, that's not something I'll easily forget. You're also going to be my bride, and I worry over you. Probably more than I should."

"I know," I say out of comforting habit. My muscles relax but I consider my next sentence carefully. "You shouldn't have to fret over me constantly. That's not something I want to leave on your shoulders."

"This isn't something that you have to deal with alone, Ivy." Preston's eyes find mine again and he reaches out to me. His hand touches my forearm, gently following my arm to my shoulder and back to my cheek.

I rest my head in his hand as he steps closer. My breaths rapidly increase as my eyes lock with his as they inch closer. There's only one thing I can say to that, "I only know how to survive alone."

Preston's lips break into a smile over his face. "Perhaps it's time to stop surviving and start living."