The Claim

Chapter Thirteen - They Are Coming

Merek lay next to a tree, grunting as his powers slowly restored. Mirabelle was left trying to make heads or tails of it all. What did he mean? What was he even talking about? He made no sense at all. Did he mean the guards? Were more on their way? He was too weak to fight on his own, she needed to make sure he was protected, hoping that she herself could fend them off. Merek tried to stand but his legs were like jelly, all he could do was keep himself propped up against the tree as power began to return to him, more power from the forests he loved so much, from nature, being so close to it.

She lifted her hands in preparation, in case it was not just the ramblings of a semi-conscious man but something more serious, an attack she had not seen coming. If they knew, they would have killed them both, not hesitated and she was careful, whatever had happened, someone or something gave them away and they would not last the night, if Mirabelle lasted long enough to choke the life from them, before the guards got all three of them.

"Mira, there is another way" Merek stated.

"Save it for later" she snapped.

"If we glamour... the guards, it looks like we are dead" Merek explained, interrupting her.

"We do not have that sort of magic."

"We do, together."

She threw him a look of disbelief that he had seen time and time before, usually for other things, but she was at least partially right, they needed each other if they were going to make it out alive. He stood up, still wobbly but what he had was enough, barely but enough. She looked at him with such confusion, he thought she was going to slap him or faint. She had waited long enough to hear those words come from his mouth, to know that he would stand by her, even if it was not regarding everything, it was still enough for her.

With a tear in her eye, rolling down her cheek, she offered her hand. He took it without even hesitating, stepping towards her, he finally understood her side of things. He did not agree about it, but he understood what thought, what she felt. All those years he had spent, fighting her views, hoping she would calm down, it was he who turned a blind eye yet after all he had seen, all he felt, he could not let the soldiers find and kill his people, even if it meant siding with Mirabelle, putting aside the peacekeeper, embracing the power he feared.

"Merek?" Mirabelle questioned as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I will help you secure the crown, if you leave the boy alive, banish him, do whatever you must, just promise me he stays alive, please?"

"You have my word. He shall not know harm of any kind, but I will banish him from our kingdom, with the same promise we were given, I think that only fair"

Merek agreed. With their half-brother alive, the people would not rest easy, but if Mirabelle showed she was a great queen, it was possible to earn the respect of her people and hopefully, in time, people would forget the other heirs, both himself and their half-brother. He wanted to go back to the forest, once it was over, to reclaim his life there, take care of its inhabitants, Mirabelle could stay, if she wished to but she was more fit to be a queen, than he a king, he could not rule like she could, with a kind heart, sometimes and an iron fist when necessary, he was better off in the forest, where he belonged, where his heart truly lay.

They put their backs together, back to back they were stronger, ready to take on anything. Merek was not at his full strength, his full power, he hoped would return and be... devastating for the king regent, a man who did not deserve the throne in the first place. He tapped Mirabelle on the shoulder, signalling his position as they watched, waiting, offering protection to the healed one, in case he needed it yet keeping a watchful eye, in case he was part of it. Merek doubted it, the guards would not try to kill one of their own, but he had to be careful, in case of an attack.

They stood their ground, flames burning in her hand as Merek awoke the trees. They creaked and groaned, before offering silence, ready to aim if they needed to. He let the animals help, coming to him, the fox, some rabbits and a wolf he had once befriended, yet had since believed was long gone. It growled as look ahead, its ears pricking up as a warning. It looked frightening, its fur had stuck up, its teeth bared aggressively.

They marched, a good of few of them, about five, maybe more in one go, yet Merek did not believe that was it, he truly believed there were more on the way, hunting him down, baying for blood, to kill them. He did not have to say the words, Mirabelle threw her icy spell at one, the look of horror on his face was cruel as his body uncontrollable turned to ice, freezing him completely. He dropped down onto the ground, shattered into pieces. Merek almost felt sorry for him but not for the others that witnessed it, and still stayed.

He put his hand on the ground, looking up at them, the earth rumbled as the roots wrapped around them, holding them in place as they tightened, choking the lives out of a couple. Mirabelle finished the rest off with a flame spell, burning them inside their armour as the animals retreated.

"We cannot stay", Merek warned.

"Or we can go to them", she said shockingly.

"What are you planning?", he asked.

"Wait and see, brother."