Blood Rose

#9

"Herakles!" I rushed to him.
"Adonis?"
"She's gone."
His eyes widened. He knew what I was talking of.
"Oreste! Call for Oreste at once!" He ordered an attendant. Oreste was there in a matter of minutes.
"Oreste, please take care of war. I'm going for her." Herakles said, Idylla's absence driving him crazy.

"You cannot, brother. The army needs their king." Oreste pointed out.
"So what? I just leave my sister? Those demons have kidnapped her, Oreste, I'm sure!" He said.
"I'll go for her." Oreste said, "You handle the war."
"I'll come with you." I said.
"Both of you cannot go. The army needs someone besides me to command them too." Herakles said.

Me and Oreste looked at each other.
"I know the Mausans. It'll be easier for me." I said.
"How do we trust you?" Oreste said.
"Just the way Matthias trusted me when he took me in the army."
The brothers looked at each other. Herakles nodded. Within a few minutes, I'd changed into a black cloak and taken off on my horse.

***

Back at the palace

"But how could she have been kidnapped? Her room was the most guarded." Herakles said.
"It has to be an insider." Oreste said.
"But who?"
"Adonis?"
"I don't think so. He could've done her harm long ago if he wanted to. It's someone else."

The war trumpet was blown, indicating the approach of the Mausans. They wondered where I was, where their sister was. But what I found out, caused more problems.

***

I'd almost reached their camps, but I didn't have to go that far. I saw the army approach. I don't know how furious I was, but I attacked Estevan at once with my sword. He was shocked and defended himself.
"Never thought you were capable of treachery!" I said, giving a mighty blow, making it difficult for him to defend.

"What do you mean?"
"And I'm surprised you're still here and you haven't fled with her! What, you've become like Philip now? Warring for Cyprian territory and gold now?"
"Adonis, you're not making sense." He said, exhausted.
"You have Idylla! And even after that you're going to war?"
"Agnes? No, I don't have her! What leads you to believe that?"

One thing I knew about Estevan was, he could not lie, even if he could, not so convincingly. I pulled my sword back and was about to say something when I noticed something. "Leave my way!" I screamed. Estevan went to the side at once, maybe in shock and I galloped towards the shore. Estevan asked the army to halt and came after me. His horse reached mine and he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Where is Philip?" I asked, searching in each tent by then. He wasn't in the army that day, I'd noticed that.

"He's sick. He's not even fighting today." Estevan replied.
"I need to see him. Where is he?!" I screamed.
"Calm down!" Estevan said and led me to a tent. It was not empty, Philip was there, unlike what I thought. Estevan rushed to him. His arm was bleeding, someone had cut it, deep.

"Philip! Who did this to you?" Estevan said with tears in his eyes.
"She. Agnes. She came here and cut me in my sleep." He said, screaming in pain. Estevan just stared, wide eyed. He saw me and grinned when Estevan wasn't looking and said, "She said he asked him to. He's brainwashed her, brother. He's been fooling us all since the start."

Estevan stared at me. I screamed, "He's lying! You know I won't."
"And he killed Matthias. I saw him kill the king. He just wants to be king, brother. He's manipulating the Cyprians against us, so that they start worshipping him and he can be king. He'll kill Herakles too, he'll kill Oreste too. And no one will know that he did. Matthias was just a pawn in this game. And he's manipulated Agnes too, told her he loves her." Philip kept showering lie after lie.

I just stared at Estevan. He didn't look calm anymore. "I wouldn't believe Philip if all of this didn't make sense, Adonis. Why would my sister hurt him otherwise? Why would she refuse to go back home? It's you. Never thought you were hungry of royalty, Adonis." Estevan said and attacked me all of a sudden and cut my shoulder. I couldn't believe he did, my reflexes had gone numb for a second but I attacked back, defending myself. Philip got up too, taking his own sword in his good hand.

Philip hit my shoulder again, causing me to scream in pain. Normally, two people were nothing against me. But Estevan was a great fighter. And me being wounded, I knew I wouldn't last long against the two of them. Finding a chance, I rushed out of the tent, jumped on my horse and galloped into the forest. An arrow struck me from behind, piercing me bad, but I didn't stop. I didn't stop till I'd seen her. She was there, in the forest, wearing her night gown, holding a sword cautiously. She dropped it at once when she saw me. I was wounded heavily and fell off the horse. "Adonis!" She took my head in her lap and looked in my eyes with pain.

"They think it's me. They're gonna go to Cyprus, I just know they will. And they're gonna convince Cyprus it's me. Everybody's going to be after me."
"Nobody is going to be." Oreste said, coming out from behind a tree.

Thank you for reading!<3

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Love, Kaninika xoxo