To Protect Dragons

25. Prisoner

I woke up in confusion, my side was in a searing pain, I looked down to find myself in a bed in a room I didn't recognize, a bandage was wrapped around my side, there was one up my arm too. The war. I suddenly leaped up from the bed, pain tearing down what seemed like every nerve in my body.

I walked silently, I knew every place in the Northern kingdom, this was a room that I was sure belonged to the Southern nation.

When I looked at the symbol above the door, that only confirmed my worst thought. As quietly as I could I walked towards the front door, inwardly cursing at myself with each small creak the floorboards made.

I grabbed the door handle, opening it just a crack, but my timing was too late. Before I could shut it again the guard standing outside quickly shouted, "She is up!" Before slamming the door shut on me. I looked over at the window, I was probably on the top floor of the castle, even without being injured scaling the walls would be a challenge for me.

If I stayed though, who knows what leverage they would use me for against my father. I grabbed the sheets and tied it to the side of the window, I knew I didn't have much time until someone else came in.

My side hissed in pain, practically begging me to just sit back down again. The blood was seeping through the cloth, I knew I had reopened the wound. Even if I got back down the window, I would bleed out, and if I didn't bleed out, it wouldn't be long before his guards caught up to me.

My heart was racing, what do I do. Think Kana think.

The door creaked open, and in walked in Kazuto. His eyes darted to the sheet tied tightly around the windowsill. He walked towards me and yanked me away from it.

My hand reached to grip my side and I stumbled over from the amount of pain his sudden action brought to my side.

"Shit Kana, sit down what are you trying to do?" His voice betrayed his words, it trembled slightly.

I looked away from him when we reached the bed, his hand was still lightly gripped onto my arm. I couldn't look at him.

"I-" He started to speak, but it wouldn't leave his mouth.

When he looked at my bandage and saw the blood stain his head fell downwards, his hand covering his forehead.

"I was so worried you wouldn't wake up."

If he was worried why was I here? Why wasn't I with my father. But I already knew the answer to that. War was too complicated for me not to know the answer to that question.

"How long was I out?" I said, still unable to look at him.

"Four days." Four days? My father must think I'm dead. Tears stung my eyes, I knew he would be in agony right now. At this moment he probably thought he had lost both his wife and his daughter now.

"Let me go." I said turning towards him, his face blurred by the tears forming in my eyes.

He reached out towards my face but I slapped his hand away.

Anger was now evident in his eyes, "Do you think I wanted this?" He said, his voice beaming through my ears. "You weren't supposed to be out there! I thought you were dead." His voice cracked slightly at the end, "I thought you were dead." He said quietly.

I wondered why it had to be him. Why out of all the people in the world the one person who I couldn't have, made my heart beat faster than anyone else.

I figured that since I was still here, the North had won the battle, but maybe the South had won, and his council wanted me dead regardless.

"What now?" I said composing myself more. I couldn't let him rope me in. I wanted to trust him and I wanted to lean on him during times like this, I wanted him to hold me. But I knew it was impossible.

His eyes met mine, he looked hurt. The mighty Prince Kazuto, hurt by me being dismissive. I didn't want to shut out his feelings, I wanted to tell him how raising my sword at him during battle was the hardest thing I had ever done, and how it broke my heart when I pictured what would happen on that battle field.

"I don't know Kana." He said frustrated.

"Well I'm a prisoner here Kazuto, it can only go one of few ways."

"Kana i'm trying to figure things out. The South lost the war, you are our only leverage right now."

"Is that what I am to you? Leverage?" I knew that wasn't true.

"Kana you know that this is bigger than the both of us, I wish it wasn't but it is."

I laughed lightly, my stomach ached with each breathy laugh. "If only things could have been different. I almost wish I still didn't like you, just like when we first met." I stopped to catch my breath, it was hard for me to talk for long since my breathing was limited.

"Do you remember?" I asked him,

He paused, his gaze now lingering on something outside the window, "How could I forget. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."