The Blood of Honour

No Escape from Reality

Lady Amora sat on her regal chair in her room. She hated to admit it, but to herself, she couldn't lie. She knew nothing about war, she could only fire a musket at a short range, she had no knowledge of war strategies. She was glad Sera took so well after her husband. She didn't like thinking much about him, but he was a true warrior, she had to admit that.

The rainstorm was worsening but it didn't seem as if the enemy was falling back. Amora had a slight fear in her mind, she hoped it would never come true, she prayed the Fates be kind to her and forgive her husband.

The door opened quickly and banged shut. It felt as if the entire rain had rushed into the room. Before Amora could gather her wits, someone gripped her neck with ice cold bony fingers and put iron cuffs on her hands. As she coughed and spluttered and tried to struggle, she felt herself being kicked onto the floor.

"M'Lady," came a cold contemptuous voice. "They really did leave the lady of the castle unarmed with a war going on."

Amora looked up at the drenched blistered girl who was holding a sword to her head.

"Sera?" She couldn't believe her eyes. "Why?..."

"Why don't I decapitate you right here and claim my rightful chair?" She laughed, the sword hovering menacingly over Amora's neck.

"Sera...," Amora couldn't understand why fate would take such a turn, she decided to try one last time nonetheless.

"I'm your mother."

"No!"

She took off her headgear as wet black hair fell on her shoulders.

"I'm the rightful heir to the chair of Rivera."

"Ryna!!!" Amora cried in shock. She wondered how she could have made such a mistake. Ryna was the daughter of her husband but she being a mother could not recognise that this girl was not her own daughter.

"You have no right." Amora said. "You don't have the blood of honour!"

"Ryna Furwer knows no honour," screamed Ryna.

"Now say your prayers, your days are done."

She lifted her sword even as her hands shook and swung it down.

Bang!

The door flew open with a bullet taking away the sword from Ryna's hand.

"Don't move."

Balthazar walked in with a pistol.

He clapped it to Ryna's head.
"You thought old Balthazar didn't know any war fare," he grinned as he began tying her up.

"You didn't," said Ryna, too stupefied to resist.

"Well I do," said Balthazar. He tied Ryna's hands behind her back and stepped back.

"Now, why are you here and why do you assault the Lady?" he asked.

Tears were welling up in Ryna's eyes. Her face turned sour and then sad.

"You know nothing Balthazar, you see all and yet choose to be blind. Honour is not slavery Balthazar. They used you just as they used my mother."

"I know it all Ryna. I chose silence not for honour but for peace," said Balthazar quietly as he freed the Lady.

"Lying for peace is even worse!" Ryna shot back. "The Rivera clan will end. It's days of trickery and false glory are over. The Xaxtan will rise with the Dauntless and..."

"Why don't I blow your brains out right now?" Balthazar steadied the pistol to Ryna's head again.

"You will lose. Even if I die, your soldiers are inadequate, you have no battle plan and the Dauntless will only obey my orders," smiled Ryna.

"Go on kill me. You should have killed me years ago anyways."

"Call back your army now!" said Balthazar.

"There's no way of calling them now, look outside, the cold is increasing by the hour, soon there might be a blizzard. The army has already surrounded your castle, they'll take over any moment now." Ryna said complacently.

Lady Amora sat back down on her chair and sighed. There truly was no escape from the past, no escape from reality.

.......to be continued
Peace
~R