Ruthless

Darkness

It was best if the information about the council members remained at bay for now. They think they can out smart me by acting together against the crown when in reality they will be charged with treason.

The dried blood was beginning to feel like a new layer of unwanted skin making me antsy. I rode back rapidly on my stallion to my tent, almost shedding all my clothes before I got there. I needed a bath to erase all this reminder from my skin. As I arrived I noticed Eden sitting in a corner of the bed. Her eyes stayed focused of the nothingness in her hands, she had wiped the blood almost raw from them. No words were forming in my brain, as if I've been mute all my life and words were foreign to begin to formulate.

"I killed him." She finally spoke. "The rebel that shot Keana, he was a human following orders and I took his life."

"He hurt someone you deeply care about without motive, your body and your brain acted on defense without recollection of your actions." At last her hazel eyes lifted to meet me, once she noticed my appearance she looked away again. "She said she would give me time to speak to you about a treaty, then she acted like a barbarian."

"Siblings, are quite hard to understand. She did what she thought would benefit her cause, her family... Just like I did." Without saying anything further my heavy boots carried me to the tub in my tent, already filled with steaming water.

"Your sister, is unharmed in one of the tents." Eden's eyes finally held mine, there was a lot of pain in them, pain I wish I was able to take from her. "She hurt Keana without cause, I do not wish to see her for now, though be gentle she is with child."

"I am not able to face her, she may be your sister but she harmed someone precious to me and every time my eyes land on her I just want to put an end to her life." Eden's heart beat was beating in a unusual way, letting me know she was feeling tremendous guilt. "What you did today... I will never be able to erase it from my memories." A sinking feeling made my hands drop to my side numb. She took a cloth and soakee it with the steaming water of the bathtub. She gently begun to wipe the blood from my face. "You acted out of sorrow, dare I say love and even though it is cruel for me to say this, I would have acted the same way. After all my arrow ended that man's life just because he had hurt someone dear to me as well, so I cannot imagine having your strength and watch as people harm your family without you doing anything about it. I have done terrible stupid things for my siblings too, because at the end of the day; they are all we have left in this rotten world."

"Do you feel disgust?" She wiped around my lips gently, eyes very focused. Gently she leaned in and pecked them. "No, I feel pain for the lost lives of this day because it all could have been avoided, my sister showed selfishness that got five hundred killed."

"But it was me carrying that sword."

"Would you prefer it if I was angry at you?"

"It would be fair." She sighed putting the cloth back in the water to rinse it. "You did what you had to do, you made a sacrifice and even after what my sister ordered, you kept her safe. I cannot be mad at you." I nodded. Her words took some of the weight from my shoulders and that was enough for this horrendous day. Taking off the rest of my gear and clothes I got into the steaming water, the heat feeling good against my skin.  I could not stand the sight of blood on me, so I scrubbed as fast as I was able to get it all out. The water turning red as I continued.

"Why do you hate the sight of blood? More alone if it's yours?" She asked from our bed as she watched me intently. Eden wanted me to open up to her, to understand who I am and get to know me. It did not come easy to me to allow myself the space to open up to others. Yet for her I have found that there is little I wouldn't do.