Raynestorm

The Speech and the Duel

The Speech and the Duel

Her eyes snap open and she sits up immediately when she wakes up to the feeling of the empty bed beside her and silence where there should be the sound of Adam’s breathing. She climbs out of bed and quickly dresses in her battle armour and grabs her dagger and bow and arrows from the table, strapping the dagger around her waist and slinging both the bow and quiver of arrows over her shoulder as she heads for the door. She places her hand on the wooden knob and turns it pushing the door open at the same time. It doesn’t move. She tries again.

“ADAM!!” she screams at the top of her lungs.

“He’s just gone to meet with Chief Abernathy your highness.” A voice, it must be a guard, tells her from the other side of the door.

“Mike. Damn him. Okay, get Adam back here as quickly as you can. I need to speak with him.”

“Yes ma’am.” She begins to pace the room, looking for a way out. I’ve got my dagger, she thinks, unsheathing the small blade from its sheath, I could hack out the door. Smash in the heads of the guards. She smiles a little at this notion, but decides against it.

*~*~*

He sits silently watching his friend talk about war and battle tactics, he can’t think about much of anything besides his wife. He can’t imagine things without her. I did the right thing, didn’t I? He thinks to himself, she’ll be mad, but she can’t lead the army with me. She can’t die. What if she were to die and I lived. She has – he gets pulled from his thoughts by a light tap on his shoulder.

He turns to see one of the royal guards behind him; one of the guards who is supposed to be watching Rayne. “The queen demands to speak with you.” The guard informs him.

“Thank you for letting me know. I will be there as soon as I am finished here.” He looks at Mike.

“Dude, you aren’t even listening to me, you’re fine. Go help your wife, you know all this stuff already anyways.” Mike gestures towards the door and Adam gets up to leave.

“Thanks man.” He says.

“Hey, no problem, good luck dude.” Mike laughs.

“Thanks, I’ll need it.” He walks out the door and breaks into a run the moment he reaches the stairs. The guard follows close on his master’s tail.

He comes to the door at the top of a set of steps and stops, silent. He watches as the guard assumes his position and he stays silent.

On the other side of the door, Rayne waits for him to speak, almost in a patient manner. He doesn’t speak. She begins to get anxious, and she resumes her pacing. Let me out, let me out, let me out, She thinks, banging on the door each time the word out passes through her thoughts.

He stays silent a moment longer, knowing that she will speak first. She hates silence, she’ll talk, he tells himself silently.

Then she does, "There is nothing, Adam, nothing and no one who can keep me locked up and away from that front line,” There comes a bang from her side of the door, “I will climb out this window, or crawl through the trash or smash in the heads of whichever guards are stationed outside my door. There is nothing you, or anyone else can do to keep me from leading that army!” Her voices cracks a little, and she can feel tears in her eyes, “I don't give a damn about tea or dresses or dancing, Adam, you know that.” She watches tears hit the floor one by one as they roll off of her cheeks. “I promised, we both did, that I would always have your back and I won't let you fight alone. You will not keep me from the battles.” She slides down the door and sits with her back against it, “I made a binding promise and I have to keep it!"