The Land Of Warriors

Part 21

Abigail and Issac were giving Eli his 3rd hourly dose of magic.

Issac wiped a bead of sweat as it trickled down his forehead.

"You guys should rest." He said, brows furrowing in concern as Abigail looked about ready to faint.

I shook my head, the drowsiness that had been creeping in momentarily dismissed.

"I get that you probably do not trust me but perhaps a bit of rest might be ideal for Abigail atleast. You could patrol if you wanted, Empress." He said, his face tense as he saw how frail Abigail had become.

She weakly shook her head but I glared at her.

She rolled her eyes and mumbled something to the likes of " Being Empress is clearly in her goddamn blood."

I raised my eyebrows.

She smiled sweetly before lying down near the walls of the cave.

Nate, who had been sleeping for quite sometime near me, turned over and hugged me closer to him.

I blushed furiously as his arms tightened around my waist.

Issac saw this and smiled softly at us.

"I've always wanted a relationship with someone like that." He said wistfully."But I never dared hope that I would have a time in my life where I could have that." His eyes are shadowed.

My curiosity piqued, I said," What were you doing in the wulver's cave?"

His eyes grew sad.

"My father he Uh- well he sold me to the wulver when I told him I wasn't interested in marrying the daughter of our Chief. She had fallen in love with me, we'd been bestfriends. I thought I knew her. Turns out I was wrong. She asked me for my hand in marriage, I refused. She took matters into her own hands and went to the Chief. After negotiating a bunch of money and his title with my father, he asked for my hand. I refused again. My father threatened to throw me to the wolves but he was also dumb enough to call the wulver instead. It took pity on me and bought me off of the his hands. I couldn't leave unless someone saved me. So I was stuck forever in this cave until Nathan found me." He said, his eyes gleaming.

"But why refuse all the riches? Refuse the title and the beautiful damsel?" I asked, knowing he hid something.

Most people I had come across thirsted for such things. And would pay teeth and nail for it too. So it was quite unusual to find a boy who refused all of it. The word of the heart was lower than that of the brain in our traditions. Loving someone without an advantage to you was frowned upon by the people. It wasn't in our customs. I was completely against that of course. One must never look for the advantages their love could bring them but open their hearts for them. Not after seeing the money or the power they got from them, but for the way they treated them, with respect, honour and care.

If there was one thing I learnt from my mother, everybody, from a female peasant to the Emperor, were equal.

"Because that wasn't where my heart was." He said simply.

Issac was indeed a unique person.

I tilted my head.

"And where was your heart?" I asked, eyes glowing with curiosity and slight amusement at how well he dodged my questions.

His face went red.

"I- uh- I think I should have a quick walk around the outside, make sure there's nobody waiting to ambush us or something." He stuttered out.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

"There's no need for that. Nate and I have already taken care of that. We've put up a shield around the cave. We will know if there's anybody waiting outside for us." I said.

His face flushed even more.

"So, tell me Issac, where was your heart?" I drawled, amused to no ends.

"I uh- I prefer males." He blurted out." I couldn't love her back in the way she wanted. But I was not alright with telling them that. The punishment for loving a male or a female loving another of her own gender or even loving both genders for that matter, in our tribe is execution." He said softly.

My eyes widened.

Fury rippled through my veins as the blood curdled.

"Which tribe do you belong to?" I said, gritting my teeth in anger. How dare they disobey a law so blatantly? How dare they disrespect their queen by not treating them equally.

His face paled.

"T-t-t-the C-c-c-Ceannard t-t-t- tribe, Empress." He stuttered out.

My eyebrows raised.

"The Tribe of the Warrior General?" I asked, furious yet not surprised.

The Warrior General was the Chief of that tribe. It had had close ties with our dynasty but had revolted when my father picked my mother as his wife. Apparently they were not fine with the fact that my mother would not show mercy to them when they had begged her not to destroy their previous chieftain. He had been selling off the girls older than 12 to the Meirleach. The Meirleach bought them in hopes that they'd live a better life amongst them than with that psychopath of a Chief.

No wonder.

"If we return to Taigh, tell me the names of the innocent ones. The rest shall be tortured and the executed for blatant disrespect of the laws and their goddess and queen." I said simply.

He nodded and looked back to Elijah as his eyes flickered open.

He let put a groan before he saw who was staring into his eyes and jumped up into a fighting stance.

"Calm down, you big, idiotic moron." I drawled from my place.

His wide eyes took me in and he relaxed.

"Now lie down before I have time to convince Nate to roll over and I come there to kick your butt for not telling us that you were wounded." I said calmly.

I knew my eyes glowed amber as I spoke to show him exactly how pissed I was.

Issac's POV

Thank Abhainn he woke up.

I gazed into his amber eyes, characteristic to the Royals, as he shot up and stood in a fighting stance.

I heard the Empress speak to him, but my attention was captured by his eyes. They were so beautiful.

I felt the onset of a blush in my neck and up my cheeks.

I may have forgotten one minute detail.

My heart had not only been in the hands of a man, but the man who now stood before me.

~○~

A/N

Well well well, some tea has been poured it seems.

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Sail or sink?

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~svp_1234