A Royal Ice Heart

45.

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| Izuku POV |

Before we entered the Southern Ward Shinso gave me a hood to wear so no one recognized me. After we kept going on horseback a few guards were still coming at us, which Shinso and Kaminari easily got rid of while still riding the horse. We were almost halfway through when the number of guards attacking started increasing. It wasn't anything too suspicious. We knew they would catch on sooner or later, in the end we had to fight our way out. 

"Midoriya! Duck!" I heard Shinso yell and I instinctively did, the swift air of an arrow barely passing above my head.

"Damn, they had arrows. Jiro we're moving out a bit, the arrow came in from the right so they're hiding in the tree's," Shinso yelled, Jiro following after.

I realized that the horses were moving faster, and I started noticing the worried expressions on their faces. Suddenly the rustle of leaves seemed so much louder. I could feel my heart beat in my head, but I kept it there. Fear...you didn't have time for that.

"Jiro pull the reins!" Shinso yelled, both of us abruptly stopping. 

"What hap-" I looked at the dozen soldiers that had surrounded us. We were going so fast how did they even...

"Stay here, I'll deal with them," Shinso yelled.

"Right, let's go," Kaminari volunteered.

"No, Kami there are too many of them, stay here," Shinso refused.

"What! No, there are so many which is precisely why I'm coming!" Kaminari fought back.

Shinso gave Kaminari this look pleading for him to go back but Kimati held strong. He thought for a few more moments, but with a quick sigh he let Kaminari come. I had a feeling that even if he didn't kaminari would still go. 

They were doing well for now. Each one of them looked like they could take on two to three men at a time. Maybe we do have a chance of esca-

"Izuku, jump off!" Jiro yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

A few arrows that would've definetally hit us, barely missed. Jiro kept her hands tightly clutched onto the footing of our horses saddle. 

Both of us were now hiding behind a bush. I could hear bloodthirsty yells resonating from the field in front. After a while, my painful thoughts were stopped when Jiro whispered something.

"Hey...Izu, they seem to be after you," Jiro paused.

"Mhm," I hummed in agreement.

"Right, take this," she grabbed my hand, wrapping my fingers around the cloth. 

Looking at it I didn't know what it was, but soon enough I found out.

"Wh-What no, you should keep it, it''l probably be better in your ha-"

Suddenly, Shinso and Kaminari ran over. 

"Izuku, Keep it!" Jiro yelled back, jumping onto the horse, and I had no choice but to follow along.

"Guys, get on!" Shinso and Kaminari yelled finally jumping back onto their horses, Jiro and I following after.

"We're running?!" Kaminari yelled as we ran.

"Yeah, if we stay here fighting they'll get reinforcements in, if there are too many no matter how good we are we won't stand a chance." Shinso yelled over. 

"Kami, hold on tight," he ended, and sped up.

After that we kept running through whatever came. Shinso and Kaminari tried moving even if they had to fight for a few moments. Jiro getting a few hits in as well. And before I could comprehend we were in the Eastern Ward. What was weirder was that there were almost no guards in the Eastern Ward.

"Alright, move into the bushes a bit, Bakugou should be somewhere there," Shinso commanded, both him and Jiro turning towards the direction. I felt something churn in my stomach when I heard Bakugou's name. I wanted to see him, I missed him, more than I thought I ever could.

"Alright stop, it should be around here," Shinso voiced. With all the orders he was giving I figured he was probably in charge of this entire thing. 

As soon as we stopped I jumped off the horse frantically looking around. I had to stop myself from screaming out his name. I looked around but I couldn't find him.

"Where is that Idiot, he should've been aroun-" Kaminari asked but was interrupted with someone locking his hands behind.

"Kami!" Shinso yelled looking back, unsheathing his sword.

"Oh, I wouldn't move if I were you, you're way outnumbered, now drop your weapons," a voice emerged from the shadows, along with a bunch of other guards. 

"Dammit, let go of me, and where's Bakugou...Toga," Kaminari struggled against the guards grip.

"Guards, hold them down, and if they hesitate kill the boy" a deeper voice ordered. 

I never wanted to recognize that voice. His heavy garments heard from miles away, the rasp and ignorance sheer in his voice. The king.

"Yes...your highness," a guard snapped. A few other locked our hands behind our backs. 

"Let of him, he was just following my orders!" Shinso yelled back regarding to Kaminari.

"Hmm, well we don't really need him, he's just starters, the main course is yet to come," Toga snickered, earning a look of pure heatred from each of us. 

"Hey, Izuku!" Toga suddenly called out to me.

"Let go of them and I'll answer you, Toga" I yelled back, hoping she would take the bait.

"Nope!" she answered popping the p in the end.

"They have to watch, hey Izu, what do you think is the greatest act of love?" she asked.

I didn't know what she was trying to get at, but if I could stall time like this it was worth the shot.

"U-Umm, the greatest act has to be when you can show them that you'll never leave them. When you can love them unconditionally, when can feel comfortable with them forever. These feelings are probably the greatest acts."

I really hope that did something. Toga remained quiet for a few seconds after that. Her eyes had a different kind of glint for a few moments. As if she was thinking whether my answer was acceptable. At least that's what I wished she was thinking...however, her expression. It was as if she was comprehending how stupid my answer was.

She started hysterically laughing suddenly. "You know you really have a weird way of thinking, well at least that answered showed me you don't actually love him."

"What?!" I yelled back, a bit offended by the comment.

"Bring him out!" she ordered.

A bunch of guards pushed out a boy. As he flatly lay on the ground I bought a glimpse of the blonde hair.

"K-Kachan?" I asked. I could hear muffled noises, but other than that he wasn't saying anything.

Toga grabbed onto his hair, holding him up by his head. And that's when I saw his face filled with repulsion and anger slowly change into surprise and sorrow. Our eyes met, yet no words were exchanged.

"Silly Izuku, the greatest act of love one can express...is to shed blood for their beloved. The greatest sacrifice, only for the truest love." Toga giggled.

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Lovely words are always easier to hear. Sweet liest always taste better. However, the world isn't rainbows and unicorns...and sometimes you just have to accept that. If she were still here maybe she would've taken her words back...but she wasn't.