Fated Enemies

Chapter 44 - The Pyre

Alexa woke up the next day, with her eyes throbbing and red from the cry of the night before, but Edwin's words made a click inside of her, and all the sorrow and guilt she was feeling towards Andrew's death, she used them to fuel the rage and the beast inside of her, she stood from the bed, went to clean herself with a resolution in her mind, she chose the dark dress to symbolize the grief she was feeling, but behind the dress, she used her knitted fabric armor, and the weapons she always carried, in her head, she wore a simple crown of silver and sapphires. Edwin woke up and smiled when he saw her dressed and ready to take on the day.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Do you want an honest answer or a polite one?" She retorted, with an arched brow, without stopping what she was doing.

"Only the honest, love, you know you don't need to hide anything from me!" He said, standing from the bed and walking towards her, and embraced her.

"I'm feeling rage and anger as I never felt before! I'm feeling revolt, I want to destroy and kill!" Alexa explained with a cold expression.

"That's normal, Alexa, used that to become better, we will need you to lead the army in a counter-attack! After the funeral, we will talk." Edwin caressed her head, still in a tight hug.

"They will wish they were never born when I'm finished with them!" She told him in a monotone tone.

"I'll help!" Edwin retorted with a smile veiled with vengeance.

"Thank you, Edwin, for everything, I don't know what I would have done yesterday without you by my side." She melted a bit and the vulnerability in her voice showed.

"You hold yourself quite well! Let's go, they'll be expecting us." Edwin informed her, not letting her go, he linked arms with her and walked through the corridors until they reached the yard, where a pyre had been made, everyone was wearing dark, from the pitch-black to the dark blue, a shrouded body was on top of the pyre, and a fire was burning just beside the door of the castle, Alexa left Edwin, and picked a torch, silence reigned in the yard.

"Today we cry, my heart cries, the pain of losing a pack member, a friend a loved one is indescribable, I was with him in the last minutes of his life, I wasn't at the beginning, but he didn't die alone, he died with family and friends by his side and that his the only thing we can hope for the end of our lives. It was a soldier's death, but that doesn't let our hearts less heavy, but one thing is sure, we will avenge his death, we will have blood paid in blood! But for now, let's help him rest with prayers to the spirits so he can journey to a better place!" Alexa speech incited some shouts of agreement, she walked with the torch in her hands and spotted Elia, who was crying uncontrollably, being hold by Charles.

Alexa stopped right in front of her, with the torch extended to her, "Come to my friend, his wife, let your affection be the torch that ignites the journey, so he knows where to go!" Alexa spoke with a solum face, and Elia looked to her eyes, seeing the pain in hers mirrored on the eyes of the Queen, she took the torch in her hands and with the other, reached through to take her hand.

They walked closely and slowly until they reached the pyre, "Be free my love, fly away until the plains of victory! Became a bird as you always wanted to be!"

They lit the pyre together, relying on each other strength, seeing the flames and feeling the blaze until it was unbearable, they stood aside, watching until the flames consumed the shrouded body and became ash, then Alexa reaches for the center, "Andrew's death was caused by an arrow in a cowards move, under the protection of the white flag! We will avenge him, everyone is ready to engage the enemy we will march or they will come to us!" Then she turned to Elia, "If you want you don't need to be a part of this, I could use your help, but your grief and processing this is more needed, especially considering you're expecting."

"Look who's talking! I'm in an earlier stage of pregnancy than you are! And I can use the work, not thinking!" She said.

"I can't abandon my responsibilities to the people, but for you, I'm giving you the choice."

"I chose to work," She chose, clean her tears, "thank you for what you said, it was beautiful and it helped me!" 

"It was what I felt, if you ask me I don't remember a single word of what I've just said." Alexa confessed, "Let's go to the dining room, we need breakfast and talk about the next steps."

They went to the dining room, every pack member even the new ones were there, Edwin hugged Alexa in a public display of affection and she returned it, then she wore her blank expression and looked to the rest of the people gathered there, "Was there anyone entering the city or asking for asylum?"

"No, no one has come," Flora said, her voice still shaken.

"Dear spirits have mercy on the soul of fools because I will have none!" She closed her fist and punched the table, "How about the advances of Rufus camp?"

"They are marching, they'll be here by sundown!" Charles informed them, it was a job for Andrew and Elia, but seeing what had happened, he filled in the blank, at least for a time, until Elia recovered from grieve.

"The traps are gone, it won't do a second time, so it will be a siege and force against force." she looked to a map, that showed the castle with all its tunnels and surroundings, "I see, If it was me who planned this attack, I would take the main army to the northern wall, as a distraction," She thought out loud, but everyone was paying attention, "and would take a small team to the southern wall, to kill the leaders of the Castle, or at least the main leader and trying to nullify the others. Once without its leaders, especially the Queen, the people would bow down to whoever did it." She continued rambling, and Edwin was astonished to see her mind work with strategy.

"Flavius is a master in strategy, so it might be the way it would occur!" Edwin agreed with Alexa, that seemed to take Alexa out of her mind thinking place, she looked up and became a bit red, to be caught thinking out loud 

"Then we will be prepared for it, I want Patricia, Schirouca, and Elia, taking care of the Northern wall, I'm believing in you!" She added, looking straight to the two new members of the pack, they saluted, making a promise to be the best he could, "The rest of us, will go to the southern wall, and we will surprise the execution team, what do you think?" She asked, for opinions.

"What about if they chose to attack from another side?" Asked Charles.

A knock on the door made everyone jump, Alexa gathered herself quickly, "Yes?"

A man opened the door and saluted the Queen and nobles, "My Queen, there's movement on the North gate, a group of six people, they are holding a white flag."

That news sent a suspicious frown to Alexa's face, "Are Morgaine, Flavius, or Rufus among that group?"

"I don't believe so, they were rambling they wanted to accept the offer made by Prince Edwin and Your Majesty of amnesty!" The man replied, with his head down.

"Bring them escorted here, I want twelve soldiers escorting them, I'll hear what they have to say!" Alexa conceded, the man bowed one more time and left the room, she looked towards all that we're guarded there and announced, "Maybe we will have the answers that we need to plan this counter-attack."