(months later)
Returning back to Northshore made me think of the last conversation I had with my husband. Tingles break out on my skin and they were not the good kind. I was going to face Arius and try my best not to sink a dagger in his eyes when he looks at me and pretend like everything was alright in our world when it is clear that it wasn’t.
“My Queen.” Soren’s horse came to canter beside mine as he smiled at me.
“Hello Sorens, how many miles remaining before we get to Northshore? We are not following the usual road that leads there so I cannot tell.” I asked, I had being riding with them non-stop for days as we hurried to get back into Northshore. I might be one of them now but I could still feel fatigue. The major reason why I was doing this was so that my legion could return home to their wives and children not because I was in a hurry to return to my ungrateful husband even though he had requested for that.
“My queen, we are almost in Northshore, just over that Hill and we will be home.” Sorens smiled.
Dread settled in my stomach so fast that I couldn’t stop my innate reaction to halt approaching the cause of my dread.
Which was Northshore.
“Halt.” I yelled out and at once, like an invisible string was being pulled, everybody stopped moved, Including Sorens who was beside me.
Normally I don’t give orders this harshly again, not like I first did when Elison died but my panic made this to happen all on its own.
“I am sorry.” I apologized to Sorens.
“Don’t be. Not all commanders can control their legion, the way you just did us. I am glad to have you as the leader.” Sorens said, looking at me with the same worshipful gaze he did the first time I commanded him. Every time he did that, I always felt weird and this time was no exception.
“Sorens. Stop staring.” I said and he shook his head.
“Apologies my queen, you just look so radiant. Like the beauty of nature at the first sight of the sun, like you bring life to everything which your beauty touches.” Sorens low voice rumbled as I stared at him wide eyed.
Sorens seem to be nursing a special liking towards me. I had noticed this a while ago when I could access the power within me but I never knew it was this bad or it could grow and now it was really growing.
Would it be bad if I allowed him to love me, would it be bad if I encouraged him just a little, after all Arius had his own little side piece, it wouldn’t be bad if I had mine too. Right?
“My queen?” Soren called jolting me out of my thoughts.
“Yes?” I answered, feeling heat on my check for being caught unaware.
“Is there anything you would like us to do, Perhaps the reason you told us to halt.” Soren asked.
“Can we take a break before we enter Northshore. I know that most of you feel like you can rest at home but I want a quiet time to say goodbye to my old life.” I answered and as one. They warriors all came down from their horses. I didn’t have to raise my voice when talking. We were a legion, all interrelated and interconnected. I was honored to be a part of them.
While they made small talks among themselves, I went a little farther from them, still in the same forest and rested my head on the truck of a tree.
“Being a Queen is a privilege.” I started motivating myself. “Ignore the power plays and the snobs that come with the position under the fancy titles of sister in-laws and focus on doing what is the best for the citizens of the empire. Show them the Dar civility which Elison always wanted you to have.” I said, my voice getting a little choked at the name of my fallen brother.
A brother whose death, I will forever blame myself for, after all, he died to save me from a mad man.
“It wasn’t your fault, you know.” Sorens said behind me as I gave a gasp and within seconds, I was behind him with a blade on his spine.
“My queen, you have to know that nothing can harm you, you have to let down your guards sometimes. I will be there to watch your back. Always.”
“You know better than trying to sneak up on me, I could have killed you before I even knew what I was doing.” I argued but Sorens shook his head.
“I did not sneak up on you, my queen, you just forgot that I am your shadow. It has been Months now and you keep forgetting.” Soren said with a fond smile.
“I wanted to be alone Sorens.” I stated firmly, pricking his skin with my dagger before I stepped back and went back to my original spot on the tree.
“I can go invisible if that would make you happy.” He offered but I shook my head. Any time, he watches me when he is invisible or someone else does it, I get an uncomfortable itching that pisses me off more than usual. It was better that he remained in a skin which I could see and punch anytime he annoyed me too much with his intense stare.
“You know I hate that.” I sighed. “I need to get my bearings together, can you give me some space?” I asked.
“No.” He answered and when I tilted my face to the side so I could stare at him while raising a questioning eyebrow he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“I exist to follow your command, just like I exist to make sure you are okay. I cannot let you beat yourself up for something which you had no control over. Think about it, Queen Gwenn. Would Elison be happy to see you as you wallow in pain while you take on the blame of his death, something which was outside of your power? There was nothing you could do and you know it.”
“Your opinion is not needed, especially in this matter.” I snapped at him. A Northerner would not understand the kind of bond I had with Elison. Yes I was being hard on myself but this was the only way I knew how to grieve and I would not feel bad about it. No matter what anybody try to say, what happened to Elison was my fault and they all knew it.
“I am sorry, your majesty.” Sorens bowed at me and shifted away from me while I bent over the truck to gather my thoughts and calm myself down. After a while, I lifted my head from the tree and moved towards the rest of the army with Sorens trailing behind me.
“Time to go.” I said as the legion started to get back on their horses and I took the lead. When we got the hill, I paused as I allowed the legion to ride through and each of them passed the boundary marker with high speed and continued on, to meet their family, not slowing down even when they were at the other side of the hill.
“Ready, My queen?” Sorens asked when it was just him who was on the side of the boundary which I was in.
“As ready as I will ever be.” I answered as I stared at the world which I was leaving behind for one last time before pulling the reins of my horse and galloping into my Empire.
As soon as I crossed the border, I stopped, immediately feeling like the air was not right.
“My queen?” Sorens asked, we were at the same pace before I pulled aside.
“Something is not right.” I said and then a ring of golden flames came out of my stomach.
“Gwenn.” Sorens yelled in shock as I screamed, Another ring came out but instead of flickering out like the former one, it expanded and the air feel like it was heavy with smoke.
This I knew because it felt like I was not present in my body while experiencing it. It was like I was experiencing everything from a far place.
The ring of flames exploded outwards, increasing as it gained momentum, it passed through Sorens who didn’t feel it. I watched as some of it sank into the ground while some went up to the sky. I watched as it passed through everything, starting with me as an Epicenter of whatever that thing was.
The flame was beautiful; I remember that as my last thought before my mind went blank.