Daughter of Shad

The End?

     "What if he gets injured?" I was nervously rambling to myself alone. He was out there fighting my battle at his expense. He could die out there, and it could be days before I find out. Why would anyone risk their life for me? Why would someone like him give up everything for me? Especially while I sit on my butt doing absolutely nothing. I walked to where Lady Irene sat.

     "Yes?" She looked up from a stack of papers. 

     "I want to help." My voice was soft.

     "There's nothing you can do. You just have to stay here," She replied, "And pray for Aaron."

     "I should be out there, not him." I clenched my fists.

     "As nervous as I am for his safety, we have to trust in his abilities. He's a talented fighter. I know that. He'll be alright." She assured me.

     "But what if-"

     "-He'll be fine." She stood up and pulled me into an embrace. I stayed silent. Her grip was tight, and I could feel her hands shaking. I wrapped my arms around her. We stood in silence, praying to anyone who would listen. There was a knock at the door, and we separated.

     "Ma'am." A guard's voice was on the other side of the door. She opened it to let him in.

     "Yes?" Her voice was shaky.

     "We haven't heard from Aaron's Batallion in three hours. They're supposed to be doing hourly check-ins." The guard seemed nervous.

     "Do you think..?" Her voice trailed off.

     "Ma'am, those boys tend to ignore incredibly important details. We shouldn't assume the worst, not yet." He assured her.

     "You're right." She took a deep breath. 

     "We're going to send another group out. Hopefully, they'll be able to contact the boys." He bowed.

     "Thank you." She sighed. He walked out.

     "Who is he with?" I asked.

     "A group of guards he's good friends with. Their names are Laurence, Garroth, and Travis. They are unimaginably reckless." She shook her head. 

     "That's not too reassuring." I crossed my arms.

     "Don't worry. They're good boys who get the job done. This isn't the first time they've gone without their check-ins. Occasionally, they'd go days without any communication. I'm sure they're alright." She walked back to where she had been sitting. 

     "If you're sure." I sighed and sat down.

     Hours passed with no news. The suspense was messing with me. I had gotten a book earlier to try and ease my anxiety, but I'd be surprised if I had finished a full chapter. I ended up giving up and setting it down. Then, I started pacing. It couldn't be that hard to just calm down. I had nothing to worry about. Before he and I met, I knew he was a talented fighter. There was no valid reason for my doubt. I wish knowing that made that terrible gut feeling go away. 

     Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The two of us ran over and opened the door.

     "We haven't found them." The same guard was at the door.

     "It's been hours." Lady Irene seemed impatient. 

     "I'm aware. I'm sorry." He bowed.

     "He better turn up soon." She begged.

~~~

     Three years have passed. We still haven't found them. I stayed with Irene, and she became like a mother to me. I helped her as she had helped me years ago. My life had improved so much. I had missed Aaron quite a bit, despite our short amount of time together. Eventually, things began looking up again. She had adopted a younger girl named Aline, and now things were getting settled.

     "But all good things come to an end eventually, right?" The man I figured to be dead stood on the enemy's side. "Miss me?"

     "Aaron?"

Hey, guys. I'm so sorry about how terribly connected this story was. I loved this idea but executed it poorly. I may give it another try in the future. Who knows? I've been very burnt out over the past few months, which is why I took a long break. I hope you guys at least partly enjoyed this. Thank you for your never-ending support. Have an amazing day/night. I love you all!