Timeless

26

"Maybe you were too young but do you remember his father?" Taren asks the grimly disapproving Jeshua.

"When Grey's mother died, he lost his heart. He started womanizing like Grey only worse. More like all three of us put together, you, Grey and I. He totally ignored Grey other than when they were doing something Guard related.

"I think that's why Grey pushed himself so hard, he wanted his father's notice and approval. Grey made some friends but more enemies. Overtime he became his father's second in command. Some thought it was favoritism. It wasn't. Grey worked hard to become the best and his father recognized that fact.

"It was around that time that Grey's father killed Lady Anna's father. That's when they became so close. Grey helped her deal with the damage her father did."

"Some of their fights are bad, far worse than would be allowed elsewhere, but those two always make up in the end."

"What about this Lady Jaylen?" Jeshua asks he didn't know much about her. "No one wants to talk about her at all."

"Lady Krista banished her before Lady Anna was even born. She was Krista's little sister. Lady Anna says that her mother bitterly regretted her decision afterwards but it was too late, she couldn't be found anywhere.

"It's thanks to Alexis that Jaylen was able to be brought home. I think allowing Alexis in there to help is Jaylen's way of thanking Alexis." Taren speaks his thoughts out loud on this because he has no evidence to prove that that is exactly why Jaylen is allowing Alexis in and not him.

"What a mess. At least the castle is now secure." Jeshua says in disgust.

Taren looks at him sharply. "Before you go making judgments, think about this. What do you think would happen to your precious Alexis if the enemy got a hold of her again?"

Jeshua looks sick. "She told me what life was like under him. I'd rather she died than return to that."

"She very likely would have after the army got done with her. The women wouldn't have been left alone Jeshua. This man has no honor may he rot in the nine hells. Not even little girls would have been safe. I've heard tales where bodies of girls five years old have been found obviously raped.

"And not just girls. Little boys as well. I've seen you Jeshua, you love children almost as much as you do women. Would you like to see your little friends hurt like that?" Taren says pushing Jeshua into seeing why Grey and Ari chose the path they did.

Instead his words make Jeshua angry. "I don't use children like that Commander."

Taren rubs his eyes again. "I'm sorry Jeshua that didn't come out right. I know you don't use children. You love them and protect them like you do women. I've seen it and Grey saw it. That's part of why he chose you. Not just because of your excellent guarding qualities.

"Unfortunately the same can't be said for many of the guard. No one molested you or you'd tie them in a knot, even when younger and the older guards knew it. You were left alone. Many are not so lucky. When Grey tapped me to be his special helper I was terrified. I'd seen what happened to many of the boys so tapped.

"When he took the whipping for me, well I knew I'd do anything for him, but I was still terrified of what he was going to do. Instead of being told to undress and bend over he quite calmly informed me of my new duties. And ordered me to tell him of any further bullying by the other guards."

"I'd still do anything for him Jeshua, so don't judge me or him or Lady Ari or Lady Anna. I'd do anything to take his pain away. But there are just some things that suck. They made a decision to make a bad situation better for as many people as they could. And they both knew that they would pay with their lives for that decision."