The Bleeding Heart

Chapter 22

Pic of Giada di Laurentiis as Trisha Klaus on the side! =)))

The Bleeding Heart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 22

“Secure Orion!” Theodore paced the throne room, telling his orders to General Bale who knelt in front of him.  “Secure all of the entrances to my kingdom and to the palace.  I don’t want another ambush and if they dare attack us again, then we’ll be ready to make sure nobody gets hurt.”

“And what will be our corresponding actions?” General Bale asked.  “Are we going to retaliate then?  Send our forces to attack and ambush Aria like they attacked us?”

Theodore stopped dead on his tracks and looked at his middle aged general, “Attack Aria?”

“Yes, sire,” the general nodded.  “What will be our next move?”

“No,” Theodore shook his head, saying softly.  “We can’t attack them.”

“So we will let them attack us then?” General Bale asked questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

“No!” Theodore’s voice rose.  “No.  We won’t let them attack us either that is why we cannot slack off right now.”

“Your Majesty, with all due respect,” General Bale said.  “Waiting for them to attack us is rather…um…unreasonable.”

“Yes, I know,” Theodore sighed.  “We’d be sitting ducks.  But I cannot just attack Aria, sending them the message that we want another war.”

“Sir,” General Bale stood up.  “If we wait for them to attack again before doing anything, it’s going to be your loss.  It will be your knights who are going to get killed.  It will be your people who will be victimized.  It will be your kingdom who will be unprepared.  It will be our loss, my king.”

“Yes, it will be,” Theodore nodded gravely.  “But I’m sorry, General, I just can’t afford another war again.”

“I understand,” Bale nodded his head.

“General,” Theodore called.  “Protect Orion.  Protect Orion the way I can’t.”

Bale looked at Theodore, swallowing a gulp in the process, “Of course, my King.  With everything in my power, I will protect Orion.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“You – you’re,” Adrian gasped, eyes widening.  “You’re not serious!”

“I wish I was,” Eugenie shrugged.

“A spy?” Adrian asked incredulously.  “That’s not – it isn’t – is that even possible?”

“Why wouldn’t it be possible?” Gwyneth pointed out.

“Gwyneth’s right,” Eugenie went around the table, standing beside Adrian.  “Who in the world knew that Princess Erielle would appear as such in her own party when tradition forbids us to know who she is and what she will look like on that night?  If ninety-nine percent of Orion didn’t know, how come the Arians knew?  Doesn’t that strike odd to you?”

“Well, yes, but it could might as well be – ” Adrian protested.

“Just a coincidence?” Gwyneth cut him off.

“Well, yes,” Adrian nodded, putting a hand out for emphasis’ sake.

“I think that you need to know that they were precisely aiming for Princess Erielle,” Eugenie said.  “Don’t you remember where you two were during the ambush?”