Flames

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"I'll be back later." Cedric smiled as he kissed his wife and son goodbye for the day. "I'll see if I can get out earlier than normal." His eyes settled on Amber's as he caressed her cheek. "Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?"

"I've been alright dozens of times before. This time isn't much different." Amber insisted as she leaned into his touch.

He took comfort in her words. "Very well. I love you."

"I love you too."

Amber closed the door behind Cedric as he left for the day, smiling down at Riley who sat upon the floor content with his wooden toys. "What are we going to do today, my little love?" She asked the child in a singsong voice. She ended up sitting in front of him, moving the cars around in an attempt to play with him. He was still much too little to understand how playing with multiple people worked or even what the concept of playing was, but she tried anyway.

It was moments like these that kept her mind occupied rather than focusing on the situation around them. Everyday she waited to hear Cedric say that he was finally taking them away and they were going to start their year away from the war, making them closer to safely living in Adessa again. It was the life she longed for their son to have, longed for Cedric to have. He had spent too much time living in darkness with a veil over his eyes about how things really were.

Having lived in Adessa for her entire life, she knew just how drastically their lives would change for the better. Cedric would learn that was more to life than war and violence. He would take up any hobby or occupation that he wanted and their struggle would cease to exist. In Adessa, they would be safe. They would be able to care for her father in his older age and be able to have their own house where they wouldn't have to worry about intruders, a king barging in, or wonder if they'd been caught each time someone walked past the windows.

Life would change as Cedric knew it when they would finally leave for Adessa.

Amber couldn't fight the sigh, knowing that Cedric didn't understand any of this. He didn't know how much better it would be for him, as he was merely concerned with having enough money saved to keep them stable for a year. While she appreciated it, she knew they could leave at any moment. With the ability to sneak in and out of Adessa, and her father being on the other side, they could more than support themselves.

If she was being honest, she missed Adessa. She missed the laughter of the people and the sunshine. Phaepyr was a land filled with miserable souls who thought this would be their entire life. The people in Phaepyr were broken down, nothing like the proud people they had once been when the war first started. Amber assumed they didn't even know what they fought for anymore, only wanting to claim victory and finish what they had started years before. The people here were frightened of their king and lived each day in misery.

Amber spent the day cleaning around the house, counting down the hours until Cedric would return home. It wasn't often that she stayed behind while he went to work, as she usually would leave for Adessa and come back later, but Riley had been missing Cedric and her husband was bound to have several days off after his shift that day.

It was after she and Riley had lunch that a knock sounded from the door.

Amber quietly looked at the door, holding Riley tight to her hip. It had only happened a few times before but the visitor would leave once they realized no one was home. She stood still, not wanting to risk anyone hearing her inside.

The knock sounded again.

Amber took slow steps back towards their bedroom, her eyes trained upon the doorway. While she felt afraid, she dared not show it in front of her infant son. If he began to cry, it would be over and they risked being caught. Before she could fully disappear into the bedroom, the door was forced open.