The Soldier Of Sins | ✓

[65] Lightening

Rodwin watched as the carriage retreated in the darkness.

"My father's about to faint inside. Never have such a high Lord's wife entered our home before, that even with nothing but efforts to make our lives better," he told Samara who was smiling ear to ear.

"It is so satisfying to see people do the right thing after making mistakes. To amend. To stop the further wrong from happening," she said in her soft voice. "But it's not satisfying to realize that I am not like Ida and Violet. Bold. Fearless. Ambitious."

Rodwin glanced at her, giving her a faint look of amusement. "You think that you are not bold and fearless," he asked while facing her fully.

Samara lowered her eyes, the smile fading on her face. "I am not. What have ever I done so accomplishing."

"Well, for a first, you made this madman falling for you," he said while holding her waist. "Then, there are so many memories of you in my mind. Full of savageness. We always called you more outrageous than Samuel. You have always pushed me away whenever I used to make advances."

"That is not something like an achievement enough to set an example," said Samara with a disappointed face.

"It is. Not every woman is capable of doing that," he told her. "Ida couldn't. You owned your life by coming here to me, against your parents' injustices. Ida couldn't. Violet broke Logan's heart by not understanding his feelings, his goals. Not that I blame her, but she did make less effort in giving themselves time. Instead, she just cut it off. If she truly loved him, then it wouldn't have been so easy for her to push him away like that."

"She what?" Samara gasped.

Rodwin nodded quietly. "But look at you. You are here with me, wanting answers from me so you can defend me in front of others. Ida almost killed the monster. Violet taught this village the truth of that night. But you were no less. You stood there with me on the stake, ready to get burned with me."

Samara sucked in her cheeks, giving him a goofy smile.

"Quite romantic, I must say." Rodwin teased, making her chuckle. "But then, you opened the ropes on my neck and hands."

Samara's lips parted.

"You tried to research for this beast, from the beginning when your brother was in your house, returned from War. You did your part by getting along with Violet and investigating too, collecting information and all that. On the full moon night, it was you who convinced me to talk to the boys, so to save your brother from getting framed because he was out there of the hall."

Samara looked away in thought. She had never realized that before.

"You took care of home when your father and brother were away. Just like Violet. Better than her, because you were not used to doing that. Were you? That counts. Do you hear me?" Rodwin told her with admiration in his eyes. "My love is not just for your beauty. It is for the soul you are too. Your features, your traits. Your flaws. Everything."

"You gave struck me like the lightening, Samara. Your love is like a burning flame to me. It gets me heated all the time," he told her, giving her a lopsided smile.

"Everyone is brave in their own way. For me, one of the bravest things to do is roam the village whole day while pushing a cart full of vegetables in hope of finding a buyer," said Rodwin while squeezing her waist slightly. "To go to Aunt Maria's land to bring milk while your brother and father are working hard on beating iron plates, knowing there's a beast out there."

"Look at the seer. She is as brave as us soldiers who isn't afraid of dealing with blood and injuries. Imagine if she didn't exist. I cannot," said Rodwin, while glancing around. "Samara, doing something out of our comfort for the greater good, is called bravery. And your very presence here, beside me, is bravery."