To Reclaim The Crown

Chapter Twelve

"Get up," Gaywn muttered to Aymer as he kicked him awake. Aymer was the last to waken as the sun had now full risen over to horizon. Everyone had just finished packing up before cleaning themselves in the small stream nearby. 

"So Dain is our next target?" Avice asked as she strapped the last of her belongings onto her horse. Aldith walk around the front of the steed and nodded to Avice. "Yes," 

"And you know where he is?" Avice asked her curiously, Dain has managed to keep a low profile since the guild disbanded. That made tracking his where about hard over the past few years.

"Well, not exactly," Aldith admitted to her, 

"So you don't know where he is?" 

"Well, I overheard a rumour that he was seen heading to Oswor, I believe he may have settled there," Aldith told her. 

"Oswor is a four-day ride from here," Avice said looking to Aldith, "That's a far journey to be making just before a battle. Are you sure you are willing to risk it?" Gaywn asked appearing behind the pair, Aldith dipped her head to the ground to think for a moment. She had a difficult choice to make, but she knew she had to. 

"Yes, We need Dain's offensive fighting style if we are to have a chance at winning this," Aldith told them as she walked over to her horse. "If any of you are not willing to join me, I will not hold it against you." 

"The ride to Oswor is a long one, it's four days of hard riding through rough landscapes," Aldith told Killian, Aymer and Eliot. She knew that Gaywn and Avice could handle themselves as they have done this journey many times before. Killian looked to his knights before looking back at Aldith, "We have come this far. We cannot back out now." He smiled to her, Aldith returned his smile for a moment their eyes connected and something stirred in Aldith's lower stomach. She ripped her stare away and looked to Gaywn who was smirked at her. Aldith clenched her jaw in frustration before pushing her horse into a trot, not looking at anyone. 

"What was that all about?" Eliot asked watching as Aldith trotted away in a mood. "If you don't understand it now, you never will," Aymer told him as he trotted past his halted horse Eliot shook his head and follow on at the back of the travelling group. They made their way through the forest in silence with Aldith several meters ahead of them. Gaywn had moved backwards so he was by Killian's side.

"So, Prince Killian." He said with unnecessary flair to it. "You are King Aundel's only son?" 

"As far as I am lead to believe, yes," Killian responded to the question as he looked at Gaywn. "I had the pleasure of meeting him once." 

"You did?" Killian asked more so asking Gaywn to carry on. "Yes, he is a fine gentleman. Honourable, kind and trustworthy." Gaywn began before stopping and looking to Killian, "Are you like the King?" 

"I like to think I am," Killian told him with a raised eyebrow showing his confusion on why this conversation has any relevance. "I see," Was Gaywn replied to him.

"But I like to think I am also my own person. My father taught me many things, and I moulded them to my own." Killian added on, Gaywn nodded and silently thought to himself. Killian had believed he had finished when Gaywn carried on, "And one day, you will ascend to your father's throne."

"Well yes, that is the plan," Killian confirmed,

"And you will need a queen?" Gaywn asked, and in almost an instant Killian's eyes searched the area ahead, before quickly landing on the figure riding at the front. "I suppose I will," He replied to Gaywn who noticed immediately were his eyes shifted to. "I see, and that woman should be a strong one?"

"Yes, as any Queen should be," Killian told him ripping his eyes away and looking back to Gaywn. "And why is that?"

"Because a King is nothing without a Queen. I have always believed that the strongest people are the Queen's. They stand behind their King, they stand behind their country. More often than not, their work is unseen by most. She is the heart and soul of any kingdom, that takes a lot of strength and wisdom that a King can never understand." Killian told him simply, Gaywn looked to Killian amazed at his answer. Maybe he is like his father, but at the same time completely different. "I can only hope that one day, I will be blessed with a Queen stronger than those passed," Killian spoke as his eyes aimlessly wandered. 

"I see how you look at her," Gaywn spoke in a hushed tone so that only Killian could really hear his words. "What?" Killian looked to Gaywn confused, 

"I once looked at a woman as you do with Aldith." Gaywn told him, "I was young, possibly your age. I was still just a knight, that Bloodsong had yet to form." Gaywn smiled as the memories he hid for many years slowly began to resurface. "I had just been in a meeting with King Jehanel when I decided to wander through the royal garden. It was there I saw her for the first time. Her blond hair was braided perfectly with flowers laced through it. Her blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean on white sand. Her name was Isobelle."

"She sounds beautiful." Killian told him as Gaywn nodded, "Aye, she was." Gaywn told him as his face dropped slightly. "She was the daughter of a Lord, way out of my league. But when I asked her father for her hand in marriage; he agreed instantly. We wed shortly after." 

"What happened after that?" 

"Well, she was soon with our first child. We were so happy, but then the war of the south had started. And I was sent to the front lines. Isobelle had gone to stay with her father for safety. IT was two months before I was able to return back home. I went straight to the King to inform him of our victory when he told me. He said that he had just received word of an attack of Isobelle's fathers land." Gaywn's face had now completely lost its joy and was filled with sadness. 

"I still remember that ripping feeling as it tore through my chest. I made my way with some men as fast as I could to the estate. But when I got there I know I was too late. I could only hope that maybe Isobelle was hiding or had escaped." He continued, Killian swore he could see his eyes tearing up. "I searched the entire house. It was littered with the bodies of the servants and guards. The place had been looted of all valuables. And then I found her. Someone had driven a sword through her heart. I could believe it, I did not want to believe it. I held her cold body and wept for her and our unborn child."

"That's horrible. I am sorry you had to go through that." Killian said to him with a sorrowful expression, Gaywn just nodded softly. "Not long after that, The Bloodsong formed and our first order of business was to take down the people who murdered my wife."

"And did you? Did you catch them?" Killian asked with hope, "Yes, and every one single one suffered."

"When I found Aldith, it was like the heavens had blessed me with a second chance of being a father," Gaywn told him while looking at Aldith; who was still in a mood from earlier. "And I swore that I would protected her in any way possible."

"I believe that if she does choose you, you will treat her like the true Queen she is. That you will let her grow and rule with you." Gaywn said which made Killian go silent, "But, That is if she chooses you." They both chuckled a little before continuing on their journey with small talk and questions. They had a long journey ahead, so they may as well get to know each other a little better.