Chapter 2: Decisions (8,0K)
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General Jace Wayland, protégé of King Valentine.
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Jace watched the scene with horror at the treason standing before him, still speechless about his discovery. The girl swiftly replaced the hood over her dark red hair and covered her mouth once again with her scarf before bending to pick up her sabre from the floor, as if nothing had happened. With all the will he could muster, Jace swallowed back his anger to have been fooled. It wasn't the time or the place to start ranting about an insubordinate girl who broke the law and the traditions.
With the agility of a cat, the girl leaped over the corpses now lying on the floor, and took Jace by the arm to lead him upstairs, when Jace finally snapped out of his stupor and recovered. He couldn't act like he just did, both their lives were in danger, and they had a keep to escape. Still, he pointed the obvious with a rising temper: "In case you didn't get it the first time I told you that, the way out is outside, not upstairs."
The girl sighed exasperatedly, clearly annoyed with Jace's attitude, and pulled on his arm a little bit stronger, forcing Jace to move where she wanted him to go. Jace reluctantly followed her as she led him up the tower. Once at the top of the stairs, Jace understood what drew the girl in this particular direction. They were in the weapons room. The girl closed the doors behind her as Jace walked to the window to glance at what was happening in the courtyard.
He saw mercenaries running all over the place, many of them gathering at the entrance of the tower where the girl and him were trapped in. Torches were lit all over the keep while he could hear diverse orders thrown around. A frown darkening his face, Jace looked at the wall surrounding the keep, too high to be climbed without equipment, and too far from the tower to be used as a means of escape; and with annoyance, he turned to the girl.
She was filling her quiver with arrows; and when Jace walked to her to confront her about her gender, she withdrew a rope from under her cloak and took a crossbow from the arsenal in display in the room before walking to the window. Jace watched her as she armed her weapon, noticing that she had tied the rope to the end of the heavy arrow that she was about to shoot; and when she did, he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him.
"You're a girl," He repeated himself, pointing out the obvious once again.
The girl rolled her eyes, trying to reclaim possession of her arm, but Jace tightened his grip on her, reaching for her face to unveil her disguise and see from up-close how much he had been fooled by this traitorous girl. She glared at him, stepping out of his grip with a brusque move to free her arm before he could undo her scarf or her hood.
Then, she walked to the window, retrieving a mirror from her cloak and playing with the reflexion of the moon. Jace refrained himself from yelling at her, and clenched his jaw, checking the weapons and picking the ones that he knew would be useful in a fight, his eyes going several times toward the door.
Once he was properly armed, Jace walked back to the window to see what the girl had been up to, his eyes avoiding hers on purpose; and he saw that the rope she had attached to her arrow was her escape plan. The arrow apparently planted her way on the other side of the wall, because they could let themselves slide on it and pass through the wall of the keep. With a little frown, Jace tested the strength of the cord before glancing at the courtyard once again; and then he stated:
"The cord can't hold us both. It will break and we'll be food for the dogs...more like for the soldiers"
"I know," She said, her voice muffled by the presence of the scarf over her mouth. But still, Jace understood why she pretended to be mute during all those months. Her voice was gentle and delicate, like a summer chiming tremors of her voice were undoubtedly feminine. No one could doubt her gender after hearing her voice.
Jace looked down the courtyard once again, before snapping: "So now, you decide to talk." She didn't reply, taking a handkerchief out of a pocket from her trousers and passing it through the rope. Then, she handed it to Jace who took it as a reflex, before repeating with insistence:
"The cord can't hold us both. You go first."
The girl huffed, removing her scarf with annoyance. "You are a General. Your men need you. I will be right behind you."
"Like this is going to happen. I am not —"
"Yes you are. You are heavier than me, and you will down the cord. If I go before you and change the stability of the cord, you could fall in the middle of the keep. This won't happen to me if I go after you."
Jace was about to argue, when a loud bang echoed behind them, indicating that the mercenaries were trying to get in the room. The girl drew her sabres, positioning herself in a defensive posture as she pressed Jace: "Now, General! We're loosing time!"
For the fraction of a second, he hesitated before the girl glared at him, replacing her scarf on her mouth; and so he jumped, letting himself slide down the rope. The wind lashed against his skin, echoing in his ears in a piercing shriek, but Jace kept his eyes open, letting go of his hold on the cord as soon as he passed the wall. Since he was still rather high from the ground, he fell rather hard on it, rolling a few times before swiftly getting up and looking anxiously at the window that he just left to see the girl slide herself.
Still out of breath, he rested his hands on his knees, when he suddenly heard a noise behind him, making him draw the sword he had gained earlier and turn to the intruder. But instead of mercenaries, he saw his Lieutenant and Magnus Bane getting off of their horses.
Jace had named Alexander Lightwood his Lieutenant, first out of respect. He was his senior by two years, and had started to train for the army life long before him. But still, the General Graymark had estimated that Jace was more worthy of the title of general and gave him the badge. Still, Jace did not forget the person with whom he learned to wrestle, handle a sword or fire arrows. He did not forget that, though he never fancied himself as a friendly person, Alexander had always been there for him. As a friendly adviser as much as a shoulder to rely on during his rare moment of doubts when he couldn't see the King for consultation. So to Jace, the two men were brothers in arms. It was more than a saying for him, it was a truth of his heart.
Alexander was slightly shorter than Jace, though being older; and he was less imposing in the matter of stature. But the fact that he was leaner gave him more agility than Jace ever had. Jace always thought that the lean musculature of his Lieutenant was due to his specialisation in archery. Never in his life, he had seen an archer who was buffed, and Alexander was just another proof of that. He had dark raven hair, that could almost be mistaken as navy blue during a bright sunny day, and the darkness of his hair would make his blue eyes appear even more piercing than they already were.
Magnus Bane who was beside him was nothing of the sort, physically, or in Jace's heart. Jace never liked Magnus Bane, ever since he had to tolerate him in this journey. It had nothing to do with the fact that Magnus Bane was a foreigner that came from the country of silk and spices. Jace never actually lingered on that fact, and even thought that it was a strength for the foreigner for he had knowledge that no one would ever have. It was more due to the fact that Magnus Bane was a politician, and that Jace felt that he had no place among his men.
The man with an olive skin and almond shaped dark eyes was from the Council of the King Morgenstern, and had been ever since he came in their country. Jace never saw him with a sword in hand, or a bow, or even a dagger. Sure, during the little sessions Jace organised throughout their journey he took notice that the man could defend himself; but Jace wouldn't trust his life, or any of his soldier's life in the foreigner's hands.
And there was also the fact that Magnus Bane always subtly reminded Jace of his place and his status- That Jace was only a General with little strategic knowledge in the art of Politics. Jace knew that this was his own fault. He knew that he should have paid more attention to the King's lessons about the politics of the different realms; but he had only wanted to go to war and execute orders, not think of the 'how's and 'why's behind those orders. Still, every time Magnus Bane had talked directly to Jace, it had seemed to Jace that the politician truly despised him as though he had done him a personal wrong.
The Lieutenant Lightwood was the first to break Jace out of his thoughts, getting down from his horse and swiftly wrapping a cloak around Jace's shoulders.
"Are you alright General?" He asked concernedly.
Jace tightened the cloak around him, tying a knot around his neck before standing straight and saying, still a little out of breath: "Yes. The Mute shouldn't be le—"
He stopped himself when he saw with helplessness the cord that was hanging from the window, fall limp from the tower. Jace stood frozen the whole time the rope was falling, his heart beating so fast as the realisation of the fact that he left a soldier behind. He was torn out of his stupor when Magnus Bane screamed: "NO!" his voice full of desperation and anguish.
Alexander left Jace's side to go to the foreigner politician and restrain him from going any further.
"Let me go, Lightwood!" Bane growled between his teeth, trying to go to the keep while the Lieutenant was doing his best to calm the politician; and though Jace had never given much credit to the politician, he had to admit that Magnus Bane was putting up quite a struggle, almost besting Alexander.
"Don't worry about the Mute, Bane. He will find a way to us."
"He's all alone in there!" Magnus Bane cried out, his almond dark eyes steady on the keep, worry and anxiety clear on his face.
Jace never really lingered on that fact, but now that he was facing the politician's distress at the thought of losing the Mute, it occurred to him that Magnus Bane knew the true nature of the girl. Jace couldn't tell how this realisation came to him, but he was sure of the fact that Magnus Bane knew that the Mute was a girl. Maybe it was because they had always been seen together, or because to the eyes of the squad, they were sharing a tent. Or probably because Jace could see in Magnus Bane's cat eyes the same fear that was coiling in his stomach. What would happen to the girl if she were caught? Death was a fate far more kind than what mercenaries could do to her if they learned of her true gender.
Slowly, Alexander let go of Magnus Bane, his hand still on the foreigner's chest as a precaution. "Go get the men waiting at the East door and get them to camp. I will wait here with the General for the Mute," He said with a commanding voice. Jace watched the two men silently argue with one another, before Magnus shook his head with disobedience as he snapped:
"What if the Mute goes to the East door?"
"You know as well as I do that he won't go anywhere you are not supposed to be," Alexander reasoned, and Jace immediately understood by the tone the two men used, that lot of things had happened between the two of them during his month of captivity. There were undertones that he did not understand, though they seemed clear for the two men; and Jace knew for a fact that the politician and the soldier did not exchange more than ten words before he got captured.
"Then I'm staying until he comes out," Magnus Bane stubbornly said defying the Lieutenant to command him otherwise.
Alexander heaved, before proudly straightening up, and ordering: "No. You are going to do as said and go back to camp. With all due respect, I am a better swordsman than you, and if it is needed, I will make sure that he comes back safe and sound to camp."
Magnus Bane seemed still a little bit hesitant, and so the Lieutenant assured: "You have my word that I will bring him to camp. Just go back there and wait for him."
"I'm staying."
"No. I need someone to instruct the troops and reassure them. This is why you will go to the East door, take Kyle with you and go back to camp. You will tell the men that we are moving camp tomorrow first thing in the morning."
Bane bit on his lower lip, obviously not happy with this direct order that he had been given; before he glanced in Jace's direction, his eyes saying things that Jace did not understand. "Wayland should do it. It is wiser and safer to at least get him back to camp."
Alexander also glanced in Jace's direction, thinking through for a moment of what Bane just said; but then, he strongly stated, his brows knotted with impartiality: "The General cannot go back to camp with men still breathing behind, we all know that."
Jace wondered if Alexander was implicitly accusing him on leaving behind a soldier when he had been supposed to be the last one to leave the keep, but he did not have time to really dwell on that as Magnus Bane finally listened to his Lieutenant and went back to his horse. Jace did not say a single word, not intervening in the men's little argument, for his mind was still racing toward the girl that he left in the keep.
He could still hear mercenaries yelling indistinguishable orders in the keep, which led Jace to conclude that the girl was still roaming free in the keep, avoiding capture by some miracle. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Alexander climb on his horse, the leash of the spare horse firmly in his hand as his blue eyes were scrutinising the keep.
"What did Bane meant by saying that it was wiser to send me back to camp?"
Though the Lieutenant did not look at Jace, Jace could tell by the way he froze on his horse that he did not like the question. Apparently, Jace spot something in their conversation that he was not supposed to get.
Jace was about to demand an answer, when Alexander said with logic: "He's a politician, and you are the person that the King loves like his own son. He is not the only one fearing for his head if we come home back without you."
Jace nodded, accepting this answer for the moment, even if he could tell that the Lieutenant had more to say on the matter, but was apparently not willing to share his thoughts with Jace. The two men remained silent for a few minutes, both of them staring with intensity at the keep for any sign of the Mute.
But after ten long minutes during which they could only hope for the young soldier to come back to them, the Lieutenant informed his General of what happened since his capture:
"We made camp a few hours ride North from here. Your capture may have taken us closer to the Garroway kingdom that the road you intended to take, according to Bane. The attack did not have a real impact on us, and to be honest, I think you were the target. It is not usual mercenary behaviour to only take one prisoner, and leave an army behind, no matter how small the army is. Except from you, no-one is missing, and we just have a couple of injuries among the troop that have been taken care of by Bane. Turns out, he can heal as well. The only real casualty is the loss of horses. We lost a good dozen of them."
"What about the food?" Jace questioned, a part of his mind still on the keep while another part was already thinking again like a General with lives relying on him.
"We are based next to what appears to be a small wood. There is a river and there is game. We mostly live day to day since we planed your rescue as soon as I was sure that everyone was okay," Alexander explained, and Jace finally looked away from the keep to glare at his Lieutenant, not understanding why he risked the mission, and men to rescue him.
"Why didn't you carry on with the mission? With my demise, you should have taken the lead and carried on with the mission that was assigned to us instead of losing time with rescuing me."
"And what is the mission exactly, General? You asked for your best men to follow to foe territory, and we did. But none of your men actually knew what the mission entrusted to you was. We all blindly followed you, with no idea of what was to come. We are too little to actually start a war, and too many to be peace emissaries.
So what was I supposed to do? Go on and get our men killed for I had no idea what to do in the beginning? Go back home and explain to our King that the man he loves like his own child has been left behind at the mercy of mercenaries?"
Jace looked back at the keep, and had to concede that Alexander was right. He never told anyone about his plans concerning King Luke. But that wasn't because he didn't trust his men. It had more to do with the fact that he didn't know what to do with the task King Valentine had given him. He did not know if he was sent to kill the foe or to spare him, though he trained his troop as if they were going to war.
"What about Bane?" Jace retorted, knowing that the foreigner had the King's trust and that Bane probably knew of the King's plans concerning the Garroway kingdom.
"Bane is a politician, not a soldier," Alexander dismissed before he added: "Besides, ... he insisted on your return."
"Bane could not care less if I live or die."
"Like I said, he is a politician. He has his reasons for wanting a general alive, and I did not question him. He is the closest Council member to the King, so if he says that you are to live and get back to the Kingdom, I listen and do as told."
Jace turned his head to stare at his lieutenant, stunned by his statement; and then he wisely told him: "You should never take orders from someone who only has his life to fear for."
Alexander was about to report something, when a flamed arrow flew high in the sky, piercing the darkness of the night. The Lieutenant frowned a little, before making a noise with his tongue and directing the horses West as he said: "We should move West, the Mute is waiting for us there."
"How do you know?"
"The Mute is more resourceful than you gave him credit for. After all, he did break you out of that keep," Alexander explained, and something in his tone made Jace doubt his Lieutenant.
"How?"
"He posed as a civilian for a week to see how the keep was ran. Then he explained to Bane what would be the best way to make you escape, though something must have happened there, because it was supposed to be a discreet mission. He climbed the tower you were in with the heads of two arrows and the agility of a squirrel. I guess that now, you are glad to have been weighed with someone that small."
"How could the Mute tell anything to Bane?" Jace asked, more interested on finding out if his Lieutenant was actually aware of the Mute true nature, or was still duped by the trickery of the little girl.
"I didn't say 'tell'. Like you probably understood with the conversation I just had with Bane, him and the Mute have a really deep relationship. Communicating in ways that we don't understand is probably one of the many skills he taught the Mute."
Jace was slightly reassured by this explanation, though there was something about the way Alexander talked about the Mute that made him tick. The very few times the two soldiers talked about the smaller one, Alexander had been rather neutral; and now he was subtly taking the defence of the little one.
But he did not have a lot of time to think about any of that, as someone appeared from nowhere in front of them. The two soldiers reached for their swords as a reflex, but they relaxed when they realised that it was only the Mute in front of them.
Jace let his eyes travel on her, trying to see through the disguise, but he only saw the small and frail Mute that he always saw. She had her scarf and hood well placed on her face, though it was obvious that she was out of breath, and her green eyes went to the Lieutenant, clearly saying something through them that Jace did not understand.
Then, the girl hopped on her horse, and Alexander said that they should head back to camp; but she raised her hand in the air, and fisted it to indicate them so stay still. They waited for a couple of minutes, until Jace lost his patience and directed his horse toward hers, ready to order her back to camp.
But he was interrupted by a deafening blast coming from the keep. The explosion frightened the horses, as well as the two officers, while the girl kept her own horse steady, looking at the destruction that was displaying before them as the three of them were hearing screams of anguish from where the keep used to be.
Jace turned his head to the girl, wondering where she managed to get the powder that turned into fire. That was a very rare weapon, and from what Jace had heard of it, it was very difficult and dangerous to work with it.
"We should go. Camp is still rather far," Alexander said, and Jace simply nodded, directing his horse in the same direction where the Lieutenant was going.
The three of them rode full speed for a good part of the night and arrived to camp around the time the sun rose in the sky. The men barely gave them time to get down of their horses, cheering for their General and happy to see him alive and well.
Jace smiled without really meaning it, as he started walking toward his tent that had been erected even though he wasn't there. From the corner of his eye, he looked for Bane, and when he realised that the politician was nowhere in sight, he wrapped a demanding hand around the arm of the girl, silently letting her know that he was not letting her go so easily.
Lightwood followed them inside the tent, but Jace did not even bother turning to order him: "Leave us."
He waited for the soldier to leave, but still caught the way Alexander looked at the girl that was still under his grip. For a second, Jace thought that his Lieutenant was about to disobey the direct order that he just gave him; but Lightwood left without a word.
Jace waited for the tent to be completely closed to finally stare down at the girl bright green eyes, waiting for her to try and plead her case. But when it became obvious that she was not going to say a single word, Jace let go of her arm so he could remove her hood and scarf. She made a slight movement to try and stop him, but he still did it anyway, taking her chin between his fingers so he could really look at her face.
Now that he was seeing her under the light of the lanterns in his tent, he could see how feminine her face was. It was small and delicate, making it impossible for her to even pass for androgyne. Her eyes were the first thing that you would see on her face. Not so much because of their colour, but because they were so big on her petite face. She had a small nose as well, and full pink lips. Even though there was a lot of dirt on her face, Jace could tell that she had a pale complexion. But none of that was what he really lingered on. His first question when he saw her face was, how old was she? She was young. She seemed so young, that Jace wondered if she would even pass the age limit that was imposed on his soldiers: Sixteen.
And yet, her green eyes seemed to be older than the rest of her face. Just the way she was looking at him at this instant was sufficient to make him feel uneasy, and even inferior. He let go of her, knowing that this emotion he just experienced was mainly why he never liked the Mute; and he started pacing in his tent, wondering what he was going to do about this.
Women weren't allowed in armies. This was a law common to all the kingdoms he'd been in. Women had no place in the schemes of war. There were even laws to prevent that. Laws that would result with the girl hanging on a tree by the neck for treachery. And still, knowing that, knowing that she could be sentenced to die like a common criminal, she risked her life to save his. This invoked an odd feeling of respect and gratitude in him.
"What is you name?" He asked, placing his hands behind his back and looking past the girl so he could avoid her troubling eyes. He knew that he was just trying to buy himself some time, but when she stubbornly remained silent, he snapped, finally letting out his anger to have been fooled like an idiot by this little girl:
"Who do you think you are to trespass rules like that?! You are not meant to be here! Your condition slowed us down because you are not meant to be here! You are two weak to wear an armour or even handle a sword properly! You are too small to carry any injured in case of battle! You would be the first target because you appear sickly in the eyes of the enemy! What took you to pass as a boy and enrol for a battle that isn't yours to fight!? You're place is not in this troop!"
The girl didn't utter a single word, infuriating Jace even more. He was ready to hear anything she would want to say to save her life. Any excuse would have done it, but she was not even trying. All she was doing was biting her lower lip and retaining her tears from falling. And that's when Jace saw a trickle of blood on her chin.
He frowned a little, wondering where that could have come from; and when he reached to wipe it out, he saw that his own hand was covered in blood. He knew that it wasn't his, and so he glanced at the girl's arm that he grabbed seeing a wound that wasn't there when they were in the tower.
The wound didn't seem to be very deep, but it was bad enough to gush blood out of it. And still, the girl did not utter a word or a wince when he grabbed her arm to take her to his tent. She had still done her best to not show any sign of hurt.
With a loud sigh, Jace passed his other hand in his hair, and said with less anger said: "I will send you back to the Kingdom with two of the men who came with you. A life for life. You saved my life, and for that, I will not report you. But I will not keep you here, either. You leave as soon as we leave camp."
Jace was not even surprised when the girl remained silent, but he still saw the death glare that she gave him. She was not happy with what he just said, this was clear in her eyes, though her face was still blank, and her eyes swiftly became blank as well. This was the only time he actually saw an emotion out of her, and it was out of place. He was sparing her life, and she was hating him for it. Where was the logic?
Jace heaved another sigh, once again, and was about to ask to see her wound, when Bane unceremoniously entered his tent, making his way toward the girl and taking her in his arms as Alexander entered shortly after.
Bane lovingly kissed the girl's hair before he delicately took her face between his hands and asked: "How are you doing, Angel? Are you hurt?"
"He wants to send me back," was all she said, comforting Jace in his idea that even her voice would sell her out as a girl.
Bane snapped his head to Jace, and glared at him while Jace was looking at Alexander, seeing no astonishment whatsoever in his eyes to the fact that a girl was in his tent. Jace had known that Bane would have known, it was obvious in the way he acted back at the keep; but Alexander ... knew that there was a woman in the ranks, and did not kill her or send her back to where she was supposed to be.
"Your orders are to keep us in your troops, General. Ten men were to accompany you to the Garroway kingdom, no more, no less. You have no authority upon this order," Bane said, his voice as commending as it was imposing.
Jace looked away from his Lieutenant pointing out the obvious: "I did not leave with ten men."
"The Mute is a soldier like any other. He rescued you from that keep. Without him, you would still be rotting there! Make him leave, and I will make sure that you will regret it all your life."
"Is that a threat, Bane?" Jace asked, raising his voice a little stronger; and this seemed to be what Alexander was waiting for to intervene. He walked between the two men, and separated the girl from Bane with gentleness as he said, replacing her scarf and hood:
"We cannot send anyone away. Like Bane said, the orders were ten men, and if you can't justify your action, the soldiers will start asking questions. No one but the four of us know that the Mute is a girl. Let's keep it that way." Jace was about to retort something, when Alexander cut him off and went on: "You weren't here for a month, General. You didn't live on camp with her for a month. The Mute healed several of your soldiers, including Kyle and myself. And every soldier of your troop saw the Mute use a bow at his full potential. You will appear as mad if you send away the best archer we have."
Jace saw how the girl rested a hand on Alexander's shoulder, silently telling him something, but he had to concede that his Lieutenant was right. Strategically speaking, he could not let her go without revealing her true nature. If she was a good enough archer to impress Alexander, his soldiers would expect the Mute to stay with them, because a good archer was always good to have alongside during a battle.
With a small nod, he allowed the girl and the foreigner to leave, and once he was alone with his Lieutenant, and stated the truth:
"You know her."
"I do," The Lieutenant confessed, though he didn't seem ashamed of not having followed protocol.
"Is that why you didn't apply the law when you found out?"
"Partly. I've only known for a few weeks. She's actually the one who came to me, and revealed herself, because she had a plan to get you back. That is how dedicated she is. She risked unveiling herself just to get you out of that keep. Isn't it what you asked of your soldiers? To be ready to die for you?"
"I don't ask them to die for me. I ask them to die for their kingdom," Jace corrected, because he would never ask someone to die for him. It was their whole kingdom that they were fighting for, not just one man.
"And that's what she did. She risked her life for her kingdom. Ask her why she is here, and you will find out that she has the exact same reasons as you. If you're conflicted because of the law, I'd understand. But ... if you're conflicted because she is a girl ... she will have my support, not you."
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Jace had been staying in the cold current of the river for almost an hour, doing his best to forget all about Emma, the baker's daughter. He had had a sort of relationship with her for the past couple of months, but learnt a week ago that she was only interested in him because of his relationship with the King- Which angered Jace. He actually felt something for the girl, and she only talked to him because the King treated him like family.
Honestly, Jace was feeling rather betrayed by this turn of events. He liked spending time with Emma, he liked being intimate with her, and he used to like thinking that it was reciprocated. But he had been clearly mistaken.
Perhaps this was why he actually asked General Graymark to assign him to the next ship leaving so he could be of use in the royal Navy. Just so he would not have to see Emma again. Kaelie, the girl working in the kitchen's barracks said that it was a stupid idea, but it was the only one he had in mind. He just had to find the courage to tell his King and benefactor of his decision.
As he was deeply lost into his thoughts, a branch cracked behind him, making him turn his head to see who was disturbing him in his moment of solitude, only to see that it was the King. Quickly, Jace got up and wrapped a drying cloth around his waist, while the King walked to the nearest tree and sat on the ground under its shade.
After making himself decent with what he had, Jace walked to King Valentine and stood there, until the King heaved a tired, annoyed sigh and signaled for Jace to join him on the floor. Under the King's benevolent smile, Jace sat next to him, knowing that the King never really appreciated when Jace treated him like royalty he was instead of treating him like a friend. But Jace never managed to forgo the fact that his benefactor was a King.
When Jace sat, the King said with a little teasing voice: "If you were living with me, you would be taking hot bath, instead of having to go to this cold and secluded river."
"I like taking cold baths. And I do not mind the loneliness, your Majesty."
The King shook his head as he asked: "How many times will I have to tell you that you should treat me as a friend, Jace."
Jace smiled a little, apologising through his smile but both of them knew that Jace would endlessly keep treating his King with the regards that his rank was imposing. For a little while, the two men let silence grow between them, not very bothered by it as they could actually enjoy each other's presence without having to talk.
It had been almost five years since King Valentine took Jace under his care, and place him in the barracks with General Graymark to form him as a military man. On several occasions, the King tried to convince Jace to come live with him at the Palace, but Jace refused each time. He knew where his place belonged, and it wasn't in the Palace, no matter how much the King treated him like a son.
The King didn't only made sure that Jace would be militarily gained, he also sent to the barracks Masters to teach him how to read and calculate. And he came down weekly to teach him about the different politics of the different Kingdoms, though this was Jace's least favourite topic. Still, this scholar's visit had nothing to do with the other weekly visits that the King would pay to Jace, where they would only talk about the tribulations of life from one person to another.
Those moments were Jace's favourite times of the week. When he would simply spend a little time with the King, and secretly allow himself to think that the King was his father. There were rumours, but Jace never paid attention to them, only taking the King's words for truth. They never actually broached the topic, but Jace decided that the King would have told him if those rumours were true.
During those little private moments, the King gifted Jace with many presents that Jace cherished every night. His first sword, his first bow, his first book. There was not a thing that the King would give him that Jace would disregard. He knew that because the King was fond of him, he was slightly priviliged compared to the other boys living in the barracks, but he also knew that this privilege was only material because the General Graymark would never let anyone change his method of training to favour someone in particular. Even if it was at the King's request.
Contrary to the times that Jace and the King would be together, Jace did not ask about the life back at the Palace. He knew that times were dark at the Palace, and that the King probably did not want to talk about the Death threat flying over his household. Kaelie told Jace that people from the Palace kitchen were saying that life was escaping the Palace, and that the King hadn't eaten in two weeks. And Jace was seeing with his own eyes that it was true.
Though the King could never go to war again because of an old wound, he still trained as such with the General Graymark which left him a healthy man, with an imposing physique. But on that particular day, Jace could see that the King had lost weight, and that his eyes were haunted with fear
"I heard that you applied to join the Navy," The King gently said, tearing Jace away from his thoughts, and making him turn to look at the sovereign. "Are you unhappy here?"
"I'm actually trying to flee from someone," Jace explained. though the idea of lying to his benefactor was ridiculous to Jace, he also knew that he could trust the King with everything that was happening in his life.
The King kindly smiled, his brown eyes sparkling with sudden amusement and wiseness as he sated: "Ah! So, there is a girl behind all of this. There always is ... Girls are meant to be our doom, and yet, we would do anything for them. Because it is in our nature to make them happy."
Jace looked upon his King with disbelief, having problem understanding how could one would want to make someone happy, if that person was destined to be their doom. It was not making any sense to Jace, and the King seemed to understand this, because he gently shook his head, and explained further:
"You will understand when you meet the girl who makes your heart stop every time you look at her."
Those words made Jace frown even more, clearly lost in the riddles that the monarch was speaking in, and the King laughed, saying that Jace was barely fifteen and that he still had a lifetime ahead of him to understand what he was talking about.
Then, the King looked at Jace with seriousness, hesitation in his eyes, though he still said: "Jace ... I would like it very much if you stayed here. Despite your young age, I have an absolute and blind trust in you. And if things keep on worsening back at the Palace ..." He stopped, but correcting himself: "No, no matter what, I will need someone trustworthy beside me. And I would like for that person to be you."
To this date, Jace did not know what the King had meant on that particular day under the tree; but that didn't stop him from staying beside his monarch, because it was his rightful place.
And now, because of that little girl who had decided to play dress up like a boy, Jace was doubting the blind trust that his King always put in him. Because there had been one question that had been haunting him ever since he discovered the identity of the girl. Was the King aware of her presence among the ten men he had imposed Jace? Did the King intentionally withhold this important information from Jace?
With a heave, Jace left his tent avoiding the few soldiers who wanted to talk to him by stating that he was going to the river in order to wash off his month of detention. As soon as he was by the stream, he stripped to nothing and immersed in the cold water, finding relief when the icy water licked his painful wrists.
He rubbed the dirt off of his body, and vigorously scratched his hair under the water before closing his eyes and enjoying this little moment of pure calm and emptiness when he was only Jace, not General Wayland, not the mercenaries' prisoner, just Jace.
As the sun was slowly rising in the East, Jace heard that someone was coming in his direction, and so he quickly splashed his face one last time, and got out of the stream, expecting to see either his Lieutenant or one of his soldiers. But instead, he found himself facing the girl who was staring at him impassively, looking only at his eyes.
Jace chuckled, covering himself back with his dirty clothes as he cursed himself for not thinking of taking clean ones. Then, he looked at the girl, not liking how her bright eyes were boring into his. It seemed like she was trying to look right into his soul.
He cleared a his throat, and after analysing her from head to toe, he told her: "Thank you for saving my life."
For a second, the girl did not move or say anything, but then she removed her scarf and hood, and walked to the stream as she stated: "Your life was never in danger to begin with. You are more valuable alive than dead."
"What would you know about that?" Jace replied with a mocking tone. The fact that she was dressed as a boy and that she knew how to handle weapons did not mean that she knew anything about the strategies of war, intimidation and bargains.
The girl turned her head a little, with a smile that was as mocking as his tone had been, and then she splashed her face with water, rubbing away the dirt and the blood. She kept on washing her face, before getting up and explaining her point of view:
"The King values your life above everything all. Everyone knows that, no matter which country. Everyone knows the high place the Mighty General Wayland holds in King Valentine's heart."
Jace did not say anything, knowing that she was right. He knew that his connection to the King was what kept him alive during the past month. Still, he wondered if she was stating her own opinion, or if she was repeating the words that Bane had told her.
"Does the King know that one of his ten men is a woman?" Jace asked, but the girl remained silent, her eyes analysing him once again as if she could dissect him just by looking at him. Jace desperately waited to hear that his King's trust in him never wavered and that the girl deceived the both of them, but she never opened her mouth to answer him. And so Jace coldly said:
"Do you know why women aren't allowed in armies?"
"I think I got that quite alright when you demonstrated in any way possible how useless I was to you as a soldier," She retorted with sarcasm, but Jace still heard the hurt behind her words. She hadn't like being put down the way he did.
"That's minor. Equipment can be changed. If men can be trained, I believe that it can go the same for women... No. The principal reason women aren't allowed on the battlefield is obvious. The men. I can't have men ... running wild —"
"You think I am here to ... seduce your soldiers?!" The girl cut him off, clearly obfuscated by what he just said. She replaced her hood on her hair with anger lacing her voice she said: "I am here like the rest of you. I am here to serve my King and my Kingdom in the best way I can. Going into a dirty soldier's bed is certainly not part of my agenda."
Jace was about to ask more about her, when she replaced her scarf on her mouth at the exact same moment Bane emerged from nowhere. The politician walked to the girl, taking the time to look at Jace with the same disdain he always reserved for Jace, and then, he told the girl to go back to camp.
The two men looked at the girl walking away from them, and when Jace was about to head himself back to camp, Bane stopped him, revealing a bowl that was in his hands as he said:
"She said that your wrists were in a bad state."
"It's nothing," Jace dismissed, not wanting to being taken care of by the foreigner. Bane did not seem to care of what Jace was wanting, and strongly took his wrists in his hand, making Jace hiss with pain. Bane smirked as his point was proven.
"Let me be the judge of that."
He put ointment on both wrists, being very generous with what he was using. Once he finished, he took one step back to put a reasonable distance between them as he clarified:
"You might have understood it by now, we have a really strong relationship. She is the most precious thing to me in this world. And I will not see her get hurt by your old-fashioned thinking, or your bad decisions.
You might have a deep connection with the King, but I will not hesitate to destroy it if anything happens to her because of you. The King has a a lot of trust in you, but that doesn't grant you immunity from him, either. Treat her differently from any other soldier, and I will make sure to shatter that bond you have with the King.
This is not a threat, this is a truth that will become reality if you change your way of seeing her. She is a soldier, like the rest of us. Gender doesn't bind her."
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.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.
💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚
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~ So, I have just one thing to say, please do not jump on hasty conclusions and read between the lines. Read what Jace thinks and says.
~ Also, before I start getting comments on how Jace is racist, know that we are in that medieval-Renaissance time, non-caucasian people were rare at that time on caucasian lands. So yes, Jace refers to Magnus as a foreigner, because he is, but this is it. There is no resentment from Jace because Magnus comes from another country. He is a man like any other to Jace, just looking different.
~ Now, that being said, I hope that you are ready for a cool war story, with action and romance in it, because yeah ... I love romance, in case you didn't notice.
~ And, now, question time:
' 1. What do you think is the relationship between the girl, Magnus and Alec?
' 2. What do you think of the little glimpse of Valentine we had?
' 3. What do you think of the girl's lack of involvement toward Jace yelling at her?