Chapter 68: The Battle at the Safety Rock





He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The three of us knew that I shouldn't be here. It was agreed before the war started on the Lake of Dreams. I should be in the East Land, safe and unharmed in the castle. And yet, I was here; wounded and almost had my death in the hands of a crazy mermaid witch. No, he surely didn't like what he was seeing. He hated me being here with them. And that hatred was soon pointed at Threy when he glared at his direction.



"What is she doing here? What happened to her?" he demanded.



But the Skull wasn't seemed to be in the mood to answer his questions. He remained alert on the duels happening around us. He didn't see Lord Chester as the greatest threat at the moment; it was the war – the situation we were in. And I knew by then that he too didn't like that I was here.



"I'm here to help the wounded–"



"Move faster, Primrose!"



"Are you an idiot?"



They both cut me off from speaking; one was commanding and the other one was demanding. I was annoyed. I knew that there's a right time to be hard-headed and this was definitely not the one for it. But I felt insulted. They made me feel that what I did was wrong. They didn't even know that I helped a number of wounded Borgian warriors and treated a South Land soldier during the time that I was in the battlefield. And none of those things felt wrong.



"This is my battle, too! This is the way I fight: by helping those who are injured and trying to lessen the casualties! Why can't you just let me do what I feel I need to do because honestly, nowhere is really safe at the moment. It's either I placed myself in the battlefield or wait to be killed!"



I had enough. I understood that they only want to protect me. It was important for them that I was safe. However, sitting in the safety of the castle didn't feel right. I knew that I would be hearing screams of agony even though I was in the East Land. It would cry for me and claw at my soul. It would call at my conscience repeatedly until it was the only thing I could hear. And I don't think I was strong enough for such torture and thus, I followed my instinct and do what I think was right.



Lord Chester's harsh expression softened as he gazed back at me. "No one's killing you today, Princess. Come here. I'll have my soldiers escort you to the West Land. You'll be safe there."



But his approach was halted by the Skull as he swung his sword at him and created more distance between us. Lord Chester found no other choice but to step back in caution.



"The lady will go back to the Borgian Castle. I will not let any Weston get near her," Threy warned in deadly tone.



They were sizing each other up, waiting for a chance to attack. And as I watched their figures by the rock, I couldn't help but reminisce of the times when we were still young – those colourful times when all they were doing were teasing and playing around not thinking of the possibilities they would have by the time they grow up. But now, Threy had the past and the future of the Borgian Kingdom on his shoulder while Lord Chester had to defend the present to keep his beloved West Land. Back at the old times, none of these mattered. The old and youthful days of fighting using wooden sticks faded into the darkness. The laughter they shared was gone and the only thing left in their eyes was hatred. When did everything start to change? Why didn't we realize back then that everything was bound to change?



Lord Chester was the first one to strike. He swung his sword with the purpose of bringing his opponent down. Ever since he learned swordsmanship, defeating his enemies whether in fair game or using dirty tactic, had been his objective thus; no one wanted to be paired with him during training – no one but Threy.



And maybe, that was the reason why Threy had dodged his attack without difficulty. Taking a step back to the side, he raised his sword and parried his blow. The cruel young lord of the West Land saw this as a mockery of his skills, a loud provocation that challenges his capacity to fight. They pulled back their swords only to meet once again in a deadly clash. Their footworks were measured and skilled, not giving their opponents a glimpse for weakness.



"Ungrateful bastard! I should have killed you the first time I learned how to fight and had my sword soaked in your blood!"



But the Skull, who received more offensive insults in the pirate seas, refused to be affected by Lord Chester's words. He remained calm, a smooth predator with eyes concentrated on his prey.



However, Lord Chester's attempt to taunt the Skull received the opposite of what he expected. Unable to find a flaw in his foe, he became frustrated. At some point, he became careless resulting into a brash and thoughtless move.



Threy, who was silently waiting for an opening, took charge at Lord Chester's mistake and aim his sword at his flank. The young Lord cried in agony and clutched his wounded side. He glared at the Skull and clouded by rage and pain, he swung his sword at his direction. However, none of his lousy, wild attacks reached the Skull and his desperate effort only caused him to lunge forward and fall to the ground.



And that was when I found myself running towards them and kneeling by Lord Chester's side. I didn't care that I was placed dangerously amidst them with their swords still in their hands and ready to strike. I didn't think of what might happen to me if they still choose to continue to fight. For what I wanted at the moment was to stop it before they do something they would regret about.



"Get the fuck away from him, Primrose!" Threy yelled from behind me.



Lord Chester flinched from where he was lying on his stomach and turned his head at us.



"Why the hell are you still here?" he groaned.



After what happened, they still didn't want me there. But I was hard-headed enough to roll my eyes at them; they should know by then that their words alone would not stop me.



"Prim –"



Threy started to argue but I cut him off by giving a command. "Help me carry Lord Chester to the rock. I'll try to stop the bleeding of his wound."



I took off his armor and ripped a part of his shirt to see the cut clearly. I didn't know if it damaged any vital organs in his body – which I thought only a doctor could tell at that time and unfortunately whom we didn't have. But I could see that he was in pain and bleeding profusely and if we didn't act fast, he might die from losing too much blood.



But Threy remained standing from where he was, staring blankly at the wounded Lord Chester while I help him up. However, he was too heavy for my strength alone that I had to yell at Threy for assistance.



"We need a hand here, Threy!"



The hands I expected to help me didn't come as he stood like a statue on the ground. Annoyed, I dropped Lord Chester's arm in which he grunted in disapproval and marched angrily at the frozen Skull.



"He's our enemy, a Weston! He even tried to harm you that day –"



He began to reason out but he wasn't able to continue as my right hand flashed out and slapped him hard on his face. Maybe, those were my anger and frustrations that hit him for I could see his cheek blazing in red and his eyes widened in shocked.



"Yes! He tried to rape me that night and I'm not yet forgiving him for that!"



I was panting; that was probably supposed to happen when you feel too many emotions at the same time. I could feel my own wounds starting to bite at me but I shoved them aside and trained my eyes at the man in front of me.



"And yes, he is your enemy! He's a Weston. But what about me? I'm a Crimson – do you also see me as your foe?"



Like the sun that finally shines through the stormy clouds, his eyes softened and reached out to caress my cheeks. I felt its warmth against my skin and I fought myself from leaning on it.



"No. Never. Don't ever think about us that way."



"This man, lying on the ground, is bleeding to death and if we don't try to save him, he might die in our hands. You might not see him as your ally now but at some point in your lives, you become one. You were brothers – you once treated each other as partner. Death is real and it has the power to scar us for a lifetime. But if we do something to prevent it, things could change. If we help him from meeting this end, he might see a new path wherein he doesn't have to be your enemy. And maybe, this is not yet the end." I captured his hand in my blood-stained ones and looked up at him pleadingly, "Let's save him. Let's save your brother."



I didn't have to say it twice. Before I knew it, he was already carrying Lord Chester and made him lean on the rock. He didn't even need my help at that. He was probably only doing it for me and not for Lord Chester but then, this could be a start. I immediately worked on sanitizing and stitching his cut while Threy stood behind me, guarding us from attacks.



The sound of war was getting louder, that meant that the enemies are advancing to the direction of the Borgian castle already and pushing our fighters back. A huge wave of battle was hovering at us and if we don't leave quickly, it would devour our little safe place by the rock. And it wouldn't be safe anymore.



I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Threy, worried and sweating but nevertheless, unharmed.



"How much time do you need?" he asked.



I scanned Lord Chester's condition and despite of it being bad, with a little help, I was sure that he would be able to stand.



"It will not take long. I just have to finish stitching and bandage his wound, I'll help him go to a safer place and wait for his ally who could bring him back to their camp."



Threy nodded in agreement. "You do that. Would you be alright if I go a little farther from here? I'll push them back for as long as you need."



It would never be alright for me. I preferred him to stay by my side; to always know that he's uninjured. And that if ever in some way, he was wounded, I would be close enough to help him. But I couldn't say those things. I couldn't be selfish while death was glaring at us. And so I put my hand over his and nodded.



"Be safe. Come back to me alive," I said.



He leaned towards me and I closed my eyes as his lips met mine. That kiss meant a lot of things; it held the words longed to be uttered by his lips. I answered it with the same ardour and our lips danced as if teasing death to have a taste. We parted when we heard someone groaned. It reminded us that this was not the right place or the right time. His forehead touched mine, sealing the promise we made and without looking back, he left.



"So if I'm going to ask you again this time, you'll still choose him," the wounded young lord commented. Maybe it was the pain and the thought of losing that kept him from being unconscious.



"Don't move too much. You will need your strength once I'm done with you. Have a doctor see this wound when you found one," I instructed sternly.



But Lord Chester wouldn't give up so easily. It was the first time that we were alone ever since the abduction during our wedding. He must have had a lot of things to say.



"What if he dies in the battlefield? Will you choose me?"



He winced in pain and only then I realized that I had pulled on the thread tighter this time. I mumbled an apology and focused on what I was doing.



"Primrose, he could die today and you will be left unprotected –"



And that was when I snapped. I raised my head and glowered at him. "Yes, Lord Chester! Even in death, I'll still choose him. And no, I don't need to be protected. I've seen what is really happening in the Mainland with my own eyes and you can't erase it using anyone's death this time. I will survive this and in my own way, I will fight to tell everyone the truth. So, don't ever think about getting me back in your arms to cage me. No one can clip my wings this time. I'm not a butterfly. I'm a fucking pterodactyl!"



At that moment, I had finally closed his wound. He stared at me in complete shock and astonishment. Maybe it was because of me being so sadistic at stitching, or for bringing up an ancient creature that only existed in books, or for cursing shamelessly in front of the Lord of West land. Nonetheless, I went back to work and prepared the bandages.



"I'll watch out for women who read next time. I found them absolutely dangerous in arguments," he whispered and hissed in pain.



A smirk played on my lips. I was used to countering the young Lord of the West Land in conversation. It was just that this time, he almost admitted that I won.



Silence stretched between us until I was finally done with his bandage. I glanced around to look for Threy and saw that he was fighting some South Land soldiers all by himself. I could see a number of pirates and Borgian warriors fighting their opponents and they were advancing quickly at us.



"Let's move. We'll be safe in the woods," I said.



If my wounds started bleeding or if I have scraped my skin again, I didn't feel it at that time. All I could think about was how I could get far from there fast so Threy didn't have to protect this rock and he could just focus on defending his own life.



I put Lord Chester's arm on my shoulder and helped him up. He had recovered his strength that time so he tried to not lean most of his weight on me. Threy glanced back at us; understanding the situation, he continued fighting. I just hoped that time that the strength he got from the pirate seas through the Skull, the skills from the West Land through Threy, and the power from his Borgian blood would be enough for him to win against his enemies. And that if he ever got hurt, the universe would give me a chance to protect him.



"Thank you, Primrose, for saving me," Lord Chester murmured beside me. "And I'm sorry for being such a jerk towards you all these years. Just know that I admire you ever since we were young and I just didn't know how to show it to you. I thought the things I did would make you notice me. I just wanted you to be mine. But now, I understand. That's why I apologize."



I remembered the times when he insulted me and even provoked me in arguments. I remembered when he tried to push himself on me on the night I was captured by the pirates. I remembered how his family manipulated things so I would end up marrying him. I remembered being caged in his castle like a prisoner as he tried to change my heart. I didn't know if I could forgive all of that in just one day. But at that moment, I knew that I was ready to listen to him. I might not forgive him yet but his apology would help me see him as a person who is possibly worthy of forgiveness.



"I'm just glad that I didn't run away from you and Threy today. Because if I did, you might have ended up dead," I answered.



We were almost close to the edge of the woods when the battle had finally reached the rock. I looked back to search for Threy again and I saw him fighting two West Land soldiers this time. However, as I turned away from him, my eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar man who was aiming his arrow at Threy. The man's eyes were icy cold, deeply concentrated on his target. He was eyeing the Skull as if he was the only blockade to his plans; he was looking at him as if he had never seen him once as his child. And maybe, that was the reason why Threy Weston left the land.



Immediately coming to a decision, I halted and quickly put Lord Chester on the ground. The blood was staining his bandage and as I checked my own wound, I realized that it wasn't his blood but mine. My wound must have opened up due to moving too much. But I didn't have time to treat it or to feel its searing pain. Lord Magnus was aiming for Threy's life and I had to stop it.



"You must go to the woods," I told Lord Chester and took his sword from its hilt by his waist. I might need this weapon if I would be staying longer in the battlefield.



"But you're bleeding –"



He wasn't able to continue what he was saying for when I glanced back at the man with the arrow, Threy was already clear for his shot.



"Threy! Watch out!"



I screamed with everything I got. My wounds burned in pain but I ignored it again. Threy heard me as if he had been listening to the things I do all this time. He moved quickly to the side just in time to dodge the arrow as it hit an enemy's back.



I sighed in relief knowing that I had just saved the man I loved from a treacherous ruler who couldn't even fight his enemy justly. But the relief I felt was short-lived for when I met the ruler's eyes, I saw that they were glaring at me and at the sword in my hand. And to my horror, his gaze flicked to his son with a bleeding wound on the ground.



I knew how the situation looked like and that must have been exactly how he understood it. And that was why when he raised his bow again, it was directed at me. This time, I was his target. And what did my father told me about him when I was a child? Oh, right! Lord Magnus' arrows never missed.