by Sarah Olson
I cried as she packed her bags and begged her not to go. My parents tried to make her stay but she refused. She told me she had to get away and start a new life. That she was tired of the ocean and that there was not a thing I could do to make her stay. “Maybe I will find a soldier of my own to marry,” she joked. And I hope she would.
I do not know when the next time I will see her will be, but I hope it will be soon. I spent the rest of the day on the seashore and cried. The sun was beginning to set when Conrad found me. He wrapped his arms around me but said nothing. It’s one of the things I love most about him because he understands that sometimes words are not what helps, it’s just being by the side of the person you love.
A knock at the door, pulled me from the diary. Two more days had passed and I was exhausted.
I opened the door and found a soldier there.
“Princess, Sir Raphael and Sir Nicholas would like to see you in the command tent.”
I did not know why they needed to see me but I was filled with terror and worry.
Did something happen to the battalion? Was James okay?
I followed the soldier and entered the tent to find Raphael and Sir Nicholas. Even with them standing there, the tent felt empty without James.
“You asked for me?” I said worriedly.
“Yes,” Sir Nicholas said. “Luther’s men have set up camp a mile south of the river.”
I sighed in relief that it had nothing to do with James. “So it’s beginning.”
“Yes,” Raphael said. “We are forming the line in case they begin the attack at night.”
“When do you think James will have started his siege on the palace?” I asked.
“Any day now,” Raphael said. “There is no way for us to contact them.”
“Of course,” I replied trying to hide my discontent.
“Layla,” Sir Nicholas said, “as princess, we would like you to address the soldiers.”
I blinked back in surprise. “But what will I say?”
“Just encourage them,” Sir Nicholas said. “Hearing from you is much better than hearing from us.”
I nodded. “I’ll do it.”
They led me to a raised platform in the camp where all the orders had been given out. I climbed to the top with them.
A horn sounded for attention.
“Gather around faithful servants of the true king and queen of Asteria!” Sir Nicholas called. “Princess Layla would like to personally address you.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to speak loudly as those that were around stopped to listen.
“I have to admit I don’t quite know what to say,” I began, taking a deep breath. “You all are brave souls that have sacrificed, and are risking, so much to take our kingdom back. There is no way for me to display the respect I hold for you all, to thank you for all you have done and for what you will do. During this war, there is one thing I want you to remember. Do not fight this war for me or for my parents. I do not want you to; I want you to fight it for yourselves, for your families, and for those who have died putting all of this into motion. By taking back Asteria, we can end King Luther’s unjust reign and provide freedom for those he forces to be his slaves, for those he takes advantage of. We can give them liberty. I wish you all the best luck in the world, your bravery is what will bring us to victory. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
They cheered and chanted my name as I stepped down from the platform sighing in relief.
“Was that good enough?” I asked Sir Nicholas.
“Yes,” he replied. “It was perfect.”
When I left the camp I found Charlotte and we headed to the tents where the wounded would be cared for. The physicians had us making beds on the ground and setting up bandages and other much needed tools so they could be found easily. We spent that long night in the tent, dozing off on the cots as we waited for the horns to sound letting us know the war had begun. Two hours after sunset the horns sounded. Charlotte and I jumped up and ran out to see rebels running in every direction grabbing weapons. An orange glow was forming at the trees that lined the riverbank. Luther’s army was attacking with flaming arrows.
The war had begun.
Chapter 56
THE SOUND OF crackling trees and the smell of smoke filled the air. King Darius sent forward some of his soldiers to help keep the fires from spreading.
“Layla!” I heard Charlotte call.
Wounded rebels were already being brought in.
I ran into the tent to help. The physicians attended to them quickly. It went on like this for hours. Luther was taking his time to cross the river. I was covered in blood as I used my hands to put pressure on their wounds waiting for the physician to come around and from helping others carry out the bodies of those who did not make it.
The battle raged on until the next evening when Luther pulled his men back for the night. It gave the rebels a chance to recuperate for a few hours. Charlotte and I were also given a break in which I collapsed onto my bed and slept until dawn when the horns sounded again.
By midday, the rebels retreated as King Luther’s army took their first steps across the river. It was Malan’s turn to step in and aid us. I watched from the tent as King Darius mounted his steed and led his men on horseback to the front line.
Yells and commands echoed through the forest. The sound of clashing swords rang through the air as night settled on the land again. Dusk had come swiftly, and with it the fighting had slowed down.
I wiped my hands on a rag and stepped out of the tent to see if I could spot Raphael or someone else in command. I walked around sidestepping soldiers running back and forth. As I made my way through, I found a tent about five hundred yards behind the line. There were four guards in front. One recognized me and wordlessly let me in. Inside I found Raphael and some officers looking down at a map that marked all of their positions.
“Princess Layla,” Raphael acknowledged me. “You shouldn’t be so close to the line.”
“I just wanted to know how we’re doing,” I said.
“Not bad and not good,” Raphael said. “With Malan’s forces our armies are pretty well matched. We are trying to drive them back and catch the king in the midst but it is very difficult.”
“He’s fighting?” I asked.
“Yes,” I heard King Darius’s voice behind me. “As kings are expected to.”
“King Darius,” Raphael said, “would the force sent to aid General Hamilton be in the Eastern Desert already?”
“Yes,” he replied, “their orders were to cross at night.”
“Then we must bombard them hard tonight,” an officer said.
“The men are exhausted,” another officer intervened.
“Then pull the ones in the front back and send the others up,” Raphael said. “We must keep all attention here so they can cross unseen.”
“Yes, sir,” the second officer said.
“And Lieutenant,” Raphael said to him, “send anyone who isn’t doing anything to the infirmary. They will need all the help they can get.”
“Yes, sir,” he said with a salute and then left.
The flap of the tent opened again and Davorin walked in. He was covered in dirt and dried blood but I was glad to see he was not injured.
“Davorin,” Raphael said, looking up. “Can you take the princess back to the infirmary?”
“Yes, sir,” Davorin said.
I followed him out of the tent. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Fighting in the war.”
Davorin ran a hand through his hair. “It’s hard. Luther’s men are well trained, even better than ours in certain ways. We would have been finished if the Malanese had not stepped in yet, but that still does not make it easy. You have to stand there and fight soldiers that look just as scared as you are, and you have to kill them. Some are so young but there is nothing you can do about it; they are running at you with a sword and you have to defend y
ourself. Sometimes I fear that one of them will be one of my brothers. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my family that I no longer know where their allegiance lies.”
“I am so sorry, Davorin,” I said.
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s a war we have to win so I am willing to continue fighting with everything I’ve got.”
“Do we have a chance?” I asked sadly.
Davorin stopped and looked up into the sky. “I think so,” he finally said. “But only time will tell.”
As the battle picked up speed again, I was with Charlotte and other volunteers working hard throughout the night. I ran around holding the hands of those who were not going to make it and encouraging those who were about to have limbs amputated. It broke my heart to see all of these broken soldiers but I knew they needed someone to comfort them. As their princess, I brought them joy and hope. I hid all of my concerns for losing the war behind a face that smiled and told them they were going to be okay.
“Take a break,” a physician said to me as I covered the body of yet another dead soldier.
“I don’t think I can,” I replied. “Not with the number wounded.”
“But you are also no good to us exhausted. Go ahead.”
Reluctantly, I walked alone to my house, which was thankfully far enough from the line to stay in. I cleaned myself off, put on fresh clothes, and lay down. I heard Charlotte come in some time later but it did not matter how much I tried to sleep, I could not. I lit the candle beside my bed and took out Juliette’s diary. The last few entries I had read were of her marrying Conrad and moving up north to a small house near the castle of Asteria. Five years had passed and Conrad had been promoted to general.
It has been two weeks since I have seen Conrad and I miss him so much. Now that he is the general, he has to leave often and I hate it. I cannot wait until his return because this time I have wonderful news for him. I am pregnant. After trying for so many years, we are finally going to have a child.
I felt her pain of missing the man she loved and not knowing when she would see him again. I continued to read on as Juliette wrote about her excitement on becoming a mother. As the months passed her, she was grateful King Hector gave Conrad more and more leave to be with her. Unfortunately, the birth was complicated and Juliette was told she would never be able to have children again.
As the entries went on, they got shorter and less consistent. There were times Juliette did not write a word for a month.
Conrad has spent the last month with James and me. King Hector has given him leave because my illness has taken a turn for the worst. The physicians cannot figure out what ails me. The king has sent his personal physician to us, but it is no use, he does not think I am going to make it. It breaks my heart to think of leaving James and Conrad behind. James is only two years old now and he needs me more than ever. I cannot leave them, I must hold on. I need to show them that I will not give up and that I will survive. I will get through this. I know I will.
I turned the page and found it was her last entry. I closed the diary and lay back in my bed. Tears formed in my eyes as I held up my hand and carefully looked at the gold wedding band on my finger. I stared at the vine of flowers that ran around it and began to cry. I was wearing the very same ring Conrad had given Juliette. It held so much more meaning now that I had read the diary. I did not know if James had ever intended me to read it, but I was glad that I had, because now I had one more piece of him in my heart.
I stood up and opened the chest to put the diary back when I noticed a paper sticking out of it. I slid out the letter that had been stuck in the back. It was folded with a broken wax seal.
Dear Conrad,
I am so sorry for your loss. Juliette was a wonderful woman. My wife and I send you our deepest condolences. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask. I cannot even imagine what you are going through right now. Aria has asked me to tell you if you ever need someone to look after James, she would love to help. Once again, I am sorry for your loss, my old friend, and I wish you and your son the best in this difficult time.
Sincerely,
King Hector of Asteria
My heart leapt in my chest. This letter had been written by my father. This was his handwriting. This was his signature. I reread it repeatedly, tracing my finger over the way he wrote my mother’s name. I held it to my chest feeling as if this piece of parchment brought me that much closer to him. When I fell asleep that night, I dreamt of my parents.
The next morning was another day of war. Before long, a week had passed, followed by two more, and we still had not been able to break through Luther’s lines. I, like many of the soldiers, was exhausted. I had to keep telling Charlotte to take breaks so she would not overwork herself. It was not good for the baby.
As night draped itself over the land again, I walked through the infirmary trying to make the injured soldiers as comfortable as I could.
“Thank you, Princess,” a soldier said as I covered him with a blanket. His teeth were chattering and his face was pale.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, placing my hand on his forehead.
He was burning up.
“Not too good, Princess,” he replied. “But I need to get better so I can go back and fight.”
“You just rest now,” I said. “Don’t worry yourself too much about the fighting.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Layla,” Charlotte said, coming up behind me. “Are there more bandages?”
“I’m out,” I replied. A thought suddenly occurred to me. “Actually, I’ll be right back.”
I ran to the house and tore the quilts from the beds, including the beautiful blue one that covered mine. They could be cut up and used as bandages. I made my way back to the tent and handed them to Charlotte.
“But this is—”she began.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I don’t need them.”
She nodded.
I made my way down the lines of wounded men, giving water to those who were thirsty.
“Princess,” a physician said to me. “I need you to check on all of the injured and see which ones didn’t make it so these two soldiers can move them out.” He gestured to two young men standing behind him. “We need the space. Then take Charlotte with you, and take a break. I will send for you in a few hours.”
I nodded. I hated finding soldiers who did not make it. It broke my heart, especially when I recognized them, like the one I had spoken to not long ago. Sadly, I pulled the blanket off him and let the two soldiers take him out. When I finished, I went and found Charlotte so we could leave this awful place for a few hours.
We wakened a few hours later by a desperate banging on the door. I was up with a dagger in my hand and opened it slowly, hiding the weapon behind me.
“Princess Layla!” the soldier exclaimed. “We’ve broken their line! King Luther and his men are retreating!”
Excitement thrummed through me and I almost screamed. “Charlotte!” I called, running to her room as the soldier left.
She burst out before I could reach it. “If James is holding the palace already, he will have nowhere to go!” she exclaimed.
I went into my room and yanked out my black training outfit. Stripping off my clothes, I put them on.
“What are you doing?” Charlotte called after me.
I laced the blue dress over it and then put my black leather boots on, sliding the daggers in place. As the last touch, I took my necklace from its box and placed it around my neck.
“I’m going to lead my people to victory.”
Chapter 57
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” RAPHAEL said.
“I wasn’t asking permission,” I said. “I want to lead the rebels to the palace, find Luther and finish this once and for all.”
“I am under strict orders from the general—”
“And James isn’t king,” I interrupted. “He is the general and I am the princess. I am the future queen and I a
m telling you I am going to do this.”
Anger flashed through Raphael’s eyes.
“I can do it,” I assured him.
“It is not a question of whether you can or not,” he said. “I know you can. I’m just concerned about your safety.”
“Raphael, let me worry about my own safety.”
He took a deep breath. “Very well. Get your horse saddled up, we’re leaving shortly.”
I said my goodbyes to Charlotte and rode out to where Raphael waited with his horse.
“Ready, Princess?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Good. We are taking a thousand of our soldiers, and King Darius is leading four thousand of his. It will be a long journey since we are still pushing back Luther’s army. It could be a few weeks until we get there.”
Another few weeks without knowing if James had survived.
Together we rode to the front of the soldiers. Some were on horseback, others on foot, and some in wagons full of weapons and supplies. King Darius was waiting for us with four guards on horseback.
“So the princess is coming,” he said with a smile.
“I want to be there to see Luther fall,” I said.
“Good,” he said with a smile as three rebel soldiers rode up to us led by Davorin
“Layla, this is John, Oliver and Joshua,” Davorin said. “They are going to help
me keep you safe.”
“Of course they are,” I said sarcastically.
“Well,” the man named Joshua said, “that is how ever safe you can be in a war zone.”
The others laughed but Raphael was not amused. “Either way,” he said, “don’t try to run off and lose them.”
“I won’t,” I said with a smile to mask my annoyance. Was anyone ever going to stop treating me like a child?
We rode at a slow pace so we would not leave behind the hundreds of soldiers on foot. Scouts were constantly sent forward to check the path before us. After the first day, we met up with the main road that would take us to the palace. We did not ride into any ambushes or problems until the second day.
