Chapter 36

SABINA

I had hoped to bask in my triumph for a few days. With Aboloft’s guidance, I’d finally conquered my fear of fire.

I felt liberated, like the chains that had held me captive had finally melted away, just like wax under a flame.

Sure, I still flinched at the sight of fire, but the cold sweats and heart palpitations were gone. I was finally free.

But my joy was short-lived. The people of Wilsden once again trampled over my dreams and happiness, forcing me to confront my other fear: Wilsden itself.

It all started two days after Aboloft helped me light that candle. I didn’t expect them to come so soon. I was sitting in the garden, surrounded by bluebells, their calming presence a balm to the storm brewing in my mind.

How was I going to tell Aboloft about his child? He was going to be livid when he found out I’d tried to hide his child from him.

But I had to keep this baby safe. I would protect this little one at all costs. And until this war was over, I wouldn’t tell Aboloft.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the roars and shouts of the people as they surged forward. They chose broad daylight to challenge Aboloft.

As soon as I saw them, I rose from my seat and quickly dropped back down, letting the flowers shield me from those monsters.

I hadn’t expected them to come so soon, so abruptly. And right now, I couldn’t even go and warn Aboloft, as I would risk being seen.

The people of Wilsden marched forward, armed with spears and arrows and who knows what else. The guards advanced, swords raised high, glinting in the sunlight, promising pain and retribution.

But the people of Wilsden were quick. They were prepared for the guards.

As soon as those vile people breached the castle walls and the guards moved to confront them, they launched arrows and spears, killing the guards instantly.

My heart squeezed, and I bit my lip to stifle a cry when I heard the agonizing screams as the guards fell.

Oh God, this was bad. I sent a silent, desperate prayer for God to protect Aboloft. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to him.

More guards charged at the enemy, and then, for the next few minutes, all I heard were screams of pain, the clash of swords, and the whizz of arrows as they flew.

They found their targets, claiming lives forever.

I considered leaving my hiding spot and running to Aboloft, but changed my mind when I heard the people protesting about me just a few feet from where I was hiding.

This was bad. ~Oh God, please protect Aboloft, please.~

My heart tightened with fear, making it hard for me to breathe when I heard Aboloft’s voice commanding no mercy.

I heard his voice loud and clear, which meant he was there, in the thick of the battle. He could get hurt.

I lifted my head to see what was happening, careful not to expose myself too much. The people of Wilsden wanted me dead, I knew that.

And I couldn’t let that happen, not with Aboloft’s child inside me. So, I stayed hidden, but kept watching the battle unfold.

A man with curly black hair held a burning piece of wood, which he used to set a tree on fire.

The sight of the flames dancing on the tree, consuming the wood, took me back eight years when I had suffered the same fate. I didn’t see the tree burning to ash, I saw myself writhing and begging for mercy.

The man continued to set the trees on fire, but fell to the ground when an arrow pierced his heart. Blood seeped out, staining his faded shirt as his life slipped away.

Aboloft was engaged in a fight with a young man. Their swords clashed, sparks flying before dying out.

Aboloft handled his sword with grace, showing no fear. Even from my distant vantage point, I could see the strength with which Aboloft fought.

With a few more powerful strikes, Aboloft disarmed the man and without hesitation, drove his sword into the man’s heart, letting him fall lifeless at his feet.

But he didn’t stop there. Aboloft continued to fight, killing one man before moving on to the next.

Beside him, I saw King Eldon fighting, kicking a man in the stomach before slashing his chest, causing blood to splatter the castle walls.

All I could hear were the screams and roars as men killed and were killed. It was clear that Aboloft was going to win. The three kings had called their troops, and the people of Wilsden were no match for them.

I could see the enemy’s numbers dwindling with every scream. Even though it broke my heart to see those men lose their lives, I was relieved that Aboloft was safe.

No one mattered more to me than him. I just wanted him safe. Our child deserved to have a father.

My eyes widened when I saw King Mavon narrowly avoid being sliced in two. The man was wearing a blue shirt, but I couldn’t make out his features as he and King Mavon were quite far away.

But I did see the spray of blood as King Mavon slit his throat.

The battle raged on, and all I could do was hide among the flowers. I didn’t want to run back inside the castle because I wanted to keep an eye on Aboloft.

I couldn’t do much, but at least I could make sure no one harmed him.

A scream nearly escaped me when I felt a hand on my back. I spun around, ready to fight, but stopped when I saw it was one of the maids.

“Milady, what are you doing out here? We must get you back inside the castle, where it’s safe,” she said, her voice soft, her eyes wide with fear.

“I’m not going back inside. You go. I have to make sure the king is safe,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.

“Lord Aboloft will be safe. But he would kill us all if something were to happen to you. Please, you must let me take you inside.”

The woman tried to haul me to my feet, but I yanked my arm free. There was no way I was letting Aboloft out of my sight.

“I’m not going. You can either head back to the castle or stay here with me. But I’m not going inside,” I declared.

“It’s for your own safety. The nurse said you need to rest. Please, let me protect you,” the maid pleaded.

“Either sit down or go back. I’m not going back inside the castle. That’s final,” I told her, before a nearby scream snatched my attention.

Aboloft had just sliced open a man’s throat, blood spilling out, making my stomach churn. This was madness. The four kings were showing no mercy. They were slaughtering the people of Wilsden like they were butchers.

With a sigh of resignation, the maid sank down beside me. “Keep an eye on the four kings. I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” I instructed.

“Yes, milady. But what can we do? We’re hiding here. We can’t help the kings. This is their fight, milady. It would be better if we went back inside the castle,” the woman repeated.

“Stop saying that. We can’t do much, but we can make sure no one hurts the kings. If you’re so scared, I suggest you go back. I don’t need anyone drawing attention to me,” I snapped.

My heart ached when I saw another crazed man setting the flag of Quopia ablaze. This was spiraling out of control.

If Aboloft and the others didn’t stop these people, they were going to burn down the entire castle. The ashes of Quopia would flow in the river of Siceph.

I shouldn’t have felt relief when King Bancroft decapitated the man who set the flag of Quopia on fire, but I did. And it didn’t hurt to see that man die.

“They’re fighting like beasts, milady,” the maid observed.

“I agree,” I replied.

“They’re not going to come here, are they?” she asked.

“If they were coming here, they would have already. The kings wouldn’t let the war spread to every corner of this castle,” I answered.

“But what if the people of Wilsden try to surprise them by coming from a different direction?”

I winced as King Eldon and King Bancroft drove their swords into a man’s belly. These kings were merciless.

“The population of Wilsden is just over three hundred. And as far as I can tell, only the males are here, and they’re young, which means about eighty men are here.

“So, their number is much smaller. They can’t come from another direction because all of them are fighting there right now,” I responded.

The whistling of arrows had fear stabbing my heart. The terrifying arrows soared through the air, narrowly missing Aboloft’s shoulder. I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming out loud.

“Oh God, help us,” the maid said, and I echoed her prayer silently. Even though there were fewer men fighting against Aboloft now, I still couldn’t breathe easily.

They weren’t safe yet. I wouldn’t move until every single man was dead, and Aboloft declared victory.

“How many men do you think are left?” I asked.

“It looks like about twenty-five, milady. How long have they been fighting? And how do you know so much about Wilsden, milady?” she questioned.

“I don’t know how long they’ve been fighting. And I’m from Wilsden, that’s why I know this,” I answered, my breath hitching in my throat as a man nearly ran his sword through King Bancroft.

“Their cries are breaking my heart, milady,” the maid said.

I glanced at her. She looked pale, deathly pale. Fear was radiating off her. “What’s your name?” I asked, feeling a pang of sympathy for her.

“Charlie, Milady,” the maid answered.

“Is that your real name?” I tried to ignore the scream that ripped through the air. It wasn’t Aboloft’s scream, I was sure of that.

“No, my full name is Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie,” she replied.

“I see. Well, Charlie, you don’t need to be scared. The kings are fighting hard,” I tried to reassure her.

Charlie nodded. “They’re going to win. I have complete faith in our king. He would never let his people be harmed.

“He’s fighting to protect us, just like he’s doing now. Our king is brave. He’s out there fighting and not hiding inside the castle and having his men fight for him.”

“You’re absolutely right, Charlie. King Aboloft is strong. He’ll make it through,” I said and hoped with all my heart that it would be true.

I loved Aboloft and couldn’t live without him. I would kill anyone who dared to hurt him. I would show no mercy to anyone who dared to harm Aboloft.

~Oh God. I was forced to leave Aboloft eight years ago. And now I finally have him back. Please, God, please don’t take him from me. He’s all I have. Please, protect Aboloft.~

“Milady, look!” Charlie’s panicked words interrupted my prayers. I looked up to see Aboloft dueling with a man, their swords slicing through the air before clashing together.

I didn’t see why Charlie was so worried about that. But then I saw it, and my blood turned to ice.

There was another man, drenched in blood, standing on shaky legs. All four kings were busy fighting, their backs to the man who held a spear in his hand. And that’s when I knew Aboloft was in danger.

The man was glaring at my Aboloft, who was busy fighting. He raised the spear, ready to impale Aboloft. He was going to kill him.

It took me a split second to make my decision. Pushing my fear aside, I stood up and ran toward Aboloft.

Ignoring Charlie’s frantic calls for me to come back, I sprinted forward, my eyes on the monster who intended to drive a spear into Aboloft.

I wasn’t going to let him hurt Aboloft. No one was ever going to touch the man I loved.

“No, Aboloft!” I yelled, shoving him out of the way. He landed on the blood-soaked ground, looking dazed. I smiled, relieved he was safe.

But my smile vanished as a spear pierced my heart. Pain like I’d never known surged through me, and I crumpled to the ground.

“Sabina!” Aboloft’s voice echoed in my ears as he scooped me up. “Eldon, Mavon! End this, now!” he commanded, carrying me away.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. All I felt was the searing pain spreading through me. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t bother to wipe them away.

“Why, Bina?! Why did you do this?!” Aboloft’s voice was a mix of anger and fear.

“He was...going to...hurt you,” I managed to gasp out.

“You shouldn’t have, Bina. I could’ve handled him. Why did you step in?”

Everything was a blur. I couldn’t see where we were going, or much of anything else. My vision started to fade, and I knew I was dying.

“Medic! Medic!” Aboloft’s voice rang out.

“My lord, how may I assist?” the medic responded.

“My queen is hurt. Please, save her. You must save her,” Aboloft pleaded, laying me on a bed.

Before he could pull away, I summoned the last of my strength to grip his hand. I had to tell him. He needed to know.

“Aboloft.” He looked at me. “I’ve...always loved you, Aboloft. Never stopped.” My senses were dimming, my soul preparing to leave my body. But I had to tell him.

“Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to die. You won’t leave me again, Bina. I won’t allow it.” Aboloft’s voice broke, revealing his fear.

“I love you. Always have.” I drew a shaky breath, ignoring the escalating pain. “You...be happy. Marry...a beautiful woman. Be happy.”

“Stop, Bina. You’re not dying! Medic, hurry!”

But he was wrong. Darkness was creeping in, pulling me under.

“Goodbye, Aboloft. I love you,” were my last words before I let the darkness take me...

Forever.