Honour

Javan had made his decision.

"You are coming with us." He said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Kara asked immediately.

A look into his brother's eyes told Javan he stood alone. Nicholas folded his arms.

"What do you mean by that brother?" Nicholas asked Javan.

"Stay with the Queen." Javan instructed Miriam, ignoring his brother's question.

He made a signal to Kara and Nicholas to follow him out the hut.

The evening was cool and quiet. Kara thought it lacked the pale moon she was used to seeing. She stopped Javan when she felt they were out far enough.

"We can't take her along with us." She said firmly.

"Kara lis-"

"No she's right. Bringing her with us would only ruin everything." Nicholas interrupted Javan.

"She's the key we need. She must come with us." Javan said in a low voice.

It almost seemed like he feared the Queen would overhear them.

"She will burn everything to the ground. You know that." Nicholas said.

"She will do no such thing. She gave us her word. She gave me her word."

"You trust that? Does her family's legacy tell you nothing at all?" Kara asked, her patience wearing thin.

"It tells me she's royalty. She keeps her word with her life."

"She's deceitful. She will turn on us when we least expect it." Nicholas corrected.

Javan looked up at the skies briefly. He sighed.

"She's coming." He said finally.

He hoped they would back down and let it drop for once.

"We managed to tear down her palace Javan. We can look for a way to break her hold, torture what we want out of her, kill her and go on her merry way. It would be safer that way." Kara said gently.

Javan looked her in the eye. She held his gaze.

"No." Javan said.

Nicholas knew no further words would be appreciated.

Javan led them back into the hut. Inwardly, he wasn't sure he had made the right decision.

The people of the town stood afar, not too far. Javan knew they wanted nothing more than to spill the Queen's blood. He didn't blame them. He wanted to do same too but he needed her knowledge.

Maybe after she had served her purpose he would end her life. He didn't bet on it.

Nicholas was sure he shared the same thoughts as Kara. His brother was a fool. He didn't know if the Queen had had him spelled. It was possible. He could not ignore the fact that his brother had been in contact with the Queen before they arrived.

It could not be more obvious especially since his brother's decisions were starting to favour the Queen much to the displeasure of Nicholas.

Nicholas knew killing the Queen was out of the question. At least not until he was free from her hold.

"You are coming with us." Javan said to the Queen.

Miriam may have had her voice silenced but her eyes spoke without conviction.

"Wise choice. Your thirst for vengeance tickles my soul witch." The Queen said to Kara.

"I would want nothing more than to make you beg for your life at my feet."

"Kara." Javan said with a warning in his voice. The Queen was more powerful than the four of them combined, upsetting her wouldn't be a wise choice.

"You may do as you wish at the stake of the one you love. You must not forget I hold him in my grasp." The Queen said.

Even as she threatened Kara, Nicholas noticed she appeared even more calmer than moments before.

"I shall break your hold. You have my word." Kara promised.

"Your words are of no importance to me. As for your desire for revenge, do seek refuge in the words of the coven. They have more weight to them."

Javan held Kara back. The Queen didn't flinch.

"How do we know you are not going to harm us? Or what we fight for?" Nicholas asked.

"I gave my word. You still stand. That should be assurance enough."

"It's not."

The Queen looked at Nicholas. He found her eyes strange.

Empty

"You don't find peace in my words?" She asked him.

"W-We... I..."

The Queen turned her attention away from him.

"I think we will feel more at ease if your power is curtailed." Nicholas said after a pause.

"Is that how you feel Javan?" The Queen asked.

Javan gave consideration to his brother's feelings before answering.

"Yes my Queen."

"Very well. You shall have my answer after the break of a new dawn. Now we must leave immediately. Get your bags packed." The Queen ordered.

" You are a hostage. You have no right to give orders-"

"I am Queen of the three jurisdictions. It is your duty to bow to every word that falls out of my lips or you shall spend an eternity fallen. Gather your bags. We leave now."

The Queen met Javan's eyes.

"Word of your deed has travelled to the Emperor. A troop has been sent for my rescue and your heads. If I am to keep my word, we must be gone before they arrive." She said to him.

"We are not running away like cowards." Nicholas objected.

"Then you die as dogs." The Queen said to him.

" We will not leave this town to perish. We will stay and you will call them off. You must uphold your word to the people." Javan said to her.

The Queen had her eyes beyond the door.

"The men are not mine to call off. I have given no words to these people. They swore their allegiance to me. It's in their place to die for me."

With every word that passed from her lips, Javan regretted his decision to save her life even more.

"You gave your word to use your power when we wish. Protect the people."

The Queen stayed silent for a long while.

"As you wish."

They packed up in a haste. The Queen had no luggage. It was all ash and dust along with all the riches her palace held. She stood quietly as she waited for them to get all in order.

Nicholas watched his brother busy himself. He wondered how long he would have to wait until his brother would accept he fought for a wrong cause. Sure, the death if the Queen meant his but he would love it if none stood by the Queen.

Kara brushed her hands against his. He felt her anger. He hugged her.

"I-"

"Shh. When the time's right." He coaxed softly. She nodded.

The five walked out of the hut. The Queen walked in the centre. The townsfolk gathered to see her leave. They whispered conspiracies amongst themselves, all of which the Queen could hear.

The Queen held her head up high as she walked. Even though they wanted to, none picked up a stone to strike them. They walked silently to the uphill outskirts of the town.

The Queen stopped walking. She stopped to face the town.

"You requested I protect them. I shall honour that now."

She didn't wait for an approval. She closed stretched her arms in the direction of the town.

Nicholas leaned against a tree. His back faced the town. His back ached and he searched for a perfect place they could lay their heads.

He heard a voice, a voice so small but so prominent. He didn't understand what it said but he knew it was angry.

The Queen began to cast a spell, a hedge of protection, over the the town. Her lips moved with her voice barely audible. The voice barely audible.

Javan heard her voice grow in sound and intensity. He flexed his foot gently before turning around. He saw Nicholas slightly stooped with his hands against his ears tightly and eyes closed.

Nicholas could barely hear Javan's voice over the voice he heard. He clung to his brother tightly. The voice was angry. So angry it hurt.

"Make it stop." He whispered to Javan.

"What is wrong with him?" Kara asked Javan.

Nicholas held Javan tightly as his knees got weaker. Javan lowered him to the ground with care.

"Nicholas what is wrong?" Javan asked him.

"Be quiet! Please." Nicholas screamed.

With that scream Javan felt Nicholas relax in his arms. Nicholas looked up immediately. Javan heard a thud.

"Are you alright?"

Nicholas took heavy breaths before answering his brother's question with a nod.

"Can you stand?"

Nicholas nodded again. Javan helped him to his feet. Javan looked over his shoulders. The Queen laid at Miriam's feet. Under the light of the moon he saw blood trailing from where he guessed her ear would be as Miriam wiped them away.

"What happened to you?" Kara asked Nicholas.

"I...I heard a voice."

"A voice? From where?" Javan asked.

"I don't know."

Javan looked back again.

"Could it be from the Queen?" He asked Kara under his breath.

"I think so."

Javan let go of his brother. He walked to the Queen. He touched her.

"My Queen..." He called softly.

When she didn't stir, he simply carried her into his arms. He had a lot of questions in his mind. All of which she would answer in the morning.

"The voice sounded angry. Can we go now? It's getting chilly." Nicholas said to Kara.

"This is serious Nicholas."

She turned to Javan for support as he approached. She saw the Queen in his arms.

"Our Queen can't handle a little cold?" She mocked.

Javan ignored her.

"Let's get going. We'll deal with this tommorow." Javan said.

The three walked behind him.

"I bet it's already dawn." Nicholas grumbled.

*********************************

The Queen opened her eyes. Dawn was upon them. There was a campfire not quite put out before her. She stared at the black smoke shooting up into the blue skies before getting up. She brushed the dirt off her gown. She walked off.

Nicholas opened his eyes. The slight heat of the morning sun greeted him. He rubbed his eyes. He sat up.

There was Kara, beside her was Miriam. Then Javan. Beside him should have been the Queen but the space was empty.

Nicholas shook Javan awake violently.

"What? What is it?"

"The Queen! She's gone!"

Javan turned to check where he had laid the Queen to sleep. His brother was right, she was gone. He woke Kara.

"Where is the Queen?" He asked her.

She blinked a few times before answering him.

"I don't know."

Dread slowly filled them. She made mention of soldiers coming to her rescue. Could she have turned on them?

Javan did not want to believe she did. If she did they would wake up in captivity. She gave them her word.

She gave him her word.

Kara never trusted. Why would she promise to support her end? But where was she?

Javan run his fingers through his hair.

"Where is she?!" He screamed at no one in particular. He woke Miriam.

He felt the anger now. He could taste the fear. If something happened to them it would be his fault. He should have killed her.

He didn't like the thought of that.

"If you had tied her up as I told you to she would not have had any legs to run Javan! Now she could be anywhere!" Kara yelled at him.

Nicholas felt the knot in the pit of his belly pull tight. This might be the end. They hadn't even started yet.

He looked at Javan. His brother was visibly torn with worry but that's not what he saw.

He saw an army of about 200 hundred men approaching him. He blinked hard. The image wavered but stayed. The men kept coming closer without moving a foot. It seemed like he was the one walking to them.

Javan saw the colour drain from his brother's face. This wasn't what he needed.

"What is wrong with you now?" He asked Nicholas.

Kara turned her attention to Nicholas. So did Miriam. He blinked rapidly.

The army had stopped moving or he had stopped moving. Nicholas couldn't tell.

"What? You've lost your sight? Now isn't the time for games Nicholas!"

The anger built up. Javan knew he had to control it. Miriam held his hand and led him away.

Kara held his face in his hands. The men bowed before Nicholas.

"Nicholas..."

He heard her voice.

"I can see.... I see an army."

Javan rolled his eyes.

"They are bowing before me." Nicholas continued.

There was no army anywhere but Kara got the message.

"The Queen. You see what she sees. Her hold allows her to see through your eyes. It makes sense you can do same."

Miriam looked at Kara.

"Javan she's leading an army here!"

Her message gripped Javan. His breaths quickened.

She broke her word.

The men before Nicholas stood. Their leader began to speak. Nicholas couldn't hear what he said. His voice was too far.

"Where is she?" He asked Kara.

"Where is she Nicholas? Can you see anything else?"

Nicholas shook his head.

"Look around then!" Javan shouted at him.

"I can't. I only see what she does."

Miriam held Javan back.

"What does she see?" Kara asked.

Nicholas tried to read the man's lips. The sight began to fade.

"A plain..."

"Where?" Javan probed.

"I-I don't know."

"Where?!"

"Don't be hard on him!" Kara yelled at Javan.

"Tell me where she is!"

"Javan!"

Nicholas could not concentrate. He closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them, the sight was gone.

Javan tore himself from Miriam's hold. He walked to his brother.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. I can't see it anymore."

Javan punched the nearest tree. His shoulders heaved heavily. They would be dead soon and it would be his fault.

Nicholas wiped his face. Kara held his hands.

"Could you see the sun?"

He nodded.

"She's east. Javan she's east."

Javan took that little piece of hope. He grabbed his bow. They armed himself and went after him

The soldiers drew out their swords when they saw them approach. The Queen did nothing to stop the attack.

Javan grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into hiding. She didn't say a word to him. She looked at him. Her gaze reflected authority.

"The battle will be lost."

"You broke your word." Javan said angrily.

"The battle would be lost." The Queen repeated.

Javan heard the grunts of his brother and Kara. They were highly outnumbered. The outcome of the battle wouldn't favour them.

"Help them."

"You ask me to harm the Emperor's men?"

"I ask you to uphold your word." Javan snapped.

The Queen hesitated.

She turned and walked out of where they hid. Javan didn't hear her say a spell. At the snap of her fingers, stings were cut. The men fell to the ground in an instant.

Nicholas stood aback. Something about what he just witnessed made him sick to his stomach. Kara hugged him.

"I have honoured your request." The Queen said to Javan without turning back.

"I didn't mean kill them."

"Would you have done otherwise to save the life of your brother?"

"Yes. You just killed father's without mercy!"

Nicholas walked to them with Kara at his side and Miriam trailing behind.

Javan didn't see it. He didn't see the anger in her eyes.

"At your request."

When her eyes met his, Nicholas heard the voices. They weren't angry this time.

They dared her.