Below the Peak (Sola)(55)

“I won’t marry him, choose another girl,” Nara said defiantly. Over her dead body would she agree to marry an elf. Although it happened a long time ago, she couldn’t just ignore the history and evilness the elves did to her people. Thinking of marrying him, had her feeling guilty. She would be betraying the lost ones by being betrothed to their foe. A dishonor to the people who fought so the next generation could live.

“I’m bestowing mercy over your family indiscretions, and yet you defy my command” the king snapped.

“My family has done no wrong!” she retorted, feeling anger, which made her want to lash out crawl up in her chest. Ten, nine, eight, seven… Nara began to count in her head. Counting backward helped to distract her from being overwhelmed especially she was more than just irritated. The slow of the count also slowed the fast beating of her heart.

“Your Majesty, marriage is unnecessary, the prince is a man of his word. We should trust him he will keep it that he will provide an army to fight for us” her father tried to reason.

At her mother’s side, Ingrid began to cry, her mother murmured softly and worked soothing her little sister.

Lorenz looked at Nara. “You are a soldier of Murisa, and your loyalties are to the king?” he inquired expectantly.

“Yes, I am, and my loyalties lie to my kingdom” she replied. The king brushed off her disguised insult although a muscle on his temple ticked angrily to burst a blood vessel.

“Therefore, your sworn to protect its people regardless of the circumstances, yes?”

Nara nodded stiffly, knowing where his words were heading.

“Then you understand this is a grave responsibility that I am entrusting you with” he gave her that sleazy look again.

Nara glowered at him in reply.

“If you care for your family and wish them no harm, you will go now and do as I command.” He threatened. Nara’s face fell, pure disdain and hatred etched on her features. Her muscles became taut with anger, she dug her heels into the floor to quench the inferno rage. “If you hurt them I swear I will kill you!” Nara envisioned a hundred ways to kill him slowly and fast as she watched him. She let him know she meant what she said by looking at him squarely in the eye briefly before shifting hers at the space between his brows.

---

“Of course, not. I wouldn’t think of harming them when their daughter is sacrificing herself for the safety of whole of us” the king said innocently. The king patted himself, his eyes gleaming. He had chosen the perfect victim to his plan. The girl’s patriotism made him relax a little from the anxiety that had wrapped itself around him the last several days. He had never known a loyal soldier like her. He had heard of his niece enlistment to the military and her climbing of ranks and becoming a member of the Elite. His gossiping daughters couldn’t shut up about the girl. Lorenz never thought he would have a use of the strange girl until now. He smirked, glad he remembered such details about her. He knew the girl would do anything for her family, for she already risked her life countless times for people she barely knows by being an Elite.

The girl turned and gazed at her family with a resolute look.

“No, Nara you can’t go.” her mother cried pulling her to her. The girl had already made up her mind. Her family came first, would always come first above all else. She snatched her hand away, and averted her gaze to the younger sister and kissed her forehead who in turn clung to her and sobbed in her dress and begged her not to go. Pulling and stepping back the girl looked his way, looking at him in that freaky way she looked at everybody by having shy eye contact. “Your word is my command,” she said softly.

King Lorenz grinned.

“Then we leave tonight” the prince declared.

He hadn’t forgotten of the prince, Lorenz just pretended his looming presence was nonexistent when he’d been speaking to his cousin’s family. “When will your men come. Abasi might be marching upon us as we speak?” the king asked sounding impatient already.

“These three men would deliver my message to Abasi,” the prince said, cocking his head to the three youngest elves on his side and spoke in elvish. The three elves nodded sharply in unison. “What did you say to them?” Lorenz asked, his gaze moving between the prince and the elves.

“Halt lest ye want the army elves upon you” Calemir stated.

Lorenz swallowed, and grinned widely, looking very pleased. He wanted more, but the elf’s words had to do for now and resisted milking his luck. He had another hand to move if trouble arose. He would just threaten the girl, and she would do anything to bring the army of elves to his side. After all, she had her family as leverage, one word sent to her, she would do her best to convince the prince. A boisterous laugh itched his throat. Not just Abasi, but the rest of his lesser foes and kings who were once allies were going to feel his wrath for standing against him.





Chapter Nineteen


Nara worried ceaselessly about her family, desperately hoping they were safe and unharmed by the wretched king. Tears pricked her eyes, blurring her sight as she rode the steed to its maximum strength and speed, heading north with dust and grass visible in their trail under the afternoon sun. Grass hills stretched endlessly ahead and behind them. She and the elves had taken to the road soon after the elves had acquired what had brought them to Vessener in the first place. They rode through the night and day straight, only stopping less than twenty minutes to replenish the horses with water. Three days to be exact has she been without proper sleep. Her face paled from lack of sleep. It didn’t seem to be the same for her three companions, their faces were alive with color and vitality, nothing to indicate they haven’t slept either. Like their riders, the strange horses showed no sign of slowing down. The elves rode furiously, tearing the grasslands and hills, eager to put a great distance between them and Murisa. Home, the word echoed in her mind without rest as the faces of her mother, father and Ingrid flashed in her eyes. Their lives depend on you a voice inside her reminded her. What about mine? She thought bitterly. Wasn’t her own life significant too? Enough with the sentiment! She reprimanded, feeling ashamed of herself to entertain such selfish thoughts in the first place. She cared for her family. She would do anything for them.