Hydrangea kept her head down as she cooked their afternoon meal. The Sovereign was emitting a dark energy and everything she or Brigitte did caused him to glare at them.
She hadn't expected him to be so angry about his friends' punishment, although it made her own blood boil at the injustice. She frowned as she recalled the men's screams and the fact that she'd been helpless to save them. She couldn't imagine what the Sovereign felt, he'd known those men longer than she.
When she called that their food was ready the three of them sat and ate.
She glanced nervously at the Sovereign who looked as though he would kill the tree across from him.
Gathering her nerve and chastising herself for being so spineless, she spoke up, "How are we going to rescue your friends?"
His gaze did not move from the tree that had somehow wronged him as he answered, "We strike at night, the soldiers should still be there, but hopefully fewer in number." He spoke dangerously and both women felt their bones chill.
His deep voice was something Hydrangea had grown accustomed to, she'd hear it everyday and she'd never thought of it too much. But now, now that he looked like he was going to kill someone, she recognized the power in his voice, though she hated to admit it, he was born to be a leader.
He continued, "The flower and I will distract them, then we break off and she will get three horses from the Premier's stables while I lead the soldiers to their deaths."
Both Brigitte and Hydrangea made eye contact then looked back at the Sovereign.
"Where are the stables?" Hydrangea asked, agreeing to his plan.
"I will draw a map later." He huffed, then he continued with his plan, "Next, after the soldiers are gone the maid will use her knife to pick the chains on the brothers hands and hide them in a safe place, till the flower gets there with the horses. I will then join you and we'll leave the city."
"Wait, what of our horses?" Hydrangea asked, choosing to ignore his use of her nickname.
"We sell them." He said folding his hands together menacingly.
Hydrangea saw the benefits to his plan but she also couldn't help but listen to her conscience, "Don't kill the soldiers."
He finally moved his eyes from the tree and now looked at her with the same intent, "Why not? They will only continue to harm others and they will not stop unless they are killed."
Her eyes simmered with frustration and anger at the simple fact that he refused to understand, "Murder is not the only solution. Does it not eat away at you? All of the lives you've taken. Do none of them matter? If Dimitri or his brother was killed would the Lords not justify it by saying that they deserved it?!"
"But they do not!"
"They do not see it that way!" She yelled, "You are lowering yourself to their level. Hadok would not want that."
The Sovereign quieted and said nothing further on the matter. Hydrangea could only hope that he would choose to spare them.
The day passed and they successfully sold their two old stallions, Oak and Aspen to be made into paste. Hydrangea felt ill at the notion but forced the thought out of her mind.
~~~~~~~~~
Brigitte looked at her knife with trembling hands, how could she do it? She couldn't.
She walked to where the Queen was, "Your majesty."
"Yes, Brigitte." She said as she turned to face the older woman.
"I cannot do it." She said holding her knife out.
"Brigitte, I'm sure you can. Besides, you are the only one who can do it. We're depending on you." The young Queen said, her hand on Brigitte's shoulder.
Her mind flashed back to when they'd seen the two men, their faces contorted in pain, the horrible screams, "I'll do it." She said.
Hydrangea nodded, nervous about her own task. The Sovereign had drawn out a simple map of the forum and the surrounding blocks. The stables were one block behind them, guarded by soldiers that the Sovereign was supposed to lead away.
The Sovereign. Ratri-kar had told her to protect him, and to trust him. Would she be able to do both tonight?
~~~~~~~~~
The trio watched the sun set behind the mountains and then they began their journey down the slope. The wind had quieted down and only blew gently by.
They crept through the streets, crossing over the few bridges they had previously. Arriving at the entrance to the forum Brigitte hid behind some barrels of wine while the Sovereign and Hydrangea ran in to gather the attention of the ten soldiers.
Hydrangea had removed her cloak and had handed it to the maid, they'd need to disguise the two brothers bloodied bodies somehow.
Bastian stalked into the forum, Hydrangea sprinting after him.
Stopping before the dais he placed his hands on his hips and said proudly, "I hear you're looking for the Sovereign."
"Leave scum!" One of the guards spat.
"Wait." One of them, the evident leader, raised his hand, "And what do you know citizen?"
"I am no citizen. I am he."
Both Hydrangea and Bastian then broke off into a run in the direction of where the stables were.
"Follow them, don't let them escape!" The leader yelled, ordering his men to cut them off and to block off all exits off of the islands.
The ten soldiers left, thinking that it was impossible for the two men on the dais to escape and the hour was too late for anyone to try and free them.
But they were wrong.