Soteria stretched out his hand to Zemira and she took it and came down from the carriage. All the soldiers looked at her, "A woman?" "On the battlefield?" some murmured and Zemira dragged her bonnet down.
Soteria looked at them, "This is the general's wife. Respect her!" he said and they bowed. "This way" Soteria said as he gestured to a direction and Zemira followed.
They came to a tent where Azrael was being treated, "Azrael?" Zemira was shocked. He was severely wounded. Azrael raised his head and saw Soteria and Zemira looking at him, "Lady Zemira, what are you---" he tried getting up but the doctor held him, "Do not be in such a haste to walk. Your thigh injury is quite deep" he said and Azrael nodded.
The doctor got up and bowed then he left. Azrael took the crutch beside his bed and was about to get up but Zemira walked to him, "You do not have to get up, Azrael" she sat down close to him and looked at his thigh injury, "How did it..." she was about to touch it but he held her hand, "Lady Zemira, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I am here to save Cassian" she said and Azrael looked at Soteria who quickly looked away, "This is your first time at a base camp...you should take your time and...look around" he said and she smiled, "For a moment there, I thought you were going to chastise me" he gave a very wide fake smile, "Why would I scold you?" he asked as he looked at Soteria who was looking everywhere but Azrael.
"Go on now!" Azrael said and Zemira nodded then she got up and left. As soon as she left, Azrael flung his crutch at Soteria who immediately ducked.
Soteria picked up the crutch and cleared his throat, "You dare defy your king by throwing your crutch at him?" he gave the crutch to Azrael. "Do not act all kingly! At war, every man is equal. The only man we take orders from is our general, who is now being held in captivity...and you brought his pregnant wife!" "I did not want to bring her! She was about to cry and a woman's tears are my weakness" Soteria pouted and Azrael sighed, "Cassian is not going to like this" he said as he shook his head.
Zemira sighed as she eavesdropped on them. Of course no one was happy she was here. The looks the soldiers were giving her made her feel unwelcomed. But she was not here for them, she was here for Cassian.
Someone bumped into her roughly, "Watch where you are going!" the person said rudely. Zemira held her belly and looked at the person's retreating figure. The same broad shoulders, the same light brown curly hair which reached the base of his neck, the same walking step. "Stern?" she called out and he stopped and turned.
She was right. It was Stern. But what was he doing at war? He only knew about business and politics. Cassian's wife? What is she doing here? Stern thought. Did Stern have any relations with her? Isander thought. Stern bowed and continued going his way.
Zemira was confused. Did he not recognize her? Why had he not asked her what she was doing here? Also, why did he seem different?
"Lady Monterey" Soteria came out of the tent and she looked at him then at Stern's retreating figure, "Is that not Stern?" she asked and Soteria looked at Stern who just entered his tent. Soteria looked at Zemira, "Yes, that is Stern...he is one of our unit's commander" he said. Stern, a unit commander? The same Stern she knew who had screamed when he had seen his own blood?
"But that can not be...Stern is supposed to be at Thinefield" Zemira said "How do you know that?" Soteria asked, "He visited me before he left" she said and he grabbed her hand and dragged her into Azrael's tent.
"What is it?" Azrael asked as he dropped his cup of water. "Stern visited her before he supposedly left for Thinefield" Soteria said and Azrael looked at Zemira, "Is that true?" he asked and she nodded, "He came to apologize for all his wrongdoings and he begged that I forgive him. I said that everything was okay and that we could still be friends and then he left" "His sister, also said the same thing about him leaving for Thinefield" Soteria said.
Azrael stroked his chin, "From what I have heard, the duke of Leorda pampered his children and only trained his son in business and politics" "So how come is he at war...and a unit commander?" Zemira asked. "Cassian had said something about someone being in Stern's body" Soteria said "But how is that possible?" Azrael asked.
Zemira snapped her fingers, "Dune!" "The laboratory?" Soteria asked and she rolled her eyes, "Of course the laboratory!" she said. "Isander must have had something to do with it" Azrael said. "So is he the one in Stern's body?" Soteria asked "Perhaps that was what Cassian wanted to confirm" Azrael said.
"All we know is that Stern should not see our battle plans" Zemira said and Azrael and Soteria looked at her, "Our?" they asked at the same time but she ignored them, "We shall rescue Cassian tonight and..." "Tomorrow" Soteria said matter-of-factly.
"Why?" she asked "You are pregnant...and you need rest". "But who knows what Isander might do to Cassian! He needs us!" "Isander will not kill Cassian" "We do not know that!" Zemira argued and Soteria held her shoulder, "I am not telling you this as your king, I am telling you as your friend...rest tonight and then tomorrow, we shall rescue your husband" he said and she sighed, "Okay" she said and Soteria smiled and left the tent.
I hope he is not feeling himself for being so cool, Azrael thought as he looked at the entrance of the tent. Soteria released a breath he did not know he was holding, as he left the tent. Thank goodness Zemira had not brought out the water works else he would have given in to her demands.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Cassian opened his eyes slightly and saw someone blurry, standing over him. He closed his eyes and opened them fully this time. He felt a warm going under his shirt and he instantly grabbed the old man's hand, "What are you doing?" he asked.
The old man looked at his wrist which was being held firmly by Cassian and sighed, "Lord Isander sent me to check on your wound" he said and flung his hand down then he raised up Cassian's bloody shirt and inspected the wound.
"Why did my brother send someone to check on me?" Cassian chuckled and the old man looked at him, "Do not consider yourself special. He does this to Nola too although he hates her". Cassian just sighed and let the old man do what he was doing.
When the old man was done recleaning the wound, he dropped Cassian's shirt and got up, "Why would my brother have a doctor? I thought he considered himself a god" Cassian chuckled and the old man looked at him, "I am not a doctor" he smirked. "Then you are?" "Cato...an acquaintance of your brother".
"Friend?" Cassian chuckled, "You are lucky he has not slit your throat open...or perhaps, were you dead and he brought you back to life?" Cassian asked. "I am very much alive and I have a my memories intact too. And your brother can not kill me, because he needs me and my memories...I helped him build his army" Cato said and left.
Helped him build his army? That could only mean...
"Thinking about how to escape?" Isander entered the dungeon. "If you keep on sending people to take care of me, I might start thinking you actually care" Cassian thought and Isander shrugged, "I am not entirely bad, dear brother".
"Even if I was thinking about how to escape, you would know. You can read minds afterall" Cassian rested his head on the wall. "I can read minds..." Isander walked to Cassian, "...but the thing is I can not seem to read your mind" he crouched down to Cassian.
His hand gently grazed the side of Cassian's face, "Your mind is like a blank page" he said and looked into Cassian's grey eyes. The life had left them. They looked dead and hollow. "Are you really Cassian?" Isander asked as he slightly touched the scar on Cassian's brow.
"Do you think I am like you who transferred his subconsciousness into another man?" Cassian smirked and for a split second, there was a hint of panic on Isander's face, but he regained his usual composure, "Pardon?" he smirked. "That hint of fear in your eyes right now just confirms that you transferred your subconsciousness into Stern".
"What in the world are you talking about?" "Your laughter is not hard to miss. It has a distinctive irritating sound. I heard it when I went to check on Stern...also I put someone to keep an eye on Stern----Just the way I put someone to spy on Gertrude since the day she went to get supplies when the kitchen had just stock up----and I was told sometimes, his green eyes turn black. How did you transfer your subconsciousness though? Did Cato, the scientist help you?" Cassian said with no emotions.
Isander laughed, "I underestimated you dear brother, what else do you know? Or should I say what are you planning?" Isander peered into Cassian's dead grey eyes, trying to read his mind, but it was like a blank book.
Nola ran into the dungeon panting, "My lord..." she called out and Isander snapped his head at her, "We are under attack!" Cassian let out a diabolical laughter.
Isander clenched his fists. How could he have missed everything? Cassian was the one who had anticipated the way the war was going to end. He had thought about everything beforehand. He had let Isander capture him and he had confirmed everything.
Cassian continued laughing while Nola and Isander stared at him. "Stop laughing!" Isander slapped him and Cassian fell down but he continued laughing. Isander got so irked and then he started punching Cassian.
Cassian was still laughing though he had a broken nose and a blood-stained face. Nola looked away unable to do anything. Isander grabbed Cassian's neck and chortled him, "I do not care if you are useful to me. I shall kill you right here!" Isander growled and he stretched out his hand to Nola and the dagger at her waist, flew to his hand.
"My Lord, what---" Isander stabbed Cassian exactly where Nola had stabbed and stitched him. Isander twisted the dagger and pulled it out, then Cassian spat out blood. Nola's eyes widened in horror while Isander's eyes lit up at the sight of his brother's blood.
"Cassian!" someone screamed and they turned and saw Zemira and Soteria. The soldiers guarding the dungeon fell down with a thud. "Cassian!" Zemira screamed again and was about running to him but Nola raised her sword to strike her. Soteria pulled Zemira back and blocked Nola's sword.
His eyes widened in surprise. "Nola?" he asked and she pushed him back. Zemira looked at Nola. She is supposed to be dead, Zemira thought.
Isander looked at Cassian who was slowly losing consciousness, "You sent a pregnant woman out in the battlefield just to save you?" he smirked, "Perhaps I will just take what is precious to you then!" Isander threw the dagger he was holding, at Zemira.
Cassian's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the knife moving to Zemira. Damn it! He could not move. Soteria quickly deflected the dagger with his sword and it flew back to Isander, making a cut on his face.
"My Lord" Nola turned to Isander then she looked at Soteria and was about to slash him, but a canon ball hit the fort. The fort shook making everyone lose their balance.
When she had regained her balance, Zemira ran to Cassian and put her hand over his wound to stop the bleeding, "Cassian" she breathed out, tears streaming down her face. Isander reached out to grab her and she sunk her teeth into his hand...on impulse.
She bit hard on his hand and he yelled in pain. Nola saw it and punched Zemira, dragging her teeth off Isander's flesh as she fell down, then Nola dragged Isander out of there.
Soteria ran to Zemira, "Lady Monterey, are you alright?" he asked but Zemira ignored him and rushed to Cassian's side. She put her hands over his wound and applied pressure to it, "Cassian" she cried and Cassian put his hand over her hands then with a blood-stained hand, he held her face and gave a small smile...then his hand fell.