"Cassius?" Lyanna asked.
"Most probably." Lady Morgana replied. "But it doesn’t matter whether they’re true or not, they’re damaging your reputations including Lady Naomi’s.
"Then let’s stop them publicly." Azrael said.
"How?" Lyanna asked.
"Cassius suggested sending Naomi to handle the eastern territories negotiations. We will all go. You, , and Naomi. It will show the three of us working together and the rumours will be dismissed."
"You want to co?" Lyanna asked, surprised.
"You designed those fraworks." Azrael replied. "You should be there during their expansion. Your expertise is important, even if you don’t have an official position."
"The council might object."
"Let them." Azrael said. "You’re my wife and you’re coming with ."
Lyanna felt tears forming in her eyes. He was finally choosing her publicly over politics.
"When do we leave?" She asked.
"In three days."
They spent the next three days preparing.
Lyanna gathered her fraworks, organized docuntation, and prepared materials for the negotiations.
On the second day, Naomi ca to speak to her.
"Your Majesty, I want to apologize for the rumours. I never intended..."
"It’s not your fault. Cassius is the one spreading them."
"Still...it must be uncomfortable hearing people say inappropriate things about your husband and ."
"It would be if I believed them." Lyanna said. "But I know the rumours are baseless. Yes, they’re annoying, but I don’t care about them much."
"Thank you for understanding."
On the third day, the three of them departed with a small escort of guards. The journey to the eastern territories would take four days.
The first two days of travel passed uneventfully.
They stayed at inns, discussed negotiation strategies, and reviewed cooperation fraworks.
On the third day, as they travelled through a remote region, the head guard approached Azrael.
"Your Majesty, we’re approaching the borderlands. This area has been unstable recently. There is a lot of bandit activity here. We should increase our guard."
"Do it." Azrael ordered. "And keep the pace steady. I want to reach the eastern territories by tomorrow evening."
Lyanna noticed Azrael’s hand move towards his sword.
"Is there a problem?" She asked.
"This region is dangerous." He replied. "The cooperation programs haven’t reached here yet. It’s a lawless territory. We need to cross it as soon as possible."
Suddenly, arrows rained down from the cliffs above.
"Ambush!" The guard captain shouted. "Protect the king and queen!"
Azrael imdiately dismounted, pulling Lyanna down with him.
"Stay low!"
Attackers descended from the cliffs. They were a mix of humans and vampires.
"This is coordinated." Azrael said, drawing his sword. "They were waiting for us."
The guards ford a protective circle around Azrael, Lyanna, and Naomi. But the attackers were skilled.
"Get the won to safety!" Azrael ordered the guards.
"I can fight." Lyanna said.
"Not against this many." Azrael said. "Go!"
Two guards moved to escort Lyanna and Naomi away, but three attackers blocked their path.They were aiming for Lyanna.
"Kill the queen!" One shouted. "Remove the cooperation traitor!"
Azrael moved faster than Lyanna had ever seen him move. He covered the distance between them in milliseconds and stood directly between her and the attackers.
"You want her?" He snarled. "Go through first."
The attackers didn’t hesitate. All of them attacked Azrael simultaneously and he killed the three of them easily. But more attackers kept coming to attack him.
Lyanna watched in horror as Azrael fought five opponents at once. He was taking hits he normally would have avoided because he couldn’t move as moving would leave Lyanna vulnerable to attacks.
"Azrael, move!" She shouted. "I’ll dodge...just move!"
"No!" Azrael shouted back. "Stay behind !"
One attacker feinted left, drawing his attention while another ca from the right. Lyanna saw the blade coming towards Azrael and scread. Azrael turned but it was too late.
The blade hit his abdon. He gasped, blood flooding his mouth. But he didn’t fall.
He grabbed the attacker’s wrist with his free hand and drove his sword through the attacker’s heart and pushed his body away.
He took another blade ant for Lyanna. This one hit his shoulder. He still didn’t fall and kept protecting her.
"No!" Lyanna scread. "Azrael, stop! You’re bleeding!"
"Doesn’t matter." Azrael gritted out. "I’m not letting them reach you."
An attacker hit him from behind. He fell on his knees. Blood pooled under him, yet he stayed between Lyanna and the attackers.
Minutes later, when more guards arrived they rallied and killed the remaining attackers. The mont they were out of danger, Azrael collapsed. Lyanna caught him before he hit the ground.
"Azrael! Azrael, look at !"
His eyes were shutting down. Blood was everywhere.
"I...can’t ... let anyone ... hurt you." Azrael whispered.
"You’ll be fine." Lyanna cried, pressing her hands on his wound to stop the bleeding. "Just hold on. We’ll get you help."
"I love... you."
"Don’t you dare say goodbye. You’re not dying. I won’t let you die."
But the blood kept flowing.
"Naomi!" Lyanna shouted. "Help !"
"The wounds are very deep. We need a healer imdiately." Naomi said.
"The nearest town is twenty miles away." The guard captain said. "We need to move him but moving might kill him."
"Staying here will definitely kill him." Lyanna shouted. "Get a wagon. We are moving."
They prepared a wagon bed with blankets to minimize the jolting and carefully laid Azrael down. Azrael drifted in and out of consciousness. When he was conscious, he kept trying to speak.
"You’re... okay?" He whispered. "Hurt?"
"I’m fine." Lyanna cried. "You saved . Now save yourself. Please. Just hold on."
He weakly held her hand.
"Not... leaving. Never... leaving you again."
But his breathing was becoming shallow. Twenty miles felt like a hundred. When they finally reached the town, Lyanna scread for healers before the wagon even stopped.
"The king is dying! Help him! Soone help him!"
The local healers ca running.
"Get him inside quickly." The head healer ordered.
Lyanna paced outside the healing room while Naomi sat nearby. The head healer ca out after three hours.
"Your Majesty." She said to Lyanna. "I’m sorry. We’ve done everything we can, but the wounds are too severe. The blade that struck his abdon damaged his liver and the shoulder wound damaged major blood vessels. He has lost a lot of blood. His body is shutting down. We’ve stopped the external bleeding, but internally..." She shook her head.
"I’ve never seen anyone surviving with such injuries. I’m sorry, Your Majesty. You should prepare yourself."
"Prepare myself for what?" Lyanna asked.
"For his death." The healer replied. "It could take hours or days. But he is dying."
"No!! He can’t die. I won’t let him."
"Your Majesty..."
"Can I see him?"
"Of course. He is unconscious now. He may not wake up again. If you want to say anything to him...say it now."
Lyanna entered the room. Azrael was lying on the bed looking pale and covered in bandages.
She took his hand. It was cold.
"You can’t leave ." She whispered.
Naomi appeared at the door.
"Your Majesty, I’ve sent urgent ssages to Thornfield. Adrian is bringing the royal healers. They might have treatnts these local healers don’t know."
Lyanna looked at Azrael’s pale face.
"He might not have two days."
Lyanna sat beside the bed, holding Azrael’s cold hand, watching him die.
The healer returned hours later to check on him.
"Your Majesty, I don’t think he’ll survive the night. I’m truly sorry. You should... say your goodbyes."
"There has to be sothing! There must be sothing we can do to save him." She cried.
"There isn’t." The healer replied. "I’m sorry."
Reviews
All reviews (0)