<u>Chapter 50 - I''m Going</u>


    Emeria''s arms shook, not in cold, but anxiety.


    "This… does not bode well," Irus said.


    The Empire had gained a foothold on the ramparts and was expanding it inch by inch. Increasing numbers of men stormed out of the siege towers. Xenarian soldiers gave way as someone was carried down from the walls. Someone important. "Is that…" Emeria whispered. The rest of her words disappeared as if stolen by the wind.


    "That would be Lord Serene, I believe," Irus said. Shouting from that particular section of the wall grew fierce. A large bang sounded from the garrison''s gates. Something was beating against it. "They''ve brought a ram up the path." Irus leaned closer to the wall. His eyes, Emeria noticed, were fixed on the bell tower near the gates. The moment it sounded, everything would end. The soldiers would abandon the walls and barricade themselves inside the castle. "Your highness, you can ride a horse, yes?"


    Emeria slowly turned to him, eyes narrowed.


    "I recommend you prepare and head down to the stables. If the walls are abandoned, it will only be a matter of time before the castle falls too. The Tarmian army will break upon the fortress as soon as the gates are breached. But not before then, I suspect. The Guard will break their first lines and clear a path for you to escape."


    "The fortress is surrounded, Sir L''Faleur," Emeria said.


    "There is bound to be a gap we can exploit when they charge all at once," he said, expression fierce but voice wavering. He wasn''t confident.


    Emeria turned back to the battle. She had walked those walls so many times. Tread the same stone passage where hundreds were dying all at once. The Empire''s foothold expanded. A quarter of the front walls belonged to them. Red Hand banners were raised for all to see.


    Emeria dragged her nails across the terrace barrier and formed a fist. She hated it. Hated seeing the enemy encroach upon her second home. A place that had brought her joy. A place where she''d made memories. That half-finished map of the castle interior was somewhere in her quarters still. The thought of Empire soldiers getting their hands on it infuriated her. That was hers. A part of her childhood. A token of her friendship with Elizia. And a piece of her life.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    This fortress is a piece of my life.


    Her heart pounded. Emeria knew what she wanted to do, but did she have the courage to do it? She began to sweat. The words were caught in her chest. Her eyes were spellbound upon the chaos and clamor. Imaginations of the carnage added a clear scene to the shouts filling her ears. Just say it! Flaming say it, Emma!


    "Your highness, we cannot tarry longer," Irus said.


    Emeria ground her teeth. She felt herself shake with both fury and fear, both feelings agonizing her and pulling on opposite ends of her mind. "I''m going!" she blurted out, eyes squeezed shut.


    "Yes, that''s what—"


    "There," Emeria pointed to the walls. "I''m going there, Sir L''Faleur," she said, turning to meet his eyes. A boulder weight came off her chest as she''d finally said it.


    "No. That cannot be allowed. Your mother—"


    "Will never see me again if something isn''t done!"


    "Your highness, this is not the time for a fit! I cannot allow this. Our task is to protect you, not willingly put you in harm''s way!" Irus shouted.


    "Then protect me!" Emeria cried back. Ashes, but she felt small staring up at his towering figure. "You''re Queen''s Guard! The greatest order of knights in the realm. Xenaria''s strongest warriors and veterans of the battlefield. Surely you can do something to turn the tides!"


    "There are a mere twenty-three of us present, princess! Do you expect the impossible from us?"


    "That is exactly what I expect," she said. "You took oaths to protect my mother and her progeny. To die for them if need be!" Emeria felt sick, asking her guard to die for her. For weighing her own life against his. But her words didn''t stop. "Or are you fearing more for your life right now than my own? This is an order, Sir L''Faleur, and you will obey! Arm the Queen''s Guard. We will reclaim the foothold on the walls, or we will die trying."


    He stared at her for a long moment. Glared at her actually. Then he sighed, letting out a vapor cloud and scratched at his head. "You want to be their moral support, don''t you?"


    "Yes," Emeria said.


    "Then I ask that you obey me while we''re there. I will fight using two shields and you will stand behind me at all times. Think on the words you will speak to the duke''s soldiers. They''re in need of a fire and… as much as I hate to admit it, after seeing Lord Serene himself be dragged away, the royal heir might be the only other person here that can inspire them."


    "I will do my best to obey, Sir L''Faleur."


    "Best won''t cut it, your highness. I need you to obey. Please don''t do anything reckless that will put the Guard''s lives at stake too. I''ll admit to feeling fear. I have family at the capital waiting for me. A girl I fancy too. I realize that none of that will matter if the Empire takes this garrison and slays Lord Serene." Irus got down on one knee and lowered his head. "And so I''ll fight, as you ask, Princess Emeria. But I want to live to see tomorrow too."


    Emeria took off the second cloak from her shoulders and placed it around Irus'' broader pair. "Thank you for your honesty, Sir L''Faleur. I promise not to put myself in extreme danger."


    "Only extreme?"


    "Humor me, Irus," Emeria said with a smile. "Going down there is in itself dangerous. But I won''t do anything that you can''t save me from and protect your own life while you''re at it."


    "You are a handful, princess."


    She sniffed. "I shall take that as an insult and punish you accordingly once we reach the capital."