Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53
Astrid sat on the floor beside the room where Doris lay. She held her face in her hands while the tears poured down.
"Astrid," Andrea said softly as she sat down beside her, "Please stop crying, I’m sure Doris would not want you to be like this for her sake." She pulled her into her arms, "Plus, you heard the lady, the bleeding stopped. We only need to wait for her to wake up."
"I can’t lose her, too," Astrid whispered, "I just can’t. I would never be able to forgive myself for dragging you all into a battle that was never yours."
"Again, with this? We all agreed to do this because we wanted to. Of our own free will, we chose to accompany you on this adventurous journey. Besides, what else would we have done if we hadn’t followed you back to your home? None of us had homes to go back to. You were the glue that kept us sane while we were in the order. How would we survive without you?"
Astrid held her head up to look into her eyes and gave her a weak smile.
"Don’t you worry," Andrea said, "I’m sure everything will turn out fine."
Adonis and Augustus stood a few feet away from them, watching. Augustus furrowed his brows and pursed his lips as he held his side. The cloth Astrid had used to cover him had become bloodied from all the fighting, and the pain had intensified.
"You’re hurt, aren’t you?" Adonis asked, his voice slightly above a whisper. "How bad is it?"
"It’s nothing that I can’t manage, your majesty," Augustus replied.
"Well, forgive me if I think you’re lying, but I’ve just seen our men go through so much that I can’t bear to lose the most competent man i know because I neglected his pain."
"Your majesty, please, calm down," Augustus chuckled. "I’m sure all the men know that you care for them, their pain, and everyone they left behind to be on the journey. Which is why they probably chose to be in your army."
"Please just have it properly looked at. Go to the physician who just left us, tell her to make you a potion or something for your wound. She’s the only one I can think of at this moment?"
"As you wish." There was a slight pause before he spoke again. "I assume we’re going to be here for a while, seeing as the men are in bad shape. Who do you think is behind all of this, the bombs?"
"It could be anyone," Adonis folded his arms. "I wouldn’t put it past those old scoundrels. But it confuses me so much. Who would gain the most from all of this? "
"We’ll worry about all of that later, your majesty. But our top priority should be how to stop the casualties. Our men were not prepared for this kind of battle; if we continue down this path, we’ll lose far more than just our men. "
The whole affair aggravated Adonis. It wouldn’t have been a flawless victory, but it would have been a victory nonetheless if the bombs had not been involved in the first place. Now, he had to watch his men suffer.
"What do you suggest?" Adonis asked. "How do we beat them? We’ve never faced anything like this before." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"Well, the two of us cannot decide all of that right now. Why don’t we rest for today, then we’ll call a meeting tomorrow and see what others have to say?"
Adonis sighed deeply. "You’re right, it’s too soon to think about battles when we’ve barely just won this one. Please, rest as much as you can." He slapped Augustus on his back. "And make sure you get that wound treated."
"Rest assured, your majesty, I make sure I’m as good as new by tomorrow."
"That’s not possible," Adonis said and laughed. "But I’m counting on you."
Adonis turned back to look at the girls after Augustus had left. Then went to kneel before the two of them.
"Astrid," he said softly, "look," he touched her face and lifted it to meet his. " I understand that this is a painful time for you, but you have to be strong, not just for yourself but for Doris as well."
The tears kept pouring down, and her voice hitched when she tried to talk.
"Don’t worry, it’s alright. You just need to rest, tomorrow will be better. I promise you." Adonis wiped the tears from her face and held her up so she stood with him. "Andrea, please take care of her. Don’t let her be alone tonight."
"Sure. I’ll make sure of that, prince."
"Thank you."
Adonis stood and stared around him. He hated that he had to do this. He loathed the fact that he had to bring his men on such a precarious journey, and now, his Father’s impatience was going to cost them far more than they bargained for.
He wondered how Octavia fared in all of this. Whether it was the same for her. He sighed. His limbs ached, his sides felt like they’d been hit by hammers, and the more he spoke, the more he felt like detaching his head from his body.
He found the nearest room on the floor and crashed onto the bed. Within minutes, he had drifted off into sleep.
Morning came faster than anyone wanted. Astrid had hurried into the room Doris lay by her side.
Her face looked peaceful, but Astrid didn’t like that her lips had turned pale.
"I thought I’d find you here," Andrea said, startling Astrid.
"I wanted to look at her, see how she was doing."
"I understand perfectly, Astrid," Andrea said. Why don’t we have some breakfast? She’ll still be here when we get back." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Astrid stared at Doris for a while, then got up and followed Andrea out.
There were a few soldiers gathered when they reached the dining hall. They talked loudly enough that one would think they were in a marketplace.
"Please serve our meals," Adonis said immediately as he entered the room. "We have a lot to discuss."
