The Union

The wimp lay beside her, cuddling on her chest . His warm damp breaths tickled her neck . Traces of doing her "duty" last night was apparent on the disorderly bed sheets and stained blankets . Her aching back and tired flesh also spoke of that dirty affair .

Ash didn"t want this . Every night she does her duty, she would feel disgust after . But it was her duty . She was born the daughter of Marquis Sachi Brent . She needed this . . . disgusting act to finally put an end to the shame of her family .

Her father was one of those who betrayed King Timothy during the Castonian Civil War . Ash heard that her father sided with the Wismarines instead of helping their ally, King Timothy . When messengers on horse arrived to tell the tale of her father"s betrayal, Ash felt shame . She never imagined, even in the darkest bleakest corners of her imagination, that her father would be involved in an act so shameful . She wanted to hide forever . The Brent family, rulers of Coldford, was shamed .

So when news spread that King Timothy and Queen Lucia were marching to Canton, she saw it fit to side with them . They were the ones first betrayed . Naturally it was her duty to serve them and restore her family"s lost honor . Even if that meant breaking their vows of loyalty to the wimp cuddling her b.r.e.a.s.t.s right now, she saw that siding with the invaders was the right thing to do .

When she approached the Union"s camp in the middle of the night, she was of course stopped by the watchful sentries . Still in her muddy nightgown, she requested to see the fabled King and Queen of the Union . They forgave her and her family"s transgressions that night . She offered to open the gates of Coldford but the Queen refused . In those intelligent blue eyes of Queen Lucia, Ash saw something hatch- something plotty . That night she went back to Coldford . The Union took the city the next day with her help and n.o.body thought of her as the Union"s ally . Queen Lucia then sent her as a spy to various n.o.bles . Her efforts were significant . Their victory at Seyton Hill was due to her warning . When the Union routed the combined Inkish and Hadean near the town of Veil, it was because of her information .

If her betrayal was known, she would be cursed by many . They would think of her as a traitor . That might be true . It was her duty to restore the honor of her family and to give the Cantonese a better King . The wimp beside her was neither cruel nor evil . But King Harold is weak . He stutters when he speak . His advisers and banner men had been taking advantage of him . The wimp would lead Canton to chaos . A good but weak person is as bad as a cruel one when seated on the throne . To Harold the wimp, she could only apologize . Their feelings were not mutual and they were fighting on opposite sides in this war .

"Y . . you are a . . awake" the wimp said while looking at her with his innocent eyes .

"I am my love" Ash faked her sweet tone "Although tiredness still lingered in my body after last night"

"Was . . . was I too rough? I . . . I apologize" the wimp embraced her "Te . . tell me if I am hurting you . I don"t want to hurt y . . . you"

He was sincere, Ash knew that . And knowing that he is sincere added to her guilt . He is a good person, kind and caring, Ash told herself in silence . But he is not fit to be King . She felt sorry for him . If only their situation is different . But the wimp was the King she was trying to depose and her family owed a debt of betrayal to the monarchs of the Union .

"No" Ash sat on the bed . She looked away and bit her guilt on her lips . "I am alright Your Majesty"

"Ca . . call me Harold . I . . I want you to . You . . . you will become my Queen"

She didn"t want to . Canton already had a Queen and Ash had seen the deepness of her intelligence in her blue eyes . Only King Timothy and Queen Lucia should lead her nation . Even if they would let others rule in their stead, then that monarch should only be a puppet .

"You honor me too much Harold . I am fine being a concubine . I am merely the youngest child of Marquis Sachi . I am not worthy of you"

"No!" The wimp said without even stuttering . He held her hand "You will be my Qu . . ueen . Y . . you are more than worthy"

"Thank you . Truly, thank you" Ash said something sincere- a rare thing in their conversations . She then rose and donned her clothes "I would bring you breakfast"

"Have . . ve the servants to bring it here"

Ash bowed "But I insist . Don"t worry I will make haste . I know you are hungry"

She went out of the room and went directly to the kitchen . She considered going to her room to send another letter to Queen Lucia . But Sarah Wismar hadn"t done anything in the past days . She heard tales about Sarah, tales of her unspeakable acts and antics . Ash"s heart almost stopped when she saw Falconheads march into Mythrille . She knew the danger they bring . When she discovered that the one leading them was the Wismarine Princess, she had the urge to write a letter to Queen Lucia immediately .

But Sarah, for her reputation, had been acting tamed . Maybe the rumors were false? The world is large and stories lose their truth the farther they travel . Maybe tales of her grim deeds were just false rumors after all .

When Ash was walking back to the wimp"s room, carrying a tray filled with bread, cheese and wine soup, she saw the person she didn"t want to see the most . So she is finally making a move, Ash thought .

"Ash right?" Sarah was smiling towards her . Her thin garments were of Wismarine design . The golden rings on all of her fingers were eye-catching- or eye sores depending on the person . She wasn"t really a beauty . But her smile was so sweet that one would forget the cruel rumors about her .

"I am Your Highness" Ash bent her knee a little, careful not to show that they were trembling already .

"Oh food" She pinched a chunk of the bread "For the wimp right?"

Ash"s eyes widened as Sarah"s smile also did . She looked down . "For King Harold Your Highness"

"Exactly . The wimp"

"King Harold is not a wimp Your Highness"

"But you do think that he is right?" Sarah leaned closer . Her mouth was near Ash"s ear . "I can read characters . I am an expert in such . I have read yours- the way you speak, the tone of your voice, the words of your choosing . We can guess a lot about the character of a person just from those things . I have been watching you Ash . Call it intuition or luck but you were the first person I noticed when I first came here . You think he is a wimp right? You don"t really like him . But I can"t really blame you . In fact I should praise you! Oh what a good move . You appeal to his carnal desires to control him . I did that once, or twice, or yes many times . One of them was Prince Ivan of Castonia . Foolish man that lad . An easy job manipulating him . The poor lad converted to the faith of Ashkara . So just so you know, it works"

Ash"s knees further trembled . Her heart throbbed fast . Sarah was as vicious and dangerous as they say she is .

"I . . I don"t know what you are saying Yo . . your Highness" Ash stuttered like the wimp .

"You do" Sarah"s voice is chilling . It was a wonder how she could change the tone of her voice so suddenly . And then Sarah struck the final blow . "You are spying for Queen Lucia aren"t you?"

In that moment, time stopped for Ash . It was over . She would die . She looked at the two Falconheads that served as Sarah"s guards . They were silent- as silent as her soon to be grave . Would she taste the bite of the cold sword they were holding?

"I will tell you what I"m going to do next . You are free to report this to them . I will attack your home, Coldford in five days . I will come from the east through a pa.s.s in the Crimson Plateau . After I take Coldford, the Union"s monarchs will be trapped in Haraldshome . Of course I could be lying . The possibility is high that I would do something else . Decisions Ash . Decisions make us or kill us . Their decisions will decide life and death"

Sarah walked away with her guards and left Ash shaking in fear . She forced to ask, "Why?"

"Because I want to play games Ash" Sarah said, her voice waned as their distance lengthened "Life is boring without games to play"