“You have not touched your meal, Lady Camilla.” Her new handmaiden said firmly. “What would your brother think if he knew you were abstaining from food?”
“I do not care what Rhys thinks, Elara.” She replied curtly. “Now just be quiet and leave me be will you?”
“That attitude is most unbecoming of a lady of your station. You should do exactly as you are told and not cause your brother unnecessary worry.” Elara said scornfully. “Remember that as a lord, your brother has many responsibilities and duties that require his attention. What he does not need, is to hear that his defiant sister is refusing to eat her meals.”
Rather than lash out at Elara, Camilla decided to swallow back her anger instead. She had been trapped inside her tent for what felt like an eternity, but just when she thought it could not get any worse, Elara had come. Rhys had apparently found her new handmaiden among the many refugees that now fled north from the barbarian crisis. Supposedly delighted with his find, he had assigned Elara to attend to Camilla immediately. At first Camilla was welcoming of her new handmaiden. Someone to speak with and share in her isolation from the world sounded like it could only ever be a good thing, but Elara was not what she had expected. The handmaiden was not a young woman, or even anywhere near close to her own age like every other handmaiden Camilla had ever had. Instead, Elara was an older woman with greying hair and a sour face, with an attitude to match.
“My lady, you really must eat something.”
“Elara, you really must just leave me alone.”
“Mimicry from a noblewoman?” Elara said as she shook her head. “You are acting the part of a child. This is most unbecoming.”
Treat me like a child and I act like one? Why are you surprised?
Camilla stood up and walked toward the entranceway to her tent and peeked outside but she couldn’t see much other than tents, banners and patrolling soldiers. Frustrated at being trapped with Elara, she let out a long sigh and returned to her seat and eyed her unappetising meal of hard bread and chewy, dried meat. She ripped off a piece of the bread and reluctantly put it in her mouth. It was as bad as she had expected, but she forced herself to chew and swallow it down. If she had spat it out, she could not imagine the lecture and scolding she would receive from Elara, and if the older woman kept going on and on, Camilla feared she would lose control of herself and do something stupid.
“Ever since you learned that Lord Edderfield and the Greystone army arrived in camp, you’ve been antsy. You can barely sit still for five minutes.” Elara said in her usual, grating tone. “Is there something you want to tell me about that?”
“It has nothing to do with that!” Camilla snapped back. “It has everything to do with being trapped in here with you!”
“My lady, that is very rude of you. I am only trying to make your life more comfortable.”
“No, you’re not. I asked you to leave me be and yet you keep talking.” She said tiredly. “You haven’t stopped since I met you.”
Elara frowned but otherwise remained silent. Camilla hoped that meant that she had gotten the point. It was frustrating to be trapped in a tent while everything important happened outside, just out of earshot. She longed for the days when she sat at her father’s court back in Varde Castle. While it was true that she could never have any input or involvement on any decision making back then, at least she could be there and listen in. She always liked to come up her own ideas on what to do during those court sessions and then see if her ideas matched with those of her father. In this stuffy tent however, she felt truly isolated from everything that was going on. She hated not knowing the situation. She hating trusting in the judgement of Rhys and his idiot advisors. With Kaewyn it was different. He listened to her, asked for her opinion and considered her ideas. Whenever she was with him, she felt welcomed and more than that, she felt appreciated. Remembering him, she began to fiddle with the small wooden sculpture Kaewyn had given to her for safekeeping before the Battle of Taneby. It felt smooth to the touch and was nice to play with in her hands.
“What is that you have there? Some kind of jewellery?” Elara asked insistently.
“It’s nothing.” She replied.
“I’m old enough to know what that is, my lady.” Elara said. “It isn’t proper for a lady of a noble house to have in her possession a token of the old god. You should give it to me.”
“No.”
“What did you say?”
“No.”
“You are being insolent again.” Elara scolded. “I might have to have a word with your brother if you keep this up!”
I can’t stand this. I can’t stand this. I can’t stand this. I CAN’T STAND THIS!
“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“You know what?” Camilla said as got to her feet. “Don’t bother! I’ll tell him myself.”
“My lady, where are you going? You are not supposed to leave this tent!”
Camilla stormed out of the tent in a rage. The guards posted to her tent called out to her much like Elara had done, but they didn’t dare try to physically get in her way. She felt her blood boil as she made her way through the camp toward Rhys’ command tent. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was an idiot and a fool. When she arrived outside of Rhys’ command tent, the silver armoured guards moved to block her approach. She was about to give them an earful when Captain Falke emerged from within. The captain asked her why she was here and not in her tent, to which Camilla explained her ongoing frustration with her handmaiden and the need to get away. When Camilla tried to push past him and enter the command tent, Falke stopped her and claimed to be the bearer of good news.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
He explained that he had been promoted to the rank of General. Camilla congratulated him with genuine goodwill, but she suspected the promotion was due to the recent lost battle against the barbarians in which many of Rhys’ advisors perished. Falke had been nothing but kind and considerate to her, so she didn’t feel the urge to ruin his moment, therefore she simply wished him luck with his new position and responsibilities. Again, she tried to move past Falke and head inside to confront her brother, but again, the General stopped her in her tracks. It was then that he told her that her brother had rescinded his previous command to confine her to her tent and that she was free to do as she pleased, provided she did not get into or cause any trouble.
Camilla was dumbfounded. She never imagined her brother would have a change of heart and go back on what he had already commanded. She was still desperate to see him, but rather than to yell and curse at him, she just wanted to know why he had changed his mind. She thanked the now General Falke and made her way into the command tent. Rhys was standing over his table and moving some of the little wooden figurines to different places on the map. He was so entranced in what he was doing, he didn’t notice her even as she stepped up behind him.
“Rhys.” She said quietly.
“Camilla!?” Rhys spun around. “You startled me. Wait, how did you get here so quickly? I only just told Falke you were no longer confined.”
“I… I was already coming to see you.” She explained. “I was coming to give you a piece of my mind actually.”
Rhys sighed. “That does not surprise me sister.”
Camilla was concerned for her brother. He spoke softly and slowly, and his movements were ponderous and considered. He didn’t at all seem like his usual self. But perhaps that was a good thing, for she had grown to dislike her brother in recent times. Still, she felt worried about what had caused such a drastic change in his attitude in such a short time.
“How is your new handmaiden working out? What was her name…”
“Elara.” She said coldly. “And she isn’t working out. If I had to stay in that tent another minute, I would have probably stabbed her with my quill.”
Rhys chuckled, but otherwise said nothing. Her brother appeared to be completely content to stare at the map on the table and be in his thoughts.
“Why did you change your mind Rhys? About allowing me to roam the camp?” She asked. “You were so adamant before.”
“Tell me truly then Camilla, if I had persisted in having you kept confined, would you have listened?”
“Probably not for long.” She admitted. “I was coming here to yell and curse at you after all.”
“Well, this way we get to skip that unpleasant interaction and go back to being family.”
“Family?”
“Do you remember what it was like with father?” Rhys said ponderously. “Everyone respected him, listened to him. He didn’t have to repeat himself several times for people to follow his commands. He was a true leader and a great man.”
“He was well loved, our father.” She said. “But I do not doubt that it took even he a long time to get to that point.”
“Perhaps you are right. I just feel that whenever I make a decision something inevitably goes wrong and I’m made to look the fool. Then I get angry and make more terrible decisions. Just look at the battle with the barbarians.” Rhys said angrily. “I let my advisors convince me that attacking was the right idea, when Kaewyn had somehow already figured out the best course of action was to wait until our forces were combined. How does he have it all figured out? How is he so confident and self-assured all the time?
“He isn’t.” Camilla said with a smile on her lips.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Your perception of him is wrong Rhys. He doesn’t always know what to do. He dwells on his mistakes perhaps even more than you do.” She explained. “He worries just like you are now, on whether or not he is making the right decisions.”
“How do you know all of this?” He asked.
“Because he told me. Rhys it’s true. From an outside perspective, perhaps he does look confident and as though he knows what he is doing, but trust me. He relies upon his friends for advice and values them for it.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Rhys said dismissively. “Everywhere he goes, he wins. Lord Severus invaded Vinum and Greystone, but where I submitted and surrendered, Kaewyn had the audacity to resist and somehow achieved a victory that will be remembered long after we both return to dust.”
“He has good people around him.” She said. “And he listens to them. Maybe you could try to listen a bit more too?”
“I just did. Look where that got me. Following those idiots’ advice cost us five-hundred men and all of our cavalry.” Rhys said angrily. “No, I think I’ve been listening to others too much. I need to be more confident, like father was.”
“That isn’t what I meant at all Rhys.” She argued. “Kaewyn listens to all of his advisors and friends, and then makes a decision that he believes is best. He even listened to me during the siege of Taneby. In fact, I came up with the idea to—
“Kaewyn.” Rhys snarled. “He even managed to make peace with his family’s longstanding rivals, the Elentides. Not even his father could have hoped to achieve that feat. His advisors and soldiers admire him and would follow him anywhere. Even my own people seem to want to follow him rather than me! Their liege lord!”
Rhys threw one of the figures against the wall of the tent and cursed. “I cannot stand the sight of him. Why does fate favour him and not me!?”
“Rhys! Calm down.” She pleaded.
“Even you prefer his company to mine. Your own brother!” Rhys shouted.
“That is not true.” She said.
“Oh, really Camilla.” Rhys shouted. “Then why did Kaewyn ask about you? Why did he practically beg for me to treat you well, as if I were some monster that couldn’t be trusted to take care of his own flesh and blood?”
“He is here, isn’t he? In camp?” She asked.
“You will not find him.” Rhys said as he turned back to his figurines. “I have tasked him with eliminating the raiders. He left camp a short while ago. No doubt he will crush the raiders and return with nary a scratch upon him and earn yet more glory.”
“Remember that he is your friend Rhys.” She said. “Maybe when he returns, we can speak with him, together. All three of us.”
“I am done speaking with you. Get out and do not return without good reason.” Rhys snapped. “If you cause any trouble, I’ll have you chained to your tent pole.”
Camilla considered pressing the matter further, but the look in her brother’s eyes scared her. He was so calm only a few minutes ago and yet now, his hands trembled with rage. His sudden outburst reminded her of when Rhys and her were children, only then his tantrums only last to the end of the day. She hoped that it would be the same story with him now, and that he would return to his old self tomorrow. But for now, she had no intention of testing his temper, so she quietly left the tent and headed outside without uttering another word.
Once outside, Camilla paused and considered what to do with herself for the rest of the afternoon. Knowing Kaewyn was out of camp meant that she would have to wait until he returned to speak with him about Rhys and his outbursts. She absolutely hated the idea of returning to her tent even without Elara’s persistent nagging. That left one only one other with whom she could spend her time with. Camilla asked one of the silver armoured guards where the General had gone. The guard told her that General Falke went to the training field, a large open area in the centre of the camp. With little else to occupy her time, she decided to head to the training field and see if she could find the newly promoted General to see what he was up to.