a future imagined

Kiera had not wanted to interrupt, but their stares must have finally gotten noticed by her first Captain. She watched, feeling a tinge of guilt as her captain turned his head in their direction.

"General?"

"Bryan." As Kiera spoke his name, Sam and her first Captain acknowledged each other with a single nod. And as the couple walked closer to them, Kiera's eyes couldn't break free from the sight of the ecstatic toddler in the young woman's arms.

"General Kiera."

Her face, along with her voice, was as lovely as ever. She smiled as the woman called out her name hesitantly.

"It's good to see you again Clara."

Upon seeing Kiera's smile, Clara silently breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I am happy to be meeting you again General." A genuine look of happiness showed on her face, replacing the anxious-filled expression that was there previously. Her small lips curved up as she fought back the tears that were beginning to gather up inside her brown eyes.

"I see you've kept well since we last met," Kiera remarked, smiling a little when she noticed the toddler in Clara's arms was peering up at her with silent curiosity. Perhaps he had sensed the Beast inside Kiera, for the small child watched her with his big clear eyes that he inherited from her first Captain. When he saw her smile, he shyly smiled back at her, snuggling closer to his mother's face.

"Oh, yes." Clara positively beamed at her, presenting her child to Kiera. "Three years ago, I had my child. His name is Isak."

"Congratulations," her eyes went from Clara to her first Captain, "I am happy for you two."

"But as you can imagine," Bryan shifted uncomfortably on his feet when he heard Kiera add on, "I have a lot of questions." Her Captain's discomfort was apparent, but it did not bar her from asking.

Bryan must have sensed she would not relent, as he gave in. Clara nodded at him, understanding the look her mate gave her.

"General and your Highness, please follow us. Our home is not far from here."

Sam seemed surprised to have been invited, but that surprise vanished with Kiera's beckoning.

"Are you sure I should come along?" He whispered into her ear as they followed behind. "Am I not imposing on their affairs?"

"Where else would you go?"

"I could wait outside until you three have finished talking."

Kiera immediately shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure you are interested in whatever they have to say as I am."

He let out a short chuckle. "I'm not so sure about that. I am curious, but probably not as much as you are." She gave him a sideways glance.

"Why are you fretting so much? Bryan himself told you to come, it must mean he doesn't mind your presence."

Before he had a chance to respond to her, Bryan's voice interrupted their hushed conversation.

"I have always placed my full trust in the General and in whoever she has placed her trust in." Kiera and Sam blinked their eyes at the same time as Bryan continued speaking without looking back at them. "Since the day she met you, the General hasn't been the same. She smiles more often."

Kiera could not believe her ears. The words her captain spouted made her seem like a lovesick pup. It was as if Bryan was confessing her feelings for the prince all over again.

She quickly felt heat spread from her neck up into her face as Clara turned around to smile warmly at the sight of her and prince walking alongside each other.

"How lovely," although her words were sweet, they made Kiera even more embarrassed than she already was, "I always thought it would be wonderful if you were to find true love." She looked at Sam approvingly.

"From what I can tell, you seem like a proper gentleman. I'm glad."

Without missing a beat, Sam flashed her a gentle smile. "Thank you." Then his eyes went to the side, green eyes glittering as he smiled fully at her. "I intend to continue keeping Kiera happy well into the future as well."

She tried hiding her embarrassment by glaring at him, but it was of no use, even she could tell her face was betraying her.

She turned her head to the side.

"That's enough."

She heard Clara giggle at their interaction, but otherwise, they ceased talking about her and Sam's relationship.

As they walked, Sam tried reaching out to take her hand but she refused. On the second attempt, she relented and let him hold her hand until they arrived at the doorstep of a rather quaint townhome. They entered the home and were seated at the dining room table as Clara went upstairs to put Isak to sleep for his nap.

When Clara returned, she took her spot next to her mate. As soon as she sat down, Kiera began questioning them.

"To begin," Kiera ignored Sam as he covered his smile behind his hand, "what truly occurred three years ago?" That was when Clara all but disappeared. Leaving behind her mate and the life she had built for herself inside the territory of the Beasts.

"Three years ago, we found out that I was with child." Clara smiled at Bryan, although he smiled back with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"My father did not take the news very well." Shoulders hunched, he seemed to be in pain when remembering the whole ordeal. "He could not accept Clara even before news of her pregnancy. He," there was too much emotion in his voice that he had to take a break to clear his throat, "he wanted her gone."

The Beast Flayer was probably the most terrifying opponent in Wolfcyre Forest, not even his own son could go against his wishes. She could only imagine the threats he might have made to Bryan.

"Why did you not ask help from his Majesty? I'm sure he would have done something."

Bryan shook his head. "Interference from his Majesty would have put him in a disadvantageous position with the noble faction. Being the Grand Duke, my father is an influential person. And currently, there are not many Beasts that view humans in a positive way. Nobles especially disapprove of having humans as mates."

"You are saying your father would have banded the other nobles against your King." Sitting beside her and listening, Sam spoke up, understanding the politics inside the Beast Kingdom rather quickly.

Bryan nodded his head at the prince. "We decided it would be best for us to part, making it seem as if Clara had left me. Every so often I would come to Solomon to visit her."

Kiera narrowed her eyes, angered not because of Bryan, but because of the things she had failed to notice three years ago. She was angry because of the things they had gone through in order to keep each other safe.

"Why did you not think of turning to me for help?"

"General, I," Bryan hunched his shoulders down even further, "it isn't as if the thought of going to you for help didn't cross my mind..." He hesitated for a bit before he decided to continue.

"But you are a rare case. You yourself are untouchable but that does not mean the people around you share that luxury." His words hurt her. To be as strong as she is, but not strong enough to protect her own people.

"You not only have the backing of your mentor but it is known that you are cherished by the king. If anyone were to make a move against you, they would do so with the threat of being targeted by not only the Lion Lord but also one of the strongest Beasts to ever live."

She clenched her hands on her lap tightly.

Untouchable, she repeated in her head. The nobles had always said mean and hateful things to her ever since she was taken under her mentor's wing. How could she not have noticed that none of them ever did anything beyond that?

She had lived in her own delusion. It was never the fact that she was hardworking and strong that kept the other Beasts at bay, it was the fact that she had powerful people behind her.

In the eyes of the nobility, she was just a commoner that was lucky enough to be favored by those in power.

Kiera rose from her seat abruptly. The chair behind her almost toppled over as she did.

"Thank you for answering my questions. I feel it is time that we must take our leave." There were many emotions she had to process, and the sooner she left the townhome, the sooner she could wallow in her incompetence.

"General?" Clara was confused, disappointment written on her face when she so suddenly said they would be leaving.

She did not check whether Sam was right behind her, Kiera said her farewells and left. Walking all the way back to the park, she stewed over everything she had learned from Bryan.

It wasn't until she sat down at one of the park benches did she remember Sam. She felt him as he sat down next to her. He did not utter a single word and waited on her to break the silence.

"I had," she started and then stopped. "If only," again, she started to speak, but then she stopped.

She was silent for some time, fully formulating the sentence in her mind before opening her mouth for the third time.

"The reason why I wanted to become stronger was so that I could protect my people. Even more so the ones closest to me." She never again wanted to go through what she experienced as a child. She didn't want others to have to go through the same experiences either.

Starring straight ahead, she scoffed, "I realize now that I have only ever thought about myself." Year after year she was only interested in fighting against the Deranged. It was no wonder she couldn't help her first Captain when he needed her the most.

"Kiera listen to me." She was forced to look him in the eyes when he took her face in his hands. "There is no one I have met that is more noble or as righteous as you. How can you call yourself selfish when you have spent your whole life fighting for your people?"

She stared into his emerald eyes, feeling her hands curl up into fists again.

"Is there anything that can be done for them? I couldn't do anything for them in the past, but there should be something that I can do for them now. You understand court life Sam, tell me what I should do."

He didn't immediately answer her. Instead, he rubbed her cheek with his thumbs very gently, as if he was petting a baby bird. The warmth that radiates from his touch was soothing and pleasant.

"Stay here. With me."

Her eyes slowly to widen as she began to decipher his words.

"You want me to stay in Solomon?"

"Yes."

"Sam I-"

"Stay here with me and I promise you we can build a place where couples like Bryan and Clara can live in peace."

She furrowed her brow as he carried on, not fully comprehending the promise he was making.

"I don't understand, what do you mean when you say we can build?"

"I have spent years in preparation for a future that I've spent a long time imagining. Now that I've met you, I can't picture a future without you in it."

He leaned in, his forehead touching with hers. Kiera felt their breaths intermingling in the space between their faces. She felt the pull of his speech, as tempting to her as a honeybee to a flower.

"Kiera, would you want to hear more about the future that I've imagined?"