4 Honor

Chrono remained silent as the King spoke, allowing his words to sink in slowly.

In theory being selected to lead the vanguard during the final battle was a great honor. It would allow the army a chance to bring victory to the Kingdom and prove their strength, it was the position granted to the one who would become lauded as a Hero.

But that was only in times of certainty, something that this war was anything but.

The Night Regalia was being fed a death sentence on a Golden Platter, with no alternatives open to them as their hidden enemies rejoiced and openly bore their fangs.

It occurred to Chrono that he had taken too long to respond, however he did not care. The once powerful presence he had seen in his King had all but shriveled into nothingness, the little respect he held for his fellow generals had vanished, he felt displaced, as if he no longer belonged anywhere.

For the first time in his life, Chrono felt completely and utterly lost.

He knew his enemies were closing in around him, but he had never expected them to use the King against him, especially not during a war such as this.

The slightest flicker of movement in his peripherals finally managed to pull him out of his thoughts. The source was Raiko, who was slowly nodding his head. He was telling him to accept the orders.

They both knew that this was the only option, they were mere servants in the eyes of the Kingdom, alternatives were not a luxury that they could afford.

Despite all he was, all he had done, all he believed in, he was nothing more than an expendable piece on the game board, playing a small and insignificant role, one that could easily be replaced.

But even a pawn could make decisions, even a pawn could feel hope, and Adeline's arrival earlier had given Chrono that very hope. The thought that he had a powerful political ally on his side was reassuring, but alas it was all for naught.

His silence earlier had provided her the chance to interject, however Doman had simply raised his hand to silence her, resting his powerful gaze on Chrono alone.

With that the decision was made, leaving only the understanding that he had been right in his thinking that this had never been his choice to make.

"I accept this duty, Your Majesty, and will carry out your orders without fail." He said slowly, keeping his eyes downcast as he spoke, not trusting himself to meet the King's gaze.

A long pause followed, filling the room with an uncomfortable silence.

The Regent of Nobles and the General of the First were shocked. In all their planning and scheming they had never once accounted for the possibility that Chrono would simply agree and accept their orders without a fight.

Any form of resistance would allow them to strip him of his titles under the pretense of insubordination, from there it would have been a simple feat to charge him with treason and ultimately get him executed. Without him, the Night Regalia would lose their authority and would either become a nameless army or be absorbed into the other commoner armies. His acceptance would only complicate things further.

"I must say, I am surprised, I always believed you were more of a fighter Chrono." Doman said, with the familiar hint of sadness behind his words. "If that is your choice, then this meeting is adjourned. Return to your posts for now. We strike in three days."

With those words the meeting was over, any room that had been left for discussion was gone, and as such the others could do nothing more than leave. The room was quickly emptied, the only ones that remained were the King, who had remained in place, and Chrono who was slowly making his way toward the door.

Doman's final words rang out in Chrono's mind and it took a great deal of effort to ignore the strong urge he felt to rebel right then and there. It was not only because he knew that it would only hasten the Night Regalia's fall, but because a part of him knew that something was amiss.

And so he left with only a few parting words.

"I am still a fighter my King, I will always be a fighter. But I will fight in my own way, for that is all that has been left to me, my only remaining honor."

...

Three days after this meeting tragedy would befall the Second Army of Kalif, leaving only two survivors, the Demonic General Chrono Aurus and his First Lieutenant, Raiko the Asura.

Their sacrifices had been the stepping stones that paved the path towards the end of the Providence War, ultimately leading the Kingdom to a new era of peace.

...

Present Day: Gates of the Waterlily Palace

As Chrono gazed up at the shining Palace before him, his last words from that fateful day filled his mind. He had said them in defiance and yet in the end had failed to change anything. Though he may have survived, even that meant little in the face of all the death that now seemed to hang over his head.

Two guards stood lazily in front of the drawbridge that led into the Palace Grounds, not even bothering to greet Chrono as he crossed over the moat and passed beneath the portcullis.

Despite his reputation as the Demonic General, many soldiers within the Palace were unaware of Chrono's appearance, leading to situations such as this being fairly commonplace, unless he was in uniform. It was an odd blessing to be able to blend in as he did, it allowed him to move from place to place without attention and meant he could avoid potentially pointless interactions.

Rather than walking up the grand staircase and into the main hall, Chrono turned to the right, hugging the perimeter wall until he reached a large clearing that served as a training ground, beyond which were the barracks for the main armies.

His destination was the barracks of the Night Regalia which were the furthest from the entrance and sat up against the leafy walls of the Palace Gardens. At the moment they were empty, out of "respect" for the fallen soldiers, but a new army would soon fill the vacancy they left.

A rush of memories flooded into Chrono's head as he walked across the field. He saw himself lying on the ground, curled into a ball as his Master playful beat him with a wooden sword, he saw his first meeting with Raiko and the friendship that they had developed through blood and sweat, he saw the faces of the men and women whom he had been forced to sacrifice for the "greater good." All of them had been soldiers he had raised and fought beside for years, soldiers that had given everything to become warriors, to fight for their Kingdom and see it prosper for generations to come. And now they were gone, leaving behind their memories and the fleeting remnants of their lives.

Walking forward, Chrono finally reached the front of the barracks, and with a tentative hand he slowly pushed open the sturdy door, wincing as its hinges made an all too familiar squeak.

Everything was as they had left it, everything held a reminder of those he had lost, everything compounded the feelings of guilt that plagued him.

A presence behind him caught his attention for a moment, however he did not bother turning around to greet them. This was a meeting he had been expecting, one that he had been hoping to avoid for a bit longer.

"So you came. I expected as much, just not so soon." The familiar voice said from behind him.

"Why are you here Selene?" Chrono said tiredly.

"Am I not allowed to be here? I may have left, but this place is as much my home as it was yours Chrono. I know I hurt you, and them, when I left, but your silence since then has been painful for me as well. At least allow me to mourn my brothers and sisters with you. We owe them that much at least." Selene paused there, holding her hand out toward Chrono, but she hesitated for too long. She wanted to turn him toward her, wanted to be able to face him directly, wanted to offer a helping hand, but she knew that he wouldn't accept it easily. Conceding, she simply said, "I'll be waiting for you at the usually place tonight, join me if you're able."

With that she turned and left, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.

Chrono knew he was being unfair, that she didn't deserve his anger anymore. He was being selfish, but, at this point, he was too worn out to be better, too beaten down to forgive.