Burning Passion

"I want everyone who can fight to join the army. I need every man that can wield sword and magic to defend and protect us. If you don't agree, then your family members and loved one may die from this war. Those who refuse to serve, or those who refuse to fight, may suffer the same fate. We need fearless heroes to fight for the greater good. Do not forget that we are fighting a battle for survival in a world that would rather be free from the Great Witch."

After the council meeting, Ironna heads home. She walks past the town square, where the citizens gather in groups, talking among themselves. She stops when she hears someone call out her name. "Ironna?"

She turns around and sees Vienna coming toward her. She acknowledges Vienna as a warrior, excellent fighter, and honourable soldier. Though she can only use armour spells, she excels at using swords.

"Vienna. How are things?" Ironna asks as she moves toward her friend.

"Everything is fine. I heard your meeting went well. What were you discussing?" Vienna asks.

"Some new tactics and strategies for the coming war," Ironna says. Vienna notices the worry in her voice and immediately changes the subject.

"I hope everything goes well, too. There are still quite a few people who don't want to be involved in the war. They believe the war would cause the country to become weaker, and they're scared that relinquishing our strengths will just make the enemy stronger."

"It makes sense." Ironna nods, agreeing with her. "And there are many others too who don't want to fight for that reason."

"Maybe they are right, but if we don't, we'll lose everything, so there isn't much reason to give up." Vienna gives her a small smile.

"I guess so. Well, let's get going. It will be dark soon."

"Yes, you're right. It will take longer to reach home than usual today. It must be a stormy night."

Ironna nods and begins walking again, heading to her home. When she arrives, she quickly removes her cloak, boots, and gloves, hanging them on the pegs beside the door.

"So, how was the meeting?" Silvana asks, appearing behind her, her head tilted to one side. She is already in her nightclothes.

"It went okay. Nothing new. We just agreed on several things. People in the village wanted to stay home, but others came anyway. A few soldiers have offered their services, but they've been told to join the army."

Ironna sighs. "The war between the country and the Great Witch has recently become more aggressive. I'm afraid it won't stop anytime, especially since the king is planning to attack at any moment."

She lets out another sigh as she sits down on her bed and pulls off her boots.

"Do you know how many are fighting in the next campaign?"

"I heard about four thousand, maybe more. That's a lot, but not enough to justify a full war."

Silvana nods but says nothing else. The air in the room feels heavy.

Ironna glances at Silvana for a moment before asking, "Are you alright?"

Silvana nods. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Where's Hector?" Ironna asks.

"He's outside practising his swordsmanship."

"How is his progress?"

"Going well, considering he hasn't used his sword in a while. I think he needs more practice." She chuckles. "Anyway, he should be done soon." She continues.

"Is that so? I'll go check on him. Thanks, Silvana." She heads towards the door, leaving the open hall. Once she's gone, Silvana takes a deep breath.

A small smile appears on Silvana's lips. She loves seeing Hector practice, and it feels wonderful to see him enjoying himself. Maybe he can learn to enjoy himself. She's glad he finally decided to start practising again. She knows it would have taken him years to even think of giving up the sword if she wasn't by his side to motivate him.

She follows Ironna to the backyard. As soon as she steps into the yard, she spots him and Ironna standing near the target setup. She stands there, watching them for a bit. He looks so graceful with the sword. She can easily tell by how he holds his sword that he has practised many times before.

"Hey." Ironna turns around and smiles at her.

She raises her hand and waves. "How is everything?" Silvana asks.

"Pretty good. Hector's working hard. He wants to become strong enough to be ready to protect you."

"Oh? He always talks about being able to protect me."

"That is because he loves you." Her smile widens. "Come here." She grabs Silvana's arm and pulls her closer.

"You can watch him. He will not hurt you, so just relax and enjoy yourself."

"Okay..." she says. She turns and faces him as he continues practising. He is very good at it. He cuts his sword through the air, making the sword fly like a bird. He swings his sword and cuts through the target setup. He turns around and looks at her. Her eyes are filled with admiration.

"Nice job." Ironna compliments him.

His face gets flushed. "Thanks." He lowers his head and continues training. He is determined to improve and try to become better than anyone. He keeps on cutting, moving forward and backwards, cutting and slashing.

Suddenly, his sword slips out of his grip. He drops to the ground, his knees hitting the dirt. He lays there, panting.

"Oh dear, it happens again." Silvana murmurs.

"You okay, Hector?" Ironna walks toward him. Silvana follows from behind.

He slowly lifts his head, gasping for air. "Yeah. I think... I think I got this."

Silvana smiles and crouches down next to him. She reaches out and helps him up. She places her hand on his shoulder. "Let's continue tomorrow." She whispers to him.

Hector nods. "Yeah. Tomorrow." He breathes in deeply, closing his eyes to collect his thoughts. After what seems like an eternity, he opens his eyes once more and picks up his sword again.

"You should listen to your wife, Hector," says Ironna with a grin on her face.

Hector glares at Ironna.

She smiles back and walks away. Silvana follows behind her.

"Come, let's get some supper," Silvana says.

"Fine…" Hector mumbles under his breath.

After dinner, Silvana and Hector retire to their chambers for the night. It's late, so the three of them decide to sleep. Ironna is the first to enter her room, leaving both of them.

Once they enter their bedroom, Silvana closes the door behind her and lies down beside Hector on the bed. She wraps her arm around him and buries her face in his neck. Hector caresses her back and strokes her hair. Then, he puts his hands underneath her back and starts pulling her towards him.

"What are you doing?" she asks giggling. She doesn't resist him though, allowing him to pull her closer.

"Just letting my fingers do their job." He smirks, knowing exactly what he is trying to do.

"Your job? Like what?"

"Like touching my beautiful wife. You are very tempting tonight."

Her cheeks flush red. Her heart is beating fast. His words send shivers down her spine.

She can feel the heat rising to her cheeks and she knows she must be turning bright red. She tries to hide her embarrassment by burying her face in his neck.

"Why are you so cute?" he whispers.

"Stop saying embarrassing things." Silvana groans, still hiding her face in his neck.

He laughs quietly. Then, he kisses the top of her head. Then he rests his chin on her head. He inhales her scent, savouring her warmth and closeness.

Finally, he speaks again, whispering into her hair. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Silvana. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Hector." Her voice is barely audible. But, she can feel him nod against her head.

They lie like that for a while before she breaks the silence again.

"Are you okay? You seem troubled."

He thinks for a second.

"Yes... I guess I am a little tired. It was a long day."

"Did you want to talk about anything?" she asks, looking up at him. He shakes his head. He does not want to burden her with all the worries weighing on his mind right now.

"No. Everything is alright."

Silvana smiles at him. "I'm sorry, I'm probably bothering you by bringing up all these questions."

Hector kisses her on the forehead. "You're not."

He then turns his back to her and wraps one arm around her waist. She snuggles into his chest and wraps both her arms around him. She lets out a soft sigh as his warm body presses against hers.

"I don't want anything bad happens to you... I don't want you to get hurt again..." she says softly, closing her eyes as she hugs him tightly.

He caresses her cheek lovingly. Then, he moves one of his hands to the back of her neck. Slowly, he runs his fingers through her hair, combing it gently. He pulls her even closer until he's holding her in his embrace.

"I'm here with you. Nothing bad can happen to me. Nothing." He says as he kisses her forehead.

Deep down, Silvana knows it was true, but she couldn't help worrying about him anyway. After all, he is her husband. With the war raging, she can't help but worry every single time something could happen to him. He always reassures her that nothing will happen to him, which makes her happy. He's her everything; she can't imagine herself being without him. That's why every time he tells her he'll be alright, she believes him. It doesn't mean that she's convinced, but she can't bring herself to doubt him anymore. She needs him to stay alive and safe.

But, sooner or later, he'll leave her for the upcoming war campaign. She'll never know when or where he'll go, and it terrifies her. What if someone takes advantage of him during the upcoming battle? Or worse, what if he dies?

As much as she loves him, she fears that someday something might happen to him. That's why she tries to make sure he'll be careful when he goes anywhere. Even going into the woods to hunt is dangerous because they have no idea who could come after him. So, she makes sure not to risk him going to the forest alone. Sometimes she doesn't understand why he insists on going into the woods during this wartime, especially when other guardsmen have told him that it's dangerous. She tries to tell him not to go there, but he tells her that he's fine and that nothing will happen to him. She always believes him, but the longer the war drags on, the more worried she becomes. She can't stop wondering what could be happening out there in the world.

There may be people who would try to harm her husband, and she cannot bear the thought of losing him, especially not over this war. She knows he loves her. He is always willing to sacrifice himself to keep her safe, so, she hopes that he won't take any risks. He promises her that he won't, but she still finds herself worrying about it every day. And today is no exception. She can't stop worrying about him.

"You know I love you right?" he murmurs into her ear, kissing it. "I'm never going to leave you. Not even for a moment." He squeezes her tighter.

She smiles weakly and turns around so she can face him. He stares at her tenderly. He reaches out with his hand and cups her cheek.

"How do I deserve someone like you?"

She chuckles. "That's a funny question. Of course, you deserve the best. You're perfect."

He laughs, shaking his head. "I'm not perfect. I can be an idiot sometimes."

"Well... you are not perfect, but you're not an idiot either. You're kind, gentle, loving, caring, and generous."

"Am I such a good person?" he asks.

She rolls her eyes and looks at him. "If you were a bad person, you wouldn't be my husband."

His lips curl into a smile. "I suppose I can live with that."

She leans forward and pecks his lips softly. "Good night, Husband."

"Good night, Wife."