The deal (3)

~Flashback~

The King closed his eyes. The memory of that day haunted him every day.

Standing on the battlefield, with the metallic smell of blood hitting his nostrils. With his soldier's bodies laying on every corner of the battlefield in pieces.

The ones left were children. Sounds of swords clashing were all around him, and distant and close screaming voices of people falling echoed in the air.

He was clutching to his metal armor holding on to his will to keep fighting for his kingdom. It was a losing battle, they were outmatched in resources and weapons. The manpower of the enemies stood strong while his people fell one by one.

Blood trickled down his face, some sneaking into his eyes temporarily blinding him. There was a huge slash on his leg, he was barely keeping himself on his feet but he couldn't give up.

Ember was his and his enemies would have to take it over his dead body. At that point, it looked like a possibility that was waiting to happen.

He clutched his hand tightly around his sword. Taking a step forward he prepared to charge ahead and fight alongside his people.

"My king," a soldier stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed hold of the king's hand and pulled him back.

"We have to move," he uttered and pulled the king away from the field. The King tried to resist due to his injuries, he wasn't putting in much of a fight.

"What is the meaning of this?" He barked at the soldier that was pulling him away. They maneuvered through the dead bodies.

The King looked up, the sky was blood red, as though crying blood for the ones that had fallen. There was no hope, Ember was doomed to fall.

"Arghhh," screams echoed in every direction as swords crisscrossed through the chests of the soldiers.

A tear fell from the king's eyes. He was held helpless as his proud people fell. He felt their pain and was grateful for them for fighting for Ember.

"There was a soldier. Arga, before he fell he mentioned something to me," the soldier began to explain himself. "It might be the only hope Ember has of surviving," he added.

The King looked around him, everything was falling apart. The wall of the city had fallen, buildings were burning, and all the memories of what used to be turning to smoke. There was no hope for his kingdom, all that was left was for him to go with his kingdom.

"There is no hope left," he struggled to say.

The soldier pulled him away from the battle. There was a carriage waiting for him behind the tents. The soldier helped the king to his seat. The King decided to seek out this last hope.

The enemy had already entered the walls of Ember and it was only a matter of time before Ember burned to ashes and a new kingdom rises in its place.

The couch drove the carriage and went out of the kingdom. The King clasped his sword tightly, it wasn't safe, there was a chance that they could get attacked. He did not wish to be caught off-guard.

He couldn't think about his injured leg, he hoped that the soldier had not tricked him into running away. It might be a wise saying to live to fight another day but it was cowardly.

And if his people could send their children to fight for Ember then it wouldn't be fair for him to flee in the heart of the war.

He closed his eyes, tears flowed freely from his eyes. Mourning for his kingdom and his people. If indeed there was a way to win the war, then he was ready to pay any price to be the victor.

To honor the dead that gave their lives for the kingdom. To provide a better and stronger tomorrow for Ember. The carriage stopped. The King lifted his sword prepared to fight in case it is an ambush.

The door of the carriage opened and his queen climbed on board. The king's eyes went wide open with shock. He didn't expect her to be there, she was supposed to be halfway out of the kingdom through the secret passage.

"What are you doing here, dear?" He raised the question still processing the fact that she was there with him.

"If a king can go down with the kingdom then why shouldn't the queen?" The Queen raised a question of her own.

She sat beside him and took hold of his hand. Watching the big opening in his leg that was dripping blood all over the place made her heartache.

It was heartbreaking to see her husband and king in that state but was grateful that she got to see her king before they meet their end. She wished to say goodbye before everything was over and done.

"We live together and we die together," she uttered to him.

She embraced him in a hug, not too tightly to add to the pain he was feeling. The queen wanted only to bring him comfort and not discomfort.

"I would prefer it if you lived," the king said weakly. Seeing her be so brave and ready to face death beside him made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

"I would too but living without you isn't living. It will merely be existing and I would rather die than exist in the world" the queen defended and explained.

The king rested his head on her chest. If that was his last day to live then he wished to be in the arms of the most beautiful woman he was lucky enough to have as his queen.

To lie in her loving and caring arms one more time before everything would come to an end. "I'm glad to have you with me here," the king commented half asleep.

He still held on to his sword and refused to let his guard down. Especially now that his queen was around, she was his strength. For her, he would never give up any chance of saving her.

"If there is a way to keep you safe, I will not hesitate to take it," he vowed.

****

The king's carriage arrived at the forbidden mountain. The soldier directed the couch of the carriage to find the person that he was instructed to find. The only hope that Ember had left.

He was taking a leap of faith while chasing this hope. There was a part of him that believed nothing was waiting for him at the end of the line. And he was leading his king to a dead end and prolonging the inevitable end.

He crossed his fingers and prayed for the man to be there. He was their only goal and the last draw in this losing battle Ember was in.

"Where there is hope, however small. There will always be a way," the couch let out to him seeing his panicked look.