Bowstring and Steel: Ep. 02

"Haltaor." A Commando guarding them said as he stepped forward. We stopped.

Jalans stepped forward. "High Princess Selora, I present Imperial Ranger Master Sergeant Jonathan Hawke and his companion, Shield of the Empire Hanelorina la Cionan." He bowed to my ex-girlfriend.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw her again. Her jade green eyes and ruby red lips. The smooth slope up to the sharp points of her ears. Her long white blonde hair falling down her back. Her beautiful breasts and legs, covered by the gossamer gown she wore. In spite of the love by my side, I was again entranced by Selora's beauty and her smile. She was smiling at me as she had the last night we had been together.

Hanelor let go of my hand and we saluted her crisply.

She returned our salutes with the hand over heart bow preferred by the Elves. We finished our salutes when she rose and moved her right hand back to her side.

"Princess Hanelorina, it is good to meet you." Selora said. I could see the cruelty around her eyes even before she uttered the words. The words themselves were said as sweetly as if delivered by a Diplomat, but her eyes. I had never seen that look in her eyes before.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Your Highness." Hanelor bowed and smiled.

"And Master Sergeant Jonathan Hawke, you are to be seized immediately and taken to my bedchamber." Her cold gaze turned on me as she said it.

"Negative, Your Highness. I am a Lawful Emissary of the Arethor Empire on behest of Empress Raelina herself. Any action taken against myself or Shield Hanelor will be considered an act of war." I kept my tone even and professional, all the while looking straight forward. Even as I said the words, I knew what her next sentence would be.

"Then I invoke Pledge Oath. Captain Jalans Stormcalled, please escort Jonathan Hawke to my bedchamber immediately." Her eyes were now fixed completely on Hanelor.

"Don't do it, shirilara. Please. We can't afford a war with the Elves. Let me get us out of this." I whispered as Hanelor's hand was already halfway to her sword hilt.

"Ok, my love. I trust you." She said as Jalans took my arm and escorted me up and into the Heart Tree itself. My parents were both beaming at me as if they knew this was going to happen.

I stopped before my parents. "Mother, father. This isn't right and you know it." I said.

"My son, you must for the good of the Empire and the Kingdom of Treefall." My mother said. Damn it!

"Mother, no. I don't love her!" I shouted, no longer caring who heard.

"Love doesn't play a role here, Jonathan. If the High Princess wants her Pledged, then she shall have him." Mother said, not unkindly. She knew in her heart that this was wrong, having seen me holding hands with Hanelor.

I drew my left dagger from its sheath and placed it at my throat at the carotid artery. "I will die first. I turned to Selora. "You do not own me, Selora. No one owns me. I will die before I betray Hanelor of the Empire."

"If you do not, Beloved, it will be war, and Hanelor will be the first casualty." Selora spat the word 'beloved' at me like a curse.

I lowered my weapon and sheathed it. "What happened to you, Selora?" I whispered in disbelief.

"Jalans, take him to my chamber now. I shall be there momentarily." She gave my Blood Brother his order.

Jal took my arm gently as I entered the Heart Tree and escorted me up the stairs.

"Jal, what happend to her?" I asked.

"She took your leaving as a sign of betrayal, Jon." He said.

"Her father banned me from ever seeing her again! What the hell did she expect?" I seethed in anger. "You know what her father's orders were!"

"She sees only your departure. She wanted you to wait until her father died so you two could be together." Jal shrugged in apology.

"And I was supposed to know that HOW?" I shouted as we got to her door. I sighed. "I apologize, Brother. I know you are only doing what she has ordered."

Jal smiled ironically. "I don't blame you. I would do the same in your place."

I chuckled. "I wish you were in my place, to be honest."

"I don't." He laughed. "How bad could it be? You sleep with her, leave in the morning with your parents and shirilara in tow, and never come back."

"You make it sound easy, Jal. I don't want to hurt Hanelor, and I know she will be hurt even if Selora forces me." I took a deep breath and opened the door to Selora's bedchamber. I turned back to my friend. "Do me a favor, Brother. Tell Hanelor that I'm sorry."

"I will, Jon." He placed his hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and entered her room, closing the door behind me. I sat cross-legged on the floor and closed my eyes. I recited the Ranger Creed. I let the words calm me, and as I finished, I stood swiftly. I turned back towards the door to see Selora standing there smiling at me.

"Is that what they teach you in Arethor, Jon?" She asked.

"It is. Did your father not tell you of his edict against me, Your Highness?" I replied.

"What? The edict that you were to never touch me or even see me again?" She asked.

"That's the one, Your Highness. I was denied entrance into the Commandos on his orders, too. I had no choice but to leave and join the Imperial Army!" I said firmly. My teeth were gritted together. "I'm a mongrel, Your Highness! Your father was right about me!"

She moved to me and slipped her arms around my neck. "No, Jon. My father should never have kept us apart." She leaned forward, but I turned my face from her kiss.

"Wrong, Your Highness. Your father made me break the Pledge Oath. He forced me to renounce you." I said in all honesty.

"He is dead, Jon! His orders no longer matter!" She grabbed my face, and I grabbed her wrist.

"Royalty or not, you do not lay hands on an Imperial Ranger, Your Highness!" I shouted in her face. "If it's war you want, let it begin here!" I drew my dagger and held it to her throat.

Her eyes widened at my words and voice. "You would risk war and commit Regicide just for that Imperial woman?" She asked in a whisper.

"Why not, Your Highness? You would risk war for a love that hasn't been here for years now." I replied. I didn't move my dagger at her throat. "Hanelor and I have fought side by side and back to back in over a hundred battles during the war. We have saved each other's lives on more occasions than I can count. If you really want me, and will hold her hostage until I fuck you, then so be it. When we leave to escort my mother and father back to Arethor, I will never return to Treefall again." I once again kept my voice even and resheathed my dagger. "But tonight, Your Highness, if that is what it takes, then you may have my body."

"Jon..." She started.

"Don't." I finished. "Just do with me what you want. I will not fight you." I unlatched my weapons belt and harness and set them aside. I avoided looking at her as I slowly undressed first my armor vest, bracers, and boots.

"Stop, Jon." Selora said softly.

"Why, Your Highness? This is what you want. I am going to give it to you." I said, still not looking her in her eyes.

"Stop!" She screamed.

I stopped, but I refused to look her in the eyes.

"Look at me, Jon."

"No, Your Highness." I whispered. "I can't."

"Why, shirilara?" She asked.

"That's just it, Your Highness. You are no longer my shirilara. My heart doesn't belong to you anymore." I spoke softly, knowing what would still most likely happen.

"What happened to you, Jon?" She asked, incredulously.

"Your father's bigotry happened to me, Your Highness. The war happened to me after I left here. The one bright spot in my life during the war was Hanelor. Even before we first made love, she was all I fought for sometimes. There were days that we were too tired to fight, but we fought on anyway, for each other. She would let no harm come to me, and I would let none come to her." I took a deep, shuddering breath and continued. "Your Highness, what we had will always be with me in my memories, but I am much different now than I was when we loved each other. So are you."

"I see. What do you mean that I'm different?" She asked.

"The cruelty in your eyes that was never there before. When you looked at Hanelor and saw that I was holding her hand. The cruelty you showed by invoking the Pledge Oath against me to get me up here. Before we were lovers, we were friends. You, me, and Jal. We were the Triaravar. We all pledged Blood Bond to each other. Yet you would order me up here in direct violation of your own father's orders. I can't look at you, Your Highness. I can't even call you by your name. It would hurt too much." I couldn't stand anymore, and sat heavily on the chair behind me, my emotions exhausted.

"Jon, I'm sorry." Selora said in a whisper. "I had no idea." She moved towards me and touched my face softly.

"I will do as you command, Your Highness. I will love you tonight." I said resignedly. "All I ask in return is that you banish me forever from Treefall when we leave tomorrow morning. I will never return."

"No, Jon. You will not be banished, and I will not force you here. I am sorry." She knelt beside me and hugged me to her as we did when we were children. I returned her hug as the relief swept over me.

"Thank you, Selora." I said, seeing my old friend again.

"Come on, Jon. Let's get back downstairs before they think we really are doing the deed up here." She laughed, and I saw more and more of the Selora I grew up with returning.

"That sounds like a great idea." I replied as I dressed quickly. I had been prepared to go all the way if necessary, but now I was very thankful that I would not be forced into infidelity.

Once I was completely squared away again, we headed back downstairs. I looked at Hanelor and she locked her gaze to mine. I smiled at her, but she turned with a steely glare and walked out of the hall. I sprinted down the last ten stairs and out the door to where she was walking away from me quickly.

"Hanelor! Nothing happened!" I shouted at her.

She turned to look at me. "Do you expect me to believe that, Jon?"

"Yes." I said it flatly and simply.

"Why?"

"Because you already know that I'm telling you the truth."

Hanelor seemed to collapse on herself and I rushed forward and caught her as she fell. She looked up at me and stroked my face. "I am so sorry for doubting you, my love."

"Don't worry about it, shirilara. Now, let me introduce you properly to my parents." I grinned and led her back into the Heart Tree reception area.

When we entered, I spotted them right away talking with Selora. Hanelor squeezed my hand tightly and visibly tensed up as we got closer to them. I squeezed back reassuringly.

"Ah, here are the Heroes of Stone's Throw now." Selora smiled radiantly when she saw us. The cruelty was gone from her eyes when she looked at us now.

"Your Highness." I bowed. "Mother, father, this is Hanelorina la Cionan, Shield of the Empire and Empress Raelina's daughter, as well as my shirilara. Hanelor, this is Ambassador Cariana Windspire, my mother, and Lance Commander Brandar Hawke, my father."

My father clasped Hanelor's arm as warriors, but my mother surprised me and hugged Hanelor tightly. I could tell that Hanelor was as shocked as I was, judging by the look on her face.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Hanelor." Mother said to her. "Jon is a lucky man to have you."

"I am lucky to have him as well, Madam Ambassador." Hanelor replied and bowed.

"I am lucky to have her, mother." I said with a grin. "As many times as she saved my life during the war, I would be hard pressed to find anyone as wonderful as Hanelor." I took her armored form in my arms and kissed her.

As we broke the kiss, Hanelor looked into my eyes, only an inch or two above hers. "That goes for you too, my love." She then looked at my parents. "Jon has saved my life as many times as I've saved his. I think that was when I first started falling in love with him." She smiled and blushed.

"Yeah, no kidding. I knew I was in love with her after the Battle of Pebble Creek." I said, much to my father's amusement.

"I heard about that one, son. That was some tough fighting!" He said and clapped me on the back.

"We were fighting back to back for the first time, and took down every Ogre that charged us. Mostly due to Hanelor's unbreakable defense." I bragged on my love, causing her to blush even more.

"Stop it, my love! You're making me blush even more!" She whispered to me.

Mother laughed. "Jon, stop making the lady blush, will you?"

"Yes, mother." I said with a smile. I backed up from Hanelor and hugged my mother tight. "I missed you all."

"We missed you too, Jon." My father said as he clasped my arm. "Ranger life has been good to you, it seems."

"Rangers lead the way, sir." I saluted him crisply, and he returned my salute.

"Hooah, Master Sergeant." My father said. "I'm proud of you, son."

"Thank you, father." I replied.

Selora spoke up. "I explained to your parents that I was wrong to try and force you, Jon. And I apologize to you as well, Hanelor. If you have Jon's heart, then I envy you, but I will not stand in the way of his happiness." She smiled and hugged Hanelor.

"It's ok, Your Highness." Hanelor said. "I can't blame you for wanting him."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't want him still. If it weren't for my father..." Selora let it trail off.

"I would be a Treefall Commando now and probably married to you." I said. "I would not have met Hanelor and fallen in love with her, and she might be dead on some forgotten battlefield. I would say that your father, as misguided as he was, made the right choice for me, and for you too. If you were my wife, Selora, you would not have ascended the throne."

Selora thought about that for a bit. "I suppose you're right, Jon. I do need your help, though. Something that I didn't want to burden..." She was cut off by the sudden racket outside the Heart Tree.

"What's going on?" I asked as I drew my bow and nocked an arrow. Hanelor had donned her helm and closed her visor as she drew her broadsword. We took up position in front of Selora and my parents.

"This is what I was going to ask your assistance with, Jon. A coup attempt that I prayed wouldn't happen." Selora said.

"Who?" I asked.

"My brother Habor." She said.

"I can't say I'm surprised by that, honestly." I replied. "He always was a little shit."

Everyone chuckled at that, even Selora. "Yes he is, but he's a little shit with fairly large support within the Militia."

That was when Jalans and his Commandos entered the hall, fighting every step of the way against Habor's forces. I took aim and shot arrow after arrow at the oncoming infantry as Hanelor braced herself behind her shield and readied herself for melee combat. With Hanelor on my right, I sensed a presence on my left as my father joined us and drew the greatsword on his back. He looked at me and smiled, and I returned his smile with a grin of my own. I then nocked and shot as fast as I could, killing with a single arrow apiece.

I saw Jalans fall as he struck down five of the enemy before falling. His Commandos closed ranks as their discipline dictated, and his second in command took over the fight. They gave ground slowly, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. I shot arrow after arrow into the oncoming force, and when I ran out, dropped my bow and drew my daggers. I reverse gripped them and took up a combat stance.

"Give the order, sir." I said with a glance at my father.

"Charge!" He shouted and we rushed forward as one. The volume of his shout made the entire tree shake, and stunned the oncoming Militia.

We sprinted forward with the speed of terror, slashing into the enemy ranks with force and precision. My father was stabbed once in the thigh as he swung the greatsword into the oncoming Elves. It was barely a scratch, and did nothing to stop his charge. Hanelor was defending and striking as she moved, ducking and slashing with her Dragonsteel broadsword. I was once again a whirlwind, slashing faster than most could see, slicing upwards and disembowelling one Elven rebel, then slicing through the throat of another beside his falling brother. I felt Hanelor on my right and Brandar Hawke, Lance Commander of the Rhino Company on my right. I always knew my father was a fierce fighter, but now to see him in action, I knew where the legend of Rhino Company started. Before he retired, he was one of the best warriors in the Empire, and even now was proving that he still was.

I caught the glint of steel out the corner of my right eye and barely ducked in time to avoid losing my head. The Elven blade slashed across my cheek, and I could feel the blood starting down my face as I plunged my right hand dagger into the wielder's throat, removing it and fighting back to Hanelor's side, where my father was already protecting her right flank. I moved to her left and slashed down two more Elves. Then the arrows flew from the regrouped Commandos behind us, and more of the rebel Militia fell, giving us some breathing room. I was now bleeding from several shallow cuts, but my death's head grin never wavered.

"RANGERS!" I shouted and ran at the retreating Elves at a dead sprint, slicing through five more in as many seconds. My father and Hanelor sprinted forward with me and as we drew near, the remaining rebels dropped their weapons and raised their hands to their heads in surrender.

"We surrender!" Habor shouted in Elvish as my left hand blade stopped just as it pricked the skin of his throat.

"Surrender accepted." I replied in Elvish, then sheathed my blades.

My father translated for Hanelor, and they both sheathed their swords. Hanelor kept her shield on her arm, though.

I grabbed Habor as the rest of the Commandos came forward to take the other rebels into custody, and shoved him roughly forward to stand next to Jalans' body. I drew my right hand dagger and put it to Habor's throat. I leaned close to his ear. "Habor, Jalans was my and Selora's Blood Brother. He gave his life in defense of the Crown and the Ring, as you should have. Instead, you plotted Treason and a coup over your own sister. Give me one good reason not to kill you where you stand!"

"Heh. Nicely done, Jon. But a mongrel like you can stop what's coming. I am not the only one who sees Selora as weak, and I will not be the last to attempt to take the Crown and Ring from her!" Habor laughed, and only his sister's words saved him from me at that moment.

"Jon, bring him forward alive." She said.

"Yes, Your Highness." I replied, sheathing my blade and shoving him forward onto his knees. My father moved to stand between him and Selora, and Hanelor stepped to my side with her sword once again drawn.

"Habor, if I release and banish you, will you return?" Selora asked.

"For the sake of the People, I will have to return, Selora. Your new edicts spell the end of the Elves as a people!" Habor said with such venom that even Selora was shaken.

"What do you mean, brother?" She demanded.

"That we should accept mongrels like HIM here and give them equal rights under the Heart Tree! You spell the doom of our people in your Orders, Selora! I and many other Elves will never tolerate his kind here, nor yours if you choose to marry him! No one of mongrel blood shall sit on the throne of Treefall while I live!" He spat on the ground at her feet.

I turned and walked out as I heard Selora pass her sentence on her brother. I wouldn't kill him, but I heard the sickening wet thunk of his head hitting the floor as I walked out of the Heart Tree and fell to my knees outside under the starlight. I looked up at the stars shining their pinpoints down on me. I had seen too much death and destruction that day.

As I knelt and gazed at the sky, I felt Hanelor's gauntleted hand on my shoulder, then she knelt beside me and removed her helm. Her arms went around me and held me as I grieved the loss of yet another friend, and one who had been my Brother. Jalans had died to protect Selora, and the Kingdom of Treefall. The Crown and the Ring were safe now, as was the Kingdom. But for how long? The bigotry and racism were nearly as widespread here as they were in the Empire proper.