Out of the Ashes Ch. 10

Chapter 10: Upcoming Storm

(6,9k words, futa x futa, romance, character focus, plot chapter, slow growth, dialogue heavy)

Alexia's vision was blurry and only barely recognized the outlining of the furniture in her and Margaret's room. A deafening pain was radiating from her left side and a pulsating heat sent shivers through her body with the damp fabric of her spare shirt sticking to her skin.

She groaned, unable to lift her arm far enough to reach for her wounded side and unable to make herself heard in the blurry room.

A vague figure was sitting not too far from her, maybe a few feet, but she couldn't recognize the figure, nor differentiate its size or colour - it was just a fuzzy mist within an even more clouded haze.

"I...mmh...you..." Alexia weakly muttered and looked over at the person, hoping she could trigger a response.

The person winced in its chair and gasped out of surprise, from what sounded like awaking from a deep sleep and looked at her.

"LEXI?! You are back! Finally, you are back!" Margaret gasped and jumped up, kicking the creaking chair back as she got up and rushed to Alexia but didn't dare to give into her urge to hug her wounded partner.

She wanted to kiss Alexia, take any pain off her with all the soft caressing she could offer, but Alexia looked too weak, almost fragile.

The blonde kneeled down next to her lover on the floor, not trying to take as much as an inch of Alexia's mattress for herself but took hold of Alexia's hand like she was worried of ever having to let go again.

She looked exhausted. Her eye bags were clearly visible and she regained some of the paleness she managed to lose over the last few weeks - she looked sick. Sick with worry probably.

The blonde smiled but her eyes were filled with sadness and her hand cautiously caressed the warrior's burning forehead.

"You feel less hot than a few hours ago, Lexi. Do you need anything? Anything! Can I help somehow?" Margaret asked eagerly.

"W-water..." Alexia muttered and felt the agonizing dryness of her lips.

"Sure! Water of course!" Margaret muttered and returned into the foggy mist of the dark room as she returned to the chair she was just sitting on.

Alexia's vision was slowly returning and adjusting to her surroundings. It looked like Margaret slept on that chair, leaning onto the wall, overlooking Alexia until she would eventually succumb to her weariness.

"Here. Let me help you..." the princess said and kneeled once more next to the wounded soldier.

She just barely lifted Alexia's head and the former commander let out a loud groan when the smallest of contractions of her abdominal muscles sent shockwaves through her system.

"Sorry! I didn't want to hurt you. Should I ..." Margaret anxiously muttered.

"Water... please."

Alexia eventually managed to rest her hand on her wound and helped the blonde to prop her up.

She took deep breaths to somehow balance out the pain and eventually rested on Margaret's lap, waiting for the jar of water.

"Here... steady..." Margaret said and slowly poured a steady stream into Alexia's mouth.

She immediately choked on it as even the miniscule task of swallowing felt herculean.

Margaret was about to pull away again, but Alexia lifted her right arm up and held the jar in place.

"Not so fast, please... be careful!" Margaret objected but gently gave into Alexia's unspoken demand.

The black-haired hermaphrodite gulped down whatever she could until the jar was eventually emptied to the last drop.

She gasped for air and leaned back into Margaret, worryingly gazing down on her.

"How... long did...I ..." Alexia wanted to ask.

"Sleep?"

Alexia nodded and didn't take her eyes off her by the looks of it now even slightly bigger lover.

The young heir lowered her gaze and gently stroke Alexia's cheek as she begrudgingly replied.

"Almost 3 days, Lexi. We weren't sure if you'd ... if you'd make it," Margaret whimpered on the verge of tearing up.

"3 days?!" Alexia replied in utter shock and pulled the bedsheet down to inspect her wound.

The bandage was once again soaked through with blood and had to be changed soon.

"I took care of you... and the doc helped with the bandages," the blonde stated.

Alexia wasn't worried about the treatment though, but about the fact that she wasted 3 days like this. 3 days they should have used to prepare to leave.

"We have ... to go..." Alexia said assertively.

"We can't. I agreed on helping the militia in exchange for helping you... We can't leave, Lexi," Margaret said timidly.

Alexia was about to jump up but her body was lacking the strength to propel her more than an inch off the ground.

"You did what?! What... did you tell them?! Answer me!" Alexia said furiously. Her voice might be still weak, but she was putting as much force into her demand as she could.

Margaret didn't reply straight away. She looked at her partner and didn't dare to return her gaze. The blonde didn't find any way to cautiously confess, but she had to admit the truth - regardless of how painful it felt.

"I told them everything, Lexi. The kidnapping, my mothers, all of it."

Alexia's eyes widened in shock and rage, she was about to scream and get up to Margaret, but as soon as she stretched her battered mid, she groaned in pain and wasn't allowed to display her anger.

"So... stupid..." she hissed while holding her left side and gritting her teeth.

"I know. I am stupid. But it was the only way. I couldn't have taken care of you all alone," Margaret admitted.

"I am expendable. You are not!" Alexia returned.

"You are not to me!" Margaret replied in the same enraged tone as her partner.

"Am I just a princess to you?"

"No... but..." Alexia gasped.

"No 'buts' or 'ifs' Lexi! You almost died ... twice now! I will get you killed! No, things have to change, NOW."

The black-haired futa wanted to object but couldn't dismiss the fact that she was in no condition to protect Margaret for the foreseeable future nor that she just barely escaped death ... again.

"What ... is your plan, then?" Alexia asked.

"I have spoken with Manuel. A lot," she looked straight down at Alexia. "He was watching over us all this time, Lexi. You remember the story about his family, right?"

Alexia nodded and perked an eyebrow.

"Turns out he didn't stop working with the militia after the war ended. He obviously wasn't preparing to fight or anything like that," the blonde's voice was filled with admiration and smiled when she concluded. "But helping the ones still dealing with the aftermath. With food, shelter and such. He just didn't want the spotlight and responsibility in the public, at least with us around. That's why he kept it mostly under wraps and within the militia."

"That's... why they listened to him?" Alexia asked.

"Exactly. Looks like when he took us in, he had to report to the militia and vouch for us, otherwise we would have run into far bigger issues. And he still vouches for us."

"Explains why he left almost every night. But how is he going to help us? You know what's coming next... war is coming," Alexia said with a subdued, almost intimidated tone.

"I know. My mother is already mobilizing troops... and the militia is also preparing to fight," Margaret said equally timidly before speaking up once again with an even softer and restrained voice. "That's what the militia wants to discuss with us... once you feel ready of course."

Alexia groaned in anger, her pale face regained colour at the prospect of helping the militia - the humans that killed her comrades. Tears were welling up when she remembered the last moments before her vision went dark within Margaret's tight grip.

"I would rather die than helping them! They slaughtered my colleagues, my friends ..." she paused and realized something even more overwhelming than the hate towards the militia. "Just ... like me."

The former commander's gaze was turning from one full of hatred into one full of regret as her fury subsided and got replaced with daunting guilt.

"Beth. I killed her... and the ones in the gardens. I killed them. Maggie, I killed my friends..." Alexia muttered, her voice breaking as she repeated the last few words. Her body shook as her crying only intensified.

One usually to never show this emotional side of hers Alexia's couldn't hold back her mourning any longer. Her whole body shook when her sobbing sent waves of pain with every new outburst.

Good. She thought she deserved the pain. Far more of it as well.

"Cassandra too. All because of me..." Alexia cried and as she looked up at Margaret, she noticed even under her tearful, fuzzy gaze that the blonde was also shedding tears of her own.

"No, Lexi. It wasn't your fault. Don't do that to yourself!" Margaret wept and hugged her partner. To comfort her ... and herself.

Her touch was gentle and cautious at first, still fearing she might hurt the mentally and physically stricken warrior, but the part of her worrying about not being able to comfort her partner like she desperately needed won out and made her pull Alexia closer.

Alexia was not able to form her gratitude nor appreciate her lover's comfort, but her drained body relaxed within Margaret's embrace - her sobbing and breathing easing up after minutes of untamed sorrow and guilt.

Margaret eventually succeeded in calming her partner down, but deep down knew that Alexia wasn't able to cry more because of her dehydration not just because of her efforts.

"Never feel bad for protecting me, Lexi. It's not your fault I am who I am. A damn princess!" she hissed out of spite. "No, all these people died because of me.

Because of my heritage... I am sorry I forced you into this. Into feeling this bad. I am so sorry."

The former commander shook her head in disapproval and rested a hand on Margaret's arm.

"No, it's the king. She wants you... and won't stop until she has you," Alexia muttered and looked into her partner's blue eyes and found only determination in Margaret's gaze.

"I know, but got no clue why. Why she suddenly decided that I am important to her. We have to stop her, Lexi. We can't let her go to war again..."

"But how could the militia or Manuel help us? We both know they can't fight and hope to win," Alexia said.

"Please, just listen to them. We might be able to bargain with them or with my mother. Anything to stop further bloodshed. For both our conscience's sake ... and because we owe it to them, to our kind and theirs," Margaret remarked with sadness in her voice.

The black-haired fighter stared at Margaret for a few seconds, subtle motions on her face offered a small hint on the inner conflict plaguing her mind. She took a deep breath and nodded silently while swallowing her pride. The princess was right, but it still felt wrong to work with anyone she considered a personal enemy.

"Thank you. I knew you'd understand," Margaret timidly said.

She was offering a hesitant smile, almost like a motion she unlearned over the last few days. A vague smile that showed only the princess' sadness not her joy or relief, a vague smile that only showed that Margaret was expecting many more hardships and tough decisions to be made soon.

The two remained silent for a few minutes, only appreciating the fact that they were allowed to see each other again, even if that left Alexia in this pitiful state. A moment of calm before the upcoming storm.

"I am ... freezing. Care to stay a little bit longer?" Alexia asked, while groaning as she shifted her body a bit to the side to share her mattress with Margaret.

"I'd love to," she said and laid down next to her now comparatively smaller partner.

Alexia could tell by just nestling her own body into Margaret's how much the princess has developed.

Her body was becoming more and more the epitome of their race's perfection and rightfully started rivalling Queen Euridike on so many levels. The obscene, but still flaccid, bulge pushing into Alexia's thigh, the oceans of cleavage in front of her would draw envious gazes everywhere the princess now went. But neither of the two were even wasting a single thought about this obvious fact.

There would be a time for intimacy, but only after Alexia was back to full health, whenever that might be. For now, they needed to feel that they weren't alone in this struggle, that they still had one person to rely upon.

"I thought I've lost you," Margaret gasped, her face only a few inches apart from Alexia's before kissing her softly.

She had to hold back her sobbing and force herself to smile. Even the joy of having Alexia lay next to her, couldn't take away the guilt.

"I am here. Always will be," Alexia said and rested her hand on Margaret's. "I love you."

"I love you too. I love you so much," Margaret wept and eventually let herself break loose at last and sink into their combined warm embrace and explained everything that happened during the past few days.

It didn't take long for Alexia to fall asleep again, but Margaret idly waited with her lover's hand holding hers. She wouldn't take any moment like this for granted any longer, but fight for them, for everything she started to hold dear in her new life.

Margaret waited until the next morning to tell Manuel that Alexia regained consciousness and urged him to let her girlfriend at least have some meal before he'd call in the other militiamen for questioning. Once again, he showed understanding for the princess' wishes and held back the information just before the doctor arrived again on his daily check-ups.

The former commander contently licked her finger as she slowly finished the portion Margaret brought earlier. Feeling that her wound's constant thumping was slowly starting to diminish she eventually noticed that it almost felt like she had another hole - in her stomach.

She didn't eat for over half a week and while her first incentive was to wolf down the plate full of mashed potatoes, fish and vegetables like a shark, she knew she had to adept slowly to eating proper meals again ... especially when every retraction of her stomach felt like a stab with a needle.

As soon as Alexia finished, she started toying with the idea of trying to get up and see if she'd be in a condition to possibly leave with Margaret if the situation required it. She gave her word to help, but also knew that things could escalate quickly ... and wanted to prepare for every possibility.

Her feet gave out as soon as she tried to rest her weight on them and cursed the pulsating pain once more originating from her side.

She reluctantly laid back down on her mattress and just found a comfortable position to recover when the door sprung open. Margaret and Manuel entered but they were not alone.

Another two familiar faces followed them and the sight of them immediately made Alexia's blood boil.

The self-proclaimed doctor and his lackey.

She remembered what they've said and how amused they were about Beth's and Cassandra's death ... and her own condition.

"What in... what's that smell?" the younger and stronger of the two complained.

"That's... the place they live together. And ..." the doctor muttered and as his colleague looked over at him pointing towards the wrecked bed on the other side of the room his eyes widened.

"Degenerates..." the younger hissed.

"That's enough," Manuel said and put an end to the militiaman's annoyance... for now.

Alexia squinted in silent fury and observed the two carefully. Top to bottom. Especially the younger one - she already started to despise him utterly.

He wore a tight-fitting leather outfit, one hand constantly resting on the hilt of his sword. Alexia was quick on forming a final judgement on him and knew a lot of people like him. The type of people who took great pride in being a soldier and wanted the whole world to know. The type of people who loved to play soldier, but the first to bail out of any fight where they could end up losing. Alexia hated those sorts of people.

His older companion on the other hand didn't look and acted like he was someone who desperately wanted attention or had to prove himself.

The "doctor" kneeled before her bed and took out another bandage with a plethora of potions, smearing them all over the bandage.

"May I?", he asked sternly, but barely waited for Alexia's compliance.

She remembered his initial reluctance to treat her and judging by his grumpy tone it looked like nothing changed since then. The only reason she was still breathing was not because of his compassion, but because Manuel demanded so.

Alexia nodded and removed the blanket and lifted her shirt just enough for him to change the soaked through bandage.

"How are you feeling, Lexi?" Manuel asked while the doctor continued his unwanted task.

"Better. I am doing better," Alexia said and grit her teeth when she felt the fresh and surprisingly sticky fabric on her exposed wound.

"Thank you... for everything," she added and almost shyly looked up to her human boss.

The balding man nodded and smiled warmly, despite putting himself in massive trouble for housing the two hermaphrodites in the first place.

"You're welcome, Lexi. We are all happy that you are back on your feet ... sorta."

"Not yet, but hopefully soon," Alexia grinned and let out a sigh of relief when the doc finished the treatment.

"It will take probably a week or two though, keep that in mind," the doctor interjected as he got up.

"We will see," Alexia said with a defiant tone.

All their eyes were resting on her, the militiamen's as well as Margaret's and Manuel's and they seemingly expected her to speak up and magically offer them the solution to the big problem looming on the horizon. Literally.

"Maggie said you wanted to speak with me. Well, here I am," Alexia groaned unable to hide her reluctance to cooperate.

The mood in the room immediately plummeted as soon as Alexia addressed the reason why the militia was talking with her in the first place.

"Yeah. We need to talk. Maggie can you bring me a seat, please?" the elderly innkeeper asked, clearly expecting a lengthy debate.

"Sure. For you too, doc?"

"Yes, please."

Everyone in the room was aware of Margaret's status. She could have demanded their heads back in the palace for something as miniscule as asking for this small act of servitude. Still, neither of them nor Margaret herself acted like anything had changed. Margaret remained simply Margaret, a waitress first, the royal heir second. At least a smaller victory the princess was able to win.

Manuel and the doctor took a seat and looked down at the wounded fighter, still observing them keenly for cues if they were hiding something from her and Margaret.

"Lexi. I am not only here as your employer; I am also here on behalf of the other members of the council of the organisation you know as 'the militia'. Therefore, I have been tasked to question you on how things can proceed going forward."

Alexia got to know him as a reserved man, someone who got his emotions in check. It took him weeks to open up a bit and allow her and Margaret to somewhat fill a long-neglected void left by his family. But now he looked broken again and it clearly pained him to speak to Alexia in such a manner.

The former commander looked nervously over to Margaret who seemed to be equally distressed as herself. She might be a princess, but it appeared like the most powerful person in the room was undeniably Manuel - maybe even with two henchmen enforcing his will.

"Am I... a prisoner of war, Manuel?" she asked cautiously while glancing over to the other two militiamen.

"No, you are not. I... my position requires to do this, Lexi. I would have wished otherwise, but that's sadly the situation we are all in now," Manuel said before turning away his gaze.