The Sky Kingdom Ch. 24

Chapter 24

Thank you to everyone following this story and your remarkable patience. I've really appreciated all your feedback so far and have found my muse returning of late.

I also wanted to say a massive thank you to those who've helped to edit/proofread this chapter.

We return to the story with Harry mortally wounded defending Scarlett from attackers.

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An ashen-faced Captain Grey came into view. He knelt on my other side, and I didn't hear what he was saying, but he looked down worried, and I heard Scarlett cry out in pain. A distraught Emily appeared beside her, unsure what to do, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Harry, please, I need you. We need you." Scarlett spoke into my ear.

I tried to find the words I had held back from saying for too long, but I found myself unable to utter them.

"Please, Harry, you can't leave me alone. You are my world. You are my everything." She whispered in a panicked but clear voice, "I never thought I'd ever know what it felt like. But I need you to know that-that...I love you." She finished by holding my head against her chest as she began to wretch in sobs while I tried to meet her eyes.

I felt another presence beside me as the calming and serene Emily joined and took my hand, tears streaming and looking lost.

I realised I had one last chance to communicate, and with all my strength, I pushed every feeling of love I could manage into my bond with Scarlett.

I saw her recoil in shock at the feelings, and she leaned back to look me in the face.

"I hear you, Master. We'll always be yours." She finished with a whisper as she took Emily's hand before leaning down to kiss me on the lips.

At that moment, a wash of cold serenity flooded through my body, and the pain washed away.

I closed my eyes, expecting to fall into an endless sleep, but the more time passed, the more my senses returned and even then, with little to no pain.

The unusual cooling sensation continued and concentrated around my injuries. A surreal feeling followed as the bolts from my back and leg began to slip out and drop to the forest floor beneath me. The shocking revelation hit me that I was under the influence of powerful healing magic, and I concluded that it could only be Scarlett.

With my senses returning, I took in a slow lung full of air, firmly encased in Scarlett's arms as she held me close to her. As the cooling magic dissipated, an ethereal calm remained. I slowly pried myself from Scarlett's grip after finding she wasn't responding to my touch. Sitting to find a bewildered Emily knelt beside me with a panic-stricken, tear-stained and ashen face.

Scarlett slumped to the floor as I moved, and I drew back her hair to reveal her face, realising she was unconscious but thankfully breathing on her own.

"Harry, you need to stay still. We need to get you to a doctor," Emily stated in a hollow tone, unsure of what to do, as she tried to ease herself behind me.

"Em, I think I'm going to be alright," I initially croaked, "I think she just healed me," I continued feeling increasingly serene after my near-death experience.

There was a long pause as the words sank into her. Evidently, after seeing the colour return to my face, she wrapped herself around me with a desperate hug before giving me a hopeful look. Then, with more force than expected, she sat me up and moved to look at my back.

"They are gone. There are just two small scars!" She whispered in awe while poking her fingers through holes in my tunic and tabard.

Following another pause, she broke down in sobs at the enormity of what had just occurred and latched herself to my side. I tried my best to soothe her while moving over to check on Scarlett.

In the midst of doing so, I caught the Captain's eye and saw him look on in evident bewilderment at what he had witnessed.

"Harry, I thought...I thought," Emily hiccuped into my ear through tears, "I thought you were gone."

"I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not letting either of you out of my sight ever again," I whispered confidently despite the recent events. As strange as it was, I felt as healthy and energised as I had in a very long time.

Moving without any discomfort and with Emily still clinging to me, I began peeling her arms away and climbed to my feet. The din of battle still continued in the background, but my eyes met those of the Captain, who seemed to have returned to his alert self.

I knelt at Scarlett's side to brush her hair out of her face as my serene goddess appeared asleep. I hoped it was just magic fatigue, but a pang of fear still hit me, and I worried that it could be more serious.

"Em, I need you to stay here and look after Scarlett," I said as calmly as I could, and she turned to look up at me, confused. "If you feel threatened, I want you to scream as loud as possible," I added while standing and retrieving my sword.

"H-Harry, wait, you can't go, it's too dangerous." She replied with a crack in her voice.

The Captain still appeared shaken at what he'd seen, but fortunately, the professional soldier soon sprang back into action as he approached me.

"Your Highness, I agree with your companion. It would be best if you stayed out of danger as well," he stated before his attention jumped to the ongoing sound of combat nearby.

"Captain, let me make myself clear. These men threatened my family, and I will not let them get away with it," I stated firmly, "you will stay by my side, and we'll teach them a thing or two about fire magic."

I took Emily's hand, hoping the look on my face conveyed that I had to do this. She squeezed my hand in response, and with a nod from the Captain, we left Emily bent over an unconscious Scarlett. We slipped through the bushes and approached the fracas ahead. We fortunately emerged on the flank of a group of six crossbowmen taking cover behind trees while the Captain's men, now dismounted, fought an equal number of swordsmen. The battle seemed to be turning in our favour, given the bodies on the floor consisted almost entirely of unarmored men.

Looking to end things quickly, I drew on my Font-enthused fire core and, combining both Emily's and my own magic, held out my palm to blast a stream of raw liquid fire towards the trees and crossbowmen. In mere moments, the trees were burned to a cinder, and men let out their last dying cries as the fire consumed them.

The commotion drew the attention of the fighting men, and seeing the destruction and absence of their comrades, most turned tail and made for a nearby thicket of dense trees. Unknowingly, they had sealed their fates as another blast of my fire cut off their escape route, and the armoured men made easy work of the remaining threat. After a moment to confirm our success, I raced back to the clearing to find Emily still hovering over Scarlett as I had left her.

"Harry, is it over?" She asked with concern, looking up, still sporting a terrified look.

"It's over, Em. We dealt with the remaining attackers," I replied while slipping to the other side of Scarlett with the plan to scoop her into my arms. The Captain caught up with me but kept his distance. I could tell from his wary look that he now saw me in a new light after my display of raw magical power.

Ever diligent, the Captain made his way over to the lifeless men I'd completely disregarded when running off to fight. He checked their vital signs and shook his head at the first two men, but with the third, the apparent leader, he flipped onto his front and began to bind his arms.

"This one is still alive. We'll see if he is fit enough for questioning," The Captain stated, addressing some of his men who had returned to stand by his side, "but first, we'll need to escort the Prince and his companions to the Castle."

The euphoria and adrenaline that had spurred me into action began to slip away as my heart pumping returned to a more normal level. With that came the dawning comprehension that I'd killed so many men so effortlessly. The threat to those I cared about had blinded all feelings of guilt until this moment, and a hollow weight sat heavy in my stomach.

My newfound woes soon dissipated as the roar of riding horses came from the path we had previously passed through. The Captain, fearing another attack, ordered his men to draw their weapons and position themselves in a defensive formation but we needn't have worried. The livery of my mother's personal guard was glaringly obvious as they began to slow down upon entering the clearing. Tucked into their midst was the diminutive figure of Princess Eleanor, my mother, who slipped from her horse with practised ease.

"What happened?" She asked in a commanding manner, turning her attention to the Captain.

"We were attacked, Your Highness," the Captain responded after coming to attention, "we successfully repelled and eliminated the threat. All bar this single prisoner." He finished before gesturing to the man I had knocked unconscious with my magic.

"Where are Lady Scarlett and Prince Henry?" She asked with a hint of worry in her tone.

The men parted to reveal me sitting on the ground, cradling Scarlett with Emily beside me.

"Scarlett!" She exclaimed, dropping to the other side and ignoring the cold, muddy ground, "Is she alright? What happened to her?" She asked in a higher pitch as she saw how much blood was on her dress.

"She's just unconscious, mother. It's not her blood!" I replied, attempting to calm the situation.

"Then whose blood is that? Tell me what happened here." She exclaimed in response.

Her panicked eyes bore into my own, and I paused, unsure if I wanted to share this with all the men surrounding us. Luckily for me, the Captain picked up on the same thing.

"Men, form an extended defensive perimeter with sentries in all directions," He ordered and included my mother's guard in his command as the men headed off in multiple directions until we were out of earshot.

"I think it could be magical exhaustion," I responded, watching for the alarm that spread over her features.

"But she's not old enough yet," she began incredulously, "whatever could she have needed her magic for?" She burst out, looking for an answer. I wasn't sure I could fully explain myself.

"The Prince was mortally wounded, Your Highness. I believe that Lady Scarlett here is an unbound Font who healed Prince Henry." The Captain responded matter-of-factly.

Her eyes flicked to mine, and relief and newfound concern were evident. She grasped my hand to make sure I was alright.

"Is this your blood?" She asked while carefully searching my relatively untarnished front for wounds.

I turned to show her my stained back before going over the ambush and how Scarlett had somehow saved my life.

She was stunned by my explanation as to what had happened. After thoroughly checking my healed back, she drew Scarlett into her arms, checking her over before stroking her hair away from one side of her face in a caring manner. I knelt beside her and did the same to the other.

"You have no idea how much I care about her. How much I need her with me." I stated that only she could hear, trying to express the truth of my words and convey that I would no longer allow her to be apart from me.

"I'm quite aware of how you both feel about one another. I could tell from the first moment I saw you together. But if you truly love her, you will marry her," she replied in what was obviously a command despite the caring tone.

"That's what I want, but I don't think she'll agree," I replied, watching my mother and seeing the flicker of doubt. She knew Scarlett as well as anyone, and despite her enslavement, she still had an iron will when she wanted to.

"I know she doesn't see herself as being worthy. But in time, we will return her old self to the fore, and it will all work itself out." She smiled graciously, although I could still see the concern in her eyes, before turning to Emily.

"Lady Emily, I presume," She said to my still-stunned Font.

"Yes, your maj...Your Highness." She replied.

"Emily, there is no need for such formality," my mother said while reaching to take her hand. "I'm an old friend of your mother."

"You know my mother?" She blurted out loud suddenly while trying to remove the evidence of her recent tears with her other hand.

"Emily, at one point, your mother and I were like sisters. When this all calms down, we will have tea in private, and you will tell me everything about yourself," she stated with her infectious charisma.

My mother's ability to set those around her at ease had always amazed me, and Emily noticeably relaxed and now hung onto her every word.

"In particular, you must tell me whether my son has been treating you well," she continued, turning knowingly to me.

Emily and I caught each other's eyes and blushed as I thought back to her, begging me to spank her the night before. Something that would remain private for anyone except those with whom I was currently sharing a bed.

"Henry has already asked me to look into finding a way to allow you to meet with her once we are all back in the capital," she continued, changing the subject and giving Emily's hand a light squeeze. Her gaze flicked up with hope and excitement at her words.

"Now, let's return you all to the castle and have you cleaned up and seen by my physician."

"Mother, we still need to rescue Tamara. Urgently!"

"Tam!" Emily exclaimed, holding her hand to her mouth in what appeared to be the realisation that her best friend had escaped her thoughts given the recent events.

"A delay won't hurt, and Scarlett is in no state to travel."

"I don't understand. Didn't you say it was imperative we get there quickly?"

"It's not like I'm about to let you travel on the open road again anytime soon. You will take my personal Skyship and plenty of guards. If you set off tomorrow, you should still be there much sooner than if you'd ridden the whole way."

"We looked at it on a map, but it was only a day ride," I replied incredulously.

"Perhaps if you rode on pristine roads near the capital, but the Silverwood gets much more impassible the deeper you travel," she replied knowledgeably, and I quickly concluded that she was far more likely to know than I was.

Emily moved over to me with a worried look and awkwardly attached herself to my side. In the meantime, a contingent of my mother's guard readied the horses while their companions were busy clearing the ambush's aftermath.

"Captain, you will escort my son with me back to my castle," She ordered.

He saluted and jumped onto his horse, trotting over to his men to issue orders. I refused to let anyone else take Scarlett and, with some help, soon had her sitting in front of me on my horse while I held her tightly against me.

We soon left the scene of such barbarism and the awful, sickly smell of burnt flesh lingering in the air.

"How did you know we'd been attacked so quickly?" I asked my mother as she moved to ride by my side.

"Just after you set off, a messenger from my scouts informed me that they'd discovered tracks in the snow to the north. Further investigation indicated a sizeable party readying for an ambush on one of the main routes out of the estate. We rode to bring you back and to have you use an alternative means of travel. That is, before setting off to deal with the intruders."

"Do you know who they are?" I asked, hoping for answers.

"They appear to be a band of mercenaries, but I'm not yet sure who hired them. Although I do have my suspicions," she finished without elaborating despite my questioning.

Once I'd finally given up, we rode the rest of the way in contemplative silence. Upon arriving, I carried Scarlett inside after gesturing for a still bewildered-looking Emily to follow me. Laying her still unconscious form on a divan, I turned and opened my arms to Emily, who threw herself into my chest, and I held her firmly.

A knock on the door broke us out of the moment, and I opened the door to find a group of three servant girls.

"Your Highness, we have been sent to prepare the baths for you and your companions," a young and extremely nervous-looking woman stated, keeping her eyes down.

I simply stood back and allowed them to scurry into the room. I took the opportunity to remove my now dry but still bloodstained tunic. Before I even had the chance to finish, a further knock sounded at the door.

"What is it this time?" I asked frustratedly while swinging the door open.

I was surprised to find the stoic figure of Captain Grey standing in the doorway.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, may I have a word with you in private."

"Of course, Captain, please come in. What's on your mind?" I asked while selecting a new tunic from the side and pulling it on.

The Captain took in the room as he entered, with Scarlett lying on the divan. Emily sat by her side, using a cloth to clean her face while she stroked her arm out of easy earshot.

The Captain then took a deep breath, evidently trying to gather his thoughts.

"It's a matter of great personal importance, Your Highness," he began formally, "without your intervention, I would now be dead. As with our Carraran traditions, I now owe you a life debt."

"That isn't remotely necessary, Captain," I replied, aware of the outdated custom, "We travelled together as comrades, fought together, and protected each other. That's what comrades do," I replied, attempting to put in a disarming smile.

"I understand, Your Highness, but there's more. I saw what Lady Scarlett did. How she saved you." He continued, despite his clear hesitation, discussing this.

I felt instant fear at the possibility of others discovering her secret and what might happen if the news spread.

"I couldn't help but notice her unusual abilities. What she did made it obvious she is a sorceress. An unbound Font," He continued in an increasingly serious tone.

I tried to remain composed but was shocked at how quickly I began contemplating how to keep him silent. I didn't respond immediately, so he continued.

"I know enough of the law, and as Captain of the Carraran Ducal guard, I'm duty-bound to report my discovery to a superior. I owe you a life debt, and it is almost impossible not to see how deeply you care for one another."

I felt panic rising and subconsciously drew on my Font-powered fire core but held myself back.

"You've more than proved your loyalty to the Kingdom and Carrara. But this is a delicate situation you don't fully understand," I replied, trying to figure out what to do next.

"That's why, my Prince, I've decided to pledge my fealty directly to you. I want to serve and protect you, just as you protected me." He concluded, and I was quite taken aback.

"You will still report this to your superior, though?" I asked, looking for clarification.

"I am duty bound to report my discovery directly to my liege and no one else." He finished, and I realised the somewhat elegant solution he was proposing.

I looked up into the Captain's eyes, understanding the depth of his loyalty and the gravity of his decision.

"Captain Grey, I appreciate your loyalty and willingness to protect me and those I care about, but there is no need to consider my helping you a life debt."

He then knelt before me, offering his sword.

"I, Captain Edmund Fitzroy Grey, hereby swear in accordance with Carraran law that my sword, my magic, and my life are yours. I shall be forever faithful and bear my true allegiance to Prince Henry of House Carrara, his heirs and successors. In my failing to do so, may the full weight of justice show me no mercy, and may my soul find no rest until the debt of failure is redeemed. This I do solemnly swear."