Hunted Queen

Chapter Thirty Five • Growing Desperation

 -William- 

Two days later, William sat astride Dimma watching the battlefield in silence. His  father was at his right side, his friends to his left. All astride their own steeds. They were at the frontline of his army, staring across the patchy grass field that would soon become littered with bodies and blood. Hopefully would the majority of bodies not be of his own men, but of his uncle's. 

The weather was gloomy on a dull grey day. The day before there had been nothing but miserable rain, all day. Which meant that the battlefield would be difficult to cross and fight on. He could already see his men slip and slide in the sodden terrain. Not to mention how this would impact their footing and could be the difference of life and death to many of them. All it took was to loose once footing and things could go terribly wrong from there on. 

It was hard to believe that they had finally come to this point of it all. This idiotic and diabolical war. He had still not heard anything from or about Jade. Neither had he heard anything about her whereabouts. 

He managed to hide his true feelings well enough among his men. However, it was a different situation whenever he retired to his own quarters. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop worrying whenever he was alone. In order to function normally whenever he left his tent, William had convinced himself that no news about his wife, were good enough for now. What if, when he finally got news, they would be of the sort he dreaded the most? What would he do then?

Now is not the time to think about that. He thought as a sharp stabbing sensation erupted in his abdomen, thinking of receiving news that Jade had been captured or killed. Panicking here, at the front, now does not help her, your men or you. He thought and drew a deep breath as his eyes scanned what lied ahead. 

On the opposite side of the field, his uncle sat astride his own horse. His men stood next to him, on foot, all of them. There was no sight of any cavalry, but William knew better than to assume that his uncle had nothing but his infantry. There were more men, they just could not see them, yet. 

Or the cavalry was sent after Jade. 

Without warning, a shriek sounded from behind his uncle's frontline. A woman's. William's stomach churned but he remained still, as if nothing was happening. Just like he had been taught all of his life.  Pretending as if he had not heard that horrifying scream, filled with pain and dripping with fear. 

Noticing that he did not move, neither did those closest to him. However, their gazes burned at him from left and right. It felt as if all of their eyes had been directed at him the very second the shriek reached them. 

They all watched as Rowan's men parted a little down to the right side of frontline. A soldier emerged from the sea of men. He appeared to be struggling to continue on forwards, trying to force something to come with. William swallowed slowly and suppressed the urge to squeeze his reins in dread. Every part of him felt cold and sweaty as his deepest darkest thoughts screamed at him that the woman screaming was Jade. Had Rowan had caught her and planning to parade her in front of him? He expected nothing less of his uncle when he gave it a second thought, but what good would it do him? 

A numb sensation of desperation spread through his limbs as his thoughts ran off with him. What if it was her? What if this was the moment he would know what had happened to Jade? And Loren? 

"What is he planning?" Robert growled darkly while refreshing the grip on his reins, waking William from his dark thoughts. Robert was obviously preparing to set after William he would loose his mind or control and go after Rowan. 

"He is trying to provoke me." William answered darkly, trying his best to remain perfectly still. It was by far one of the hardest things he had done in his life.