Duty and Destiny

“What are you doing?” Adalia shrieked pushing him away. She knelt beside the dying man trying to get him to point out the traitor, but he died before he could. “You idiot.”

“He tried to kill your father,” Xander defended himself relieved that the link tying him to Gabrielle’s poisoning gone.

“That doesn’t matter we have to get ready for the fight that is coming,” Samson asked his men to drag the body outside.

Darkness fell; every guard in the palace was on watch. Adalia had changed into her armor as everyone else was getting ready for any surprise attack. She joined the men outside on the night watch. Her eyes were growing tired from peering into the darkness.

Archer wouldn’t admit it to himself, but he was looking for her. He finally saw her in one of the watch towers and made his way up there. He watched her from behind, every inch of his body wanting to wrap itself around her.

“You were going to take him as a husband?” it sounded more like an accusation than it did a question.

Adalia chuckled. “I used to look at this tower from my bedroom window. I would wonder how it would feel like to just step off of it and not try to fly. I would just fall and not feel anything at all. I wouldn’t feel the pain in my heart or the urge to just call your name or imagine I could hear you say my name. I knew that when I hit the ground, I wouldn’t feel a thing.”

Adalia turned around and glanced at him for just a second before she walked away. He ran after her but when they got inside the palace he froze. Samson was there with both his daughters and his wife. He saw Fiona smile at him, and he reciprocated the smile. Innocent Lola ran into his arms, and he couldn’t help but scoop her up. Adalia noticed the glances that Archer and Fiona were exchanging. There was a familiarity in them that she knew went beyond acquaintance. She just chuckled and walked away.

“Queen Leora, this is my daughter. She has a remedy for your husband,” Samson introduced Fiona to Leora.

Fiona was rushed to the King’s room to administer her treatment. But there was no change in Gabrielle’s condition. The royals gathered in Gabrielle’s room watching him, looking for any sign of change in his condition. Adalia lay at her father’s side, her head rested on his chest listening to his feeble heartbeat. Archer stood at the corner of the room watching her, wishing he could comfort her.

“Come with me,” Novia said to him.

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“Why? I thought you said she was trying to ruin us and kill her father. What do you care what happens to her,” she was mocking him, but she also sounded annoyed.

Archer followed his sister out preparing his ears for a scolding. “I assumed-,”

“Don’t be an ass. Everyone thought she would die right after you did. The only reason she was going to marry Xander is because Gabrielle was sure he was dying and he wanted her protected,” she punched his shoulder. “You are an idiot you know that right? You know before she was about to marry Xander she was reciting that crap line of yours.”

“I was bred for duty-,” he said that to her the first time they spoke. He couldn’t believe that she could still remember it.

“Yes, that stupid line.”

Archer’s attention was drawn away from her when he saw Fiona walk into Gabrielle’s room with a bowl in her hands. He hadn’t spoken to her ever since she had arrived. She was avoiding him, and he knew it was for the best.

“Who is that?”

“She saved my life,” Archer put in.

“What else?” she asked. “I see the way she has been staring at you.”

“It’s not that, at least not on my part.”

“Have you seen Xander? Your father has called a meeting in the throne room. Conan and Doran are already there,” Randi asked.

***

Xander was at the palace walls. He had one more contact in the palace he was sure wouldn’t let him down. He had to send word to the rebels outside the palace. He had to postpone his plan to attack because right now everyone was waiting for them. They needed to catch them by surprise, especially now that Archer had arrived with an army of his own.

He was cursing Archer’s return, wishing that he had driven his blade a little further into his body, and then maybe he would have died. But he needed to get back to Adalia’s side, play the concerned fiancé and hopefully push their marriage through.

***

“Adalia are you sure you are up to this,” Lionell could see the exhausted look on her face and so could everyone else.

“You need to get some sleep sister,” Randi held her up by her arm.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled.

“When was the last time you slept?” Archer spotted the dark rings under her red puffy eyes. She looked like a zombie.

“When you died. But you came back to life so I think I can handle a scouting expedition,” she mumbled then walked out.

“Adalia, I don’t think you should do this on your own,” Archer caught up to her.

“Why?” she saw Fiona walk past them and she once again caught the glances they exchanged. “You seem to have moved on with your life. You never came back for me. You didn’t care then, why do you care now.”

Archer was losing the fight even before it began. He watched as Adalia walked away from him. He decided that it was his chance to speak to Fiona. He waited outside Gabrielle’s bedroom door for her to walk out.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Fiona glanced at him and continued walking.

“Where is your sister?”

“With the other children. They are sleeping,” she sighed. “You love her, don’t you? Now that you know she wasn’t plotting anything against you will you be with her?”

“Not now. We have other things to worry about,” Yes, of course I will, didn’t seem like an appropriate answer. Although at that point he didn’t think he deserved to be with her.

“You should tell her that her father is doing well-,” Fiona’s eyes were caught by Xander’s sandy blonde hair as he walked past them; “It’s him.”

“Who?” Archer looked around but all he could see were Xander and a group of other soldiers.

Samson emerged from a corner in the room and held down both his daughter’s arms. “Calm down sweetheart.”

“But father-,”

“I know,” he saw the confusion in Archer’s eyes and began to explain. “He came to our colony trying to recruit men into his army.”

Archer followed Samson’s gaze to Xander. He couldn’t believe it. “Do you mean Xander?”

“Yes, he courted Fiona for a year then he disappeared.”

“What army are you talking about?”

Archer stalked toward Xander wanting answers. But he couldn’t get a word in.

“Adalia and I will marry. I win you lose,” Xander snarled then walked past him.

***

Shock widened his eyes as those words replayed in his mind. “What did you say?” he shouted across the hall so that Xander could hear him. It was like he was back in the forest his hand over the wound where the sword pierced into her.

“I win you lose,” he yelled back.

Archer felt the anger surge through him. He took a couple of long strides towards him, grabbed him by the collar and banged him against the wall. Stunned Xander launched his wings and hovered over Archer.

“Do you want to fight me?” With all the speed the dense air could allow Xander flew towards him, knocking Archer off his feet.

Xander landed on his feet and a brawl ensued. Afraid to be caught in the crossfire everyone watched from afar. Moving whenever they were about to crush into them.