Chapter 35 Confrontation
“Robin,” Cedric called, his voice almost drowned by the thundering hooves. “You okay?”
“Uh, yeah, just… got lost in thought,” I mumbled and then fixed my green gaze on the road ahead. “…Cedric.”
“Yes?”
“I’m not sure if Captain Jackson mentioned this, but I encountered two scouts while investigating the village,” I explained. “Just a word of warning: keep your eyes peeled.”
Cedric’s deep blue eyes traveled to my neck, hidden behind my armor. “That explains the bruises.”
My voice exposed my grin. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. All of this training with the captain is really starting to pay off.”
“What?” Cedric echoed. “The captain has been training you?”
“Yes… is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just surprising. Captain Jackson never teaches his knights to fight—the man always has too many things on his plate. He expects his knights to be already trained, training each other, and learning from firsthand experience,” Cedric explained. “Mostly the latter. That’s how he learned.”
“Oh…” I hesitated to speak further.
Even with his eyes hidden behind his helmet, I could tell that Cedric was squinting at me as he questioned, “I noticed Captain Jackson seems to favor you, and he’s not the type of man who’d cut someone slack based on their gender. Is there something going on between you two?”
“H—huh?!” I stuttered. “N—no! No, no, never. Definitely not.” I looked away, mumbling, "Favoritism wouldn’t even be on his list.”
“…You sound butthurt,” Cedric stated bluntly.
I sighed. “He’s rude, he’s mean, he’s bossy, he lectures me, he’s… he always looks at me with disapproval. No matter what I do. Sometimes I feel like he’s trying to make me WANT to leave the knighthood.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. He isn’t the type of man to pull such childish acts either. If anything, that sounds more like… ugh, what did Erik used to say…” Cedric grumbled. “Tough love. Trying to make you stronger. In his own way. I will admit, the captain can be a… ‘complicated’ man.”
“Tough love?” I scoffed. “Where’s the love at?”
Cedric watched me for a moment before prying again, “Are you sure there’s nothing going on between the two of you? Romantically? Or even sex without romance?”
I choked on my saliva, thrown into a coughing fit as I croaked, “We are NOT sleeping together!”
“Good.” Cedric turned to the road ahead. “Captain Jackson is busier than ever. I’m sure he’s told you that Princess Liliana didn’t die from a sudden illness; she was murdered, right?”
I glanced away. “…Yeah, I know."
“He’s trying to keep that a secret from the public, find the murderer, have eyes everywhere in the palace, keep Embercrest’s citizens safe by placing the kingdom on lockdown, constantly have the borders patrolled, and now he has to deal with bandits getting out of hand terrorizing villages on the outskirts. Their Majesties are still in mourning, so everyone looks to Captain Jackson for support and leadership. Understand the stress of the responsibilities he’s going through. The last thing he needs is a distraction.”
I fell silent, glancing down. It never dawned on me how many responsibilities Jackson was carrying on his shoulders until now. He’s just like I was—shouldering suffocating weight. Yet, he’s so much stronger than I had ever been.
Don’t they realize he’s still mourning too?
I’ve never felt so pathetic in my life…
“Even so,” Cedric broke the silence. “If it’s sex for his stress relief, I still don’t think—”
“C—Cedric!” I yelled, my burning face turned the same color as my hair, thankfully hidden behind my helmet. “We are NOT having—agh, ugh, whatever is going on in your head!”
A grin played in Cedric’s voice. “You can’t even say the word?”
“Hmph!” I grumbled, sharply turning my head away.
“You can be more childish than Erik sometimes, and he’s 23,” he chuckled softly. “Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”
I grudgingly kept silent. The memory of seeing Jackson shirtless, his back facing me, replayed in my mind. It was only a split second, but I still remembered the ripple of his muscles when he took off his shirt, and the shift in his scars. How pretty his hair looked when it was down, especially when it was messy. I wanted to know what he looked like from the front. To feel the rough texture of his fingertips against my skin again. My head hung, face growing hotter.
Damn you, Cedric.
My head lifted when the pace of our horses slowed to a stop. I caught sight of the massive, dried-up riverbed and the scattered barn houses. Beyond that was the forest.
We’re nearly there.
My heart began to pound. On the horizon would be my first time on the battlefield. I gripped the cloth on my rope dart, taking a shaky inhale. Jackson turned Ruby around so that he could speak to us. He was the only one who wasn’t wearing a helmet.
“We’ll be dividing into two groups. Group A will circle the village, being the distraction, and Group B will hide in the forest. The bandits will attack us first. We’ll lure them toward the forest, and then Group B will attack them from behind,” he ordered.
A surprise attack?
My hand rested on my chin in thought. Such a plan would definitely throw the bandits into panic… A smart move, but it felt a bit dirty too.
Jackson named off the knights for each group. He glanced at Cedric. “You’ll be in Group A.”
“Yes, sir.” Cedric nodded.
He’ll be part of the bait…
My throat tightened with worry until Jackson glanced at me and said, “You’re in Group B. Don’t stray from the others.”
I winced at his hint of another lecture. “Yes, sir…”
“Let’s move,” Jackson gave his last order before the group of knights split in two, him leading Group A toward the village. They dismounted their horses before reaching it.
I followed Group B to the forest. We dismounted our horses deep behind the foliage and made our way to the treeline. We watched Group A investigate the village as if they weren’t aware it was already abandoned.
“I don’t see any bandits…” one knight whispered.
“Doesn’t matter. Wait for the captain’s signal,” another said.
A knight with scratched up armor turned to me. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, don’t worry about me,” I murmured with a nod.
“Hey… isn’t that Captain Jackson’s helmet?” a knight with a dented helmet asked.
All eyes turned to me. I chuckled awkwardly, “Yeah… I, uh, lost mine, so—”
“Wait!” someone hissed. Our eyes darted back to Group A.
The treeline near the dam shifted as the bandits made their appearance. Double the amount of Group A. All of them were equipped with an odd sword I’ve never seen before: a curved blade with a loop over the hilt. They had a dangerous look in their eyes; eager to shed knighthood blood. And yet, Jackson fearlessly pointed his sword at them and barked something in his fierce voice.
A bandit stepped forward, bulkier than the rest, and unsheathed two swords from his hip. He spun them in his hands before getting into a foreign attack stance. Jackson did the same.