Chapter 44

Desire sat beside Sylvester’s bed and watched him get rid of his cloth to take a bath. She kept on staring at him, thinking if this was a reality or dream.

She thought she had lost him when those soldiers walked in without him behind them. She was so scared and prayed all night long that he'd come back to her.

“Do you want to join me in the bathtub?” Sylvester requested. Desire looked away as he took off his last piece of clothing, leaving him stark naked. He smiled at her shyness.

“My beautiful Dove, look at me. Do you wish to join me in the bathtub?” Sylvester asked again but this time he was close to her side.

“There’s a war looming over us, taking baths together would take longer than usual. I’ll take my bath once you’re done” Desire replied.

Sylvester walked into the bathroom and Desire followed him. She wasn’t going to let him out of her sight this time around.

“Why are you following me?”

“I don’t want to lose you anymore. I can’t survive without knowing your condition” Desire replied honestly.

Sylvester held her face and kissed her softly and gently. “I’m here Desire. I promise to never scare you like that again. I’m so sorry you had to go through such” Sylvester apologized.

He sank into the warm water in the bathtub and Desire sat beside him, watching him take his bath.

“What happened out there, Sylvester” She asked, wanting to hear of his journey forth and back to the mansion.

“War, Dove. A Great War that I don’t see this region surviving. This could leave us vulnerable and weak for the rest of our lives. Our soldiers are dying… we do not have enough….” He suddenly stopped mid sentences.

“What happened?”

“Those guns looked like something I’ve seen before as I watched some of those barbarians hold it. Now I remember, a merchant from a town across the ocean came to visit my grandfather when I was a child. My grandfather exchanged those with two of his favorite white horses. But I do not remember where he could’ve kept them”

Sylvester knew if he could find those guns, it’ll help them to fight better and secure their regions but he couldn’t remember where his grandfather kept them.

“Did you see Queen Naomi?” Desire asked, trying to change the topic. Sylvester turned to look at her and nodded.

“But that was after I saw the King. We got to the palace and I met with the King right outside the throne room. I wasn’t there to go in and sit with him. He already brought chains and arrows and swords to arrest me and throw me in prison for disgracing him at the party but I had gotten a little present for him on the way. We made a short trip to the Harem on our way there to get an animal in its place. We were right, prince Li Wei was there, at his most useless hours, right on top of one of those women.

When the king gave his soldiers the order to arrest me, I also brought out our little present for the king. We knew Prince Li Wei was his weakness and he would do anything to make sure his brother was safe. Just like those chains lying await for me at the King’s feet, so were the ones hanging around Li Wei’s neck as I pulled from time to time, igniting the King’s wrath.

The King asked me what I wanted and I told him that a freedom at throwing away the position he had bestowed on me at my weakest hour and funny enough, his forgiveness for standing for my legacy at the party. He promised me all these things and even my safety” Sylvester narrated.

“Why didn’t you come back that day?” Desire asked.

“I needed to stamp the official letter from the King relieving me of my post and this could only be done by the next day. Li Wei was with us through the night. I saw Queen Naomi the next day shortly before I left. She asked me to forgive her for what she did. And I did, I forgave her. It was on the way back here that we saw the fire. The Harem had been burnt down and the places closer to the palace has been razed to the ground. The condition of this place is unknown.”

Sylvester had returned to his room by the time he finished talking. One by one, he removed Desire’s uniform and helped her into the bathtub.

“Take a quick shower, my love. I’ll be waiting in the room” Sylvester kissed her red, blushing cheek and walked into the room to put on his clothes.

Desire walked out naked moments later and saw Sylvester holding her dress in his hand. She collected it, ran back into the bathroom and put in her dress.

“The healer is missing,” Desire told Sylvester.

“So I’ve been told. But there is nothing we can do about it at this period”

Sylvester held her in his arms and captured her lips. Mid kissing, they heard a heavy knock on the door and they both walked towards it.

“May I come in, my lord?” One of his knights asked “Yes, come in” He opened the door to allow him in.

“There’s an urgent matter that needs your attention” Sylvester and Desire walked out with him out of the house.

When they got down the stairs, they met almost everyone on their feet, at a startled mood.

“What’s going on?” Sylvester asked.

“Some people are at the gate, they claim their regions and villages had been burnt down my lord”

“How many are they?” Sylvester asked.

“They said they’re about 35, my lord. I opened the gate to see who they were and to confirm when one of them—” Sylvester stopped him and chastised him for his careless attitude. Opening the gate could’ve been dangerous and cost them all their lives.

“I’m sorry my lord, I had to open it when one them said she had an evidence to prove that they had been invited to the mansion if they were in any danger”

The soldier went on to bring out a dress.

Desire collected the dress and inspected it, it was her own. The same dress that the royal seamstress made for her, the same dress she wore to the king’s birthday ceremony, the same dress she gave to Kim Chui.

“It’s Kim Chui. The woman is Kim Chui. Sylvester, please let them in, please. We can’t leave her out there like that” Desire cried out holding on to Sylvester’s cloth.