Several arrows landed on the haystacks and it easily caught the fire! As such, the storeroom started burning rapidly in no time!
Nico Petrus and his men were not safe either! As the soldiers started shooting arrows in their direction, they had to run for their lives!
"The storeroom is on fire!"
The soldiers shouted and ran around to fetch water to put out the fire! Without those rations, there was no way for them to survive the upcoming war which might even last for a month!
When the soldiers who were sleeping tried to run out to aid their friend, it was Iria's turn to make a move. Just like Nico Petrus's group did, they lit a fire torch and then burned the tips of their arrows. The enemy soldiers were too fixated on the burning storeroom to even notice the small fire anymore!
With a single nod from the Queen, they started releasing their arrows in the tent where the soldiers slept! Though one single burned arrow could take the lives of all soldiers who slept in a single tent, Iria had no intention to stop. One by one, they released their arrows and burned many tents. Along with it, the lives of many soldiers!
Iria watched as many soldiers ran out of the tents with fire on their bodies, screaming for help. Many soldiers burned to death and the stocked foods where the lives of thousands of soldiers depended burned to ashes! Nevertheless, the Queen just watched with a calm face.
She didn't even seem to be fazed by it and it went on that way until they were spotted.
"Let's leave," she commanded the soldiers and they all ran away from the place while the enemies shot their arrows at them.
The enemies indeed managed to shoot two of the soldiers but as they were still alive, their friends helped them up and they hurried back to their camp.
"Your Majesty," Nico Petrus rushed to the Queen when the queen and the ten soldiers were back to the camp. "Are you alright?"
Iria nodded and briefly glanced at the two injured soldiers. "They need immediate treatment."
The other soldiers quickly brought their injured friends to the infirmary while Commander Nico followed Iria inside the tent which she used.
"What about the soldiers who go with you?" the Queen asked the Commander.
"Two injured and... one died," Nico Petrus replied. "We will give him a proper burial tomorrow."
Still standing in her place, Iria nodded. "Send him off with respect. We should tighten the security too. Aryan Tripas won't be still after losing so many soldiers. We must make sure that the same doesn't happen to us."
"I will take care of that," Nico Petrus promptly replied. "It's getting late, Your Majesty. Please get some rest."
Iria nodded and Nico Petrus bowed before he walked out of the tent.
Once she was alone, Iria sat on the desk and glanced at her palms. After not wielding her sword much for more than a year, the callous had decreased and it appeared like a woman's hands now but... just now, the same hands took many lives again.
She still remembered how Arin said that her hands were beautiful because it's the hands that protected the people for years.
With that remark crossing her mind, Iria put down her hands and walked out of her tent. Then she went straight to the tent where Arin was treated.
When she entered Arin's tent, Iria slowly walked towards the bed and when she was right beside it, she sat on the ground with her arms on the bed. She didn't know why but when she looked at Arin's face, she felt so helpless.
Maybe because she was reminded of how she couldn't do anything for him. She hated such a feeling the most!
"It's already been weeks," she muttered. "And war is right ahead of us, Arin. Even just now, I took many lives again." She paused and took a deep breath. "I think life is really unfair. We have to kill to live and shed the tears of others so that we can be the ones smiling.
"I already live that way for more than a decade but... I'm not sure why all these thoughts suddenly bothered me. Is it because I rest for more than a year?"
When she looked at Arin, she shook her head. "In this situation, I shouldn't think that way, right? I think it's wrong of me to have such thoughts while all eyes are on me. If I'm weak, the soldiers will also be weak. My father always told me that while he was alive."
She held Arin's hands and placed the side of her head on the bed. Then she closed her eyes. "You won't know how much I wish for you to wake up. Even if you can't fight, I can do that and having you encourage me alone will be enough for me. I really miss the way you used to assure me. You know it always calms me down a lot."
With all the troubles going around in the past weeks, Iria was really tired and now that she closed her eyes while holding Arin's hand, she fell asleep in no time.
Orius Alewine walked inside the tent after a while and when he saw his sister sitting on the ground, falling asleep with her head on the bed, he sighed.
What would he do with her?
The Duke decided to let his sister sleep on the other side of the bed but... when he attempted to lift her up, she won't let go of Arin's hand. Wondering what to do, he stood still and rubbed his temple.
Orius felt like he had no other choice. As such, he glanced around and took a small blanket. He covered Iria with it and then walked out of the tent.
A few more hours passed and dawn was right around the corner. Finally, Iria woke up from her deep sleep and finds herself wrapped in a blanket. Despite the unpleasant position she was in, she never slept that much in the past weeks! However...
When she looked at Arin, she saw him looking at her with a little smile on his face.
Was this a dream or what?
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