56

FATHER AND SON

Henry felt the blade on his throat and didn't dare swallow. Then he felt his own warm blood against his skin. Theo smiled madly. "You're finally where you belong."

He was now scratching Henry's skin so much that it actually hurt. "Beg, Henry. Just like before. Beg!"

"Please." Henry growled hoarsely, lest his throat press unnecessarily against the blade. "Please, father!"

Theo clearly enjoyed it. "More personal. That was already very superficial."

My God, you're going to kill me anyway, thought Henry, gripping the sword tighter and doing what Theo wanted. "I beg you, Father. Please."

"It's your own fault, Henry." Theo climbed onto his chest with his leg and squeezed his breath away. "But I'll set you free, brat."

Theo raised the sword to ram it hard into Henry's throat. But Henry didn't allow that voluntarily. He grabbed his sword and rammed it into Theo's calf. With a shriek, Theo flinched back for a second. Henry took advantage of this immediately and rolled to the side and stood up. Halfway up, the Enemy Blade swooped down on him, but he dodged.

"You miserable bastard!" His father walked up to him, barely limping. "I've spent my whole life on the battlefield! Do you think such a dirty trick would take me out!?"

"Tripping the leg is much more honorable, pardon me!"

Theo rushed towards him again. Henry jumped back. Theo stumbled thanks to the hobble and fell. Then it was quiet.

I stood in the doorway and could hardly breathe... Theo had fallen on Henry's sword. Me, Raven and a soldier from our guard had seen it.

The blood-smeared sword protruded from Theo's back. height of the lungs. He spat out a gout of blood and wheezed. Henry stared in disbelief at his soiled robes and his dying father. As Theo fell, the sword slipped from Henry's grip.

For a moment the world was frozen. Then Henry slowly got on his knees and looked at the blood stains. I was the first to get loose and go to him. I knelt down to him and touched him very carefully.

In his shock, he first pushed my hand away, then came back to reality. He shook his head, his eyes wide and filling with tears. "It... It was an accident!"

"I know, I saw it." I had to swallow at the pain in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to kill him. He..." Henry trailed off.

I noticed the blood on his neck and brow. "It's all good, Henry. You were just defending yourself."

Completely lost he sobbed. "I didn't mean to... I..."

Raven came closer and eyed Theo. He probably didn't know how to react to his uncle's death. Henry looked at him like he was ten again. "What shall we do?"

"Bury him. You didn't do anything wrong. He came uninvited armed with his own sword and charged at you."

I slowly pulled Henry to his feet. "Come on Henry."

"He wanted to kill me."

His bloodied hands seemed strange to him when he looked at them. Disgusted with all the blood, he followed me to our room. Raven promised to take care of everything and make sure the boys didn't come in here.

I helped Henry out of the Bloody Stuff, threw it straight into the fire and helped him clean his wounds. "It was an accident... Elizabeth." He looked at me hurt. "My father is dead."

I couldn't find the words. Of course, I had known for a long time that Henry didn't really hate his father. And yet Theo's death hit him harder than he had expected.

For a moment he just looked at me in shock, then he seemed to understand. He pulled me to him and buried his head in my shoulder.

Although I felt sorry for Henry, I knew one thing; That devil would no longer haunt my family.

EPILOGUE

Henry takes off his sword and leaves it on the chest. We've just come from Theo's funeral. Henry may be much more composed today than he was then, but it still left its mark.

He sighs and pours himself a glass of wine. "The king could not have been more embarrassing."

He cried like a child and acted like he had lost the meaning of his life. "Maybe they were close. More than we already knew."

Henry smiles mirthlessly. "What do we care?"

Hoping to comfort him a little, I wrap my arms around his chest from behind and look over his shoulder out the window at the rolling green hills and the morning sun on the horizon. "Take a deep breath, Henry. You've finally got the rest we deserve."

I see him smiling slightly. "Let's wait how long, Nash."

"It seems like a hundred years since I was your squire. Like in another life."

"But we've come a long way since then." He turns to me and kisses me. Very soft and tender. His big hand caresses my cheek.

"When do you have to go back to France?"

"I still have time. One month."

"Half an eternity for you!"

He laughs and hugs me.

And that's where I want to stay. In his arms, on his chest, smelling his scent and hearing his heartbeat. i love henry And always will.

I don't want to swear at all that times would always be rosy. That would be unrealistic. But we will give everything to continue to stick together. We'll fight for the ones we love, like we always do.

We will laugh and cry, argue and make up, fight and give up, win and lose. All of this cannot be denied. But you can hope and pray that you can get through it together.

- END -

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