“Mommy… Mommy, where are you going…?” Troy stood at the door and looked at Vyvyan who was inside, holding onto the red cape. He woke up in the middle of the night due to his special senses as a child. When he noticed that his mom wasn’t by his side, he came here guided his instincts.
Vyvyan turned her head around to look at her son. She smiled and opened her arms. Troy jogged over and hugged his mom tightly. Vyvyan held her son in her arms tightly. She didn’t speak, just wearing a peaceful smile on her face while Troy sobbed gently as he hugged his mom tightly.
He didn’t feel warmth from hugging her. Instead, he felt the ice cold feeling of metal and smell the scent of grass. His mom wasn’t wearing the dress she usually wore. She was dressed in battle armour and wore the elf king cape that was worn when heading out to the battlefield.
Vyvyan gently reached her hand out to stroke her child’s head and softly said: “Son, mommy’s son, don’t cry. Mommy… mommy needs to make a trip outside. Mommy will play with you when mommy returns, okay?”
“Mommy… Mommy… I don’t want you to leave… Please don’t leave me… I’ll miss you mommy…….”
“Silly child, mommy won’t leave you. Mommy is going to do something so that mommy will be able to stay by your side forever. Mommy will return to you as soon as mommy is done. Just this once. Mommy promises, it’s just this once. Once mommy has finished up, mommy will definitely return to you, and never leave again.”
Vyvyan sniffled as she embraced her child. She then let go and cupped Troy’s face. She wore a smile as she wiped the tears on his face and then said: “Mommy will never leave you, son. You will always be my most beloved son. Mommy will definitely come back. Mommy will definitely stay by your side always.”
“Mommy… mommy… mommy! I want to stay by mommy’s side forever too.” Troy leaned into her and hugged her tightly. Vyvyan froze up for a moment and sobbed before returning Troy’s hug. Her tears ran down her face and dropped onto her son’s body. She hugged her son tightly, feeling the warmth from his body and smelling the scent on his body.
Every step she took, took her further and further away from her child. But with every step that she took, her child became safer.
Vyvyan knew that she would most certainly die if the imperial city were to come under attack. However, she also knew that her son would be fine. But she was Troy’s true mother. She was the elf queen. She couldn’t bear to part with her child. She made up her decision while crying. She had to take to the battlefield for the sake of the elves and her son.
That woman will surely take to the battlefield too. Rather than calling the battle tomorrow a war, it would be better to call it a battle of determination between two mothers. Perhaps she couldn’t compare to Elizabeth in many ways. However, her love for son was no less, no less true, and no less intense than Elizabeth. She was not going to let anyone get close to her child.
Indeed, both sides were selfish in this war. Thousands upon thousands of humans and elves lost their lives for a single child. As a matter of fact, they didn’t even know what they were fighting for.
Vyvyan looked into her child’s eyes, and with a sad and painful expression gently said: “Son, your kindness is a gift the heavens gave you. However, you will forever carry a blood-debt. Mommy doesn’t hope that you will achieve any great accomplishments, or become an outstanding king. Mommy just wishes that you will be able to hold onto your kindness… that alone is enough… Promise me, son. Promise mommy that you will be a kind child no matter what happens in the future.”
“Uhm… Mommy, I promise you.”
Troy didn’t know what his mom was talking about, but he nodded earnestly regardless. Vyvyan pulled him into her arms again and cried. She then stood up as if she had made an important decision. She let go of Troy and said: “Son… Do you still remember what mommy told you about elven kings wearing on their battle robe before heading out to battle? Come, repeat it once for mommy. Mommy is going to go out for a bit.”
“Uhm… I hope that you remember the bravery of the previous kings, the kindness of the gods… I pray that the kings and gods… will protect your life and honour… Devote your every heartbeat… to… to… to the elves… the immortal tree… Do not forget…the gazes of the people behind you. Wear the red cape and soak it in blood… Nourish the tree of life with the corpses of your enemies. Please remember your honour and the honour of the elf tribe… Please remember the gods… the gods… the kindness bestowed by the gods… Now that you have worn the cape, you must return victorious with it, or cover your corpse with it!”
The obscure yet domineering elven words flowed out of the child’s mouth. Vyvyan’s expression was stern yet sad. She looked at the red cape before her and then wore it on. The cape spread open following Vyvyan’s movements, carrying with it murderous intent and a majestic aura. Troy looked at his mom put on her battle robe blankly. While he was indeed a child, he knew what his mom was going to do.
To him, there wasn’t much honour or respect that came from war. He just knew that war meant people were going to die. He just knew that there were some who never returned after heading out to the battlefield.
Troy hugged his mom’s leg tightly as he cried: “Mommy! Mommy! Don’t leave me! No!!”
Vyvyan lowered her head. She bit down on her lips hard, causing blood and tears to run down. She bit down on her lips to prevent her cries from being heard. She stretched her trembling hand out and aggressively pulled her child’s hand away. Troy cried out in a high pitched voice as he tried to resist, tightly hugging his mom’s leg, refusing to let go……
“Mommy… mommy!! Mommy!!”
Troy’s cries made it feel like a sharp sword was being stabbed into her heart. Vyvyan’s tears blurred her vision. Her hands had become so weak she couldn’t pull his fingers off.
“Imperial guards! Take his highness away!”
After Vyvyan shouted her orders in her hoarse voice, two guards quickly came in and held the prince back and forcibly removed his fingers. Troy cried loudly and shrieked out loud, desperately twisting and turning his body, kicking, hitting and even biting to try to escape the grasp of the guards. He rushed to his mom.
“Mommy!! Mommy!! Don’t go mommy! Don’t go!! Mommy, stay with me! I beg you! I beg you! Mommy! Mommy, don’t leave me! Mommy!”
Troy’s cries went into Vyvyan’s ears and to her brain. She couldn’t think about anything. Her mind was filled with her child’s cries. She pressed her hand onto her cape. She hesitated as she watched her child’s desperate cries. Her tears completely obstructed her vision.
“Your highness! Please head out immediately!”
Vyvyan quickly left the room, but her knees became weak, causing her to fall to her knees.
Vyvyan covered her face with her hands as her tears ran through the gaps between her fingers. Her body quivered which made her look tiny in the corridor. She clenched her teeth tightly as she repeatedly persuaded herself that she couldn’t go back.
“Troy! Troy!! Mommy won’t leave you! Mommy… mommy will definitely return!!”
***********************************
Outside of the imperial elven city, the empress sat atop her horse, standing at the outer-most set of trees as she looked at the imperial elven capital which was nothing more than a pitch black image from her position. She also looked at the brightly lit castle in silence.
Castell came over on his horse. He panted gently as he said: “Your majesty, our units have completed their preparations. The generals have set up. We can attack tomorrow morning.”
“Uhm.”
The empress started to fall into a daze as she looked at the imperial capital. She stayed silent for a long while before saying: “After we get into the elven imperial capital tomorrow, you may enter the palace. However, if you see a nine year old child with black hair and black eyes, do not hurt him. You are not to tie him up or treat him violently either. If my son has a single scratch on him, I’ll wipe out this entire army, from generals to soldiers. Now go pass on my orders.”
“Understood!”
Castell rode to the back again. The empress looked at the elven capital and chuckled coldly before turning around. Before her were fire torches, the neighs of war-horses and rows of cannons. The five strongest human platoons were gathered here. The most skilled warriors were awaiting the time to strike. Tomorrow is the day I’ll bring my son home!
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