THE Knight's Hidden Princess
Chapter 192: Greatest Mercy

Chapter 192: Greatest Mercy

DAHLIA POV

Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump!

My heart beat thudded steadily in my chest as I crouched down behind a log. Beside me, a man laid in the snow, staring at me with glassy eyes with an arrow stuck in his back. Red crimson stained the snow around me along with a few bodies. I could hear war cries along with cry for pleas but the sound was muffled through the thumping in my own heart.

A hand clutched mine but it was icy cold and the woman it belonged to was now staring at me with an arrow stuck in her throat. Her mouth was opened slightly as she stared at me with cold lifeless eyes. Her blonde hair was matted to the snow, now crimson thanks to the blood that flowed from my throat. She had grabbed my hand trying to escape the commotion that was happening but they got to her.

Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump!

My heart beat was the only thing I could hear, everything around me sounded muffled and the world was a blur around me. I could see the people rushing, I could also see the soldiers chasing after them, swords in their hands as they slayed everyone in their part.

"DAHLIA!"

A voice called me but it sounded muffled to my own ears, like the sound was under water. My heart continued to beat frantically in my chest and it was starting to get hard to breathe. All around me the chaos continued, the cries for help was loud but still muffled. My eyes darted around landing on bodies that couldn’t escape the soldiers.

They were dead, they were all died and it was because of me. The cold rigid hand that held on to mine was enough reminder. She still held on to me with hope that I would save her even death! I drew in a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm myself down but I was failing badly. I couldn’t breathe, I can’t breathe!

"DAHLIA!" The muffled voice yelled again sounding closer and this time around I felt a strong hand yank by my shoulders pulling me upwards. "Dahlia, Dahlia, Dahlia, look at me now. This isn’t the time for you to disappear into your mind, look at me!"

Those deep voice calling me sounded familiar, so familiar that I had to look up. Dark eyes with brows furrowed with worry stared down at me. "Branderson? Branderson is that you?" I breathed out.

Branderson smiled, as if relieved, "Yes Dahlia, it’s me." He said reaching down to grab me by my arm, "We need to run, we need to get out of here."

"They are dead, they are all dead, they are all dead, they are all..."

Branderson jerked me forward, "Hey!" He yelled causing me to look at him, "I need your head in this Dahlia. We need to run. We stay, you die! Do you understand me?

We need to run, we need to get out of here! Branderson was right! I thought to myself as I nodded my head in agreement. A relieved smile formed on Branderson’s face before he grabbed my hand close and then took off in a run.

Screams continued to fill the air, surrounding us as we ran. They were loud haunting screams that I was sure was going to keep me up for many nights to come. Screams of agony and rage pierced the midnight air as we ran. People stumbled forward, all of them trying to get to safety, some of them fell as a result of the arrows that were being fired at us.

Branderson kept a firm grip on my hand as we raced across the snow that was no longer pure but littered with dead bodies and red liquid which was as a result of those bodies. Branderson continued to run and I followed after him, when I wanted to stop to pick up an old woman who had stumbled, he didn’t let me. There was no use though, an axe was already stuck in her head and I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw bit of brain matter.

Others fell too, women, children, men, all of them slaughtered like animals in the woods. If not for Branderson who had been holding me, I would have given up. Laid down in the snow and wept for the lives I lost, lives I failed to protect.

Branches whipped overhead as we raced through the trees that watched the horror that happened in their forest. Somewhere, the sound of a horn sounded and the sound rumbled through me. Branderson bent down and slid down taking me with him as we hid behind a huge snow covered rock.

"They are looking for survivors." Branderson said at the same time we heard a loud yell.

"Find them and get the princess!" The angry voice yelled.

Branderson crouched down as he stood up a little to peek behind the rock. He must have seen something horrible because he released a curse before he crouched back down leaning against the rock. Taking in a deep breath, he turned to look at me. "Alright, I need you to listen to me." He said grabbing me by my shoulders when I didn’t look at him, "I need you to run as fast as you can. I will distract them."

I might have all my wits together as I was still reeling from the shock of everything that happened, the betrayal and the deaths. But that doesn’t mean I was going to agree to what Branderson was saying, there was no way I was agree to him sacrificing himself.

"No, no, I am not leaving you."

Branderson wasn’t having it. "There is no way that we are making it out of here alive. But if I distract them, you can survive."

"I am not leaving you here Branderson!"

"And what part of this conversation makes you believe that I was asking? I am fucking telling you to leave!" Branderson snarled, his grip on my shoulder tightening, "If you walk straight ahead without stopping, you should be able to see a small boat. Take that and do not stop until you reach the next town. Do not interact with anyone, keep to yourself and do not help anyone else. Get some supplies and leave after resting for a day, if you continue like that you will be able to reach Iravia within a couple days, five at most or maybe a week."

"Branderson..." I called my eyes getting misty.

Branderson offered me a wry smile, "Do not cry for me kid, a man like me ain’t worth those pretty tears." He said but that just made me sob a little.

This was all my fault! I was the one who led them out here, I was the one who had told them I was going to protect them. I gave them hope and told them that they were going to make it out alive. But instead they were dead, they were all dead and it was my fault.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I sobbed at the horror of what I had just done. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, all I wanted was to go home. Branderson warned me, he had told me not to be a hero. He had warned me that we westward do not die alone and we loved taking lot of good people with us. I had taught of it as nothing but words spoken from a bitter man.

But today, proved that no truer words had been spoken.

"It’s my fault, it’s all my fault." I sobbed loudly to which Branderson shushed me.

"No, child." He said his voice soothing as he grabbed my cheek gently, "Do not speak like that, none of it is your fault. You only wish to get us home and while many of us won’t make it home, you can. So let me help you princess, please. Let me do what I couldn’t do for my daughter."

I shook my head vehemently, not willing to accept it. "You will die if you stay here Branderson."

"Then death would be the greatest mercy for a man like me. It means I get to be reunited with my family." Branderson whispered, "All these years I’ve lived my life without purpose, I’ve finally found it."

"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry."

"Do not apologize my sweet girl." Branderson said, "It’s been an honor princess, you will make a fine ruler one day." Branderson said then leaned forward and place a kiss on my forehead.

I closed my eyes, allowing my tears to fall silently. Branderson smiled at me, then slowly stood up from the ground. Giving me one last look, he darted into the woods. I knew the moment they sighted him because I heard loud yells of triumph and from my hiding place I watched as all the soldiers went after Branderson like he was a prey they had been looking for.

Sniffing, I wiped away my tears and I stood up and ran!

Doing the most cowardly thing I’ve ever done in my life!

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