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ARCHER KEEPS HIS SWORD at Millard’s neck, with Ceryn flanking them, weapon aloft, tear stained face, filled with a fury, daring anyone to come near her, to dare attempt a rescue of Millard.
Threading through the dead bodies, there is loss on both sides, but it seems as though Millard’s men, their scarlet livery matching their blood, have been wiped out.
Everleigh’s new army look dazed, wiping blood off their faces, clapping other survivors on their backs, lowering their heads in honour of the dead that they knew, liked, loved.
The courtyard is in a slumber of death, silent, eerily silent. So much blood, bodies without heads, heads without bodies, and at the back, blood on her dagger and shock colouring her face, is Everleigh.
Ceryn rushes to her side, the dagger drops to the floor and Ceryn collapses into her arms, her pain at losing Weaver mixing with Everleigh’s pain at the whole event. “What happened? Are you alright?”
The anguish on Archer’s face is painful; he wants to comfort Everleigh and be comforted, but he will not let go of Millard. “Alright?” He mouths the word, and she nods, shakily.
“I’m fine. One of Millard’s men got to me. Will and Ginata were fighting already so I had to kill him.” She’s quaking, tears running down her face.
“Weaver’s dead.”
“No!”
Ceryn is sobbing. “Wolf killed him but I killed Wolf.”
Everleigh looks at Millard, disgust and contempt on her face. “I’m glad you killed Wolf. I’m so sorry, for you both.”
They nod silently, accepting her condolences for the loss of their friend, unable to process their grief.
“Ceryn, take him to Ginata’s rooms. Stay with him. Do not let him go.”
“If he moves a muscle I don’t want him to, I’ll kill him.”
Everleigh knows it’s true. Ceryn takes hold of Millard and leads him away. “One wrong move,” she says to him as they walk and he must believe her because he doesn’t try to escape or fight.
Archer goes to Everleigh’s side. “It’s over,” he whispers into her ear, holding her tightly. “It’s all over.”
“Weaver...”
“I know. I can’t-”
They hold each other tightly, silently.
She turns to her men, the men who are still alive, who have streamed into the courtyard.
Silence settles over the men, weapons lowered. They all look to Everleigh.
“Thank you. I can never do anything for you that matches what you have done for me. I cannot make up for the pain, the hurt, the loss. But I will be a good Queen.”
There is a quiet roar of approval – more reserved and less hearty than the roar when she first met them, but a roar all the same.
“We need to clear the bodies, get Cook, fill the great hall with food and ale.”
Archer gestures for one of the oldest stable boys; he gives him instructions while Everleigh turns to Will and Ginata. “Thank you.” She wipes the blood off Will’s face. “Are you hurt?”
He shakes his head, no.
“Ginata? Are you alright?”
Ginata is white faced and shaking. “I’m fine.”
“Let’s go.”
Everleigh takes Archer’s hand. They make their way through the sea of dead bodies, slipping in the blood, tears flowing. “Oh, no!” Everleigh sees a familiar form, face down in the blood. She drops to the floor next to him.
The teacher.
She turns him on to his back, hand to his chest, shaking her head. “Please, no.” She touches his face, his skin, so much blood. She moves his cloak aside but cannot see a wound. She shakes him again, desperate for him to be alright.
He turns his head, groaning. Alive.
Sobbing with relief, she feels Archer put his arms around her, but she cannot move. This man saved Archer’s life, twice, what would they have done without him?
Will hunkers next to him taking an arm, Archer takes the other one. The teacher opens his eyes as they lift him to his feet. Wincing as he smiles, his whole body is shaking. “I thought my end had come.”
“We thought it had too. Are you alright?”
“I’ve been better.”
They smile at his wit, even so close to death, he can joke.
“I think I was knocked out. I have no injury that I can feel. The blood is not my own.”
Everleigh touches his shoulder, and they move through the crowd together, leaving the battle scene behind and head in to the castle. Ginata follows silently behind.
Inside Ginata’s room, Millard is on his knees. Ceryn is stood behind him, the point of her sword on the back of his neck; he obviously hasn’t tried to escape.
Everleigh ignores them both, sweeping past him and into Ginata’s bedroom. Addyson is waiting for her, Della beside her, and they sink into each other’s arms. “It’s over. It’s over. Wolf is dead and Millard’s next door. We’ve got him.”
The tears are a mix of everything they have felt and everything they have gone through over the past few days and everything they have lost. Della has her hand on Addyson’s back.
“It’s all over. You should have seen my army, Add, hundreds of them, maybe more, all ready to fight for me. And they did. We won. But we lost, too. Weaver is dead.” She cries again, sobbing for every death, every lost life, on both sides.
“What can I do?” Della, always practical, ready to help, despite her own sadness, her personal loss.
“I cannot face him.”
“You have to. You have to finish this.” Addyson’s voice is hard.
“I can’t. I’m covered in blood. So many people died for our fight today. I can smell it on me, the death, the destruction. I’m done.”
Della puts a hand on her cheek. “Queen, you will never be done. You are about to rule the Realm you were born to rule, destined to fight for. You cannot waiver now, not right at the end, not after everyone who fought for you, died for you.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I am Queen, now, with Millard caught. I have to do this.”
Archer pokes his head around the door. “All alright?”
Everleigh nods. “I was just having a wobble.”
He comes to her side, and takes her hand, kisses her forehead, her cheek, her lips. “You’re the Queen of the Realm. You’re allowed to wobble.”
Everleigh laughs, a shaky sound, but a laugh. “Della, listen to me?”
“Always.”
“If Millard says anything to you, anything about Finn, don’t listen.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s nasty minded. He’ll want to upset you, hurt you. Ignore him.”
Della stands up straight. “I will, or else I’ll clip his ear!”
Everleigh and Addyson hold on to each other. “I cannot wait to end Millard’s life for all that he has done.”
“Can I be there?”
Everleigh nods.