"You did your best my love, and your best is more than enough, you handled it the best way you could, and I am proud of you" Those were the words Liam wished to say, but he could not. He could see the anger, pain and disappointment in Wura's eyes.
He wished he could comfort her, but he did not wish to, he was the one that needed to be comforted. He had just felt his heart shatter in his chest repeatedly. The more he thought about what he saw and Wura's reaction to his emotions just confirmed for him all the fears he had dreaded as soon as he witnessed the kiss.
"What did... Mero... suggest?" Liam asked, his voice trailed off, mentioning Mero just sent anger coursing through his veins and yet, he knew he needed this bit of information.
"Mero suggested that we wait until we had enough troops since most of them were relieved during the summer festival, and I was trying to use that time to find out ways to settle everything without violence but..." Wura sighed.
"But the East were not and they attacked." Liam said and she nodded.
"Typical, the are barbarians." Liam scoffed. "I am surprised it took them too long to attack." He said.
"It is odd, I know the East, and they would have attacked sooner, why did they not?" Liam asked.
"Because... Olamide found out that I am part Eastern and he suggested that we ally ourselves together. In his sick, twisted mind, he thought that we needed to pay for all their suffering while they are the ones that caused their suffering in the first place." Wura frowned, just thinking about how upside down the East ideals were from them made her stomach churn.
"Hmmm." Liam said, he had not expected that, but it made sense. Half of Wura's ancestry was from the East and had she been as wicked as Olamide and his men were, they would have wished for her to join them in their plans.
"He is their leader." Liam stated and Wura nodded.
"What does he look like?" he asked.
"He is not too tall, neither is he short, he had brown eyes and no hair on his head. He always ties a red scarf around his neck." Wura explained.
"Always?" he asked and she nodded.
"Always." She replied.
"Alright then. Once the shepherd is gone, the sheep will scatter." Liam said as he went through Mero's desk.
"What do you mean by that?" Wura hoped he did not say what she was thinking.
"The only way to end this war is to kill him, once he is dead, his men will have no choice but to retreat." Liam stated a fact, that was a fact in war, once the leader was gone, the men would scatter.
"You mean you are going out there to look for him?" Wura asked, her eyes filled with horror.
Liam did not say anything, he simply looked at her, his expression already gave Wura the answer she had been dreading.
"No Liam, no, please, I beg you, do not leave, do not go after him, it is too dangerous." Wura instantly begged. She could not bear to lose him again, no, not again, not after she had just got him back and still they were not on good terms.
"Can you hear yourself right now Wura? You sound so selfish. I cannot do what you are asking me to do." Liam frowned, he raised his voice slightly.
"I am the only one that can go out there and kill that man. That is my duty as king. I cannot run away just because I am scared." Liam frowned, he wanted to say that he understood her fear, but his anger would not allow him to admit such.
"But Liam, please, I beg you do not g—"
"Your Majesty... my queen." Nora walked into the tent and bowed. She interrupted Wura. Liam and Wura both turned to look at her.
"What is it Nora?" Liam asked.
"I apologize for barging in like this, however, I wish to know if I can be of help in anyway?" Nora asked.
Wura was swift to notice the way Nora barely looked at her, she just looked straight ahead. There was a cold glint in her eyes directed to her in particular and Wura knew why that was so.
"I appreciate your offer to help." Liam said. "But there is nothing you can do, the best you should do is remain calm." He said.
"Yes my king." Nora nodded. To say she was happy and surprised to see him here was an understatement, however could not have arrived at a worst time.
Liam contemplated the words that came out of his mouth next, but he just could not help himself. "How is Mero doing?"
Wura and Nora were surprised to hear him ask such a question. Nora especially felt so considering the circumstances he met his wife and most trusted confidant in.
"He is alright for the time being. The physician said the arrow did not go in too deep, he will pull it out and bandage the wound." Nora said.
"Hmm, how did he get shot in the first place?" Liam asked.
"Because of me... he was so focused on protecting me that he ignored his own safety." Wura said, she looked down, she sounded so guilty.
Both Liam and Nora turned to look at her and said nothing.
"I am sure he will recover soon... after all, he has someone who wishes for his speedy recovery." Liam said. Wura knew his words were directed towards her and her alone and she could not blame him. It was true, she did wish for his speedy recovery.
Liam tore his gaze away from Wura. Every reaction she had to his anger and the way he spoke of Mero irked him, it showed him just how much she felt something for him and it angered him so much. Liam shook his head, he could not handle standing here and seeing her. He picked up a sword and shield.
"Where are you going Liam?" Wura looked at him, she was terrified, she already knew the answer, yet, she had to ask for the sake of her sanity.
"Where else would I be going?" he replied coldly. He did not look at her; he made sure to check the sword in his hand carefully, he could not go to fight with a blunt sword.
"Liam, I beg you, do not go, please do not go." asked Wura as she looked at him with wide eyes, she did not like the sound of that at all.
"Wura I need to go. The others are probably being defeated out there, Zechariah is nowhere to be found, and I have I bad feeling about how quiet everything has been, I am sure Olamide is planning something" said Liam, he did not want to explain everything to her, yet, he found himself doing it.
"Nora, stay here with her." Liam said.
"Yes my king." Nora nodded and bowed her head.
"No Liam, no, you are going nowhere, not after I have just gotten you back" Wura cried.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I cannot do what you ask me to do!" Liam raised his voice startling both Nora and Wura.
"I cannot stay here, no, so you stay here and that is final." He said sternly.
"Where exactly do you think you are going? What are you going to do? We are outnumbered" Wura shouted, she was trying to understand what was going on in Liam's head right now, and she knew that he was focused on one thing and one thing alone.
If the circumstances were different, she would have been more understanding. But no, he was angry, he was upset, he was unsettled and that was not a good state of mind for a man that was about to go to the battlefield.
"I know where I am going and I have a plan, and you are wrong, we are not outnumbered, or at least not anymore, my men are waiting for me outside. They must have arrived by now" Liam replied angrily.
"Liam, please, please, I beg you, let us sit down and talk, just for a few minutes, you and me." Wura pleaded with him.
"There is no time for that Wura. There is no time for you to explain yourself." Liam sighed.
"Look, the more I stand here talking about this, the more time is wasted." He said and with that he walked away without giving Wura the chance to speak.
Wura groaned, she felt like breaking down in tears. Liam was so stubborn, she knew that he was stubborn, but it really showed when he was angry, he was so unrelenting. This was not the time for them not to be on the same page.
Wura turned around and her eyes met Nora's, instantly, she felt her heart melt.