The Gift of War [bxb]

Saviour

Vote and comment please!

...

Ryan ran across the hallway that led to the dingy staircase and flew down the steps. In the back of his mind he could hear Fredericka trying to keep up with his pace, but mostly his brain was occupied by panic.

Amber had been imprisoned.

A Sythian girl, his subject, that he had sworn to protect and free at all costs had just been thrown into the dungeons, for seemingly no reason.

He had to see her.

The dungeons were restricted, of course, but he requested the guards to let him see the girl at once.

"No can do, mister. These are high orders." The guard shook his head. "Run back to your duties."

"Please understand, sir. I need to see her! She's my friend!" He pleaded.

"You might need to take it up with His majesty the King. The girl has been arrested on his orders."

"The king?!" He repeated, sharing a horrified look with Fredericka.

"Yes, now leave us to our work, pretty boy." The guard shooed them away.

Ryan knew what he had to do.

...

"My lord, you have to help me!"

Nusrat looked up from the book he had been reading, hair freshly wet from his bath and room lightened up by the daybreak sun. He gave the intruder a onceover before dog-earing the page he was on.

He set his book upon the table and crossed his fingers over his lap.

"Where's my chocolate?" He asked, in a matter of fact tone.

"My lord, they've captured my friend!" Ryan cried, all but begging for assistance.

"Hm, friend?"

"They've thrown her in the prison- Your highness, you must-"

Nusrat sighed.

"Please." Ryan was kneeling on the ground. "She's only a young girl."

Nusrat uncrossed his legs and stood up. "Come with me."

...

Ryan waited with bated breath as the crown prince talked to the guard manning the dungeon entrance a few feet away. He held his head down, and tried to hear some of their conversation, but with his own heartbeat ringing in his ears, he couldn't hear anything.

After a few seconds, the guard bowed and left. Prince Nusrat walked back to him and patted his shoulder.

"She'll be out in a bit."

Before Ryan could thank him, the man was gone.

...

"Rya-Rafael!"

Amber leaped into his arms. Ryan held her, murmuring little words of assurance into her hair.

"They- they threw me in, and it was so dark- and they told me I would never-"

"Amber." Ryan pulled back and grabbed her shoulders. "What happened?"

"They accused me of- of-" She lowered her voice. "Conspiracy against the throne."

"What?" Ryan's eyes held disbelief. "There's no way they would let you out so easily for a crime so grave, not even with the prince's influence."

"Well, that was the official name for it." Amber admitted, looking sheepish for the first time he had met her. "It was just petty gossip that I shouldn't have engaged in."

"What petty gossip?" Ryan asked, but he had a sneaking suspicion.

"It was just... I was just... talking about the prince and trying to find out more information-"

"Talking about what exactly?" He inquired, his tone hardening.

"About, well, how he acts, and his- his cruelty-"

"Amber." He removed his hands from her body. His voice was that of a scolding father, and his face was pinched in anger. "Listen to me, and let's put this matter to rest for once and for all."

"The man that you want to villainize so valiantly, is the same man who freed you today, and it'd do you good to remember that." He grit out. "God forbid, but if I didn't- know him- you would-"

"But, I was just- for you-" Amber stumbled over her words in order to explain herself, but Ryan had heard enough.

A feeling of disgust had scampered over him and he suddenly felt the need to flee from the cold of the dungeon.

"The crown prince is the only good man in this rotten place, he's the last man you should be concerned about."

Ryan looked at her with a soul of steel, and blue eyes icy. "As for me, you should not even bother yourself. I, can help myself. You, clearly can't."

With one last look of disdain, Ryan left.

...

Ryan felt his heart in his throat as he ran back to Prince Nusrat's chambers.

Has he just defended the prince's honour, in front of his own subject?

The Perion crown prince?

His stomach twisted at the thought, it felt so close to betrayal, and yet he didn't regret any of his words. The prince was nowhere even near him to hear him butter him up, but he had still stood up for the man as if he was one of his own. He had a spat with his own comrade, and over a strange man too. He must be going senile, it had to be some masochistic side of him that was doing this. It was the only explanation.

That dark eyed man was making him question all his previous beliefs.

"My prince." He panted, bursting into the room like a madman.

"Rafael." The prince nodded in greeting.

Ryan composed himself, dropping into a bow. "Forgive me, my lord. I want to thank you for-"

"Thank me for saving your... friend?" Nusrat smiled wryly. "You don't need to."

"But I must-"

"Rafael." Nusrat looked at him with his smouldering eyes, and Ryan's breath caught in his throat. "I know you think of me as some messiah right now, some man with a heart of gold, but the truth is, I'm not."

"What I did was for you, and no one else."

...

WOAH WOAH WOAH was that a confession??!

Guys, I'm falling in love with this story, I'm so glad I got through the writer's block

So, is Nusrat misunderstood, or is Ryan looking through his rose coloured glasses?

Your thoughts on Amber?