Chapter 107: Side Story 1: A Return Home

Alfred walked through the gates of the Palace. His breathing got heavier walking through its walls and heading towards his bedroom. He didn’t know how to react in front of Isra. Should he smile and act normal? Be serious, pretend nothing happened, or tell her the truth. He didn’t know. He stood there for minutes trying to put a smile on. He didn’t want her to know. He didn’t want her to see him as less.

With a deep breath and a fake smile, Alfred turned the door handle. His head poked through and saw her sitting there, brushing her obsidian hair. She turned her head and her eyes lit up seeing Alfred. Practically leaping out of her chair she ran over, embracing him.

Alfred froze. He looked at this hand behind her that lightly shook. Wrapping himself in her embrace, Isra looked up at him. Her smiling face dropped slightly. "What’s wrong?" Her voice was soft and gentle and Alfred took a deep, looking away, his body shaking. "Alfred?" She was worried. She pulled his face down to look down at hers and saw his eyes full of regret, disgust, and hate. She didn’t want to get suspicious of him. She knew he loved her, but how he acted made her think the worst. "Alfred. You’re scaring me. Please tell me what is it?" Her voice was panicked.

"I’m sorry Isra." His voice was soft. He walked to the bed and fell into it holding his head. He didn’t want her to know. He wished to be able to carry on and act like he had always been with her. He didn’t want her to think less of him. But he could see it on her face, hear it in her voice. If he didn’t say anything he could destroy his marriage, destroy his relationship.

His mind took him back to that day, and he gritted his teeth. His eyes began to water. He felt different about the entire thing sitting in front of Isra. He wanted to cry but couldn’t let himself. "Isra." He spoke quietly. "During the campaign in the south." He covered his mouth not knowing how to get the words out. "Something happened." He choked the words out and Isra sat next to him grabbing his hand.

"Alfred. You can tell me. It’s fine." Once more he heard her gentle and kind voice and felt terrible.

He sat up getting Isra to lean her head on his shoulder. With a deep breath, he cleared his mind. He told himself that Isra would be the only person who wouldn’t judge him for what happened. She would be the only one to treat him the same even if she knew the whole story. With this belief in mind, the tightness in his throat loosened and he felt he could finally talk properly, "During the campaign, I tried to negotiate with the invaders. Find a way to deal with things without having to throw the lives of my men away. However, I couldn’t get a legitimate deal with the current leader without a marriage to her." He froze as his mind thought of Helga.

Isra seeing him freeze up squeezed his hand in comfort. He smiled lightly at the gesture and took a deep breath, trying to push her out of his memory. "So I tried to make a deal with someone else in her camp. It was stupid and I can’t believe I would ever think it would work." His body tensed up but quickly untensed as he calmed down instantly, "Sorry. One day. When I thought I had the man I was working with on my side, he set me up. Isolated, I was poisoned, and then she arrived."

He stopped covering his mouth and shaking. His skin went white. Isra felt her heart break looking at the man who she believed could always stay strong. "She.. she...." Isra pulled him in. Her hand wrapped around behind his head and pulled him into herself. She could understand what had happened. She saw the fear on Alfred’s face. A fear of being rejected by her.

Alfred’s body was tense and relaxed in the hug. He felt himself accepted and couldn’t hold it. Silent tears fell from his eyes. Isra sat for minutes like this with him, quietly holding his head on her shoulder and letting him unwind. She could tell he needed it, having kept it bottled inside. The anger of it happening, the self-disgust, and the fear of rejection in his heart. He had needed to let all of it out and finally, he was able to do so.

She didn’t think less of him. He had already suffered enough for her to do that to him. She couldn’t bring herself to either. After minutes of silence, Alfred raised himself, his eyes red but with a relaxed face. "Isra." He spoke quietly once more. "What if she returns." He paused and gave a silent nod, "What if she got what she wanted? And returns with children. I don’t know if I could bring myself to kill them."

He hated saying it but he knew it to be true. He couldn’t kill his own children even if he hated the circumstances. Isra gave a bitter smile. It was something that was in the back of her mind.

"It’s something we will have to deal with when the time comes. As for now, we have more important things to deal with." Standing up she grabbed Alfred’s hand. "Come. You haven’t seen Edward yet have you?" Isra could see the hesitation on his face. His feelings about himself wouldn’t change quickly. It was her job to help and support him. She pulled hard forcing him to his feet. "Come. He missed you." Wrapping herself around his arm, she walked him through the Palace.

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Within his manor, William sat in his chair covered in bandages. He had a pipe in his hand and smoked as he drank. After so long at war he couldn’t think of a better way to spend his time other than to rest. His injuries had also given him the perfect opportunity to be lazy. Despite this, a knock on his door interrupted his rest. "Enter." Despite his annoyance, he kept a calm voice.

Issac walked in. "I’m sorry to bother you Father but the doctor said you gotta take the medicine now." He placed a tray of herbs down on the table, "He also said you shouldn’t be drinking right now." Issac said in a cheeky voice getting a blank stare from William. Issac laughed harder at it, while WIlliam took the herbs, dropping them in his drink.

"Why are you here?" William asked downing the drink with the herbs in it. He put a bitter face on after tasting something unpleasant.

"Two reasons." Issac didn’t bother playing, taking out a letter from within his blazer he passed it over, "Sister has sent you a letter. Second, I will be meeting His Majesty in a couple of days time. I requested an audience with him and it has been granted." William nodded opening the letter. Reading its contents he had a loving fatherly smile.

"Your sister is getting on well at the university it seems." Issac rolled his eyes.

"I know. She talks to me as well."

Putting the letter down he turned serious and looked at his son. "Why are you seeing him?"

"Remember that conversation we had. Well, I’m going to take my idea to His Majesty. I will see how he takes it. With the acquisition of the Safrid land, we are going to have to change how the administration and the movement of the armed forces are dealt with within our borders. We have a grace period of rest. The lands are still recovering from the war and don’t have time to revolt, but it will come. I’m sure he knows this, and I’m sure he will use Her Majesty to help soothe the conquered lands. But we can’t get caught out like this again, even if we are at war."

"Good," Wiliam said proudly. He wanted his son to begin to take a more direct role in the Empire and its runnings. It was a first step but he needed him to prove himself not as his son, but his own man. Saying all this, William had been thinking of something else. "Issac." His old voice spoke seriously once more. "In the near future, I may have to step down as General. My body is getting older. This war was a reality check. You are a good commander and a learned man, but you are not good enough to replace me yet in the military. I can hand you my land and dukedom, but you are not able to take control of the Military."

"If I do retire, Marcus will likely take my place. I know he is not much older than you and you may find it unfair, but it would do you good to learn from him. Become someone he must rely on like he is for me." His words weren’t a shock to Issac. He knew that compared to Marcus he lacked both the skill and charm to lead. Marcus was a man who could inspire a dead body to continue to fight and he had the skills of war necessary to back it. It was he and his father who had created so many of their drills, strategies, and wargames. Issac was also not dumb enough to think that Alfred would let such an important role in his Kingdom change hands via nepotism.

"It’s fine. I know I must improve. I just hope you give me enough time before you retire." Issac said with a smile and William returned it seeing his son understand.

"Good. Go prepare everything you need for your meeting with His Majesty. Let me return to my holiday." Issac laughed at his father’s words and left the room, leaving the old duke alone to pour another drink and relax.