An Undecided Fate

Chapter 10

Hey guys! I apologize for not updating last week. I was on a trip so I didn't get the time to write a new chapter then. In case if you forgot, George and Fernando are Alexander's and Henry's friends. George and Fernando are brothers as well.

"What's the matter, Alex?" Henry came running down the stairs.

"There's no time for rest Henry!"

"What do you mean?"

"We are leaving for the battles tonight."

A perplexed Henry stared back at his brother, shocked at his sudden change of plans - again. Eventually Jenny, Gabriella, and Harold ran down the stairs.

"Is everything alright boys?" Harold asked, worried.

"Yes, yes it is," Alexander said coldly, still glaring at Henry. 

"No! No it's not father!" Henry protested, "Your son, here, is making yet another sudden decision - but this one isn't so good, just to warn you!"

"What is it now?!" Gabriella yelled.

"I apologize mother and father - and Jenny as well - but we will be leaving for the battles tonight itself." 

A startled Gabriella immediately plopped onto the floor.

"Mother!" Jenny grabbed onto her mother's shoulders and tried to console her.

"Cassandra!" Harold called out. "Please come down here dear! Did you know anything about this?"

Cassandra quickly wiped her wet face and ran to the living room. 

"Do you know why he change his mind again?" Harold asked urgently.

"I truly don't," she said in a clear voice, trying not to show that she had been crying. 

Alexander knew that this would just lead on to another family argument - which he strongly despised. Thankfully, Alexander was a responsible man so he packed his necessities and his brother's way ahead of time. 

"Alex where are you going?" Jenny yelled to him as he ran up the stairs. She jerked her head towards Alexander giving Cassandra the signal to go talk to him. Under her command, Cassandra ran up the stairs, trying to catch up with her fuming husband. She quickly ran into his room before he could to stop him. 

"Get out of my way," he ordered her coldly.

"Not until you tell me why on earth you decided to leave tonight," she said, with the slightest bit of anger in her voice.  When she refused to budge, Alexander shoved her to get into the room.

Before he could reach the handle of the closet she stood in his way, again - except this position seemed far more awkward than when she blocked him from going to his room. 

"What are you trying to do, woman?" 

"I'm trying to stop you from making a terrible decision!"

This time, for some reason, he softly moved her from his way to the handle of the closet. 

Cassandra gave up. Things were just impossible to work out with this man - or maybe she just wasn't strong enough. She eventually followed him down the stairs. Jenny looked at her in hope and Cassandra sadly shook her head, implying that she couldn't do anything. 

"Captain Joseph is already at Charleston, South Carolina," Alexander told Henry as he was quickly putting on his coat and getting out Henry's.

"So?"

"We are going to be there as well."

"But-"

"Let's go!" Alexander pulled onto Henry's arm and forced him to get on his horse. Alexander got onto his as well.

Despite the fact that Cassandra was extremely angry at Alexander, she ran out the door.

"Wait!"

Alexander turned himself and his horse around. 

"What do you want?" he asked her coldly.

Doesn't he get it?

"You're leaving...now?" she looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.

Before Alexander could feel sympathetic for her, he looked away.

"Yes, Cassandra, we're leaving now." 

"Alexander, I can't believe you," his sister strolled her way towards the duo.

He frowned, still looking away. Jenny then turned to Cassandra, "You know what Cassandra? You shouldn't have bothered to come all this way for him."

Cassandra stared back in confusion.

"You should be glad that you won't be seeing this cold-hearted man for another at least ten months!"

Ten months. At least ten months?

Jenny wrapped an arm across Cassandra's back.

"Come on Cassandra. Just let him leave."

She was shocked at Jenny's words. Her beloved brother is leaving for God knows how long and she didn't even bid him farewell?

Alexander, as well, was shocked at Jenny's words. 

"Oh," Jenny turned around and tried to keep a kind smile.

"Goodbye Henry, may God be with you."

Henry nodded and gave a small smile back, "Goodbye Jenny. And goodbye Cassandra. We'll be sure to return," he said.

"May God be with you Henry," Cassandra replied softly and managed to smile.

Having no words left to say, Alexander gave the command to his horse and it began to walk away from the home he may or may not ever see again. Henry followed suite. 

"I'll miss you mother! You too father! And I'll miss you most Jenny! Goodbye!" Henry waved at his family one last time and then continued to follow his brother. 

"Goodbye Alexander," Cassandra whispered, even though he already trotted off. 

***

"You said one more week!" Henry exclaimed at Alexander once they were a few blocks away from their home. 

"I guess I just realized that if our devoted Captain Joseph is already near Fort Sumter, it's not right that we just relax for a whole week," he lied, then realized that what he said was partially true. 

Henry was too ticked off to even reply. 

"I've packed everything we needed for at least the next week, we will have access to more supplies once we get to Charleston," Alexander changed the subject. 

"Can we get from New York to South Carolina in just a week?"

"Hopefully, if we don't take too many breaks."

"What if it takes us longer?" 

"George and Fernando said that they will be leaving tomorrow. So if they catch up to us, they could share some of their food - they always of so much extras of everything, you know."

***

Jenny lead Cassandra to Alexander's room - where she would be staying until he came back. Cassandra sat on the bed and stared at the wall in front of her for hours. She mentally tried to relive every moment she had with Alexander. 

If she could do this now, then she could do this for the entire time that he's out for the battles. 

"How arrogant he may have been to me, how stern he may have been to me, or how intimidating he may have been to me...why does my poor heart have to ache in his absence already?"