The Foreign Bride

Twenty-Three

This was possibly the last time she would see her husband. The last time she would touch him or taste or hear or feel him. She could lose him all the next day.

They laid there on the makeshift bed, touching and kissing and memorizing little details so that if separated, they'd never forget how strong their love was. They'd never forget the moment that the said their goodbyes.

"I'm going to come back, love." Edward whispered. She watched his jaw move as he continued to speak, his five o' clock shadow moving roughly against her skin. "I'll be back in time to see you and Ed and to take care of things, alright? And then, we can continue on number two of our clan."

Annalisa stared into his soft, hazel, green eyes that had the mysterious white dot in it that he claimed was the mark of the King. She, on the other hand, knew it was the thing that made him so clumsy. But how she loved it so.

"What about after that?" She asked as she moved to memorize another part of him. She kissed his collarbone softly, but Edward didn't seem fazed by it.

"We can have another and another and another until we can have no more. They can run around the castle screaming so loud they scare all our enemies away. Meanwhile, you and I will grow old together. And eventually, I will give little Edward the title and we can live somewhere deep in the country where the roosters always wake us up every morning." He pulled her up and started to help her dress.

The morning had come and they both knew that Annalisa would have to make her way back to the castle. She could not be here when the war happened. She had a duty to take care of her son and her people while her husband was away.

Annalisa smiled and touched his face, "I love you."

"And I, you. Now, the horse awaits your arrival, your majesty, and if you don't leave now, the King may have to punish you when he gets back!" Edward said, lifting her up onto the horse.

Annalisa leaned down for one more kiss, "Promise me?"

Edward sighed, leaning his forehead against hers, "I cannot do that, love. But I will always be in your heart."

Annalisa nodded. She started her ride away from him and watched as the base camp disappeared. Slowly, tears streamed down her face as she clutched the small locket he had given her moments before along with a box of things he wanted her to have in case he never did return.

And that was what scared her the most. The fear of losing her husband was what consumed her at night- she almost always woke up screaming and thrashing and crying.

He was too great for her to lose.

Not even for her life.

~~~~

Annalisa rocked her son in her arms gently next to his bed, singing a soft lullaby. His warm, brown eyes blinked up at her without any comprehension.

"My Queen," Bridget, her trusted handmaiden, called softly.

Annalisa tore her eyes away from her son to meet the eyes of Bridget, "Any word? Please say you have something." She begged.

Little Edward looked up at his mother and then at his second favorite woman, "Dada?"

Bridget came forward a took Edward out of her arms in order to place him in his bed, "You'd a better come with me, m'lady."

She kissed her son on the head, "Mama will be right back, my love."

Annalisa stood and followed her out of the room and over to her own, where she sat down on the plush bed and stared at the maid.

"M'lady, this is mighty hard to tell you. The messenger just arrived from the camp and-"

Annalisa let out a cry, "And he is dead? I felt it! I know he is, isn't he?"

Bridget held out her hands, "Now, I didn't say that Madame, but what we do know is that he's been a missin' since this mornin'. They are still a lookin' for either him or his corpse."

Annalisa closed her eyes and stood, walking over to the window. Her hands grasped the wooden railing and she squeezed. The thought of it made her ill. She hated to hear the words that meant his death, "How did I not see this coming?"

"No one did, M'lady." Bridget replied, her voice trying to soothe Annalisa.

"I was afraid he would never come back and he promised me he would. H-He has broken his promise, Bridget. He promised me he would come back to me."

Bridget opened her mouth to speak several times before finally saying, "Not all of us can keep the promises we make. Sometimes, you'd just have da say 'em to get on by."

Annalisa gasped over the tears that tore her face apart, "But we were going to rule together. Have a hundred kids after the war. G-grow o... ol-ld together and..." Her hand shook and all she could do was cry.

She sank to the ground, with Bridget holding her tightly as Bridget whispered, "All we can do is pray."

~~~~

Drake kicked at a shied at his feet and stepped over a dead soldier. He hated the dead. Like hated with a dark passion that burned deep inside his half dark heart.

After all, he had just lost his wife. The only person he would ever love. The only person that would ever claim his heart. He had given her his all only to have death steal her away.

His Katherine.

"Edward," He called, grazing his eyes over the dead field, "I swear if I lose you too, today, I'm going to make sure you end up in hell and get tortured because you are not leaving me. Not now."

He kicked at another guy's face. Stupid death. Stupid, stupid, stupid death.

"First you take my wife- the woman I love and then my best friend? Who do you think you are dealing with?" Drake mumbled.

"Drake..." A strained voice called.

Drake turned and looked down at the dirty body covered in blood reaching for him.

"Edward, what the-" he started but he really couldn't speak.

The two of them knew he wouldn't make it very far. There was no way Edward could survive that long, endure that much pain.

"I need your help... T-to get... me back... to h-her."