Chapter Twenty Five: A Guilty Conscience

"M'lady?"

"Walter!" She cried as she saw Walter in the distance. They were in the midst of a thick fog and she waves to get his attention. He doesn't notice her and continues to call out to her.

"M'lady, where are you?"

"I'm here, Walter!" She shouted as she jumped and waved at him but still he didn't see her.

She runs to him but she doesn't seem to be moving from her spot.

"Walter, I'm here!" She shouted. "Please, look at me!"

He still doesn't see or hear her.

"M'lady? M'lady?!" Walter shouted as he was becoming more concerned.

All of a sudden the fog became thicker around Walter, engulfing him within it.

"No, no!" She screamed hysterically. "Walter! Walter!"

The fog covers Walter and she hears him cry out in pain.

"No!" She kept screaming as she ran to nowhere.

Her eyes began to well up and her throat started to sting as her feet continued to move but she never inched any closer.

"M'lady, where… Where were you?" Walter cried out weakly.

There was a grave silence and she started to sob. She collapsed to her knees and she hit the ground with her fists in frustration and grief.

"Where were you?" She heard a voice whisper.

She hears the sound of footsteps walk towards her and she saw boots in front of her. She looks up slowly; her breathing was hard and fast. She almost screamed as she sees Walter's hollowed eyes and torn, bloodied face.

"W...Walter?" She whimpered.

"Where were you when I needed you?" He hissed.

"I…I..." She wasn't sure on how to answer. "I was here. I tried…"

"You didn't try. You left me. You abandoned me…"

"I didn't! I tried!" She cried as she stood up.

When she straightens up, Walter is gone.

"Walter?" She asked hesitantly as she turns to see that he was now standing a little further ahead. She's runs to him and notices he has his back to her.

"Walter?" She said uncertainly.

No response.

"Walter."

Still no response.

"Please, look at me." She begged as she turned to face him but all that was there was the back of his head.

Confused, she walks all around him but only ever saw the back of his body.

"What the…?" She muttered as panic started to course in her mind.

She stopped as Walter's body began to rotate on the spot and a terrible grinding noise could be heard. As she was about to come face to face with him,

"My lady!"

She gasps and opens her eyes. She sees Reaver lying beside her.

"Morning, my dear. Nightmare?"

"What the…!" She exclaims before falling out of the bed.

She realises she is naked and grabs at her clothes which was piled by the bed and presses them against herself. Her head throbbed from the quick movement.

"Ow…" She winced and she puts her hand to her head.

"Are you alright?" Reaver asked as he sat up.

"Ah, yes. Kind of." She said flustered. "Why are you…? Did we…? Ugh…"

She groans out of frustration as her brain failed her with words.

"What is it that you want to ask?" Reaver said as he got out of bed, revealing he was also naked and she quickly turns away.

"For the love of Avos, put some clothes on first!" She said in annoyance.

"It's not like you haven't seen this wonderful body before." He said.

"Please?!"

"Since you asked nicely."

She heard Reaver scuffling as he puts his clothes back on.

"Ok, I'm decent." He said.

"Good. Now get out while I get dressed." She said sternly.

"But it's nothing I haven't seen before. Especially, since I was reminded last night…"

She tries to recall the scenario from last night. She cringes as the last thing she could remember was Reaver stripping her. She groans from straining her memory.

"Beside the point, just get out!" She said angrily.

"Fine, but I wouldn't wear those if I were you. They're covered in wine." Reaver sang at her.

"I don't have any other choice, do I?" She snapped as her brain punished her for raising her voice.

"Actually, you do. They're piled in that corner." He said as he pointed to beside the dresser where there was a fresh set of clothes neatly stacked as he stood at the door.

"But how? Who?" She said confused.

"Someone dropped them off this morning while you were asleep." He explained with a little bit too much joy. "They seemed awfully embarrassed but then again, we were cuddled up naked…"

She carefully picks up the fresh set of clothes so not to reveal anything.

"Who did?" She asked.

"That fellow, I forget his name. Must be the old age…" Reaver said. "Waldo?"

"Walter." She growls before it hits her. "Walter!"

She groans and curses at herself as her head violently throbbed.

"Yes, him!" Reaver said as he opened the door a little. "I keep mixing him up with Waldo. I wonder whatever happened to him…. Could never find him…"

"Out! Now!" She shouted.

Reaver rapidly closes the door before his face met a bolt of lightening. She sits on the bed slowly and groans from the dull pain in her head.

"Dammit…" She mumbled as she carefully gets dressed.

As she fastened the last of the buttons on her new blouse, there was a knock on her door.

"Ouch…. Yes?" She said.

Walter enters the room with a stoic expression. Despite that, her heart still fluttered.

"Walter." She said pleasantly surprised. "Good morning."

"Mornin'" He grumbled.

He didn't once look at her and as far as she could tell, he looked very upset. He draws something from his belt and places a health potion on top of her drawers.

"For your head." He muttered. "If you're hungry, they're serving breakfast in the mess hall."

"Thank…"

Walter leaves and shuts the door.

"…You…" she finished sadly.

Disappointed, she drank the health potion and her head began to throb less and less till an immediate stop. She puts on her coat as she leaves the building.

She looks up at the sky to see the sun peeping behind the grey clouds. She ignores the curious stares of the few men who had finished their breakfasts early and hears loud chatter and jovial laughter as she neared the mess hall.

As she entered, a blanket of silence covers the men inside, except in the corner where her old squad called out to her.

"Your majesty, over here!" Lee called out.

"Hurry up, your majesty! Before the greedy pigs eats everything!" Kyle called out jokingly.

"Ryan and Sam have pancakes! We have no bloody idea where they came from!" Jacob laughed.

She gulped as she made her way over to their table. With each step she took, it felt like the entire room was watching her every move. Even as she sat down, she could still feel their eyes on her.

The Queen's Wings greets her as if she had never been gone except for one member. Walter got up and walked off as soon as she had sat down and before he exits the hall, he shouts out to the entire room,

"What are you lot staring at?! Eat and leave!" Before marching out.

The other men do as they were told and continued to eat and chatter but the atmosphere is less jovial.

Noticing the sad look on her face, they decided to try and take her mind off it.

"Want something to eat?" Tim asked.

She shakes her head silently.

"It might make you feel better." Guy said as he shook an apple at her.

"No thank you." She said, smiling.

Steve, who sat at the end of the table, stands up and walks over to a table covered with platters of food and drink. He returns to her with pieces of fruit, bread and butter and an apple juice.

"Just like being served at the castle again." He said with a cheeky smile as he placed the plate in front of her.

"Thanks." She said gratefully.

"Although, the food here compared to the castles, this stuff would probably taste like cardboard." Michael said in jest.

"You know what would go great with your strawberries?" Sam said as he and Ryan approached her with cheeky grins.

"Pancakes!" They both exclaim as they pile some of their pancakes onto her plate.

"Hey! You don't share with us!" Tim said.

"You don't need them." Ryan said cowering.

"Too sweet for you." Grinned Sam.

"At least tell us where you're getting this stuff from?" Dan said.

The men started laughing and joking as they try to figure out Ryan and Sam's secret of appearing items while the Hero ate quietly.

"You're being rather quiet. Upset stomach?" Asked John with a serious tone.

"It's a nice change though." George joked.

Carl nudges George.

"Shut it." Carl said. "Don't worry about them" He gestured at the soldiers and guards. "They're a bunch of stiffs anyway."

"They're good men and good fighters." Joe said, smiling reassuringly. "A bit hard headed…"

"They'll come around." Lenny said calmly as he smiled at her (which surprised her a little.)

The rest of the men agree and start comforting her. She smiles at them all.

"Thanks guys." She said in appreciation. "I wouldn't know what to do without you lovable idiots."

"Aww!" They all exclaimed mockingly.

Lee hugs her and starts cooing her while Luke and Dan feigned crying into their napkins and the rest of the men carried on joking with her.

"Getting mushy on us?" Ted asked.

"Did you miss us that much?" Asked Guy.

"Would the Hewo Queen want a wittle huggy wug?" Cooed Sean.

"Knock it off you guys!" She laughed as she tried to swat away the nearest men to her. "Get away from me!"

The sound of their laughter made the entire room stare at them in confusion and annoyance as they bombarded their Queen with jokes and napkins.

Reaver is leaning on the door frame of the entrance to the mess hall. He is smiling and chuckling to himself at the commotion in the corner of the room and how happy the Hero seemed to be.

"Are you actually going to go in and eat or are you going to block the way like some silly sod?"

Reaver turned around to see who the growling voice belongs to and faces a disgruntled Walter.

"Me? Eat in there? Avos forbid." Reaver laughed and walks around Walter to leave.

"Hey!" Walter shouted after him and he turns around with a curious expression "If you mess with the Queen, it wouldn't matter if you're friend or foe, I will kill you."

Reaver scoffs and walks over to him so they're only inches away from each other.

"I think you'll find I've already 'messed' with the Queen. And she enjoyed every dirty moment." Reaver smirked.

Walter inhaled deeply and clenches his fists.

"Oh, I know you're not happy about this, considering you are pining for her like some sad puppy, and yes she does have a soft spot for strays…" Reaver examines Walter up and down in distaste. "However, if you remember correctly, I was married to her and we had a very loving and passionate marriage. She may have a soft spot for runts but last night she made clear that she has an even softer spot for me."

Walter goes to punch Reaver in the face but he feels two people restrain him.

"What are you doing, soldier?" He heard Turner said, outraged.

"Let me go! I'm going to wring his neck! See how immortal he is with a crushed wind pipe!" Walter roared.

"Keep your composure, Walter!" Swift said in concern.

A few men were watching the struggle in shock and interest.

"You should listen to your superiors. Nobody likes a rogue especially the Queen." Reaver chuckled.

Walter started to struggle harder which makes it more difficult for Swift and Turner to restrain him so the few men run to help to stop Walter's rage.

"Or perhaps she does. Who knows? You won't." Reaver said as he turns to leave and waves.

When he disappears beyond a corner of a ruined home, the men holding Walter, releases him. Walter stands in his position, breathing heavily. His face was gleaming red and his face was covered in sweat.

"Bastard!" He called out.

The Hero can be seen exiting the mess hall with the Queen's Wings.

"Walter?" She said concerned.

He glances at her with shame in his eyes then storms away without another word. The squad look to her and to each other before the majority followed close behind Walter. She tries to catch up with them but Lee, Steve and Hugh step in front of her.

"I don't think it's the best idea to follow him at the moment." Hugh said.

"Quite right." Swift said rubbing his neck. "Why don't you take the Queen to the artillery to polish weapons and whatnot?"

She looks worriedly towards Walter's direction but allows the men to steer her away. At the artillery, they are checking the supply of ammo for the base, accounting for any missing weapons and polishing fire arms and weapons. The only people doing this menial task are her, Steve, Lee, Hugh and a couple of guards who came nowhere near them, not that they noticed as they conversed with each other.

"So I kicked this chicken and poof! It was bloody gone!" Hugh chuckled.

Despite their light hearted topics, they knew at the back of their minds was Walter. A couple of hours pass by and they see John jogging into the artillery towards them.

"Hey John. What's up?" Steve greeted.

"Hey guys, nothing. Nothing." John said unconvincingly. "Sorry, your majesty. Do you mind if I take these sorry sacks of spuds for a moment?"

"Nope." She said with a fake smile. "Go ahead; they were starting to make me miss my hangover anyway."

"We'll be quick." Steve winked at her.

"Won't be long. Have fun!" Lee said bouncing out.

"Don't miss us too much." Hugh said jokingly.

She laughs and waves them off. She continued to polish the fire arms and ticking them off the checklist but without her friends, the room was eerily quiet other than the dull thud as she puts a pistol back on the table. She is in a world of her own until she heard something from the guards she was left with.

"Unbelievable. How she can come back and assume control is beyond me." One guard said in disgust.

"Come off it. She's here polishing guns. There's no way she's in control." Hissed the other guard.

"Yeah I know. But knowing her, she'll want to be the leader again since she used to be a hero."

"Pfft… Some hero. Fights off some mad man with the help of three other heroes and then runs away when another enemy comes along and she can't face him on her own."

She sniffs loudly and wipes her eyes.

"Ssh! I think she heard us!" Whispered the first guard.

"Do you think so?" Hissed the second.

As they were deciding whether or not her hearing was good enough to have heard them, Steve, Lee and Hugh return. The guards start cowering and attempt to avert their gaze but Hugh notices.

"Got something to say?" He threatened.

"No, no." They whimpered.

Hugh glances over at her and she shakes her head a little.

"Alright then, as you were." He said as he glared at them.

They return to her, smiling. She was unconvinced though; she's known them long enough to know those were smiles of unease. She stays quiet about it and they continue as if they were never interrupted.

At lunch in the mess hall, the atmosphere in the building was tense; even the squad's table was less jovial (by a little.)

She was listening to the men trying to interrogate John about his ragged, old jacket but then notices that Walter was nowhere to be seen.

"What's the matter?" Bill asked in concern.

"Oh, nothing. It's stupid." She said cheerfully, hoping to shake them off.

"We can deal with stupid." Ted said. "What is it?"

"It just feels like the squad isn't right at the moment." She muttered sadly.

They all stop smiling and exchanged a look at each other. Dan and Luke ate their lunch quickly, Sam and Ryan looked down at their doughnuts with guilty expressions and the rest of the men looked away, staying quiet.

"Come on guys. What are those looks for?" She asked suspiciously.

"Should we tell her?" Muttered Sean.

"Shut up!" Hissed Guy.

"Tell me what?" She asked.

When they remained silent, she looked hurt at the men.

"You guys never hid anything from me before, so why start now?" She said.

"I gotta tell her…" Lee said sympathetically at her.

"Don't! It'll just cause trouble!" Jacob hissed.

"But she's has a right to know." Michael said.

"It'll hurt her feelings." Kyle said with worry.

"But withholding it will hurt her feelings anyway." John said.

"It may bring her comfort to know." Lenny said calmly.

"Or it would piss her off beyond measure." Dan said.

"Someone's got to tell her." George said sternly.

The group pauses as they consider it.

"I'm not." Carl said.

"Me either." Jake said meekly.

"Not it." Sam said as he threw his hand in the air and accidently knocks a plate from a passing soldier. "Sorry…"

"Not me." Ted said as he put a finger to his nose.

"I'll tell her!" Steve said annoyed. He looked at her, face to face and said as softly as possible. "Don't get too upset, ok? It's just a rumour and what have you."

She nods, preparing herself on what she was about to hear. Steve takes a deep breath (as did the men) and he opens his mouth, carefully forming his words until he is interrupted by an idiot.

"Reaver and Walter almost had a fight because Reaver was rubbing it in that 'e slept with you last night and now Walter's maaaad…!" Ryan blurted out in one breath.

"What?!" She exclaimed.

The squad grimaced.

"You absolute moron!" Jacob said.

"Way to go, idiot." Sean hissed.

"Well done." Ted said sarcastically as he clapped mockingly.

"Yes, nice going, dumbass." Steve said as he and the closest men to Ryan started slapping him on the back of the head and tossing pieces of bread at him.

"Ouch! Ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ryan apologized.

"Boo!" Sam cried as he threw peas at him.

"Sam! Not you too!" Ryan whimpered from the barrage of peas. "You know I hate veg…."

She buried her head in her hands as she takes it all in.

"You ok?" Asked Kyle.

She stands up and slams the table with her hands causing the plates of food to jump and the drinks to spill.

"I'm going to kill him!" She said loudly that a few tables turned to look at her with fear.

"Keep your voice down, woman." Hissed Luke.

"Does anyone know where Reaver is?" She said.

The squad shrugs except for Ryan, who spilled out the information,

"He's in the warehouse!"

The men groaned and put their hands to their heads.

"Why?" Jake said as he shook his head in disbelief.

"What's wrong with you?!" Guy said in astonishment.

"I'm scared of her, ok?!" Ryan said fearfully. "She's got fire powers that go whoosh and a gun that goes bang…"

"Thanks, Ryan." She said and storms out despite the men telling her not to go and for once, feeling sorry for Reaver.


Author's Notes

'Ello Guv'nor :D

Hello everyone, sorry for the latest upload, I hope it was worth the wait. I really enjoy writing in the individual squad members, their variety of personalities are always a joy, especially when interacting with each other or the Queen. If you have a favorite, please do comment, I'm very curious about who you personally enjoyed so far :)

Special thank you to Angelacm for the favorite and to ithinkapple for the favorite and for following my story. Hugs to you guys ~3

Love you all! Hope you continue reading Albion's Lost Years :)