Chapter 40 – Tragic Return
As they were leaving the house, Aliya sighed. Pagan asked her if it was because she was sad to leave such a place, but she answered her sigh represented the happiness she felt since the beginning of their honeymoon.
-…Thank goodness you didn't have to use your skorpions…
-Yes, it's what I was just…hey! How did you know I took them?!
-Do you really want to know?
-I'm scared of what I'm going to hear, but yes.
-I found them when I tried to find the place where you hid your secret underwear.
-That's exactly what I feared to her…
He sneered under his wife's desperate gaze, and she reproached his lack of patience.
-…I just wanted to be able to protect you. Queen or not, to keep you alive is and will forever be my mission.
-You're so cute.
The flight went great, and both of them were glad to see theirs mountains again. They put their vest to fight the cold. As Sati was still busy with the preparations for their return, Jay and Eli went to pick the royal couple. The young woman walked up to one of them.
-So, your majesty, how were your holidays?
-Awesome!
She chatted a bit with her mentor, walking toward the helicopter. As she turned her head toward her husband who was talking with Eli, she noticed a strange red light on his head.
-Pagan, look out !
While he was turning, she jumped on him before crying with pain some millisecond later. Jay instantly took his grenade launcher and shot toward the source, making a man flutter about. He ran to him and Eli rushed on the young woman. He examined her: the bullet went through her left shoulder. She was suffocating but tried not to faint. Eli ordered the pilot to lead them to the camp, after Jay said he'll deal with the sniper. Arrived, he immediately operated her with Sevati as assistant. When the danger was passed, he called Pagan, who walked up to her.
-My dove, are you okay?
-Yes…what about you?
-I'm safe…
The young woman was sad seeing the dictator's face, which was mixing anger and trouble. She sat up and put her hand on her husband's.
-Hardly had we came back home that you take a bullet for me…I swear the one who did that to you will pay…I can't tolerate this!
-Pagan…please, calm down.
-How do you want me to…
She painfully raised her hand toward his face and stroked it. Jay entered the room.
-Aliya, how are you?
-I'm fine, Chief, thanks.
He approached her bed and began his report.
-We asked DePleur to help us with the sniper. Before he died, he said that…that the Golden Path had just reborn and it will continue to fight.
Hearing those words, Pagan's features harden and the young woman moaned with surprise.
-Pending some news about it, soldiers have been spread in all the north of the country and your guard will be reinforced until further notice.
-…Have I to consider it as thank?
-No, Pagan…don't rush, I beg you.
He looked at his dove, hiding his anger with hardness.
-There must be an explanation to this…
-Are you joking? You were almost killed by one of them! I'll go and…
-No! Don't…
The young woman stood up grabbing a scarf for her arm, still asleep. She walked up to her husband, who was following her with his eyes.
-Harmony was finally reigning on Kyrat…I just can't believe they could do that…
The dictator looked at her, confused. She smiled to him before turning toward her mentor.
-Chief…please give me the "interrogatory" report folder.
He executed and she read it, sometimes observing the photo attached. Unfortunately, she didn't notice anything special, as the enemy didn't spoke enough.
-…Take me to Banapur.
-Aliya, this is not the right moment. You just took a bullet in your shoulder; right now, you've to go home and rest.
A bit flustered, she gave in and went in the helicopter with her husband and her mentor. The tyrant was looking at her staring at the photo: her frustration kept growing.
-How infamous; I still don't realize…
-I'm sure this is not what it seems to be.
-My dove, I don't get why you take their defense…
-Pagan…they've changed. Didn't you see it in their eyes when you were visiting them? If they really wanted to kill you, they would do it when they saw you often went to the villages…this action was too well planned. The sniper's position wasn't choose just like that; he had the perfect angle to fulfill his mission…thank god this wasn't counting my reflex. Trust your people; the one who had enough strength to move on, change their mind and forgive you, the one who came and shared our happiness when we married…Believe me, the man who tried to kill you today wasn't part of it.
He looked at her frowning and asking what she wanted to say.
-I don't know who or what compose this new Golden Path, but we'll have to be particularly careful…
The young queen looked at his husband who, after he observed her, came closer to her, taking her hand.
-I'll have real difficulties to get over what just happened, but…I trust you…and I hope you're right.
-Thank you, Pagan…
-Right, please close your eyes, now.
-Why?
-Because I refuse this tragic matter spoils the present I prepare for you.
She smiled and executed. He helped her to descend, begging her not to cheat, even nit to see Sati, who was delighted to see them. A few minutes later, he allowed her to reopen them and they shined facing the palace, who did a lifting. The inside was even better: it was cleaner, warmer and livelier. They finished their visit in the big living room and sat together.
-This is really beautiful! The palace is unrecognizable!
-I'm glad you like it!
The young queen, so happy to see that new background, kissed her husband and hugged him the way she could, under Sati's tender gaze.
Later, she tried their new bed and was all exciting.
-It's awesome!
-My sweet, don't move so much, otherwise, you'll…
-Ouch! Oh shit!
Pagan hit his forehead with his hand, looking her wife with a desperate – but worried – air. She was so excited that she managed to reopen her front wound. He asked Sati to bring him what he needed to do a new dress.
-Have you already forgotten that you were injured?
-Actually, yes…your gift got this detail out of my mind!
He smiled applying antiseptic. The young woman stayed stoic.
-Do you feel something?
-Nope.
-Really?
-Yes.
-Goodness, look at that hole…
-Since that hole isn't in your head, it's fine. I'd rather see my whole body torn apart with bullets than see you losing a single blood drop.
He raised his head toward her, touched by her words and her determined look. She smiled. He pressed his hand on the wound to make it stop bleeding.
-My dove…can you do something for me?
-What?
-…Stop fighting. You don't want to see me bleeding, but seeing you losing your blood is more and more unbearable for me…and when I think that it's my fault…when I think that I'm the one who proposed you to become a mercenary…it's as if I had your blood on my hands…
-...I can't do this.
He looked at her. She still had that frank and unfazed gaze.
-I think that making me become a mercenary is one of the best decisions you could ever do for me. Thanks to this, I feel good…really happy to see that I can do huge things and to feel able to protect. I suffered a lot, my body is full of scars, and I no longer count all the times I nearly lost my life…but it was for the country, and mainly for you. I'm proud of this. I'm proud to be a mercenary queen. I will lay down my weapons only when I'll be sure my king is perfectly safe, and our country is fine. I know you don't want anything to happen to me anymore, but more that the path you opened for me, it's the way I decided to follow until my last breath…because I love you and I want you to live.
He couldn't help tears to come in his eyes. The young woman smiled and kissed him tenderly. He finished dressing her wound, and then went to prepare to sleep while the young woman took her place and waited for him. She understood what the dictator was feeling, but as she combined her mercenary and in-love woman mentalities, she just no longer could think another way. Even if it means she dies, she would have saved the life of the man she was deeply in love with. A few minutes later, he came back and settled.
-You don't read your tweets, tonight?
-No.
-Maybe Kanye sent you a message…
He looked at her smiling, and then stroked her face before taking his phone. When he prepared to sleep, she made so she was higher than him, put his head next to her chest, kissed his forehead and wished him a good night.
Two weeks later, her mentors visited her. The first told her about the news he had collected so far and the second was amazed by the progress of the wound healing.
-After all our researches and doing what you asked us to do, we indeed saw that the sniper who tried to kill you wasn't a Kyrati, but a former elite soldier from Nepalese army. The villagers didn't know anything about that new Golden Path. Our pathfinders followed several tracks after Banapur attack, and they fell on a camp, half-hidden by the mountains, at the extreme south of the country…a few came back, but according to them, it's clear that there're not only former members…they're helped. Besides, there isn't one, but two heads: the first is a man hardly as old as you, and the second is a young woman who seems really skillful although she must be under twenty.
-…Then there's no time to waste. We must neutralize them as soon as possible…I wouldn't think they could go that far…they got all mad. Yet, I don't get it the works progress well; the country is finally getting back on its feet…so, why?
-Some of them just can't get over anything…
Aliya began to think: if they were that dangerous, she must be very well-prepared to efficiently contribute to stop them…she felt she had to do it, even if it won't please Pagan…she just had to. She raised her head and stared at her Russian mentor.
-I'll go to the camp to train tomorrow.
-Aliya…I don't know if…
-Don't try to stop me. I won't feel peaceful until you are all safe.
-My dove…
-We'll go there, we'll tear all that shit up, and we'll come back together. Even if we crawl, we'll be back. All together.
The men looked at her determined face and smile, all worried in the bottom of their mind.
During the following days, she trained non-stop, when she wasn't counterattacking the Golden Path. She noticed their techniques enhance, but also felt all their rage with what they attacked, which just made her more and more eager to do them in. Everybody tried to dissuade her to participate in this mission, but she didn't want to hear anything.
Pagan tried to keep a smiling face in front of her wife, but he felt stress growing in him, and it became difficult to ignore it as the assault date was approaching. A morning, he tried to stop her.
-No way.
-Hm…anyway, stay with me today.
-I knew you would ask me.
-Do you remind it?
-How could I forget the day we met? A controversial day, but still very important.
She hugged him and dressed in a feminine way to please him.
-It's a while since I didn't see you dressed like that.
-I couldn't do things by halves!
They spent the whole day together, forgetting the current crisis a bit. Then they sat in the library.
-Pagan…
-Hm
-Stop daydreaming and smile.
He executed, but was not convincing enough. He took her in his arms.
-When you'll come back of your mission, I would like you to do your diagnostic, thing that you seem to have forgotten to do with all this…
-Ah…sorry…I swear I'll do it.
-Good.
-…Do you have some ideas for the names?
-Hm…I like Priyanka for a girl…but for a boy…
-What do you think of Arjun? I don't know why, I've always found this name cute…
-I love it. Prince Arjun or princess Priyanka…I think it sounds really nice.
-Me too.
She touched her belly, imagining a scene and praying for it happens soon. The tyrant joined his hand to hers kissing her head, and then she yawned.
-I find you're particularly tired, nowadays…
-The training exhausts me…when I'll come back, you'll have to prepare earplugs; I'll surely snore in your head.
He laughed in silence, and wished she comes back alive.
-I'll do everything for this. Don't worry; you know I'm tougher than I look.
-I do know that, but you understand that I fear to lose you.
-Pagan.
-I won't stand it.
She looked at him and was sorrowful to see him so worried.
-I'll be back.
She huddled against him. The assault was planned for the day after…she prayed that she could keep her promise.
