Chapter 15 Decisions and other problems
The weather was awful the next day. All along it rained. The ground was softened and muddy. The sky was really dark and the three suns hid behind thick, gray clouds.The wind blew forcefully and the trees looked like they would fly away any moment. Everybody stayed in their dwellings. Nobody dared to move a foot outside, afraid they could catch a cold or get dirty. Only two people stood wet and frozen at the training ground of the palace. Not that they wanted to stand there in the damn weather. They had a meeting and they didn´t even know why. All they knew was that it was really important. If they had a say in the matter they would be inside and doing something fun.
" I´m cold", Marianna had her arms wrapped around her body. It was fing cold and she stood there like she had nothing better to do. Thank god she was not alone. That would have pissed her off more.
" Yeah me, too", Rath tried to keep himself warm with movement. If he wasn´t careful his balls would be freezing off. What could his father possibly thought to let them meet outside in this weather.
" I can´t feel my legs anymore", Marianna was not in the best mood right now. Then a thought occured her and her face changed its expression." Are they still there".
Rath glanced at Marianna. He let his look wander over her wet clothes, which revealed all the right places and stopped at her feet. " Yeah. They´re still there".
Marianna wanted to bitch a little bit longer about the cold weather and the damn rain, but she was stopped when Mael suddenly appeared. He was clad in his raincoat and he looked really dry. " What are you doing in this weather? You´ll catch your deaths here!".
Rath and Marianna stared at each other. Did they mishear the meeting place? But if that was the case, why did both hear the same? Rath was the first who spoke." You said we are meeting at the training ground".
" Yes. But I couldn´t knew that the weather would be so nasty today", Mael shook his head. He thought those two were smarter. He was on the brink to break out in laughter. No wonder they both looked really funny, all wet and pissed off. " Did you not hear when I told you we are meeting in the training room because of the weather?".
Rath thought about it. No he couldn´t remember that his father told him that. " When was that?".
" After Lunch. Just before you were in a hurry to leave your seat", Mael should have known better. Rath was no great listener. Especially if he was far away with his thoughts.
Rath scratched his eyebrow slightly nervous. Damn he didn´t hear that, because he was too busy staring at Marianna. And he thought about how he could convince her about his feelings. " Sorry. I didn´t catch that".
" It´s alright. But now let´s go. It´s freezing cold out here", with that Mael made his way to the dry and warm palace.
Marianna would have beat Rath to death if her limbs wouldn´t be deep-frozen. Instead she threw him her meanest glare. If looks could kill he would have died instantly. " If I have feelings in my arms again, prepare yourself for a beating".
" Great. It´s my fault again", Rath didn´t have the nerve to listen to Maria bitch about his failures. Did she think he only did that to piss her off? Then he would let her wait in this weather alone, while he watched from a warm place.
" Of course it´s your fault", Marianna threw her hands, as far as her frozen limbs would let her, in the air. Then because she couldn´t help herself she pushed Rath to the side and stomped angry off the field.
Rath went immediately after her and tried to catch up. " Do you have to bitch at everything I do?".
" I´m not speaking with you", Marianna threw over her shoulder. Because of him she probably catched a cold or a running nose. She hated to be ill.
" But you just did", she was just too funny when she was mad at him. He took a sick pleasure out of it. Maybe he was crazy. But he liked it. Much.
Marianna knew what he tried to do. But she wouldn´t give him the satisfaction and fall in his trap. Not this time.
Mael meanwhile was in the exercise room and waited for Rath and Marianna. He couldn´t believe that they were outside the whole time. The weather was aweful and nobody dared to sat a foot out there. But he had to give them credit for it. Every other member of the royal army would have left or wouldn´t have appeared at all. That was the actual reason why he wanted to speak with them. They were different than the others. They fought hard and didn´t show any weaknesses. And they were the strongest in the whole bunch. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted. He could hear his charges in the hall outside. They were arguing as usual. Mael rubbed his face. He would definitily get a heartattacked because of them. If they didn´t try to play pranks on each other, they were fighting. Hopefully they learned to work together, soon. Some of his men were already placing bets on who would win the next fight.
" Don´t you ever shut up or do you actually like listining to yourself", Marianna was the first one through the door. She looked like she would snap every moment. It didn´t look good for his son.
Rath wanted to retort some nasty remark, but he swallowed it quickly when he saw the amused face of his father. But he swore that she would get back for that when they were alone.
" Are you both done now? Or should I wait some more", if Mael wouldn´t find the whole situation so funny, he would be really pissed right now. But it was nice to see that his son was capable to love someone besides his family.
Marianna sent a last glare in Rath´s direction, before she faced Mael. " We´re done now".
" Thank you. Then I can tell you the reason why I wanted to speak with you both", Mael noticed that Rath and Marianna lost their colour for a moment. They probably thought they would be yelled at. " Don´t worry it´s not a lecture", Rath and Marianna breathed out relieved." You know I´m looking for someone who takes my place as a commander in the near future", Mael waited till he received at nod from both." I always knew that Rath would be that one. But he wasn´t ready yet. That was until you", he pointed at Marianna." Showed up. He has still much to learn, but I think now is the right time for the training".
" Great. And what has that to do with me?", Marianna didn´t know what the whole point of this conversation was. Ok Rath would take after his father, naturally. But why was she here?
" Actually for the same reason. I observed you both and what I saw made my extremly proud. Therefore I decided to train the both of you", Mael knew it was really strange that he educated two soldiers. But they both were great and he couldn´t decide between them.
" Wow. I mean. Wow. I don´t know what to say", Marianna was close to tears. She was really moved that Mael trusted her enough to offer her such a position.
" That´s a first", Rath couldn´t believe it. He had to share the position with her. They couldn´t decide one thing without biting the heads off of each other. How should they leading an army that way? Oh boy what did his father think by that.
" But that means more work out and the assignment will be harder than usual", Mael observed their reaction. Rath seemed to accept it. He know what was demanded of him. Marianna was slightly undecided. " You don´t have to tell me your answer right away. Think about it and then inform me about your decision".
" That´s not necessary", Rath wanted this position since he was old enough to hold a weapon. He often watched his father when he barked orders or tried to show the newbies what they had to do. And now he had the chance to that and he didn´t need time to think about it. " I´ll do it".
Marianna didn´t time either. " I´m in. When do we start?".
Mael smiled at that. He knew they would do it. But at first they had one more lesson to learn before they could begin with the exercise. Althrough he dreaded the chaos they both would surely left behind. However it was necessary. " Tomorrow. Early in the morning after breakfast".
" Alright. We will be there", Rath was excited, althrough he didn´t show it. For the first time he finally knew that all the hard work was worth something.
Mael was really glad that he made the right decision about these two. His son would follow in his footsteps and Marianna would be his second man or in this case woman. They completed each other and they were stronger together than apart. It must have been destiny that brought Marianna to them that day. She made Rath stronger and work harder. And she showed him that love truly existed. What more could he want now?
"Damn. Broke a waterpipe again?", Mael, Rath and Marianna turned to the door. There stood Larek with a few more of the soldiers. Mael looked on his timer and swore. It was time for the training. Damn he forgot completely about the time. Immediately he prepared everything for the exercise.
Marianna meanwhile went, under watchful eyes, to Larek. " For your information that is a new look".
" I like it", Larek saw to Rath." On you". Then he turned back to Marianna. " How is your nose?".
" Good. I told you it would heal fast. Don´t worry anymore", Marianna made a devaluing gesture with her hand. Something like that happened all the time when you´re in an army. Besides he was beating like a girl.
" You know that it wasn´t my intention and I´m sorry?", Larek began to pout and looked at Marianna with sad eyes.
" Stop that", Marianna had to laught. Larek was such a goofball. How could she say no to this face. " You´re forgiven".
" That´s what I wanted to hear. I know that nobody can resist my charme", Larek wrapped his right arm around Mariannas shoulder.
" What charme? It was your funny face", with that Marianna moved to her already pissed partner, who was impatiently waiting for her.
TBC