The King and the Soldier (open m/m)

Rena had once commanded armies, she was almost as old as time itself. She had watched regimes come and go, crack and crumble. She had seen Kings sit on stolen thrones and die on them. But that had been her life before, now, she hungered for peace and quiet. That was how she now found herself in a small cabin in the forest, away from the hustle and bustle of one of the great cities. Rena wanted to live away from the eyes of others, away from the pressures to command another battle that would see hundreds, if not thousands, die bloody and painful deaths.

But her peace and quiet was shattered by the thundering of hooves, stepping out of her cabin she saw the trespassers of her peace and frowned. It was the Kings Guard. Were they here to finally bring her back to the city? After all, after the last battle she was stood at the front of she had walked away. In their eyes she was sure they saw her as a deserter. Someone who turned their back on King and Crown, but that didn’t bother her. She was done fighting wars that didn’t actually mean anything to her. Watching as the head guard dismounted his horse Rena raised a brow seeing the shackles in his hands and without being prompted she presented her hands towards him.

The metal was cold and heavy against her skin but not a word was spoken by Rena, not even while someone was talking to her. She knew the punishment for her deserting was death and she was surprised it had taken them this long to find her. Allowing the head man to virtually toss her up onto the back of the horse so she was across the saddle on her stomach Rena sighed to herself as she closed her eyes. Accepting her fate. The ride to the city was uncomfortable but she didn’t dare utter a word, she knew how the guard could be. But once they arrived she was pulled from the horse, a younger guard who was waiting nearby grabbed the chain holding her hands together and half dragged, half lead her into the palace.

Not much had changed in the years she had been away from the palace, it was immaculate as she had always remember. Looking around memories began to stir off her time in the palace. Of the balls and banquets she had attended, the laughter and the sorrow she had always felt here crashed into her making her stiffen her back and stair intently at the back of the head of the man leading her. Rena had been expecting to be lead to the dungeons but she was surprised when she was taken to the Kings office.

She had spent many an hour in here going over battle plans with the King. Had was a good man and back in the day Rena had had a crush on him, but she always knew that it could be nothing more than that. A crush. Standing in the room she barely took notice of the shackles being removed, the only thing she took note of was the click of the doors closing when the guard left the room. Moving about the room Rena ran her fingers tips along the top of the desk, the sturdy oak just as she remembered it.

Sometime passed before arena heard the door open and close, looking over her shoulder she raised a brow a little seeing the King standing by the door. “A general summons would have sufficed over being shackled and dragged here” Rena joked with a small smirk. She could not help but wonder why after all of this time had she been brought back to the palace.