by Sandra Elsa
Bella heard him howl in frustration. She knew he was speaking from experience. But he couldn’t quite pull the memory all the way through to know why it was important.
“Don’t get me wrong, the women in the RA are fantastic soldiers, most of them excel above their male comrades in drill and ceremony and archery but Torel requires more than that.” Robin waved to the female soldiers walking out the door. “He requires complete, unquestioning obedience to him, and devotion to King Lorth above all else. You must be willing to lay down your life to protect the King without a second’s hesitation. That second could mean the difference between life and death to the King.”
Bella received a sense of rightness from Conall as she heard these words. This at least was the same for Conall. A feeling of intense loyalty to the King pervaded her soul. She knew the feelings were not hers, but they were invasive and they spilled over into her mind.
“You're the first lower ranking enlisted person to occupy a cottage since Torel took command. He sees relationships, like marriage and children, to be a division in a soldier’s personal commitment. As far as he’s concerned it’s fine in the RA, but he doesn’t want a husband, wife, or child to be the foremost thought in anybody’s head when the King’s safety is at stake.”
“That would explain the order he gave me earlier,” Bella said quietly.
“What order would that be?”
“That I was to discourage the interest the men were showing when I first got here.”
Robin’s eyes opened wide. “There are limits to his power and that would be way over the top of those limits. His general policy is, fraternization is fine—he just doesn’t want any major commitments. We tend to have the reputation of being fast and loose, hardly virginal angels.” She laughed, “That’s one order you don’t have to obey. I can’t figure why he’d have said it to you, but I know he can’t enforce it.”
“That’s interesting to know, but for reasons having nothing to do with his order, loose and fast is not on my schedule.” Bella could see curiosity cross Robin’s face.
“Boy back home? That falls under the heading of long term commitment.”
“No, not that.”
“Your companion you’re expecting tonight?”
“More of a promise I made to my father when I was only six years old. Just before he left on his final voyage he pulled me aside.” Bella sank into the trance of memory that always fell upon her when she contemplated her father. She remembered him so clearly; he never faded in her thoughts. “I don’t remember anything else from when I was that young with the clarity I remember this conversation. He told me ‘Bella, you're a very special girl’.”
She felt Conall’s harrumph. “What father wouldn’t say that to his daughter?”
With a smile she ignored him and continued her tale. “In your lifetime many men will desire you.”
Again the intrusion came, “Who says that to a six year old?”
Mentally she kicked him, threatening to shield against him if he didn’t make himself less intrusive. “It is my memory. I’ll thank you to stay out of it.” Her tone made it clear it was not a request, but an order.
He withdrew. Looking at Robin, Bella doggedly kept on as though she had not been interrupted, struggling not to let irritation show on her face. “‘You must promise me you will not allow any of them to touch you until you find the man you will marry.’ I was six years old; I’d have promised to have the moon waiting at the dock when he returned if he’d asked. I gave him my word. ‘That’s a good girl,’ he said to me. He picked me up and hugged me like there would be no tomorrow. Somehow he knew he wouldn’t be returning from that voyage and to him, my virtue was the most important thing in the world. When he didn’t return, that promise became my one way of holding onto the man who loved me more than anybody.”
Robin laughed, “Aren’t all our friends on the other side of the wall just going to be disappointed with this news.”
Eleyn put up her belongings and they headed to the mess hall. Over dinner, Robin introduced Bella to the other women sitting at their table. Each woman smiled, stood, and held out a hand in welcome.
Trace put in an appearance after she’d eaten half her meal. Along with a group of his fellow soldiers, he sat down at a table right behind her.
“How’s it going, Sis?” he asked with a smile.
“Great,” she returned.
“Any word from your friend yet.”
“I’m not expecting him until early morning, when the city will be the most quiet, but we are already suffering from anxiety.”
“We?”
“”Yes, we,” she sighed. “You know how it is. Alone I wouldn’t have the time to be worried, I’ve been so busy, but… I’m hardly ever alone am I?”
This conversation was carried on in low undertones and the closest to them made a study of not hearing. In louder tones, Trace said, “Let me introduce you to my friends, Bella.” He went around the table. She then introduced the women to him.
Bella said good night to Trace, as she, Robin and Eleyn walked back to the barracks. Robin accepted Bella’s assurance that she would be fine by herself, and went in the barracks with her friends.
Bella continued on to the stables. She talked gently with Angel while she cleaned his stall and fed him his grain. As she was leaving, the soldier on duty in the stable office said, “He sure is a beautiful animal, Corporal. Wouldn’t mind finding one like him myself. Bit of a temper though. Tried to take my arm off earlier when I was trying to look at him. I didn’t mean anything by it, but I reckon I got too close for his comfort.”
“First of all, Sergeant,” she said, “the chances of you finding a horse like him are slim to none. Second, we didn’t hang a sign warning people away just to hang a sign. And third, if he had tried to take your arm off you would be in the infirmary right now, minus a limb. I'm guessing you have no more of a bruise than Captain Torel is sporting. Bear in mind though, that was only a warning. I’d appreciate it if you’d tell your story to the next person on duty. He’s young and not at all used to people. I’d rather nobody else got injured.”
“I’ll do that,” he said.
Bella was glad the sergeant didn’t seem to take offense at being dressed down by a corporal. He had read the sign and ignored it. She was annoyed when he proved persistent though.
“Why wouldn’t I be able to get another like him?” he asked. “Surely anybody who raises horses would see the value of repeating the cross when they saw how nicely this fellow turned out.”
“He wasn’t exactly planned by the mare’s owner. She was a plow horse, and his sire wandered through in the night. The farmer that owned the mare never saw him.”
“Too bad. Everybody who passes, admires him from a distance. More than a few have gone close, as far as I know I’m the only idiot to get too close. You wouldn’t be interested in selling him would you?”
She looked at him in disbelief. What kind of fool would want a horse that plainly did not want him? “He’s not mine to sell. It’s more we belong to each other than he belongs to me. Selling him would only get somebody killed. If you haven’t heard the story of Captain Torel’s ride yesterday…” she paused as a snicker let her know, that had already made the gossip rounds. “Just know that Angel was being extremely well mannered towards him.”
“I guess after my experience, I’ll have to take your word on that.”
Bella smiled and walked on, “Good night, Sergeant.”
“Good night, Corporal.”