Chương 49: Book 2; Chapter 48; Confrontation (1)

All in her thoughts, Rainee reached the downstairs hall and, for a while, looked at the uniform left for her. There was nothing wrong with it. It was a nicely made uniform for a commanding officer of her squad. The only thing was that she had never worn one of them before. She never needed to. As soon as she would step into surroundings where a uniform was required, she would change into it instantly without even the ability to take it off. You cannot take off what you didn't put on.

Right now, it seemed strange to be wearing something that was never intended, but it never bothered her before. This style of uniform she was looking at right now was made as a replica of her own old armour for those who would be under her command, but also would command others when she was not around. It was not possible to make an accurate replica, so they tried a few designs before settling on this one. She herself thought it was a very nice-looking uniform, but still, she never needed one.

If the King left it out for her, that means she will, or at least might, need it now. Rainee took her clothes off and started to get into the uniform provided. It fitted her nicely. There was a little crowd of people waiting in the entrance room in hopes of speaking or at least seeing her when she finished. For nearly two centuries, this behaviour was an inseparable part of her life, but she had almost forgotten about it in less than two years. Anniet had already joined them… What a restless soul.

At least she didn't ignore her advice and took bread and cheese from the breakfast table and was now stuffing it quickly into her mouth. Not the best way to have breakfast, but nevertheless just as efficient. Loud murmurs were coming from that room, but suddenly, all stopped. There was no mystery to Rainee what brought this silence. The King had come.

He came from a different side of the building than everyone was gathered, but he appeared very suddenly, and at this close proximity, his presence could not be ignored. In no time, doors on the other side of the hall opened, and the King walked in. Without saying a word, he walked to the two-seater and casually sat down. Dressed in his dark gray suit with one of his legs over another and his arm stretched across the seat's back, he looked nothing like the ruler of the kingdom that people were used to seeing.

Curious heads started to peep out through the slightly open doors that, with every second passing, were getting opened wider and wider until the doorway was jammed with curious faces. Rainee and the King were completely ignoring that unwanted company. The King was sitting watching Rainee, and Rainee was finishing fastening buttons on her snow white shirt. None of them cared about being watched or overheard. Over the years, Rainee realised that there is no need to care about it ever.

Anything that will be heard will change so drastically while being passed from person to person that in these stories, there will be as little truth as if no one had even witnessed what had happened. So, ask people to leave or let them stay, it will bring the same outcome. If you ask them to leave, they will fabricate and speculate, if you let them stay, they will exaggerate and change. Rainee didn't know why the King had come, but it was good that he did.

It will allow her to accustomise to being so close to him again. She never had any difficulty staying next to him, but this time her heart was pounding. And not because of the reasons that would keep others at bay from him. Truth to tell, she didn't know the reason for it herself. She was so glad to see him again, and she couldn't bear to stay with him in the same room. Well, it cannot be helped, things probably will never go back to what they were before. She'd better get used to this new and unknown relationship.

"I guess I owe my thanks to you," - she said while fastening the buttons on her sleeves. It was more a question than a statement, but the King didn't acknowledge it.

"Throughout the years, I have never thanked you once," – he said instead, - "let's not burden ourselves with it now either." They looked at each other for some time before the King continued.

"But I would rather prefer that you would have finished your work and taken the place that suits you so nicely." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"It is not my place to take," - Rainee answered coldly. – "Never was and never will be." Despite her calm and cold voice, she was neither calm nor cold.

"The one you are appointing to this place is not ready and might never be ready for it," – the King said. Rainee felt something being stirred inside of her again, bringing up another wave of heat, but she ignored it. There was no time now to go into self-analysis.

"I know someone who is fully responsible for him being stuck," - she said instead.

"Well, it might be," - the King didn't argue. – "Still, every man is responsible for his own actions, not for someone else's. If he cannot go over that little bit, then he isn't worthy enough to…" The King was not able to finish his sentence. The next moment, both he and Rainee were standing in the middle of the room with the tip of Rainee's sword touching the King's throat.

"It is you who are not worthy to speak about him." Rainee heard her own voice. Those words were spoken in an indisputable tone, and she agreed with them wholeheartedly, and at this very moment, the whole world was in agreement with this statement. None, at this moment, would try to resist or oppose this statement, as it was indisputable, just like any other truth brought in its raw state.

Whatever power had taken over Rainee, it was much faster than her own mind and much stronger than the resisting force protecting the King. Or rather, it should be said, more of this force was allying with her now than with the King. But she didn't think about it. Actually, right now she didn't think at all.

She was just looking at his calm, gentle, and understanding face, so dear to her, and knew that if he were to speak one more word, she would not spare him, and there would be no power in this universe to bring him back. Even the power of the King will not fight back against the truth. And truth was on her side!

He looked directly at her with his eyes as gentle as ever, kind and knowledgeable, disclosing that he knows all, or maybe even more, of what is going on inside of her and what consequences there will be if he speaks one more word. But his lips moved, ignoring all warnings:"My dear girl, is it really worth being so harsh on someone for one little flop?" – he asked in a calm voice, full of kindness and longing.

But such a voice too – it reached right down to the depth of her heart as an invincible force penetrating straight from the sky into a deep cave of the mountain, opening a massive crater through which bright daylight entered into these well-hidden dark tunnels. She couldn't cope with that any longer! There were reasons why it was sealed deep down, never to come out, and now it had gotten loose!

Unfamiliar feelings piled in her heart, her chest, her mind, taking over her body, sweeping away any reason, breaking out and taking with it every barrier in its way, no matter how big or small. Her heart raced at an unbelievable speed, her veins popped out, her eyes became bloodshot. If there was such a thing as a beastly dragon's power inside a small human's body, that was it.

She knew she was losing the last remains of her sanity to some extraordinary force that just erupted from somewhere within her, but couldn't do anything, or maybe didn't even want to do anything. Maybe she just wanted to lose at least one battle without a care! Her body contorted, filling with massive amounts of power, her hand holding a sword swung around and struck.

The floor, on which the blow landed, exploded, and thousands of never-ending streams ran from the hole made by the sword towards the furthest corners of the room, climbing up the walls, threatening to bring the whole building down. She fell to one knee, panting harshly, while resting her head on her hand that was still holding the hilt of the sword. Tears were falling silently on the ground next to her knee, but she wasn't sobbing, she was trying to get hold of these.

That phrase, so dear to her, was said by the same person in the same voice and calm, comforting manner, but in such a different light, with such a different impact on her. What did he expect? Forgiveness? Understanding? No, she knew it was none of it. Then what? Little flop…! He had the audacity to call it a little flop… His action turned lives upside down, it still does… Twisted truth and reality up to the point where she didn't even see how it could be undone.

Everyone was affected, still is affected, and still is in the dark. And he called it just a "little flop"… She felt the same feeling that exploded just a minute ago rising again, but this time at least she knew what was coming and prepared herself. What is this thing? So powerful, so overwhelming? She never felt it before? She closed her eyes, mentally addressing The One for advice – "Is it really just a little flop?"

"Yes" – the answer came as usual in a simple answer.

"How can something that has such a devastating outcome be a little flop?" – she asked again. There was no answer. She knew why – it wasn't a question that came out of her, it was a blaming statement – The One doesn't respond to those. If you are already in a blaming, condemning state, that means you already know your answer, so what is the point of asking or answering in such a state? When you know something firmly, there is no room to receive an answer, as they say, you cannot fill a cup that is already full.

And The One doesn't empty cups, he is happy to fill them with truth and knowledge, but only when there is an eagerness to receive it. If your cup is too full, it is for you to empty or enlarge that cup to hear the answer, or at least allow others to empty it. The One will never force anything upon anyone and will reply to you only if you are willing to hear a reply, not just in the mind but in the heart, too.

She mentally stepped aside from what she was feeling, from all that she knew, and made herself open to something new, something that might be completely opposite to what she thought. Then she asked the same question again, this time in a questioning, not in a stating manner, with inner commitment to accept the answer, no matter how much opposing or agreeing with her it was, and curiosity to find out something new. Be open-minded, they call it.

Not so long ago, she didn't know how to be closed-minded, but things have changed by now. At least years of teaching others didn't go to waste, and now, when she needed it, she knew how to pull herself out of this closed state and was able to do so. When the question was repeated in a different manner, open to receive a reply, no matter what direction it would take, the answer started coming straight away.

Many people didn't learn how to talk to The One as they expected the talk to be the same as with other people, or maybe a mind read or thoughts transferred to their head. With such expectations, after lots of training, when clear in mind, they were able to receive "yes" and "no" answers at most. How naive. The One doesn't speak through the mind but through the heart, not to the body but to the soul, he isn't bound by the limitations of words or thoughts or language.

How could one even think that the knowledge he had could fit in any of these expressions? Even when listening to it with all heart, with all soul, she knew there was an extraordinary limitation in humans, how much they can receive without breaking down. There was no cup big enough to hold it all, as all cups of all worlds were fitting in The One itself.