26/12/2025
💝💔SCARLET
HEARTS💔💝
{Love and vengeance}
Written by: Mercy Sheidu. 💛💛
Settings: Persia/Greece/Rome.
Genre: Historical romance.
♠CHAPTER 121♠
She stood outside the castle, fists clenched tightly by her sides, and her eyes fixed ahead at the dazzling bright blue sky as though it held the answers to quell the maelstrom of emotions running through her. She felt relief and anger. Relief for finally hearing his explanation and anger at herself for easily letting go her years of resentment.
These conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was just the comfort she needed at that moment — a reassuring presence.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his hand lingering where it laid gently against her shoulder.
She glanced at him and nodded. "I'm fine."
He wasn't convinced. The expression on her face said otherwise. And God help if he wasn't tempted to just haul her into his arms and protect her from the world.
"General," his hands reluctantly slipped off her shoulder, and they both turned around to find Princess Sawyer approaching.
She halted a few feet away from them, and gave them each a nod of acknowledgement.
"Your highness, do you need something?" Alexander asked while Dina only stared blankly at her.
"Not really." She replied, casting them each another glance. "I only want to apologize. In the past, I did a lot of desperate things that I'm ashamed of. I know no amount of apology will undo what's been done, or lessen the effects, but it'll all I can offer sincerely."
Dina maintained her neutral front but deep within, she was skeptical. She didn't know if this remorse was willingly prompted, or it was circumstances had forced it out, leaving her with no other option. But either way, she really didn't care. The princess had not directly offended her before.
"It's all in the past, your highness and you've been of big help in the turn out of things. We would not have gotten that ledger without you." Alexander said.
The ledger which was the evidence that convicted Prince Melville was indeed secretly turned in by the princess. Apparently, what she had found in prince melville's closet that day was the ledger. Alexander and Dina on their return, were graced by her unexpected visit and cooperation. Perhaps, her remorse was genuine after all.
"Compared to the harm I've done in the past, it's the least I could do." She turned her gaze on Dina. "I should apologize to you too."
"You've done nothing to me that's deserving of an apology from you." She muttered bluntly.
"I know. Still, my brother once harmed your sister. On his behalf, I'm apologizing."
At the mention of that awful incident, Dina felt her jaws clench reflexively. An urge to punch the bastard in the face once more, stirred but she suppressed it.
"If there's anyone who deserves this apology, it is Anna and not me." With that said, she turned around and began to walk away.
"Take care, princess." Alexander offered his parting words and walked off to join Dina.
As they rode on their individual horses, Dina still seemed to be lost in thoughts.
"So, what's your plan?" Alexander asked. The question had been on his mind since he rose from bed that morning.
A plan. Dina has not really given it a thought.
"To return to Greece of course." She muttered under her breath. That seemed like the most viable answer and the rational thing to do. After all, coming to Rome was all on impulse and the outcome? It was just as unpredictable.
"I never should have come in the first place." She added.
Something in him twisted at those words, at that unmistakable regret in her voice. He was tempted to ask if in all these, whether their encounter and all they went through was also a part of this regret. But instead, he nodded sharply.
"Right," he hummed. "When do you intend leaving?"
"I'll have to discuss that with my Aunt." She answered. "But I'll tell you when it's decided."
The rest of the ride lasted almost thirty minutes and in relative silence. Both parties had unspoken words hanging at the tip of their tongues yet, none dared to break the ice.
When they arrived at the military headquarters, their comrades had gathered await in a tent. She didn't know how to face them or how they'd react. These are people that she'd gone through life and death with, fight side by side and having each other's back. The same people she'd lied to and deceived.
Having noticed her nervousness, Alexander took her hand briefly into his and squeeze reassuringly. "It'll be fine. I'm here."
After several deep breaths of preparation, she mustered the courage she needed and ventured into the tent. They were eating their usual ration of flatbread when she entered and a perturbed silence descended, as if the universe had paused. She felt the scrutiny as all eyes scan her from head to toe. She could practically hear the wheels turning in their heads, a perfect sync to the rapid drumming of her heart.
"So, you're just going to stand there? Or do you think because you're a proper lady now, you can't eat with us anymore?" Augustus spoke, breaking the silence and effectively rolling away the tension.
She smiled when the rest murmured in agreement.
"Of course not." She muttered, moving forward to pick a slice from the big plate they ate from. She took a bite and chewed slowly, memories of her ordeals as Camillo, hitting her like a flood.
She exhaled, placing the half eaten piece of flatbread on the table. "Guys, I'm sorry. I lied and deceived everyone about my identity all these time."
"We're not upset. We were just surprised, right guys?" Another spoke, glancing around as others concorded. "Besides, it will have been a shame if we missed having a great soldier like you among us because of gender misconceptions."
"Besides," Zebedee rose and took a step forward. "We're all glad you made it out unshattered."
"Tonight, we've arranged a feast just for you."
Dina couldn't help the tears that clouded her vision. She was moved by this acceptance that she some how felt she was undeserving of.
Later that evening, as the camp boomed with merriment, Dina finally saw and admitted that not everything that had happened so far was regretful. She didn't regret joining the army, she didn't regret meeting these wonderful people and she was certainly going to miss being Camillo.
She glanced around and sighted Alexander nursing a cup of wine by a corner. She quietly slipped away from the midst of her comrades and walked up to him. She stood close to him for a moment without breaking the silence and finally, she gently took the cup away from his grip.
"There's something on your mind." It wasn't a question. It was an observation. She'd known him well enough now, to decipher his every mood.
"Walk with me." He mutter under his breath and without awaiting an approval, he took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers.
They walked queitly under the moonlight, away from the base. For the first few minutes, the silence reigned until he was ready to break it, whispering softly,
"Stay."
That word, as simple as it was, weighed heavily in Dina's heart. She stopped walking and so did he. She glanced up him, taking in the moonlit features of his, and swallowed.
"I..." She trailed off and exhaled sharply.
"I'm not trying to be insensitive and hell, I met sound really selfish right now, but I want you to stay." His taller frame overshadowed her now, invading her personal space just a little.
"I can arrange for you to reenlist if you want. As you can see back there, our comrades they don't mind your gender. And you're a hero of Rome, Dina. No one is going to object to it." He continued. His voice lowered by an octave as he said the next lines. "I don't believe there's no attachment in your heart for this place."
"It's not about attachment, Alex." She spoke. "Indeed, there's so much I don't want to leave behind but I can't stay either. You know that."
"Not even for me?" There was a raw desperation in his voice now. He wasn't being fair and he knew it but he couldn't help trying any means possible to get her to stay. But when he saw that confliction in her eyes, that uncertainty, he felt a pang of guilt for pushing this hard.
"It's fine." He took a step back. "That was unreasonable of me. I should respect your decision and I won't put you in a tight spot. Indeed, you've gone through a lot already and leaving is obviously the best options." He wasn't just trying to be rational but he was also trying to convince himself too, to lessen this feeling of emptiness he already feeling.
For a moment, Dina was tempted to just agree and stay. But this wasn't just about her anymore. She had to consider everyone in her decisions. Back then, an impulse step had brought her to this point, and a number of people suffered because of it.
"Alex," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the still night. She took a step forward, covering that distance between them. "I'll come back."
Those words offered some comfort to his aching heart. "You promise?"
And that nod was the reassurance he needed. In a fluid motion that bellied the whirlpool of emotions within, his hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His other hand cradled the back her head, tilting it slightly as he pressed his lips on hers. The kiss was slow burning, his emotions reflected in the way his mouth moved against hers.
His forehead rested gently against hers as he finally pulled away for a much needed breath, his hand moving from her back head to caress the soft curves of her cheek.
"I'll be waiting." He whispered, his thumb tracing the lines of her swollen lower lip.
TBC.
Unedited.
