Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Alwar goes on, “The entire family was certain he would die, and Mahra was distraught. She was barely eating or drinking. With the Blood Battle a day away, I knew this would result in defeat for my father and our people.”
“So what did you do?” There are no doctors here, from what I’ve seen.
“I made Mahra a promise. If she ate and drank and rested, by the time she returned from the Blood Battle, her brother would be cured. I told her there was a plant high in the mountains that could be used to draw out the poisons. But the journey was seven days for a person of their size. I could make it there and back in one, perhaps two.”
“So you convinced her to do it?”
“She put her trust in me, and I in her. When she returned from the Blood Battle, her brother was on the mend as promised.”
“So you helped her win by giving her hope?” I ask.
“No.” He chuckles. “It was her distrust of me that helped her win. She wanted to return home and ensure I kept my word.”
“But you did, right?”
“Of course, but I still used her weakness against her.”
“Okay…sounds a little underhanded, but at least everyone survived.”
“I saw the big picture. If she did not win, we were all in trouble. She finally understood that point when I ensured her brother lived. She and I grew close after that. She trusted me, and I felt a sort of protectiveness over her.”
Did Alwar fall in love with my great-great-great-grandmother?
“It was a mistake on my part,” he adds, “because my father died in a skirmish shortly after that Blood Battle, and challenges came pouring in from all over for the throne. I did not want to see her die, so I chose her mother to Proxy.”
“Oh no.”
“Mahra protested, of course, and made a deal with me. She vowed to do whatever I said if I chose her instead. She swore to train obediently and win. She used my weakness against me that time.”
“She knew you wanted that throne.”
“I wanted what was best for my people, but that did not make my decision any easier. I was reluctant to put her in danger.”
“But you did, didn’t you?”
“I did, and she almost died. I almost lost her. Not because of the Blood Battle but because Benicio tried to have her killed. Similar to how he went after you—always tiptoeing around the Proxy Vow. Thankfully, she survived and ultimately won her second Blood Battle, but I was…distraught. I found myself constantly worrying for her well-being instead of the new issue threatening my kingdom and the throne.”
“The drought.”
“Yes. The water had dried up, and the creatures were beginning to die. An uprising was inevitable. That was when I sent Mahra and her family over the bridge to safety. And on that day, she made me a promise. She said that she had a dream of meeting a man, and they would have a daughter. She did not want her child to die, bleeding out for me. So she said that if I did my best to prevent any more Blood Battles, she would find water. Even if she had to carry the water in buckets with her own two hands, she would make sure something came to us.” He slowly releases a breath. “She kept her word, but I did not keep mine, though I tried at the expense of my own people. Many Wall Men died breaking the Proxy Vow for me, eliminating my enemies because I would do anything to prevent challenges to my throne.”
“Did you ever see her again?” I ask.
“I saw her when she showed me her daughter Rain through the window. But that was the last time.”
When he says window, he means a doorway to my world that’s been left unlocked on both sides. When it’s open, the doorway looks like a window. They can see into my world, and we can see into theirs. When the doors are closed, the window disappears. Of course, these doors, which can be opened and closed, were built into the wall. It’s all artificial, just like the bridge. Strip away the wall, and there’s just a big open window—a doorway anyone can step through.
“I didn’t realize there was so much history between you and my family.” I had never heard this story, and frankly, it jars me.
“Every time I called on a Norfolk for the Blood Battle, I saw Mahra’s angry face in theirs. I was leading one of her grandchildren or great-grandchildren to die. It pained me. And, it’s why I eventually lost the throne.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A hundred years ago, Benicio issued his fifth challenge. I should have chosen the strongest and bravest Norfolk to proxy, but I could not. Your great-grandmother looked so similar to Mahra. Same smile and dark hair. I could not bring myself to do it. So I chose her youngest brother instead, and I lost.”