So this is part two of my two-part short story called "General Roma". If you haven't read the first part, read it before this one. This part starts right where the first one ended. As always, this material is copyrighted.
She paused and stared at him. She had several spies on enemy lines, and none of them had told her this. He was lying- he had to be. “What is this weapon?” she hissed. “How could it possibly stop an army? My army?”
“I- I don’t know. Please. Listen to me. This is suicide!”
“You cannot tell me what this weapon is, and yet you claim that it will kill us all? Because your brother told you so? Unless you have proof of what you are saying, my soldiers will fight-”
“Proof?” Keenan said in disbelief, but Roma was finished listening to what he had to say. She turned away from the broken man, determined not to let this rattle her before the battle. She would win. She could feel it.
“General, if you turn your back on me, you will lose everything you have fought to gain- everything your army stands for. I have warned you- I’ve done my job; You must do yours. If you let your men fight today, they will die, and you will lose. I will get you your proof before the battle starts. I just need help to do it. I need one of your men-”
“No. You will not speak to any more of my soldiers about this. I will help you.”
The words on Keenan’s tongue died in his mouth. He gaped at her. “You? The General Roma?”
“Oh, for chrissake, yes, me. Now, what do you need? What is your plan?”
“Let me out of these chains, and I’ll tell you.”
She blinked at him, unmoving.
“Alright, fine. I need a horse, some armour, weapons, and something to chain you up. I’ll pretend that I’m a deserter looking to join their army, and you’re my prisoner. Then, when they let us in, we find the weapon.” He paused. “My plan is to go to the enemy camp.”
***
Never did Roma think she would ride towards the enemy lines without an army behind her. The Eslandian armies had been laying siege to Vaydun since she turned two. This was the day she was supposed to strike in the heart of the Vaydun capital and bring victory to her country.
Instead, she sat chained up on the back of a horse, supposedly already defeated.
Keenan held the reins around her, keeping Roma trapped between his arms. The sun warmed his metal-plated chest against her back.
“If you betray me, there is no telling how my soldiers will rip you apart,” she said.
“Shut up and pretend I’ve caught you.”
The Vaydun army slowly took notice of the two riding towards their camp. Soldiers jumped to their feet and shouted orders, racing to the front of the lines to stop them.
Keenan pulled his horse to a halt in front of a growing sea of Vayduns. They would not take the presence of General Roma lightly if they realized who she was. After all, she had killed countless of their people- held victories against them. They had a right to be cautious.
“What is the meaning of this!” one of the soldiers at the front shouted. He was a large man, every limb of his body covered in shining red armour. He was the only one wearing red. He must have held authority, then. Perhaps he was the general here. She had never encountered the Vaydun general before, but she knew his name: General Hyland.
“I have captured General Roma and brought her here, in exchange for my brother Thaddeus Hilvilar.”
Roma’s heart stopped. That was not the plan. Her eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets as she craned her neck to get a look at Keenan. He didn’t meet her stare.
His brother was here. And still alive.
Low grumbles broke out among the Vaydun camp as more gathered around. The red general ran a hand down his chin. He turned to his field of soldiers. “Someone find this man’s brother!”
Obeying the order, many of them ran off. A few only stayed to see the spectacle Roma had become.
“How do I know this isn’t a trap?” General Hyland asked. His eyes were sunken in, like those of a childhood monster. He rubbed the stubble along his lower jaw in thought, probably calculating all the ways this bargain could turn sour for him.
“My brother has been your slave since you captured him in battle a year ago. Now, I have come to trade for him back. The infamous Eslandian General Roma for my elder brother. I figured she’d be worth something to you, especially right before the battle about to occur.”
This was not the plan. She wasn’t supposed to be traded like this. “Keenan,” she hissed through her teeth. He didn’t respond.
“I’ve got him!” someone shouted from the camp.
Roma’s heart raced. If she were going to escape, this would be her last chance.
Just as everyone’s eyes turned to the soldier at the front, she flung herself off the side of the horse. She landed on the hard ground with a thump, and immediately, the shouts began. Keenan swore above her.
Hands tied, Roma leapt to her feet, body aching from the fall. Before anyone could grab her, she ran back in the direction of her army.
Keenan jumped off the horse behind her. He was fast- faster than he had been before. Had this all been one giant game?
They fell to the ground together in a tangle of limbs. The Vayduns began to surround them as Roma fought against the coward trying to pin her down.
“You betrayed me,” she spat. “My men will kill you.”
“You should have rescued my brother when you had the chance. This is payment.”
Roma’s mouth fell open, but before she had the chance to speak, the Vaydun soldiers yanked her away. Her vision went dark as someone pulled a burlap bag over her head.
Not just a bag. One that was drugged. She breathed in the heavy, thick smell of it. Instantly, she felt light-headed.
It only took another few seconds before she fell unconscious.
***
The sounds of footsteps brought Roma crashing back to reality. Her head swam. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, revealing the beige tent she currently resided. Her arms barked in pain when she tried to move- her wrists were tied to a thick wooden post she sat propped up against. She was still in the Vaydun camp, then. Alone. Trapped. Keenan had betrayed her.
Her eyes swung to the front of the tent, where a woman dressed in black armour sat cross-legged on a wooden chair. Her face was tough-looking, and yet, had a certain doll-like quality to it. Like a porcelain doll painted to look like a warrior.
“I’ve waited a long time to meet you.” She smiled.
Roma didn’t care. “How long have I been drugged?”
“You’ve been asleep for less than an hour.”
Keenan would be long gone now. She blinked, staring up at the brown-haired woman. “Who are you?”
She looked insulted. “Surely, you know who I am.”
“Enlighten me.”
“General Hyland. Leader of the Vaydun army; heir to the throne.”
Roma blinked again. So this was General Hyland- not the man she had seen before. Interesting. As for being heir, she must have gotten married to the Vaydun prince. A small thing he was.
“I have a question for you, Roma. General to general.” She paused. “What will it take for you to call off this battle?”
Roma couldn’t help but smile. They both knew who was more likely to win this war, and it was not the Vayduns. It was also confirmation that the secret weapon Keenan spoke of didn’t exist. What a fool she had been.
“Nothing. Last I checked, you’re out of soldiers and money. After today, the Eslandian flag will be flying at the top of every flagpole in your country.”
General Hyland pounced to her feet, fury written across her face. She pulled her hand back to strike Roma-
A soldier burst through the tent flaps. His eyes were wide and panicked. “General Hyland, the Eslandian army- they’re marching.”
Hyland’s face whipped to Roma. “We agreed the battle would start at noon!”
“The battle started when you took me hostage.” Despite Roma’s quick response, she had no idea why her army would be marching this early. They would have waited until noon- especially if she had gone missing. But as far as she knew, no one even noticed that she had left her tent.
Somewhere across the field, a trumpet sounded- a trumpet of war. The battle was starting with or without them.
General Hyland swore impressively, straightening her back. “Get the army ready! Prepare the line!” She turned to Roma. “If you think you’re getting out of this alive, you’re very wrong.”
Roma didn’t respond as she watched Hyland disappear. Not long after, the violent sounds of war began. The familiar shouts of her men and cannon fire filled the air. The battle shouldn’t have started for another two hours, and yet, her army had marched. She ached to be with them- to lead her men into glory. Her best hope now was that someone would find her before the Vaydun general returned.
Keenan had betrayed her. How stupid she had been- so willing to believe that there was some secret weapon. Bested by her sensitive ego, and now she would die for it. Damn Keenan.
“GENERAL ROMA!” someone cried out. Even through the shouts of soldiers, she could hear it. They must have been calling her from inside the camp.
“HERE! I’M HERE!” she shouted.
The flaps of the tent flew open, exposing the empty camp outside. The Vayduns were more than underprepared- they even left their compound unguarded.
Two men ran in. Roma’s face cut into a scowl when she identified them: Keenan, in his stolen armour, and another man who looked identical to him if not a few years older, with far longer hair and more freckles. Thaddeus.
“Thank God you’re still alive,” Keenan said. He rushed over to where Roma sat tied up and quickly unsheathed his sword. With a mighty swing, he cut free the bonds.
Thaddeus didn’t move from the front of the tent. “Hello, Roma,” he said, staring at her. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
Keenan looked between the two of them. “You know each other?”
“We used to,” Thaddeus answered. Roma didn’t say anything as she got to her feet, finally untied. She whirled on Keenan.
“You lied to me. You used me to get your brother back and turned my men against me! I’ll kill you.”
Keenan took a frightened step back. “I’m sorry. There is no weapon; it was just the excuse I needed to get into the Vaydun camp. I needed your soldiers to be looking for deserters, so they’d capture me. It was the only way I knew to get an audience with you and to make my story believable- the only way I could get my brother back. I knew you wouldn’t help if I told you the truth. I always intended to come back for you. Thaddeus and I, we were the ones who made the army march early. So we could rescue you.”
Outside, a cannon boomed, shaking the earth beneath them. The smell of gunpowder burned their nostrils. Roma looked between the two brothers. If she lived through this battle, she would decide how to punish them then. But for now, she had to join her legions. Roma tightened the leather strap around her shoulder, securing her metal-plated armour to her chest.
One more battle.
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