Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Every body knew Alexa would always be found in the thick of things and that included Jasmine, her brother had told her to protect Alexa and that was what she was going to do. The only annoying thing was she was not able to be by Alexa side before they had to ride out in war and even then and until now, she searched for Alexa wondering where the woman wad and how many trouble she could enter before she would be found.

Jasmine yanked her sword into the stomach of a warrior that ran towards her and delivered a kick to the one who was keeping her her busy. The man was a good swordsman but it did not change the fact that he was just that. A man. He left his legs unprotected and Jasmine was not above fighting through unconventional means to ensure that she was the winner. In fact it was something which most could count on when it came to her.

As Jasmine yanked out her sword from the stomach of the warrior, she contemplated if she could ask the warrior if they have seen her before fighting them but when another came roaring after her, she discarded that thought. These people were just as violent as their Royals. Royals which Jasmine would not be shocked to hear that they have already ditched this war. By the time she was done fight the person that rushed at her, her shoulder was paining her. The person a wicked style of fighting that made Jasmine glad that she had killed him even though she wished she could learn from him. She wondered about the nightmares which she would get from this but then again, that was another post war issue that she would worry about when it was upon her.

Jasmine moved towards the cliff wondering if Alexa would be really stupid to be close to one but that was until she saw Alexa fending her against five warriors and was barely holding her ground because they were slowly pushing her to the cliff.

Without a moment of hesitation, Jasmine ran to Alexa and took down one of the assailant easily because they were unaware of her and then she engaged another in a fight immediately. Because she joined the fight, the rest of the warriors doubled their efforts but not towards her but Alexa which meant that Jared was right in his thinking that Alexa would be specifically attacked by others.

Alexa had just succeeded in taking down one of the warriors again when Jasmine was struck by the side of her head just as she killed another.

The last two saw Jasmine as less of a threat as they faced Alexa again, Jasmine threw her dagger into the heart of one of them and that one mouth gaped as he fell backwards over the cliff and Alexa ran her sword into the stomach of the last warrior.

Alexa turned her back on the warrior as she moved towards Jasmine who was not at the extreme end of the cliff and Jasmine watched as the warrior made his choice in a split second.

"No." Jasmine yelled as she stood up and ran to Alexa who she pushed out of the way just as the man hand stretched toward Alexa but ended up grabbing Jasmine and then with his strength, he dragged her along as he went over the cliff.

"Jasmine. "Alexa yelled as she scrambled to the cliff edge just in time to see Jasmine and the man body hit the water below.

*******

Alexa walked back to the castle, numb. She could see that majority of the army that wanted to invade had been captured or were surrounded by their warriors. Her heart was heavy as she thought about how she was going to tell Jared the news that his sister went over the cliff all because she was saving her.

By the time Alexa got to the castle, people were already looking for her and one look at her, she was rushed to the physician ward in which was very busy as people were moving around in, treating, covering and bandaging the wounded while some were taken out, dead already.

"Your highness." Amos came to her looking tired and stress out with blood and sweat soaking his clothes and when Alexa looked at him. She remembered the fact that the first time she had seen him it was Jasmine that introduced them.

Tears poured out of Alexa eyes as she wailed over the loss of her sister in-law.

"What happened your highness?" Amos asked in distress, he knew how lady Jasmine was, she would blame him for not taking care of her well and Amos was more scared of Lady Jasmine then any other person. He reached for Alexa's wrist and when he touched it. He felt a jolt go through him. He was not looking for that but he found it.

"Jasmine." Alexa sobbed. His heart sank as he nodded then told one of the maids standing by to bring a sleeping draught already prepared from the others and when it was delivered, Amos forced her to drink it and then left her to rest while his eyes became blurry. He did not need to know the details to know that Jasmine was beyond help and maybe beyond human reach too.

*******

Jared was told as soon as he reached the castle which was later on to wait when he asked of his wife and that first sent alarm through his body, especially since Amos the acting head of physicians came out.

"How is my wife?" Jared asked.

"She is fine, sleeping and distraught but she is fine... Your sister o the other hand." Amos started and Jared stomach fell.

"Where is my sister?" Jared asked.

Amos shook his head. "We do not know. Princess Alexa came back crying and was so unbalanced that we had to give her something to make her sleep, her reactions told us that something bad happened to Jasmine, something beyond the realm of helping."

Jared stumbled as he tried understanding the news he just heard. "No, there has to be a mistake, Jasmine cannot be dead. Why did you give Alexa a sleeping draught, she needs to explain what happened so that we can go look for Jasmine and bring her back, alive." Jared thundered.

"There was need to give princess Alexa the draught because she was working herself into hysterics and that is not good for the baby." Amos replied.

Jared heart skipped way more than two beats this time. "A baby?"

"Congratulations, Prince Jared." Is stated as he bowed and left Jared alone who collapsed against the wall, not knowing what news he would attend to. Although children were a gift, he could not help thinking that this time for this gift was wrong but that did not mean that he wanted to give the gift back.

Alexa need to wake up and tell him what happened to his sister and then after that, they can calm down and maybe rejoice about the child.

When Alexa woke up and she told the story of how Jasmine was dragged off the cliff, Jared yelled his grief and still sent people there to search for bodies bit none were seen, the time had already passed and the currents must have drifted them further out into the sea.

Jared spent most time with Alexa holding her close while he ignored everything that went on. He blamed himself partly for his death. Ken was right, he would have been the one who went after Alexa and then Jasmine would be alive and safe now not someone who they were unsure if she was alive or dead they did not even have a body to bury.

One day, Ken knocked on Jared door and when Jared came out, because Alexa was sleeping and she was with child, not to be stressed or disturbed.

"We need to share Corthin." Ken said as Jared came out of the room. Jared rolled his eyes and turned back, moving to go back into the room to be with his wife when Ken stopped him. "Jared."

"My father in-law is there, I am sure that he would be able to negotiate on behalf of Asteria." Jared reply.

"We wanted you there..." Ken started but Jared shook his head.

"Do not. I am not in the mood to have that kind of conversation now,. If you want my opinion, burn everything to the ground. They are evil and deserve no remorse and therefore it should be burnt." Jared reply as he removed Ken hand from his shoulder.

"After the meeting, I would be leaving immediately. I do not know when next we would see and I will send your parents here. They need to be with you to remember that they did not lose everything." Ken said as Jared shook his head.

"They lost most of it all." Jared answered as he embraced Ken. " I do not know when we will see either but good luck and safe journey Ken."

Ken nodded and turned to leave while Jared went back to be with his pregnant wife and Ken ended his meeting and started his journey home, wondering how time changes so many things in ways which they never liked.

Right from time it had always been the three of them for as long as Ken could remember. Jasmine might not have been his best friend or biological sister but she was the next thing closest to that for him and he lost her too.

****

LATER ON

Jared POV

It has been over a year since Jasmine went missing, no body was recovered and my mother still believed in her heart that someone where out there, Jasmine was alive amd one day she would return and then she will be the one to kill Jasmine for putting her through so many heartaches.

We let her believe her fantasies but Jasmine being alive was next to an impossibility and most times, I also believed that impossibility. It made it easier to deal with the loss and that saying about time heals all wounds... That mainly happens when there is closure but that was something which we did not have.

"Wow, Kythia is really so nice." Alexa stated as she squeezed my biceps then she went ahead of me.

"Watch where you are going?" I called after my wife as I held on to my daughter tighter, she wiggled her complaint, probably wanting to see her mother. Brittany was just as willful as her mother and that was scary since she was just less than a year. I really hope that the child which Alexa was carrying was a boy because then things would really balanced out.

"Gosh, you are worse than my father in mothering me." Was Alexa reply to my words and although I smiled, it did not reach my eyes. This after all was the first time that I was back in Kythia without Jasmine by my side.

Somehow Alexa must have known where my mind drifted to because she came close to me once more and stretched her hands for our daughter. I looked at her weirdly before handing her Brittany and she smiled as she stepped into my arms with Brittany still in her arms, making me hug both of them at once since I am always afraid to do anything else once my arms are around my daughter.

"Jasmine would be in a better place and even if she is not, we would find her. She will always find her way home." Alexa said in a soft voice.

"I wish the same thing too." I replied my wife who smiled at me and let me kiss her in public.

"And there they are, acting like the newlyweds which they are not." Annabelle voice sounded behind me and Alexa rolled her eyes as she side stepped me so she could see Annabelle.

"We just newly had a child and I have hormones running through me right now. What is your own excuse?" Alexa asked Annabelle who shook her head and hugged Alexa.

"Welcome to my home." Annabelle offered. "And trust Jared competitive spirit. You just had to have your second child now. Ken will not let me be, wanting to start on the third when he is still trying how to figure out being around a young daughter." Annabelle rolled her eyes.

"Please, I had to keep up." I responded and smiled because even though my mind was not settled about my sister, I was still happy and living a life o cannot help but be grateful for.

I just hoped that wherever Jasmine was, that she was happy too.