The Forgotten Tale Of Larsa Read Online Free PDF Page A

naivety, sometimes she would say things that were beyond childish. ‘Never wish for something like that, Larsa. I don’t want you to see war; it’s something that can’t easily be forgotten by the mind.’
    ‘You can’t protect me from what is coming, Marmicus; soon enough I shall see war, and when I do I’ll be strong like my father.’
    ‘No, Larsa, you won’t.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I don’t want you to be here. I want you to leave this kingdom and head to one that can shield you from war. If our kingdom is conquered you’ll be the first in danger, and I won’t let that happen.’
    ‘You speak as though we’ve already lost this war! We will win so long as we have you to defend us. I know it.’
    ‘I am not immortal, Larsa. I’m one man, made of flesh, vulnerable to his weaknesses, just like any other. I can’t lead the army if all I can think about is your safety. I have to be able to think with clarity, to focus on what’s coming, and if you’re here I’ll put my men at danger. I need you to go.’
    He could tell from her expression that she was offended by his reaction: her lips always parted slightly; it was a subtle sign that only someone who knew her intimately would recognise.
    ‘How can you expect me to leave? This is my homeland and soon I shall become its queen; I will never walk away freely from my people or my duty. I’ll stand and fight with our people, just as I promised my father I would.’
    ‘I am not asking you to go – I’m telling you to. I’ve already made the arrangements. Tomorrow you’ll leave, and journey towards the Kingdom of Aram, where it’s safe. The decision has already been made.’
    ‘I’m not a soldier for you to command; no order is above me, not even yours. I’m the heir to the throne and will soon be your queen!’ declared Larsa. She could feel her hands shake nervously. This was the first time Marmicus had ever commanded her to do something against her will; it was unlike him to be so forceful.
    ‘This isn’t the time to be stubborn, Larsa. If we don’t win this war, there’ll be no kingdom to rule over or return to. If you love me, you’ll do this for me.’
    He had always regarded her resilience as an attractive quality, but not tonight – there was too much for him to think about and her stubborn attitude was not helping.
    ‘Why do you choose to torment me with your absence? Isn’t it enough that I have given you my heart and my body? What more can I offer you?’ she uttered in desperation, unable to understand why he was talking to her like this. Where was the man she had fallen in love with, who wanted to spend every waking moment with her?
    ‘I’m not pushing you away; I just want to protect you from all of this, that’s all. All my life I’ve fought in battles, knowing only hardship and pain, and your love has been the one thing that has offered me the peace that I’ve always wished for. In your hands lies my freedom. Without you, I am a prisoner of war.’
    Larsa embraced him, feeling the weight of his words hit her like a pile of rocks. What she was about to say would cause her more agony than she could ever have imagined, but this was not the time to be selfish; she would endure the pain for his sake alone.
    ‘I love you too much to willingly hurt you. I’ll leave our homeland only because I would never want to be the cause of your unhappiness or the author of your imprisonment,’ she whispered. Her lips trembled as she spoke; it felt as though her heart had fallen at her feet. She realised in that moment that the fate of her kingdom now rested with him.
    ‘I’ll leave tomorrow but only on one condition – otherwise I won’t go.’
    ‘What is it?’
    ‘I need you to promise me that nothing will happen to you,’ she said, with tears in her eyes, which began to roll down her cheeks. ‘Swear to me that our hearts will unite once again like the sea upon the shore and the moon against the sun. There can be no power on earth that