Chapter 18

The Captain followed his ex-wife into the building and into a large room at the end of the old wooden hall. They didn't speak about anything as they walked, just an uneasy silence permeated the building. Across the hall from the room they entered was the Generals office.

The General normally had his door closed for privacy as he worked, but today he had it wide open. He sat in his chair and was watching them like a hawk as they entered the room. Clearly, he was going to be listening in on the conversation. Just in case the Captain got violent and tried to hurt her again. Across the front of his desk was his sword out of its sheath.

Of course, the Captain had not been drinking ever since that fateful conflict and he knew he had no intentions of causing her harm ever again. When his ex-wife turned around to face him her blue dress twirled and her face stern. For a brief moment the Captain was lost for words. In nearly a year he had forgotten the noble beauty she had.

He started to speak, but immediately she put a hand in his face forcing him to stop. She sighed heavily and took a step back. Then she looked directly into his eyes. All the Captain could see in her doe brow eyes was a liken to a cold winter sky.

Speaking softly, yet with a voice of authority, his ex-wife spoke. "I want to start this out and say that for all this time apart I have to get this feeling off my chest. I got no anger, I feel no malice, but I do have a little bit of regret. Nobody else is going to tell you, so there's some things I have to say. I have thought this through and I'm going to let it all out now. Then I'll be going on my way."

She paused and her expression hardened. Still staring him dead in the eye, her voice didn't falter. "You are not half the man that you think you are!"

The Captain was stunned. He had expected her to yell at him and belittle him, but her voice was so cold yet convincing. He could feel his emotions swelling as she continued.

"You can fill that hole inside of you with revenge, fighting and money, but it will come to nothing. I regret ever having Lilly with you. Because it seems you can't love anything else unless there is something in it for you." There was a low growl in her voice saying this.

Her words struck deeply this time. Lilly was his pride, his joy, and any though of her brought peace to his thoughts. But her words were sharp as any knife.

"I feel so sad for you. I tried to help you recover from your wounds on your face, but it just made you mad! I had seen no warning about who you really are. Not until you came home drunk for so many nights. Then with your hands that once held mine, that promised to protect me always, betrayed me."

She stopped and looked away briefly for the first time. "I just glad I made it out before you broke me down. When I took Lilly from home, I ran so far from you I knew you could never touch me again. I ran so far I made it all the way to mothers manor."

The she looked up at him again. Her expression remained serious, but her emotions were like the ocean in a storm glinting in her eyes. At this moment the Captain realized that there were tears in his eyes as one dripped down his cheek. He wanted to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. He opened his mouth to say something, but she wasn't going to let him have a word.

"I don't want to see your alligator tears or hear your pathetic pleas for my forgiveness. I will never listen to any promise you give ever again. You won't keep them."

He choked back a sob as his heart broke. He couldn't hold her icy gaze anymore and as more tears came, he looked at the floor. Everything she had said was true. He knew he was a failure, unworthy to receive any redemption from her.

As a husband he should have done everything to protect and provide for his wife as well as he could. But when he lost to Helgrath his pride was hurt and embarrassed in front of his men. His manly ego had been corrupted and he lost himself. He could only seem to find solace in the bottom of a mug of ale. He ended up drowning in its intoxicating vigor and in doing so violated his alter oath.

"Let me continue this by saying, I really meant well from the start." His ex-wife continued. "You were so hurt and broken when you returned from that battle. I was willing to take you, this broken man, and put back all his parts. But you're not half the man that you think that you are. It also seemed that you could easily replace me anyhow." Saying this She gestured towards the front door, referring to the two women outside.

He didn't have the will to refute her remarks. It would do him no good anyway. She wasn't about to believe him after saying all of this.

"After tonight you will never see me or Lilly ever again. As long as I am alive. We will be moving far away from here and father will insure your kept too busy to ever find us."

She turned towards the door showing that the conversation was coming to an end. "I feel so sad for you. All I did was try to help make you well again. I can't understand why it made you mad, probably never will. Every time you woke up from your night terrors or cringing from your wound's stings, I was there. Only to have you come home drunk."

She paused and her voice was low and angry as she spoke her finale words to him. "All you want is revenge. So that's what I am giving you now. Goodbye."

She immediately turned to go and all he could do was listen in stunned silence, as her heavy footsteps retreated down the wooden hall. A few moments went by before he realized that this would be his last chance to see Lilly. He wiped away his tears on his sleeve and turned to go after her but standing in the doorway was the General.

"P-please Sir." He stammered. "Let's me at least wave goodbye to Lilly. Let her at least have the last memory of her father be a good one."

The General sighed and said, "Very we'll but if you leave the porch, I'll lock you away forever."

The Captain slipped past the General and almost ran towards the door. He took a big breath to calm down best he could. Then forcing himself to smile he opened the door. In the failing light he could she little Lilly, being led away by his ex-wife, waving goodbye to the Major and Lady.

They were about to disappear from sight, and it was now or never. The Captain raised his arm to wave and yelled out to Lilly.

"Lilly! I love you and don't ever forget that! Bye - bye sweetheart!" His voice cracked in the end.

Lilly wasn't able to say anything to him as she disappeared from behind the corner of the barracks. She did, however, give him one last smile.

He couldn't stand any longer. His legs nearly buckled, and he leaned on the railing of the porch with his head hung low. Her speech had sucked all the life from him.

As the saying goes, 'There is no wrath like a woman's scorn.'