Confessions and Laughter

GRACEONA

I walked into our room looking at Leonard, who was pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "You alright? Who was that on the phone?"

Leonard looked at me. "We have a new enemy."

I bit the inside of my lower lip, clenching my fists. "Cockroaches keep coming out of the woodwork, let me guess Ammon has spies watching over us."

He looked at me. "Ammon, is no longer our enemy. He is an ally now. So he claims."

"Really, who is this new enemy? Let me guess, he suspects me of being the tyrant."

He sighed. "Not you. Why are you so uptight? More so than usual, didn't you sleep any last night?"

He looked at me as I sighed, looking away. "I had something I needed to do. Classified information, dear. I refuse to tell of these plans."

He shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. "Secrets sound like they would be nice to have, but some of us aren't privileged to have those. I wouldn't know much about that."

I glared at him. "Look, I see that we're both in a mood. I'll talk to you when we've both calmed down. You're acting different, and I don't like it."

I turned to walk from the room. "You're letting this war get the better of you, Graceona. I understand that you're stressed I am as well. Do we need to be against one another? I'm not your enemy and you're not mine. We are a team and we always have each other's backs. Or does that not exist anymore, is our once open relationship reduced to secrecy? Are we letting our ages come between us? What's wrong with us?" He looked at me, then he looked away. "Perhaps we have grown apart in the last year. I know I'm to blame for that. I'm sorry, Grace. I don't know what else to say. Whatever you want from me, it's yours. My heart is yours, my life is yours." He stood up walking towards me as I looked at him, unshed tears shown in his eyes. "I have burned many bridges in my life, but I never wanted to become an enemy of yours."

"Who is the new enemy, Leonard? Is that who you're upset about? Is it Nicolae?" I looked at him as he shook his head. "Is it someone in our family?"

He looked at me. "I'd rather not say, Grace. Should this get out, it could cause an uproar. That is the last thing we need right now. I don't want a reaction from my brother, not until I can come up with the right words, or the right time. The new enemy troubles me deeply, not due to fear. A mixture of anger for what they did and hurt from not knowing the truth until now." I looked at him. Another sigh escaped his lips. "We're training again at noon. You can put Cynthia back in the corner."

I looked at him. "How did you know that?"

He chuckled. "Grace, I've fought with you many times. I know the poetry you write in battle, though you did very well at hiding your voice and your looks, you failed to hide the thing that I see so many times when we are together." I raised a brow, looking at him. "Though you are fierce in battle, you also know when I'm close to reaching my limits. You are more skilled in this than I am, though I was the general you were the one orchestrating the training after a while I just went with your lead, also you do a miserable job hiding your true self once we're in battle, your seductive remarks. Though you barely spoke, your movements gave you away. Hope to see you the next round." I shook my head with a sigh. "Though I have to admit one thing I'm going to miss from Cynthia that you never showed before."

"What would that be?" I grinned, looking at him.

"I love you, Grace, but when I want to train and get done, I sometimes want to sleep. Kourtney and Kyra are delights but, sometimes I just want to go to sleep, read a book, or just relax. You are a handful love, you take a lot out of me and we go over five hours when we train. So how about giving this old man a rest when you beat me black and blue every once in a while. I'm not ready for a third child. I liked the favor you gave me last night, more than the special favor you had planned. Let's have a lot more of these favors and less special favors."

I looked at him. "Alright." I smiled, kissing his cheek. "If that's what you want, you don't have to ask me a second time. Let's raise the one we gave birth too before making another one."

He smiled, holding me close; I wrapped my arms around him as he stroked my hair. "I truly am sorry, Grace. I never meant to drive a wedge between us."

I looked at him. "Sh, you didn't, don't start worrying about something that never was. We will always be a team, no matter what we face. We're in this together, and if you believe in this war, bringing peace among the realms. Then I will try to be more supportive of that idea. I will always have my questions about this, but if you understand this, then I trust you know what you 're doing. I don't want to be separated for eternity just because of my unbelief and fighting against something that will happen, rather or not. I believe it will happen. I'm tired of fighting against it."

He looked at me. "Oh, where did you find this conclusion? I've tried for years to get you to come to your senses. What have I done in this past week to spark this revelation? What did I not do back then that I had done now?"

"You're not the only one who knows things in this relationship, Leonard, as stubborn and pigheaded as you may be, you don't fight for something you don't believe in fully, you never have been the man to throw caution to the wind and dive head first, you are dedicated to this cause and I am dedicated to you. And you know that once I see you put your heart and soul into something you 're like a plague, you spread it everywhere. Even I'm not immune to you, no matter how hard I fight against it I know that somewhere deep down I know you are right. Even if it takes years for me to realize it."

He laughed. "What am I going to do with you love? You know I'm not always right."

I smiled. "I'm offended now."

He stopped laughing and looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"We've been married for years and you've been holding out that wonderful laugh from me, for a while there I was wondering if you and your mother were perhaps lying about you being a happy child, I've had to deal with the chuckles, or the sarcastic laughs but this, you've been holding out on me, Leonard." He looked at me. "Maybe, I should put you on the spot more often. Or let you put yourself on the spot. I'd gladly give my troops to the Siren's hearing that laugh every morning, every evening, and during our late night talks. I'd give whatever you would have me give just to hear this side of you."

"I'm sorry, Grace. It's just in this moment we are breaking walls and shattering guards. I guess I really want to experience this with you. Both of us happy in the moment, not caring who sees. I've missed it, but, Grace. You 're wrong, I'm not always right. You are more than me ninety-nine percent of the time. I just take credit for it.

"You have your moments too, love. How about we say that we are both equal at being right and not soil this beautiful moment." He hugged me with a sigh. "What's wrong?"

"I've got to get ready and meet Ammon in an hour at Nicolae's boutique. We have to discuss something that we couldn't discuss here, or in Infernias."

"Let me come with you. I know you say Ammon is with us. But something seems off about this whole deal, and to be frank I don't trust it, and I certainly don't trust Ammon."

"I dunno know, Grace. I know I can trust you with this new enemy. I just don't want it to leak out and."

"Come on, dear. If you trust me, let me suffer this pain with you how can we be a team if you think you have to carry the weight alone. When have I given you a reason not to trust me, whatever we're facing, we can get through this together? I won't say anything to anyone, you should know me better than that."

"Alright, go get ready. We need to leave here soon. Have you eaten anything?"

"No, but."

"No buts, we'll get ready and we'll get something to eat before we leave. Whatever you need to do, you better do it now." He kissed my lips.

I sighed. "So the beautiful moment ends just like that, sad."

"We'll have plenty more. I experienced it and I've become addicted to it. You and moments like that are my new motive to keep this going. The fire that had gone out is back, and it's stronger than it ever was. I have a reason to fight now, thank you, Grace, for rekindling that flame."

"Your welcome." I smiled as he planted a kiss on my forehead, breaking the embrace.

"Well, let's get this over with, come back here and train for whatever or whoever we have coming our way."

"Sounds good to me, love."

We went our separate ways to prepare for the meeting.