Winn
I watched the battle from the doorway. Unable to leave one of my only friends. Kal was like a god. He cut down each man like death incarnated. Then John joined him and they were like twin storms, tearing down trees in the forest. It was gruesome. It was mesmerizing. It was death. Carnage lay at their feet as blood pooled across the broken marble. For the first time, I knew that the rumors about Kal were true. It all made sense now why no one saw Kal as a woman. When I found out I began to notice a few things. Kal never had any form of stubble on his chin, his hips swung just a little too much when walking, and in plain clothes, he had just a few too many curves. Now I know why no man would see that. They would not be able to admit that a woman was that skilled, that powerful.
The last man falls under Kal's sword. I see he him turn, looking for anyone else. Kal straightens and speaks to John. I am too far away to hear the words being said. I am also too far for my cry to reach Kal's ears in time as I see the man at his feet lunges. Fear fills my heart and dread causes my stomach to clench. As he falls, I see another chunk of ceiling fall, somehow landing on Kal's shield but still causing his arm to hit his head and his head to hit the ground. He doesn't move.
I do. My legs carry me as fast as they can. One guard quickly beheads the already dead man with an underhanded swing. The rest circle around. John falls to his knees and drops his sword with a clatter. He presses his hands flat around the knife, debating whether or not to pull it out. I almost slide into the two as I hit my knees on the blood saturated floor.
"Do not pull it out. It is helping to keep the blood in." I command, my voice on the verge of panic.
"Conner! Go get the healers!" Conner hesitates.
"Now!" Johns voice booms out.
I move to look at Kal's head. I peer into his closed eyes, they are unresponsive but he was breathing. I feel the back of his head, it was tender but nothing felt broken. I think the blow just knocked him unconscious. Footsteps come running towards us. I look up and I realize what is about to happen.
"John," I say in a harsh whisper.
"I know. But it is this or his life." John says in a defeated voice, head bowed over Kal's prone form.
"It may very well be his life either way," I say.
"This will at least give him a chance, even a small one."
Tears form in my eyes as I stand to make room for the healers coming. I rub my face and step away. I head to the archives, hoping to find something to save the life of Kal El Ward.
___________________________________________________________________________
Lena
I stood paralyzed, clutching Alexander's arm. He stood bravely in front of Mother and I while palace guards closed in around us. Swords were drawn as people panicked and tried to escape the hall. Kal almost patiently waited for the man sliding down the rope from the ceiling, then lashed out with a sword to dispatch him. Kal was astounding, almost beautiful in the haze of blood that surrounded him. A warrior with little qualms about what his duty was.
"Do you still question his knighthood Mother?" Alexander asks quietly of the Queen. She does not respond.
Silence falls. At this distance, I cannot hear Kal but I see the man rise from the floor and drive a dagger into his stomach. Alexander tries to turn me away but he is too late. I see Kal fall and the blood start to pool before I am yanked from the hall and swept through the castle to the royal family sitting room, one of the safest places in the castle. The walls were built twice as thick and deep in the heart of the castle. Food stores were there in times of emergency along with weapons. Men took up stations inside and out. Mother casually moved to pour herself a glass of wine and sit gracefully on one of the large ornate couches.
Alexander guides me over to the one opposite it and sits me down. He sits on the table in between the two couches and grabs hold of my hands. I stare at them in shock. The image of Kal being stabbed keeps replaying over and over in my mind. Tears fall down my cheeks and Alexander brushes them away.
"Tears should not be shed for a man doing his duty. Tears show weakness. You are not weak, are you darling?" mothers cold voice penetrates into me.
"Men died tonight, Mother. Men died for me." I snap back at her with little grace.
"Lena, dear, control your anger. It does not become you." I feel my anger flare again
"Yes, Mother." adding ice to the title.
Her eyes narrow at me but she says nothing else. Alexander keeps trying to comfort me, rubbing my hands, shoulders, brushing away tears.
"Kal is strong. He will be fine." He whispers.
A small part of me hopes it will be true, but there was so much blood. The hours stretch on. Men report into Alexander as per Sir James' orders. They are searching the castle for the man who escaped off the roof, the one who dropped the stone on Kal. They are also searching for evidence of any other attack. Twelve people were killed in the panic to flee the battle, trampled underfoot. Two guards were found dead at their posts on the battlements. No word of Kal was reported. Mother drank until she fell asleep around midnight. At some point, I fell asleep against Alexander's shoulder. I stir when he tries to lower me to the couch because he is trying to stand.
"Where are you going?" I ask sleepily.
"They say there is news on Kal. I must speak to Sir James." He whispers, not wanting to wake mother.
"I am coming too."
"No, sleep. I will wake you as soon as I know something." He disappears before I can argue and my heavy eyelids drift shut before I can form another thought.
I wake to Alexander shaking my shoulder again. I try to speak but he holds a finger to his lips, nodding to Mother. I nod my silent agreement not to wake her. Alexander takes my hand and leads me out of the room. He does not stop there. Two guards fall in with us as we walk.
"Where are we going?" I whisper, not sure if I should speak.
"The infirmary."
"So Kal is alive?" I ask him, knowing hope was bubbling up.
"Kal is alive. Kal is... You need to see Kal." Alexander was holding something back.
"What are you not telling me?"
"You will have to see Kal first." at that we lapse into silence as Alexander leads the way.
The infirmary is made of smooth marble on the floor. Highly polished in order for easy clean ups. Beds line either wall, twenty on each side of the long room. The last bed in the far corner has the curtain drawn around it. It is the only occupied bed, meaning all the other men in the battle had died or were not injured at all. Kal was the only injured on our side. Sir James stood outside the curtain, barely visible in the faint moonlight. A candle behind the curtain lit the figure propped up in the bed. I walk towards the bed, my pace picking up in my eagerness to reach Kal.
"My lady, wait." Sir James steps in front of me and my irritation must be plain on my face.
"Sir Kal told you he had a secret, correct?" I furrow my brow and nod.
"I had no idea that Kal did. Nor could I have guessed it was something so substantial. Now the truth is out. The damage has been done. However, your brother and I thought you would prefer to learn of it from Kal. Allow Kal to tell you why, before we report to the Queen."
Panic fills me as I nod to Sir James' words. My chest constricts as I begin to walk closer to the closed curtain. Sir James and Alexander head back towards the door, still in sight but well out of hearing for whatever Kal and I say to each other. I see him sit up taller at the sound of my footsteps, the folds in the curtain distorting the shadow. With a deep breath, I draw it back.
The first thing I notice is his bright eyes, shining in the candlelight. His hair is like a wild mane, no one bother to touch it after the fight. His cheeks are flushed. Good, he did not lose too much blood then.
"Kal." I breathe out in relief.
"Hello, Lena." Kal's voice quivers.
It is such a foreign sound that I look back to his eyes. They are not bright, they are wet with tears. Tears that trace paths down his cheeks through dirt and blood. He looks down at his hands, breaking our eye contact. My eyes follow his but I draw up short. Something is not quite right. Bandages wrap around Kal's torso, stopping the bleeding and holding the knife wound closed. A small swell on Kal's chest, however, is evident in his shirtless state. My mind takes a moment to process what I am seeing. Breasts. Kal has breasts. That means Kal is not a he. Kal meets my eyes again and he knows that I know now. Or she knows. My head begins to spin.
"Yes, Lena. This is my secret. This is why my life is the price for my deceit."
My legs feel weak so I sit in the chair next to the bed. My mouth still hangs open in shock, trying to form words, any words. My head was having trouble wrapping around this new revelation. Kal looked at me warily but I could not meet her eyes. I stare into the palms of my hands, working my jaw.
"Say it aloud," I say.
"Sorry?" Kal asks.
"I need you to say it so that I know it is true." Kal takes a deep breath, knowing what I need to hear.
"My name is Kara Zorel Ward. I am a woman who became a knight." The silence stretches between us.
"Why?" is all I can ask.
"Why what, my lady? Would you like to know my whole story?"
"Yes." I look up into her eyes, they were so bright with sadness that I almost lost what little resolve I had to not stand and leave.
"My brother died when we were children, just like I told you my sister did. Then when the decree went out that all girl children were to be taken, my mother and father took me away. We moved and I became Kal, my brother. My parents thought it as the only way to keep me safe. Then when the second decree went out, drafting an able-bodied man from each family, I was taken away anyway. My only survival lay in keeping up the charade I had been living most my life." Kal's story is interrupted by his own empty laugh.
"I guess I was too good at pretending. Too good at being the hero. I almost believed myself so many times. And then there was you. Never had I wanted to be what I had pretended to be then when you kissed me." My head snaps up at that to meet her eyes again.
I had kissed Kal...Kara. I thought I had fallen in love with Kal. Now Kal was Kara and I was not so sure. Kara chews on her lower lip and looks at me. I know her story is done but a pit settles in my stomach. Kara had this life because of my family. Because of me. Kara is still looking at me. waiting for any sort of response.
"I know that this is the end of my life. I have done more than most and I have tried to do good. I knew I would die young. I knew I would die alone. What I did not know was that I would fall in love with the future Queen of Krypton." I intake a sharp breath,
"Kara..."
"Lena. No. I am done with hiding. I know it is unfair to you but I need to say it. I love you, Lena Luthor. Maybe one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me for lying to you. I expect nothing from you, only that you remember at least the good I tried to do. Try to remember Kal the knight. My brother deserves that." Kal stares at me a long moment.
"Goodnight, Lena Luthor." Kara reaches over and picks up the candle and hands it to me.
She rolls her back to me and settles in to sleep. I take the candle and leave without a word. My footsteps echo in the silence of the large room. Alexander and Sir James still wait for me. Sadness creases both of their faces. When I get to them they both watch me carefully, waiting for my response.
"What happens now?" My voice is calm. My face feels expressionless. My heart is screaming.
"That is up to Mother, I suppose. If Kal lives or dies, the choice is hers." Alexander says quietly, his voice is tired.
I nod an leave, guards falling in behind me outside the infirmary doors. Alexander and Sir James let me leave. I go to my room and not back to the royal sitting room. When I get there guards are stationed outside of it. In my room, I shed my dress and crawl into bed next to Jess' sleeping form. I wrap my arms around her. Her hair soaks up the tears that finally escape my eyes.
___________________________________________________________________________
Kara
Lena's footsteps fade as she leaves my bedside. My mind latched on to every detail of her face. it broke my heart. With every word her face went from shock to disbelief, to flashes to of sadness, then I saw her retreat into herself. The expressionless mask that she saved for the public was put into place, blocking me out. Resolve filled her eyes as she distances herself from me, first emotionally, then physically.
I cried again after she was gone. Every fiber of me hurt. I knew I should run. Escape. But I was so tired. Tired of hiding, tired of fighting, tired of being who I was. The only escape I allowed myself was sleep.
I wake again in the Infirmary. This time I am greeted by the grim face of Sir James and several guards. They move me down to the prisoner cells, deep in the bowls of the castle. The stench of the place penetrates my nose, even with the cells near empty. Apparently cleaning them in between prisoners was not a priority to the crown. I am shoved into a cell, a tunic that is more like a sack for vegetables is tossed on the floor behind me before the cell door is locked. I lay on the straw in the corner, thankfully that at least is fresh, and fall back asleep.
___________________________________________________________________________
Winn
I ran as quickly as I could to the royal quarters. I knocked briskly on the door to the sitting room. My eyes were straining. I had spent hours searching scrolls and books. The only things I could find were slight miss-wordings and ambiguous meanings. The door opens and I bow after catching a glimpse of the Prince's face.
"Rise, Mister Schott." He says in a tired voice.
"May I speak to you, my Prince?" Prince Alexander steps aside and allows me entrance to the sitting room.
Queen-in-waiting Lena was seated on a couch. I bow to her also. She nods in my direction.
"Please sit, Mister Schott. What seems to be the cause of your haste?" Queen-in-waiting Lena's voice is proper but strained.
I hesitate and glance at both of them. Doing this will be admitting to being knowledgeable about Kal's deception. Both the royals watch me and the weight of their combined gaze makes me swallow and take a seat. I clutch the scrolls and ledgers to my chest.
"Th...thank you for s...seeing me." The Prince nods.
"Umm... you see... I have been..."
"Winslow, please. We have to meet with the Queen so please say what you need to say." The Prince says levelly.
"I know Kal is not Kal. But please, I beg you. Kal is my only friend. Do not let her die." Queen-in-waiting Lena turns from my gaze but Prince Alexander holds it.
"It is out of our hands. Kal may have saved us but he has committed many crimes against the crown."
"But that's the thing, maybe she has not." They both look at me with questions plain on their faces.
I scramble with the documents in my hands, trying to find the right places. Both of their eyes are intent on me. My movements are awkward and stressed. I point to various places as I start to speak.
"I have found nowhere in our laws, in our history, that a knight must be male. Not even is there a law that the soldiers must be male, it was all just assumed. So most of Kal's assumed crimes were just that, assumed. Yes, she is guilty of lying to the crown, but all she has done is protect the both of you."
Both of the royals lean forward to examine the places I had indicated. Both were enraptured by my words and the ones that are written. Each exchanged pages as they read what I had brought. Weeks of work were compounded into hours as I had frantically searched for these documents. They were ancient, dating back to the beginning of Krypton's rise to its own country. Luckily those who came before me cared just as much for the books as I did so those documents were well taken care of.
"Please save my only friend. At least spare her life, even if it means I can never see her again." I stand to leave.
"We have to convince mother." I hear Queen-in-waiting Lena say before the door swings shut behind me.