The Secret of Sentarra
an excerpt

He hadn’t meant to linger but he coulnd’t help it. Setta’s face was pale and glossy from the fever. Her hair was down and becoming matted. Terrant set her down, propping her against his shoulder and pulled Alnon’s blanket around her. Alnon jerked himself out of his thoughts and took himself away, telling himself that they were in Erilerre now. He turned back with sudden inspiration and dropped to his knees beside Terrant.
“Let me go for the physician, Sir.” He offered, “We’re in Erilerre.”
Terrant shook his head, “We’ve still in the swampland. There aren’t people around here and even if there were, you’d never make the journey at night.”
“There must be something that I can do.” Alnon pushed on distress filling his heart for years of fighting still had not hardened it and the boy felt more than he let on.
Terramt shook his head, “I don’t think there is anything anyone can do.” He said in a low voice, “Best get some sleep lad. Morning will come early.”
Alnon sighed and defeated went to lay down. He picked up his cloak and laid down behind another soldier who had already fallen asleep so that Terrant would not see that he had no blanket for the night was cold and though he longed to be hear the smoking fire, he know Terrant would make him take the blanket back.
Terrant did no see, however. He had eyes only for his wife and Alnon wondered as he lay awake staring into the darkness if he would ever find someone that he would love that much. He certainly couldn’t remember anyone caring for him so. His mother he could not remember. His father forced him to beg and rewarded him only by not hitting him if he managed to make enough coins to buy something to drink. The army had given him his identity – his purpose and he wondered what he would do without the army. So many people married out of necessity and fewer got along, much less felt devoted to each other as the Prince and Princess of Erilerre did.
He remembered Setta a few days ago – how she had talked to the boys – how she had looked at her husband – how he had looked back. The boy drifted exhaustedly off to sleep making all sort of promises to God, which – if kept – would have made him better than the holiest man alive, if God would only spare the Lady.
It was the cold that woke him several hours later after dreaming of returning to Erilerre to find nothing waiting for him, and as he hugged his thin cloak tigheter to himself, he heard a very low voice.
“We’ll get Tehveor. He’ll be all right, you’ll see.”
Alnon shifted as slowly as he could to get away from the rock that was sticking into his ribs without disturbing the Prince and his wife.
He could hear Setta’s ragged, uneven breathing.
“We’re going to go live by the sea, remember? It will be like it was when you were a child and played there with Marger – Setta?” Tarrant put his hand to her cheek and kissed her forehead, “Stay with me, Love.”
“I’ll try.” Setta’s voice could barely be heard and Alnon pressed his face into his arms to stop his tears. Part of him wanted to be there for the Master and part of him knew that it was not his place.
“Setta.” Terrant’s voice came out shaking, pleading, “Setta, don’t leave me.”
It was so piteously pleaded that Alnon looked back up compelled.
In the firelight he could see tears on Terrant face but what startled him more were the tears in the princess’s eyes.
“I’ll try.” Was all that she whispered again before her eyes closed desperately trying to keep them open. A single tear fell down her cheek and Terrant held her for a moment, searching her face for some sign of life, but as he shifted his weight to hug her, her body slumped and Alnon felt ill. Terrant stroked her face for several tense seconds, until he laid her head onto his shoulder and buried his face into her hair. In the darkness, surrounded by his men and holding his wife, but still desperately alone, the Prince of Erilerre bowed his head and sobbed.