Once Her Betrothed, Now Her Judge Chapter 11
[Third Person POV)
The memory of breaking through the siege three years ago rose unbidden in the empress’ mind. Countless soldiers had stood beside Gideon, all of whom had died under enemy blades to protect her.
She remembered a cheerful young female general whose final words were, “Your Majesty, go on ahead. I’ve got all those enemy troops surrounded by myself, heh.”
She remembered an old veteran, riddled with arrows yet still standing straight. “Your Majesty, I still want to fight for our country and expand to new frontiers.”
She remembered a plump female soldier, whose dream was to be as beautiful as a courtesan in full finery, yet whose face had been burned beyond recognition in the flames of war.
She remembered…
The empress forced back her tears and gave an immediate order to build a monument to the fallen in the heart of the borderlands. The names and deeds of every soldier who had died in battle were to be carved into the stone, so that generations to come would honor them for eternity.
The servants accepted the order and withdrew.
Just then, a chamberlain came running, breathless from the exertion. “Your Majesty, we’ve found General Ward.”
In a small village along the realm’s frontier, important visitors had arrived in droves that day.
“Ma’am, may I trouble you to ask about someone?”
The speaker was dressed in rich, elegant robes, carrying themselves with both scholarly grace and natural authority. However, their voice trembled with barely contained emotion.
The old woman smiled. “I know who you’re asking about. These days, we’ve had plenty of outsiders coming here asking for news. That young man came to the village three years ago. No one knew his name or where he came from.
“They say a merchant caravan picked him up in the desert. He was so badly injured back then that everyone thought he wouldn’t make it. But somehow, he was just too stubborn to die and actually pulled through. Still, while his life was saved, his mind wasn’t. He had lost his memory.”
The empress’ heart clenched tight, but the old woman added, “His memory finally came back a few days ago, though.”
The empress let out a slow breath of relief, then followed the directions the old woman gave her. She arrived at a quiet little courtyard tucked away from the main road.
The flowers and plants by the gate were beautifully tended, and the stone path inside was swept spotless. There was not a speck of dust to be seen.
A carved stone inscription framed the wooden door. At a glance, she could tell they were chiseled by the owner himself. The words were neat, yet edged with a sharp, unmistakable strength.
The first line read, “Few know the pain of guarding the frontier.”
The second line read, “Even in death, a hero’s honor lives on.”
The empress’ heart trembled. She raised her hand several times to knock, but each time she lifted it, she hesitated and let it fall again.
Just as she wavered there on the doorstep, the door suddenly swung open from within. She met Gideon’s gaze; neither of them spoke for a long moment.
A thousand unspoken words finally condensed into a single line. “Gideon, have you been well?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the door wide. A young general in armor appeared before the empress in full -the figure in front of her slowly overlapped with the one in her memory. The only difference was that the many before her was missing his left arm.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Gideon merely smiled. “Your Majesty, do I disappoint you like this?”
She smiled as well. “You are a pillar of this nation, Gideon. You must take care of your health. The people of this land need you, and I need you even more.”
30 years later, a court historian was hard at work, writing furiously.
The empress had governed with tireless dedication, ended the chaos of war, and revived the people’s livelihoods. She was revered by all in the realm, yet she remained unmarried all her life and left no children.
Meanwhile, General Gideon Ward guarded the borderlands for many years until his death, and never married.
Two months after his death, the empress passed the throne to a young kinsman of the imperial clan and became a nun. Her monastic name was Memoria.
