The Legend of Carmine

In Shar, General Carmine had taken her post and duties. Everything appeared to fall in place. However, she noticed that Alor attended the communal kitchen. Though she was very new to their military system, she knew the basis of the military system and with his position, he would get more personalized services for the kitchen.

Finally, she summoned him and asked him. Why was he attending the communal kitchen? He replied that it just helped him to build a good rapport with his soldiers.

Carmine was very skeptical of his answer because she had already investigated the truth but it seemed that he was not going to admit it

So, she summoned the accountant. The accountant was already scared to death and was shaking. He was trembling with fear.

"Can you repeat what you had said to me?"

"General, please forgive me and spare my life. It was Lord Alor's idea. Actually, after your appointment, your ration and salary were not delivered to us. And we were very afraid to report it to you. So, we approached Lord Alor, if he could send a letter to Inap regarding it. But he willingly requested to give his ration and salary to you."

"You may leave"

As the accountant heard these words he rushed out of the room as if it was his only chance of survival. '

Alor stood there speechless and was embarrassed being caught red-handed.

Carmine looked at Alor with calm eyes and said" I know Emperor Cyanx assigned you to me so that you could be my armor against General Rulean."

She took a long sigh, put her hands on his shoulder, and said," Thank you for your consideration but I want it to be stopped." Then, she walked out of the room.

Alor could sense the intensity of her words and he knew that she was serious and he knew that he cannot change her mind.

Deep down Carmine smiled and said to herself as long as you do not mess with my soldier's rations, supplies, and weaponry, I can overlook these trivial things, General Rulean.

Then, she started to attend the communal kitchen. But it had a polar opposite effect, she started to bond more with her soldiers as she started sharing the meals and table with them.

Lord Alor could not ignore this situation and he also kept going to the common kitchen but he never dared to sit with her for meals.

One day on his night patrol he saw a few soldiers drunk and making a ruckus. He went to them to discipline them. But one of them was very drunk and totally forgot his mannerism.

As he approached them he heard, "You know our General smells so good, when I sat beside her for the meal."

Alor commanded, " What are you doing?"

His friends tried to shut his mouth but he removed and turned to Alor and said, " Lord Alor, you are the luckiest man in this camp. You get to spend the most time beside General. Don't you think General is the most beautiful woman you have seen?"

The soldier made his way to Lord Alor and whispered in his ear," Lord Alor, Don't you wonder how she looks under that armor?" As soon as he heard it his entire face and ears got red. He was infuriated that he smacked his head. And thundered that for their misconduct their salary is deducted for this month. So, they will learn to behave themselves.

This was still a harsh punishment because these soldiers were off duty and were allowed to drink. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, it was what that soldier had said that made him angry.

As he made his way to his room he remembered the moment he had taken her from the dungeon. He just stopped this thought and muttered to himself what he was thinking.

The next day when Carmine went to the Kitchen. No soldiers came to sit with her at her table. As she encouraged the other soldiers to come to join her. Alor jumped in and said," I will join you for the meal."

When he joined she signaled him to come near her. As she came close to her he could feel his heart rate rising, she came so near he could sense it if she moved any further her lips would have touched his cheeks.

But his thoughts were interrupted when she said," Lord Arol, do you know why no one is sitting with me today in the meal. Has something happened that I don't know of?"

"Don't worry they are just showing you respect by not sharing the table with you."

"But I do not mind sharing my table with them."

Then, she requested her other comrades to join her.

The soldiers looked at Alor and reluctantly made their way to the table and sat next to him.

Carmine believed Alor's explanation and did not ponder on it. Actually, the soldier had heard what had happened. And that the 4 soldiers' monthly salary was deducted for talking rubbish about the General. Hence, they all were afraid of Lord Alor and to sit with General for the meal.

As the meal got over, a box was delivered. When she got the news she excitedly said, "Lord Alor, I will show you something"

In the training ground, when she opened the box- a magnificent sword lay in it.

It was a leaf-bladed sword. Its pommel was made up of a phoenix head and the sword's body was leaf bladed. It looked elegant and fierce especially because of the red eyes of the phoenix made up of ruby. As Carmine held it gently in her hand and was awake from her thought when Alor said,'' Indeed it's a magnificent sword. Where did you get it?"

She just touched it tenderly and said," I ordered the craftsmen to make it for me. I wanted to have my own sword. As she caressed those ruby eyes of the phoenix on the sword. She said, "Alor, this sword is specially ordered by me so I could embed these ruby stones on it, because..."

She smiled as if she was laughing at her own stupidness,".. I have this stupid thought that it would make me feel that my parents will be watching over me all the time. These ruby stones were extracted from my parent's wedding ring. "

As Alor could sense her sadness she said," I think you should give a name to it?"

Carmine's expression changed and she looked at him with a questionable gesture.

"It is so special to you, I think you need to name it."

Name? Do you have any suggestions, Lord Arol? She said, mockingly.

" Xade"

Carmine was taken aback by his quick answer. Xade- why so?

"Because it means a clever mind readily capable of grasping and assimilating new ideas.

And this sword represents you and you have always proved it and…"

"And??"

"The name is created by combining "X" from phoenix and "ade" from the blade.

Isn't it a good name?"

Carmine indeed loved her sword's name "Xade", but did not want to show she was impressed with him.

"Lord Alor, let's see if you can defeat me with Xade." As she pointed her Xade to her. So, they started dueling with the sword. Alor had duels with her for training before as well. But today he was losing his calm composure as he was in her close proximity. As their swords collided and struck. With every strike, the impact getting stronger and the distance between them getting shorter he could sense her warm breath on his neck and face. He was having difficulty focusing on the duel. As his eyes wander down her neckline. His mind got transferred to the time when he had picked her up from the dungeon and how he could through her clothes a slight skin of her bosom. As soon as this pic came back to him he totally was no longer on the game. Carmine threw his sword right across the room as she pointed her sword at him.

Lord Arol, you are not focused today, where is your mind? You could have been killed if this had been a real battle.

Arol, cheeks, and ears were turning red.

Carmine said,'' You just did not perform well like other days. You don't have it be so embarrassed. Okay. Just be more focused next time."

(If only she knew what was making him turn red)

Then a messenger came rushing in haste and said," General, we got the news that the Ouran army is mobilizing towards us as we speak."