But it wasn’t like I could exactly ask Lord d’Refan why he felt the need to continually conscript men and women in service to Vespera and the Northern Territories. I’d only seen him that one time, months ago now, when I first woke. After that, he’dbecome somewhat of an enigma; a shadow that looms just out of sight.
The General, however, I’d seen plenty of—both in passing and personally.
He ran the Academy and was the primary instructor for both strategy and magic use, though the army was so vast that other instructors were hired to help alleviate the strain on the General. Especially considering he had a plethora of other duties as Lord d’Refan’s second-in-command.
An odd choice, but the more I became acquainted with the General, the more I realized it was the only choice to make.
General d’Alvey was hard but fair. A consummate hard worker and completely devoted to his craft. He also made a concentrated effort to learn about those under his command, even going as far as to show his soldiers care and understanding.
My eyes shifted from my now-empty bowl of stew to where General d’Alvey was moving throughout the mess hall, drifting amongst the soldiers. Interacting with them in a way that was completely at odds with his position.
A firm grasp of a shoulder here, a handshake there. Even from two tables over, I could hear the gentle rasp of his laugh as he responded to something one of the older recruits said. The General moved with effortless grace throughout the hall, a small smile illuminating the hard features of his face.
While I’d only ever been with women—and only one, at that—I found beauty in, and was attracted to, everyone. There was a certain attractiveness to the harsher masculine features that typically dominated men, and a definitive draw to the softer, more feminine features of women. I could, and did, appreciate the abject beauty of a person, their soul included.
And the General had a beautiful soul.
I could admit that I found General d’Alvey attractive, but the draw I felt toward him wasn’t sexual in the slightest; therewas something simply magnetic about him. Some part of him drew me in close and kept the broken and battered pieces of my soul safe and warm. Somehow, someway, he found me nearly dead in that shit tent I called a home. Plucked me from the arms of death, brought me to the Academy, and nursed me to health. Helped me recover and adjust to life as a soldier after Lord d’Refan made it clear that my payment for the healing and services rendered would be through my flesh, just not in the way I typically thought of flesh payment. He showed me care, concern, and, dare I say, love, as my atrophied muscles slowly regained strength and sinew. He guided me as I found myself again through the hard work and dedication needed to succeed at the Academy. He even helped me shave my hair and beard when I first woke, calloused fingers softly shearing off months of grime and illness, never once blanching at the healing wounds he saw underneath.
No, there was nothing sexual about my attraction to General d’Alvey. The man was more a father than I’d ever had, though our ages dictated he more fill the role of older brother. And I treated him as such, with the respect, devotion, and utter adoration both of his positions demanded.
He was my world, and I spun around his axis.
General d’Alvey approached our table, his emerald eyes sparkling like the jewel they so closely resembled. He visited with a few of the newest recruits—we sat in groups based on when we joined the army—at the very end of the table, before he slowly made his way toward me.
I turned my body so I could follow his movements, watching as he quickly visited with each of the soldiers, the same devotion and love I felt emanating from them in waves. The General left a string of loyal servants in his wake, and the dedication they showed him could not be overstated.
An excited grin spread across my face as the General finally came up to me, but his once exuberant expression dimmed slightly when he saw me.
Is he mad at me? What did I do wrong?
I wracked my brain, trying to think of what could have upset him so much.
The corners weren’t neat in my bunk this morning. That’s it.
The General grasped my shoulder briefly before fixing his smile once more and moving on to the Mage who sat directly to my left. Sol arrived at the same time I did, nearly to the day, and was already Awakened as a Water Mage. She was not much older than I was, and I shuddered at the thought of what happened to her in order for her to Awaken so early.
General d’Alvey made his way down the remainder of our long table, never once looking back at me. The colors of the clock drained and the bell sounded, forcing everyone to rise as one. I followed suit, more out of habit than desire, and searched through the crowd for General d’Alvey. My heart quickened and my palms sweat at the thought of him being angry with me.
The last thing I wanted was to anger the General.
I’d quite literally give my life for him.
I craned my head around a particularly tall Earth Mage, desperately trying to find the General as I rotely followed Sol. I deposited my empty bowl in a barrel, the motions second nature now, as my eyes continued to scan the mess hall. I looked for the glint of the gold bars adorning his shoulders in a sea of black.
I’ll apologize. Take on extra duties at the Academy. Whatever he requests, I’ll do.
My heart thudded in my chest as we slowly made our way out the doors and into the hallway of the Academy. The same glittering black stone greeted me, the lights from the strange orbs on the walls only emphasizing their illustrious quality.
I desperately searched the shadows as my feet dutifully carried me to the next task of the day—physical weapons training. The muscles in my upper back ached just thinking about it. But the phantom ache in my body wasn’t enough to detract from the current pounding of my heart and intrusive thoughts.
“Lex.” The rough, deep voice of the General simultaneously calmed my racing heart while sending it into overdrive.
“General.” I snapped to attention in the direction of his voice. My feet relaxed at shoulder-width apart while my hands clasped behind my back, the picture of a soldier ready for orders. General d’Alvey’s position mirrored my own, but his stance was slightly more relaxed, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest.
All previous signs of happiness and mirth were wiped from his face as if they were never there in the first place.
The General sighed, and I could clearly see the worry lines on his forehead as they became more pronounced in the low light of the orb nearby. A muscle in his jaw feathered as his eyes quickly took stock of my position.
