Abigail sighed and looked away, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face as she avoided the prince's gaze.
"Philip... I...." She faltered, words catching in her throat. Philip watched her, a patient hope in his eyes, silently pleading for her not to reject him once more.
"Forget about him and be with me instead" He tried convincing but seeing the lady's expression, it felt that his words added weight to her thoughts.
She sighed and summoned the courage to meet his gaze, but before she could speak, a trumpet blast echoed from their camp, startling the nearby birds into flight. It was a signal—an enemy attack.
Without hesitation, Abigail sprinted towards the commotion, her decision momentarily forgotten.
Philip, left with no choice, hurried after her.
As soon as they arrived, they found chaos. Under Alphonse's leadership, the soldiers were already clashing fiercely with the bandits.
"Back to formation, everyone!" Abigail shouted to the soldiers regrouping at the rear. She quickly mounted her horse, drew her sword from its sheath with a swift motion, and gripped it tightly. Raising the blade, she commanded, "Attack!" and led the charge into the fray.
"Regroup and surround them! They're already outnumbered; it won't take long for us to finish them off!" Abigail commanded. The soldiers quickly responded, moving to encircle the dwindling band of bandits, tightening their formation to press the advantage.
"Archers, ready your arrows!" Philip called out as he maneuvered his horse closer to the action. "On my signal,"
On the other hand, Alphonse caught a glance from Abigail and saw her subtle nod to pull back. He was hesitating but seeing the soldiers in position, he quickly grasped her strategy as he observed the soldiers repositioning.
"Retreat!" he shouted to those engaged in direct combat. His voice carried over the clanging of swords, and the soldiers began to withdraw in an orderly fashion.
The bandits, sensing an opportunity, surged forward, only to be halted as a line of shield-bearing soldiers blocked their path, their spears poised threateningly.
"Now!" Philip's command cut through the din. At his word, a volley of arrows arched skyward, then descended with lethal precision on the bandits, who were caught off guard by the sudden strike.
The air was filled with the sound of arrows whistling and the cries of the bandits echoing across the battlefield. Many tried to flee, but only a few survived the unexpected barrage.
With the field now cleared, Abigail took command. She ordered the cavalry, "After them!" The horsemen spurred their steeds into a swift gallop, chasing down those who had managed to escape the initial onslaught.
Arthur chuckled, standing next to Abigail. "That ended fast," he exclaimed, stretching his arms leisurely.
"They're bandits. what do you expect?," Abigail replied, though her joke didn't seem to amuse him.
"They were outnumbered and caught off guard; that makes them easy to defeat," Alphonse interjected as he walked past them.
"Everyone, back in position... We'll continue our march," he commanded, and the soldiers promptly began to regroup and prepare to move out. Turning back to Abigail, Alphonse's expression grew serious. "And you, Abigail... don't leave without letting anyone know next time," he said, facing her squarely.
"Yes, father"
"Duke Alphonse..." The man stopped from his tracks when he heard Philip's voice, calling for his name as he then looked back at him.
YOU ARE READING
Rebellious Love
RomanceAbigail Axilen was born in a noble family, her mother died because of an unknown illness. This left Abigail broken and sad, Four months after her mother's death. Luke, her father found a new wife. She has 3 childrens and the youngest child is a year...
