The Pitbull and the Dove

         “I could care less about policy, Gorton, but I sure as hell don’t agree with her practices,” Rex growled to his companion.
         They had just come from a private meeting with Queen Lilianna in which she had instructed them how to handle the growing rebellion against her rule.  Refusing to use force on her own subjects – rebels or not – she instructed her generals that when the time came, they would respond only with the same amount of force that the rebels used against them.  Queen Lilianna emphasized that injury to both sides was to be kept to a minimum, and lives should be spared at all costs. 
         “Our people’s history has been bloody enough,” she had said solemnly.  “Let us not add to that painful legacy.”
         As Rex and Gorton stormed away from the meeting, Rex thought about his first meeting with the Queen.  She had just been crowned, and he had just been assigned to the royal guard.  The new officers were brought to the throne room to be formally inducted, and Rex had been astonished at the beauty of it all.  Wispy, feathery trees lined the room and seemed to form an ethereal arch over the Queen’s throne.  The chair itself was plain for a throne, made of smooth white wood and embellished by very slight engraving on the back and sides, and everything in the room seemed to glow with a pure, soft light.
         But then Lilianna herself had entered and everything else had paled in comparison.  She was young – mid-twenties or so – but carried the air of a well-seasoned ruler.  Her slight frame seemed to float across the marble floors, and her long blond hair swayed gently as she moved.  Lilianna’s graceful demeanor and soft-spoken voice endeared her to the people of the kingdom, and earned her the nickname, the Dove.
         Young Rex had been captivated by her beauty, and at first he thought her a very wise and just ruler.  But over the years, as the rebellion steadily grew, he became disillusioned with her refusal to fight.  Rex was now Queen Lilianna’s top general, and all military matters passed through his hands before being submitted to the Queen.  Time and again he had advised her to move with pre-emptive force to dig out and destroy the rebellion, once and for all.  Each time she refused firmly, saying that violence against her own subjects would never be her first course of action.  With each instance, Rex grew increasingly frustrated that she was not allowing him to do his job.
         “This is madness, your majesty!” he had erupted one day.  “By limiting our options, you are keeping your guards on a leash, preventing them from doing the very thing they have been assigned to do – protect you and your people!”
         “That is precisely what I am doing, General!” she replied, losing her usually calm demeanor.  Rex was surprised at her outburst and stared at her.  He watched as she closed her eyes, drew a breath, and recomposed herself.  Reopening her eyes, Rex thought he saw a glint of sadness pass over the Queen’s face.  “I am trying to protect all my people,” she said, surprisingly calm.  “That includes the faithful and the unfaithful alike.”  Lilianna looked directly at Rex.  “There are factors here that you know nothing about, and they weigh heavily on what needs to happen.”
         Confused and irritated, Rex never discovered what factors Lilianna had been referring to.  It annoyed him that there were “factors” that he – the Queen’s top general – knew nothing about.  If he was supposed to protect her, how could he do his job if she was holding out on him?
         Now, as he left his latest meeting with the “Dove Queen,” Rex was growing increasingly frustrated.  Intelligence reported that the rebels were planning an attack, possibly as soon as within the week, yet the Queen still refused to fight. 
         Rex’s companion replied as they walked.  “Maybe she agrees with you more than you think,” Gorton said.
         “What does that mean?”
         Gorton stopped and turned to his general.  “Don’t you remember the raiders?”  Rex paused to remember.  Some years ago, a band of raiders had begun attacking homes on the fringes of Queen Lilianna’s land.  Because the land was so remote, no one could catch them and they continued to pillage.  People throughout the kingdom became fearful and begged the Queen to act.  She met with General Rex and asked his opinion.
         “They’re filthy raiders, your majesty – thieves, vandals, some murderers even,” he had said.  “They’re attacking innocent people and spreading fear throughout the land.  They need to be stopped.”
         “Do we know their identities?”
         “Not specifically,” Rex admitted.  “But we have an informant who may have the information we need.  We are very close.”
         Lilianna looked down, thinking intently.  Soon, she looked up resolutely.  “I cannot condone senseless violence on either side of the law.”
         Rex began to protest.  “But your majesty, don’t you think—“
         “However,” the Queen continued firmly.  “I trust that I will hear of no more death and destruction after this is resolved, General Rex?”  He had stared at her, confused.  “Do you understand, General?” Lilianna had pressed. “I want to hear no more of this.”
         Rex noted her emphasis.  Is she giving me the okay to attack, as long as she doesn’t know about it?  Rex had been slightly impressed.  This is a dark side of Queen Lilianna I didn’t know about.  Imagine the Dove Queen silently sanctioning the deaths of outlying criminals!
         But Lilianna stopped him as he turned to leave.  “General, did I happen to mention that the renovations to the prison are complete?”  Rex shook his head.  “They are quite impressive and have expanded the prison’s holding capacity.”  Lilianna looked pointedly at him, but he gave no response.  The Queen continued.  “It could hold several dozens more inmates…” still no response.  “… perhaps the size of a band of raiders…?” 
                Rex suddenly raised his eyebrows in realization.  “Imagine that,” he remarked slyly.  “I should go see just how big the accommodations have become.”  He looked knowingly at the Queen, and bowed. 
              “General Rex,” Lilianna softened her voice with levity.  “I trust you to do the right thing.”
                Rex hadn’t thought about that incident in years, and he wasn’t sure why Gorton was bringing it up.  “What do the raiders have to do with the rebellion?” Rex asked impatiently.  “We captured those dirty scoundrels and they’ve been wasting away in prison ever since.”
              “Yeah, but don’t you see it?” Gorton pressed.  “The Queen obviously gave you permission to go after them without officially sanctioning the violence she hates so much.  And that’s not the only instance, either.”  The younger soldier put his hand on Rex’s shoulder.  “She doesn’t like to employ violence but she knows sometimes it’s necessary, so she lets General Pit Bull take care of business.”
                Rex’s men used his nick-name all the time and usually it elicited a sense of pride and power.  But now, learning its origin made him angry.  “I am NOT the Queen’s lapdog,” he gritted through clenched teeth.
                “No!  That’s not it at all!” Gorton insisted.  “Look, every good guy needs an enforcer – someone willing to do the hard stuff to keep the peace.  You’re the pit bull to her dove, and you both win.”  Rex was dubious but Gorton explained.  “Queen Lilianna rules wisely and graciously, earning the love and respect of her people, and usually everything ticks along peacefully.  But when something arises that requires stronger measures, you charge in, sword at the ready, and do what you do best.”  The soldiers shared a knowing chuckle.  “You become known as a brave, powerful and fearless warrior, and the Queen is loved and revered by her people.  You’re a perfect pair.”
                  Rex gave him a look.  “Well,” Gorton shrugged.  “You know what I mean.”
                  Rex returned to his quarters deep in thought.  For all his training and all his years in the Queen’s service, he had never seen things the way Gorton had described.  Yet everything he said had made sense, and Rex was inclined to agree with him.  He held the highest post in the royal military, personally supervising the protection of the Queen first and her people second.  He got to do his favorite thing in the world for a living – fighting – and he was well-paid for it.  Despite his nickname, he knew his men held a genuine respect for him, not merely from his position but out of his superior battle skills and charismatic leadership.
                  The younger soldier’s revelations made Rex see Queen Lilianna in a new light as well.  For all the fault he had found with her lately, he never once considered her unintelligent.  Perhaps she had seen their partnership from the beginning just as Gorton had described.  She had never questioned his loyalty, and perhaps knowing that his strength and abilities were behind her allowed Lilianna to rule as graciously as she saw fit.
                  Rex never questioned his loyalty to the Queen either.  He saw more closely than most how difficult it was to rule a kingdom, and despite her stubbornness, he saw the concern she held for her people.  Everything she did was for them; very rarely did she do anything for her own pleasure.  Her foremost priority was the well-being and safety of her people.  And that would be her undoing, Rex knew.  Like today, she was refusing to forcefully end the rebellion that had grown up against her, and by doing so, she was putting her own life in danger.  An action-oriented trained fighter, Rex thought that he would never understand Queen Lilianna.
                  Night settled on the palace compound, and Rex was sleeping hard when a boom rattled the walls.  Without thinking, he snatched on his clothes and grabbed his sword as he raced out the door.  He was fighting against the flood of terrified people, desperately fleeing the palace.  He had nearly reached the Queen’s wing when another explosion blasted the wall next to him, sending him sprawling.  Rex shook the plaster and debris away and jumped to his feet when he saw a group of ten or twelve rebels charging through the blasted wall. 
                  Soon, a squad of royal guards joined him in the fight and the rebels were easily overtaken.  Desperate to secure the Queen, Rex had already taken off towards her quarters when another blast came, this time spilling dozens of heavily armed rebels into the hallway.  Three of them charged Rex and his sword was immediately knocked from his hands.  He had always enjoyed the rush of hand-to-hand combat, and the “Pit Bull General” fought the trio fiercely. 
                  When he had overtaken and secured them, he pulled a younger guard to him.  “Have any of the rebels made it past this point?” he demanded.
                  “We don’t think so, sir,” the young man answered.  “But if they keep coming in these numbers, we won’t be able to hold them off for long.  We need more manpower.”
                  Rex shook him hard.  “And you’re certain the Queen’s quarters have not been breached?  Tell me true or I’ll gut you where you stand!”
                  The soldier quivered.  “No sir!”
                  Releasing the young man, General Rex commanded him quickly.  “Don’t move an inch from this spot and guard this hallway with your life!  If anyone gets past you, it leads them directly to the Queen and that will. not. happen.  Do you understand?”  He nodded.  “I have more weapons in my quarters, just around the corner, and I’ll call for reinforcements.  If I’m not back in two minutes, contact Gorton and evacuate the Queen.”
                  Rex raced back to his room.  He threw open the door and ran to his weapons closet.  Crossing through the open door, he heard a faint swishing sound and he turned just in time to block a long blade from slicing his neck.  Lightening-fast, he knocked the sword to the ground and grabbed his attacker’s neck, forcing him against the wall.  A whimper made him look closer.
                “Your majesty!?”
                  Lilianna’s slim frame was pressed against the wall, and she was desperately pulling at his strong grip around her neck.  Instantly, Rex let go and she slid to the floor, coughing and sputtering.
                Wide-eyed, Rex knelt next to her.  “I’m so sorry, your majesty, please forgive me!  I thought you were one of them!”
         She put a soft hand on his arm to reassure him while she struggled to regain her breath.  Just then, another explosion rocked the palace.  Rex pulled them both to their feet.  “I’ve got to get you out of here.”
         Rex grabbed her arm and pulled her after him.  He grabbed his communicator as they raced into the hall.  “Gorton, this is Rex!  Do you copy?!”
         “Gorton here… go ahead, General,” blared back at him.
         “In route with the Dove.  Preparing to fly.”
         Queen Lilianna managed a questioning look as they scrambled towards the exit.  “Where are we going?”
         Rex let her pass first, turning to scan his path of escape.  No one had followed.  “A safe house,” he responded automatically.  As soon as they were through the door, Rex snatched Lilianna closer, peering into the darkness that surrounded the palace.
         The Queen was trembling, but didn’t let it show in her voice.  “What?  What is it?”
         Rex continued to glare into the black outdoors.  “Nothing,” he mumbled after a moment.  “But we better take the back way.”  And suddenly he was moving again, never letting go his firm hold on the Queen.
         Lilianna quickly discovered that they were now going the opposite direction as before.  Then, they were trying to put as much distance between the Queen and the palace as possible.  Now, Rex was leading them back towards the palace walls!
         “General, there’s bound to be more fighting along these walls!” Lilianna pointed out.  “Why are we going this way?!”
         Rex stopped suddenly behind a colonnade, whether to catch his breath or cut off her questioning, Lilianna didn’t know.  “Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t, yeah?” he responded, panting.  “Look, I don’t know what was in those trees or how many rebels were waiting behind it.  But I don’t like the idea of charging into a pitch dark forest with a Queen to protect and not being able to see or know my enemy.  Here, I know I can protect you.  I can see how many are coming at me and what my advantages are.”  He glanced anxiously around the pillar, watching for rebels and waiting for her to argue.  She didn’t.
         “Of course,” she replied meekly.  “You know what you’re doing.  Forgive me.”
         Rex jerked back at her in surprise.  The Queen had never been in a position to follow instructions from him before, and her simple faith shocked him.  However, General Rex did not have time to be shocked in the midst of a rebellion, and he snapped back to business.  “Look, I’m going to get you out of here, but we’ve got to run like hell—pardon me, your majesty—we’ve got to run like mad down this hallway.  There’s a stairwell at the other end that takes us all the way down to the basement and we can escape that way.  But we’ve got to make it through the hall.  I’ll need both hands to fight so I can’t pull you along, but you need to stay as close to me as possible.  If there’s a skirmish, duck out and hide.  Stay inconspicuous – you got it?”
         A flush had risen to her cheeks and Lilianna was breathing heavily.  “Yes,” she said firmly.  “I trust you.”
         General Rex was strangely emboldened as he jumped from behind the colonnade.  Queen Lilianna was one step behind him, her slender frame tucked behind his muscular body.  A sword in each hand, Rex mercilessly cut down several rebels as he and the Queen raced down the hall. 
                Just as they neared the stairwell door, a group of rebels converged upon them from a side hall.  Rex’s blades slashed and glinted as he fought for a path of retreat.  Lilianna was nowhere in sight, and he hoped she had found a hiding spot among the scattered bodies and abandoned weapons.  He quickly blocked an enemy blade but got a strong punch on his left jaw.  Dazed, his left hand loosened just enough and one of his own blades clanked to the ground.  Grunting in anger, Rex plunged back into the fray, furiously slicing down his opponent.
         But several more stepped into the rebel’s place, and Rex stared them down, determined that they would not keep him from delivering the Queen to safety.  He flew at them and had leveled two before they knew what had happened.  But at the sudden death of their co-conspirators, the remaining rebels fought with renewed vigor, forcing Rex to cede ground.  He was growing tired, and the odds were against him.  As he fought, he looked for Queen Lilianna, but she was nowhere to be seen.
         Suddenly, Rex found himself against the wall and swordless.  Panting heavily, he stared at the tip of his opponent’s sword.  Glaring threateningly, the rebel pulled back his blade and prepared for his final, victorious blow.
         He struck, and suddenly another blade flashed and blocked him.  In one fluid, expert move, the rebel was disarmed and blood trickled from a scrape across his chest.  At the other end of the phantom sword was Queen Lilianna.  She stood defiantly in front of General Rex, holding her sword at the enemy’s neck with a cool eye and a straight arm. 
         Rex was dumbfounded.  He blinked, making sure of what he saw, and he recognized her sword as one of his own.  Then he noticed that in the Queen’s other hand, held hidden behind her flowing dress, was his second sword, with the hilt pointing towards him.
         “General,” the Queen said calmly.  “I would very much like to leave now.”  She wiggled the sword slightly behind her back.
         “Gladly, my Queen,” Rex answered and with one motion he grabbed the sword and cut down the closest rebel.  The rebels surged at them, and Rex knocked away two or three swords before he could steal a glance at the Queen.  She fought passionately but efficiently, expertly disarming her opponents in rapid-fire succession. 
         Impressed, Rex noticed behind her that the path to the stairs was clearing.  “Go!!” he shouted, as he charged at the few rebels who blocked their path.  They fell to the ground as Lilianna passed through the door.  Rex was right behind her, pushing her through with his hand on her back.
         “Keep going! Down! Go!” he barked as they fled down the darkened stairs.  Finally they reached the basement level and burst through the door into the outdoors. Rex stopped them both.  Total silence.
         “We have to keep going,” he said between breaths.  “They might have followed.”
         Casting a frightened look behind her, Queen Lilianna accepted his hand quickly and they took off again.  Nearly an hour later, Rex unlocked the door of a small, nondescript house on the edge of town.  He ushered the Queen in urgently and locked the door behind them.  With his legs burning and his blood pounding, Rex dropped into a chair, exhausted.
         Queen Lilianna turned and looked at him.  “Is this the safe house?  Are we safe?”
         “Yes and yes,” Rex said, catching his breath.
         Lilianna sat down on a rusty cot in the corner and absently rubbed her arm as she spoke.  “What do we do now?”
         “Good question,” Rex admitted as he stood and looked out the window.  “If the rebellion was successful, then you’re not safe anywhere.  But if they failed, I should be able to deliver you back to the palace as soon as the rebels have been taken away.”  Rex reached into his pocket and pulled out his communicator.  He called Gorton, but got no response.  He tried again, but still no one responded.  Rex sighed.  “Guess we’re stuck here until I can figure out what happened.  Then we’ll go from there.”
         “How long do you think that will be?” Lilianna asked.
         “Can’t say, your majesty,” Rex answered plainly.  “Could be minutes, could be hours, could be days.”  He looked at her and noticed she was still rubbing her arm.  He was up in a flash.  “Is your arm alright?  Are you injured?”
         “No, just sore,” she answered as Rex approached.  She looked up at him, trying to smile.  “I haven’t used it that much in quite a while.”
         Rex recalled Lilianna’s fierce sword-fighting in the palace hallway.  “Pardon my boldness, your majesty,” Rex began as he knelt before her, “but I have to ask – how did you know how to do that?”
         The Queen smiled almost playfully at him.  “There are some things that you don’t have to know.”
         He grinned, then darkened as he remembered something else she had not told him: “… there are factors here that you know nothing about.”  It was time he knew.
         “Tell me what you know about the rebellion,” he said in a gruff voice.  He stood and towered over her.  Queen Lilianna was startled by his sudden change in demeanor.  “What do you know that you haven’t told me?”
         The Queen looked hard at Rex, searching his face.  Finally, she spoke.  “They think that I am not the rightful heir to the throne.  They follow another.”
         Rex was growing impatient.  “That’s why they call them rebels… because they refuse to follow the established ruler.”
         Lilianna looked away, weary.  She was both exhausted and still anxious from their escape, and she was holding her sore arm as if it was the only thing keeping her upright.  Still, she continued.  “Yes, but what you don’t know is that the leader of the rebellion… the one who claims he ought to be king… is my brother.”
         Brother? “But your brother is dead,” Rex said plainly.  “Everyone knows that.”
         Lilianna sighed.  “Yes, everyone thinks that Oliver is dead.  But he’s not.”
         Rex was at a loss.  “I don’t understand.”
         “After he betrayed my family, Mother and Father couldn’t have their own son killed.  Despite what he had done, we all still loved him.  But they certainly couldn’t allow his offense to go unpunished.  So,” Lilianna’s voice fell, “they banished him.  Stripped him of his lands, his property and his title, and told him he was no longer welcome.  Left with nothing, we all assumed he would at best live in shame and seclusion or worse, just…”  She could not finish.
         “How long have you known about this?” Rex pressed.
         Lilianna inhaled deeply, then found her voice.  “Almost from the beginning.  We never said anything publicly about Oliver, letting everyone think that he was dead.  We thought it would be easier for us and safer for him that way.”
         Rex balked at her fatal flaw.  “Your compassion has allowed this violence to take place!” he bellowed.
         Lilianna was exhausted and her usual calm composure slipped.  She stood and faced Rex.  “No,” she said firmly.  “Despite whatever claims they have, the fault for all the bloodshed lies solely at the feet of the rebels.  Whether they have a case or not, there is no excuse for the violence and destruction they caused tonight, and I refuse to let you suggest that I was responsible for the mayhem that they caused.”
         Rex was furious.  “I lost men tonight!” he exclaimed.  “Not only has your brother betrayed you… again!... but he’s added murder to the list!  What are you going to do about that?!”
         “He’s my brother!” she cried.  “My older brother!  He should have been on the throne instead of me!”
         “When are you finally going to stand and fight for what’s yours?!” Rex argued.
         Queen Lilianna started to reply, but froze at the sudden change in Rex’s face.  All anger had drained from his face and he had fixed his gaze on something just behind her.  A shudder ran up Lilianna’s spine.  “What?” she whispered cautiously.
         “Get down!” he urged in a whisper.  She fell to the ground beside the cot, and Rex hovered over her.  Covering her with his large frame, the Queen was completely out of sight while Rex peered over the cot.  “Shadow in the window,” he silently mouthed to her.
         Lilianna’s heart raced as she watched Rex’s face from the floor.  His eyes followed the shadow around the building, and Lilianna raised her head just enough to see.  As she did, the shadow seemed to turn in slow-motion toward their position.  Rex instantly ducked and covered the Queen with his arms and chest.  After a moment, he  raised his head ever so slowly, then jerked it down again, breathing against the Queen’s forehead.  Lilianna tried desperately to slow her own breathing, afraid anything would give them away. 
                Rex tried to listen for the stranger’s footsteps, but could hear nothing but the Queen’s labored breathing.  She was trembling.  Compassion be damned, she’s been a brave soul tonight.  Rex pulled Lilianna closer.  Relax, I’ve got you… you’re safe.
                After a while, Rex stole a glance above the cot and determined that the shadow was gone.  He stood and helped the Queen to her feet.  “That was a close one.  We were being too loud,” he added, slightly apologetic.
                Fatigued and clearly shaken from the night’s ordeal, Lilianna spoke wearily.  “I won’t say anymore tonight.”
                Rex felt bad.  Not only had she been attacked by rebels, but then he had gone and attacked her too.  “Why don’t you try to get some rest, your majesty,” he suggested gently.  “I can keep an eye out and let you know if we need to move again.”
              His change in tone surprised her and she looked up.  “That’s a good idea, General,” she said, trying to smile.  Rex watched her for a long time, and even though her back was to him, he knew she was not sleeping.  She stirred frequently, and soon began to shudder. 
              “Your majesty,” he said softly, approaching her.  “Are you alright?  What’s wrong?”  Let me fix it.
                Lilianna sat up, tightly gripping her shoulders.  “I’m s-so… cold,” she said, shivering.  “Am I in s-shock?”
                Rex sat next to her on the cot and began furiously rubbing her arms.  “Probably,” he answered her.  “And with nothing to eat for a while, you could lose consciousness.”
                Her eyes widened.  Probably shouldn’t have said that, Rex thought.  Just let me fix it.
                Rex continued to rub her arms.  “You just need to stay warm.  Is this helping?”
                “A l-little,” she answered, her body rattling from his strong hands. 
                His hands worked quickly, rubbing the warmth back into her.  Working his way up her arms, he pulled her to his chest and began rubbing her back.  “Pull your arms in to keep in the warmth,” he said and she curled into him like a little child.
Soon, Rex looked down and despite his furious rubbings, the Queen was sound asleep in his arms.  He laid her gently down on the cot and held her for a long time before he went back to his watch at the window.