Harshly, men of the emperor jumped form the shadows and tore you down the horse. You tried to fight them, but one held a knife to your throat.

"Don't be a fool, (Y/N). My men will cut you every single time you misbehave.", said the emperor with a cold look on his face.

Clenching your firsts, you glared at the most important man in all of Nilfgaard.

"How do you know my name?", you asked in an angry voice.

A thin, emotionless smile appeared on his face.

"Isn't it obvious? Your lovely man has told me. It's unusual for a deserter to be this careless."

Angrily, you turned to Morvran. Tears were filling your eyes.

"You have betrayed me?"

"No! I would never.", begging, he looked at you to believe his words.

The emperor nodded.

"Indeed, he didn't said a single word about you. A mage needed to peel the words from his tongue. It was a pleasure to look at.", the emperor shrugged. "And now, the two of you will get the punishment that traitors of Nilfgaard deserve."

Confused yet frightened, you looked at Morvran. His head was hanging low. His hands were tied in the back and he almost couldn't stand properly. He seemed so tired, it broke your heart.

"Death, my little stray. The punishment is always death.", he looked at you, a few tears were shimmering in the corner of his eyes. "Forgive me."

Unable to answer anything, you closed your eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

He had done this for you. He had left his battalion to be with you. It had been your fault that he was in this mess right now. If he had not waited for you to come, he would already be in Toussaint. Safe and sound.

"It's fine.", you whispered as the men of Emhyr guided you out of the forest, into the light.

"No, it's not. It's not fine and I want you to be angry with me.", his voice was shaking.

He was close to crying, you could hear it in his words.

"Hush, Morvran. Don't loose your face now. We will... we will be together.", you didn't believe your own words.

But at that moment they had something comforting. Something that made you feel safe.

Nodding, he pressed his eyes together and tried to smile.

"I love you.", he whispered as the men began to set up the setting for the execution.

For a moment, you just looked at him, your eyes widened in shock. Then, a tear ran down your cheek. Nobody had ever said that to you. Nobody except your parents.

Your lips were shaking as you wanted to say something. But the words did not leave your mouth. You just couldn't say it. Not now. Not in this place.

"No.", you whispered, crying but smiling.

"What?"

"Not here, Morvran. Not yet. I want to make it out of here. With you. We will go to Toussaint and start new."

A soft laugh escaped him. It was mocking. There was no hope left in him. Not anymore.

"That's ridiculous.", he said, looking at you with tired eyes.

"I know. But leave me the illusion. For now at least."

"Fine. I could never take anything from you."

With a tired smile, you leaned your head on his shoulder. He leaned his head on yours, closing his eyes while his breath was shaking.

Nobody of you had to tell the other that you were afraid. The fast beating of your hearts was talking more than a thousand words could. You could feel his body shaking but you were unsure if it was because of the cold or because he was weak.

Blood was covering his face. You couldn't see the wound but he had one eye closed halfway. Maybe it was injured and he was unable to see with it. The lower lips was cracked. The edges were already hardening but you could see the soft flesh inside.

For a long time, you just looked at him. A soft smile was laying on your lips as your eyes wandered over his face and remembered every single detail. He had a bit of freckles on his pale skin.

The peace lasted a while. But then the emperor came. As his shadow fell over the two of you, Morvran tilted his head and did not dare to look him in eyes. With an unsatisfied expression on his face, the emperor eyed his general up and down. Then, his eyes wandered to you.

"The general doesn't seem to be himself today.", said the emperor. "I assume that is your fault. Tell me, whoever you are, what did you do to the man that once was had been my most trusted man. Why has he become such a... mess? General Morvran Voorhis would have never fled the battlefield. But here he is, captured as a deserter. And all because of a person like you?"

With a sarcastic grin, you looked the emperor dead in the eyes. He was supposed to know that you feared no man. Not even him.

"I have no part in his decisions. But maybe he has decided that a life with me is more worth than a life with you.", sarcastically, you grinned.

With one hard punch, the emperor hit you right in the face. It was a quick, harsh punch that surprised you so much that a loud scream escaped your lips. A thin trail of blood slipped out form between your lips and covered the ground with a few sprinkles of red. Coughing, you blinked.

Tears filled your eyes.

"Bastard.", you hissed.

Emhyr looked at you with hatred shimmering in his eyes.

"You do not talk to the emperor of Nilfgaard like this.", he screamed.

As his voice got louder, Morvran twitched in fear. Closing his eyes tightly, he looked away, his head held low and tried not to make a single sound. It was weird to see him this scared. He must have been broken by the worst kind of force there was.

"I tell to the emperor the way I want.", you said. "Especially when those are the last words I can say to him."