RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER

The lighting in the expansive study seemed to grow dimmer as Sylvester Wright wheeled himself in. As his sharp eyes took in the environment, he caught sight of his wife, Emily, hunched on a couch, her eyes empty and distant. She stared into space, a small crease on her forehead.

For the past few days, she seemed to zone out more, becoming a shadow of herself. The smoke from the teacup in her hands grew faint.

He let out a sigh, wheeling himself in her direction. She wasn’t aware of his presence; or so he thought. 

“Disappearing again?” Her sharp words cut into the silence faster than he could take his next breath. She turned to him, a feigned smile on her face. “For what? Six days? A week? Forever this time?”

Clearing his throat for a moment, Sylvester thought of what to tell her. He could tell that she was getting to her breaking point. Could he blame her though? She had been patient enough. 

“I’ll be back soon, Emily,” he assured, his voice calm. “And I’ll explain everything to you.”

Emily shook her head at him, tears threatening to blur her vision, “Explain what? All you have ever been to me is a burden.” She yelled, throwing the teacup in his direction.

She burned with fury as it all came rushing back to her. She was at the edge of her breakthrough when matriarch Anne had come with the suggestion of her getting married. In her words, Emily was such a successful young woman but she would have more respect, and even stand the chance of inheriting the family’s legacy if she was a married woman. 

If only she had discerned that her grandmother’s suggestion was not out of concern but out of her cruel heart.

Emily recalled the shock that had sunk her stomach in when she saw the man she was to get married to. A crippled no-body. She was appalled, from what she was told, the man, Sylvester was rescued from the roadside, injured and comatose.

“So, this was the best our successful business woman could do as regards picking her husband,” the matriarch, her grandmother, had announced at the family meeting in front of everyone. 

“But grandmother…” Emily had tried refuting.

She was interrupted by a slender, wrinkled finger raised in opposition to her. “Quiet!” Grandmother ordered. “You have brought shame to this family by getting married to this man. I’ve always known you were incapable of handling this family’s legacy but this is just the height! Now I have no choice but to make your brother the heir. You will give him all your shares at once, young woman!” 

And just like that, her career had taken a dive south. All her partners, everything she worked for had disappeared like they never existed and her brother had become an overnight success. All because she had gotten married to a cripple. 

Emily had never held Sylvester responsible for anything anyway. She had always tolerated him and managed to live in peace with him, until she took notice of his frequent disappearance every month for several days, during which he was always completely unreachable and untraceable. She could use his riddance however if she didn’t notice that along with him went tens of thousands of dollars unexplainably. 

Three years had gone by with this monthly incurrence and Emily was not having it anymore. She might have been foolish to have married him without her knowledge, but she would not keep quiet and watch him ruin her finances. She wanted out!

A groan escaped Sylvester’s lips as the teacup crashed against his legs and broke. He stared at Emily in disbelief, yet with a sense of compassion within him for her. She had the right to be angry

If only she knew who she was speaking with. If only she knew she was married to a warlord for the past three years. If only she understood the might of a single word from his lips but he was forced to hide it all away from her just to save her.

Three years ago, he had fought what was the fiercest war in all his years as a warlord. He had led his troops in a battle to defend the country against their relentless enemies. They were able to dissemble the enemies at the borders just before they successfully crossed in. They were victorious against them, but it was short-lived. 

Just as they rounded up the border and waited to depart, a second band of the enemies, who had successfully gotten in and waited in ambush had sprung up on them, taking them by surprise. They were stronger and more bloodthirsty than the first band. There was bloodshed like never before as the opposing army was targeted at killing him in particular. 

Eventually, he was able to successfully detangle himself from the soldiers who had outnumbered him. With all he had, he lunged at them, successfully taking them out but one of them had managed to deal him a fatal strike on his legs before passing out.

Exhausted by the strain and pain, he had passed out just after managing to pull himself to a roadside. 

As the cup crashed against his legs, this painful memory resurfaced, and he bit back a groan.

A glint of remorse flashed across Emily’s face for a split second. “You have to tell me exactly where you’re going, Sylvester!” She pressed, shoving the guilt she felt to the back of her mind. “I want to know where you go and what the hell you do with the money you keep taking.”

Sylvester remained silent, his breathing slowly growing labored, “Emily, you have to calm down. I can’t say anything or you’d be in danger.

Irritated, she burst out, “Answer me this instant otherwise, we are getting divorced!”