Liam's eyes opened wide for a mere instant once he heard Wura's words. He knew that she was not joking. She was dead serious about her words and he knew it. He was starting to see her grave stubbornness again and had the circumstances been different, he would have hugged her and smiled.
They had been apart for so long that he genuinely forgot how stubborn and relentless she was.
Liam let out a cold chuckle, Wura was worried, he had been silent for so long as they both stared into each other's eyes.
"There is no way you are going with me." He said definitely.
Wura frowned, she knew that this would be his answer, but it did not mean she would allow this discourage her from insisting.
"Liam, I am begging you, it would be better if you let me go with you," She continued. She could not bear to have him out of her sight again and for her, the best solution to his insistence and sense of duty which was to be acknowledged was to go with him. That was the only way her mind could be at rest.
It did not matter if they were not in the best place right now, she just wished to have him by her side and near her regardless of if they were fighting or not.
"Go with me and do what exactly Wura?" asked Liam as he took a deep breath, he did not want to add another big argument when he had just returned, he really did not want this, and he knew that she did not want this either.
Wura could hear the frustration in his tone and she understood him, she was equally as frustrated as well.
"I do not know Liam, let me just go and be there with you" said Wura as she did not even know what she was going to do, but she did not care, she wanted to go with him, and she would.
"It would put my mind at mor ease if I go with you. I can see what is going on and I will not remain a sobbing, worried mess." She said again.
Liam sighed, he chuckled again out of anger. He wanted to scream and shout at her. He wished that she would just go away instead of chasing after him up and down, but now was not the time for that. The more they stood here, the more time was being wasted.
"Wura, clearly you are not thinking well right now, you cannot go with me, what are you going to do there? A battlefield is no place for a woman." Liam knew that what he said was offensive, but he just wanted to talk her out of this.
It was better his harsh and offensive tone talked some sense into her other than her continuing to insist.
Wura frowned, she knew he was just saying such to push her away, yet, she could not help but feel hurt. It sounded degrading.
"You would be nothing but a burden, another thing to worry about..." he scoffed.
"Really Liam? Really? A burden? Another thing to worry about? I am your wife!" She exclaimed. She could not believe he had just said that to her.
"What do you expect me to say? My wife surely cannot protect herself on the field and I will certainly have to watch over you and make sure you do not get hurt," Liam frowned.
"I am not going to repeat this again Wura. I am being serious, the last time I told you to stay put, you did not and that ended with me getting lost with no recollection of my memory," He pointed out.
Wura felt tears form in her eyes. How could he remind her of such a painful event at this moment?
Liam could see the hurt in her eyes and he wished that would cause her to use her senses. Maybe this time he would not be lucky enough to escape unscathed with a loss of memory. Maybe this time it would be death of either of them.
"Oh really Liam?? Really, can you hear yourself? You just said that to me?" asked Wura in pain. His words were true yes, but he did not have to rub salt on her unhealed wound.
Elihu, Zuph and Luc who could hear the argument of the couple decided to give them some privacy, they led the troops away while they waited for Liam to return.
All three of them had the same question on their minds. Why were Liam and Wura acting like this? There was certainly something strange going on.
"Yes I did, it is only the truth" said Liam as Wura looked away, she could not believe that he had just said that to her.
"But I will not make you worry about me Liam, I beg you, just please, let me go." She pleaded with him.
"Can you not understand Wura? There is no way I am letting you come with me." Liam felt like shouting.
"Or would you prefer that what happened to Mero happen to me?"
Wura felt like a sharp arrow had been shot and fired straight to her heart. The tears forming in her eyes began to fall. She stood there silent saying nothing.
This was it... the true cause of his anger and harshness. He was still upset and as much as she felt like he had every right to be, this was just too much for her to bear. Hearing him say such words was shattering.
Liam knew what he had done by uttering those words, but he did not regret his words at all. He meant every single bit of it.
"You... said... that..." Wura cried.
"I never wanted that to happen to Mero and you know it!" She shouted as she cried.
"Well because of what happened my best man is out of service and cannot help me, because of you, I hate him and loathe him, because of you, he was shot." Liam said.
Wura rushed to him and hit him on his chest, his punched him, she wanted to scream and shout and bite him. His words were just too much, too much for her to bear.
Liam simply stood there and allowed her do whatever she wished to do. After all, there was nothing she could do to hurt him more than he had already been hurt.
"I hate you, I hate you so much." She was crying, unable to stop her tears as she hit him. She hated that she loved him, she hated that she felt guilty and most of all, she hated that he was upset with her.
Liam found it difficult to hear her cries but he refused to show it. The only thing he did was hold her in a warm embrace wordlessly.
"I hate you Liam, I hate you... my life has been unpredictable, unbearable ever since I met you and I hate you." Her voice came out muffled buried in his chest.
"I hate you so much, I hate that I love you, I hate that I am sorry, I hate that I caused you so much pain," she cried.
Wura did not realize that Liam was embracing her until she opened her eyes and looked up.
Liam looked down at her and they said nothing to each other. Wura sniffed, she did not know why but something about his embrace was assuring her that he still loved her, that he did not hate her. Why else would he be insistent on her remaining here?
"Liam... I love you... and if I have ever done anything to make you doubt that, please forgive me," She pleaded. She held him tighter.
"Please do not leave me, do not go, let me go with you," She pleaded.
"I cannot let you go with me Wura, it just is not done, not on the battlefield," He said."
"Is that really true Liam? Is that really true?" Wura asked, she heard Liam being silent.
"Well this woman Liam, has been on a battlefield, she has been communicating with the enemy, she has been the one trying to keep everything alright, she has been the one trying to keep herself sane, she has been the one that cried every night waiting for you to come back, she has been the one dreaming of when you would come back and how she would hold you…" said Wura. She felt like crying again.
Liam could feel his heart pricked, he really did not want to do this. He did not want to say such hurtful words, he knew that she had tried her best, yet, her best was not enough.
Or maybe it was him... he was not enough for her. Many thoughts were racing through his mind on why Wura would kiss Mero.
"Wura, I am sorry, you know that I did not mean it that way" said Liam.
"Then tell me what you meant!" said Wura in a shaky voice, It was taking her everything not to break down in tears right now.