“I don’t know,” I wave a hand. “That doesn’t matter now. I’ve decided I’ll be leaving tonight, with my ladies.”
I’m frantic now, as plans of my escape begin to whirl around in my head. Would I leave on foot? Is there someone here who would be willing to lend me a ride without alerting the king?
Lucien comes to me and places his hands gently on my arms. He searches my eyes with his, and I’m suddenly feeling weak again. “I will accompany you. I’ll help you and your ladies get back home safely.”
I’m stunned. Lucien hardly knows me. He’s only ever known Cryptshiere, as far as I know. Why would he be so willing to risk his own life to save mine?
“Lucien, I cannot ask you to do that,” I say.
“You didn’t ask. I’m offering my services to you. To my queen. I promise to serve and protect you for all the days of my life,” he says in a husky voice.
How am I not supposed to fall for a knight when he says things like that? My knees grow weaker, and I hang on to his arms. “Thank you, Lucien. I can’t begin to describe how much that means to me. To know I have at least one person on my side.”
Tobias clears his throat, and I look over to him. His arms are crossed and he’s looking at me with one brow raised. A slight smile plays on his lips. “You have more than just one person on your side here, your majesty. Don’t you forget that.”
I laugh. “Of course, Tobias. Thank you.”
Another idea comes to me and I light up. “Tobias, come with us? It’ll be a good idea to have a physician on the road with us. It’ll take a week or more, depending on which way we go, and if there are any set backs along the way.”
Tobias’ eyes widen with what seems to be relief. But it quickly fades into sadness. “I appreciate the invitation, your majesty. But I fear it’ll never work. I’m an old man, and I would only hold you back.”
“No,” I say as I go to him now. “You won’t hold us back. Tobias, we need you. I trust you.” I stop, startling myself at my last words. So I trust two people now. My army is growing.
Tobias’ eyes filled with tears as he gently placed a hand on my cheek. “Your majesty, you will always be my queen, even if you aren’t the queen of Cryptshiere.” With that, Tobias places one knee on the ground, bowing to me. Lucien quickly makes his way beside Tobias and does the same.
I’m awe struck as these two men, that I hardly knew a few weeks ago, have become such close friends. That they trust me enough to leave their home with me, so I can continue to be their queen. They’ll follow me into danger without hesitation. They have quickly grown into two people I love deeply.
As they stand, I kiss them each on the cheek, lingering my kiss to Lucien a little longer than necessary. He lets out a soft sigh as he tilts his face closer to mine and closes his eyes.
Chapter 17
I half walk, half run down the winding halls towards my chambers. I need to get to my ladies and prepare us all for the long journey ahead. If we are to escape, it has to be tonight. The thought of spending another second in this god forsaken castle makes me feel as though I’ll be sick.
I think back to Elias, as he came strutting in as though he was so concerned for my safety. I must admit though, his acting skills are brilliant. The way he seemed so happy to see me awake, as he promised to find my attacker. But I could see the glimmer in his eyes as he spoke to me. He was so proud of himself, as he clutched my hands as tightly as he could. I was sure he’d break them, but I knew he probably wouldn’t in front of Tobias. He needed to keep up his appearance after all. He couldn’t have people seeing him as some kind of monster. But Lucien and Tobias knew better. They had been through it with him before, as he accidentally killed his last wife. Tobias was forced to take care of her mangled body, and they were all sworn to secrecy. I would be sure though, that everyone would know exactly what kind of a man King Elias was. Even if it killed me in the process. Because if he were to stay on the throne, kingdoms would surely fall sooner rather than later.
I swing the door to my room open, and Milly and Adelina come rushing over to me.
“Oh my, God! Blair, what are you doing out of bed?” Milly cries.
“How are you feeling? Are you okay?” Adelina asks, panicked.
I give them a small smile and quickly shut the door behind me. “Yes, I’m fine. Pack up your things. We’re getting out of here. Tonight,” I say as I rush to grab my bag and begin throwing my belongings inside.
“Blair, what’s happening?” Milly asks, clearly shaken by my demeanor.
“We just have to leave as soon as we possibly can, okay?” I say, not looking up at them.
“Why? Do you know who did this to you?” Adelina asks.
I stop shoving my belongings in the bag now as I look up at them. “Yes. It was King Elias. Now get packing.”
They both stay silent for a long moment before Milly lets out a small sob. “Oh my, God. Blair, it was the king? He did this?”
“The king…he…he raped you?” Adelina asks now.
I soften my expression as I look to them again. I needed to stay strong for them. I couldn’t have all three of us running around in a panic. We’d never escape that way.
“Yes. He beat me. He brutally assaulted me. We were right all along about the kind of man he was. I just wish I had never lost sight of that in the first place,” I say.
“Blair, you had no way of knowing for sure. He was so kind, so sweet. You had no way of knowing he was a monster,” Adelina says.
I smile at her. “That’s sweet of you to say. But the fact of the matter is, he is a monster. And a queen should always listen to her gut. I let my guard slip, I tried so hard to let him in that I lost sight of my fears.”
“How will we escape?” Milly croaks. I can tell she’s about ready to start panicking, so I steady her with my hands resting firmly on her shoulders.
“Lucien is coming with us. And Tobias. They’ll see to it that we make it safely back to Myrkdovia.”
“Lucien?” Milly asks, her mood lightening a little.
I let out a huff as I smile at her. “I swear, Milly. You could be in the middle of a bloody war, and you would still have men on your mind.”
She gives a small smile and shrugs her shoulders. “Is he not on your mind?” She asks.
“Ha. Too much so,” I say before I can stop myself.
Adelina and Milly stare at me, shocked that I actually admitted it. I never have admitted it to them, but I knew they already know my feelings towards him. But I’ve decided I’m done denying it. I do think about Lucien. All the time, in fact. And I do care for him deeply. I can never say that part out loud of course. At least not until we’re away from Cryptshiere. If it ever got back to Elias, he would most definitely have Lucien executed. And I don’t think I could live with that.
“I need to speak to my queen.” My heart slams in my chest as I hear Elias’ voice at the door. I look over to see him standing just inside the door, a smile playing on his lips.
Milly and Adelina go pale as they glance at me. “It’s okay,” I say to them. “Just wait outside. Keep the door open.”
They scurry from the room, not daring to look up at Elias as they walk by. They just give a quick nod as they stride past.
Once they’re gone, Elias comes up to me, grabbing my hands in his. He smiles down at me warmly. “My love. I’m so glad you’re back on your feet. Maybe now we can get on with our lives together.”
I stay silent, trying to avoid eye contact with him. I swallow hard, trying to keep the bile out of my throat.
“I just wanted to drop by to see you. And to give you a little bit of advice,” he says.
I look up at him now. “Which is?”
He smiles again, showing his wicked teeth. “I’d advise you to not try leaving. I know that’s your plan, my dear. I can see your bags.” I glance over to my bag, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I’m caught. He caught me. What will my punishment be?
He continues. “I just thought I�
�d warn you now. If you try to leave, I will know about it. And you may even succeed. But I can get word to Myrkdovia before you arrive. You see, I have some of my soldiers there. And as soon as I give the word, your dear father and cousin will be dead just in time for you to arrive to see their bodies. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” He asks in a happy tone.
“You bastard,” I spit. So I’m stuck here. Trapped. If I ever tried to leave, he’d kill my family. I feel like I might faint, so I place my hand on my forehead, letting the coolness from my finger tips soothe me.
Elias laughs now. “Ah, there we go. Not so tough now, are we?”
“I won’t let you get away with this,” I choke.
“How would you stop me? Will you bring in daddy’s army to strike me down? You see, that just won't work for you,” he says in a soft tone as he caresses my cheek.
I know now, as I stare up into his icy eyes, that I have married the devil. He’ll destroy me if I’m not careful. And he’ll destroy all I hold dear. And that includes Lucien.
Does he suspect anything between us? Has he seen my wandering eyes as my gaze reaches Lucien’s? I’ve caught myself looking over to him more times than I care to admit. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I never saw much harm in a quick glance here and there. But now, knowing what I do, and experiencing what I have, I know nothing good would come of it.
“Well, I’ll leave you to do whatever it is that you do,” Elias says as he clasps his hands together.
I remain silent, as my mind spins with fear and anger. I’ve been defeated. There’s nothing else that I can do.
Even if I did have something to say, I didn’t get the chance. He was gone, walking down the long hallway, his robe swaying with each step he took. And he looked powerful, like nothing could stop him. Like he would destroy all who tried getting in his way. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d end up being one of those people. How would I just sit by and let him abuse me? How could I remain silent? I couldn’t. And that’s what scared me.
“Excuse me.” I hear Lucien as he quickly strides past my ladies. I perk up at the sight of him.
“Lucien,” I say as he nears me. Adelina and Milly close behind him.
“Did the king just come to your room?” He asks, anger rising in his tone.
“Yes, he did,” I say.
“He can’t possibly make you stay here if you don’t want to,” Adelina says. Her voice cracks and I know she’s on the verge of having a breakdown. I don’t see her cry often, so when she does, it’s always a shock to me. It’s how I know things are really bad, as if I didn’t know it already.
“What? What’s she saying?” Lucien asks.
I go to the door, checking if anyone is around to hear our conversation. When I see no one, I quickly shut it and turn back to Lucien. He looks furious, yet somehow I can see the feelings he has for me shining through all of that anger. He’s not just mad, he’s fiercely protective.
“He told me I can’t leave,” I say.
Lucien clenches his jaw as the rage wells up higher within him. “Fuck him,” he spits. “He cannot make you stay here if you don’t want to.”
“Actually, he can,” I say. “My father and cousin will be dead if I try to leave. All he has to do is say the word.”
The room stays quiet. I know in that moment, we’re all feeling defeated together. I look over to my ladies and see that Milly has tears streaming down her cheeks and Adelina looks as though she might faint. Her skin has gone pale and she’s staring off into space with dead eyes. Lucien is slowly pacing the room, as if he’ll figure out some way to defeat a mad king in the process.
“We need to figure something out. We can’t stay here!” Milly cries.
My heart grows heavy as I speak. “I’ll get the two of you out of here. I’ll say I’ve found husbands for you both.” The thought of being here, in this place without them is almost unbearable. The thought of maybe never seeing them again, is even worse yet.
“No,” Adelina says. “No, we aren’t leaving you here alone with that monster.”
“No, never. I meant none of us can stay here. We all have to get out of here,” Milly says.
I sigh, knowing that if we don’t leave, we’ll probably all be dead. But if we do leave, my only remaining family will be dead. This is putting me in an impossible situation. How do I choose between my two best friends and Lucien, and my family? I can’t. I have to figure something out, and soon. What I really need is a miracle. Some way of keeping all that I love safe, while keeping myself safe too.
“I promise I’ll get us out of here, one way or another,” I vow. I always keep my promises. Please, God, don’t let me break this one.
Lucien comes to me now and gently rests his hand on my cheek. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
I smile and touch his hand to mine. “I know. Just please don’t do anything reckless. I need you to be safe. I need you here with me…always.”
Passion wells in his eyes as he steps closer to me. I can feel his breath teasing my lips, and for a moment, it’s only us in the room. Nothing else matters. Nothing else exists. “I’ll never leave you,” he whispers.
I hear a sigh coming from the corner of the room. “I just hope I can find a love as strong as that someday.” Milly coos.
I snap back to reality, remembering we aren’t the only ones in the room. I let my guard slip. My face turns red as she mentions ‘love’, and Lucien gives me a devilish grin.
It’s in that moment that I know, and there’s no denying that I am, without a doubt, madly in love with this man.
Chapter 18
I spend the remainder of my day still recovering. Not only physically, but mentally as well. All of this was too much. The only comfort I have remaining inside of me is knowing that I have Lucien and Jake standing just outside my door. What they could do for me in the event that Elias shows up again, I don’t know. But it was a nice thought nevertheless.
I lie back on the bed, picturing Myrkdovia in my mind. I see my father, and my cousin Liam preparing plans for their army. I see Milly, Adelina, and I carefree, wandering through the dense woods as we explore nature and all its glory. I suddenly feel calmer, and I take my first deep breath in what feels like days.
I’m quickly snapped out of my calming thoughts as I hear a tap on the door.
“Blair, Triston is here to see you,“ Milly says cautiously.
Triston? He hasn’t spoken a word to me since I’ve been here. Just a quick ‘hello’ when I first arrived. What could he possibly want to see me for?
“Okay,” I say skeptically. “Let him in.”
Milly opens the door and Triston looks shy, with his hands laced together and his head slightly hanging. A small smile spreads across his lips when he sees me. “Your majesty,” he bows.
“Triston. What a surprise,” I say, waiting.
“My brother, King Elias would like to speak with you,” he says.
My heart sinks to my stomach and my hands perspire. “What about?” I ask.
“He said it was urgent. That’s all I know. I figured I could walk you?”
“Um, yeah. Sure,” I say.
Milly gives me a worried look as I walk past her. I try to ignore it, because my nerves can’t handle anymore unease.
“Shall we?” Triston says as he holds out his arm.
I hesitate, only for a moment before lacing my arm with his.
We walk in silence for a long while as we make our way down the hall, and through the courtyard. He must be taking me to Elias’ private office on the other side of the castle. Finally, I look up at Triston. He’s just a boy, yet he looks as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. His face and eyes hard, like he has been holding in some sort of anger for a long time. I become uneasy, for it’s the same look I’ve often seen in Elias.
“You know my brother didn’t mean to do what he did,” he says abruptly.
I stiffen as I quickly glance at him. “What are you referring to?” I a
sk.
Triston lets out a laugh. “You know exactly what I’m referring to. The night he consummated your marriage.”
I glance up at him, not believing what I’m hearing. How does he know about that? Did he just assume it was Elias because he knows what he’s like? Or did Elias confide in him?
He lets out a sigh. “Yeah, he was rough. But, that’s just Elias. He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
I snatch my arm away, and fury courses through my veins. “Excuse me? He didn’t mean anything by it?”
A small grin plays at Triston’s lips as he looks down to me. He’s tall. Too tall. And I am suddenly feeling overpowered.
“Shall we keep going your majesty?” He asks.
I glare up at him and walk off, he quickly follows close behind me.
My heart hammers in my chest the rest of the way through the south side of the castle. What is wrong with this family? Not only was Elias crazy, so was Triston. And Charolette? I haven’t seen or heard a word from her since her son attacked me. She was just as crazy as the rest of them.
When we reach Elias’ office, I swing around to look at Triston. “I’ll let myself in, thank you,” I say in a bitter tone.
“Sure,” he smiles.
I go to open the door but before I can, Triston grabs my arm and pulls me close. His lips too close to my ear. “If it were me you married, you wouldn’t walk for a lot longer,” he whispers.
It takes everything I have inside of me not to hit him across the face. Yes, I’m his queen, and should be able to without repercussions. But what would Elias do if he found out? Obviously, he and Triston are one in the same. Elias would no doubt stand up for his brother, because they seemed to share the same sick and twisted fantasies.
Instead, I ignore him, and open the door to Elias’ study. My heart pounding in my chest. Partly from Triston, partly because I have no idea what Elias could want. To rape me again? Or will he just skip that and go straight to taking my life?
“Ah, my queen,” Elias says as he stands from his desk. He has dark circles under his eyes, sagging to the point that makes him look sickly. As I draw closer, I can smell the stench of alcohol on his breath. So he’s been drinking again. Great. We all know what happens when he gets drunk.
The Deadly Alliance (The Deadly Alliance Series Book 1) Page 11
