She entered her chambers and shut the door behind her, the day had been exhausting and her body ached. It didn't help that just the other night Christophe had nearly choked the life out of her. She should've never let him do it, but there was really no other option. She shivered at the remembrance of his cold hands closing around her throat, how her head had spun and she'd fell to the floor. Her fingers unclasped the buttons at the collar of her dress, her neck was red and raw. She titled her head to the side and rubbed the bruises with two fingers. Suddenly the door behind her opened, she removed her hand from her neck and turned around to see Bash.
He went to tell Catherine that he had uncovered more news of the Red Knights, he didn't really know why he was helping her but he felt it was rather his duty. Of course he could've just left her to deal with the threat alone but he had already committed, he reached her chambers and pushed the door open. Catherine spun around to look at him obviously startled "Sorry for bursting in but I had to tell you that I've uncovered more information about the Red Knights."
She nodded, having forgotten that her neck and collarbone were revealed she walked over to him. "What have you learned?"
"I found out who their leader is, and we might know where he's staying." He suddenly saw the red and purple bruises that lined her pale throat. Hadn't Delphine said something about the killer tightening his hands around a girl's neck? "Catherine what's happened to your neck?!" He suddenly felt an odd sense of concern for her. Had Catherine been attacked by the killer and stayed quiet?!
Shoot! She thought, she had forgotten that they were there, "Nothing, it's nothing." She turned her back on him, walking towards her desk while buttoning her desk back up. All thought of their previous conversation was gone. She felt his hand grasp hers and she stopped her attempt to cover her neck, slowly she turned around to see a half angry half concerned Bash.
He took her hand and she stopped trying to button her dress back up. She turned to face him, fear flashed through her eyes before she looked at the floor. "Catherine what happened?" He asked again in a stern yet gentle tone.
"I told you it's nothing." She mumbled hoping that by looking down he wouldn't be able to see the marks. Fear was pounding against her chest, he couldn't know what'd happened.
He sighed realizing she'd left him no choice, he folded the collar of her dress down before she could do so much as retort. Now he could see the burgundy bruises that covered her freckled neck and collarbone. They were in the shape of fingers and he knew that she hadn't choked herself because her hands were too small for the size of the bruises. "Who did this to you?" He asked her.
Suddenly he had folded down the collar of her dress and his cold fingers brushed against her bruises, she shivered and flinched away. The mere touch was enough to scare her at the moment, after what Christophe and so many other men had done the slightest touch of her bare neck would strike dread in her body. She quickly side stepped him, unfolded her collar and re-buttoning it as quickly as her small fingers could manage. "I did it to myself." She lied.
"You and I both know that's not true, tell me the truth." He said a little more harshly then he'd intended. He walked towards her as she walked backwards an expression of fear clear on her face. This wasn't like her, he stopped and then sighed "Fine but if I find out it was someone else and you didn't tell me I'll be infuriated." With that he turned on his heel and left her to stare after him, shocked and relieved.
As he backed her into the corner she felt herself cowering down ready for him to lash out at her. She felt unusually vulnerable this was never how she acted, normally she would've slapped him across the face a long time ago. When he turned and left she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Sinking into the chair near her desk she put he head in her hands and took long steady breaths. The sun was setting over the mountains and she stood, walking over to her wardrobe and taking out a lighter dress. She took off her heavy winter dress and let out a sigh, how she hated having to wear that damned thing all day. She then slipped the navy blue dress over her head, it was light, sleeveless and defiantly more comfortable. After hanging up her winter dress she took her robe and put it on, she was just about to sit down and write a letter when the secret passageway creaked open.
She jumped up and grabbed the dagger off her desk, she always kept it there, just in case. You never really could be too safe in French Court, you can't trust anyone they were your friend one minute and the next they'd murdered your entire family. Slowly the passageway creaked open and Christophe stepped through, fear jumped to her heart. She lowered her dagger and set it aside but not out of reach "Christophe, what are you doing here?" Her voice was neutral but fear danced in her eyes.
"I think you very well know.." He hissed.
"I don't." She stated truthfully.
"That fool Sebastian confronted me, accusing me of trying to choke you! I told you that if you told anyone I would kill you." He was inches away from her now.
Her breath hitched, he was going to kill her she was about to scream for the guards when his hands closed around her throat. She paled and struggled to get out of his deathly grasp but he just squeezed tighter and she squeaked. Her lungs gasped for air but there was none and her brain went fuzzy, she couldn't die like this. With the last of the available air she screamed, long and loud before she went limp in his grasp.
He didn't however let go of her neck, he had to make sure she was really dead. Suddenly the door burst open and Bash burst in, Christophe spun to look at him before quickly let go of Catherine. She fell hitting her head on the desk with a sickening crack before lying deathly still on the tile floor.
Bash had been going to his chambers when he heard a high-pitched scream echo from Catherine's chambers. He knew it must be the person who'd hurt her previously, he ran down the hall and burst into the room. What he saw was terrifying, Christophe was holding Catherine by her throat, she was shoved against the wall, pale and lifeless. As soon as the other man realized Bash was present he let go of Catherine who crumbled to the ground. "You monster!" Bash hissed.
Bash took out his sword and pointed it at Christophe who in turn took out his own sword. Instead of pointing it at Bash however he held it over Catherine's head. "Attack me and I kill her, that is if she's not already dead." Bash looked from Christophe to Catherine and slowly lowered his sword.
He knew he couldn't risk Catherine's life, he would get Christophe some other way "Leave and never set hands on her again!" Bash shouted.
Christophe laughed harshly and disappeared through the secret passageway as Bash ran to Catherine. He went to his knees beside her brushing the loose copper curls off her neck, it was dark purple and bright red. She was as pale as a sheet of parchment and crumpled on the floor, limp and lifeless. Not to mention the slow trickle of blood on her forehead, in that moment she looked so fragile, a broken sculpture. Sighing he lifted her into his arms and onto the bed, it was too late for anyone else to still be awake so he decided to tend to her himself. He could see her chest rising and falling weakly, too weakly considering she was loosing blood as well.
He wiped the blood from her forehead and putting fabric on the wound to cease the bleeding, he did however realize her chest was barely moving. He took her hand "Come on Catherine just hold on." He muttered.
Her chest finally stopped moving and a sudden pang of guilt, fear, and desperation leapt inside him. Taking hold her shoulders he began to shake her "Catherine! Catherine! Snap out of it!" He didn't notice the tears welling in his eyes he couldn't lose her. Maybe because he felt responsible, or maybe because he hadn't avenged her, or for other reasons he wouldn't admit. "Catherine please…I'm so sorry.." He murmured, holding her limp figure to his chest.
Suddenly she gasped and threw her arms around him before her head span and she collapsed into his chest. "Bash.." She breathed, trying to regain her breath. Her head was pounding and her neck ached but all she wanted to feel was Bash's heart beating against her cheek. She didn't care who it was but she longed for comfort, how she hated it when she longed for someone's embrace but right now it was all she could hold onto. All she could do was gasp for air and murmur his name repeatedly, she couldn't think, couldn't move, just breathe.
Before he had a chance to do anything she had thrown her arms around him and then fallen back to his chest, her hands clung to his shirt and she just panted, searching for air. "Catherine.." His voice was filled with relief and pain. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her "Shhhh it's okay now, you're okay." She just kept repeating his name in a raspy whisper, he moved his hand up and down her back in attempt to soothe her. It seemed to be working because she hiccupped once before sighing and closing her eyes.
Her thoughts were scattered all she knew was that she was exhausted and someone was holding like she was important. She was probably just tired out of her mind but a part of her was glad it was Bash, and not someone else. Tears were trickling down her cheeks, tears of relief and fear, she didn't make any attempt to stop them. He didn't say anything, didn't ask questions, just held her and rubbed her back. Gradually her breath became even and the tears stopped as her lashes fluttered close. She didn't know if he'd be there in the morning but a small piece of her hoped he would be, with that thought in mind she fell into a heavy sleep.
After an hour he was sure she was sound asleep, he carefully adjusted her so she was laying on the pillow. Then covered her in the blanket, he slowly moved off the bed and was about to turn the doorknob when he looked back at her. Her cheeks had dried tear tracks on them and her nose was slightly red, standing out on her pale face. Her usually tightly imprisoned hair was messy and loose around her shoulders, her neck was covered in bruises and the skin was raw. He could see her collarbone and her dress was just low enough…at that moment he realized he was staring and shook his head. He couldn't leave, Christophe was still roaming free and she had come close to death once already that night. Plus he wouldn't really mind looking at her all night, maybe because it was now he realized she wasn't as cold as he'd always thought, she was a normal human being. With the decision made he sat down in a armchair next to the bed and watched her sleep, finally in peace.