"Ugh Dumpkopf…" groaned Ludwig as he beheld Antonio kneeling on the floor clutching his arm. The wound wasn't so bad though, but no one had expected Brittany would have the nerve to do such a thing. "You are such an incompetent…"
"I'm sorry Ludwig." Antonio said "You put your trust in me and I have failed."
"You were lucky to get command of this outpost at all!" screamed Ludwig. "What do I pay you for?"
"I know… I should have been more vigilant…" Antonio uttered. It was clear he was at the mercy of Ludwig, after all it was he who had given him the job. He could be deposed at any moment and he knew it.
"This is a test of your loyalty to Holy Rome." Ludwig said angrily. "And you have failed Antonio. This means immediate dismissal… and you will be sent back to your home in Spain where you belong."
"But… I need this command…" uttered Antonio. "And … what of Floreat's interest in Brittany…? You…you can't send us back…" he said as he stood up. "Look…we'll find them, and everything will be alright."
"Hmm…" Ludwig uttered thoughtfully. One thing he had always done was give young Floreat everything he ever wanted. He had spoiled him, given him money, possessions, everything he demanded. He wanted Brittany and Ludwig had promised him they would be married. He didn't want to upset his son. If only he realised that he was turning the boy into a conceited brat, who got everything he demanded, but he couldn't see it.
"New Holy Rome… I mean… Floreat… wouldn't he be disappointed if Francis and I…along with Brittany, were to be sent away..?"
Ludwig smashed his hand on the table. "I have given you too many concessions already." he roared. "You find that girl and you bring her back or I swear to you, I will strip you of your command." he yelled.
"Yes…yes of course Ludwig, there's no need to um… get this upset about it…"
"You are forgetting Mien Bruder was killed in a plane crash. I am not in the best of moods right now." he said trying to calm down. "I ask you to do one thing… and you can't even do that."
"I will find her… I have the garrison out looking for her and Francis right now, and placed extra guards at the tower… after all that is where they will go… I have no doubt."
"Very well.. you have one last chance." Ludwig said angrily. "I am only doing this for Floreat's sake. He is determined to have her for his wife. Who am I to deny him?"
"You are his father Ludwig…" uttered Antonio quietly.
Ludwig stared at him for a moment, not saying anything. "Find Brittany, or I will." he said in a low voice.
Antonio was left in his office, his arm bleeding and still quite drunk. Nobody understood that he was under the thumb of Ludwig and his precious son, Floreat. He felt like a fool having threatened both Francis and Brittany, but he felt like he didn't have any choice.
It seemed as though everyone was falling under Floreat's influence, ready to give him everything he desired. For a few moments he felt proud of Brittany for fighting against him. Even though he was thinking this way, Antonio drank some more wine and then made a decision, to go out and look for her himself.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Romeo was trying his best but try after try to get his makeshift rope through the grille at above them was proving futile. Arthur had tried to support him but he was feeling quite weak and needed to rest. By this time he looked like a man, still young but maybe in his early forties. He was ageing at a terrifying rate, and it was worrying. It was a far cry from what he used to be, though still reasonably strong. The effects of the time travelling were taking their toll on his body but he tried to keep going through the pain.
"Herr Arthur, you seem in pain… are you alright?" Romeo asked.
"I'm… I'm fine…" Arthur replied, dismissing his concern. "One more try?"
"In a moment…" Romeo replied. "You look like you need a rest."
"You must really love that girl…if you are willing to break out of the dungeon for her. As far as I know it has never been done." Arthur said as he sat there quite exhausted.
"It's so strange… I loved her soon as I laid eyes on her." Romeo said as he sat down. "I don't know why or what it was that drew me to her… but I love her and I always will." He said "Doesn't that sound amazing?"
"She…must be quite something." Arthur replied.
"She is indeed." Romeo said and he looked a little sad too, like he was thinking about something.
"My father died today…" he uttered.
Arthur didn't reply, he just looked at him and let him talk while he listened.
"I would be dead too if I'd stayed on the plane…so you see, the universe wants me to be with the girl I love… what other quirk of fate could have brought us together… again?"
"You think you should have died on the plane?" Arthur asked.
"Sometimes I think things happen for a reason Herr Arthur." he replied. "Time and space, its all out of our control, but something is in control. Call it fate, call it luck, call it God… but something wants me and Brittany to be together, and so I was spared." he continued "That's why I believe we'll get out of here." he sighed and looked quite sad. "It is a shame it came at the expense of my father's life…"
Arthur looked away to hide the tears brimming in his eyes, and composed himself again before facing him. "You love your girl that much?"
"I do." he replied.
Arthur couldn't help thinking of how deep his love was for Francis, and also Brittany, and that day he'd helped Francis deliver her into the world. She deserved to be with a man who loved her, and to know what love was all about. In those moments his thoughts turned to Francis, he had to get out, he had to let him know he was alive and hold him in his arms once again.
"Lets try again to get out of here…" he uttered. "I'm ready… get that makeshift rope tied up there.. we can do this."
They kept trying and after a few more attempts, Romeo finally got the "rope" tied around the grille. He climbed up to the top and was able to see through to where the bolt was and with some real effort he managed to undo it. The problem now would be how to open it, but at least he'd got the bolt undone. It would open upwards and that proved to be a difficult thing to accomplish, however Romeo was a resourceful boy. There were a few odd pieces of wood lying around from what he could see and so he managed to get a hold of one before dropping back down into the dungeon again.
"Ok… I unlocked the bolt…" he said. "I hope you don't mind Herr Arthur but I must stand upon your shoulders again." he said brandishing the piece of wood he'd got a hold of. "I am going to try to push the grill upwards to open it…"
"Alright… good luck boy, I hope you can do it…" Arthur replied. He was exhausted but he wanted out of there. Once again he stood upon Arthur's shoulders and pushed the grille with the stick, and it did open. Pulling the makeshift rope to the edge of the grill so it wouldn't close on him again, Romeo hauled himself out of the hole, and sat on the edge of it, then he let the rope down for Arthur to climb up. Eventually they had managed to get out, and Romeo untied the knots and gave Arthur back his jacket and belt, though they were a bit stretched.
"Sorry…" Romeo said. "But we got out right? That's the main thing."
The Englishman looked even more exhausted than ever and he really felt it. His energy was really low and he needed to rest before doing anything else. Romeo was keen to get a move on in case they were discovered so he half dragged him out of there, however, then they had to face the garrison who were guarding the place.
"Shiesse…" grumbled Romeo. "We spend hours trying to get out of there and then we have to deal with this army also…"
After catching his breath Arthur looked around to see if there was any way to get around the guards. They were in what was left of the Tower of London, just the basement and the dungeons, but it was enough to be able to stay out of sight of the army. He espied a potential escape route but it was down a manhole and into the sewers and that didn't look like a very attractive way to get out of there.
"I don't think there's any way we can get past them.. " Arthur said. "We might be stuck…"
"I'm going to try!" Romeo hissed. "I need to get out of here and get to Brittany!"
"Yes but…there are many of them and only two of us…" Arthur said. "It would be better to…"
He didn't get to finish what he was saying. Romeo moved like lightening and attacked the nearest guard who was sitting reading something, and not paying attention to the others. He stole the mans' handgun and knocked him out, then dragged him to the hole and threw him into it.
"Come on old man!" he said "There's only thirty more… " he said to Arthur as he came back, and motioned to him to follow.
"Romeo I really think you ought to…"
Outside there was a bit of a commotion. They had been told to watch out for Brittany and Francis, and it so happened that they had found their way to the Tower and were outside, and it seemed someone had spotted them there.
They hid as best they could behind a wall and tried to stay out of sight but it was like the whole of London was on alert looking for them.
"We will never get there Brittany!" cried Francis "They have the entire army out looking for us… it is impossible."
"I'm not giving up!" Think about poor Romeo in that dungeon… all alone…" Brittany replied. "I can't just give up on him Papa!"
"But this is impossible." he replied. "We could be sh…"
Just as he said that shots rang out in the night and Francis was hit in the chest, and down he went, in pain and screaming out. "Aaagh…" he uttered clutching at his breast, as blood seeped through his shirt. "No… no… "
"Papa!" screamed Brittany running to him.
"It is hopeless…" he gasped, the pain overtaking him. He held on to his daughter, and she laid him on the ground before he lost consciousness. He was thankfully still breathing but he needed help. "Papa!" she cried. "No… you can't die…Papa….!"
Seeing no way around the situation. Brittany came out with her hands up. It was the only way to get help for her Papa France, but it meant she would never see her Romeo again. She knew this, but she just couldn't see a way to get to him.
Whilst the soldiers were distracted, Romeo thought he saw his chance but as he was about to get out of there, he was hit from behind by someone, one of the garrison who had heard something going on. Romeo was knocked out and some of the other soldiers were coming to help with moving him.
"How the hell did he get out?" one asked.
"I don't know…" another one replied. "Lets get him back in…"
That was when Arthur sprung into action. After Romeo going to all that trouble to get them out of there he wasn't going to let them throw him back in. He picked up the hand gun that was lying on the ground and with the butt of the gun, knocked out both of the guards, without having to fire a shot. He could hear the voice of Antonio Carriedo as he arrived at the Tower, and was speaking to some the guards at the entrance. "There is a possibility Monsieur Bonnefoy and his daughter will show up here…" he was saying, and then there was a shot… and a commotion outside.
Now it was his turn to find a way out, and he knew exactly what to do. The manhole route was going to be the only way, but now he had to drag an unconscious Romeo with him, as he showed no signs of waking up. "Alright…" he uttered and summoned up all his strength. "I will do this… for my daughter, she deserves you… " he said to himself and to Romeo who obviously was out for the count. "Here goes…"
He could hear the approach of the guards and he had to get down there quickly. He hauled Romeo's unconscious body down the manhole and closed it, just as Antonio got there. The Spaniard was surprised to see the grille to the dungeon open and no sign of Arthur or Romeo, and no way they could have got out of there. He was dumbfounded at this. How could they possibly have got out of there?
"What the hell?" he uttered "It's impossible…"
"Implausible you dolt.." whispered Arthur to himself. He could hear everything that was being said and he was being as quiet as possible.
"Where could they have gone?" he asked around the garrison, then he saw two of the soldiers were knocked out. They would take some time to come round, it was clear, and no one had seen them leave.
"They must be here somewhere!" Yelled Antonio. "Find them."
Just then a young man ran into the Tower basement and he was out of breath. "They've found Monsieur Bonnefoy and his daughter… " he gasped. "They are going to take them back to the barracks Sir!" he said.
"Good… we can finally put an end to this charade…" Antonio replied.
"But Sir, unfortunately, Monsieur Bonnefoy was hit…"
"What do you mean he was hit?"
"Shot sir… through the chest… he's still alive but they don't know if he'll make it…"
"Well who the hell shot him?" yelled Antonio. "I said capture, not shoot to kill!"
Antonio ran out of there quickly, and left the scene as Arthur who was listening, couldn't believe his ears. Monsieur Bonnefoy was shot, at least that's what he thought he heard.
"Francis… oh no…" he uttered, his mind and heart filled with worrying thoughts and all kinds of fear flowed through him. "Oh God please let him be okay!"