Disclaimer: I do not own King Arthur. I have merely used that story to tell my own.
A/N: As promised, a quick recap of the last chapter. Elena has been captured by the Romans and has been sexually assaulted in an effort to break her, though they stop short of rape. She refuses to give in and manages to anger the man responsible for breaking her to the point that he has her thrown into the dungeons. Elena is able to use this to her advantage and kills the first set of guards, but is once again subjected to sexual assault just short of rape in order to break her. At the end of the chapter, she realizes that her tormentor now wants her for himself and that she needs to escape soon.
A/N 2: My apologies for the wait for this chapter. This month has been particularly busy for me and I was often away from my computer. Here is the next chapter, and I should have another one soon. Thank you for sticking with me and this story. Enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 13
Elena jerked awake as Damian yet again invaded her dreams and bit back a cry of frustration. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a way – any way – to get out of her situation. It was bad enough that she could not forget the things he had done to her already. She knew that if Damian went all the way with her, it would break her beyond repair. She thanked the Goddess that it hadn't happened yet, but she knew that unless something drastic happened she would not be spared much longer.
Elena sighed and leaned back against the wall of the dungeon. She had almost dropped off to sleep again when she jerked up again. She could have sworn that she had heard someone quietly calling her name. As she looked around the area, she heard the call again.
"Elena!"
Elena gasped and quickly retrieved the key she still had hidden in the rat hole. Cautiously she unlocked her cell and swung the door open, moving to another cell that was three away from hers. There was a small window to the outside there, and she saw a familiar shape crouched close to it. "Jols! How did you find me?"
"Wasn't easy, I'll tell you that. How are we going to get you out of there?"
Elena suddenly knew exactly what needed to be done. "Jols, I need you to bring me a certain bag from my room. It is blue tied with a green string. I have it hidden under the loose flagstone of my hearth. Bring it here and drop it into this cell. But no one must see you!"
"Are you sure that's all?"
"I'm sure. The less you know the better." Elena looked warily over her shoulder and Jols was taken aback by the fear in her eyes. "But I need you to fetch it quickly, tonight if at all possible. If I have to wait any longer, I'll break."
Jols felt his face harden at the quiet admission. If Elena was willing to admit even that much, then she was in pretty bad shape indeed. "I'll be right back."
He disappeared into the night and Elena made her way back to her cell, careful not to made a sound as she swung the door shut and locked it again. She had just hidden the key and moved to her usual corner when Damian threw open the door to the holding cells. He sauntered over to her cell and casually leaned against the bars. "Trouble sleeping?"
Elena slowly looked up at him. "What do you want with me?" Damian sucked in a breath as he took in her appearance and the dead tone of her voice. Was it possible that he had finally broken her?
"Now, now, nothing tonight. You should get some sleep so that you are ready for tomorrow." Damian watched her closely, waiting to see what her response would tell him.
"How can I sleep when you invade my thoughts and dreams? You fill my mind and have taken over everything in me." Elena let her voice remain flat, emotionless. Her eyes betrayed nothing of what was going on in her mind, but remained dull.
Damian smirked in triumph as he watched her. She had finally reached her limit, and now she was his. He signaled for the guards to unlock her cell, and was pleased to note that she made no move to escape. Only her eyes moved, locked on his face as he moved to her side. He was tall enough that she had to tip her head back to keep looking at his face. He grinned at her, pleased with her response and the dullness of her actions. He was sure that with time he would be able to get her to unleash the passion that had burned in her this past week, but for now he wanted her broken. She would be much more amenable to following Rome's orders in this state, and then she would be his. He bent his head and kissed her. Elena froze, struggling to not react and give him a hint that her submission was not real. Fortunately, he took it for total capitulation on her part.
She staggered when he finally released her, dragging in a much needed breath. He caught her and held her to him. "Now, now, you see? It's so much easier to give in, and much more pleasant too. I think we'll even have a little party tomorrow and let you serve the wine. Would you like that?"
Elena looked up at him, keeping her body and eyes relaxed to hide the sudden thrill that went through her. "I would like that sir." She paused a moment and then allowed a touch of curiosity to show in her eyes. "Would you please tell me what your name is? I just realized that even after all this time, I still do not know it."
Damian chuckled as he shifted his grip so that both his arms were around her and Elena had to put her hands on his shoulders to maintain her balance. "Now, now, you're not to that point yet. If you're a good girl and do as you're told, then perhaps I will consider telling you." He grinned lustfully at her before moving his mouth right next to her ear. "After all, it will be sweet to hear you moaning my name when I make you mine."
Elena swallowed hard as she blushed, but fortunately Damian took it as a sign of anticipation rather than revulsion. He gave her one more light kiss and then stepped out of the cell, the guards locking the door once again behind him. The group left the holding area and Elena could hear them speaking with the two soldiers keeping watch before the voices finally died away. It was only then that Elena furiously wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. So they thought her cowed enough to let her serve the wine did they? If Jols was able to get her pouch to her, that would be their fatal mistake.
And speaking of Jols, where was he? Elena sincerely hoped that he had not been spotted by the Romans. She hunkered down in her corner and was about to drift off again when to her great relief she heard Jols calling her. She carefully unlocked her cell and made her way to where Jols waited for her. Carefully, he dangled the small blue pouch through the window and then dropped it into her outstretched hands. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was the correct pouch. She looked up at him, determination in her eyes.
"Two days after tomorrow, if nothing happens before then, I need you to find an excuse for coming in here. I don't care what it is, just make sure that I'm found, but not until two days after tomorrow. Understand?"
"No, but I'll do as you ask. I've got to go now, I can hear a patrol coming." With that, Jols fled the window and Elena held her breath as she exited the cell. She silently moved back to her cell and again locked herself in, just as she heard a clanging noise. The patrol was checking the bars of the window. Quickly, she hid the key and slipped the small bag down the front of her dress. She sat down in her corner and willed herself to sleep. She was extremely tired, which proved to be a good thing when her guards came in to check on her. They rattled the bars of her cell and spoke sharply to her, but she was so exhausted that she didn't even twitch in response. The soldiers all left, satisfied that she was apparently asleep with no way of leaving her cell, and within a few moments she was truly asleep.
0o0o0
The next morning, Elena was brought some water and a comb to freshen up. She deliberately made her movements slow, making herself seem as nonthreatening as possible. She hid a grin as her efforts proved successful. It helped that she was female and that none of them had ever seen her on the battlefield or even training with the knights. She tended to save her training for when there were no Romans around so that they wouldn't realize how well she could take care of herself.
Elena was left alone for a moment as the soldiers went to alert the fort commander that she was ready. She took the opportunity to hide the dagger and key in her boots, one item per boot, and quickly checked down the front of her dress to be sure that the small bag was still in place. It was, and so Elena took a calming breath to still her nerves as the door to the holding area opened and Damian stepped in. She looked at him, her eyes a little more lively than they had been last night, but still not showing any signs of rebellion. Damian was satisfied as he looked at her. He was convinced that she had given in completely to him, and would obey his instructions. "The fort commander has arrived. He is looking forward to seeing you." Damian stepped closer, an arm snaking around Elena's waist and pulling her to him. "But your affections are for me alone, are they not my pet?"
Elena gave him a small nod and looked up at him, her hand on his shoulder. "They are." Her voice was quiet, giving her a sense of shyness. Damian cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Now, now, what's this? Surely you aren't feeling shy?"
Elena cast her eyes to the ground to hide her annoyance, but fortunately the soldiers and Damian took it as even more shyness. "For all that has happened this week, I am still unused to being courted. It is a new feeling for me." Damian looked surprised and Elena could tell that he wanted to ask about Rowan, but felt that doing so would undo his apparent victory. Instead, he drew her through the door to the guard room. This time, instead of a slab to tie her down upon, there were benches and small tables scattered around the room. Food sat upon the tables, and off to the side was a serving station with several decanters of wine.
Elena took it all in and noticed that the tables, for all their random placement around the room, were all facing one side of the room. She saw the chains and shrank back against Damian, who chuckled. "Now, now, surely you didn't think that you were free from my attentions entirely. The fort commander wishes for me to take you, and if you are thinking of running, I will happily chain you now and serve the wine myself." He shook his head in amusement and bent down to whisper in her ear. "The fort commander doesn't trust that you will do as we say. We will have to show him just how wrong he is, won't we?"
Elena nodded as she forced herself to remain calm. She moved to stand in front of the fort commander and curtsied to him, hating herself the whole time. However, she had no choice but to remain submissive to him and the others. The fort commander knew her better than Damian, for all that Damian was good at reading people, and knew to be suspicious of her. She had to calm those suspicions long enough for her to serve the wine. The fort commander sat back in his chair and looked at her, not fully convinced of her cooperation, but confident that she could not escape the dozen soldiers that were in the room with them.
"Well, you are at least behaving yourself now. Have you been told the plan for today's entertainment?"
Elena nodded and raised her eyes to meet his, forcing them to become duller as she met the fort commander's gaze. "I have, though I am sure there is no need for the chains."
The fort commander shrugged. "They would make it more exciting, and it would ensure that you don't run. But we will see. For now, serve the wine."
Elena nodded her head as respectfully as she could and moved over to the wine decanters. As soon as her body shielded her actions, she drew the pouch from her dress and dumped the contents into the first decanter before picking it up. The bag she dropped behind the second row of decanters, fortunately out of sight of the group. It was clear that they meant to be roaring drunk by the time they finished. Turning around, she first went to the fort commander and held up the decanter. "My lord?"
The fort commander nodded to her and she filled his cup with the wine before moving to fill the cups of the soldiers and lastly Damian's cup. They all raised their cups in a toast to her before the men drained their cups, calling out for more. Damian and the fort commander, however, held off on their wine. Elena frowned to herself, but her expression didn't change as she served the soldiers more wine. By the time they had knocked back their third cups with no obvious effects, the fort commander and Damian felt relaxed enough to drink their own wine. The fort commander finished his quickly and signaled for another cup, which Elena served him. She then noticed that Damian was still on his first cup. She frowned at him and brought over the decanter.
"Do you not care for the wine, sir?"
Damian looked at her and grinned as his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into his lap. She felt the evidence of his desire for her through all the layers of cloth between them and shivered. "Now, now, my sweet, if I drink too much, I will not be able to make you mine later on. But for now, you will sit here with me. If the men drink any more, they will not be able to stay awake to enjoy the show." Elena shuddered as he kissed her neck, fighting against her body's natural response to his actions. She just had to avoid being chained up for at least the next half hour. She had to sit there quietly though, letting him touch her. He seemed to be everywhere, kissing her, stroking her, pushing his hips up beneath her. It was only after the first of the soldiers started feeling odd that she was finally able to stand, looking him in the eye.
"What's going on?" The fort commander's voice cut across the room as the soldiers began to fall from their seats, the powder she had added to their wine finally taking effect and rendering them powerless to do anything to her. Damian stared at her in amazement as she directed her answer to him.
"Hemlock. The same thing that killed Thanatos." She heard the fort commander's gasp as he tried to rise, only to realize that he couldn't feel his feet. Elena looked over at him, a slow, cruel smile forming on her lips, causing the fort commander to take a fearful step back. "Did you really think that you could break me when I saw this moment coming?"
The fort commander gasped in fear as she turned her gaze to Damian. "You did your best, Damian, but all your efforts were in vain." She laughed at his astonished expression and the fear that began to creep into his eyes. "Oh yes, I was awake when you two had your little conversation and the fort commander was kind enough to mention you by name. I'll be sure to mention it to Arthur and his knights when they get back. There is no need for your mask any more, for you'll soon be a dead man."
Damian finally gave into the fear as he slid from his seat, unable to move. Elena paid no attention to him though as she walked over to the fort commander, drawing the dagger from her boot. She looked down at him before suddenly swinging the dagger. The fort commander cried out weakly as the blade cut into his leg. "That was for my brother Rowan." The dagger flicked again, cutting into the fort commander's arm. "And that was for killing my mother."
"How…how did you know?" The fort commander's voice was weak as the paralysis moved up his body.
"I saw it too." She looked at him with disgust. "You should have been more careful with what you wished for. Your own desire to control me as you did my mother is what brought about your downfall."
The fort commander growled at her, trying to get out one last verbal lash at her. "You won't escape this. They will know you killed us."
Elena laughed and the sound chilled the blood of all those in the room. They couldn't move, and were starting to suffocate as their lungs refused to rise and fall, but they were still aware of her and what she was saying. "On the contrary, my dear commander, there will be no way of linking me to your deaths. You are the only marked one, and the dagger will be found in a soldier's hand. Besides, how could I have possibly killed anyone when I was locked in my cell the whole time?" She held up the key to her cell. "I will be found locked in my cell. I will have no idea what happened, only that I heard voices outside and hid in the furthest corner of my cell hoping to not be discovered."
The fort commander was furious enough to get out one last word before the paralysis took him as well. "NO!"
Elena shook her head at him and then moved to the soldier closest to him. The soldier was already gone, and she carefully closed his hand around the hilt of the dagger. Moving over to the side table with the wine, she retrieved her bag and thrust it into the nearest torch where it quickly burned to ashes, leaving no evidence behind. Then, she calmly walked back into the holding area, shut the door, and then locked herself back into the cell for the last time. She knew that the knights would be returning late the next night, having made the trip in record time. They would not rest on the last leg of their journey. She just hoped that she didn't go to pieces when they got her out of there.
A/N: Elena scares even me at times. I hope you guys liked the chapter, and I plan on posting again in a few days. Till then!