Chapter 24 - Gone

Recommended for mature audiences only. Some content is not suitable for young readers.

(Updated for errors & minor content – 29/Sep/2020)

Please note that this story is complete. I have removed the remaining chapters as they are currently undergoing revisions. Chapters will be re-uploaded one-by-one upon completion. Reviews are still absolutely welcome!

The week leading up to the execution of Argus was not a good one. Snow started out determined to not think about it, in fear of changing her mind. That was, until William's guards caught three rebels trying to sneak their way into Stonehill Castle. A futile attempt, but troubling, nonetheless.

It was unclear how many of Argus's rebels remained. Bane had hoped they had seen the last of them at Talin, but there was no way of knowing how many rebels had not been present at the time of the battle. The three captives did not reveal anything, so after two days of questioning, they were locked in the dungeon to await execution, along with Argus. This rattled Snow's conscience, but she was determined not to look sympathetic in front of her people.

The week went on and Snow tended to her queenly duties with great enthusiasm and smiled brightly to all who spoke to her and passed her in the hall. To the castle folk, it seemed that she had not a care in the world about the men and their impending death; that is, everybody but Eric.

The hunter knew her enthusiasm was a ruse to hide her true feelings. He knew by the way her eyes glazed over when people spoke to her, as if her mind wondered elsewhere while they were talking. He knew her blazing smile was a fraud by the way it never touched her darkened eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well either; she tossed and turned all through the night, keeping him awake despite her efforts to hide her discomfort. The guilt she carried for allowing the executions to go ahead showed clear as day in her face, shoulders and mannerisms, and Eric was worried the stress was taking a toll on her and the child. Her eyes looked dark and sunken in her colourless and gaunt face. Even her usually slender frame, which had grown strong with her daily training, was beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Regardless, Eric bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut out of fear that Snow would change her mind and call off the executions. It pained him to see her in distress, but he knew it would kill him if Argus harmed her in any way. He loathed his own selfishness, but nonetheless, he continued to watch Snow put on her brave face and listen to her tears during the night when she thought he was asleep. While she cried silently beside him, he squeezed her too him and willed the days to come faster so that her torment would finally end.

The night before the executions, Snow was lying in bed staring at the canopy of the large bed. She was tense and panicking, and her heart raced as she thought about the hangings she was to witness the next morning.

Why did she cry for these men? They were criminals and murderers; they didn't deserve her tears. She thought about the rebels that had ambushed Eric and herself in the mountains; she'd stabbed one of those men without thinking twice. She fought Ravenna's soldiers and even killed Ravenna herself. She was no stranger to death; so what was it about Argus that that triggered these feelings? She'd never even seen him with her own eyes before. She didn't even know what he looked like.

She looked at Eric sleeping beside her. Before Snow could convince herself otherwise, she quietly slid out of bed and snuck out of her bedchamber, pulling a soft shawl around her shoulders as she went. She quietly made her way through the castle, and eventually found her way to the dungeon without spotting anyone. She walked down the torch-lit stairs and pulled her shawl around her tighter, holding it closed high around her neck.

When she reached the last step, two guards jumped off their stools in surprise. "Your Majesty," they bowed.

"Can we help you with something, Your Majesty?" One of the guards asked.

The other guard averted his eyes, choosing to look at the ground instead. Snow briefly had the sensation of recognition, but passed it off and turned her attention back to the first guard, realizing he was waiting for her reply. "Yes, I'd like to see a prisoner. The man named Argus."

The guard hesitated for a moment. "I'm under strict orders from Sir William not to let anybody see him, Your Majesty."

Snow resisted the urge to apologize and leave. She had sentenced a man to death, she wasn't leaving without seeing him. "I understand you have to follow orders, but I'm asking as your Queen. Please show me to the prisoner."

The guard swallowed nervously but nodded. He pulled out a large ring of keys and they rattled in his shaking hands. "This way, Your Majesty," he beckoned, and Snow followed. The second guard stayed behind, not meeting her eyes as she passed.

Snow followed the guard down a dark, narrow passage. Both sides were lined with cells, three of which were occupied. The three rebels stood from their cots and came up to the bars. They watched Snow carefully as she and the guard walked past their cells.

Snow glanced around, looking for a fourth man, to no avail. "Argus is not being held here?" she asked.

"He is, Your Majesty" replied the guard. "Just not in one of these cells."

When they reached the end of the passage, the guard unlocked a large heavy door.

Snow followed him into another dark room, but this time there was only two small cells on the back wall. In one of them sat a man she could only presume was Argus. He was sitting on a narrow cot, awake and alert, as if he'd been waiting for her. The sight sent a chill down her spine and she hugged herself, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

"Stand for your Queen, Prisoner," ordered the guard. His voice echoed loudly in the small chamber and Snow shuddered.

A grin slowly spread across Argus's face and he stood. "Your Majesty, what a lovely surprise. I can't tell you how delighted I am to finally meet you."

"You don't look very surprised to see me," Snow said pointedly. She noticed the faint tremor in her own voice.

Argus just smiled wider. "Well, I suppose I'm not; Eric always got the pretty ones." He licked his lips and smirked at her again. His eyes travelled slowly down her body, as if he were memorizing every inch of her. His eyes narrowed on her stomach before snapping back to her face. "Was there something you wanted, my Queen?"

Snow hesitated but made a conscious effort to hold her head high. "I just wanted to look at you. Before tomorrow."

Argus laughed; a cold, bone-chilling laugh. "How sweet of you, my dear Queen. And tell me, have I lived up to your expectations?" He held out his arms and spun around slowly, as if he was showing off a new outfit. The fact that he was to be executed the very next day didn't seem to bother him at all.

"I don't know," she said, honestly. She hadn't known what to expect at all.

"Well, you definitely live up to mine," he snickered.

Snow swallowed. "Why couldn't you leave us alone?" she stuttered.

Argus slunk over to the bars and brought his face up to the iron. His smile disappeared and his eyes became cold. "Eric took something from me once. He and I have a debt to settle."

"It wasn't Eric's fault that Sara died," Snow said defensively.

The small dungeon filled with laughter. Argus's shrill cries startled Snow and she took a step back.

"I don't care what he told you," he spat. "He took her from me and then he had her killed. He deserves to suffer. He deserves to feel everything that I felt, and more!"

"Snow!"

Snow spun around and found Eric glaring at them from the doorway. He was still barefoot, and his nightshirt was open, revealing a rapidly rising chest. He must have sprinted all the way from their chambers.

"Why did ye let her in 'ere?" Eric turned angrily on the guard, who turned pale.

"Eric," Snow began to explain, but the Huntsman gripped her arm and pulled her behind him, shielding her from Argus's sight.

"Stay away from her!" he pointed a threatening finger at Argus, who held up his hands in mock surrender.

"With all due respect, I was just sitting here minding my own business," Argus teased. "Your little lady came to me."

Eric clenched his teeth. "Out," he growled at the pale guard. Before he could pull Snow from the dungeon Argus called to her one last time.

"Your Majesty," he sung. A wide grin spread across his face and he whispered, "Congratulations."

Snow felt a lump rise in her throat and her arms wrapped around her swollen belly. Eric dragged her out of the dungeon and Snow could hear the bone-chilling laugh all the way up the stairs.

"What did ye tell him?" Eric growled as he pulled her through the castle corridors.

"I didn't tell him anything," she insisted. "I just wanted to see him."

When they reached her bedchamber Eric immediately bolted the door and turned to face her. He studied her and his mouth turned into a hard line. Poking out from under her shawl was her ever-growing bump.

"Why is this so hard for ye to understand? Tha' man is dangerous! All ye had to do was keep away from him for a few more hours. Why do ye insist on bein' so foolish?"

Snow's mouth formed a hard line. "Don't you dare! I'll do whatever I want, and I'll see whomever I want. You don't have the right to stop me from doing anything!"

Eric rubbed his face in frustration. "Argus may be locked in a cell, but he's still breathin', and as long as he's still breathin', he's a threat to ye. Please stop torturin' me."

"I'm sorry I worried you, Eric," Snow said. "But I had to see him."

"He knows about the babe," Eric stressed.

Snow swallowed. "I know."

Eric sighed. He should have known Snow was going to go down there. He knew she had been struggling to cope the past week, and he should have helped her deal with it. "I'm sorry, Snow. This is my fault. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault. I know you're worried about us," she cradled her stomach.

Eric shook his head. "Nae, I put this on ye. I brought him 'ere and told ye to do somethin' ye didnae want to do. This whole week I've watched ye torture yer'self out of guilt and I never said anythin'. I was afraid tha' if I brought it up, ye would panic and change yer mind. I listened to ye cry yer'self to sleep almost every night, yet I did nothin'. I knew ye were hurtin' and I did nothin'. I acted selfishly and I'm so sorry."

Snow looked at him with sad eyes. If only she could be the strong Queen everybody wanted her to be. Keeping Argus here was torture for Eric, and she'd done her best to ignore it. She should have dealt with Argus as soon as she found out he was alive, not act like a selfish little girl throwing a tantrum. What happened to the girl that defeated Ravenna? The girl that fought for her Kingdom and her people, and rallied men to fight; not for her, but with her. She wanted to be that person again. She wanted to be a leader again.

Eric reached out for her hand, and she took it. "Feel this," he said and put her hand against his chest. "This is what ye do to me. Ye'll be the death of me one day."

Snow could feel his heart thudding against her hand, and it was only then that she realized just how panicked he had been when he found her missing from their bed. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in his chest. "I'm sorry I frustrate you," she murmured against him and placed a kiss over his racing heart.

He let out a burst of laughter and took her face in his hands. "Oh princess. Ye do more than frustrate me."

Eric kissed her once and then led her to the bed where she curled up in his arms and he held her tight until she fell asleep. Only then did he roll onto his back with his hands behind his head, where he lay awake in the dark, thinking and worrying, until he too succumbed to sleep.

Snow woke in a daze to the sensation of fingers running across her cheek. She smiled sleepily and sighed into the Huntsman's touch. She could tell it was still dark even with her eyes still closed, so she concentrated on his wondering hands. His fingers traced down her neck, over her chest and stopped on her stomach. Snow smiled in her dreamlike state but paused at the odd feeling. The hand on her stomach felt cold and foreign, unlike Eric's warm and familiar touch. She sat up in a fright, and the abrupt movement startled Eric awake.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

Snow studied the room, breathing heavily. It was dawn, and soft grey light was starting to flood the chamber. Her eyes darted around, trying to find something that didn't appear to be there. She faced Eric, who looked very worried.

"I- I felt something."

Eric glanced nervously at her stomach, but Snow shook her head. "Not the baby. I thought I felt something touch me." She put her hands on her stomach. "It's alright, it must have been a dream, that's all. The baby's fine."

A loud bang on the door startled them both again. The banging continued.

"Yer Majesty," someone shouted. It sounded like Bane. "Eric!" he called again, still banging on the door.

Eric rushed to the door and Snow pulled on her robe, still shaken from her dream.

Bane fell into the room followed by William and several guards. He looked flustered and out of breath. "Are ye alright, Yer Majesty?" he questioned. The guards rushed around the room, looking through cupboards and under the bed.

Snow faltered, wondering what all the commotion was about. A feeling of dread started churning deep in her stomach. "I'm quite alright. What happened?"

Bane looked from Snow to Eric and hesitated, looking very worried. William was dead silent behind him. "It's Argus," Bane said. "He's gone."

Snow's blood turned cold as Eric turned to look at her. He was as pale as she felt. She knew his thoughts echoed her own. Argus had been there just moments before.

She hadn't been dreaming at all...

.