"Hey! Guard!" Tulio whispered, clutching the bars of his cell.
"Psst!"
The guard snorted and awoke with a start, then glared at the raven- haired man. "What do you want now?"
"I-I just wanted to know if you've heard anything about my friend." Tulio asked, his throat parched. He was very worried. What if something happened to Miguel?
The guard gritted his teeth in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you? NO!!!" Then he smiled. "But I do have news about that slave girl you were with."
Tulio squeezed his eyes tight, fighting the anger that boiled up inside him. "What?" he asked calmly.
"She was bought by a guy who runs a pub in town. I'm sure he's having fun with her right now." he laughed wickedly.
"NO!!!" Tulio screamed, kicking the bars hard. "OW!!!" He grabbed his throbbing foot, only to trip on the shackles that were attached to his ankles. The rest of the inmates laughed at him as he crumpled to the ground in agony. "I'm going to kill him!" Tulio yelled, tears of pain and sorrow filling his eyes. "Damn you Miguel! Where the hell are you?!"
"I'll tell you where he is." A voice said. Tulio looked up to see a tall, some-what handsome man with greasy black hair and a tiny mustache in black and silver armor. It was Nemesio.
"Captain!" the guard said, stumbling off of his stool and saluting the man. "What are you doing down here in the dungeons?"
Nemesio smiled. "I just have a little news for Saldovar here." he said smugly, walking over the cell.
Tulio crawled over to him and grasped the bars. "You know where Miguel is?" he asked hopefully. "Did you catch him? Is he all right?"
"Yes, we caught him." Nemesio said, bending over to be face to face with Tulio. "In the river."
"What do you mean?" Tulio asked, fearing the worst.
"Your little friend is dead." he said, smiling. "We fished him out of the river just yesterday and buried him in a pit. It was rather nasty. But don't fret. Your execution is scheduled for next month so you'll be reunited in Hell. Horatio, follow me." Nemesio twirled on his heal with the other guard following and bolted the door behind them.
"No....." Tulio slid down the bars, the tears now pouring down his cheeks. First his wife is taken, and then Miguel dies. Now he was going to die. "It's official." he groaned. "Life sucks."
* * * * *
"Shall I go tell the king that Cervantes is dead?" Horatio asked. "I think he will be very-"
"Cervantes is not dead." Nemesio snarled.
"W-what?" Horatio stammered. "But you said-"
"I lied, genius!" Nemesio barked. "I saw the little bastard three days ago at Partida manor. He's in poor shape and has lost his memory. Besides, I have plans for him."
"And what would that be, sir?" Horatio asked.
Nemesio chuckled. He loved brown-nosers. "I just told Saldovar that Cervantes is dead, right? Wouldn't it be funny if he saw Cervantes, alive and well, in the crowd to watch his execution? Oh, I can only imagine the look on his face."
Even though Horatio was a cruel man, he wasn't as cruel as Nemesio. In fact, he felt a little pity for Tulio. "Uh, yes, I suppose that would be funny. But after Saldovar is dead and Cervantes gets his memory back, what then?"
"It's quite simple Horatio." he said placidly. "I'll kill him."
* * * * *
"My lord." One of the nurses walked into the dining room where Cid and Ora were finishing their breakfast. "Señor Cervantes is throwing a fit. He will not eat. In fact, he hasn't eaten anything sense he got here."
Cid sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Poor boy. He probably took a turn for the worse. Oh well, I'll try and talk to him." He sat up from his beautiful hand carved chair and followed the nurse.
Ora had not talked to or even seen Miguel since the night he said she was beautiful. She was both embarrassed and appalled. But, once again, she got curious and followed her father down the halls and into Miguel's bedroom. Miguel had the covers up to his eyes and was moaning. He had gotten worse.
"Son? Why don't you have some soup? It's good for you." Cid dipped a spoon into the bowl and moved it towards Miguel's face.
Miguel swatted it away and pulled the covers over his head. "No food...." he groaned. "Must sleep...."
Cid sighed and crossed his arms. "Well if you won't let us heal you, then I guess I have no choice but to ask you to leave."
Miguel pulled the blankets down, his face a mixture of anger and determination. "Fine! Thank you for your kindness, Señor Partida. I will be on my way." Slowly he pulled himself to a sitting position, grunting in pain. Then he swung his legs off the bed and stood up even slower. But before he took one step, he fell onto his hands and knees, screaming in pain.
"Oh my!" one nurse said, walking over to aid him.
"NO!!!" Miguel yelled, waving his arm to stop her. "I can crawl! Good bye!" He crawled along the floor and towards the door, his face twisted in pain. But he stopped at the doorway, for something was blocking his path. He looked up and saw Ora, giggling behind her hand. "What's so funny?" he growled.
Ora stopped laughing and put on a straight face. "I admire your determination, Señor Cervantes. It's a quality one does not find in a man these days. But-" she started to giggle again. "I think it's hilarious to see a grown man crawling on the ground in a serious manner."
Not only was Ora laughing, but all of the nurses and Cid were laughing too. Miguel turned deep red and scowled. Then he smiled. "Well... I think it's hilarious that a woman tries to act like she matters in the world."
Ora stopped laughing and flushed pink. "Why you.... Stupid peasant!" She kicked him in the shoulder and he crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain. "I matter ten times more than you ever will!"
The nurses rushed over and picked Miguel up by the arms and dragged him back over to the bed. Ora marched over to the bed, picked the spoon up off the floor, grabbed the bowl of soup, and shoved it in Miguel's face. "Eat!"
"I don't want to eat!" Miguel screamed. And, without any warning, Ora stuck out her finger and pushed it into Miguel bandaged ribs. "AAAAAH!!!! You crazy bitch!!!"
"Eat up, or I'll do it again." She said in a singsong voice, waving her finger playfully in front of Miguel's eyes.
"You wouldn't dare." Miguel growled. But she did. "AAAH!!!"
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"I can do this all night you know. It doesn't hurt me and it's very amusing. But I have to think of my father and the fact that he's spending good money and good time on a crook like you. So, unless you want to rot in a jail cell, eat or I'll shove this spoon down your throat!!!"
Miguel glared at her as if she was a demon. But he grabbed the spoon and the bowl out of her hands and said, through gritted teeth, "Get-out-of- my-sight."
Ora stood up, smoothed out her dress and walked out of the room, her father following. Before the door closed she saw Miguel spooning the soup into his mouth and giving her a piercing look.
"Um.... W-well done daughter." said Cid, both impressed and a little afraid.
Ora smiled and raised her chin high. "Father, in times like these you have to force people to do what's good for them. Even if it means being a crazy bitch."
The guard snorted and awoke with a start, then glared at the raven- haired man. "What do you want now?"
"I-I just wanted to know if you've heard anything about my friend." Tulio asked, his throat parched. He was very worried. What if something happened to Miguel?
The guard gritted his teeth in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you? NO!!!" Then he smiled. "But I do have news about that slave girl you were with."
Tulio squeezed his eyes tight, fighting the anger that boiled up inside him. "What?" he asked calmly.
"She was bought by a guy who runs a pub in town. I'm sure he's having fun with her right now." he laughed wickedly.
"NO!!!" Tulio screamed, kicking the bars hard. "OW!!!" He grabbed his throbbing foot, only to trip on the shackles that were attached to his ankles. The rest of the inmates laughed at him as he crumpled to the ground in agony. "I'm going to kill him!" Tulio yelled, tears of pain and sorrow filling his eyes. "Damn you Miguel! Where the hell are you?!"
"I'll tell you where he is." A voice said. Tulio looked up to see a tall, some-what handsome man with greasy black hair and a tiny mustache in black and silver armor. It was Nemesio.
"Captain!" the guard said, stumbling off of his stool and saluting the man. "What are you doing down here in the dungeons?"
Nemesio smiled. "I just have a little news for Saldovar here." he said smugly, walking over the cell.
Tulio crawled over to him and grasped the bars. "You know where Miguel is?" he asked hopefully. "Did you catch him? Is he all right?"
"Yes, we caught him." Nemesio said, bending over to be face to face with Tulio. "In the river."
"What do you mean?" Tulio asked, fearing the worst.
"Your little friend is dead." he said, smiling. "We fished him out of the river just yesterday and buried him in a pit. It was rather nasty. But don't fret. Your execution is scheduled for next month so you'll be reunited in Hell. Horatio, follow me." Nemesio twirled on his heal with the other guard following and bolted the door behind them.
"No....." Tulio slid down the bars, the tears now pouring down his cheeks. First his wife is taken, and then Miguel dies. Now he was going to die. "It's official." he groaned. "Life sucks."
* * * * *
"Shall I go tell the king that Cervantes is dead?" Horatio asked. "I think he will be very-"
"Cervantes is not dead." Nemesio snarled.
"W-what?" Horatio stammered. "But you said-"
"I lied, genius!" Nemesio barked. "I saw the little bastard three days ago at Partida manor. He's in poor shape and has lost his memory. Besides, I have plans for him."
"And what would that be, sir?" Horatio asked.
Nemesio chuckled. He loved brown-nosers. "I just told Saldovar that Cervantes is dead, right? Wouldn't it be funny if he saw Cervantes, alive and well, in the crowd to watch his execution? Oh, I can only imagine the look on his face."
Even though Horatio was a cruel man, he wasn't as cruel as Nemesio. In fact, he felt a little pity for Tulio. "Uh, yes, I suppose that would be funny. But after Saldovar is dead and Cervantes gets his memory back, what then?"
"It's quite simple Horatio." he said placidly. "I'll kill him."
* * * * *
"My lord." One of the nurses walked into the dining room where Cid and Ora were finishing their breakfast. "Señor Cervantes is throwing a fit. He will not eat. In fact, he hasn't eaten anything sense he got here."
Cid sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Poor boy. He probably took a turn for the worse. Oh well, I'll try and talk to him." He sat up from his beautiful hand carved chair and followed the nurse.
Ora had not talked to or even seen Miguel since the night he said she was beautiful. She was both embarrassed and appalled. But, once again, she got curious and followed her father down the halls and into Miguel's bedroom. Miguel had the covers up to his eyes and was moaning. He had gotten worse.
"Son? Why don't you have some soup? It's good for you." Cid dipped a spoon into the bowl and moved it towards Miguel's face.
Miguel swatted it away and pulled the covers over his head. "No food...." he groaned. "Must sleep...."
Cid sighed and crossed his arms. "Well if you won't let us heal you, then I guess I have no choice but to ask you to leave."
Miguel pulled the blankets down, his face a mixture of anger and determination. "Fine! Thank you for your kindness, Señor Partida. I will be on my way." Slowly he pulled himself to a sitting position, grunting in pain. Then he swung his legs off the bed and stood up even slower. But before he took one step, he fell onto his hands and knees, screaming in pain.
"Oh my!" one nurse said, walking over to aid him.
"NO!!!" Miguel yelled, waving his arm to stop her. "I can crawl! Good bye!" He crawled along the floor and towards the door, his face twisted in pain. But he stopped at the doorway, for something was blocking his path. He looked up and saw Ora, giggling behind her hand. "What's so funny?" he growled.
Ora stopped laughing and put on a straight face. "I admire your determination, Señor Cervantes. It's a quality one does not find in a man these days. But-" she started to giggle again. "I think it's hilarious to see a grown man crawling on the ground in a serious manner."
Not only was Ora laughing, but all of the nurses and Cid were laughing too. Miguel turned deep red and scowled. Then he smiled. "Well... I think it's hilarious that a woman tries to act like she matters in the world."
Ora stopped laughing and flushed pink. "Why you.... Stupid peasant!" She kicked him in the shoulder and he crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain. "I matter ten times more than you ever will!"
The nurses rushed over and picked Miguel up by the arms and dragged him back over to the bed. Ora marched over to the bed, picked the spoon up off the floor, grabbed the bowl of soup, and shoved it in Miguel's face. "Eat!"
"I don't want to eat!" Miguel screamed. And, without any warning, Ora stuck out her finger and pushed it into Miguel bandaged ribs. "AAAAAH!!!! You crazy bitch!!!"
"Eat up, or I'll do it again." She said in a singsong voice, waving her finger playfully in front of Miguel's eyes.
"You wouldn't dare." Miguel growled. But she did. "AAAH!!!"
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"Eat!"
"No!"
Poke.
"I can do this all night you know. It doesn't hurt me and it's very amusing. But I have to think of my father and the fact that he's spending good money and good time on a crook like you. So, unless you want to rot in a jail cell, eat or I'll shove this spoon down your throat!!!"
Miguel glared at her as if she was a demon. But he grabbed the spoon and the bowl out of her hands and said, through gritted teeth, "Get-out-of- my-sight."
Ora stood up, smoothed out her dress and walked out of the room, her father following. Before the door closed she saw Miguel spooning the soup into his mouth and giving her a piercing look.
"Um.... W-well done daughter." said Cid, both impressed and a little afraid.
Ora smiled and raised her chin high. "Father, in times like these you have to force people to do what's good for them. Even if it means being a crazy bitch."