Chapter 17:
(Sofia POV)
I continue to try and loosen the bonds around my wrist and feet to no avail. I internally begged Hugo to come sooner because my mouth was still covered. I heard the door open and looked up, "Hello Commoner." Eliza said strutting in. I held back an eye roll and stopped moving my arms. She came close to me and started circling me, it reminded me of her mother. "I don't know why you insist upon ruining everything and yet this is what women like you do. You find a powerful royal man who is arranged to be with another high ranking level of nobility and you swoop in and steal them away and throw off the course of our lives. You will ruin this kingdom just like Lila. Only difference is I am not going to wait as long as my mother did and let another generation of diluted royal blood sit on the throne." I shook my arm trying to set it free and this caught her attention, "Oh, you have something to say." She came closer to me and knelt down to be eye level, "Go on speak." She taunted knowing that I couldn't. I mumbled something under the cloth, "Sorry sweetheart, wrong answer." She slapped me across the face. I could feel the imprint of her hand on my cheek, "As long as I am alive you will never sit on the throne. Now be a good little commoner and quiet down, we don't want anymore problems do we? Because I have no problem calling someone in here who will do so much more than just merely slap you." I nodded my head. I didn't want to, I wanted to fight back, I wanted to scream, I wanted to do something but, I was not risking the life of my kid more than it was right now. "Good," she said nodding to herself as she left the room. She seemed satisfied in my submission and that was where I needed her to be. I needed her to think that I was afraid of her so that she wouldn't hurt me more.
Time passed and no one had come by, I needed to think of something. My mind was racing, thinking about what they might be planning. Did they plan on killing me and were waiting for the right time? Did they plan on torturing me to make Hugo do what they want? Were they going to keep me alive but, only to control Hugo? My mind then went to my baby. She was innocent and I still was not clear on what they planned to do with me. If they found out about her would they kill me anyway or worse keep me alive to torture my baby. Were they going to kill her? Were they going to use her as leverage over Hugo? Were they going to raise her to hate us? I couldn't let that happen. I needed to stay alive for her and keep her safe.
I couldn't think like this I could only hope that Hugo would be here soon, I just needed to buy him time before they do whatever they plan on doing to me. I looked down at my ring and tried to slide my hand slightly under the ropes, just enough to get the gemstone underneath. I delicately slid my hand under the ropes and began to rub the diamond back and forth cutting through the frays in the rope until I freed my left hand and began working on uniting my right hand. I worked the knots and got it undone. Being a Buttercup and a Protector it was a good thing to remember how to untie knots. I pulled the fabric down from my mouth and took a much needed breath. "Huh" I breathed out. I then put my hand on my stomach making sure that it was intact. It was fine no one had hurt her. Relief overtook me and I closed my eyes, "We're safe for now."
"Who is we?" I opened my eyes and saw Countess Cunningham looking at me. She looked down at my hand and i quickly moved it from my stomach. She shook her head, "No, you can't be. It is impossible. You have not been married that long." She came closer to me and held a knife to my throat, "Tell me it isn't true." She said. I could feel tears coming to my eyes as I tried not to breath too deep worried about cutting my throat, "Please don't hurt me." Her eyes widened, "You have never begged me for anything. You are... you are with child." She pulled the knife back, "This changes things. I need to think." She quickly sliced my hands and tied them back to the chair pulling the fabric back over my mouth before I could wince in pain. She quickly left the room and locked the door.
I slumped back in the chair. I tried to maneuver the fabric of my face. I was barely able to get it off my mouth when I felt the ropes burn into the cuts on my hands. I looked down at my hands and saw the red dripping onto the floor. I tried to free my hands but bit back the scream. I kept muttering to myself, "Please, please don't hurt me." I felt myself grow tired but I kept my eyes open. I thought to myself Hugo is coming, he will save us and we will be home in bed soon enough celebrating our baby.
I needed to get out of here fast. My baby no longer had the advantage of being unknown. Countess Cunningham and everyone who was keeping me down here. Them knowing put a target on my baby and whatever reason they have for keeping me alive was changed and I couldn't live with myself if they killed or worse tortured my baby.
(Hugo POV)
I had to get there soon. The longer I left Sofia, the worse the outcome would be. I rode chasing in the direction of the compass, it was leading me farther away from the castle. I knew we had left the kingdom and entered what I called the No Man's Land, a small valley surrounded by harsh mountains and raging rivers. No one was supposed to live here it was the one uninhabited area of the kingdom. I then saw a large house in the center of this area surrounded by people coming in and out. I flew over the mountain making sure not to circle as I saw people watching looking for people to come. I had to figure out how to get down there without drawing attention to myself and get her out of there.
I landed past the mountain, and began to watch trying to figure out how they got up the mountain because climbing up is a death sentence and there was no known way to get in. I watched as they opened a chasm hidden away behind a boulder. A man rolled the boulder revealing another person behind them who was checking him out before they both rolled the boulder back. I looked down at the compass and it continued pointing in the direction of the mountains. "It is never simple is it." I needed to get to her soon, I had to find her.
(Sofia POV)
Countess Cunningham came back into the room holding a cup and came walking towards me. "What is that?" I asked. She shook her head, "Just relax Sofia, this will be over soon." I shirked at my arms, "Please don't do this, don't hurt me." She shook her head, "This isn't going to kill you. It is going to take care of things." My eyes widened, "No, don't do this please, please don't hurt my baby." She stayed quiet as she came closer, "As a mother please don't hurt my kid." I begged. She turned towards me, "I'm giving you this mercy because I'm a mother. If any of them knew that you were pregnant you would be begging me to do this. Consider it a gift." She pressed the cup to my lips and I kept them pursed shut trying to turn my face away. I needed to think of something to keep my baby safe. Anything. I needed Hugo to come back here now.