It was dark. That was what Christine would remember from that hour, it was dark and someone was calling her name out repeatedly. There was some noise, but she would not fully comprehend what was going on around her. After a few more moments of the wrestling going on about her, she would slip back into unconsciousness.
_--___--___-__--
"Well, well, well." Benedict smirked at the king, who was standing and staring in disbelief at the scene in front of him. "Your Majesty, you decided to join us after all."
"Get your mens' hands off the queen." Erik's guttural voice came deep from within. He wanted to move forward but was afraid that the men holding the queen would do something he feared worse than his own death.
Christine sat limply tied to the throne that had served as his own seat. Her chin rested on her chest, hanging to the right side, and he was able to see that bruise had begun to form on the left cheekbone. His blood boiled, knowing that the men on either side of her were responsible for this.
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Benedict feigned a sigh. "You see that would…"
"I order you to let her go." His demurer was a controlled calm that was too controlled, too precise, while inside his head was reeling.
"His Majesty should let me finish."
"Lord Benedict," He clenched his jaw, "If you do not let her go…"
"You'll do what?" A brow was raised lazily. "Banish me? Torture me? You see, your Majesty, in order to do that you must be a king and in order to be a king you must not be dead. We are going to have a problem before the day is out with that kind of thinking."
"You will fail."
"Wrong." He shrugged. Beckoning the soldiers that were hidden in the shadows of the House. Erik assessed the people that were beginning to surround him.
"How can I be wrong when you feel a need to have more than twenty men try to subdue me?" The King questioned.
"Safety precautions, I assure you." Benedict snapped his fingers and the men began to ascend towards the awaiting king.
Erik noticed the first of the brave men to come towards him, from the left, so he easily knocked him to the ground with a punch. Another came swinging from the right, but Erik blocked it and elbowed him in the face, sending another downward. The rest were starting to circle him and he saw that they were also curious as to how to approach the man that they regarded as their sovereign.
A tall, stupidly, brave one ran at him full force and standing for a moment in the same spot, Erik easily stepped out of his way as the man toppled into another. They stood, rooted to their spots, waiting for another to be equally as stupid and brave, but none moved.
"Get him!" Benedict called.
They all moved in at once, throwing punches and kicking any part of the large man they could. Erik blocked many of the skilled attacks, but received just as many. He looked up to make sure that Christine was still staying limp, but saw some slight movement from her.
"Christine!" Erik yelled, hoping that she could hear him. "Christine!"
A punch land in his abdomen, and it shut him up, doubling over. A kick to his leg, made him drop to his knees. A shove from behind and he was sprawled on the ground gasping her name. Arms secured his own and his legs. He was trapped.
"Christine!" He shouted, recovering from the blow to his stomach. Looking up he saw her eyes open momentarily. "Christine!" They closed. "Christine!"
"Christine!" Benedict shouted, sauntering over to him. "Do you really think that is going to help?"
"Do you think that killing me will improve this kingdom?" Erik spat out.
"I think it's a start." He kneeled to obverse the man more. "You are nothing more than a coward, hiding behind a mask and a woman."
"At least I'm not hiding behind a fake name and a lost cause." A blow to his already woozy head.
"A name is nothing." Benedict stated. "A name is only a name. A person's name does not dictate who they are, it is only something they are associated with."
"She should have killed you."
"She is a woman," He chuckled. "She was too weak to kill me, and now she is paying for that weakness."
"If she were weak she would be dead by now." Erik growled.
"Oh she will be, my lord." His voice came right next to Erik's ear, "Have no fear, before you die you will see your lady's throat sliced."
Erik's mind blurred after another blow to his head, and finally he seeped into an unconscious state. Benedict looked around at the men before him.
"Place him in the chair next to her." He ordered. The men did as they were told. "Now get out and guard the front."
As the men left, Benedict looked around the room, noticing the few that stood with him. He looked back at the two people he had thought had more authority than he did and one attempted to kill him, ruin him at one point. Now, that woman sat, her head rolled to the side. The man sat, similarly to her but had more of a strange and abrasive precedent.
"Father." A voice brought him back to where he was.
"I want all of you to leave." He told the nobles that had sat on his side. "Get your armies ready."
They did as they were told, leaving the father and daughter behind. Benedict looked at his daughter as she approached him, a concerned look on her face. He touched the side of her cheek.
"You are more beautiful than your mother." Benedict gently reminded his daughter.
"Did mother truly want this?" Arabella asked, for once beginning to feel doubt of this whole plan.
"Of course she did, darling." He smirked, "She died for it."
--__-__-__-_--__
"Lord Jake!" Madame Giry ran to the stables, seeing the man already lifting himself on the horse.
"Madame, I'm sorry I need to…"
"Borgia has them." She lowered her voice, and begged him to lean closer.
"Liren already…" Lord Jake lowered his voice also and moved so they could speak without being overheard.
"They'll be too late." Waving the idea away. "There is a man called the Foreigner. He should be on the pass here. You need to let him know that his armies need to quicken their pace."
_-_-__--__-_----_-___-_
Yey! It hasn't been two years! But alas it has been two weeks…. Pardon the horrible spelling and grammatical errors; I haven't had anyone check my work in three years. But I loved getting reviews again, so please keep them coming and let me know how you think the story is going! Please and thank you!
EV
