The Banished

Chapter 35

"Luxa," Gregor breathed again, staring at her. Quickly, he moved to unbind her, fumbling in his haste. Then he moved to shove her blindfold off. "It's me. Gregor. Are-"

The second her hands were free, Luxa moved to remove her gag as well before turning her head and vomiting. Gregor just sat there on his knees, shock still keeping him from being any assistance.

"What did they do to you?" he whispered when she finally turned to face him again. Reaching out, he cupped her face in his hands, where he found a black eye as well as other bruises. "Lux…"

She only turned her head from him, looking off, not speaking. Gregor frowned then, moving to force her to look at him once more.

"What did they do to you?" he repeated, harsher now. "Luxa, tell me. What-"

"They did not do that, Gregor," she told him with an eye roll. "They only beat me."

"Only beat you? Only?" Gregor shook his head, moving to kiss her head then as some sort of relief fell over him. So long as they did do that. "Are-"

"Enough, now," she said, shoving him off and scooting away. "You must get to it."

"Get to what?"

Reaching out, she grasped his hand, forcing him to ball it into a fist, before making a motion. "You must hit me."

"What? Luxa-"

"When Usha and Vlad brought me here, I heard them talking. This is a test. Hit me. Now."

"No. I-"

"Fine," she sighed, exasperated as she tossed his hand from hers. Then, balling up her own fist, she moved to hit herself in the face. Gregor quickly seized her hand though, frowning.

"What is wrong with-"

"Gregor, I must look worse than I do now," she told him hastily, looking around. He had his echolocation, but she had nothing. All she saw was darkness, even after her eyes adjusted to it "You understand, yes? They wish to prove that you hate me. So hate me. Now. Hit me."

"I'm not going to beat you," he said, frowning. "Even if I did hate you, you're still a woman."

That actually got him hit, which only made him frown more.

"Luxa, what are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his chest where her fist had connected. "How-"

"I was going out to the Dead Lands, to reach a deal with Ripred to stop him from marching on my lands. He tricked me though, the bastard. He-"

"He tricked you?"

She nodded slightly. "I only travel with a few guards, you know. Especially when I think I am in safe territory. My grandmother and mother would kill me, should they know that I have given a rat that much trust. He is my bond! And yet he has betrayed me. He and his gnawers ambushed my men. He himself slit both Aurora's wings! I can only guess where she is currently. Then he turned me over to these…people."

"Ripred did this?" Gregor whispered, disbelieving.

"This is all your fault anyways."

"My…my fault?" She could not be serious.

"Yes, Gregor. Your fault," she said, shaking her head at him. "If you had not-"

"You truly have lost your mind, haven't you?"

"No," she said, frowning at him in the darkness. "If it wasn't for your stupid friendship with that rat, I would not be here right now."

He just stared at her incredulously for a moment before shaking his head and moving to hug her again.

"You are lucky that I love you and have missed you such much," he sighed, holding onto her.

"Let me go, Gregor. We must- Why do you have cuts?"

"Hmmm?" He kissed the top of her head again, not really listening. He would have been just as happy to see anyone from Regalia, honestly. Nerissa, Mareth, someone.

"On your arms," she mumbled as she finally succeeded in pushing him away. "You-"

"Then did not cut me with blades. They…bound me and beat me. Wounds opened from it."

"Gregor…"

"It was initiation," he told her. "They believe now that I-"

"They will not believe you if they find us like this," she reminded him. "So-"

"I can't help it," he told her, frowning. "I've been…I dunno…lonely."

"Oh, Overlander-"

"Have you not?"

"No," she told him coldly. "And we have spent too much time on this for your…emotions to ruin it. So-"

"What did you throw up?"

"What?"

"Are you sick?"

"No," she told him with an eye roll. "It was those drugs that they forced into me. I could not keep them down. Every time they have ungagged me on the way here I have vomited."

"Are you okay? You think?"

"I will be fine, Overlander. Now hit me."

"You know that I am not going to do that."

"Why not?" She gave him a hard look. "You slapped me before."

"That was different and you know it."

"Do I?"

"Yes," he hissed, looking over his shoulder. Letting out a long sigh, he said, "I cannot hurt you, Luxa."

"Then you shall fail their test."

"Lux, I can't."

She shifted further away from him then. "You must bound me once more then. Tell them that you cannot, as you say, hit women."

"Luxa, I can't do that either."

"I am doubting your commitment at the moment, Gregor."

"You're…doubting me? Seriously?" He could not express his anger then. His commitment? Seriously? All that he had given up for her and she was doubting him because he wasn't able to strike her? "Oh, if you would like to get hit that badly, Luxa, I can arrange it."

"Gladly," she said, giving him an affirmative nod.

Still, when he reared back his fist, he just couldn't do it. In the end, he fell forwards, pulling Luxa down with him, so she was on her back and he was over her.

"Gregor-"

"I can't help it," he whispered. "It's been real bad out here, Luxa."

"Well, then at least tie me back up. You do not have to be rough. You think that things have not been bad for me as well? Do you wish for them to end now? For Vlad and his…his…bitch to drag us out and behead us for treachery?"

"No," he groaned, moving to sit back up.

"Then either hit me or tie me back up. Quickly."

He kissed each of her wrists though as he went to work rebinding her. They were chaffed from having been bound so much and he felt really bad for what he was doing. Still, she had done far worse to him before, keeping him locked in that cell, so he did not feel too badly.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear after he reapplied the blindfold. "And if any them does…that to you, I promise I-"

"Why is that your fear? What have you seen here?"

He only kissed her neck. "Nothing. It is just the way Vlad acts about you. I think…I don't know. Just stay strong. I'll get this all figured out eventually."

"You must work quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"My men will come for me. No doubt someone saw me taken from the Dead Lands that shall speak for me, shall send them here. They will find them eventually. And when they do, they will sack this city. Especially if they find I am dead. So do what you must here to defeat Vlad and Usha first. Then perhaps there shall not be so many casualties."

He kissed her lips then, when she finished talking. Then he whispered, "I shall bring you food and water, if I am able to."

"Go."

"I love you."

She shifted in her bounds. "I love you too."

"Ah-ha! Did you kill her? Beat her? Rape her?"

Gregor frowned at Vlad as he came into room. Once he had left the shack they were keeping Luxa in, he had found some guards waiting for him in the center of the town. From there, they led him to what Gregor guessed with Vlad's true home. It was not spacious or anything, but it was better than that tent he was in before. Maybe it was where Usha stayed, which Vlad was away. Probably.

"Why did you bring her here?"

"I didn't," Vlad said, holding up a hand before nodding at his wife, who was standing next to him. "She did."

"I did not do it for you, Overlander," Usha told him. She looked rather well, considering she had just made it back home, but Gregor was sure that she had bathed and changed clothes before meeting with him. Honestly, Gregor was more concerned with where exactly Zander was at the moment. "I did it for vengeance. But knowing that you are here now, I see that it will also be beneficial for your…healing."

"My healing," Gregor repeated slowly.

"Yes," she agreed. "You are must distressed, I am sure, about your fallen relationship. I am sure it will do you some good when you see what we have in store for her."

"What do you have in store for her?" Gregor asked, still frowning.

"A public execution," Usha said without blinking, just standing there calmly. Like that was an every day event.

"First, though, there is much more that I have planned for her," Vlad said in that smug way. He even laughed slightly which made Gregor's stomach drop.

He had to stay composed, he knew. Luxa could handle herself. She told him that enough at least. And he would do everything in his power to protect her. Even if it came down to blowing both their covers.

"I am very possessive," Gregor finally forced out. "She is mine and always has been. I shall deal with her until her execution. No one else."

"And who are you then, Overlander? To make demands?" Vlad asked, frowning then.

"This is a mutual thing. I need you as much as you need me. If anything, you have already gotten the key to Regalia in one way. You have Luxa. They will do anything to get her back. You can kill her, fine, I do not care, but do not just throw her away. She is a hostage now. You must exploit that before her death. And if ever there was a time to commence my role in your prophecies, it is now."

Vlad was annoyed then and Gregor could see it in his face. "You think that you command me? Overlander, you are a guest in-"

"I will bring her food and water," Gregor said then, turning. "And you are to keep yourself away from her, Vlad."

"You-"

"Leave him be, Vlad," Usha said then, smiling at Gregor. "Care for her as you must. Just remember the endgame here, Gregor. She locked you away. She betrayed you. You shall destroy her for that."

"Of course I shall," he said, nodding his head. "When I unlock the beast, yes?"

With that, Gregor left the room, heading back to the house he had stayed in the day before. The woman of that house was rather nice and he knew that she would give him some food and water. It was once he had it that he made his way back to Luxa's hut…only to find her gone. Vlad was there in her place.

"You did not truly think that I would let you do this, did you?"

"Where is she?" Gregor asked, frowning as he stepped into the hut. "You said-"

"My wife said. That is fine. My wife can think as she wishes. But I will not let you do this. I know your game, Overlander. You care for this woman. You are going to eventually set her free."

"No, I-"

"You would. I know you would. That is why I thought if I brought you to her, gagged and what not that you would…that it would awaken…but here you are, still her little slave." Vlad spit off to the side. "You would have fed her and nursed her back to health and then-"

"And what of you then, Vlad?"

"What of me?"

"You are treating me like it is wrong for me to care about the woman that I have devoted my life to for years, but you? You let a woman cheat on you, bore a child from it, and then you still took her back. Hell, you're raising it. And I'm a slave?" Gregor wasn't sure where his outburst came from, but he couldn't help it. It was so tiring, everyone always thinking that Luxa was in control of their relationship, that she was using him or something. In no way was that the case. They might have been stale the past year or so and even gotten to the point where they needed some time apart, but Gregor loved Luxa and he knew that she loved him too. It was just that simple.

"Watch it, Overlander," Vlad said then, glaring at him. "I could have you-"

"Have me what, Vlad? Killed? Then do it. Kill me. Kill Luxa. With that though you lose any chance you have at Regalia."

The man looked about ready to strangle Gregor, though it was too dark for Gregor to know that. Dropping the food and wineskin to the ground, Gregor spoke again.

"Tell me where Luxa is."

"No."

"If I find out that you so much as-"

"So you never were going to kill her."

Gregor let out a short breath, hardly able to contain himself. Where was Luxa? The last thing Gregor did was trust these people. "I want her out of power. She is no good at being queen. And I want to find out about these prophecies."

Vlad spit again before walking passed Gregor, shoving his shoulder slightly. "She won't be hurt, your whore, but you will help us get into Regalia. And after? You and her can rot in this forsaken place together for all I care."

And that was how Gregor, once again, lost his freedom. It wasn't so bad that time though. It seemed to him that Usha was rather sweet on him. She had him locked away in a random home, guards posted at the door, while he was completely unarmed. He pondered just attacking them and hoping for the best, as he was nearly certain he could disarm them, but figured that wasn't the best plan of attack, as he still would have no idea how to find Luxa.

The room was okay. They at least gave him food and water. There was no furniture, but there was rarely in any of the banished homes, or so he was noticing. He figured it wasn't practical for them or worth their time. Most of their days were spent trying to cultivate food and stay alive. Luxuries would be for when they reclaimed Regalia.

He spent most of that time trying to rest up, get strong again. Now that there was no threat of an attack and he was actually being well cared for, his head was feeling better. He was able to sleep without fear, though that was rare. He felt wrong, trying to be comfortable when he was certain that Luxa was still bound and gagged, probably going out of her mind like he was before.

On the second day of him being locked away, Usha came to see him. She had Zander with him, who immediately started wiggling the second he saw Gregor. She let him out of her arms before sending the guards away. Gregor just stood there, keeping his eyes on Usha, as Zander wrapped his arms around the man's leg.

"I believe that we have gotten off to a rather bad start," was the first thing she said, coming closer to him, setting the torch in her hand in a holder against the wall. Gregor winced slightly at the brightness, but still didn't speak. "What is it now? Four times that we've met? Three? And each time has been rather-"

"I'm here for a job," he said simply, reaching down to pat Zander on the head, who just giggled. "I'm supposed to get you guys into Regalia. I'm going to. But I'm not going to kill Luxa in the process. Or rape her or whatever else your stupid husband's wanting to do. I mean, seriously, I know that Luxa and I aren't great, but you really need to check out your own relationship."

Usha smiled at him then before shaking her head. "You really sound young at times, when you speak. Childish."

Zander was jumping up and down then, trying to get Gregor to pick him up. He was whining as well, not liking being ignored.

"Go ahead," Usha said, nodding at her son. "Vlad says that he rather likes you."

Gregor gave her a hard look before moving to lift the child into his arms. He didn't trust Usha and thought that she was rather twofaced, but knew for a fact that she loved her child.

"I guess that is another thing I should apologize for," Usha sighed, looking off then. "I never did. About getting so upset when I found my child with you."

Zander was hitting himself in the head at that moment. He still wanted Luxa. God, you'd think he'd hate her, considering she never really played with him or was all that nice to him. Mostly she just corrected him and forced him to behave.

"You should look into that," he told her simply. "It had to have been one of your men that left him there, in the field where I found him. I am sure it was with some reasoning, as he would have died had I not found him."

Zander had given up on Luxa by that point and had resorted to patting Gregor's face before giggling. He wanted to play. Gregor felt bad for him because he had none of the toys from the Overland anymore. He seemed to have grown fond of his stuffed animals and little toy cars. He doubted that the boy had only a few toys in the banished town. Probably none at all.

"And I thank you for that. For that reason alone, Vlad and I have both decided to allow your queen to live."

Gregor didn't bat an eye. "On what terms?"

The woman only smiled at him. "You shall come with us, once we win over Regalia. To qualm the gnawers and the Fount. She shall stay here with her men that she captured. She shall be treated as our ancestors were. Banished from her home with no chance of survival. The second she attempts to rise against us though, she shall be killed. And we shall force you to do it."

"So what then? You think that I will just be your slave?"

"I think that once you see what our prophecies foretell that you will not be able to refuse."

He snorted. "I've heard parts of them. The beast, it's going to kill Luxa, right? That's what I read."

"Huh?"

"The monster he will unleash is not the true beast, for the one who is it shall feast," he quoted. "That is what it says, yes? The beast is going to eat Luxa?"

She almost seemed to giggle then, just smiled at him as she laughed into her palm. "Do you not get it, Overlander?"

"Get what?"

"The beast is not…Luxa," she said, saying the other woman's name as if it were silly. You know, because Usha was just a normal name that you come by every single day. "You do not know the rest of the prophecy."

"What is it then? Huh? What is-"

"The monster he will unleash is not the true beast, for the one who is it shall feast is the one with visions ceased, and through her the powers unleashed."

He frowned for a moment before openly staring at Usha. "You mean…that you're going to-"

"In every century, there is a soothsayer, much like Sandwich. The further the line goes, the more doubt that is cast on the oracle. Sandwich knew though, even in the prophecies that Regalia follows, he knew, that his visionaries would be useful. And through the one in this generation, we shall thrive."

Gregor only narrowed his eyes at her. "You want to kill Nerissa?"

"No, no, no, Overlander. Are you this dense? I can tell why your queen becomes so easily annoyed with you." Usha huffed slightly making her son giggle and reach out to be taken from Gregor into her arms. As she came over to do so, she said, "It will not literally eat your queen's cousin. It shall feast on her. Live through her."

He frowned, staring at the woman. "Then you won't hurt Nerissa?"

Usha groaned. "You are worse than talking to my husband. Men are so…ugh. I find it hard to believe that Sandwich came from the same gender as fools like you."

Gregor frowned. Well, maybe taking Luxa out of power and putting Usha in would not be so different.

Zander made a noise then, snuggling against his mother. That bothered Gregor deeply, seeing it. In Luxa's grand scheme, they were going to have to kill Usha and Vlad. He wasn't sure what the toddler thought of his stepfather, but he clearly knew and cared for his mother. He knew that if things all turned out well, Gregor and Luxa would take Zander back with them to Regalia, but…not with his mother.

"Tell me the rest of the prophecies," Gregor said. "Now. If they involve Nerissa, then-"

"Have we misjudged you, Overlander? Has the entire Underland? Why, the way you are acting, one would assume that it is not Queen Luxa you fancy, but rather her cousin."

Gregor did not smile or even falter. "You are not going to hurt Nerissa. She is innocent. Luxa and I? Fine. But you do not mess with our family."

She seemed almost amused then as she asked, "Your family?"

"My family," he repeated, not even looking off. "So I will help you get in Regalia, fine, but you won't hurt any of them. Nerissa, Hazard, Vikus. None of them."

"You, Overlander, are not currently in the position to be making idle threats," Usha told him then. "Or have you forgotten?"

"I am in the position to rip your fucking head off without a second thought right now," he responded. "Or have you forgotten?"

She leveled her gaze at him, which was rather hard, considering she had a wiggling toddler in her arms. Zander wanted down again, like always. He did not like to be held for too long.

"If you do not learn to speak to me, Overlander, I will begin…taming you."

Gregor spit. Not directly at her, but close enough to cause her discomfort. "Do you worst. Ask Luxa. I like pain."

Usha grinned at him then, a rather devious one. "And why would I do that? You are not the one I will be harming."

"You won't hurt her," he threatened. "If you hurt her-"

"If I hurt her, what, Overlander? You will not help us? Why, then we shall merely kill you. Finish you off. And without you, Queen Luxa is nothing to us. We shall kill her as well. So, either you learn to curve your loose tongue, or your lover comes back to this room in pieces. The choice is yours really."

He looked ready to harm her, which only made her smile more.

"And remember, Overlander. If you harm us, you and your queen are in just as much trouble. So make use of yourself here. Train. Rest up. There is much to do in the coming days."

They were smart, keeping Luxa and Gregor separated. Together, there was no doubt that the two of them would think up some sort of an escape plan. Not one that one was too sophisticated, of course, but one that would at least get them somewhere far enough away to think.

As it was, Gregor was left to think alone. He just laid on the floor of the room he was in mostly, not even bothering to yell thing at the guards. He did not sleep, but rather just laid around, waiting.

He ate much. Whatever they gave him, he ate. He knew that he had to keep up his strength. Sometimes he'd do sit-ups or pushups, just enough to keep in shape. He knew it was out of line to ask for a sword; they would never honor that request, so he did not make it.

He did make another one a few days into his capture.

"I want to see Luxa," he told the guards at his door. "It can be supervised, I do not care, but I wish to see her. I have no point in behaving if she is not alive. Tell this to Vlad or Usha. Tell them that they better honor it. They need me as I much as I need them."

It took nearly the whole day for Luxa to show up, blindfolded and all, Vlad escorting her. He had a wicked grip on her arm and Gregor was sure that it was leaving bruises behind.

"Here you are then. Your own personal whore," Vlad announced happily, coming into the room with a torch in his other hand. Gregor shut his eyes, never too used to the light. He knew it would be a real problem, whenever he did get back to Regalia, getting used to the light once more.

Vlad shoved Luxa to the ground in front of Gregor and he immediately fell to his knees to help her. Gregor helped her sit back up before moving to push up her blindfold, so she could see that it was him. He smiled, just at the sight of her, but she only stared back at him.

"Can I-"

"Do as you'd like with her," Vlad said, going over to the corner and taking watch. He patted the sword in its scabbard. "I can handle the two of you. Besides, I rather like watching."

Gregor shot the man a look before moving to unbind her hands and remove her gag.

"Luxa," he sighed, staring at her. She did not look too good, but she had no fresh wounds. "Are you-"

She slapped him. The first thing she did was slap him. Rather hard too. Gregor was too shock to respond for a moment, only moving to hold his hand against his cheek.

"Luxa," he finally raved. "What-"

"You…you…stupid Overlander! You ruin everything!"

"What are you-"

She huffed then before looking away from him. "Do you know what I have gone through to pull this off? And here you are, once again, mucking it all up. Why do you-"

"Luxa, I was-"

"I told you to hit me," she told him harshly. "I told you to make them think that we were…that you were…that you wanted to kill me. I told you to do that. And now you've screwed it all up, once again. All my work gone to waste. I could be at home, tracking them through scouts if I knew that you would only have messed it all up."

"Me? What about you, Luxa?" He completely forgot Vlad for a moment and just let it all go. "You got us into this mess. Like always. I'm out here about to get killed for you. To save you. To stop them from hurting you. I always go along with you and then, when you mess it up, I try to fix it. And fine, sometimes I don't make it perfect again, but I do a damn better job than you. Then, when I'm in the middle of fixing things, you have the audacity to question me. To make me seem like the fool. And then, when it's all said and done and I've made it all right again, when I've killed the gnawers, held off the diggers, saved your whole godforsaken city, you act like the hero. You push me to second tier. Well you know what, Lux? Fuck that and fuck you."

She opened her mouth in shock at his speech, which only gave him the chance to shove that gag right back into her mouth. She fought him, but he moved to tie her right back.

"You wanna be treated like a prisoner? You want me to pretend I hate you? Fine, Lux. I hate you. I fucking hate you. Is that what you want?"

"It's what I want," Vlad remarked from behind them, causing Gregor to pause and then blush. He had forgotten that they were being watched. He had gotten caught up in the moment and forgotten where they were. Dang it.

When he paused, it gave Luxa the chance to wiggle out of the loose bounds, which she did, before removing to the gag. Then she hit Gregor again, that time in the chest. She kept hitting him too and he did nothing to stop her, only let her tire herself out. It wasn't hard, she was so weakened by that point. Then she only rested her head against his chest, breathing softly.

"You ruin everything," was all she told him, not lifting her head. Gregor didn't know how to respond and only sat there, holding her.

He didn't know what to say either when Vlad said it was time to go. The only thing he could do was bind Luxa up again, though that was more to keep Vlad's hands off her.

"No blindfold," Gregor said simply, tossing it to the side. "She can't see in the dark anyways. No blindfold. And no gag. That's demeaning. If she makes noise, fine. But she won't."

Vlad snorted. "Fine. Make those binds tight though. Else I'll do it."

Gregor did as he said and Luxa allowed it. When he was done, he kissed her cheek, but she only turned her head from him.

When Vlad left with her, Luxa didn't even look back at him. She was mad again. Great. After they were gone though, Gregor only laid back down, his back to the doorway.

Had he really ruined everything? It seemed like it. His only hope was that after he fulfilled their little prophecy crap that they'd head back to Regalia. And even if they left Luxa behind, once Gregor turned on them and helped Regalia defeat the banished, he'd come back for her.

That was the plan then. Or at least the best shot he had.

Kind of rushed this chapter to get it out before I went out of town. I'm going somewhere without internet, but I'll bring my laptop and probably still be able to write, so I should have another chapter back up once I get back. Hopefully.