Chapter 10
The Pregnancy
Bella's eyes widened at Angela's statement. "Ch-Child? What Child?" Bella asked her while sitting up.
"I've severed many women of noble houses in my day, My Lady. I can always tell, especially those born with magic when they are carrying life inside them. And You are carrying the Lord's child inside of you. You must keep your strength up," Angela said to her.
"I will have the cooks replace your meal and have more tea brought up to you ma'am," Angela said as she curtsied and left Bella to her thoughts.
Pregnant! She was pregnant with Lord Jasper's child! Now that she mentions it she could sense the small secondary aura surrounding her. Her mother had explained to her how a pregnancy would go with her once she was married to Samuel.
However, she wasn't married! She wasn't even carrying Samuel's child. What would this mean for her and the child she carried? Could she stand to look at this child knowing its father had raped her? No, it wasn't the child's fault. A child was a blessing no matter the circumstances. But would Samuel feel the same way? Would he accept a child born from another man?
She knew that her mother would love any child born of her womb, but she would never allow a bastard in the line of succession.
Bella placed her hands on her abdomen, she could sense the life rapidly forming inside of her. this was her baby. Conceived in the vilest crimes committed against a woman, but her child, nonetheless. She determined that she would love and protect this small life inside her no matter what. She would find a way out of here no matter what. Lord Jasper would not get his hands on her flesh and blood.
Laurent stood in front of the screaming green imp with disinterest. It struggled and pulled its limbs against its restraints, jerking its head back and forth trying to sway the imagined pain in his head. Finally, Laurent let up for a moment to give the shifter a chance to speak.
"I don't like wasting my time shifter. You have to answers I seek, and I would know what you know about Lord Jasper, Lady Rosalie, and the Crown Princess and their abductions," he said taking a seat in front of it.
When he and the other guards went to the center where Lady Rosalie had begun her studies as a Sanator, The Mistress informed them that Lady Rosalie never arrived. She told Laurent that she sent a message to Lord Kalan about her but never got a response from him. The mistress assumed that Lady Rosalie had changed her mind about coming and thought nothing more of it.
They were currently inside a cabin deep in the Inigo Forest with the only lead so far.
"I will admit I'm quite impressed with your resolve Shifter. Most people cannot stand the mental agony I inflict. But you, you've lasted nearly an entire day without breaking! I would almost regret having to kill you." Laurent told him, smiling at him in mockery.
"Let's be clear, you are going to die at the end of this, so why make your death more painful than it has to be? Simply tell me what you did with Lord Jasper and Lady Rosalie, and I will give you a swift and peaceful death. This is better than most people get," Laurent told him.
But the Shifter didn't respond, it didn't even look at Laurent. While he would never show it, Laurent was frustrated! He was going to start again until the door opened. Jane had returned.
Commander, Master Tanya has arrived," Jane said, stepping aside as Master Tanya came in carrying a basket.
"Commander," Master Tanya acknowledged.
"Master Tanya. Thank you so much for coming," Laurent said bowing to Master Tanya in deference to her rank as Master of The Solar.
"Of course. How could I not once Jane told me the situation," she said as she sat the basket onto one of the tables to take out some items, a small bowl, and three vials.
"Still, I am grateful for your assistance," he told her.
"It's no problem at all Commander. I will take it from here," she responded.
On the table, she poured the three vials into the bowl, muttering a chant that Laurent couldn't hear, but he didn't need to. He knew exactly what Master Tanya had planned to do. Once the contents in the bowl started to boil, Master Tanya picked it up and poured it down her throat.
Then, Master Tanya made her way over to the Shifter and grabbed its head. "Look at me creature," she said, eyes glowing with a seductive glint. It tried but couldn't look away from the beautiful sapphires staring into its soul.
"Where is Lord Jasper," she asked it. The shifter didn't respond but it didn't have to.
"Is he involved in the princess's capture? And what of Lady Rosalie? Has she been taking too?" Master Tanya asked, seeing the answers in its mind.
"Now show me where is Princess Bella," she asked it finally. However, before she could see the response the shifter howled. Master Tanya let it go and backed away as its skin turned black and limbs began to twist sickeningly. Its body started to swell before it exploded. Blood and bodily fluids sprayed all over the room and onto Tanya and Laurent.
"What the hell was that," Laurent said, wiping his face.
"Whoever has Princess Bella made sure the shifter wouldn't lead anyone looking for her to where she is being hidden. They put a killing curse on it and if it were to tell anyone the curse would activate," Master Tanya responded.
"But he didn't say anything out loud, you saw everything in its mind," Laurent said.
Master Tanya used Confessionem Menes. It was a spell that allowed its users to see into another person's mind. If you were to ask someone questions, they would not need to answer with words, the caster would see the information as it formed in your mind. It was a technique that only those with a high magical presence could perform since it could very well kill you and the person you cast it on if your powers were unstable or weak.
"No, he didn't but the results were still the same. No matter I know where Lord Jasper is being held. There is an underground cellar five miles south of Kaimana, that is where he is. Lady Rosalie was taken just after she left her family's estate. The guard escorting her were ambushed and killed. I didn't see where she was taken. But Lord Jasper will have more information once you find him," Master Tanya told him.
"Good. Thank you, Master Tanya. Jane, escort the Master back to the Solar. I will retrieve Lord Jasper myself," Laurent said, headed out the door.
"Will you need my help interrogating Lord Jasper Commander," Master Tanya asked.
"That won't be necessary Master. I will have the information I need before sundown," Laurent said smirking, closing the door behind him.
"My Lady this is exasperating," Lady Angela said to her mistress.
While Bella may have to accept the fact that she was carrying a child, she had no intentions of making things easy for these people. If she wasn't allowed to leave, then she had every intention of making it as difficult as possible for everyone here.
"Come and talk to me when I care what you think Angela. I have told you to leave me alone and if you won't then it's not my problem," Bella told her. She was sitting at the vanity brushing her hair as the dinner at the dining table sat untouched.
"You are putting your life and the life you carry at risk, ma'am! How do you think the Lord will react once he hears that you've been neglecting his heir!" Angela said to her.
Bella didn't respond to her as she continued to brush her hair, staring into the mirror. She heard Angela sigh in frustration as she went toward the door. She spoke in low and harsh whispers to someone outside. She assumed it was the other ladies assigned to be her caretakers/jailers. She didn't care as she continued her mindless task of brushing her hair.
However, she stopped when she heard a man's voice enter the room. She turned to find a man who looked like the one she encountered at Barbeau.
"So, I hear you're not eating. Doesn't seem very smart for an expecting mother now does it," he asked her with a sarcastic tone.
"And just who the hell are you," she demanded.
"Oh, forgive me, ma'am. The name is Paul. I've been tasked with keeping you alive until my cousin gets back," Paul told her, bowing mockingly.
"Keeping me alive? And just what do you get out of keeping me alive," she asked, wanting to know what Jasper had planned.
"I have my own stake in this whole endeavor however I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say at the moment. I would like to know why you refuse to eat," Paul asked her.
"If I don't feel like eating then that is what I will do. I do not take demands from you or anyone else in the damned place," Bella screamed at him.
"You're right. You're absolutely right mistress. However, as I've said I've been tasked with keeping you alive and that is what I will do no matter what measures I must take," Paul said.
"And just what do you plan to do to me if I don't," she asked him, boldly.
"To you? Nothing of course. However, your friend will not be so lucky," Paul said.
Bella was confused about what he meant; she had no friends in the place until she saw something that made her eyes widen in disbelief. Rosalie! She was being carried in and her hands and feet were chained, and her mouth was gagged as the man that Bella recognized as the same man from Barbeau pulled her into the room.
"You see my cousin has given strict orders that you are not to be harmed in any way while he's away. But he didn't say anything about the water witch here," Paul said as he approached a sobbing Rosalie, running a finger down her face.
"No! Don't you dare touch her!" Bella screamed at him.
"Good. Glad we understand each other. Now little Rose here has been brought here because my cousin thought you would like some familiar company. Any more trouble out of you with Angela and the other ladies, she and I will be having a little fun. Do I make myself clear?" Paul asked Bella as he pulled Rose by the hair exposing her neck.
"Yes! Fine just let her go!" Bella begged him, not wanting her friend to get hurt.
Paul nodded at his brother as he threw Rosalie and the keys to her chains to the ground, leaving the two noble women alone. Bella dove towards her friend and the keys and began unlocking the chains holding her. Once she was free, Rose quickly pulled Bella in for a desperate hug.
"Oh, Rose! Are you okay?! Did they hurt you," Bella asked her friend as she held back the tears at seeing a familiar face.
"No, no they didn't. I'm so glad to see you!" Rose said.
"What happened? How did you get here?" Bella asked.
"We caught on the road. I was on my way to a nearby center when some men accosted me and my escorts. The next thing I know I was waking up to a man telling me I was being taken to service some noble lady during her pregnancy. I had no idea it would be you," Rose told her.
Bella couldn't believe her ears! Was Lord Jasper so demented that he would have his sister kidnapped as well?!
"I'm so sorry this happened, Rose. Don't worry we will find a way out of here together I promise," Bella said.
"But Bella, they told me I was being brought to serve a pregnant noblewoman. Were they talking about you?" Rose asked. However, she knew the answer when her friend looked away in shame.
"Oh no. Bella they didn't, did they?" Rose said shaking her head.
"That doesn't matter now. The only thing we need to focus on is staying together and finding a way out," Bella told her, not wanting to talk about it. Rose agreed with her.
"Did you see anything that could tell us how far we are from home," Bella asked.
"No. I didn't see much of the outside," Rose said shaking her head again.
"Damn it! Okay here is what we will do. Play the game. Let them think we are going along with whatever they have planned and the moment we get a chance we make a break for it. Are you able to use your magic at all," Bella asked.
"Yes, but Bella I'm not a fighter. I don't know any combat spell," Rose told her.
"Don't worry Rose you won't need to," Bella said a plan forming in her head.