Hunted Queen

Chapter Nineteen • Screams in the Night

WARNING - SLIGHTLY GORY CONTENT

-Jade-

"I do not know if I can hear this." The monk suddenly said, voice trembling and eyes lowered to his hands.

Jade frowned in confusion but did not say anything about the sudden interruption. Her hands had started to shiver as she came closer to this part of the story. She strangely welcomed the halt of the retelling of one of the worst nights in her life. The echoes of the screaming and fighting seized all of her in an excruciating grasp. For a second she forgot how to breathe, but when the monk let out a heavy sigh - a sigh that told her that he was on the brink of not being able to take anymore of her miserable story - she regained control over herself.

Two days had passed since Brother Grey had left to find William and bring him word that she was safe and alive - and her whereabouts. Hopefully, he would not urge William to come and get her. Hopefully, her husband would know to stay put where he was, and send someone instead. But who would he send? Now that Loren is not with me, and the Gods only knows if he is even alive, hurt or if he is even with William to begin with... Who would William even send? He trusts no one with my life. Jade felt her tears creep closer as she realized that if and when her king was informed of her whereabouts, he would come for her. Despite what it would do his men, the outcome of the war and how his people saw him.

"You poor soul, I cannot believe this-" The monk stopped talking.

Brother Richard had listened intently throughout the tale of her life up until now. Never before had he asked her to stop. Not once. Now he sat with a hand raised between them, asking her to pause.

"I can skip this part." Jade offered and deeply hoped that he would oblige her in this.

"With all due respect, my queen." Brother Richard said with a hoarse dark voice without even looking at her. "If you survived this... hell up until now, I should be able to at least hear about it." He continued. Jade could hear how he did not use the word 'hell' lightly. It seemed to taste bad in his mouth as he uttered it.

Very well... She thought and felt her stomach churn and her lungs shrink. She only knew this part of the story from her own perspective, and it was mostly darkness, screams and blood. Before she parted her lips to speak, she wondered how it had been for William... Tears made their way down her cheeks as his screams for her echoed in her memory. 

-William-

Footsteps burst into his sleeping quarters like a violent wave crashing mercilessly against a cliff.  A new pair of boots after the other. There was no telling how many there were, only that the intruders were everywhere. 

From the sound of it, they were cutting their way in through the sides of the tent. William looked up from his pillow the second he realized what was happening, but it was too late to stop what was already happening. He could feel their presence behind his back, at the foot of his bed and their numbers increased with every heartbeat that passed.

In the bleak light coming from the next room, he could see a knife protrude into the wall of the tent on Jade's side of the bed. The knife was brought downwards in a swift and forceful movement, cutting the fabric like it was soft warm butter. More dark figures came pouring into the tent. 

All that could be heard was their footsteps hitting the ground as they entered. No voices. No commands being barked out only boots hitting ground. William could barely hear breaths being drawn.

An ambush. He clenched his jaws. Cowards! Rowan would rather slit our throats in our sleep than meet us on the battlefield?! The disrespect and the gutlessness had him almost shaking with fury.