The Song of the Nightingale

Chapter Fifteen:

I marched up to Alfred.

"Where is he?" I demanded evenly.

"Ludwig?" He cocked his head to the side.

I nodded, eliciting a finger pointed in the right direction from the boy.

"We have him in captivity. Matt and his men are keeping watch over him."

Without saying another word, I walked away.

Matthew saw me, and greeted me with a grim hug.

"Have you found Papa?" He asked quickly.

"Yes, Matthew... I have." I gave him a small smile. "I'm going to try to get him out of the war zone as soon as I talk to Ludwig."

The boy nodded, and stepped aside for me to enter the large, heavily guarded, canopy tent.

I ducked inside.

"Come out here, boys!" Matthew yelled in for his troops.

Soon, the only occupants of the space, were Ludwig and myself.

"Hullo, Ludwig." I began, taking long strides towards him.

"Arthur..." He pleaded. "You have to understand my situation..."

I snapped, placing my arm against the larger man's neck, forcing him back up to the wall.

"The only thing I understand is that you hurt Francis." I spoke coldly. "I watched as London burned because of you. I watched as my people were killed because of you...I felt what they felt...I felt like I was dying...Because. Of. You...But the one thing that infuriates me above all else is that you dared lay a hand on Francis Bonnefoy."

I paused.

"Mark my words...If you ever touch him again...I will make you wish that nations could die."

I released him, and turned away.

Ludwig blinked twice before responding.

"You're lying...You could never hope to def...."

I didn't let him finish. Instead, I spun around and landed a perfectly aimed punch directly at his face.

He was leaned up against the wall cupping a bleeding nose, as I proceeded to make my exit.

Now to get Francis away from here...

I thought curtly, taking off towards the cliff where I last saw him.