Happily Ever After

Chapter 37

Alois POV 

"Alright... You win," I admitted in defeat. (Y/N) put the blade away and placed it back in its rightful scabbard. 

"Here." (Y/N) held out her hand. I took it and stood up on my own two feet.

"Now you owe me an explanation." (Y/N) removed her fencing helmet and crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

"I know. Let's get changed first. Then, we'll talk." I put aside my sabre and handed my helmet to Claude. 

There was no way of escaping anymore. There was no point in hiding the truth from her. The only option left was to tell her and free us both from this tangled web of lies.

"Alright." (Y/N) nodded in agreement. 

"Come to my study when you're done. Hannah will help you change your clothes." Alois glanced at me one last time before exiting the room.

~•~

(Y/N) and I sat opposite to each other in his study, a small wooden table separating us two. Claude was also in the room with us, standing in his usual spot right behind his master. 

"So, where do you want me to begin?" I inquired.

"Start from the very beginning," she responded. "What happened after the incident? How did you survive the fire?"

"I didn't," I simply stated. 

(Y/N) furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me with doubt. "You didn't?" She asked..

"I didn't. I came home to a burning mansion," I replied. "I was welcomed by roaring flames and charred ashes. The fire hadn't swallowed the manor whole just yet, so I thought that maybe some people had survived. I called out for Luka, my parents, and even the manor staff, but no one answered. Even though, the coachman and I tried opening the door and creating an opening in an attempt to rescue any survivors, but it was of no use."

(Y/N) listened intently as I proceeded to tell my story. She remained quiet and attentive as I told my tale.

"I commanded the coachman to seek help from the local fire brigade, but he was shot to death seconds later," I added.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened in surprise. She didn't see this one coming, didn't she? "What happened to you then?" (Y/N) inquired.

This was an easy question. How could I forget? It was one of the few times that I feared for my dear life. Worry, fear, uncertainty seeped through my veins. "Darkness surrounded me," I said without hesitation. "I felt two strong arms hold me in place as someone placed a sack over my head, blinding my vision. I tried fighting and resisting, but it was all in vain. They were stronger than me. Then, two or three men escorted me to a wagon and transported me to an unknown place. I'm not sure because I couldn't see anything at that time." 

"Wait a minute. I saw no traces of people, nor horses, nor carriages or wagons when I got there. How could it be?" (Y/N) placed a finger under her chin and slightly tilted her head to the side.

"Well, the men must have cleared any evidence before they left. It took a while before I felt the wagon move forward."

"I suppose so."

"I did not know how long I was in the vehicle. I lost track of time," I stated. "The wagon came to a stop some point, and a man carried me like nothing but a sack of potatoes. After several minutes of walking around, he placed me down on a soft couch and removed the sack from my head, and I was met with an unpleasant sight."

I felt my skin crawl while remembering the horrible things I had to go through. I had already buried them at the back of my mind, trying to forget those awful memories, but alas, I had to uncover them once more today due to our deal. I took a deep breath and continued talking.

"A man... an old overweight man was seated in front of me. He looked hideous, ugly, gross and he... he..." I looked down and started to shift in my seat.

"Alois, are you alright? You seem very uncomfortable. Are you sure you can continue?" (Y/N) asked with a worried tone.

"Just give me a minute," I replied. I took a deep breath and tried to relax myself. After that, I continued to speak. "Well, long story short he toyed with me and my fellow prisoners." I did not wish to go over the details. It was simply too much for me, and she didn't need to know them anyway. 

(If you know, then you know. I do not feel comfortable writing what Alois had been through in the hands of that man in a detailed manner. Thank you for your understanding.)

"Hold on, you mean there are other victims other than you?" 

"Yes, there were. He treated us badly and used us as mere objects of entertainment. I even had to do my best to 'outshine' them all just to survive that hellhole," I responded. "Ugh! The things I had to go through because of that wretched man," I said through gritted teeth. Anger began to boil from deep within me. Oh how I despised him! I clenched my fists as hard as I could, to the point where my knuckles were turning white, fingers digging into my palms. 

(Y/N) gently held my hands and drew circles on my palm in a soothing manner before I could injure myself. She did not say anything, but instead waited patiently for me to continue my story till I was ready.

"One day, I heard one of the boys in my cell talk about some sort of fairy that could grant any wish. It intrigued me and poked my interest. It served as a small glimmer of hope in the midst of darkness. After gathering the needed information, I followed the instructions and summoned the so-called 'fairy'. However, it turned out that the fairy was in fact-"

"A demon," (Y/N) finished the sentence for me.

~•~

Scabbard - a sheath for the blade of a sword or dagger, typically made of leather or metal.