To Save a Kingdom

Chapter 12

I walked around as far as the chain on my wrist would allow. There had to be a way out. I couldn't stay here. Not now that I knew Joseph was alive. Jared must be worried about me.

Liddy sat on her bed watching me as I walked around checking everything.

"There's no way out of here." She said in a hollow voice. "I've already checked everything."

I wanted to know for myself. I had to know if we were trapped. After a few more minutes of checking for a possible escape I sat down on my bed with my face in my hands.

"This is all my fault." I groaned.

"No it's King Theo's fault."

"If I would have just agreed to the marriage then.."

"Then what?" She interrupted. "You would be in the exact same position you are in now. Stop blaming yourself for something that you didn't do." She said softly. "This was not your fault. We will get out of here."

I looked at her through my fingers. She was right. I tried to think of what we could do to get out. Thinking on my feet was usually the best solution. I paced back and forth across the room. When a piece of hair fell out of its pin I reached up to slide it back in its hairpin. That's it!

The little piece of metal had never looked so beautiful as it did in that moment. Liddy and I made eye contact. She was staring with wide eyes.

"Do you know how to pick a lock?" She asked excitedly.

Of course I knew how to pick a lock. I had Jared to thank for that. He had shown me how to pick the lock on the pantry door to get to all the sweets that were locked away. I smiled to myself. The things he had taught me were saving my life.

I set to work on the shackle around my wrist. There were a few failed attempts but then there was the click of the lock sliding. Liddy's hope was evident in her eyes as she grinned ear to ear. The second shackle came off much easier than the first. I was just starting on Liddy's when the bolt on the door of our prison slid back.

Liddy gasped and cowered in terror when a smooth voice whispered. "Now what do we have here?"

I grasped the chain of my shackles and turned to face the man behind me. He wasn't expecting a fight but he was going to get one. I launched myself straight at him hitting him in the ribs with as much strength as I could muster. He took a step back in shock. Clearly he had never had a prisoner fight back before. I swung the chain and crashed it against the side of his head. The metal cut his skin across his cheek and he swung at me. I tried to stay between him and Liddy because he would use her against me. If he got to her I would have to surrender in order to save her.

I stepped in front of her and my mistake was evident. He grabbed me around the middle pinning my arms down to my sides. I kicked with my legs throwing them around for all I was worth. The man slammed me against the wall. Air left my lungs with a whoosh. I tried to suck in air as he clasped my wrists together. With some fumbling he got the shackles up and clamped them down.

Once again I was in chains. This time with my wrists behind my back. The man slammed me against the wall again for good measure then marched me down the hall slamming the door behind him.

As he marched me down the hallway I noticed one detail that he had missed. He had forgotten to slide the bolt in its place. I hoped Liddy noticed his mistake. I hoped she somehow managed to get to the dropped hairpin to pick her lock and make her escape. Even if she was the only one who made it out at least some good would come from being captured.

The man walked quickly every now and then he would shove me roughly between the shoulder blades causing me to stumble. I fell a few times scraping my knees on the stone floor. Each time I fell the skin would tear deeper but I refused to wince. Each time I fell I picked myself up again and kept walking. We started down a steep twisting staircase. I couldn't see the bottom.

When I walked slowly the man shoved me once causing me to lose my footing. My feet slipped on the steep stone sending me tumbling down the rocky staircase. With my head smacking against the wall and my body colliding against the steps I rolled down the few remaining stairs. What suddenly stopped my descent was the large wooden door that I smacked into with a loud thud. The door rattled on its hinges as I laid there assessing the damage. Something wet was oozing down my forehead it felt as though O had bruised my ribs. The man chuckled and grabbed my by my hands which were still shackled behind me. I tired not to cry out when I heard the loud pop in my left shoulder. It had dislocated. The man grumbled as I sagged and he wrapped an arm around my waist lifting me against him. I was too weak to struggle as he hauled me through the doors.

There was light from a few torches on the walls. The room was small and cold. There was the man from before the tall one with broad shoulders. He smirked at me as I struggled to not pass out.

"Hello Eve." He said. "Good to see you again."

I didn't say anything to him instead I glared. He chuckled then looked at the man holding me up.

"Lock her over there with the other one."

The man heaved my dead weight over and dropped me to the ground. The thud when I hit the ground jostled my shoulder painfully and my ribs. A small hiss escaped my lips as the lock clicked into place. He then kicked my legs out of the way and walked out of the room.

The broad shouldered man smirked at me with his finger to his lips as if he were thinking. "We are good aren't we father." He said happily. "I was happy with one but now... Now we have the set!" He almost giggled as king Theo emerged from the shadows. Theo was also smiling

"We'll leave you two to get back in touch." He said then he exited the room taking his son with him. When the door finally closed I looked around the room. There in the corner a few feet from me was Joseph. He looked at me with sad eyes.

"They got you too." He whispered.