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Chapter Twenty Eight

Jordan's POV

I stare out of the window, motionless. I miss Courtney so much. I feel like I'm going to burst into tears. I know I shouldn't, she's my student. And you were her first, I think bitterly. You're lucky your head isn't chopped off and lying in a ditch right now.

It's not like she's gone forever. I can see her next year.

But I don't think I can wait that long.

Letting out a sigh, my eyes scan across the scenery. My eyes pick out a slow moving figure who walks along the grass, approaching the castle with what seems to be a limp. I frown in curiosity and make my way downstairs, where two guards are positioned to fire at them with their RingGuns.

As the person comes closer and closer, I can make out more details. They have a feminine figure, with blonde and flowing, yet matted, hair. When I finally recognize who it is, my eyes widen in shock, running over to her.

"Hold your fire!" I command the guards, and Princess Courtney falls to the floor just as I'm about five metres away from her.

"Court!" I yell, shaking her. Her eyes are closed, her mouth open ever so slightly. Her hands are warm and cold at the same time, but I grasp them tightly anyway. "Oh God," I mutter, shutting my own eyes. I hear footsteps approach, and I open them to see the head nurse, Rowena.

Her grey eyes are filled with concern, and she instructs me to help her lift Courtney up. I do so, without hesitation, and the two of us make our way back to the castle.

"Will she be okay?" I ask Doctor Clements desperately, the person who is mainly in charge of the Infirmary.

He doesn't reply to my question, but says instead, "Have a good day, sir." And with that, the door is shut straight in my face.

I walk back to my study, which is right next to Courtney's room. My butt plonks onto a chair as my face melts into my palms, and I breathe out slowly.

I hope she's alright.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jordan?"

My head jolts up quickly. I must have drifted off to sleep whilst waiting for news on Courtney outside the Infirmary. Isla stands in front of me, a tiny smile on her face.

"Hey," I greet quietly, rising to my feet. I'm irritated when I realize that one has fallen asleep. "Is Courtney okay?"

"Yeah, I just left. She wants to talk to you." Isla looks at me with her ice blue eyes, and I give her a small smile, thanking her before I open the door.

Beds make up the inner border of the rectangular room, but only one has curtains drawn around it. I head towards that bed, and Rowena steps out from behind the curtains. She smiles at me before opening them for me, and I sigh with relief.

Courtney looks at me with her blue-grey eyes, an expression I can't read in them. She smiles gently at me through her long blonde hair, looking at Rowena to dismiss her.

I draw the curtains shut and plant a kiss on her forehead. "What happened?" I press, taking a seat on the chair beside the bed.

Her smile fades quickly, and her eyes avert my gaze. "It's nothing," she coaxes, but I know she's lying.

"Did someone attack Newglade? Did you get hurt?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"No, nobody attacked the damn place. It's pretty safe there. But I did get hurt." Her head turns away to gaze at a bouquet of roses that are addressed to her. I recognize the handwriting of Isla, whose work I examine when her own tutor isn't available.

"Who hurt you?" I take her small hands into my larger ones, kissing the top gently. "I won't tell your parents, or anyone."

When her eyes finally meet mine, I can see that they're swimming in tears.

"Nolan."

Immediately, I stand up in outrage, letting go of her hands. "What?!" I yell. She winces, and I start to calm down by the hurt look on her face. "How did he hurt you?" I question, sitting down slowly.

"He bruised me, bit me, sliced my skin open, and more." Courtney says this casually, as if it's no big deal.

"Did you tell Rowena? You need to get these injuries checked out and treated," I explain, but she shakes her head immediately.

"She'd tell my parents, for sure." She looks up at me pleadingly. "You can't tell anyone. Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't tell anyone."

"Promise?"

I don't hesitate to respond. "Promise."

She sends me a grateful smile before wiping it off almost immediately. "Unzip me."

"Here?"

"Yes, we're covered. Do it," she murmurs, turning around slightly so that her back faces me. I chew on my bottom lip nervously, afraid of what I'm going to see as soon as I've unzipped her dress and moved the straps to reveal her back.

Bruises cover her back like freckles, each one a different shape, size and colour. There is a bite mark on the left side of her waist, still red. Fourteen neatly made scratches decorate her back as well, they seem to make out a word. I widen my eyes in shock when I realize what it says: "MINE".

"He's fucking insane," I find myself snapping, a low growl in my voice as I zip her back up.

"I know," she murmurs, lowering her gaze and sitting back against her pillow. "I can't marry him. He's going to end up killing me. But I can't tell my parents either."

"Why not? They'll fix this in an instant," I protest.

"Nolan's kingdom is the most powerful one on Terram. If we infuriate him, he'd attack in an instant, and everyone would die, including you. I can't let that happen," Court whispers, and tears start welling up in her eyes. One of them manages to roll down her cheek, and I brush it away with my finger.

"It's okay." My arms instinctively wrap around her protectively, and Courtney cries into my shoulder. I feel it getting wet, but I don't care.

My eyes close, and we stay there in blissful silence, the only sounds being her quiet sobs.

A/N

Sorry if this chapter was bad! We wrote it a few weeks ago, waiting for the right moment to post, so it may not match to our current writing abilities.

Hope people are still reading this, even if it's total crap, and we hope you will continue!

~ Zalie :3