Beauty and the Bird

Chapter 12: "Hymn for Her" by Anchor and Braille

Liam ran out of the library as fast as he could. He looked in Rowen's room but couldn't find her. His heart was racing and he was thinking hard about where she could be. The only other place he could think of was the garden. He rushed down. The stairs almost fell under his feet and his hands were slipping off of the railings. Liam was nervous and excited at the same time. He knew his feelings now and he wouldn't screw up this time. 

He walked to the garden and saw a shadow. He immediately assumed it was Rowen but was completely shocked at what he saw. 

There stood Rowen, whose arms were trapped in two guards' grips. She looked furious. She was talking to someone. It was his father... and next to his father stood Aiden, who wore a cheeky smile. He seemed completely satisfied at the situation. 

Before Liam could even think, he blurted out, "What's going on here?", and briskly walked in.

Immediately, Aiden turned to him and his smiled disappeared. Then, slowly, his father turned around and smiled when he saw Liam. 

"Ah, my son! At last you have arrived!" His father exclaimed. The King walked over to Liam and gestured to follow him back to Rowen. Liam made eye contact with Rowen, whose eyes were burning with anger. 

Liam felt uneasy. Her hair was a mess and small strands of her beautiful, brown hair fell on her face. He wanted to scream and order the guards to let her go but decided to wait to see what his father was going to say. 

"You see this girl Liam?" His father gestured to Rowen. "She is going to save us all."

Liam didn't understand. Since when did 'we' need saving. "Father? What are you talking about?"

"I'm dying son. I have been sick for a while." Liam's heart immediately dropped. How could his father not tell him? "But, you see, this girl can heal me." His father was desperate, Liam could see it. His father actually thought that Rowen could save him. Obviously the illness affected his head and somehow his father dragged Aiden to this mess.

"Father, you're mistaken. Obviously, you're tired and desperate, so this is all understandable but Rowen can't save you Father. It's time to snap out of this fantasy so we can get you a real doctor. We can save you." Liam looked over to Aiden, "Come on Aiden, let Rowen go."

Liam reached for Rowen but Aiden pushed him aside. Liam immediately became offended. "What the-?" Liam exclaimed. 

"You can't understand this Liam and you never will. That's why father entrusted me with this and not you. You can't stop us with your petty, naive logic. I know what I'm doing Liam and I know how to save father and that's with Rowen." said Aiden.

Before Liam could say anything else, Aiden exclaimed, "Guards! Escort my brother to the East Wing and lock him there!" Immediately, guards grabbed Liam. Liam put up a fight but it was no use, one of the guards knocked him out and the last thing Liam saw before blacking out was Rowen's face.

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Rowen screamed when they took Liam away. She knew what this moment meant. 

They were going to kill her. 

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Liam woke up laying on the floor.  HIs vision became clear and he looked around. 

He was in Rowen's room. When he tried to get up, he realized that his hand had been chained to the bed. He struggled to try to get it off but it was no use.

Liam looked around in a panic, but he was all alone. Before he could think, Rowen popped into his mind. What had happened to her? What are they going to do to her?