Dalliance

Chapter Fifty Seven

Whimpering as she was almost too fragile to move, Holly rose to her feet and leaned on the nearby bars that held her captive. Her knuckles had been bloody by now, from her several attempts of escaping-along with her nails having been chipped, broken, and snapped. Her hair was beyond redemption as it was messy from her own fingers running through it in frustration and her skin itself was far too dry to be considered healthy. She found it surprising as to how she could always cry, even though she had nothing more than a piece of bread cast by a servant and a few sips of water a day since Vera had left.

But today, was the day that she was going to get answers.

The sound of heavy boots were heard as the guards were heard having a muffled conversation as Holly tried to listen in-to no avail. Eventually, the door came open and her gaze was fuzzy as the light from the hall became too bright to handle. With her eyes finally adjusting, she found Nicholas standing in front of her. He held a large pastry in his hand and a canteen of water in the other. He handed her both as she leaned against the wall, letting out a deep moan.

"Thank you."

"I am sorry I could not come sooner than this..."

"What has happened? I must know before all else...is it true about Vera and Dawson?" Tears were in her eyes before he even spoke an answer. Knowing the verification would be painful to her aloud, he just shook his head.

"Why? Were YOU not supposed to marry her?"

"Holly...so much has changed...you must understand-"

"I must do nothing. I was happily Queen, together with the man I love and all that was ripped away the minute Vera entered our lives!"

"Dawson is just as much to blame."

"Do you think I have forgotten of that? I am forced to do nothing BUT think. I have sat here and had nothing but those horrid memories in my mind-running on a cycle over and over again. How can all of it change so quickly?"

Nicholas cleared his throat before holding out a letter. Reading it quickly, she found it to be written by Vera and addressed to him. Within the content of the words, it spoke of planning to take over the kingdom and naming Nicholas as the chief of all knights- if he would help them get inside of the castle.

"I did not know that they would put you here..."

Holly looked to him and lunged as he moved back just in time.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Tears burned her eyes as she spoke through clenched teeth.

"I do not know how much time I have left, and being a knight for you-I was something in your way. And now, I have honor and nobility-"

"It is built on lies and deceit!"

"Nobody wants to hear the happy story about the kingdom with no problems. They want to hear the one about the underdog-the tear jerking tale about someone rising from hell and coming out better."

"And you think you are that person? Vera will dispose of you the first chance she gets."

"She told me that she would take you from here. Hide you away from everyone and not harm you-which I suppose, she was truthful on. Her exact words mirrored something to the extent of; "I will lock her away so she will not be seen and nobody will find her-" I immediately thought of a remote place-not under everyone's noses."

"So you did this for status. But why did she? She has nothing to gain...except my title and my life, of course. Is that all it is? And why help her? When all we have done has tried to help you."

"She wrote me before arriving here. Telling me of her plan. She told me that Dawson was not who he seemed-how he was easily angered, painful to deal with, and violent-something everyone saw in this castle. I responded after seeing your near death-"

"Caused by her!"

"No proof of it."

"Says you! Dawson had the diary-"

"There is no such thing...it does not matter at this moment. What matters is what happened. She came to me about Dawson impregnating her and immediately, I was furious-I was courting her, and he just HAD to get to her first. It was the most cruel thing I could imagine. So I agreed to help her. We then planned the following details; you losing the throne, her taking Queen-Dawson king, and I-the lead Knight."

"And her child?"

"Able to hide under a cloak until the time has come to deliver said child-"

"And what of me? Will I wither to nothing but a skeleton? A sad story for you to have on your conscience-or do you not have one at all?"

"She told me that we are to formally announce you dead upon her return. That you were asked for ransom upon her absence and since she was away, you were killed."

"Do you truly believe she will keep me alive as a loose end?"

He shrugged.

"You cannot do this to me, Nicholas. There was one time that you would have done anything for me."

"And there was once a time you were not so weak...vulnerable, and plainly naive. This world is not one that you can lean on others...it is each person for themselves."

"You plan to kill her, don't you?"

"I plan to be remembered."