Bastards in Love**Sebastian de Poitiers (Completed)

Left Behind

"Gentlemen, please. My gift to you." The Queen opened a large chest filled with gold for the greedy Italian men. The men cheered and took handfuls of coins.

The food was then brought out by the servants. It was passed around the table, each person taking a little bit before passing it on. Juliet sat at the table next to Mary and Lola next to her.

Mary leaned over to the Count and whispered something to him that made him uncomfortable. Mary stood up, along with the Count, and motioned for her ladies to follow her.

They all quickly made their way to the door. Mary knocked on it twice. Then two more times, but still no one answered.

"Perhaps it's the wrong panel." Lola suggested. Mary knew it was the right panel and continued to knock.

Mary stopped knocking when one of the Count's men came towards them. "Count Vincent sent me to find you."

"We were just on our way back." Mary lied. The man directed them towards the room and followed behind after all the girls had gone.

The Queen saw the girls returning and quickly jumped out of her seat and towards the coins. "Count Vincent. Isn't this enough?" The Count rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know the King will go to war for his heirs."

"What of it? Can Henry give me the life I had a year ago? Then let the Heavens fall. Enough. Thank you for this generous feast." The Count stood up along with his men. "Now we will be on our way."

"Please. Please do not take my children. What else can I give you? Do you want women? Take them. Take their virtue."

"Catherine no!" Mary shouted as Kenna stepped closer to her Queen.

"They won't dare say a word about it. They'd be ruined! You can have them, you can have anything..."

"Give me your heart then." The Count pulled out his sword. "Carve it out and hand it to me so that we might understand one another." The Count hit his sword against the table causing Kenna to hug Mary tightly while Aylee did the same to Lola and Juliet. "That is diplomacy: to understand my loss. To carry the weight of your dead heart with you every night and day until you find your grave! Roberto. Give me Roberto and I will let your children live." The Count walked closer to the scare girls and whispered something to the Queen. Juliet brought Aylee closer to her, protecting her.

The Count swiftly grabbed Mary and pinned her against the wall while the other men grabbed the other ladies. One man pushed Kenna to the ground and began beating her, one pushed Lola against a pillar, one held Aylee, and another held Juliet's throat against the wall.

The Queen grabbed the hourglass from the table and threw it on the ground. "Count Vincent! So you know why your son is dead? Because of you! Because unlike me, you aren't willing to pay the necessary price. So I'll make you a new offer. Take your hands off of Mary and I'll let you leave this castle with your life."

The men that held the ladies slowly began to bleed out of heir noses and mouths until they were dead. Juliet quickly pulled Aylee away from the bodies and into a hug as Lola did the same to Kenna.

The Count shook his head as he tried to figure out how this happened. "We ate the same food. We drank my wine."

"Poison is an art." The Queen said simply. "And the essence of art is surprise."

"The gold." Mary breathed out as she stayed sitting on the table, tears in her eyes.

"I never touched your gold, Medici bitch." The Count said as she pulled out his sword again. Mary quickly grabbed a fork from the table and stabbed the Count in his neck. Before he died, Francis swiftly removed his hand with his sword.

Francis went to comfort Mary while the rest of the girls, and the Queen, went to Kenna who had bruises and cuts all over her face.

~🌹~

Juliet quickly covered her neck as her door opened and Bash entered.

"I heard what happened. Are you alright?"
Juliet nodded but refused to speak. Both her and Bash knew that she was not alright. She was scared and worried. "This is all my fault. I should have never left you alone with those monsters."

"There was nothing you could do."

"I could've have done something! Instead of just staying down in the cells. I could've escaped, I could've stopped her."

"Who?" Juliet asked as she turned to face him.

"My mother. She's the one that told the Count when my father would be leaving."

"She did it to protect you. I understand that."

"You shouldn't! You should be mad, yelling at me!"

"Why would I do that when it wasn't your fault?"

"Because I deserve it! Those men hurt you and I didn't do anything..."

"You want to do something? Just be the man I love and stay here to comfort me."

Bash nodded and walked towards the girl, pulling her into a hug and gently setting his head on top of hers. "That I can do."

Hey guys. Thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoyed.

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