Liridia

Chapter 28: Sudden

Aldwin
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My head aches.

The constant thumping is pressing against my temples and I sit up, making the room spin and my vision cloud with stars.

Where am I?

I'm sitting on a bed, in a room I think is slightly familiar, the windows open and facing the gates out of the city. And then it hits me, Liridia's room.

I stand hesitantly, my knees shaking as I try to remember how I got here.

"I see you're awake." A voice comments expectantly.

I whirl around, my hands up and stance ready for the intruder. He stands up from his chair with a bemused smile and a tapping foot. The noise pounds in my ears.

It's only Hywel. I lower my hands and close my eyes, sighing contently into the silence.

I knew it was you. He calls without opening his mouth.

"Wha-!" I exclaim incredulously, bewildered beyond words.

It makes sense now. Why I see her with you most of the time. The only question is, Who is Deidre?

I nearly make it out of the door before he shoves himself in front of me. I can feel the shadows of his probing fingers in my head.

"Where is she? I know you have her." I demand, poking an accusing finger at his chest.

All he does is raise a questioning brow, still standing in my path.

"I don't know where your sister is. But I know you aren't a guard. I can have you hanged for conspiracy against the king." He says, delicately pushing my finger from his chest.

"And what evidence do you have to declare such an outrageous accusation!" I exclaim, my eyes widening.

"Your name is Aldwin Perseus Black the Second. You are the son of King Perseus of the Westlands and you tell people you were disowned, but really, you ran away." He whispers disgustedly.

He doesn't get to say that.

No one knows that.

Oh, no one except me. He smiles devilishly and I snap. The room blinks into a haze of red and I lash out, my fist meeting his face and my forehead slamming into his nose with a crunch. Everything slows down until I feel like I can see the air pulsing around me.

He staggers back until he hits the door, but steadies his stance and tries not to scrunch his broken nose in pain. Blood gushes down from his nose and onto his brown tunic. He snarls and charges, trapping my waist and sucking the air out from my lungs as I collide with the wall. I knee him in the gut and he folds in half, crumbling to the floor in a heap.

I turn him over and in one final move, he punches me right in the face. The red falters and my vision clouds with black stars, and grabs me by the scruff of my neck and slams my head to the floor.

I feel the air around me, everything slowing until I can clearly see the pores on Hywel's face.

Everything in my head condenses and squeezes into one spot, a thick thud thud erupting into my ears. I bare my teeth and open my eyes, the world awash in the dark red haze. He presses on my neck, and as my breathing becomes more ragged, I become more ferocious, I can feel my muscles tense with the anticipation, the sweat dripping down my back.

I twist my back enough to get my hands around to grab his face and I squeeze my thumbs into his eyes, relishing the cry of pain that escapes his lips. He loosens his hold on my neck and I take the chance, and I shove my knee up and under his body. I push him upwards and kick my leg straight up, throwing him off me and landing onto the floor.