Royally in Love

Chapter Nine

Edited By XxJemanixX

Chapter  Nine 

Emma winced as she moved her head slightly. The pain at the back of her head only increased as she attempted to right herself. Lifting herself onto her elbows she cracked her eyes open a bit and stared confused at the dark and gloomy dungeon-like place she was in. She couldn’t remember what happened and then it all came back to her. Panic began to course through her veins like a poison and crept into her heart causing it to beat twice its normal pace. Her hands shook as she raised them and tenderly touched the wound at the back of her head. It was sore and her fingers were coated in blood as she drew them back to look at them. 

  

A gasp escaped her bloody lips and she quickly wiped away the blood on the flimsy blanket covering her. It was filthy, she was filthy. Emma grimaced and threw the blanket off her and stood to her feet. Her legs wobbled and she clung to the grimy wall as her head spun precariously. 

  

As her vision stopped swimming the room she was in came into better focus and she reeled back in disgust at the rats huddled over what she assumed was scraps of food in the corner. The walls were coated in grime and a black substance and the floors no better. What she lay on was nothing more than straw on the floor and a wafer thin blanket to cover her. 

  

Her lips curled up in disgust, but before she could make any more sense of her situation something ran over her bare foot, out of instinct she belted out an ear-piercing scream and jumped up and down whilst screaming. She ran for the door and cried out for help whilst banging on the door. She sobbed loudly in despair as she saw no one coming to her aid. 

  

Just as she was giving up hope she heard the unmistakable sound of keys jangling. She hit the door harder with her fists and sobbed louder as she heard the footsteps now nearing the door. She moved away as the key twisted in the lock. The door creaked open ominously. A figure stood, shadowed by the bright light coming in from behind him. 

  

“Well well, what do we have here? Boys! It seems our Miss Emma is awake! Reckon Boss will want to see this chit now.” 

  

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It was some time before John turned around to find a sea of faces, none of which resembled his lovely Emma’s. Confusion furrowed his brow and despite his height, allowing him to tower over most he could not catch sight of her in the crowds. Panic began to grip his heart as his limbs jumped into action. He pushed into the crowds relentlessly calling out for her. His panic increased as time passed and Emma did no appear before him, he set at a run pushing through the crowds towards the hill. Hoping she had made it to the hill and was waiting for him with that adorable confused expression on her face. 

  

His breath came out in short gasps as he struggled to get to the bottom of the hill just outside of the marketplace. It seemed the crowds made a joint effort to stall him. John finally pushed through and dropped his hands on his knees, breathing hard. He looked up and froze, in that moment, he forgot how to breathe. She was not there. Something in his heart fell into a bottomless pit as his mind conjured up every possible thing that could have happened to his darling. 

  

He felt anger pulse through his being. Nobody and nothing touched what was his. Whoever was responsible was going to pay. He took quick strides up and over the hill and ran to his carriage. He was no longer out of breath. He was a man with a deadly purpose.