TWISTED

14: Find Her

Meanwhile, back in Aria...

It's been a month since I last saw Ella. After her devil-spawn of a step-father managed to take over the palace, I heard some people escaped that unfortunate event. I really hoped Ella was safe wherever she was.

"Benjamin, over here." Henry, the new master of the Hastings Mansion called out to me.

I left the horses in the stable and walked over to the good-natured man who gave him fresh instructions for the day.

The Hastings Mansion was what Ella's home was popularly called by the locals.

Julian Hastings was such a great man. Benjamin mused as he hooked up a cart of old iron scraps to two horses.

Bejamin was only two years when Julian was gruesomely murdered by unknown bandits.

Why did he have this pestering suspicion that Brian had a hand in the murder?

As Benjamin drove into the village, his countenance fell at how grey and dreary everyone looked. They seemed miserable, from animals to humans, all were gloomy.

Aria had never been the same after Brian took over the throne. The citizens were impoverished while he and his cabinet of theives grew fatter every day.

Benjamin hadn't heard much about Courtney, only that Brian had locked her up in a room and forbade her from leaving the palace.

"Hey Benny." Madam Isabelle called out to him. Benjamin with a huge smile halted the horses and waved out to her.

"Madam Isabelle! How are you today?"

He jumped down from the cart and made his way over to her shop. She sold bread, good bread.

She shrugged. "All is well, Benny."

That was the poor widow's response each time he asked about her affairs and he loved her courage and positivity. Two traits that most people here lacked.

Benjamin smiled softly at her before getting distracted by a pair of youngsters huddling around his legs. Samuel and Ayla, her children.

"Sammy, Aylee, stop bothering Benjamin." She scolded them, but the children did not budge.

Benjamin picked Samuel and Ayla in his arms, smiling tenderly at their small faces. "Hello, little ones."

Someone needed to buy a loaf or so from Isabelle so she left them alone.

"Hello Ben." Ayla squeaked, touching his hair. "Your hair is so soft."

Benjamin grinned. "Really?"

Samuel nodded. "Yeah, it's unlike mama's. Hers is so stiff and coarse, tickles me every single time."

Benjamin laughed when Ayla slapped a hand over Samuel's mouth. "You shouldn't say that!"

Samuel ran his tongue over her palm and she retracted it instantly, disgust telling on her face.

"Ew! Gross! Boys are the grossiest." She spat.

Samuel laughed when she wiggled out from Benjamin's arms and ran to wash her hands.

"And girls are crybabies." The little boy retorted.

"Says who?" His mother demanded sternly.

Samuel panicked even though his mom was joking. "Uh-oh."

⚜️⚜️⚜️

After delivering the old iron scraps to the blacksmith at the Blacksmith district, Benjamin rode to the palace to deliver some letters to the new king.

Brian demanded detailed reports every month about the Hastings Mansion and Benjamin was trusted with the task of relaying them to "His Majesty".

His Majesty.

Benjamin couldn't help the frown that invaded his face.

The guards at the front let him through after running a thorough search on him by feeling down his trousers.

"Done feeling me up, Adrian?" Benjamin bit.

Adrian scoffed, flipping him off. "There was nothing there to feel." He fired back, chuckling at the dirty look Benjamin shot him with.

"Go to hell."

Adrian saluted. "See you there." He always found it funny to annoy Ben at any point in time.

With a tight face, Benjamin shook his head and strode into the palace doors. There were a new set of guards patrolling the hallways. Brian always insisted they were changed every two weeks.

Speak of trust issues.

A hand suddenly shot out, blocking Benjamin's path. He glanced up at the owner of the hand, a new sweet-faced guard with mouse-coloured hair. He looked too young and inexperienced.

"What is your mission here?"

Benjamin chuckled at how much effort the lad was putting into looking menancing.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I've come with letters for the King from the Hastings Mansion."

Lines of confusion decorated the boy's face. "What?"

Benjamin smirked, tapping on his head. "Don't stress your little brain. Be a good boy and pass the letters on, will you?"

The boy-guard scowled at Benjamin before snatching the letters and disapearing behind the large doors concealing the throne room.

He emerged later, frowning hard. "You may go on in."

Benjamin lingered, grinning at the boy. "Go back home to your mother and help her milk the cows because this does not suit you."

The boy scowled, fingers  wrapping around his sheathed sword. "I hate you."

Benjamin ruffled his hair and escaped into the throne room before someone chopped off his fingers.

No time to laugh now because he was standing before a monarch, a fake one.

Brian's cold gaze steered away from the goblet on the golden stool beside him. He sat upright, wearing a sardonic smile.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it my favourite person? Come, tell me...How is my mansion.

Yours? Idiot, you stole it.

Benjamin leashed himself from pouncing on Brian and administering a great deal of punches on his grotesque face.

"It's in good shape, your majesty."

Brian nodded, inspecting the letters. "Good. In any case, I have something for you to do for me."

Benjamin's blood froze. He blinked.

"What can I do for you?"

"Find Ella, and bring her to me."

Benjamin felt faint. Find Ella? How could the pig ask him to do that? Most importantly, how would he find Ella, where would he look?

Brian chuckled. "Now don't stress your tender brains-"

Benjamin winced at the words he had used on the boy-guard.

"Ella is in Charlesbury and you're going there at the crack of dawn. Bring her here in five days or Madam Isabelle and her poor kids are gone." Brian made the gesture of a knife slitting his throat.

Bile rose up to Benjamin's chest. The taste was repulsive. But the beast in front of him was more repulsive.

"So l, Benny boy, what are you saying?"

Benny boy. Benjamin hated that name.

Benjamin glanced up, shooting lighting bolts at Brian. "I'll do it. I'll bring her here."

But you're going to pay with your head .

What are your thoughts about this chapter? You didn't see that coming, right?

Should Benjamin do what Brian asked  him to do?

Well, hold on tight. A lot of stuff is about to go down next chapter.