Arya

Peasant House

✿ Reign

Oliver announced to the people of the court that we had lost our baby due to stress.

"What can I do for you?" Oliver asked as we entered my new chamber. "Are you cold?"

I sat on the bench in front of my bed. "I'll fetch you a blanket."

"I should've known those weren't our guards."

He signed and dropped the blanket back on the bed. "Arya, you were startled in the dead of night. There were five armed men against you. Please don't torment yourself. Im so sorry that this happened."

"I had my magic. I could've used it but they brought Aladar inside. I could've gotten out. I could've fought back but if i did i would've harmed the baby."

"My choices brought this violence into our home."

"Don't blame yourself for the actions of evil people. We've disagreed about tolerance, but you were just doing what you believed was right, what you thought was best for Avallon."

"No. I wasn't doing what I believed was right or what I thought was best." I watched him sit on a chair in front of me. "I made choices...under pressure from another." I kept a blank face as I watched him struggle to say it to me. "I was being blackmailed."

"Blackmailed? For what?"

He was silent for a second. "I killed my father at the joust." My eyes widened and I didn't know what to say. "He was a threat to Avallon, to you."

"Oh, my God."

"It was regicide."

"Oliver, who found out the truth?"

"Corwin."

I inhaled and tried not to do or say anything drastic. "All the hard-line choices favoring Catholics, all the violence that you allowed..." I looked him in the eyes, "why didn't you tell me what he was doing to you?"

"Because if it ever came to light..." He sat beside me and held my hand. "You needed to be able to deny any knowledge or involvement-- I couldn't let you be implicated for what I did. I kept thinking that I'd find a way out, but things got so bloody, so awful, and...the lies and mistakes kept piling up. Till last night-- I found a way out. I found Montgomery."

"Where is he?" I asked and he looked down. "You killed him."

"I had to. I have done terrible things to protect us. And I have lied to you time and time and time again, to protect you."

"Protect me?" I whispered.

"I know the events of last night can never be undone, but they will pay with their lives. I will kill every last person who brought us to this. And once they're gone, we will come back from this. And I will never let anyone hurt you again."

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"Arya, they told us you were in your old chambers." Miriam walked ahead if Daisy.

"Why are they moving your things in?" Daisy asked looking at the servants in my room.

"Im going to be staying here for a while." The servants left the room.

"Why?"

"It's because of the attack last night. Um... I can't stay in my old rooms anymore."

"Well, they told us you were fine, that your guards were killed, but the men fled before they could get in."

"Uh, that was a lie I told. And one you will have to tell too. The truth is... Those men broke into my chambers and I was raped."

"Dear God..." Daisy approached me.