The Blood of Honour

Traitor

A sting on her elbow jolted Sera back to her senses.

"I'm so so sorry darling," said a low voice close to her face.

The feeling of being drugged had not left her. She tried to fight it back and managed to whisper, "Cederic? I..... I thought...I thought you were gone for good."

Cederic's warm strong hands cupped her face, his lips inches away from hers.

"I'm so sorry Sera. Easton captured me. He wanted to kill me but I fought back."

He pressed his lips firmly against hers. As Sera immersed herself in his kisses, she began to feel immense peace. Cederic wasn't dead. War would be prevented. They would defeat Easton Cruez together and return victorious.

What she had seen and heard the last time she was semi-conscious must have been some drug induced lucid dream.

As she felt his hands on her body, she threw her arms around him. A jolt, a clang of chains and her arms stopped mid-air as her entire body thrilled with pain.

She was bound to bedposts by loose shackles but shackles nonetheless. Sera felt her body tense. This wasn't a dream anymore.

"I forgot my love, allow me," crooned Cederic suddenly as he took out a key from his belt and unlocked the chains.

"Did I hurt you too much?" He took her wrists in his palms and massaged them softly.

Sera felt her mind blurring out again. Cederic had the key to her bonds, which meant he must have imprisoned her.

"You tied me up?" said Sera.

"Well, I had no idea whether you would be on my side. I couldn't risk my life any more could I? You are a deadly killer, love," he smiled warmly and began to kiss her again.

"Why did you think I wouldn't be on your side? All these years I've never....." Sera fought the desire to give in to Cederic's affection and sat up.

Cederic drew in a sharp breath, his hands still on her wrists. For a moment, Sera thought his eyes had almost a cruel glow from being interrupted in his rendezvous.

Then he smiled again. "The Rivera clan have to be saved. If the world comes to know of Lord Rivera's true mistakes, your castle will fall, won't it?"

"We have to kill Lord Cruez and bring glory back to Xaxtan!"

"Xaxtan?" Sera freed her arms and moved away from Cederic in disbelief. Her mind was suddenly clear.
"Rivera," said Cederic but as he noticed the shock in Sera's eyes, he knew that the damage had been done.

"The killings, the secret supplier of news who kept the surviving Xaxtan soldiers aware of every move made by Rivera, it was you!" Sera slid off the bed and snatched up the dagger from the bedside table.

None of it had been a dream. A very intricate game had been played on her, Sera pointed the dagger at Cederic who was sitting on the bed glowering. "Why Cederic?" I'll give you one last chance." Sera said, her voice hard like nails.

Cederic gave a crooked smile. "Lord Rivera cheated on his wife with his sister in law. According to bloodline, the true heir of the clan would be Ryna and not you. But if the countrymen knew of this shameful act, they would revolt and try to overthrow Lord Rivera. And who would help them do that? The Xaxtan clan, who would then have the honour to rule the land."

"But that old coot Rivera had some brains. He attacked us by surprise and nearly wiped us out. But I survived. I pretended loyalty to him. He was always suspicious though he never treated me with respect."

"I had to win his trust somehow. I had already made you fall in love with me."

Sera trembled with rage and sorrow. She wanted to plunge the dagger in Cederic's heart before he could utter another word. But she needed to know it all.

"And how did you do that?" she cooed.

"By making him think I saved you from being kidnapped and killed." Cederic laughed.

"You are a monster!" Sera cried in horror as everything began to make sense to her. "You had me kidnapped and made me believe it was Lord Cruez. All the while....."

"How else would I confirm that you'd be on my side?"

"You liar!" Sera plunged at Cederic.

What happened next was unexpected. Cederic slapped the dagger away from her hands with the iron shackles and gripped Sera's throat with one hand as he re-chained her.

Sera coughed and tried to kick Cederic when he pushed her onto the floor.

"Guards!" He bellowed.
"I'll ask you once," said Cederic pointing the dagger at Sera's throat, "are you on my side?"

"Never! I'd rather die with honour!" Sera glowered with rage.

"You had the chance, my darling, and you chose this as your fate," smirked Cederic.

"Take her away!" Ordered Cederic to the guards that had appeared at the door. They gripped at the shackles that bound Sera's hands and tightened them.

"You lied to me!" cried Sera.

The guards started pulling her away by the chains. As she tried using all her strength against them the cuffs began to cut into her wrists.

"You lied to everyone! You'll pay for this!" she said.

"I wouldn't do that," Cederic said. "If you struggle any more against those chains you'll die before you make me pay. And darling if you die here, who do you think your countrymen will think had caused the war?"

He let out an indulgent laugh.

"Traitor!!" screamed Sera, as the iron cuffs around her wrists tightened further.

If someone has followed the story...are the actions beginning make some sense?

Peace
~R