Unyielding (The Ashborne Trilogy Book 2) (4 page)

My hand was raised and covering my gaping mouth as I continued listening to this unbelievable story.

“
I think that’s when your father’s madness and bloodlust began,” he continued. “Despite druids only being known for having healing magics, your father used his silver tongue to convince everyone, even me, that druids were a threat to all of Everrathe. And with the combined might of Ashborne, Benethil and other, smaller kingdoms, your father launched The Great Purge. It was a swift, unholy, bloody genocide that only lasted a couple years, but its effects would echo throughout Everrathe’s history.”

“
It wasn’t until The Great Purge was nearing its end that he met your mother. She seemed to be the only person alive who could soothe the rage and bloodlust that had grown inside your father’s heart, but that didn’t stop him from completing what he had already begun.”

As Gentry talked about my mother, I started to understand why my father held such contempt toward me. After all, the one woman who was able to calm his raging heart was dead because of my birth. Hearing all of this, I think I actually began to feel pity for him.

“Did he ever find her? Marrowen, I mean,” I asked.

Gentry glanced toward the ceiling for a moment before he responded, as though he was searching the wooden beams above us for the answer. “I’m not sure. During The Great Purge, seeing what your father was doing to those people, many soldiers voiced their concerns over what was going on. I continuously tried to talk him down from his madness, but it only served to make him resent me. Naturally, it wasn’t long before he grew tired of my objections. He barred me from the druid dungeons and relegated me to captain of the White Torch, while he created and assumed command over the Royal Guard. Some say that he found her and spent several weeks torturing her by his own hand, becoming even more disturbed than he already was. While others say she was a faceless death among the mass of killing. Your father outlawed speaking of druids after the purge, so it’s hard to tell how much is truth and how much is fantasy.”

“God, Gentry…”

“
I know… I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know the truth.” he sighed. “I couldn’t save your father from his madness, but now that you understand what that place was built for, do you understand why freeing Emoren is going to be no easy task?”

I nodded. “Yes, I understand, but it doesn’t change how I feel.”

“Even if we do manage to get him out of there, how will we smuggle you both outside the castle walls? Your escort is never far behind, it seems.”

I looked back at the two guards standing by the tavern’s exit. They hadn’t taken their eyes of me since we arrived.

“I don’t know…” Hearing Gentry analyze the reality of the situation out loud, my face couldn’t hide the feeling of hopelessness that was welling up inside me.

“
Hey… Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll talk to a few men I know I can trust, and we’ll figure out a way to get you both out of here.”

“
Thank you,” I replied as I rose from the table. “Gentry, we don’t have much time. Please, send word the moment you learn anything. I’m going to retire for the evening. I want to get up early and visit Emoren.”

“
Your father let’s you have access to him?”

“
I know. It surprised me too. I can only assume that he wishes to keep his threat fresh in my mind.”

Gentry stood up and embraced me once more. His ale-scented breath was reminiscent of all the good times we’ve spent inside this tavern, and how those days may never be ours again.

“That may very well serve to our advantage,” he said. “I’ll let you know the moment I learn anything. You be careful, you hear?”

“
You too.” With my eyes closed and my head resting against his shoulder, I squeezed his bear-like frame one last time before retiring for the night.

I woke the following morning to the sounds of Penelope cleaning the room I had been to distraught to bother with. I rolled over, pretending to still be sleeping, and watched her as she went about her duty, not realizing that I was awake. With the guards posted outside my door and the way I had been pushing her away, I was sure she had plenty of questions. Despite Emoren’s urging me to lean on those who cared for me, I still couldn’t bring myself to involve her in all of this. I feared that if she knew what was going on, that she would try to help me, as she always did, and in doing so, would put her life in danger.

No, I can’t tell her anything yet. It’s safer this way
. I may not have been able to keep Gentry from risking his life to help me, but, even though it hurt me to push Penelope away like this, I was going to do whatever I could to keep her safe. Once I figured out a way to save Emoren and myself, then I would tell her everything.

I continued watching her for a while. It was endearing the way she was doing her best to clean and gather my clothes as quietly as possible. It only reinforced my decision to keep her away from me and the darkness that was swirling around me during this dangerous time. After all, I still had no idea how this story was going to unfold, or if I would even live to see the end of it.

She finally finished her cleaning and left my room, taking extra care to close the door quietly behind her, and I wasted no time getting out of bed and preparing to go see Emoren. I stuffed my mouth full of some breakfast Penelope had left for me, and quickly began lacing up my leather attire. As I chewed a mouthful of food, I opened the chest at the foot of my bed that contained some of my armor and weapons. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake I had made before, walking around Ashborne unarmed, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able to see Emoren with a sword strapped to my waist either.

I know they’re in here somewhere,
I thought as I continued rummaging through the mix of mail and steel before finally finding the two items I was searching for.

I held up the pair of hunting daggers and looked them over as I continued chewing. Their hilts were small, strong and wooden, attached to razor-sharp blades that were capable of gutting the largest of beasts. I wasn’t quite as skilled with them as I was a sword, but they were deceptively dangerous weapons nonetheless. I strapped their sheaths to either one of my thighs and slid the blades in place. The brown leather I was already wearing served well to camouflage the sheaths, as the material seemed to almost be one and the same. And even though the guards would surely notice them, they wouldn’t be taken from me like I knew a sword would.

Being down in that dirty, cold cell, I was certain that Emoren’s wounds weren’t healed yet. I filled a pouch with bandages, water, medicine and ointment, tied it to my belt, and headed out the door. As expected, the two guards who were seated outside my room rose to their feet.

“
Take me to him,” I demanded.

Although I still hadn’t figured out how to save him, I missed him dearly and wanted him to know that I was doing everything in my power to get us both out of here. And as the guards began leading me to him once more, I found myself hoping that by telling him he was right about Gentry, that maybe I would be able to bring him some small amount of comfort inside that dark place.

# # #

As the guards lead me down toward Emoren’s cell for the second time, I payed close attention to every wall, stone, and doorway that we passed. I was carefully mapping out the path to Emoren I had been drawing in my mind. After this visit, I would no longer require escort to find my way through the maze of cells and hallways, and I would be one step closer to freeing him. When we finally reached the room that housed Emoren’s cage, I hurried toward his cell door and the same two guards that were seated opposite of it.

Although I was visiting him in this God forsaken place, I was still happy and excited that I was going to be able to see, touch and kiss him again. It had only been less than two days since I saw him last, but the fluttering in my heart made it feel as if it had been years. It let me know that this was far too long for me to be away from him. As I reached his cell, I sprung around the corner, smiling expectantly and gripping the bars that separated us.

I had hoped to see a smile come over his face as I appeared in front of the bars of his cell, but what I saw instead made my heart fall to the floor. In an instant, all my feelings of happiness and excitement were replaced by fear, anger, and despair. I gasped in horror at the sight that was scorching my eyes. There, laid out across the table, battered, bruised and bloodied far worse than before, was Emoren… and he wasn’t moving.

As the guard stood and took out his keys, I panicked. I screamed and jerked on the bars that were keeping me from Emoren. “Open it! Open it! Open the damned door! Now!”

The second I heard the latch release on the lock, I pushed the door open so hard that it sent sending the guard holding it slamming into the wall, and I barreled to Emoren’s side.

“Emoren! Oh, God! Emoren!” I immediately choked up, feeling as if I was going to be sick as I looked at what they had done to him.

I placed my shaking hands on his arm as my panicked mind tried to comprehend what I was seeing. His clothes and face were stained with blood; his lips, left eye and cheek were severely swollen; his clothes were tore; and too much of his exposed skin was covered with black and purple bruises. I could feel my sanity slipping away from me as I looked him over.
Why… WHY!?

I turned toward the guards outside and let out a wordless, screaming battle cry. I felt and sounded more like a banshee of Hell than an eighteen-year-old princess. The darkness that my father’s abuse had created and my years of training were taking over. I was losing control of myself, and all I could think of was killing them; all of them.

“God damn you!” I screamed at them.

Just as I began crouching slightly and reaching for one of my daggers, poised like a snake that was about to strike, I felt Emoren place his hand atop the one I was still gripping his arm with. And just as the light effortlessly pierces through and illuminates even the blackest dark, Emoren’s touch brought me back.

“Emoren!” I gasped.

“
Ambwer…” My heart broke as his swollen lips slurred the words coming from his mouth.

His left eye was nearly swollen shut, and I could tell he was struggling to remain conscious as he fought to keep the other open.

I knelt down beside him, gripping and kissing his hand. “I’m here. Don’t speak. Just rest. I’ll take care of you.”

I started emptying my pouch, stacking the assortment of bandages, medicine, ointment and water on the table. Emoren peered at me with his one eye as I brought my shaking hands up to wipe the tears from my face and pull my hair back behind my ears. Seeing this, he reached over and took my hands in his.

“I’ll bwe all wright,” he whispered, his hands gently rubbing my own in an attempt to calm me.

Despite the swollen bruises he was wearing, his face was still full of love. It seemed that even though he was the one lying there bloodied and bruised, his only concern was for me. It became clear that if I didn’t pull myself together, it would only make him feel worse.

I smiled at him and kissed his hand, letting him know that I was all right, before I knelt down beside him and began tending to his wounds. I could see his body relax now that he knew I was thinking clearly again, and he only stayed conscious long enough to drink the medicine and water I had brought for him.

I stayed there for several hours, carefully lacing his wounds with ointment and wrapping them in bandages. After I was finished, I stayed knelt down by his side and watched him as he slept. I gently caressed his forehead and ran my fingers through the dirty-blonde hair I adored so much. Looking at the state he was in, I began to realize why my father had allowed me access to him; it was his intention that I treat Emoren, just so he could beat him again, and the process would continue until I agreed to cooperate with the marriage.

Although I knew Emoren couldn’t hear me, I whispered to him anyway. “I’m so sorry, Emoren. I should have never left you… You’re the only good thing this world has ever given to me. Do you know how much I care about you? You saved me, Emoren; you’re still saving me. I love you more than life itself, and I promise… I promise I’ll never let them hurt you again. No matter what it takes, I’m going to get you out here.”

Realizing now what I had to do to save Emoren, I stood up slowly, never taking my watery eyes off of him. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully now. I brushed his hair from his forehead before leaning over and pressing my lips against it.

“I love you, Emoren,” I whispered before standing up and walking slowly out of the cell.

With my head bowed dejectedly toward the ground, I stood in front of the guard who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall while the other locked the gate behind me. The man in front of me was hanging his hands from his belt. His knuckles were red, swollen and bloody.

“Did my father order you to do this?” I asked without raising my head.

The guard straightened up defiantly as the other positioned himself behind me. “He did. It would have stopped at a beating, but your boyfriend’s got a sharp tongue. He got what he deserved.”

My mind was already dancing on the edge of insanity under the weight of everything I was dealing with, and hearing him say that, I lost it.

In one fluid motion I twisted my body toward the right, lunging my left hand deep into his crotch and gripping his groin with all my might. As his reflexes forced his torso toward me, exposing his neck, I swung my right, now dagger-wielding fist in front of me, twisting my body back to the left, and the guard’s blood sprayed across the walls of the dungeon. And without hesitating for a moment, I leapt into the air, swinging my right arm back around and behind me, burying the dagger into the neck of the guard who stood there before he even had a chance to draw his weapon.

It was over just as quickly as it began, and within a matter of seconds, the escort that was waiting by the entryway of the dungeon, along with soldiers from the adjoining room, cornered and surrounded me. Swords drawn, they blocked the path in front of me. Having already acquired my retribution, I stood still and slowly raised my dagger wielding fists in front of me before opening my hands and letting the weapons fall to the ground. They surrounded me instantly, doubling me over with a jab to the stomach and restraining me by my arms.

“
Don’t kill her! Take that insane bitch to her father! Let him deal with her,” one of them ordered.

As they pulled me through the barracks, my feet dragging along the floor, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing… loudly. I guess I had finally snapped.

# # #

The guards carrying me burst through the throne room doors and threw me to the ground in front of my father. I stayed there on my hands and knees, hanging my head, still completely overcome by seeing Emoren like that.

“You’ve killed two of my men,” my father said.

“
Don’t pretend like you give a damn about anyone but yourself.” My response surprised me a little. After being dragged through the barracks like a cackling maniac, I was relieved that my sanity was still intact. Though my father didn’t seem as pleased.

“
Pick her up!”

The guards held me up by my arms as my father stormed over and stood just in front of me.

“You’re making this much harder than it needs to be, Amber.”

“
Me? You’re a monster. Mother would recoil in disgust if she could see the unholy beast you’ve become.”

No sooner did I get the words out of my mouth than I felt my father’s ring-adorning palm strike my face. “Don’t you
dare
speak of her!”

I spun my face back toward him in utter defiance. An act he met by quickly gripping my jaw in anger.

“What? Going to beat me up too?” I sneered. For a moment, I think even he was worried he might lose it. But his next words showed me that not only was he going to maintain his composure, but that he knew how to truly hurt me.

With my jaw still held tightly in his grip, he leaned forward and whispered in my face, “I suppose seeing the suffering your friend is enduring because of you isn’t enough. Perhaps you’d like to watch next time?”

My eyes began to fill with tears and hatred at the twisted threat he had just made. I knew this was no bluff. Seeing the immediate change in my expression, he signaled the guards to drop me, and I collapsed back to my hands and knees, trembling at the thought of Emoren enduring any more pain because of me.

“
Seems like I have your attention now.” He stared as he began to walk away. “That’s goo-”

“
Swear to me…” I interrupted.

“
Hmm?” My father stopped and turned back to face me.

“
Swear to me that he’ll be released, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”

“
You take me for a fool, girl?” he replied. “You cooperate and agree to the wedding and you have my word that the beatings will stop. He won’t be released until the ceremony is over.”

“
How do I know you’re telling the truth?”