The Deadly Alliance (The Deadly Alliance Series Book 1)

by Megan Bradish

  “Elias, what is it? I’m rather busy,” I say.

  He narrows his eyes at me, clearly not impressed by my lack of enthusiasm. What did he expect? That I’d cower at the sight of him?

  Actually, that’s what I expected would happen too. The confidence I’m carrying around right now is all very new to me. Where is it coming from?

  I walk up to him now, and look him straight in the eyes. “Well?” I ask.

  “I have good news. I’ve found the terrible man who attacked you. I’ll make him pay, Blair. I promise you that,” Elias says.

  “What are you talking about?” I spit. “We all know who attacked me, and he’s standing in this room.”

  Elias looks around the room, pretending to be utterly confused. “I don’t see him in here anywhere, my dear. As a matter of fact, if you come look out this window, you’ll see him.”

  I hesitate for a moment, not knowing what kind of games Elias is playing.

  “Come. See for yourself,” he says, waving his hand.

  I look out the window, to the courtyard and see a man standing on the scaffold, his hands bound behind his back.

  I look back to Elias and glare up at him. “What is this?” I ask.

  “It’s your attacker. He finally admitted to it after many grueling hours in the dungeon, the poor thing,” he says, shaking his head.

  “You,” I spit as I get in his face. “You are a vile son of a bitch!”

  Elias grips my face hard and puts his nose to mine. “I’d be careful of what you say to your king, Blair,” he says.

  I yank my head away from his grip and stride back to the window. I take a good look at the poor man who is to lose his life. He looks so familiar. I’ve seen him some place before, I just cant quite…

  And then it hits me, all at once like a ton of bricks. The air leaves my lungs as I touch my hand to the glass. He’s the man I’ve been caring for, along with all the other homeless people on the streets. He’s a kind, gentle soul. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone me!

  “No,” I cry. “No, no, no, no, no!”

  Elias gently places his hands on my shoulders and speaks softly. “I couldn’t believe it either. He always seemed so kind and generous. I guess you never really know anyone.”

  “You can’t do this,” I croak.

  Elias lets out a small laugh. “I have to avenge my queen,” he whispers in my ear, as he strokes my hair.

  “Come, now. It’s time for this execution,” he says as he pulls me along.

  I feel numb. My body feels like it could give out at any second as we stride across the lawn towards the courtyard. He can’t do this, can he?

  Of course he can. He’s the king. Besides, who would believe the word of an old homeless man over a king? He can do this, and he is. As queen, could I stop it? I could try, but at what cost?

  A crowd surrounds the scaffold as we approach. They move aside when they see us, bowing as we walk by them. Sad looks of pity cross their faces as they look at me. These people have no idea about their king. They think he’s such a good and just man. They think he’s avenging his queen, and doing what’s right. They have no idea just how wrong they are.

  We reach the man, and he looks down to me with sad and desperate eyes. I look up to him, with the same pleading look. I let a tear slip from my eye and Elias gently wipes it away. He grabs my hand and helps me up the steps until I’m standing directly next to the innocent man. Milly and Adelina are directly behind me, fear filling their faces. Lucien and Jake, my other armed guard, are standing on the opposite side of me. I glance up to Lucien, and he has a look of rage and confusion clouding his eyes.

  What am I going to do? Dear, God, what am I going to do!

  I can’t let this happen. I cant…

  “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.” I snap back to reality as Elias speaks.

  “This man, Theodore Anthony, has committed an outrageous act against my wife. Your queen. Some nights ago, he entered her majesty’s chambers and brutally assaulted her, leaving her for dead. She so courageously found the strength to get help. Now, with a little bit of time, she’ll make a full recovery,” Elias says, as he wraps an arm around my shoulders.

  The crowd cheers and lets out whoops of joy. “Long live the queen!” They begin to chant. I suddenly feel sick, like I might faint.

  “Quiet down now,” Elias says to the crowd, and they immediately go silent. All I can hear now is the sound of my shallow breathing.

  Elias stands directly in front of Theodore and gives him a smile only the devil himself could master. “Theodore Anthony, I hereby sentence you to death by beheading. Do you have any last words?”

  He stays silent for a moment before looking at me. “Your majesty, I didn’t…”

  “That is enough! No more lies!” Elias yells. “Lets get on with the execution!”

  A guard comes over with a large, shiny sword. He knocks Theodore down to his knees, and pushes his head on to the block. The guard lifts the sword, high above his head, the crowd cheering loudly. I can see the desperate look in Theodore’s eyes before tightly closing them.

  Everything around me goes silent, as I take in my surrounding. The crowd is in slow motion now, as they jump up and down, yelling and chanting for them to take this man’s head. Elias is transfixed on the sword as it begins to come down, a cruel and evil smile forming at the corner of his lips. He’s enjoying this too much.

  Lucien is looking to his boots, his face beet red. Milly and Adelina are sobbing and hanging on to one another.

  I can’t let this go on. I can’t. If I do, I’ll be just as bad as Elias.

  “Stop!” I scream. “For Christ’s sake, stop!”

  The guard stops his sword mere inches from Theodore’s neck, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  “My queen, what are you doing?” Elias asks through his clenched teeth.

  I ignore him and turn to the crowd. “This is not the man who assaulted me.” Whispers and gasps come from their lips as they look at each other and back to me.

  “The man I saw was not him. He was much younger, much taller. There will be no execution today,” I announce.

  “Shall I set this man free, your majesty?” The guard asks.

  “Yes, thank you,” I say.

  The guard unties his hands and Theodore scurries to his feet. He comes to me, taking my hand. “Your majesty, I don’t know how to thank you,” he cries.

  “There is no need for thanks,” I say touching his face. “Go now. I’ll see you soon.”

  He scurries off as fast as he can, and I turn to look at Elias. He’s mad. Very mad. If his face were to get anymore red, I’m afraid it might actually explode.

  “Are you confident you’ll find the man who did this to you? We’re scared to think of someone like that roaming our streets!” A woman from the crowd says.

  I turn to stare directly into Elias’ eyes. “Rest assured, I will find the man who did this to me, and there will be an execution.” I turn back to the crowd again. “Thank you.”

  I storm off the stage before I can see Elias’ reaction. Milly and Adelina follow closely behind me, I can still hear their sobs. Lucien makes his way in front of me, and Jake stays behind us. I feel protected in that moment. In an odd way, safe. Though I know, I am far from safe now. There will be hell to pay, Elias will see to that. I get the feeling, he would do great bodily harm to anyone who undermined his authority. And today, it just so happened to be me. I’d be prepared though. I’ll grab the dagger from my room. I won’t eat or drink anything he or his servants bring me. I’ll be watching my back closely until I can figure out how to leave this place I call my very own hell.

  “Blair, what are you going to do now?” Milly asks as she struggles to keep up with me.

  “I don’t know yet, Milly,” I say. I really have no idea what to do now. Do I hide in my room until his anger subsides? Who am I kidding? His anger will never go away until he has his revenge.

  The smartest thi
ng to do for everyone’s safety is to get out of here. But I knew that wasn’t an option. Even if we left in the middle of the night undetected, we’d never make it to Myrkdovia by morning. By then, Elias would realize I was missing and he’d know exactly where I went. He’d send word to his men, and my father and cousin would be dead.

  What I would give to see my father’s face right now. I need him and his infinite wisdom in a time like this. I need to feel his love and presence. I know if he were here to see all that has happened, he would slit Elias’ throat without a second thought. That’s part of the reason why I haven’t written to him in the first place. How could I write to him saying everything is fine when I’m really falling apart? He would know something is wrong, and he would come here. I couldn’t have that. Not now. No matter how much I want to see him, I need to keep him away from all of this.

  “Blair! You practically threatened him!” Adelina cries.

  I stop as we get to my room. “I did threaten him. He will not get away with this kind of behavior.” I quickly excuse myself before they can say anything else, and slam the door shut behind me.

  I pace back and forth, contemplating my options. I suppose I could write to my father, warning him of Elias. I could tell him to be on the lookout if I were to leave. I could explain to him that his life is in danger too. I would wait a week or so after sending it to be absolutely sure he received the letter before making my escape.

  No. That would never work. I can’t be too careful on who to trust. I’m sure Elias would read my mail before it was sent out anyway. Even if I could sneak it by him, how could I be sure the mail carrier is trustworthy?

  “You know Marjorie, I could really use you at a time like this,” I say to the empty room. I stand, waiting. Waiting to see if the tired feeling hits me, waiting to see if I some how hear her voice calling to me in some distant place. Nothing.

  I let out a sigh. “Sure, only come when I least expect it.”

  I hear a light tap on the door, and I jump. Oh, God. It’s Elias. It has to be. He’s coming to let out his rage. I’ve been expecting it, but I guess not this soon. I thought maybe he’d stew over it for awhile as he has an unseeming amount of wine.

  “Who…who is it?” I ask.

  “It’s me,” Lucien says.

  I straighten, smoothing my hair over as I compose myself. “Come in,” I say.

  Lucien steps inside, closing the door gently behind him. He stares at me for a long moment, his eyes gazing softly into mine. Finally, he draws closer, until he’s standing so close to me, it makes my heart pound.

  “How are you?” He asks in a low voice.

  I let out a sigh. “Flustered. What did I do? I just made things so much worse for myself!”

  Lucien cups my face in his hands. “You are the bravest woman I have ever met. You will find a way to be free of him.”

  “It was reckless, going against him like that. You know what he’s capable of. He’ll never let me get away with it,” I say, a tear streaming down my cheek. He gently wipes it away, looking as though my tears are the most painful thing for him.

  “I’ll protect you. I won’t let anything happen to you. Not ever,” he says.

  “No. You can’t do that,” I say, panicked.

  “Why not?”

  “I told you what would happen if you tried to intervene. Do you think Elias would really let you live?”

  Lucien shrugs. “No, probably not.”

  Feeling bold, I step closer to him. “And didn’t I tell you that I couldn’t let anything happen to you? That I wanted you by my side? And do you remember what you said to me?”

  He touches his forehead to mine and sighs as he caresses my cheek. “I said I would never leave you.”

  I look up to his eyes, our lips almost touching. If I were to move even a little, they probably would be. “And do you plan on backing down on your word? To your queen?” I ask in a low voice.

  “Never,” he promises.

  I touch his face now, the stubbles on his chin tickling my fingertips. “Lucien…I…”

  “Blair?” I hear a small voice.

  I jump back and my attention jolts to the door. It’s Randolph. My heart sinks at his confused little expression. I want to be happy to see him, for I haven’t spent much time with him at all lately. But I’m more terrified than anything. He’s going to say something. To Elias. To his mother. And then Lucien and I will both be dead.

  “Randolph!” I say in the happiest voice I can muster.

  He looks at me, and then to Lucien. “Elias sent me to get you,” he says.

  “He sent you? Why?” I ask, confused. That’s hardly a job for a child.

  “I guess I was getting in his way. I was just trying to play, but it was making him mad,” he says, looking down to the floor.

  My heart leaps to my throat. I feel for my dagger, making sure it’s secured in its place. This was it. It was time to face Elias now. It’s better to get this done sooner, rather than later.

  “Okay. Will you walk me?” I ask him.

  His expression lights up and bobs his head up and down. I smile at him, grabbing his little hand.

  “Your majesty?” Lucien calls. I turn to look at him and he looks concerned. “Shall I escort you and Prince Randolph?”

  I smile and let myself relax a little. “Please,” I say.

  My heart pounds harder the closer we get to the throne room. I know Elias is mad. I defied him. I have a feeling people don’t do that often, and he’ll never let me get away with it. I glance back at Lucien, and he gives me a reassuring nod, like he’s saying “It’s okay, I’m right here with you. I won’t let anything happen to you.” And I know he means it. That too is part of the reason I’m so nervous. What will he do if Elias were to hit me? Would he draw his sword and challenge him? That would mean the end of Lucien’s life, and I don’t think I could handle that. I had to trust he wouldn’t be so reckless, because I feel safe with him. Even if there is nothing he can do to protect me from the king, his presence makes me feel safe. He feels like home.

  “What were you and Sir Lucien doing when I walked in?” Randolph says.

  I almost stop in my tracks, but force myself to keep going. I knew he saw something, but I was hoping he didn’t think much of it.

  “We were just having a very important discussion,” I say.

  “What about?”

  “It’s not for little ears, Randolph. Besides, it wouldn’t interest you anyway,” I say, trying to sound as normal as I can.

  “Is it the same thing Elias wants to talk to you about?” He asks.

  I can’t help but smile. He always has so many questions. “Partly,” I say.

  I stop now and kneel down in front of him. I brush his little blonde hair out of his eyes and caress his cheek. “Can you keep what you saw just between us?” I ask.

  “And Sir Lucien?” He asks, looking up to him. Lucien looks between Randolph and I, trying to remain as professional as possible. He’s standing tall, like a knight should. His hand resting on the handle of his sword out of habit.

  “Yes, the three of us. Can you do that?” I ask again.

  “Sure!” He says, excitedly. I envy him. To be so excited over something as simple as keeping a secret.

  “Thank you, Randolph,” I say, standing again.

  I look back at Lucien again and he cracks a smile. My knees go weak, and it takes everything I have not to finally kiss him, right here, in front of Randolph. Do you think he could keep that secret too?

  Before I can think too much more about it, we arrive to the throne room. Elias is sitting on his throne, looking very much like a king. He has on his long, velvet robe, and his crown positioned perfectly on his head. He says nothing when I arrive, just stares as I walk closer. Randolph grips my arm a little tighter, hiding behind the skirt of my dress. He, too, must have felt the heavy tension in the air. I can sense Lucien directly behind me as I approach Elias, and it steadies my heart, and my nerves.

  “I h
eard you wanted to see me?” I ask.

  He only stares for a long moment before responding. “I must say, that was quite the impressive act you put on today. I applaud you,” he says.

  “It wasn’t an act. Just the truth,” I say, simply. “That man was innocent. He didn’t deserve to die on my behalf.”

  “How noble of you,” he sneers.

  I ignore his remark. “Besides, you wouldn’t want to execute the wrong man and still have the terrible man who did this to me still out there, roaming the streets would you?” I ask.

  Elias stands, getting directly in my face. Randolph grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly. I squeeze back, trying to reassure him that it would all be okay. Even though I knew it wasn’t.

  “I will not tolerate such behavior from you, Blair. You have to learn your place here,” he threatens.

  I suddenly realize I’m not afraid. Even as he is spewing his meaningless words in my face.

  “What behavior is that, Elias? Ensuring the safety of our people? Or letting an innocent man go?” I ask, as I cross my arms.

  Elias growls, showing his teeth. “You stupid little cunt,” he says.

  Randolph whimpers into my arm, and my heart breaks for him. “Call me all the names you want, but not in front of the child,” I say.

  “Randolph, get out of here!” Elias yells.

  He looks up to me, with worried eyes, not moving.

  “I said go!” Elias yells again.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ll find you after,” I promise him.

  Randolph reluctantly lets go of my arm and begins to walk away. He turns back as he reaches the door. “Blair?”

  “It’s okay, baby. Go to your mother. I’ll come to you soon,” I say.

  “I can’t. I haven’t seen mommy in a long time,” he says.

  I scowl. “What do you-?”

  “Go, now, you little bastard!” Elias yells. Randolph runs off, and I turn back to Elias.

  His eyes are wild, and he’s shaking with fury. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to go to Randolph like I promised.