Most Wanted

Chapter 29

To say walking was utter misery was an understatement.  He would be fine if he hadn't been beaten so hard the day before.  If time had been so important, why was Mazouwi able to set time aside to beat him with a stick and not to mention they had wasted hours of daylight because he couldn't keep up.

On the bright side, Varian was stubborn enough and the three men had a proper burial.  At least he still won the disagreement, but he still hadn't gained his pride back.  That was fine.  If he won the divorce trials, he could gloat over that if he so needed to.

Finally, they stopped to take a five minute rest.  Panting, Varian sat back and rested his head against a tree.  A crinkling sound coused him to move and look.  It was a wanted poster.  He took it off to take a better look at it.

"Most wanted..." Varian echoed, staring at it.  It was a drawing of him and Hugo.  The poster claimed that Hugo was his kidnapper.  "You just couldn't admit that I ran away could you?"

Mazouwi looked his way and his eyes rested on the poster.

"Gotta say.  Most wanted is a pretty big accomplishment.  Unfortunately, the story got a little mixed up somewhere.  Not that I'm suprised.  You were asleep when it happened."

"One more word out of your mouth and I'll cut it," the lord seethed.

Varian shrugged and passed him a smirk.  When he first became Mazouwi's lover, he would have shrunk within himself and fear what would happen.  However, he had realized the threats were because he got to Mazouwi.

The best part was that there was a time when Varian was genuinely a toy to the lord that the lord enjoyed.  Now the man stared with him with a mutaul hatred.  There was no lust in his eyes and there was no fear in Varian's.  Both were filled with a burning hate.

"You know, if you hate me so much, why fight to keep this marriage?  It's clearly toxic and only causing us pain and trouble," Varian pointed as he leaned back against the tree.

"Did you not hear that I said I would cut your tongue if you spoke another word?"  Mazouwi glared at him as he stood up.

"Oh no, I heard.  But you won't because we'll never make it to..."  Varian paused.  "We'll never make it to the trial on time and then the king will call it off... You... the horses... did you..."  His eyes widened with realization.

"What the hell are you mumbling about?"  The lord's face was mere iches from Varian's.

"You.  You hired Lady Caine to take the horses so we would be late!  That's why you didn't care, why you weren't angry or phased by it!  You knew!  It was all you!  You murdered those three men and why?  Because of your stupid pride?  You fucking bastard!"

Mazouwi raised his hand to slap him but Varian only glared.

"Do it," he challenged through his teeth.  "Don't answer me.  All these men know the truth.  You better make a better argument than the answer you always give.  You're not convincing anybody."

"You're an delusional fool with biased conspiracies.  You're putting the blame on me because of your petty tantrum!"  He slapped Varian across the face.

"It would kill you to admit I'm right, wouldn't it," Varian answered bitterly.

The lord kneed him in the gut and Varian landed on the ground, clutching his stomach.  He gasped for air as the man kicked him in the side.

"Mark my words, Varian.  I will break you."

"You've already done that.  This is what you made," Varian retorted.  "You only have yourself to blame."

The man kicked him again, making him cry out in pain.

"Get up.  We're moving forward," Mazouwi stated.  He turned on his heels and began to walk away.

Varian slowly tried to pull himself up, but he only collapsed back to the ground.  The lord turned to look back at him.  "Get. Up." He demanded.

This time, Varian managed to stand on his feet but he collapsed again.  He didn't move.  The lord groaned and walked over and kicked Varian so that he would role over.  Great.  He was unconscious.

"Terrence, you carry him," he said simply.

The workers looked at each other with concern, but they obeyed and followed after Mazouwi.