Devoted Nobility

Chapter 91

Sophia

The days ticked by with no hope. Every day I was watched and every night I was tied up. Matthew acted as if he truly cared for me. He was always asking how I was feeling and trying to help me in whatever way he could- except for releasing me of course.

On the fifth day of my imprisonment, I thought of a plan. If he felt that he could trust me, maybe he would let his guard down. A split second of carelessness was all I needed. The only way to convince him to trust me was to be happy. I had to act as if I was enjoying the new existence he had given me.

I woke up and had to fight my feelings to put a smile on my face. Matthew was already awake and sitting at the table next to me. “Good morning. You seem to be in high spirits today.” He noted.

“Yes, I am feeling well.” Every muscle in my body tensed as I spoke these lies. “I had a dream last night that changed everything.”

Matthew stood up and walked over to me. “Please, tell me.” He began to untie my hand from the bed post.

“I was with you. We were laughing and having a picnic in a meadow. There were butterflies and daisies all around us. You were being your amazing self. Everything was right in the world.” I pulled my hand down and observed the red ring around my wrist. It was from being bound while I slept and stung when I brushed my fingers over it.

Matthew noticed my injury as well. “I am sorry for the burn. You understand why I have to take these precautions though, don’t you?”

I sat up. “I do. I may have been a little stubborn the past few days. I know you only want what is best for me.”

Matthew took my hands and pulled me up. “I am. I love you with all my heart.” His hand caressed my cheek. “We will be happy for the rest of our lives. I am sure of it.”

His head was moving closer to mine and I knew what he was doing. No matter how much I wanted to fool him, I couldn’t betray Alexander. I pulled myself away from Matthew and sat down at the table.

He sighed and sat across from me. “I understand that you need some time before you are ready to think of me as more than a friend. We will get there eventually.”

The rest of the day went on with similar conversations. I shared my joy with Matthew and confided in him about how hard life was at the palace. It was odd to see him bring out his true personality. He had a fantastic sense of humor and a big heart. He really seemed to care for me. I almost felt guilty for how I was deceiving him, but then I remembered why I was here and who I was missing.

I prayed that my day of charm would be enough as we got into bed. Hopefully he would trust me enough to not tie me up. But he still grabbed my arm and began to secure it in place.

I thought on my feet. “Can you please not tie it too tightly? My wrist is still in pain from last night.”

He evaluated my cut before nodding. As he went to lay down, I shook my hand. I could slip my wrist out of the knot. I could escape. All I had to do was wait until he was fast asleep.

I was impatient. Now that I could feel the warm embrace of freedom so close to me, I could barely resist running towards it. I studied Matthew and almost an hour later, he seemed to be in a deep sleep.

I slowly slid my wrist free, being careful not to jostle the bed. I stood up and began to walk towards what I thought was the door. It was dark and the room was crowded. I tried to use my memory of the room to know where every object was, but I failed. I tripped on a box stacked on the wall. It came tumbling down behind me in a series of loud thuds.

Matthew shot straight up. If I was quiet and moved quickly, maybe he wouldn’t see me. I inched forward. I put my hands out in front of me to prevent any more accidents. My hands were on the crates that were barricading the door. There was not a chance that I could push them away without Matthew noticing. The only hope I had was to push them down and run for my life.

I pushed the boxes with all the force I could manage. They fell down and as I reached to open the door, someone gripped my arm and spun me around. I couldn’t see a thing, but I knew it was Matthew.

I could feel his warm breath on my face. “How dare you play with my feelings? I own you. You will do as I say from now on.” His voice was sharp and I knew he wasn’t kidding.

Before I could react, I felt his hand hit my cheekbone. A second later I heard the ear-shattering noise that it made. Then I felt the pain hit me. It was the type of pain that started out dull and then became unbearable.

I cried in pain as the worst arrived. Matthew had a cold and condescending laugh as I tried to stay standing. As the pain subsided, anger built up. I had to get out of here. Before I knew what was happening, I picked up one of the crates from the floor. I wasn’t sure exactly where Matthew was, but I took a chance and smashed the crate over his head.

 I saw the shadow of his body fall limp to the ground. I didn’t stop to see if he was okay before I took off running out the door. It was dark and I had no idea where I was going so I aimlessly stumbled in whatever direction my body took me. I was free.