The Crown cannot Help You

Chapter 44: The Knight

Audelia and Flynn were sprinting through the palace halls hand in hand. They were a little worse for wear but had managed to stay ahead.

The guards were chasing after them, their tens of feet thundering against the floor.

"Audelia Belmont!" One called out from behind them.

Flynn gripped Audelia's hand tighter, making sure she was keeping up with him.

Her injuries were worse than his, and he blamed himself. She would have come out of the fight unscathed had it not been for her protecting Flynn.

But Audelia needed to hang on, she needed to keep going, and Flynn knew he had to make sure of it.

Audelia could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the blood pumping in her ears. Adrenaline ran through her veins, and it kept her legs running.

"This way," Audelia whispered as she tugged Flynn's arm. They veered off around a corner and slid back into the servant's corridors.

She quietly shut the door behind them, and they crouched against the wall. Their eyes remained plastered to the door, both of them hoping with all their might that it wouldn't burst open.

The stomping of feet came closer and closer, but eventually, they all ran straight past.

"You can't get rid of these," Flynn whispered with a relieved sigh, his eyes staring at the servant's corridor they'd stuffed themselves into again.

"Shut up." Audelia tutted, giving Flynn's hand an exhausted squeeze.

Flynn reached over to her, ripping the sleeve off of his shirt to fasten it around Audelia's shoulder. He attempted to reduce the blood loss whilst keeping the midsection of the arrow in place to maintain the tamponade it provided.

Audelia didn't wince or complain she just watched Flynn work. He had a grave intensity upon his face that Audelia had a few times before and always when he was patching her up.

His eyebrows always creased, and he bit the inside of his lip. His brown eyes would stare at Audelia with a look of seriousness, but she knew him well enough to translate that look for what it truly meant.

He was worried. An emotion he wasn't used to.

Audelia reached up with her uninjured hand and brushed back his hair.

Flynn leaned in her touch and gave her a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Still kicking," Audelia replied with a faint smile.

Flynn finished up with his fixing before tapping her on the leg. "Good, you'll need those legs for this next bit."

"So, I've heard."

Flynn helped her to stand, and they crept down the corridor. They moved slowly, as they had to stop every few moments because of the constant re-emergence of marching.

But eventually, they reached the right door. It was small and as worn as every other door within the servant's corridors. There was nothing that made the door stand out, but somehow, it was still clear that it was the right door.

Without another moment to think, Audelia pushed open the door. It opened up to reveal the throne room.

The throne room was the largest room in the palace. The cold stone walls seemed to stretch on forever, making it difficult to see the back wall. But Audelia knew the back wall was where the golden throne could be found, its glimmering curvature, sitting on top of a mound of stone bricks.

Flynn pulled her hand into his, intertwining their fingers in a comforting grip.

Audelia didn't have to look at him to know he was staring at her. Looking her over to ensure she was okay, that she was ready.