Rowans Choice

Chapter Twenty Nine- Death of the Sovereign

I won't ever forget the harrowing image of blood pouring from the girl I loves mouth as her body went limp, and she succumbed to the poison that flooded her body.

It took me right back to the the night blood had poured out of me like that, so much blood. I had felt my own self heading into the bright light of the dawn that morning, and the end of my earthly existence arriving. A brush with death... almost five years ago. Saved by chance... by a face I recognised.

There's nothing more harrowing though than the loss of the person you love most. I had felt it. Twice. I could happily die myself many times over than ever have to feel that overwhelming grief and surge of panic, loss and hopelessness that followed the light as it left your loved ones eyes. If I never had to see it again, it would be too soon.

Luck though, it was on our side. Luna had swapped the vials only a couple hours previously, she hadn't anticipated it's use for another month or so, let alone mere hours later.

When the wheels of battle for Rowans life began to turn, and when her body was still going cold... Aster and his guards had already flushed Luna out on my word that it must have been her. I know Aster would have had me thrown to the cells and silenced forever if it had not been for Sycamore throwing himself across me for the second time in my life ... and giving his life if he had to, to prove that I would never harm Rowan in this way. He swore against his own life, and the life of his kin. I would always owe him, owe him anything he asked of me...from that moment on.

Aster thought a lot of that little goblin and his loyalty to the crown, and he went straight to work on having Luna dragged kicking and screaming to the cells instead. Luna was given one chance to confess to what that poison was, and if she didn't ... the torture began. She swore her allegiance with Thistle and so it began. She was cut, whipped and had her head held within a bucket of water until she writhed around in agony as her lungs burned... and even then, she came out cursing Rowans existence.

I honestly thought as I fought to gain entry that she would have her throat cut before I could ever get to her, but Aster heard my screams and begging of him to let me through. It was the right decision. I wasn't here to save Luna... I was here to save Rowan. The moment I barged through the guards and saw her strung up ... she began to cry... deep sobs that came from somewhere so deep I thought she may just drown herself. "I'm sorry" she screamed across the dark room.

Asters voice boomed through the cell "then tell us how to save her". He begged.

Luna spat in his direction and a leather whip slashed across her face, leaving a deep gash that bled profusely from her forehead.

I knew I had one chance, and minutes before we lost Rowan forever. I moved across the room at speed and held Lunas face in my hands, harshly and firm and I forced her to look right into my eyes "if you ever loved me Luna... you will tell me"

She shook her head and began to sob "I'm so sorry that this hurts you" she begged.

"If you don't tell me Luna... I will never forgive you... I will hunt down every member of your family and kill them myself with my bare hands... and you know I know where they are. Perhaps I'm the only person who knows your parents location. If you want them strung up dead outside the Oak by sunrise... keep going the way you are going. Mirren and Sorcha don't care about you... they served you up to take the fall and they won't lose a bit of sleep over it".

The look of despair on Lunas face tells me she's realised that now. She has no hand to play here apart from her own survival, and making sure she doesn't assassinate the one person her entire family would be murdered in retaliation for. She hadn't had time to find them a safe location or disappear herself.