TYRION

Chapter 12

A longer chapter to apologize for the inconsistency in my updates. Enjoy🥂

***

The door to King Ethan's residence was Yanked open by Ryan, the king's private guard. He rushed to kneel and bow before the king in a restless state. The king's demeanor changed as curiosity enveloped him.

"There is chaos outside the palace, my king" Ryan informed after rushing his greetings. The king stood up in bewilderment, losing his composure.

"By chaos, what do you mean?" He asked.

"They are dark knights, all clad in dark armors and armed with arrows and swords. Some of our warriors are outside reciprocating the attack Sire."  King Ethan's breath grew heavier before he dashed through the room and unclasped his sword from its sheath.

"What are you doing, my king?" Ryan inquired surprisingly, his body all shades of restlessness as he followed suit.

"To behead Arturo" His tone was low yet dangerous, scaring Ryan even more.

"Do you mean Arturo the priest? W.. why my king? This isn't about him, is it?" The King suddenly stopped causing him to halt in his tracks as well.

"If he had told me this would happen again when I consulted him, then this would have been prevented. He said they were random thieves and their motive for their last attack is to steal. This isn't looking like it! Arturo probably knows about it" He barked.

"Please be calm my king, you can't go out. We will protect you and see to the root of this" Ryan convinced as he tried to block the king steps from exiting the entrance.

"You, go protect the Queen and Princess. I won't sit and watch my kingdom lose its people again" He declared before proceeding to exit while Ryan kept calling after him.

Ryan retreated and was about to dash to the queen's chamber when the Queen and the princess emerged, looking alerted. Ryan urged them to stay indoors no matter what happened before he rushed out and locked them inside without further explanation. On getting outside, there were no longer roars but dead and injured bodies on the floor. The injured ones were being carried out of the scene. His legs began to move as his eyes scanned around the Palace Square to spot the king; soon, he spotted him and he walked up to him.

"They are no more here" King Ethan notified Ryan or no one in particular, his eyes not moving from the tragic scene. Suddenly, a realization that felt true hit him and he let out a gasp with wide eyes.

"The stone" The King muttered to himself asif a realization just struck him, he left the scene abruptly and Ryan followed. Minutes later, King Ethan was running through a lone passage adjacent to the palace, he gasped out aloud as his eyes took in the guards protecting the building dead on the floor, the door had been swung open and he rushed in and climbed the high silver stairs, on getting to the top, at first he thought the stone was still there not until he touched it and nothing sparked through him.

"Oh my gods, the stone has been replaced" His heart shattered.

***

Tyrion felt his body rocking gently; voices seemed to be echoing from afar as his eyes slowly fluttered open, he coughed out silently and motioned to lift his hand to his mouth, flinching as he felt pressure and pain on his arm then realization dawned on him, he has been shot in the arm with an arrow. The worst part was that his two hands had been tied together to his back with a strong rope. He must have passed out from the arrow's shot effect.  He was in a caravan and it was moving, where to? Who is driving it? Where is Isolde?

His heart leaped against his chest at the thought of Isolde before his eyes settled on her right beside him, she seemed weak but her eyes were open.

"Oh Lord, you are awake" He muttered silently with slight relief, part of him was glad that Isolde was awake and she was within his reach, she was tied as well which angered him. He hated that Isolde had to be involved in whatever that was going on with him, if only he knew it would come to this, he wouldn't have gone to inform her that he was leaving town the day before.

"I'm very sorry, please forgive me. I promise to get you out of here, love" He muttered to her and she nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. It broke Tyrion's heart to see her that way. How to bail out of their unpleasant predicament began to race through his mind.

"H.. how did we get here?" She questioned and Tyrion looked at her, he wanted to say something but he didn't know where to start from. She seemed to be possessed after their night of passionate love making and he was on her way carrying her home when they were attacked. He was shot and now they were here.

Those were his thoughts after she asked the question but he wasn't ready to scare her by telling her he thought she was possessed. Instead,  he only gave her a short assuring smile and murmured to her "I will get us out of here" Tyrion tried loosening his rope, he kept trying but all his efforts were deemed to be futile.

"Maybe this is our fate" Isolde's voice rang in his ears and he looked towards her, his expression changed to a worried frown.

"No, don't say that, I won't let anything happen to you as long as I'm by your side" He tried to convince. A smile etched on Isolde's face as she spoke.

"You know, since i was little, I had never lived my life without fears. I grew up being too cautious, Mother wouldn't let me go anywhere else that wasn't the palace, the stream, or the market" She went silent for a few seconds while Tyrion listened to her before she continued.

"I don't blame mother though, she had her reasons. Dance was the only activity that made me feel alive" She said before she looked up at Tyrion.

"Until I met you" a deep and genuine smile formed on her face and Tyrion felt his heart ache in both excitement and worry.

"I am glad I could experience what being with a man you love feels like, I would die peacefully knowing I didn't resist my chance to be with someone like you Tyrion" She confessed, surprising Tyrion.

"Someone like me?" He asked.

"Yes, I don't know what is it about you but you are different." Tyrion's lips stretched to a fulfilling smile. He really wanted to kiss her but he needed to bail them out first.

"Save me the rest of these sweet talks for later, stop talking like it's the last time you would see me"  He said and they both giggled.

"Now let me get us out of here," He said before lifting himself up in the caravan, he tried peeping through the tiny hole in the box and he spotted who was riding them away, only that it was his back that was facing him. He lifted his hands up as he spotted a metal underneath the roof of the caravan, he tried cutting the rope with it but discovered that the metal was blunt. A realization seemed to strike him and he shifted closer to Isolde, I kept a knife in my trousers, try and help bring it out"

Isolde had the advantage of making use of her hands because hers were tied to her front. She struggled to tilt her body closer to Tyrion and her clustered hands began to ransack sluggishly. After a few seconds she decided the captors might have removed it and Tyrion's face almost fell not until he spotted the knife— it had slipped from his pocket onto the wood. He was sure the captors didn't notice it, hope lightened his facial features and he urged Isolde to pick up the knife which she did. She cut a strand of his rope and he loosened the rest before cutting hers as well. Suddenly, they were free from the rope's taunt, but to their surprise, the caravan stopped as soon as they were.

He felt the rider alighting and footsteps were heard approaching the box they were in afterwards. Isolde shifted closer to Tyrion and buried her head in his chest.