P R E V I O U S L Y
He snatched the blindfold off the woman, and she blinked her eyes, adjusting to the light. The colour left her face as she saw her family, shackled and held captive.
It was my daughter, Verona.
WEDGEMORE, NORMOUNT.
TRISTAN
"PLEASE..." I HEARD A HEARTBROKEN sob, and a small hand tugged at my cloak. A whimper broke from the golden haired child's lips as her purple eyes dripped with tears. She clutched my cloak, hiding herself in it.
"Hey," I whispered, dropping to my knees so that my eyes were level with hers.
She just let out another pained cry, clutching her hands to her chest, looking lost.
"Please don't hurt me..." she whispered.
"I'm not going to hurt you," I said softly, in the gentlest voice I could muster. Tenderly, I reached out to examine the arm that I had heard crack, but she flinched from me, falling to the ground and scraping her knees.
"Please," she mumbled, tearing up again as scars opened in her hands. "The purple lord beat me... please, please don't..."
"I don't beat little girls, child," I said softly. She curled up into a ball, tucking herself between her knees as I took off my cloak. Carefully, I draped it over her thin shoulders, wrapping it around her securely to prevent her from getting cold.
"I can't... please, no," she hiccuped, pleading me with tear stained eyes.
"Shh. I won't let anyone hurt you," I promised, quietly putting a hand under her knees and picking her up effortlessly. She was too undernourished and sickeningly frail.
The child wept harder, finally tucking her golden head into my chest, and I gently soothed her, letting her cry into the crook of my neck.
"Eros, free the rest of them and have them accompany us back to Stormholt," I ordered curtly, nodding to the other women on the stage.
"You cannot free all of them, Tristan," he coaxed, trying to make me understand his twisted logic.
"Watch me," I growled, giving him a final order as I turned to my retinue of guards. "See it done."
Quivering to the nines, the little girl slowly raised her head from between my shoulders, eyes still red with remorse and shame.
"I'm sorry you had to get hurt instead of me," she tearfully mumbled, pressing a hand to the blood still staining my cheek over the cut that had long since healed.
"It's alright," I murmured, rocking her softly, my heart filled with pity. I quietly put a hand on her head and she clutched me tighter, letting herself rest on my shoulder. "What is your name?" I asked gently.
"My name?" the girl looked up, peeking out from behind her fingers which were streaked with tears and grime. "They call me Miriel," she whispered.
• • • • •
ARCTON FORTRESS, RIMEBAY, VERTGATE.
ERIC
The panic I'd been feeling now turned to actual fear and dread, now that my family was in immediate danger of being hurt.
"Father!" she cried, as I shot her a glare to stay where she was. Her eyes widened with fear as the guards behind her gave her a push, and she struggled to break free, hands straining against the bonds that held them.
"Verona!" Amphitrite whined tearfully, "not her, you bastard," she tried to bite Favian's hand as he snuck it out of the way. "Not my daughter!"
"Quiet, Amphitrite," he hissed, "or I mutilate her in front of your eyes. You wouldn't like to attend your daughter's funeral so soon, would you now, cousin?"
"Now, now, now," Emerick clasped his hands with a smile, shushing everyone. "All of you stay quiet and do what I say and no one needs to get hurt."
"YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!" I stormed, and my skin turned blacker from where the Ekrite dug into it.
"Now, you be quiet, Eric, or I will gag you," Emerick threatened.
"You need not do anything to him. These three women will be enough," Elias leered, pointing to Vanessa, Amphitrite and Verona.
"You-"
"-Shut up, your Grace," Emerick clamped a hand over my mouth. "Now, girl, come here," he beckoned to my daughter, as her sky blue eyes looked at me listlessly with fear.
I imperceptibly nodded to Verona, and she fearfully took a few steps forward.
"Now, you will do as I say or your family gets hurt, Verona," Emerick continued, as she gulped. "Starting with your mother, then your aunt, and then your father."
"Please - don't -" she whimpered, tears filling her eyes.
"Now, now, don't cry, lovely girl," he said, wiping a tear off her cheek. She closed her eyes in helplessness.
"Please... let them go," Verona begged.
"I will, sweet girl," Emerick said. "Only if you do as I say. I will let them go, unharmed. Take the others," he beckoned to the three of us. "And chain them somewhere even King Tristan can't find them."
"You're not taking my daughter away from me!" I raged, trying to strife against Elias, who was busy dragging me out of the hall with the help of five more guards.
"Oh yes, I am," Emerick leered. "I am, Eric. I'm going to use your daughter to trick Edwina into thinking Amphitrite is unwell. Then I'm going to Stormholt and lure her here. And then," he grinned, "I'm going to kill Edwina Tremayne."
"Please..." Verona whispered, "please... Edwina is my aunt. I can't-"
"-oh, you can," Favian laughed cruelly. "You are going to help me do it," he snapped, then beckoned to the rest of us.
The guards dragged us out of the hall, but all was lost amidst my cries for my daughter.
• • • • •
I'm sorry for the short chapter, but I'm very sure I'll update again tomorrow! I'm just too damn excited!! COG got its first ranking at #20 today! There are literally tears in my eyes rn, COG has never ranked before this ❤❤ I keep seeing that #20 and feel as if I'm in a dream! Also, where have you seen Miriel before? Trust me, you have :)