The hall they're in. This is what it roughly looks like. The drama in this chapter takes place at the left long table, closer by the door. The third mini table in the left column.
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She hears the ruckus a long way away. Before she even approaches the hall they're in. Apparently someone got cut and they need her to come inspect the wound. She hates crowds. She really does. Specially when they're all higher than her in rank and she's the servant. She doesn't belong here and she can't shake her sudden social anxiety. When she reaches the hall she almost backtracks. It's crowded, 3 long tables filled with people talking and laughing. She stops by the door, in the shadows. She turns around and stops, her fear is telling her to leave. To not go in.
"are you the physician?" someone asks and she sharply turns around to face a woman.
"yes" she says, clutching her bag in her hand tightly.
"this way" she says and walks in the hall. Bell has no choice but to follow.
She leads her to a group sitting by the table.
"sir she's here to inspect your wound" the woman says and a man turns around. His hair black and his face attractive. He stops laughing as he inspects her. His eyes running down her body. Bell sees the cut as soon as she approaches him. It's on his forehead. He's pressing against it with white fabric while he chats away. The whole group stops stalking as they watch her. Curious.
She approaches him and puts her bag on the table. He leans back and stares at her, an amused look on his face. She removes his hand from the white fabric and she pulls it away to reveal the cut. It doesn't need stitches. She opens her bag and gets to work. She puts alcohol on a piece of fabric and she goes to clean his cut when someone says
"This is her"
She looks up and looks at Alice, James's sister. She didn't even notice Alice when she came in. She's part of the group. A little further away from them but to her luck she stands up and sits across from her.
"The girl?" someone asks "you're kidding"
Bell knows what they're referring too. She ignores her and starts wiping his cut clean.
"who knows where James is now" she says bitterly "lost or worst"
"James is a strong man" someone says "he'll find his way"
"I just can't believe his highness would punish him so harshly for trying to rape her" she says "I heard he didn't even actually do it"
She wants to disappear. She finishes cleaning the cut with shaky hands and she starts to get the gauze to bandage it. She wants to get out of here.
"He must have been really desperate" she spits out
"I don't know" the injured man slowly says as he stares at her "I would rape her too"
She ignores the nausea that just spread through her.
"You wouldn't have too" a girl says "she'll sleep with you. Won't you Bluebell?"
she ignores them all.
Finish your job and leave, come on.
Suddenly he spanks her thigh as he says "she's talking to you"
she gasps, backing away from him. Disgust and fear on her face. She's shocked. How dare he touch her?
They laugh loudly at her reaction, finding it hilarious. He stops laughing and says "alright alright" he raises his hands "come back"
She only stares at him. Her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling. She tries very hard to keep her face stoic. To not show weakness. She won't show them that they're getting to her.
She reluctantly walks to him again and puts the gauze on his wound. She tapes it and almost releases a sigh of relief. She's done. She starts to move away from him but he grabs her wrist. Holding her in place.
"nothing to say?" he asks.
"she's just shy" someone says
"to hell with that" he says, smirking up at her "lets un-shy her"
"let go" her shaky voice says and he laughs "what was that?"
"let go" she says again, her voice louder.
"or what?"
she yanks on her wrist "let go of me" she demands
he pulls her harshly down so that her face is closer to his "or what?" he asks again, his breath almost fanning against her face. Her face contorts in disgust and she pulls away from him with all her might, feeling disgusting and violated. He suddenly lets go and to her embarrassment she falls back, her body slamming hard on the ground.
"Oufff" and "Ouch" they say as she groans in pain on the ground. She hears them laugh and her eyes sting. Suddenly somebody pulls her up on her feet in one quick motion.
"Are you alright?" Richard asks, his voice soft and low. She's confused, blinking her eyes repeatedly. She leans against him, unable to stand on her two feet. His left arm is wrapped around her and his hand is gripping her left one while his other hand is holding her right elbow, steadying her.
"what's going on here?" a loud voice asks, making the whole hall go quite. Bell's heart is beating in her ears. She feels weak.
Arthur is here, Luke by his side. His eyes move to Bell and she notices his eyes narrow slightly at the sight of her and Richard. She doesn't have time to read into it because his eyes move away as soon as they land on her. The group has gone quite.
"nothing" Alice says
"it doesn't look like nothing to me"
"I'm sure she just tripped Arthur" Katia suddenly says. Bell is dizzy. Where did Katia come from? They must have come in together. The four of them.
"Did she now?" he asks, his voice not loosing the volume or dominance "did she trip on the ground?"
he looks at a man sitting and he says "Did she trip on the ground?"
he looks down and says "I didn't see"
Bell is starting to gain her bearings again. The shock of the fall is starting to fade, making her feel the pain more acutely and making her brain conscious again. She wants to say something. She should say something.
"well it's a good thing I did then isn't it?" he asks, looking around at them. Daring them to speak up.
"We were just messing with her-" someone defends but he cuts him off "and who gave you permission to 'mess' with my workers?" he snaps
They all stay quite but they're pissed. They're seething. Suddenly the idea of them killing her is not so absurd at all. She wishes Arthur would just drop it and leave.
"No one is going to say anything?" he asks and looks at the dark haired man "lost your tongue?"
The man's nose flares and he clenches his jaws in anger. He doesn't like to be scolded in front of everyone. Arthur is about to move when the man suddenly stands up. Arthur stops and stares at him in amusement as the man steps closer to him. Luke looks alert suddenly, ready to jump in front of Arthur if need be. Richard looks wary more than anything. His arms still holding her and his brows furrowed as he stares at the commotion. The whole hall has gone awfully quite as Arthur and the man stare each other down.
"I will not be ridiculed for a maid" he grinds his teeth in anger
"You just were" Arthur raises an eyebrow, unfazed by his anger "and I don't like this behavior towards my workers"
"She's not any worker!" says Alice suddenly "she's the reason James is on his own god knows where!"
Arthur inches closer towards her "the reason your brother isn't here is because he can't keep his dick under control"
Bell flinches as Arthur smiles at Alice's obvious, red faced embarrassment.
"kicking him out was my chosen punishment for him" he says, his voice louder "you'd do well to remember that"
Arthur stares at them for a second then turns around to walk away when they hear someone say "you've gone soft Arthur"
Arthur stops, his back rigid. Bell's heart beats in her ears as she stares at them.
He turns around and says "what'd you just say to me?"
"you're choosing a maid over your friends" the black haired man says again "you have gone soft"
Arthur's face is emotionless but then a smile spreads on his face. A smile that makes her shudder and goosebumps to rise all over her body. That's not a smile, that's a warning. Arthur walks closer to him slowly, intimidating everyone in the hall except for the black haired suicidal idiot.
"I'll give you one chance to repent for that" Arthur says, his eyes unmoving from the man's eyes
The man stays quite and Arthur raises his eyebrows.
"Arthur-" the man starts to say but suddenly the whole room gasps as Arthur's hand shoots out and grips the man's throat and shoves him against the wall.
"wrong" grits out Arthur as his grip tightens on his throat "It's King Arthur to you or His highness and I am not your friend. I have no friends" Hisses Arthur, his face inches away from the man's.
"Oh my god" says Katia, half the hall has stood up. Everybody is catching their breath. Frozen in fear.
"shall I remind you that you are a guest in my castle and if I tell you to back off of someone, you back off like the dutiful servant that you are"
The man lets out chocked noises as he struggles against Arthur. Bell is too shocked to say a thing. Her throat has forgotten how to emit noise. She tries to no vail. Richard lets go of her quickly and walks closer to Arthur.
"Arthur" he whispers "you're gonna kill him"
Arthur shrugs "I know"
"don't"
"I don't know" says Arthur, a smirk on his face "I think he hasn't learned his lesson yet"
"He's gonna die" says Richard, his voice more panicked
"Do something!" Alice shouts at Katia but Katia doesn't say a thing. She doesn't even look upset. She presses her lips tighter and doesn't move an inch
"Stop him!" Alice tries again
Katia stays quite.
"Arthur you've proved your point, let go of him" demands Richard, his voice an inch louder.
"He'll let go of him when he wants to let go of him" says Luke, a sneer on his face. Richard gives Luke the coldest stare ever and Arthur sighs at the staring competition happening between them.
Arthur turns towards Richard and looks at his distress with boredom. His eyes move from Richard to her, standing behind him with her eyes wide and horrified. He lets go of the man and the whole hall takes in a deep breath as the man starts breathing again.
Arthur's fist shoots out and punches the man in the stomach, he doubles over in pain and Arthur grabs him by the neck again to say "have I gone soft now?" against his ear. He lets go and the man drops to the ground.
He looks at Richard and says "kick him" but Richard doesn't move. He stays still, staring at Arthur.
"no?" asks Arthur and Richard looks down. Arthur shrugs and turns to Luke who just smiles "my pleasure"
"Arthur you've done enough" Katia's voice suddenly rings out in the hall
Luke hesitates. He glances at Arthur but Arthur just says "Have I asked you to stop?"
Luke walks over to the man and Arthur says "break a rib"
They all hear the crack and Bell turns her face away, tears threatening to slide down her face.
Arthur turns to the hall says "let this be a lesson to all of you"
Richard steps closer to her.
"I am not your friend" his voice rings loudly in the hall, echoing off the walls "I am your King and you will all treat me that way"
His eyes run across everyone in the room and lastly connects with hers. His eyes soften just a fraction as he stares at her. But her eyes stay narrowed, stay afraid and disgusted. She even inches away from his eyes. She can't believe this just happened. She glances at the man on the ground, her hands itching.
"Come on. I'll walk you out" Richard says
Bell can't help but look at the man "what about-"
"They'll help him up" he says "come on"
Bell tries to walk but her legs suddenly feel weak and he grabs her, his arms wrapped around her as they walk out. Arthur watches them go.
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So much drama...It's like a soap opera.
Quick update huh?
I wrote it so I thought why not just post It. If I regret it later, I'll deal with it.
I'm trying to write the coming chapters in advance so hopefully the updates aren't as slow as they usually are.
Hope you enjoy this little chapter (not really little, it's 2000 words)
-P.p { |6:01 Pm Abu Dhabi Time| 14,09,2018 (Friday) }