To say that she was distracted these couple of days would be an understatement. After talking to Katia, John and Luke, they're still where they started. With Arthur gone and Luke still in prison. She knows this has nothing to do with her but she can't help waking up and sleeping worrying about Luke and his impending execution. It's been two days since Luke was first admitted into prison and she still doesn't know what to do about. Granted, she most likely can't do anything about it anyway. This is a castle with a hierarchy and powerful individuals with agendas. Who is she to interfere? What did Luke say that day? You're probably dragging enough attention as it is. It's best for her to just leave this get fixed on it's own and stay out of and away from it and if Bell had any self preservation skills at all, she wouldn't be walking to Richard's room right now.
She knocks on his door and waits. He opens it in seconds and he says "BlueBell. What can I do for you?"
"he didn't do it"
He sighs, walking back inside the room. She follows him in, closing the door after her.
"How do you know?"
"because he likes her" she says "he might even love her...he wouldn't rape her"
"Maybe that's why he did" he shrugs "he's been longing for her too long and finally snapped"
Bell wants to say that he couldn't have been longing for something that he already had but Luke's request was loud and clear.
"What about his highness?"
"What about him?"
"you said it yourself" she says "He needs Luke"
he shrugs "Arthur can survive without anyone"
"But they're friends" she says "he should be here"
"Didn't you hear him that day?" Richard asks "he has no friends"
Bell seriously wants to slap Arthur for saying shit he doesn't mean.
"I think he was just saying that-"
"he wasn't" Richard says "Trust me. Arthur's only friend is the crown. He feels nothing for anyone"
Arthur has been doing nothing but feeling the minute she got here. She honestly doesn't get how people keep saying that he's unfeeling and unattached to anyone. He's attached to everyone. He's attached to his mom, to Luke, to her even.
"fine" she says "What about Luke himself?"
"he's getting what he deserves"
"But he hasn't done anything!"
"Bell even if he did you'd forgive him" he shrugs "that's the kind of person you are"
Bell scoffs softly. No it really isn't. If she believed Luke really did rape her, she wouldn't be running around trying to save him. Bell believes in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You deserve to be killed if you killed. Period.
"he didn't do it Richard" she says slowly
"There's a witness"
Bell stops.
"what?"
Richard just shrugs.
"What witness?"
"a maid" he says "she saw it happen and testified"
"What if they made her testify?" she asks "It's possible isn't it?"
He sighs "Bell just stay out of it"
" -Let me talk to her" she begs "Please. Five minutes with me and I'll know for sure-"
"no"
"please Richard" she says "a man's life is on the line here-"
"She's gone" he says and Bell's hope dies a little
"Where did she go?" she asks desperately
"She left. She testified then she quit"
"that's awfully convenient don't you think?" says Bell dryly
"you're grasping at straws"
"Richard he didn't do it" she says again "he didn't. You're going to murder an innocent person"
"He's hardly innocent Bell" Richard says "If there's one man worst than Arthur, it's Luke. He's even more ruthless than Arthur is. He lives off of shedding blood. He's a tyrant"
"then convict him for being a tyrant!" she says "of raping Katia he's innocent"
"maybe he is" he says "but if accusing him of something he didn't do will lock him up than it's worth it"
She shakes her head. She doesn't agree with this at all.
"the ends never justify the means"
"sometimes they do"
"they never" she says "this is wrong"
he shakes his head "there's nothing I can do about it Bell" he says softly "I have no power. The court is in charge"
"Can I vouch for him in court?"
Richard smiles "it's better if you don't. Besides, you're nobody. Your words won't mean anything"
She looks away, her frustration catching up with her.
"thank you" she says "for your time"
"I'm sorry Bluebell" he says "Sometimes you just have to let nature take its course"
She nods, walking out the room and closing the door behind her. She presses her back against the door, closing her eyes tightly. She takes in a deep breath and she starts walking towards the back door of the castle. She's walking against the walls, trying to stay hidden from everyone. Something stops her. She narrows her eyes, listening to something. She follows the noise further into the castle. She's walking in a dark corridor and the noise is getting closer and closer. Her heart starts beating faster. She already feels her eyes stinging as her heart hammers mercilessly in her chest.
Please please please
She reaches the end of the corridor and peaks out from behind the wall. Her heart stops. He's here. He's right here.
Arthur.
He's standing in the middle of an empty court, talking with a group of men. He has a bag on his back and he looks a little unkept. He must have just returned. She releases a breath she never realized she was holding as her brain takes him in. The anxiety of the past days seep right out of her, leaving her fighting a sudden urge to cry from relief. She suddenly feels so so tired. She closes her eyes as she rubs her face.
"My god..." she whispers, her body shaking. She opens her eyes and looks back out towards them only to catch his eyes. Her heart jolts and she pushes herself back behind the wall.
"Shit" she whispers. She promptly turns around and starts walking away only to stop. Her heart is beating so fast and so irregularly that it's causing her actual discomfort.
"Bell?" he asks, his voice uncertain as he steps into the darkness of the corridor. She presses her eyes closed, cursing.
Don't Bluebell. Don't you dare.
She turns around, facing him. He's here. He's really here. She blinks through her blurry eyes as a sudden, overwhelming feeling overcomes her senses.
Don't you fucking dare Bluebell. Don't you fucking-
She goes to him, visibly fighting off tears now. He watches her, his chest rising and falling visibly in the darkness. To both of their absolute shock, she slams her body against him as she hugs him desperately, crying against him. His arms go around her instantly, pressing his face on the top of her head as her body starts shaking against him.
"hey" he says softly
"oh my god" she sobs softly "Thank god you're here I can't believe that you're here I've been going crazy-"
"hey it's okay-"
she shakes her head
"I've been trying to reach you for days-"
"I'm here now" his arms tighten around her shaking figure. He strokes her hair "I'm here now"
"I'm so glad you're here" she whispers, tightening her arms around him. She wants to keep hugging him but she pushes herself away to look up at him.
"Luke's been arrested" she blurts out " Katia says he rapped her but I don't think he did I think he's innocent and now they're demanding an execution-"
"All these tears for him?" he teases "If you weren't this upset, I would've gotten jealous"
"that's not funny" she says but she smiles nonetheless
"I know Bell" he says softly, sobering up
She blinks at him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand "you do?"
"Of course I do" he says "I gave the order"
Bell backs away from him instantly "what?"
"I had too" he says
"But you have to do something" she says urgently, still reeling from the shock "he didn't do it"
"But he did do something else didn't he?"
Bell stops. She knows what he means.
"he was having a relationship with her" she says softly and Arthur says "behind my back"
"they want him dead"
"and the court will make sure she gets what she wants" he says "she's swearing up and down. Her whole family is behind her"
"She's lying!"
"of course she's lying!" he says "I warned him to stay away from her! I've warned him a thousand times about the type of woman she is-"
She didn't realize it before but Arthur is hurt. He's angry at Luke. This isn't good. Arthur doesn't think straight when he's angry.
"you have to go see him"
"I'm not going near him"
"it's Luke!" she says "It's your friend!"
"He betrayed me"
"He fell in love!" she says "You of all people should know how that feels"
He stops and almost steps back as he stares at her.
"You did not just throw that at me" he says quietly
She wants to pull out her hair in frustration.
"Oh my-Arthur I have been running around for days" she says, stepping closer to him. Urging him to understand "I have been running around nonstop-you have to do something. You have to do something. Please Arthur-"
He suddenly pulls her back against him when her breathing starts to get heavier.
"shhhh" he soothes "Breath Bell"
"you have to go see him" she begs against his chest "please go see him-"
He sighs deeply "fine" he says "fine if that's what you want....Stop crying"
She presses herself against him for a while, her heart beat slowly starting to match his steady one. She suddenly realizes what she's doing and she pushes herself away.
She wipes her face, shaking her head "I'm sorry-"
"don't be" he says quickly
she shakes her head, looking down as embarrassment washes over her "I'm so sorry..."
"Don't be Bell" he reaches out for her face but she steps back, looking down. He drops his hand, stepping back from her. She shuts her eyes tightly as she slaps herself mentally in her head.
You idiot
she sniffs softly and looks up at him "I-"
he shakes his head "It's fine Bell"
She looks down, feeling guilty.
"You should go rest..." she says softly "you must be tired-"
"never too tired for you"
She thinks she felt her heart literally break inside of her. She gives him a small smile but it just looks sad more than anything else. She starts to back away.
"I should go" she says then turns around and starts walking away from him. For the millionth time, Arthur watches her walk away and disappear in the distance. He fists his hand, digging his nails into his palm.
---------------------------------------------
:)
You love me.
-19, 11, 2018 (5:42 am)