A/N: Guys!! I'm back!!
I am so excited to continue my story, and I really think you guys are going to like the next few chapters 😉
I'm not sure what day of the week I will upload each week, but I will be back to weekly updates!
Thank you so much for your patience, you guys are awesome and your encouragement is the reason that this story has gotten this far.
Enjoy!!!
............
...Before I could even think if it was a bad idea or not, my hand touched his.
Words couldn't describe what I felt when our skin touched. Maybe like electricity to the heart mixed with time stopping all at once. The tug in my chest pulled at me hard, but in a way I couldn't understand. As though I was pulled to a wall and made to stop at full force.
I was stunned. And looking at his expression, he could feel it too. His eyes were wide and his face flushed. I yanked my arm away fast, as quickly as I could and took a few steps back so he couldn't touch me again. My eyes were filled with tears.
"Sophia?" I shook my head. Stop, just stop. "Sophia, it's okay. Just let me out. We can figure it out. We'll escape-"
"WHO ARE YOU?" My outburst shocked us both. My hands covered my mouth. He looked crestfallen.
"I can't tell you. All I can say is that I have a spell placed on me, but as far as who we are to each other, I can't say a word about it."
I covered my face with my hands. "What the hell am I doing? How is this going to solve anything? I'm talking to a prisoner." And I don't know why he is down here.
"Is that-is that a ring?"
I looked up at him from my hands. If there was ever the perfect expression for heartbreak, he was it. His eyes were fixated on my hand. I felt self conscious suddenly and put my hand in my pocket to shield it from him.
"It is, yeah." I bit my lip, an odd feeling of guilt flooding me. "I can't take it off, only Adrian can. It's his..."
He seemed just as distraught as I was just moments before. "His ring, huh? What a vile man he is. Forcing you into marriage-"
"We aren't married." I said, frustrated. He was acting as if he knew everything. Though, I suppose he did. More than me, anyway.
His eyes widened at that. "You aren't married yet?"
"No, not yet."
There was an awkward long pause. "...Do you-do you love him?"
My face burned and my eyebrows shot up. "Where did that come from? Who even are you?" I huffed and turned around. He must have been worried I would try to leave again because I heard him sigh, as if thinking of what to say.
"Don't you want to know why that happened, when our hands touched?" I looked over my shoulder at him. He was holding onto the bars, looking at me expectantly. "I can't tell you everything right now, but don't lose hope. If you can just trust me, you will get the answers you want."
My eyebrows came together in a scowl. "Something may have happened when we touched, but that doesn't mean anything. I have no memory of you, at all. How am I supposed to trust you, or Ellen for that matter? In fact, I don't see why I should even think about trusting the two of you! You are literally behind bars! I did what Ellen asked, I found you. I'm done" I huffed, turning to go up the stairs.
"Sophia, wait!"
I reluctantly turned back to look at him. Something green caught my eye. "What is that?" I pointed at his wrist. "Where did you get that?"
He held up his hand, a thankful smile on his face. "A ribbon I made."
I shook my head. "That's mine. Adrian took it from me..." I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the ribbon. It was definitely mine. The satin green wasn't something I had seen before or since. This was all too much. Everything was more twisted than I thought it was.
"I know you are under a tremendous amount of stress, I understand it. But if you really want to know what's going on here, you're going to have to trust me. I'm a good guy, Sophia."
I sighed and sat down. I looked at him, really looked at him. He was looking right back at me with big brown eyes and the knot in my stomach went away, if only a little. I wanted to trust him, I really did. He seemed so sweet and calm, nothing like what I expected to find down in a scary dungeon. There was something about him though, that gave me alarm. It was like my body was warning me, telling me to stay away. And yet I couldn't help but want to be near him. I was starting to think that this pull that lead me down here was towards him, even though it didn't make any sense. Not a lick of what was happening made any sense.
"I'm not sure what is going on right now, and while every part of my brain is telling me not to, I really want to trust you." He gave me a lopsided grin and my heart fluttered again. "What?"
He sat down too, the straw crunching underneath him. He shook his head. "Nothing, it's just you've said something similar before."
I rolled my eyes. I did believe him, the fact that he couldn't speak of how he knows me. But that only made the situation that much more confusing. Why would Adrian house someone who he referred to as a traitor who knows of my past? And why would he take away Louis' ability to speak of our shared past.
What secrets did Adrian burry in this boy?
Just earlier today I was conflicted over Adrian, but just looking at this boy I felt butterflies that weren't just from fear.
What was wrong with me?
"Sophia?"
I blinked, my face flushing. Dang, he caught me spacing out, staring at him. "Yes!?"
He gave me a sad smile. "Tell me, why are you down here? Why did Ellen send you here?"
I looked at my hands. "A few days ago I tried to escape Adrian. But I failed. She is the only person I know to reach out to who can help me leave the castle." I sighed and played with my nails. "She said the only way she would help me is if I was able to find you and prove you are alive. So I came looking for you."
Louis shook his head, clearly annoyed. "I wish you hadn't gone to her. She isn't all that trustworthy."
I snorted. "Yeah, I figured that out. But she was my only option. I'm running out of time and...." And I wasn't able to resist Adrian all that much anymore.
"And?" He looked at me expectantly, his eyes wide.
I shook my head and sighed again, ready to change the subject. "I need proof that I found you alive, for Ellen."
"Hmm... What to tell her." His face scrunched up for a moment, as though he felt guilty for saying it to me. "Tell her that I'm alive, of course. And that I'm giving her a warning." I rolled my eyes but he looked serious. "Say the name Faust. She won't doubt you if you tell her that."
Um, what? Just as well, if that was all the proof I needed, then it was time for me to leave. I stood and he shot up from his seat as well. "Sophia, you're leaving?"
I nodded, uncomfortable. It felt wrong leaving him here, especially with those big brown eyes looking at me, but I didn't have a choice. Not when I had a particular king watching my every move.
"You'll come back, won't you?"
"You know who I am, right?" He nodded. "Then I am most definitely coming back, I just don't know when. I need to talk to Ellen and form a plan. But until then, just hang tight. The last thing we need is anyone finding out I came down here."
He nodded, but didn't look any less stressed. "Please be careful when it comes to her. We may need her, but I'm not sure what her intentions are. And don't trust Adrian. I don't know what he told you or has done to you, but please-"
I shook my head, my stomach feeling sick again. "Don't. You might know me, but I don't know who you are. I'll send the message to Ellen, and when the time is right, I'll be back."
He nodded. "I'll be here. I'll wait for your return."
............
I walked up the stairs in a daze. I didn't know what to make of what just happened. And while I genuinely believed that Louis couldn't speak about our past, I knew that I could always ask Ellen. And I would get something, some sort of answer if she wanted my help in any way. Louis was important to her, and I had a feeling our deal would include his freedom in some way.
There wasn't a guard again, which was good, but something was off. It was quiet, too quiet. All of the staff were gone.
"-Prepare the carriage for tomorrow morning. We leave at dawn." Adrian?!
He was just around the corner, a horde of maids and guards behind him. I pressed my body against the wall. Hopefully, if the Gods were on my side, he wouldn't see me in the stairwell to the dungeon.
"I want Sophia to be supervised at all times while I am away. I expected my order to be followed to the fullest extent."
What? What was he talking about?
"Yes, Your Highness."
He continued on, not pausing for even a moment. "And I want Jared to be given full instruction..." His voice faded off as he made his way down the hallway. I made a sigh of relief that he hadn't seen me, at least until I realized where he was heading.
I scrambled down the corridor, praying that I made it to the bedroom before he did.
I made it to his room without seeing or hearing him again. With my heart hammering, I opened the door to see a shocked Milly on the other side but no Adrian. I rested my back against the door after I closed it, my hands shaking. That was so close.
"Miss!"
I shook my head, putting a finger to my lips. With a tense body, I sprinted over to the bed and re-tied the chain as fast as I could. Just as I was fussing with my ankle the door opened.
Adrian looked at me with a raised eyebrow as he closed the door behind him. "You are still awake? It's very late, Sophia."
I nodded. I tried to suppress my heavy breathing. "Milly and I were just talking."
Adrian looked at her and the maid shivered. "I thought we discussed your role. Are you not to be looking at her best interests? Doesn't her health come first?"
She bowed her head. "Yes, my king."
"This is your last warning. You are dismissed." She nodded, and without giving me another glance, left the room. His eyes rested on me again. "I know you are fond of her, but you shouldn't let her become informal with you. She is just a maid."
Not to me. She is a friend. "Are you going to take her away from me?"
"Not if she behaves herself and does as she is told." I tried not to grind my teeth. He walked over to the bed and began to take his robes off. I turned away, but not before I saw him snicker. "Come, let's get ready for bed."
"Perhaps I should sleep in my chambers tonight. I'm not quite tired and I don't want to keep you up-"
I was interrupted by his hand snaking around my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "Don't get angry over a girl. Soon enough you'll find ladies within the court who you are more fond of, trust me." I clenched my jaw and he shook his head, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Besides, you aren't going to your chambers, not anymore, so you can get that idea out of your head now. But if you wish to stay up, my little prisoner, I can think of many ways to entertain you."
He was playing, I knew he was, but it didn't take away the arrogance of his words. I pushed at his chest, my face flushed. "Stop it. Do you think teasing me and threatening my maid will make me like you?"
His eyes smoldered and my stomach fluttered again. These men were making me ill, I swear.
"I'm not teasing, not even slightly. My offers have always been serious. You have been my queen as soon as I set my eyes on you. I am not waiting for the formality of the wedding. I'm waiting for you." My shoulders tensed. We weren't going to have this conversation.
After such a rollercoaster of a day, I wasn't in the mood for such a stupid conversation, one we seemed to have again and again.
"We've been over this. You know my answer. I don't want you, and I won't be willing. Not now, not after the wedding."
He shook his head. "You say this now, but I know you cannot deny the connection between us. Just hours ago you were happily in my arms. Soon enough you will accept me, and you won't regret it."
I pushed passed him, making way towards the bathroom and slammed the door. I could hear his laugh on the other side but I ignored it as I fumbled for the lock. To my surprise, however, there was no lock, and in just moments he was opening the door as if nothing had happened.
I tried to control my anger. I was mad at him, for hiding Louis in the basement and using my memory loss against me. Everything that was happening to me was his fault, and the worst part was I was getting more confused by the minute. I couldn't remember who I was, but I had this man that seemed to know everything and yet refused to tell me anything. He was forceful and brutish, and yet I couldn't help but be undeniably attracted to him. And when my heart sways just a little I find that he is hiding so much more than I thought.
How could I not be angry with him?
I huffed. "I need to get ready for bed."
He nodded. "Go right ahead." He reached for a toothbrush and ignored my glowering gaze. Whatever. If I couldn't escape him, then I would just do the next best thing.
Adrian's POV:
Sophia refused to look at him. She grabbed her toothbrush and brushed her teeth in record time. She then swiftly walked out of the room, yet again slamming the door on her way out.
After all the weeks he had been with her, he had never really witnessed her trowing a tantrum. He didn't expect his joke to upset her so much, but it couldn't be helped now. He would say what he wanted to, to whomever he wanted to, and that included Sophia.
She was already in bed when he finished cleaning up. With the blanket up to her ears and her body curled up in a little ball, she looked like a young girl. He shook his head and crawled into bed beside her. She stirred and shifted closer to the edge of the bed, if there was even any room left. At this rate she would roll on the floor if she wasn't too careful.
And he couldn't have that.
With a simple tug she was in his arms.
"Hey!-"
"Don't let a small argument ruin the day that we shared." She didn't respond. He was spooning her, holding her from behind and was unable to see her face. But he would bet anything she was glaring at the wall. She was so easy to read, every inch of her revealed what she was thinking. "I am leaving tomorrow," she tensed and he could practically see her ears flicker like a deer's. "And I would prefer not to leave with a tiff between us."
"...Where are you going?" There she was.
"Nowhere you need to concern yourself with. I will be gone tomorrow morning and until I return I expect you'll behave yourself."
She huffed. "I don't see what I could get into, being tied down like a dog." Such dramatics.
"Don't worry my love, that will change soon enough. Who knows, when I return I may have something grand for you." He gave a kiss to the top of her head. "Goodnight, Sophia."
............
Sophia's POV:
Ellen stood before me in an outfit that was pretty similar to that of my maids and I was honestly loving it. And not because the maid outfits were in any way ugly or any other negative adjective. But because she was so vain that she couldn't stand wearing anything that she considered second class, and she had no issue expressing her discomfort at every opportunity.
Before the sun had even finished rising, Adrian had woken me to give me a swift kiss goodbye before departing in his carriage to God knows where. But I wasn't going to waste any time thinking too much about what he had to do on a hurried mission with Jared. This was an opportunity that wouldn't come again. As soon as he was gone I sent Milly straight to Ellen with the message that it was now or never if she wanted to speak in person. And so here she was, scoffing at the proof I had for her.
She fussed with her skirt, still irritated that I insisted she wear some sort of disguise for the guards. She arrived as my new "seamstress" and was here for a fitting. Adrian had banned her from court, and while she wouldn't really be seen by anyone that would recognize her in this part of the castle, the guards Adrian had left to watch me weren't completely stupid. "Well, your majesty, Louis saying he is alive isn't substantial proof."
I nodded at her, a bit uncomfortable. "Well, that was what he asked me to tell you. He also wanted me to mention something else, though. The name Faust."
She visibly stiffened. "So he is alive then. Good." Her whole demeanor was off for a moment. She seemed venerable for a moment, maybe even happy. She recovered quite quickly though and turned sharp eyes towards me. "Is that all you had to tell me? You could have just left the message with Milly, you know."
What? "I thought we had a deal. I find your friend and you help me escape the castle."
She rolled her eyes. "The deal that we made was flimsy at best. I only asked you for help because I thought you might have some recollection of Louis. Or at least heard whispers about where he could be." She fluffed her skirts yet again before taking a seat on the leather sofa. "I honestly doubted you would find him with that memory loss you have and all."
"Yeah, about that, what past does Louis and I share?"
She looked a bit surprised at me. "If he wasn't inclined to tell you I don't see why I should say anything. It's better you don't remember anyway. Just enjoy your ignorance and move on."
"No, I want to know what is happening."
"It's better that you don't know, trust me. I was surprised to find that you had no recollection of me when I found you in the garden. if I'm being honest I was a bit disappointed. I thought for sure you would have chewed me out and kept Louis all to yourself."
"So that's why you were at the garden that day. If you searched me out why didn't you ask me to help you find him then? I could have been long gone by now!"
"Because I don't like you. And without your memory you are pretty useless to me, aren't you?" She played with her nails, her attention hardly in the conversation.Maybe it was a blessing I had forgotten her. I can only imagine the kind of headaches this woman gave me in the past.
"Listen, I need to leave the castle, you need your friend freed. We can help each other."
"We could, but there is a large risk. We would almost definitely fail." She paused as she looked me over again. "And while the king is willing to forgive you again and again, I am not so lucky."
"Don't you want to save your friend?"
"I can't save him if I'm dead. The only way I will help is if you offer something worth my while."
I crossed my arms. "You are being ridiculous. Fine, I'll find help on my own."
She gave me a look over with a smirk so sarcastic it looked like it hurt her face. "You think you can get away from Adrian on your own? When will you learn your lesson?"
Gggrrrrrr. I wanted to punch her in her smug face so bad. "Listen. I don't get why you hate me so much but you aren't roses and sunshine yourself. Fine, I need you, are you happy? When this is all finished, we won't have to look at each other again, not ever. How does that sound?"
She shook her head with a smile. "You couldn't have offered anything better." She stuck her hand out for a shake, but then quickly took it back. "Actually, there is one thing. You have to promise to stay away from Louis as well. Then I'll help you."
My brows came together. I didn't like her. It was official. She was someone who played with other people. Used their emotions against them to get what she wanted. This jerk knew that Louis and I had some sort of past together, and not only was she not willing to give me any details, she was going to prevent me from getting any from him.
But what was worse? Continuing to live in the dark, unaware of my past, or live in the dark in a cage?
I stuck my hand out for a shake. "You have a deal."
She smiled at her victory and shook my hand. "Now then, let's make a plan, shall we?"