A Dance Of Twilight: (A Fae Dark Fantasy Romance Stand-Alone )

Chapter 32

I’d felt heartbreak before when Nicholas left me the first time. But this—this feeling wasn’t like that. This wasn’t something I was familiar with. As I felt my chest practically cave in on itself, waves upon waves of grief took over my body. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. Slipping down towards the floor, I heaved over, coughing and crying. Sobbing—I was sobbing.

Would I be stuck here for years to come in a marriage that wouldn’t amount to anything? Even companionship didn’t seem to be on the table. In a split second of words I shouldn’t have said, I realised my mistakes.

I didn’t know what I wanted until it was removed completely from me. I would be alone in this world. Nicholas’s sisters would continue to build some form of friendship with me. Until they found out that I’d hurt their brother. I highly doubted they would want to speak with me after all this.

I couldn’t stay here.

And I couldn’t go home.

I needed to be free of this place, of these walls.

Gathering what courage and little strength I had remaining, I lifted myself up on wobbly legs and headed towards the stables.

Twilight was fast approaching. If I managed to secure a horse before the stable hands changed over, I’d be out of here in no time. With the jewellery I wore—gifts from Morgana—I could use them to secure a room somewhere until I could decide where to go from there.

I wasn’t welcome here—not really. I would become a burden and a wife who kept herself locked away in some tower. This wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. I still craved that adventure. The woods still called to me each and every night.

Escaping and running away would be for the best. Especially for Nicholas. He would no longer need to marry me, or a need to be friendly towards me in public settings. He could be free. Free of the burden I was to him. Free to find someone that would care for him.

With determination and a strong will on my side , I snuck off to the stables carefully to avoid any of the wandering staff as they left to change over. It was unusual for a castle to have two different sets of staff—a set for the day and a set for the night. Apparently Nicholas’s family was different. They wanted their staff to be well rested and ready for the day.

The mare from Nicholas, whom I named Eira—meaning snow—neighed in greeting as I stepped towards her gate. Hesitating, I wondered if it would be a good idea to take her. She would be easily recognised with her white hair coat and stunning blue eyes.

“I’m sorry, girl, I wish I could take you with me, but it”s best for you to stay here.”

She huffed as I kissed her sweet nose. Turning away from her, a sigh left my lips. I hadn”t had long to bond with her, but I would terribly miss her. I selected one of the horses from the other box stalls that was ready and tacked for a ride. I assumed she was a guard”s horse, one that was prepared for this evening”s patrol. I took one of the cloaks hanging over the stall, along with a satchel and an empty flask. They had little provisions, but they would do for the time being.

Once mounted, we quickly and quietly exited the stable, heading down the back pathway. It was one of the paths Morg showed me the other day. Once the castle lights were dim in the distance, I lightly tapped my ankles into the horse’s side, and we took to a gallop.

There hadn”t been any guards stationed around the castle grounds borders. Perhaps Nicholas was such a terrifying king, no one dared enter his lands. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if that were the case. A king was supposed to be scary. Or at least that’s what Norok would believe after reading stories of our grandparents.

Slowing down to a trot, I pulled the cloak up closer around my head. I could only hope and pray to the Goddess that no one would jump out and try to harm me or my horse. Perhaps there would be an inn somewhere nearby. I just hoped they would take jewellery as payment.

Darkness set with the rising moon, making me grow more anxious, wondering if this was a bad idea after all. If I turned back now, I could possibly make it back without anyone noticing I’d left, or make up some excuse about getting lost on the grounds.

Shaking the thought from my head, I pushed onwards. This was for the greater good. I could do this. I’d read enough books to know that this is what you did. To start an adventure one must leave the comforts they clung to.

We had been travelling for hours riding through rain when we finally came across a small village. It wasn”t the city I believed I was heading to, but a rather quiet, unsettling place.

Although fear was telling me to keep moving, I desperately needed to rest. It had already been a long journey. I wasn”t accustomed to riding this long, especially at night in the rain. Under my skirts I could feel the dirt and mud caked up the length of my legs. My feet were frozen, as were my hands. Perhaps I should have changed first before making my escape, or at least grabbed a pair of gloves.

Coming across a stone building, I could hear a rather loud ruckus coming from it. I assumed it was a tavern and I hoped, begged, and prayed to the Goddess of Light to help me in my hour of need. Dismounting my horse, I tied her to the guard rail outside then made my way in.

No one seemed to pay attention to me as I walked in. They all had their eyes glued on a practically naked woman. Heat rushed to my face as the woman danced provocatively by candlelight with feathered fans surrounding her I hoped this was an inn and not some type of brothel.

“Are you lost, m’lady?”

A barmaid nearly scared me half to death as she stepped beside me, her hand holding a tray of empty jugs against her hip. She was quite a sight. Her teeth blackened by Goddess knows what, with a hair almost as messy as a bird’s nest. My eyes were drawn to her rather revealing dress. The dress held up her breasts in such a way it made them stand up at eye level to me. I feared if she breathed too heavily, she would be exposed.

“Eh…I’d like to enquire about a room for the night, please?”

“Oh, rather polite aren’t we—I shall see what we can do.”

She disappeared into a back room for a few minutes, leaving me to fidget nervously. I”d never been in a place like this. The barmaid reappeared with another woman trailing behind her. This one dressed much fancier than the other, cleaner too with hair beautifully pinned to the side. She smiled at me as she looked me up and down.

“I heard you need a room, Miss?”

“Eh. Miss Talia.”

I didn’t wish to use my real name, for fear of someone following my tracks. Ideally this would only be a pit stop to rest my aching limbs and warm up. I’d head back out at first light to figure out my next move.

“Miss Talia, we have only one room to spare, you see many that travel to see Lady Jezebel dance. I can set you up with a hot meal and some fresh clothes, but it will cost you.”

The well-dressed lady spoke as if she were tutored most of her life. Her accent certainly was not from around here. I swore I could hear a hint of my own lands in her voice. Her skin was tanned and shined in the candlelight. Though she had a beautiful face, her eyes told a different story— cunning, as if she had another idea in mind.

Pulling my diamond earrings from my ears, I gladly handed them to her. The woman’s face lit up as if she’d won at life. She made quick work to take me upstairs and show me to my boarding room. It wasn’t as large as I was used to, but it would do for now.

“I will make sure you don”t get disturbed, my lady. I will send up one of my girls with your food and the bath is just through that door.”

She left me to it then, and I fell onto the bed with a sigh. Tears tried to escape as I thought back to Nicholas. Was I perhaps acting rash and stupid by running away? Shaking my head, I began to remove my shoes and stockings along with the damp cloak. Regretting what I was doing wouldn”t help anything.

A short time later a knock came to the door, then a young girl entered with a tray of food and a jug—assumingly my drink. She didn’t seem any older than Talia, much too young to be working here that was for sure.

“Mistress gave me these, my lady. A fresh change of clothes and she said you should lock the door when I leave. Just to be extra safe. She said your horse will be placed into our paddock to stay warm.”

Thanking her kindly as she left, I demolished the food without really taking a breath. I didn’t realise how hungry I was but I’d escaped just before dinner was served.

Nicholas was sure to notice my absence by now, but likely assumed I was hiding out in my rooms, especially after our conversation. After eating, I took a look at the clothes the girl had brought me. They were somewhat simple but would be warmer for the road ahead.

The room seemed very dated, and the bed was not at all comfortable. I wondered how many had slept here before me and a shudder ran through my spine. I wondered how many had died or been killed here, too. I tried not to stare too hard at the suspicious stains on the floor.

I’d have loved a hot bath to help ease my aching muscles, but there was no such thing in a place like this. Instead, I managed to wash a little using the water in the basin. Even if the water did not stay warm for long, I was grateful to wash the mud from my hands and legs.

Laying down onto the bed afterwards, I made sure to use the cloak as a blanket. I dared not sleep under the sheets. The thought alone sent another shudder through my body. I tried desperately to fall asleep, to close my eyes, but sleep refused to come.

It would not arrive as much as I begged it to.

After a couple of hours, I was awoken to the sound of the door handle being shaken. Loud banging and shouting came from the hallway. I sat up right, quickly taking a hold of the candlestick next to me. Not a weapon at all but better then nothing. Perhaps I could use it to burn the intruder. The door caved in, falling to the floor and revealing not just one intruder but three others. All three were peering at me from the darkness of the hall.

The front Fae was plump and round, as if he ate all the pies in the kitchen and left not a crumb behind. He licked his lips, looking me up and down. I was prepared for sleep, laying in my undergarments and a camisole. In came the other two, one stopping to lift the door up from the floor and plonking it back into the doorway. Whatever good it would do now as it was clearly broken. I could feel my body trembling with fear.

Standing up quickly, I brandished the candle out in front of me as if it was a sword. All three of the intruders bellowed out deep, taunting laughs.

“I heard once ya taste a lady’s cunt it’s the best ya ever had.”

I could hear my heart racing in my chest as I tried to step back a little more, bumping into the half broken bedside table as I did. The second one, a taller skinny male with crooked teeth flipped a dagger up and down in his hand and the one who fixed the door crossed his arms, blocking the only exit out of here.

“I’ll scream,” I said loudly, trying to come across stronger than I was.

“Please do. I love it when ya ladies scream,” the skinny one purred, licking his lips. I felt bile trying to raise up.

“I wanna taste her first.”

The fatter one lunged at me and I screamed as I quickly stepped back out of the way. I hadn’t realised that I was now closer to the skinny one as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. As he lifted me off of the ground, I dropped the candlestick to the floor.

“NO—NO!”

Tears threatened my eyes as I was then thrown face down onto the bed. I could hear the sound of the skinny one’s belt buckle come loose. I watched the fat one come to stand in front of me, undoing his own belt, and exposing himself completely to me.

My eyes widened as I cried, screamed, and kicked. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening. I felt the skinny one lean down onto my back as he licked a path up my neck and nipped at my ears.

“You will like this,” he whispered in my ear.

I shut my eyes tightly, begging, and pleading for this to be over. This had to be a nightmare—it couldn’t be happening.

As I felt his hand reach up my thigh, to pull down my undergarments, something sliced through the air and a warm liquid fell onto my back. A second later there was a loud thud that was followed by another beside me. Two things hit the floor. I dared not look, I kept my eyes screwed tightly shut for fear of what I would see. The pressure against my back disappeared and I was no longer being held down.

“Ornella!! Are you alright?!”

A cry escaped my lips as I opened my eyes to see pools of blue and grey staring at me. He found me. I didn’t question it when he lifted me up into his arms and cradled me close to his chest. His warmth surrounded me, protecting me.

He held me tightly and just stared ahead as we descended down the stairs. I wasn’t shocked to see guards surrounding the entire building. Every single person had a blade to them as they bowed low to the ground.

Lowering me gently to the floor, Nicholas untied his cloak and draped it over my shoulders. He turned towards everyone in the room, including the three women who I met earlier. They all stared at me in shock as I stood next to their king.

Nicholas cleared his throat and said, “I don’t believe you are all guilty of this and for that, many of you may leave—Now.”

He commanded and all the guests ran out the door. The only ones who remained in place were the three women and the larger man who’d broken the bedroom door.

“Unless you want to end up like your friends upstairs—headless—I suggest you tell me which one of you decided it would be a good idea to attempt to violate my consort,” Nicholas spatted with venom.

The two older females” faces dropped as they looked at me. When their eyes moved back to Nicholas, they attempted to make themselves even smaller by lowering themselves more.

“Sire—Majesty—we…we did not know,” said the older woman as she addressed Nicholas.

Tears streamed from her eyes as a devilish smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He played with his now bloodstained sword, twirling it in front of them as he contemplated his next move.

“My king,” I addressed Nicholas as I eyed the younger girl. “I don’t believe all these women are to blame. The younger one, she brought me food and clothing, I don’t think she had any idea.”

The youngest one shook with fear. Tears ran down her dirt-stained cheeks, creating cleaner paths on her skin. She could have only been around twelve years old and likely sold to this tavern. The only other option was that one of the older women was her mother. But either way, she shouldn’t have been here.

“Were you involved?” Nicholas” voice shook the building as his anger grew. He directed his question to the younger one. “N-na-no sire—king—no. I ain”t never done nothing to her highness,” she said to him, struggling to form words through her terror.

“I don’t believe you, but if her highness chooses to, then you may leave, too.”

“My king, could I ask one small favour?” I asked softly.

Although I was still in shock as I tried to keep my legs from falling out from underneath me, I didn’t want to see the girl run outside and into the cold. I could not picture her surviving all on her own.

Wetting my lips, I raised my eyes and met his, “May she come with us? I’m sure I could put her to good use.”

His eyes narrowed on me with a questioning look. I held my breath as he simply nodded at one of the guards who then escorted the girl out. I assumed he escorted her to a horse or possibly the carriage to come back to the castle with us.

“My annwyl,” he said, turning to face me slightly. I was taken aback by his new name for me. Annwyl? He’d only ever called me princess or Ornella. I wondered what it meant. “Do you have any qualms if I rid this world of these criminals?”

Was he truly asking me permission to kill these people? I didn’t think he would need anyone’s permission as the king did as he pleased. But then again, were they all involved in my attempted assault? Perhaps they took note of my jewellery and assumed if I could be subdued they’d rob me while those men did worse. The thought of murdering people turned my stomach, but I knew if these people lived they would continue spreading their evil. Their deaths would be the lesser of the two options.

“You may do as you see fit, my king.”

He nodded and a sinister smile appeared on his face before he unleashed his sword again. He cut down the two females, while another guard sliced the head off the last remaining male. My eyes widened at the brutality of it all, but I dared not look away.

Wrapping his arm around my waist, Nicholas guided me outside to the surrounding ring of guards. Perhaps the entire castle guard was here. He lifted me into the royal carriage, and my body shuddered a little at his hands on my waist. Knowing he wouldn”t hurt me as those males were about to, didn”t make it any easier for me to be touched so soon.

I took the seat on the left, whereas he followed me in and sat directly opposite. As we began to ride away, I saw a bright light from the carriage window. I watched as the remaining guards began to burn down the small village.

“The residents were nothing more than thieves and murderers. The next time you decide to run away, at least take a map or someone with you to help guide you. I don’t want to have to come out at this hour of night to aid you, again.”

He didn’t seem at all impressed, and who could really blame him? I’d given him a reason to come after me. Then again, why had he come to find me? Surely it would have been better for him if I were to leave. To disappear.

Lowering my eyes, I wrapped his cloak tighter around me, and that smell of pine hit my nostrils. This time revealing more emotions than before. This was a smell I’d grown accustomed to. A scent that I, at one point, slowly grew to love.

“I’m sorry for the stress I caused you.”

“Stress? Ornella, you could have been killed and then where would that have left me? Another reason for your family to go to war and a murdered princess on my hands,” he tore his eyes away from me and trained his stare back out the window. Of course, that was why he bothered coming for me. We sat in silence for what felt like the longest minutes of my life. Eventually, Nicholas sighed deeply and turned to face me. His eyes were filled with a sadness that could only be explained in one word—Heartbroken.

“Do you really think so little of me you’d escape in the middle of the night?” “I—no!” I rushed out, “I think of you fondly. I just…I thought it would be best for the both of us.”

“The best for who? You? If it wasn’t for me finding you when I did, you would have been violated and possibly dead,” he snarled, looking away again.

“I am grateful you came to my aid. Thank you. But Nicholas you can”t tell me one minute you don’t want any companionship with me and then the next be mad when I listen to not being wanted and I leave. You have no idea how hard it is to try and understand, to make sense of why no one wants you and how come you as a person are so difficult to love,” I breathed, trying to hold back more tears. I”ve cried enough today. “I’ve always known deep down that I was odd. I know no one has ever truly wanted me. I am just the spare. And I know I am not what you asked for. I just wanted to give you a clean break, so as not to be forced to deal with me.”

Tears welled in my eyes as the words spilled out. I’d always known I wasn’t the most appealing female to like-minded men within court. I may have been pretty on the eyes, but my mind was in the clouds, within the pages of a book, or lost in the wandering forests. No one truly would want a wife as free spirited as I was, and I understood it would be the same with Nicholas.

I was and would always be, difficult to love.

“Do not tell me what would have been easier for me. You could have died back there.” He refused to look at me, but I could see him swallow a lump in his throat.

“Thank you for saving my life.”

He didn’t say anything after that, just continued to stare out the window as I tried not to break in front of him.