64. Vaughn
Vaughn
Silence.
Had it ever been so beautiful?
So full of justice?
I hit the button, turning off the monitor. Lawrence slowly turned back in my direction, his blue eyes big and full of shock as he took me in. I crouched, resting my forearms on my knees.
“Do you understand now?”
His lips parted but no words immediately came.
“…She needed me.” A pause, but anger leaked back in. “Penelope needed me. She’s not alright.”
I impossibly pushed my emotions down.
“And you think what you did to her made her better?”
“Did to her? You mean what I tried to undo from you! You did that to her. She killed my doctor by throwing a knife halfway across a room. She caught him in the throat! She’s… dangerous.”
I paused. “Yes she is. Is that all?”
“You have to let me go. You can’t fault me for trying to help her.”
“Caning her—Raping her helped her?”
My voice boomed through the room before I could reign in my temper. I let out a slow deep breath.
Lawrence swallowed hard. “I didn’t rape her. Not… entirely. I showed her how I felt. I was mostly easy. Loving. She had to know how it would be between us if she chose me.”
“And she gave her consent for you to do this? Or was she under the influence of medication that took her choice away?”
A battle played across Lawrence’s face.
“She could talk. All I heard was you. Penelope wasn’t present. That’s my point. I had to show the real Penelope the difference between us.”
“You definitely did that. Now you’ll pay for it.
” I stood, cutting my eyes to the Magister.
“Have him taken to his cell. The trial is set for tomorrow at dusk. No one is to go into his room but me.” I glanced back over to Lawrence as he pulled at the cuffs, but I put my attention on the Reeve.
“Leave him unchained. I’ll be visiting him shortly. ”
Turning, I ignored Lawrence’s threats and yells as I headed for the door.
The guards opened it, and I didn’t pause as I walked straight to mine and Penelope’s room.
When I entered, she was already lying in bed, wiping tears as Elec sat at the edge of the mattress.
Theodore was not far away, and they both stood and headed to me as I came in.
Elec’s voice was low as he glanced at her but faced me.
“My team just gave Penelope the first pill. The next won’t be administered for twenty-four hours. This new medication has great results, but we’ve come to see that the second dose is far harsher than the first. She needs you. It’s going to be a rough few days.”
I didn’t have to ask what medication he meant. It had been her choice, and one she hadn’t taken lightly. Hell, it fucking destroyed her. The act was killing us both.
I didn’t have to ask what medication he meant. It had been her choice, and one she hadn’t taken lightly. Hell, it fucking destroyed her. The act was killing us both.
“Thank you. Your team has been a blessing. I don’t know what we would have done without them.” I stopped at her sniffle. I didn’t continue. I headed for Penelope, climbing onto the bed. She immediately turned, curling into my arms and sobbing as the men left the room.
I cradled her head, kissing the top of it. “I love you. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s all going to be okay. I promise. No one will ever hurt you again.”
Her sob hit hard. “You don’t know that.”
“I do. I know it to be fact.”
“How?”
I brought her face up, but her eyes stayed averted. “Because I’m going to be the most hovering, protective, suffocating husband there’s ever been.”
She laughed, sniffling.
“You promise?”
“Let someone try to stop me. I’m king now. I do believe that holds some weight.”
Blue eyes finally came to mine, and my stomach twisted at the busted blood vessels in her eyes. It had me dying to get to that cell to make Lawrence pay before the trial and sacrifice. There was no way in hell he was getting off that easily.
“Vaughn… are you afraid?”
“To be king?”
Her head nodded as she stared up at me.
“A little. Not everyone will accept. It’s going to be very rocky at first. It’s to be expected.
But it’s okay to be scared, because I know I’ll be a great king.
I’ve been training for it my entire life.
” I paused, taking in the tears filling her eyes.
“What about you? Are you scared to be Queen of The Order… or Queen to the outside world?”
The tears raced down the sides of her face.
“Both? I’m afraid of failing you and everyone else.
I feel like I’ve already let so many down.
Guards have died. Another Reeve almost died because of me.
To lose Rowan was hard. To almost lose Able and then Theodore too.
Twice.” Her lip trembled. “I try not to become so attached, but I can’t help it.
It’s my responsibility to rule this place, and people keep dying. I know it’s not the place… it’s me.”
“No.” My head shook. “It’s him. Lawrence did this.
You told him repeatedly that you weren’t interested and he wouldn’t stop.
He killed Rowan. He attacked The Order. Now, he will die because of it.
Everything that’s happened… that was never you.
It was never your fault, Penelope. Everything he did—Everything we’ve lost because of him—Lawrence is to blame. No one else.”
“I hate him.” She sobbed. For seconds she searched my face, parting her lips and trying to talk.
Trying to get the words to come out. … “I could have been…” She stopped, pushing her fingers into my suit’s jacket and holding tightly as she clung to me.
“I could have been… a mother. I could have carried on our lines. And then he did that to me. He took our chance away again. What he did.” Her face came back to bury in my chest as I held onto her.
“He’s done more than hurt me. He’s d-destroyed a part of me that I can n-never get back.
The first time in Scotland was devastating.
But then I let myself have h-hope again.
I prayed and prayed, and I was s-so happy at the possibilities. ”
“I know, love. I was too.”
For what felt like an eternity passed as I held to Penelope’s crying frame. She’d break down, get quiet, only to break down all over again. And with every crack to her mental stability, I felt mine spiral further away from sanity.
All I could see was Lawrence.
All I could think about was making him bleed.
Making him suffer.
Silence took over the room, dragging out as I let the fantasies of his torture play out.
Only when Penelope’s breathing turned deep and heavy, did I lay her back on her pillow and leave the room.
The guards stood in attention as I shut the door.
They didn’t need me to tell them to watch out for her.
They would die before letting anyone near her.
Heading into the Great Hall, I watched Elec and Theodore stand from the head table. There was a nearly empty plate of sweets before them, and had it not been for my sour mood, I would have smiled.
I couldn’t.
I couldn’t even stop walking as I neared.
“Let’s go.”
My order had both stepping in to follow at my sides. The walk to The Place of No Return was quiet. None of us spoke. I couldn’t have if I wanted to. Wrath ruled me. The main doors opened by the two guards, and the Reeve stood from a bench across from the third door down.
“Your Majesty.”
He held up the key… waiting… knowing…
I took it, turning and heading for the door. Metal ground, and the click was loud as the door unbolted. I swung the heavy barrier open, watching as Lawrence stood from the ground at the back of the room. His gaze was narrowed. Not afraid but expecting.
I shrugged my jacket off, throwing it to the ground.
The slap of fabric to stone had Lawrence racing for me.
He was fast, but his anger made him stupid.
I stepped to the side, wrapping my hand around the back of his head, and pushing him to stone.
He slid against the rough surface letting out a frustrated cry.
“Pathetic.”
A loud yell left him, and he jumped to his feet, coming right for me and swinging. I slapped his hand to the side, sending my fist crushing into his cheek, right where Penelope’s face was bruised. Lawrence hit the ground hard, panting as he swayed and got back to his feet.
“Weak. You hit her.” I motioned him forward. “Come hit me. Or maybe I need to be restrained as well. Is that it?”
“Fuck you!”
“Oh… not me. But you...” I laughed. “My guards are going to tear you apart. You raped my queen. Now I’m going to show you all the shades of rape. You’re going to bleed. Scream. You’re going to be so used up by tomorrow night, you’ll have to be dragged into trial. There will be no walking for you.”
His eyes rounded in fear for the smallest moment before Lawrence wiped the blood beginning to trickle down from his nose. Crimson was already dotting his forearms and chest where he’d connected against the stone from my push.
“You’re going to have me raped? By men?”
I didn’t back down as he put himself inches from me.
“Raped. Defiled. Violated. I’m going to have them humiliate you while making you suffer worse than you ever have. And they will gladly do so for their queen. They love her. They admire her. You have no idea how much you fucked up by hurting her.”
“You hurt her.”
“Hurt her?” My head shook. “I’ve never hurt Penelope. I love her enough to die for her.” I shoved him hard sending him stumbling back. My finger pointed right at his face. “What about you? Would you die for her?”
“I am dying for her.”
I smiled. “But not by choice. Poor little fake King Lawrence, always trying to play the hero.” My head shook. “Not this time. You will die the spoiled rapist abuser you are. And you will die the most painful death I can manage. Penelope deserves that after what you’ve done to her.”
“Loved her?”
I took two steps forward, smashing my fist into his mouth, only to crush his cheek with the following blow. He hit the ground hard, swaying from almost passing out.