look, her gaze met once again with the guard in front of her.
“No, never seen him before in my life.”
By now, Emil and the others had gotten wind of the situation. Grace was in audible range and he knew that she was only trying to buy time. Serenity quietly grabbed Taeo by the hand and began to quietly go for the back door.
“Wait ,” Emil whispered. “If they are here for me then the place is already surrounded. If you and Taeo go, they’ll know that I’m here. Take Taeo and something to defend yourselves with and hide. I’ll hide too, but I need to be close to your mother in case she needs me.”
Serenity quietly shook her head and tugged on Taeo’s hand. He looked up at her, confused but obedient. She turned to him with one finger over her lip s, only removing it to whisper, “Come on, T. In here.”
She quietly crept along the interior of the house, grabbing a stray knife before entering one of the rooms. After Taeo followed suit, she quietly shut and sealed the door. With a muffled sigh, Emil focused his attention on Grace, who was still at the front of the house face-to-face with the Royal Vanguard.
He pressed himself against a wall as he readied himself for the worst. Grace was doing all that she could , but the man in front of her was persistent.
“So you’re telling me that you’ve never seen this man before in your life?” the guard questioned her once more.
“No . Never,” Grace responded adamantly, looking directly into his eyes. He glared at her with squinting eyes before turning back to address the other men who waited outside the door. For a second, a moment of relief coursed throughout her body, and then a dull pain flashed across her cheek.
There was a scream followed by a loud thud. Emil bit his lip as his mind speculated what could have been happening on the other side of the wall. He glanced over at the room that Serenity and Taeo were in. Thankfully, they did not make a sound.
The guard hovered over Grace as she lay there. He had struck her in the face and now she was looking directly at the polished blade that swung only inches from her.
“Don’t hurt her!” Beth cried out from the doorway. One of the guards beside her yanked at her bicep, turning her towards him.
“Shut up! You swore he was here, didn’t you? We have orders from the king to use any means necessary to take down this abomination.”
The grip on her arm grew tighter . The man beneath the helmet no longer seemed human. How blind could she have been? Tears welled up as she looked down at her fallen friend and realized the evil that she had just committed. Grace was bleeding heavily on the floor from the gash that was on her nose caused by the metal gauntlet.
“Now , where is the boy?” He moved in closer as he asked, closing the distance between her and the finely polished blade.
“I … I don’t know.” she said as she crawled away, shaking her head.
The guard let out an un-amused chuckle as he stepped closer.
“Stand up,” he commanded, but Grace remained stationary. It was clear that she was afraid. Her body shook uncontrollably with fear as he towered over her.
“Please don’t hurt he r-” Beth pleaded.
“Shut up!” The guard turned back and interrupted Beth’s plea. “You’re the one who did this to her… so shut your mouth. Backstab bing your friend for only a few pieces of gold.” He scoffed as if amused. “Pathetic.”
His ra sh comment froze Beth completely, shutting her off as she dwelled on her past decisions.
Grace slowly turned her head to Beth . She felt both broken and confused. Silent tears fell from her cheeks as she looked deep into the eyes of her betrayer. Beth searched for the words inside herself to make amends, but before she could air how she felt, their mutual vision was separated by the main interrogator. The head guard took the lead and squatted down to Grace’s level. He sheathed his sword and stared at her intently before clasping her face in his
“No, never seen him before in my life.”
By now, Emil and the others had gotten wind of the situation. Grace was in audible range and he knew that she was only trying to buy time. Serenity quietly grabbed Taeo by the hand and began to quietly go for the back door.
“Wait ,” Emil whispered. “If they are here for me then the place is already surrounded. If you and Taeo go, they’ll know that I’m here. Take Taeo and something to defend yourselves with and hide. I’ll hide too, but I need to be close to your mother in case she needs me.”
Serenity quietly shook her head and tugged on Taeo’s hand. He looked up at her, confused but obedient. She turned to him with one finger over her lip s, only removing it to whisper, “Come on, T. In here.”
She quietly crept along the interior of the house, grabbing a stray knife before entering one of the rooms. After Taeo followed suit, she quietly shut and sealed the door. With a muffled sigh, Emil focused his attention on Grace, who was still at the front of the house face-to-face with the Royal Vanguard.
He pressed himself against a wall as he readied himself for the worst. Grace was doing all that she could , but the man in front of her was persistent.
“So you’re telling me that you’ve never seen this man before in your life?” the guard questioned her once more.
“No . Never,” Grace responded adamantly, looking directly into his eyes. He glared at her with squinting eyes before turning back to address the other men who waited outside the door. For a second, a moment of relief coursed throughout her body, and then a dull pain flashed across her cheek.
There was a scream followed by a loud thud. Emil bit his lip as his mind speculated what could have been happening on the other side of the wall. He glanced over at the room that Serenity and Taeo were in. Thankfully, they did not make a sound.
The guard hovered over Grace as she lay there. He had struck her in the face and now she was looking directly at the polished blade that swung only inches from her.
“Don’t hurt her!” Beth cried out from the doorway. One of the guards beside her yanked at her bicep, turning her towards him.
“Shut up! You swore he was here, didn’t you? We have orders from the king to use any means necessary to take down this abomination.”
The grip on her arm grew tighter . The man beneath the helmet no longer seemed human. How blind could she have been? Tears welled up as she looked down at her fallen friend and realized the evil that she had just committed. Grace was bleeding heavily on the floor from the gash that was on her nose caused by the metal gauntlet.
“Now , where is the boy?” He moved in closer as he asked, closing the distance between her and the finely polished blade.
“I … I don’t know.” she said as she crawled away, shaking her head.
The guard let out an un-amused chuckle as he stepped closer.
“Stand up,” he commanded, but Grace remained stationary. It was clear that she was afraid. Her body shook uncontrollably with fear as he towered over her.
“Please don’t hurt he r-” Beth pleaded.
“Shut up!” The guard turned back and interrupted Beth’s plea. “You’re the one who did this to her… so shut your mouth. Backstab bing your friend for only a few pieces of gold.” He scoffed as if amused. “Pathetic.”
His ra sh comment froze Beth completely, shutting her off as she dwelled on her past decisions.
Grace slowly turned her head to Beth . She felt both broken and confused. Silent tears fell from her cheeks as she looked deep into the eyes of her betrayer. Beth searched for the words inside herself to make amends, but before she could air how she felt, their mutual vision was separated by the main interrogator. The head guard took the lead and squatted down to Grace’s level. He sheathed his sword and stared at her intently before clasping her face in his
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