This is the post you've all been waiting for.... finally the conclusion to BE! It has taken me WAY too long to get this done and I now know to finish a story before I EVER post it
Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it!
*****
“Move and I slice your throat.” A strange voice hissed in my ear. A hand grabbed my upper arm in a vice like grip to hold me in place.
The sound of metal on leather was heard through the silence of the room as Michael removed his sword from its scabbard.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Nicholas said as he moved from behind the cloaked figure. “I won’t hesitate having him killed.” He pointedly looked at Michael, “Open the window and throw it out.” He indicated the window near the desk as Michael moved to cooperate. “Now stand over there with the women.” Nicholas snapped his head in the direction of Liz and Maria who were now standing in front of the fireplace. Maria’s face a mask of fear, Liz, my beautiful wife was composed with nothing showing on her face. When our eyes met we exchanged a look of grim determination to end this threat to us and to our kingdom tonight.
I tried not to breath too deeply for fear of the knife drawing blood and scaring Maria, or that it would cause Michael to act suddenly and make the situation worse.
Nicholas moved farther into the Library and came to stand in the middle, separating myself from the rest of my group. Then he started pacing as if contemplating something important. “I had thought that I was going to rot in that nasty dungeon but thankfully my partner, Mr. Lawrence-Smith, arrived from America. Thankfully he is resourceful enough to come find me when I wasn’t at our appointed meeting location.”
“Why are you telling us this Nicholas?”
“He found me in YOUR DUNGEON!” Nicholas continued as if I hadn’t interrupted. His face had turned a mottled red, a vein popping out on his forehead. “A cold and rank place Maxwell. A fitting place to leave a traitor, thus that is why Tess is still there.” A satisfied smile played across his now calm features. “I have yet to decide what to do with her. Have you any suggestions Michael?” Nicholas suddenly swung in Michaels direction and started forward with a slow stride. “She says that you were the best she had ever had. That you took her to places that she had never been before. Mayhap I should just kill you now and have done with it. That way I will have no problems when Max gives me the throne tomorrow at the ball.”
I strained at the grip on my arm as Nicholas moved ever closer to Michael. He had taken out a dagger from his belt and was rolling it around in his fingers, watching the firelight dance off the silver metal.
Michael stood with his hand free at his sides, waiting for Nicholas to strike. He continued to get closer to Michael but instead of lunging for him as we both expected, he snatched Liz by the hair and dragged her down to her knees in front of him. Maria screamed and started forward but Michael grabbed her about the arms before she could reach Nicolas and held her close to his body. He started speaking to her quietly in her ear and she slowly calmed down enough for Michael to release her and move her to the side, closer to the door.
“Smart man Michael, you always did have a way with the women.” Nicholas snidely remarked. He moved around behind Liz and faced me with a look of triumph plastered across his face, his knife at her throat. “Release him.” He said to his companion and I felt the blade slide from my neck, pushing in a little so that it bit into the tender flesh at my throat. The hand loosened from its grip upon my arm and the unknown man stepped away from me.
The pain from my knees slamming to the floor reverberated up to my hips and down to my toes. I tried to keep the pain from showing up on my face but from Max’s reaction I could see that I wasn’t too successful. Nicholas’s hand in my hair tightened slightly when the unknown man released Max from the blade. I blinked in stunned surprise that Max made no sound to the pain he must have felt as the blade slide across his throat leaving a small trail of blood.
“I have your nice bitch of a wife, right where I want her.” His hand making a fist, which twisted and pulled at the tiny hairs on my head causing me to instinctively cry out in pain.
“Don’t hurt her Nicholas.” Max said in a slightly menacing tone. He made no move to come closer, but I could see the strain on his face and watched as his hands curled into fists at his sides.
“I won’t hurt her as long as you and the Neanderthal do as I say.” Nicholas indicated Michael who was still standing near Maria. “At the ball you will announce that you are stepping down from the throne, and passing it along to me. I don’t care what excuses you make, as long as everyone knows that the throne will be mine and that it is beyond challenge.” He looked over at Max with a raised eyebrow. “After which you will retire to your chambers where sadly you will die of some mysterious disease. And your precious wife will need consoling, which I will be happy to give.” He yanked on my hair so that my face looked toward the ceiling and he bent over so that he was looking down at me. “At that time I will make her my wife and queen.” A lecherous grin appeared on his face as he raked a hungry look over my body.
I tried to school my face so that the contempt and disgust wouldn’t show. But I was rewarded with another pull on my hair, letting me know that I did not hide it well. I heard Max move and the knife appeared on my throat again, watching Nicholas shake his head ‘no’ I knew that if someone made a false move, I was as good as dead.
Nicholas moved my head forward until I was facing Max again; it was then that I truly saw the tight reign he had on his anger. I hoped he wouldn’t do something foolish and get us all killed but knowing Max like I did, it was a possibility. I watched as his gaze flicked to Michael and Maria and noticed that some nonverbal communication was being passed between the two. It was quick, but still there, he looked back at me with a purposeful look.
All at once Nicholas was hit from the left side; removing the knife from my throat but not before it cut the tender skin. I felt a sticky liquid start running down my neck, I touched the spot where the knife cut across but found that it was little more than a scratch. Yet I still came away with a handful of blood.
I moved away from where Michael and Nicholas were struggling to see Max grappling with Lawrence-Smith for possession of the knife. Max was turned around and pushed back up into the wall with the knife blade pressing towards his heart. I hiked up my skirts and felt for the small blade held at my thigh that I hade been carrying with me since Tess’s attack. Without thought of reason or safety for anyone I unsheathed the knife and lunged up off the ground, the strangers heart as my target. Raising my right hand I plunged the blade into him and heard his cry of pain. I heard Max grunt as the weight of the assassin was shifted due to my approach and fell onto his left shoulder. Mr. Lawrence-Smith slumped against Max and then fell to the floor.
A cry of anger came from Nicholas as he saw his hired killer hit the floor dead. I pulled the knife from Lawrence-Smith's back and swung around towards Nicholas. Michael had him pinned to the ground at sword point, I quickly looked at the mantle and found one was missing from the decorative plate. Michael looked past me and inhaled sharply at the sight behind me. I looked quickly back at Max and saw blood starting to spread from the knife planted in his chest.
Nicholas started to laugh. It was a laugh of triumph and pleasure.
All I could see was red.
This man had tried to destroy my life and my kingdom. Had tried to destroy my people and now had successfully killed my husband. A man I had grown to love and learn that I couldn’t live without. I stalked towards Nicholas, I could see Michael’s lips moving but couldn’t hear him over the roar of the rushing blood in my veins. Maria tried to pull at my arm but I shook her off as if she was nothing more than a fly on my dress. My eyesight became narrow until all I could see was Nicholas’s laughing face. Grim determination formed itself on my features as I continued to walk across the room. My fingers had gone slightly numb by the shear force of the grip I had on the handle of my blade but the only thing that would satisfy me would be to see Nicholas dead. No one deserved it more. It was time to take a stand for myself and for those whom I loved. I couldn’t see Max ordering the death sentence, even if he felt the man deserved it. I had already killed and the taste was fresh in my mouth. It was a heady feeling knowing that I was going to finish this problem once and for all. I could handle living with Nicholas’s death, Max wouldn’t.
As I got closer to him I started to kneel down between Nicholas’s outstretched legs. He started to sit up and the laughter died, the smile slowly leaving his face and being replaced with a look of fear. He knew he was facing death, and it came in the form of an angel.
I put my left hand around the back of Nicholas’s neck and pulled him close, my look never waivering from his terror filled one. I moved my right arm backwards slowly as to not make any sudden movements for I didn’t want him to see it coming. He always liked keeping people on the edge of terror, now he would get a taste of it. See how it truly felt to be scared.
My grip tightened into a fist in his hair and he gave a small squeak of pain as the hairs were pulled from his scalp.
From behind me I heard Max slide down the wall and grunt in pain as his body was jarred. “Liz, No!” he whispered, he seemed so far away.
I plunged the knife forward into Nicholas’s heart, feeling the knife sink into his body and feel his blood gush out over my hand. I watched in satisfaction as the life fade from his horrified, brown eyes.
I closed my eyes, suddenly tired. It was over, finally over. And Max was dead. I hung my head in grief as I let the pain wash over me. I could hear feet scrambling around me, arms pulling me away from Nicholas but the knife was in a vise like grip in my hands. I could feel the sticky liquid of his blood squish through my fingers. He paid for my husbands’ life with his own. That small bit of satisfaction did nothing to erase the grief my heart felt at the knowledge that I would have to now rule without Max, and it was my fault he was dead. If I hadn’t…if I hadn’t, Max would be dead anyway and Nicholas would have us. At least that knowledge was a small comfort.
Maria was holding me in her arms crying in relief or sorrow, I couldn’t tell. My body was numb, an empty shell, I had no feeling left. The blind rage that took me had emptied me of all emotion. I couldn’t do this alone, not when we had just found each other. I wrenched away from Maria and lunged towards Nicholas’s prone body. I started pounding his chest and stabbing it again and again. “You BASTARD! You made me kill him! How could you do this? We trusted you and you BETRAYED us!” I sobbed until my chest was sore but continued to pound on Nicholas’s dead body until my arms were beyond aching.
I heard my name being called from a great distance and it sounded like Max’s voice. But that was impossible; he was dead. I saw it with my own eyes. He was slumped against the wall with the assassins knife protruding out of his chest.
Strong arms pulled me back against a hard chest and I started to sob again, whimpering Max’s name. A hand came up and started stroking my hair, the chest rumbling under my ear with a strong heartbeat. It took me a bit to register what the rumbling was, spoken words. The roaring in my ears started to abate and I could sort of understand what was being said.
“I’m…love. …alright…me.” The chest continued to rumble.
I leaned my head back and gazed into the hazel eyes I thought would never see again, sparkling with life. He smiled at me and started to speak again in hushed tones.
“I’m right here my love. I’m alright. You didn’t kill me Liz.” He smiled and continued to stroke my hair.
**
The vision of Liz stalking Nicholas and then stabbing him was incredible. I was in utter awe at the power and strength she had. But it wasn’t until I saw her beating on Nicholas’s prone body that I knew I had to move. The pain shooting down my shoulder was enough to steal my breath away but I knew that Liz was in far more pain. And hearing her say that she killed me were the words that finally got me moving to her.
Michael helped me up from the floor and we made our way over to Liz. “Liz, stop.” She didn’t make any indication that she heard me.
We slowly made our way to Liz and I gathered her in my arms and started to stroke her hair. She continued to sob and shake her head whimpering my name, “I’m right here my love. I’m alright. You didn’t kill me.”
She leaned her head back but her eyes didn’t focus right away, but once they did I repeated myself. “I’m right here my love. I’m alright. You didn’t kill me.” I smiled and continued to stroke her hair. She started to cry again as her arms went around me so tightly that I could swear I felt my ribs breaking. “If anything Liz, you saved me.”
She leaned back up and looked at me like I was mad. “How did I save you Max? It’s my fault you’re bleeding!” She looked at my shoulder and it was as if something switched on in her brain and she suddenly reached for the bottom of her dress and tore a section of it off, then started tearing at my shirt, “Michael! Go get the doctor, and hurry! Maria, go and get me some hot water, we need to clean this wound.”
Michael looked at me as if questioning her sanity, with a slight nod from me he made his way out of the room with Maria in tow.
“Liz, look at me.” She continued to tear at my shirt and began to slowly wipe away the now quickly drying blood. She stopped in her ministrations to turn her beautiful chocolate colored eyes flickering over my face, until they finally rested on mine. I rested my good hand on her soft cheek, “I was getting tired and the blade was inching its way towards my heart. If you hadn’t stabbed that man when you did, he would have killed me. And I wouldn’t be able to do this, ever again.” I drew her in for a kiss that seared me to my toes. I would never tire of kissing this woman, she was the very reason I drew breath some days. My hand moved of its own accord straight into her chestnut hair and felt her body lean into mine. Careful not to cause my wound any additional bleeding I tried to move her into my lap, but it was then that Michael burst into the room with the doctor and Maria trailing after them with the hot water. Her eyes fluttered open at the sudden sound of our company. “Later.” I promised her, and knew that there wasn’t anything on this earth that would stop me from having her, knife wound or not.
The next couple of days flew by in a blur. Nicholas’s body had to be removed from the Library and the carpeting had to also be removed. This was a small task that no one minded at all since the threat of death had now been removed. The final preparations had to be made for the ball but they seemed insignificant with the trauma that the couple had just suffered. The mood in the castle seemed to lighten and the staff was smiling again, peace had once again come back to the people of the Empire.
The night of the ball Max had his left arm in a sling still healing from the knife wound but it just made him look more handsome in his formal wear of a suit. All black did really suit him, his black jacket and matching pants. He wore a black shirt with a blue tie to match his wife. He decided to not wear the formal military jacket due to the way the mood felt and it didn’t really work with the arm sling. He was more comfortable in this attire and he knew that Liz liked him better dressed this way.
Liz looked every bit the queen in her silver dress accented with blue velvet at the edges and twinkling sapphires sewn into the bodice. Her hair was done up in a way that looked like it was set perfectly but then she had gotten caught in a windstorm so that several strands were loose and floating around her face. It made her look like a fairy queen. Her encounter with Nicholas hadn’t left a mark on her; it was as if some magic had blessed her tender throat where the knife had sliced her.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” A loud, booming voice said from what seemed to be the rafters. “Presenting the King and Queen of the Empire!”
They entered at opposite sides of the ballroom and met at the staircase. They took each other’s hand and faced the crowd. The couple looked splendid and relaxed for the first time since the threat on their lives had been discovered.
“You think they will have children of their own now?” Michael whispered as he leaned into Maria while they both clapped for the handsome couple.
“Most definitely.” Maria said with a secretive smile as she looked up at Michael, “Perhaps sooner than you think.” She responded with a wink.
