TW// Abuse, blood
Rea woke up before dawn. The apartment was still dark, but she could still see that Elias was nowhere to be seen. She was on her feet in seconds. Rea noticed the swords and knives on the table. She picked up the mask. Why would he leave? She noticed a piece of paper on the table by the pistol.
She opened the folded paper. She had to look closely to make out the words and even then, she needed to read it three times to understand it. For what she could read from it, Elias gave her two choices. Save herself and go to a woman named Violet that lived up on the street or hide on The Green Woman ship with his weapons and help Elias with his so-called new plan.
She put the paper back on the table. This guy. She sat down. What should I do? He surrendered to that woman to save me; it would be wrong of me to go help him now. She buried her head in her arms. But I can't leave him with her. She remembered his scared eyes and his shaking body. I have never seen a person this frightened. With every second she became more stressed. What should I do?
And then she heard a knock. It wasn't on a trap door, it was coming from downstairs. Rea took the knife from the table and then slowly and quietly opened the trapdoor and went down the stairs. There was another knock.
Rea hid the knife behind her back and slowly put her hand on the handle. She opened the door prepared to pull the knife out if needed.
But she didn't. The kind smile on the face of the old woman stopped her.
»Are you Violet?«
She happily nodded and stepped inside.
Rea closed the door. »Did Elias come to you before he went to Luana?«
She nodded as Rea walked her up the stairs and helped her through the trapdoor.
»Tivon told me about you when we were running away.«
Her eyes sparkled when Rea mentioned Tivon's name.
»He told me such nice things about you.« Smiled Rea.
Violet grabbed her hands and smiled.
»It would be nice if he could be with us here.« Frowned Rea.
Violet looked at her confused. She doesn't know. Rea held her hands. »Tivon... Tivon died.« She managed.
The sparkle in Violet's eyes disappeared and she looked down.
»I'm sorry that I had to tell you this, should've anticipated that Elias wouldn't tell you.«
Violet looked up, her expression worried.
»He's okay. Well, he's coping in his own way.« Rea looked up. »But he needs help. I know he doesn't want me involved in this, but I need to help him.«
Violet nodded and removed the hood, she was wearing. Underneath she had a bow and an arrow quiver. She handed it to Rea. Rea took it and looked at the beautifully carved bow.
»You made this?«
Violet happily nodded.
»It's beautiful, but I-I can't just take it.«
Rea gave her back the bow, but Violet pushed it to her and smiled.
»Thank you.« Smiled Rea.
Violet put her hood back on.
»I'll walk you to the doors. It's too dangerous for you to be here. They might already know where I am. That puts you in danger too.«
Violet nodded and allowed Rea to help her to the door. Before she left Rea stopped her.
»Thank you again.« Violet turned around and bowed a little with a kind smile. »I hope I'll be able to meet you again in the future.«
She gave her another smile with eyes glowing with happiness and kindness. She waved and left down the dark street.
Rea returned to the apartment. She grabbed a bag from a closet and put in Elias' stuff. She put the arrow quiver and a bow over her back and headed outside. She tried to remember all the turns Elias and she made yesterday.
Eventually, she made it to the harbour. She quickly glanced over all the ships and then she spotted the ship with dark green sails. I really hope Elias thought this plan through. She fixed her ponytail and headed to the ship.
They took Elias into the room, he didn't ever want to see or be in again. The room didn't look like much. It was for most parts empty, without windows. There was only a chair and a cupboard on the right.
The man forcefully took off Elias' coat and shirt. They sat Elias down and tied his hands behind his back. Elias was trying not to shake. He was forcing himself not to vomit.
One of the three masked men took a blindfold and covered Elias' eyes, tying it firmly behind his head. Elias took a big shaky breath.
»Thank you boys.« Said Luana behind him.
Elias could hear them leave, closing the door behind them. And then he could feel a smile on Luana's face. Shivers started crawling down his body.
»It's been years since you were last here.«
She could see Elias' body starting to shake. Luana came closer tilting his chin upwards.
»Don't worry marily.« She leaned to his ear and whispered. »I'll be gentle.«
She released him and turned to the drawers. »Unfortunately, we don't have much time.« She opened it and took out a knife. »We'll be sailing off to Ascot in two hours.«
Luana turned to him. »But it will do for now.«
You can do it, Elias, just don't think about it. He flinched as Luana pressed a knife by his shoulder. »I see, we haven't finished the painting yet.«
Stay strong. His heart was beating uncontrollably and the room started spinning. There's a chance that Rea went to Violet, and you'll need to do it on your own. Just bear with it until you get on the ship.
Luana sliced the skin on his back. She leaned to his ear. »You know you can scream.« She made another slice. Elias could feel blood dripping down from the wound. You can do it, Elias. You're strong enough.
»You can beg. You know I don't mind.« She pressed her lips to his ear and said slowly. »Marily.«
In the end, Elias wasn't strong enough.
It broke him down just like it did that night. He thought that he had over the past. He thought Tivon helped him get through it. But no. He finally realized that he could not be healed. He was broken once again and this time he had no one to heal him.
The sun was already up when Tivon and the witch set sail. Tivon was looking at the little island disappearing behind them.
»You can ask me about it if you want.«
Tivon almost jumped when she saw her standing beside her.
»I don't have any questions.« He lied.
»Your head is full of questions Tivon. Even if I were not a witch I could see it.«
Tivon sighed and leaned on the little ship's railing. »Is that island yours?«
»It's not mine, but it's my home.«
»Doesn't it get lonely?« Asked Tivon.
»No. I like to be alone. People bother me.« She sat down and grabbed a little bag she had on her belt.
Tivon turned around. »Do you have a name?«
»Cornelis.«
From the bag, she took out rocks. Tivon sat across her. She held the rocks in her hands and brought them to her lips. She whispered words Tivon didn't understand.
»What are you doing?«
She let the rocks fall on the wood. She went across them with her hand, concentrating on them.
»Trying to see what will happen.«
Tivon looked at the rocks and then at her. »You see the future in rocks?«
Cornelis ignored him, carefully studying the rocks. »Three ships... The cursed sailor... The Grímur.«
»Elias?«
She looked up. »And death.«
»Death? Whose death?«
»Don't know. But there is a lot of blood to be spilled.« She said as she was putting the rocks back into her bag.
»And what are we supposed to do with that prediction?«
Cornelis adjusted the bag back on her belt stood up to grab a bottle of the liquid and handed it to Tivon. »Hope that we can prevent it.«
»I'm not drinking that.«
»Well, if you want your heart to rot then don't.« Tivon rolled his eyes and took the bottle. »You won't have to drink it for the rest of your life. It's just for now.«
Tivon looked at her angrily and then took a sip, almost vomiting it out.
»Glad that my medicine isn't that disgusting.«
He handed it to Cornelis. She took it, looking down at Tivon with a confused look. »What medicine?«
»Hyssop flowers.« Cornelis sat down. Tivon pointed at his cracked eye. »For this. I had an accident that cracked my eye and left a big scar on my back. The flowers help with the pain.«
Cornelis reached her hand to his eye, but Tivon grabbed her, holding it tightly away from his eye. »Don't.« He said quietly, but coldly.
»I can heal it.« She said softly, her voice to Tivon's surprise sympathetic. Tivon looked up into her golden eyes.
»I can heal it.« She repeated. »I can fix the eye, make the scar disappear. I can make it normal again.«
She could. He could be normal again. He would look normal again. But do I really want that?
She tried to move the hand closer, but Tivon tightened the grip. »Don't.«
Cornelis lowered her hand. Tivon looked away. »I don't want to hide it. It makes me... Well, me.« He smiled to himself. »And he likes it. He made me realize that it is beautiful.«
Cornelis smiled as she saw him blushing. She thought that love was something that didn't exist. She knew love only hurt people. But not him. He made her see that it still existed.
She then asked. »What about the pain?« Tivon turned to her. »I can heal the pain.«
Rea waited for the last masked man to go off the ship. As she was watching them, she managed to figure out their working patterns.
Two men were given a task to bring barrels on the ship. As one took the barrel and brought it on the ship, the other one just came back down. Rea would sneak behind the last man who had to bring the barrel on.
When there was only one barrel left and the other men already left to see if there were any other things to take care of, Rea ran to it and hid behind the column by the barrel. When the man took the barrel, she sneaked behind him and as easy as that she was on the ship. Before that, she made sure that there were no other people on the ship.
She walked down the other stairs, being careful that the men didn't see her. She hid behind a wooden column and when the man put down the last barrel and left, Rea hid behind them, sitting down by a little hole in the ship, from where she could see the harbour and the board where they would walk on to board the ship.
And then she waited.
She almost dozed off when she suddenly heard Luana yelling at one of her jade boys. Rea looked through the hole to see what had happened. Luana was just yelling at him because he had dropped her scarf on the ground.
Behind her, she saw Elias. Rea's heart jumped when she saw that he was still alive. But he didn't look well. Two men had to hold him, and it looked like he was unconscious. Even from afar, Rea could see the cold sweat running down his pale face. What did she do to you?
As soon as they boarded the ship it set sail. For now, the plan was working. They just needed to put Elias in the cell, and she'll unchain him. But to Rea's surprise, they brought him to the floor where she was.
»Chain him there.« Said Luana.
They brought him beside the barrels where Rea was hiding and chained him to the wall so that his hands were tied over his head. Luana grabbed his chin.
»He won't be able to get anywhere.« She released his head and looked at the two men who brought him there. »You don't need to look after him. He won't be able to go anywhere.«
They bowed and disappeared on deck with Luana. Rea waited for a couple of minutes to make sure nobody came down and then she ran to Elias.
»Elias?« She whispered.
She didn't want to touch him because she didn't want to trigger anything in him.
»Elias.« She whispered a little bit louder that time.
He moved his head a little, letting out the slightest quiet sound.
»Elias. Oh, thank God you're alive.«
Rea quickly looked up at his chained hands. There was no way she could unlock them without a key.
»D-don't.«
Rea looked down. »What? Elias I need to get you out of these.«
»They'll k-know.«
»And what else are we supposed to do?« Asked Rea hysterically.
»I-I don't know yet, b-but I'll figure something out. For now, you h-hide.«
»I can't just stay behind those barrels and look at you in the state you're in.«
Rea looked around the place, trying to find something or more likely trying to come up with something to get Elias unchained. She saw a bucket with fresh water. She took a cup beside it and ladled a cup of water. Rea leaned it against Elias' lips and let him drink.
»Thank you.«
Rea just managed a brief smile and then she sat beside him.
»You need to hide behind t-the barrels.«
»If anyone gets here, I'll hide. I'm not leaving you alone.«
She crossed her arms over her knees. Elias smiled briefly. »Stubborn princess.«
»You're the one to talk, you're half alive.«
Elias smirked. »But still alive.«
Luana was standing beside the helmsman as the sun was setting down. It wasn't normal for her to be on deck while they were sailing. She wasn't even the person who liked sailing in the first place. It was even weird for everyone on deck. They were constantly looking over at her like she's gone mad. But her look was fixed on the horizon like she was waiting for something. Or someone.
»We're sailing towards the kingdom, aren't we?«
»Yes mam.«
»Good. We should meet them in no time.« She squeezed her eyes. A big smile ran over her face. »I guess the time has already come.«
She turned to the helmsman. »Sail towards them.«
The helmsman nodded as Luana went down the stairs. The helmsman looked over to where Luana was looking and there, he saw a black dot on the horizon. From this far it was almost impossible to recognize the ship, but he would always recognize that black ship, even if there was full darkness. He moved the helm, turning the ship a little to the left and sailed it towards The Rose Sparrow.
Rea was trying to come up with a plan, but no matter how hard she tried, there was no way they'd get out of there alive. She looked at Elias. His hands were beginning to swell and he still looked like he was passing out from time to time.
Suddenly they heard a cracking of a ship, but not their ship.
Elias moved his head up. »What was that?«
Rea moved to the walls of the ship and looked threw the crack.
»A black ship is beside us.«
»The Rose Sparrow.« Whispered Elias.
Rea turned to him. »What are they doing here?«
»I-I don't know.«
Rea moved passed him. »I'll figure it out.«
Elias moved, trying to stop her, forgetting that he was chained up. »Rea don't! They'll see you.«
Rea ignored him. She put down her bow and hid it behind the barrels and then opened one of the barrels. She pulled out a mask and black veil. Rea turned to Elias with a satisfying smile.
»That could do.«
Rea smirked, put on the mask and covered herself in a black veil. Before she went upstairs Elias stopped her.
»Hey.« Rea turned to him. »Be careful.«
Rea nodded and rushed up the stairs.
As soon as Rea stepped outside on the deck, Luana was standing by the railing, dressed in a new black dress with long sleeves. Her hair was for once a little less messy. She looked at Rea.
»Hey you, come here.«
That's it. She knows. Rea slowly came to her, her heart pounding. Luana smiled.
»You'll be walking around The Rose Sparrow. If there is anything suspicious, you tell me immediately.« She whispered.
Rea nodded and Luana turned to the other two masked men accompanied by Pit.
»Pit is the only one who can walk across the board. Only with his permission, you can go through.« They nodded and Luana smiled. »Now let's go boys, I have a dinner to attend.«
They walked across the board onto The Rose Sparrow where Sabur was already waiting in the shadow. Pit stopped by the railings as did Rea and Luana walked to Sabur. He offered her his hand.
»Didn't expect you to be here. Weren't you going to Ascot?«
Luana took his hand and smiled. »Inside marily, inside.«
He nodded and accompanied her to his cabin. When the door closed the other two masked men stood by it.
Pit leaned on the railings, taking out his knife and started moving it in his hands. He looked at Rea. »Weren't ya supposed to walk around?«
Rea lowered her voice as much as she could. »Yes, I'm on it.«
She moved on before Pit would become suspicious of her. Rea moved behind Sabur's cabin, squatting down by the slightly open window. Sabur was just pouring wine into their cups as Luana lit up her cigarette.
»Tell me Luana, why aren't you sailing towards Ascot?«
Luana smiled, her playful eyes watching Sabur. »He surrendered to me. He's mine now.«
»Elias?« He sat down. »He is still mine.«
»Oh, Sabur stop it.«
»He still has the tattoo.« He said roughly.
»It's just a tattoo Sabur, stop making up stories.« She inhaled her cigarette and reached into her sleeve. She pulled out a contract. »He is mine.« She put it back and looked Sabur in the eyes. »And after what I plan to do, you won't need him anymore.«
Sabur leaned forward, listening carefully to what she was about to say. »And what is that plan?«
»I'm taking him to The Kingdom of Naydawin. I still promised them I'll bring them the trio.«
»You only have him.«
Luana shrugged. »I don't need all of them. The king only cares about Tivon and he is dead. I'll bring him Elias and tell him that he killed Tivon. After that, I will get both of them, The King and The Queen, killed. They don't have another heir and I'll get the kingdom.«
Sabur laughed. »I don't think that's how it works.«
»Maybe in other kingdoms, but this one is different. If The King and Queen are in danger, they can give their kingdom to anyone they want, without anything to sign on.« She giggled. »I'll just kill them, make it seem like Elias did it and act like they gave me the kingdom.«
»And you think that it's as simple as that.«
Luana leaned closer. »Even easier marily.« She smiled. »We will be rich Sabur. Rich.«
Sabur smiled and grabbed his cup. He raised it up. »A toast to us.«
Luana grabbed her cup. »A toast to rich us.«
They drank up their wine and laughed.
Rea was shocked. She needed to get Elias out of her hands. She needed to warn the kingdom.
She quietly stood up and walked to the middle of the ship. Pit was still leaning on the railing. I need to get to him. She brushed her hand against her belt. The knife she took from Elias was still there. I need to get to Elias. Whatever it takes.
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GOT IT