Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Locked Up
Nick is livid as they walk along. If there were fewer guards, he would draw his sword and drop them all in defense of the woman he loves. Tris is walking beside him, holding tightly to his hand. He looks up as she says something and notices the man a short distance ahead of them.
He looks harder and recognizes Levi. Tris’ father is being marched along with them, a sword poking in his back. No doubt he was forced to track down his daughter for the Kingdom. Nick’s so overwhelmed by everything going on that he can hardly make sense of anything right now.
Talking dragons are apparently a thing, and his family has a curse he wasn’t aware of. Right now he can only think about what to do once they get back to the palace. His father will definitely hear him out, and his mother can be reasoned with. Once he clears all this up, he can focus all his attention back on Tris.
He hears her whimper as they march and all he wants to do is comfort her. Tris is such an important part of him. He feels driven to be with her and has a hard time fighting the urge to never let her out of his sight.
“It will be okay,” he says, squeezing her hand reassuringly as they walk.
Tris looks over at him and nods before looking back down at the ground. Nick can’t stand to see her this way. She’s usually so strong and defiant. That’s one of the reasons he fell in love with her. Tris doesn’t bend to anyone, and as a Queen, she wouldn’t be expected to.
They walk along for what feels like forever until Nick can see the palace growing before them. The sun is starting to set, and he wishes they could move faster. He just wants to see his parents and clear up the misunderstanding.
“Walk faster!” Nick barks at the men. “I tire of this slow pace,” he adds.
“Shut up,” a guard says from behind, poking Nick with the end of his sword and drawing blood.
“You will regret that,” Nick yells, whipping around and drawing his own weapon.
He’s more than prepared to run the guard through, but Tris stops him.
“Please, I don’t want to be alone,” she whispers, fear in her voice.
Nick sheaths his weapon and takes Tris’ hand back in his own. Sometimes he forgets how much she hates violence. He has to remind himself not to solve every problem that comes between them with aggression. Just another example of how the woman beside him has made him a better man.
They finally make it to the palace as the sun sinks below the horizon. The guards lead them to the Throne Room before leaving them with the King’s guard. Nick doesn’t hesitate to begin walking toward his parents, but one of the guards stops him.
“You will wait until you are called forward,” the man growls.
“Those are my parents, and you don’t get to decide when I approach them,” Nick scowls as the guard lowers his weapon.
Before he can continue to the throne, his father speaks up from the other side of the room.
“Take him to the tower and keep him there until we are finished with these two,” he orders harshly without even looking at his son.
“Wait,” Nick cries out. “I need to speak with you first.”
But his request is ignored as he’s forcefully removed by two of the guards. Nick is led up to a room in one of the towers that overlooks the courtyard. One of the guards takes his weapon before throwing him into the cold room and locking the door behind him.
Rushing over to the window, Nick checks the bars to see if any are loose. No such luck, they are set tightly in the stone. Looking around, Nick wonders if there is any weak point in the room. A loose stone, a small vent, anything that could provide hope of an escape. Besides the wood bench, a small cot, and a pot to piss in, the room is empty.
Nick sits down on the wooden bench to clear his thoughts. It’s no use, he can’t stop worrying about Tris. She needs him right now and he can’t get to her. If his mother really has it out for her, as Tris said, this is not going to end well. Nick can’t shake the paralyzing anxiety streaming through his body.
The chamber door suddenly opens and someone is thrown on the ground in front of him. Nick jumps up, hoping it’s Tris. Rushing over to the body on the floor, Nick’s heart sinks as he takes note of how large the form is.
“You monsters!” a deep voice cracks as the figure whips around and starts pounding at the locked door.
“If you harm a hair on my daughter’s head I will burn this palace to the ground!” the man screams.
“Levi?” Nick asks, taking a few steps closer.
Tris’ dad turns around to look at him and Nick’s jaw drops. It looks like the once proud hunter has taken quite a beating before being thrown into the tower.
“Are you okay?” Nick says, concern dripping from every word. “What did they do to you? They haven’t harmed Tris, right?” he almost screams.
Levi reaches out and places his hand on Nick’s shoulder.
“I took the beating so she did not,” the man whispers, his voice cracking with each word. “They say she will burn just after morning light,” he whimpers. “They’re going to kill my daughter just because she’s different.”
Nick feels lightheaded and as if all the air in his lungs has been sucked out. He stumbles back and manages to find the wooden bench before his legs give out.
“She told them she could talk with dragons,” Levi continues. “My sweet little Tris said she can understand them, and they don’t mean us any harm,” he rants uncontrollably while pacing the small room.
“Levi,” Nick says in an effort to get the man’s attention.
Tris’ dad just keeps pacing, moving from trying to wiggle the bars in the window to banging his fist against the locked door and back again.
“Levi, stop!” Nick demands, standing up and grabbing the man by his arm.
Nick leads him to the bench and makes him sit. Levi crumples down with his face in his hands and doesn’t move.
“She can,” Nick stutters, causing Levi to look up at him.
Nick sits on the bench next to him. “I was there, and I can hear them too,” he whispers, trying to keep the guards from hearing him.
Levi stares at him with a look of confusion on his face until Nick’s words really sink in.
“I can’t believe it! You and my daughter, can it be? The prophecy was foretold so many years ago, no one actually believed it would come to pass,” Levi mumbles in complete disbelief.
“What are you going on about?” Nick asks as a sharp pain shoots through his back, causing him to gasp. “That guard must have stabbed me deeper than I thought,” he says, trying to reach the spot in the middle of his back.
“Let me have a look,” Levi says, lifting Nick’s shirt.
A whole minute passes as Levi studies Nick’s back.
“Well?” Nick adds, wondering why it’s taking so long.
Levi puts his shirt down and shakes his head, looking shocked and confused.
“Is it that bad?” Nick asks, feeling like he may die right there in the tower. Never able to see the love of his life again.
“No, there isn’t a wound anywhere on your back,” Levi stutters. “Where did you get that mark from?” he asks soberly.
“My birthmark?” Nick questions, confused at how there isn’t a gaping hole where the sword had jabbed him.
Levi stands up and starts pacing again. “That is no birthmark, my prince. Tris has the same mark on her thigh.”
Nick tries to think back on the few times he has been frisky with Tris. Not that he had been looking, but he never saw a mark.
“I’ve never seen her mark,” he whispers to himself.
“I should hope not,” Levi scolds, stopping his march mid-step.
Nick blushes as he realizes he just outed himself to her father. The air around them grows tense as Nick waits for a serious tongue-lashing from Levi. Instead, the man sits down and puts his hand on the prince’s knee.
“I’ve known about your intentions with my daughter for a while now.” He sighs. “I covered many times for both of your absences by telling the Queen, and Ava, that I sent the two of you on errands.”
Nick suddenly feels very close to the man he has always looked up to. The feeling is more than respect now, it’s love. Trailing behind that strong emotion is an overwhelming sense of guilt.
“I really love her,” Nick says, his voice cracking.
“I know,” Levi replies, clapping his hand on Nick’s shoulder. “And now we need to save her. Come morning light, she will be fighting for her life within a ring of fire.”
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone