𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄.
chapter fourteen; Into The Woods
" Come with me, or stay here, but you will not stop me. "

  ELSPETH LIENS WAS on her way to find Kenna. Honest, that was what she'd set out to do, but the moment she opened the door to her chambers, Demetre Langlois panicked at the idea of her going anywhere.

  "You shouldn't be wandering around the castle," Demetre chastised, "There may be foes around every corner, Petal."

  "You speak of foes and yet you have no intention of helping us learn how to stop them."

  Demetre retracted at her harsh words.

  "Elspeth, I can't. . . I can't help you."

  "You know more about those woods and what resides in them than anyone else on castle grounds."

  "I'm not denying that Petal," He stressed, fighting the urge to physically shake this idea out of her head, "If I could, I'd do everything in my power to protect you-- but there are rules, reasons, agreements I've made so all I can do, is guard your rooms and walk with you when Bash is not at your side. . ."

  Elspeth's hands dropped in disappointment, the woman twisted her lips to the side.

  "Are you in danger, too?"

  And Demetre frowned, refusing to fight the urge any longer and clasping his hands around her own-- large, rough callouses encasing small fragile palms.

  "Do not waste your time worrying of the danger that will always follow me, Elspeth," He said gently, "You have other worries, more important ones."

  "What's more important than one of my closest friends?"

  "Diane De Poitiers summons, perhaps. She wishes to meet with you tonight."

  Elspeth's face drained of all color in a second, and Demetre smiled as he escorted her to the art wing and started a quick crash course on the woman who was to be her mother-in-law.

↬

 Diane De Poitiers was a regal woman. Pointed features that shadowed Sebastian's, it unnerved Elspeth despite her rigorous training from her parents.

  It did not help that Sebastian had merely introduced them before taking off to find more answers.

  "Is Paris lovely?"

  Diane raised an eyebrow at the soft question.

  "I apologize," Elspeth mumbled, looking to her lap briefly, "I'm afraid I was unprepared for this meeting."

  "I think you were more than prepared for meeting any noblewoman," Diane finally spoke, crossing her arms, "Do you know what my son does for you as we speak?"

  Elspeth furrowed her eyebrows, forgetting her manners as she leaned closer.

  "He is searching for who is responsible--"

  "He is repaying the debt that threatens your life," Diane said.

  "He-- how is-- what does that mean?"

  "It means that he took their offering and must replace it," Diane spoke simply, "He's already taken one of the prisoners."

  Elspeth stood suddenly, hardly thinking as she fled-- until Diane's words halted her actions.

  "It would be foolish to enter the wood. A woman from court has no place in a fight."

  "Do you have bitter feelings towards me because of Kenna?"

  Diane smiled, shaking her head slowly.

  "I am more than capable of taking care of myself," Diane answered, "And I believe you are, as well."

  Elspeth nodded, quickly departing with a mission in mind.

  "Late-night horse ride? Have you grown that bored of the fireworks?"

  "I've grown bored of waiting for Sebastian to do something he will regret," Elspeth mumbled, quickly mounting the mare-- her dress flaring out and showcasing the blade on her side.

  "You're not going into the Blood Wood, Elspeth," Demetre said, his smile falling, "I won't allow it--"

  "And who are you to allow me to do anything?" Elspeth questioned angrily, "Come with me or stay here, but you will not stop me."

  And Demetre Langlois quickly mounted his own horse, taking off after Elspeth Liens-- the sound of fireworks taking over the hooves beating on the Earth.

  "Elspeth, are you sure?" Demetre shouted as the dark wood grew closer, "We can still turn back."

  "Sebastian is in there," She yelled back, "I'm not going to let him kill someone for me!"

  The rest of the ride was silent, the duo pushing themselves and their steeds to run faster than possible, the wood growing ever closer.

  Until it engulfed them whole.

  Elspeth was not immune to the terror it filled her with, but the thought of Sebastian believing he had to do this to keep her safe, it kept her going.

  And the thought of Elspeth riding in alone, it made Demetre keep going despite the terror that ran through his veins at the simple idea of returning.

  "It's too late," Demetre whispered, yanking the reigns to halt his horse at the clearing in the Wood. "Elspeth, turn back--"

  "Sebastian!"

  The man jarred back into reality at the sight of his fiancee, the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, in the Blood Wood.

  Like a brilliant portrait, she painted carefully in a broken, burned frame.

  "Demetre, get her out of here, now!"

  "Sebastian--!"

  "The prisoner is alive," Sebastian informed, gesturing to the man shaken on the ground, "I chose one of them."

  Elspeth saw the dark outline of a man slumped on the ground, and she refused to look any closer. The mere thought of seeing a dead man turned her stomach horribly.

  "Then can we go home?" Elspeth questioned quietly, averting her eyes to the trees, "Please, Sebastian?"

  The slowly rising sun warmed Elspeth's flush face on the ride back to the castle. The four were cloaked in silence, the heavy kind that tightened around their lungs.

  Sebastian didn't need to say it for Elspeth to know he was angry. Rightfully so, perhaps, only considering her promise. But she didn't see any other way it could have ended.

  "In the end, you did nothing wrong," The prisoner, Samson, spoke up suddenly. "Though, I wish I'd known what you were planning."

  "Better that you didn't," Sebastian said shortly.

  "More convincing, I suppose," Samson agreed, "Lord knows you convinced me. I'd have done the same in your position. Anything it takes to protect someone I love."

  Sebastian was clearly agitated, yet still, cast a glance to Elspeth at Samson's words. It had been for her, everything had been for her. Not that he wanted that weight to rest on her shoulders, knowing she alone was the reason he'd taken a man's life-- it was a heavy idea. Knowing he'd kill for her, die for her.

  "But now, you don't need to do a thing more," Samson continued, the four horses narrowing down to two rows of two-- himself and Sebastian in the front with Elspeth and Demetre following closely behind.

  Elspeth was silently grateful Demetre had given her the inside, as opposed to the outside of the worn path that rested along a steep cliff.

  "What else would I do, exactly?" Sebastian inquired, his nerves rising at the conversation. "After my debt was paid?"

  Samson had heard it all. If the man knew who he was his life, along with his mother's, and perhaps even Elspeth's was at risk.

  The careful part was if Samson said a thing, Elspeth would know of his secret-- this, he couldn't bare.

  The horses came to a halt at the tension, Elspeth furrowing her brows at the men.

  "Uh-- nothing."

  "You think I still mean you harm?" Sebastian asked, "Why would that be?"

  "N-- All I mean was--" Samson scrambled for words, "You don't pick your family or their faith. And it doesn't matter whose blood flows through your veins. You choose your own path. Or your king will. I come from a town where it's better to be Protestant. But now, being so close to the king, I'm Catholic. Declared. Devout, even."

  "How close do you think I am to the king?" Sebastian asked receiving only silence, "Do you know who I am?"

  "No."

  Now even Elspeth Liens knew he was lying. Whether it be because she had quite clearly shouted Sebastian's name more than once or Samson had been close to the castle and recognized Sebastian from afar, this man knew who Sebastian was.

  "You think I once shared the faith of those savages, that it was mine?" Sebastian demanded.

  "No."

  "Mine and my family's? The family I couldn't pick."

  "I don't want anything, I swear," Samson admitted, "You're the. . . king's bastard."

  "And my mother is?"

  "Diane De Poitiers."

  And in one swift motion, Sebastian De Poitiers had pushed the petty thief off his horse and over the side of the cliff.

  "Bash!"

  "What else was I supposed to do?" Sebastian snapped at Demetre, "Let him walk free knowing of this?"

  "You're Catholic that's all that matters," Demetre argued, "Who would believe a thief over the king's favorite son?"

  "I couldn't risk it."

  "And not to mention you've just killed a poor man in front of your fiancee who rode into clear danger to try to stop this very thing."

  Sebastian paused, turning in the saddle to face a shocked Elspeth Liens. Her face had gone white as a ghost, eyes blown wide, staring at the empty space Samson once sat. 

  "Elle. . . I--"

  "What was he even talking about?" She questioned quietly.

  Sebastian shook his head, encouraging the horses to start moving once again.

  "Sebastian, what was he speaking about?!"

  "My mother was a Pagan a long time ago," Sebastian admitted, refusing to turn to look at her, "If anyone knew, they'd consider her one-- they'd consider me one. We would both burn."

  Elspeth fell into silence, allowing her horse to follow Sebastian's without any guidance.

  "You never practiced that faith?"

  "I've been Catholic since the day I was born," Sebastian responded.

  "Then why would you kill that man?" Elspeth asked, her voice rising slightly, "He wanted to do you no harm, he--"

  "And how do you know?" Sebastian argued, "How do you know he wouldn't try to have my mother and I and even you burned? I wasn't risking you or my mother's life."

  "Sebastian--"

  "If you wish to end our engagement I'll understand. I just had to keep you safe because--"

  "You are such an idiot!"

  Demetre raised his eyebrows at the woman's outburst, turning to Elspeth whose color had returned to her face, cheeks now tinged with anger colored in pink.

  "Of course, I don't want to end our engagement I just-- I don't want you thinking I need saving! You came to this place and killed a Pagan, then a man who did nothing but steal something!"

  "Yes, and you followed me," Sebastian bit back, tightening his jaw, "You followed me."

  "Of course I did," She yelled, "You don't go where I can't follow, remember?"

  "Not with this, Elspeth," Sebastian spoke evenly, his tone dark, "Not the Blood Wood."

  "It's just a damned forest with horrible people inside!"

  "Demetre is the finest hunter in all of France. He nearly died in this forest."

  Elspeth twisted her lips, hanging her head.

  "It's not an issue of if I believe you are strong, Elspeth, I do. I just don't think anyone is stronger than the horrors in these woods."

  The rest of the ride was silent. Demetre refused to allow Elspeth to untack her horse, ushering her to go back to the castle to rest as much as she could.

  So, she did.

  "Elspeth. . ."

  "Hello," Elspeth greeted, sitting up in her bed as Sebastian entered her room, "I apologize I wasn't aware you were--"

  Sebastian waved it off, taking a seat on a lone chaise lounge.

  "It was my one request."

  "You should get used to this behavior."

  "What, you putting yourself in danger for my sake?"

  "Only repaying what you do for me, my love."

  Sebastian found it no use to argue that point. their silence making room for the harsh screams of the pagan spies that had infiltrated the castle.

  "There is so much death in life, isn't there?"

  Sebastian frowned, gently standing only to take a seat on her bed.

  "I'm sorry, Elspeth."

  "I am, too."

  She sunk down into her sheets, making room for the man to lie.

  "Can you stay?"

  Sebastian stood, shaking his head.

  "This is different, Elspeth. I can't-- I won't. Once we are wed--"

  "I just want you to stay with me," She whispered, "Nothing more. I swear."

  Sebastian found it hard to argue when she looked up at him with such hope. So he sighed, sliding off his boots before gently tugging off his tunic, taking his spot in bed, grinning once he saw the blush on Elspeth's cheeks.

  "Is this alright?"

  "Oh, yes, of course, make yourself comfortable," She stumbled over her words, pulling the blanket up to her eyes, "Is this what I'll see every night once we are married?"

  "Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to see more."

  Elspeth out a shrill laugh, pulling the blanket over her head. Sebastian smiled, tugging it down to reveal unruly hair and a girl with a bright red face.

  "If you want that when the time comes, of course."

  "If you continue to make me nervous, we'll never get any rest," Elspeth mumbled, hiding a smile, "We can chat about this on our wedding night."

  "I'm looking forward to it," He smiled, pulling the covers over himself, attempting to leave enough space for Elspeth's comfort.

  But she scooted close to the man, daring to rest her chin on his bare shoulder.

  "You're warm."

  "Kind of you."

  Elspeth laughed, peering up at him.

  "It was simply an observation, Sebastian," Elspeth noted, "Goodnight."

  "Goodnight, darling," He replied, letting his eyes flutter close, "I'm still angry with you."

  "Yes, I know," She whispered, "But, I love you, so everything will be alright."

  "And I love you," Sebastian agreed, "And it will be."

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
Elle really owns my entire
heart guys