Alina

It had been several hours since Julian left her. She had done as he said, and she had flown on, until she reached the next village by sundown. But Julian had not caught up with her yet. Of course he wouldn't. Not if she kept on flying so earnestly. Perhaps she should slow down. She was surely safe from the guards now. They had not been following her as far as she knew. But what if they had caught Julian? Her heart stopped for a moment at the dreadful thought. No, that was not possible. He was going to catch up with her as he promised. She was sure she will see him again.

It was getting dark and another long stretch of woods lay ahead of her after she had passed the village. She dreaded the idea of spending the night inside these dark woods alone, without Julian. But she knew it would be safer to hide in there. With a racing heart, she nudged Achilles to dive into the woods, but she did not get in too deep. She remained near the edge where it was not too dark and where she could see glimpses of the open fields from between the trees.

It took her all night to fall asleep. She shifted nervously, gasping and turning at every rustle and every leaf that touched her. There was no way she could sleep wrapped in this dark horror all alone, and she huddled close to Achilles's massive sleeping form, seeking what little security she could find. She kept slipping in and out of a long exhausting and restless sleep, until eventually, worn out and tired, she managed to doze off. But it did not last for long. Distant sounds disturbed her. The usual rustling of leaves. But there were also voices. Voices of men. She woke up with a start. And her heart stopped in horror at what she saw.

Surrounding her and a nervously shifting Achilles, were five winged guardsmen, circling her as she still sat on the ground, blinking her horrified eyes at the tall brooding figures.

The sound of her own pounding heart rang within her ears, her lungs seemed unable to draw breath, nor let out her trapped screams of terror, her limbs went numb and she found herself sinking back to the ground as her mind slipped out of consciousness...

***

She opened her eyes to complete darkness. She tried to rise but she could neither move her hands nor her feet. Not even her wings. And she realized that she was tightly chained. The air was thick and damp, making it hard to breathe, and the floor was rough and cold beneath her shivering body. She was too stunned to cry, and even the tears would not rise in her eyes.

A long time had passed as she lay in complete silence, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could tell that there was another presence with her inside the cell. She squinted and her eyes fell on the motionless body lying on the floor not far from her. She gasped in horror as she made out the lean form and the shoulder length hair.

"Julian!" She whimpered, but he gave no response. What have they done to him! "Julian! Answer me!" She cried out, finally finding her voice, but Julian still gave no response. Her body shook with racking sobs and she buried her face against the floor.

So that was it! 

All their dreams had come to an end, and soon their lives as well, she thought. They would never go to the West. Julian would never join King William's army. He would never rise to be a great knight like Tristan. Why was this happening? Why! She cried bitterly. Was it too much for her to live in peace with a loved one?

She lay weeping, her whole body shaking as she wondered what horrible fate awaited her. And death was her only desire now. And it was a price she was ready to pay, to escape her miserable life. Julian would be killed too. That didn't sound bad after all. They had not been able to be together in life, but at least now they would join each other in death... 

Alina held her breath at the sound of approaching footsteps outside the dreadful cell. She trembled and tried to rise but the chains restrained her. She panicked and almost cried out before the door flew open and the place was dimly lit as a guard entered with a lantern in his hand. She gasped, her heart freezing in horror as she could clearly see Julian now, a deep wound gaping through his right shoulder and his whole upper half drenched in blood.

The next moment, Bernard walked into the cell followed by more guards. Her whole body froze. And at that moment she knew she would not have a merciful death. Knowing Bernard, who had killed his own little brother, burying him alive in a deep dark grave, she knew she would have to brace herself for a painful, excruciating experience.

But strangely, Bernard did not approach her. He did not glare at her with his unsettling ice blue eyes. He did not even look at her at all. And it scared her even more. He never looked this calm, and he never held back his rage.

He only stood in the middle of the cell gesturing to his guards without uttering a word. Her heart raced at the ominous silence, and it almost stopped as she found the guards approaching Julian. No! She wanted to scream, but she dared not make a sound. She dared not breathe.

Cold water was dashed into Julian's face.

"Julian!" she whimpered as she saw him slightly moving.

But Bernard had instantly grabbed him by the hair, forcing him up to his knees. Julian's half closed eyes had only met Alina's for a brief moment, before Bernard aimed a severe kick to his stomach causing him to kneel down and grunt with pain.

"No!" Alina screamed. "Please don't hurt him!" But Bernard only laughed out loud, still not looking her way, before he kicked Julian again. Julian moaned and Bernard grabbed him by the hair again, before he slapped him twice.

"Bastard slave!" Bernard growled and punched him in the chest. "How dare you touch my wife!" He aimed several brutal blows below his chest, almost knocking the life out of him, and Alina flinched with each loud thud as Bernard's massive fists made contact with Julian's ribs.

"Please stop!" Alina pleaded. "He didn't touch me. He didn't do anything!"

Bernard silently gestured to two of his guards. Alina's eyes widened in horror as they approached her and she squealed as they grabbed her by the arms and forced her to sit up facing Julian. Bernard unfastened Julian's chains and dragged him closer towards Alina. He was too close to her now! If only her hands were not chained she could have easily reached out to him and touched him.

Bernard grabbed Julian's hair raising his face up where Alina could see him clearly. Her heart shuddered. He looked so weak and pale, his warm brown eyes unfocused and his handsome face twisted with pain.

"This is what you left me for?" Bernard said as he grabbed Julian by the jaw. "Such a handsome boy, isn't he?" Bernard taunted as he smoothed his thumb against Julian's cheek. Alina's heart raced at Bernard's ominous behavior. Julian too was shaking and panting heavily.

"Please..." Alina pleaded, but for what, she did not know.

Bernard tugged at Julian's hair forcing his head backwards, further exposing his long neck. Julian's throat convulsed as he swallowed hard and the delicate skin at the base of his neck throbbed with the intensity of his quickening pulse. Alina did not realize how it happened, but suddenly without warning, a sharp knife was pulled swiftly across Julian's throat and a deep red gash appeared on his pale neck. Julian's eyes widened for the briefest moment and a single teardrop slid down his cheek. Alina gave out a deafening screech.

Torrents of blood gushed out from Julian's throat, streaming down his chest and dripping unto the floor. Bernard let go off his hair and Julian blinked once at Alina before his eyes fell half closed again, and he collapsed to the floor with a loud thud, his face lying down amid a pool of growing blood.

"No!" Alina screamed. "Julian! No! Julian! Get up! No!" She kept crying and pulling against her chains, struggling to breathe through the terrible anguish that consumed her. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't be dead. It probably wasn't a deep cut. He's probably still alive. Alina thought hysterically. But the pool of blood that continued to expand rapidly beneath Julian's body did nothing to assure her.

"No!" She wailed as she expected the worst. "Bernard! Why!"

And Bernard finally turned to look at her. He still held the knife in his hand, and she could see the blade shining with fresh dripping blood... Julian's blood.

"Go ahead, kill me!" she cried hoarsely with rage in her eyes. "Kill me!" she screamed and closed her eyes before she tossed her head backwards, exposing her own neck. "Do it. Kill me now!" But he only gave out a cold vicious laugh.

"Do you expect me to kill you and relieve you from your pain?" He sneered. "His death was your punishment, not his. You shall live and suffer your loss with every breath you take." Alina's eyes widened as Bernard spoke and her tortured heart could not take it anymore. She shook her head absently. If he didn't kill her now she would simply die of unbearable grief. She was still looking at Bernard with disbelief as he got up to his feet and walked towards the door.

"Clean up this mess," he ordered the guards as he gestured towards the floor where Julian's dead body lay. 

New squeals rose in Alina's throat at the sight of Julian's lifeless body and the large pool of blood that had spread all around him. She watched with horror as the guards carried him, and she longed to run and snatch him away from their evil hands! She wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to give him her own breath, her own life. She writhed in her chains and cried out as the guards turned towards the door. She caught a final glimpse of Julian's ghost white face and lifeless eyes curtained by his long brown hair, as the guards followed Bernard outside the cell.

Alina gave out another ragged scream as the door was closed and she was left alone with Julian's blood on the floor. He was gone! He had left her. Forever.

*****************

This was another difficult chapter for me to write, and another dear character I had to sacrifice. I am sorry :( But it had to be done as well. 

Let me know how you feel about Julian's death? Did you expect it? 

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