Page 9 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
I sit back on my throne, fingers lazily trailing over the smooth surface of the crystal ball. The image inside flickers to life, revealing the knights—those pitiful, battered fools—stumbling through the gates of the town. Their armor clanks, dented and scraped, sounding more like hollow echoes than symbols of strength. I chuckle under my breath, watching them limp toward the king’s palace, their pride shattered.
The townspeople whisper, eyes wide with a mix of fear and curiosity. Children cling to their mothers’ skirts, frozen as the so-called protectors rush by, faces etched with desperation. They're an embarrassment, and the townsfolk know it. No saviors. Just broken men.
From behind me, Henry’s voice cuts through the moment, hoarse and seething. "They'll come for me, you know. You’ve started a war by taking me!"
I chuckle, low and dark, still watching the scene unfold in the crystal ball. Without turning to face him, I speak, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. "You really think so highly of yourself, don’t you, Henry?"
I finally glance over my shoulder at him, trapped in that cage like the miserable beast he is. "You’re nothing more than a pawn in a game far bigger than your tiny little world." I smirk, enjoying how his face twists with rage. "No one’s coming. Not for you, Henry. You're nothing. Just another spoiled brute who doesn't realize how quickly he's become obsolete."
Henry slams his fists against the bars, rattling them. "They’ll come. They’ll burn your castle to the ground for this!"
I raise an eyebrow, turning back to the ball as the knights grow more frantic, clearly lost in their scramble. "Let them try,"
four
Brielle
It had been three days since Henry had come home. Three long, agonizing days of waiting, pacing the small, dimly lit room, wringing my hands as every creak of the floorboards made my heart race. Panic gnawed at me, but underneath it all, a dark sense of relief curled at the edges of my thoughts. What if he never came back?
The thought should have scared me, should have made me sick, but it didn’t. It filled me with a strange, sickening sense of freedom. And then reality would slap me back into place. I needed him. Without him, how would I survive? How would I pay for food, for this house? I hated myself for it, but I was trapped, dependent on the man who made my life hell.
The soft knock at the door made me jump, breaking my spiraling thoughts. My heart pounded as I hurried to the door,opening it just enough to see who it was. Nicholas stood there, the knight I had run into just days before, his face grim.
“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice low.
I hesitated, my hand tightening on the door. "No... maybe you should wait until Henry gets back. He's not here right now."
Nicholas stepped forward, his gaze steady on mine, dark with something I couldn’t quite place. "I know, Brielle. That’s why I’m here."
My stomach sank, and dread settled deep in my bones as I stepped aside to let him in. He entered silently, standing in the middle of the room, the silence between us thick and suffocating.
"What’s going on?" I finally managed to ask, my voice cracking with unease.
Nicholas sighed, rubbing a hand across his stubbled jaw. "Henry was taken. By the Maze King."
My world seemed to tilt, my head spinning. "Taken?" I whispered, gripping the edge of a chair to steady myself. "What do you mean taken? You have to go back. You have to! When are you going to get him?"
His expression hardened, his eyes dimming. "We can’t, Brielle. Calm down."
I stepped closer, my voice rising in panic. "No! I will not calm down! You can't just leave him there! One of your own, one of your men! Is that not the point of honor? Tell me!" I shouted, feeling the anger burst out of me in desperate waves.
He raised a hand as if to quiet me, his tone flat. "Calm down, Brielle. There’s nothing we can do."
Anger and disbelief roared inside me, clashing with the fear. “I’ll go to the king. I will tell him how dishonorable his army is to leave one of their own to die.”
Nicholas's face hardened. "We are following the Kings orders. He doesn’t want to provoke the Maze King further. We lost several men out there. We think… Thorne wanted Henry. Heknew the King wasn’t coming to sign is fake treaty. He knew everything, Brielle. And now, we haven’t heard a sound from the maze in days."
I stared at him in disbelief, my chest heaving. "How could you say that? You’re just going to abandon him? How am I supposed to survive without him? I won’t let you leave him there to die!"
Nicholas’s face twisted in frustration. His voice softened into something darker, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. "Why do you fight for him like this?”
Before I could react, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me in what was meant to be a comforting hug. But his grip was too tight, and his hands started to slide lower, rubbing my shoulders, then down to my waist. His voice softened, taking on a more intimate tone. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. I can take care of you. I know how he treated you; everyone does. You deserve better. Now that he’s gone… let me be the one to help you."
I froze, disgust and fear mingling in my chest as his hands moved lower, gripping my hip. "No," I muttered, trying to pull away, my voice shaking. "Get off me. You need to leave."
But Nicholas ignored me, his fingers digging into my skin as he leaned in closer. "Come on, Brielle," he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. "You don’t have to fight this. I can give you so much more than Henry ever did."
Rage surged through me, and I shoved him hard, finally breaking free of his hold. "No! Get out!" I screamed, my voice cracking.
