Page 55 of Plaything of the Dark Elf

Dalia

“Stop!”

My screams in tandem with his alert the soldiers and butler waiting outside the room. They burst in and they can clearly see what’s happening. I watch them in my peripheral vision.

“Help me!” I cry. “Help me get him off!”

They do nothing. They just stare at me.

The butler is the only one who makes the motion to step forward, but one of the soldiers stops him by holding his weapon across his face.

“He’s going to kill me if you don’t do anything! Help me!”

Despite my desperate begs, no one intervenes. I’m alone in this situation and I’m gradually feeling the strength in my limbs ebbing away.

Closing my eyes, I beg for him to let me go. It feels like a long shot, but what else am I going to do? I can’t match his strength nor can I persuade the dark elves to assist me. I should have known better than to trust their kind. I should have known.

And now, I’m going to pay the price.

Tears fall down my face. I’m biting hard enough to cut a hole clean through my tongue.

Etheron screams deafeningly-loud, enough to shake the foundations of the bedroom. The butler flinches. Finally, the soldiers start moving my way, just as black dots line the outside of my vision.

“G-Go… Get…”

“General Etheron!” one of the soldiers yells.

Etheron’s eyes widen and his pupils dilate. Within seconds, his grip on my throat loosens. I gasp out for air, pushing myself away from him. My knees collide first with the ground, then my hands. My throat…

“Dalia…” Etheron sputters out. The soldiers are holding him down by the shoulders while the butler applies a cold rag across his forehead. “Dalia… Dalia!”

Clawing at the floor, I drag myself to the other side of the room where I curl into a ball. One of my hands rests over my throat. My heart races loudly in my ears and I can hear the blood pounding through my temples. I don’t want to be here anymore.

“What happened?” The butler stares at me. “Why didn’t you tell me when he woke up?”

“I-I…”

“He’s delirious,” one of the soldiers remarks. They’re finding it increasingly difficult to hold him down. “Quick! Get the healer!”

“Dalia!” Etheron’s voice booms. “Get her out! Get her out of here now!”

All of their eyes land on me. Then, they look at each other. As if they’re unsure.

But then, Etheron keeps repeating the same thing. Get her out of here. Get her out of here. Get her out.

That’s when they realize that this is an order that they must obey.

For me, it’s like a knife through the heart. I’m conflicted. On one hand, I know this is the right thing to do. I can’t be here. He choked me and nearly killed me!

On the other hand, I want to know what happened. What did I do wrong? It doesn’t make sense! Is this a side effect of the potions he took? This isn’t the same Etheron I know!

“Take her,” the butler whispers.

The soldiers nod firmly and march towards me. Two of them take my arms and drag me out of the bedroom, despite my pleas for them to be gentle with me.

“Please, please, stop! Don’t leave bruises on my arms, please!”

The soldiers don’t reply. Instead, they drag me through the hallways, allowing the tips of my feet to skid across the floor. That hurts less than the heartache I feel, surprisingly.

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