The Spoils of War (COMPLETED)

The Montagues

Jasmine sat beside Alaric as they traveled to her hometown, not far from the capital. They did not want to give the Montagues any indication that they knew that something was wrong, so decided that they would travel there with haste. Jasmine had no idea why they would send her to the den of the Wolves, figuratively speaking. They had lied and told her that all of her family was gone, that she was alone in the world without one shoulder to lean upon. Did they not know that she had relatives alive? Who was left? Her mother perhaps, was it one of her three brothers, or against all odds could it be her father? Or was it all part of some insidious plan to send her to a fate worse than death?

"Deep breaths. I will get to the bottom of this, I swear to you." Alaric took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He had sent out a letter to her family that she had been found with utmost urgency. After her presumed death they had traveled quite far from the capital and it would still take a while to hear from them.

As her old home came into view she started to shake. That had been the place she grew up in, where she spent every day with her family. Part of her wouldn't believe that they were still put there alive until she saw them for herself. The Montagues had moved into their home, dismissed all the servants who had wished to stay, and let the place fall into ruin.

Pulling up out front, there were no guards, not even the random sighting of a servant. It was as if the whole place was empty. Alaric exited the carriage first and held out his hand to Jasmine, all the while keeping his eyes open for any sign of danger. He made a vow that nobody would hurt her and this place gave him a bad feeling.

With a few guards in tow, they made their way to the door and briskly knocked. After a few moments, they knocked again but still, they got no answer. Finally, Alaric's nerves were wearing thin, using more force than necessary he pounded the door a third time and heard heels clicking inside as they made their way towards them.

The door swung open. "How dare you beat on our door. I should have your head for..." The slim woman's eyes rounded as she caught sight of Jasmine and she began to tremble. "No, you are supposed to be dead." As if the woman had just realized what she said she clapped a hand over her mouth and tried to blank her expression, but it was too late.

"What do you mean, she should already be dead?" Alaric was ready to string this woman up to get the answers he wanted when a scrawny man skittered forward from deep within the house.

His demeanor was laid back as if he had not a care in the world. As he drew closer the pungent odor of opiates and alcohol permeated from him. His outfit looked as if it had not been changed in weeks as it hung loosely on his frame and his hair was an oily mop on his head. "Is what I ordered here? Oh, please tell me what I ordered is here." The man was digging at his flesh, carving holes into himself with his nails.

As Jasmine examined his face she gasped in shock. "Me. Montague?" Her voice was barely a whisper but the man's head swiveled in her direction. He didn't look anything like she remembered him. He had always been on the heavier side and dressed to the nines.

As if he saw nobody else he moved toward her with a look of awe on his face. "Jasmine my dear, did your ghost finally come to put us out of our misery for what we did to you? Finally, I can be free."

"Harold shut up!" Mrs. Montague grabbed her husband's arm and tried to pull him behind her but he fought it. "He has been sick and doesn't know what he is talking about, we really can not be entertaining guests today so if you would please leave, we will not see you out."

She tried to pull the door closed but Alaric put his foot out to stop it. "I believe I would still like to hear what he had to say. Guards arrest these two and put them in separate rooms."

"What right do you have to arrest us?!" Mrs. Montague's voice was a screech as she tried to claw at the guards who reached for her. "Let me go! Let me go this instant!"

Alaric's eyes were harsh as he leveled her with a look. "As the crown prince of this kingdom, under the evidence that you and your husband have hurt the girl I love, I have every right to arrest you."

Jasmine's mind almost shut down when he said the L-word. Could he love her after such a short time of really knowing her?

....
After they were placed in separate rooms Alaric made no move to visit either one, instead letting them sweat it out a little while. He had his guards go into town to get cakes and refreshments as he leisurely sat on a couch, paying no mind to the dust that clung to his clothes. His mind was elsewhere, formulating a plan to get all his answers.

"I could help, if you want me to." Morgianna winked into existence and hovered just barely above the table. "Want me to scare the drug addict and his wife? Ohhhh maybe I could tell them just how short and pathetic their lives are about to be?" She said it with such a straight face that Jasmine thought she was serious and looked from Alaric to Morgianna with wide eyes.

"You know you wouldn't do such a thing." Alaric sighed and pinched his eyebrows together in a frown. "I just need the words to come from her, because under the law we cannot exactly take the word of someone under the influence of drugs."

Morgianna started to think of her first life and all the crime shows that would come on. "Why don't you tell the woman that the man already confessed? I mean I only caught part of it but it seems they did something to Jasmine to the point that the old man felt guilty and I'm sure the woman already knows this. Walk in and tell her that you don't even need her to talk because you know everything and then motion guards to grab her." Morgianna was pacing back and forth in the air as she ironed out her plan. "Now I'm no expert but I would almost bet she would then tell you the reason they did what they did, make sure you have Jasmine there, but protected because she may try to attack her as a last-ditch effort."

Jasmine was in awe. She had only met the girl twice but she could see the intelligence that she possessed. "Do you think it will work?"

Instead of answering Morgianna smirked and gave a wink. "I have work to do so I will leave that up to you." With that, she was once again gone.

Squaring her shoulders Jasmine turned to Alaric." I think we should do it. It is worth a try and if we fail then we wait for Mr. Montague to sober up and we try again with him."

That commanding attitude made Alaric's heart beat faster as he thought of how well she would pull off being a queen. Turning his head away to hide his pink cheeks he coughed into his fist."I agree. I will tell the guards the plan and have them follow us in for your protection." He walked briskly away, but Jasmine saw the pink that tinted the tips of his ears.