Retreat into Darkness

Chapter 44

Allaura Aislinn

I debated going back into the same room with Caspian. I thought about it for awhile, for too long. But I decided to go inside to tell him the news. I wasn't going to be selfish and keep the plan to myself.

I twist the knob and open the door without looking around to see him, because I can already feel him. "We're leaving in a week or two." I call out to him with my head down while I walk to the bed.

He doesn't say anything so I lift up my head to see if he actually is in the room. And then I see him leaning on the window, only he's looking at me. He watches me, scans me as if he's looking for any injuries.

"My father wouldn't hurt me." I struggle to keep the ice from my tone.

"He's the king of the ice nation." He states.

"And i'm here to tell you that you don't need to be afraid of him anymore. He's my father. My family and he won't hurt us."

"How can we be so sure. Diona said that the ice nation-"

"She lied!" I explode and sit up from the bed to face him completely. "She has been lying to you, Caspian. Can't you see that? She watched me for days. Months even, and you had absolutely no clue. She kept you in the dark, she made you watch as her men beat me. And I can tell you that she has lied about this place to scare you. So she can have you all to herself because that's how good of a warrior you are. She wants your power, she wants you." My voice is strong and ice laces my tone.

This is what he needed to hear. He has been lied to, he has been kept in the dark and then shoved right into the light.

Caspian stands there, stuff and staring at me, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry Caspian. I'm sorry that you've been lied to, i'm sorry that you were left in the dark." I say sincerely.

His eyebrows furrows and he sighs in frustration. "I just don't know what to believe anymore, Allaura. I thought I could trust my father, I thought I could trust Diona because she saved me from my father. Everyone has lied, I just don't know who or what to believe anymore." He stresses and turns around, using the window to support himself before staring off into the cold city.

I carefully step beside him and gaze out to the beautiful city as well. "You can trust me." I tell him softly. "I would never lie to you. Which is why I'm telling you that we're safe here. I didn't know my father was even here, I thought he was dead." The words come out harder than I expected. "But then I was dragged into the throne room." Caspian stiffens beside me. "And drops to my knees before him. And when I finally look up to him, well, it was him. I couldn't believe my eyes, I really couldn't so I just passed out." I chuckle at the thought. "I was furious at him because I learned that he went willingly when he entered here. But he tried to come back to us—tried to come home to us, and yet, he couldn't. There was no way out for him." I sigh and rub my temples trying to ease the knot forming in the middle.

"I trust you." Caspian says softly. "I trust you, and it honestly scares me on how much I really do. I trust you with my life, so I know you wouldn't lie. And so I trust you on this, on your word that we're safe here."

"Thank you. For putting your trust in me, I mean."

"You see that?" I ask and point to the people who laugh and eat in the city. "I think my father allows people to fear him so he protects his city and the people who live in it."