THE MAID

I Dreamed Of Your Killer

The crowd was gathered in an ugly pool full of hate. They are chanting and shouting harshly, "burn the witch!" They demand her death. They demand her in flames and oil. Two men from both her sides are holding her arms, roughly. The grip left bruises on her arms as they walked through the menacing crowd. "Kill her!" All of them came here to see one thing,her dying. Burned to death. She's bond backwards on a pile of wood with straw on her feet. She can't move. She can only look. Alfred standing across her on the grandstand. He says nothing he has no mouth to speak. Sarah turn on her left and saw executioner holding a flaming torch. His head covered, his face unrecognizable but it matters not. Because that moment he throw the torch on her feet and the flames crawled on her oiled body. She couldn't scream or even speak. She felt her soul and skin burning, melting from the bones but she couldn't scream. Her husband didn't protest against her torment, he was unable. James was standing next to him enjoying the flames that rise on his stepmother's body. Sarah was burning. Her guts and bones are burning. She could feel the flames in her nostrils as she tried to breath. The flames crawled higher and more. Then she saw the person standing behind James. Once the flames crawled on her face, a blade appeared to split James throat in half.

Sarah woke up from the nightmare with a scream. An invisible threat around her neck made her breathing harder. Alfred woke up at once from her heartbreaking scream. "What's wrong, luv?" he asked concerned.

"Nothing.." Sarah replied lost in her mind for a second. Holding her hand around her neck, trying to soothe the invisible pain. "Just a nightmare.." she whispers and turn her eyes soft towards him running her hand on his scruffy face. "Go back to sleep.." she advised him but she had no intention to go back 59 sleep again after that dream.

Quickly she leaves the bed and prepared herself alone. Fixed the corset and dress coat on top. She put on her boots and walked out of the tent. The Azacs follow up her steps as always. She took a long walk towards the village. Many empty her path as she takes her steps on the way seeing the one who marched behind her those fierce beasts. Many bend down their heads and looked elsewhere out of fear and woe. Passing by many wretched houses she stopped outside a specific door. One of her guards knocks firmly and the owner opens. Sarah smiled to the frozen smile that welcomed her and walked inside uninvited. The door shut behind her.

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It was the tenth day of war. The British came full force as they expected and the battles were exhausting. The men came tired again and again but manage to hold their ground and keep their borders. Sarah was standing over the bridge looking over at the path to the camp. Rosemont came out of James tent. Sarah's pleased smile was noticed by the new maid she forced to work on the prince's favor.

"Why you did that?" she hears James voice behind her.

"For you." she replied calmly with a gentle sigh. "I know you like her." slowly she turn to look on the side as he takes few steps to stand on her side.

"She doesn't seem happy to be here." he noticed with a grunt and turn his eyes to Sarah. "Since when you do things for me? I don't want you to do anything for me. I don't even want you around me. I just have to suffer your presence because of my father." his piercing gaze roams her face.

"You'll learn to live with my presence. Soon I'll carry a Blackwood in my heart and then, my dear son we will be bound by blood." she let out a small peaceful smile. But from the other hand, James sarcastically scoffed.

"Foolish woman." he snorted shaking his head subtly. "Arrogant and stupidity took the best of you and I really thought you're smart after all."

Sarah sways her focus towards him as she folds her hands on the front with a small smirk. "Impress me." she dares him.

James looked at her nerve something that he always found admirable to her but he was glad that for once she was in darkness. Obviously, Alfred didn't spoke to her about his specific situation. In fact, he wasn't sure if he should speak with her after all. "My father cannot have children." he says as he narrow his eyes on her own. She doesn't seem impressed by his revelation. "Mumps if you heard of them. I crossed the sickness when I was a little boy and my father was effected too. The healers told him that this means that perhaps might leave him with infertility. That's why he had no other children with my mother.."

With a gentle hum she returned on her front. "Have you spoke about it to anyone else?" she asked him.

"No.." he says obviously but yet confused. "You knew? How?"

"We're already married for three months now and my blood is still coming regularly. You think I'm stupid?" she cocks her brows.

James was confused still. "Still don't understand why those heavy bound speeches of how you'll carry a Blackwood under your heart."

"Oh but I will.." she says staring at the distance.

His eyes instantly turn to her again. He was the other Blackwood after his father. "Whatever you have in mind.." immediately she cuts him off as she sharply turn towards him. She took few steps closer to him and narrow down her eyes.

"I have in mind that exactly that will keep us alive and safe." she tells him. She was dead serious of her words. James seems buzzed for a moment looking at her. "You and I are bond. By blood, by seed and fate. You'll stick with me. You won't have legitimate children only bastards if you wish, with Rosemont. I will protect her if you ask me. But whoever comes after you on the throne it will be your blood. It will be Alfred's blood. "

" You're sick.." he spits out.

" I am. " she nods. "But at least I'll keep us alive."

"I thought you love him." he takes a step back staring at her. Wondering if her rotten heart has a piece of flesh. "I really believed that. When I looked at the way you looked at him I thought yes, she's an absolute cunt but at least she loves him. She'll love him."

"And I do." she replied with a small smile. "As hard as it is for you to believe it, I do. I have feelings and a heart. But there's only one thing that stays and doesn't bend in time. Cus time, destroys everything. Love, gold, power, youth, everything comes to live a moment of truth. A shining moment, the zenith of our time and then we're gone forever. The love has faded, the beauty and youth are gone but there's one thing that will stay forever if we let it grow." she says calmly staring into his eyes. "Our bloodline."

James couldn't even blink that moment. How could she possibly sound so crazy and insane but at the same time so reasonable and thoughtful. "I dreamed of your killer last night.." he wasn't sure why he said that. The dream he saw last night pops out of his head and came to his tongue without much of thinking.

"You did?" Sarah understood that moment that their bond was already created. "Tell me about the flames." she smirked.

"I die when you die." he admitted swallowing hard.

Sarah smiles gently and takes a step back. "I won't let us die,my son." she adds a little bit foxily as she put on her hood and slowly takes the way back to her tent.