Regal [h.s au]

58. Home

AMELIA

My back presses flush against the cold wall, my breaths coming out in quick pants through my parted lips. The stray curls that have escaped my braid are clinging to the sides of my sweaty face, heart speeding at an alarming rate. With much effort, I've managed to infiltrate into the palace, trying to reach Edgar's chambers or the throne room where I guess he should be. I'll check every single room and hole in this castle until I find him.

Peering around the corner, I check to make sure the corridor is clear. I glance behind me to check if Edward has managed to catch up to me after getting ambushed earlier, but sadly he's nowhere to be seen. Voices shouting can be heard nearby, the sounds of battle outside muffled yet still clear to my ears. My fingers are gripping my bloody dagger so tightly it might snap from the force. All I need to do is pass this hallway and I'll reach a wide corridor leading towards one of the staircases and ultimately the throne room. I push myself off the wall and quickly start making my way through it, trying to be as soundless as possible.

"Protect the King!" Someone bellows just as I turn around the corner, making me step back to hide. A line of soldiers hastily hurdles to the exit, their stomping slowly fading. Waiting for the right moment, I run out of my hiding place and head to the corridor they ran through, going in the other direction, towards the throne room. 

"And where do you think you're going?" A man growls, harshly grabbing the back of my hair and tugging me backwards, my dagger clattering on the ground. I gasp and twist my face in a grimace, my arms rising and hands clamping his fisted one holding a fistful of my hair. "The King mentioned we might find you, little bitch. Do you know what he told us to do when we do?" He leans forward and inhales near my neck, making me cringe in disgust.

I slam my foot against his, managing to loosen his grip just a little, but enough to tear away from his hold. I turn around and bend down to grab my dagger, unfortunately giving him enough time to push me away, my back harshly slamming into the wall behind me. 

His fisted hand flies towards my face, making me lean away, watching as he punches the wall instead. I use the opportunity to plunge my dagger into his upper back, beneath his shoulder. He cries out and staggers a bit, but keeps standing on his feet, surprising me as he swiftly turns and his fist collides with my face. Black spots dance in front of my vision followed by a faint crack, my nose definitely getting broken as blood trickles from it. Tears fill my eyes and I stumble backwards, a yelp falling from my mouth. 

Before I can collect myself, I feel a sharp, burning pain in my leg, making me scream out loudly and crash into the wall aside. Before he can give me his final lethal strike, his body gets violently pulled away from mine, my own sliding down the wall from the lack of strength and the throbbing pain in my thigh. The blade of the knife is lodged inside it, blood leaking around it as I clutch it with my hands, clenching my jaw.

To my relief, Edward kills my attacker, his worried dark blue eyes finding mine. Pushing the dead soldier's body away, he kneels in front of me, his hands clasping my face gently. "Stay with me, love. You'll be alright."

My hands begin to shake as they desperately clutch my wound. "Y-you need to pull the knife out... then place s-something over the wound..."

"I know, don't worry," he replies, taking off his trench coat and using his own knife to rip away the sleeve of his black shirt, working incredibly fast. "Amelia, look at me."

Edward suddenly places his lips firmly against mine, moving them with fervent and passion. Considering I am shocked, I barely notice when he pulls the knife out of my leg, breaking the kiss abruptly so he can apply pressure to the wound. The nerves in my leg are screaming, the pain resurfacing in waves now that the initial shock is wearing off. He wraps the sleeve around the thigh and ties a tight knot on the top, making me suck in a breath through my teeth, my eyes shutting.