The King's Daughter

18 Stuck

True to his word, Louis didn't bother me for an hour. Before I'd seen the bathroom, I had a halfhearted hope that perhaps I could climb out the window with the shower running, but there wasn't a window. So I spent my time, washing myself and drying my hair.

When I came back into the main room, Louis was lounging on the bed typing away at his phone. As he looked up at me, he stood to his feet. "I've got to go now."

"Aren't I coming with you?" I asked.

"No. There's no way we could keep you out of sight. You'll have to stay here." He said and gestured for me to walk over to him.

"What are you going to do?" I asked curiously, but wasn't sure if I really wanted to know considering all of the horrible things he was capable of.

"Finalize wedding plans. There are just a few things I need to make sure will run smoothly on our big day." He replied.

"Oh." I began concocting escape plans I could try during his absence.

"There will be someone watching the door so don't think about leaving. The windows will also be watched from outside. If you try to leave, you will be caught." Louis told me seriously and my face fell.

"Can't I come with you?" I tried again.

"No, Aria. I can't have any distractions today." He sighed as he tossed a duffle bag onto the bed and started placing objects inside; a royal blue blazer, binoculars, a flashlight, rope, and then he took out a black box from his suitcase, setting it inside the duffle bag.

"What's in there? A gun?" I accused suspiciously.

He looked at me funny and then slowly opened the box, revealing his famous blue mask. I was momentarily taken aback at the sight. I hadn't seen him wear it much at the house because he simply didn't need to. I had almost forgotten about it.

"Are you going to do something bad?" I whispered.

Closing the box, he shook his head. "I do what I have to."

As he zipped the bag closed and slipped into an oversized hoodie, I touched his arm and he looked at me in surprise. "Please don't kill anyone."

"I can't promise anything, sweetheart." He shrugged and moved across the room to drop the bag by the door.

"Please." I murmured.

He ignored me however and instead rifled through his suitcase again. I heard loud clanking of metal and then my eyes grew wide when I saw him hold up a pile of chains. He moved toward me.

"Wait, no." I backed away and ran into the corner of the bed, causing pain to erupt in my hip. "Louis!"

"I decided chains would be best. Rope would be too tight and it would irritate your skin. Duct tape would restrict movement more than the others and keep you very uncomfortable and confined in one place. Zip ties are too easy to get out of, so chains it is." Louis tried to convince me that everything was fine, but I wasn't about to let him chain me up here.

That would mean...that would mean I'd have absolutely no chance at getting out of here while he was gone. Dread filled me at the realization that maybe I wasn't going to be able to escape during this trip. But I had to. I wasn't going to marry him. What else could I do? Scream? Throw something out the window?

Louis gripped my arm and dragged me back toward the bed after I had ran toward the bathroom. I struggled against him, but he was strong and powerful and locked the cuffs around my wrists. The other ends he locked around a bed post—the one furthest from the windows.