Swords and Staffs

15. Love and hate

Alistair:

After kissing Arlene back, I then responded with two words.

"Let's go."

Arly looked up at me in delight and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. I then tried my hardest to stand up. As Arlene pulled my arm, there was a murmur upstairs.

Arlene's father.

"Come on Ali, we need to go quickly," Arlene instructed. I had only just managed to hoist myself up when I heard her father coming down the cellar stairs.

"Come Ali! Quick, before he catches us!" but before I could answer, her father entered the room.

He stared at us in shock, looking me dead in the eye, murderous flames flickering in his pupils, "Arlene! What are you doing with the prisoner?" he yelled standing at the bottom of the stairs, getting ready to make his move.

"N...nothing father." Then he ferociously pushed Arlene out of the way and knocked me clean off my feet, crashing down onto the ice-cold, stone floor.

"Get your filthy hands off of my daughter!"

I lay there in a blur as he repeatedly kicked me in the stomach. I cried out in pain, which stole all of my energy.

"Father! Don't hurt him!" Arly pleaded, rushing towards him, and failing to pull him away.

"Why? What has this Templar done to you Arlene? How did he manage to convince you to let him go?"

"He doesn't deserve to be tortured father!" she answered changing the subject.

"What has happened to you? Templars are our enemies Arlene! They are the enemy and nothing else! Nothing! Do you not realise what they did to your poor mother?"

"They are not him, father! He is different!" Arlene defended.

Then the two guards that Arlene had sent away entered the room.

"My lord..." they both bowed.

"Why weren't you two watching him with her? This is what happens when you leave my daughter alone! She always seems to do something she isn't supposed to! Like leaving her mother to die!" then he walked towards me, yanked me up from the floor by my shirt and (since I was too weak to walk or struggle) began to drag me across the floor by my arms viciously like some sort of rag doll.

"Father what are you doing? Stop!"

"Putting an end to this dreaded Templar! That's what I'm doing!"

"Wait! No! Stop!" Arlene said rushing towards me.

"I knew I should have killed him earlier! Grab the child!"

The last thing I saw were the guards holding Arlene back, whilst screaming at the top of her lungs and the door shutting behind me. The lord mage launched me onto the floor and hit me on the head with something hard. I only had chance to say one thing.

"Arly... I love you Arlene," I mumbled, as my eyes began to slowly shut and never open again.

"End of the line Templar..."

Arlene:

I struggled and struggled but the guards wouldn't let go.

"Father! Please don't hurt him!" I pleaded. It was too late; the door had already shut behind him.

"No, please! Please let me go!" I cried, tears of anger and sorrow pouring down my face.

"Tell me where you are taking me at once!" I demanded as the two guards practically dragged me up the cellar stairs and through the hallway. They didn't answer.

"Let me go please! He can't die! He just can't! Let me go now!" I demanded once again. "Alistair!" I yelled hoping that he was still able to answer. I struggled again. No use. Then again. A little bit looser. Then I struggled for the last time until I had finally broke free.

I sprinted back towards the cellar, the two guards chasing after me. However, when I reached the door it was too late. There was a series of beating noises muffled by the door and several ear-piercing screams of terror. I gasped in horror as they continued. Then, all of a sudden, there was silence. Complete silence. It was so silent that my ears rang from all the screaming. Standing there, mouth gaped and eyes wide with pure fear, father came out of the room coated in thick red- dare I say it- blood.

"Father. W...what... did you do to him?" I asked, bottom lip quivering as I spoke.

"No need to worry now darling," he began, stroking my face, "he won't bother us anymore."

My heart jumped into my throat. What did he mean? What did he do to him? Why wouldn't he 'bother' us anymore? I began to panic. I started to feel hot and dazed. Before, anyone could stop me I lunged towards the cellar door and heaved it open. I sprinted inside, pushing father out of the way.

"Arlene! What are you doing?!"

"Alistair!" I yelled, ignoring his question, "Alistair!" but he was nowhere to be found.

Father grabbed and squeezed my arm, it hurt so I let out a small yelp before he spoke again. He forcefully turned me towards him by gripping my shoulders.

"What is the matter with you and this Templar, Arlene? He is gone, there's no need to worry," father explained.

Then I said something that I definitely shouldn't have said. Three words that I would regret for the rest of my life...

"I love him!" I screamed, scanning the room for any trace of my lover. The look on father's face had it all. Anger, sorrow, disappointment, and utter shock.

"You... what?" he asked, gobsmacked.

"I said that I love him father..." I answered, feeling annoyed at myself for having to reveal the truth. He looked at me, mouth open wider than ever, skin as pale as paper, eyes like daggers. "Now, where is he?" I continued.

Silence.

"I said, where is he?" I asked him again, more commanding this time.

Father stood there. Frozen in the same position he had been in for minutes now. He was still taking in what I had just said. He was astounded. Absolutely astonished. I jerked his head to the guards that had eventually caught up to me and waved a hand of dismissal. They grabbed my arms again and pulled me up, step by step. Each time I struggled to break free but they succeeded to launch me into my bedroom and lock the door behind me. I was alone. With no clue as to whether Alistair was alive or not.

I lay on my bed. Weeping at the thought of Alistair not surviving whatever my father had done to him. Tears were absorbed by my pillow and although my bed was much bigger than my small nest in the forest, I still curled up into a small ball.

I looked at the ring on my finger and realised, we weren't even married yet. And we never will. I automatically felt the weight of a heavy load of guilt that was just placed on top of me. This was my fault. If I hadn't have just assumed about what had happened back at his tent, then we would have gotten married and this would have never happened. Poor Ali.

"Farewell my love," I whispered to myself, "May Aaldin guide you safely to the afterlife along with my apology,"

"I will never stop loving you..."