𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 ━━━━━ 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒕

• VIII

Dahlia sat, brewing with displeasure and unbridled fury. She was out in an open field, sitting on a chair that was on a small platform. It had a canvas covering to shield from the harsh winds, but in all honestly, Dahlia was too exasperated to focus on the bitter winter. Timothée sat to her left at the centre of the chairs. An empty row was placed a few feet in front of them. The rest of Timothée's army was behind them, prepared to act if needed. Adrian was situated at Timothée's left and Kian and Armie were beside Dahlia.

They could hear the trotting of horses and stomping of armoured feet against the ground. It was an impending situation that was unavoidable. Since the capture of Nicholas, Timothée was able to come to an agreement with the king. They will meet on an open field to discuss the rebellion. All peaceful with no means to fight. Timothée brought his army anyway, knowing that if something were to go wrong, they'd be prepared. Dahlia's father was willing to negotiate in exchange for Nicholas.

It was on the hill to the field that the king came trotting down towards them, along with some of his army. The pompous King Edward IV moved towards them, and with him, a feeling of superiority. Dahlia hadn't seen him in a month and two weeks. Oh, how she wished it stayed that way. His face looked more ragged than the last time she saw him. His beard was graying and it looked as if he gained some weight, though Dahlia couldn't tell with the amount of armour he bore.

Dahlia saw that Prince Charlie rode beside her father. His chin held high. She wanted to leave when she made eye contact with him. Memories of meeting him at the occasional ball growing up flooded into her mind. She moved around uncomfortably and Timothée sensed her uneasiness. He reached down and gripped her hand under the table. She turned and gave him a small smile and he squeezed her hand back.

Her focus returned back to them and she saw Henry walking up. He held chains that connected to Nicholas. Dahlia's blood ran hot. She never believed in violence, but seeing Henry drag Nicholas along in chains made her want nothing more than to march up to him and beat him bloody. She wanted to take the chains off of Nicholas and hold him close, protecting him from harm.

The king and his main advisors sat down in chairs a few feet ahead of them. They were still close and could hear one another, but placed at a distance where they couldn't immediately hurt one another. There is a moment of silence. Timothée sits straighter before breaking the ice.

"I'd like to thank you for agreeing on meeting here-"

"Dahlia," Prince Charlie cut Timothée off, "Come back to me." His voice came across as snobby and entitled. Timothée's grip on her hand tightened and his jaw clenched.

"We're here to discuss-" Timothée tried to get their attention.

"She's my daughter, boy." King Edward barked, "I own her." Dahlia shuddered at his words.

"We're here for Nicholas only." Dahlia finalized. Her father gave her a harsh glare. She knew how angry he was and how he often couldn't hold it in.