Will to Live

Nightshade

*Warning: If you get squeamish about torture and death and stuff like that, I suggest you skip this chapter.... Like all of it.... There you go. You've been warned.

After a lonely dinner in her room, a knock sounded on the door. Adelaide rushed to answer, hoping it was the Herzog and hating herself for that hope. But outside stood a guard.

"Pfalzgrafin. You have been summoned."

Adelaide's heart seemed to sink and she nodded and closed the door behind her. She followed the guard down a floor and back far into the corner of the castle. He opened the door to a small bare room with only two chairs, a desk, and a fireplace. The guard gestured for her to hold out her wrists and Adelaide complied reluctantly.

"What is going on?"

"Sit." he pointed to the chair on the nearer side of the desk. Adelaide sat. The door opened and two more guards entered behind her. All was silent except for breathing.

The door creaked open again. Unwin stalked past her and sat down across from her.

"What do you want?" she spat.

He fixed her with a keen glare. "I thought we had a deal."

"Is this how it's always gonna be with you? 'I thought we had a deal.'" she mocked him.

He slammed a crumpled up piece of paper down on the table. "Explain this, if you dare."

Adelaide reached out and picked it up. She only needed to read the first word. Matilda. Her letter.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"You were not to tell anyone what was going on."

"I didn't write this."

"I have a very reliable source that says you did."

"Who are you going to believe? Me, or the source?"

He stared at her. "The source."

"So you'll falsely accuse me of something just because someone else who probably doesn't like me said I did something?"

He jumped up and waved a fist under her nose. "You cannot imagine how badly I want to punch you right now."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then do it."

He sat back. "I'll never be able to do that."

"Why?"

"None of your business."

"What? Afraid to hit a girl?"

"I'm not afraid to hit just any girl."

"Then what's your problem?"

"I'm afraid to hit a girl that looks like--you know what, that's enough. I've had it with you. We had a deal, didn't we? I told you I had spies everywhere. You were not to tell anyone or I said I would kill you. In the most painful way there is, I think my words were."

Adelaide cocked her head. "Your Herzog has taken everything from me. My home. My friends. My family. My father. My future. My life would just be one more thing on the list."

"I will make you hurt so bad that you'll be begging for me to end your life."

"If I was afraid to die, I would've run when I had the chance."

"What stopped you?"

"Civil war."

He narrowed his eyes. "I've had enough of this. Goodbye, shrew. I hope you rot in Hell."