The Crown

Chapter Twenty Nine

Beatrice's eyes shot open.

She winced at the intense feeling of extreme heat hitting her body. She shook her head and tried to move, only to realize she was tied to a pole with heavy rope.

Her mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out.

"Do not come any closer!"

She recognized the voice as Tobias' desperate one.

Continuing to struggle against the rope, Beatrice looked around and laid eyes on King Marcus, who was holding a flaming torch in his hands. He smiled sinisterly at her, waving the high flames in front of Tobias, whose hands were chained to the wall behind him.

Again, Beatrice tried to scream for him to stop, but her voice was helpless.

Another figure emerged from behind Marcus. None other than Andrew Prior stepped forward, another flaming torch in hand. He looked at his daughter with anger, tightening his grip around the burning stick.

"What are you doing?!" Beatrice's voice had finally come back as she cried out to her father.

"This is for your own good," Andrew said as he pointed the torch to the ground, where a liquid caught fire and accelerated toward Tobias.

Marcus was now near Beatrice, who was screaming with all she could. Each time she screamed, her voice faded even more.

"Did you think I would let a servant marry my only son? The prince?" Marcus laughed and pointed the flames to the ropes that entrapped her. "Goodbye, Beatrice."

Beatrice's cry faded into the air around her. Her scream was futeless. Her voice was stripped from her.

She closed her eyes and felt the flames burn her body all at once. The fire spread all over, blurring her vision. She strained to open her eyes slightly, making out her father's figure standing before Tobias. Andrew contributed further to his cries, burning the ropes that tied him.

And there they were, Tobias and Beatrice, both burning up in flames in front of each other.

Beatrice felt her body begin to shake, a reaction to the extreme heat envading her skin. The shaking increased rapidly, her mouth opened for wordless cries. She mustered all her strength and opened one eye.

And, to her surprise, she saw a ceiling.

Beatrice quickly opened both eyes and looked around confused. She felt two hands around her forearms and quickly pushed them off of her, only to hear a loud thump beside her.

Then, she felt the comfortable mattress under her.

She reached for her neck and sighed in relief at the softness of her skin, registering the vivid scene had only been a nightmare. She sighed and pressed her face into the palm of her hands, relishing the cold that seeped from it.

She spread her fingers against her face, looking through them at the tangled sheets she sat in. She slowly carressed her face, her hands making their way toward her neck. She glanced to the side and noticed Tobias recuperating from the floor.

"Oh, I am sorry," she chuckled, reaching out for his hand and helping him back in bed.

He looked at her and smiled, relieved she was in a somewhat better mood than he expected. "It is quite alright, my love," he assured. "What was that? Did you have a nightmare?"

Beatrice looked at Tobias and shook her head, running her hand through her hair. "It was nothing."

"You were shaking..." he looked at her and understood that she would not wish to disclose any details. "Are you okay?"