The Coup

Page 1

How had I gotten to this point? How had it come to this, that I'm running for my life with the one man who irritates me to no end? I'll tell you how, I trusted the wrong man. He was supposed to be a friend. Actually he was supposed to be my fiancé but I'm pretty sure that killing my father has put a crimp in that. I'd known him for ten years. He was the son of my father's favorite lord. I'd thought we would marry and be happy together. What I didn't know was that he and his father had planned on killing my father and me so that they could rule the kingdom. Three nights ago I had gone to my father's room because I had been worrying over the wedding that was supposed to have taken place next month and I had instead found my fiancé over my father's dying form. I'd cried and begged for it to be a lie. I didn't want it to be true but I knew when he turned his hate filled face toward me that he had never been the person I thought he was. Kissing my father's face I'd stood slowly then darted for the door but he'd caught me and thrown me to the bed. I'd fought as hard as I could but since I was not the fighter my father had tried to make me into he over powered me easily. My heart had nearly stopped when he'd crawled on top of me.

"I think I'll have you before I kill you." He'd said and had raped me repeatedly. I had woken I don't know how many hours later to feel my body being moved. I had started to flail though I knew that it would do no good but it wasn't my attacker.

"Damn it, stop it. We've got to get out of here before he finishes his coup." I opened my eyes to see my savior. Okay I thought that for all of two seconds.

"Where the hell were you? He killed my father, he... he... you were supposed to protect him." I hit him with my hand then with fists but the little strength I'd had failed and I went limp in his arms.

"You may punish me later for now I am going to take you out of here. I will not fail a second time by letting my kings only child and greatest treasure die here." He wrapped the cover I was laying on around me and lifted me. Quickly and carefully he carried me out of the castle and away from what would have been our deaths if we'd stayed. I don't know if I fell asleep or passed out from the pain I was in from being raped, either way I was waking up some time later. I'd been laid on the ground and my savior was sitting close by a fire. As I watched he shifted and began to undress. I watched wondering what he was doing then I saw his grimace as he pulled off his shirt and the bruises and blood that were streaked over his chest and stomach. I sat up quickly ignoring my own pain.

"My god what happened?" He jerked his head up and tried to cover his injuries.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Yeah I didn't by that at all. I'd seen his wounds. I struggled with the blanket and finally got out of it only then realizing my clothes were gone. I grabbed the cover wrapping it around me. "What are you doing? Sit down." He got up and pushed me back down to sit. I winced as pain shot thru me. "I'm sorry but you shouldn't move. Your bleeding has just stopped if you keep moving it will start again."

"My bleeding? What about you?" I pushed his hands off and tugged him down next to me so I could look at his wounds. "It looks like you were cut, and beaten. What happened?"

"I was detained on my way to the king by some of Lord Tyne's men. It seems they didn't want me to interfere with their coup."

"Since you are here I'm assuming you got the upper hand."

"Not quick enough." I saw the regret and shame in his face. Before he could move away I stopped him.

"Let me look at your wounds." He started to protest but my glare shut him up. I pressed each wound checking their severity. "You'll be okay they've stopped bleeding already so that's good. But you've got some broken ribs those will take time to heal."