Not My Fairytale

Chapter 43

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Warning for blood and violence again**

A Waiting Game

    Including myself, there were eleven survivors in the nursery– perhaps in the entire castle. Franco and a guard tended to minor wounds on two maids against the far wall, Ava and Eden. The former clutched her mother's hand tightly in hers, their uniforms torn and bloodied as they trembled quietly. In the corner, my own mother and Franco's still shrank back clutching Allegra and the little prince to them, all unharmed, to my great relief. Another two guards stood before the door, ready to challenge any who dared to attempt entrance. I paced a few feet behind them, unable to keep still.

The door had been broken from its hinges by the Blood Fang I had killed upon my arrival. It left us vulnerable, wide open for attack. One of the guards volunteered to scout my parents adjoining foyer to hide out the remainder of the siege.

While he was gone, we propped the broken door back into place and used the furniture to barricade it shut. When a long while passed and a knock hadn't sounded from the other side, we did the same to the foyer door.

Then only ten survivors remained hunkering in the nursery.

It became a matter of waiting from that point on. Eventually, my father would return with a great number of men and retake the castle. Until then, our best option was to wait it out. We didn't know how many Blood Fangs had entered the grounds. It would be unwise to risk the lives of the queen and heirs on an escape attempt against such odds.

Every so often, the main door would rattle against the piles of furniture, sending my heart pounding into overdrive. But our meager defenses held, for the time being. Though the clock that usually hung near the hearth was laying smashed on the floor, I guessed that a few hours had passed in the uneasy quiet of the room.

When Franco finished with Eden, he left her with her daughter to check on his mother and sister. Then, he crossed the room to join me by the blocked door. He lifted a torn piece of cloth to wipe at my face, but I leaned away from the touch. "Leave it."

"Giules, you're covered in blood."

"It doesn't matter, now is not the time to be pristine. If we survive the night, there will be plenty of opportunity in the morning to clean myself off. Besides, let them see the blood of their fallen comrades. I want them to know the mistake they have made."

He didn't speak again after that, just remained by my side. I could see the apprehension in his body, taking shape in the tightly coiled muscles of his back and the fist that clenched and unclenched at his side. It didn't take much to figure why. The castle was under attack, yes, but we had no way of knowing if the assault extended into the capital city as well. His mate could be out there defenseless, in need of help, and he had no choice but to remain locked in with us until morning. I knew what darkened his mind without asking, a similar dread had settled into me. Angelo was somewhere out there as well.

The rattling at the door came at more frequent intervals the longer we waited. It was the alpha power that still pulsated from me guiding them all to my location, but I couldn't relax enough to regain control. The longer it eluded me, the more my frustration grew and the harder it became to rein myself in.

Franco lowered himself to the ground, a blade balanced across his knees, gaze focused on the door. We were safe for the moment, but I couldn't bring myself to join him.

The door rattled again. It hardly drew any attention aside from mine and Franco's, who was still staring blankly in that direction. Then, the bookshelf propped against it slid, less than an inch, but still enough to draw the horrified eye of everyone in the room. Franco rose to stand beside me once again.