Raised wild

Chapter 32

A constant drop kept falling on the floor, the only sound we could hear other than our breathing. The guard hadn't moved for hours and I wondered what time it was now. I was in a far corner of the cell, hugging my knees tightly to prevent me from shaking.

But not from fear, from coldness. I only feared what would happen to my family after, if they'd do anything to them. It wasn't their fault after all. Would my parents know before I was displayed on every television? Would they watch as my feet would hang in the air?

''Don't think too much,'' Wayne said from his cell, one arm on his bent knee, the other playing with a necklace.

I watched him as his thumbs grazed the stone, ''To who does it belong?'' I asked.

''Used to be my mother's... then my fiancé's.'' I gulped as I wondered if he'd tell me about her.

He let out a wry laugh without looking at me, ''My mother died giving birth to me.'' He cleared his throat and got up to come closer to me. He leaned on a metal bar that joined both our cells, ''My father was a Colonel and when she died he focused on his work. We moved to the castle when I was two and I grew up with Oliver, we were like brothers.'' As the memories filled him, his mouth twisted in disgust.

''We did everything together, we started training together, we played, we studied, really everything. Then one day, when I was seventeen, I met this girl.'' Something lighted up his features, a loving smile on his mouth, ''Iris. I couldn't get her out of my mind so I asked her out. She was shy but had so much love to offer, always there to help others. I fell hard for her, two years later I made my proposal and she said yes. I never had the money to afford a ring so I gave her my mother's necklace. I told Oliver although it was against all rules to get married to a maid. I knew I shouldn't have because the next thing I knew, she was dead.''

''He killed her,'' I stated for him as my heart squeezed painfully.

''The King did after he told him we were getting married. When a woman is married, she can't work at the castle anymore, those are the King's rules. Instead of letting her go, he killed her.'' Pain and anger mixed on his face as his eyes watered. He pinched his lips together, ''My father died right after and since then, all I have is myself and my anger until you came along.'' He looked at me so sincerely, ''I won't lie, the first thing that caught my attention were your eyes. They look so much like hers.''

He let himself slide down the wall and sat next to me, giving me the necklace.

''I can't accept that,'' I told him.

He looked me directly in the eyes, ''You are the only thing that keeps me alive right now. I might die tomorrow, but at least I'll leave peacefully. You've been such a blessing, I don't know how much longer I could have held on without your presence.'' He hesitated a moment and dropped his gaze, ''I know you've been having an internal fight between the Prince and me, that's why I was so surprised you chose to leave with me. I've seen you steal glances towards him, and the way you looked at him... Sometimes, I wondered whether you loved him-''

''I don't love him.''

He sighed in relief and looked up hopefully, ''Do you love me?''

The word slipped out without giving me time to think, without really pausing to understand the meaning, ''Yes.'' It was so easy to seek that kind of comfort right before dying. I had nothing else to lose and seeing his smile was all I needed.

''I guess then we're not dying in vain. I just thought since Oliver had something for you maybe-''

I cut him off in disbelief, ''How could he have something for me when he's about to kill us both?'' I laughed incredulously at myself, ''Or he's doing the very same thing he did to Iris.''