Till Death Do Us Part

When Nicolæ retired, he found Celfina already curled up in bed, fast asleep. She looked pale and as if she had been crying. It bothered him but he slipped into bed without disturbing her. She shifted in her sleep so that her head rested on his chest and she sighed in her sleep.

But Nicolæ wasn’t in the mood to sleep. One arm around his wife’s shoulders, he frowned up at the ceiling. Something was off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but that painting…. The fact that Erick had that hanging in his study made him uneasy. He understood the desire to remember the past, to learn and grow from it, but that was so grim.

Erick himself added a level of frustration. Everyone Nicolæ had seen that day was severely thin and yet here was their host, perfectly content with something from his dinner stuck between his teeth. Nicolæ hadn’t had a chance to discuss this with his father yet he didn’t feel the need to talk. Not yet.

He closed his eyes, extremely tired. If what Erick showed them was true, war was brewing again. No one seemed to have a plan, though. Or if they did, they certainly weren’t sharing their plans. Did they not trust his family?

Slowly, he drifted into a disturbing sleep, visions of death and war plaguing his dreams. A loud thud and the sound of someone retching jerked him awake and he sat up, looking around. Celfina was in the closet, being violently ill into a chamber pot.

“Celfina!” he gasped, rushing to her side and moving her hair back. He rubbed her back as it heaved. Tears of pain were streaming from her eyes as she finally put the pot back on the floor and wiped her mouth on the back of her shaking hand. He rushed the pot out to one of the morning cleaners then ran back to Celfina. She was washing her face and mouth with cold water. “What’s wrong?” he asked, turning her to him.

Her face was very pale as she answered, “I must be sick from the trip.” She didn’t meet his eyes and he knew she was lying. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Don’t be,” he said and led her back to the bed. “Get some rest. I’ll have someone bring you a broth.”

She nodded and slipped under the covers, immediately turning on her side. He frowned and left the room, looking for his mother. He found her in the kitchen, helping clean after breakfast.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile. “Is everything ok?”

He shook his head. “Celfina woke up and threw up a lot.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Can you make that broth you always made for me?”

“Of course!” she said and pulled out a pot. “Your father is looking for you. He said to meet in Erick’s office. It sounds grim,” she added, frowning a little. “Don’t worry about Celfina. I’ll look after her.”

Nicolæ kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thank you. Give me updates?” he said, glancing at the stairs.

She smiled and nodded. He returned the smile reluctantly then headed for Erick’s office, still worried. The somber looks on his father and Erick’s faces didn’t improve his mood at all.

“We have a problem,” Erick said as Nicolæ sat down. “Our scout came back, beaten and bloody.”

“What happened?”

“They realized who he was,” Erick responded, frowning at his desk. “They tortured him but he escaped. He’s being tended for now. However, before they discovered him, he learned some of their plans.”

He stopped talking and swallowed thickly. Nicolæ turned to his father for answers.

“They’ve created a new weapon,” he said. “It’s… well, it’s rather brutal. They’re calling it a cannon. They load it with some kind of powder and a heavy steel ball then, with a spark of fire, it explodes and demolishes whatever the target is. The scout saw them test it out. Nicolæ, I have no idea how we’re going to be able to defend ourselves against this weapon.”

“Building a sturdy wall will take too long,” Erick muttered. “We’re running out of time.”

“Did the scout find out when they’re planning on attacking?” Nicolæ asked, his heart racing.

Lucian and Erick shared a look before Lucian said, “Tomorrow.”

Nicolæ stared in horror. “Already!? But we’re not ready! Not at all!”

“It’s definitely looking grim,” Erick said.

Nicolæ stood, knocking his chair to the floor and both men looked at him in shock. Nicolæ tore the picture off the wall.

“Grim?” he demanded, anger pulsing through his veins. “Grim!? This is grim! Battle begins tomorrow: that’s horrid!” His hands were shaking as he put a foot on his chair. Lucian looked stunned but Erick’s face was impassive. “Why are you hanging this in your office?” Nicolæ snapped. “Because you want to remember what it was like? To know what it will look like tomorrow?” Before anyone could stop him, he broke the picture in half on his knee.

“Nicolæ!” Lucian yelled, taking the picture halves from his hands. “What is wrong with you!?”

“I brought my wife!” Nicolæ yelled back. “You’ve put her life in danger,” he yelled at Erick. “You’ve put everyone here in danger! You-”

Silence fell like a blanket as Nicolæ and Lucian turned their attention to the torn picture. They turned their heads to Erick who stood, clearing his throat. He snapped his fingers and two men strode through the door, locking it behind them. One was a stranger but the other was-

“Liam!” Lucian exclaimed in disbelief. “What is he doing here? What’s going on?” he demanded.

Erick sighed. “I didn’t want it to start this way,” he said as Liam and the stranger walked over, smirks on their faces. “You want to know why that picture is on my wall, Nicolæ? Why, because it’s my biggest accomplishment.” His voice was growing quieter as he moved around his desk. Lucian and Nicolæ moved closer to each other. “You see, when I found out you were still alive,” he explained, pulling the curtains over the window, “I knew something had to happen. You betrayed me,” he snarled, picking up a sword. “You killed my family, I had to return the favor. Why do you think I forced you to get married? Did you even think about it?” Behind them, Liam and the stranger pulled swords out as well. “Did you want to meet the person who did this wonderful work on your curse?” he whispered, a taunting smile stretching across his face. “You’re looking at him.”

No one knew about his curse except for his parents and Celfina. Shock coursed through his veins as the three men advanced, swords raised. From outside, a scream penetrated the cold morning air and a loud explosion caused the floor to quake under them. Laughing, Erick swung his sword.