Till Death Do Us Part

----Mature Content Below----

The hallway was very dark with only a few candles latched to the walls. I could feel Nicolæ shaking slightly and fear started to make my heart beat faster. I looked at his hair again. There was another, thicker, streak of white and, judging by how he fell to the floor, it was painful. But how did it happen and why?

We reached another iron door and Nicolæ pushed it open to reveal a large room, undoubtedly underground. There were torches around the walls and I looked around. My stomach dropped and I took a step back.

Nicolæ kept a grip on my arm and locked the door. He was shaking more as he pulled me further into the room. No, this wasn’t just a room. Judging by the stone table, chains, and instruments I didn’t recognize, this was a torture chamber.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaking when we reached the table.

Nicolæ wasn’t looking at me. “Please just cooperate,” he whispered, pointing at the table. “It will make everything easier.”

Before I could stop myself, tears spilled out of my eyes. I was trembling all over and I tried to get out of his grasp.

“What’s going on!?” I repeated in a high pitched voice.

Finally he looked at me and I could see the pain in his eyes.

“Please, Celfina,” he said in a strained voice. “Cooperate.” When I didn’t move he closed his eyes then, just as easily as on our wedding night, he lifted me on the table and snapped his fingers. Before I could so much as blink, chains bound to my wrist and ankles, pulling me flat, and I started crying harder. “Forgive me,” he whispered and I saw a tear fall from his eye. “We- We need information, that’s all. If you just- If you just work with me.”

“Nicolæ, please,” I begged, trying to see what he was doing. “Please, just let me go. I’ll answer anything, I swear!”

“People lie,” he said quietly before walking back to stand over me. My throat tightened. He was holding a whip and a hot poker. “It’s been that way since life began. It’s a natural response. It comes just as easy as breathing. Growing up, I learned there was one sure fire way to cut through the lies.”

He put the whip on the table and, still shaking, tore the top of my dress, revealing the slip underneath. I tried to struggle but the chains held me in place. I began to sob, praying that this was just a bad dream; that I would wake at any moment.

“Forgive me,” he repeated and pressed the poker to my bare skin.

It was pain as I had never experienced. The heat pressed against my breast. I screamed until my throat went raw. He dragged it down to my stomach, leaving a red streak.

“What were you doing when we couldn’t find you yesterday?” he asked, holding the poker inches above my other breast.

“I told you,” I sobbed. “I was exploring.”

He was crying in earnest now and pressed heavily on my breast again and my back arched as the pain spread everywhere.

“Stop, please!” I cried. “I’m not lying! Please!”

Nicolæ dropped the poker to the ground and fell to his knees. He screamed in pain, gripping his head. I watched as more white invaded his red hair.

“Celfina,” he cried from below the table. “Please just tell me the truth. I can’t take this! I can’t hurt you! Can’t you see!?”

Suddenly the door was thrown open. Elisabeth stopped on the threshold, a look of pure revulsion on her face. She rushed forward, snapping her fingers, and the chains released me. I screamed as she put a cold, wet towel on my torso. On the floor beside me, Nicolæ was sobbing.

Elisabeth knelt beside her son and lifted him carefully onto the table with me. I moved as far away as I could, crying and clutching to Elisabeth for support.

“Don’t let him near me!” I sobbed into her stomach. “Please!”

“You two have been wronged,” Elisabeth said in a shaky voice. “You both need rest.”

“I’m not going anywhere with him!” I screamed, still clutching the towel to my burns.

“It’s the only way you’ll be safe.” Elisabeth had started to cry. “Your father is coming,” she said to a still crying Nicolæ.

We all stayed where we were, crying. Elisabeth was stroking my hair and gripping her son’s shoulder. We heard running footsteps and Lucian rushed in, his face stark white. He rushed to his son’s side. Without warning, Nicolæ punched him in the jaw.

Lucian stumbled back but he did not look angry. “I deserved that,” he muttered and Nicolæ jumped up, continuing to beat his father, tears of anger streaming down his face. Elisabeth tried to pull him back but Lucian stopped her. Finally, exhausted, Nicolæ slid back to the floor. “I’m ok,” he whispered to his wife and helped Nicolæ stand. “I owe you such an apology,” he said to me but I moved away from him. “Let’s get them to their bed.”

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to go anywhere with Nicolæ. I wanted to stay with Elisabeth. It had been years since this happened and it was supposed to have stopped. Elisabeth coaxed me to stand and, before I could take a step, I blacked out.

--

I didn’t know what time it was. I could hear a whispered conversation and realized I was in a warm bed. My torso was no longer throbbing but I felt heavy and drained.

“… caught him before he could leave,” she heard Lucian whisper. “I was passing by my study when I heard movement in there. He’s in the dungeons now. How is she?”

“Terran’s medicine did its work,” Elisabeth whispered back. “There isn’t any blistering but there will be a scar on her stomach. Lucian, she has others. I saw them when I bathed her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this has happened to her before,” she breathed. “Nicolæ refuses to leave her, though.”

I opened my eyes. Elisabeth and Lucian were by our bedroom door, whispering to each other. To my left, Nicolæ was out cold. It was then that I noticed his hand gripping mine. A new wave a grief broke over me and Elisabeth rushed to me, holding me.

“I’m so sorry,” Lucian said, his voice trembling. “I didn’t- We had a break in. A serious one. I don’t know where to begin,” he muttered.

“We have to tell her, Lucian,” Elisabeth said, stroking my hair. “After this, she has every right to know.”

The door opened and Terran walked in. She was holding a pitcher and two glasses. She, too, looked sickened and horribly sad. Elisabeth moved away from my bedside table and Terran poured something into both glasses.

“I promise it’s ok,” Elisabeth whispered when I refused to take it. “It won’t hurt you. It’s medicine, to help you sleep.”

I looked in her eyes before nodding and taking a sip. It tasted of honey and I could feel my eyes starting to droop. Elisabeth set me down carefully as Terran poured some of the medicine into Nicolæ’s mouth. He stirred but didn’t wake up. I noticed that almost half of his hair was now white. Before I could ask anything else, I fell asleep.

--

Who knew how long it had been? It felt like an eternity when I regained consciousness. Something seemed off, though, and I opened my eyes to see Nicolæ’s sleeping face inches from my own. His arms were wrapped tightly around me and white locks of hair fell into his face.

Despite what had happened, I didn’t feel as scared as I did before. I remembered how hard he had cried, the pain he endured, and I tucked the hair behind his ear. His eyes blinked open and, when he saw I was awake, he pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes closing and more tears falling.

“Please forgive me,” he begged. His body was shaking and I started to cry again. “Please. I’ll do anything.”

I closed my eyes, a small sob escaping my lips. He pulled me closer and I could feel his tears mix with mine. I knew, in that moment, that he truly was sorry. I also knew I would be told why he would do that to me soon.

Slowly, I nodded, and he began to cry harder, pulling me so close that our bodies touched. He held me as tight as he could and I wrapped my arms around him, shaking with fear and sadness.