Released

It was dark in the palace hallways and Persephone used the wall as her guide. She felt around with her feet before taking each step, worried she’d trip over something. She was sure she’d come to the staircase soon. It was around here somewhere….

Suddenly, she felt like someone was behind her. She stopped walking and looked over her shoulder. All she saw was darkness, though. Perhaps it was a trick of the dark? She continued on but got that feeling again. It made her uneasy and she considered turning back. But what if behind her was the danger? Her heart started to pound harder.

She quickened her pace and soon heard a second set of footsteps. She whimpered and broke into a run, lifting her skirts so that she wouldn’t trip. Whatever was behind her kept up with her easily, though. In fact, it was gaining on her. She tried to scream but her throat wouldn’t work.

A hand grabbed her hair and she really did scream as her feet kept going but her head was held fast. She bumped into her pursuer who put their arm around her waist. It was a man and he was breathing heavily onto her neck. He bit her neck and laughed when she tried to get free of his grip.

“There’s no point in running, little Persephone. It’s only a matter of time before….”

She screamed as a sword thrust through her chest.

“Percy! Percy, wake up! Percy!”

Persephone gasped loudly and sat up. She looked around with wide eyes. Kendra was standing beside her, her face scared. Gretchen ran in with a glass of clear liquid and Lucian followed. He was still in his night clothes, his hair messier than normal. Persephone quickly covered her chest with her blanket as Kendra gave her the cup.

“Are you all right?” Lucian asked, looking into her eyes and feeling her forehead.

“Yes, yes I’m fine,” she panted and took a sip of water. It tasted strange. “What’s in this?”

“Something for nerves,” Kendra answered, her voice shaking.

“What happened?” Lucian asked.

“I just had a dream."

“A pretty awful one from the sound of it,” Kendra said, wringing her hands.

“You woke nearly half the castle,” Lucian said. He wore a frown of concern. “You were screaming as if someone was hurting you.”

“I think it’s just memories,” she said before thinking and covered her mouth.

Lucian sighed. They both knew the damage had been done so he ordered that Gretchen close the door after making sure no one was outside it. Both women stood close in front of them and Persephone stared at her lap while Lucian told them the truth.

“We don’t want the rest of the staff to know,” he said when he finished the story. “And we definitely don’t want Jerkin knowing who she is. Gretchen, what’s wrong?”

She was crying and trying to write down what she wanted to say. Kendra steadied her hand then read over her mother’s shoulder. She gasped.

“She was there when Percy’s mother was killed,” she breathed and Persephone looked at Gertrude. “She was the witness.”

“You recognized me,” Persephone said when she finished the water and Gretchen looked away. “The day you were brushing my hair.”

“She says you look so much like your mother,” Kendra said, still reading over Gretchen’s shoulder. “She also says she suspected you were back when she saw the flour.”

Persephone laughed, crying some more but this time in happiness.

“We would always stack the flour in just the right way so the cooks always found what they needed easily,” Persephone said. She smiled fondly at the cup in her hand. “The cook, Tilda, loved it. She made sure we were the ones to fix the flour after the men put it in the cupboards. It was too heavy for us, you see….”

She trailed off with a sniffle. Gertrude stood in front of her then knelt down. She hugged her and Persephone shut her eyes tightly, hugging her back.

“She says she’s glad to see that you’ve grown up to be a beautiful young woman,” Kendra said, wiping away tears of her own. “She-She says your mother would be proud.”

Persephone sobbed a little and covered her face. Lucian shifted and held her as she cried into his shoulder. He rubbed her back when someone knocked on the door. She tried to stop her tears as Kendra went to open the door a little.

“Is everything all right?”

“It’s Uther,” Lucian muttered and Gretchen passed him one of the robes so Persephone was decent.

“I heard screaming,” Uther said, coming in when Kendra stepped to the side. “Percy? What’s wrong?”

“She just had a very bad nightmare,” Lucian said as Gretchen smoothed her hair down.

Whatever medicine was in the water was making Persephone sleepy again and her eyes began to slowly close.

“Will she be okay?” Uther asked as Lucian helped her lie back down.

“Yes,” Lucian said. “But we’ll have to reschedule the visit to the music room.”

“No, go,” Persephone said, her words slurring as she tried to open her eyes. She was falling asleep, though. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you certain?”

“Of course,” she said after a yawn. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

She felt him kiss her on the lips again before she fell back asleep.

=

When Persephone woke up again, she was alone. She looked at the clock. It was nearly four in the evening. She rubbed her eyes. A note was on the table by her bed.

Once you’ve woken and freshened up, please come to the throne room.

She recognized Lucian’s handwriting and stretched. She splashed some water in her face and changed into a dress that Kendra had left out for her. She was still exhausted from the nightmare and medicine but managed to be awake enough by the time she got to the throne room. Lucian was on his throne, his head in his hands. She frowned and looked around. No one else was there; not even Jerkin. She closed the door and approached him slowly.

“Lucian?” she asked and he jumped.

“Persephone,” he said with a long breath of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“What’s wrong? Where is everyone?”

She froze as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

“Lucian? What is it?”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said, stepping back with a red face. “Uther, Elisabeth, and Frederick are playing Switchboard. Frederick really likes it and it’s nice to see Uther get some humility at the hands of his son,” he added with a smile.

“But even Jerkin’s not here….”

Lucian’s smile disappeared and his face darkened. “I sent him away.”

“Away?”

“That’s why I asked you to come here,” he said and led her to a far corner. There was a flag and he moved it and pointed. There was blood on the marble floor. “I caught him finally.”

“Caught him?” she repeated. “I’m confused.”

He scowled at the blood. “He was raping a servant.”

Persephone gasped and covered her mouth in horror.

“Who?”

“A young girl named Stephanie,” he said. “The physician is seeing to her now. In my father’s will, he said I couldn’t fire Jerkin unless I had a just reason.” She nodded, remembering him telling her. “So, over the years, Jerkin has managed to just barely make it by. Not this time, though.”

“Poor Stephanie,” Persephone said, wiping her tears away.

“Have you met her?”

“No but I know what it’s liked to be terrorized.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Why tell me all of this, though?”

“It took long enough,” he grumbled as a group of servants came in to clean up the floor. He pulled her over to the window so their conversation could remain private. “Because I wanted to apologize.”

“To me?” she asked and he nodded. “Why?”

“Because I know how worried and scared you were with him around,” he muttered, putting his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t really understand how bad it was until your nightmare last night. It was about him, wasn’t it?”

She looked out the window where the sun was setting. “I was running in the dark. Then someone caught me and thrust a sword through me. Just like what he did to my mother….”

He sighed heavily. “Well, he’s gone now so you don’t have to be scared anymore.”

She stared at him and couldn’t stop a laugh. He looked even more concerned as she clutched her stomach, bending over.

“You thought I was scared of Jerkin?” she asked, wiping away tears of mirth. “Oh, Lucian, you’re sweet but it should be Jerkin who is afraid of me.”

“What?” Then he narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. “Wait a minute. That man at the bar. He said I’d be a fool to try to hurt you. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Maybe someday,” she said. “For now, let’s go watch Frederick beat Uther again.”

He arched a brow but took her hand as they walked to the tea room.