Run From the King

Klaus pulls away from her and opens the back car door. He shoves Eliza in without hesitation. The realization that she was trapped sunk in.

He followed in behind her, never letting go of her wrist.

"Just kill me."

Eliza demands in the car as she nods at Klaus' ring.

"What did she just say?"

Adrian asks from the driver's seat.

"Nothing, she's gone mad. Faster we get home the better."

"I SAID KILL ME!"

Eliza lunges at Klaus' ring and he's taken aback.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?" Klaus yells out.

"What's happening? What's she doing?" Adrian calls out as he drives towards the exit of the parking lot.

"She's gone mad!”

Klaus struggles to keep his hand away from Eliza as she tries to grasp at his ring. Adrian hits the breaks before leaving the lot and turns to the two of them. Eliza lunges again at Klaus, her back to Adrian. Adrian grabs the back of Eliza's shirt and pulls her off. Klaus takes the opportunity to grab at her arms and tie them again with the rope.

"Stop! No! Just let me die, don't take me back."

Confused, Adrian and Klaus share a quick look before turning back to Eliza.

"You'd rather die than come home?"

Adrian snarls. He becomes more frustrated with her tantrum. Klaus still looks at her questioningly.

Eliza shakes her head.

"I can't go back. Please, I can't go back Aide."

She pleads, using her nickname for him. Adrian's face softens. He hadn't heard her call him that since they were 16. They were 19 now. How had they come to this point, so much had changed? He shook it off as Klaus interjected.

"Why? Why would you rather die than come back home?" Klaus asks quietly, Eliza thought she saw a flash of emotion behind his eyes as he said it. It’s a part of his twisted game she reminded herself.

Eliza stays silent. She doesn't answer him. She keeps her focus on her brother, hoping he'd hear the desperation in her plea's. Klaus grows impatient.

"I asked you a question. Answer me."

His voice is grim. But she does not answer him.

"You'd rather die than marry me? S'That it?"

His face turns to a grin, he lets out a chuckle in disbelief. He grabs the back of her head and pulls her back to her seat and forces her to sit next to him.

"We used to talk for hours, about everything, about the future, about our life together. I never thought I’d ever see you this quiet." He sighed.

Eliza looks away, tears welling in her eyes as his fingers pull at her hair strands. His face frowning, he had loved her wild red hair. She refused to let out a sound. Adrian stays quiet. He understands Klaus' frustration. She humiliated him in front of all the kingdoms from which they ruled. The world Eliza left behind. Their world was dependent on her marriage to Klaus. To join two kingdoms and form one, ending decades of wars. They were to be King & Queen. She had a responsibility to their family, to their people.
But she ran away.

"REMEMBER TELLING ME YOU LOVED ME? REMEMBER TELLING ME YOU'D NEVER LIVE WITHOUT ME?"

Eliza bites her lip and looks out the window as her tears fall. Klaus watches her turn away from him but he lets her. His voice lowers.

"So much has changed in 3 years. You've hurt me, all of us, more than you know. You're coming back home. You may not love me as I have you, but we're getting married and you will be my Queen. You owe it to our people, their lives depend on us. Mark my words, you will be my wife.”

The tears roll down as Eliza continues facing away, out the window. She shuts her eyelids tights as the weight of his words hangs heavy in her heart.

"If you take me home... I'll die."

She directs her words at Adrian who ignores her and continues rolling down the street dodging car after car frozen in place.

"Bring back the time, I hate swerving every second."

Klaus snaps his fingers bringing back the commotion around them. Cars begin to move, branches sway again in the fall breeze.

"Did you hear me? I said they're going to kill me if you take me back there." Eliza cries out.

"Well, you could stay here. But, of course, that would mean Tess would die."

Klaus was matter-of-fact when he spoke. He pulled out his pocket knife as he said so, and grazed the blade with his pointer finger and thumb.

"What? Why would Tess be killed? She's done nothing wrong."

She stiffens up and faces Klaus.

"She's been accused of high treason. For all your mother and father know, she's just a witch. She probably got rid of you out of jealousy. The evil witch, they say. They jeer and shout 'evil witch,' 'burn the witch,' in town when she's out for display as a traitor."

Klaus chuckles to himself.

"It's brilliant."

"Out for display?"

Eliza's eyes water even more. She turns to Adrian.

"She was our friend! How could you let them do this to her? How?"

"We didn't know what happened to you. She's 3 days from her death sentence. She told us what you asked of her, how she helped you escape. We were sent to find you. If we could, she would be forgiven. If we don't return in 3 days to our world, she will be executed."

Eliza digests the information. There was no question, she had to go back home. Tess was going to die because of her. She had to make sure she would be okay.

"How will we get back?"

Eliza sniffles slightly as she leans back into her seat, hopeful she had enough time to save Tess.

"She said you'd be the only one able to get us back. You have something she gave you."

He twirled his knife between his knuckles before grazing it against her knee and slowly up her thigh. He teased the end of her shirt, letting the point prick at her skin on her belly. She flinched but her eyes pointed straight ahead.

"Tell me you don't know what I'm talking about, I Dare You." He turns the blade that teased her belly, causing it to slowly pierce her soft skin.

Eliza swallowed hard before answering Klaus.

"Is that where we're going? My home?"

Adrian slams the wheel of the car with his fists once, suddenly furious.

"IT'S NOT YOUR HOME."

Eliza went silent at his outburst. He never raised his voice like that to her.

"Don't call it that again... It's not your home."

He grips the wheel tighter as says the last bit more to himself than for the others to hear.

Klaus nudges Eliza.

"Go on, tell him how to get there."

Eliza recoils from his touch and gives Adrian directions to her small cottage in the woods.

She sat quietly, interjecting directions when needed. Eliza was overwhelmed by seeing both Adrian and Klaus. She hadn't seen them since the engagement. The kingdoms had never seen a more beautiful night than the night of their engagement celebration. The day and night were filled with food, laughter, and music. Children had even begun to sing hymns and rhymes of their future union. Everything seemed perfect, the people of her kingdom finally felt at peace until she ruined it. Princess Elizabeth Guinere Capell vanished, she abandoned them and her duty. Coward.

Deep in thought, Eliza had not noticed they were approaching the dirt trail to her home for the past few years.

They slowly pulled up to the small cabin.