Run From the King

The car runs over a bump in the road and Eliza is shaken awake. She pulls herself up from Klaus' chest. It's storming bad outside. She looks over at Klaus and his head is bent low, his silvery-white hair falling over his brow, eyes shut. He was sound asleep. She was so close to him now... His smell still intoxicated her. She wanted so badly to fall back into his side under his arm.

She shook her head. No, she couldn't do that. She looked over at the driver who seemed to be minding his own business. He gave her a small smile, that she returned. How kind, she thought. Remembering how cruel the riot had been. For someone to show her a glimpse of kindness. She felt a little less numb. She looked up at the front window. The wipers slicked the heavy raindrops. They were coming up to Baroff Castle.

As she yawned Klaus stirred awake. He instinctively reached for her arm and wrapped his hand entirely over hers. She'd gotten smaller.

"Why are so you small now?"

Eliza doesn't recoil from his touch now. She leans back into the chair and sighs.

"I survived off coffee and day-old tuna fish and egg sandwiches."

"...And chocolate chip cookies." He remarks.

"Of course."

Eliza pauses and looks over at Klaus. He remembered the cookies. Before she lets a smile slip she looks back up at the castle as they approach the front entryway.

"Will you take me to Tess?"

"Of course."

The rain lets up a little as Sheldon helps her out of the vehicle. Klaus joins her as he takes her hand from the guard. She takes it back from him but he doesn't fight her this time. She follows up the castle doors where they're opened for them.

"Don't worry. Mother and Father won't be home for a couple more days."

"What are they going to do to me?"

"I guess we'll see when they arrive."

"Where's Tess?"

Klaus shows a coy grin. He snaps his fingers.

A guard comes running up to Klaus. He then nods over at Eliza.

"Take her to the witch."

...

The guard looks over at Eliza and motions for her to follow him to a lower level of the castle. Klaus watches as they walk off.

"I'll come down soon. I need to take care of something."

"Okay."

Eliza follows the guard down to the lower levels of the castle. It feels as though ages had passed before they finally found themselves in front of a steel locked door.

"Tess is in here? Aren't these the prison cells?"

The guard says nothing as he opens the door allowing Eliza to step in.

It's dimly lit inside. A room with 3 prison cells. Only one source of light from a torch in front of one of the cells indicates a person inside. The ground is dirt and Eliza gets a sick feeling in her stomach as she smells a familiar odor of iron in the dank air.

"My god...Tess?"

Eliza steps further past the steel door and walks towards the torch-lit cell, noticing the other two are empty.

"Eliza..?"

A voice croaks within the cell.

Eliza finally reaches the steel bars close enough to spot Tess in the corner, her wrists in chains and hands inside of dried clay mass. She sat on the ground, leaning against a gray brick wall.

"Oh, my god... Tess! What's happened to you?"

Eliza's hands cling onto the cage.

"Eliza, is that you?"

Her hair was a matted mess, her arms cut and scarred, her face hidden by dirt and marred with a busted lip. She wore a simple green nightdress that was nearly in tatters now. Hard in some spots where blood had dried. She smelled awful. She looked..broken.

"It's me yes, who did this to you?"

Eliza pulls on the cage desperately trying to get inside.

"They thought you were dead."

"...It has been too long. No answers..they thought you were dead."

She sounded like she was losing her breath. She was using so much of her energy just to speak.

Eliza drops to her knees as she looks in on her friend. The weight of her words is crushing. She shakes the cage trying to fight her way in. Her breath catches in her throat as she struggles to call out to her friend.

"Who would do this to you?"

Klaus knocks twice on the steel door before stepping inside.

"That would be me."

Eliza turns her head to Klaus.

"How could you do this? Why?"

"Because I knew."

He steps towards them.

"I always knew she knew where you were. I knew she had something to do with it. It was only a matter of time until I could get her sent to me."

"Sent to you? My parents gave her to you?"

"They had no choice. I threatened war if they wouldn't let me question her."

"Question her? She can barely speak! Open this door!"

"She came voluntarily. She knew my terms and she came on her own."

He opens the gate for Eliza and watches as she hurries inside. She drops to her knees to aide her friend.

Tess looked up weakly to Eliza.

"So many people had died already from his hands. I couldn't let it go on any longer, I'm sorry Eliza. I'm so sorry."

"Please, please stop. Don't be Tess. I'm sorry."

Eliza turns to Klaus on her knees.

"Unchain her, I'm home. Set her free!"

"Actually. She's still committed a crime. And technically..."

Klaus grips the cage and closes it before locking it closed.

"So have you."

"What? No! Let us out! KLAUS!"

Eliza raises herself quickly and runs to the bars and is stopped inches from him by the bars now imprisoning her and Tess.

"Sorry, love."

"KLAUS! You can't do this!"

"Serves you right. See how your best friend has been living for the past year on your behalf. Then you'll really be sorry."

Eliza is speechless.

Klaus drops a hammer inside of the cell.

"The key to her cell is in her hands. Break the clay to get it."

"Klaus! Don't be insane, I won't hurt her."

"More than you already have?"

...

"Right. I'll see you when you get out."

"Why? Why would you do this?"

Klaus pauses at the door and turns to her.

"Because this is your mess. You have a part in it. You may not see that or feel that yet but I'm sure, by the time you're out, you will see just how ruthless you are. See how much you took and still take from the people who would give their life for yours-twice over."

Before slamming the door shut behind him Klaus calls over his shoulder,

"Consider this your penance."

Eliza desperately clangs the hammer against the bars to get his attention.

"GET BACK HERE! NO KLAUS! AHHHH! KLAUS!"

Eliza drops back down to the dirt floor. Her jeans now torn away at the knees. She leans her head against the bars until the room is so silent all she can hear is the haggard breath of Tess. Eliza shakes from her state and turns to her before crawling over to her.

"Tess! Tess, don't worry I will get us out of here, okay? No more pain."

"Eliza...it's okay."

"Tess stop. Klaus is bluffing he will be back. He's just trying to get back at me."

"Eliza..."

"Tess, he wouldn't do this. He'll be-"

"ELIZA!"

Eliza freezes at Tess's voice.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Eliza looks over Tess's body. Her state, overall. She looked like all the demons in hell had a go at her. She could barely get a grip to keep herself up.

"KLAUS DID THIS. KLAUS DID THIS TO ME."

Her voice becomes weak.

"Do not underestimate his darkness. He's not the man you once knew, Eliza."

Eliza wraps her arms around herself. Chills overwhelm her body as she scoots close to Tess.

"Bring the hammer, Eliza."

"Tess-"

"Now!"

"I can't let you-"

Tess looks Eliza in the eyes now. Desperate. Eliza understands quickly that Tess will do anything to leave this prison.

"Please.."

Eliza reluctantly grabs the hammer and fights herself for a while before sitting in front of Tess. Steadying her first blow for the middle of Tess's hands. Tess, unmoving in an almost routine way, checked out and became so far away in her mind Eliza couldn't find her and she sat but 2 feet away.

Klaus' words echo in her mind before striking Tess.

'You will see just how ruthless you are..'

Eliza slams the hammer down and cracks the clay making Tess cry out.