Alistair was on his black horse, Thunder, when he felt a sudden jolt. He jerked up his head and listened for something. Just when he thought it was is imagination, he heard it again, faintly. “Alistair!”
“I know she’s around here somewhere. WHERE ARE YOU?!”
Just as she was going to reply, a door opened to reveal her captor dressed and masked in black. She also saw Higgens following right behind him. The captor put a bag of golden coins into Higgens’ hand and watched him opened the bag. With a nod to his employer and Beth, he left.
“Ah, you are awake. You have been unconscious for nearly 4 hours now. I suppose Higgens used a little too much of the drug. But no matter. You are here with me.”
“Who are you? What do you want?”
With a laugh the man ripped off his black mask. “Lord Lansing Savage, at your service. I think it is pretty obvious what I want,” he said menacingly as he walked toward her.
“No! Please! Let me go! ALISTAIR!”
Savage sat down on the bed and caressed her face with his cold fingers. She flinched and tried to scoot farther away from him.
“Do you know who I am, my darling? Remember months ago when you ran in front of a horse. I was the rider.”
She looked at him with murderous eyes, “I remember. You beat me. It took me 3 months to recover, bastard.”
“Oh my, my, my. There’s no need for name calling.” He leaned forward to kiss her. And she spit on him. “You are making me mad, darling. You do not want to make me really mad.” He leaned forward again and was felt a big wet blob on his closed eyes. He calmly wiped off the obnoxious mess and sat astride on her. “You had to make me mad, did you not?” He slapped her repeatedly. He continued until Higgens was thrown into the room, dead.
Savage turned toward the door and got off of her. “I should known you were going to do something like this.”
“Alistair,” she gasped.
“Do not worry, my love. I will get you out of here.”
“Over my dead body,” said Savage as he flew into Alistair.
The two man grappled each other and exchanged punches. Alistair was the smaller man of the two, but the quickest. He dodged all the punches and managed to get a few that were quite well placed. Getting tired of being punched, Savage grabbed a hold of him and threw him against the wall. That action not only knocked out Alistair, but knocked down some candles. The flames caught onto the tapestries and the rug. Savage ran out of the room, leaving the two to fight the burning inferno.
Beth screamed for Alistair to wake up, but he wouldn’t. She saw the flames lick at the bedcovers and started to scream hysterically. She looked at the posts and saw they were all on fire. “God! Please! I need to be free! I have to help Alistair! Please! I want to be free!” she screamed just as the burning canopy fell on her. She screamed with pain and for long moments that was all she felt. She could smell her flesh cooking under the heat and her hair smoldering. The last thing she heard was the door crashing open and soldiers yelling.
Alistair sat in his chair, grieving. His hands and arms were bandaged up. He thought of the day he finally awoke, only to be greeted with dire news. His lover, Beth, and his child had perished in burning bed, still chained. His men had tried to get her out of there, but it had already been too late. He had an extravagant funeral for Beth, one that even surpassed the ones for either of his parents. It was now 3 months later. Everywhere he looked, something always reminded him about Beth. The floor, the horses, the sun, the bed, and even the flowers that were blooming in his gardens.
He had to go somewhere. Anywhere to get away from all of the memories. As quickly as he could, he got dressed in his plainest clothing and blended in with his servants that traveled in and out of his castle. Once he was out of the vicinity, he said to Beth who was standing right next to him, “We’re free now, my love. Where do you want to go?”