Fifteen

Sweat dripped from the end of Marcus’ nose, spattering onto the warped floorboards just inches from his face. His core trembled , and his arms ached; his legs burned as the muscles started to cramp. He had been in this position for nearly thirty minutes. It was a personal record for him. He had always hated doing planks, but with a lack of equipment to train his body, he was left with very few options.

While traveling towards Pol Trulant, he hadn’t found very many opportunities to train. Even Franklin had switched from abusing him physically and had started to favor lecturing. Marcus knew it wasn’t the case, but he was starting to feel soft.

Dropping to the ground with a huff, the dust bunnies populating the floor running for their lives, Marcus rolled over to his back and started lifting his legs straight up into the air. It was still very early in the morning, and he had at least another thirty minutes until the maids even started to stir, and that meant at least an hour until Alissa would even begin to think about getting out of bed.

This was the second day of their layover in Kinkaid . They would be heading out as soon as dawn broke over the horizon, which meant around noon.

Alissa really liked to sleep in.

He finished his last exercise for the day and plucked his water skin from atop the straw-filled bed. The mana stones were still inside, grinding around each other as he popped the cork and brought it to his lips. Instead of cool, refreshing water, as one would expect, the liquid inside burned all the way down into his stomach, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.

What little fatigue had built up during his workout instantly disappeared, his muscles loosened, and his chest swelled with vigor. It was almost an addictive feeling that coursed through his veins, something he discovered the other night when Jorel had returned the mana stones to him.

He had been curious about the effects of the energy-dense rocks on his body and why they didn’t harm him like everyone else. He already knew that they helped him heal from previous experiences and was deeply interested in what else they would do to him. So far, nothing negative had happened, and he could only hope that remained the case.

A soft knock suddenly came from his door, so soft that Marcus could hardly tell it apart from the shifting of the old building they were in. He crossed the small room in less than two steps, the thin door swinging open on hinges loud enough to wake those across the hall.

“Sir Marcus,” an elderly maid softly spoke from the threshold, her eyes following the contours of Marcus’ naked upper body. “Breakfast will be served…”

“AHHHHHHH! Get it off!!!!” A shrill scream echoed from the neighboring room, where Lady Alissa was supposed to be sound asleep.

Marcus acted immediately, pushing past the old maid, and thundered down the hall. Marcus hoped that he didn’t hurt her but had more important things to worry about at the moment. Lady Alissa’s room was only a few steps away from his, so it only took him a second to grip the tarnished doorknob. It didn’t turn. Of course, her door would have been locked.

His muscles swelled and he reared back before slamming his shoulder into the door. It gave way with very little resistance, the archaic wood splintering as the rusted hinges tore from the frame. Dust fell from the rafters, filling the air around him with the musty smell of age and mildew.

His eyes scanned the room in one quick sweep, locking onto the young woman still in her nightgown, struggling to get out of her bed. She was tangled up in a thick quilt, her legs kicking like she was struggling to keep her head above water. She was still shrieking about something, but Marcus didn’t wait to figure out what it was.

He rushed across the room, scooping her up, quilt and all. He swung her away from the bed, looking for anything that might pose a threat, but he did not see anything. Alissa was still struggling in his arms, although her frantic screaming had morphed into surprised squeals.

“Put me down!” She yelled out, her voice muffled by the thick fabric covering her head. Marcus gently set Alissa onto the floor, helping her escape from her linen prison. The quilt dropped to the ground, revealing a red-faced noblewoman with golden hair frazzled beyond belief. She pushed her stray hair behind her ears and out of her face, a shudder running down her body as she did so. “There… there was a spider… in my bed…”

A snort escaped from Marcus’ nose before he could contain it, but the look Alissa gave him immediately strangled any laughter that might have come out. She looked very embarrassed about her reaction to the spider, and the soldiers pushing their way into her room behind him only served to make everything worse.

“Everything… everything is fine.” Lady Alissa stumbled over her words as she addressed the soldiers. “Ple… Return to your posts. There is nothing to see here.”

The way she tried to look as elegant as possible while her hair stuck out every which way and her face as red as a beet didn’t help Marcus’ attempts to keep from laughing. He burst out in a deep giggle, doubling over as he held his stomach. The soldiers behind him all rushed out of the room before they were infected with the giggles as well, as they were certain Lady Alissa wouldn’t be as forgiving with them as she would Marcus.

“I… I do not appreciate the humor taken at my expense.” Alissa croaked, crossing her arms while glaring at Marcus with sullen eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Marcus rasped as he straightened up. He really was. Although it was funny to him, Alissa looked to be very upset about what had happened. He didn’t want to make light of her feelings and have her think of him negatively. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I got caught up in the moment…”

Alissa pursed her pink lips as her eyes softened slightly, “I forgive you… this time.” She uncrossed her arms and pointed up at him with a finger. “But do not let it happen again, do you understand?”

Marcus could tell that she hadn’t stayed mad at him for long at all and that knowledge brought a smile to his face. “Yeah, I do.”

“And put some clothes on!” Alissa blurted out, seemingly only realizing just now that he was shirtless. Her face, which was already slightly red, burned brightly as her mind caught up to what she was seeing. “It is improper, terribly improper…”

Marcus gave her a small smile before turning around to leave her room. Maybe since she was already up, they would be able to leave on time today. Jorel had mentioned unusual monster activity around the border, the half-elf had traveled to Kinkaid to investigate, so Marcus would like to travel in as much light as possible.

“Marcus…” Alissa’s voice crossed the room in barely a whisper. “Your back…”

Marcus turned to face her. Alissa looked at him with myriad emotions playing across her face, none of them good. He was more than just a little confused by the way she was looking at him. “What is it?”

“That is a slave seal , is it not?” Alissa asked, her face falling into an expression that Marcus couldn’t read.

“It… is. Did Franklin or your father not tell you…” He asked before shaking his head. “No, of course, they didn’t.”

“They forced you to be here…” Alissa stammered as she took a step back, her beautiful cerulean eyes wetting with tears. “No one wanted to be with me, so they resorted to a… a slave.” Her eyes snapped into his. “You… you never wanted to be with me, did you?”

Marcus wanted nothing more than to go over and comfort the young woman, but as he took a step forward, she took an equal one back. Her bubbly demeanor he had grown used to was now gone, replaced by rage, betrayal… and fear. “I didn’t know… They never told me what was going on until right before I met you.”

“You did not answer my question!” She screamed, her anger overpowering all the other feelings raging inside of her. “You never wanted to be here… No one did. Not Franklin, my maids that raised me, not even my father wanted anything to do with me!” Her ire burned inside her chest as she shouted at Marcus. “They would all rather sell me off to some… some man than be around me any longer! And since no one can stand me, they commanded a slave to accompany me!”

“It’s not like that, Alissa…”

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“Lady Dresden!” She shouted, “You will call me Lady Dresden! That is my title; that is who I am, even if my father despises me so!”

Marcus raised up both of his hands, trying to placate the young woman. “Please, Alissa, listen to me.”

“Out! Get out!” She punctuated her last words by hurling a golden hand mirror at his head. Luckily for Marcus, it missed and shattered against the wall behind him. “Get out of my room! Get out!”

Another object sailed past his head, joining the mirror on the floor in hundreds of pieces. Marcus thought about trying to talk to her, but the look on her face told him that she wasn’t willing to listen to anything that he might have to say. He could only retreat from the room as quickly as possible, and hope that she would be willing to talk once she calmed down.

“What’s happening? What’s wrong?” The elderly maid asked him as Marcus stumbled out of the room, barely avoiding another missile.

Marcus looked down at her, her face wrinkled in concern as she stared into the room. “She just needs a moment.” Heavy sobs soon followed his statement, causing his heart to drop. “Go and get her some tea, the sweet stuff that she likes.”

“…ah, yes, at once, sir.”

As the maid scurried off to get the tea, Marcus stomped back to his room. He needed to get dressed before he could go downstairs and find Franklin. They had much to discuss.

The stairs screeched under his weight as he trudged his way downstairs. By now, everyone in their large group knew that something dangerous was going on with Lady Dresden and were busying themselves with their own duties in order not to get involved. The attendants were packing away the cutlery, the few maids that had taken over the kitchen rushed here and there, making sure everyone was fed, and the soldiers sat around caring for their armor and weapons, but Marcus ignored every single one of them and made his way outside, seeing red.

“You’re a real bastard, you know that, right?” Marcus bellowed as he spotted the always armored Franklin talking to a soldier named Thomas, his second in command. Franklin stopped midsentence, a frown forming on his lips. That expression alone hinted to Marcus that he had already pissed him off, and that couldn’t have made him happier.

“Watch your words carefully…” Franklin threatened as Marcus rapidly approached him.

“You didn’t tell her!” Marcus growled, completely ignoring Franklin’s obvious displeasure. “No one thought to tell her about me. Not you or that weasel back in Lorenth!”

“On your knees!” Franklin roared, sending Marcus to the ground instantly.

The seal branded on his back and intertwined into his soul flared to life. Bursts of light dotted his darkening vision as the pain assaulted every fiber of his being. It felt as if his nerves were being flayed open, only to have a salty brine poured over them. Every breath was excruciating, and his heart pumped boiling oil through his veins. It took everything in him to stay conscious and even more to raise his head up to look Franklin in the eyes.

“You will not speak to me that way! You will not speak ill of Duke Dresden!” Franklin spat as he looked down at Marcus. “I have been much too lenient with you. I have allowed you and Lady Alissa to have your fun, but that ends now. What she is doing, what she must do, is more important than any one person, and you will do your part. From now on, you will fulfill your duties, no more and no less. Do you understand?”

Marcus felt the weight of his orders pressing down on him. The magic that bound his body and soul constricted, sending a fresh torrent of pain cascading through him until he accepted them. He refused. He’d had enough.

He didn’t choose to be here; he was arrested and enslaved before he even had a chance to understand what was going on. He was put through hell with no explanation, then when he did get one, he was told they knew he was innocent but just didn’t care. They were just using him to protect a girl put into an almost identical situation.

Lady Alissa had no choice in her situation as well. She wasn’t a slave like he was, but she might as well have been. She was being used, just like he was. Married off to a man she had never met, all for the benefit of others. Maybe she was right; maybe no one really cared. Her father could say that he loved her, but if he truly did, then he would know that Alissa’s happiness should have come first.

That is something that Marcus would help protect but of his own free will.

“…fuck you…” Marcus snarled through gritted teeth, blood welling up over his lip and running down his chin.

“What… what did you say?” Franklin asked with wide eyes.

“…I said… fuck you!”

The pain was growing so intense that Marcus shook like a leaf in a storm. The slave seal was drawing in all of the surrounding mana, using it to punish him, using it to make him bow. Marcus braced himself against his knee, urging his arms to push himself upwards. Just like him, they refused to listen to any orders, but they were a part of him, and he would make them listen.

His willpower clashed against the seal, fanning the flames that ravished him, body, mind, and soul. He almost wavered, almost gave in to the pain, but then he saw an angel that lent him strength to continue on. She had hair the color of sunlight, skin smooth and delicate, features that set his heart racing, and deep, blue eyes that captured his soul.

Something snapped inside of him. It was as if the thousands of chains holding him down suddenly shattered, their iron links crumbling away. Marcus pushed himself to his feet, the pressure of the seal still weighing on his back. His armor groaned as he straightened to his full height, dwarfing the astonished-looking Franklin.

Marcus looked down at him, his face contorted in rage. Lashing out, he grabbed Franklin around the throat and lifted him off of the ground. The seal on his back protested with a searing spark of pain, but it was hardly enough to grab Marcus’ attention anymore. “You won’t tell me what to do any longer, do you understand? I’m no longer your dog or anyone else’s.”

Marcus tossed Franklin onto the ground next to him, the man falling into a heap as he coughed and sputtered, trying to catch his breath. “I will watch over Alissa, not because you or that old fool ordered me to, but because I want to and because that’s what's right. You might have abandoned her to her fate, but I refuse to do the same.”

With those words, Marcus spat the blood that had gathered in his mouth onto the ground before hobbling away. He didn’t have a destination in mind, but his anger didn’t allow him to be around anyone at the moment, and the pain wouldn’t allow him to stand much longer. He needed to find someplace where he could gather his thoughts.