Innocence Lost

by ladymxsery

Chapter 1: Prologue

Not many people liked Marion. One of the De Rune’s stablehand’s little half-English, half-French vermin that found enjoyment in terrorizing the chickens; she’d go out of her way to find extra long sticks to swing at them, like a sword. She was rowdy, and dirty, plain annoying. The Doubois girl kept her hair cropped short, shorter than most girls, and had a round, stubby face.

In simple words, Marion Dubois was a wild child.

Amicia De Rune was the opposite. She was a proper lady, with the prettiest brunette hair Marion had ever seen. It had taken the little seven-year-old Marion over a week to build up the courage to ask her to play.

Marion trotted up to the De Rune girl, in her hands she held two large sticks; one for herself, and one for Amicia. Marion’s hair was untamed, her clothes stained from playing in the mud. Amicia looked perfect, as she always did. The brunette gently stroked her puppy, Lion’s, fur.

“Do you wanna chase the chickens with me?” Marion asked bluntly, as she held out one of the sticks to Amicia.

Amicia stared at the slightly shorter girl for a moment, before she smiled widely, and took the stick from Marion’s hand.

“Oui!” She replied, as she left Lion's side.

That was the day Amicia the Amazon, and Marion the Marvelous were born.

Marion chased after a light brown hen, giggling and smiling as Amicia, and Lion followed behind her. Marion swung her stick into the ground, missing the hen. The hen scurried into a hole in one of the stone gates that led into the main property.

“Allons-y Amicia, we must never let our foes escape!” Marion yelled, as she kneeled down to wriggle into the hole.

Amicia laughed, and followed after her; her dress was stained and some parts along its hem were damp from mud, and dirt. She quickly scurried off after the hen, and Marion. In the main yard the Doubois girl finally landed a hit on the hen, making her fall to the floor. Marion picked up the hen by her sides, as she tried to run away.

“Once again, Amicia the Amazon, and Marion the Marvelous win the great battle!” Marion celebrated, and held the hen high above her head.

Amicia cheered, and held her stick high. Lion let out loud barks, as he reared onto his little hind legs. “Lady Amicia!” A maidservant called out to the brunette, and their moment was over in the blink of an eye.

The maidservant held back her cringe as she watched the chicken jump out of Marion’s hands, “My Lady, your mother wishes to see you.” Amicia nodded, and dropped the stick. She turned to Marion, a large smile on her face.

“Promets-moi we will play again tomorrow?” Amicia asked, and gently took Marion’s hand.

“I promise!” Marion smiled, and gently squeezed her hand. Marion could not wait for tomorrow to come.

Chapter 2: I

Marion groaned as Amicia shook her shoulder's, the day was still fresh, yet somehow the latter had managed to fully dress herself. The short haired girl shoved her face into one of her companions' feather-stuffed pillows; Marion was known for not being an early bird.

"Wake up, Ma Chevalier, my father will be upset if we are late!" Amicia pulled the thick blankets off of Marion's frame once she realized that shaking the girl would do nothing.

Marion groaned again, and sat up.

"Surely the animals will still be in the forest if we don't leave before the sun has fully risen." Marion complained, and rubbed her eyes.

Amicia playfulled rolled her eyes, before she gently threaded her fingers through Marions dark, messy bedhead. Marion's round cheeks began to glow a gentle pink hue at the contact, and she subconsciously leaned into her companion's touch.

"You will be fine." Amicia affirmed, before she retracted her hand, and urged Marion to get up.

"Maintenant, lève-toi!"

Marion sighed, and stood up. She stretched her body, hearing a quiet 'pop' as she arched her back. The sound of Marion's childish whine traveled through the room; she knew how immature she was being. The dark-haired girl closed her eyes, and leaned her head on Amicia's shoulder.

Amicia wrapped her arms around her companion, with a small smile.

"You have to get dressed, you cannot ride in your chemise." Amicia said softly, and gently placed one of her hands on the back of Marion's head.

Marion sighed, "Actually, I'd quite like to stay like this." Her voice was muffled by Amicia's clothed shoulder.

After Marion had finally wiped the sleep from her eyes, and dressed herself, she walked out to the stable with Amicia. It was a good day, the sun was out, and there were no clouds in the sky. Yet Marion couldn't quell the odd feeling of dread in her belly, she was on edge; it was as if she was waiting for something to go wrong.

As they entered the gate out to the stable, Lord Robert was already mounted atop his horse. Two other's, Amicia's gray mare, and a bay stallion with a white blase were being held by her father. Marion smiled when she saw the stallion, he was her favorite amongst all of De Rune's horses.

"Merci, mon Père." Marion thanked her father, as she took the destrier's reins from his hand.

She quickly put her foot into the stirrup, and skillfully lifted herself onto the destrier's back. She smiled over to Lord Robert, before looking down at Amicia.

"Need help, Princesse?" Marion teased, as she gently patted the stallion's neck.

Amicia playfully rolled her eyes, before she mounted the gray horse.

"Non." She replied, and kicked her horse into a walk.

Marion followed after Amicia, eventually walking alongside her, with Lord Robert trailing behind them. The forest was nice; a gentle breeze shook the trees, and sunlight seeped through the various holes. Lion trailed a few strides ahead of them, the once stub-legged puppy had grown into a skilled hunting dog.

Marion's horse pinned his ears, something was clearly bothering him. He stopped walking, before he lightly reared up. Marion furrowed her eyebrows, as she held a piece of his short mane to stay balanced. Once the stallion was on all four feet again, she felt an odd sensation wash over her.

Almost as if the ground beneath her mount was shaking.

"Are you alright, Marion?" Lord Robert asked, and the girl nodded her head.

Marion gently patted her mount's neck, "Yes, I- I'm fine."

"He probably just spooked at a shadow..." She continued, and gently kicked him into a slow walk.

The silence was thick. The ground shaking had still left an odd feeling in her; perhaps it was not even the ground shaking, but her own body. Yet something felt... off. Marion gently shook her head, before she took in a deep breath. She was just being paranoid.

The dark-haired girl looked over to Amicia, who had a mischievous smirk on her pretty face.

"I'll race you to the tree." Amicia whispered, and Marion smiled.

She was not one to deny a good race.

Marion and Amicia waited for a few moments, before kicking their horses into a gallop; Lord Robert was left in the dust.

"Girls!" Lord Robert called out, as he kicked his own horse into a fast canter.

Marion leaned all of her weight into her heels, and swiftly lifted her bum out of the saddle, as her horse leaped over a fallen log. Amicia trailed just behind her companion, but Marion's horse was only slightly faster than her's. Marion let out an infectious, hearty laugh as she reached the pathway to the tree.

"Marion the Marvelous has won the great race with her noble steed!" Amicia cheered, as Marion patted her sweaty horse.

Robert trotted up behind them, a thin sheen of sweat visible on his forehead.

"I'm not quite as young as I used to be." He muttered, as he dismounted his horse.

Marion let out a quiet giggle, before dismounting the stallion. She tied his reins to a nearby tree, and gave his sweaty neck another pat.

"You're lagging behind, Amicia!" Robert said, "How will you be able to follow the lords at hunt?"

Amicia tilted her head, "Is that your only ambition for me, to follow?"

Marion chuckled, the dark-haired girl knew that Amicia would leave all those fat country lords in the dust during a hunt.

"I will beat them and I will watch them eat my dust as I forge ahead!" Amicia stated, as she dismounted her horse.

The dark haired girl began to follow Lord Robert, as Amicia stroked her horse's neck.

"But for that I shall need a good horse." The brunette said, and looked over to her father.

Marion let out a gasp, fallen leaves crunching under her feet.

"So Fantôme is not good enough for you?" Marion accused playfully, and put a hand over her heart.

Amicia chuckled, "You know that's not what I mean."

Marion felt her paranoia slowly fade away, the day was nice, she was with her best friend; it suddenly felt like nothing could go wrong. Marion watched as Amicia stretched, and loosened the tense sensation in her back. Lion was now closer to them, but still ahead.

Marion began to mock Lion's barks, the noise making a few birds fly out of their trees. Amicia slapped her companion's shoulder to get her to stop.

"You're scaring all the animals, you brute." Amicia scolded, and Marion let out a quiet chuckle.

Marion held her head high, "They should fear me." She jested.

The brunette rolled her eyes, and stretched again.

The walk was silent for a few moments, before Amicia spoke up.

"Father, I wish to take the Knight's challenge once more!" Amicia told her father, and tucked some loose wisps of her hair behind her ear.

Marion remembered when she and Amicia were little kids, and would ask to take the Knight's challenge every other day. Marion would use a twig as a sword, and Amicia her sling. Now Marion had her throwing knives, sharp and efficient blades that the girl had nicked her fingers on one to many times.

"The Knight's challenge?" Robert asked, "But you're not ten years old anymore, you know."

"Oh Please father, Marion and I have trained hard for this!" She pleaded, and Lord Robert sighed.

"Alright, allons-y!" Robert gave in, and Marion pumped her fist into the air.

Amicia grabbed Marion's hand, and sped up the pathway. Marion smiled, as she sped-walked next to the brunette. Moments with Amicia were moments she cherished; she'd never felt happier than when she was with the girl. Things seemed to be at peace.

Notes:

| Glossary |

Ma Chevalier: My Knight

Maintenant, Lève-toi: Now, get up

Merci, Mon Père: Thank you, my Father

Princesse: Princess

Non: No

Fantôme: Ghost

Allons-y: Lets go

Chapter 3: II

Marion ran ahead of Amicia and her father with Lion, the dog barked and yipped excitedly as they made their way along the path. Lion soon became too fast for her to catch up, so she slowed down, and took in large breaths of air.

Out of the two, Marion had always been the more blunt one; she often thought with her knives and emotions instead of her mind. Marion was little, yet no knight would want to find themselves at the end of any of her blades.

Marion stood up straight as Amicia and Robert caught up with her. The dark-haired girl could see Amicia poorly holding back her giggles at her face, flushed from doing so much running. Marion glared at Amicia, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You are quite annoying." Marion huffed, embarrassed from being in such a state in front of Amicia.

"And you are quite red, Ma Chevalier." Amicia teased, and gently flicked Marion's rounded nose.

Marion scrunched her nose up, and smiled, before she trotted off after Amicia. The three made their way towards a fallen tree trunk, it would need to be lifted so that they could enter the clearing. Robert lifted up the fallen tree with ease.

"Do you dare enter the Trial's gate?" Robert asked, with a quiet grunt.

"Amicia De Rune fears nothing!" Amicia exclaimed, with a smile.

Marion smiled, and ran over to the log near the tree. She used her calloused hand to gently push some of her short, dark hair away from her face as she sat down.

"Try not to hit my head with one of your pebbles, Cia." Marion teased, and Amicia rolled her eyes.

"I'll try, but your big head is hard to miss." Amicia chuckled, and Marion stuck her tongue out at her.

Amicia picked up a round rock, and placed it in her sling. Marion watched as she swung it around a few times, testing it out, before she turned to her father.

"Ser Knight, what are the terms of the test?" Amicia asked with a smile, her voice playful.

Robert scratched his neatly trimmed beard before speaking, "The sacred apples of the... er... The Sacred Apple Tree have been corrupted by a great evil!"

Marion let out a quiet giggle, this was a new story. She watched as Amicia took in a deep breath, readying herself to begin.

"If you destroy six of these rotten apples by the time I count to ten, I will make you a Knight." Robert declared, and Marion gave Amicia a thumbs up.

"I accept your challenge!" Amicia smiled, before beginning to swing her sling.

Amicia began to hit each of the apple's; her aim was perfect. Marion would probably get the sling tangled around her wrist, and the rock in her eye if she tried to use it (though she would never admit that). The dark-haired girl began to clap as Amicia finished her 'challenge', it didn't look like a challenge for her.

"And this is how Amicia De Rune became a true knight!" Marion cheered, and stood up from her place on the log.

Marion pulled one of her throwing knives out of its place on her belt, and wiped the flat side of the blade on her britches. Amicia took one of the rotten apple's that she hadn't shot out of the tree, and held it up. They didn't need to tell eachother what to do anymore, all it took to get in position was one look.

"What are you-" Lord Robert tried to ask, before he witnessed Marion swiftly throw her knife into the apple, and get it stuck on the trunk of the small tree.

Amicia cheered and clapped her hands, while Marion dipped into an over exaggerated bow. Robert let out a quiet chuckle, and clapped his hands as well.

"Uh, well done Marion." He praised, "I'm impressed with both of you."

Marion trotted over to the tree to receive her knife, the juice from the rotten apple seeped onto the tree, and the blade of her knife. The dark-haired girl scrunched up her face as she retrieved the knife, and the apple fell to the floor near her feet.

She crouched down to wipe the smelly juice off of her blade onto the grass, as the sound of Lion's rapid barks filled the clearing. Marion turned her head back, and stood up to face the commotion. She watched as Lion ran out of the clearing, down the hill; he must've caught the scent of  some type of animal.

She could see Robert and Amicia conversing, before Amicia cupped her hands near her lips.

"Marion, Lion caught the scent of an animal, let's follow him!" Amicia called out, before running after Lion.

Marion let out a quiet whine, she didn't want to keep running. She quickly sheathed her throwing knife, and rushed after Amicia. Marion exited the clearing, the uneven dirt under her made her feet ache as she ran. She ducked under a tree trunk, she could just barely see Amicia running ahead of her.

Marion lifted herself over an uneven area in the ground, dirt digging into the palms of her calloused hands. She could feel her throat start to burn, and her chest tighten; if she didn't slow her pace she would send herself into a coughing fit. The dark-haired girl lowered her pace to a slow jog, Amicia was standing just up ahead, watching a wild boar graze.

Marion let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she approached Amicia, and smiled.

"Look, a wild boar!" Amicia quietly gushed to Marion, "If we get it we will have a feast fit for kings!"

Marion nodded, and unsheathed one of her throwing knives. She had only ever killed small animals, like squirrels, birds, and rats... Marion hated rats. She hated their beady eyes, and mangy, flea-filled fur. Just the thought of a rat made her want to puke on the spot.

"Amicia, Marion!" Robert called out, "Did Lion catch anything?"

"Shh, come and see!" Amicia shushed her father, and motioned for him to look over at the boar.

Marion watched as Robert looked the boar over. She gently flipped her knife around in her hands, letting out a quiet curse when she dropped it into the muddy ground. She had just cleaned the damn blades the day before. She picked up the throwing knife, with a small sigh, and rubbed it onto her britches.

"Some game... this will do nice for a nice little feast." Robert said, and stroked his beard.

Amicia thought for a moment, before pulling out her sling.

"I could use my sling, and Marion her knives." Amicia whispered, and Marion nodded.

Marion and Amicia had always trained with each other, they both knew exactly how the other wielded their weapons, and it came in handy when they tried to take out targets together.

"That might work... you'll need to get closer." Lord Robert told the girls, and pointed towards a patch of tall grass.

"This grass will keep you hidden if you stay low." Robert instructed the girls, who then crouched, and began to enter the tall grass.

Marion cringed when she felt the grass tickle her face, it was an... unpleasant feeling. She held in a sneeze, and kept her eyes locked on the drinking boar. It was a meaty animal; surely big enough to feed them all. She looked over to Amicia, who lightly nodded her head. The two girls nodded, and Amicia readied her sling.

As soon as the brunette stood up, the boar let out an ear piercing squeal, and began to flee. Marion let out a huff, and stood up. She was not going to let that boar get away.

"Merde." She cursed, and got back into a crouch.

"Cia, you aim for the head, i'll aim for one of its hock's." She explained, "Just in case it wants to put up a fight."

Amicia nodded, and began to crouch-walk over to a patch of grass in front of the boar. Marion tried to stay silent, so she avoided fallen leaves as she made her way towards the patch of grass behind the boar. Once Marion noticed Amicia start to swing her sling, she aimed her throwing knife at its hock. In unison, the girls released their weapons, effectively taking down the boar.

"Nice shots!" Robert called out, as the pair stood up from the grass that concealed them.

Amicia walked up to her father, as Marion walked over to the boar to retrieve her knife. Marion reached down to pull the knife out, when the boar suddenly stood up, and fled for the second time.

"Amicia, we cannot let it get away!" Marion shouted, without even looking behind her.

The dark-haired girl ran after the boar, knowing Lion and Amicia would soon follow her. She followed the boar down a steep slope; Marion let out a quiet 'oof' as she fell, and hit the floor. She was not expecting an incline so steep.

Amicia, in a more careful fashion, trailed down the incline, and held her hand out to Marion.

"I promise you, tonight we shall dine like kings!" Amicia called out to her father, as Marion pulled herself up.

The two began to run after the boar again, Lion had passed them and was now way ahead. The forest began to get darker the farther they ran, and that feeling of sudden unease filled Marion once again. The dark-haired girl felt her throat start to burn, but she kept running; they couldn't let the boar get away.

Amicia lifted herself over an uneven area of the ground, before she turned around to help pull Marion up. The girl let out a loud cough, but she continued to run with Amicia anyway. They hurdled over a tree branch that blocked the path, before dropping down into a muddy dip.

"Amicia, those britches were new... your father isn't going to be happy."  Marion giggled, and let out another string of coughs.

Marion soon exited the muddy dip, the lower half of her britches were covered in mud. She furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed the tree's were... shredded apart. She felt her blood go cold, what kind of animal could have done such damage?

Marion swatted a fly away from her head, something must've died close to where they stood; flies swarmed the entire area.

"The trees... what did this?" Amicia questioned, and Marion's jaw tensed.

Now she was scared. She followed behind Amicia, gently slipping her hand into one of the brunette's. Marion wanted to gag, as a revolting, vile smell entered her nostrils. It smelled like death. The dark-haired girl let out a gasp when she saw the bloody, mangled boar. Its insides were now outside, and blood coated its entire body.

"Dear God... Lion couldn't have done this." Marion whispered, her voice shaky.

Marion was usually brave; she had no reason to fear childish monsters, yet no animal in this forest could have done that to a boar in such little time. Lion's barking abruptly stopped, and Marion looked over to Amicia wide eyed.

"Lion!" Amicia called out, as she ran past the dead boar, pulling Marion with her.

Marion felt her voice get trapped in her throat, why were they running deeper into the forest? What if whatever killed that boar was watching them? Why did Lion stop barking...

"Lion! Come back, Lion!" Amicia desperately called out to her dog.

Marion could hear the dog's pained groan's echo through the forest, only furthering her suspicion that something was there with them, waiting. Marion felt an odd ringing sensation in her ears, and the burning in her throat shifted to a tightening.

The girl let out a string of coughs as they ran up to a hole, a hole that half of a bloody Lion stuck out. Marion widened her eyes, and covered her mouth with her free hand. What could have done this? The dark-haired girl observed as Amicia cried over the body of her dying dog, his eyes glazed over and slightly bulging.

Marion let out an ear piercing screech as something pulled Lion into the hole, and the ground began to vibrate; just as it had when they arrived at the forest. The girl couldn't control her breathing, a loud ringing pierced her ears; silencing the rest of the world around her.

She let out a loud, spasmodic series of coughs, and fell to her knees. The stress of the moment had triggered a coughing attack; she had attacks like these every once in a while, if she ran too much, or carried something too heavy.

She didn't notice Amicia sobbing, and gently rubbing her back as she coughed, until she was able to catch her breath. She frowned, and felt her own tears fall; Lion was a good dog. He was good, and whatever it was killed him. Amicia wrapped her arms around Marion, and cried into her neck.

He was good.

 

Notes:

| Glossary |

Ma Chevalier: My Knight

Merde: Shit

Chapter 4: III

The ride back to the De Rune's estate was silent. No one said a word. Marion stared blankly at the pathway in front of her, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that there was something in the forest, and it was vicious.

Marion came to a realization that it must have been following the group since her horse spooked, watching and waiting for the perfect chance to strike. She could still hear the sounds of Lion's cries as he was being pulled underground, and torn apart. That was, until the ringing filled her ears.

The Dubois girl shook her head, and took in a shaky breath of air. She had to be strong for Amicia. She dismounted her stallion after they entered the estate's gates, her legs felt unstable; perhaps from fear, or all the running and riding she did.

"I shall organize a hunt." Robert told Amicia, as he walked towards her; his steps were heavy, he was clearly nervous.

"Go and find your mother- tell her I must speak with her," He instructed, "She's probably-"

"Looking after Hugo." Amicia cut him off, Marion knew exactly why she did.

"Yes, of course." She responded, and without any other words began walking towards the little chateau.

Marion sighed, and began walking after her. She wanted to keep Amicia safe, yet she was also frightened. She had to push back that fear, for Amicia. The dark-haired girl subconsciously tensed when she noticed a chicken walking towards her.

It was a silly fear, but a justified one. She still has a small scar near her eyebrow from when one of the De Rune's chickens decided to fight back during one of her little games. She and Amicia never bothered the chickens again after that incident.

Marion let out a quiet giggle as she remembered the look on Amicia's face when she saw the blood pouring out of the small wound; she looked as if she might faint.

"What are you thinking about?" Amicia asked, with a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Remember when we were around nine... and the chicken we were terrorizing that day got me in the eyebrow?" Marion chuckled, and gently ran one of her fingers over the scar.

"Yes, I almost fainted because of you," Her smile grew at Marion's words, "I think we gave my mother a pretty good scare that day."

Marion chuckled, and gently shook her head. If only things could be as simple as they were. Marion had a

feeling things would be changing for the worse. The two approached Flore, who was plucking a chicken.

"Oh, Lady Amicia!" Flore called out, "Did you have a good walk?"

"Later Flore, tell the others that the forest is off bounds until further notice" Amicia instructed, and gently took Marion's hand into her own.

Flore nodded, "Er... yes I'll- I'll tell them."

Marion and Amicia continued their walk up to the little chateau, they had to walk through the cathedral seeing as the main gate was being renovated. Marion was never a pious girl, she didn't understand why God sat up in his place in heaven, watching the people who worship him suffer.

She waited for Amicia behind the pew's, as the latter said a quiet prayer for her dog. Her voice still echoed through the cathedral's tall walls, no matter how low she kept her voice. When Amicia was done, she took Marion's hand again, and continued out of the church to the main courtyard.

"I hope my mother is not too busy." Amicia said to Marion, with a small frown.

The dark-haired girl nodded in agreement; Béatrice De Rune was known for being consumed in her work, and her young son Hugo. Marion had only met the little boy once, but he was a joy to be around. She gently squeezed Amicia's hand; the dark-haired girl didn't know if the action was meant to reassure Amicia, or herself.

Marion turned her head, when she noticed Gabrielle exiting the estate.

"Ah, Gabrielle!" Amicia called out, as she jogged up to the woman.

"Is mother upstairs?" She asked, and Gabrielle nodded.

Marion averted her eyes from the woman, towards a small white flower in the ground. She didn't know what kind it was- but Hugo would. Marion knew that Hugo loved flowers, the little boy had gone on about them for a long time the first- and only -time they had seen each other

Marion was brought out of her train of thought when Amicia began to walk into the estate, and pulled the dark-haired girl with her. Marion dropped Amicia's hand to close the wooden door behind her, before taking a large inhale. Lea- one of the De Rune's cooks - must've been making stew. It's savory scent wafted through the entire room; Marion couldn't wait for this all to be over so she could have a bowl.

The pair walked up the stairs, their footsteps echoed in the long, spiraled stairwell. With each step up, Marion's belly seemed to churn with anxiousness. The dark-haired girl subconsciously knew that something was going to happen; the way her chest tightened, and palms sweated.

"Louise, have you seen my mother?" Amicia asked the maidservant, who nodded her head.

"Indeed." She started, "Erm, do you want to see her?"

Amicia nodded, "It's important, Father's orders."

Marion watched as Louise clasped her hands in front of her, before speaking.

"Oh, in that case I have to finish your room." The woman told Amicia, before excusing herself to finish cleaning Amicia's room.

Marion had spent many nights in Amicia's room; at this point she used it more than she used her own. Amicia and Marion slowly entered the room, the girls tried their best to not disturb Lady De Rune. It took a few moments for Amicia to find her voice, and call out to the woman.

"Mother." The brunette said quietly, and Marion bit her lip.

"You know you're not supposed to be here." Béatrice scolded, without looking up from her papers.

Marion knew the way Amicia's mother disregarded her hurt. She could see it in her companion's face, the way her soft lips turned downward ever-so-slightly, and her dark blue eyes became glassy.

"I know, but... something attacked Lion in the forest!" Amicia tried to explain, and Béatrice sighed.

"It's true, Lady De Rune." Marion defended, "I saw it with my own two eyes, it... it tore him apart-"

Marion was cut off by the sound of horses neighing, and heavy hooves hitting the ground at the front of the estate. The dark-haired girl furrowed her eyebrows; who was making such a big entrance unannounced? Béatrice looked up, suddenly alert- and very concerned.

Marion and Amicia watched as the woman quickly stood up, and walked into the hallway. She opened a shutter, and her eyes widened as she peered out the window.

"Amicia, you and Marion are to stay with your brother." The woman stated, leaving no room for protest from either girl.

Now Marion knew something was wrong. She wanted so badly to peer out the window, just to get a look at what was going on outside-

"What?" Amicia questioned, confusion laced into her voice.

The brunette gave Marion a look, as if she were saying 'what the hell is happening?' Marion shrugged, and turned to look at Béatrice.

"Close the door behind me, and do not open the shutters." Béatrice instructed sternly, and began to walk down the spiral stairs.

Amicia furrowed her eyebrows, "But... Hugo..."

"He is not contagious." Béatrice reassured, and her lip turned downward slightly.

"I realize you hardly know him..." She continued, "but he will be alright."

The air in the area was heavy. Marion could feel it weighing her down, sinking into her skin like she was cloth dipped into a bowl of water. Something very, very bad was happening, and that scared Marion.

"Trust me, Amicia." Amicia's mother spoke one last time, before descending down the stairs.

Marion sighed, and bit the inside of her lip. She would allow her sharp canines to nip at the skin in her mouth till all she could taste was iron; the thick, warm liquid was a welcomed distraction. She would regret it in the days following, the annoying sting that accompanied its healing did not feel nice.

Marion followed Hugo back into Béatrice's study, towards Hugo's room.

"Who... who do you think that was?" Amicia asked Marion, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, and I'm not sure if I even want to know." The dark-haired girl responded, "Your mother looked really worried."

Marion watched as Amicia nodded her head in agreement, and entered Hugo's room. The little boy's room was definitely lived in, small toys scattered along the floor, and a little cloth tent with a painted castle was suspended in the corner of the room.

"Where is he..." Amicia asked herself, and Marion walked over to the tent.

Marion gently lifted up one side of the tent, and let a small smile grow on her face when she saw the little boy. He had short brown hair, and big blue eyes- much like his sister -that stared up at the dark-haired girl. Hugo did not have as many freckles as Amicia, though Marion could see a handful scattered around his nose and cheeks.

"Amicia, I found him." She called out softly, and Amicia was quickly by her side.

The two siblings looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, before Amicia broke the silence.

"It's me... your sister, Amicia." The brunette greeted, "And this is my dear friend, Marion."

Marion waved to Hugo, who let a little smile grow on his face as he waved back.

"Hello." He responded, his voice was little- just like every other part of him seemed to be.

Marion just wanted to scoop him up in her arms and never let him go, which was odd; the dark-haired girl never liked children much.

"We haven't seen each other much, Mummy will be back soon." Amicia reassured.

Marion looked away from the siblings, towards a window on the opposite side of the room. Muffled voices, and the sound of armor clanking together caught Marion's attention. With a quick 'stay here' to Hugo, Marion stood up and walked over to the window.

'...do not open the shutters.'

The dark-haired girl paused as she reached her hand to push the shutters open. Béatrice had specifically said to keep the shutters closed, yet Marion wanted to know what was happening. Before she could continue to ponder on what she should do, Amicia made the decision for her.

The brunette opened the shutter without hesitation, and widened her eyes at the scene below. Robert De Rune was pushed to his knees, and questioned by strange knights. Not just any knights, knights of the English Inquisition. What did the English inquisition want from the De Rune's?

"Where is he?" The knight who dismounted his horse barked.

The knight turned away from Robert, and began to slowly walk away from him.

"I won't ask again," He continued, "Where is your son?"

Marion widened her eyes. The English Inquisition wanted Hugo, an innocent little boy. Marion didn't have time to focus on the rest of the conversation, because before she knew it, Robert De Rune was dead.

The dark-haired girl turned away from the window, her breathing quickened, and she put a hand over her mouth.

Robert De Rune was dead.

"Amicia..." Marion called out, as she grabbed the brunette's hand.

"Amicia, we have to go now!" She commanded, and quickly dragged Amicia behind a desk filled with books.

Marion knew Amicia must've been in shock, Hugo confused. Marion was afraid, so damn afraid, but she had to bury those fears. She had to be the strong one, though she didn't know how long that would last. She began to cough into her hand, trying to muffle the sounds as best as she could.

"Hugo, come here!" Amicia called out quietly, and the boy came running towards her while crouched.

Why the hell did the English Inquisition want a five year old boy? The question rang through Marion's mind, until a knight broke down the door. Now the question 'why' was pushed to the back of her mind, and surviving to the front.

The Knight menacingly stalked into the room, the tip of his spear glistened in the little amount of sunlight that seeped through the window; the weapon sent a wave of fear over Marion's body. She took in quiet wheezes of breath, her eyes wide as she led the siblings out of Hugo's room.

Béatrice's study was no better, a knight spat profanities as he bursted into the room. Gabrielle's voice distracted the knight, leading him towards her instead of the three frightened children. Marion knew that Gabrielle's time was up; the knights of the Inquisition were ruthless, tearing down everything in their paths to get to Hugo.

"Hey you!" The Knight called out, and began to stalk towards Gabrielle.

"What the hell are you doing?" He barked, "Where's the kid, eh?"

Marion felt her blood run cold as Gabrielle resisted, it was only a matter of time before-

The sound of the Knight's spear piercing into Gabrielle's flesh filled Marion's ears, it made her sick. She could feel bile rising in her throat, she could only will herself to not puke all over the floor. The dark-haired girl led Amicia and Hugo into the hallway, where things were no better.

Another Knight hit Lea in the face, his harsh strike made the maidservant fall onto the floor.

"Lea!" Hugo whispered, and Amicia held onto him tighter.

The Knight stabbed Lea, "That'll teach you."

Marion let out a violent cough, the sound made the Knights attention turn to them instead of the other maidservant in the room. The children ducked back into the room before the knight could see them, Marion holding her hands over her mouth and nose to keep herself silent.

The sound of the Knights armor grew louder as he walked down the hallway, with each step he was closer to slaughtering the children. The knight stopped just short of the doorway, before shaking his head.

"I must be hearing things..." He muttered, and began to walk back to the room he was in previously.

Marion felt like she would pass out after covering her airways for so long, letting out a string of quiet coughs once the knight was busy butchering the other maidservant. The Dubois girl took in one last inhale, before beginning to lead Amicia and Hugo down the stairs.

"Amicia... what is going on?" Hugo asked his sister, and the three stopped walking.

Marion turned around, and put both of her hands on the little boy's shoulders.

"Listen to me very carefully, Hugo." She whispered almost inaudibly, "We cannot just be quiet, we must be silent."

"Like a mouse; understand?" She asked, and Hugo nodded.

"Silent like a mouse." He repeated, and the three continued their descent.

Once they finally got to the main hall, they were immediately met with a knight of the Inquisition violently beating Louise. Louise refused to answer the Knight, everyone in the De Rune's estate tried to protect the boy; most being slaughtered in the process.

As they snuck past the Knight, Marion began to glare at the air in front of her. She could slowly feel her fear turn to anger; if she could, she'd slaughter every one of these men who raided Amicia's home and killed her father.

The trio sneaked into the dining hall, Marion paused as she watched a servant fall to his knees in front of her; a spear pierced through his belly. The dark-haired girl wanted to gag... What these people were doing was sick. They snuck behind long wooden tables that seemed to teem with food, as two Inquisition knights made themselves busy with another innocent person.

Marion bit her lip as the knights butchered the maidservant, her screams echoed through the hall and into Marion's ears. She'd never forget the sound.

The Dubois girl led the siblings through the kitchens, where she knew a back door was located. They would escape, Hugo and Amicia would be safe. Marion quickened her steps, eager to get out of the dangerous space. Marion took a deep breath, before she pushed the door open.

There was a knight right outside the door. He turned to look behind him, a sick smile grew onto his face.

"Well, well, well... Where d'ya think you're goin'?" The knight asked, as Amicia stepped back with Hugo.

Marion didn't think, she let her adrenaline take over as she shot up and threw all of her body weight into the Knight. The Knight was caught off guard, he fell to his back and wheezed, the force of the fall stole all the air in his lungs. Before he could react, Marion pulled one of her sharp knives out of its place on her belt, and thrusted it into his skull.

Marion felt the Knight's blood coat her hands as she killed him, the warm liquid seeped under her fingernails, and onto the cuffs of her sleeves. She only stopped when her arms began to ache, and she needed to catch her breath.

Marion Dubois killed a man, and she felt no remorse. The dark-haired girl stood up, and dropped her knife. It was of no use now, half of the sharp blade had broken off into the Knight's head.. She looked behind her, to see Amicia and Hugo still cowering in the doorway.

"Let's keep going." Marion commanded, and looked away.

She couldn't stand the look on Amicia's face, it was like the De Rune girl was afraid of her. Marion would rather Amicia fear her then be dead, so she pushed the thought aside and bit the inside of her lip.

The Brunette stood up, and gently took Marion's bloody hand in the one that wasn't holding Hugo's. Amicia gave Marion a knowing look, and gently squeezed her hand. The dark-haired girl smiled, before turning her head towards the sound of footsteps.

Marion took in a sharp breath before dropping Amicia's hand, and pushing the siblings behind her. She took one of her throwing knives into her hand, she wouldn't hesitate to kill another knight if she needed to. Though, it seemed she wouldn't need to kill anyone; the person who rounded the corner was not a knight, but Lady Béatrice De Rune, Amicia's mother.

Béatrice De Rune was alive. 

Notes:

| Glossary |

N/A

 

—

 

| A/N |

I just realized in the middle of writing this chapter that I have been misspelling Dubois-

anyways this one is really long, its around 3,000 words 😭 so enjoy!

Chapter 5: IV

Béatrice’s sudden arrival seemed to send a wave of calm through Marion. Having an adult in her presence felt reassuring, it made her feel like they actually had a chance at getting out of their situation alive. Being calm was vital for Marion; the girl noticed that if she was calm in a seemingly stressful situation, there would be a lesser chance of her being sent into a full-on coughing fit. 

 

Marion took in a deep breath, and lowered her throwing knife. Hugo ran into his mother’s arms with no hesitation, the little boy was finally with his mother again. It took Amicia a few moments before she left Marion’s side to take her mother’s hand.

 

It made Marion think of her own father, who was probably dead with a slit in his neck. Her father who sang her to sleep when nightmares filled her head, and always sneaked her little cakes and treats after visiting the kitchens. Her father was dead. 

 

The dark-haired girl bit her lip, and fiddled with the handle of her throwing knife. She willed her tears away– there was no reason to cry; her father was gone and crying wouldn’t bring him back. 

 

“What is happening?” Amicia asked her mother, her voice shaky and strained. 

 

Chaos. 

 

Béatrice stood up after looking her children over, her hold on Hugo’s shoulders unwavering. 

 

“We will be alright, do you hear me?” She reassured me, “ Allez .” 

 

Marion doubted that; if they could cut through servants like they were mice then what would stop them from slaughtering a woman, two girls, and a five-year-old boy? Marion followed the family out of the kitchen door, a glare planted onto her face. 

 

She felt a lot of emotions, too many emotions. She felt scared, and sad, and confused– she could list them all off for hours. It made her feel like there was something in her chest, growing and festering by the minute, spreading through her limbs and making her hands shake. The Dubois girl just wanted to explode into a million pieces. 

 

Her hold on the handle of her throwing knife had grown strong enough that her knuckles began to turn white, and a dull ache settled into her palm. 

 

“We have to cross the gardens.” Béatrice informed the children, her voice stern. 

 

“Amicia, hold your brother's hand and follow me in silence.” The woman instructed, as she began to crouch down. 

 

Marion followed Amicia and Hugo down the steps, subconsciously holding her breath when she noticed the guard that had his back turned towards them. She kept her grip on her throwing knife firm, just in case… 

 

“Through the grass, they won’t be able to see us.” Béatrice instructed, as she led the children into the tall grass. 

 

Marion followed Amicia, Hugo, and Béatrice into the grass– she hated the way it brushed against her hands and face. As of that moment, Marion hated a lot of things. She felt her breath hitch when a guard passed the grass they walked through, dragging one of the gardeners with him. The knights of the Inquisition truly did not know the meaning of mercy, it made her stomach churn. How could one be so cruel? 

 

“It worked!” Hugo whispered as they exited the grassy area. 

 

Marion quietly hushed the boy, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. 

 

‘ Quiet, remember? ’ She mouthed, and he nodded. 

 

They watched as another knight harshly interrogated another servant. He had him backed against the stone fence, on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. 

 

“Go to hell, bâtard !” The Servant insulted, not backing down. 

 

The Knight cocked his head to the side, “Oh yea? You first!” He fired back, and hit the servant so hard that he fell onto the ground. 

 

The Knight turned his back to the Servant and began to walk over to a different, dying servant. Béatrice saw her chance, and quickly guided the children past him. Marion kept her hand on Hugo’s shoulder– it made her feel somewhat grounded. They came across a hole in the wall, the perfect pathway to take without being noticed. 

 

“We have to get through, Amicia, help him.” Béatrice instructed, as she lifted herself over the high hole. 

 

Marion waited till Amicia and Hugo had climbed up, before doing so herself; she needed to make sure that they would be okay. She let out a soft grunt as she pulled herself over the ledge– she was never the best climber. As quietly as she could, she landed on her feet, and crouched back down. 

 

Hugo took Marion’s hand with the one that wasn’t holding Amicia’s; Marion could tell that the little boy was afraid, who wouldn’t be? She gave his small hand a gentle squeeze, in hopes that it would give him some sort of reassurance. The four hid behind a fence, they couldn’t move any further, a knight was blocking their way. 

 

“They will see us.” Hugo whispered, and looked up at the older girl’s worriedly. 

 

“We’ll be okay…” Marion reassured, though her voice was shaky. 

 

Amicia looked over to the crate filled with armor– the perfect distraction. 

 

“If I can hit the helmets over there…” Amicia muttered, and Béatrice furrowed her eyebrows.

 

“Your sling will give us away.” Béatrice responded, shutting down Amicia’s idea. 

 

“She could throw it instead.” Marion butted in, she knew that Amicia had impeccable aim with and without her sling. 

 

Amicia took out a rock from her small pouch, and took a deep breath before she moved to throw it. Just as anticipated, it landed on a helmet in the crate and alerted the knight that blocked their way. Béatrice silently led the children past the knight, and Hugo began to wince. 

 

“Ow… my head.” He muttered, and took in a sharp breath. 

 

“What is wrong with him?” Amicia looked down at Hugo, concern evident on her face. 

 

“His illness has awoken…” Béatrice informed quietly. “We need to go faster.” 

 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows, how could his weakness wake up? She was no doctor, but this illness… It was not normal. Two knights were blocking their pathways, but Amicia seemed to think ahead, and picked up a small rock. Marion watched Amicia aim at a hanging pan, before throwing the rock. 

 

“I heard something… be right back.” One knight said, before stalking off towards the noise. 

 

Marion could tell Amicia had questions, the way her brows furrowed ever-so-slightly, and a small wrinkle formed on the bridge of her nose. The area grew dark; thick, gray clouds blocked the sunlight, a sign of the storm that was to come. 

 

No where was safe, knights lurked behind every fence searching for little Hugo. They were once again stuck, a knight unknowingly mere steps  away from his goal… Marion wished she could drive a knife through all of their skulls. 

 

“We can’t go!” Hugo whispered, and Marion let go of his hand. 

 

“I can throw one of these pots…” The dark-haired girl offered, and Amicia nodded her head in approval. 

 

Marion picked up the pot, and took in a deep breath before choosing to throw it near a basket of apples. The knight stood up, revealing the dead body of yet another servant. He scanned the area, before moving towards the sound. 

 

“Come.” Béatrice ordered, and the children followed. 

 

Marion took Hugo’s hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. They approached a door, one step closer to safety… if knights hadn’t already hounded the area. 

“We are almost there, see?” Marion reassured the little one, “We will be okay…” 

 

Rain pelted down onto Marion, soaking her clothes and making her shiver. Béatrice tried to open the door, to no avail; it was barred from the other side. Marion felt her hopes drop– if they stayed in one spot too long a knight might find them. She could imagine all the terrible things they’d do to Hugo… to Amicia. 

 

“It's locked from the other side…” Béatrice huffed, as she crouched back down. 

 

“Mother, the hole in the wall.” Amicia said, pointing out the Hugo-sized hole in the wall. 

 

Marion subconsciously held Hugo’s hand tighter, was it really a good idea to send him to the other side all alone? Then again, it was their only way out. 

 

“Yes… Hugo, I'm sorry; I know you’re scared, but if you get through there you can open the door for us.” Béatrice explained, “You’re the only one who can do it.” 

 

Hugo looked up at his mother worriedly, “What is behind there?” 

 

“Just concentrate on the door… you are a brave boy, you prove it to me every day.” Béatrice continued, with a small smile. “Amicia and Marion will let go of your hands, then you can quickly go through, all right?” 

 

“Alright…” Hugo responded, and pulled away from the older girls. 

 

Marion held her breath as Hugo crawled through the hole, the fear of a knight possibly catching him made the dark-haired girl bite at her already sore lip. She let out a sigh of relief as Hugo opened the door, he immediately reached for Amicia’s hand once he was able to. 

 

“Well done.” Marion praised quietly, and gently rubbed Hugo’s shoulder. 

 

The boy smiled up at her before turning to his sister, “There are people.” 

 

“It will be alright, just follow me… quietly now.” Amicia instructed her brother, and they began to follow Beatrice through the door. 

 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows, and held Amicia back when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. A knight was chasing a servant, his plea for mercy fell upon deaf ears– a spear was thrown through his gut. A low gurgle escaped his throat before his body fell to the ground, the noise made a shiver jolt through Marion. 

After the knight had walked over the servant’s body, Béatrice signaled for the children to follow her once again. Marion did her best to stay quiet, and keep her breathing in check. As they sneaked through the small orchard, the rain continued to fall and soak their surroundings. 

 

They came up to a small window, after Béatrice made sure it was safe she climbed in. Amicia followed, and Marion lifted Hugo over before following herself. Once Hugo was on solid ground, he began to clutch his head and let out pained whimpers. 

 

“Ow… my head… Mummy!” Hugo cried, clearly in distress. 

 

Marion watched, an anxious feeling burrowing into her belly. She alertly looked over her shoulder every few moments; she was concerned for the boy, but her body was telling her to run– not that she would get very far. 

 

“What is the problem with him?” Amicia asked, as she stared down at her brother. 

 

Marion could see Amicia’s hands shaking, her eyes wide and frantic. The brunette was without a doubt struggling to keep her panic in– they had no time to stop and recuperate. They’d make time for Hugo, though, they had too. Marion took in a shaky breath, and moved her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers found the hem of her tunic and she began to pick at the simple stitching. 

 

“‘An attack…” Béatrice responded, “Listen to my voice, Hugo!” 

 

The woman gently squeezed Hugo’s shoulders, “You know how this goes.” 

 

The-dark haired girl sucked in a quiet breath as Amicia grabbed onto her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The blood from the knight she killed earlier had dried, leaving an uncomfortable tightness in her palms. 

 

“We must hurry before they find us…” Marion whispered to Amicia, she never took her eyes off of Hugo and his mother. 

 

Without hesitation, Marion walked over to the boy and lifted him into her arms. Hugo let out a quiet whimper, and nuzzled his face into her neck– his forehead was unusually warm. Hugo was a light child– Marion had carried things much heavier–but with her extreme shortness of breath, she was not sure how long she’d be able to carry him for. 

 

“Let's go, we cannot waste any more time.” Marion whispered, as she started to walk away. 

 

This time, with Marion in the lead, the group stepped back into the rain. Marion was thoroughly soaked, her hair stuck to her face and her clothes were weighed down. She tried to shield Hugo from the relentless downpour, to no avail. 

 

“Do you think you can walk?” Marion asked Hugo in a hushed tone, to which the boy nodded. 

 

The dark-haired girl gently placed the boy on the floor, but kept a secure hold on his little hand. Hugo stuck close to her side as they approached a fence, they’d need to climb over it– opening the gate would make too much noise. Marion allowed Amicia to go over the fence, then she lifted Hugo over. 

 

Marion soon followed the boy, Béatrice quickly trailing after her. Marion felt her body tense as they entered a patch of tall grass; the tickling sensation made it feel as if there were bugs crawling all over her– but that was the last thing on her mind. 

 

“We can go now.” Amicia muttered, as the knight who walked up and down the path they needed to cross turned away. 

 

“It's too risky with Hugo, he is slower than us.” Béatrice replied, and Marion gently squeezed the boy’s hand. 

 

Marion watched as Amicia eyed a pair of pots placed on the stone steps, she could practically see the gears in her companion’s head turning. 

 

“I could cross, make a diversion–” Amicia tried to say, but the idea was quickly shut down by Marion. 

 

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Marion hissed, “ Idiote! ” 

 

“Have you such little faith in me?” Amicia asked, and Marion huffed. 

 

“Just… be quick.” Marion caved, and pulled Hugo closer to her. 

 

Marion took in a deep breath as Amicia lifted herself over the stone, there were a million ways this plan could go wrong. The brunette quietly crossed the path, with Marion watching her like a hawk. Amicia grabbed one of the pots, and scurried into another patch of tall grass. 

 

Marion subconsciously held Hugo tighter when Amicia threw the pot, the knight immediately left his post to go investigate the sound. Marion wasted no time in lifting Hugo over the stone, before following herself. She tried to quiet her heavy breathing, and continued to follow after Amicia. 

 

The garden gate had soon come into view– they were almost out of the place they used to call home. Marion could feel her body itching to sprint towards the gate, to get out of this hellhole. 

 

“Look, the garden gate.” She whispered to Amicia, “We should be able to get out of here.” 

 

Amicia let out a sigh of relief, Marion could practically feel the determination flowing off of her. Hugo looked up at Marion, his big blue eyes welled up with unshed tears. Marion wanted to hold him close, and wipe the tears away from his innocent eyes. 

 

“Will we be safe?” He asked her, and Marion nodded. 

 

“Yes… soon.” She responded, and gave him a small smile. 

 

The dark haired girl turned her focus to the knight, who stood dutifully across from them. Thankfully the tall grass concealed them, or they’d already be dead. They just needed to distract him, and then they would be able to get out of here. 

 

“Amicia, the scarecrow…” Marion pointed out, the wooden structure had a large metal bucket covering its head. 

 

Marion could recall the hours she and Amicia would spend outside, watching the latter attempt to perfect her aim with her sling. 

 

“But he will come this way!” Hugo stressed, and turned to his mother for reassurance. 

 

Béatrice smiled down at her son, “Yes, but when he walks away we can sneak past him.” 

 

Amicia wasted no time in throwing the rock at the metal bucket, Marion could tell she was just as eager to get out. The knight stalked towards the group, the tip of his spear glinting in the light of his lantern. One wrong move would coat that spear in someone's blood. 

 

Marion let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as the Knight turned his back on them, slowly walking back to his post. Hugo had a death grip on both Marion and Amicia’s hands, his little knuckles turned white and a dull ache settled into Marion’s palm. 

 

As Béatrice quietly led them past the knight, a flurry of hope bloomed inside Marion. They were almost safe, only a few more steps and they’d be out of the gardens. 

 

“You’re alive!” A familiar voice called out, and Marion’s eyes widened. 

Before them was her father, in the flesh. He was alive and breathing! Marion let go of Hugo’s hand, and rushed into his arms. 

 

“ Papa !” She cried, and held him tighter than she ever did before. 

 

Marion’s father smiled, and gently stroked her short and dark hair. 

 

“My sweet Marion.” He cooed, and held her close; he ignored the dark blotches of blood that covered her tunic, and hands. 

 

“This way, follow me!” He called out to the De Rune’s, as Marion pulled away. 

 

“Are you alright?” Laurent asked, finally bringing up the blood on Marion. 

 

Marion looked down at her bloodstained hands and tunic, her eyes widening and the severity of what she had done came crashing down on her. She felt her breath hitch– she killed a man. Suddenly she felt the need to crawl out of her own skin; she killed a man and felt no remorse. 

 

Marion nodded her head, and clenched her fists at her sides; “I'm fine.” She muttered. 

 

Amicia gently intertwined her fingers with Marion’s, and gave her a small, unconvincing smile. Somehow Amicia always managed to brighten the dark-haired girl’s mood– even in a situation where death was lurking just around the corner. 

 

“We're going to be alright.” She whispered, and squeezed her companions hand. 

 

Everything was going to be alright. 

Notes:

᯽ Glossary ᯽

Allez - Go on

Bâtard - Bastard

Idiote - Idiot

Papa - Dad

 

᯽ A/N ᯽

Spoiler alert; everything will not be okay lol

just you wait. Anyways, I HAVE SO MUCH PLANNED FOR THIS BOOK YALL DONT EVEN KNOW!!! Writers block bit me in the ass for a minute but im back! I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner then I did this one

Chapter 6: V

The world was cruel. As Vitalis Bénévant galloped towards them on his large destrier stallion, Marion’s father unsheathed his sword. For a small moment, Marion hoped that her father would be able to take down the man in combat– childish thoughts they were. 

 

Vitalis' armor shimmered as rain slipped over it, sending shivers down Marion’s spine. When he dismounted his horse, Marion knew who had the advantage– unfortunately it was not her father. He stood protectively near Lady De Rune, his hands shaking as he held up his steel blade. 

 

“Hurry now, follow the river– it will lead you to Laurentius!” Béatrice commanded Amicia, who was close to tears. 

 

Marion watched as the older woman slammed the door shut before Amicia could protest, the latter banged her fists and let out strained cries. 

 

“Mother, no!” She wailed, her fists pounding on the door that separated her from her mother. 

 

Marion grabbed Amicia’s arm, gently pulling her away from the door. Amicia was unrelenting, she refused to stop her incessant pounding. 

 

“Amicia we have to go–” Marion said sternly, but was cut off by a gruesome sight. 

 

A blood covered sword pierced through the wooden door– the wooden door that Lady Béatrice was behind. Marion watched the scene with wide eyes, her grip on the brunette’s bicep going slack. Béatrice De rune was dead, and Marion knew that her own father would soon follow. 

 

The dark haired girl tightened her grip on Amicia once again, a glare etched itself onto her face. She pulled Amicia away from the door and took in a deep breath; she just needed to breathe. A familiar sting grew in her throat, and her breathing grew ragged. 

 

“Amicia, run!” Marion commanded, letting go of her companion to push her forward. 

 

There was no time to think, no time to breathe– just run. Marion’s feet began to ache with the force she was using to push them onto the stone path; saliva pooled in her mouth, and her chest tightened. There was no time to think of these things, the Inquisition was already on their tails. 

 

Hugo sat down in the dirt, unaware of the chaos erupting near him. The girls didn’t have time to stop and explain what was happening, Amicia pulled Hugo to his feet and made him run alongside her. His little legs could barely keep up– Amicia was practically dragging him. 

 

Being dragged was better than being dead. Marion let out a loud cough, the noise reverberating through the forest. Once it started, she knew it wouldn’t stop– she could feel her knees try to buckle, and bile rise in her throat. 

 

The ground began to shake underneath the children, causing Marion to stumble over her own feet. Her head collided with the stone pathway, her vision growing blurry before clearing up again. She was a wheezing mess, curled on the floor with blood flowing out of a small cut on her head. She felt weak, her limbs shook as she pulled herself off of the floor. 

 

A wave of dizziness befell her, and she beat at her chest in hopes she’d be able to get a breath of air into her lungs. Her dark hair stuck to her face with water, sweat, and blood. The Inquisition was so close– she needed to keep running. Marion followed Amicia– who was now way ahead of her–deeper into the forest. She tried not to trip on any stray roots, and her boots sunk into the slippery, damp earth. 

 

The ground exploded next to Marion, the dark-haired girl widened her eyes and strained her body to run faster. The thing that killed Lion… it was not just one thing, but thousands. Thousands of rats piled out of the ground, their high-pitched squeaks filled Marion’s head.

 

The noise the Rats made seemed to drown out the rest of the world, the sound was sickening. She pushed herself harder– she was already well past her breaking point. It felt like someone had set her insides on fire, or shoved a flaming torch down her throat. 

 

Marion mindlessly followed Amicia as she jumped into the river just up ahead; Marion barely comprehended that she had jumped until the icy water hit her skin. The dark-haired girl let out a gasp as she resurfaced, water filled her lungs as she flailed wildly. She knew how to swim– but how could she swim if she couldn’t breathe? 

 

Her head bobbed under the surface as the current washed her away, pulling her into another life threatening situation. Her throat was filled with water; every time she tried to gasp for air, the current would push her back down and the frigid water would fill her mouth. 

 

It seemed that she would live another day, as a hand grabbed her by her tunic, and pulled her onto the grassy shore. Marion continued to wheeze and gasp– even when she laid face down on the dirt. Amicia smacked Marion’s back–hard enough to leave bruises–as she tried to get the latter to breathe. 

 

“Breathe, Marion!” Amicia pleaded, her voice shaky and strained. 

 

Marion gagged before coughing again, and the bile that rose in her throat exited her mouth. The mixture of stomach acid and water stung as it left her throat, it left a vile taste on her tongue. She dry heaved for a few seconds, before the one thing she needed was finally gifted to her. 

 

She finally felt the fatigue weigh her body down as air entered her stystem– her lips, and the tips of her fingers were beginning to turn blue. She sat up, and wiped the dirt and bile off her face. Amicia cupped her rosy cheeks, and gently brushed her wet hair out of her face. 

 

“Cia..” Marion tried to speak, but was quickly shushed by Amicia. 

 

“No, save your breath.” Amicia instructed, and allowed Marion to rest her head on her shoulder.  

 

Marion closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. She wanted to fall asleep right then and there, but she couldn’t. They had things to do, and places to be. She allowed herself to relax for a few moments before she stood up, much to Amicia’s displeasure. 

 

Her legs shook like that of a newborn foal, she could only take a few steps before collapsing. Amicia quickly trailed after her, and helped her back out of the dirt. Marion groaned, and stood up again. This time her body was somewhat steady, and she let her arms rest limp at her sides. 

 

“You shouldn’t be pushing yourself.” Amicia scolded, as she put one of her hands on Marion’s shoulders. 

 

Marion shook her head, and took in a deep breath. She’d be fine– all they had to do was find the doctor that Béatrice spoke of. The dark-haired girl began to trudge forward, ignoring the way her body ached, and legs shook. 

 

“I'm fine.” She finally spoke, not looking behind her. 

 

“The village… should be further on… someone will surely help us… find Laurentius.” Marion had to stop and take a breath between her words, her lungs still stung and her throat felt like it was burning. 

 

Amicia let out a quiet sigh, but did not protest. Marion stopped walking when she noticed that the siblings were not following her, she looked behind her only to find Hugo kneeling on the ground. 

 

“Hugo?” Amicia called out to the boy, and positioned herself in front of him. 

 

Hugo hesitated before looking up, “Mummy won't be happy… when she finds out I fell in the water.” 

 

Marion’s breath hitched– how were they supposed to tell a five-year-old that his mother was killed? Her glare softened, the skin between her eyebrows relaxed and her shoulders fell. 

 

“Well… let’s not mention it to her when we see her,” Amicia instructed softly, “alright?” 

 

Hugo nodded, and gently took Amicia’s hand. He allowed himself to be guided by the brunette, Marion walked just ahead of them. She didn’t pay attention to much of their conversation… she took the newfound moment of peace to get stuck inside her head. 

 

They were orphans now. Their parents were slaughtered right in front of their eyes– Marion would never forget the last time she saw her fathers eyes; the honey brown that was so similar in color to her own, blown wide with fear. 

 

Marion was no saint, she’d killed a man with no hesitation; a man who probably had a family waiting for him. The thought sickened Marion. The river had washed away the blood on her hands, leaving only faint stains on her dark tunic. Her throwing knives were secure on her belt– it was a miracle that she hadn’t stabbed herself while flailing around in the river. 

 

Lord Robert was the one who gifted her the knives, now he was dead. It felt like everything she’d ever known up until now was gone; crushed under the world’s wicked fist. She wouldn’t lose Amicia or Hugo, she promised herself that. She’d fight to her last dying breath if it meant keeping them safe. 

 

The dark-haired girl let out a quiet sigh when she realized she had once again began to attack her lip. The area she bit was swollen and sore–just like almost every other part of her body–it would take days to heal. 

 

The village was just ahead, yet something seemed off. From what Marion could see, it was desolate. She furrowed her eyebrows, usually the village was not so… quiet. It set an uneasy feeling in her gut, making it churn and flip. 

 

“Amicia,” She said once they were closer to the deserted stands, “It’s too quiet… where has everyone gone?” 

 

Amicia looked around warily… Marion could tell she was on edge. The way she stood in such a rigid manner, with her eyes hard like stone.

 

Marion eyed the stable, the horses hadn’t been moved out of their stalls. She parted from Amicia and Hugo, walking over to the bay horse who looked oddly similar to the stallion she rode earlier that morning. As she gently stroked its muzzle, she wondered what had happened to the beloved horse. 

 

Hugo walked next to her, looking up at the creature with wide eyes. When the horse snorted, Hugo flinched, and hid behind Marion. The dark-haired girl’s cold exterior cracked for a moment, allowing a small smile and chuckle to fall through. 

 

“It is alright… would you like to pet him?” She asked, and gently ran her fingers through his messy hair. 

 

Hugo hesitated before nodding, and with a quiet un, deux, trois, Marion lifted him up and placed him on her hip so he could be at eye level with the animal. She gently guided his hand to the horse's pink nose, letting him touch and feel the velvety skin. 

Amicia watched the scene from afar, a smile on her freckled face. Her companion let out a quiet laugh when the horse began to try and lick Hugo’s  hand, so he pulled away and hid his face in her shoulder. 

 

“Not much of a horse person, eh?” Marion asked the little boy, as she walked away from the large animal. 

 

He nodded, but kept his face on her shoulder. She wouldn’t be surprised if the boy was absolutely exhausted by now. Marion felt some color return to her face when she noticed the brunette smiling at her, and soon she herself was unable to contain her smile. 

 

“The food… it’s all rotten.” Amicia pointed out, as they walked past the fruit and vegetable stands. 

 

Marion frowned, what had done this? How could all of the food have spoiled? She sighed, and began to gently rub Hugo’s back. 

 

“I'm hungry.” The boy quietly confessed, making Marion’s frown grow larger. 

 

His words only made her remember her own hunger– she and Amicia hadn’t broken their fast before they left for the hunt. 

 

“I know… we will find something soon.” Marion whispered to him, her voice soft and reassuring. 

 

Marion noticed Amicia’s small frown; in truth, the girls didn’t know if they’d find anything. Perhaps all the food in the village had rotted away. Marion noticed a large plume of smoke rising to the sky– if there was smoke, then there must be people. 

 

“Amicia, look, smoke!” She pointed out, “There must be people around here.” 

 

Amicia let out a sigh of relief, and turned her head when she noticed a woman. 

 

“ Excuse-moi , please wait, Madame?” Amicia called out, but the woman ignored her. 

 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows, “Madame!” She called out but the woman continued to scurry away, and into her home. 

 

Marion shot Amicia a look, and gently placed Hugo on the ground. Hugo grabbed Amicia’s hand, and allowed the older girl to lead him around. 

 

“What is going on with them?” Amicia asked, her face contorted with confusion. 

 

“They looked scared…” Hugo responded, before they approached a wooden door. 

 

As they knocked on the door, all three of them let out pleas for help– only for it to fall on deaf ears. Marion sighed, before they moved to the next door. 

 

“Anybody there?” Amicia called out, as she pounded on the door. 

 

“The De Rune estate was attacked, I'm begging you, please help us!” Amicia continued, to no avail. 

 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows, what the hell made all these people lock their doors and throw away the keys? She felt anger rise in her chest– this was their Lord’s daughter begging for help! They were vile people, Marion had quickly decided she didn’t like them. 

 

“What the hell is wrong with these damn people?” Marion spat, her face contorted into a glare. 

 

Amicia shook her head, as they walked up a set of stairs. Once they turned a corner they noticed a woman outside of her second-floor window! Marion ran towards the house, and waved her arms around. 

 

“Madame, please, we need help!” Amicia called out, at this point she was desperate. 

 

The woman looked down at the children with disgust, and shook her head.

 

“Go away!” She shouted, “You’re not wanted here!” 

 

Marion looked up at the woman in disbelief, why? Did this woman not hear the desperation in her voice? She frowned, and scoffed. 

 

“She is your lord’s daughter, you have no right to refuse her!” Marion yelled, as the woman retreated deeper into her home. 

 

Marion glared at the window, and clenched her fists at her sides. The look in her eyes was a stark contrast to the soft one she used when talking to Amicia or Hugo… she was not happy. Amicia frowned, and her shoulders drooped. 

 

Marion took a deep breath, “ Comment oses-tu refuser la fille du ton Seigneur, putain de lâche! ” She screamed, and let out a frustrated grunt. 

 

Amicia put one of her hands on Marion’s shoulder, and shook her head when the girl turned to look at her. Marion’s face softened, and she let out a sigh. Sometimes she hated people– scratch that, she hated people all the time. 

 

“She wasn’t worth our time anyway…” Amicia reassured, and Marion nodded. 

 

As they walked out of the small section of buildings, and back onto the path, Marion felt unease fill her body. What made these villagers hide away from them? As another person slammed their shutters closed, Marion huffed. Would no one be generous enough to open their door for the daughter of their lord? 

 

“I don’t believe it…” Amicia muttered, her eyes tired and posture slumped. 

 

“They’re hiding.” Hugo observed, and Marion nodded. 

 

She huffed when she noticed two people shouting, they were shouting about leaving. She felt her body freeze as they rounded the corner. The villagers… they were sick. The white X’s painted on their door made it known, Marion felt her breath hitch as Hugo ran towards the door. 

 

“Oh look, someone’s drawn something on the doors!” He pointed out, as his little legs carried him closer to the door. 

 

“Hugo, no!” Marion scolded, before he could touch it. 

 

Amicia grabbed his arm, and pulled him away. She gave him a small glare, before speaking. 

 

“Don't touch that!” She started, “It means there are sick people in these houses.” 

 

Marion frowned, “Don't touch anything, Hugo.” 

 

The little boy nodded, and stuck close to Amicia. They began to jog down another pathway, more white X’s filling their vision. It seemed almost the entire village was infected. Marion let out a quiet sigh, at this rate they’d never find help. 

 

“The village is contaminated.” Amicia spoke, “That's why everyone is hiding.” 

 

Marion couldn’t believe this… were they safe even being in the village? She could only hope that none of them would catch this illness…

 

Screams, grunts, and shouts were heard– why were people screaming? Marion furrowed her eyebrows once a burnt scent filled her nose… it was like someone was charring something. She sucked in a few small sniffs… What were these people cooking? 

 

“I can smell something cooking, is it a fair?” Hugo asked excitedly, a smile growing on his face. 

 

Amicia hesitated before speaking, “It doesn't sound like a fair.” 

 

Marion nodded her head in agreement, if anything it sounded like a riot. As they walked under a stone arch, Marion’s eyes widened at the sight before them. People were chained to wooden steaks. One’s flesh was burned off, the wooden steak still burning; the tissue had melted into the chains, leaving behind a grisly scene. The other person held her head down, tears falling down her face. 

 

It made Marion want to puke… she’d never forget the smell. This was disgusting– how could the villagers do this? Her breath hitched as the woman called out to them, her pleas for help alerting the others of their presence. 

 

Marion stood protectively in front of Amicia, she wouldn’t let anyone hurt her or Hugo. 

 

“Well I’ll be damned… Here's the rest of them.” One man with a very large, spiked weapon spoke. 

 

Marion glared at the man, if he tried to come closer she’d have his head. Her hand hovered over the throwing knives on her belt, she didn’t want to let this frightening man intimidate her. 

 

“What? No, wait, we’re just looking for someone.” Amicia tried to reason with the man, but he seemed unphased by her words. 

 

“And you’ve found ‘im!” The man glared at the children, Marion’s fiery gaze stayed unwavering. 

 

He dragged his weapon behind him as he took a step closer to the children, “It’s your damn music what brought them out, eh?” 

 

“Those dirty vermin that invaded our church!” He continued, his tone growing louder with each word. 

 

This was a very, very angry man. Marion felt her breath hitch, the fucking rats. Even the thought of them made her unsettled. She let out a shaky breath as the man continued his speech, he looked ready to kill them. 

 

“That filth what attacked our children in their beds and gave ‘em the black thing!” He shouted to his people, Before turning back to the children.

 

As he moved, the armor on his legs clinked together– images of Vitalis formed in Marion’s mind. The girl shook her head, and continued to glare at the man. She couldn’t let him intimidate her. She needed to protect Amicia. Protect Hugo. 

 

“But now you’ve found Conrad Malfort, And I’m telling you… this is the last village you’ll infect.” His voice grew deep, almost as if he was growling at them; like a dog preparing his attack.

 

A dog is what Marion decided Conrad Malfort was. Not the loyal kind, but the kind that mauled the hand that fed it. The villagers began to cheer in agreement, making Hugo look up at Amicia. Marion took a few steps back, before grabbing Amicia’s hand. 

 

“Amicia… Marion?” Hugo called out, his voice shaky. 

 

Marion wanted to kill all of them– sinful thoughts, she regretted even thinking such things. These people were only doing what they thought was right… Yet that only spurred on her fury. 

 

“Run!” Marion commanded the two, and pulled Amicia and Hugo away. 

 

The chase had begun– once again, the trio fell prey to people who wanted to slaughter Hugo. The villagers followed the children like wild dogs– ravenous and bloodthirsty. They were not brave for wanting to slaughter a child, no, they were cowards. They were all cowards. 

Notes:

᯽ Glossary ᯽

un, deux, trois - one, two, three

Excuse-moi - excuse me

Comment oses-tu refuser la fille du ton Seigneur, putain de lâche - How dare you refuse your Lord's daughter, you fucking coward!

᯽ A/N ᯽

Why does Marion low-key remind me of an ankle biter chihuahua? Also I told y'all I'd try to start posting chapters sooner, so here she is! (Enjoy the cliffhanger 😜)

I tried not to make this too long, it's almost 4,000 words! That's also why the ending is so abrupt lol.

Chapter 7: VI

Marion hated a lot of things– in the moment, running was at the top of her list. The only reason her feet carried her so quickly was the adrenaline caused by the mob of angry villagers hounding them from behind. She let out a series of hacking coughs as they rounded a corner, her lungs contracting and throat drying. 

 

“Amicia, we have to hide!” Marion stressed, as she caught sight of two men stalking towards them with spiked weapons. 

 

These people were ruthless, hellbent on killing a boy. Marion wouldn’t be able to run for much longer– her lungs would give out, then her legs. Amicia led them to a dead-end alleyway, violently shoving open the door to one of the houses there. 

 

“Get inside, quickly!” She ordered, as Marion and Hugo rushed inside. 

 

Marion crouched, and Hugo followed suit. She took a moment to calm her breathing, before pulling the little boy closer to her and gently squeezing his shoulder. She wanted to tell him everything would be okay, but she kept her mouth shut. Amicia took Marion’s free hand, and guided her away from the door. 

 

A man entered the top floor, a knife in his hand. Marion tensed, and squeezed Amicia’s hand– if they weren't quiet, he’d see them. The dark-haired girl turned towards Hugo, and let go of Amicia’s hand to make him look at her. 

 

‘ Silent as a mouse’  She mouthed, hoping he’d understand. 

 

Hugo nodded, and gripped onto Marion tighter. She could feel his little body shaking against her’s. Marion could practically see the gears in Amicia’s head turning, her blue eyes trailed from the man upstairs, to some pots and pans near the hearth. 

 

Amicia quietly picked up a rock that was on the table they hid behind, before looking at Marion. 

 

“I’m going to throw this at the pot, then we will sneak behind him.” Amicia explained, and the dark-haired girl nodded. 

 

She felt her breath hitch as a loud ting filled the room, making the man hold up his knife and begin to walk towards the source of the noise. Once he had his back turned to the children, Amicia took Marion’s hand and pulled her and Hugo away from the danger. 

 

Marion kept her footsteps light– with each step up she prayed that none would squeak. Once they were outside of the house, Marion loosened her grip on Hugo. She let out a quiet breath, and stood up. 

 

“We showed him!” Hugo exclaimed quietly, and Marion felt her face grow warm when Amicia smiled. 

 

“We did–” The brunette tried to say, but was cut off by the angry mob that had suddenly rounded the corner. 

 

“There you are!” A man screamed, and Marion grabbed Hugo by his forearm. 

 

The three bolted in the other direction, Amicia letting out a disgruntled yelp. The path they could have taken had been gated shut, instead they had to make a right and run right under a clothesline draped with drying laundry. Marion shoved the cloth out of the way, a white shirt fell to the ground due to her violent movements. 

 

“Where are we going?” Hugo asked, and took in a deep breath. 

 

“No talking, just run!” Marion instructed, and her eyes widened when the rest of the path they ran on was also gated shut.

 

Marion followed Amicia towards a broken wall– she let out a grunt, her eyebrows furrowed into a hard glare. Wordlessly, she hoisted Hugo over the cold stone. The dark-haired girl made Amicia go over the wall before herself. Once it was Marion’s turn, she gripped the cold stone, and pulled herself up. The stone dug into her skin, and sent an uncomfortable sensation through her palms. 

 

Her legs bent as she landed, and she fell onto her hands and knees. She tried to hold in her spasmodic wheezes and coughs, to no avail. She felt Amicia pull her up, and she smiled at her in thanks. As they entered a building filled with hides, Marion put her head in her hands. 

 

What did they do to deserve this? She took in a deep breath, before sputtering out a series of wheezy coughs. She put her hands down at her sides once her airways had cleared, taking in a breath of much needed air. She and Amicia began to push a large cart, Hugo in between them both. She grunted as they pushed the  heavy thing across the room, towards a ledge they could climb up. 

 

Marion felt her chest tighten, but she kept pushing. They needed to get out of this town before the villagers slit their throats. 

 

“Good, we can climb up now.” Amicia said, and dusted her hands off. 

 

Marion took in a deep breath, and rubbed at her chest. The tight feeling slowly faded, making her sigh in relief. 

 

“Alright, silent as a mouse.” Hugo whispered, as Amicia lifted him onto the cart. 

 

The dark-haired girl followed after Amicia, who grabbed Marion’s hand and helped pull her up. Amicia lifted Hugo over the ledge, and swiftly followed after him. Marion pulled herself up, and ungracefully swung her legs over the ledge. 

 

Marion wanted to curse when she noticed the door was barred shut, their only way out was a window that was too high for any of them to climb. Instead, the dark-haired girl let out a quiet huff, and crossed her arms over her chest. 

 

Amicia walked under a crate, positioned just perfectly over a cart. The only problem was that it was chained to the ceiling. Marion furrowed her eyebrows when she saw Amicia pull out her sling… she was not going to do what Marion was thinking. 

 

“The chain doesn't look very strong.” Amicia pointed out, to which Marion let out a quiet laugh. 

 

“Do you jest with me?” She asked, “That will alert the whole village!” 

 

“Do you have a better idea?” Amicia asked, and raised her eyebrow at her companion. 

 

Marion huffed, she did not want to accept defeat, but Amicia was right. She allowed the brunette to use her sling to break the chain, the crate falling onto the cart with a loud bang. Marion flinched at the noise, and took in a deep breath. 

 

“Alright, let's move this thing.” Marion spoke, and gripped onto the handle. 

 

Amicia and Hugo followed suit, the wheels of the cart groaning in protests as they pushed it forward. It was no easy task, especially for a group of children, but they prevailed. With one last big push, they settled the cart under the window. 

 

“Up, up.” Hugo muttered, as Amicia lifted him onto the cart. 

 

Marion and Amicia followed suit, the dark-haired girl was getting sick of all this climbing. After they’d all exited through the window, Hugo grabbed onto the hands of both girl’s. Marion gently squeezed his little hand, and smiled down at him. 

 

“Well, we got out…” Amicia said, as they began their trek down another path. 

 

“So we can leave now right?” Hugo asked, and turned his head to look up at his sister. 

 

Marion hesitated before speaking, “Perhaps… if they don't find us again.” 

 

“But you have your knives… and Amicia has her sling, you can protect us!” Hugo huffed, clearly he didn’t understand the severity of their situation. 

 

Marion didn’t want him to understand, she wanted him to hang onto his innocence for just a little bit more. She sighed, before looking down at Hugo with a small smile. 

 

“Well… it’s not that easy, Poppet.” Marion responded softly, as they continued to walk down the path. 

 

Marion shivered, her clothes were still damp. It was chilly outside, the November air bit at her skin. She never did well in the cold, during most winter’s the De Rune’s made her stay inside huddled close to a fireplace, with thick blankets wrapped around her body. 

 

Her breathing always got even worse in the cold– it seemed that the only thing that would alleviate her hacking was hanging her head over a boiling pot of water. The thought of Amicia’s mother made Marion’s heart contract; she couldn’t imagine life without the woman she’d grown to love as a mother. Yet now, she was living it. 

 

 Marion tensed when she saw a woman in the window of a house– something in her made her feel like this woman was trouble. 

 

“Outsiders! here!” The woman screeched, and Marion shot her an ugly glare. 

 

“You fucking cunt!” Marion screamed at the woman, ignoring the fact that Hugo was right next to her. 

 

Marion’s skin crawled at the thought of all these people vying to kill Hugo– their Lord’s son no less! The group of villagers were stuck behind a locked gate, though Marion was sure it wouldn’t stay locked for long. Amicia urged Hugo to run faster, his little legs could barely keep up with them. 

 

“The ladder, you go first Hugo!” Amicia ordered, and Hugo worriedly looked up at the rickety old thing. 

 

“It doesn't look safe!” He doubted, as he put his first foot on one of the steps. 

 

As the boy climbed up the rickety ladder wobbled and squeaked under his weight. Marion watched him like a hawk, ready to catch him should he fall. Her arms twitched with every shaky squeak. 

 

“It's going to break!” Hugo cried, he was so close to making it over…

 

Marion and Amicia looked towards each other, they couldn’t leave Hugo alone… if it broke they’d be in deep trouble. Suddenly, the ladder crashed to the floor, shattering into tiny little pieces. The dark-haired girl widened her eyes, thankfully Hugo was able to fling himself over just as it fell. 

 

“Shit!” Marion muttered, as Hugo let out a sassy ‘ i told you!’. 

 

Hugo ran to the other side, making Amicia’s eyes widen. Marion grabbed onto the brunette, and began to pull Amicia in the direction the little boy went.  

 

“Hugo! Where are you going!” Amicia shouted, “Don't leave us!” 

 

The girls hurdled over a small wood fence, Marion looked behind her to find the villagers gone… they were going to find another way to get to them. The dark-haired girl took a deep breath, they just needed to figure out a way to get to Hugo, and then they could leave. 

 

“Amicia, over here!” Hugo called out, “I found this, so you can climb up!” 

 

Amicia smiled, and Marion let out a sigh of relief. The wooden cage suspended to the ceiling was perfect– all they needed to do was get it down. Amicia pulled out her sling, and readied herself to shoot at the weak chains. This time Marion didn’t protest about the noise; the villagers already knew where they were. 

 

“Well done, I’ll get it to fall… watch out!” Amicia praised the boy, before aiming her sling, and firing at the chains. 

 

The cage fell to the ground with a bang, and Hugo wasted no time in pushing it towards them. Hugo was not nearly as strong as the girl’s, his little arms shook and burned as he pushed the heavy object. Once the cage had finally fallen, the girls climbed up the ledge and reunited with Hugo. 

 

Marion let out a quiet sigh, and rubbed her hands against her pants. Her legs felt like jelly, and the hunger that arose in her belly made her hands shake. 

 

“We need to go home!” Hugo cried, as he tightly gripped onto Amicia’s hand. 

 

They couldn’t go home– did they even have one anymore? The home they once knew was gone, the people gone with it. The children were strays, with nothing but the clothes on their backs to their names. 

 

“We can’t… not without Laurentius.” Amicia responded, her voice unusually sharp. 

 

Marion put one of her calloused hands on Amicia’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before continuing onward. There were more men just passed a small gate. With a barely audible ‘ get down!’ Marion pulled Amicia and Hugo out of sight. 

 

“Conrad lost his mind when his kid died… we have to burn innocent people, chase kids?” One of the men spoke, whilst shaking his head. 

 

The dark-haired girl let out a soft sigh… she couldn’t imagine what losing a child felt like. In Conrad’s case it drove him to madness– she wouldn’t wish that upon her worst enemy. 

 

Now was not the time to focus on such things, the quiet ting of one of Amicia’s rocks hitting a pot brought her out of her thoughts. One of the men quickly turned to investigate the sound, the other man had walked all the way down the path. 

 

The children snuck away quickly, finding themselves in a small patch of tall grass. The man who walked down the path stood in front of them, his back turned to the children. Marion felt a tenseness grow in her body when Amicia couldn’t find a way to distract the villager.

 

The brunette frantically looked around, they were stuck right under this man’s nose with no escape. Marion gritted her teeth, and moved her hand to pull out one of her knives. Amicia furrowed her eyebrows, and Marion looked over to the man before looking back at her companion. 

 

Amicia frowned, but nodded her head. Marion didn’t want to do this, but there was no other way out… her body moved on its own accord, and her knuckles turned white from her tight hold on the blade. ‘I'm sorry’ she thought, as she stood up and drove the blade through his neck. 

 

Thick blood oozed onto the hand she used to keep the man quiet, making her frown. Her eyes burned as the man went limp in her hold, her lip quivering and hands shaking. She ripped her blade out of his neck, and took in a shaky breath. 

 

Marion sniffled, and wiped her eyes with her clean hand. She set her face into a hard glare, before continuing onward. She couldn’t look at them– she did it to protect them, yet the shame and guilt ate away at her mind. 

 

The voice of a villager alerting the others pulled Marion out of her head. The children darted down the path, the sound of their feet smacking against the stone filling Marions ears. 

 

“Which way?” Hugo asked, his words desperate.

 

At this point Marion didn’t know where they were going, frankly she didn’t care as long as they made it out the shit-hole. 

 

“I don’t- I don’t know!” Amicia cried, as they ran into a dead end. 

 

“There’s no way out…” Marion muttered, her eyes growing wide. 

 

The girl took in a shaky breath, there was no way out. The villagers would catch up to them, they’d take kill Hugo and do God knows what to her and Amicia– 

 

Marion’s breaths grew short and frantic as Amicia tried to open the rusty lock on the only door they could go through. Hugo clutched onto her clean hand, his little body shaking. 

 

“Fuck, Amicia hurry!” Marion yelled, before Amicia finally pushed the door open. 

 

The three shot inside of the building, only to find another locked door. Marion let go of Hugo, and rammed her body against the heavy door to no avail. She felt her chest constricting, they were all going to die. Each bang on the door made her flinch, her hands shook and her legs wanted to give out. 

 

Amicia lifted Hugo out through a window, Marion hoped that the boy would be able to unlock the door for them. 

 

“They’ve blocked it with a plank!” Hugo shouted, and Marion tightly shut her eyes. 

 

She wanted to crawl out of her own skin. She felt the air escaping her chest once again, her throat closing up and body shaking. She coughed into her hand, her ears ringing and vision going blurry. Marion couldn’t go on like this. Amicia pulled the coughing girl into her arms, tears falling from her pretty eyes. 

 

“Quickly Hugo, he's here!” Amicia cried, while Marion clutched onto her tunic. 

 

Conrad burst through the door, his armor clinking together with every move he made. 

 

“Hugo, do something!” Amicia screeched, moments before Hugo finally opened the door. 

 

Amicia pulled Marion out of the building, the dark-haired girl could barely feel her own feet. It was like she was watching the scene from outside her own body, the last thing she could recall was being pushed into a house. Then, the world went dark.

Notes:

| Glossary |

N/A

| A/N |

quick fun fact, my sister and I are around the same age as Amicia and Hugo! I just realized that lol

anyways school is really dumb, I actually hate it so much I can't wait to be free from my academic prison 💔

totally unrelated, but anyone who is reading this needs to go on YouTube and look up Miserere Mei, Deus sung by the Tenebrae choir- that shit is HEAVENLy

Chapter 8: VII

Marion awoke feeling as if someone had stuffed a rag into her mouth. She didn’t remember being in a bed– where was Amicia? The girl sat up, and looked to her side when she noticed a small dip in the bed. Hugo was curled up next to her, wearing a fresh tunic. She gently stroked the sleeping boy’s hair, before eying the rest of the room. 

 

It was small, the only lights came from a candle atop a wooden dresser, and the moonlight that creeped in through the holes of the closed shutters. Marion wasn’t sure if they were still in the village, but if she had to guess they probably were. 

 

Her eyes shot to the door when it was opened, thankfully it was just Amicia. The brunette was also wearing a fresh tunic, though her hair was still just as disheveled as it was earlier in the day. 

 

“You’re finally awake…” Amicia smiled, “Hugo refused to leave your side, you know.” 

 

Marion let a small smile grow on her face, and she let out a quiet chuckle.

 

“Where– Where are we?” Marion asked, she furrowed her eyebrows at the raspy state of her voice. 

 

“We’re in Clervie’s house, she’s letting us stay for the night.” Amicia explained quietly, mindful of the sleeping boy next to Marion. 

 

Marion nodded her head, and took in a deep breath. She laid back against the bed, and stared at the roof above her. The events of the day played through her head, she had the blood of not just one, but two men on her hands. She closed her eyes, and frowned. 

 

“There is some leftover stew downstairs… you must be starving.” Amicia spoke up, seemingly noticing how her companion was starting to drown in her mind. 

 

Marion smiled, and nodded her head; she didn’t bother to use her words, it hurt to speak. She pushed the blankets off of her body, and stood up. Her legs trembled, but she paid them no mind. Amicia led her downstairs and into the main room, where a bowl of stew and cup of water awaited her on the table. 

 

The dark haired girl grabbed the bowl of stew and the water, and sat down on the floor in front of the lit hearth. Amicia sat down next to her, the air around them heavy. The stew was cold, but Marion didn’t mind– it soothed the burn in her throat. 

 

Marion quickly gulped down the water as if she was dehydrated, some of the liquid dribbled down her chin. Her face flushed to a bright red color when Amicia wiped her face, and she averted her eyes to the fire. Her mind wandered off to what they were going to do after they brought Hugo to Laurentius.

 

They had no one, nothing. Robert, Béatrice, her father… all gone. Her eyes burned and her nose started to grow stuffy. She took in a deep breath, glaring at the fire seemed like a better option to bawling her eyes out. Amicia gently wrapped her arm around the dark-haired girl, gently rubbing her bicep. 

 

Marion bit her quivering lip, and wiped at her eyes. She took a deep breath, her glare at the fire intensified. She didn’t want to cry, especially not in front of Amicia. 

 

“What are we going to do once we find Laurentius?” Marion asked, after the rock in her throat disappeared. 

 

Amicia stayed quiet. Marion knew that the brunette was just as clueless as she was. 

 

“We… we will figure that out when the time comes.” Amicia responded, her words quiet. 

 

Marion turned her head to look at Amicia. Dirt was smudged on her freckled face, but that didn’t make her any less comely. The light reflecting onto her dark blue eyes made them all the more vibrant– it was the little things that Marion loved about Amicia. 

 

The way her lips would quirk up when she was doing something she liked, and the way her nose wrinkled whenever she was angry. The hundreds of faint freckles along her nose, and cheekbones that Marion could spend hours tracing her fingers over. 

 

The dark-haired girl felt herself unable to hold her companion’s gaze when the latter turned to look at her, her face flushing bright red for the second time. 

 

“Why did the duck cross the road?” Amicia asked out of the blue, and Marion let a smile grow onto her face. 

 

“Amicia I swear to God…” Marion huffed, and leaned into her companion. 

 

Amicia raised an eyebrow, and silently waited. She wasn’t going to stop until Marion answered her, she’d done this a million times before. 

 

“Why did the duck cross the road?” Marion asked back, as she leaned her head against Amicia’s shoulder. 

 

Amicia smiled, “To prove he’s no chicken.” 

 

Marion clapped her hands together, and let out a quiet giggle. 

 

“Hardy har-har… at least if all goes to shit we can make you a professional fool.” Marion joked, and Amicia’s jaw dropped. 

 

“Marion!” 

Notes:

| Glossary |

N/A

| A/N |

Just a short and sweet filler to give my girls a break from mental torment 😭 I was contemplating making this longer but eh

Amicia and Marion are so friggen cute oh my fbewififuwofb

I think im going to make this book have three parts: Part I would be Innocence, Part II would be Requiem, and I have an idea I'd like to do for Part III after both games

I'm praying that I can get a PS5 for Christmas so I can actually play requiem

WAIT A MINUTE THE "you're finally awake" IS GIVING ME SKYRIM FLASHBACKS

Chapter 9: VIII

Thankfully Clervie had left out some extra clothes for Marion; although the girl was no longer wet, she felt… dirty. Although she had scrubbed the blood from her hands till they were red and raw, the feeling of the blood did not leave her fingers. 

 

Now the sun had risen high over the land, the children had stayed at Clervie’s house for the whole night and most of the day. They wanted to be sure that the villagers wouldn’t find them. Amicia had fortified her sling, and Marion had sharpened what was left of her throwing knives. 

 

They were going to leave Clervie’s house soon– they still needed to finish the daunting task of finding Laurentius. Marion was hesitant to even think about leaving; she knew they needed to find Laurentius, but with the villagers and Inquisition trailing after them like bloodhounds… it sent a wave of uneasiness through her. 

 

“So that’s where you lost them?” The voice that seeped into the room through the walls said, making Marion freeze in her seat. 

 

Conrad had found them– or was close to finding them. She turned to look at Clervie and Amicia, who had also frozen in their spots. They needed to hide, or run, or do anything to stay away from the grief-stricken man. 

 

Marion flinched when a loud bang erupted from the backroom, her breath hitching and fists clenching. She quickly, but silently stood up and followed Amicia to the source. Hugo sat, a mallet in his hand and a pout on his little face. 

 

“What on earth are you doing?” Amicia questioned furiously, “Put that mallet down! Are you stupid or what?” 

 

Hugo glared at his sister, he stood up and raised the wooden mallet. 

 

“I am not stupid!” He argued, his glare unwavering. 

 

The argument only escalated from there. A flurry of voices filled the home, quiet hushes from Clervie, and Hugo’s angry shouts. The tension in the air thickened with each shout, each quiet plea and hush. 

 

“Mummy is dead, Hugo, you’ll never see her again!” Amicia snapped, “Or daddy!” 

 

A deafening silence fell over the room at Amicia’s words. Marion’s eyes traveled from Amicia, to Hugo; his big blue eyes were filled with tears, and his lip quivered. He furrowed his eyebrows, his hand going slack and dropping the mallet. 

 

“You’re… you’re lying!” Hugo muttered, as his eyes trailed down to the floor. 

 

Marion gently grabbed Amicia’s arm before the brunette could feed the fire. Amicia’s breath hitched, and  Marion frowned when she noticed the storm brewing in her companions' eyes– they were red rimmed, and tears threatened to fall.  

 

“They were killed at the house Hugo… I'm so sorry.” Marion spoke softly, but Hugo’s anger did not dwindle at her gentle tone. 

 

“You’re lying! Lying! Both of you are liars, I hate you!” Hugo screeched, before fleeing through the door to the backyard. 

 

Marion’s heart dropped when the boy ran off, unknowingly throwing himself into the maw of the very man who wanted his head. Amicia ran off after Hugo without a second thought, her instinct to protect taking over any rational thinking. 

 

Marion took a glance back at Clervie, who had her lips tightly curled into a somber frown. The crone sighed, and with a short close-eyed nod, urged her to go after the siblings. 

 

The dark-haired girl lagged behind the siblings by a lot, the only sign of the pathways they took was occasional footsteps in the more muddy footing. Marion had found their destination to be the old church– the gate to the building was rusted shut. 

 

Villagers hounded the gate, seemingly watching as something conspired in the small courtyard. Marion’s blood ran cold when she heard the sound of heavy armor clanking together, and crate’s being smashed to bits. Her hands drifted over her throwing knives when one of the villagers turned to look at her, his hard eyes slimming. 

 

The villager unsheathed a sickle from a makeshift sheath on his belt, and another man who held a butcher's knife began stalking closer to her. Marion let out a tense breath, her fingers finding their way over the handle of one of her knives to pull it out. 

 

In a single breath, Marion pulled her arm back and threw the knife with all her might; the weapon settled into the man with the butcher’s knife’s head silently, and his body hit the ground with a sickening thud . The man with the sickle let an ugly scowl grow on his face, his grip on the weapon visibly tightening. 

 

Without warning, the man ran at her with a speed she didn’t expect, and he tackled her to the floor. The only thing stopping him from embedding his blade into her throat was her hands– blood leaked out of the flesh that gripped the blade. 

 

Marion couldn’t contain the scream that climbed its way out of her throat, her hands burned with a merciless fury, and for once her own blood leaked onto the flushed skin of her face and neck. 

 

The villager had a crazed look in his eye… one that sent fear spiking through Marion’s body. He pushed harder against her hands, and another agonized yelp left her mouth. The dark-haired girl grunted as she lifted up her knee, hitting the man right where it counted. 

 

He fell to the side, and Marion quickly shuffled away from him. The pain in her hands was harrowing, the deep slits that ran across her palms leaked blood down her wrists and into the fabric of her not-so-fresh tunic. There were too many villagers to take on at once, the only way she’d live was to run. 

 

The noises in the courtyard had gone oddly silent– Amicia! Marion felt her breath pick up, Amicia had to be alright, she just had to be. The rest of the villagers were close to the only spot she could climb over, but Marion didn’t care. 

 

Without using her hands, Marion hefted herself off the ground, and booked it into the direction of the stone wall. The dark-haired girl screeched when she felt the cold stone dig into her injured hands, leaving the stone sticky with her blood. 

 

She unceremoniously landed on her back, and all the air in her lungs was sucked out. After a few sputtering coughs, she took in a much needed deep breath.

 

“Marion!” Amicia called out, and dropped to her knees in front of her companion. 

 

The dark-haired girl allowed herself to be pulled up by Amicia, letting out a quiet hiss when one of her hands came in contact with Amicia’s tunic. Her eyes trailed to the wall, where another villager had gotten the same idea as her, and began to climb up the stones. 

 

“Amicia, run!” Marion commanded, before all three children ran towards the heavy oak doors of the church. 

Notes:

| Glossary |

N/A

| A/N |

This one is kinda short, but I just got over a sinus infection so it's justifiable. I was struggling 😭

anyways, after re-reading this and consulting with Dr. Google, I now realize how many important tendons are in the human hand, and now little Marion might have some long term trouble! uhmmm yay me for researching as I write and not before.

Chapter 10: XI

When Marion was a young child–perhaps no older than six or seven–she liked to imagine that her mother was a kind, beautiful woman, with a warm smile and even warmer disposition. She'd spend hours daydreaming about the woman she had created in her mind, that was until her father scolded her for sitting around. 

 

As she grew older, she realized that her mother was probably not the beautiful blonde from her childish fantasies. Marion didn't look much like her father, so her mother must've had the same brown eyes, dark hair, and round face that she did. 

 

Now, all she wished for was Béatrice: the woman who'd taken her under her wing, kissed her scraped knees when she fell, and gently caressed her short, choppy hair. Béatrice was gone now, and the woman she'd taken to dreaming of had never existed in the first place. 

 

The searing pain in Marion's hands increased tenfold as they barred the heavy doors to the church, the adrenaline that once coursed through her veins slowly watered down until she could feel everything. She let out a pained whimper, and clenched her jaw shut. She couldn't move– even the slightest of movement sent a wave of fiery pain up her forearm. 

 

Blood dribbled down her fingers, staining the stone floor she stood on. Marion let out a quiet gasp when Amicia put a hand on her shoulder, her companion's face contorted into that of a worried woman– a look Marion hated seeing. 

 

It made her look too grown, the way the skin between her eyebrows wrinkled, and her words would grow soft and gentle. It was like the scared child she had become was molded into a worried woman. 

 

Silent tears flowed out of Marion's eyes as Amicia led her over to a wooden bench, right next to a stone altar littered with wax candles. The dark-haired girl took a seat, her eyes locked on the ugly wounds on her palms. Amicia kneeled down in front of her companion, Marion could tell she was trying hard not to cringe at the bloody mess. 

 

"Will she be alright?" Hugo's little voice echoed through the church, making both girls turn to look at him. 

 

"I'll be fine, Poppet... it's just a scratch." Marion lied, trying to alleviate the boy's worries. 

 

Marion watched as Amicia sucked in a deep breath, and the latter looked back down at her companions' hands. The wounds were long, and appeared to be deep enough to need stitches. They had nothing to clean the wounds with, or dress it... 

 

Marion's eyes flickered to the lit candles, an idea popping into her brain. 

 

"Amicia, why don't you and Hugo go try and find a way out of here..." The dark-haired girl spoke, her tone left no room for protest. 

 

Amicia's eyebrows furrowed, "But... your hands, we can't leave them like this–" 

 

Marion shot her companion a look, before turning towards the candles once again. Amicia's eyes widened once she realized what Marion was subtly referring to. 

 

"The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get the proper material to fix it." Marion quietly sniffled after her sentence, her eyes were bloodshot and stingy from crying. 

 

"Marion..." Amicia whispered, the girl was very obviously opposed to the idea. 

 

"It's the only way to stop the bleeding." Marion argued softly, relaxing as Amicia gently cupped her face. 

 

Marion rested her forehead against Amicia's, the contact sent a wave of warmth over her body, slightly distracting her from the burning-pain. The latter let out a shaky sigh, their breaths mixing from their close proximity. 

 

"Trust me, I'll be alright... I promise." Marion whispered, her voice quiet yet shaky. 

 

The brunette bit her lip, before reluctantly pulling away, and standing up. She took Hugo's hand, the little boy frowned and tightly held onto his sister. Marion watched for a moment as the siblings went to search for an exit, before looking over the 'tools' she had to work with. The dark-haired girl was no doctor, but she needed to make sure that the wound would close. 

 

With a pained gasp she began to fumble with one of the throwing knives on her belt. She could barely close her fingers to grab the blade, no less keep hold of it. Marion laid the blade on her lap, and winced when the action sent a fiery wave of pain up her arms. 

 

She stuffed the hem of her tunic into her mouth, exposing some of her pale stomach, and dampening the fabric with her saliva. She needed to be as quiet as possible, she didn't want to scare Hugo... 

 

The girl picked up the blade once again, and let out a muffled curse when she dropped it. She bent down, picked it up again, and tried as hard as she could to hold it securely. If she could barely pick up her blade to simply hold it, she'd be left defenseless. 

 

The harrowing realization made her pause– she wouldn't be able to hold her own in a fight. For the first time,  Marion felt like she was backed into a corner with nowhere to run. She glared at the blade in her bloody hand, suddenly wanting to throw it into a ditch. 

 

After a moment of silence, Marion stood up, and slowly made her way towards the candles. She held the blade over the open flame, watching as the flames licked at the steel. She took in a deep breath, and pulled the knife away from the flame once she felt it had grown hot enough. 

 

The girl moved to sit back down on the bench, her breathing grew shakier and more erratic with each step. Her body grew numb, and she felt as if she would wet herself from fear– what was she thinking! 

 

Once she seated herself on the bench, the dark-haired girl laid her left palm on her lap, and kept her hold on the hot knife as tight as she could without causing herself further pain. Her eyes widened as her shaky hand began to slowly lower the blade, her fingers twitching in anticipation. 

 

White-hot pain flooded her hand, up her arm towards her elbow. A guttural scream ripped its way out her throat, one that her makeshift gag could barely muffle. She quickly retracted the blade, clutching it so hard that the wound on her right hand had begun to sting with a pain nowhere near as agenous as the one on her left. 

 

Her burned hand tensed up, her finger's twitching and shaking. Without thinking, she repeated the process on her other hand, before dropping the blade and kicking it away with her foot. She spat out the now wet fabric of her tunic, and let out a loud cry. 

 

Her shaky voice echoed throughout the small church, without a doubt having alerted Amicia and Hugo. She clutched her hands close to her body, a sickening smell entered her nose. It was similar to the scent of the burning bodies, except it was much less prominent.

 

"My God, Marion, what have you done to yourself..." Amicia muttered to herself, as she and Hugo approached the sobbing girl. 

 

Marion flinched as Amicia sat down next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and peering down at the now closed, but definitely burned wounds. It was... gruesome. Marion could barely keep her eyes open to look down at them, tears fell down her face at a rapid rate. 

 

Hugo had tears of his own streaming down his chubby cheeks– his little wails mixed with Marion's heavy sobs, he was definitely frightened by the screams. He had taken to crawling on the bench on Marion's other side, wrapping his arms around her waist, his tears soaking her already dirty tunic. 

 

Soon enough all the children had joined together in a twisted little cuddle pit, sobs slowly quieting, and tears drying. Perhaps in better circumstances, they would've been cuddled in Amicia's bed, with no pain or burns, or grown men trying to hunt them down as if they were wild game. 

 

But those circumstances were long gone, if they'd ever existed in the first place. 

Notes:

I just realized that I forgot to post ten on Ao3😭😭, anyways my laptop got water damage so, chapters are gonna be kind of slow and sporadic now, I HATE writing on my phone—

Ignore how short this chapter is

Chapter 11: X

Marion let out a quiet huff of frustration when the Priest they found in the courtyard had fled, after telling them to leave. Apparently it was dangerous– it only made Marion want to wring out his neck even more. Nowhere was safe for them, not anymore. 

 

It was not like she could do anything to the Priest, her hands were marred and stung like hell. Her newfound defenselessness scared her to her core, she felt like a wolf with no teeth. Wolves with no teeth can still growl– she wouldn’t let anyone think she was weak. 

 

That was the last thing she needed to be.

 

“Is he the one who knows where Laurentius is?” Hugo asked, his eyebrow’s furrowing in a way that reminded Marion of how similar he and Amicia looked.

 

“It has to be him… it has to.” Amicia responded, as she determinedly trudged along after the man. 

 

They found themselves in a room filled with multiple broken beds. The place was completely ransacked. Marion felt her gut churn–although the pain in her twitching fingers had already caused it to grow uneasy–, had the inquisition passed through here? No, they wouldn’t ruin their own place of worship. 

 

Well, Marion wouldn’t exactly put it past them. The soldiers of the inquisition were the least saintly people she’d ever met. She wondered if Nicholas had prayed for forgiveness after slaughtering her father. 

 

Marion suddenly became hyper aware of the ivory beads of the rosary wrapped around her neck, the one she used to help count her prayers on the rare occasion she did pray– on the day’s when she felt a desperate need for any kind of reassurance. It was her mothers, the one thing her father did tell her about the woman was that she refused to take it off. 

 

A part of her wanted to rip it off her neck, let the expensive white beads break from the silver chains and scatter across the floor. She didn’t want to pray to God if all her prayers would continue to go unheard. She let out a quiet huff, now was not the time to meddle over such matters. 

 

“Oh, they’ve broken everything…” Hugo spoke, as he looked over the ruined room. 

 

“What’s going on here?” Amicia stopped in the middle of the room, and took a moment to look over her surroundings. 

 

Marion’s eyes slimmed as she looked around the room, shelves were barely hanging onto the walls, bed frames looked as if a giant hand had snapped them in two, and linens were ripped to shreds. 

 

“Perhaps they’re making room for bigger beds?” Hugo responded, as he too looked around. 

 

Marion’s eyes trailed to a small, unlocked chest in the corner of the room. She tilted her head, curious as to what was in the small chest. She strayed from Amicia and Hugo, so she could kneel down in front of the chest and reach her hand out to open it. 

 

The dark-haired girl huffed in frustration when she could barely get her fingers to close around the latch so she could lift it up– not necessarily due to the immense pain, but to the fact that her fingers seemed to stop listening to her. 

 

She couldn’t feel certain parts of her palms, areas where the burns were the worst, and the cuts ran the deepest. The last two fingers on her left hand had also been affected, whilst her other fingers painfully twitched and writhed like beings that were separate from her own, those two fingers laid still. She couldn’t feel them, almost like they were never there in the first place. 

 

“Do you need help?” Amicia asked, and Marion shook her head in response. 

 

She could already sense the change… Amicia's voice was too soft, too caring, too worried. Marion was not fragile, she wasn’t a pane of carefully handcrafted stained glass, she wouldn’t shatter if dropped. No. She was not fragile. 

 

“No, I’m fine.” She responded curtly, in a hard tone that was strangely unlike her own. 

 

Marion took in a deep breath, before standing up, and abandoning the chest. The trio continued to search for the priest, passing through a bathhouse filled with tubs of water mixed with medicinal herbs, and out to a courtyard void of any people. The courtyard was filled with pieces of chopped wood, and last-minute handmade graves. 

 

Hugo’s eyes lit up when he noticed a small group of orange-yellow flowers next to one of the chopped pieces of wood. He wriggled his hand out of Amicia’s, before he began to run towards the pretty flowers. 

 

“Flowers! They’re so pretty!” Hugo beamed, his childish innocence opened up a small hatch of envy deep within Marion’s chest. 

 

If only they’d all still had the mind of a child, so carefree and unaware of the severity of their position. Marion slowly followed after Hugo, her dark eyes following his little figure as he bent down to pick one of the pretty flowers. Marion kneeled down next to Hugo, as Amicia bent down to observe the orange-yellow petals. 

 

“They’re carnations… we had some in my herbarium.” The little boy explained, “But those were prettier.” 

 

“Hugo, we have to keep moving.” Amicia urged, the brunette was not eager to stay in one place for long, and neither was Marion. 

 

“Wait, wait! Come here!” Hugo smiled, before tucking one of the flowers he had picked into Amicia’s hair. 

 

Marion let a small smile grow on her face, “A pretty flower for a pretty lady.” She spoke, watching as Amicia’s freckled cheeks grew warm and pink. 

 

She reached up to gently brush Hugo’s cheek with the back of her hand. It did hurt, and Marion was sure the smell was not very pleasant, but Hugo still leaned into her touch like a little kitten. The brunette stood up, and let out a quiet chuckle when Hugo tightly grabbed onto her belt instead of her hand. 

 

“Alright, now we can go!” He smiled up at his sister, who ran her fingers through his tousled brown hair. 

 

The three took another quick lap around the courtyard, Amicia picking up any rocks she saw fit for her sling. It made Marion’s mind wander to her throwing knives– she only had eight left. Eight that would continue to go unused until her hands healed. 

 

If they healed. 

 

Marion looked over to Amicia, who was placing the rocks she had found in a pouch on her belt.  There was a thin layer of dirt under her fingernails from cleaning wet soil off the rocks. Marion hadn’t seen her friend's hands in such a state since they were young girls: memories of playing in the dirt, only to be scolded after flooded the dark-haired girl’s mind. 

 

Marion found it almost amusing that in such a small time frame, she was able to think about herself as if she was not still a young girl, a mere spring filly trying her best to balance on legs she didn’t know how to use. 

 

The girl proceeded to follow Amicia through one of the arched doorways, Hugo still tightly holding onto her belt. The Priest was standing near another doorway, hunched over. 

 

“Father…” Amicia called out, to get the man’s attention. 

 

The man looked over at Amicia with a vexed expression, “You again! I told you to leave!” 

 

“Just a moment! Just a–” Amicia tried to reason, but the priest cut her off. 

 

“You have no idea! Leave while you still can!” He warned, his voice cracking as he spoke. 

 

Marion was beginning to grow annoyed with the old coot, he wouldn’t even let Amicia finish her goddamned sentence! The dark-haired girl huffed, and rolled her eyes. 

 

“Stop cutting her off!” She demanded, eyes hardening as she stared down the man. 

 

“Please… do it for him at least.” Amicia begged, as she gently put a hand on Hugo’s shoulder. 

 

The boy detached from Marion, quietly shuffling next to his sister as he stared up at the Priest. The man kneeled down in front of Hugo, taking the pendant of his silver necklace into his palm. 

 

“The Robert De Rune coat of arms…” The man muttered, his eyes widening slightly. 

 

“They are his children, and they’re looking for a doctor– Laurentius.” Marion spoke, “You will help us find him.” 

 

The Priest gave Marion a… less than pleased look, before turning back to the De Runes. 

 

“I knew Laurentius… he spoke of your family often… I am Father Tomas.” The Priest introduced himself, his gaze softening. 

 

“Your presence here is not a good sign.” He continued, a frown growing on his wrinkled face. 

 

Amicia’s breath hitched, “The inquisition– they came and they…” 

 

Marion felt her heart clench, her body go cold and memories of Nicholas and his soldiers rushed through her head. The sound of his armor as he dismounted, his heavy footsteps and the sight of his bloody blade piercing through the door. She lightly shook her head, some of her messy dark hair falling in front of her face. 

 

Blood still stained her hands– she’d never forget the men she killed. 

 

“I can imagine… but what is happening here is far worse.” Father Tomas responded, and Marion glared at him. 

 

“They’ve lost their family! Our home, and everyone in it slaughtered like pigs, yet you dare tell us whatever’s happening in this shithole is worse?” Marion barked, her face contorted like that of a snarling dog; nose scrunched and teeth bared in an angry grimace. 

 

“You must leave immediately, or you will die!” Father Tomas yelled back at the angry girl, making her let out a frustrated grunt. 

 

“Will you just shut your mouth and listen to us!” Marion hissed, as Amicia gently grabbed her bicep. 

 

“Father, the villagers were trying to kill us!” Amicia tried to reason with the man, who finally seemed to realize just how desperate they were. 

 

Father Tomas sighed, sucking in an agitated breath before speaking; “I cannot leave the church… but there is an exit through the Crypt of the Three Saints, from there I shall try to put you on the right path to Laurentius’ farm. But after that… may God watch over you.”

 

Marion let out a quiet huff— God hadn’t exactly done the best job at watching over them so far. She wanted to make a snarky remark, but for Amicia and Hugo’s sake, she stayed quiet. No matter how hard she tried to ignore the feeling, unease settled in her gut from his words.

 

…may God watch over you. 

Notes:

—

 

| A/N |

It’s almost three A.M, this chapter is technically unfinished, I have a stomach virus but we will PREVAIL!!! This chapter isn’t getting a gif because I’m literally running off of chocolate milk and Doritos, I don’t feel like doing allat right now 🤌

idk if you can tell (you 100% can) but Father Tomas is a little bit out of character… I didn’t mean to make him a dickface but one fish, two fish led to red fish, blue fish and here we are.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to liek and subscribe for more awesome cool brain tickling ratty scary angsty broody shit written by an unhinged 14 year old who is currently defending France from some hundred year war or something like that??

(Tbh I wonder if Marion knows how Joan of Arc felt)

(K bye)

Chapter 12: XI

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the group as Father Tomas led them towards the Crypt of the Three Saints, the faded paintings of angels that lined the short corridor seemed to taunt Marion– their golden halo’s shined just a bit too bright for her liking.

“Brother Morel should be here, we– we are the last two remaining.” Father Tomas said, as he closed the door behind him.

This room was much larger, and much, much darker. The dim torchlight only brightened their immediate surroundings, and the candles that lined the entrance to the crypt didn’t give Marion any reassurance; it felt like a warning. A warning that this crypt was no pathway to Aidenn.

Marion sucked in a breath, her eyes trailing over to Amicia. The brunette had her eyes trained to the crypt entrance, she almost looked as if she was in a trance.

“Brother Morel?” Father Tomas called out weakly, his eyes squinting to see in the limited light.

“Stay here…” He told Amicia, as he handed her the torch.

Marion felt her heart clench as that fool began to walk into the darkness, quietly calling out for Brother Morel. She clenched her jaw, her teeth subconsciously rubbing together as he walked further away from them. Hugo looked down, squeezing Amicia’s hand just a bit tighter than usual.

“What is it?” Amicia asked, and that is when Marion felt it.

The rumbling under her feet.

The same rumbling that spooked her horse the day prior.

Within the blink of an eye, all of the candles were blown out by an unseen force, and Marion’s heart dropped to her stomach. Thousands of rats scuttled up from the crypt, the sound of their squeals deafening. She couldn’t hear the sound of Father Tomas’ flesh being torn apart by the ravenous vermin, a sudden ringing filling her ears.

She couldn’t move, there were thousands–no millions–of rats on their flank, the only thing that kept them from being eaten alive was the flimsy barrier that the light provided. They had eaten the Father, they fucking ate him! Her jaw trembled as they began to move, sweat dripped down her brow and her legs shook with pure, bone-chilling fear.

There was not a bone left behind. In less than a minute, the horde of vermin had eaten an entire man without leaving a trace.

Marion felt bile rise in her throat after they had descended some steps, and the half eaten corpse of who she assumed to be Brother Morel came into her view. The deeper in they went, the more vile the area had begun to smell. The putrid scent of death assaulted her nostrils, filling her lungs and making her want to puke up whatever was left in her mostly empty stomach.

“We're going to have to climb up, I’ll have to put the torch down.” Amicia Informed, and Marion’s eyes widened even further.

“No!” Marion cried, “No you can’t– you can’t, the rats, oh God!”

Marion began to frantically fumble over her words, the once somewhat collected, headstrong girl reduced to a blubbering mess. Her teary eyes looked down at the rats that pooled around their feet, her breathing slowly growing choppy and uneven.

Amicia cupped Marion’s face after she placed the torch in its holder, forcing her to look away from the horde. She knew her well enough to know that all this panicking would send the dark-haired girl into a cough-attack, and the last thing they needed was for her to pass out on a floor filled with carnivorous rats.

“Listen to me!” Amicia words were firm and loud, “We will be fine, stop looking at the fucking rats!”

Marion nodded wordlessly, her jaw locking in place as tears freely flowed out her eyes. After they’d climbed over the wood paneling, the children faced a hallway. A dark hallway. Marion’s eyes caught a basket of flimsy sticks, Amicia moving to grab one before she could blink.

“The wood will burn quickly, we must hurry!” Amicia commanded, authority and determination laced into her voice.

The children had all but ran to the stairwell, the flame of the homemade torch nearly licking Amicia’s skin before she was forced to drop it. The exit Father Tomas spoke of was just barely out of reach, the children needed to take a detour through another room.

Marion let out a strangled whimper when Amicia had shot down the brazier needed to make a clear path through said room, revealing the bodies of more dead men. The children quickly scuttled through the room, Marion kept her eyes trained on Amicia’s back. She couldn’t look anywhere else.

“Wait here with Hugo, I’ll go see if there’s another way through.” Amicia commanded Marion, before she began to scale up the ladder.

Hugo’s little fists clinged to her shirt, his face buried in her side away from the rats. Their beady, glowing eyes stared into their souls, Marion’s gut churned at the thought of possibly becoming their dinner. She flinched when the chain of the brazier snapped, the light scaring away the rats.

“Run with the brazier!” Amicia yelled, as she climbed down the ladder.

Marion only began to chase after the brazier when Amicia grabbed her forearm, pulling her along. After they’d climbed up yet another set of stairs, they’d finally found a rat free room. Marion immediately guided Hugo towards the fire’s, she didn’t trust this place.

The calm lasted mere seconds, on the far corner of the room the ceiling caved in, rats flooding the area right in front of the door they needed to pass through. Marion let out a yelp, now there was no light to guide them. They had no sticks to light, no brazier’s to shoot down.

Amicia shot down a large ham, the rats instantly flocking to it. Marion had a small feeling of what Amicia was about to do, and she didn't like it at all.

“Quickly, while they’re distracted!” Amicia pulled Marion and Hugo through the darkness, her dark-haired companion shaking within her grasp.

“Down there, the Three Saints!” Hugo pointed out, looking over to the older girls.

They were almost out. Almost out. 

Notes:

—

A/N

 

Here's a short (and not so sweet) chapter for y'all. These children are going through it ;-;

As soon as the rats came into play Marion and Amicia did a little role reversal, I think now we know who mom is and who dad is... beneath all that ankle biting and mean glares, Marion is just a big ol' softie

have a good weekend y'all, and don't let the rats bite!

(Also y'all can thank Oliver Deriviere for this chapter, as soon as his music comes in contact with my ears my fingers start flying to the keyboard.)

Chapter 13: XII

Their plan had gone to shit. Marion and Hugo went into a caged off area to grab a torch, the rest of the room dark and filled with rats, and the wood Amicia lifted to let them inside came crashing down. The floor was rotted, the wood easily crashing through it and leaving Amicia stuck in the dark with the rats. 

 

“Amicia!” Marion cried, as she gripped the bars, ignoring the fiery pain in her palms. 

 

“Amicia, how are we going to get back?” Hugo ran next to Marion, being careful of the torch in his hands. 

 

Marion closed her eyes, and rested her forehead against the rusty bars. Perhaps if she just closed her eyes, this wouldn’t be real, and she’d be back at the De Rune estate with Amicia and Lion. There wouldn’t be any rats, Robert and Beatrice would be alive…

 

“Listen to me, as long as you have the torch you will be safe.”  Amicia walked closer to the bars, slipping her hands through and gently squeezing Marion’s wrists. “Now let go of these bars, you’ll only make your hands worse-” 

 

“But what about you?” Marion whispered, cutting Amicia off and opening her eyes to meet the brunette’s. 

 

The two girls went silent, the only sound being the rats that scuttled behind Amicia, waiting for the light to diminish so they could devour her. She could see through the brave front Amicia was putting on– the brunette was terrified. 

 

“I’ll– I’ll figure something out.” Amicia responded, her words low and unpromising, like she was also trying to reassure herself. 

 

Marion sighed, before slowly peeling her hands off the rusty bars. She hissed, the unpleasant feeling made her grit her teeth and tense her body. When the torch began to wobble in the hand Hugo held it with, Marion gently touched the boy's cheek with the back of her knuckle. 

 

“Hold it with two hands, Poppet.” Marion instructed quietly, and Hugo nodded. 

 

She looked back up at Amicia, whose eyes were locked onto the torch. 

 

“The light will protect me too.” The brunette spoke after a moment of silence, “We just– we just have to move together.” 

 

Marion nodded, and Hugo shuffled closer to the dark-haired girl. She took a deep breath– Amicia would be fine. They’d all be fine. 

 

“Ready?” Amicia asked, hands shaking at her sides. 

 

“Ready.” Hugo responded quietly, and looked up to Marion for reassurance. 

 

The brunette nodded, and the trio began to walk down the grating. Marion watched her step, careful to watch for any rotten wood. At the end of the grating, there was a small hole, not very wide but tall enough to slip the torch through. 

 

“Amicia look, a hole!” Hugo pointed out, “Do you want the torch?” 

 

Amicia nodded, “Yes, there are too many rats on my side.” 

 

As Hugo slipped the torch through the grating, Marion’s eyes frantically searched for an exit. The only one she could find was a small hole opposite to the grating, just barely large enough for her to fit in. They’d have to separate from Amicia– Marion bit her bottom lip, her teeth picking at the dry and cracked skin. 

 

“Amicia… how are we going to get out?” Marion asked quietly, her body turning away from the hole and towards her companion. 

 

“The hole behind you.” She responded, and Marion sighed. She wished there was some other way. 

 

“I- I don’t know if I’ll fit, Hugo– Hugo might, but not me.” Marion denied, though she was well aware she could fit through the hole. 

 

Amicia noticed her hesitance, and used one hand to reach through the bars and gently grip her bicep. 

 

“You’ll be okay.” Amicia reassured, and Marion took a deep breath. 

 

“ Promets-moi? ” Marion asked, and Amicia nodded with a small smile. 

 

“ Je promets. ” The Brunette responded, “I’ll meet you on the other side.”

 

Marion nodded, and motioned for Hugo to follow her. 

 

“I’ll go first.” She informed the boy, before climbing through the hole. 

 

The room was dark, like all the others. A single torch laid unlit on the ground– if only Marion could find a way to light it. Hugo clambered after her, attaching himself to her side as soon as he was up. Marion wrapped her arm around him, Keeping him close as she moved towards the unlit torch. 

 

She picked up the torch with one of her hands, only to drop it once a stinging sensation ran up her arm. Damned burns– she gritted her teeth, and took in a deep breath. 

 

“Can you grab the torch for me?” Marion asked, and Hugo nodded. 

 

The little boy moved to grab the torch, but as soon as he did rats burst through the floor right next to them. Rats flooded the room, and Marion let out an ear piercing screech. She pushed Hugo towards the ladder on the other side of the room. 

 

“Amicia!” Hugo cried as they ran, the rats on their tails. 

 

The ladder was so close– they just needed to keep running. Marion’s lungs burned and stung, her breathing grew heavier and more ragged. Hugo climbed up first, then Marion stepped onto the ladder. 

 

She let out a loud grunt of pain when she felt a sting in her ankle; one of those little fuckers bit her. The dark-haired girl widened her eyes as she wildly shook her foot around– it bit her. The rat eventually let go, but not without taking a piece of her flesh with it. 

 

The girl continued to climb up the ladder, meeting Hugo at the top. She leaned her weight into her thighs, trying to keep breathing while Hugo called out to Amicia. Would she get sick? Catch the plague like the rest of the village did? Her mind swirled in circles– this was the worst moment for her to get bit. 

 

She needed to be with Hugo and Amicia, but she couldn’t do that if she was half-dead. Oh God… what if she infected them? 

 

“Hugo, is Marion still with you?” The dark-haired girl heard Amicia ask, finally bringing her out of her mind. 

 

Marion opened her mouth to call out to Amicia, but all that came out was a squeak. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. 

 

“I'm here!” Marion called out, and moved to walk next to Hugo. 

 

She’d worry about the bite later, for now she needed to focus on getting the hell out of this place. She peered down the ledge to see Amicia, protected from the rats due to the light of a few brazier’s. Amicia lit a twig, using it to get through the sea of rats so she could light another brazier. 

 

Marion watched her like a hawk, one wrong move would cost Amicia her life and the thought alone made the dark-haired girl want to spiral.

 

“The sticks burn too quickly, I won’t be able to keep them back long enough!” Amicia said, and Marion’s heart lurched. 

 

They’d be fine– they’d find a way. They always do. Amicia would get them down, and then they’d continue on their way out and everything would be fine–

 

“Marion, help me push this fire down!” Hugo’s voice pulled Marion out of her thoughts, and she immediately moved to help him. 

 

Marion used her forearms to push the brazier–or in Hugo’s words, ‘fire’–off of the ledge so Amicia could clear a path. It fell to the ground with a loud clunk, the noise echoed through the room yet it still felt drowned out by all the damn squeaking. 

 

“Perfect, thank you!” Amicia quickly ran to grab another twig, before lighting it and moving towards the brazier. 

 

Once the pathway was lit, the children wasted no time in climbing down. Amicia pulled the two into a bone-crushing hug, and Marion wasted no time in burying her face into the taller girl’s neck. She took in a shaky breath, her body relaxing into the embrace. 

 

For once, the noise of the rats seemed to be drowned out. It was just her and Amicia– and little Hugo. They all pulled away, Hugo immediately grabbing onto his sister's hand.  

 

“ Désolé, je n’aurais pas dû te laisser seul… c’est trop risqué. ” Amicia apologized, as she gently ran her fingers through Hugo’s hair. 

 

The little boy smiled up at his sister, “ C’est bien.” 

 

Marion took a deep breath in as she looked over to the still squealing rats that pooled mere feet away from them. She was reminded of the bite, and the dull stinging sensation had become slightly more noticeable. She cringed, thinking of the way the rat had so viciously tore away a peace of her flesh. 

 

“Okay, now let’s get the fuck out of here.” Marion grumbled under her breath, and waited for Amicia to light a stick. 

 

“Amicia, whats fuck?” Hugo asked, and the two girls looked at each other with wide eyes. 

 

Amicia hesitated before responding to her brother, “Er… you’ll find out when you’re older.” 

 

Notes:

OH MY GOD ISTG I AM TWEAKING SI HARD RN. First of all as of like last month I've have no internet during the week when I'm at my mom's house (child of divorce issues) so I'm running my laptop off of a hotspot on my phone, AND MY LAPTOP IS ACTUALLY TWEAKING BROSKI

SECOND OF ALL, PNE OF MY FUCKINB EARBUDS ISNT WORKING SO I GOTYA USE MY SCHOOL ONES AND THEY SUCK ASS.

THIRD OF ALL I JUSY HAD A FUCKING FISTFIGHT TRYING TO UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER ON MY PHONE BECAUSE A. WHEN I TRIED UPLOADING THIS ON WATTPAD WOULDNT LOAD ON MY COMPUTER AND B. WATTPAD WOULDNT LET ME CHANCE THE STUPID POSITION ON THE TEXT FRM MIDDE TO SIDE. I am not well.

Anyways how y'all doin ☺️🫶🫶

(Ps: y'all don't get a dictionary anymore because I've fucking had it with this goddamned computer)

Chapter 14: XIII

Marion couldn’t believe she was bit. How could she be so careless? Her ankle ached as she walked, a constant reminder of her slip-up and the consequences that were bound to follow. How long till painful boils grew on her skin, till she was too weak to keep pushing on? 

 

She didn’t want to think of that, and tried to tell herself she’d be alright. After all, it was just a little bite– how much damage could that really do? The dark-haired girl let out a sigh of relief, as they opened the door and the status of the Three Saints that now towered over them came into view. 

 

“The crypt!” Amicia smiled, as she stepped away from the door. 

 

“Finally… I think if we stay in this place any longer my heart will give out.” Marion said, taking in a deep breath to ground herself. 

 

Amicia lifted Hugo over the wooden barricade, before waiting for Marion to climb over. It was slightly taller than the fences they had been hopping… if her hands were uninjured she’d have no issue getting over, but seeing as she could barely hold a torch, she doubted she could use her hands to pull up her body. 

 

Marion hopped onto her tippy toes, and tried to use her forearms to get over as she usually would, but that plan didn’t work. The dark-haired girl let out a quiet squeak when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her thighs, and lift her up. 

 

She quickly pulled herself over the fence, a faint blush dusting her round cheeks. When in God’s name did Amicia get so strong? The dark-haired girl winced when she hit the ground, the pressure on her bad ankle sent a spike of pain up her leg. 

 

Amicia climbed over the fence last, the sound of her boots hitting the floor gave off a small echo. The three began their descent into the crypt, Amicia grabbing a stick to light so they’d have protection from the rats that waited below. 

 

A blackish, almost fleshy material crept up the stairs like a vine. Marion frowned, she couldn’t even imagine what the substance was made of– well, she could, but she really didn't want to. 

 

“What's that on the ground?” Hugo asked, as Amicia lit the stick with the fire from a sconce on the wall. 

 

“I've got no idea…” Amicia responded, “Let's go… we’ll be fine, just keep close.” 

 

Marion took a deep breath; she was not very fond of having to go into such a small space with so many of those rats. Her legs felt like jelly as she followed her companion into the crypt, the rats moving in an extremely unnerving way. 

 

The rats trampled over each other– eager to get away from the light, but just as eager to get a taste of their flesh. They were reduced to nothing but flesh-eating, light-avoiding monsters. Marion did her best to keep her eyes off of the vermin, and her mind away from the possibility they could all be eaten if that stick burnt out too quickly. 

 

The smell only grew worse the deeper they went– the air heavy with the scent of rotting flesh, and God knows what else. The scent made Marion’s lungs burn, as if it were rotting the organs with every breath she took. The black, fleshy vines grew larger as they walked, growing to the point of it taking over an entire wall. 

 

Bodies were strung in the substance. Skeletons of those eaten to the bone, jaws wide as if they had died screaming. It squelched beneath their feet, Marion couldn’t even look down anymore without wanting to retch. Liquid leaked from the ceiling, smelly, slimy and vile. The dark-haired girl let out a quiet whimper when some of it dripped onto her shoulder, it smelled horrific. 

 

If this wasn’t Hell, Marion didn’t know what it was. 

 

Amicia quickly lit a stray brazier once they were in the heart of the crypt, every single wall seemed to be covered in the nasty webbing. 

 

“I ca–” Marion coughed, which turned into a dry heave, “I can’t do this…” 

 

The air was so thick… her chest heaved and she felt her stomach twist and churn. 

 

Hugo whimpered  into Amicia’s tunic, his little arms clutching at her waist. The brunette ran her fingers through his hair– an action to soothe him, and herself. 

 

Marion watched as Amicia waved around a stick to rid it of black sludge, before lighting it with the brazier. As the trio walked deeper into– further out?–of the crypt, they had to squeeze together in order to not make contact with the walls. The dark-haired girl coughed into her arm, the stench finally making her weak lungs flare up. 

 

The last brazier was lit, and they finally made it to the tunnel to the outside world. 

 

Amicia wasted no time in lifting Hugo over the small wooden barricade, and then lifting herself over. Marion followed soon after, and gently lowered herself to the ground. She didn’t want to worsen her ankle– or in other words, she didn’t want Amicia to notice. 

 

The children burst into a sprint–even if Marion felt like her lungs were shriveling–booking it down the tunnel towards the light. The ground began to shake, and in the blink of an eye rats began to rush out the walls. Marion pushed Amicia and Hugo forward, ignoring the pain in her hands when they made contact with the cloth of their tunics.

 

A ringing filled her ears, that along with the sound of the rats made her feel like her head would burst at any moment. 

 

Marion wiped her eyes with the back of her hands once they entered the light, tilting her head up to keep in her tears. She could barely breathe, she was in pain… they were children, for Christ’s sake, what had they done to deserve this! 

         “What the fuck… what the fuck…” She muttered to herself, walking in circles and trying to keep her breathing steady– her lungs burned, but at least she hadn’t sent herself into an attack. 

 

She stopped pacing, finally looking back over to the siblings to see them embracing on the floor. They were only children… Marion would be damned if she ever let anyone harm a single hair on any of their heads. Amicia opened her eyes, making eye contact with her companion. 

 

Marion fell to her knees beside the two, wrapping them up in her arms as best as she could. She buried her face into Amicia’s neck, as the brunette wrapped an arm around her waist. 

 

She’d do anything to protect them– she would make sure they got Hugo to Laurentius safely, under any circumstances. 

 

Even if that meant lying about the black veins that began to creep up her ankle. 

Notes:

A/N

 

OH MY GOLLY GOSH YALL this chapter is short and idk how to feel, BUT IM GIVING YALL TINY CRUMBS OF AMICIA X MARIoN :DDD

feast my little birdies.

Anywho, Wattpad and I didn't have a WWE match today, so i'm in a good mood!! (Still no gif's, I kinda gave up on that lmao + it was taking up a shitload of space up in my phone.)

Also, not to be a spoiler sally or anything but...

 

y'all noticed how Marion was worried about boils right.... :PP

 

okay that's all (I wish I had emojis omg im actually dying without them this is not X fireball)

(Imagine that X was two arms crossing pls and thx)

Chapter 15: XIV

Marion was no stranger to pain. She knew it every winter when it crawled into her lungs, leaving her shivering and breathless. She knew it during the chicken incident, and she knew it now more than ever. She knew it by the sting in her hands, and the ache in her ankle that had begun to creep up her leg. 

 

She had ignored the bite, ignored the pain and continued on. It felt like another heart had grown in her leg, pulsing with every step she took. 

 

In shorter terms, she was extremely uncomfortable. Marion trailed just a few steps behind Amicia and Hugo, trying not to limp and make it obvious that something was bothering her. She was not doing a very good job, seeing as Amicia had begun to notice how she lagged behind. 

 

The girl took in a deep breath, in and out. 

 

In and out. 

 

She felt like a fool. How could she protect Amicia and Hugo when she could barely protect herself? For Christ’s sake, she couldn’t even pick up a damn torch! 

 

“Marion, are you alright?” Amicia asked, “You’re limping…” 

 

Marion looked over to Amicia, and blinked a few times as she processed her words. 

 

“I, uh… I think I twisted it when Hugo and I were running from the rats.” Marion explained, knowing damn well she pulled that answer straight out her–

 

“Oh… well, maybe Laurentius can look at it later, along with your hands.” The brunette responded, and Marion smiled. 

 

“Maybe…” She mumbled, before averting her eyes down to her hands. 

 

They had most definitely seen better days… the burns on the appendages were a violent red color, spanning across the middle of her palm. some areas were slightly blackened and very numb. The burn’s had begun to feel tight, and a strange yellow pus had begun to seep out of certain corners. 

 

“Hell, at this rate I doubt I'll ever use a throwing knife again.” Marion frowned, she felt like a part of herself had been stripped away– she didn’t feel like much of a protector anymore. 

 

Hugo cocked his head to the side, letting go of Amicia’s hand to fall into step next to Marion. He peered up at her hands, and made a face.

 

“But Laurentius is a doctor, can’t he fix you?” He asked, and Marion smiled. 

 

“Some things even doctors can’t fix.” She said, and gently brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. 

 

“Oh.” Hugo muttered, before latching onto her tunic. 

 

Marion let a small smile grow on her face, the little boy was very adorable. She rested her arm on his shoulder, keeping him close. They had quite the journey ahead of them. 

Notes:

A/n

Hey Dawgz what’s up 🙋♀️

This is just a filler chapter, I can’t let y’all go too long without getting at least a little snack. Anywayyayayastsysy I have the chapter that I was going to post this one with like a quarter done— let’s hope I finish it soon 😭 this is probably the shortest chapter in the entire book, it’s only 400 something words…

It’s okay tho, y’all will get a nutritious meal soon 🙏🙏

Chapter 16: XV

It was a massacre. Laurentius’ farm was almost as bad as the rat’s nest; mountains of dead pigs strewn about, and pools of blood and guts over every corner. And the smell… Christ, the smell was horrid. Marion could barely stomach it– she could feel her belly churn with each breath she took. 

 

She let out a string of coughs, the vile stench burned her throat and irritated her weak lungs. Was Laurentius even alive? All the sneaking, killing – was it all for nothing? This could only have been done by the Inquisition, if it were rats there'd be no bodies left. 

 

“Fuck– it’s… its horrible!” Marion said, after catching her breath. 

 

“We have to keep going.” Amicia’s eyebrows furrowed and her nose scrunched as she spoke– it was almost worse than the rat nest. 

 

Almost. 

 

At least the place had torches scattered along the pathways– it was getting dark, and only God knows how many rats could cover the ground under a cloudy night. The dark-haired girl cringed as she stepped into a pool of mud… blood? It seeped into her boots, and stained her britches. 

 

“Ugh… it’s getting in my shoes!” Hugo whined, as they waded through the viscous substance. 

 

Finally, they had left the smelly pool, only to feel the earth begin to shake under their feet. Rats sprouted out of the ground in the same manner they did at the De Rune estate. Marion felt her breath pick up– there were torches, the rats shouldn't be here. They shouldn’t be here! 

 

“No, no, no, no, get to the torch!” Amicia screamed, pulling Hugo to the nearest torch. 

 

The pulsing sensation in her leg seemed to grow, and Marion let out a groan. She practically fell to the ground once in the safety of the torchlight– it felt like the veins inside her leg were growing larger and larger, ready to burst open at any moment. 

 

She wouldn’t be quick enough. The pain was only worsening and she wouldn’t be quick enough– oh God. Her eyes widened, and flickered to the rats that had burst out the ground. 

 

“Amicia I ca–” Marion cried, Amicia didn’t even let her finish the sentence. 

 

“No, just– we have to go!” Amicia huffed, pulling her companion's arm over her shoulder, and hefting her off the ground. 

 

Once Marion was on her feet, Amicia looked down at Hugo. “Hugo, I need you to run towards that torch– whatever you do, don’t look back.” The Brunette commanded, and Hugo’s lip quivered. 

 

“But Amicia, I’m scared–” 

 

“Now!” 

 

Amicia left no room for discussion, and Marion felt her heart lurch. They were really making him go alone? The dark-haired girl took in a deep breath, if the rats got to them it’d be her fault. She was slowing Amicia down– she was no protector, all she did was drag them both into more danger. 

 

Hugo darted over to the torch, the sound of his little feet against the dirt were drowned out by the squeaking and squealing of rats. Marion tried to go as fast as she could without putting too much pressure on her ankle; jaw clenched and dark eyes shiny with tears. She held onto Amicia like a lifeline– in that moment, Amicia truly was her lifeline. 

 

Marion didn’t know what to feel– she was scared, thankful, angry . Her emotions were everywhere, weighing her down like a brick. Her mind couldn’t stay quiet, her thoughts and the squealing of rats were an ugly combination. 

 

The shaking of the ground didn’t help either, each step was unsteady for both girls. If one went down, the other would undoubtedly follow. Marion’s feet squelched in her shoes, still wet from the bloody sludge they had waded through earlier. The girls finally met up with Hugo near some wooden logs, once again protected under the torchlight. 

 

“Do you think– do you think you can climb up?” Amicia stuttered, jaw shaking with nerves. 

 

“Help Hugo first.” Marion said, eyes flickering down to the small boy. 

 

After Amicia helped Hugo up, she helped push Marion onto the rough stone. The dark-haired girl let out a whimper when her bad leg brushed up against the ground, it was unbelievably sensitive. Tears had long begun to fall down her dirty face, leaving streaks down her cheeks and neck. 

 

Amicia and Hugo didn’t look much better– everyone had a thin coating of dirt and sweat over their skin, it was probably the dirtiest the noble children had ever been. 

 

The brunette pulled herself over the wall, and helped Marion to her feet. 

 

“God… all this mud, we’ll never get through!” Amicia cried, her hold on Marion’s waist subconsciously growing tighter. 

 

A group of rats had settled in the mud, and there was not a torch in sight. Amicia needed to use her sling to break the chain holding the fence together, the weight of the dead pigs crushed all of the rats– and sent a wave of nauseating air towards the children. 

 

Marion coughed, the stench making her lungs clench and fight to get in any good air. It was down right vile. Marion was not surprised that the Inquisition was able to massacre these poor animals without a second thought. 

 

If they had slaughtered her father and Amicia’s family like pigs, then slaughtering pigs must’ve felt like stepping on roaches. 

 

The feeling of flesh under her foot was horrifying– the sound of bones from a little piglet crushing under her weight made her widen her eyes. It was so little… too pure to be killed in the manner it was. The dark haired girl clenched her jaw, and pressed herself closer to Amicia. 

 

This was disgusting. All of it. 

 

The rest of the journey towards the farmhouse was no different: evade the rats, stay alive , push a wheeled brazier that probably weighed more than all of the children combined towards the house (That activity alone nearly sent Marion into an attack). 

 

But they did it. They were safe– for now, at least.

 

Marion attempted to catch her breath once they were out of the rats reach, her shoulders slouching. Amicia helped the dark-haired girl sit down, with her back leaned against the wooden wheel of a wagon. 

 

“We did it…” Amicia muttered, as she gently ran a hand through Marion’s filthy hair. 

 

Marion leaned into Amicia’s hand, like a touch-starved dog. She looked up at the kneeling Amicia, eyes half lidded from fatigue– the adrenaline coursing through her veins had slowly begun to wear off, any energy she had was slowly being sucked out of her body. 

 

Hugo plopped himself down next to Marion, his head resting on her bicep. 

 

“Amicia. I'm tired…” Hugo’s voice was quiet, meek… it broke Marion’s heart. 

 

They were just children– tired children. They needed a home, warm arms to embrace them, and food to fill their bellies. Instead, they had no home, the only arms to embrace them were their own, and the last time they had eaten had been the previous night. 

 

It made Marion want to go red in the face, clench her fists and grit her teeth, but she had the energy to do none of those things. 

 

“I know…” Amicia frowned, and used her free hand to cup his face. 

 

“Let me take a look at your ankle.” Amicia said, and retracted her hands to roll up the leg of Marion’s britches. 

 

Marion was unable to protest, the sight under her pant leg shocking her as well. Black veins had begun to creep up her leg, all the way up to her knee. The dark-haired girl felt her breath hitch, what the fuck . Amicia frantically pulled off Marion’s boot, then her sock. The brunette kept her eyes locked on the bite near the back of Marion’s ankle. She was bit. 

 

She

 

Was 

 

Bit. 

 

Marion couldn’t bear to look into Amicia’s eyes. The beautiful blue she knew so well glossed with tears, and filled with such anguish. She was the cause of that anguish. 

 

“Marion–” Amicia started, but Marion cut her off. 

 

“Don’t!” She barked, her eyebrows furrowing and eyes slimming into a heavy glare. 

 

Marion clenched her jaw, “Don’t say anything.” 

 

She was scared, horrified… but she didn’t know how to be scared. To be scared was to be weak– so she covered it up with the one thing she did know. Anger.

 

“How long–” 

 

“I said shut up! Please… just shut up!” 

 

Marion’s voice was hard and sharp, like the teeth of a dog. She seemed to forget that she no-longer had her teeth, and that she was only gumming the surface of her companion’s skin. The dark-haired girl’s hardened facade never fooled Amicia, she could always see straight through her like a pane of glass. 

 

Amicia made no move to argue with her, she simply looked back down at her leg. With a featherlight touch, she traced her fingers over the dark veins. Marion’s legs were dirty— the sludge that seeped through her britches left them damp and tinted red. 

 

Marion looked away from Amicia, towards Hugo who still rested on her arm. The little boy was fighting to stay awake, his eyes flickering closed every now and then. 

 

“I’m going to find Laurentius… watch over Hugo, please?” Amicia stood up, clasping her hands together and lightly wringing them. 

 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows, she was trying to go alone ? 

 

“Alone? Let us—” Marion couldn’t finish her sentence, for Amicia quickly shut down her idea. 

 

“No, Marion you can barely walk… and Hugo is practically asleep.” Amicia reasoned, “I’ll be safe,  Je promets. ” 

 

Marion sighed, her gaze shifting down to her lap. She couldn’t use her knives, she could barely walk… she was useless. 

 

Amicia left without another word, leaving Marion and Hugo to silence. The dark-haired girl shifted lightly, and motioned for Hugo to lay in her lap. The little boy rested his head on her chest, legs curled up and arms wrapped around her neck. 

 

Marion wrapped her arms around the sleepy boy, pulling him close while being mindful of her hands. She rested her chin on his head, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. In the blink of an eye, Hugo was asleep, and Marion a guilty mess. She didn’t understand why she felt the way she did– her insides felt like acid, slowly eating away at the rest of her body. 

 

“I'm sorry.” She whispered into the boy’s hair, “I’m so sorry.” 

Notes:

A/N

heyyyyy... heyyyyyyyyyyyyy

yea I definitely just did what I did!

This chapter is just 200 or so words away from being 2,000 words, so I hope y'all enjoy this meal! I wanted it to be longer but I felt like ending the chapter here would make sense.

Marion is such a difficult character for me to write, her constant inner conflict is giving ME inner conflict. Im trying to keep her from being all over the place while being all over the place at the same time- she really going thru it 24/7.

I also wrote half of this in my social studies class instead of doing sub work :P

AND GUYS IM SORRY IF AMICIA & HUGO ARE A LITTLE OOC, Im trying my hardest to keep up w their canon personalities ;-; (+constructive criticism is always great so don't hesitate to tell me If I could've done something better!)

now I'm going to go fly on the back of my giant rainbow mane'd unicorn that shits chocolate frosting and farts sprinkles to go hibernate for another few weeks.

(PS. LUCAS COMES IN NEXT CHAPTER WOHOOO)

Chapter 17: XVI

Laurentius' home was warm, and felt safe- a stark contrast to the situation the children were in mere hours ago. The sun had long set, but sleep still evaded Marion. She sat in front of the roaring hearth, her now bandaged hands unmoving on her lap. 

 

Lucas-Laurentius' little mentor-had bandaged her up. When he saw the extent of the burns, his face had contorted in a manner that without words, let Marion know they'd probably never be the same again. Laurentius himself was sick, his skin red and riddled with boils. Marion could barely look at him. 

 

He had offered safe shelter to the children; he wouldn't be able to help Hugo in such a state, but he was confident that Lucas could. Though, as always, Marion had a feeling the peace wouldn't last. It wouldn't be long before the rats found their way into their little safe haven- that thought lingered in Marion's mind, leaving her on edge. 

 

Marion's fingertips found the silver crucifix that dangled from the ivory beads of her rosary. Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb, born to die for the greater good of his father's people. What ran through Mary's head when she realized that her son was born only as a sacrifice? 

 

"Marion?" Amicia sleepily called out from behind her, making her tense for a split-second. 

 

"Yes?" Marion answered, her hand falling back into her lap. 

 

"Why are you still awake?" The brunette asked, taking a seat next to her companion. 

 

Why was she still awake? Was it the knowledge that the rats could ambush them at any moment? Was it her worry for Hugo? Was it her mind prattling on about quite literally anything it could to keep her from finding a moment of tranquility? 

 

"I don't know." She said, "Have I woken you?" 

 

Amicia let a small smile grow on her face, "No, you're silent as a mouse." 

 

After Amicia's words, Marion could feel a shift in the air. Marion averted her eyes to the fire, watching as the flames licked at the air. 

 

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Amicia asked, and Marion grit her jaw. 

 

"I didn't want to worry you, we have bigger things to focus on-"

 

"You being bit isn't something to focus on? That's a lie and we both know it."  

 

Marion stayed silent- Amicia was right. The dark-haired girl felt tears prick at her eyes; winter was slowly creeping up on them, and her body was weak. The bite, plus her usual sickness during the winter months... tragedy felt inevitable. 

 

"I don't know what I'd do if you... Hugo needs you, I need you." Amicia choked out, her teary gaze burned a hole into Marion's heart. 

 

Marion buried her face into her knees, she was so weak. Her body, her mind... she felt like she was cursed. Destined to live a life of unimaginable anger, guilt, sorrow... the list could go on forever. The dark-haired girl took in a deep breath, sat up, and wiped the tears from her eyes. 

 

"Try to get some sleep, yeah?" Marion shifted the conversation, "We need all the rest we can get." 

 

Amicia averted her eyes to the fire, and frowned. 

Notes:

A/N

Heyyy... heyyy.

Sorry for abandoning y'all for a month, my computer is again broken (FUCK YOU APPLE) so I've been stuck for like a month.

I definitely did not write this on my school Chromebook! (I did, but that won't last very long because they get collected on June 13th 😭)

Originally, we would've had an actual conversation with Lucas in this chapter (the whole plot of the chapter would be different, actually.) but I decided not to do that... idk why

Anywho, enjoy this tiny little sliver of a chapter, hopefully I won't disappear for another month...

Chapter 18: XVII

The sun was still down when Marion awoke, her body sore and mouth dry. She, Amicia and Hugo were holed up in Laurentius' guest room, all three of them piled into a heap on one bed. There were two, but the children had wordlessly agreed to snuggling into one. 

 

Marion laid on one side, with Hugo tucked to her front, her hand just barely grazing the back of his head. His little hands had a death grip on her tunic- as if she'd disappear if he were to let go. Amicia was on the other side of Hugo, her hands tucked up to her neck. A little bit of drool dribbled down her freckled cheek, onto the pillow her head rested on. 

 

The dark-haired girl slowly untangled herself from the pile, careful not to wake the others. Even though they were safe within Laurentius' home, Marion couldn't quell the constant pit in her belly. She quietly exited the room, and began to aimlessly wander. 

 

She paused as she came up to Laurentius' door... his heavy breathing and pained groans could be heard through the old wood. Marion hadn't spoken to the man as Amicia did... she didn't know if she could stomach it. Sucking in a deep breath, she walked past his room, and down the stairs. She didn't feel any worse, which was a good sign. Maybe she had a chance. 

 

The pain in her leg had reduced to a dull ache, like the growing pains she'd get in her feet. She didn't want to look, but if she had to guess, the blackened veins had likely traveled at least halfway up her thigh. The rumbling of the house caught her off guard, her breath hitching and eyes widening. She looked down the banister, to find the lower level of the house quickly being overtaken by rats. 

 

Marion flinched as Amicia burst out the room, Hugo trailing behind her like a scared little duckling. Lucas also came out of his room, his hair tousled and frizzy from sleep. Marion watched as the boy rushed into his mentor's room, before her eyes flickered back to Amicia. 

 

"What are we going to do now?" Hugo's little, shaky voice piped up. 

 

Hugo had tears in his sleepy eyes- a tired, scared five year old was a recipe for disaster. 

 

"I... I don't know." Amicia responded, a frown on her face. 

 

Marion, Amicia and Hugo walked into Laurentius' room, where Lucas was. Marion wrinkled her nose at the stench of the room... it smelled like death. Laurentius was laid on his back, breathing like there was no air in the room. He had large boils all over his pallid, sweaty skin. 

 

"Amicia..." The man choked out, once he noticed her presence. He could barely speak...

 

"An evil... an ancient evil... courses through your family's veins... in its blood." He sputtered, heaving in air  between words.  

 

"Your mother and I... attempted to slow its progress... but ever since the Great Break... the process has quickened." He trailed off, his gaze flickering to Hugo. 

 

"You must protect him, Amicia... continue your mother's work." He instructed, and Amicia quickly responded. 

 

Amicia furrowed her eyebrows, "Me? But how? My parents tried and now they are both dead!" 

 

Marion closed her eyes- why is it that every time they had a moment of peace, something just had to ruin it? Hugo reached out for Amicia, and she swatted him away with a stern 'Leave me alone!'. Hugo retracted, tears pooling in his big, blue eyes. Everyone's emotions were all over the place... Marion opened her eyes when she felt Hugo latch onto her tunic, and let out a quiet whimper. 

 

"The rats are dangerous, but disorganized... the Inquisition, however... they'll seek the boy tirelessly... we have to disappear." He croaked, "Head to le Château D'Ombrage... Lucas, go to the barn... you will finish... the ignifer..."

 

"Don't try to talk! I will prove myself..." He said to his mentor, before turning to the three other children. "I'm sorry about your parents, but you're not alone anymore. We have to move fast, you can help me make the ignifer, it will protect us from the rats." 

 

Marion let out a quiet sigh as Lucas left the room, she leaned down, and picked up the crying boy, trying her hardest not to use her hands. It made the appendages sting, but Hugo couldn't go on like this. Everyone was tired, but for someone as young as Hugo to go so long without proper sleep... he wasn't doing well. 

 

"Marion... you'll hurt yourself." Amicia spoke up, holding out her hands as a silent offer to take her brother. 

 

"No!" Hugo yelled, and untucked his face from Marion's neck to glare at his sister. 

 

"Hugo..." Marion tried to reason, but all she got was an extremely loud, and extremely angry grunt.

 

It was going to be a very long night...  

Notes:

A/N

This chapter is short, but honestly I'm just trying to get as much out as I can before my Chromebook gets taken by the school 😭

Also guys, let's just imagine for a moment you have zero child experience, and suddenly you just randomly get a kid with no one to help you, and you're doing all this physical shit, on top of that the kid gets next to no sleep and is super cranky because of it... yikes. Amicia is such a good sister, but the poor girl is so stressed 😭

Chapter 19: XVIII

The children were able to safely get out of the house, now Lucas and Amicia were trying to figure out a way to get rid of the rats in the barn. Marion sat with Hugo in her lap under a torch next to the barn, he was still very upset. 

“You cannot be mad at her forever.” Marion spoke softly, to which Hugo replied with another angry grunt. 

Marion sighed, “We are all stressed, Hugo… your sister didn’t mean to push you away.” 

“No! She hates me!” Hugo fussed, in his angry tone. He wasn’t all that frightening, he sounded more like an angry little kitten. “I hate her!” 

Marion wanted to clench her fists in frustration, but she didn’t. She couldn’t afford to irritate the wounds any further. What was she supposed to do in this situation? She wasn’t his mother, she had no clue what to do with an angry, tired child. She was angry and tired, and barely knew what to do with herself! 

“Don’t say that, you’ll hurt her feelings…” She muttered, and was answered with a pissy ‘I don't care!’. 

The dark-haired girl kept her gaze on Hugo as he stood up, probably wondering why Lucas and Amicia were dragging a bag of feed to lure a pig into the barn. Marion furrowed her eyebrows… were they going to let the rats eat the pig? Smart… but poor piggy. 

“What are they doing, Marion?” Hugo asked, “Are they going to feed the piggy?” 

Marion cringed, “Er… yes, I think so.”

She didn’t want to lie to the boy, but she also didn’t want him to be even angrier with Amicia. The boy trotted over to Lucas and his sister, wanting to watch the pig eat- it seems his anger had dulled, even if it was just for a moment. Marion sighed, that likely wouldn’t end well. 

With the moment she had alone, Marion rolled up the leg of her bad leg. Her clothes smelled horrid… and so did the rest of her body. Her eyes widened, as she had rolled up her pants leg as high as she could, yet the veins still went on… how quickly was this spreading? 

After rolling her leg back down, she lifted up her dirty beige tunic to find the blackened veins wrapping around her hip. But, a small trail was reaching towards her belly button… How far was it trying to travel? Where was its end goal? Marion didn’t want to know. 

“Come on, there's a ladder down the side.” Lucas said to Amicia, as he closed the barn doors. 
Marion stood up, following the group to the side of the barn. As Lucas propped the ladder onto the barn, Amicia rested her hand on Marion’s shoulder. 

“You look worried.” Amicia whispered, and Marion shook her head. 

“I’ll tell you later…” She whispered back, and stared at the ladder. 

“Uh… you all can go, I think I’ll just wait for you out here…” Marion said, she wouldn’t be able to make the climb without hurting herself. 

Amicia frowned, “I don't think that's a good idea.” 

“Well I can’t exactly climb it.” Marion snipped, and took a deep breath. Everything was getting on her nerves- she felt like her heart was pounding in her ears. “Just go.” 

After Lucas, Hugo, and Amicia climbed the ladder, Marion anxiously eyed the area around her. At every little sound, she felt like her heart stopped beating. Soon, she heard the sound of the rats devouring the pig… and mere moments later, rats flooded the area. 

Now, she had no choice but to climb. As she gripped the ladder, She felt like her hands were being sliced all over again. She couldn’t stop the tears that left her eyes, leaving tear stains on her dirty face. By the time she reached the top of the ladder, she was hiccuping, and her hands shaking. 

The bandages had grown wet on her palms, a clear reddish-yellow fluid slowly seeping through. Marion didn’t know what it was, possibly blood, or fluid from a popped blister… she was in too much pain to care. A sob ripped it way through her throat; she could feel her chest tightening and throat closing. 

Her ears were ringing now… was that Amicia? Yes, yes it was… she was rubbing her back and urging her to stand. 

She felt like she was watching her body, and not really in it… she didn’t seem to register the pain while climbing back down the ladder, after Amicia shot some Ignifer-if she remembered correctly-at a fire pit. She felt like she was in a haze, her mind cloudy and breaths short and- and then Laurentius’ house exploded? 

Then there was running… lots of it. And lots of fire. Burning windmills and haystacks jumbled together into one big memory until they were on a boat. When did they get a boat? 

She could hear the muffled voices of the people around her, but her eyes stayed locked on the hoard of rats mere feet away from them at the dock. Her head was killing her… every part of her body felt like it had been trampled by an angry bull. 

Her chest was still tight, but it had begun to ache… like someone tied a rope around her heart, and pulled it with all their might. The dazed girl groaned, and clutched at the area over her left breast. She doubled over in her seat, while Amicia braced her shoulders and kept her upright. 

Marion was gritting her teeth so hard she felt like they’d crack- why was her body in so much pain? She wasn’t able to think, or breathe, or process anything… The boat rocked as she went limp against Amicia. Her vision was blurred, the incessant ringing in her ears had only gotten worse, and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Her body was completely numb.

Until it wasn't. She started by feeling the tips of her fingers, then her palms… which were oddly tingly. Then feeling spread to her arms, then her chest, then her legs. She could finally feel herself breathing- her breaths were short and disorganized, but they were better than nothing. 

She sat up, blinking a few times to orient herself. They were on a boat… away from Laurentius’ house… Laurentius was dead. 

“What was that?” Amicia cupped Marion’s face, while the dark haired girl simply stared at her. 

“I don’t- I don’t know…” She muttered, forcing her dry mouth to swallow. 

The veins. Her mind immediately traveled to the veins. In a very uncoordinated manner, Marion lifted up the hem of her tunic to see no veins, as if they’d never even been there. Marion could only guess where they had traveled; her heart. 

 

 

 

Notes:

A/N

SO. So... this chapter was definitely a little itty bit rushed, BUT ITS OVER 1000 WORDS 🎉🎉🎉 LETS GO!!!

Marion ain't doing too good y'all. I wonder what's gonna happen. 🧸

YALL AINT PREPARED FOR THE DEVIOUS TOMFOOLERY THATS GONNA GO DOWN AT THE CHÂTEAU.

I say this like every single chapter, but I have SO MCUH planned. So much. IM SO EXITED.

Chapter 20: XIX

Marion felt like her heart had traveled from her chest, to her skull. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, and her head was constantly pounding. A thin layer of sweat had accumulated over her skin, and she felt hot— as if her body was trying to burn out the new, foreign presence. 

 

She had been fine for the first few minutes after the episode, but then... all of it seemed to catch up to her body. 

 

She was half leaned over the side of the boat, one of her now unbandaged, shaking hands ever so slightly dipped into the frigid water. She wasn't sure if this sickness—if she could even call it such—was helping her, or hurting her.

 

The wounds on her hands had scarred and completely closed within an hour of her episode, along with a few minor cuts and scrapes she had accumulated. She still couldn't feel certain areas, the nerves permanently damaged. 

 

On the contrary, she felt absolutely horrible. She was hot, and cold at the same time, and her body just wouldn't stop shivering. The world around them had begun to grow cold... the air nipped at Marion's skin, leaving her nose and cheeks red. 

 

She knew that as the weather grew colder, she'd only get sicker. Winters were hell every single year, Lady Béatrice would hole her up inside the estate, bundle her with blankets and constantly hold her head over a steaming pot to clear her lungs. She couldn't imagine what it was going to be like now, with no blankets or shelter, and the odd illness the bite from the rat had caused. 

 

Amicia and Lucas were having a hushed conversation, but that was the last thing Marion was paying attention to. She grit her jaw, her brain and eyes felt ten times too big for her skull. 

 

Marion retracted her hand as Lucas docked the boat on the riverbank. It was a foggy morning, the chill settling into Marion's bones— making for a very uncomfortable setting. She sat up, taking in a deep breath, which wasn't a very good idea. 

 

The sound of her violently coughing filled the area, scaring a few birds out of the orange and yellow trees. The fit lasted for nearly a minute, Amicia gently put a hand that wasn't cradling Hugo onto her shoulder, while Lucas watched with concern. 

 

"Has she always been like this?" Lucas asked, tearing his eyes away from Marion to look at Amicia. 

 

"Ever since I've known her... she's always had weak lungs, the cold only makes them worse." The brunette responded, and Marion huffed. 

 

"I'm right here." She said, not exactly liking how they spoke as if she wasn't right there. 

 

"Oh, yes- er, sorry..." Lucas fumbled, his already pink cheeks growing just a bit more pink. He seemed to be very socially awkward... 

 

Marion let a small smile grow on her face when Amicia let Hugo out the boat, the little boy was somehow already full of energy. She quietly accepted Amicia's hand, and allowed the other girl to help her out the boat. 

 

"I still don't understand how your hands healed so quickly..." Amicia whispered, gently running her pointer finger over the scar on her left hand. 

 

"I don't either... You know, they are mostly numb now." She whispered back. "I can't even move some of my fingers." 

 

Marion tried to wiggle the pointer, and middle finger of her left hand, to no avail. On her right hand, the only finger that was completely numb was her pinky. 

 

"Amicia, I'm cold..." Hugo whined, rubbing his little hands up and down his biceps. 

 

"We'll walk from here, It'll warm you up." Amicia said, gently rubbing the boy on his back.  

 

"If we follow the Aqueduct, we should arrive at Chateau D'Ombrage before nightfall." Lucas informed, pointing up to the aqueducts just barely visible through the fog. 

 

The group had settled into a peaceful silence, Hugo running ahead to go look at some frogs. Marion walked next to Amicia, huddled into her side with the brunette's arm wrapped around her shoulder. She knew she was slowing them down... the cold air felt thin, like there was just barely enough to keep her breathing. 

 

The ache in her leg had completely vanished, along with the sting of the bite on her ankle. The small wound had likely closed with all the others. Marion closed her eyes, and rested her pulsing head on Amicia's shoulder. She trusted the girl to guide her. 

 

The aqueducts grew taller as the group walked closer, and Hugo slowly drifted further and further away from the group- to the point where they couldn't see him anymore. Amicia and Lucas called out for the boy, but he still wouldn't come out. Only when they passed under a fallen tree, he came out... dragging an English shield with him. Marion lifted up her head, and smiled at the boy. She couldn't lie, the scene was quite adorable. 

 

"Hey, look!" He swung a stick around as he spoke, "I'm a knight!" 

 

"An English shield... where did you find that?" Amicia questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. 

 

Hugo used his makeshift sword to point somewhere over in the bushes, "Over there, lying on the ground!" 

 

"Listen, Hugo, put that down... it's not for children." The brunette ordered, and Hugo threw the shield down with an annoyed 'You're no fun...'. 

 

The walk continued to have a peaceful air- until a vile scent filled their lungs. Marion covered her mouth with her hand as she coughed, somehow this smelled even worse than the mountains of dead livestock at Laurentius' farm. They passed through one of the arches of the aqueduct, only to be met with a gruesome scene. 

 

Hundreds, if not thousands of dead soldiers lay decaying. Everywhere she turned, there was yet another lifeless body. It was disgusting. 

 

"Oh God..." Marion muttered, as she scanned the area. 

 

"We can't carry on..." Amicia choked out, her eyes watering. 

 

"Amicia, we have to follow the aqueduct..." Lucas responded, a deep frown set on his face. 

 

If Marion thought looking at the bodies was bad, walking on them was ten times worse. They smelled, and their eyes were lifeless, maggots were everywhere, and birds surrounded the area. She just couldn't look down. Occasionally, a body would emit a quiet groan if she stepped on a certain area of their chest or belly... every time it made her grit her jaw, and fight to not clench her eyes shut. 

 

The air... it was too thick yet too thin, the stench overtook Marion's lungs and made her feel as if she needed to constantly heave in deep breaths to stay alive. 

 

"Do you think we are hurting them?" Hugo asked meekly, as he tightly held his sister's hand. 

 

"Just keep moving, Hugo... come on." Amicia responded, trying to keep the boy focused on their goal, and away from the horrifying situation they were stuck in. 

 

The stench only got worse as they continued, Marion felt like it grew harder to breathe as each second passed. There was a horse... It had fur white as snow, though some parts were stained from the blood and mud. It looked as if something were crawling around its insides, devouring it from the inside out. Marion wanted to wretch, it made her feel like there was something under her skin too. 

 

She didn't expect the horse to burst open, and hundreds of rats to crawl out. Marion grit her jaw, and let out a frustrated grunt- she could barely walk, let alone run! They sped over to a lit brazier, before Amicia pulled out some of the Ignifer Lucas had lended her, and shot it at a stack of hay. 

 

"Run!" Amicia shouted, and the little group quickly made their way over to the burning hay, then a line of torches. 

 

They continued the process of running and burning- and watching as two lone strangers ran away from them -until they reached a large wooden machine. Marion hunched over once the group had stopped moving, she could hear her heart in her ears, her chest ached and her throat burned... she'd give almost anything to be in a warm, safe place. But, that was not going to happen. Not anytime soon, anyways. 

Notes:

A/N

 

Howdy yall. Even though this chapter is kinda long, it lowk feels short 😭. Anyway, I was looking through the play through video I watch while writing this, and we're just barely two-ish hours in... ALSO ARTHUR AND MÉLIE WILL PROBABLY COME IN WITHIN THE NEXT FEE CHAPTERS!!!

Anyways, because I feel like it, I'm just gonna explain what's going on inside Marion's body super briefly. So, the Macula inside her is not supposed to be there, and her body knows that, so kind of how it would fight a flu, her immune system is trying to push it out. Kind of like they're playing tug of war yk? Except there's no rope, and one side is trying to push the Macula out, while the Macula is trying to settle in her blood. Now I'm not gonna say if she'll be fine or not, y'all can figure that out for yourselves 🫶. But on a real note, are any of these children ever fine—

Chapter 21

The group of children had traversed the sea of rats in somewhat success, the fire guiding their way. They snuck past a few soldiers with little difficulty; for men who were trained to find and kill, they didn't seem to be doing a very good job. They were on the right track to getting out of this place, and back onto the road to the Chateâu. 

 

Until they came across yet another soldier, though he was different. He was pressed against the iron bars of the wooden tower, rats surrounding him with the only source of light the torch Amicia had plucked off the wall. He was breathing heavily, whimpering like a frightened dog. Marion had never seen a soldier look so scared- soldiers weren't supposed to be scared, they killed without mercy and weren't afraid to slaughter entire families. 

 

But this man didn't seem to be a heartless killer. 

 

When he saw the children from across the room, he had begun to plead. He pleaded and begged for them to have mercy, to stay away and not drive the rats closer to him. But the rats were surrounding their only exit- they had no choice. 

 

Marion knew Amicia wouldn't do it. She was visibly conflicted, eyebrows bunched together, with sweat dripping down her forehead. At this point, the two girls were no strangers to killing. Before her injury, Marion wouldn't hesitate to slice a soldier's neck, while Amicia had near perfect aim. 

 

But none of those soldiers had pleaded for mercy. 

 

The dark-haired girl took the torch from Amicia's hands, she needed two hands to support it, and they still shook unsteadily. If Amicia wouldn't do it, she would. As his screams filled the area, Marion felt no better than the soldiers that slaughtered the De Runes. How could she be angry at them for having no compassion when she had just done such a vile thing? 

 

Marion grit her jaw, and left the tower through the large hole in the wall. She didn't expect a drop, and let out a quiet yelp as she fell into the mud, the torch immediately going out. 

 

"Goddamnit!" Marion spat, wiping her now muddy hands off on her britches. 

 

"It's fine, Marion, we'll do without it." Lucas reassured, but Marion kept her mouth shut. 

 

She didn't want to speak. She didn't have anything to say. 

 

There was a lot of smoke in the air, from what Marion could tell, there was a burning tower in the distance, just past the Aqueduct. Her lungs definitely didn't like that- her throat felt scratchy, and she knew she wouldn't be able to breathe too deep, lest she send herself into yet another coughing fit. 

 

Her hands were still shaking. She couldn't tell if it was the usual shivers, or from hunger, or the guilt of killing an innocent man- no. No, he wasn't innocent. If they were in any other situation, he wouldn't have hesitated to hurt them. Marion's mind was in a constant conflict. Part of her felt like what she did was justified, while the other... The other part made her feel like a horrible person. 

 

They approached a lone soldier, blocking their only way through. The rest of the area was surrounded by bushes or old cobblestone fencing- trying to get past any other way would without a doubt alert the man. 

 

"I don't see any other way... Damn!" Amicia hissed, before sucking in a deep breath. 

 

"We don't have a choice- we'll have to take him by surprise." Lucas reached into his satchel, pulling out a few materials that Marion couldn't identify, and handed them to Amicia. 

 

"What do you want me to do with this stuff?" Amicia asked, as Hugo shifted to take Marion's hand. 

 

Although her grip wasn't very tight anymore, Marion tried her hardest to give the little boy a gentle squeeze. Hugo shifted a bit closer to Marion, and stared at his sister and Lucas. 

 

"Somnum. You'll see... Mix them together." Lucas instructed. He was very knowledgeable with all of that mixey-chemical-y stuff... Marion had a feeling that it was something they'd bond over.  

 

Wordlessly, Marion watched as Amicia combined the materials- her fingers and palms turned a silly shade of dark purple, almost like a plum. 

  

"Perfect, now you're going to crush it on his face." Lucas said, and Marion raised an eyebrow. Who knew Lucas had the balls to brew up stuff like that.  

 

"Lucas, are you serious?" Amicia whispered, "Well, I hope you know what you're doing." 

 

Amicia silently crept up behind the man, smashing the ball of condensed, plum colored powder onto his face. Marion let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding- that could've gone much worse. The group then continued onwards, till they reached a stone arch. 

 

Amicia picked up a stick off the floor next to a brazier, quickly lighting it so the group could make it to one of the torches stuck into the ground. The air here was thick with smoke, making Marion hack into her elbow. Feeling like no air was reaching one's lungs was not a pleasant feeling. She tried to keep her eyes off of the rats that circled them, their beady red eyes stared into her soul and made her skin crawl. 

 

Once they were safe under the torchlight, and the twig was thrown aside, Amicia gently rubbed Marion's back. 

"We need to keep going, we'll be out of here soon." The brunette reassured, and Marion covered her mouth and nose with the neckline of her tunic. 

 

The group hefted themselves over a fallen tree, Marion choosing to shimmy her way under it. Her clothes were already ruined, what harm would a bit more dirt do? As Marion stood up, the  noise of part of the Aqueduct crumbling echoed through the area. The dark-haired girl cringed, was that really safe to walk under? 

 

Amicia shot the chain connecting a lit  brazier to the stone fence, allowing the group to run with the light. They safely made it under the aqueduct, only to be faced with another soldier. Amicia made quick work of him, shooting a rock at his lantern so the rats could quickly pick him apart. 

 

"There, on the tower... those are bodies, aren't they?" Lucas asked, squinting his eyes to get a good look at the burning tower. 

 

"Yes... Bodies..." Amicia mutered, before taking in a breath, and shooting them down. 

 

"They're burning!" Hugo whimpered, and Marion gently covered his eyes with her hand. 

 

"It's alright, Hugo... don't look." She muttered, gently running her other- less functional -hand through his short brunette hair. 

 

They crossed the bonfire of bodies, near one of the fallen columns of the Aqueduct, only for Hugo to send himself into an attack. Amicia quietly comforted him, reminding him of the frogs they saw earlier, and reassured him that this place couldn't possibly go on forever. After a few minutes, he was stable enough to continue. 

 

The sight past the fallen column wasn't any better than before, it felt worse. Corpses were piled upon corpses in mass graves, flies everywhere, and the smell... The stench mixed with the smoke was just terrible. There wasn't a direction Marion could turn her head without being face to face with a pile of dead men. 

 

"There's an awful lot of them..." Amicia muttered; there were soldiers crawling about everywhere, undoubtedly English.

 

"We have to keep going." Marion rasped, wiping the sweat off her brow. 

 

They snuck past the English soldiers, one was particularly vocal, giving a speech to his men about dying for England... Marion wasn't paying too much attention to him. They hefted themselves over a fence, they were now practically out of that bloodbath. Marion felt like she could finally breathe... Figuratively, not literally. Her lungs still burned- but that's beside the point.   

 

The group took a moment to pause, Marion wiped the sweat off her brow, effectively smearing dirt and ash- whatever the hell had accumulated onto her skin -all over her face. It was cold, the sweat that dampened her dirty clothes didn't help her stay warm at all. 

 

The adrenaline wearing off made her feel terrible; similarly to how she did on the boat earlier that morning. Marion wiped her eyes, all she wanted to do was lay down on a soft surface. She hoped that the Chateâu had some sort of bedding in it, though that was probably just wishful thinking. 

 

"We should keep going." Lucas spoke, and began walking forward. 

 

Amicia nodded in agreement, taking Hugo's hand and falling into step next to the boy. Marion followed them, eager to be away from all of those horrid bodies, and nasty smoke. As the group walked past the fence next to the cobblestone road, the two looters from earlier were being reprimanded by a soldier. 

 

Marion watched as one of them caught a glimpse of her, and immediately ratted them all out- sly little bastard! It seems that it wasn't the looters intentions to just run off, once the soldier was distracted, the other person clad in black kicked him in the stomach. As the figure's in black were beating the soldier, more came out from wherever they were hiding, and before Marion knew it they were once again running for their lives. 

 

Marion saw Hugo trip over something, and Amicia stopped running, before she was hit over the head with something extremely dense. Her vision immediately clouded to black, her body falling limp against the floor. 

Notes:

A/N

 

WRITING SCENES WITH RATS AND BRAZIERS AND TORCHES FEELS LIKE BRAIN ROT. ISTG IF I HEAR ONE MORE WORD OF BRAZIER OR TORXH OR RAT I MIGHT JUST IMPLODE, ITS SO REPETITIVE MY GOD 😭

Also, huge Marion family lore drop next chapter 👀 kicking my feet and giggling I'm so exited to write about something that's not FUCKING RATS. GOD IM SO TIRED OF THAT BULLSHIT I JUST WISH I COULD SET ALL OF THOSE FUCKERS ON FIRE.

I wish I could let Marion curse more because trust, she has the mouth of a sailor, but I'm writing everything but the A/N on my school Chromebook 😣 (ALSO OMG IT GETS TAKEN ON THE TWELFTH NOT THE THIRTEENTH I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE—)

 

I'm sorry for rushing through this part, but I just can't DEAL WITH ANYMORE RATS. (Aside from my rat, I love her. All hail Queen SweetieBelle.)

Chapter 22: XXI

Marion had no clue where she was. She was in a tent… and Amicia and Hugo were not with her— she needed to find them. Much too quickly for her body’s liking, she sat up, and kicked the heavy quilt that rested over her body away. 

 

She furrowed her eyebrows when she realized that she was wearing different clothes, and was completely clean. Her hair had been washed and brushed through, while her skin was void of any dirt or ash. How long had she been out for, and who had cleaned her up? 

 

The dark-haired girl stood up, unsteady on her feet for a few moments before collecting herself. She felt like a little fawn, her legs shaking slightly as she stood. Marion looked around the area, taking note of all the dried herbs strung about- perhaps this was a healers tent? 

 

“Oh, you’re finally awake!” A soft, yet unfamiliar voice said from the entrance of the tent. 

 

Marion flinched, and quickly turned to face the woman. Her hand instinctively drifted to where her belt would be— but it was gone, along with her throwing knives. They didn’t exactly have much use anymore, she most likely wouldn’t be able to use them even if she tried her hardest. 

 

“Who are you?” Marion questioned, her words hard and curt. 

 

“Peace, child, peace… My name is Maria.” The older woman said, a soft smile showcased on her slightly wrinkled face. “Relax, you’re safe here.” 

 

Marion wasn’t convinced by her words; this woman could be spewing lies for all she knew. Amicia and Hugo were still at the front of her mind, she needed to make sure they were alright— if they were even in the same place.

 

“Where did they take Amicia and Hugo?” Marion asked, her fingers subconsciously rubbing at the woolen fabric of her cotehardie at her hip. 

 

“The girl and the little boy? They… they’re safe, you need not worry.” Maria spoke, “You have no idea how glad I was when I saw that rosary of yours… God, I thought I’d never see you again.” 

 

Marion didn’t like the way Maria hesitated, and changed the topic… she slimmed  her eyes at the woman, and let out a soft breath through her nose. How did she know her? She’d never seen this woman in her life… unless… 

 

“You knew my mother?” Marion asked, her voice softening and eyes widening. 

 

“Yes, I was her Nurse— well, till she married that Frenchman. Then I became her handmaid.” Maria informed, clasping her hands in front of her plush stomach. 

 

Marion still didn’t trust this woman… but her words definitely opened a door of excitement within her. This woman knew her mother— what she sounded like, looked like, her personality… Marion wanted to know everything…. Yet she had more pressing matters to attend to. 

 

“I- I need to find Amicia and Hugo.” Marion fumbled, averting her eyes from the woman, and picked up her skirts. 

 

It was quite a task; the woolen fabric was thick, and heavy, and her grip was not very good. The cotehardie was dark-blue in color, with a soft green linen kirtle underneath. It was slightly too long, and a bit loose in her bust, waist, and hips— even though the lacing on the sides were tied as tight as possible. 

 

At her words of leaving, Maria grew a bit pale. The woman unclasped her hands, and gently reached out to grasp Marion’s bicep. 

 

“Before you go running off unattended, I have a few things of your mother’s… she’d want you to have them.” The Nurse blurted out, scurrying over to a medium-sized chest, the initials K.B carved into the side of the old wood. 

 

She pulled a golden key out of the pouch on her belt, swiftly unlocking the chest. It opened with a loud creak, some dust floating off the surface. It was clear the chest hadn’t been opened much since it was placed there— who knows how long ago that was. 

 

Marion felt her heart tear into two; she needed to find Amicia, but the thought of knowing more about her mother was plaguing her mind. It would only take a few minutes— she’d leave as soon as this woman left her alone… 

 

Marion kneeled next to the woman, ignoring how dirt and small pieces of hay stuck to her dress. She wasn’t expecting to see what she saw in that chest… 

 

Wooden toys were delicately placed atop folded fabrics—most likely clothes—along with a pair of embroidered cloth shoes that could probably fit her feet. A well-loved bunny was placed next to the shoes, a couple of small brown blotches of what Marion would guess to be dried blood littered its sides…

 

…these were her mothers things? 

 

These were things she’d see in her own chest, not that of a mother. Marion gently picked up the bunny, afraid that it’d crumble in her hand if she held it for too long. What Marion presumed to be button eyes had fallen off long ago, now just its white face remained.

 

“It was the only thing that’d bring her comfort during her labor… she was a very sickly girl, even more so throughout her pregnancy.” Marion frowned, the woman’s words made her heart clench. Her mother was sick, just like her… 

 

“How…. How old was my mother when she married my father?” Marion asked, tilting her head up to look at the Nurse. 

 

“She was about fourteen, I believe… just shy of her fifteenth nameday when she had you.” Maria recalled, it looked like she was re-living the memories all over again. “Your father was not a good man, but… I do know he loved your mother more than life itself.” 

 

Marion felt her gut stirr at the woman’s words— her father was a good man! He died to protect Lady Béatrice! She wouldn’t know the first thing about her father! 

 

“You know nothing of my father.” Marion scoffed, her eye’s slimming at Maria’s figure.

 

“I’m afraid I know much more than I’d like.” Maria frowned, her shoulders slumping slightly. 

 

“After your mother died in the childbed… all your father tried to do was harm you.” Maria’s frown deepened, “he believed you were the reason your mother died— he wanted to kill you. I had to send you away…”

 

Marion stood up, and shook her head. She brought the bunny close to her chest, and her breathing began to pick up. This woman had to be lying to her. 

 

“My father would never do such a thing!” Marion hissed, her jaw clenching and eyebrows furrowing. 

 

“The man who raised you wouldn’t, but your father would.” Maria said softly, standing up and dusting off her skirt. “Lord Nicholas is a cruel, cruel man… if he finds out you’re alive, he will not stop hunting you till your head is on a spike.” 

 

Marion’s mouth went bone dry. Lord Nicholas. Lord Nicholas. That name kept repeating in her head, over and over. 

 

Lord Nicholas. 

 

 

The man who ruined Amicia and Hugo’s lives, the man who slaughtered their family, was her father. Her father was not truly her father, and that sinful man was the one who sired her… Marion felt her lungs ache, and throat close— tears left her burning eyes, and she glared at Maria. 

 

“You’re lying to me…. You’re lying to me…” Marion’s angry tone slowly broke and cracked, a sob finding it’s way through her throat and out her mouth. 

 

She let out a string of coughs so violent, a sprinkle of blood began to stain her tongue and teeth. The nurse gently took the sobbing and coughing girl into her arms, gently patting her back to try and clear her lungs. Marion tried to push her away, but she couldn’t do much in her weakened state… She was starving, the air around her was cold, her entire body felt stiff, and she was so, so tired… she needed to find Amicia, she needed to find her now. 

 

“Hush now, darling… oh, let me go fetch a pot.” Maria scurried out of the tent, not before guiding Marion to the small cot. 

 

The dark-haired girl laid on her side, with her knees close to her chest, the bunny still clutched in her arms in a somewhat firm grip. The taste of iron hadn’t left her lips, if anything, as she coughed it grew worse. 

 

Around ten minutes had passed, and the Nurse still didn’t return. Marion’s coughing died down to wheezy-breaths, a little stream of blood dribbled down the side of her mouth, onto the head of the bunny— It seemed that now, both she and her mother were part of it.

 

Marion once again stood up on shaky legs, falling to her knees in front of the chest. She eyed a decently large cloth satchel from between the left wall of the chest, and a few folded dresses. She pulled it out, and hung it over her neck and shoulder; it would be useful to have. 

 

The dark-haired girl then filled the bag with just a few things; one of her mother’s cotehardie’s, the embroidered shoes, and a little wooden toy horse. She let a small smile appear on her somber face as she placed the last thing in her bag— Hugo would enjoy it. 

 

There was a black cloak at the bottom of the chest, Marion didn’t hesitate to wear it over her shoulders. It felt strange, knowing that by her age, her mother was already married and heavily pregnant. It also made sense as to why all the dresses—including the one she wore—had side lacing instead of front or back. She couldn’t imagine how her mother felt… 

 

Using the now closed chest as support, she pushed herself onto her shaky legs, the length of her dress would prove difficult to sneak around in… but she could do it. She had to. She just needed to find Amicia and Hugo, and get the hell out of this place. 

Notes:

A/N

Hey y’all 😋 what going on my mammals???

So…. I really don’t have much to say (that’s not true, I’m a professional yapper). First of all MARIONS POOR MOTHER 😭 Marion’s birthday is in early November (simply because my birthday is in November, and November just feels like the superior month) so she’s probably around 15 right now… SHES OLDER THEN HER MOM 😭 why have I done this???? Just another reason to hate Nicholas 😣

(Also, in this context Nurse means like old timey nanny, and yes I gave Marion’s mother toys because I’m also fourteen and I still play with toys and have special stuffed animals 😤).

Anywhooziedoozie, originally Marion’s mom was gonna be alive, and marion was sent away bc she was a bastard, but I said nah I don’t wanna do that because I wanted Nicholas to be her dad (I imagine Marion to look exactly like Nicholas, or the other way around because his model has no face), so I made her get sent away because Marions mom didn't want her to get mistreated. BUT THEN i said nah again cuz that makes no sense— like why would he hate his kid for no reason? so now we have this, which makes more sense, and shes still Nikky boy's kid. (MY AUTOCORRECT ISN'T woRKING SONI HAD TO RE TYPR THAT WHOLE TGING LIKE FIVE TIMES)

 

ALRIGHT my mammals, have a good day/night… don't let the rats bite (marion did and we saw how that ended up…)

Chapter 23: XXII

Marion was no master of stealth, especially not in the state she was in. She couldn’t control her heavy breathing, and occasionally tripped over the fabric of her skirts. A knight had found her as she was sneaking through a line of tents, he grabbed her by the bicep and looked over her face. 

 

“Look what we have here, eh? It’s the French girl Maria was so keen on keepin’ safe.”  The knight chuckled, using his free hand to wave over the other man. 

 

“She’s pretty, but pudgy as a pug.” The other man snickered, after he had walked over to the two.  

 

The man grabbed her by the jaw, turning her face from one side to the other. Marion glared at the two soldiers, her heart beating out of her chest. Would they kill her? Would they… would they do something worse? The dark-haired girl tried to wriggle her way out of his grip, but her efforts proved to be fruitless. In her weakened state she wasn’t exactly the strongest. 

 

Marion let out a quiet gasp when the man holding her face dropped to the ground, a rock embedded in his skull. The other man looked at his fallen comrade in shock, before dropping like a fly. Marion turned her head to find Amicia, Hugo, and one of the unknown redhead’s from before. 

 

Marion ran into Amicia’s arms, nearly toppling them both over. The brunette muttered a quiet ‘ we have to go ’, before continuing down the line of tents. The children passed behind the backside of an archer, slowly finding their way towards the gate. They would be free soon– now they just needed to find a way to open the gate without alerting the entire camp. 

 

That was their plan, till the door opened. Soldiers of the Inquisition came marching in, one figure atop a large black stallion most noticeable. Lord Nicholas. The man who had taken everything from her. The sound of their armor brought her back to the day he slaughtered her father and Lady Béatrice, her breath catching in her throat. 

 

“I pay a ransom for the De Rune children, and I have to capture them myself?” His voice sounded almost like a growl, deep and gritty. “These Plantagenets are useless…” 

 

His helmet covered head turned slightly, Marion could practically feel his gaze burning into her skin. She could visibly see him tense, his hold on the stallion's reins growing even tighter. Marion sucked in a deep breath, and glared at the man– unknowingly matching the expression his face held under his ornate mask. 

 

“He killed my parents… he’s going to slaughter us!” Amicia said, keeping Hugo secure at her side. 

 

“Mélie, run!” The other ginger–probably Mélie’s brother–shouted from the rampart, before throwing down a barrel of something explosive. 

 

The ash filled Marion’s lungs immediately, making her sputter and cough. Lord Nicholas’ horse reared up, its eyes widening and nostrils flaring. It let out a loud, deep noise– akin to the roar of a frightened dragon. 

 

“The Inquisition? What the hell did you do?” Mélie asked as Amicia shot down a guard running towards them. 

Nothing! Marion wanted to spit, but she couldn’t find her voice. 

 

“Nothing! We didn’t do anything, they want Hugo!” Amicia shouted, striking down another guard. 

 

“It’s time to get out of here!” Mélie ran ahead of them, turning to climb up a short staircase, then a ladder. 

 

The children followed Mélie, up the ladder into a small walled area of the rampart. Amicia, being the last one to go up, slammed the hatch closed. They were safe– for a time.

 

“Locked, shit!” Mélie huffed, before she began to pick the lock. 

 

The soldiers banged on the hatch, trying to push it open with brute force. The children didn’t have much time left; Marion felt her jaw clenching, and hands tightening around the plush bunny. If Mélie didn’t hurry the fuck up– 

 

“Done, let's go!” Mélie exclaimed, rushing onto the rampart. 

 

Marion followed wordlessly, eager to get away from these horrid people. They ran down another set of stairs on the rampart, hopefully the last. Marion wasn’t sure how many more stairs she could take till her lungs gave out. They needed to go through a hatch secured shut by a chain– opening that was Mélie’s job, all Marion could do was wait with baited breath. 

 

A loud crash brought Marion out of her mind, a quiet gasp leaving her lips. The men had broken through the large gate– five of them came rushing in, Lord Nicholas following slowly behind. His armor seemed louder than the shouts, louder than the sound of Amicia’s rocks embedding themselves into the men’s bone and flesh. It made all the air get sucked out of her lungs. It felt like the only thing she could hear or see was him. 

 

Amicia’s hand pulling her towards the hatch pulled her out of her trance-like state, Mélie and Hugo had already descended. 

 

“You first,” Marion said, “Now!” 

 

Marion pushed Amicia down the hatch, before setting herself up to drop. She was milliseconds away from dropping when a hand snatched her short hair, pulling her back and away from the hatch. She let out a scream, before the soldier who grabbed her threw her onto the muddy ground. She could hear Amicia’s faint scream– but she knew the girl couldn’t come back. There were too many soldiers… 

 

She stared at the mud beneath her hands, now staining her dress and the white plush. A large, armored hand gripped her by the jaw, forcing her head up. 

 

“They told me you were dead.” Nicholas said, he looked like a soulless demon with that damn helmet over his head. 

 

Marion stayed quiet. Her face conveyed anger– but her insides felt like jelly. He could see straight past her facade. 

 

“I can still remember the day you were born: you took your first breath as my Katherine took her last.” He spat, his hand tightening around her jaw, making her let out a quiet whimper. 

 

Marion let go of her angry mask– her eyes widening, silent tears beginning to drip down her face. Would he kill her? Just like he killed Béatrice and Laurent– her father in all but blood. 

 

“I loved her, and you took her from me!” he spat, his voice growing louder, angrier. 

 

“She was a child!” Mariond fought back, albeit her voice was meek and shaky. 

 

“She was my wife!” He shouted, Marion’s head began to ache due to the tightness of his hold– perhaps he’d crush her skull right then and there. 

 

“ You killed her! ” Marion shouted back; she was not the one responsible for her mothers death, she never asked to be born into this hell. 

 

That seemed to be Lord Nicholas’ last straw. He released her jaw, only to rip her mothers rosary from her neck. The ivory beads exploded, falling into the viscous liquid. The once clean, white beads were now brown and muddy– sullied and broken. 

 

“Get this scum out of my sight!” Nicholas barked, as he walked away from his trembling daughter. 

 

The soldiers pulled her out of the mud, taking away her mothers things, including the cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She thrashed and cried, but she could do nothing against the men. She was once again a wolf with no teeth, at the mercy of the hunter. Wherever she was going, she could only hope that Amicia would find her. 

 

Notes:

Had to get this out before Ao3 goes down for 10 hours 😭😭

Chapter 24: XXIII

TW: Mention of SA/Aftermath of SA 

The Bastion was dark. The halls were dimly lit by candles on the wall, but the dungeon was worse. The cell she was thrown in was pitch black, there was a candle further down the corridor... it was too far away to bring any light into her cell. To say she was scared was an understatement– Marion felt like she was going to die in this place. 

 

She sat in the back corner, fingers picked red and raw, blood practically dripping down her chin from biting her lips. She played with a strand of her hair that fell just below her jaw, twirling it around her finger, and cringing at the slight burn whenever the hair came into contact with her raw cuticle. 

 

The sound of heavy footsteps made her freeze– Nicholas was back. One of the guards outside her door unlocked her cell, and allowed the Lord to enter. It was quiet between them, the silence tense and thick. He still wore the mask. 

 

"Where are they going?" Lord Nicholas asked, though Marion knew it was an order. 

 

"Who?" She asked back, and Nicholas scoffed. 

 

"Don't play dumb with me, girl! Where is Amicia De Rune taking the boy?" Nicholas barked, and when she gave him no answer, he gripped her by the hair, and put a dagger that he seemingly pulled out of nowhere to her throat. 

 

The blade dug into her skin, a small amount of blood emerged from the cut, falling down her collarbone, and into the neckline of her cotehardie. Marion's eyes welled with tears, staring into the little cross of his mask. She could just barely see his eyes through the slit– unlike her brown, they were a stony gray. 

 

She had her mothers eyes. 

 

Marion swore she could see his eyes soften for a split second, before he threw her head aside, and pulled back the dagger. She let out a quiet grunt as she hit the dirty floor, immediately sitting up and clutching the small wound with her hand. Lord Nicholas had scoffed and turned away from her, moving to leave the cell. 

 

"Sale gosse stupide et inutile!" Nicholas spat, as he left the cell. 

 

He thrusted the dagger into one of the guards hands, and let out a frustrated sigh. 

 

"Do as you wish with the useless bitch, I can't stand to be in her presence any longer!" He ordered, leaving the cell at a pace Marion didn't know he had. 

 

Why didn't he just slit her throat when he had the chance? 

 

The guard with the dagger looked sick, his eyes flickered from Marion, to the other guard. The other guard... he hadn't taken his eyes off of Marion. She wanted to sink into her own skin, her body slowly finding itself back in the far corner of the cell. He entered the cell, and closed the barred door behind him– Nicholas hadn't bothered to close the door when he left. 

 

"Bastien..." The other guard called out quietly, his eyes flickering to Marion. 

 

"What? Lord Nicholas said to do as we please... who are we to deny our superior." 'Bastien' said, a wolfish chuckle leaving his lips. 

 

"It's wrong, she's just a child. He didn't mean it like that–" The guard holding the dagger said, but was cut off by Bastien. 

 

"You don't like it, you can leave." He scoffed, turning his head to look down at Marion's trembling figure. 

 

Marion looked at the man through the bars, tears now silently streaming down her face. Please, she thought, please don't leave me with him. The man frowned, before shaking his head, and scurrying back up the corridor. 

 

"Fool..." Bastien grumbled, watching as his fellow soldier practically ran from the scene. 

 

Marion didn't know if she had been in the cell for minutes, or hours, but it felt like days. By the time Bastien retreated to his post outside her cell, she was red-eyed, and shaking like a newborn fawn. Her forehead was leaned against the cell's back wall, her hands clasped together and held against her lips in a sweaty embrace. 

 

Her body ached, she felt dirty. No water or soap could wash away this feeling; not even water from the River Jordan could cleanse her. Marion wanted to go home– wherever that was now. Perhaps it was now Chatéau D'Ombrage; Marion hoped and prayed that Amicia was able to get Hugo to the Chatéau safely. 

 

Marion let out a soft chuckle, the sound echoing through the cell, and making the soldier look back at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

 

"What's so funny?" He huffed, his eyes slimming. 

 

"I was bit... by a rat." She muttered so quietly, that it was nearly inaudible. 

 

Bastien stayed quiet, his eyes widening. 

 

"What did you just say to me?" He asked, gripping the bars. 

 

"I was bit!" She said louder, her words turning into sobs.

 

Bastien backed away from the cell, his breathing heavy and erratic. 'Crazy bitch...' he muttered, before quickly running off– probably to go rat her out to Nicholas. The bite hadn't made her sick– at least, she didn't think it did. He didn't need to know that, though, because it got that bastard to leave her alone. 

 

She felt vulnerable– exposed. Marion was a strong individual, but ever since she injured her hands... losing her ability to protect herself was the first crack, this, however, shattered the dam. She didn't feel strong anymore. She didn't know what she felt– at this point, she felt so many things that it made her mind hurt. She was angry, and scared, and tired; all she could do was curl up and cry. 

 

The next few days went by in a blur– not one person had come down to see her, or feed her. She had no sense of time, no way to know that any had even passed, aside from the thinning of her body. Her throat ached from being so dry, her fingers and wrists began to look bonier than usual, and her face had lost its usual fullness.

 

They probably thought she was contagious– which was good, and bad. No one would bother her, which also meant they were probably going to leave her to starve to death. She didn't move once she had settled herself into the corner of the cell, where she spent most of her time sleeping, and trying to ignore everything around her. Her mental turmoil, the pain from her empty belly, the shakiness of her limbs. 

 

Marion was dying, alone in a dark dungeon. She often thought of the way she'd die, perhaps the rats would catch her off guard and devour her, or a soldier would cut her to pieces with a sword, maybe even her own father would slit her neck. She never thought she'd be used and left to rot– part of her wished that she could've gone another way, a quicker, less painful way. 

 

The sound of the lock on her door opening made her pick up her head for the first time in god-knows-how-long, her muscles weak and eyes drooping. Two shadow-like figures entered the cell, one limped as it walked– crouched? Great; she was so far gone that now she was hallucinating. 

 

"Marion, it's me, Mélie!" The figure who unlocked the door whispered.

 

Mélie... It was Mélie! One of the twins who helped Amicia escape! Then... Amicia must be nearby– she must be okay!

 

"Is... is Amicia..." Marion spoke, her voice hoarse from not speaking for so long, on top of being completely dry. 

 

"Amicia is fine... we need to get back to our hideout, there's no way you're making it back to the Chatéau like this– and neither is my brother." The girl said softly, and helped Marion up. 

 

Mélie allowed the dark-haired girl to lean all her weight onto her body, which honestly wasn't much... She being starved for days definitely took its toll on her. She still had some weight to her, but not a healthy amount for a girl her age. Marion tensed at the contact– the last thing she wanted was to be so... close. 

 

"You're lucky the area is clear– I haven't seen one guard down here." Mélie chuckled, and Marion scoffed. 

 

"Cowards..." She muttered, and Mélie let out a quiet chuckle. 

 

"So... the other one is your brother?" Marion asked, her words were slightly slurred as she spoke– she really hoped that these people had some water. 

 

"We're twins." Mélie nodded, guiding the little group out of the cell, and down the hall. 

 

Mélie led the group to a cell with a busted window, and helped the two climb out. Marion more so– she could barely walk, let alone do something as strenuous as pulling herself through the gap of a busted up window. 

 

"Amicia and Hugo made it to the Chatéau? Lucas too?" Marion asked, as they began to wander the dark streets of the city. 

 

"Yes, they're all safe... your lover girl is worrying her pretty face off about you." Mélie smiled.

 

Marion felt her heart go funny– lover girl? 

 

The hideout was an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city– not many people seemed to pass by. Mélie had watered her, and given her some stale bread to eat. The place was dusty, which didn't help Marion's lungs, but it was better than that horrible cell. 

 

She stayed curled up on a hay mattress on the floor, a ratty blanket covering her figure. She didn't speak much– not unless one of the twins spoke to her first. Aside from the occasional conversation, the three were usually in silence.

 

"They tortured you too, didn't they?" Arthur asked one day, his voice soft. 

 

Arthur was also in terrible shape... his lip was busted, he had a large gash on his temple, and for the first few days they had holed themselves up here, he seemed to groan or whine every time he had to move. Marion tensed at his question– she didn't know how to respond. 

 

Yes, I didn't give my father the answers he wanted, and he let his men do whatever they pleased with me! Then, after said men were tired of me, they left me to fucking rot!

 

"Yes– I think." Marion responded dryly, clearly not wanting to speak of this anymore. 

 

Arthur let out a small hum of acknowledgement, before Marion spoke again. 

 

"When are we going to the Chatéau?" She asked, pulling the old blanket tighter around her shoulders. 

 

"When you two don't look like you'll die if you take five steps outside this building." Mélie said, "Especially you, Marion." 

 

That made the dark-haired girl scoff, and roll her eyes. Mélie was right. She wasn't on death's door anymore, but she was nowhere near ready to make the trek back to the Chatéau. Still, she didn't want to wait. 

 

"I've been sickly my whole life– it's going to take me a lot longer to fully heal than you think." She said, and stared at her fingers. "If I'm not healed enough for your standards in two weeks, I still want to leave." 

 

"Fine, two weeks." Mélie compromised, and leaned back on her straw mattress. 

 

Marion let out a soft sigh, the silence allowed her to think– perhaps too much. She really thought that she was going to die in that cell. Even thinking about it made her scared– it was dark, and lonely... she's not anywhere near that cell, yet the simple thought of it makes her want to sob. 

 

She couldn't... she couldn't believe that man was her father. He was horrible– evil. He never specified what he meant by 'do as you please', part of Marion wished that he would've just instructed that man to kill her right then and there– 

 

"Thank you." Marion said, sucking in a deep breath, and breaking the silence. "For getting me out of there." 

 

Mélie nodded, "It was the right thing to do... and your little lady friend probably wouldn't let me live if I didn't." 

 

That put a smile on her face– it definitely sounded like Amicia. She missed her so much– Hugo too. Only two weeks till they would be reunited. Those two weeks were already starting to feel like two lifetimes. 

Notes:

I have so much to say, and I honestly don't know how to say it. This chapter is a lot; I literally only insinuated what happened, and I felt sick to my stomach. This is probably one of the most difficult to write chapters I've written yet, I had to pause a few times and really think if the writing was too much, or if it was disrespectful. I tried to be as 'not describing the moment' as possible with this chapter, while also getting the point across, along with Marion's feelings and how it effects her, and how it's going to affect her in the future, so I hope I've achieved that without making my readers run for the hills 😭

Alright everyone, I hope you have a good day/night, I'm going to go to sleep now and dream about Marion and Amicia and Hugo in a little cottage in Provence, with some cows and goats and horses, far away from anything or anyone that can harm them!

(What do they say about the history book on the shelf?)

Chapter 25: XXIV

Soon enough two weeks had passed, and the trio was now at the Chatéau. Marion did not have the strength to walk alone for the entire trip, so for most of the time she was leaning on Mélie. The trip was... a bit tense. Marion hadn't said a word the entire time– her body was rigid against Mélie's and it was clear she'd rather be anywhere else. 

 

The Inquisition had taken all of her things– her mother's things. It made her heart hurt knowing that she had nothing–aside from a cotehardie that she might not even be able to stomach wearing anymore–of her mothers. Her father had once again taken everything from her. 

 

"Marion!" Amicia practically screeched once she realized her companion was back. 

 

The dark-haired girl let out a sob as Amicia pulled her into her arms. She wanted so badly to just melt into her arms, but... she couldn't. Her touch was gentle, soft, nothing like his... yet her body didn't seem to register that. Amicia gently ran her fingers through Marion's hair as she pulled away, her eyes scanning her companion's now bony figure. 

 

Being starved for days, then being on a diet of stale breads and other extremely non-nutritious foods didn't help her get any healthier. Her skin was slightly more pallid, her cheekbones more noticeable... it was little things, but Amicia noticed them all. Marion didn't like the look on her companion's face– she didn't like it at all. She had so much to tell Amicia... how was she supposed to bring up the fact that her father was the one who killed her parents? She couldn't keep that information to herself... It felt wrong. 

 

"I- I have so much to... to..." Marion choked out, before another sob left her throat. 

 

Amicia frowned, "We can talk later... you all need to rest, and eat." 

 

It turns out, the inside of the Chatéau wasn't much warmer than the outside. Marion sat near the fire, the same ratty blanket from the hideout wrapped around her body. A new member to their little ragtag group, Rodric, had cooked a simple stew out of edible plants they found in the area. It wasn't the greatest, but it was the first hot meal Marion had eaten in weeks, and it felt like heaven on her tongue. 

 

She finished her meal within minutes, the empty bowl resting at her side. Amicia sat near her, her own empty bowl abandoned next to her. Hugo was asleep on a straw mattress, it was clear that he wasn't feeling good. The little boy was weak... he wasn't like the little ball of energy that he used to be mere weeks ago. That sickness was taking hold of him– the Macula was what Lucas called it. 

 

"He'll be okay... I think." Amicia said, breaking the silence. 

 

Marion looked away from the sleeping boy, and over to Amicia. 

 

"I've got a book– Sanguis Itinera, Lucas says it should help us make a cure." Amicia continued, and Marion nodded. 

 

"That's good." Marion responded, her eyes flickering back to Hugo. 

 

'Where is Amicia De Rune taking the boy?' 

 

She would've never told him. Not if he beat her or maimed her. Hugo was innocent– he didn't deserve to be hunted. She sucked in a deep breath– she couldn't quell the guilt that bubbled up in her belly. That ugly, nagging feeling that made her unable to look at the siblings without wanting to burst into tears. She looked away from Hugo, and down at her hands. 

 

Her father was the one who destroyed their lives. Her father was the one trying to capture Hugo, and slaughter Amicia. Her father was the one who killed Lady De Rune in front of Amicia. 

 

"Amicia..." She called out quietly, her words getting caught in her throat. "I... when I was in the English camp, there was this woman who claimed to know my mother."

 

"She had a chest filled with her things– dresses, shoes... toys." Marion explained, "My mother was a child, no older than you or I." 

 

The dark-haired girl closed her eyes, burying her face into her scarred hands. 

 

"She told me– she told me that she had to send me away, because my father was so angry that he wanted to ki– kill me!" Marion cried, her voice slightly muffled by the skin of her palms. 

 

"My f- he.. He's a monster!" She placed her hands in her lap, her eyes wide and teary. "He took everything from me, from us!" 

 

Amicia furrowed her eyebrows, a frown present on her face. After a moment it seemed to click– who Marion's father was. The room fell silent, aside from Marion's sniffles, heavy breathing and Hugo's quiet snores. Amicia scooted closer to Marion, before pulling her into a hug. The dark-haired girl sobbed into her neck, her body rigid and stiff. She felt as if her body wanted to break out of its skin– as if suddenly it was too tight, and did not fit. The cotehardie felt like it was strangling her, even though the fabric was loose, and roomier than it used to be. 

 

"I- I need to clean my- myself." Marion fumbled, her words shaky and quiet. 

 

"Alright... I'll heat up some water and find fresh clothes, Rodric and I... we might have committed a little thievery in your absence." Amicia admitted, which made Marion crack a little smile. 

 

After collecting the things needed, Amicia led her into one of the many empty rooms of the Chateau. It felt strange being helped with such mundane things– things she wouldn't even think about doing when she was not so weak. 

 

"Call for me if you need anything, alright?" Amicia said, and Marion nodded. 

 

The door behind Amicia closed with a squeal, and heavy thunk. Marion was left in silence– she wasn't sure how much more time she could spend alone with her thoughts. Her shaky fingers untied the lacing on the sides of her cotehardie, before fighting her way out of it. She let the mud and blood stained overdress fall on the floor, the chill of the room making the little hairs on her body stand up.

 

Marion let her chemise pool at her feet, dust staining the white fabric. She unlaced her filthy boots, and threw the unsalvageable socks to the side. She kneeled atop the dirty chemise, dipping her hand into the bucket of warm water to fish out the rag. She squeezed most of the water from the rag back into the bucket, and brought it to her neck. She sucked in air through her teeth as the rag made contact with the small cut from her father's dagger, it was scabbed over now, but still sensitive. 

 

Her inner thighs were extremely sensitive– she had scratched all the blood and... other substances off of her body in the days she spent in the twins hideout, leaving parts of her skin red and raw. She clenched her jaw, pulling the rag away from her body and dipping it back into the bucket. 

 

She rang the rag out again, before stretching out her legs to run it over her calves and ankles. The water had turned brown by the time she had finished washing herself; although the dirt and muck had left her body, she still didn't feel right. Her eyes welled with tears, hands beginning to shake; the urge to scrub at her skin till it was clean growing inside her. But it would never be enough– and she knew that.

 

"Marion, are you alright?" Amicia asked– Marion hadn't realized that she was audibly crying till the brunette called out her name from behind the door.

 

"I– I'm fine!" She responded, her voice breaking as she tried to stand on shaky legs.

 

Once she was up, she pulled the beige wool shift over her body, the fabric draped down to about her mid-calf, leaving her lower-leg exposed. She stepped into the thick, brown cotton britches Amicia had given to her; The shift and britches were not as warm as her cotehardie, but still sufficient. 

 

Marion didn't even try hefting the bucket up, and moved to open the door so she could leave. The stone was cold against her bare feet, but she couldn't salvage her socks, and was too tired to try and clean her boots. She was still sniffling and crying when she opened the door; Her eyes, nose and cheeks were red from crying, and the cold. 

 

She and Amicia just stared at one another for a minute, Marion so badly wanted to wrap her arms around her shoulders, and bury her face into her neck. She just wanted Amicia to hold her, and sooth her with her soft touch once again– but she held herself back. She wasn't... she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Amicia led Marion back to the room with the hearth, where the dark-haired girl sat down on a straw mattress, and wrapped a slightly-less-ratty blanket over her shoulders. 

 

"Will you... will you sit with me?" She asked quietly, voice hoarse from crying. 

 

Amicia nodded, lowering herself onto the straw mattress and gently tucking a strand of Marion's dark hair behind her ear. Marion sucked in a deep breath, and pulled the blanket tighter over her figure. 

 

"Arthur... he told me that my mother is alive." Amicia said, "She's in the Bastion– they... they're torturing her." 

 

Marion's eyes widened–  Béatrice was alive? They had been in the same building! Oh God, she wouldn't be surprised if the poor woman was on death's door. If that was the way they treated her... she could only imagine the torture they put Béatrice through. 

 

"We can't say anything to Hugo." She continued, and frowned; In his condition... it just wouldn't be good. 

 

The dark-haired girl sighed, and stared into the fire. How long had it been since their lives had any normalcy? Weeks? A month? It was November the last time she checked– her birthday had passed mere weeks before her life went to shambles. Now it was snowing, so Marion would guess that it was at least mid December. She reached one of her hands out to feel more warmth from the fire. 

 

"How long has it been?" Marion asked, after a few moments of silence. 

 

"Hm?" Amicia hummed, turning away from the fire to look at Marion. 

 

"How long has it been... since everything..." She asked, making eye contact with the brunette. 

 

"I don't know..." Amicia responded, frowning slightly as her eyes took in her companion's unusually gaunt figure. 

 

Silence once again enveloped the room, though not the usual comfortable one. Marion clenched her jaw, before sucking in a deep breath, and laying her head in Amicia's lap. She closed her eyes, and tried to relax. She tried to focus on Amicia– the feeling of her britches underneath her cheek, the sound of her breathing... Amicia was here, and she wouldn't let anyone hurt her. 

 

She felt her lip quiver– God, she had been letting her emotions get the best of her as of late. Amicia gently rested her hand on Marion's shoulder, frowning at the sight of her companion in such a state. 

 

"My darling, what have they done to you?" Amicia muttered–mostly to herself–, feeling her own tears prick at her eyes. 

 

They'd all been through so much... Everyone was exhausted. This chaos was too much for their young shoulders to carry– yet they did it. They had no choice, if they did not bear it, it'd crush them. 

 

"Nicholas... he questioned me. He asked me where you were taking Hugo." Marion said shakily, "When I didn't give him the answers he wanted... I think he wanted to kill me– but he couldn't. Instead he left me with those men and..." 

 

Marion opened her teary eyes, staring at the fire in front of her. A tear fell down the crevice of her eye, onto the fabric of Amicia's britches. She sucked in a deep breath, before continuing, voice small. 

 

"After one... took what he wanted, I told him I was bitten and contagious. I just wanted him to go away... The Inquisition left me down there to rot. If–  if Mélie and Arthur hadn't found me..." Marion explained, reaching up and taking the hand that rested on her shoulder into her own hand. 

 

She needed to feel the tenderness of Amicia's slightly calloused hand– she needed the memory of rough, dry palms to be drowned away by her gentle touch. It didn't work very well, which only encouraged her to squeeze harder. 

 

"Shh..." Amicia hushed softly, squeezing Marion's hand in response. 

 

Marion cried. She let herself go– no one was there to see her but Amicia. Hugo was being entertained by Rodric and Arthur, Mélie was... off doing whatever Mélie did. It was just Marion and Amicia in their own little world. Marion sat up, and let go of Amicia's hand. 

 

"They won't hurt you again." Amicia reassured, gently taking Marion's face in her hands. "Mélie, Arthur, and Rodric wouldn't allow it... I wouldn't allow it." 

 

Marion leaned her forehead against Amicia's, it felt much better than the stone wall of the cell. Amicia had no way of guaranteeing that her words were true– what was a group of children against an army? Nothing. The Inquisition would beat them to the ground in seconds, but the words still made a feeling of safety bloom in her chest. That simple reassurance made Marion feel like no one could hurt her. 

 

The dark-haired girl slowly relaxed, and moved to wrap her arms around Amicia. She leaned her head on the brunette's shoulder, playing with the baby hairs that slipped out her braid at the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes, and allowed Amicia to rub circles into her back. 

 

"I feel like I could sleep for days.." Marion muttered, her eyes drooping. 

 

Amicia stared into the fire, "Rest...I'll stay here, I promise." 

 

With that, Marion allowed herself to fall into a state of unconsciousness, safe in Amicia's arms. 

Notes:

A/N

Writing out Marion's feelings is honestly really hard, especially after the Bastion. It's a really vulnerable time for her, and I want to show her feelings the best I can. This chapter is like 2,300 words, I'm super proud of myself. Usually I don't write this much in one day, BUT I DID IT!!!

Next chapter will probably be Amicia going back to the De Rune estate. I'm not sure if I'm going to write that out, because Marion isn't going to go (she literally can't, she is not doing well whatsoever...) 😭

Anywho, have a Goodnight/Goodmorning my mammals, I'm gonna go much on a drumstick.

Chapter 26: XXV

Marion was trapped in an endless sea of nothing. She could only see her own body, everything else was just… a dark void. She didn’t like the dark– she wasn’t necessarily afraid of darkness itself, but it was the emptiness that scared her. The feeling of being completely alone, yet watched at the same time made her belly churn with nerves, and limbs ache with the need to run away. 

She walked forward, but it felt like she wasn’t moving. How could she tell if she was going anywhere if her surroundings never changed? It made her breath pick up, and her hands shake. The ground was moist; it squelched and squished with every footstep, but Marion couldn’t see any water nor texture. It was like stepping on a sponge soaked in some sort of viscous liquid… 

Marion had a thin, linen shift draped over her body. It had intricate designs on the hem, though she couldn’t make out what they were supposed to be… the threads were everchanging under her view. She could just barely see the color of her skin peeking through the loose, nearly-see through fabric; almost like it was wet, but it felt bone dry. 

The girl let out a loud groan when an aching pain developed in her chest, her voice echoing throughout the dark nothingness. Her hand clenched the fabric right above her heart, falling to her knees with a wet squelching sound. Now the liquid was on her body; it looked just as dark as the area surrounding her and smelled like iron… it stained the hem of her shift, making the threads shift and change violently. 

The pain in her chest never dulled, it only grew worse… It felt like her heart was trying to push a liquid much thicker than blood through her veins. Over the minutes–or hours, however long she was stuck in that damn sea of nothing–the ache traveled, it moved from her heart, to the middle of her chest, all the way down to her lower belly. Black veins sprouted over her heart, spreading down the front of her body and arms, ending at her hips and the tips of her fingers. 

The pain grew more intense every second, her body falling completely on the moist floor. It was like a fire was burning inside her, slowly cooking her from the inside out–

Marion let out a gasp as she awoke, sitting up only to double over in pain. Amicia had her hands on her companion’s shoulders; she had shaken her awake. Marion placed her own hand on her belly, the intense burning pain slowly fading away. A few tears escaped her eyes– that was nearly as painful as when her leg ached from the bite… 

“What was that?” Amicia asked, and Marion sucked in a deep breath.

“I don’t know…” She responded, wiping her eyes and clenching her jaw. 

“Lucas… Lucas and I have to go back home today– he needs to use mother’s laboratory to finish making the cure for Hugo.” Amicia informed after a moment of silence, gently squeezing Marion’s shoulders. 

“Wait– Amicia, do you understand how dangerous that is?”  Marion whisper-yelled with wide eyes, was she out of her mind?  “You could get hurt– or… or worse…” 

“I’ll be safe, I swear–” Amicia reassured quietly, moving one of her hands to cup Marion’s face. 

“Tell me you stayed safe when you come back… if you come back.” Marion glared at Amicia, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand away from her face. 

Marion stood up, and walked out into the little area with the tree. She sat down at its base, sucking in a deep breath and rubbing her temple. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something were to happen to Amicia; She knew it was selfish to ask her to stay– Hugo’s life was on the line… but that didn’t make it any easier to watch her go. 

Marion picked her head up to look at Amicia, who stood in the doorway. Her eyes took in all of her features. Her messy, brunette hair, her light freckles… everything about Amicia made her heart skip a beat. Her strength, her kindness… She was Marion’s guiding light when all else was dark. It was wrong to feel like this– to… love Amicia. Not just any love, but the kind of love a wife feels for her husband. 

“I'm sorry.” Marion apologized, “I know I’m being unreasonable, I just… I don’t know what I'd do if something were to happen to you. I’d be heartbroken.”  

Marion felt her cheeks get hot, “And– and so would Hugo.” 

Amicia smiled, and moved to take a seat next to Marion. She took Marion’s hand into her own, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure her. 

“I'll come back to you.” Amicia said softly, and ran her thumb along her companion’s knuckles.  

“Promets-moi?” Marion asked softly, her eyes flickering down to Amicia’s lips for a split second. 

Amicia seemed to notice– she tensed, her pale face reddening slightly. 

“Je promets.” Amicia responded, her lips flickering up in a small smile.

After Amicia spoke, silence filled the area. It… wasn’t a bad silence. The air was thick, and Marion felt her breath hitch as Amicia slowly leaned closer. Their faces were mere inches away before Amicia paused, her eyes flickering from Marion’s eyes, to her lips… after a moment of tender silence, Marion was the one who pressed her lips against Amicia’s in a gentle peck. 

It felt… good. Neither of them had ever kissed anyone before, but Marion assumed they were doing it right. With her lips pressed against Amicia’s, she felt complete– like they were two pieces to one puzzle. It made Marion feel some sort of peace, even if it only lasted a few seconds. When they pulled away Marion smiled, and for the first time in nearly a month, began to giggle like a schoolgirl. 

“What’s so funny in here, eh?” Mélie said with a smile, leaning her body on the doorframe in front of the girls. 

Marion felt her face get even hotter, closing her eyes and leaning back on the tree as her giggles got louder. Looks like Mélie was finally awake. It felt good to laugh like this– it made her feel a bit warmer, a bit safer… a bit more optimistic, even. It felt good to feel good. 

“Nothing…” Amicia responded bashfully, not meeting Mélie’s eyes. 

The joyful air was broken immediately by a scream, followed by Lucas calling Amicia’s name. Amicia shot up, running into the main room with a look of concern planted on her face. Marion got up, albeit a bit slower and less graceful, and followed Amicia and Mélie into the main room. Hugo… he was writhing on the floor, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. 

Marion let out a gasp falling to her knees beside Amicia. Rodric and Arthur watched with wide eyes, they’d never seen the boy like this… none of them have. His attacks were painful, but never so much that he was screaming and writhing on the floor. 

“The– the next threshold! It’s coming!” Lucas exclaimed as he looked over to Amicia, his worry clear on his face. 

“We have to go at once, to my home, now!” Amicia said, and gently moved to cup her little brother’s face. 

“It will be alright, little brother… we will cure you this time, I swear.” She whispered, before standing up. 

“Amicia…” Marion called out softly, “be careful.” 

Amicia nodded, before swiftly turning on her heel and leaving the room, Lucas trailing behind her. Marion sighed, and looked down at the little boy, who was still on the floor in front of her. It was not fair… they just couldn’t be happy. Her fingers moved to clutch the ivory beads of the rosary around her neck, but was met with nothing. She forgot that Nicholas had broken it in a fit of rage. 

Once Hugo’s episode ended, and the twins, along with Rodric, left the boy and Marion alone, Marion allowed him to crawl into her lap. It was the first time she had really embraced him since she got to the Chatéau… His head rested in the nook of her neck, and Marion sucked in a deep breath. 

“I want Mummy…” Hugo mumbled, his lip quivering as he spoke. 

“Oh, Poppet…” Marion sighed, as she rested a shaky hand on his head. “Mummy is gone…” 

Hugo stayed quiet, letting out little whines and whimpers every now and then as he cried. Marion held him tighter, her own expression shifting into a frown. 

“Everything will be alright.” She said, though she wasn’t sure if it was to reassure herself, or the crying boy in her arms. “Everything will be alright…” 

Notes:

A/N

 

THEY DID IT 🎉🎉🎉 THEY DID IT.

I real hope it didn't feel too rushed (it did feel a bit out of place to me, BUT COME ON GUYS HOW LONG CAN WE WAIT) Their relationship just went from 20% to like 98%

Side note, I know I changed some time and events, but at some point unseen Hugo still overheard Amicia and the twins speaking sooo... yeah.

I spent nearly 90 dollars at Barnes and Nobles today so consider me broke for the next billion years 😣 (I haven't picked up an actual book in months and decided to change that :p)

Originally, I wasn't even going to write a dream sequence, I was just gonna have Marion wake up because I was STRUGGLING, but then an idea popped into my head and it ended up working out!

I hope you all have a good day/night, don't let the gyatt monster get you ☺️ (someone tranquilize me)

Chapter 27: XXVI

The moon had risen over the Château, and Amicia and Lucas were still gone. Marion was restless– and so was Hugo. She made the mistake of letting him rest all day, and now the boy was wide awake. Thankfully, he kept himself busy with a few sticks and rocks, sitting right by the fire with the rest of the children. Marion, Rodric, and the Twins sat together in silence, each waiting with baited breath for their friends to come back. 

 

In reality, Lucas and Amicia had probably only just arrived at the De Rune estate. It made her nervous, knowing that they were going to a place infested with rats in the middle of the night. But they'd be fine; Marion was hanging on to the promise Amicia made, the promise to come back alive. 

 

"You should rest." Arthur said quietly, his voice just barely louder than a whisper. "We can watch him, I promise we are not as incompetent as we may seem." 

 

"I'm not tired..." Marion responded, though his words made the corners of her lips turn up in a subtle smile. 

 

"Yeah right, you've been up all day–" Arthur tried to reason, but Marion cut him off. 

 

"Doing nothing." She huffed, "I'm fine, Arthur, I don't need you to sit on me like a mother hen." 

 

Arthur raised his hands in submission, a quiet chuckle leaving his lips. "Alright then, but the offer still stands." 

 

The room was once again bathed in a tense silence, and Marion let out a soft sigh. She wanted to go outside, to the top of one of the towers and wait for Amicia, but she knew that it was a foolish idea. She'd probably end up sending herself into a coughing fit from breathing in all the cold air... recently, she'd found out that if her fits were violent enough, she'd end up coughing up blood along with mucus. 

 

Hugo placed down the sticks and rocks he used as toys, silently crawling over to Marion and nestling into her side. The dark-haired girl wrapped her arm around him, gently rubbing his little arm. The black veins on his body had traveled further up his neck, on the cusp of his jaw... it worried Marion to no end. 

 

"Tired?" Marion asked, and Hugo shrugged. 

 

The boy had been very down in the dumps since his sister left... He wasn't his usual self, something more was on his mind, not just the sickness. Marion didn't pry– she didn't want to frustrate him, especially not in his delicate condition. 

 

"You know... the more you sleep, the more time will pass... Amicia will be back sooner if you take a long sleep." She whispered, and Hugo seemed to dwell on her words. 

 

"...Alright." He caved, and moved to lay down on the straw mattress squished between Marion's and Amicia's to make one big mattress. 

 

Marion smiled at the little boy as he rested his head on the old pillow, although he had spent most of the day sleeping, he didn't seem too opposed to resting more. Slowly as the night progressed, everyone had found their way to their respected mattresses... everyone but Marion. She still sat in front of the fire, she couldn't even think about sleep– she was still worried about Amicia. 

 

The dark-haired girl gently rubbed at her temple, her eyes closed and legs held to her chest. It was late– around three or four in the morning... If Amicia had left early in the morning, arrived at nightfall... then she'd probably make it home about this time–if not a bit earlier–tomorrow. If all went to plan, that was... 

 

"Marion?" Hugo's little voice called out. 

 

Marion turned around to find the boy sat up on his mat... was he up this entire time? She thought that he was dead asleep, but there he was; his big blue eyes stared directly into hers, his little pink lips turned downwards slightly in a subtle pout. 

 

"Yes?" She responded, moving her hand from her head to her lap. 

 

"Can you... can you tell me a story? I can't sleep." He asked quietly, and Marion let a smile grow on her face. 

 

"Of course." Marion said, as she moved to sit down next to Hugo. 

 

She gently ran her fingers through his short, brunette hair as he laid down, thinking of a story to tell him. She didn't know many children's stories– she didn't learn how to read until a few years after she met Amicia... even now, she still wasn't the most adept reader. 

 

"One day there was a... huntress, who lived in the woods in a magical place far away..." Marion started, making up the story from the top of her head. 

 

"The Huntress was very well-known in her profession, for she had a golden bow that shimmered like the sun every time it hit the light." She explained, "The people of the town nearby said that the bow was blessed by the sun itself! She never ever missed a shot, not once. One day, a strange man came up to her with a large sack of coins, and with it an even stranger request." 

 

Hugo listened in anticipation, he looked entirely engrossed in her words– this probably was not the best bedtime story to tire out a child... 

 

"'I will give you this entire sack of golden coins and more if you complete my request– you won't have to hunt another animal for the rest of your life.' The Strange Man said, his bony fingers held out the leather pouch, slightly shaking it so the Huntress could hear the tinkle of coins." Marion said, and Hugo's breath hitched for a split second. 

 

"The Huntress was slightly swayed by this suspicious offer– it was nearly winter, and if she continued to hunt at the pace she did, all of the animals in the forest would be gone come spring." Marion continued, gently rubbing her finger up and down the bride of Hugo's nose to try and make him a little more drowsy. 

 

"'What is it you wish me to do?' The Huntress asked, and the Strange Man grinned, 'I want you to shoot down the Great Golden Skybird.'" Hugo let out a gasp at her words, and his eyes widened. 

 

"Why does the Strange Man want to kill the Skybird?" He asked frantically, and Marion put her fingers to her lips.

 

"Shh... I'm almost there, Poppet, you need to listen." She shushed, and continued her story. "The Skybird... eh... was... burning all of the farmers' crops because its golden feathers shined so brightly when in contact with the sun, that it set flames to the ground below!"  

 

"The Huntress decided to take his offer– it was for the greater good of her people. She was confident in her abilities to slay the beast, so the next morning she set out to find it. When she and her trusty steed found the giant bird flying over a field, she immediately pulled out her golden bow and aimed straight for its heart!" Marion continued, and Hugo frowned. It was clear he didn't want to see the bird die. 

 

"When she let go of the bowstring, the arrow... immediately fell to the ground. It was like the sun had taken away the magical abilities from the bow as punishment to the Huntress for trying to kill its child." She explained, "In the end she convinced the Giant Skybird to fly over the mountains instead of the fields and they all lived happily ever after– are you tired yet because I can feel my head lolling from side to side..." 

 

Marion fell over, and pretended to fall asleep. The little boy let out a quiet giggle, and nodded his head.

 

"Yes, I think I'm a little more tired... thank you for the story." Hugo smiled, before he closed his eyes with a yawn. Within minutes, the little one was asleep, and Marion soon followed suit. 

 

When Marion fell asleep, she was immediately transported to that dreamland from the night before. It was all the same... the endless void of darkness, the wet, spongy ground, the ever changing thread on the hem of the white linen chemise. The feeling of dread returned, along with the itch to run away from something, although there was nothing here with her. 

 

She turned her head, trying her hardest to spot anything against the black void... but as usual, there was nothing. Or so she thought– when she turned her head straight again, there was a little white dot in the distance. Without thinking, she began to sprint towards the white dot. She could see it becoming bigger as she ran towards it– she was actually moving! 

 

The iron-scented liquid splattered on her legs and the bottom of her chemise as she ran, angering the moving threads, though she didn't care. Soon she was directly in front of the dot– which turned out to actually be a little bundle of white fabric. There was... A baby inside. It slept peacefully, its chest rising and falling with each breath it took, either unaware or unaffected by its surroundings. 

 

Marion's body seemed to move on its own accord, because she kneeled down on the spongy floor, reaching out a hand to touch the little thing. As soon as she brushed her fingers over its cheek, it woke up, and let out a bloodcurdling scream. The fabric began to soak up the black, iron-scented liquid, and the baby's little arms reached up over its head, and out of the stained blanket. 

 

Black veins seeped up its abdomen, to its chest and neck, then its head... the veins also crawled up its arms, and its mouth... its mouth was black. How could something so innocent, so pure make Marion feel like she was staring at a demon from hell? 

 

She tried to back away, but that fiery pain returned to her belly... the cries of the child, mixed with the pain made her want the black, spongy floor to suck her into its depths...

 

Marion awoke with a gasp, sitting up and clenching her jaw. Like a repeat from the day before, she woke up with pain in her stomach... although this time, it didn't dull. No one was awake yet, so Marion stood up, and tried to hold back a quiet groan. She hobbled across the room, to the door with the tree, and fell to her knees as soon as she passed the doorway. 

 

She held up the hem of her woolen shift, and slightly pulled down the waist of her britches to find black veins crawling up her lower belly. She used her other shaky hand to brush her fingers over the area– it was strangely warm... almost like she really was burning from the inside out. 

 

After about thirty minutes of constant pain, it suddenly dissolved– like there was nothing wrong with her in the first place. The veins hadn't left, although some areas would get darker, then lighter... It was like she was watching whatever this black substance was get pumped through her veins. It made her feel odd, not knowing what was happening just under her skin. 

 

Marion stood up on her shaky legs, trying hard not to breathe too deeply. The chilly morning air didn't exactly have the best relationship with her lungs... She slowly walked back into the main room, and dusted off the skirt of her shift. 

 

"Are you alright? I woke up and saw you curled up in the doorway..." Rodric asked, rubbing his eyes. 

 

"I'm fine... I just needed some fresh air." The lie fell off her tongue like water, as of now only Amicia knew of her being bit. She didn't want the rest of the group to know yet– she didn't know if they'd be as understanding. 

 

Rodric simply shrugged, and rested his head back against the pillow.

Notes:

A/N

What's up my knights and gnomes, as we can see this chapter was a little whimsical, a little magical. 🧙 I had no idea what to write a story about, so I just kinda pulled the Skybird out my ass...

Also, these dreams. They're strange. I'm not gonna elaborate.

Today I was in the car for ten-ish hours, I had to drive all the way to upstate NY to drop off my friend then go back home soo... yeah that was fun. While my mom, cousin and I were in the car my mom took an alpha beta omega quiz because me and my friend took one. It was sSCARY watching my nearly sixty year old mother awnser questions about furries, and fan-fiction tropes, and sex. I wanted to throw myself out of the car door and off of a mountain. (She was a beta.)

Ok goodnight don't let the skibidi toilet bite. The skibidi toilet ate the gyatt monster so... beware.

Chapter 28: XXVII

Marion gently ran the working-fingers of her right hand through Hugo’s hair, the boy slept soundly with his head on her chest, a makeshift cloak wrapped around them both. The cloak was crudely made, just a woolen blanket with two holes ripped into it so rope could be threaded through to secure it. But, it did its job and kept her warm, so Marion had no complaints. 

 

It had been a full day since Amicia left. Marion was trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her gut– Amicia promised to come back. But, as the minutes and hours passed, Marion only grew more worried. 

 

Arthur and Rodric were outside; she made them promise to keep watch for their friends after they dragged her inside… Arthur, in particular. He called her ‘Stubborn as a mule’ when she insisted on staying outside, even when her lips turned blue. It was foolish, really, risking her health like that… but, one tends to do foolish things for love. 

 

The silence, as always, gave her time to think. The past few weeks have been strange… her mind felt off, and so did her body– in more ways than one. Before having the strange dreams, she didn’t notice anything different, but now… something just didn’t feel right. Ever since the Macula–or what she presumed to be the Macula–began to attack her system for the second time, and the veins began to show, she had started to make an assumption about what was happening.

 

She really didn’t want it to be true– but why else would the Macula have traveled down to her womb of all places? Why else had– in a single day–her breasts began to ache, and belly bloat up ever so slightly? It was all strange, it was supposed to be too early to even notice anything. But it was happening– and she was noticing. None of it made sense, it made her head-ache and belly churn. The thought of being pregnant? Lord, it made her want to throw herself off of the highest point in the Château. 

 

Did her mother feel this way before her? The utter disgust of knowing there was a foreign body inside her own– a foreign body that was part of the man who’d done unspeakable things to her? She couldn’t feel it yet, but she just… she just knew. It was there, and the Macula was too. 

 

“Hey, you alright?” Mélie called out, “You look like someone stole your sweet roll…” 

 

Marion wanted to laugh, she really did, but her lungs felt like they were constricting in her chest. Not even Hugo’s steady breathing could calm her– she subconsciously held onto him just a bit tighter, her hands shaking lightly. 

 

“I…” She tried to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat. Her breathing began to pick up– she felt like she was drowning… 

 

“Hey… hey, are you alright?” Mélie asked, and when she got no response, she gently transferred Hugo to the straw mat and out of Marion’s lap. 

 

Marion coughed and sputtered– she couldn’t get any air in, in the first place, yet her body was trying to push it all out. Her eyes were wide and teary, now she was in a state of full blown panic. Mélie’s voice had turned muffled, the world around her going fuzzy… When her world cleared up, she found that Mélie was gently squeezing her biceps, a look of concern on her scarred face. 

 

It took a moment for Marion to catch her breath, and orient herself. Hugo was still asleep, Rodric and Arthur outside… she could breathe, but it hurt to do so. 

 

“You looked like you were about to collapse, what the fuck was that–” The ginger questioned, and Marion cut her off. 

 

“I'm pregnant.” She said bluntly, which was followed by silence. 

 

“Excuse-moi?” Melie said after a few moments, and her grip on Marion went slack. “You’re what?” 

 

Marion stayed quiet, and so did Mélie. 

 

“Wouldn’t it… wouldn’t it be too early to tell?” Mélie asked, clicking the pieces about what had really occurred in the Bastion together. 

 

Marion then spilled everything to her. The bite, the veins, the dreams… her jumbled up theories that made sense but not really. The dark-haired girl was no doctor, or alchemist… but she knew her body more than any of those could, because she was living in it. Mélie stayed silent throughout the ordeal, allowing Marion to just explain her thoughts. 

 

“Wait– wait, so you’re saying that you were bit by a rat, and now you’ve got that stupid Macula shit in your blood, and you think it’s moving into your baby?” Mélie summarized, definitely confused at all the words Marion was spewing. 

 

Your baby. The words made her want to vomit– it made the situation feel real, like it wasn’t just an assumption in her head. Well, it wasn’t an assumption anymore… Marion nodded, the gravity of the situation beginning to weigh down on her. She stared into the fire, her jaw clenching, and eyes watering. 

 

“I’m… I just need a moment…” Her voice quivered and shook as she stood up, quickly moving to descend the steps down the East Tower, and into the crypt. 

 

It was cold in the crypt… her body shook, and her lungs began to sting. She fell to her knees in the middle of the chilly room, covering her mouth as a sob threatened to leave her lips. The dirty feeling that had never left only intensified… The thought of a part of that horrible man being inside her made her want to claw at her insides till she could rip it out. 

 

She wanted to vomit, she wanted to bash her head against a wall… instead of a sob leaving her lips, a violent cough did. Within minutes, she was gasping for air, and the taste of iron grew on her tongue. This was vile; she was vile. By the time she was done hacking up globs of blood and mucus, her head was resting on the cold floor, blood dribbling past her lips, staining her skin. Her throat stung, and it hurt to do something as simple as inhale. 

 

Why? Marion asked inside her head, Why have you cursed me so? As per usual, God gave her no response. In her dire time of need, He was not there to answer her questions. He was not there to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, He was not there to calm her, or to take away her pain. Where was He who knows all? Why did He sit back and watch as she cried and begged? Footsteps broke her out of her train of thought, but she didn’t move an inch. 

 

“Marion?” Amicia called out, before rushing over to her side. “Mélie… she– she told me everything.” 

 

That made Marion clench her jaw– she was going to beat that little ginger’s ass once she didn’t feel like a sack of shit anymore. She sat up, but didn’t meet Amicia’s eyes. She was too afraid to look at her– to see her reaction. Shame bubbled up in her stomach, along with a myriad of other emotions. 

 

It was clear Amicia didn’t know what else to say, though neither did Marion. What was she supposed to say? ‘Yeah, everything Mélie said is true! I'm pregnant, and now the baby is cursed to be sick for its entire life because I somehow contracted an ancient disease before it was even conceived! I'm also afraid that I'll turn out just like my mother– dead after trying to push the damn thing out!’ 

 

“I don’t know how to be a mother. I don’t want to be a mother.” She glared at the floor in front of her, eyebrows furrowing with frustration. “Aren't women supposed to feel the need to love and protect their child the moment they find out about it? I just– I just want it out of me.” 

 

Then again, Marion wasn’t a woman. Not yet, at least. 

 

“It’s going to die anyway, I’ve already cursed it to a life of suffering–” Marion spat, before catching herself… she was being insensitive. 

 

Marion allowed her glare to relax, her shoulders sagging and lip quivering. She was afraid– she was always afraid nowadays. She was a coward. She let out a quiet whimper when Amicia wrapped her arms around her, leaning into her touch. 

 

“We… we will figure something out.” Amicia said, and Marion scoffed. 

 

“We? Amicia, I would never make you bear a burden as heavy as this…” She said, pulling away slightly.

 

“Now that we’re… whatever we are now, your burdens are mine, and mine are yours… you cannot bear the weight alone, you’ll crumble.” Amicia responded, cupping her face with an uncertain smile. 

 

“Lady De Rune, ever the poet…” Marion chuckled, gently leaning her forehead against hers. How could she go from feeling like there was a gaping pit in her stomach, to blushing like a little girl the next? 

 

After a moment of hesitation, she quickly pressed a peck to Amicia’s lips. Doing so made the latter blush, and look away. It didn’t feel any different from the first time they did it… although it felt a bit more meaningful. Like it was an unspoken promise– I’m here for you, now and forever. It made a warm feeling swell in her chest, and both of them went to bed feeling slightly less shitty. Sleep with one eye open, Mélie.

Notes:

A/N

First of all, ignore the fluff at the end there has been ENTIRELY TOO MUCH SUFFERING. (My babies are finally a thing 🥹)

So. I just used a really hated trope… 😛 oops

Let’s do a quick de-brief because this unreliable narrative is killing me, although Marion basically explained it to a T because she is all knowing(it was just a Theory.. a game theory). Marion was bit, which led to the macula getting into her blood, and then it was dormant. Now that the baby is a thing, the Macula is essentially feeding itself to the baby through Marion (if we could even call it a baby right now, I did SO MUCH MATH. I FUCKING HATE MATH). Another thing to add 🤓👆 because of the Macula’s unusual introduction (and a sprinkle of fan-fiction logic), the pregnancy is progressing quicker than normal (also why Marion’s hands healed up really quick). Usually at three weeks the pregnancy is like not noticeable AT ALL to anyone, sometimes including the pregnant woman… but this is an unusual circumstance because we have a whole ancient evil blood disease alright 😽

It felt so weird writing this chapter, I kid you not. Like, why am I doing this to my baby??? (For the plot lol)

I also spent a shitload of time editing it because I was legit TWEAKING when I wrote it last night. It was 2,400 words of pure FUEL (aka 99% dialogue, 1% actual writing. I was half asleep okay—)

I also had a heart attack when my phone started going haywire, and I thought all my docs got deleted… they didn’t thankfully bc i would’ve just ended it all right then and there.

OKAY GUYS HAVE A GOOD DAY/NIGHT. ᵈᵒⁿᵗ ˡᵉᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵏⁱᵇⁱᵈⁱ ᵇⁱᵗᵉ :ᵖ

(PS: I’m so nervous to publish this chapter ᵃʰʰʰʰ)

Chapter 29: XXVIII

That night, Marion did not dream of an endless void, or squealing babes. She dreamt of the dungeon; she could feel the most stone beneath her, and Bastien’s firm grip on her biceps– she thrashed and kicked to no avail… even in her nightmares, she was weak. He pushed her down onto the wet floor, and lifted up her skirt– her mothers skirt. Did her mother fight Lord Nicholas? Did she thrash and kick and bite– anything to keep her decency? Or did she just lay there, as was expected of her? 

 

Marion woke up with a gasp, the memory of Bastien lingering on her skin. She wanted to forget, to push each memory into the darkest pits of her mind and never think of him or that fucking dungeon ever again. But she couldn’t, not when she carried part of him with her. 

 

She sat up, and stared into the dying fire inside the hearth. Her lower lip stung, and the familiar taste of iron coated the tip of her tongue. Hugo and Amicia were still sleeping– though Hugo was not clinging onto his sister as he usually did in his sleep. Marion sucked the blood off her lip, before pushing the ratty blanket draped across her figure away. She unraveled her cloak–that she also used as a pillow–as she stood up, and wrapped it around her shoulders, fastening the ties in the front. 

 

The dark-haired girl quietly made her way out to the broken room with the tree, sitting at its base and sucking in a deep breath. The cold air stung her lungs, but she didn’t cough– not yet at least. She just wanted a few moments alone, that dream had shaken her up… it was not nearly as vivid as the other’s she’d had, yet it still swirled through her mind. 

 

Her eyes drifted down to her stomach; it didn’t really look like there was a baby in there… she just looked like she ate a bit too much at a feast. She felt a bit guilty about all the things she’d said… she didn’t necessarily want it, but she didn’t have a choice in the matter; it was still hers. It made her feel strange; she was growing a whole human, and it would be her human. She would have to feed it, care for it, and love it… 

 

Marion didn’t know how to be a mother. She didn’t exactly have one to look up to either– if you don't count Béatrice. A short time after Hugo was born, when she was around nine or ten, the woman buried herself in her studies… she barely had time for Amicia, let alone the motherless girl she had attached herself to. Now Marion would have to maneuver her way through motherhood as a girl who’d never even held a babe, let alone a sick one. 

 

What if it was worse than Hugo? Béatrice was never bitten by a rat. She couldn’t stop her mind from creating horrendous images– not of a sick babe, but a monstrous thing. The rational part of her knew that her baby wouldn’t be born with sharp teeth, or claws, or a skinny little tail, or strange, unexplainable deformities… but nothing about this situation was rational. How was she to love a babe, let alone a monster? A real mother would know. 

 

Marion clenched her jaw, and buried her face into her knees. She didn’t let any tears leak from her eyes, crying would do nothing to help her. And there was nothing that could get rid of it.  

 

Her nose began to run: she couldn’t discern if it was from holding in her tears, or the cold air around her. Either way, she knew it was time to go inside. Marion stood up once again, brushing away the light layer of snow that hadn’t yet seeped into the skirt of her ‘cloak’. 

 

Shivering, she quickly walked back into the main room, her breath just as shaky as her jaw. She was focused on re-lighting the now dead fire in the hearth– till her eyes fell on the half-empty bedroll on the floor just in front of it. 

 

Hugo was gone. 

Notes:

Ive been on vacation, so here's a little filler to keep y'all from starving :P

Chapter 30: XXIX

Days had passed. Days since Hugo had gone missing in the night, days since Amicia ran off after him, and days since Marion had gotten any proper sleep. A sudden bout of nausea had overtaken her body– she couldn't tell if it was from the stress of Amicia and Hugo being God knows where, or from the baby. Surprisingly, the only thing she could keep down was Mélie's entirely-way-too-over-peppered-malnourished-rabbit-stew. It was nasty, no offense to Mélie, but it kept her stomach from constantly churning.

 

Lucas had tried keeping her and himself occupied by teaching her about alchemy. Marion felt as if he was speaking in a foreign language when he did, and she quickly found her mind wandering. It was too dangerous for a five-year-old to survive by himself, but if Amicia found him then maybe he would make it. Would the Twins ever find them? Were they even alive? 

 

Marion sucked in a deep breath as Arthur, Mélie and Rodric entered the lab, light snow sprinkled atop their clothing. Amicia was still gone, as was Hugo. 

 

"Nothing?" Marion asked desperately, and Mélie shook her head. 

 

"No... we haven't even covered half the woods around the Château yet." Mélie responded, pulling her hood down with a frown. 

 

Marion clenched her jaw– if they would allow Lucas and her to search too, then maybe they would be able to cover more ground. Alas, it was too cold for her to go outside without hacking up blood– which was a fairly new symptom. 

 

She was wide awake when Hugo ran off– if she hadn't been wallowing in self pity, then maybe she would've heard him wake up, or leave. She could beat herself up about this all day, go over a thousand 'what if's' and 'maybe's' but it wouldn't bring them back. 

 

The dark-haired girl chose to stay quiet. Perhaps a few weeks ago, she would've lashed out, demanding that they take her with them for their next search. But, she stayed quiet. Marion sucked in a deep breath, rubbing her temple with her middle and forefinger of her right hand– the better one. 

 

Lucas frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be back before we know it..." 

 

Marion turned to look at Lucas, brown eyes scanning his face. He looked as if he barely believed his own words. She gently grabbed his hand, squeezing it as best as she could. She could see how this was affecting Lucas too; late nights spent huddled up in his lab led to dark circles growing under his light eyes, and his hands grew shaky and slightly-gaunt from occasionally skipping meals. 

 

"I hope you're right." Marion muttered, eyes flickering to the Twins and Rodric, before retracting her hand. 

 

She left the lab and its tense silence, climbing the stairs to find her way back into the main room. She walked through the large arch leading to the area with the big tree, eyes flicking to the single necklace that rested on one of its bare branches. Amicia had taken Hugo's before she left, in turn leaving her own. 

 

The dark-haired girl stopped in front of the necklace, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Her fingers found the carved tree of the medallion, and when it was flipped over, the words 'Amicia De Rune' were carved in fancy lettering. She pulled it off the tree, cupping the medallion and its long chain in her hands. 

 

Marion couldn't take any more loss. If Amicia didn't come back... she didn't know what she would do. She needed her, especially at a time like this. Amicia was her courage, her chevalier. Their little roles had been reversed for quite some time. Now, Marion was the damsel, Amicia her knight. She didn't quite hate the thought as she did some weeks ago. 

 

She pulled the chain over her head, allowing the cold silver to dangle at her chest. Her body was changing– though not just because of the baby. Her hair was getting longer, the ends had begun to curl, just as they had before she begged her father to shear it all off. Amicia had never seen her with long hair... Perhaps she would continue to let it grow. 

 

At the thought of her father, her good, kind, real father, her lip began to quiver. What would he think of her now? Would he be upset? Or would he take her into his arms, and press gentle kisses to the crown of her head? She had so many questions, questions that would never be answered. 

 

Marion wanted to be good to her child– just as her father was good to her. She would be a good mother, even if she didn't know how. Even if her babe was a scary, monstrous thing, she would love it... because that's what her father would've done. She might not have had a perfect mother to look up to, but she sure as hell had a perfect father. 

 

She sucked in a deep breath, allowing a few quiet tears to roll down her cheeks. She wasn't going to try and hold it back anymore– doing that only made her feel worse. 

 

"Amicia will come back to us." Marion muttered, turning to go back inside. "She's too stubborn to die." 

 

Amicia, was in fact, too stubborn to die. The next day, when Mélie, Arthur, and Rodric showed up with her unconscious in his arms, Marion felt as if a weight had been lifted off her soul. He gently laid her down on a straw mat, and Marion was immediately on her knees at her side. 

 

She brushed a strand of her light-brown hair away from her face, gently cupping her cheek. Hugo was still gone. Marion looked up at Rodric, who let out a soft sigh.

 

"We found her lying face down in a ditch... no sign of Hugo." He explained, and Marion frowned. 

 

If the Inquisition hadn't gotten him by now, the cold, or a wild animal probably did. She looked back down at Amicia... the brunette would never forgive herself. 

 

Lucas looked her over, checked her pulse... everything seemed to be fine. Her lips were slightly blue, the tips of her fingers too. Her body was frigid, clothing and hair slightly damp from the snow. The boy looked lighter– his eyes less droopy, his body moving with more vigor. Marion knew he'd be able to actually rest now, seeing as Amicia was safe. Yet, Hugo... they might never find him. 

 

Marion untied her cloak, draping the fabric over Amicia's cold body. "She's never going to forgive herself." 

 

The room went silent. Everyone knew how devoted Amicia had become to Hugo, the amount of times she had laid down her life for him... 

 

"We will keep searching–" Arthur chimed in, and Marion shook her head.

 

"Do you really think a five-year-old little boy can survive out there by himself?" Marion asked, looking up at them. That made them go quiet, again. 

 

Lucas placed a hand on her shoulder, and she sucked in a deep breath. She placed her hand over Lucas', giving it a gentle squeeze. Eventually, everyone in the room dispersed, and Marion was left alone with Amicia. 

 

She removed the now warm chain from her neck, pulling back the cloak she had draped over Amicia to place it into her cold hands. Marion kept her hands over Amicia's for a moment, letting a small frown grow on her face. They could never have it easy, could they?

Notes:

A/N

HEY gUYS it's been a minute, but I'm back! Sadly this is shorter than what I wanted to post, but it seemed like a good place to end.

I have been struggling with the plot so much 😭 I need to focus more on what's going on now instead of trying to plot out later chapters because all that is doing is messing me up. Anywhoosedoosie, school has been biting me in the ass, as always, but I'm pushing through!

I know originally, it was Hugo who took the necklace, but I kinda forgot about that... so I just did a little something in replacement :p and we see a little bit of character development/change!

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, and I'll try not to make y'all wait as long for another one 😭

(ALSO PLEASE, IF ANYONE HAS ANY CRITICISMS FOR THE PLOT/STORYLINE PLEASE LET ME KNOW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I WANNA MAKE THIS AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE OKAY THANKS BYE!)

Chapter 31: XXX

and Marion–later joined by Lucas and Mélie–had sat by Amicia's bedside for nearly an hour before the brunette woke up, gasping and disoriented. She immediately tried to sit up, breathlessly calling out for Hugo... who was nowhere near. 

 

"She's awake!" Lucas called out to Rodric and Arthur, who were outside by the forge. 

 

Marion gently cupped Amicia's cheek, letting out a quiet 'shh' as she urged her to lay back down. The brunette complied reluctantly, her eyes flickering around the room for her little brother. 

 

"Rodric, Arthur and I tracked you down." Mélie said, "You were gone for three days... you almost died!" 

 

"Hugo..." Amicia muttered, ignoring Mélie's statement as her eyes found Marion's. The dark-haired girl frowned, gently rubbing her thumb along her companion's cheek. 

 

At the subtle shake of Marion's head, Amicia looked at Lucas, then Mélie, then Rodric, and then Arthur. Each shared the same expression; sadness, alongside thinly veiled guilt. Marion moved her hand from her companion's cheek, to her hand, only for the latter to pull away as if she'd been burned. 

 

"Leave– leave me alone." Amicia choked out, rolling onto her side, back facing the rest of the group. 

 

Everyone complied, following Mélie out like ducklings trailing behind their mother. Marion didn't make any intimations that she was going to leave. She sat at Amicia's side, eyes locked on the blazing hearth. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Marion's hand inched back over to Amicia's. The brunette squeezed her hand, a quiet, strangled sob leaving her lips. 

 

"I– I said leave!" Amicia whimpered, though her tight grip on Marion's hand said otherwise. 

 

Marion simply let go, before laying down next to Amicia. She reached under the cloak draped over her companion's figure, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her body flush to her own. The slight swell of her belly poked into Amicia's back, but it didn't seem to bother her– and if it did, she said nothing of it. They laid in silence for a while before Marion spoke; it could've been ten minutes, or thirty. 

 

"Remember what you said to me?" Marion whispered, nose buried in the crook of her companion's shoulder. "That night, in the crypt..."  

 

'Your burdens are mine, and mine are yours.' 

 

"Your... your burdens are mine, and mine are yours." Amicia responded, her voice frail and shaking. 

 

Marion held Amicia tighter when she heard her let out another sob, the sound just barely louder than the previous one. The poor girl's walls were very quickly cracking and breaking, though with Marion they were never truly up in the first place. 

 

The dark-haired girl couldn't see Amicia's face, but she could guess that her eyebrows were furrowed, cobalt blue eyes filled with hot tears, and lips downturned in a shaky pout. She had always made the same face when she cried, ever since she was a little girl. 

 

"Please... my love, don't push me away." The term of endearment didn't really glide off of Marion's tongue– it more or less was shoved out. It was a bit awkward, yet it still made a little ball of warmth grow in Amicia's chest. 

 

In the moments Marion had witnessed Robert and Béatrice in the same room, they had always used those silly names for each other. As a young child, she and Amicia thought it was funny... well, it seemed to still be funny now, seeing as Amicia couldn't hold back her chuckles. 

 

If what Marion and Amicia had was anything similar to what Robert  and Béatrice had, it seemed fitting to use  silly names on each other... even if it made them giggle uncontrollably. Amicia needed that. 

 

The brunette's giggles soon turned to sobs, and all Marion could do was hold her tighter. Part of her still couldn't believe Hugo wouldn't be coming back; sweet, yet temperamental Hugo. Marion couldn't begin to imagine how Amicia felt... that little boy had very quickly become the center of her world, even if she wasn't too fond of him at first. 

 

It had taken two weeks for Amicia to finally stop searching for Hugo. She, Mélie, Arthur and Rodric had covered most of the woods surrounding the château, yet they found nothing: no footprints, no blood, no body. Nothing. Amicia couldn't even get the closure she so desperately yearned for...

 

The whole château grew more homey as time passed; little knick knacks lined most of the shelves and tables, courtesy to Mélie and Arthur, as well as Amicia. The brunette had gotten quite good at thievery, a little too good. They were supposed to be lying low, yet nothing that Marion or Lucas said ever swayed them from making trips to the nearby towns, swiping items that they most definitely didn't need. 

 

"Amicia?" Marion called out, eyeing the dark red fabric that was folded on her bedroll. It was woolen, yet soft, undoubtedly warm... and expensive. All of the surviving villages nearby were tiny– this had to have been an heirloom, or something of significance to its previous owners. 

 

"Yes?" Amicia responded, her head popping through the doorway that led to the stairwell to Lucas' lab. She and Lucas soaked in knowledge like sponges; the Chateâu D'Ombrage had a surplus of books about alchemy... Lucas and Amicia seemed determined to read them all. 

 

"What is this?" Marion asked, crossing her arms over her chest– what about stealing expensive things was laying low? 

 

"A dress?" Amicia responded, eyes flickering to the fabric, before going back to Marion. 

 

The dark-haired girl sighed. Her shift barely fit her anymore, but she preferred staying in the uncomfortably tight garment then even looking in the direction of her mothers dress. Her body was changing rapidly– faster than it would with a normal pregnancy. Sooner or later, she would've had to suck up all of her negative emotions, and just wear the damn thing. 

 

Now she didn't. Marion bent down, and picked up the folded cotehardie. The wool was surprisingly soft, it would keep her nice and warm. Little white magnolia's were embroidered into the neckline, standing out against the dark red fabric. 

 

"It's... very nice." Marion said, her voice quieter now that Amicia had walked next to her. She couldn't even be mad at Amicia; it was a beautiful garment, warm and comfortable. "Thank you."

 

"Good, I'm– I'm glad you like it." Amicia responded, clasping her hands together as a light pink hue grew on her freckled cheeks. 

 

Three weeks had passed by the time Marion realized things just might be alright. On the nights sleep evaded her till the early morning hours, she would catch Amicia talking to the baby. The first time it had happened, Marion could barely act like she was asleep. It pulled at her heart– listening to Amicia's quiet, tender voice as she spoke about her day, the world around them, just about anything she could think of. 

 

Sometimes the brunette would even poke at Marion's stomach, hoping to get a reaction out of the baby that was most definitely too small to do such, or place a gentle palm over it. Those were the times where Marion would allow herself to subtly open one of her eyes, just so she could catch a glimpse at the look on Amicia's face. 

 

It was nice to see her lover content. The sight of her eyelids drooping with relaxation, her jaw un-clenching, and lips slightly curling up into a half-smile gave Marion the impression that peace didn't always evade them. They finally had a moment to just breathe– it was a shame that Hugo wasn't there to enjoy it with them. 

 

"I.. I hated you at first." Amicia admitted, the furrow of her eyebrow returning. "All you reminded me of was... was that bâtard, and what he did to Marion." 

 

"But you can't control existing... and, well, you are not him, just as Marion is not her father, and I am not mine." She continued, her face softening once again. 

 

"You'll be a good person... your Mummy is a good person, and I am a good person, and Mêlie is a good person... I suppose Rodric and Arthur are also good people, but I am cross with them." A smile grew on her face, and her pointer finger traced little circles onto Marion's stomach. It was hard for the latter to not move and ruin the moment– it was a tickly feeling. "They think that one of them should be your Papa because they are boys– I think that's rubbish." 

 

"I am with Marion, so that means I am your Papa, no matter what those oafs say." Amicia whispered, bringing her face close to Marion's stomach as if telling a dark secret. "Let them compare cock sizes while we watch and laugh." 

 

Marion bit the inside of her lip, stifling a chuckle at Amicia's words. Christ, some of the things that came out of that girl's mouth were unbelievable. The sound of Amicia's voice, and her gentle hand on Marion's belly eventually lulled the dark-haired girl into a peaceful slumber.

Notes:

A/N

Papamcia in the chat?? No because lowk Arthur would NOT do that, he would leave for milk immediately (sorry not sorry Arthur we luv you!!), but this is my fanfiction, and I do what I want (within reasonable limits, of course).

I snuck a single vocab word from my last unit into this chapter. If you can guess which one it was, I'll... give you a cupcake idk.

Anyways, I'm already so attached to the little supernatural infection baby 💔💔 if y'all have name suggestions, please drop them 🙏

GOODNIGHT GUYS, I'm gonna hit the hay (aka play sims 4 for six hours straight)

Chapter 32: XXXI

JANUARY, 1349 

It was a frigid day, the midwinter air blowing over the land, scattering freshly fallen snow; small animals burrowing into their homes. The children of the Château d’Ombrage were also burrowing, so to speak. They had prepared their home for winter as best as they could, storing food with the hopes that it wouldn’t rot, stealing thicker blankets, and adding layers to their clothing. 

Marion had swapped out her makeshift cloak for a real one– courtesy of Amicia, who couldn’t seem to keep her fingers still. Its brown fur was thick, heavy, and warm; fit for a proper lady. Marion was no such thing, but she allowed herself to pretend. The dark-haired girl had been doing a lot of pretending. She almost felt like she was eight again, chasing chickens without a care in the world. 

Amicia was doing a lot of pretending too. She tried to make the others believe that she was getting over Hugo’s… disappearance, but Marion could see through her like she was a thin sheet of glass. She could see the longing in her lover's eyes whenever she gazed over the vast expanse just beyond the Château, and the tears that pooled whenever she thought of the boy for a second too long. 

Marion placed one of her hands on the small of Amicia’s back, resting her head on the taller girl’s shoulder. Amicia tensed slightly at the touch, before relaxing– she was always alert. Always on guard. 

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay out here any longer.” Marion said, voice slightly hoarse. She’d had a particularly bad coughing fit the day prior, leaving her throat sore and body weak. The freezing temperatures never helped her poor lungs… 

“You’re one to talk.” Amicia replied, and Marion lifted her head from her shoulder, raising one of her thick eyebrows. 

Amicia just let out a soft chuckle, head turning back towards the view beyond the Château. That faraway look returned to her blue eyes, and Marion’s lips turned down in a barely-noticeable pout. Her hand moved from the small of her companion’s back to intertwine their fingers, Marion’s warm palm flush against Amicia’s cold one. 

“What are you thinking about?” Marion asked, her voice quiet. 

Amicia squeezed Marion’s hand, her breath hitching, eyebrows furrowing. Marion had very quickly realized that Amicia didn’t really open up to anyone in their little posse. The brunette was their natural ‘leader’ of sorts, like she was the Queen of their Château… and with that came the responsibility of being the responsible one. The unbreakable one– the one you could depend on no matter what. 

But Amicia was human. She had feelings, feelings that shouldn’t be locked in; no matter how strong she believed she was. She had needs, and wants, and days where she had the motivation to do nothing but contemplate her life… and Marion was always there, loyally at her side throughout it all. 

Marion was there to wash away the blood from her hands after skinning what meager animals they were able to hunt, there to brush her hair after it had been left in that damned braid for nearly three months… 

“Nothing…” Amicia said, before furrowing her eyebrows. She sucked in a deep breath, looking down at her slightly calloused hands. 

“I… every night I dream of him.” Amicia admitted, eyes finding Marion’s. “I know he’s gone, and… I can’t stop my mind from constantly racing: was he afraid? Was… was it quick?” 

The dark-haired girl gently squeezed her companion’s hand, her lips morphing into a small frown. Amicia had told her about these dreams– nightmares, more like. The brunette woke up nearly every morning in a cold sweat, the sun still barely rising over the land. 

“I don’t– I didn’t want him to suffer… I hope he didn’t suffer.” Amicia’s lip quivered, and she looked away from Marion. 

The dark-haired girl sucked in a deep breath, fighting back tears of her own. She tried not to think about… that too much. Hugo was too little– he was practically still a babe in her eyes! If it was the Inquisition that got him, Marion doubted he’d have enough time to process and actually be afraid… but if it was the cold, or an illness, that was another story. 

Marion kept her mouth shut, caught in a moment where she just couldn’t push her words past her lips. She rested her head on Amicia’s shoulder, giving her hand a firm squeeze. The brunette responded in kind, before moving their hands towards Marion’s belly. She brushed her pointer finger along the slight swell, her touch featherlight. 

While Marion’s pregnancy was still not the most noticeable to the unsuspecting eye, she already felt like a different person. Her once gaunt face had rounded out again, her body filling out in a way it never had before. Her belly had also grown a bit– the only pregnancy she had really witnessed was Béatrice’s, and she couldn’t recall the woman having such rapid changes… then again, she was eight, and ignorant. 

“How are you feeling?” Amicia asked, changing the subject and blinking back her tears. 

Marion sighed, “Tired… and cold, and I need to pee, and I think I should go inside before I cough up a lung.”

Amicia let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head before unlatching their hands to place her hand on Marion’s back. 

“Well, you go take care of that.” Amicia said, guiding her lover inside. “I need to light the braziers– it's getting dark.” 
Marion nodded: lighting the brazier’s had become a nightly ritual of Amicia’s… she quite literally couldn’t sleep if she didn’t light them. None of them could. 

“Amicia…” Marion said, pulling Amicia’s attention back to her. “I’ll brew you some St. John's wort.” 

The drink had always helped her when she was constantly having those nightmares– the one with the black void, and the strange baby. Lucas taught her how to brew it, though she had to admit, he made it better. She’d always shake him awake in the middle of the night, like a small child who’d gotten sick, just so she wouldn’t have to brew it herself. 

Marion could practically sense the denial crawling up Amicia’s throat, so she quickly lifted her skirts and scurried back into the main room. 

It had taken a few tries, at least forty-five minutes, and a quick bathroom break for Marion to make a brew she was happy with… it smelled right, so it had to have tasted right. Still, it all went to shit when the loud squeaking from outside grew louder, and her bad hands failed her. She dropped the cup, the wood clattering to the floor, steaming liquid splattering against the cold stone. 

Marion let out a groan, and bent down so she could pick up the cup, only to pause when the faint sound of Rodric’s worried shouts reached her ears. The dark-haired girl furrowed her eyebrows, and decided that the stupid cup could wait. Straightening herself, she abandoned the cup on the floor, walking down the main stairwell and out into the cold. 

Marion tensed, eyes widening as she took in the scene, the rats flowing out  into the courtyard like a sea of thick, black oil. How the hell were the pits overflowing? Were the rats just magically appearing? Were they growing, or crawling up the walls, or– 

Amicia and Arthur were stuck. Right in the middle of all the chaos. 

“No!” Marion shouted frantically, running to the edge of the platform. 

Mélie grabbed her by her bicep, preventing her from getting any closer, and doing anything rash. The dark-haired girl just watched the whole thing with wide eyes, chest heaving with panicked breaths. If she didn’t calm down, she’d soon be coughing blood into the palms of her hands. 

Amicia clenched her jaw, looking down at the rats, before looking over to her friends. Her eyes landed on Marion, who already looked like she was in a mild state of panic, and her breath hitched. “Go! Get inside!” She ordered, with a wave of her hand. 

Notes:

| A/N |

I can't believe I haven't updated since October ;-; life happens I guess

Anyways, THE NEW SEASON OF ARCANE??? My soul is crushed. Gone. Dead.

There are only a few chapters left of Act I... I've been working on this since I was in middle school, now I'm a freshman. Thank you to everyone who has been here since the beginning 🫶🫶 and don't worry, it's not ending yet lol there's still gonna be a second act, and possibly a third. Yayayaya

This is my first time writing a pregnant character, so bear with me 😭 AND DO. NOT. DRINK ST. JOHNS WORT IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, IT IS NOT SAFE.

Just don't do it! K love y'all bye 😘

Chapter 33

Notes:

heyyy.... haiii :33 Hiiiiiiiiii.

so. happy new year??? oops. I definitely didn't put this away for four months because of an Arcane fixation. Why would I do that??

'OMG GUYS NEXT CHAPTER IS GONNA BE SO LONG!!!' I says, as I lie through my teeth. It's literally not. WHAT EVER OKAY, HERE ARE YOUR SCRAPS BE HAPPY :(((

Marion, as always can't catch a break (What else do we expect???) Also gonna be honest, pregnancy arc wasn't supposed to happen till after the events of requiem. I was stupid, added it to this, and am now contemplating my life. macula baby better watch out, because idk how I'm gonna deal with it...

Marion allowed herself to be pulled inside by Mélie, unshed tears resting in her eyes. For the past week or so, her emotions had been running on overdrive… the smallest things would set her off, whether the emotion be happiness, or anger, or panic. Now, she was panicking. 

 

“She– they– Mélie, we can’t leave them out there!” Marion argued, and Mélie glared at her.

 

“There is nothing we can do!” Mélir spat, grabbing Marion by her biceps, and shaking her. “You think I want to leave my brother out there with those fucking things?” 

 

“Both of you, shut up!” Lucas shouted over them both, his hands frustratedly clenching at his sides.

 

His command made the entire room go quiet, save for the incessant squeaking just beyond the heavy, oaken door. Lucas was a quiet boy, a bit stuck in his shell… he usually wasn’t one to raise his voice like that. 

 

“Arguing will get us nowhere…” The alchemist-in-training continued, voice softening.

 

Marion sucked in a deep breath as Mélie released her, crossing her arms over her chest, and cupping her now tender biceps. Lucas was right… and in all honesty, so was Mélie. There really wasn’t anything they could do but hope Arthur and Amicia could get themselves out of that mess.  

 

The dark-haired girl clenched her jaw, willing away her tears of fear, frustration, and anger– every negative emotion under the sun. 

 

This was just great. Now she was cross with Mélie when they needed each other the most, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of her firm grip, the way it left her arms tender and… and brain buzzing. 

 

Marion squeezed her arms tighter, trying to be rid of that nasty pit in her belly… It was an ugly feeling, one that hadn’t reared its ugly head in a while. It just needed to come in a moment where she needed a sound mind. The girl tried to even her breathing, in and out, over and over again. She couldn’t control the anxious beat of her heart, anxious from worrying over her friend, and lover, anxious from reminders of memories not yet dead and buried. 

 

Rodric’s hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her trance, making her quickly swivel around, and slap his hand away. 

 

“No– no, I… I need…” Marion choked out, willing her voice to sound stronger than she felt. It didn’t exactly do much. What did she need?

 

The next few words were a blur; Marion was too focused on quite literally everything else to hear the ‘Now look what you’ve done!’ from Mélie, and Rodric’s angry ‘You were the one who started it!’ .

 

Marion only pulled herself to the present when the door burst open, and Amicia and Arthur came barreling up the stairs. They were both shaken– that much was clear. Shaken, and seemingly unharmed. Marion could tell from the slight tremor of Amicia’s slender fingers that whatever was out there most definitely gave them hell. 

 

“Are you alright?” Amicia asked everyone, her body almost naturally finding its way towards Marions. 

 

The dark-haired girl nodded, though there was still a bit of a haze within her brown eyes. Amicia reached over to tuck a stray curl away from Marion’s face, matching frowns decorating their pallid faces when Marion flinched away. The girl sucked in a deep breath, grabbing Amicia’s hand and squeezing it tight. She wouldn’t let herself get like that… not with Amicia, whom she cherished so much. 

 

“No, What the hell is going on?” Mélie responded, patience very quickly wearing thin. She turned to her brother, scanning him for any visible injuries. “Arthur, did you get bitten?”

 

“No… we have to get out of here.” Arthur responded, chest still heaving in air, hands on his hips. 

 

“But, the castle was made to resist…” Lucas started, but was cut off by Marion.

 

“Well, it’s not resisting now, is it?” She said, brows furrowed, tone quiet. “We have no choice, Lucas–” 

 

The wooden door came crashing down, the sound of wood splintering filling the teenager’s ears. Marion squeezed Amicia’s hand tighter, feeling her eyes widen, and breaths shorten. Rats crawled up the stairs– the only thing that kept them all from being ravaged was the light from their fading hearth. 

 

Clink. Shank. Clink. Shank. 

 

The unmistakable sound of Lord Nicholas’ heavy armor filled Marion’s ears, each step he ascended made her heart drop further into her stomach. By the time he had ascended the steps, everyone in their little posse had fled– everyone but Amicia and Marion. The dark-haired girl couldn’t find the will to move– her feet were frozen, no, chained to the stone floor. She was unable to move, unable to think. 

 

Her eyes moved to the little figure gripping onto his armored hand. The same hand that had so violently ripped away one of the only connections she had to her mother, now gently cradled Hugo’s tiny, alive hand. It felt like a mockery: even the empty look in Hugo’s eyes seemed so wrong. He was like a little mouse seated within the jaws of a lion, ready to be used, then devoured. 

 

It wasn’t long before that icy-cold fear kindled into a flame, her teeth aching from the way her jaw clenched, eyes burning with a fire she thought had been long diminished. If only she had a knife, or a rock, or a fork, she could just imagine scraping his stony-gray eyes out his fucking head–

 

“Go, and do what has to be done.” The man ordered, his deep baritone filling the room, putting out that tiny flame of courage almost instantly. 

 

“Sale gosse stupide et inutile!”

 

“Do as you wish with the useless bitch, I can’t stand to be in her presence any longer!”

 

It didn’t take much to remind Marion that she didn’t have the power in this situation. That the best, and only, thing she could do was flee. The dark-haired girl pulled Amicia away, knees quivering as she ran in the same direction the rest of the group did. 

 

Marion nearly growled once they were out by the forgery– Nicholas had Hugo this entire time? Shaping him, moulding him into something no child should be? It was so wrong… it was all so wrong. But, what was right these days? Nothing. 

 

“Ugh, the damned thing won’t open!” Mélie huffed, kicking at the old door like a petulant child. Rodric pushed her aside, using the force of his entire body to slam his shoulder into the door. It opened with a loud BANG , and the children scurried though it like the very rats they were running from. 

 

Marion lifted her skirts as she shot down the stairs, breaths growing heavier, a familiar tight sensation growing in her chest. 

 

“We can go through here!” Rodric called out, darting through a… more or less a hole in the wall. 

 

Marion rested her hands on her knees as Lucas and Mélie went through– she just.. She needed a moment. She kept her breathing measured, trying to ignore the way the cold air stung at her lungs. The brunette didn’t expect to feel a cold, armored hand grab the side of her face. Her head made contact with the wall once, twice, three times before her body finally slumped to the floor. 

 

Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. 

 

Marion couldn’t hear the world over the constant beat of her heart. 

 

Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. 

 

Blood flowing through her body, through the little body within her little body. 

 

Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. 

 

She could feel. Feel the twitchy-twitch of her working fingers, the sting in her left temple, the warm, sticky blood that began to harden on the side of her face. Hands on her shoulders, shaking. Constantly shaking– why was she being shaken? Why couldn’t she just rest? Marion was so tired. 

 

Her brown eyes flickered open, gaze hazy as she stared at the boy before her. Everything was doubled, and Arthur suddenly had a funny looking twin brother. 

 

“Marion!”  The boy practically screamed, yet Marion still felt as if his voice was muffled. 

 

The girl sucked in a deep breath, eyes widening as one of her shaky hands drifted towards her belly. She let out a quiet whimper, her eyes flickering away from Arthur, to her surroundings. Her vision began to clear, the slight ringing in her ears ceasing. Her free hand drifted to her temple, only to be coated in a layer of warm, sticky blood. 

 

Marion was bleeding. Nicholas slammed her head into the wall, and Amicia– 

 

Amicia was gone. 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of A Plague Tale: Innocence