Chapter 34

Tw// Blood

Tivon closed his eyes. Calm down Tivon. Breathe. Just breathe. He took a deep breath. Calm yourself and think. He managed to calm his breathing, but his body was still shivering. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. What would Elias do?

He laughed at himself. Who am I kidding? I'm not him.

The door behind Tivon unlocked and when Tivon turned around, it opened, his mother running to him.

»Mom?«

She hugged him tight. »Oh, Tivon.«

Tivon smiled. He was in the comfort of her mother's arms once again. But something didn't feel right.

Gyla gave him his bag with his medicine and his journal. She cupped Tivons face with her gentle hands, her right hand going through Tivons scar. »Oh, Tivon what did they do to you?«

Tivon was shocked to see her mother hiding her disgust. He slipped out of her hands and stepped backwards.

»They didn't do anything to me. I cut the hair myself.«

»Why would you do that Tivon? Your father won't like it.« She said her voice gentle.

Tivon looked at her angrily. »I could care less about what he thinks.«

She tried to get closer to him. »Tivon. How could you talk about your fath-«

»Why do you let him manipulate with you!?« Interrupted Tivon.

Gyla stopped. »W-what?«

»You do everything he says. Tell me mother, when was the last time you did something you wanted to do, but he said that you shouldn't. Tell me, when?«

Tivon wasn't sure what he was saying, but he knew that it was the truth. He could see it every time his mother was around the king. She was living in his shadow.

»Tivon...«

»He probably never told you that I ran away on my own.« Gyla gasped for air. »That's right. I ran away. But he told you about the alliance with The Rose Sparrow, didn't he?«

Tivon let out his whole anger, trapped in him since his father first rejected him.

»Tivon I-«

»Did you know?!« Screamed Tivon, feeling hot tears running down his cheeks.

Gyla closed her eyes and sighed. »I knew. I knew for years.«

That was all Tivon needed. He turned away.

»Leave...«

She stepped forward, reaching her hands for her dear son she just betrayed. »Tivon.«

»Leave!« Screamed Tivon.

Gyla stopped, tears falling down her cheeks. She turned away and left the room running, locking the doors behind her.

Tivon dropped his bag, trying to wipe away his tears, but they just keep coming out. His mother, his only comfort in this family, his home, had betrayed him. Everyone around Tivon had betrayed him.

No. The tears stopped. He did not betray me. I need to find him. He ran to the window and took a look at the lock. He reached for his bag, glad to feel the familiar two metal picks and his dagger. He pulled them out and started lockpicking. He was relieved at how quickly the lock gave lose. He opened the door, letting in the rain. He stepped on the window still.

The thunderstorm in the night was raging hard on the quiet kingdom. Tivon carefully looked down. He had to grip the edges of the window when he saw the long fall down. He closed his eyes. It's okay, it's okay. He opened his eyes and looked around. On the left there was a roof, leading to a window where Tivon knew the guards wouldn't be standing. He just had to jump.

He closed his eyes, breathed in and then he jumped.

Elias saw Tivon. He saw his unconscious body disappearing into the deep sea. He tried to swim to him, but the more he swam, further away Tivon was. Eliass whole body was in pain, but he kept reaching for Tivon. If it were the last thing, Elias did in this world, he would save Tivon. He didn't know for how long he could do it, but he was determined that he will safe Tivon. And for a moment he imagined he heard him say his name.

Tivon ran without thinking about the jump he just made. He just barely made it, almost slipping off, because of the rain. He ran through underground tunnels, only known to him and Rea. He knew the complex structure of them by heart. Tivon was headed towards the jail cells.

He came out through the narrow crack in the wall hidden behind a pile of barrels. He exited it and entered a hallway. He carefully looked to see how many guards, he would have to deal with. There were two standing by a door. Why only two? He was certain that Elias was behind that door, but why were there only two guards. This doesn't mean anything good.

Tivon ran towards them eyes full of panic.

»Guards!« He screamed. »They're here!«

The guards recognized him. »Sir? What are you doing here?«

»Aren't you with your father?« Said the other one.

»He sent me to tell you to immediately go to the harbor. We've been attacked by pirates.«

»What?!«

»You need to hurry!« Said Tivon, his panicked eyes looking from one guard to the other.

»Y-yeah.« Said the guard already running down the hall. The other one looked at Tivon.

»Stay here prince. Down here is more safe.«

He tried to leave, but Tivon stopped him, by grabbing the end of his coat. »Thank you. I will tell my father about your quick response.«

He smiled. »Thank you my prince.«

And he ran towards the harbor. Tivon smiled and looked at the key, he slipped out of guard's pocket. When he couldn't hear their footsteps, he turned to the door and unlocked them.

He was relived to see Elias, but his eyes quickly saw the blood at his side and down on the floor.

»Elias.«

He ran to him and unlocked the chains around his wrist, Elias fell into his arms.

»Elias?«

Please tell me I'm not too late. Please. He put his hand on Elias face. It was still warm. »Elias!«

Say something. Please, please, please.

Elias moved his face slightly. »T-Tivon?« He managed with a weak voice.

That was enough for Tivon. He grabbed Elias mask and put it in his bag. He put Elias arm around his shoulder. »Let's get you out of here.«

He ran outside to the hallway, glad that Elias had enough energy that he could walk. Tivon didn't bother locking the door behind him. If they found out Tivon was missing, they would soon enough find out that Elias is missing too. He helped Elias get through the small crack and then again put his hand over him.

Tivon quickened his step, but still made sure Elias could keep up with him.

»W-what is this place?«

»Ancient underground tunnels. Try not to talk too much.«

»Where a-are we going?« His voice was getting weaker and weaker.

»Somewhere where they won't find us.«

He made a turn left and then a right turn, following with a left turn. Even if Elias wasn't losing his consciousness every minute, he couldn't memorize the turns they had made.

They went up the stairs and they found themselves in a narrow hallway. But it wasn't a hallway. It was the inside of the castle wall. Right beside the stairs there was a crack in the wall. Elias could feel the little breeze coming from it. They squeezed through into the rainy night.

There was a dense forest right beside it, and before anyone could see them from the castle walls, they ran into it.

They ran deeper into the forest, Tivon looking at Elias to see if he needed to stop. They quickly reached a big rock, covered in moss. Tivon leaded them around it where Elias could barely see an entering. Tivon helped him get in, reveling a small cave.

Tivon sat Elias down and turned to the middle of the cave, where there was a fireplace. He managed to make a small fire. Elias wanted to warn him not to do that in the cave, but he quickly saw a little opening on the ceiling of the cave.

Suddenly he felt a sudden pain in his side. Tivon heard it, even though Elias tried to hide it. He ran to the other side of the cave, grabbing a clean cloth, needle and a thread. He put the needle on the fire, sterilizing it. He turned to Elias and pulled up his shirt carefully. He cleaned the wound and put the thread in the needle.

»This will hurt.«

He started sewing Elias up. Elias looked down. He was trying to hide his pain, but with every poke, his body shivered.

»Try to stay still.«

His hands are shaking. He moved his hand to his and brushed his fingers against his.

»P-please stay still.« Tivons voice was shaking, the words stuck in his throat. Elias looked up at his face. He noticed a red mark from what Elias figured out was from a hard hit.

»He hurt you...« He brushed his fingers over the redness of his cheek. »Because of me.«

»It's not because of you.« Said Tivon sharply, avoiding his eyes, focusing on the wound.

»I've put you in danger. We've both got captured because of me.«

The poke of the needle going through his skin sting him like hell. He could still feel the twisting knife in his side.

»Stop moving!« Tivon tried to steady his hands. He took a breath. »It's a good thing that father doesn't know anatomy. He just barely missed your kidney.«

Elias looked around the cave. This couldn't be just a random normal cave. There were some blankets, a basket of some sort of things Elias couldn't see and the walls of the cave were painted with little drawings.

»What is this p-place?« Asked Elias.

»Reas and my hideout. I wasn't allowed to go outside the castle, so Rea and I found out about the secret tunnels and then this cave by accident.« Tivon smiled, finishing the final stitch. »This was our little secret that no one knew about. It is a secret still to this day.«

Elias smiled. To have a childhood like that. He could only dream about it.

Tivon put the clean cloth on the stitched wound. »You should rest. I'll get back to the castle to get some supplies.«

He tried to stand up, but Elias grabbed his hand.

»N-no please don't.« He tried to find the right words. The words he was so afraid to say out loud. »I don't want to be alone. I don't want to d-die alone.«

Even though Elias looked like all his strength was leaving him, his grip was tight.

»If I don't get the medicine and food, you will die.«

»Tivon, please. Stay...« He gripped tighter and looked down. His voice was weak. »Promise me you'll stay.«

Tivon could feel him shaking. Elias was scared. He held his hand and sat beside him, close, so that he could warm him with his body.

»Okay.« He whispered. »I promise.«

»T-thank you.« Managed Elias before he drawed off to sleep.

Tivon knew if he stayed that Elias might not make it through the night. But he couldn't leave him. He couldn't leave him alone. It pained him, but he stayed.