White Rose by Gao Yang (best ebook reader for ubuntu .TXT) 📖

PART 4 - FINDING STRENGTH

 "Sometimes the strongest among us are the ones who smile through silent pain, cry behind closed doors, and fight battles nobody knows about." ~ Unknown Author

 

Chapter 14

 

Everyone was in panic and the King came rushing into the ballroom and asked what was going on.

 

"Gracious, what has happened?!" The King shouted and the guards quickly move around to the door to greet his highness. "I thought you were all responsible for the event!" The King was furious, then the Queen came rushing in.

 

"My dear, what on earth?" The Queen was shocked to see the sight.

 

Bryce rushed up to King Henry and told what happened. "There's appears to be assassins present in the room, sir." The King's jaw drops at the words and looks at Bryce. "I'd suggest you block off all entrances. No one comes or leaves. If they do, we hold hostage and ask them questions." The King nodded and agreed with Bryce's suggestion.

 

Bryce then sneaked off to find Isabella; he made sure no one was following him, but little does he know Jack and Colin were following him down the halls.

 

"Where's he going?" Jack whispered to Colin as they carefully and quietly followed Bryce outside into the woods.

 

"Where's Isabella?" Colin asked Jack and he looked at him. Jack became in furious and ran after Bryce. "Jack?!" Colin followed Jack as he followed Bryce into the woods. Colin stopped and looked around his surroundings and just kept running.

 

"Oh Bryce!" He stopped as soon as he heard someone's voice, almost like singing but it wasn't Jack's voice. It was someone else's, one whom Colin couldn't recognized. "You've been after me for decades." He followed the sound of the voice, which lead him to the edge of the forest where he found Isabella the other night. "You couldn't even catch me, in fact you couldn't even kill me!"

 

Colin was trying to figure out who was who but he didn't know these people. He looked around and saw nobody else but those two having a face off.

 

"I've been trying." The other one said, who he assumed was Bryce. "And I've been waiting for this battle. You and I, on a face off battle with each other. You were actually my best friend, Stephen." Now Colin finally figured out who's who, the one who Bryce was after was Stephen.

 

"Face it Bryce, there's no one here. No one was ever there for you. Face it, you have no friends to help you." Then came another person, one who Stephen wouldn't have thought of: Percy.

 

"He's not my friend but he is my brother. He still has me." Percy growled as he stood next to Bryce. Stephen looked at the both of them and growled as he was becoming frustrated.

 

"You think Isabella is never going to find out about your secret? Don't forget Bryce, you are an immortal and as for her? She's as pure with great beauty as a white rose." He growled as Nate brought in Isabella and hold her neck with his claws.

 

"No--!" Bryce said and Stephen interrupted him.

 

"Bryce, if you want her to get of this alive, you alone, will have to face me and Sebastian." Isabella gasps as he continues. "But if you lose, you'll have to move out of the castle and give up your title." Bryce was debating on what to decide. "And if you don't follow the following, I'll kill her myself and let her blood be the water of this village and her body be the food that the village eats."

 

Isabella yelled out for Bryce; he looked at her with pity. "Bryce! You don't have to do this." He looked at her with confusion. "Stephen doesn't even know what he's talking about. Using my life on a bet against you, probably the most foolish things I've seen ever used." Stephen growled and rushed up to her, pushing Nate out of the way. He now had her life on the very palm of his hands.

 

"You have my word, Bryce. If you win, she lives, along with everyone else. If you lose, she dies and you lose everything." Percy looked at Bryce and pulled him back to talk to him.

 

"Don't, he's just betting her life and yours to get himself to the top. You know that." Bryce looked at Percy and then at Isabella.

 

"Right now, she just wants me to do the right thing and not fight with Stephen." He turned to Stephen who was still waiting for an answer. Isabella, on the other hand, was still in the hands of Matthew.

 

"I've made my decision." He said as he walked up to Stephen.

 

Stephen smirked as he had his claws closer to Isabella's neck. "Then let's hear it."

 

Bryce looked at Isabella and nodded. Isabella didn't have to hear it but she already knew what he chose. "First, let her go. She's no threat to you or me." Stephen scoffed and released her. She rushed to Bryce and Percy's side. "Are you okay?"

 

"It's okay. I'm okay. They didn't do anything to me." She quickly said to them. Then they looked at Stephen who was still waiting.

 

"So? What's your final answer?" Stephen said as he put his hands up.

 

Bryce looked at them and then turned to Stephen and said it. "Fine. I'll fight you and Sebastian." Percy and Isabella looked at Bryce and pulled him back.

 

"Are you insane?!" Isabella yelled at Bryce as they spoke to each other about his decision. "I thought I told you to not risk your life for mine."

 

Percy walked up to her and held her back and talked to Bryce. "Bryce, you know the price if you do this?" He looked at Percy and nodded.

 

"I understand my consequences and I accept my consequences." Isabella scoffed in disbelief.

 

"Bryce, I don't care what Stephen and Nate have done to any of you in the past, but you are risking your life for nothing." Bryce looked at her with confusion.

 

"I am willingly doing this for you." He settled the ground between him and Isabella. He looked at Percy and told him to keep an eye on Isabella. "I'm gotta go now before anything else happens, and we're all dead. Percy, take Isabella back to the village and make sure no one follows you there. If anyone follows you there with her, kill them." Percy nodded and pulled Isabella back. "Go with Percy back to the village. But I promise I'll come back alive."

 

"What? No! I'm staying here with you." Bryce turned back around to her and told her the same thing.

 

"Go with Percy back to the village." Isabella looked at Bryce and fought to stay with him. "I can't risk your life again. As I already told you, I am willingly doing this for you myself. Please go with Percy back to the village." She didn't fight back but she stood there frozen. "Percy." Percy looked at Bryce and nodded.

 

Percy walked up to Isabella and took her back to the village. They both left Bryce in the forest by himself and headed back to the village. It was nearly morning after the interrogation between Stephen and Bryce.

 

Meanwhile, Colin and Jack followed Percy and Isabella back to the village. Colin watched as Percy had his arm around her, protecting her; he watched as she walked with somebody else other than him.

 

He knew she loved him. He knew she had risked everything for him. But he couldn't watch his girlfriend be with someone else and risking her life to save someone else.

 

Percy and Isabella finally made it back to the village but Isabella felt something wasn't right. She felt something was off. "We should've never left Bryce back there." She said as she turned back around but Percy blocked her way. "Percy, get out of my way, please." But he didn't budge.

 

"Where are you going?" She pushed him out of the way. "Isabella!" She stopped and turned around.

 

"I'm going back in there and help Bryce." Percy walked up to her and pulled her back the other direction. "Let me go, Percy!" She yelled at him but he didn't care. He was just doing what he was told to do. "Percy!"

 

"I belive she told you to let her go!" They both stopped and turned around. Isabella saw Colin walking up to them. "She told you to let go." Percy looked at the stranger distinctfully.

 

"And who do you think you might be?" Colin didn't answer him but he let go of Isabella. They both stood face to face and then Percy pushed Colin to the ground. "Even if you don't tell me who you are, but I can definitely tell you your name since you don't know it. You're Colin Myers, the son of Frank Myers. The man who was arrested by our King three days ago for treason." Isabella watched as Percy turned into somebody she never seen in Percy before. She felt nothing but fear of Percy. "I'd like to see what the King will say when the son of one of his prisoners has committed treason as well."

 

Isabella rushed in front of Percy and begged him to spare Colin's life. "Percy! Please, I beg of you." She felt to her knees. "I don't care what you do to my life but I only ask you one thing, is to not kill Colin." Percy looked at her dumbfounded.

 

"What's your relation with him?" He said as he pulled out his sword and held it under her neck.

 

She looked at Colin and then Percy. Just say it. Save Colin. Do it now! "He's the love of my life. Please Percy. Spare his life." Colin looked at Isabella and immediately denied it.

 

"I don't know her." He looked at Percy. Percy, however, was confused on what was going on. "I don't know why she's doing this but I do not know her." Isabella turned her head to look at Colin; she felt nothing but betrayed by Colin. He saw the confusion and anger in her eyes, then he looked away, cutting eye contact with her. "My Lord, do whatever you please with me." He closed his eyes and kneeled in front of Percy.

 

Isabella didn't know how react. She just sat there while Percy was debating on what to do. She looked at Percy and dashed off back into the forest to find Bryce.

 

"Isabella!" Percy shouted as he only saw her shadow leaving back into the forest. He looked at the stranger who was still kneeling and he drawed his sword away. Colin opened his eyes as he saw Percy running back inside the forest.

 

Colin then felt really regretful for doing that in front of Isabella. He saw how she looked at him when