[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 141 - 28: Frozen Thorns [6]

Chapter 141: Chapter 28: Frozen Thorns [6]

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. Fortunately, the shock wore off quickly, and Oliver was the first to speak.

"Holding her hostage? Are you saying that the third traveler’s got Beatrice locked up on the fifth floor?!" he said, voice dripping with disbelief.

But why?

Why would that man go this far?

Perhaps it was desperation that was driving him, which was something that Oliver couldn’t completely fault him for. Still, if the man harmed Beatrice, any chance of negotiation would vanish. That would be the end of the line, and there would be no sympathy left for the three people who tried to save them.

Oliver had been among the first to approach the travelers. He had a good initial impression of them and thought that they were good people.

He still wanted to believe that, but...

The situation right now was starting to make him have doubts.

"He—He said he’d hurt her if his friends aren’t freed!" Solana blurted out, her face reddening as her nerves got the better of her. She fidgeted, twisting her fingers together anxiously. The poor girl. She had always been prone to panic in tense situations such as this. "He’s demanding they be released, or—or Beatrice’s life is forfeit...!"

"That rat bastard...!" one villager cursed under his breath.

"What floor is he on again?!" another demanded. "I’d like to give him a piece of my mind!"

"The fifth floor, yeah? There’s loads of us here. We could surround him and—"

"No

!" Solana cut in hastily. "I mean — he’s locked himself and Beatrice in a room. He’s tied her up and gagged her! And I—I think he’s got a knife and some fire spheres, too!"

"Fire spheres?! How the hell did he get those? From the rooms with the fireplaces?"

Oliver’s mind raced. This was spiraling out of control.

At this rate, defending the travelers wasn’t an option anymore.

"Well, what the hell are we waiting for?! Let’s go and save her!"

"But—But if he locked themselves in a room, how do you reckon we’ll save her?"

"He’s threatening to hurt her! What if he follows through? What’ll we tell Geffroy, then?! Can we even face him afterwards?"

"Should we... should we fetch the Guardian from outside?"

"Oh, for the love of — stop being blithering fools for one second! Let’s just head upstairs first!"

***

Ardyn’s heart was thudding incessantly in his chest as he swallowed the nervous lump that formed in his throat.

He had never done anything like this before. This was quite possibly the craziest idea he had ever carried out in his entire life. Not even his days of mischief as a prankster and a short-tempered menace came close to this!

Just five minutes ago, he’d been in the same room as Beatrice and Solana. The plan was to stage the scene in the furthest room down the hallway, a storage room with no windows and a lock on the inside. The walls weren’t soundproof, so every sound could be heard clearly as long as it was loud enough.

"Are you sure it’s okay?" Ardyn asked nervously for what felt like the third time.

Beatrice remained calm as always. "I have already given you my permission to do so," she told him. "This needs to be done in order to complete the act. No need to feel guilty. As I said, I am merely paying off my debt."

Solana stood a few paces away, still wringing her fingers nervously.

She had reluctantly agreed to the plan, and Beatrice had told her that she would be the best person to warn everyone else since she could be quite convincing once she went into panic mode.

"Sorry about this," Ardyn muttered, the guilt gnawing at him. The discomfort wrapped around him like a thick blanket of fog, but backing out wasn’t an option. If he didn’t go through with this now, there would never be another chance like this again.

"There is no need to apologize," Beatrice said quietly. "I agreed to this. But if you wish to make it up to me, promise me this: leave the village with your friends peacefully, without harming anyone. That’s all I ask."

Her words made him lift his head and gaze at her in determination. "I won’t hurt anyone. That’s a promise," he assured her.

That made her lips curl into a small, relieved smile. "Then I will be counting on you." She turned her head towards Solana with a nod. "You as well, Solana. Please do this for me."

Despite her reluctance, Solana gave a small nod. She, too, had made her choice.

Ardyn finished tying the rope around Beatrice’s torso and hands, looping it just enough to look convincing without causing her any discomfort.

When he tied the knot, he made it snug but also loose enough for her to escape quickly if necessary. It was important to create the illusion of a hostage situation without taking it too seriously to the point of harm.

Then, he tied the strip of cloth around her mouth, just as he had done with the rope. Not too tight, but loose enough that it would fall off if she exerted enough force.

Ardyn stood and nodded at her, then turned to Solana. Solana seemed less reluctant this time and more resigned.

"Go," Beatrice commanded as she stood up easily.

When Ardyn and Solana exited through the door, they immediately heard a clicking sound from inside, indicating that Beatrice had locked it. Now all that remained was to carry out the second phase of the plan.

Solana sighed and steeled herself, then nodded to Ardyn.

"I shall go now," she said, before running to the stairs and immediately calling for help.

As she did so, Ardyn darted into the empty room right next to the one Beatrice was in and closed the door with a soft click. He locked it securely with the bolt and knob, then turned around.

There, on the floor in front of the open window, was the pile of rope that Beatrice had hurriedly placed there earlier.

It was time.

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