Thierry decided he was committed to releasing the woman. The problem was, was that there was no way he could do it without being killed or sentenced to death. If he wanted to live, he too, would have to disappear along with Prudence.
The cold, night wind was biting into his bones while Thierry worked on pitching his tent and considered his next move. When the two had finished setting up their tents, the prince said, “Well, I guess I’ll go to bed. Bring Prudence in, please.”
Thierry bowed slightly. “Of course.”
Prudence, whose hands were still tied behind her back, was glaring at him judgmentally, and he was glad he was about to make the choice he was about to make.
It was freeing.
He grabbed Prudence by her ropes, hauling her to her feet. While he did so, he whispered, “I’m going to cut your ropes. When I do so, I need you to run.”
Prudence dragged her feet through the dirt, slowing them both down. “I won’t go anywhere without my son. He has no eyes; I need you to guide him to me when you free me.”
Thierry nodded. “Of course. You’ll have to trust me, though.”
“Doesn’t matter. If you don’t do it, I will.” Prudence answered.
Thierry smiled at her devotion to her son; her devotion to something worthwhile. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Hurry it up, Thierry.” The prince said with a yawn.
“Of course, sir.” Thierry replied. He brought Prudence a little closer to the prince—so she was just beyond his reach--and then unsheathed his blade and sliced the ropes bounding Prudence. Prudence dashed away, consistently looking back to make sure Thierry would release her son.
The prince was stunned. “What on earth are you doing, Thierry? You know I could have you executed for this?”
Thierry wasn’t listening; he was already dashing to Prudence’s son and cutting his ropes. He swept the boy up in his arms, running him over to his mother. The prince was hot in pursuit, mounting his horse and chasing after them.
Thierry caught up to Prudence, holding her son. “You take your boy; I’ll fight the prince.”
Prudence shook her head. “That’s stupid. Let’s go together. You’re a good man.”
Thierry wanted to answer that he was through with living, but the light and belief in the woman’s eyes made him believe that, perhaps, he had something more to offer than his sword. He decided to run away with Prudence.
***
Thierry withdrew his sword, closing his eyes. “I won’t kill you.”
“Really?” Prudence replied angrily. “Because I would kill you at the drop of a hat. Kill me now, if you wish to be rid of me. If I die, I can be reunited with my boy. If I live, then I can continue seeking vengeance for him.”
Thierry gritted his teeth. “Do you really think this is what he would want, Prudence? In the end he was—”
Prudence interrupted, “Don’t talk about things you don’t understand!” She dove at Thierry—pinning him to the ground and catching him by surprise—she growled like a wild animal, wresting the sword from Thierry’s hand and pressing it to his throat. She panted, her brown hair frazzled and tangled with sweat. Thierry closed his eyes, complacent in his death. Somehow, letting her have her revenge felt fitting to him. Day-by-day, he was crushed under the weight of being chased by her. Day-by-day, he was crushed under the weight of what he had done to Prudence in both worlds.
He cleared his throat, “Kill me if it pleases you. I’ve had enough trouble living with the consequences of my actions. I just want to tell you that… the only reason I was able to continue living all these years was because of you—because of what you told me. You told me I was a good man when we met—that I deserved to live—and I thought that if I continued living, I could continue to do good things, but all I have done is continued being the king’s lapdog. I should have done something more worthy with this life that was blessed with such a lovely wife and son.”
Prudence had waited for this moment for many, many years, and she was fully intent on killing him. But for every inch she pressed the sword closer against Thierry’s throat, she could hear her son begging her not to kill him. She knew this was not what her son had wanted, and fully recognizing and accepting that fact meant that she had wasted her life chasing something that she knew would not make her happy. She had sacrificed her life, her morals, her values, and even her very skin for this, and yet she knew she was not going to kill Thierry.
She broke down in a hideous sob, tears rolling down her cheek. She tossed her sword to the side, remembering the beautiful moments she had shared with her son and husband, and only wanted to feel his arms around her again. She wept, burying her face into his chest, crying that she was a monster who had wasted her life. Thierry just held her—emotionless tears running down his own cheeks—and together, they were drawn back together into comforting memories of their life with their son.
***
When Thierry had run away with Prudence, after he was sure the prince had lost their trail, he said to her, “I think you will be safe from here. I’ll leave you now.”
But Prudence protested, “Wait… you don’t have to go. I mean…” she swallowed. “I don’t have a husband to protect me anymore.”
At her words, her child sniffled, crying despite the fact he had no eyes. “Is he really gone, mama?”
Prudence nodded. “I’m sorry, Helvius. He’s gone.”
At her words, her child embraced her, and the pair sobbed together. Thierry, feeling immensely guilty about the death of a man who was only protecting his village and his wife, felt his own eyes becoming flooded with tears. “I’m so sorry…”
Prudence turned to him, wiping her eyes. “If you want to make it up to us, come with us. You know how to fight; you can protect us.”
Thierry knew just how wrong it was for him to insert himself into the life of a woman who he had killed in another world, and whose husband he had watched die. But like all humans, he was not logical, and his desires overcame his compassion. He wanted to be apart of her life.
No. He needed to be apart of it.
He nodded. “If it will make up for what I’ve done in anyway, I will come with you.”
Prudence gave him a wobbly smile, and together, the trio set out to the nearest town under the shade of night. Unfortunately, the prince’s soldiers followed them to the next town, and they had to leave.
They traveled from place-to-place together until they were sure they would be safe from any soldiers who would seek to hurt them. All the while, Thierry became inextricably close with both Prudence, and shockingly, her strange son.
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