Brigitte peeked out from behind the wine barrels and scrupulously observed the forum, confirming that there was no one in sight she crept out from behind the barrel and walked to the dais.
Her feet felt numb as she climbed the steps and saw the blood stains, some still damp from this morning's brutal lashes.
She swallowed the nausea and reminded herself of the two men dangling from the chains, their bodies limp. Both had multiple fresh wounds across their backs, the blood had clotted but the skin was raw as meat.
Her heart pounded as she walked to the front of the man that the other had called Dimitri, and that was the Sovereign's friend.
She took a deep breath and placed her knife below his nose on his bearded face to see if he was still breathing. Seeing the blade fog she gasped in relief.
Calming her nerves once again she reached for the chains that held his wrists and grimaced at the dark scabs that caked them.
Steadying her hand she began to pick the lock with her knife, something that the Sovereign had described very vaguely.
Hearing a click she gasped for joy but the man's arm went limp and he fell to the stone dais with his right arm still restrained.
She winced, muttering an apology and began to work quickly on the next restraint. Hearing a click the metal band released and the man fell onto his side. She winced again and placed the Queen's cloak around his shoulders. As she did so her hand felt the heat from his recently injured skin, it burned hotter then fire.
She rolled him onto his back and grimaced as he groaned in protest.
"Apologies, my Lord." She said quietly.
She raised her head startledly when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, many footsteps.
"My Lord! My Lord!" She whispered urgently only to receive no reply.
Securing the cloak around his bare chest she pulled her cloak down further on her flushed face from touching a male chest and began to roll the larger man, apologizing with each roll.
The footsteps were getting louder and now she could hear shouts. Tears nearly sprang to her eyes at the desperation of the situation.
As she neared the edge of the dais she saw torchlight and in a panic she rolled off of the dais.
She gasped for breath because the large man had landed on top of her and she tried not to make a sound but her back was screaming in pain from the fall.
"Over there!" A voice yelled and soon the sound of marching feet faded into the distance.
Once she was sure they were gone she let out a cry of agony and attempted to get out from under the man, who though he was starved, was still much larger than her.
Just as she was about to push him off of her she felt him stir. She froze and raised her eyes to see solid black ones staring back.
"M-my Lord." She said in a tremulous voice.
His eyes only watched her and then his body went limp again.
She heaved a sigh of relief though she didn't know why.
She rested the Lord against the dais and climbed the stairs to begin freeing the second brother. As she finished with the first chain the man didn't collapse as the previous one had and he supported himself on his knees, though he didn't seem to be aware of his surroundings.
As she finished the second lock the man lunged at her, his hands finding her neck.
Her brown eyes looked up to see his black eyes filled with anger, her own were terrified as her hands attempted to loosen his.
"Ariston!" A voice called. She looked to see the first man leaning against the dais, somehow standing, "She's helping."
The man named Ariston released her neck and she crawled away from him, coughing and clutching at her throat.
"Apologies, my lady." He said and she merely nodded, her hand still at her throat unable to correct him.
"Tell me, my lady, who sent you to free us?" The first man, Dimitri asked his voice sounded hoarse.
She stood, her voice strained, "The Sovereign." She said in a register only they could hear.
Lord Dimitri looked shocked as did his brother who was still on his knees.
"That's impossible, the Sovereign is dead." Lord Dimitri said his hands clutching the side of the dais for support.
Brigitte shook her head, her eyes confused, "No, he lives. Who said he was dead?" She asked helping the Lord Ariston to stand, she nearly fell over from supporting his weight, his body was the same feverish temperature as his brother's and sticky from blood and sweat.
"The Lords." Ariston answered, "They said that the Sovereign had been killed by Mathuban-" He hissed in pain as he began to descend the steps; Brigitte did her best to support him but her arms were draining of strength.
"They told us that he and his Queen were killed by Mathuban assassins," Lord Dimitri finished, "And that since there are no heirs to the throne, they have taken control of the country." His voice was forced and Brigitte could see the sheen of sweat on both men's faces.
She bit her lip in thought as she scanned the area for a safe place to wait.
"Do you know of a safe place?" She asked as Lord Ariston collapsed on the stone steps, he sighed in relief from the rest. She grimaced at the sight of more blood and she hastily removed her cloak and wrapped it around Lord Ariston's shoulders. He muttered a thank you as he closed his eyes.
"Here's as good a place as any." Lord Dimitri muttered an answer to her question as he lost consciousness.
Her mouth gaped as she witnessed both men pass out, lost to the world. They had clearly once been strong men, but it seemed as though all strength had been zapped from them.
She attempted to move the younger Lord to where his brother sat and after a few minutes she succeeded.
Now, she simply waited for her Queen and Sovereign to rescue her and the two tortured brothers.