Liriel's legs buckled beneath her as she reached her father and collapsed to her knees in front of him. The blood soaking through his tunic stained her hands as she tried to steady him.
"What happened? Father, what happened to you?" she gasped as her eyes swept over his face.
Her father groaned, his face contorted in pain as he slumped against her for support. "Laura, listen to me…" he began, but his words were cut short by a sharp intake of breath.
"No! Don't talk. We'll go to the doctor. I'll take you to the doctor," she stammered, her one hand pressed against his wound as if that would stop the bleeding while other supported his shoulder. Her mind spun in panic, latching onto any hope that this wasn't as bad as it looked. "He's still nearby. He can help you. You'll be fine, just—please hold on!"
Her father's hand trembled as it gripped her wrist weakly, forcing her to look at him. His face was ashen, the life fading from his eyes faster than she could bear.
"Leave… now… before they notice us," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
"No!" Liriel cried, shaking her head violently as hot tears streaked down her face. "I'm not leaving you here. I'm not leaving!"
Tears blurred her vision, but she didn't care. She pressed harder against his wound, her hands slippery with blood, as though sheer determination could stop the flow. Her voice cracked as she pleaded with him, the words spilled out in a desperate rush.
"You'll be fine. You'll see. We'll get to the doctor, and you'll be fine. Just—just stay with me, okay?
Was this happening because she had interfered in the plot? Her mind raced with the question as guilt clawed at her insides. If she hadn't stepped in, would this have happened? Would her father still be unhurt?
"It's all my fault," she whispered, her voice cracking. His weak hand reached up and cupped her cheek, his calloused fingers smearing blood across her skin. "No… you told me to stay outside. It was me who went back in… to get some buns packed for the journey."
The words hit her like a blow, Liriel felt her stomach twist painfully. She shook her head, refusing to accept it. "No… stop talking. I'll get you out of here. We'll go to the doctor," she said, her voice trembling as she grabbed his arm and tried to lift him to his feet. But her father's body sagged in her grip with his strength nearly gone. His breathing was shallow, every rise and fall of his chest more labored than the last.
"Leave, Laura," he rasped, his voice barely audible. "Go… go to the palace. Find Matilda… old maid there. She'll… she'll help you."
"No!" Liriel cried, her voice sharp and panicked. She tightened her hold on him as she dragged him inch by inch toward the inn's gate. "I'm not leaving you here. Don't you dare say things like that! I'll get you out of this. We'll get out together!"
Her father's head reclined slightly as his eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he forced them open again. His lips quivered as he spoke, his voice filled with pain and regret. "I'm sorry… Laura. Just after your mother left… I'm leaving too… leaving you all alone."
"Stop it!" she whispered, her voice breaking. Why was she so unlucky. "Don't talk like that! You're not going anywhere! I'll save you, I swear I will!"
Her father's breathing grew fainter, and his hand reached up weakly to clutch hers. "Just listen to me…" he whispered. "Liriel."
Liriel froze, her teary eyes widened as she stared at him, confusion and shock twisting in her expression. "who?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
His lips parted, but no sound came. The light in his eyes dimmed as his body went limp in her arms.
"Father?" Liriel's voice broke, her heart dropped as she shook him gently. "Father? No, no… wake up! Please, wake up!"
Her desperate cries echoed into the night as reality crashed down on her like a tidal wave.
Everything around her seemed to fade into silence, the chaos inside the inn muffled, distant, as if it existed in another world. Liriel sat frozen, clutching his limp body that was still warm. A heavy, eerie quiet settled over her—until it was broken.
"Capture everyone! Don't let a single soul escape!"
The booming, authoritative voice shattered the silence like a whip cracking in the night, its harshness reverberating through the air. Liriel's head snapped up, her tear-streaked face pale as her heart thundered. She had to escape.
She stood, shaky and unsteady, glancing toward the inn's gate. Her feet itched to run, but her legs felt like they were weighed down by iron. Panic gripped her chest as heavy footsteps closed in.
"There's another one here!" a voice shouted from the side.
Liriel's blood turned to ice as several figures turned toward her with their weapons that gleamed under the faint moonlight. One of them pointed directly at her.
"Catch her!"