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Post by Val on May 9, 2020 2:24:31 GMT
Nadia had allowed several weeks to go by before she decided it was finally time to see Knox again. By now, he'd met Alister and spent a considerable amount of time alone with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. This, of course, was all part of the plan to make him a bit more pliable for what she had in store. Part of Nadia wanted to keep Knox safe because his presence acted as a sort of security blanket. She'd let Yasmin die, but if she could protect him, then that could make up for the guilt she felt, right? The other, more persistent part of her wanted to prove to Alister that she was useful by officially getting Tdjadmir off their backs.
Coming to a stop in front of Knox's room, Nadia smiled sweetly at the guards before they opened the door for her. She dismissed the soldiers immediately and sashayed into the room, wearing a sleek silver dress that once again left little up to the imagination. Her dark hair was tied up into a braid and she appeared to be prepared for an outing of some kind.
She surveyed the room, seeming to almost disregard Knox's presence entirely for a moment, "Knox," she finally greeted, her eyes landing on him briefly, "I was hoping you'd accompany me today," she told him, making her way toward a window so she could take a look out at the castle grounds, "I'm sure you're dying to get some fresh air."
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Post by starrea on May 9, 2020 3:21:13 GMT
Knox lost count of how many days had passed. It had to have been at least a couple of weeks, if not months, since he had been placed under house-arrest. At first, Knox waited for the cavalry to roll in and save him but he had realized some time ago that no one was coming for him. He wondered if Nadia faked correspondence from him to Tjadmir or if they really didn’t care enough to extract him. Had Nadia faked correspondence with Tjadmir, then what did that mean for him? They surely wouldn’t let him go, and even if they did, the Royal Family would find out about his failures. If Nadia didn’t execute him, there was a fair chance that a death sentence would be the only thing waiting for him back at home. On the other hand, being abandoned in enemy territory was equally as depressing a thought. In all of the possible scenarios that ran through Knox’s mind, none of them included a happy ending for him.
This wasn’t the first time Knox had been subjected to long-term isolation and even though that didn’t make it any easier the second time around, he at least knew what to expect. Initially, Knox had no idea how to survive any of the re-training he had been out through - not the isolation, or the beatings, or the starvation. There had even been a brief period of time where he thought he didn’t want to survive. He had been wrong. Over time, he built up a necessary mentality he took on whenever he was put in stressful conditions like this.
The first week was arguably the worst because it was an adjustment. Not only was he still shell shocked from seeing Nadia, but the fear from losing his freedom almost caused panic attacks on more than one occasion. The only thing that kept him from tipping over the edge into full-fledged panic was the lesson that had been beaten into him during re-training - he wasn’t allowed to have panic attacks. After the first time he had a panic attack and subsequently got beaten, his number of panic attacks rose exponentially; mostly due to the fact that he was worried about getting beaten. For at least four months, his skin had been an abstract work of art with different colors from bruises. As backwards as the approach seemed, though, it worked. He hadn’t had a panic attack in almost three years.
Once the panic passed, Knox’s mindset switched into survival mode. Depression took root and Knox spent most of the next several weeks sleeping the time away. He hadn’t tried to escape once, hadn’t even yelled at the guards who stood outside his door. Knox knew the rules, and even though he was in an entirely different kingdom and whose authority he didn’t respond to, he still obeyed.
The longer he stayed in isolation, the more okay with his inevitable ending. Death didn’t scare him like it had several weeks ago. Now, death was a definite solution, a solution he could rely on. He couldn’t kill himself, though. He had tried once and as much as his mind wanted to cease suffering, his body wanted to survive. Anyway, if he killed himself, he wouldn’t gain entryway to the afterlife. He would be forced to roam Earth as a lost soul. But if Nadia killed him, then he would finally be free.
Even in the midst of his depression, Knox still made to pray at least once a day. He knew that he had exactly been the most successful individual in life, but he had tried his hardest. He had given literally everything he had to offer to serve his King, so that had to count for something, right? He certainly hoped so because that was all Knox had going for himself right now.
When Nadia entered his room, Knox was still in bed. He hadn’t been sleeping because no matter how much he tried to sleep the day away, his body wouldn’t actually allow him to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. If he was surprised by her appearance, he certainly didn’t show it. He barely even moved when she entered. The mention of fresh air caught his attention and he finally rolled over to look at her but his expression was guarded. Knox knew all of the tricks in the book - he had been through all of this before. If he hadn’t believed it before, he knew for sure that she was the enemy now and he wouldn’t allow her to so easily manipulate him.
“Not interested.” He answered curtly, rolling back over in the bed. He let several more seconds pass before he spoke again and only because he couldn’t drop himself, “Did you write to Tjadmir pretending to be me? Or do they just not care enough to come get me?” His voice was flat and void of emotion, but if Nadia had been able to see his face, she would have seen him slowly start to crack.
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Post by Val on May 9, 2020 19:56:04 GMT
Nadia waited patiently for his response, her gaze trained out the window as though she were surveying land that belonged to her. The power had gotten to her head rather quickly, but what was one to expect from a slave turned queen? It was akin to an unruly teenager breaking free from the confines of their strict parents, except amplified tenfold. She thrived under her new lifestyle and unfurled her wings like the monarch she was always meant to be. By now, Alister had made it known that she was to be his queen, and it had instantly altered the way people treated her. For the first time in her life, people listened to her without question and spoke to her like she was important. The memory of her servitude was slowly slipping away, but Knox's comment abruptly grounded her in that moment.
A memory surfaced from deep in the recesses of her mind, and it seemed that Knox's mere presence was making it impossible to forget the past. She was a child; so young she had yet to be sold off to the royal family. She could remember hunger gnawing in the pit of her stomach as she sat at the edge of a busy sidewalk, watching people pass by without a second glance. Her mother, or at least she thought it was her mother, was begging a passerby for money in exchange for some kind of wares she had crafted by hand. "Not interested." The commonly spoken words were always disrespectful and laced with annoyance. It had always made her blood boil.
However, this wasn't the point her memory was trying to make. She recognized the voice of the man; he was a representative of the royal family, and someone she would become very familiar with in the coming years. The man did a double take when he noticed Nadia sitting in the shadows, as though something had finally peaked his interest enough to stop. He pointed a finger at her, "What about her?" As the man negotiated with her mother, Nadia became distracted by a young boy standing obediently behind the man. He was looking back at her so solemnly that she remembered thinking how strange it was for a child to hold him himself in such a way.
The memory came and went in a matter of seconds, but she knew in her heart that it had been Knox staring back at her. Forcing the images aside, she turned away from the windows and made her way toward the bed, taking in the pitiful state that Knox was in. She didn't feel sorry for him, considering that his circumstances could be much, much worse if she hadn't been involved. Perhaps it was time to show him what life could be like for a normal prisoner of Raevaryn.
"I didn't ask if you were interested," she pointed out, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, "I might feel more inclined to answer your questions if you cooperate." Willing or not, Knox was going to comply. If he was smart, which she knew he was, he would do what was asked of him. If not, then the guards would have no qualms about dragging him along.
She tried to get a glimpse of his face, but he was making it rather difficult by burying himself in the pillows. "I think you should start worrying more about yourself than Tjadmir. If they truly cared, you would already be home, letter or not."
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Post by starrea on May 9, 2020 23:05:08 GMT
Knox ground his teeth together at the thinly veiled threat. He was getting tired of being a pawn in everyone’s game. It was a hard pill to swallow, but the Royal Family obviously didn’t care about his absence. He had lived in the same castle as them, dined at the same tables, and had stood behind them at many important meetings, hearings, and events. They had taken him as a boy and molded him into the man he was today - and that process had been tortuous. It was necessary to descend below all before one could rise above it, but that didn’t take away the misery. It was devastating to believe that the last decade of his life was essentially meaningless. And now here he was, in another kingdom but still a pawn in someone else’s game.
The bitterness was so unlike Knox that he was genuinely startled by his own cynical thoughts. He was no stranger to destructive thoughts, but he had never directed them towards the Royal Family and hardly ever towards anyone else. It was sinful to even think negative thoughts against the Royal Family so the habit of negative thoughts towards people was one that was mostly broken during re-training. The process was painful but Knox came out of it with more control over his thoughts than ever before - until now.
Instead of snapping at Nadia, Knox bent to her wishes. Even though he didn’t want to give in so easily, he didn’t know what else to do. He had spent the majority of his life as the person the Royal Family molded. It was easier for him to fall back into old habits rather than fight a fight he knew he would lose.
“Of course you didn’t,” Knox said, not bothering to hide the hostility in his voice, “Let’s go, then.” He pushed the covers off and pushed himself out of the bed without once looking at Nadia. He was wearing some comfortable-casual clothes that had been offered to him and he made no move to change into anything more formal. They had taken his clothes away and only presented him with changes of clothes when he asked. Normally, Knox was a firm believer in dressing professionally, but he just didn’t give a shit right now.
He was anxious to figure out her end game. Nadia couldn’t keep him prisoner forever and he probably wouldn’t be permitted to return home, so the only solution Knox could find was his execution. The question lingered at the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t bring himself to ask it. Instead, he silently walked to the door and stuck his hands in his pockets as he waited for Nadia to escort him out.
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Post by Val on May 10, 2020 3:49:30 GMT
Nadia knew he would be reasonable, but part of her was disappointed in his immediate obedience. The Royal Family had so obviously favored him for his disciplined mindset, but she wasn't sure that his nature would work in her favor. If he was unwilling to rebel against her, then he definitely wasn't prepared to rebel against the country that had molded his entire life. He'd been stoic for as long as she could remember, but that came with the training he'd endured, which had been much different from her own. Her goal was to break the mold and find out if he contained the same longing that Alister had discovered within her.
She rose from the bed and followed him, giving his appearance a once over now that he was out of bed. Seeing Knox unkempt was a strange sight, but she supposed it meant he was reaching the end of his rope. This was the perfect time to step in. Desperate men were usually a lot more open to negotiations.
Nadia brushed past him and opened the door, waving off the guards when they turned to confront their prisoner. "He's coming with me. Keep a distance," she instructed, stepping out into the hallway while the guards dutifully stepped aside to provide passage for Knox. She didn't expect Knox to do anything rash, but she liked the idea of keeping him on his toes with the guards constantly in sight.
"Come Knox," she waved him on, twisting slightly on her feet so that her dress spun around her in a rather innocent looking display, "I want to show you around. Is there anything in particular you're interested in seeing?" she asked, giving him some semblance of choice before she commandeered the tour. She had several stops in mind, each with a purpose.
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Post by starrea on May 10, 2020 18:43:31 GMT
Knox wasn’t foolish enough to think that he actually had a choice in where they went. He was familiar with all of the tactics and he wasn’t interested in playing games with Nadia. It was clear that she in a position of power and he wasn’t and that was that. He followed out of the room, feeling a rush on unanticipated anxiety as he passed through the threshold. It had been the first time he had left the room in weeks and even though it was his prison cell, he had become quite familiar with it and his new routine. This was new and different and change usually wasn’t good news.
“No.” He answered curtly. He wasn’t interested in small talk or false niceties.
He didn’t let his worry show and he breezed by the guards and after Nadia. He really didn’t understand why she hadn’t thrown him in the dungeons, or why he was even still alive - not that he was complaining because he was very aware of the fact that his situation could get a whole lot worse. Maybe she was leading him to his execution, he realized. Keeping him in the dark about where they were headed was a smart way to keep him compliant.
The idea that he was walking to his execution caused his heart to hammer against his chest. He had thought he was okay with dying but now faced with the very real possibility of death, he found himself quite anxious. It didn’t matter, though, because if Nadia ordered his death, then there was nothing Knox could do about it.
He swallowed down all of his questions down. He had been trained to follow without question and even though Nadia wasn’t his Queen, old habits died hard. He had years of practice of shoving down unanswered questions that the unsatisfying lack of answers was status quo.
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Post by Val on May 11, 2020 3:45:03 GMT
Nadia led Knox down the hallway, glancing up at him every so often in an attempt to read his expression. He appeared so defeated that she wasn't sure whether to celebrate it as a victory or confront him for being so weak. Clearly he was trying to preserve himself, but she had expected more from the man who had worked himself up to such an important position. Then again, maybe they had chosen him because of his compliance.
"It would be better if you talked to me, Knox. I know you have questions," she pried. They reached a staircase and she glanced back at the guards that were following a few paces behind, "Give us space," she ordered, her tone somehow soft and commandeering at the same time. She didn't need them in earshot, and they obediently slowed down, eventually disappearing as they descended the stairs.
"I wrote to Tjadmir," she told him, "They were informed that you had fallen ill during your journey here and were too weak to write." It was a convenient story, but better than the alternative options they had. She didn't think she could pull off a letter written by Knox himself, and sending no word at all was even more suspicious. Luckily, they had no reason at all to distrust Nadia at this point in time. As far as they were concerned, she was a simple handmaiden stranded in a foreign land, waiting to return home after her master had passed away.
"I think it's best that you to write to them now. We shall discuss what should be said in order to quell their uncertainty." She paused as the reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the main hall. The towering ceilings and marble floors were a beautiful sight to behold, but this was not yet their destination, "Would you be willing to do that?"
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Post by starrea on May 11, 2020 22:55:02 GMT
The air between Knox and Nadia was thick with tension as they walked in silence. Knox made a point not to look at Nadia, and was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay much attention to the exquisite architecture and art as they passed by. He had spent the last several years living in the Royal Castle and wealth and luxury no longer amazed him. The only time he did look up at Nadia was to give her an incredulous look when she urged him to voice his questions but he spitefully remained silent. He rarely gave in to his rebellious thoughts but he had so little control over his current situation that the one, small act of spite felt surprisingly satisfying.
Knox knew that the only reason Nadia had the guards follow was to make a point. Since his arrival, he had given them no reason to think he would be a threat - and he truly wasn’t. Knox didn’t know the first thing about formulating and executing an escape plan, and he didn’t have the heart it stomach to harm someone. The guards were only another reminder that Knox was a prisoner.
Knox felt himself sag with relief with Nadia’s truthful confession. He had been so anxious that he hadn’t considered that option. His heartbeat quickened and a small flame of hope ignited. The possibility of being accepted back home suddenly seemed real again.
The hope was promptly stomped out. Even if Nadia could coerce a letter written by his hand, he would punished for his transgressions upon returning home. Of course, that wouldn’t happen because it would be foolish for Nadia to let him return home and tell the truth. This all ended the same way - with his death.
Knox wouldn’t write the letter, he decided. Knox always bent to the wishes of others - sometimes until he broke, and sometimes even beyond that. But he wouldn’t cave when it came to lying. He abhorred lying, and he wouldn’t partake it - not for the Royal Family, and not for Nadia.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Knox snapped coldly, sending her a seething look. He really just said that to spite her because he had already decided that he wasn’t going to do what she asked. So far, he had extremely compliant with his situation but she wouldn’t force him to lie. It was a line he would not cross. “I’m not lying. Not for you, not for anyone.” He said with finality. Knox could feel his heart hammer against his chest - he had no idea how much Nadia would push him and he had no idea how much he could take.
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Post by Val on May 12, 2020 3:04:05 GMT
Nadia didn't expect him to take kindly to the idea, but she also hadn't expected a genuine reaction out of him. It was nice to finally hear him bite back. She wanted to feel his hatred and frustration so that she could turn those emotions against the true enemy. Knox would come to see them for what they were.
Instead of giving him a response right away, she made a turn and led him toward a pair of imposing doors that acted as one of the main entrances to the castle. A guard granted them passage by pushing the doors open to reveal a lush garden, but Nadia once again did not slow down. The sunlight streamed down upon them as she took a well worn path along the edge of the building. She was sure that Knox would appreciate being outside for the first time in a while, and she suddenly looped her arm around the crook of his elbow, as though they were good friends taking a stroll. Her unwanted touch would probably diminish any sense of pleasure he was gaining from the moment, and that was exactly the point. She could give, and she could take.
"There is a difference between lying and withholding the truth," she told him, sounding confident in her words. "Just like you are withholding something from me," she accused him casually. She very much wanted to look up and catch his reaction, but decidedly kept her eyes straight ahead. It was a shot in the dark, but something told her she was right. There had to be a bigger reason they had chosen Knox for this job. Why was he so important?
"I have told you the truth of my correspondence with Tjadmir, now I expect you to return the favor." She was giving him a chance to cooperate, but that privilege could easily be revoked.
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Post by starrea on May 12, 2020 23:01:26 GMT
Knox knew exactly what game Nadia was playing but he had no choice other than to partake in it. He had expected Nadia to come back at him hard after his refusal to do what she asked, but instead she just turned away. He knew it wasn’t the end of the conversation and he knew that it was her way of leaving him on edge. It worked; he had no idea what was coming. Resentment crept up his throat that was so tangible he could almost taste the bitterness. He was getting real sick of being forced games that were rigged for him to lose from the start.
The doors opened and Knox felt the sun on his skin for the first time in weeks. The abrupt change of scenery startled him but he followed Nadia out nonetheless, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. It was hard not to be appreciative of the outdoors when he had spent the last several weeks locked in a room. He stiffened when Nadia looped her arm through his and resentment bubbled up inside of him, making his blood run hot. He didn’t move to pull away, though.
All in all, Knox wasn’t overly impressed by he outdoors. After the first couple of minutes passed, the novelty had worn off. It was hard to enjoy something when he knew that Nadia was only using it as leverage. Anyway, he had survived in far worse situations with much less than his captivity here. If Nadia thought he was going to fall to his knees with appreciation, she was sorely mistaken.
Her accusation caused him to bristle defensively and he unwound his arm from hers. “I’m not withholding anything,” he snapped, “It’s not my fault you haven’t asked the correct questions. I told you, I don’t lie.” Knox practically growled. If Nadia had asked him, he wouldn’t bend the truth. She simply hadn’t asked him relevant to why he was here. Once again, he bristled at the illusion of choice. They both knew he didn’t have any. The resentment burned hot in the pit of his stomach and he didn’t really care to try to push it down. He had done nothing wrong and he wasn’t going to stand here and let Nadia play games with him.
“If you’re going to try and force me to write the letter, then get on with it. Otherwise, I’m not interested in whatever game you’re playing.” Knox snapped coldly, giving her an icy glare.
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Post by Val on May 13, 2020 23:10:08 GMT
Nadia stopped walking and turned to face him, effectively blocking his path. Her eyes focused on him, burning like hot embers just waiting to ignite. Any satisfaction she had gotten from him fighting back was quickly dissipating; he was proving to be incredibly ungrateful and uncooperative. What good was power if the powerless didn't respect you?
It was no surprise that Knox underestimated her. Nadia was used to people underestimating her in every sense of the word, but she was becoming pretty good at proving them wrong. If he wouldn't respond to her reasonable requests, then she was happy to change her tone.
"You will play my game, Knox. You will play it and you will lose. And if you refuse to play, you will die," she promised him, her voice unnervingly calm, "Eventually, that is," she added, just in case he thought death would be the easy way out. She figured he was smart enough to realize he'd gotten off easy so far, but he truly had no idea just how bad it could get. Sure, Tjadmir was skilled in grooming and manipulation, but Raevaryn had quickly proven to outdo them in cruelty.
Without bothering to wait for him to respond, she turned on her heel and continued down the path without another word. She withheld questioning as to what he was hiding, for now. If he claimed to be so willing to share his secrets, she would find out soon enough. He had no choice but to follow and when he did, she would lead him to their first real stop on the tour; Raevaryn's dungeon.
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Post by starrea on May 14, 2020 18:51:00 GMT
Knox was slightly taken aback by Nadia’s sudden shift from passive hostility to rage. He bristled slightly, only because he didn’t think he had done anything to deserve such a reaction. He had told her that he wouldn’t lie - shouldn’t that have made her happy? He was completely willing to answer her questions. The blatant threat earned her a seething glare but nothing more. Rage ran hot through his veins but years of submission had taught him to hold his tongue. Despite what Nadia wanted to think, she was no different than the royals of Tjadmir.
Unfortunately, Knox knew that he didn’t have any other choice than to play her game. He was a pawn after all, he thought bitterly, completely controlled until he was no longer useful, and then disposed of and replaced. He hadn’t thought this dark in quite a long time but he was too angry to be shocked or care enough to try and reroute his thinking. He was stuck as a pawn to Nadia and he was a pawn to Tjadmir, playing a deadly game he didn’t even want to play.
Knox followed a few paces behind Nadia. The silence between them wasn’t the same as before - now it was practically crackling with tension and resentment. Knox used the walk to try and clear his mind. If he was going to survive this, he needed to play it smart. He was so angry that the idea of writing a false letter to Tjadmir didn’t repulse him for the reason of lying to his King, but rather for the reason of breaking his own moral code.
A wave of realization hit him hard; maybe the truth didn’t matter. He had heard the King and the Royal Family lie to their people hundreds of times, all under the guise of protecting them. He knew the King hadn’t lied when he assured Knox that he was only lying for the benefit of the people. The truth could be dangerous, it could lead to unrest and rebellion. People could die because of the truth. But when it came down to it, the truth hadn’t mattered. Knox felt dazed as he spiraled deeper into his bitter existential crisis, too caught up in his thoughts to really see where Nadia was leading him.
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Post by Val on May 15, 2020 3:02:48 GMT
Nadia remained several paces ahead of Knox as she led the way to the more behind the scenes portion of Raevaryn castle. It was a place few foreigners were allowed to visit, and Nadia herself had only passed through the halls a handful of times. Soldiers passed them strange looks as they passed, but she held her head high and swept by them without a second glance. They eventually reached a heavily guarded entrance that would lead down to the dungeons, and she finally paused to allow Knox to catch up.
She gave him a simmering look before continuing past the guards and down a dark stairwell that seemed to grow colder with each step. Nadia had only been down to the dungeons one other time, with Alister by her side as a safety net. This time, she felt cold and uncertain as she led Knox into the notorious prison. However, she refused to show weakness to Knox. He needed to see this in order to understand how fortunate his current circumstances were. Things could change very quickly for him.
Stepping out onto the main floor of the dungeon, the stale air was the first thing to reach her senses, assaulting her nose with the scent of pure misery. She stood still at the bottom of the steps to wait for Knox, staring into the darkness as her eyes adjusted. Faint wails could be heard down the seemingly endless hall, but the other than that everything appeared to be as still as stone. It was as if time ceased to exist down here, trapping it's victims in eternal suffering. "This is where the rest of Raevaryn's prisoners are kept," she informed Knox quietly.
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Post by starrea on May 15, 2020 3:44:32 GMT
It didn’t take Knox long to figure out where Nadia was leading him. He knew they were headed to the dungeons the second the large, ominous doors opened to reveal a dark staircase that led down. He bristled with anger but didn’t do much as hesitate to follow her down the foreboding stairs.
This wasn’t the first time Knox had seen the inside of a royal dungeon. A significant amount of his time Tjadmir had been spent in the dungeons and interrogation rooms to help uncover the truth. If she was hoping to scare him with this little spectacle, it wasn’t working. Nadia could flaunt and flash her newfound authority over him all she wanted, but it wouldn’t change anything. Knox had been very upfront about what he would and would not do and even though before he had been a little worried about breaking beneath her pressure, he was no angry enough that he had no doubt that his endurance was endless. He had spent upwards of the last decade of his life with threats hanging over his head.
He snorted when she pointed out the obvious and he had to bite his tongue from saying something disrespectful. He studied some of the people in the cells and he wondered if they were guilty or not. Unpleasant memories started to resurface; the interrogations were the worst. He still heard the screams and cracking of bones in his dreams. The first time he watched a man’s neck get snapped, he had vomited right there on the floor.
Knox forced himself back into the present before he lost himself in his head. He couldn’t do that, not now, not with Nadia watching him. If he showed weakness, he was sure she wouldn’t hesitate to rip him apart until there was nothing left.
“I can see that.” Knox finally answered, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible. He put his hands behind his back and patiently waited for Nadia’s next move. His eyes landed on an empty cell and Knox wondered what losing Nadia’s game looked like for him.
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Post by Val on May 16, 2020 1:12:04 GMT
Nadia appeared distracted for a long moment as she stared into the darkness, not seeming to notice his unimpressed facade. To her, this place was unimaginable. Her training had been much, much different than Knox's and she had rarely witnessed violence. Rather, she had been shielded from it, as if the unspeakable acts would ruin her delicate sensibilities. In a lot of ways, she was naive to pain and suffering in the physical sense. But her mind had been tortured endlessly for as long as she could remember until she had lost all sense of self.
She turned to Knox and gazed up at him with glassy eyes full of unshed tears, "I'm trying to protect you, Knox. Don't you see that?" she told him, suddenly looking young and innocent in comparison to the powerful guise she had maintained around Knox so far, "The only reason you're not down here is because I don't want you to be. I don't want them to hurt you," she insisted, reaching out to place a hand on his arm.
It was all the truth, but perhaps not for the right reasons. Nadia didn't want to have to bear the responsibility of Knox's suffering or eventual death, in addition to what happened to Yasmin. She had to make up for it, even if it would make her life easier for them both to be gone for good. If Knox was relinquished to the dungeons, then she would have failed and his destiny would be out of her hands. As selfish as it all was, she meant what she said.
"Tell me why they chose you. Tell me why you're so important," she finally pressed for the information, deciding she needed to know everything before this game continued. If Knox did tell her the truth, then she saw no reason why she couldn't get him to cooperate in other ways.
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