Chapter Four:
The soldier's face twisted in a snarl as he clashed with Cormac. The Regent's unyielding resistance only fueled the soldier's rage. With a surge of adrenaline, he shoved Cormac back with all his might, sending him crashing hard to the cold, unforgiving stone floor.
Cormac's eyes blazed with resistance as he sprang to his feet, his body trembling with effort. The sound of his boots scraping against the floor matched the grinding tension in the air as the two combatants grappled, each trying to dominate the other. Their breathing was ragged, the clang of steel their only music.
The battle exploded into a frenzy of fury. Cormac fought like a man possessed, his determination to protect his daughters igniting every movement. He parried blow after blow, dodging deadly thrusts, disarming one soldier with a swift strike that sent the weapon clattering across the floor.
Marcellus watched from the edge of the fray, unease twisting in his gut as he realized Cormac was proving far more formidable than he had anticipated. This wasn't going according to plan.
Seizing the moment of Cormac's distraction, Marcellus crept silently behind him. His sword gleamed with cold intent as he waited for the perfect opening. And then, with a quick motion, he drove the blade deep into Cormac's stomach.
Cormac's eyes widened in agony as the steel cut through flesh. He gasped, his body crumpling slightly, clutching the wound as the pain surged through him. A faint, wet sound escaped his lips as his chest heaved with shallow breaths. The room spun, but he remained standing, refusing to collapse.
Nella's face went pale as she saw the blood stain Cormac's tunic. She rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she tore a piece of cloth from her dress and pressed it desperately against the wound, attempting to stop the bleeding. Her breath was shallow, each second stretching painfully.
"Cormac, no! Oh, please, no!" Nella's voice cracked, her eyes wild with panic. She could feel his life slipping away, but she refused to let him go.
Despite the agony, Cormac summoned all the strength he had left. He grimaced, the pain radiating through him, but he forced himself to look up at Nella, his eyes filled with a deep, aching love.
"My love... forgive me," he whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with conviction. His hand reached out, trembling. "I'm so sorry... I failed you... our daughters…" His gaze drifted down to her stomach, his eyes brimming with emotion. "Tell our little one... I love them... so much."
Nella's heart shattered at the words. "No, Cormac, don't say that! You'll be fine... you have to be fine!" She sobbed, her voice desperate as she pressed the cloth harder, hoping against reason. But his body was already weakening, his chest barely rising with each breath.
Cormac's eyes fluttered closed. His body slumped into Nella's arms, and she caught him, her own breath hitching as she realized he was no longer able to hold on. He was gone.
The world around her seemed to crumble. The soldiers, their faces cold and indifferent, dragged her three daughters away. Nella's heart caught in her throat as she watched in horror. She wasn't ready for this. They weren't ready.
Without thinking, Nella grabbed the nearest chair and swung it with all her might. The wood cracked against the soldier's skull, a sickening crunch ringing out as the man stumbled, his eyes blurring as blood began to seep from the gash on his forehead. He snarled, wiping the blood with the back of his hand, his face twisted in pain and fury.
Nella stood tall, her chest heaving with exertion, her eyes blazing with bravery. "You'll never take my children!" she spat, her voice venomous.
But the soldier's fury matched her own. He wiped the blood from his face again, snarling, and in a blur of motion, he slapped Nella across the face. Her head snapped to the side, pain shooting through her skull. She staggered backward, falling to the cold stone floor, her hands scraping against it as she tried to steady herself.
"Noooo!!! Bring back my children!" Her scream tore through the air, raw and anguished, as she scrambled to her feet. She wailed, her eyes wide with panic, fixed on the soldiers dragging her daughters farther and farther away.
The sound of her daughters' cries pierced the chaos, their voices breaking through her despair. "Mama!! Papa!!!" They screamed, their tiny fists reaching out to her as they were dragged further away.
Nella's eyes locked onto the carts—filthy, crowded with other captives, the wood splintering from the force of the soldiers' hands as they shoved her daughters inside. Her heart froze, and for a moment, everything blurred. The faces of the other children, eyes wide and filled with fear, met hers as the soldiers slammed the carts' doors shut, the sound of rusty hinges and scraping wood echoing through the air. Nella's scream was drowned out by the rumble of the carts' wheels as they lurched forward, carrying her children away into the unknown.
Nella collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with sobs, her mind reeling with the horror of what had just transpired. She lay there, helpless and shattered, as the sound of the carts faded into the distance, leaving her with only her anguish and despair.