In This Life And The Next
Chapter Thirty-Two

“Neil.” Alec whispered and looked around.

”Neil! " He roared and people spread out, looking for the man the Alec was calling for.

“Who is-” Aurora asked but Alec was already striding away.

Laura looked despondent when Alec met a man across the hall. He was neatly dressed and looked to be well rested.

“Alec was captured. Long time ago. He was not yet twenty.” Caspian murmured to Aurora. She hadn’t even noticed him join their group. “I was still a child, both Hazel and I.”

“I was fifteen.” Liam said and crossed his arms over his chest. “Father was dead, mother was-” Liam looked over to Laura.

“I was broken. The General of the Winterfell army, John, was the one to capture him. They said that unless I gave up the throne, then Alec would be sent back to us in pieces.” Laura murmured.

“But Liam was able to lead forces inside the enemy’s camp and brought Alec home.” Victor joined in. “It was Liam, me, Will, Sam, Ben, and Ash. We planted explosives, set them off systematically, caused chaos, brought Alec back after three months of imprisonment.”

“We weren’t even sure that it was Alec at first.” Liam whispered and watched Alec and Neil confer across the hall. “His face was swollen, he didn’t speak, he had been sliced and cut into over and over. Were it not for his tattoo-” Liam tapped his collarbone where he had the same tattoo as Alec, Hazel, and Caspian. “I probably would have left him. He was my brother and I couldn’t recognize him.”

“We were able to keep the army at bay for a month.” Victor said. “But the men started to lose hope. The Crown Prince was dead for all they knew and the throne was going to go to John.”

“Until one day, I was called to the dungeons.” Liam cut in. “Alec was there, with my mother’s cousin, Christian, tied to a chair.” Liam cleared his throat and paused. “I thought Alec had killed him. But Christian was alive, though barely. In the corner of the room was Neil,” Liam nodded to the man that was speaking to Alec, “And he had paper on his knee and he was writing. The room was soaked in blood. There were knives, hammers, pliers-” His eyes went distant for a moment. “Neil was taking notes of how Alec tortured Christian.”

“The man that we saw in that dungeon with pieces of Christian scattered about was not the Crown Prince. That man that stood with a knife in his hand was cruel, ruthless, and cold. He cut the truth from Christian and then took his tongue.” Victor murmured.

“Christian was on duty the night that Alec was taken. When we realized that Alec was gone, Christian was tied and knocked out. Made to look like he had been ambushed.” Caspian whispered.

“He sold Alec for land and titles promised to him by John” Laura sniffled.

“Alec taught Neil everything he knew about carving the truth from a person. What he did to Christian was the first and the last time that he took up that particular knife.” Liam said.

“But now, when the truth is required-” Laura waved her hand at Neil.

“I see.” Aurora murmured, faintly. “Why does he ask for him now?”

“He probably thinks that Roman and John have some trick up their sleeve. Neil is going to suss out anymore spies we have here and if there is, then-” Hazel shook her head. “I pity their souls.”

“Neil’s is an excellent student.” Victor murmured. “And he learned quickly from our prince.”

Neil left Alec’s side and Alec turned back to the table. He met all of their eyes but Aurora was the only one to go to his side.

“Come. You need clean clothes and a bath.” Aurora said softly and took Alec’s arm.

In Aurora’s room, there was already clean clothes on the bed and the servant was just done repairing his leather brigandine and hanging it neatly. He bowed and left the room, closing the door after him.

Unlike the Valour castle, there was no separate room for bathing here. Alec did not say a word, only began to pull his tunic and trousers off and then stepping into the bath. He ducked his head under the water and Aurora went to him, sat down on the wide lip of the tub and used the soap in her hand to wash away the grime in Alec’s hair and on his shoulders.

“Are you looking for the words to tell me to not use Neil?” Alec asked suddenly.

“No.” Aurora replied. “I thought you wanted silence.”

Alec did not reply. Aurora continued washing him, using a small cloth to scrub at patches of dirt on his neck. “My mother and siblings wish I do not use him as I do.” Alec murmured quietly. He kept his eyes on the water in front of him. It was turning a murky gray from the dirt and soap.

“What are your thoughts on the matter?” Aurora asked and ran the soap through Alec’s hair and began to scrub.

“Neil-” Alec sighed. “I do not wish to use his talents in this manner. But war was not made for gentle people. I was never given the chance to be that and if there is a single lesson that my father taught me, it was that no one will take this kingdom from us.”

Aurora didn’t reply but her eyes couldn’t help but replace a pattern on the scars of Alec’s back. How each scar corresponded to another, making some kind of design that Aurora could not understand.

“They told me of your time with the Winterfell army.” Aurora whispered.

Alec stilled under her hands.

“Perhaps not everything, but they told me you were captured. Tortured. That Liam found you and brought you back.” Aurora added.

“I have not spoken of that time to them or anyone.” Alec replied stiffly.

“Nor should you, should you not desire to.” She paused and poured water over Alec’s head, running her hand through his hair to rid the soap there. “When you first met me, I was broken. Torn at the very core of who I was. I did not think that I deserved much of anything, if anything at all.” Aurora paused and Alec raised his hand to Aurora’s on his shoulder. “But you have taught me that all I knew was wrong and that to one man, I am worth so much that he would hide me away and fight for my life and his kingdom as though they were one and the same.” Aurora dropped to her knees on the other side of the tub and looked at Alec. She took her hand away and put it over Alec’s heart. “A man such as that, I will never think less of. Never. A man such as that carries my soul with him and protects it as its own.”

Alec finally looked at her. He looked younger than he ever had before. “They-” He started and swallowed. “They said that if I were to do to a fellow prisoner what had been done to me, that they would stop. That they would only hold me prisoner until an exchange or my death.” Alec shook his head. “Every day, John would come to me with that offer.” He blinked and there were tears on his face. “Until one day-” His voice broke.

“Alec.” Aurora whispered.

“No, let me finish.” He whispered. “You should know, before we are wed.” He cleared his throat and looked away for a brief second. “Until one day they brought to me a man and a boy. They threw them at my feet and laughed. They laughed and they laughed.” Alec’s voice broke. “When I dream, I can still hear them.” He paused and curled his hand around the edge of the tub. “John came in and said that he would force my hand and that the golden boy would be tarnished. He gave me a choice. He said-” Alec clenched his jaw. “He said to torture the man or the boy.”

Aurora opened her mouth, but there were no words to say.

“But whoever I chose to live- whoever I chose not to kill-” Alec closed his eyes. “Would be given over to the soldiers to use .”

Aurora could feel the bile at the back of her mouth. Of all the things that had been done to her body, at least she had been spared this.

“But the other, the one who would be given to the soldiers, would remain untouched for as long as I tortured the one I chose.” Alec went on.

Aurora closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the side of the tub.

“I kept that man alive for three weeks.” Alec whispered. “Before Liam-” Aurora couldn’t look up but she waited for Alec’s words. “Before Liam took me away, I killed the man, begged for forgiveness. Do you know what he said to me?” Alec whispered.

Aurora finally looked at him.

“He asked that I take the boy, to raise him.” Alec was crying freely now. “I don’t know how Sam ever forgave me.”

Aurora had no words, nothing to soothe Alec with. She pulled him out of the tub, dried him, dressed him and sat next to him on the bed.

“There was no right choice.” Aurora whispered. “Even a boy could see that.”

Aurora made Alec lay down to rest before the army arrived, even if it was just for a short time.

But he slept through the night as did Aurora.

No army attacked, no spies were found in their midst.