Pollyanna was so paralyzed with fear that her joints were frozen solid where she sat on the bed. The physician hastily bowed her way out of the room and left Pollyanna and Kline alone.
“I will stop working while you’re pregnant so I can take care of you and make sure the baby comes out good and healthy.” Kline informed her cheerfully.
Her mind finally began turning again after moments of being petrified with fear.
I have to run away with Rory. I have to dispose of the amulet
.
“Kline…” Pollyanna murmured as he addictively stroked her stomach. “Kline…”
“What is it, my darling?” Once again, he had changed from the cruel Kline to the kind and accommodating Kline as he leaned his head on her stomach.
“What would you like for dinner? Shall I go fetch us something to eat?” Pollyanna said as calmly as she could muster.
“No, no. You stay here and rest, my darling. I’ll have the servants do your chores. In the meantime, I think I should have a separate bed for you set up for you in a different room. That way, I know I won’t be… tempted.” Kline kissed her cheek and climbed to his feet. “I’ll make preparations now.”
Pollyanna watched him leave and didn’t realize how tense her muscles were until she was alone.
She wasted no time in crawling under the bed with panicked breaths. Her fingers closed over the amulet. With the trinket in hand, she peered out into the hallway. She glanced in both directions, and when she saw it was empty, she stdpped into it.
Where should I hide it? Where should I hide it?
It was unlikely she could sneak out of the manor unnoticed to dispose of it. Even if she could, Kline would notice she was gone and would get suspicious.
Even if he finds it…
Pollyanna began reasoning with herself calmly.
He probably wouldn’t know what it was. I can just tell him that it’s a charm to aid in pregnancy… Otherwise, I can just wait for an opportunity to hide it elsewhere. Hopefully I’ll be long gone before he can ever find it, anyway…
She put the amulet back under her bed and then crawled under her covers. “Please god… Please make it so he doesn’t find it.”
__
Another achingly slow and worrisome week passed Pollyanna by wherein Kline demanded she stay in bed nearly all day but for dinner.
And during dinner, Kline shared the news with Pollyanna that fighting was about to begin between the invading fairies and the king’s knights. “I saw them marching through town,” Kline told Pollyanna while he cut into a slab of meat. “There were definitely enough of them to deter the fairies—especially considering they have double the training of any of those savages.”
Pollyanna nodded silently, eating a spoonful of rice. She cared nothing for any oncoming wars; her mind was entirely fixed on her unborn child.
“By the way,” Kline said. “Your mother would like to see you alone tomorrow. She expects you in the morning.”
Pollyanna saw an opportunity, and she took it. She smiled brightly. “I would love that. Would you mind if I ate breakfast with her in town? I would… Like to tell some of our friends that I’m pregnant.”
Kline raised a skeptical eyebrow, but he eventually nodded after giving it some thought. His ego was stroked. “Of course you may spread the news of my glorious baby boy. I’ll be moving things around in the house while you’re away; a baby is a big change and the manor should reflect that.”
“Thank you.” Pollyanna replied as sweetly as she could muster.
__
The next morning, Pollyanna awoke with a thudding heart after a sleepless night.
There was no time to waste.
She let Kline kiss both her cheeks after the servants drew her a bath. Before she left, she took her time getting out the door. She did not want to make her husband suspicious.
Once she had left, however, she dropped all pretenses. She sprinted toward town as fast as she could under a gently rising sun. When she arrived in town, her eyes darted around quickly, searching for Rory. She was hoping Rory would be outside his house, but she appeared to be out of luck.
She didn’t think his family’s shop was open this early in the morning, but she nonetheless tried knocking with no luck. The thought of knocking on his parent’s door and risking Rory’s discretion was not a comforting one, but she had little choice.
She approached his door--raising a fist. She rapped her knuckles against the door.
Answer, answer…
Pollyanna begged, sweat from her forehead dripping into her eyes.
No answer.
Her mind was blanketed in trepidation at the silence.
Answer… Answer!
She knocked again without reticence.
“Coming, coming!”
Pollyanna sighed a sigh of relief. That was Rory’s voice.
She heard his footsteps shuffling behind the door. It opened after a beat and she nearly threw herself at him when he opened it.
“Who is it, Rory?” His mother--who was thankfully in another room--asked.
Rory glanced behind him and answered quickly, “No one, mom.”
He stepped outside the house, hastily shutting the door behind him. “What are you doing, Pollyanna?”
“There’s no time to explain! You have to come with me, now!” Pollyanna grabbed his hand, trying to tear him from his stoop.
“Pollyanna, wait! What’s this about?” Rory demanded, wrenching his hand away from hers.
“I’m pregnant! I’m pregnant!” Pollyanna sobbed hysterically. “We have to leave!”
“Pregnant? But you said the amulet was working…” Rory’s voice trailed off as he realized whose child she was carrying.
A slow smile bloomed on his face. “It’s mine?”
Pollyanna nodded and couldn’t help but return his smile. She was so happy it was his and not Kline’s, but she was also in a panic. Every minute that went by while she was running away was a minute Kline could spend catching up to them.
Rory’s smile slowly melted from his face. He began to realize the danger they were both in. “I’m too short to ride a horse… Do you know how to ride one?”
Pollyanna shook her head.
“We’ll go on foot, then… I’ll… I’ll get supplies.” Rory murmured. “I suppose… It would be best not to say goodbye to my parents.”
His voice was the most nervous and melancholy she had ever heard it, and she realized how cruel it was to ask him to give up his whole life to run away with her. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
Rory was quiet as he looked down on his feet.
Pollyanna knew he had good, kind, loving parents. She thought for sure he would decide to stay with them over leaving with her.
“No. I told you before I would run away with you if you asked. Well, now you’ve asked.” Rory said determinedly. He held her hands in his. “This is what I’ve always wanted. I want to be a father and a good husband like my dad; you’ve given me that opportunity where no other woman has!”
Pollyanna’s dark cheeks turned red and her heart bloomed with affection and love. She felt like she had improved his life by being in it; she could say that about no one else.
“Go wait for me on the east side of town; I’ll join you once I have the supplies.” Rory kissed her hands and then set out.
__
Time eked by at a snail’s pace as Pollyanna waited for him at the east side of town behind a black, rotting oak tree. She had little else to do but count the seconds as they went by. There was nothing of interest for her eyes to see as she looked out upon the endless, dead land stretching out in front of her.
One, two, three, four…
Pollyanna peered out from behind the tree and looked west--toward town.
No one was coming her way.
Five, six, seven…
She heard laughter and the scuffling of feet nearby.
It was only children playing tag close to town.
Eight, nine, ten…
She counted to sixty, but she was so nervous about what was to come that she could count no more.
She exhausted herself with her worrying.
She sunk to the earth, wondering if Rory abandoned her. He had perfect reason to, after all. He could either live a peaceful life with his parents or run away with her on a perilous journey. The choice was clear.
She closed her eyes, nearly dozing off as her thoughts kept spiraling, weighing heavily upon her sore shoulders.
“Pollyanna.” A voice cut through her negative reverie sometime later.
Her eyes flew open. She choked on a gasp as she backed up against the tree.
She smiled sheepishly when she saw it was only Rory. He was carrying a large pack on his back.
He looked at her confidently. “Are you ready?”
Pollyanna took a deep breath. There was no way she could ever be ready for this dangerous undertaking. Nonetheless, she nodded.
She was out of options.
She didn’t know when Kline would allow her to leave the manor again, after all. She was sure he would be able to tell that the baby was not his when it came out, and even if he didn’t, there was no way she would raise her baby with a man she hated.
She began walking down the dirt road with Rory in tow.
He was looking over a map of Maribel.
Rory mumbled under his breath. “We should get off the road right now. We’ll take the long way around to Brined—they won’t expect that.”
Pollyanna glanced at the map.
It would probably take two weeks to get to Brined taking the road… It’ll take even longer going off road.
She followed Rory off the path and out into the barren, brown wasteland surrounding it.
__
Pollyanna’s legs were sore after walking for two weeks out in the wasteland. Her hair was grimy and disheveled; unforgiving heat stuck to her and coated her clothes in sweat. All of her muscles were sore and tense. She began to feel sick.
Her feet had blisters, and every step she took made her nearly weep with pain.
They had to rest often because her feet were sore and tender.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Pollyanna said through tears in her eyes as they rested in the shade of a rocky mountain. “This is all my fault.”
Rory, whose face was sunburnt, shook his head and whispered as he offered Pollyanna a canteen, “Stop apologizing. We’re going to be fine, and this is no one’s fault. This is a
blessing
. They haven’t found us yet, and I don’t think they’re going to. I think we should be able to get to Brined in another day or so and then we can get some proper rest and have a good meal. Now, have you thought of any baby names?”
Pollyanna calmed down as he soothed her woes, and she took deep breaths.
I have to have faith… Faith like he does.
Pollyanna forced a smile. “I don’t know… Rory?”
Rory’s face scrunched up in a smile and he nudged her with an elbow. “What an ugly name! I like Pollyanna much better. Doesn’t it sound sweet and resilient?”
Pollyanna wiped the tears from her eyes with a wobbly smile. “No, no! It sounds weak and cowardly! Rory sounds strong! It sounds like a lion’s roar!”
Somehow, he cheered her up like he always did and made her remember that the world had more than misery to offer. They found a cave to sleep in before sundown which Pollyanna was grateful for.
It was hard to sleep in the sweltering heat, but Pollyanna was so exhausted that she managed it.
__
She slowly opened her eyes the next morning.
She blinked once, moaning as she felt sweat in her eyes and dripping down her back. She blinked twice and a black, pointed shoe appeared in her eyes.
A gasp struggled out of her throat. She bolted upright.
She scooted away like a cowering dog from its master. Kline stood before her, his long shadow was cloaking her in darkness.
To his left stood one soldier who Kline had brought with him.
Pollyanna was so afraid that no words escaped her mouth—she merely panted--continuing to back away from Kline as he, step-by-step, came closer to her. Her back collided with the back of the cave—preventing her from moving any farther.
Rory’s eyes flew open.
He wasted no time in lurching for the knife in the sheath at his hip. He scrambled to his feet--ready to lunge at Kline with the knife in hand.
The knight deterred him by blocking his way with his spear at-the-ready.
Everyone within the cave went still as statues.
Sunlight was seeping in through the cave; Kline and the soldier were outlined in golden light, but their faces were encased in darkness.
“You whore. Did you sleep with this imp?” Kline demanded with cold fury. “Is the baby even mine?”
“I never slept with him, I promise! Please just—”
Kline slammed a fist into the side of her head. She was silenced.
Rory cursed. His grip tightened around the knife, his knuckles turning white.
The guard pointed his spearhead at Rory’s neck. “Drop your weapon. You do know this girl is married, correct?”
“I do.” Rory admitted, refusing to drop his weapon.
“He’s just a friend! He was only escorting me!” Pollyanna spluttered hysterically.
“Is that true?” The guard demanded, bringing the spearhead closer to Rory’s neck.
Rory glanced over at Pollyanna, and then back at the guard. “It’s true.”
Kline laughed. “You truly expect us to believe that? Why else would you be travelling with her?”
“She’s a good friend of mine—a childhood friend—she asked me for my help in getting her away from town, and I gave it.” Rory said it so convincingly that even Pollyanna, who was rubbing the side of her head, nearly believed it.
“Coming to think of it…” Kline murmured. “You’re the only man in town who is not courting a woman…”
Pollyanna's eyes were imprisoned behind the curtain of her merciful eyelids. A lump formed in her throat.
There was a solid moment of silence but for Pollyanna’s weeping. Rory stared the soldier and Kline down with bold confidence.
Kline said without an ounce of pity, “Kill him. He’s guilty.”
“No!” Pollyanna screamed.
The guard planted his spearhead in the ground. “He’s entitled to a trial, sir.”
“He is entitled to nothing.” Kline replied. “Kill him.”
Kline tossed three pieces of gold at the knight’s feet and then shook a heavy sack of coins to entice the knight further. “You’ll get the rest once you’ve killed him.”
Pollyanna’s heart was in her ears as she looked at the conflicted knight with wide, unblinking eyes. Her eyelids refused to shield them.
Bump… Bump… Bump…
Her head split with white terror.
The knight lifted his spear.
Rory lowered his eyes with pained acceptance. He dropped the knife.
Time seemed to freeze.
Pollyanna would never in her life be able to forget the look of regret on his face.
The spear plunged into his stomach with quick precision, dripping with blood when the knight pulled it back through.
The body thudded to the ground, lifeless.
Pollyanna was in such pain that she thought she had been stabbed as well. She let out a guttural sob of pain, clutching her stomach.
The knight greedily picked up the gold coins.
__
Pollyanna finally cried for the first time while relating the story. They were emotionless tears—her face was still vacant—but…
She gave herself away.
She was not entirely made of iron
She was a woman who had fallen in love once, long ago, and that love had become an open wound—her only mental vulnerability.
Rory was innocent. Eory was innocent. And once, long ago, Pollyanna was innocent, too.
She has a deep-seated love for the innocents she slaughtered deep down…
Eory thought to himself as he looked upon the woman who was helping him understand the world because, in many ways, he thought the world resembled her perfectly.
She was contradictory, complex, and enigmatic....
And so was the world.