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❤️ My Hostage (Part 26) ❤️

Empress Rose swayed a little on her feet and Fred who was closer to her caught her in time and steady her.

"Are you trying to say my sister is dead?" Fred demanded since he was the only one who could talk, Morgan's mouth was hurting him so much now that he couldn't say a word; thank God he had told his mother to send for the healer.

"Yes my Prince, she is dead. We came to inform you before she and her husband will be buried today as per the law and customs of Koda kingdom." the messenger said to them.

"And her child?" Fred demanded as the messenger made a u-turn with his horse, halting him.

"Like I said before my Prince, she was gone when we discovered their dead bodies. We've searched everywhere in the Koda Kingdom but the young princess is nowhere to be found."

"And you nincompoops didn't know when she left the palace or have any idea who could have taken her away." Fred said in anger.

"There was nothing suspicious and besides my Prince, I am only but a messenger who came to give you the news, you can lay your complaint whenever you visit the Palace," the messenger said and quickly chip in when he saw Fred's mouth opened again to spit out some words. "Don't worry my Prince, a search party has been sent out to find the missing Princess in all Kudarma Kingdom, by the end of today we will have some answers." he added and without waiting for a response, he left the palace. "Come on mother, let's get you to your room. Your legs are not broken brother so you will come with us. If mother has gone through her shock she might have some questions for you." he started leading the way to Empress Rose room, walking gently with Morgan following them behind. The healer would know where they are once he comes.

"Reca is dead." Emera muttered to himself as he stared at their backs. "Ariadne, what's going on?" he asked no one in particular and then slowly returned his gaze to the room Storm was in. "What is really going on?" he decided to sit down at the door of Storm and wait for him to come out. He did as he thought, ignoring the guards that were giving him looks, he sighed deeply. Why would Juno do such a thing, taking Gwen back to Kudarma. Does she have a plan with her twin sister? He hasn't heard any movement or voices from Storm room but that does not mean Storm won't do something to his daughter, he has seen his eyes and they were deadly cold.

The healer came ten minutes later and smiled when he saw Emera who smiled back at him and then said "Empress Rose room," the healer nodded his thanks and left for the Empress Rose room.

____

Empress Rose Room:

Making Morgan drink some of the concoction he had mixed after he had fixed his broken jaw, the pain was slowly gone and he felt a little better.

He was sitting down on the bed and so was his mother and brother.

"I am no longer feeling pain, how did you do that?" he asked the healer who smiled at his sudden question.

"That's my secret recipe my Prince, unless you want to be my apprentice." The healer replied with a smile, he was joking around.

"I don't want to be your apprentice," Prince Morgan said without anger in his voice. He stood up from the bed

"Then I am afraid I can't tell you," he said, still smiling. "You will be alright, just don't always get your jaw broken. And your mother will be alright, it's nothing too serious." he added, packing all his herbs inside his bag he came with and left the Empress room.

Few minutes of silence.

"Reca is dead," Empress Rose said, coming out of her shock. "She is truly dead."

"Yes mother, she is." Fred comforted her.

"Mother, since you were the one who married Reca to Elliot, you will have to go to the kingdom to see for yourself. We've never stepped foot between the wall that separated us." Nothing reminded her.

Empress Rose nodded her head and Morgan sighed deeply and made to leave when his mother's voice stopped him.

"You said you were in love with that slave who came with Storm, I hope it's not true."

"It's true mother, I am tired of hiding my feelings from you and pretending not to love Gwen when in truth I am really in love with her and now she is somewhere in that palace of Kudarma. That is why you need to go to Koda kingdom and ask questions if Gwen was seen. I don't want her to spend another day in there especially if that Kando of a guy is with her." Morgan finally spoke out, not hiding his feelings anymore. In fact he was worried about Gwen and wondered what she might be passing through right now. Even if they want to attack their uncle, it will be a huge risk and the results won't end in their favor. The only person who could get their uncle to do their bidding is with Storm and he hopes Storm really deals with her.

"Morgan, please tell me you are joking right now?" Empress Rose's voice brought him back to reality.

"It's the truth mother, those times you insulted her in front of me made me sad. I was a coward who wanted to hide what he feels about someone he loves but now my lover is in danger and I cannot hide it anymore. I can't hide the Truth from you, neither can I hide my love for her. I love Gwenevere."

"You must be joking, probably the slap made you lose your focus. You are under that witch girl spell." Empress Rose wasn't given up. "She has placed a charm on you Morgan, open your eyes." she added.

"My eyes have been closed since and right now they are much more open and brighter than the entire Kingdom, believe me when I said I tried to fight the growing love I have for her but I can't anymore. And right now that she is gone I realized I am really in love with her and there is nothing you or anyone can say that would change my mind," Morgan said. "We should be thinking of Reca and not my lover, mother. My sister is dead, how did she die? Why did they kill themselves? And where is my granddaughter, that should be what you should focus on and not on me and Gwen." he added.

Empress Rose realized her son was right, for now her dead daughter is more important than arguing with Morgan about that witch. "We will be having this conversation again."

Morgan didn't say anything, he nodded his head and left the room quietly.

"Fred, go and prepare the carriage for me. Let me quickly freshen up before leaving for Koda." Empress Rose told her second son who nodded his head and stood up from the bed and left his mother.

Let her go to Koda and confirm things and then start ring it in Morgan ears that over her dead body will she accept that witch, that Slave as her daughter in-law.

____

Storm Room:

Storm stared at Kira's sleeping face and knew for sure she wasn't faking it. The guards had done a wonderful job by tying her to his bed, her two arms seperated and tied to the bed, her legs were joined together and also tied, even her body wasn't left out. He grit his teeth in anger. He should have suspected that she was up to something, he should have suspected she planned to take Gwen with her once she leaves, he should have suspected she didn't plan to leave Ashland alone. He wasn't watchful and was grateful for his quick reflex if not he could have lost Juno and Gwen. What will his uncle be doing to Gwen right now? He has no idea. He knew that the Emperor would go berserk once he discovered Juno wasn't with that riffraff. Kando should be very lucky he didn't catch him if not his head would have rolled out of his body. Gwen's father would be so disappointed in him wherever he was, he couldn't keep to his promise he had made to him at his death bed. He had broken up his promise. Staring at Juno again in much anger than before, she was sleeping peacefully and without a care in the world. He could see that the place he had slapped was red and puffing but he didn't care. His eyes narrowed as it couldn't leave her face and then a painful groan was heard from Juno.

Yes Juno, feel that pain. He thought.

Kira felt as if someone was trying to tear her head open and at the same time was hitting it with iron, she felt pain, real pain and her cheek wasn't left out, she then tried to remember what had happened and why she was in so much pain. The last time she had felt this way was the day she fought with Rumi which didn't end in her favor. She tried to turn her body around but discovered she couldn't plus the pain couldn't go away. She was on a bed, she knew that and wondered if she had reached her destination since she didn't remember falling asleep. She tried to move her hands and legs and was shocked to that she couldn't, that shock made her open her eyes to look at her surrounding and once her eyes adjusted to it, she saw Storm staring heatedly at her with so much hate that was when she remembered why she had fallen asleep in the first place.

"You have finally decided to join me, welcome back Juno." Storm cold voice made her body frightened.

"Storm is not what you think, " Kira said in a spooked voice.

"I know, you planned to deceive me and take Gwen away, what for Juno? I haven't wrong you in any way in the past so Why would you betray me? Why Gwen? Why her?" he asked as he silently picked up the horse whip which the guards who had tied up Juno had brought together with some sharp things which he knew were used on criminals. "Why?" he asked again.

"I swear to the gods Storm I didn't know Kando and his brother were going to do such a thing. I didn't plan anything with him, they surprised me just the way you are surprised, believe me, please." Kira hoped Storm would believe her but when she saw his eyes, he didn't believe her and she was petrified.

He was angry, more angry than he has been in his entire life. He was angry at Juno for trying to play smart with him and also for himself for allowing Juno to play a fast one on him and he took out his anger on her.

By the time he was done with the horse whip on her and her scream had stopped, he dropped the horse whip and left his room. He ignored the blood that was coming out from the body of an unconscious Juno. Her clothes were torn and now soaked with her blood. Although he could see her still breathing which gives him hope for more punishment coming. He was breathing fast and wasn't feeling any guilt for what he had done. He tried not to dwell in the fact that he had hurt her, he had really hurt her.

He unlocked the lock on the door and opened the door and wasn't surprised to see Emera standing so close to his face. He had to push him a little bit away from him, not too gently and Emera didn't say a word.

"What did you do to her, Storm?" Emera demanded and tried to stretch out his head to look inside the room. Hopefully, to see Juno but was unsuccessful. Her screams of pain had him hurried up to his feet and tried to push down the door which didn't work no matter the pressure he applied on it. He just had to wait helplessly until Storm was done dealing with his daughter and came out of the room, unless he really wanted her to die. "Did you hurt her?" he demanded, trying not to get angry as Storm closed the door behind him. This is a new Storm which he hasn't seen before. Where was the Storm who had taken care of him? Who had----

Interrupting his trail of thought.

"Yes, I did hurt her and it will be better if you hurry up and call the healer to come and treat the wounds and clean the blood before it stains my bed and floor. And I must warn you, if you try or the healer tries to release Juno, I will put an end to you," Storm said with a shrug and gri coldly at him. "If you don't want to lose your precious daughter, you better hurry up and drag the healer here so that he could begin work on her." With that he left Emera who was staring at him with an open mouth and in surprise. Then what Storm said registered in his mind, he gasped out loud and he quickly ran out of the Palace to call the healer, hoping the healer hadn't gone that far from the Palace. He had no time to take a horse and ride.

Juno please hold on. Emera thought as he forced himself to run. Storm was serious and wasn't joking when he said he had better bring the healer. What has he done to his daughter?

____

"Hey you, once the healer comes, clean up that room, I don't want to see a single drop of blood anywhere, if I do, you will be dead and I will make sure it will be slow and painful." he told a servant he saw and continued his walk. He needed to walk out his anger. He doesn't allow himself to get angry but this time, Juno has broken the final straw.

"Gwen, please forgive me," he whispered to himself. Juno I am sorry but you brought this on yourself.

He thought to himself.

___

Emera was fast, and soon he could see the back of the healer on his horse. "Healer, wait!" he shouted at the top of his voice and that seemed to do the magic. The healer stopped his horse and turned around to see who had shouted and was surprised to find Emera who was still running towards him, kicking his horse at the side which prompted it to run towards Emera, meeting him halfway, he pulled on the horse reins to stop it.

"What is it, My Lord? Is something wrong in the Palace?"

"Everything is wrong but first come with me to treat my daughter, something entered Storm and now he is behaving like the devil incarnate. Please come with me and save Juno, I don't know how badly he injured her but she was screaming so loud." Emera explained.

"Okay," the healer said and with a stretch out hand which Emera quickly grabbed, he pulled him to sit at his back and then once again rode towards the Palace.

____

Storm Room:

The mysterious man clenched his fist so tightly as he saw his bloody Juno. Storm had shown no pity on her which made him doubt if Storm had any atom of feelings for her like he had thought. Was he wrong? He moved closer to her and gently touched her face. She made no sound and didn't even make a single noise. "I am sorry Juno, I thought bringing you here would make him want to keep you away from Dean so that they would fight and kill themselves but not you and now I was wrong. He tried to kill you even though the fault wasn't yours," he said and leaned forward and brought out his tongue and with it he used it to clean the blood on her lips and kissed her even though she didn't respond to his kiss. "I promise I will get you out of here soon," he added. If only he could get into the head of Storm all these wouldn't have been a problem to him. He placed one of his hands on her forehead and closed his eyes. He stayed like that until he sensed Emera and the healer coming. "This is all I could do for now my love. Keeping you from the verge of death." he kissed her again and at that moment the door to the room opened and he was gone.