She stood by the window, gazing out at the palace in the far distance. It was a sight to behold. Erik had described it as being nothing like anyone had seen before. Even the sketches he had made were something to behold.

She shivered, though, thinking of the hidden tunnels and corridors in that new palace. Being unable to speak or say a word without having it be overheard by someone. Her life here was already fearful enough...she couldn't fathom what it would be like when a person could know what she was saying….

Adellade turned from the window, walking around the rooms, drawing her hand along the piano, seeing Erik's scribbled out sheets of music. It was strangely quiet when he was away at times like this…. She was so used to hearing him writing his compositions, playing the music-though she suspected that he only played while composing simply because she was there.

A knock sounded at the door and she stiffened. Erik never did knock, and neither did Nadir-though he rarely visited nowadays. The handle shook. The doors flew open suddenly as an unfamiliar guard entered.

"You!" he barked. "Come with us! Now!"

She opened her mouth to reply, only to be grabbed and dragged along by two other guards. They forced her to the throne room and had her kneel beside other women all in front of the throne. She looked at them, seeing that they were simple Persian women dressed in simple clothing. Women, daughters, sisters…. Why would the Shah gather them up?

Chains were placed around her wrists, connecting her to the others. The guards eyed them, keeping watch.

"What is happening?" she whispered to one of the women. "What do they want with us?"

"Silence!" one of the guards barked at her, hitting her in the stomach with his boot.

She coughed and kept her mouth shut. What do they want with us?

Erik made his way back to his chambers. He paused, hearing footsteps ahead. He vanished into the shadows, seeing the door of his chambers on its hinges, guards standing at the doorway.

A hand wrapped around his mouth and he spun around, holding the man by his throat. "You dare to harm me?" he growled.

"Erik!" Nadir hoarsely whispered.

He released him and frowned. "What are you doing-and it ought to be good enough for me not to strangle you."

"The guards," he explained. "They've rounded up all the wives, daughters, and sisters of the architects who were working on the palace."

"Adellade," he whispered in horror. "Where is she, Daroga?"

"I don't know. They were in the throne room, but the Shah has had them all moved once the construction was complete."

"The escape? Is it ready?"

He nodded. "Everything is in place."

"Go. Once I find her, we are leaving this place."

"And how do you plan on doing that? You don't even know where she is!"

"Go, Nadir. Now. I will have her there by sunrise unless I send word."

He sighed and gave him a look, clasping his shoulder before he left.

Erik swallowed and stepped out of his hiding place, walking over to the guards. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

Two more guards grabbed him by the arms and secured chains around his wrists.

"The Shah has asked for you to join him."

He was dragged off down the hall.

Adellade, wherever you may be, please be safe.

She winced, hearing the sounds of the whips, the cries and pleas, the sound of a sword cutting through flesh…. They had taken them here, chained them up against the wall so they couldn't escape. Slowly, they had taken the others one by one out through the door to repeat the same process. There was silence, and she shot a nervous look at the guard watching her. She was the only one left now.

Another guard entered and gave him a nod. He undid her chains and they grabbed her, dragging her outside into the arena. They chained her there, forcing her to kneel. She tried not to pay attention to the blood surrounding her….

Two more guards entered, bringing someone with them. She looked at him and he at her.

Erik.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

She looked to see who he was addressing and found none other than the Shah himself.

"You did build me a fine palace," he explained. "Such a unique thing. I am simply ensuring that there is none other similar to it."

She turned to Erik. He was killing the architects. All of them. And Erik was one of the main architects. He was going to kill him.

"No," she whispered.

"It will be alright," Erik's voice whispered next to her ear. "Everything will be alright."

"Why drag her into this?" he demanded of the Shah. "She has had nothing to do with the palace."

"I couldn't risk having one of my architects let a detail slip to their women, now could I?" He grinned. "Besides: consider this your final punishment, my Angel of Doom."

She gasped, feeling a whip sting across her arm. She looked at Erik, seeing him as he forced himself not to watch. She clenched her teeth together, feeling more lashes….

He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sounds of the whips. His hands moved behind him, working to undo the chains. He felt them give way and angled his wrists in a position to fool the guards into thinking that he was still captive.

"Recall the way a trick works?" he threw his voice to her. "About distracting the audience? The Shah and the guards are the audience."

He looked at her, seeing her give a slight nod in response that she understood what he meant as the guards changed out their weapons. One took a knife to her, cutting through her flesh. She let out a scream.

Good girl, he thought. Draw their attention. This isn't pain. She has been harmed worse before without making a noise…. He turned his attention to the Shah, seeing him grinning in Adellade's direction.

She let out another scream and he turned his attention back to her, seeing that another had a sword on her, digging into her flesh….

His eyes narrowed, recognizing the sword. It was one of the more dangerous ones-specifically laced with a fatal poison that would cause death in less than a day, forcing the victim to endure agony in the meantime.

He moved, disarming his own guards the the chains, producing the lasso from his robes to subdue them. He darted toward Adellade's guards, taking one out and stealing his knife, throwing it into the chest of the other guard. He took the sword and cut through her chains, freeing her.

"Guards!" the Shah roared.

He picked her up in his arms and sprinted out of the arena, carrying her to the spot where Nadir waited for him. He gently laid her down in the cart and hesitated, pressing a hand against her forehead.

"Stop!" the guards shouted in the distance.

"Go!" he ordered. "I'll join you soon, but go now."

Nadir nodded and snapped the reins, the horses galloping off.

Erik turned back to the palace, squeezing in through a door as he made his way up to his own chambers. He dashed into the rooms and found his stash of herbs, searching for the ones he needed. He grabbed them, hurrying out before the guards could catch up. He made his way back to the courtyard and into the stables, keeping to the shadows and darker places of the palace where the guards wouldn't be able to see him. He snuck inside and opened the gate of a stable, mounting the horse and digging his heels into its sides. The horse whinnied and galloped off, knocking aside the guards as it did.

He steered the horse off in the direction Nadir had gone, willing it to catch up to them. The sun had just started to rise when he caught up to them.

"What exactly are you doing?" Nadir demanded, eyeing the horse. "Trying to show off?"

"No." He dismounted and climbed into the cart, kneeling by her.

"Erik?" she murmured, stirring a bit.

"Shhh," he soothed, checking her fever. "It's alright. You're safe now. Just sleep."

"Can't," she whispered, wincing.

"It's alright." He took out the herbs and fed some to her. "These should help."

"You risked an escape for those?" Nadir demanded.

"I had no choice," he explained as she fell back asleep. "One of the guards cut her with a poisoned blade. If I didn't return for those, she would've been dead before long-and in agony as well."

"Once we cross the border, there should be a small inn we can stay at until she's stronger," he suggested. "The owner owes me a favor, and the Shah's influence is much less. We can make there in a few hours."

"Good idea. She'll need it."

He laid her on the bed and sighed, eyeing her injuries. He had managed to bandage a few, though the way she was shaking concerned him more than anything. He pulled up a chair next to her as Nadir entered, bringing the water and rags.

"How is she?"

"Fever isn't any better," he muttered. "However, the pain is what concerns me. The herbs will counteract the poison itself, though how long that will take…."

Nadir nodded his understanding and left them alone. She stirred slightly. "Erik?"

"I'm here," he whispered. "It's alright. You're safe now. You have a fever, Adellade. You need to rest."

"Are you-are you going to stay?" she murmured, reaching for his arm. "Last time, you left me. You're going to stay this time, aren't you?"

"Yes. Erik is not leaving you. I will never leave you. Not again. I promise."

DoctorPhantom: ...so...here's the ending...working on a sequel to this that should get put up sometime in the future (after I write it, of course :) )