Page 108 of The Darkest Oath

He shifted as he ran her words through his mind once more. “It has been nearly a year since I saw you, Élise,” he said. “You still hold on to me so tightly?”

Her lips spread wide. “You told me I’d always have you, and you’ll always have me too.”

The community was gathering on the road. Eyes were on Rollant’s back as he stood at Élise’s door. She glanced over his shoulder. “I will pack my bag,” she said, retreating inside, letting the door close with a soft click.

He stared at the door’s wooden grains until a small smile took his lips and a soft sigh of relief. She wasn’t married. But as soon as the smile came, it fell. He didn’t deserve her. Didn’t deserve to ruin her life. Maybe she didn’t want Hugo and needed an excuse; perhaps that was her plight.

Rollant faced the gathered community until all were present, his breath fogging in the chill night air. Torches flickered, casting long shadows over faces etched with fear and uncertainty. Élise stood near the front with a scarf pulled tight around her neck. Hugo drew near her with a penetrating gaze, daring Rollant to take Élise.

“What do we do, Monsieur de Montvieux?” Camille asked, her voice pleading.

“It is Citizen, now. Do not use formal titles anymore. This is one of the reasons why we must leave,” Rollant said. “I know your beliefs, and the community beyond my land also knows your beliefs. It is only a matter of time before the guillotine comes here.”

His voice cut through the murmurs. “There are already reports of the cleansing all across France. You will be killed for not believing as they do.”

“Where are you taking us? Hugo said you had an estate,” Camille called out.

“To my estate in the Chartreuse Mountains,” Rollant said. “We will travel by night and hide during the day. It should take us three days to reach.”

“By night? It is freezing,” a man called out.

“If we travel by day, we will be detained and questioned. We must travel by night and hide by day,” Rollant answered.

A murmur rose as members shivered in their winter clothes.

Rollant continued, “The village is old and isolated. They have customs that have not been seen in centuries. Do your best to learn them and follow them,” he said. “We need to leave now.”

Reluctance lived on their faces, but Rollant warned them. “You risk your life if you don’t come.”

“We risk our lives if we do,” Giselle spoke up.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but Élise stepped forward, her voice firm. “I will go. Rollant has only ever taken me out of danger. I trust him completely.”

Hugo’s gaze dropped upon seeing Rollant and Élise lock eyes. His shoulders slumped as if resigned to fate. “That is true. I cannot argue.” He glanced at Élise’s hand, now wearing his ring. With renewed confidence, Hugo surveyed the hesitant community and spoke on their behalf, whether they were willing or not. “Lead us, Citizen Montvieux.”

Rollant held a finger in the air to silence the murmurs.

“Hear my warning well—when we reach the village living on my estate, you must respect their customs. They believe my ancestor’s home is haunted by a ghost knight. If you step onto the land and return alive, they’ll accuse you of witchcraft and burn you at the stake.”

Fear darted in their gazes, but they bravely followed Rollant to the south.

* * *

They finally cameupon the far outskirts of Lyon, the Chartreuse mountains. He led them off the main path into a grassy meadow, across an ages-old bridge, until a crumbling stone wall came into sight. Rollant warned them again, “Do not enter here, for the village will convict you of sorcery should you return alive.”

Élise glanced at the overgrown land with its bent iron gate. Vines had captured a small collapsing house in the distance, and rock sections had been dismantled.

Hugo had stopped to help his sister with a ripped bag, but Élise made her way to Rollant’s side. He hadn’t said much to her in the three days’ journey due to Hugo’s proximity, but every glance told her what he wished to say. She took her chance and walked alongside him amid the chirping crickets and the owl’s hoot. The community fell slightly behind as they picked up pace.

“Will you come back for us?” she whispered.

“Yes, when it is safe,” he said. He peered down at her over his shoulder.

There was hesitation in his gaze.

“What do you wish to ask me?”

Rollant chewed his lip. “For the last three days, I have wondered about the meaning behind what you told me. Do you truly mean I will always have you, or do you not wish to marry Hugo, and I am your excuse?”

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