Chapter Text
Charlotte Blanchet sat in the horse drawn carriage trying to not make much of a sound. The orphanage she once lived taught her that women were supposed to be seen and not heard. The carriage bounced back and forth over the dirt road as the wheels ran over the rocks and potholes. She was sitting across a large man who stared at her chest everytime they bounced from the objects on the road. The scared woman kept her head down not wanting to anger him. They suddenly stopped moving. The look of worry on her face pleased the grotesque man.
"You should be scared, French whore," he laughed and opened the carriage door. He stepped out of the carriage. The chill night air and the man's actions starting to cause her to shiver with fear. A different man suddenly appeared inside the carriage. He was somehow larger than the other man and smelled of swine. She tried to move away from the man and leave through the opposite doors, but someone locked the door from the outside.
"Mmmm you are one of those pretty casquette girls ain't ya?" he smiled eyeing her green dress and fiery red hair. She shook her head and continued to try to open the door. The man smirked and started crawling towards her. She tried to keep from vomiting as his putrid smell filled her nostrils. She moved her arm and punched him across the face. She used his moment of weakness to run out of the carriage.
"Seize the little bitch!" he yelled with blood pouring from his nose. She started to take off towards the woods not realizing the untold horrors waiting for her there. The woman continued to run through the woods. Tree branches were starting to cut her arms and tear her dress. She tripped on a tree's root and fell forward. Her head smacked against a rock causing blood to start pouring out immediately. Blood fell down her forehead. The man troll and his pig friend were suddenly above her. She started to crawl away from them hoping they would leave her alone. Her vision blurry from the fall on her head.
"Please, leave me alone. I am supposed to go to the governor's house and see his son," she begged continuing to get away from the vile men. She met the governor back at her convent in Paris. The governor immediately took a liking to the fact that she was a virgin. A good Catholic girl with sharp mind made it easy for him to choose her over the other girls. One of the men grabbed the girl's hair dragging her to stand up.
He started to slash her expensive green dress in ribbons as it fell to the ground. She was only now in a plain white linen dress. He smiled seeing her as the troll looked at the man with the knife impatiently.
"Where is my money, Bruce?" he asked roughly crossing his arms over his broad chest. He had done his part long ago by first locking her in the carriage with him. The situation at hand wasn't his fault that he couldn't control a young woman. The man known as Bruce growled pointing a gun at Charlotte. The woman whimpered seeing her young life flash before her eyes at the sight of the gun. He turned and looked at the troll.
"Convince her not to struggle and you get your money sooner. I want to see these dead leaves drenched with her innocent blood," he told him before turning back to Charlotte. He threw the gun to the right side of them and smirked. She could feel herself starting to get sick all over again. His horrid smell along with the intentions he had for her starting to make her dizzy.
"See be a good little girl. This will only hurt for a little," he laughed in her face and gripped her white dress. She could not longer fight, but started to pray in French that someone would be around to rescue her. A faint yell came from behind Bruce who quickly turned to see the troll was gone. He growled and rolled his eyes standing up from the young Charlotte's body.
The place where he once stood now only laid a pool of blood. No man could have survived losing that amount of blood. A piercing scream filled the woods once more causing crows to stir and fly around them. Silence once again took over the woods except for the rustling of trees. The wind started to pick up again causing Bruce to be more paranoid than before.
"I know you are out there! Show yourself you bloody coward!" he yelled wildly like a drunken fool. He started to walk around no longer worried about the woman lying on the floor. She could feel herself starting to get hazy wondering what was going to happen next. No one revealed themselves from the woods. The man suddenly appeared on top of her one more time.
"No one else here now but you and me, honey," he whispered roughly in her ear. He grabbed her legs and smirked spreading them wide for him. She closed her eyes expecting him to have his way with her, but the smell suddenly disappeared. She opened her eyes to see she was all alone.
"Bonjour?" Her words flew into the night. She closed her eyes accepting her fate. A sudden sound of wind and snapping of a tree branch alerted her that someone was above her. She turned her head to the left suddenly seeing a man looking down at her. His clothes and handsome face covered in blood.
"No, no, no please don't," she begged trying to move once again. The world shook violently every time she moved. A blonde woman suddenly came into view looking down at Charlotte. She seemed to be of high class like the man standing across from her. Blood also covered the woman as much as the man.
"We aren't going to hurt you little one. What is your name?" He asked dropping down to his knees. He rubbed a thumb over her cheek. A small squeak slipped past her lips. Her head was pounding from her injury.
"Charlotte. Please, sir, do not hurt me," she begged once more ignoring his assurance that no harm would come to her.
"We must get her back to the carriage and have our servants care for her, Elijah," the woman pointed out. She was surprised to see such a nice dressed man coming to her aide. She felt like she needed to pay him back with what little money she had in her casquette. He carried her like a bride. She was apprehensive at first yet rested her head against his chest. The sound of his heart beat soothing her.
"Thank you," she looked up at him. A brief smile appeared on his face. He held her closer to his body like a parent would their child. She started to get less nervous about being around them. He could have easily killed her by now.
The blonde woman climbed to the driver seat of the carriage. Elijah laid her on the other side of the carriage seats petting her head softly. His soft touch causing her to close her eyes. He couldn't believe men would do this to a young girl. She whimpered once or twice when he touched around her wound.
"I am sorry, little one," he apologized. The carriage started to go a lot more smoothly with cobblestones now used for the roads. She started to close her eyes not knowing if she was tired from today's events or going unconscious.
"Thank you," she thanked her savior once more before closing her eyes allowing the recent events to wash over her. The last thing she remembered hearing was the sound of thunder roaring in the night's sky.
She woke up the next morning in a soft white bed. The sun's light intruding in on her sleep. She groaned moving her head slightly which caused the world to start spinning. She moved her hand and placed it where the cut was the day before. A soft cloth now covered it. She started to notice the room was quite larger than the one back home in Paris. She slowly rolled over trying to get away from the light.
"Good morning," a cheery voice greeted with the sound of a closing door following quickly after. Charlotte closed her eyes and groaned trying to adjust to the noise of a high spirited woman. The blonde sat down on her bed.
"My brother will be happy to see that you are awake. I am Rebekah by the way," she greeted herself with a friendly smile. Charlotte only nodded still not fully awake yet or wanting to remember any of last night's events. "He was quite worried about you. He was here last night until early this morning, but he had to see the governor on news about you. Elijah thought you would be touched by fever with some of the herbs the servants gave you last night. It seems like your body is responding quite well to them," she assured her guest.
"I am sure the governor and his son will be pleased to see you are well. I hear you two are to be married soon. Lucky," she sighed and looked off in the distance. A noise suddenly jolted her to come back to reality. She noticed a carriage coming in through the main entrance gates.
"My brothers are home. I shall be back up here with Elijah shortly," she informed her turning on her heel and walking out the bedroom door. Charlotte slowly rolled on the bed and allowed her feet to touch the cold floor. She stood up slowly walking over to the window. She blocked her eyes from the sun seeing the family talking to each other outside. Elijah was so handsome in his suit that she couldn't help but stare. Rebekah pointed to her window causing Elijah to look up and see her staring.
She grew pale and turned back to her bed hoping he wouldn't bring up that she was staring at him from the window. A knock on the door alerted her of another visitor. She didn't say anything not used to people actually waiting to be allowed in. She slipped under her covers on her bed once more. The chill air of the upcoming winter already having an effect on her.
"May I come in? It is me, Elijah," he spoke calmly and confidently on the other side of the door. She smiled and called out for him to come in. He waited a couple of seconds before finally opening the door.
"I am glad to see you are much better, Miss Charlotte," he spoke grabbing a chair from the side of the room to sit on. He placed the chair by her bedside and took a seat.
"Thank you for everything yesterday," she thanked him once more. His face was stern and she didn't know if he was in deep thought or not. Charlotte decided to stay quiet. She spoke out of turn. A woman was supposed to be seen not heard.
"Miss Charlotte, what I tell you may be upsetting but please bare with me. The man that attacked you last night was hired by someone who wanted you dead. I spoke with the governor today and he told me he was expecting your arrival," he spoke briefly trying to make sure he wasn't going to upset her.
"Who would want me dead?" she asked innocently. Her face was pale and she felt small. The only people that knew of her arrival was the covenant and the governor. The thought of someone wanting her young life to be cut short frightened her. He placed a hand on her shoulder rubbing it softly. Her green eyes stared at him once more.
"We have no suspects yet, but my family will protect you. We will not let you leave this house until the man responsible for this is caught," he informed her and stood up looking out the window. She sighed in relief knowing she wouldn't be left out on the streets with a crazed man that wants her dead. She wondered if she would be safer at the governor's house but didn't bother to mention it.
"Your family's hospitality is greatly appreciated,"
"We only want you to feel better. I will have servants coming in to check on you," he tried to ease her mind of all worry. So far it was working.