THE SILENT VOW

chapter 7 the only Distraction

Chapter 7: The Holy Distraction

The air in the room turned ice-cold. Victoria stood there, her arms crossed, watching the strange doctor prepare a thick, yellow liquid in a glass syringe. It was a dose meant to ensure Maximilian never opened his eyes again.

"The board doesn't want any 'accidents' during the final signing," Victoria said, her eyes tracking the needle. "This will keep his heart quiet and his brain still."

Elara looked at Max. His eyes were closed, his body perfectly still, but she saw the slight pulse in his neck. He was ready to fight, but he was outnumbered. If he fought now, the guards outside would overpower him in his weakened state.

I have to do it, Elara thought. For Max. For my mother.

The Diversion

"Wait!" Elara cried out, her voice high and panicked. She stepped toward the doctor, her hands trembling. "You can't... the readings... something is wrong with the machine!"

The doctor frowned, looking at the steady heart monitor. "The monitor is fine, Mrs. Sterling. Move back."

"No, look!" Elara screamed. She lunged forward, not at the doctor, but toward the bedside table. She purposefully tripped over her own long skirt, her body crashing into the metal medical tray.

CRASH.

Stainless steel instruments clattered across the marble floor. Elara didn't stop there. As she fell, she grabbed the doctor’s arm, pulling him down with her.

"Help! I'm dizzy—my heart!" Elara gasped, clutching her chest. She rolled onto the floor, kicking the doctor’s bag further under the bed.

Victoria hissed in frustration. "You clumsy girl! Get up!"

While the doctor was momentarily distracted, trying to steady himself and help the "fainting" Elara, Max’s hand moved with lightning speed. He reached out from under the covers, grabbed the clear vial of sterile saline (harmless salt water) Elara had hidden there earlier, and swapped it with the yellow sedative on the nightstand.

It happened in less than two seconds.

The Switch

Elara lay on the floor, breathing heavily, pretending to recover. The doctor stood up, huffing, and brushed off his coat. He reached for the syringe on the table—the one Max had switched.

"She’s just hysterical," the doctor muttered to Victoria. "Common for these village types."

He stepped toward Max and injected the harmless salt water into the IV port.

Victoria watched with a predatory smile as the liquid entered Max’s system. "There. Sleep well, big brother. Tomorrow, the Sterling name belongs to me."

"I... I'm sorry," Elara sobbed from the floor, playing the part of the broken girl. "I just... I can't bear to lose him."

"Get her out of here," Victoria commanded a guard. "Lock her in the guest wing. We don't need her until the board meeting tomorrow morning."

The Eve of Battle

Elara was dragged away, but as she was led out of the room, she caught Max’s eye for a split second. His eyes remained closed, but his hand made a tiny, firm fist under the sheets.

The message was clear: It is time.

Locked in the guest room, Elara fell to her knees. She didn't have her Bible, but she had her heart.

"Lord, you turned the water into wine," she whispered. "Now turn this salt water into strength. Give Maximilian the power to stand when the doors open tomorrow. Protect the innocent, and let the truth be a roaring lion."

She stayed awake all night, watching the moon pass over the city. She knew that by tomorrow noon, she would either be a wealthy widow, a prisoner, or—if her prayers were answered—the wife of a King who had returned to his throne.

The Finale Approaches!

Tomorrow is the Board Meeting. Max is fully hydrated with the saline and his strength has returned enough for one big move.