#Chapter 58: You'll Be My Queen

Evelyn My wrists were rubbed raw. Every twist, every tug, carved the rope deeper into my skin. Eventually, the futile efforts had created chaffing deep enough to draw blood, but still, I didn’t stop. The knot the guards had tied to bind my wrists was tight. I knew that I was smarter than the guards who tied it, but it seemed I was not smart enough to find its weakness. I’d been working at it for hours, slow and methodical, as the sun rose to bring the first glow of true daylight. Even as the morning wore on, I continued making my fingers learn the give in the hemp and the slick of blood by making feeble tugs that allowed the knot to loosen enough to shift my wrists slightly. But it was still not loose enough to slip free. I needed more time. But fate, as usual, had other plans. The cage door opened without warning, and my fingers froze. Jesse strolled in like a man returning home after a long day. No guards accompanied him. It was just him and me in that small, encl