The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Fifty One

Here we go little ones.

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Marcenia

I sat down in the field, catching my breath, hoping that the wheat would hide me for a few seconds so that I could get some rest. I was still trying to piece together exactly what was going on, but my head hurt extremely bad at the attempt.

I could remember one thing only. My name. Marcenia.

The feeling that I did not belong to where I was had been evident. But why? Where did I belong?

Not here. The voice inside me spoke.

I had no time to care for where the voice had come from. They were on my heels. Rushing to capture me.

"CATCH THAT SLAVE!"

Pushing myself to move I shot forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me, my lungs burning, my body aching, my head was light.

As I neared the border of the farm, I became excited at the prospect of my escape. Using the last bits of my energy I pushed myself forward. I reached my hand out, readying myself to jump over the fence. I had just touched the fence when my feet flew out from under me. The air rushed out of my body when I hit the ground, and I hacked as I tried to draw in enough air again. I twisted to see what had happened, only to find a sword at my throat.

"Why are you running, miss Hayward?"

Hayward? Why does that sound wrong?

"Our boss simply wants to make you his personal maid. It is an honour for you."

An honour? The sadistic man they had referenced to had killed many, and not by conventional means. I had watched him hook a large fish hook into someone's back and rip it out, pulling the vertebrae with it. The screaming had been enough to give me nightmares for weeks.

Trying to refuse was futile for two reasons. One: these people would never let me go. Two: I had no voice.

With no choice but to comply I was hauled onto the horse, not even tied up. I was no threat to them. They took me to the large tents where he waited, the blue haired devil with dark eyes. It was rare to see people with hair other than black, brown and blonde. Those who had different colored hair was considered the 'Gods Chosen'. It was also worth noting that hair only started changing when they came of age.

My black strands whipped into my face when we came to a stop. The blue haired devil watched as his men handed me down and walked me to him. He took my hand when I was close enough, and pulled me into his tent. He sat me down at a table.

"Miss Hayward. You ran from me. Do you know what I do to those who run?"

I wish I could say that I felt fear at this point. Or the intent to run. But I sat there, staring at him, mute.

He sighed and sat down across from me.

"You're to be my personal maid. Do you know what that means?"

I continued to stare. I did know, but I didn't want it.

The few memories I had I knew for a fact that I was not from here, first and foremost. And that I was not 'Miss Hayward'. I turned my head away from the blue-haired devil, my eyes trained on the world outside.

"You stopped talking to me after that day. I know you're angry, but I only want you now. You're coming of age soon. It will finally be accepted. We will be accepted when you come of age."

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what he was speaking of. I had had trouble grasping onto anything concrete the past three years, and before that came up to be a blank for me. I just remember running, what I was running from exactly was a blur, and I could not grasp what had happened.

"Marcenia." he sounded pained, his hands cupping my cheeks as he tried to get me to look at him. I looked into his dark eyes, recalling the first time he caught me and brought me back to the sea of tents that we were living in now. He had frightened me back then. Now I barely registered his nearness. It did not stop me from trying to run, though.

The man in front of me was handsome, beautiful even. His black eyes staring back at me were like polished onyx, and his lips curved in a permanent, threatening smile. He came of age seven years before, being a young man of twenty-five now, he was what many of the women here adored and wanted. He was built well, his body rigid and ready to attack at all times. 

"I've had the women ready a dress for you." He finally said, getting up from the position that he was in, and walking over to the small dresser table he had in the tent. The material was exquisite, the stitches neat. "We will wed tonight. You will not be just another personal maid. You will be my wife." 

He smiled at me, and the flash of white bringing a slight memory of a young man with wildflowers in his hand, being beaten as he held onto the flowers and smiled at me. I frowned at the image that disappeared as soon as it came.

"We'll finally be together, love," he promised as he placed the material in my hands, and left the tent.

I was left to myself for hours, where I simply sat there. After some time a few of the ladies came in and helped me get dressed, doing my hair and applying products to my face. I was then taken outside where he was waiting with his black steed, his arm quickly snaking around me and pulling me up with him. I sat still, listening to the air around us as he took us up the steep path to the Temple at the top of the mountain.

At the top, we were welcomed by the monks and taken into the chamber of bonds where we were expected to pray for our union. If the gods were appeased they would grant the marriage.

I repeated the incantation in my mind, knowing full well that he was all that I knew, even if I had tried to escape multiple times.

Something unexpected happened. In three hundred years the gods had never shown displeasure with any marriage, until this day. I stared up as lightning struck the temple twelve consecutive times, the sky still clear as day even as it happened.

I involuntarily smiled as a thirteenth strike came down directly into the chamber. I was ready to accept my fate when I was tackled out of the way. 

"Thirteen strikes! Thirteen strikes!" I could hear the screaming of several voices. "The prophecy!"

The floor beneath me cracked, the hanging temple had suffered damage beyond repair. And suddenly the floor gave way.

"MARCENIA!" I heard the blue-haired devil shout, feeling my dress rip as he tried to hold onto me.

I had accepted my fate, with or without his interference. The beautiful dress ripped, and I fell.

The darkness of the caverns beneath the temple swallowed me whole, and I wasn't sure if I had blacked out or if the darkness had tricked me, but by the time I woke up again I could barely make out the figure that carried me away from where I had been. I felt numb, my body was numb, my mind was numb, I didn't know where I was nor what I was expected to do from here. 

"Little girl. You fell several thousand feet. How are you still alive?" The deep voice was calming, and immediately my consciousness slipped.