LOST

Chapter 7- Aboard

Celestine

I hissed as my fingertips skimmed lightly across my ruined back. I couldn't even touch it properly. My eyes began to water even as I thought about the pain I'd gone through a couple of hours back. I had fallen unconscious before Aiden was done with the whipping. And despite the pain haunting my body at the time, I was furious.

I couldn't believe that Aiden had dared to dress an indecent woman. I had taken off all of my upper garments before the whipping since Aiden had insisted not to ruin another dress. However, once I'd fallen unconscious, he had dressed me and carried me back to my cell. Just then, I noticed Kendal standing outside my cell.

"Kendal?" I said in a raspy voice. I had just gained consciousness and hence, just noticed her standing there.

"Yes, Celestine?" she said.

"Um...how long have you been standing there?" I asked, careful not to move. Even the slightest brush of the cloth I wore against my back inflicted unbearable pain.

"It's been three hours," she said. She looked sick. Her golden eyes had lost their shine dramatically. It was upsetting to see her like this.

"Why?" I asked. "Why have you been standing there for such a long time?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you," she sighed and opened the bars of my cell. It looked like she didn't have a weapon so maybe I could run. But then I remembered the time I'd tried escaping Aiden and quickly snuffed out my thoughts. Plus, I wasn't able to move as of the present.

"Talk about what?" I whispered as she slowly sat down beside me. Because my body wasn't supporting me at the time, I couldn't even move my neck the slightest bit to look at her.

"Are you okay, Celestine?" Kendal finally asked. I snorted and immediately regretted it as my body went up in flames. I groaned and tilted my head towards the stone wall slowly, sighing as the cool material touched my scalp.

"No, Kendal. I'm not okay," I answered truthfully.

"I understand if you are upset about the torture-," she began.

"Torture? Hell, no. I'm not upset about the torture. I know what price I have to pay to keep my country safe. I'm upset because- because..." I couldn't speak anymore.

"Is it Aiden?" Kendal asked, a glimmer of emotion danced in her eyes for a second. It was long gone before I could place what it was.

"Yes," I admitted.

"What has he done?" she asked.

"Well, he said that I deserve to be tortured. And then he dressed me? I was indecent! How could he have done that without my consent? And the nerve- he came to my cell just a few hours back to apologize! To bloody apologize about the way he had touched me when you two brought me to this hell of a country!" I huffed with anger as I finished, ignoring the building pain in my back.

Maybe I shouldn't have shouted so loud?

 Kendal simply looked at me and shook her head ever so slightly.

"It wasn't him who dressed you," she whispered as if she was unsure of how I would react. "It was me."

The breatheth left my body for a second and then, I sighed in relief.

 And then I reddened.

 And then I sobered.

She was a girl. She didn't have anything that I didn't. It wouldn't hurt if she'd done it.

"Celestine?" she asked, snapping me back into reality. "You zoned out for a second."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I said, shaking my head.