The Princess's Protector (girlxgirl)

Chapter Twenty Three

Castle Black Cells. Blackrock, Ahigarth

Peyton

I groaned when my consciousness returned, my body slowly coming alive with pain. I didn't open my eyes, trying to focus and gather my wits as the memories of last night slowly crept in. My face felt swollen and when I eventually tried to open my eyes, only one half-opened. I licked my lips, feeling the dried blood and split skin, and looked around the room with my one good eye. The room was pretty dark, just some low light coming in from a flickering candle outside the cell. It wasn't much, just enough to light up the iron door and lock.

A sound reached my ears, once the ringing in them had subsided, and my heart froze. Wedding music. It was drifting down from some unseen crevice, just above the sound of a whisper. Leah was getting married today and she had no idea what had happened to me. I knew it deep in my heart she didn't know. No one would inform her nor would someone tell her until she demanded or figured it out. I only prayed that Finn is able to let her know somehow. He would know because these guards can't keep a secret to save their lives and he would undoubtedly hear the news.

I shifted in my chains, trying to ease the aching muscles in my shoulders and back. I was flexible and there was just enough slack in the chains for me to slip them over my legs, allowing me to have my arms positioned in front of me. As soon as I slipped through them, the ache in my shoulders immediately started to go away. I sighed in relief and now that that was dealt with for the moment, I needed to figure out how the hell I was going to get myself out of this death trap.

"So you're awake, huh?" A deep voice rumbled on the other side of the iron gate. "Rath is going to love knocking you out again." His voice trailed off as he walked away.

A moment later, my cell door was open and Rath was stepping inside, in his fanciest uniform, I've seen yet. I looked up at him, meeting his hard gaze with my one open eye, not flinching when he attempted to stare me down. He moved into the room, grabbed my chin, and moved my head from side to side, inspecting his damage. He grinned, "You're quite pretty when you're black and blue." Rath spoke in a low tone, quiet enough for us to hear but anyone outside of the cell wouldn't hear his words. I said nothing, not sure what he meant. "You're pretty for a man, smooth too. It's a strange sight, not common amongst fighting men." He lifted my chained hands, noticing that they weren't where he left them, but he said nothing. Just dropped my hands back down into my lap.

Between split lips, I spat out, "Well, you're ugly." It was weak but made me feel good. That is until he smacked me, re-splitting open one of the cuts on my face. I felt the warm blood drip down my cheek.

"And you're a man who is bound to die. So I may as well have fun with such a pretty face." It clicked as soon as he said the words. Rath liked men. Explained why the man was so hateful. He hated himself.

A slow smirk spread over my face, "Oh, I see. That explains so much."

Rath clenched his fist, ready to strike. "You better be careful, boy."

I laughed, a raw sound escaping my dry throat. "You like men, huh? No wonder you hate the Princess and follow her father around like a whipped puppy. You like cock-" my words were stopped by a fist hitting me square in the jaw. It hurt like a bitch, but I wasn't done. Something else had occurred to me at that moment, "You were fucking one of those men who died, weren't you? That's why you were so angry." I could see the instant my words were heard. His face twisting into hate.

Rath growled and pushed me up off the bench and into the wall, his large hand at my throat, squeezing. "You want to die, don't you?" I was gasping for air now but kept my eyes on his. He held me there for a minute before dropping me back to the ground, my chains rattling as I coughed, sucking in air. He moved from me, his back to me as he looked around the cell, quiet. He was silent just long enough for me to hear the wedding music again, only this time it had shifted and you could hear...cheering? I guess the deed was done, Leah was officially married to Nathan. I closed my eyes, feeling a deep sadness wash over me, my soul was crying that it wasn't the one who got to marry Leah today.