The Blood Prince

003

I had to formulate a plan. I had to find a way out of this.

I look down at my gown that was filthy, tattered from the journey.

I hear the door unlock and I instantly stand.

The door opens and the price enters.

"Come. You need to bathe before the wedding."he demands.

I step back, shaking my head.

This causes his eyes to darken.

"You dare refuse me?"he says.

"I don't want to marry you!"I shout, my emotions finally pushing through.

"I want to go home! Please I wish to be with my father!"I whine.

A look of disgust washes over his face.

"If you will not bathe yourself, you will be bathed."he says with a dark look in his eye.

I back away again, and he huffs before stomping into the room and gripping the back of my neck.

I wince, hissing as he begins forcing me to walk to the door.

He then pushes me out of the room, into a group of older women who were waiting for me.

"Bathe her, ready her for the ceremony."he demands as they begin to lead me away.

...

I'm brought into a bath house, where I'm immediately stripped of my clothes, and examined.

I try and cover myself the best I could, but they were adamant on seeing my entire body, as if they were searching for something.

They spoke in only their native language, till I see a young woman enter the room.

"Hello princess."she says as the older women walk me towards one of the large bathing pools.

"H-hello."I say, afraid.

"Are you frightened? Is this not how they bathe you in Evandor?"she asks.

This woman seemed generally worried.

"N-no."I shutter.

"Aunties, could you give us a moment?"she asks to the older women who has stripped and examined me.

They one by one exit the room and the woman kneels down in her white gown.

"Princess. I'm to understand that you've been taught that the Kingdom of Pogisa is one of darkness, and evil. Correct?"she asks.

I only nod.

She huffs sadly.

"Well, we weren't. That was before the king and queen fell."

"They died?"I question.

"Wash up, I'll tell you the whole story."

...

"The King, as per tradition, sent the prince off to fight in the war for a year. The war between the kingdoms people, and the tribes in the wood were brutal, and the price...well he fought. Hard. Saw some things no child should see."the woman says.

She brushes my hair as she speaks, preparing me for the ceremony.

I look down, sad, as I could tell there would be no escaping this wedding.

"The tribes had many advantages. Animals under their control that they would send to massacre people in the village. One in particular that had terrorized us for years, Aha, the lion."she says, looking to the left.

I look over as well, seeing an abnormally large lions pelt hung on the wall, over a portrait of the prince.

"Xavier slayed that beast, a task the king failed to do."

"Both the King and Queen fell victim to Aha."

She begins to braid my hair and my lips quiver as I look down.

"...i-i don't want to be married.."I say softly, causing her hair braiding to stop.

"A princess that doesn't want to marry?"she says.

I shake my head.

"I was going to be queen. Rule under no one. Like my father. And he and my mother didn't marry until I was conceived."I whimper.

I could tell she was trying to find words of comfort.

"You can still be queen, Tatiana. I know Xavier comes off as a bit old fashioned, but that's just his father speaking through him. I'm sure, under all the scars, and anger, he's just the same boy he was before he was sent to the war."she says softly as she continues to braid my hair.

"Did you know him?"I ask, softly wiping my nose.

"He's my older brother."she says as if it were a secret.

I turn back to her.

"Wouldn't you like to be queen?"I ask.

She simply shakes her head.

"In Pogisa, a woman can not rule alone. And, the queen remains inferior to the king."she says.

"Rubbish!"I whine.

"Shh. Quiet now princess. We must get you ready. Come."she says softly.

....

I look at myself, dressed in the red gown that hugged me so well. My arms were gloved with white silk. A veil of red lace was flipped over my hair.

I looked....

Different.

"Beautiful."I hear.

I turn back, seeing the woman in the white dress.

"I was never told your name."I say softly.

"Nadia."she says.

I look down at my hands and frown.

"I still don't want to be married, Nadia."

She sighs.

"I'm sorry, Tatiana."she says before walking out of the room.

I whimper, looking out the window to the sun rising slowly.

I hear footsteps and I look back, seeing the women who has stripped and examined me.

"..it is time, princess."one of them says.

....