Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Ten ~

Content Warning: Violence/ Abuse / Attempted Rape

~~~

After passing a gaggle of guards with no Amir in sight, Sanaa and the guard who'd been sent to escort her, arrived at the emperor's chambers. While there'd been no obvious destruction to the inner palace, the cacophony of shouts and orders on the way across the palace, told Sanaa that something significant had happened. Everywhere she'd looked, along hallways and down corridors and into open doorways, she hoped for some concrete information about what had happened during the fighting and of course to Amir.and what had happened to Amir.

The guard left her, unable to enter the emperor's inner chambers as usual and so, legs shaking, Sanaa continued through the labyrinthine corridors towards Ghassan. She was in no hurry to see him, knowing that no summons to his rooms could be for anything positive and so she took her time. When she finally made it to his doorway, she found it ajar and the carnage that greeted her left Sanaa breathless.

Ghassan's chambers stood as a testament to his wealth and extravagance. Adorned with rich textures and colours, the room vibrantly reflected his taste for the finer things. A grand crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, the walls covered with intricate tapestries, depicting scenes of historic grandeur as well as the epic battles he'd won in his youth. A grand piano stood in the centre of the entrance chamber, its polished ebony surface gleaming. Arranged around a coffee table were plush velvet sofas and armchairs the further she stepped in, inviting guests to relax in comfort and style. A Cotaini rug with intricate patterns covered the stone ground beneath her feet, but all that was gone, destroyed.

The room had been transformed from a haven of opulence into a scene of chaos. Shattered crystals of the now askew chandelier lay scattered on the floor. Tapestries, once carefully preserved, were shredded, their threads unravelled in anger. The grand piano had been overturned, its keys broken and strewn across the floor. Sofas and armchairs had been slashed, their stuffing spilled out like grotesque confetti. The coffee table lay in shattered pieces, and the Cotaini rug beneath it was torn and stained.

"You!"

She heard him before she saw him. Ghassan came charging toward Sanaa with a sword in his hand, his eyes savage and murderous. Sanaa dropped to her knees, cowered from his wrath and hoped her submission would placate him as it had done on previous occasions. This was not to be one of those times, she realised as the emperor stormed toward her and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her to her feet once more. Sanaa tried to cry out, but her breath was cut short as Ghassan gripped her tightly.

Just like Amir.

"You lying bitch!" Ghassan screeched at her as he dragged her from the receiving room and into his bed chamber. Sanaa slapped at him with one hand with the other around his wrist, trying to loosen his grip but he was relentless. He only shifted his grip so he could march her into his rooms without tripping over anything himself. The sword hung by his side, his hand gripping it so tightly his usually light brown knuckles had turned white. Sanaa dug her heels into the floor, hopelessly trying to get him to let go, but he only squeezed harder, choking her. She felt lightheaded, her throat aching from the pressure, her fingers tender from scratching at him. When he did release her, Ghassan threw Sanaa onto the bed and she heard the clash of metal against stone as his sword hit the floor. Sanaa clambered onto her hands and knees to crawl away, but Ghassan grabbed hold of one of her ankles and pulled her back towards him across the bed. She screamed and kicked at him, catching him squarely in the jaw. Ghassan howled in fury, grabbing his jaw before looking back at her with a crippling rage that had her whimpering in terror.

"You'll pay for that!" he vowed, coming for her again. Stunned by her kick actually connecting with him, Sanaa lost precious moments to get away before Ghassan was on her again. Again she kicked, her legs flying with as much force as she could muster before he grabbed hold of both ankles and pulled her down the bed towards him. Her evening kaftan rose up her legs and body with the movement, exposing her underclothes. Ghassan released her ankles before he grabbed at them, tearing the cloth away from her body, leaving her open to his lecherous gaze. Sanaa kicked again, missing him this time but never stopping, refusing to give in to him.