PRINCESS

II

TWO.

"So do you take walks?" I asked the solid man who stood at my back, his eyes unblinking, and his face like a statue carved out of stone,

He gave a brief nod of his head in reply to my question, I could have missed it. It was quite easy, actually…but I was too desperate at this point not to notice little movements from the only person who was with me all day.

Please…give me something.

"But you don't like me?" I asked just to see the look on his face, but as usual, he gave me…nothing.

I giggled nervously.

"Oops." I pretended to slip and as usual, he caught me. I found myself staring into the prettiest set of grey eyes I had ever seen,

I straightened up quickly because it seemed my body was getting too comfortable with him. He went back to his original position like I was an inconvenience he could overlook.

Maybe I was.
I was also lonely, very lonely.

"Can I go to the market?" I asked, already knowing the answer,

"Ask your father for permission, Roxanne."

My father won't allow me to go. There was no need to argue this, but something in me always wanted to push even if I was at a cul de sac.

I was about to open my mouth to make another impossible request when I heard the first gunshot.  I let out a gasp as I felt someone grab my arm roughly, I looked over to my side to find out that it was my bodyguard.

We were going to the safe room that was hidden in the basement. This was not my first drill, it wasn't my last either. Suddenly, he shoved me at his back and stopped walking, his hand went to his holster and he held the small but powerful gun in his hands.

"Who is there? Come out or I shoot." His loud voice rang through the suddenly quiet space,

The slight rustling of the trees was his answer. "I said come out!" He boomed,

He held my wrist tightly and continued with his movement when nothing happened after five long seconds.

I didn't see it. I wasn't sure he saw it either, but it was a sniper shot... directly to his forehead. He turned slowly and stared at me with wide eyes, the red liquid gurgling out of the wound and his mouth, staining his white teeth in the process.

He fell. His large body colliding with the freshly mown grass and landing with a thud.

Someone was screaming. It was so loud, I was sure my eardrums tore at some point. It took me a while to figure out that I was the one screaming, making that sound from my already worn-out lungs.

"Help!" I shouted, my father's men were everywhere, one of them was bound to hear,

"Help!!!" I yelled again, I was about to scream again when I tasted something metallic, my scream was muffled too.

A large, grime-filled hand covered my mouth and held me in place. I realized the gravity of the situation when I felt the cold metal on my forehead.

I stood still, very still. Your enemies must not detect weakness.

"Leave the girl." A deep voice said,

Suddenly I felt like I was standing on ice spikes. My heart caught in my chest and I couldn't breathe. I slowly felt the gun leave my head and I immediately took advantage of it, I turned around and delivered a kick to his groin, effectively sending him sprawling on the floor. I ignored his groans of pain and started to make my move when I felt an iron-like grip on my arm.

"Stay, Princess." I stood deathly still, my mind racing with a million thoughts,

I swallowed before trying to perform the same act I had done on his partner, but he was one step ahead of me this time. The reality didn't really dawn on me till I heard his deep but maniacal laughter ring in the air.

My leg was caught in his gloved hands and his face was turned downwards, perusing my leg like it had all the pieces of information he wanted.

He tapped lightly on my knee before he released it, I landed on my butt on the green grass, slightly aware of the man clutching his balls next to me.

"I asked you to stay, didn't I?" His head snapped up all of a sudden, bringing into focus a pair of ice blue eyes, so icy that if he ducked his head, they appeared to be silver,

I started backing away. My mouth was still unable to form words and everything in me was telling me to run. This man looked familiar, for some weird reason. I couldn't have known him since the only men I knew were my father's workers.

Surprisingly, this strange man sat down with me on the grass and quirked an eyebrow, as if daring me to run.

I didn't.
I didn't run.
I just sat there dumbly, entrapped under the power of his gaze. My heart almost halted when he brandished a gun right in front of me and trained it on my forehead,

"Now, let's try this one more time." He smirked and  skipped a beat before speaking again, "Stay, Princess."

This time I actually did stay.
The fear was overpowering to the extent that I felt like if I moved even an inch, a bullet hole would be gaping through my head.

"You bitch!" Before I could move a muscle, someone pounced on me,

I let out a scream as I felt his weight on my body, it was the man that I had kicked earlier,

"You have the audacity to kick me?"

"Leave her, Ilya." His voice sounded emotionless...bored, even.

"I have to teach her a lesson!" He responded, I clawed at his face, trying to look for a way to get his body off mine,

That was when I heard the gunshot.

I let out an ear-piercing scream as the blood splashed on my face.

My eyes, as if on a command, immediately fixed on the huge man who was stretching his neck like he had a cramp in it.

"Ah, You look good in red, Princess." His lips widened into a Chesire cat grin,

"Who are-" As I opened my mouth, I felt the taste of blood on my tongue.

Not my blood.
Not my blood.

"Who are you?" I managed to say in a hoarse whisper,

"She talks!" He stood up and dusted his black pants, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief,

"Sovetsky. Damien Sovetsky."