Aurora - You are my light (Ateez x reader)

TWO

FYI: Please recall the trigger warnings.

Five days ago.

I squeezed my eyes shut. A tear trickled down my cheek. My hands clawed into the dark wood of the bedpost, already marked with countless scratches from my fingernails. When would it end? When would the pain stop? Would I ever get used to it? Numb to it all, feeling nothing? That's what I wished for.

I knelt on all fours as the king, simultaneously my husband and assailant, ruthlessly thrust into me from behind. Again and again, he pounded forcefully, showing no concern for me or my obvious pain. "You like that, don't you, you little whore, am I right?!" he underlined with a harsh slap on my bare buttocks.

I screamed in pain. "Yes, I know you do!" He thrust into me a few more times, then groaned, and it was finally over. At least for a short time. He finally released me, donned his royal attire, and turned to me once more in the doorway of our spacious bedchamber. Meanwhile, I had grabbed the blanket, trying shamefully to hide my battered body underneath. "And now, go wash yourself. Tonight, I have something special planned for you!" With that, he slammed the door shut, leaving me alone with my shame and pain.

Shortly after, there was a knock on the door. I was still paralyzed, staring emotionlessly at the ceiling. "Come in!" The door opened, and Sofia, my handmaiden, silently entered the chamber. She knew the procedure and already knew that the king was raping and hurting me every day. She never uttered a word about it, for which I was more than grateful.

I was torn from my thoughts by the splashing of the faucet, and finally, I was able to move again. Sofia drew me a warm bath, adding more bath salts than usual under the circumstances. A sign to me that she knew what was happening behind that door. Even though my bath was ordered by the king to prepare me for whatever disgrace awaited me tonight, I accepted it gratefully every time, hoping to provide my body with at least a little relief and perhaps hoping to wash away the shame.

The large claw-footed bathtub stood freely in the room, and the bathwater steamed deliciously. Sofia looked at me expectantly, and I began to move, finally feeling the warm and soothing water around my body. My muscles immediately relaxed, and Sofia began to wash me with a sponge, being especially careful around the obvious injuries adorning my body.

After I was freshly washed and dressed, I felt a little better. I rarely chose elaborate dresses or hairstyles, as I didn't feel particularly comfortable in them and felt disguised. If there was no special occasion, I usually opted for a simple airy dress in which I could move freely, and I usually wore my brown hair in a loose braid. So also today. Everything else was impractical, as I spent the least amount of time in the castle and wanted to spend every free minute granted to me with my horse.

I was definitely not a classic princess as depicted in books. But how could I be, when everything was done to ensure that I never felt even slightly royal. In addition to the daily abuse, I was excluded by the king from high council meetings, as he believed women were incapable of making important decisions, let alone leading a kingdom.

My emancipated side rebelled inwardly, but in reality, I was fine with it. I had no particular interest in royal duties. Especially not after being forced into marriage with my husband a year ago, even though at that time I had no idea what lay ahead for me. Many women from Arkanthia, my homeland, were envious and resentful, as I was supposed to be the chosen one of the king. If it hasn't been clear yet, I would swap with hand kisses.

When King Thorian arranged a year ago for the most beautiful women of Arkanthia to present themselves at the royal house, as King Valthor of Seraphil was looking for a wife, I never thought he would choose me. At that time, I was almost euphoric to leave my simple life behind, but I didn't know how much I would miss it.

King Thorian and King Valthor arranged an agreement. King Valthor provided Arkanthia with a multitude of foot soldiers in the war with the Kingdom of Arandor and, in return, received, in addition to a hefty sum of money, a woman of his choice. Arkanthia was neither known for great military successes nor for a multitude of warriors and soldiers. But the assumption spread that the most beautiful women lived there. My foster parents were paid a large sum of money, and the agreement was fulfilled.

Now I lived in Seraphil, where the only peace I found was in its adjacent sea and the surrounding green forests. I loved the sea, so I used the evening rides with my horse to savor every moment of it. My horse, Dreamcatcher, along with the wonderful nature, was the only beautiful thing my new life had to offer me.

I thanked Sofia for her help and made my way to the stables.

As I entered the stables, I paused for a moment and breathed in the familiar scent deeply. Then I walked a few steps down the stable aisle and found my black horse in his stall. He snorted comfortably as I greeted him on the forehead and between the eyes. While my body continued to relax in his presence, I realized how tired I was from the day's hardships and decided to postpone the ride for later. I made myself comfortable on the fresh straw and watched Dreamcatcher eat hay, while my eyelids slowly grew heavy.

I squeezed my eyes shut and felt hot tears running down my cheeks. My hands and feet were once again tied to the bedposts, as they often were when I resisted too much. Blows followed on my naked skin, leaving red marks. Then I felt a stabbing pain on the inside of my thigh and jerked abruptly.

The ropes binding my wrists and ankles cut into my skin, leaving painful burns. I felt a hot liquid running down the inside of my legs, and when I looked up, I saw King Valthor cutting bleeding wounds into my flesh with his hunting knife.

I screamed and writhed in pain, but it was in vain. What would I give to escape this situation? I felt as powerless and hopeless as a surrendered animal facing its doomed fate. When I finally felt the familiar sensation of passing out, I breathed a slow sigh of relief.

I opened my eyes and recognized a familiar clearing that had appeared to me more frequently lately. It was shrouded in mist, yet its beauty was unmistakable. Slowly, I moved along a narrow path through bushes of wild roses. I breathed in the scent of the pink and fuchsia-colored flowers and paused.

Carefully, my fingers traced the outline of the blooms. My gaze slowly turned to the beautiful little lake adjacent to the clearing. As I walked towards it, the fog in front of my eyes thickened. It almost embraced my silhouette warmly, and I enjoyed the gentle play of nature. When I could no longer see anything because of the fog, I woke up...

Somewhat groggy from my deep sleep, I slowly woke up and opened my eyes. Before me, I discerned the still partially blurred outlines of my horse. Strange, I thought. Vivid nightmares about the deeds of King Valthor haunted me almost daily. It seemed to be a mechanism of my body to process them in some way, even though it would probably never fully succeed.

But I had that peculiar dream again, which had been appearing before my mind's eye for several days now. This wonderful nature, like I had never seen before, granted me inner peace and evoked something familiar within me, something I couldn't quite describe, whenever I felt like I was internally dying from torture. I shook my head a few times to dispel my confusing thoughts and then saddled my horse to clear my mind with the fresh sea air during a ride.

- Hello there, 

thank you very much for reading this chapter as well. Now you've been able to learn a bit more about Princess Aurora's life, although surely not everything yet. I appreciate every comment, like, or kind feedback. Have a wonderful day. -