His Girl

Chapter 24

I didn't say goodbye. My sleep depraved brain decided that it would be for the best. Thinking back now, it probably wasn't the greatest idea. I wanted a clean break, there was nothing either of us could do to stop him. I gazed out of the window into the lightening gloom. A thin strip of light crept out of the mountains, casting a brilliant glow on the surrounding trees. A wrapped my cloak around me tighter as the carriage lurched to alternate sides every time we went over the slightest bump. I hated travelling in a carriage. Like many other things my father didn't trust me to travel by horse, in case I escaped. Not that I would now, he would always find me and my heart would be broken yet again. Am I heartbroken? No, you and Jackson were just intimate friends, that's all, I told myself.

We had been travelling for three hours now. Romero and my father talked in hushed voices on the other side of the carriage. I felt nervous and scared being in the same place as them as I knew that neither of them cared for me. I shut my eyes trying to sleep but images of Jackson kept flashing through my mind. GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I yelled at myself, I didn't need this, not now. I was doing Lothelor a favour, my father would rather raise it to the ground than see me happy. I drummed my fingers on the edge of the seat, patience was never my strong point. I felt someone move closer up to me and wrap their arms around me. With the other hand the grabbed my head and forced it to face the person who had sat beside me. He grinned cruelly.
"I'm so glad, of all the women in the world I get to marry you." Romero smiled in his heavy foreign accent. He moved his gaze from my eyes towards my chest. I tried to get out of his grip but my efforts just urged him on. He brushed his fingers over the top of my breasts. "I can't wait to see you naked." He murmured in my ear. I shivered at the thought but he interpreted this as encouragement. Romero released me, happy with the effect he believed he had on me. He winked at me, the wicked glint in his eye shimmering. Romero was a handsome man if you were attracted to dark haired, tanned and cruel looking villains. His eyes were the darkest I had ever seen but had this almost silvery sheen over the top of them. His face was chiseled and manly and I could tell that he was manipulative and sadistic just by the curve of his smile. He reminded me very much of my father,not only due to their similar looks but also the way they grinned when something unpleasant happened or someone got hurt.

The sun had fully risen as we entered the huge cold iron gates of Mount Calaena. The once beautiful castle had been transformed into a fortress. There was only one pathway up to the castle, which was heavily guarded night and day. There was no other safe route as the sides of the mountain were treacherously steep, many had attempted to climb them but failed and ended up falling to their deaths or being captured by the hundreds of soldiers that patrolled the forests of the mountain. I remember when I was child that the castle was made of brilliant white stone with stained glass windows and bright blue turrets. Gardens full of roses and shapely trees stretched as far as the eye could see. My father changed all this. He believed that in order to be a powerful and practically evil king he had to have an equally as devilish castle to go with it. With that idea in mind he rebuilt the castle. It was still elegant in its own foreboding way with precise arrow slits and strategically placed battlements, but nothing compared to its previous beauty. The fortress was infamous for its giant dungeons and lack of records on the number of people who had been tortured and killed inside them. I had never seen the dungeons, nor did I ever want to, they were a symbol of my fathers personality and his ways of controlling those who didn't conform.

The horses came to a stop and a soldier came over and opened the door of the carriage. As I stepped out I ignored the states of the guards and kept my head down. There were very few women, except the maids, in the castle which explained why the soldiers were so fixated on me. I wanted to get away from my father as quickly as possible when I suddenly felt a hand wrap it's self tightly around my wrist like a snake engulfing its prey.
"Where do you think your off to, my dear?" My father sneered. I grimaced at him. He beckoned to one of the soldiers. "Take her back up." He ordered, his face devoid of any emotion. My face went pale.
"No, father please, I'm older now, don't send me back up there." I pleaded but he just turned and walked away from me.
There was little I could do. Protesting against the guards would only get me into more trouble, trust me I have tried it.
They slammed the door shut. I slide down the side of the door as I felt tears creep from out of my eyes. I had tried so hard to get away from this place, what had I done to deserve to be back here? I hugged my knees up against my chest, I had never felt so alone. I flitted my eyes across the room where I had been locked up for most of my childhood. My bed was pale pink with and elaborate silver head board. Around the room were tapestries depicting historical events and book shelves were squashed in every available space. Each of the book had been read at least a hundred times, as I had nothing else to do. Against the walls also lay a few of the paintings or drawings I had done in my days of utter boredom, it was incredible that I hadn't gone mad from spending all these years up her alone and uncared for. Across from me were a pair of large glistening doors that led onto a balcony. I wiped the tears from my eyes. I spent most of my time on the huge balcony outside my bedroom. Since my room was the highest room in the entire castle I had the best view in the kingdom. The balcony was made of clean beige stones with a golden fence bordering it. The view was spectacular. I would stare at the kingdom for hours on end, watching the people do as they please without a care in the world. I would watch the soldiers on patrol and occasionally see my father, although he never did once look up to see me. I had to be strong, I told myself. I won't let him get to me, I have been through so much to just give up now. If I have to stay here, I am going to put on one hell of a fight.

I was determined. He wanted me here and I was going to cause him as much trouble as possible. I stood up and faced the door and examined it from every angle. After all those years I had never paid much attention to the thing that was hindering my freedom. I had always been too scared of what my father would do to me, but now there is nothing worse he can do, he has already broken my heart. The door was sturdy, but since it was on the top floor, meaning that these rooms were typically meant for servants, it wasn't the strongest. I gave myself a run up and launched myself against the rough wooden door. I let out of shriek of pain as my shoulder collided brutally against the door. Momentary agony surged through my shoulder but the pain only fuelled my anger, he had no right in keeping me up here. He may be my father but I wasn't going to 'obey' him, he has forced me into doing too much already. I grabbed the chair from beside my desk and prepared my self for another attempt. I took a deep breath and hurled myself against the door, pushing the chair out in front of my and ramming it against it with every ounce of strength that I had. The door blasted out of its hinges and despite the pain that racked through my body I felt immensely proud that I had been able to muster the force to do that.

I strolled out of the room, the dust from the door plastering my clothes. I felt as if nothing could stand in my way when suddenly a guard appeared looking extremely confused. I smirked and pushed him against the wall and whispered in his ear whilst my hand was pressed against his chest. "I won't tell if you don't." I heard him gulp audibly and saw his face redden. Seeing that he wasn't going to be a threat I walked down the long spiralling staircase back down to the main castle.

In all the years that I had lived here I had never wondered freely around the castle. The odd glimpses I had caught of it had been whilst I was being hauled my the guards up to my room. I grinned at the maids and servants who stared at me in confusion and waved at the various generals and soldiers who narrowed their eyes at me. I asked a timid looking maid where my father was and she replied that he was busy at the moment but he was in the map room and she then showed me the way there.Excellent, I thought, time to really mess things up. She led me to a room that looked like any other from the outside but it was noticeably noisier than all the others. I pushed open the door with confidence. All the male heads suddenly turned towards me. I grinned as I swanned in and casually picking up maps and falsely examining them. The room was dimly lit and filled with previously shouting men, the room was now silent. They were all leaning over maps and documents with great analysis. I spotted my father in the centre of the room by a massive map the covered an entire table. I hummed a tune that I just made up on the spot as I headed over towards him. I spotted an open jar of ink and then accidentally hit it so it fell over onto one of the maps. all the men suddenly started shouting.
"What do you think your doing here."
"Control her Edgar, women can't be trusted in places like these."
"Stupid woman, look what you have done now."
I just laughed, I was so angry with my father that I no longer cared what these pompous men thought of me.
"What on earth are you doing here Tania, I thought the guards took you to your room." He asked through questioning eyes. I smiled gleefully at his question.
"Yes they did, but I broke down the door and decided to go for a walk." I giggled. I saw his face flood with anger,
"Come with me." He ordered as he grabbed my arm and pulled me outside the room. Once we were outside he pulled me to the side and said. "You really don't want to make me angry Tania, you of all people know what happens to those who disobey me." He twirled is lips into a cruel cunning grin.
"I'm not afraid of you. I was, but I'm not any more. You have already done the worst thing you could have done to me."
"What take you away from lover boy?" I ignored his input and continued
"I will stay here on one condition, that you don't tell me what to do or where to go, I am a free lady not a slave." His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows frowned. He scratched his beard as if he was contemplating my commands.
"Very well, my dear, but you are marrying Romero in a week, and if you so much as make a move against me, you and everyone who cares about you is dead, and trust we when I say that it won't be a pleasant one."

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Dun dun duuuunnnn!!!! I hate her dad he is such a prick... Who's with me? Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry nothing huge happened in it but trust me there is big drama coming up soon.

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Till next time my lovelies

Beatoria xxx