A Tale That Never Was [Book 1 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 19: Road to Despair

The first thing Selvina experienced when regaining consciousness was a pounding headache. It felt like her skull was in a vice and on the verge of cracking. She moaned in pain and went to hold her head in her hands when she found them resisting her will. They lay on her lap but they would not rise up. Fluttering her eyes open, she glanced around, taking her bearings. It was dark but there was enough light coming in from one side to reveal that she was in a sheltered wagon. There were no benches and she sat at the bottom on hard wood. She eyed her hands and found them bound tightly and attached to the bonds on her ankles, hogtied. Across from her was Cindy, similarly bound, with her head bowed low and her hair veiling her face. To Selvina's right were the flaps of the wagon's canvas cover and a beam of light filtering through the crack between them.

"Cindy?" Selvina whispered, hoping she didn't attract unwanted attention from outside.

The girl didn't react.

"Cindy!"

Her friend looked up and her face was red with tear-soaked eyes. "Red's dead, Selvina..."

No, she wasn't. Selvina had to believe that. "You don't know that for sure."

"Yes, I do..."

Tears were threatening to drip out of Selvina's eyes but she fought them back. Now was not the time to cry. "Cindy, stop. Where are we going?"

"I don't know... I don't care..."

"Snap out of it, Cindy! I thought you were stronger than this!"

The wagon hit a rut in the road and bounced harshly, throwing Cindy right atop of Selvina. Instead of moving away she buried her face in Selvina's lap and cried with great, heart-wrenching sobs. Selvina couldn't help herself and cried with her. The two young women wept for several minutes, their bouncy ride offering no comfort, until they had no more tears to shed. Cindy then sat beside Selvina and leaned her head on her shoulder, sniffing away her runny nose.

"We'll see her again, Cindy," Selvina said softly. "Red's too tough to die..."

Cindy's reply was a nod and another sniff.

Selvina leaned her cheek on the top of Cindy's head and closed her eyes, fighting a mental battle against thoughts of death, surrender, and hopelessness. Why did she have to go to the castle? Why couldn't she leave things alone? Jack had been right. None of this was their concern. Had they remained in Our Lady they would be safe. She and Cindy wouldn't be stuck in a wagon and Red wouldn't be... well she would have never got hit by a black arrow. Bigbad would still be happily chasing deer. She had only wanted to do the right thing but in doing so she had doomed her friends. She was to blame for all of this. It had been her idea, after all...

After what felt like hours had passed the wagon jerked to a stop and Selvina heard voices beyond the canvas walls. They were speaking in earnest and after a few minutes there were cheers and congratulations. She could hear Artemian's voice in the tumult and it made her blood boil and her spine chill at the same time.

"I may have lost Beast but with you I can get him back," he was saying. "He's as good as mine now."

There was commotion just beyond the flaps and suddenly they were thrown back, momentarily blinding Selvina with the sudden increase in light. A woman was unceremoniously tossed into the wagon, her arms and legs bound. She hit the wooden planks hard and moaned. Selvina glanced at her and gasped in surprise. It was Belle. Artemian was looking into the wagon with a great grin on his face and Selvina wanted to rip it off in the bloodiest way possible.

"You three women may just fetch me a handsome price," he said victoriously. "Judge Frollo will not stand for those who willingly aided a monster. He will sentence you severely. I hope you three enjoy pain for it will be your only friend from now on." With that he closed the flaps and left.