Elementals

Water Elemental

A sigh escaped her lips, twisting and turning her body along with the slight current going through her room. Huffing here and there when the flow of her hair got in her face or wrapped around her body with each movement.
She was, to put it simply, bored. Bored of the schedules, of the lessons, of the meaningless dinners for the sake of her image. She absolutely despised having to dress up in adornments that were sent to her, feeling as though she were drowning in the soft gauzy dresses that she was shoved in. All that she needed was the seaweed wrapped around her chest and hips along with the clothes barely covering them to feel comfortable.
She was supposed to be free after all! To twist, turn, even blow up in waves just like the ocean that she presided in. But, because of her 'esteemed' birth she was forced into learning social niceties along with politics.
She wouldn't have minded except for the imprisonment her parents had placed on her, seals and talismans keeping her in the confines of her room. Many times she thought of escaping, of shoving her way through the pain of the wards that kept her from freedom. She would have even made the attempt except for the cuff around her ankle, enchanted to increase in weight the further she got from the castle.
Looking down at the aforementioned cuff made a huff leave her lips, just barely disguising the look of sorrow on her face. Hearing her door creak she perked up, pushing her body through the waters to the door. Her look of hope fell into her usual impassive expression, realizing that it was her parents.
She knew what was coming, what they wanted. She was the only princess of their lands so of course there would be suitors trying to 'woo' her. She was disgusted with the other sea folk, their smarmy smiles setting her teeth on edge. Each time she met with a suite they were polite, at least in front of her parents they were. The looks they gave her made shudders wrack her body, a feeling of almost dirt and everything nasty settling on her. She would rather die than be wed off.
"Oh, dear, we have a special guest! Quick, let's get you changed!" Her mother squealed, grabbing her by the shoulders. She resisted, as she always did, resulting in bruises and slight scratches to form from where her mothers fingers pressed into her.
Eventually she was forced into the restricting dress, the high collar feeling as though it were choking her. The corset cinched her waist, pinching at the skin of her hips. All the lace and frills that flowed to her legs in streams of red made her cringe, wanting nothing more than to shred the dress. The shoes donning her feet weren't much better, made of whale bone in a way that forced her feet into a different shape, grinding the bones of her toes.
He mother gasped with glee, hand pressed to her cheek as she stared at her, "Oh, honey, you look so beautiful! Why, when I was your age I only dreamed of wearing clothes like these!"
That was another thing, her mother wasn't born into the throne, had even used to be a maid of the castle. Her father had changed the laws when he came into power, cancelling his previous engagement and instead marrying her mother. She, of course, didn't particularly agree with her fathers decision, seeing the stress that came with being the queen get to her mothers head. This caused her mother to force her anxieties onto her, forcing her to all kinds of unnecessary lessons and parties, like the one that she was getting ready for.
Sighing all she did was give her mother a stiff nod, feeling the phantom pains from the scar along her back. Her mother had given it to her in one of her fits, 'accidentally' pushing her into the banister and resulting in her falling down a flight of stairs. Of course her mother had apologized but she never once voiced an objection again in fear of if she were to hurt her again.
"Well, we must be off to the party! All of your cousins are coming, along with your aunts and uncles! They promised to introduce you to some other kingdoms, even hinting at a few suitors!" She prattled on as they walked along to the ballroom, the music becoming known along with the chatter. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to open the door, wincing slightly at the bright lights and the sounds increasing in volume.
Separating herself from her mother she made her way to her fathers side instead, unintentionally hiding behind his broad frame. "Oh, what are you doing, hiding back there?" He asked jokingly, wrapping his arm around her as he pulled her to his side. Feeling the slight tremble going through her gave him pause, giving her a gentle squeeze before letting go. He kept a reassuring hand on her back though, knowing his daughter needed the contact.
All she gave was a demure smile as she was introduced to everyone, making small talk as she wished that the party would end. The party was half way over when she noticed the intruders, thinking they were simply guards that came with the guests. It never occurred to her that the castle was vulnerable, that someone could break in.
Shots rang through the air, spiked arrows shooting across the ballroom. Screaming she fell to her knees, looking frantically around her, searching for her mother or father. She tried crawling her way along the floors, wincing at the heeled shoes that occasionally stepped on her hands when she crawled forward. Finally she found herself under a table, looking fearfully through the thin material.
Screams were echoing in her ears, the stomping of feet vibrating the floors. Hyperventilating, she covered her ears, the pounding of her heart ringing through. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, only letting out a scream when a hand roughly grabbed her and dragged her out from the safety of the table. A large man was holding her, an elemental like she was since he used his abilities to restrict her movements after he pulled her out.
Orders were barked out as others were bound next to her, eyes wide she took everything in. There was broken glass along the floor, ripped fabric everywhere she looked. She searched frantically, her head whipping this way and that as she looked for her parents, needing to find them. Her heart dropped when she saw no sign of them, the tears finally trailing down her cheeks as she realized that she was alone.
Despondently she slumped in her restraints, looking to the floor as she processed that her parents were gone, that they left her. What did it matter that she was captured? No one was going to save her anyway.

The next few days passed in a haze, only knowing that time was going by whenever her captors force fed her. It was just enough to keep her alive and for her to ' keep her figure for her new owner'. She knew she was going to be auctioned and she didn't care, all she wanted to do was sleep. Just fall into a deep sleep she wouldn't wake from.
Before she knew it there were bright lights and cloth moving across her skin, dressed for her buyer. Lead by the chains around her ankles she was brought to a room, getting set up on an elevated part of the room, chain run through a rig above her head to hold her arms up. She stayed like that through the whole process, only hearing every other word along with the flash of passing faces.
"Congrats, girlie, seems like at least one of them liked you." She heard the words as she was lead once more, getting passed off from one man to another. Getting placed in a car she idly looked out the window, barely taking in the passing mountains. Mountains? A shot of fear went through her, having heard stories of how earth Elementals treated their slaves. The fear faded as the implication hit her, longing to get there so she'd finally be put to sleep.
Once arriving at the manor she was brought to a room and bathed, her clothes being thrown away for new ones. Chains were only released after a collar was placed on her, knowing instinctively that it would shock her if she misbehaved. Once again she was lead, this time to a sitting room that was occupied by her 'master'.
"Hmm, she's pretty, at least," the pig said, his body that of an enforcer, thick and wide. A stuttered breath left her as his gaze drifted over her body, a slow smirk growing. "What's your name, girl?"
She took a deep breath, the air feeling as though it were glass filling her lungs, "I was known as Serena Vanna Abano but it seems that I am not in need of that name anymore."
A hearty laugh leaves the man, nodding at her words, "Yes, you will be given a new name. Serene Bàlan, from the burning house of Bàlan. I am the lord of this home, Decebal Bàlan. Welcome to my home." The smirk on his mouth set her to shivering, having heard of the Bàlan clan, knowing of their firm, almost harsh, way of treating their servants. Oh, how she wishes she had perished in the ball instead of being captured.