Dynasty

Out of the Woods

"Just because it's tradition, that makes it okay?" I screamed in my father's face. He struggled to get the ink onto my back.

"Deyes, I don't care if you're my daughter. In this moment right now, you're just another seventeen year old woman getting her traditional inking," My father said to me sternly. I pleadingly looked at him, just to be met by the heartless feeling that filled his eyes.

"Do you know how much this hurts? You wouldn't because MEN don't have to go through this. Why is no one stopping this?" I said with my eyes on the brim of tears. I glanced at the horde in front of me. They all stared at me with widened eyes and a passion in their eyes to watch me suffer. I had the sudden urge to lash out, and strike my father in the face. However, that would just turn my own people against me. Half of the women died from this inking, and I didn't want to go down like this.

My eyes widened, as I saw the sharpened blade loom closer to my back. I could almost imagine the pain, and I couldn't take it anymore. Before the blade touched my skin, I rolled over on the stone slab. The blade struck my face for a split second.

I let out a piercing cry, before running behind the crowd into the outlets. Gods, my cheekbones had a deep wound on them. It wouldn't kill me, but it would leave a scar.

I barreled at full speed, to get away from my father and the crowd. I could hear my father yelling my name over and over again. I was so ready and so full of stamina, my wound almost felt healed. The pain was gone, the excitement of escaping my father filled me up with energy. My hair was lashing furiously around my face, and I could see the merchants staring at me like I was a madwoman. Their eyes widened when they realized I was of royal blood. I couldn't afford to look back, for all I knew my father had sent his army after me. I beamed ahead of me, wondering if I could make it. I could leave this hellhole if I wanted to. They couldn't captivate me forever, they couldn't force me to rule if I didn't want to.

As much as I wanted to leave, I couldn't. They would catch me for the millionth time, they would punish me. I would leave again, and it just wouldn't stop. I wanted to end this so bad, just get rid of this terrible environment, where I have to listen to everything everyone says. I mean, to everyone the Ruler's daughter had a say in every matter. But I didn't, that was just me voicing my father's opinions. I had enough, and I was raised with enough. It's just that feeling of feeling dead even though I'm alive, that weighs me down. I had so much power, but it was useless. I was useless.

I halted to a stop. The rocks skidded everywhere and I tied my hair back with a strip of cloth. Looking at me, you would never be able to tell that I had royal blood. I looked like a planter. That's when I realized I had landed in planter territory, they would definitely tell the guards where to find me.

"Mum, look at the killer. She's coming to get us," A voice said. My head jerked around, to see a little boy running to his mother. I figured he was talking about me, with the blood all over my hands and my atrocious expression.

I walked towards him gradually. He whimpered at my sight, and held onto his mother as his life depended on it. Before I reached him, I handed him a rag.

"Do you know why I'm here?" I asked him as he stared at me with his large eyes. I glanced above his head, at his mother. She looked at me in disgust, until she saw my face.

"You...you green eyed girl. You're no planter, you're the princess," She stared at me in awe, consciously pulling her scarf looser, in order to see better.

"Varek, bow down. This is the princess of Ashens," The mother said ready to kneel. The little boy widened his eyes, as he bent down ready to kneel. I knelt down quickly, and pushed their knees up.

"I have done nothing to earn the respect of you, please allow me," I took the hands of Varek and placed the rag in them.

He looked at me in astonishment, then he stood up straight to meet my eye level. He was so young, so full of potential and ready to face the world. The world wasn't good enough for kids like these, Ashens wasn't good enough. Ashens wasn't ready. This curse was letting down every little kid, or being everything they could've been. The curse was prophesied to be lifted years from now, but it has to end now. I had to end this.

"Cleanse me, cleanse me of all the sins I've committed," I asked him. I was done with the utter nonsense my father put me through every day. I had to leave this place, and end the tyranny he had over everyone. I've done terrible sins to anger my father, but they were all provoked by him. Nonetheless, the actions were wrong, and only the innocence of a child could give me a clean slate to start again with.

"Please help me, I need to do this for kids like you. Kids who are too good for Ashens," I whimpered to him. His mother looked at me with hope but also disappointment. I couldn't figure out why. She looked at me with pity, the same feeling I'd been seeing forever.

I pulled his ear closer to my mouth. "I need this, I need to leave," I brought his hand to my face. "Please."

He looked as his mother and when she nodded, he brought the rag to my face. In swift motions, the rag eventually accumulated with my sweat and blood. It reeked of hard work, which was all fake. He brought it to my forehead, until my face had no dirt. Then his mother came and tied my hair in the trademark bun that all women of Ashens wore. It was in the shape of a rose and showed a symbol entitlety. Women wore it as a sign of their power and wealth. To me, it was a symbol of cowardliness, a symbol of being a follower. Here I was, hoping to leave Ashens but still being drawn back by the small things that made it terrible. I stared her right in the eye, her and I both knew why she did that.

I walked back to Varek and gave him my hair pin.

"Keep this and remember me. I have a feeling you're going to need luck. Your mother isn't going to help you, so you have to stay strong. One last thing, when you're ready to leave, leave. Run away, and don't look back because you can't trust anyone here. They all have their own motives, and they're all going to drag you into theirs. I know you probably don't understand what I'm saying, but believe me soon everything will make sense. Soon," I mumbled in his ear. I hugged him tight, before going to the Mother. I looked straight at her feet, before spitting at them. Shame on her for disrespecting the young and free. With that, I turned on my heels and walked to the gate of Ashens.

It was time.

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-Gumball xoxo