The Royal Engagement

Chapter 25

Her groans were muffled when the hard ends of bones jabbed into her own. Her side ached, nagging to be rubbed back to comfort by her hands – if only they weren't bound...

That man knelt down to her small, bound figure on the ground placed a large hand on her head. Stroking it gently, he brought his face closer to hers and stretched a sadistic yet unsettling grin onto his thick lips.

"You try anything funny with the others, I'll get my boys to teach you a lesson, got it?" His breath was putrid, and his saliva sloped to the ground as he licked his lips. A quiet mewl emerged from behind the gag she had on in response. The man chuckled lowly as he ran his fingers through her unkept hair. "There's a good girl. Keep like this and I might even end up keeping you to myself," he whispered, making her shiver in fear.

"Don't even think about, you imbecile..." a strict voice scolded. The man craned his head to look behind him. A tall and lanky man with slit eyes glared down at him whilst adjusting his ruffled collar. He looked very young for what he was doing. Perhaps his teenage years even. "These children are as good as you can get on the market. You won't be so much as laying a scratch on her, got it?"

The man next to her grumbled some insults and moved away, much to her relief. "How good can they get anyways? Probably just some usual rich noble or something." The taller man scoffed at his accomplice's stupidity.

"Have some education, will you? She's worth the price of a thousand regular nobles. The Princess of the Laphitian Kingdom herself... How miraculous that we would happen to stumble upon her after she strayed from her path."

The shorter and smellier man dropped his jaw in disbelief. "No way! Is she a Princess?! How long has it been since we got one of those?!"

The tall man slipped on some pristine white gloves – he seemed upper or middle class from his attire. "Some years ago, perhaps...Same kingdom, same age as well probably, maybe a little older."

His partner nodded in comprehension and she looked around the dusty room she had been put in. It was only now she had realized other children like her huddled in the corners of the room, shivering at the presence of the two men.

"So, what do we do with her? I mean she is the Princess after all..."

The tall man smirked, grabbing his bag. That bag...it seemed like one a doctor would use. One with many vials of liquid and herbs and plants sticking from the inside. "Same thing we did with the last one. Is the boat ready?" She saw his eyes, cruel and cold despite its comforting pastel pink colour...they were so beautiful yet malevolent. His partner nodded in response, and he smiled. It was the most terrifying expression she had ever seen. That sadistic and bone-chilling murderous expression that made her want to throw up. "Good," he said, and they both left.

Whispers returned to fill the silence. Her body hurt, hours of being tied had strained her muscles. They wanted to be freed, she wanted to be freed. But, no one came to her aid. The other children hid in the darkness, pretending as if she wasn't there...

Her neck grew too weak to keep up her head so she could look pleadingly to the children. It banged softly on the floorboards in defeat. Tear began to well in her eyes and streak sideways through the corners of her eyes.

With a chocked but muffled sob, she begged, "Someone...please just help me..."

....

A sigh came from the back of the room and she heard the floor boards creak to the motion of someone approaching her. A young, brown haired girl with choppy locks stood above her. Kneeling down, she shifted the gag of her mouth, letting air in her lungs. She gasped in a gust of air and immediately coughed it back out.