A dangerous and filthy lie is prevalent throughout the land of Ralium. Nobles and Kings would have their subject believe that the kingdom resting in a time of peace. They say there is no war. No attacks. That there is no death, yet within this suppo...
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In the dead of twilight, where no man would dare venture at such an hour, a little girl stood next to the woman who dragged them there. Lifting her small head, her beady green eyes stared at the moon high in the sky. The wind blew her deep red hair over her face, and quickly she pushed the strands away from her face. She pushed it behind her pointed ears, hoping they would contain the messy long hair. Her eyes looked at the woman with anticipation. The scent of burning wood and oil made her nose crinkle. The torch in the woman's had illuminated her face enough for the girl to see.
It was rare for the girl to see the woman, as she would never come into her room unless necessary. She was used to the wet nurse, who would only bring her food and occasionally sneak her a toy. The girl liked the nurse; however, she never came to visit her anymore. That was after the argument she heard from the locked door of her bedroom.
The child wiggled the cool blades of grass against her toes. She smiled. Lifting her dress up slightly, she kicked at the dirt and critters that crawled near her feet. A giggle dared to escape her as her heart began to race. But, before she could realize it, the woman yanked her hair. The girl yelped while the woman pulled her back to her side.
"I told you not to move," the woman hissed. The girl looked at her with a layer of tears over her eyes. She nodded her head quickly, and eventually, the woman let go. "You understand what happens when you don't listen, correct?"
"Yes, mother," the child said while lowering her head. The woman quickly slapped her lips, and her cold ring busted open her lower lip.
"You are to never call me that."
The girl held her hand over her lips, while a layer of tears threatened to burst from her. She sucked in her emotions, fearing that she would be hit again if any of them were to show through her. Her hand wiped away the traces of tears around her eyes, and when she opened them again she saw the faint light of torches coming from the woods.
They grew closer, revealing the men who wore leather armor and rags for clothes. Their steel weapons gleaned from the moonlight, shining in the little girl's eyes.
Nails dug into her shoulder, as the woman tightly grabbed her. The child's body tensed up while the woman shoved her forward. One of the men jumped down from his horse and stomped his way in front of her.
"This is the one?" he asked. His large hand wrapped around the child's mouth, and forcefully he turned her head side to side. His hand reeked with blood.
"Yes," the woman responded with an emotionless voice. "She's four years old, healthy, and I made her do housework like a common servant."
The man lifted the girl's small arm, twisting and turning it as he intensely examined it. His cold eyes trailed towards the woman. Throwing her arm down, he stuck his thumb in her mouth and forced it open.
"Her skinny arms doesn't prove your point," he grunted.
Staring down her mouth, he yanked at her gums. The child yelped, catching his attention. He pushed her away.
"She's weak." The woman clicked her tongue at his words, for they left a bitter taste to her mouth. "This will lower the price."
I honestly do not care how much you'll pay," the woman said with a smile. "The important thing is that she's gone without a trace."
"Then we'll take her. Does she have a name?" the man asked.
The woman sneered at his question and a look of disgust befell her face. Her hand, once again, pressed harder into the child's shoulder as she shoved her forward.
"I never named that thing. Call it whatever you want," said the woman. Her words struck the child, stabbing her heart over and over again. The woman held out her hand to the man. "Now give me your end of the deal?"
He dropped a pouch into the woman's hands, the sound of metal clicked inside. She opened it and peered within, nodding her head in the process. A smile spread across her lips as she began to turn and make her way back to her horse. The girl reached out for the woman while hot tears slowly fell down her cheeks.
The man violently grabbed her arm and jerked her towards the horses. Her tears grew larger in numbers as she continued to reach out for the woman. She kicked at the man, using her little feet to run against him while she continued to look back at the woman fading into the distance. The sight was enough to make her scream.
"MO--" Just as the little girl began to call out, her mouth was covered by the man's arm.
His other arm wrapped around her waist and he lifted her off the ground. With no say, she was carried to the horses. Her eyes covered with tears, watching as the woman's torch disappeared from her sight.
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Hello, my name is Anna and I'm the author of this story. Whether or not the story is good or bad is up to you. I like to include these little author's notes at the ends because I believe it gives the reader a chance to get to know the author as a person. It's also a fun way to spark conversations! Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!
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