Once Upon His December

Chapter 23 - Sacrifices

Nikolai

Thunk!

Another punch thrown to my stomach.   My teeth ground together trying to hold in the groans of pain.  Another daily interrogation was dealt.

Crack!

A fist hit my jaw. The metallic tang of blood graced my mouth.  I spit a wad of blood and saliva onto the dirty stone floor.  Wearily I lifted my swollen eyes towards the sound of heels clicking on the floor.

"Why won't your father answer my letters, dear Prince?" the silky voice of the Queen of Polonia asked.

She bent over a little to gaze into my face.  Her painted lips curved into a smirk at my winces of pain.

"I don't know," I groaned.  I tugged on the chains that held my wrists high above my head. It was pointless.  A sharp sting burned at my wrists where the skin had been worn raw from struggling.

"It was a bold act him sending his oldest son.  His precious heir to meet with me," she stated.  Slow clicks on her heels echoed in my already pounding head.  

She paced back and forth in front of me slowly.  Lips pursed, she was surely calculating her next move.  "A simple message saying he would withdraw his troops from my eastern border would have sufficed.  But no."  This Queen spun back to face me. Long golden tresses flying behind her with the movement.  "He sent his son, the second in command of the Odessian army.  How do I know you won't lead them to attack my kingdom?"

"You don't!" I snapped.  It earned another swift punch to the gut from her crony after the Queen snapped a finger.  Her henchman grinned with each grunt of pain elicited from me.

"Ahh, dear prince," she cooed.  One slender finger lifted my chin.  It forced my eyes to meet her deep blue ones.  "I know of your father's lust for expansion.  He took Slovya years ago.  The same thing will not happen to Polonia.  Tell me.  Did you come here to led an attack?"

My eyes were cold and frozen over. Still, I told the truth.

"No."

"You seem so sincere." The Queen clicked her tongue and released my chin.  My head fell heavily without the support.  She spun around and turned her back to me, beginning her pacing again.  "I don't trust Andrei.  Not one bit. Therefore, I cannot trust you."

This went on for several weeks since my arrival.  I came into the Polonian court expecting political discussion.  I was arrested immediately and hung by my wrists in chains like a common criminal.

Everyday, Celina, the widow Queen of Polonia would grace me with her presence.  She would ask questions I would answer and her henchman would punch me repeatedly.  Not enough to really do damage, but just enough to try and weaken my resolve. She aimed to reveal some twisted master plan I truly did not have.

My father set me up.

Somehow, someone must have discovered I snuck off with Kira.  That someone had to have reported it to my father.  My punishment was to send me into a trap disguised as a diplomatic mission.

The one thing that kept me strong, over and above my training to withstand torture and imprisonment, was the hope and ambition to somehow get back to Kira.  I knew she would be worried from my being gone so long. I also knew she would be hurt, feeling betrayed that I left.  Everyday I prayed she would remember my father's methods of punishment. That he had sent me away before.

A single small window gave clues about the time of day.  So far, I counted 85 days I had been here.  Eighty five days parted from Kira.  Eighty five days to plot revenge on my father.  Each day, I contemplated ways to make up the time to Kira that I left her alone.