Queen of the Moon

3: Incoming darkness

I woke up in a bed. The room was dark, everything brown and black, the sheets silky but wet with sweat and sticky with something else. Blood? Blood on my face and in other parts. I was naked. But alone. My head hurt a lot, and was swimming with buzzing. I briefly remembered glimpses of some guy over me and throwing fists at someone, but that's it. Everything hurt as I tried to sit up. What in the world happened and where in the world was I?

I laid there in confusion for at least an hour. Then someone came, a servant girl. I was more than relieved to see another person.

"Where am I?" I asked.

She blinked at me, surprised to see me awake, then something else...she couldn't bear to look at me, her eyes went to the floor.

"Um...Darksea," she said.

"How...did...I...get...here?" I had to force the words out, it was hard to speak. It was hard to do anything.

"Come on, let's get you in a warm bath," she said, pulling on my arm. I allowed myself to be lead like a child down dark corridors with torches hanging off of walls into a bathroom. A large flickering pool in the center of a dark room. I got into the smaller warm pool that was heated and pulsing with bubbles. The water stung around my wounds. It was painful to sit down. But felt good to have my hair washed, my body cleaned.

"Why am I here?" I asked, slowly memories came back and I knew I had slept with someone. The first thought was of Andrew. He would be furious. Why would I? I'd never allow another guy to touch me. But from my memories, I'd laid there during it, even seemed to encourage this guys affections. The guy that I knew to be Prince Cory Darksea. But where did the blood come from? The blood dried up around my nose. I must've fought, somehow. 

Fuck. I put my head in my hands, not even worried about the fact that I might now be recovering from a rape. My first thought was....my marriage with Lord Blackmoon was over. He'd never accept me like this. And that was the worst of it all. The sinking sense of dread that all of the happiness I was supposed to have in my life was now gone. Taken away from me and why/how did this happen? I couldn't even remember. One second I was in the safety of my own home, the next in this palace. I needed answers and now.

After I'd been given a robe and a change of clothes and put back into the same room with clean sheets. I just laid on the edge of the bed, not even trying to bother to change, just thinking. Trying to jog my own memories.

Then someone came into the room and I sat up. It was a woman and she was wearing a crown, her skin a light brown color, older, her hair tied back in a long pony tail, red lipstick smeared over her thin lips and big black eyes always seeming to be amused.

"Did you sleep well, my darling?" she asked, going to the nearest chair to sit. It was a chair by the window, the curtains were drawn though, I couldn't see outside.

"Why am I here?" I asked, not even bothering to answer the question.

"Did you forget? You've become betrothed to my son, soon one day to replace me as Queen of the Darkseas," she said. I choked on my own laughter.

"You've got to be fucking nutso. I would never - I'm already betrothed to Lord Blackmoon, the love of my life!" I practically screamed.

"Not anymore, my love, you took one look at my son and decided that he was the one you wanted for the rest of your life. You couldn't even resist him, slept with him your first night here not even on your wedding night you slut. But it's okay, you'll be married in the afternoon," she said.

My jaw dropped and I was so weak otherwise I would've lurched at the woman. All I could do was sit there in appall as tears came down my cheeks.

"I would never..." I started.

"Are you kidding me? I heard you from down the hall your screams of pleasure, you were enjoying every second of it. I'm glad that my son has finally found someone. He adores you, you know," she said.

I was quite amazed I had no comeback even. So shocked at the fact I even let that guy inside of me. I've turned grown men on their asses with my skill at the sword. No way I would've let that guy inside of me. No way I wouldn't have fought him. But still my own memories betrayed me, of me not doing a goddamn thing as he touched me, I even sensed that I'd wanted it. But me knowing my own character was the own contrast, and the love I had for Andrew.

"There has to be some kind of mistake. I love Lord Blackmoon I've had for years, I would never betray him for someone else," I said.

"You've already written a very apologetic letter to Lord Blackmoon denying his proposal. I'm sure he'll take it well. Now rest up my darling. Today will be a very exciting day for you. We've got a wedding to plan," she said.

"I will never marry him!" I screamed.

"You think you have any other choice, you think any other man will want you after you've so easily despoiled yourself for my son. No man will ever touch you again," she said.

"I'm okay with that. I just want to go home!" I shouted.

"Your father will never allow it. Your family will be a mockery, going back on a marriage proposal with a royal like this, especially after you've already degraded yourself. Your brothers will never be able to marry either. You will forever stain the Moon name," she said.

I was stunned to silence at that moment what she said was truth. It would look bad on my family to go back on a proposal, especially since I already knew I did for a fact sleep with Cory. I put my head down as she left the room. But there was no way I was going to allow myself to marry that guy. I would go home, I don't care what people say of me. I don't want to be here in this place, with these people. I want to be safe home with my family where I belong. And how could they let me come alone here. I didn't even bring Greyson? Tuck? Samuel? Not even my lady in waiting Rachel? No one came with me, that made no sense. At least my family would be at the wedding?

I was exhausted, weak and in pain so I found myself sleeping quite the bit until someone came for me again.