𝙈𝙧𝙞𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙣𝙖 - A forbidden love

The rough ropes cut into my wrists, binding me to the pillar. I stood there, exposed and helpless, as the crowd gathered, their eyes glimmering with sadistic pleasure. One after another, the sharp lashes of the whip struck my skin. I felt each sting, but the true torment lay in my heart.
It wasn't the physical pain that hurt the most; it was the sight of him across from me, the one I loved, watching with a blank expression. He sat silent, unmoved, while they enjoyed my suffering.

"You filthy little thing, thinking you're worthy of him?" sneered an older woman, her voice dripping with disdain as the whip cracked against my back. "You're nothing but dirt beneath our feet."

Another woman joined in, her laughter cruel and mocking. "What made you think he would ever look at someone like you? A lowly girl from your caste, dreaming of love with a prince? How laughable."

A sob escaped my lips. What was my fault? Was it loving someone from a higher station? No, my true fault was being born into a world that treated people like me with such contempt.

My gaze turned back to him, desperately searching for a hint of compassion. We had shared moments together, brief encounters filled with warmth. He had treated me with kindness, hadn't he?

But then he looked away, and my hope shattered.

"You filth," one of the women spat again. "We don't even let your shadow fall on us. And you thought you could fall in love with him? Stupid."

As the whip struck me again, I wished for nothing more than death. The pain was nothing compared to the betrayal in my heart. With my death, perhaps my love for him would die too. It felt like the only escape from this torment.

What was I expecting? His care, his gentle words? They were mere illusions, leaving me parched with longing. I was the deer, forever chasing after water, only to find it was a cruel mirage, always out of reach.