It was a busy day for Aria. She had cleaned the hut, brought her steed, Redfire, to the stream and bathe it, collected mushrooms and harvested her some carrots and turnips from the vegetable patch behind her hut. By the time the small cauldron of hers was piping, she was famished. She picked on her old, thin dress carelessly before something caught her eye. Something shiny.
She took a second look at the golden glint atop of her dresser and slowly got up from her seat.
How come I didn't notice this before?
Muddled amongst her ribbons and hairbrush lay a golden ring with a ruby sitting proudly in the centre. She picked up the ring gingerly and scrutinised it. By the design of the ring Aria could tell that it was a man's ring. Ah, the king's. She must have forgotten about it when she was nursing him. Without thinking much she slipped the ring on her finger. It was much bigger. What did she expect?
She smiled as she took it off and put a thin silver chain, she found in her drawer, through the ring. Aria hesitated for a moment before putting the chain around her neck. It's safer she thought. She remembered the King promising her that he will come back. Well if he ever did, she will give the ring back to its rightful owner.
****
"My lord, I do not think going back to the said village is a good idea," Exeter retorted as Henry patted his steed. Henry and his uncle were standing in the stables. Clad in armour, with his hair combed back, Henry looked ready for war despite the fact that he was not going for it.
"My dear uncle, you do not understand, I have always kept my promises, and now I have promised someone to return, so I shall." He shrugged as he saddled the horse.
"Well can't it wait? The Dowager Queen is still weak." Exeter was genuinely worried after Mary had told him about Henry's encounter with the dark ones.
"Ah have you not seen her lately? My mother is as resilient and feisty as ever. She was the one who told me to go back." Exeter heaved a sigh, Henry despite being his nephew, was the King of England after all.
He resigned, "Well, since the Dowager Queen has given her blessings than I shan't do anything."
Henry placed his right hand on his uncle shoulder, slightly squeezing it, assuring him that everything will be alright. Then grinning widely at his uncle, Henry mounted his white steed and nodded to the two knights behind him. "Messrs Langley and Carrington will accompany me, so there is no need to be worried my dearest uncle."
"Come back safely my thrice gracious lord."
"I shall."
...
The day has become darker when Aria settled Redfire in the stables. She checked on Redfire one last time, making sure he was comfortable before picking up the blazing torch which sat on a bracket beside Redfire's stall. She made her way out, shackled the stables and began to walk towards her hut. She fondled the silver chain around her neck as she walked. The chain has been with ever since she was born. Mrs Mason had taken care of her after her parents' untimely death. She said her late mother had entrusted her with the chain. When Aria received the chain at the age of 12, she found it too painful to wear the chain. So she had stowed the only piece of heirloom she had in the drawer of her shabby dresser - until now.
Since the day Henry had burst through her door, Aria had Peter to add iron bolts and a large wooden one inside out to secure the hut. She placed the torch on the bracket beside her door and was about to turn one of the keys before hearing a rustle coming behind her hut.
She gulped while reaching for her bow and arrow.
The rustling grew louder.
Aiming her arrow at a black figure, Aria spoke calmly, "Whoever and whatever you are, show yourself."
The figure turned deliberately and took off its hood. "The archer. My, my, my, I have waited for a very long time to meet you."
For a moment Aria's insides shrivelled up and froze.
The man standing in front of her was none other than Eneos, the chief leader of the dark ones. He was lanky, possessed beady brown eyes and a slightly crooked nose. He would even be considered handsome if not for his sallow skin and the cruelty in his eyes.
Eneos eyed the beauty in front of him and chuckled to himself. How did this sweet little thing kill 7 of his men with just her flimsy looking bow and arrows? She must have some sort of witchcraft.
"Oh you are much more beautiful than what my men described to me," his cold tone made Aria shudder.
Mustering enough courage, Aria spoke, "What do you want?"
Eneous let out a roar of laughter, "What do I want?! Isn't it obvious sweet cheeks?"
He slowly circled her, his eyes never left her as he went. "You killed 7 of my men and expect yourself to be safe?"
Aria gritted her teeth, "I killed many of your men before, why haven't you come for me then?!"
Her hands had become ice cold, her legs frozen on the spot.
So is this how it all ends with me? A quick death if I'm lucky enough... She thought.
"Oh you pretty, pretty little thing. Eveready to gloat about how you murdered dozens of my men haven't you?"
Aria remembered the night the village was invaded by the dark ones. She was woken up by a shrill cry; one of the maidens had been brutally raped and murdered thereafter. Mrs Mason whisked her away with several others to escape to the forest and casted an invisibility spell on all of them. She felt scared but the thought of those who were not lucky enough to escape, brought a certain rage within her. Once she realised she could walk away from the group unnoticed due to the spell, she ran back to the village and took matters into her own hands. The men were overpowered by the rogues by the time she reached the edge of the village. Her invisibility was her advantage. When the last threat was killed, Aria quickly went back to the women, pretending she was there all the time.
"You were invading our village, raping women and murdering the rest! You think I could only stand by and watch?"
Aria reached for the small pouch full of seeds that was for Redfire underneath her cloak.
"You should have." Eneos growled.
"Too. Bad."
Throwing the seeds at Eneos's face to distract him, Aria ran towards the front of the hut, managing to unlock the bolt and dashed inside. She secured herself in, breathing raggedly.
"Do you think locking yourself in will keep you safe?!" Eneos roared.
He banged the walls of the hut forcefully and they rattled. He repeatedly banged against the hut, his strength proving to be formidable. Circling the hut he grabbed the blazed torch Aria had left at the front and threw it at the door. The door quickly caught fire. Gasping at the flaming door, Aria grabbed an empty sack and slapped it against the flames in attempt to extinguish them.
But her effort was futile; the flames had reached the roof, making the hut glow dangerously. Eneos easily knocked down the blazed door. His sinister laughter made Aria's blood run cold. He came closer and Aria instinctively moved back, until she was cornered. He reached out and wrapped his long fingers around her neck.
Choking her, he lifted her off the ground, causing her to choke even more. Aria flailed aimlessly, trying to get Eneos to let go. His eyes were glowing with a mad lust for evil. Oh, he would not let this beauty die easily. He licked her neck, tasting her skin, and then grazed his teeth over her collar bone.
She tried to push Eneos off but the man was just too strong.
Aria grabbed the underside of Eneos's arms and pulled them down hard causing him to howl in pain as he released Aria.
Ha! A simple move of self-defence!
Without hesitation, she kicked his crotch, sending him doubling over, clutching it. Grabbing a heavy wooden bowl, Aria smashed it over his head, rendering Eneos unconscious.
Splintering wood began to fall to her feet as she dashed through the hut and managed to get out of it.
"Aria!" Mrs Mason cried out as she saw the poor girl stumbling out of the burning hut.
The old woman hobbled towards her, grabbing the girl into her arms. She began to mutter chants under her breath and to Aria's astonishment, jets of water, shaped like serpents began spewing out from nowhere, extinguishing the raging fire. Aria began to sob uncontrollably against the old woman's shoulders.
"There, there my dear, you're safe now."
"No, I'm not! The chief leader of the dark ones was inside the hut. I'm done for Mama!"
Mrs Mason watched her goddaughter's eyes go wild as she talked, her body trembling from the fear. Gripping the girl's shoulders tightly, she spoke, "Aria Baudouin! If you are as afraid as your words have described, you are not the girl I have brought up!"
Tears continued to roll down her cheeks but Aria seemed to have snapped back to reality.
Mrs Mason was right. She has never felt frightened before. Was it because of Eneos's physical brutality towards her? She has never been touched so harshly by a man before. Aria rubbed her neck and she was sure there were bruises from the strangling. She collapsed to the ground, her legs numb.
A moment later, her vision went black.