Tashia walked back into the castle just as the sun dipped below the horizon and masked everything in a purple-pink haze. The guards standing at the front door stopped her making an x with there staffs.

"Your father wants to see you Lady Tashia," The one on the right said and she shrugged.

"Did you honestly think I would care?" She asked pushing their staffs apart and walking passed them. Just as Tashia placed her hand on the door knob to her room, ready to open it, Lancelot walked around the corner and smiled as he headed for her. Tashia sighed and let her hand drop off the handle to her room.

"Tashia where have you been?" He asked looking slightly worried

"I just needed a break that was all, I'm fine," Tashia replied as she forced a smile.

"Did Evan hurt you?" Tashia studied Lancelot for a second and his eyes held a slowly burning fire at the mention of Evan.

"No it's just…we're old friends and we didn't exactly clear up our problems last time that's all. Nothing to worry about, you should probably go find Arthur."

"Tashia…" Lancelot began to say but she interrupted him.

"Goodnight Lancelot," Tashia said as she slipped into her room and softly closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and tried to relax.

"How touching," Tashia jumped, her eyes wide with fear. She looked around her room and saw her father step out of the shadows by her little sitting area.

"Father," Tashia said softly, "I was just going to clean up a little and then come see you."

"Don't lie to me Tashia, I know you. I know everything about you, where you go, who you talk to. Everything," He said as he calmly made his way over to her side. His long fingers brushed softly against her cheek and she closed her eyes trying to steady her harsh breathing. As she opened her eyes again she saw her father draw back his hand, anger in his eyes and then he slapped her across the face. Tashia barely even had time to register the pain that bloomed across her face before her father had her pinned against the wall.

"No. You can't," Tashia tried to say but her fathers grip on her hands tightened.

"You insolent child," Her father whispered in her ear, as he released her hands and grabbed her by her hair throwing her to the ground. Tashia fell to her stomach and he walked over, placed his foot on her side and pushed her onto her back, "Something needs to be changed around her Tashia. And you are that something. I don't care if I have to bleed you to near death to get you to change, but you will obey me."

"I will never obey you," She said trying to catch her breath and breathe through the pain.

"Don't try my patience," He said his eyes wide with anger, "You better be good, no more running away. No more outbursts, no more embarrassing your mother and me. Or you will wish that I had killed you when you were a child like I planned." He pulled out a dagger and kneeled down besides her. He ripped open her sleeve and on her upper arm he carved the royal symbol of there family. She gritted her teeth as the cold metal dug into her skin. Branding her with his symbol would mean if she ever did run away again people would know she belonged to him. They would jump at the chance to return her because of the money reward they would receive. Tashia felt her warm blood drip down her arm and pool on the floor. Her father moved his knees to avoid getting blood stains on his silk pants. His hands on her arm were ice cold and she never realized when he released her arm and stalked from the room.

Tashia sat up slowly and ripped the rest of her sleeve off her dress. She then wrapped the heavy cotton material around her upper arm. She grabbed one side of the cloth between her teeth and the other in her hand. She pulled tight and closed her eyes against the pain. Her dress was stained and ripped, her arm was throbbing. There were beads of sweat on her forehead as she pushed herself off the floor and used the wall to steady herself. She stumbled to her bed and slowly laid down being cautious of her arm. She took slow steady breaths trying to forget about the pain, she closed her eyes and tried to picture herself in a far away place. Tashia felt herself drifting off to sleep and she knew it was only a matter of time before the nightmares started coming.