AN: I am doing major revisions and updates. This means I'm going to create a lot of inconsistencies. Thanks ahead of time for your patience. I'm also veering from canon ages and events a lot more. This is intentional. Think of it more as an AU than anything else.
Sing, o muses, of blood-stained moon and trembling earth,
Of the black-stained sky weeping ash upon our fields,
and of the two babes born on this day, one beloved by fate, the
Other despised. Asena has judged the foreigner queen guilty,
And her newborn babe must with her life make amends. A destiny
Short and tragic shall befall your daughter, o king, lest the kingdom
Fall to the miracle boy from Parthevia and meet its swift end.
—The Prophecy of the Cursed Princess, Asena's High Priestess
Thalia's hurried footsteps echoed across Napolia's dark, empty streets. She couldn't afford to falter. The men tailing her wouldn't rest until they brought her back to her father— a man who, having squandered his power, could no longer protect his daughter or his country. His latest scheme would destroy them both.
Swallowing lungfuls of air, she grabbed the stitch in her side. It didn't help. The longer this drew out, the more likely her capture. Although she'd managed to avoid them so far, they were highly trained guards, and she was a fourteen-year-old girl who spent most of her time with her nose in a book. There was no way she could outrun them.
Skidding to a halt, she surveyed her surroundings. Barren fruit and vegetable stands lined the walls of white and red buildings. During the day, this was a market, and the hectic crowd it drew would offer plenty of chances to slip away unnoticed. The night delivered no such luxury; she would have to use her wits. Her lips pulled into a grin as her eyes landed on a stack of barrels.
Perfect.
She ducked behind them, demolishing some poor spider's home.
"Which way did she go?"
The guards had already caught up, and Thalia recognized the speaker's voice. Leonidas had been recently appointed the position of captain as a favor to the influential Heraclides clan. If her escape were successful, he would bear the brunt of the blame. She almost felt sorry for him. Then again, if she could outwit him this easily, maybe he deserved it.
Stifling her breath, she peeked through a hole in the barrels. There were six other soldiers with him, all clad in the golden armor of the Attican royal guard. They huddled in a circle— all except one.
"She couldn't have gone far." The beast of a man scanned the alleyway. "She's just a girl."
He was Peleus, a living god among her people. While he was beholden to the inexperienced Leonidas, Peleus was battle-hardened, maybe even invincible. She had heard stories of him while growing up— of how he had almost single-handedly fended off a Parthevian invasion a few years before her birth. For him to be here looking for her showed how desperate her father was to get her back.
She felt a pang of regret— not about running away, but about the fact that she knew better than to assume this was a sign of her father's affection. He would never love a daughter.
A gentle breeze passed through the buildings, rustling her silken peplos. Peleus' eyes landed on her hiding place.
Damn.
She jerked back and flattened herself against the wall. She had been this close to escaping, and now her clothing of all things had given her away. Stupid, stupid! As his footsteps drew closer, her heart hammered against her chest. The punishment for this sort of disobedience would be brutal.
Peleus towered over the barrels and scowled down at her. The large scar across his face made him that much more threatening. She let out a small whimper.
"Geez, you really are just a kid," He muttered. He sighed, and suddenly, his features seemed less striking. When he spoke again, his voice was low. "Come on, let's go. I'm gonna take you home."
She pointed to her ring finger and crossed her arms into an X, miming a stomp of her foot for emphasis.
"So that's what this is about. Yeah. The situation's pretty fucked up if you ask me." He raised his voice and called out to the others. "Hey, what's the name of that twit she's supposed to marry again?"
"That 'twit' is your next king," Leonidas responded. "The Reim Emperor's son, Nerva. Why?"
The name "Nerva" came out strained, as though it physically pained him to say the name. It seemed Thalia wasn't alone in her distaste for her fiance.
"Just wondering." Peleus grimaced at her before looking away again. He took out his sword and started buffing the metal with a cloth. When he spoke, again, it was no louder than a whisper. "If you marry him, Attica loses its sovereignty. You already knew that, right?"
"Yeah."
"What are you doing over there?" Leonidas called out.
Thalia shifted her weight uncomfortably, deciding if she should try to run.
"Waiting for you lot to get your act together," Peleus shouted back. "We'll never find her this way."
Thalia let out a deep breath and whispered her thanks.
"I'm strategizing," Leonidas snapped. "What more do you want?"
Peleus muttered something under his breath and remained quiet for a few seconds. "You being gone will cause a shit ton of trouble for your dad," he finally said. "The Heraclides clan already isn't happy they got passed over for some barbarian half-wit. Reim's gonna be furious about losing their new military base, and Parthevia's only been holding back because your mom was one of them. You still wanna do this?"
"Yeah."
The country was doomed either way. At least she was buying it time.
"Letting you go might be the worst idea I've ever had," he grumbled as he stood and placed his sword back in its sheath. "I'd say you've got five years before things really go to hell. Find someone worthy to lead before then. Got it?"
Her fists clenched her skirt. She didn't know the first thing about finding a king, just that she could never be one herself. The divine blood of the goddess Asena ran through her veins, passed down from an unbroken line of only children, all sons. Then, Thalia had been born, the "cursed princess." Neither the law nor Asena's teachings would allow her to ascend the throne. Her only duty was to marry and eventually bear a son so that the country could move on from her mother's disgrace.
He took one look at her troubled expression and sighed. "Take some time to be a kid first, huh? You can figure out the rest later."
She nodded and made a gesture to confer the goddess's blessings upon him.
"I don't believe in that shit." Peleus turned away and walked back toward the others. "You three check the inns, and I'll check the market with the others. How's that for strategy?"
Thalia could have sworn she heard Leonidas' scandalized harumph, but he made no argument. His footsteps fell in line with the others before fading into the distance.
Peleus truly was as wise as he was fierce in battle. Thanks to him, her escape had been successful. She placed her hand on her chest to still her rapidly beating heart and let out a celebratory giggle. She was free…
…and alone.
The smile slid off her face as she examined her surroundings more thoroughly. She had never been to Napolia without her father and several bodyguards, especially not at night. During the day, with its bustling streets and plenty of protection, the city seemed a different world. Now, the buildings were ominous instead of grand, the streets desolate instead of lively.
There was a reason she'd run into so few witnesses tonight. Bodies were recovered on a near-daily basis. From the small kingdom of Attica, where she had grown up, those rumors of murders and robberies had seemed nothing more than salacious gossip whispered by the idle nobles and rapacious traders. She had scoffed at their stories before, but now she believed every word.
Until this moment, her escape from Attica had felt like a game of hide and seek. Eluding her father's men had elicited a thrill, and life in the less restrictive Reim Empire seemed ripe with opportunity. From Napolia, she'd intended to head inland to the capital, Remano, where she would find employment as a tutor to some wealthy senator's daughter for a few years. If she was lucky, she might even catch sight of the sorceress who had supported the empire for the last two-hundred years. Magicians were rare everywhere, but they were particularly sparse in Attica. Living in Reim, she would finally have a chance to meet one in person. But, she wouldn't be able to do any of that if she couldn't survive the night.
She backed out of the alleyway and into the street. If inns weren't an option, she would have to find some other way to keep safe. A lone cloaked figure scurried past her and opened the door to one of the establishments, letting light flood onto the cobblestone. There were signs of life coming from inside, the din of voices and clink of glasses. She would be safer in there than alone out here. Thalia approached the door and shoved her way through.
Wafting in the light of a brazier, a curtain of smoke hung in the air. It was sweet and cloying like the incense that the priestesses used in the temple of Asena. But where the incense conferred a sense of divinity, this toxin just scratched Thalia's throat. She coughed and tried to wave it away.
A couple of patrons paused their chatter, took one look at her, and burst into laughter.
The woman behind the counter leaned forward and gave a wry smile. "You lost, little girl?"
"Not exactly."
More heads turned as Thalia approached the bar. They were gamblers and ruffians, but even thieves had a code of honor. Holding her head high, she tried to hide her trembling by settling on one of the few vacant stools. The hulking giant next to her leered down, and she tightened her shawl around her shoulders.
"You look lost." The woman shrugged. "But who am I to turn down a paying customer? If you don't have the coin, I'll settle for those earrings."
Her hand reached out to grab the rubies dangling from Thalia's ears.
"I can pay." Thalia pulled out her overflowing coin purse and plopped it on the counter between them. Gold pieces scattered onto the wood. "Name your price. I just need to stay the night."
The woman whistled. "You're gutsy to show that off in this crowd, kid."
Thalia opened her mouth to ask why when she caught a man three seats down eying her money. He twirled a knife between his fingers, met her gaze, and grinned. Thalia shoved the coins back into the bag and tucked it away.
"So what'll it be? Mead? Ale?" The woman reached under the cabinet and brought out a couple of dusty glass bottles. "I'll give you the top-shelf stuff."
Thalia folded her hands in her lap. "Do you have tea?"
The giant next to her erupted into laughter. Thalia tried to laugh along like she knew what the joke was.
"I have water." A strand of hair fell out of the woman's messy bun as she grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim. She slid it across the counter toward Thalia. After inspecting the cup and finding it satisfactorily clean, Thalia took a sip and closed her eyes. In the morning, she could catch a caravan out of town. She would bide her time here until then.
"So, little girl." The giant leaned over, gripping his own mug of what Thalia assumed was mead. "Where're your parents? Shouldn't they be lookin' for you?"
"I don't have any. I'm an orphan." She brought the glass to her lips.
"Orphan, huh?" His eyes widened in what Thalia could only assume was an attempt at feigning pity. "So you don't have anyone that would miss you?"
Thalia choked, spitting her water back into the cup. She hadn't thought through this lie, and now she'd painted herself as an easy target.
"I have family in Parthevia," she quickly amended. "I'm headed there in the morning. They'll be expecting me."
"That so?" He thunked his empty mug down on the dark oak counter, then raised his hand for another.
Thalia turned back to her own glass and downed it, grateful for the lull in the conversation. The bartender seemed friendly enough, but the giant was way too interested in her family situation. It was better to keep to herself.
Over the next two hours, she worked her way through a second glass. Customers filtered out until only she, the giant, and the bartender were left. The giant slammed a few copper coins down and took one last sip before sauntering out the door.
Thalia's anxiety left with him, and she finally dared to ask the question weighing on her for some time now.
"Do you have a bathroom?"
The bartender looked up from her cleaning and raised her eyebrows. "Does this place look like it has a bathroom?" She gestured to the empty room, which had no doors besides the exit.
"Then where do I…?"
"You'll piss in the streets like the rest of us."
Thalia squeezed her legs together impatiently. "Is it safe?"
The bartender shrugged and returned to work.
Poking her head out, Thalia checked for stragglers outside the bar. Though steeped in shadow, the street appeared empty save for a puking figure about a block away. Thalia went to the side opposite of him, hiding out in a narrow alley between the tavern and its neighbor. Hiking her skirt up, she squeezed her eyes shut and squatted. Her face burned, and she thanked the gods no one was there to witness her moment of humiliation.
When she was done, she hurried out of the alley and turned the corner to the tavern.
She bumped into something warm and solid.
A large hand wrapped itself around her wrist and jerked her around. Her eyes met with a broad, tunicked chest. She followed it up to where a menacing grin unfurled upon the giant's face. Thalia attempted to jerk her hand away, and his painful grip tightened. Her breathing began to hitch as the reality of her situation washed over her.
She opened her mouth to scream. The giant was faster than she and had already pulled her against him, muffling her cries with his hand.
"Your family's expectin' you, huh?" He cackled. "The border to Parthevia's closed on account of the war."
She let out an enraged roar and gnashed her teeth against his palm. It was no use. The giant dragged her along with him through the streets. They passed the vomiting man and eventually reached the docks. There, they boarded an unfamiliar ship, where, finally, the silence was broken.
"Picked up one more on the way!" the giant shouted to a gang of men aboard the ship. They were of all shapes and sizes, but none of them looked like people she wanted to know. "This one's dressed funny, but she's got a good face. Never seen one like it." He leaned down, beard scratching her ear, and lowered his voice. "Where you from, little girl?" He finally removed his hand from her mouth.
She tried her best to channel her parents' imposing postures and announced, "I am Thalia, princess of Attica and daughter of King Hypatos. Unhand me at once, or I will—"
The giant laughed and kicked her in the back of her knees. It sent her sprawling on all fours. She was unsure if it was her hands or her pride that stung more.
"Lookie here, boys! This one fancies she's a princess!" The giant squatted down and pulled her head by the tight plaits of her hair, bringing her gaze to his. He practically spat, his rancid breath invading her nostrils. "Attica? Even better. You'll sell for a top price, then."
She gave an insolent grin in the hopes that it would distract them from her trembling. "When my father hears of this, you'll be the one for sale, Barbarian."
He raised his eyebrows. "That so?" Then, he slammed her head against the deck. She yelped as a throbbing pain exploded at the point of impact. "We'll see about that."
"Careful, Brutus." Another man, this one lanky, approached. "This one doesn't look like the kind we usually bring in. If she has a family, we could get in trouble."
"Pah!" The one called Brutus spat and stood up. "Don't trust a word from her mouth. She's got no one. Probably lost 'em in the war like all the others."
Thalia jumped on the opportunity to drive the wedge between these two men deeper. "Guards are searching for me right now. If you don't let me go—" She was cut off by a swift kick to the ribs.
"All the more reason to take off now." Brutus crossed his arms over his chest.
The lanky man sighed. "If you damage the merchandise, we won't get full pay." He reached out his hand to Thalia with a smile that, in other circumstances, might have been mistaken for kindness. She twisted her head away from him.
Someone pulled her to her feet by her braids, and she let out an angry yelp. It was Brutus. As he shoved her down the hatch and into the hold, she threw another kick, shouting every expletive she knew. Brutus lowered himself after her.
The hold was ill-lit, the air heavy with must. Thalia nearly gagged. Never in her life had she been exposed to such filth. As she tried to stand, Brutus brushed past her, shoving her back down. He walked to the back of the room and lit a broken lantern. The dim light revealed three other children tied up and dressed in rags. Two of them were hunched over, trembling, a little boy with close-cropped hair and a filthy girl with a ruddy face. The third child was blonde-haired and green-eyed. She looked up at Thalia, tilted her head, and smiled. Thalia, who had opened her mouth to express her dismay, found her words caught in her throat. Who could be happy in a situation like this?
Then, something sharp pressed against the nape of Thalia's neck.
"Undress," Brutus commanded, low and even.
Holding still, Thalia slowly moved her eyes toward Brutus. The glint of a sword caught the lamp's light.
Clutching her shawl around her shoulders, she stumbled away. "Excuse me?"
With his free hand, Brutus tossed a rough woolen tunic at her. "Undress and put that on."
She didn't move, half expecting him to leave the room. The sword's point met with the tip of her nose this time.
"I won't repeat myself again."
Tears stung her eyes as she removed her coin purse, jewelry, and bright, fine linens and silks one by one. She quickly slipped on the cheap tunic, grateful for its protection, however scratchy. Then, Brutus tied her wrists and ankles together with rope and blew out the lantern, plunging her and the other children into darkness.
Her time in the darkness was a nightmare. She was given no food and little water. Her binds chafed at her skin until it was slick with blood. To distract herself from the pain, she occasionally attempted to initiate conversations with the other children.
The youngest child was named Cassius. He wasn't sure how old he was, but the way he struggled to pronounce certain letters told her he was still fairly young. From what she could ascertain, he had been living on the streets since his parents died. He'd gotten by mostly with assistance from former friends of his parents.
Six-year-old Dulcia had been orphaned when her parents caught the plague a few months ago. She had been surviving, if you could call it that, by rummaging in people's garbage for leftover food. That certainly explained the way she smelled.
The last child, the one with green eyes, was called Dinarzade. She was the oldest of the children, aside from Thalia. Dinarzade seemed overly optimistic considering her situation, and Thalia couldn't help but look down on her for it. Her parents had sold her to these men, yet she dared to believe that "things would work out" and "maybe someone will save us." Still, her words tended a small flame that burned in Thalia's chest. Maybe that kind of audacity is just what she needed to get through this.