A.N. Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Its extra long to make up
for it. Hope you enjoy. (
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For a moment, she stood as still as a statue, stunned at how he could change so quickly, change his personality completely. With a toss of her golden locks, she brushed off her curiosity. 'Lucky, that's what you are, very lucky.' She took a deep breath and then lay back on the bed, she would not face him at night. During the day she felt safer, so with a thousand thoughts in her head, she closed her eyes and stirred restlessly until she felt the morning glow upon her face.
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Finally rising, she walked over to her overnight bag and pulled out a dress. It was a simple sundress, pink in colour, reaching down to her ankles. It had shoestring straps and was tied together at her waist by a large white bow. Although it was simple, like all clothing that she wore, she made the dress look beautiful. With a candle in one hand to battle the blanketing darkness, she stepped over the breakfast offering that he first brought, and then tottered down the mahogany staircase. It was so dark she could hardly believe it. It was daytime, yet everything was covered in darkness. She looked at the foot of the stairwell, and much to her disgust, sitting at its foot was a bucket and scrubbing brush.
"No Way, I don't think so." She said aloud and looked ahead. In front of her, the huge entry doors were open slightly, letting in a faint glow of sunlight from outside. Not thinking about anything she made a break for the door, for her freedom. She was only a few strides away, before it slammed shut, drowning her hopes. She waved the candle in the darkness and into its ghostly glow, stepped a short man in a dark brown hood.
Slowly he drew back his hood.
"You!" She cried, recognising the man. "You are the messenger from the palace."
The man smiled through his crooked teeth. "Yes, my pretty little princess." He sprayed and raised his hand up to stroke her face. There was no way that she was going to allow that, instead she grabbed his fingers and bend them back. A loud snap came from his hand as he cried out in pain. "Oww! You bad little girl!" He yelled, like the words of a child. "You be in big trouble, when my master sees what you have done."
"Like I care what that ogre has to say." She spat at him and took a step away from him, he obviously had never heard of a 'bath' and the stench was making her ill.
"You will care, once he lock you ups. You fink he nice and lovely, but I know him. I know master. He not, he will lock you up, pretty princess. He will lock you ups and you will suffer."
"I, I, I don't care."
"He gave this to me. He sayed 'If she tries to run, give her this and a warnings.' He sayed. He sayed fat you must stay here, forever. You belong to him now. Like me, you know. We belong to him, but I am his favourite and don't you forget fat." He said with an angry scowl upon his face, his mood changing instantaneously. He thrust a piece of paper into her hands. It took her a moment to break contact with the black-eyed man before she looked down at the letter, written in red.
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Dearest Princess.
It was your choice to come here princess and at anytime, you are welcome leave. But know this, if you do: For every hour that you are gone, I will kill one hundred of your kinsmen. Therefore, I suggest that you get accustomed to your new home. For you will be here for a long time.
Whilst you are here, you are mine. Don't ever forget that. You will do as I say, when I say, how I say. If you fail to obey my rules, both you and your kingdom will be punished.
Dinner will be served in the dining room at five o'clock sharp. You may come once you have finished your chores, else you will go without.
Curfew is one hour before Dusk. Obey this. You will rise at dawn. No matter what I tell you, you will obey this letter.
Most importantly, you will obey curfew.
I hope that you adjust to your new home well, and I am sure that we will get along splendidly.
Good day, Princess
Xxx
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She tore the letter up into shreds and threw the pieces into the air. They scattered like doves being released, floating upwards and downwards. "You can take your rules and!"
The messenger grabbed her by the arm. "You will does as he says, pretty princess. Else you will be in trouble."
She could feel his stale breath upon her skin, it was damp and musty, and it smelt like the juices from the bottom of a rubbish bin. She turned her nose up at the smell and tried to shake her arm free, but his grip was tight and he was not going to let go.
"Get off me!" She screamed at him, and with her long fingernails she scratched his face. He let go of her and dropped down onto the floor, crying like a baby.
"Master! Master, she hurt me!" He cried, his wails were so high pitched it echoed inside her ears. "Master!"
Suddenly, she got worried. 'What would he do if he came?' She thought and then immediately kneeled down next to the oversized child. "Shhh," She comforted in a soothing voice. "I am sorry. Please stop crying." She was honestly remorseful. It was not in her nature to hurt people, even with her heart as cold as it had grown.
"But.You.Hurt.Me!" He said between crying breaths, his bottom lips trembling, making his face look even more distorted then it already was.
"Hush now." She said in her most soothing voice. "I am sorry." She ran her fingers through his greasy brown hair. She cringed as she felt the dirt and oil get stuck under her nails. "What is you name?"
He stopped crying and looked up at her with his beady black eyes. "M-M- Master calls me Fick. He named m-m-me, when he found me. He says to me that I am Fick. So I call me Fick and he calls me Fick."
"Fick, hmm. Are you okay now, Fick?" She looked at him gently, wondering how such a grown man, could be so simple. He nodded strangely enthusiastically.
A dark voice bellowed from the top of the stairway. "What is going on down here?"
She stared into his black eyes, begging him not to say anything. Her eyes were watering over with fear.
"Nothing, Master. She was helping me. Fats all."
"Well, get to work. Both of you." He barked at them. She looked around to see where he was standing, but the castle was cloaked in shadows.
"Yes Master." He answered gleefully, and like a little monkey, he scurried off. She looked around in the darkness and sighed. For now, she knew that she would have to play things his way, but she knew that she could never be broken. Never.
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~*~*~*~*~*In the early hours of twilight...~*~*~*~*~*~
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Exhausted, she looked out the window. The sky had grown pasty with the early evening light. The moon had not since shown its ghostly head, but she knew it would soon. Down on her hands and knees she continued to scrub the floors. She looked over to where she had worked. She had scrubbed away the years of tarnish, the stains, mould, dust and decay. She had worked all day, to expose a sparkling marble floor about ten meters squared. She smiled as she was finally able to see some results. Looking down at herself she sighed, her dress was worn where her she had kneeled, and large holes started to tear in the silky fabric. She wiped one of the blonde stands of hair out of her face and frowned. Little did she know, she was being watched.
Atop of the staircase, still cloaked in the shadows, he waited. Watching her all day long. Every rise and fall of her chest, every exhausted grunt she made, watching her tuck back her hair as it fell upon her angelic face. He too, noted the dying of the sun. In less then an hour, it would poke its head over the dark forests and cover the land with its sickly light. The night was not his friend.
A voice broke through his thoughts.
"Master, I have served your dinner for you master. It is ready, ready for you in your dining room. I have set your place, master."
He nodded, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Good, and her? Where is her dinner?"
"Dinner Master? Where is her dinner? She gets no dinner, master, no dinner for the pretty princess."
"She will get dinner." He snarled back. "Set a place for her in the dinning room. Do this every night. Every night, you hear me Fick?"
"But Master."
He grabbed the beady man by his neck and pinned him against the wall, Fick's legs were thrashing helplessly in the air.
"DO IT!" He roared, flashing his razer sharp teeth. The grip around his slaves neck tightened, the veins in his body started to go blue.
"Yes Master." He tried to say while being strangled. The grip around his neck loosened and he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. "I do it now master, for you. I get the pretty princess some dinner. A pretty dinner for the pretty princess and pretty master." He walked away, continuing the conversation with himself. "Fick does what master says, master says what Fick does. Pretty princess and.."
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he looked down unto his comforting angel. He watched her wipe the sweat off her face, an exhausted motion that could only be made beautiful by a vision like her. "You are finished for the night." He spoke to her from his hiding place. "Dinner will be served in the dining room." He turned and walked to his dinner, so he could take his place in the shadows.
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His voice burned her soul.
The hatred did not burn less. She hated him, more then a plague, more then death. To her, he was evil, pure and simple. She would rather die of starvation, than sit next to him for even a second. Quietly, she scurried off to her room, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Unknowing that she was not joining him, he still waited patiently. The candle at the centre of the table had burned down to a nub, its wax dribbling down the side of it and clotting onto the lace tablecloth.
A grand table had been set for her, both their plates had been filled with food. By now, the food was colder then the frosty night outside. His body had changed hours ago, but still he hid in his dark cloak, desperately wanting to see her. A stream of moonlight broke through the gaps in the black curtain, night had come, and his dinner was cold. With a scream, he tossed it at the wall, the mashed potatoes clung to the paint like glue. She was not coming. Into the lessening shadows he snuck off to his room, angry at himself that he had waited so long.
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He had disappeared for days, and she had no idea where he went. One cold winters morning, she saw him ride off as soon as the sun peeped its fiery head over the horizon, and he hadn't retuned since. Everyday, Fick came to her with orders, what to clean, what to tidy, enough to keep her busy, but not enough to work her to the bone. Fick too, would disappear, he did not live in the castle. He travelled every morning and left before sunset. Once he told her that it was best to go before dusk, that there was trouble if he would stay longer. She smiled to herself as she scrubbed the last of the floors for tonight.
"Friend!" An excited voice echoed through the hallways. "Friend, where are you?"
"Here Fick," She called out and smiled softly, she was always glad to have some company. She and Fick had grown especially close over the weeks that she had been held captive.
"Friend, Master comes home, he is comes home tonight. He rides home soon." The man said gleefully.
Besides herself, the prince is his only friend. 'There must be a kind heart in the tyrant somewhere. For a man as innocent as Fick to like him, there has to be something.' She thought to herself. 'There just has to be.' She placed her hand on Fick's shoulder, trying to get him to calm down.
"That's good Fick. I am glad." She lied. In truth, she was enjoying not being yelled at or scolded, she would rather live alone for and eternity, then to live for just another minute with him. "I will go to my room now Fick. I have finished my chores and I am growing sleepy." She feigned a smiled.
"But don't you want to see master?" He asked, noticing her change in mood. "Master will want to see you, he wants to see you, but me too. I am his favourite, you know. I am his best." He beamed through his crooked teeth.
If it wasn't for his adult body, she would swear he was a boy of only five.
"Yes, Fick. You are his favourite. You are my favourite too." She smiled back and kissed him innocently on his cheek, her sweet scent swirled around him like fairy dust, intoxicating him.
Suddenly, something erupted inside of him. She had stirred something in him, which should have remained dormant. He looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with lust.
"Your hair is pretty," he said, his breathing turning shallow. He placed a hand up to stroke her golden locks, but instinctively, she pulled away.
"Fick," She said worriedly and backed away from him. "Fick I am going upstairs now. Goodnight." She turned to walk up the staircase, but was grabbed from behind. "Fick let go of me!" She cried and tried to pull away.
"No!" Fick shouted back and pushed her onto the ground. "Pretty princess. So pretty."
"Get off me!" She yelled and kicked him in his privates.
He let out an agonizing scream, but he was slowed down only momentarily. He ripped a split in her dress, feeling her shaking legs underneath. Tears spilled forth as she desperately thumped him with her arms, trying to push him away.
The front doors burst open, letting in the last breath of sunlight.
"Fick!" A booming voice roared. She looked up and saw a figure in a cape rushing towards her. Although her tears distorted her vision, she knew who it was. She never thought she would be so happy to see him again. In one fluid movement, he ripped Fick off of her and slammed him against the wall. He then ran over to the crying man and picked him up by the neck.
"Don't you dare touch her!" He yelled at Fick and carried him by his throat to the door. "I warned you about that. Goodbye Fick." He yelled and threw him onto the cold stone steps outside.
"Master!" The man cried, "Master please, I am sorry. Fick is sorry!" He banged his arms and legs on the ground. He was throwing a full on tantrum. "I am sorry. Fick was bad, Fick wont do it again. Fick promises."
"It does not matter now. Leave Fick, and do not return."
"But Master," He howled, but the prince did not wait to hear anymore. He raised his hand up as to strike him, and then watched the man scurry away. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
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For a moment, she stood as still as a statue, stunned at how he could change so quickly, change his personality completely. With a toss of her golden locks, she brushed off her curiosity. 'Lucky, that's what you are, very lucky.' She took a deep breath and then lay back on the bed, she would not face him at night. During the day she felt safer, so with a thousand thoughts in her head, she closed her eyes and stirred restlessly until she felt the morning glow upon her face.
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.
.
Finally rising, she walked over to her overnight bag and pulled out a dress. It was a simple sundress, pink in colour, reaching down to her ankles. It had shoestring straps and was tied together at her waist by a large white bow. Although it was simple, like all clothing that she wore, she made the dress look beautiful. With a candle in one hand to battle the blanketing darkness, she stepped over the breakfast offering that he first brought, and then tottered down the mahogany staircase. It was so dark she could hardly believe it. It was daytime, yet everything was covered in darkness. She looked at the foot of the stairwell, and much to her disgust, sitting at its foot was a bucket and scrubbing brush.
"No Way, I don't think so." She said aloud and looked ahead. In front of her, the huge entry doors were open slightly, letting in a faint glow of sunlight from outside. Not thinking about anything she made a break for the door, for her freedom. She was only a few strides away, before it slammed shut, drowning her hopes. She waved the candle in the darkness and into its ghostly glow, stepped a short man in a dark brown hood.
Slowly he drew back his hood.
"You!" She cried, recognising the man. "You are the messenger from the palace."
The man smiled through his crooked teeth. "Yes, my pretty little princess." He sprayed and raised his hand up to stroke her face. There was no way that she was going to allow that, instead she grabbed his fingers and bend them back. A loud snap came from his hand as he cried out in pain. "Oww! You bad little girl!" He yelled, like the words of a child. "You be in big trouble, when my master sees what you have done."
"Like I care what that ogre has to say." She spat at him and took a step away from him, he obviously had never heard of a 'bath' and the stench was making her ill.
"You will care, once he lock you ups. You fink he nice and lovely, but I know him. I know master. He not, he will lock you up, pretty princess. He will lock you ups and you will suffer."
"I, I, I don't care."
"He gave this to me. He sayed 'If she tries to run, give her this and a warnings.' He sayed. He sayed fat you must stay here, forever. You belong to him now. Like me, you know. We belong to him, but I am his favourite and don't you forget fat." He said with an angry scowl upon his face, his mood changing instantaneously. He thrust a piece of paper into her hands. It took her a moment to break contact with the black-eyed man before she looked down at the letter, written in red.
.
.
.
Dearest Princess.
It was your choice to come here princess and at anytime, you are welcome leave. But know this, if you do: For every hour that you are gone, I will kill one hundred of your kinsmen. Therefore, I suggest that you get accustomed to your new home. For you will be here for a long time.
Whilst you are here, you are mine. Don't ever forget that. You will do as I say, when I say, how I say. If you fail to obey my rules, both you and your kingdom will be punished.
Dinner will be served in the dining room at five o'clock sharp. You may come once you have finished your chores, else you will go without.
Curfew is one hour before Dusk. Obey this. You will rise at dawn. No matter what I tell you, you will obey this letter.
Most importantly, you will obey curfew.
I hope that you adjust to your new home well, and I am sure that we will get along splendidly.
Good day, Princess
Xxx
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.
She tore the letter up into shreds and threw the pieces into the air. They scattered like doves being released, floating upwards and downwards. "You can take your rules and!"
The messenger grabbed her by the arm. "You will does as he says, pretty princess. Else you will be in trouble."
She could feel his stale breath upon her skin, it was damp and musty, and it smelt like the juices from the bottom of a rubbish bin. She turned her nose up at the smell and tried to shake her arm free, but his grip was tight and he was not going to let go.
"Get off me!" She screamed at him, and with her long fingernails she scratched his face. He let go of her and dropped down onto the floor, crying like a baby.
"Master! Master, she hurt me!" He cried, his wails were so high pitched it echoed inside her ears. "Master!"
Suddenly, she got worried. 'What would he do if he came?' She thought and then immediately kneeled down next to the oversized child. "Shhh," She comforted in a soothing voice. "I am sorry. Please stop crying." She was honestly remorseful. It was not in her nature to hurt people, even with her heart as cold as it had grown.
"But.You.Hurt.Me!" He said between crying breaths, his bottom lips trembling, making his face look even more distorted then it already was.
"Hush now." She said in her most soothing voice. "I am sorry." She ran her fingers through his greasy brown hair. She cringed as she felt the dirt and oil get stuck under her nails. "What is you name?"
He stopped crying and looked up at her with his beady black eyes. "M-M- Master calls me Fick. He named m-m-me, when he found me. He says to me that I am Fick. So I call me Fick and he calls me Fick."
"Fick, hmm. Are you okay now, Fick?" She looked at him gently, wondering how such a grown man, could be so simple. He nodded strangely enthusiastically.
A dark voice bellowed from the top of the stairway. "What is going on down here?"
She stared into his black eyes, begging him not to say anything. Her eyes were watering over with fear.
"Nothing, Master. She was helping me. Fats all."
"Well, get to work. Both of you." He barked at them. She looked around to see where he was standing, but the castle was cloaked in shadows.
"Yes Master." He answered gleefully, and like a little monkey, he scurried off. She looked around in the darkness and sighed. For now, she knew that she would have to play things his way, but she knew that she could never be broken. Never.
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~*~*~*~*~*In the early hours of twilight...~*~*~*~*~*~
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.
.
Exhausted, she looked out the window. The sky had grown pasty with the early evening light. The moon had not since shown its ghostly head, but she knew it would soon. Down on her hands and knees she continued to scrub the floors. She looked over to where she had worked. She had scrubbed away the years of tarnish, the stains, mould, dust and decay. She had worked all day, to expose a sparkling marble floor about ten meters squared. She smiled as she was finally able to see some results. Looking down at herself she sighed, her dress was worn where her she had kneeled, and large holes started to tear in the silky fabric. She wiped one of the blonde stands of hair out of her face and frowned. Little did she know, she was being watched.
Atop of the staircase, still cloaked in the shadows, he waited. Watching her all day long. Every rise and fall of her chest, every exhausted grunt she made, watching her tuck back her hair as it fell upon her angelic face. He too, noted the dying of the sun. In less then an hour, it would poke its head over the dark forests and cover the land with its sickly light. The night was not his friend.
A voice broke through his thoughts.
"Master, I have served your dinner for you master. It is ready, ready for you in your dining room. I have set your place, master."
He nodded, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Good, and her? Where is her dinner?"
"Dinner Master? Where is her dinner? She gets no dinner, master, no dinner for the pretty princess."
"She will get dinner." He snarled back. "Set a place for her in the dinning room. Do this every night. Every night, you hear me Fick?"
"But Master."
He grabbed the beady man by his neck and pinned him against the wall, Fick's legs were thrashing helplessly in the air.
"DO IT!" He roared, flashing his razer sharp teeth. The grip around his slaves neck tightened, the veins in his body started to go blue.
"Yes Master." He tried to say while being strangled. The grip around his neck loosened and he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. "I do it now master, for you. I get the pretty princess some dinner. A pretty dinner for the pretty princess and pretty master." He walked away, continuing the conversation with himself. "Fick does what master says, master says what Fick does. Pretty princess and.."
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he looked down unto his comforting angel. He watched her wipe the sweat off her face, an exhausted motion that could only be made beautiful by a vision like her. "You are finished for the night." He spoke to her from his hiding place. "Dinner will be served in the dining room." He turned and walked to his dinner, so he could take his place in the shadows.
.
.
His voice burned her soul.
The hatred did not burn less. She hated him, more then a plague, more then death. To her, he was evil, pure and simple. She would rather die of starvation, than sit next to him for even a second. Quietly, she scurried off to her room, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Unknowing that she was not joining him, he still waited patiently. The candle at the centre of the table had burned down to a nub, its wax dribbling down the side of it and clotting onto the lace tablecloth.
A grand table had been set for her, both their plates had been filled with food. By now, the food was colder then the frosty night outside. His body had changed hours ago, but still he hid in his dark cloak, desperately wanting to see her. A stream of moonlight broke through the gaps in the black curtain, night had come, and his dinner was cold. With a scream, he tossed it at the wall, the mashed potatoes clung to the paint like glue. She was not coming. Into the lessening shadows he snuck off to his room, angry at himself that he had waited so long.
.
.
.
.
.
He had disappeared for days, and she had no idea where he went. One cold winters morning, she saw him ride off as soon as the sun peeped its fiery head over the horizon, and he hadn't retuned since. Everyday, Fick came to her with orders, what to clean, what to tidy, enough to keep her busy, but not enough to work her to the bone. Fick too, would disappear, he did not live in the castle. He travelled every morning and left before sunset. Once he told her that it was best to go before dusk, that there was trouble if he would stay longer. She smiled to herself as she scrubbed the last of the floors for tonight.
"Friend!" An excited voice echoed through the hallways. "Friend, where are you?"
"Here Fick," She called out and smiled softly, she was always glad to have some company. She and Fick had grown especially close over the weeks that she had been held captive.
"Friend, Master comes home, he is comes home tonight. He rides home soon." The man said gleefully.
Besides herself, the prince is his only friend. 'There must be a kind heart in the tyrant somewhere. For a man as innocent as Fick to like him, there has to be something.' She thought to herself. 'There just has to be.' She placed her hand on Fick's shoulder, trying to get him to calm down.
"That's good Fick. I am glad." She lied. In truth, she was enjoying not being yelled at or scolded, she would rather live alone for and eternity, then to live for just another minute with him. "I will go to my room now Fick. I have finished my chores and I am growing sleepy." She feigned a smiled.
"But don't you want to see master?" He asked, noticing her change in mood. "Master will want to see you, he wants to see you, but me too. I am his favourite, you know. I am his best." He beamed through his crooked teeth.
If it wasn't for his adult body, she would swear he was a boy of only five.
"Yes, Fick. You are his favourite. You are my favourite too." She smiled back and kissed him innocently on his cheek, her sweet scent swirled around him like fairy dust, intoxicating him.
Suddenly, something erupted inside of him. She had stirred something in him, which should have remained dormant. He looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with lust.
"Your hair is pretty," he said, his breathing turning shallow. He placed a hand up to stroke her golden locks, but instinctively, she pulled away.
"Fick," She said worriedly and backed away from him. "Fick I am going upstairs now. Goodnight." She turned to walk up the staircase, but was grabbed from behind. "Fick let go of me!" She cried and tried to pull away.
"No!" Fick shouted back and pushed her onto the ground. "Pretty princess. So pretty."
"Get off me!" She yelled and kicked him in his privates.
He let out an agonizing scream, but he was slowed down only momentarily. He ripped a split in her dress, feeling her shaking legs underneath. Tears spilled forth as she desperately thumped him with her arms, trying to push him away.
The front doors burst open, letting in the last breath of sunlight.
"Fick!" A booming voice roared. She looked up and saw a figure in a cape rushing towards her. Although her tears distorted her vision, she knew who it was. She never thought she would be so happy to see him again. In one fluid movement, he ripped Fick off of her and slammed him against the wall. He then ran over to the crying man and picked him up by the neck.
"Don't you dare touch her!" He yelled at Fick and carried him by his throat to the door. "I warned you about that. Goodbye Fick." He yelled and threw him onto the cold stone steps outside.
"Master!" The man cried, "Master please, I am sorry. Fick is sorry!" He banged his arms and legs on the ground. He was throwing a full on tantrum. "I am sorry. Fick was bad, Fick wont do it again. Fick promises."
"It does not matter now. Leave Fick, and do not return."
"But Master," He howled, but the prince did not wait to hear anymore. He raised his hand up as to strike him, and then watched the man scurry away. A single tear rolled down his cheek.