"Ow!" Ella grunted as she was carelessly tossed onto the dirt ground. After 30 minutes worth of struggling along the winding path, Ella's temporary captor had become fed up with his cargo. He had put her down and outright smacked her in the face countless times. Now nearly knocked senseless, Ella was vaguely aware of all else but her throbbing bladder and her growing headache.

As she opened her eyes, a blurry scene of rowdy men and a flickering campfire slowly came into focus. Ella slowly began to push herself upright to better take in what was happening before her eyes. She was a good ways away from where she had previously been held, in a clearing surrounded by giant trees. Over a dozen large men were encircling a pit fire, all of them holding large mugs of ale that someone had provided in generous amounts. A few stocky women were attempting to flirt with some of the men, but they all seemed rightly uninterested.

A pair of figures was approaching her, and as they came into focus, Ella could make out her father and another man walking towards her.

"Yes sir, tried to escape this lil' lassie did. Why if it weren't for me and 'Enry, she might've gotten away...Yes, yes. What happened to 'im was a bit unfortunate. Bested him, didn't she? God, she must throw one mean punch, I tell yah. But 'sall right now, I got her straightened out." The voice was becoming louder as the speaker came closer. Ella soon realized its source.

"Good, good." Ella could hear her father drawl. She could see a smirk upon his face at seeing his only daughter lying in a heap in the dirt. "Yes, yes...Bollin! I say, BOLLIN!" Her father shouted towards a man with an overflowing drink of ale. Having caught his attention, he continued. "I think a few KJ's should do it", referring to the man by his side. The drinking man nodded, and the once triumphant henchman, slightly disappointed, moved slowly away.

Now alone with his daughter, Sir Peter gave her a sharp kick in the stomach. Ella recoiled slightly, disgusted at her father's sudden lack of respect for his offspring. In an attempt to retaliate, she gave her father a sharp kick in the ankle with her satin slipper. Barely hurt at all, and slightly amused at his daughter's pitiful state, he sneered at Ella, "So, you think that you can escape from me? Ha! My dear, luckily you will be out of my hands soon enough and you will then be Prince Caliph's problem, not mine. Until then, you are no more of a princess than any of these other ladies here" He said motioning to the gruff damsels. "Nor shall you be treated like one. Understood?"

Ella was now growing only conscious of the ache in her lower region. "Well then, could I at least relieve myself?" she requested through clenched teeth, glaring at him.

Father chuckled, loving the power which he thought he held over her. "Yes, I suppose you should. Well, why don't was ask one of these lovely ladies here to accompany you? I mean, we wouldn't want you escaping, now would we?" he said, and evil grin on his face.

Fuming, Ella slowly pushed herself to her feet and stood for a moment, gaining her balance. Holding her chin up the best she could, she replied defiantly, "Fine."

"Briselda!" he called to one of the women, clapping his hands smartly. Seeming to have been enjoying her chat with a young bloke, she reluctantly approached the two. "Won't you please accompany Lady Ella to the 'bathroom'" he said, emphasizing the word lady.

"Surely" she said, smiling sourly. "Right this way." She roughly seized Ella's hand and proceeded to drag her off towards the woods. "Park a squat!" she said crudely, pointing to a gnarly tree trunk.

Ella gave her an incredulous look, but all the woman did was shrug. Putting her pride aside, she slowly approached the tree. The lass had enough decency to turn her back to Ella while she did her best to relieve herself. Finishing nearly as quickly as she had come, she uncomfortably replaced her dress back to its original place.

"Yah done yet?" The woman called over her shoulder.

Seizing the chance, Ella quickly lied, "no!" An annoyed sigh was her response. Lifting her layers of skirts carefully, she slowly began to back up through the drifts of leaves on the forest floor, never taking her eyes off Briselda.

"Hurry up then!" Briselda called impatiently. Ella inched her feet back slowly, each step taking her farther away from vile captivity, and hopefully closer to the ones she loved. Suddenly, a twig snapped underneath her foot.

Briselda's ears perked up, and Ella knew it was now or never. Like lightning, she whipped around and zoomed through the forest brush, her chaser close on her heels. The pair raced through the woods, Ella's petticoats hiked up above her knees. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the growing distance between the giant bulge of a woman and herself.

Relief swept over Ella, and she turned her head to back face where she was going just in time to receive the blow of a low-hanging tree branch in the face. Her legs flew out from under her and Ella landed flat upon her back on the forest floor. Her head was throbbing, but she knew she had to keep going.

Ella unsteadily stood back up just in time to be side tackled by none other than Griselda, who had obviously caught up to her.

"Thought you could outsmart me, eh lil' miss?" She said, pinning Ella firmly to the ground with her immense body weight. "Well look who's laughing now?"

Ella twisted her shoulders and wriggled her hips, not about to be defeated by a woman. "Forget it lady! You're never gonna win!" She snarled as she grabbed Ella by the shoulders and dragged her upright. Ella, tired of the repetitive charade, dug her boot heel into the toe of Griselda, who seemed to hardly notice. She grabbed Ella around the waist and proceeded to drag her back to camp.

Ella, who wasn't about to give up so easily, shoved her elbow into Griselda's jaw and was quickly released. Quick on her feet, Ella grabbed a giant branch and was ready when her attacker advanced on her once more. She hit her hard on the shoulder, though she was aiming for the face.

Griselda spun on the spot, regained her balanced, charged at Ella, and seized a fist full of her hair. Ella kicked and screamed at the searing pain in her head and kicked her foe in her shin. Griselda let go and began hopping on one foot while cursing. Ella clutched her throbbing head with her arms.

Suddenly a voice made the pair stop. "What are you two doing?" It was a pair of Sir Peter's cronies who must have heard the fuss the two were making and had come to investigate. Their stocky frames were silhouetted by a pair of gaunt looking trees. "Don't just stand there!" he yelled to his partner. "Grab the lil' one and hold her down for me!"

Before she could react, Ella once again was tackled and forced to the ground. While the first man pinned her down, the second succeeded in binding her flailing legs and wrists. "Now come on! Help me take her back you lazy piece of grime!" The duo of men grabbed her torso and legs and carried her thrashing body back to camp, closely followed by a limping Griselda.

When they arrived at the unruly clearing, they easily dropped Ella to the ground. Her father quickly approached, and he had apparently had quite a few drinks. "Untie her." He commanded the men sharply. "I think I'm going to have a little fun with this one. Oh, and Griselda, you may do as you wish, you work is finished here." He said, an evil gleam in his eye.

He quickly diverted his attention.

"Well look who decided to come back!" He announced loudly to the group of men. Ella slightly curious and slightly fearful at what her father was getting at began to slowly step back. "Don't you go anywhere!" he said curtly pulling her beside him. He turned to the group. "Now, why should Lady Eleanor be treated any better than any of us?"

The raucous men gave a loud chant of "Aye!"

"Why should she be better dressed than any of us?" He snickered loudly, followed by another round of cheers.

He turned to Ella. "So, I'll be wantin' that dress from yah."

Ella looked at him, then at her dress, then back at him, horrified. "What?"

"Aw, don't worry, I have a lovely servant's dress for you to put on, you're not above wearing one of them. Wore them once, you can wear them again." He said his words as sweet as poison.

"You're crazy" Ella muttered to him.

"What's that?" Sir Peter teased his daughter, slightly amused.

"I said you're crazy! You filthly, lying, hog-loving, foul, vile, son of a- " But the crowds of onlookers had all ready begun cheering and yelling and soon drown out Ella's curses.

"Oh, don't you worry; you'll be fine. Surely you have something 'neath all those layers!" Sir Peter said, his voice intoxicated with rum. One of the grubby women approached Ella with a simple peasant's blouse and apron.

Ella wasn't sure what to think. She couldn't believe the behavior of her father, who was usually behaved far too dignified and stately to even suggest that Ella show so much as an ankle. But it seemed that he didn't hold his daughter in any sort of esteem any longer, an attitude that was helped greatly by a cup of ale. She very well knew that so many men could easily overpower her, but she wasn't about to put her pride and morality aside for a few laughs. But it seemed that she didn't have much of a choice as she was approached from behind by a filthy drunken man.

"If you won't do it by yourself, I'll make you do it." He whispered into her ear. Ella soon felt the press of a knife on the back of her arm.

Fearful of any other ideas that these men might get, and knowing that they meant business, Ella knew that she would have to put her pride aside. Elbowing the intruder firmly in the gut, she shot the boisterous crowd a toxic smile. Hoots and hollers followed her as she seized the dress from the woman's hand, turned her back to the crowd, and slipped her pink gown off quickly revealing a corseted bodice and a layer of fine petticoats.

Her face burning a bright scarlet, Ella swiftly slid on the long white shift and tied the brown vest and apron tightly on. She snapped her body around to face the crowd and shot her father a bitter smile. He nodded at her and faced the group.

"Now that's much better, isn't it?" He called out the group of men, receiving a round of howls. Ella balled her hands into fists at the lack of respect for her. She didn't know why she was taking this and wished that she could just leave.

"Can I go now?" Ella said in a barely audible tone, catching her father's attention.

"Go now?" he said spinning around. "Why would you want to go when you haven't yet eaten?" He said, a smirk creeping across his face. He declared to the group "Gentlemen, I think it's time that Lady Eleanor eats!" A murmur swept across the crowd and a few sly grins slid onto the men's' faces.

"Sit", Father said simply, pushing her to the ground as a plate of dried jerky and potatoes was brought before her. "Eat." He said maliciously, as if daring her to protest. At first Ella was fearful that he had poisoned the food. But she son realized that she would be of no use to Father's plan dead. Besides, the pain in her stomach was beginning to become unbearable.

Meanwhile, a cup of ale was brought to Sir Peter, lurking in the shadows of the fire. He carefully slipped a small flask of sleeping draught out of his jacket pocket, and drained it into the mug.

Ella was soon approached by her father with a drink. Having started eating ravenously, she downed the rum without a second thought. That's much better. Ella thought to herself. Now you're not hungry or thirsty anymore, nor do you need to use the chamber pot. This is actually pretty comfortable in fact.

Ella sleepily leaned back in the dirt lazily. Perhaps I should just... Ella passed out cold on the dirt clearing.