Gerda spent the next several days trapped inside her cell following a routine that consisted of waking up, bathing, eating, and then sleeping. She lost track of time as the days blended into each other. All she knew was the sun rising and setting which meant another day had passed. Celtra was quiet but oddly attempted to make conversation with her. Gerda wondered why the creature even bothered to speak to her at all.
None of it made sense and almost seemed like Celtra was genuinely curious about Gerda. Either way, none of it mattered because soon Gerda will be out of the dreadful place. Each day she was brooding over a new way to possibly escape as a means to keep her frenzy mind occupied. She was currently in the process of rinsing her hair when Celtra spoke up.
"Borra has requested your presence today. We will be heading down after you've finished bathing yourself." Celtra stated with her arms folded behind her in a calm manner.
Gerda paused, nearly dropping the bucket from her hands but quickly composed herself. She suddenly felt her heart quickening its pace as images of Borra's cold, ruthless yellow eyes crossed her mind. Not once did she expect him to take time out of his day to visit her and assumed that he would forget that she even existed.
"Do you know what it is he wants with me?" Gerda managed to speak in a controlled voice with her eyes focused on a droplet of water tumbling down her hand.
"I'm...not sure. He didn't say but if I were you I would avoid taunting him." Celtra answered, surprising Gerda when she actually responded back.
Gerda simply nodded her head knowing she most likely will end up angering him. She hated the very air he breathed and wanted nothing more than to see him suffer. She took her time finishing her bath with the purpose of making him wait. Once she was done she dressed and mentally prepared herself.
"Perhaps it would be best to comb your hair a bit. Take a seat." Celtra said pulling out a small comb while leaving Gerda puzzled over why it was even necessary.
"Now do tell me why such a thing is necessary, do I look like I care about the appearance of my hair? According to him, I am nothing more than a pet." Gerda said feeling disgusted by the term pet.
"You being his...pet...doesn't mean you are expected to look such a mess. Besides, I feel that you should be a bit more presentable when around others. Now sit down." Celtra said, sparking curiosity in Gerda.
Gerda did as she said and sat down on the wooden chair in her room. She pondered over what Celtra meant by the word others. Who else would be around when she heads down to see Borra and why is it important that she be presentable? Gerda hissed as Celtra swiftly brushed through the tangled curls and waves in her hair. After several minutes she was done.
"Much better. I must say you look more put together compared to when you first arrived here. I see that your complexion has received its color back." Celtra said in an approving voice with her eyes observing Gerda's skin.
Gerda only wished she was back in Ulstead where her hair was kept up neatly out her face but the thought alone was hopeless. What mattered now was she had to once again face the creature that eagerly wanted to kill her. She prayed that her anger wouldn't get the best of her when facing him.
"Follow me, it's time we take our leave." Celtra said before turning around and walking towards the door.
They quickly walked down the steps and reached the bottom much faster than Gerda expected. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as they continued through the dimly lit tunnels. She recognized the first set of passages but then they made a turn into one she had never gone through. This was new uncharted territory for Gerda to map out and memorize in her head.
Her body was overruled by a spark of anxiety when the sound of voices started filling the air as they neared an entrance with one lit torch on each side. She suddenly felt uncomfortable and exposed due to the linen garment barely reaching below her knees. She pulled at it hoping to cover as much skin as possible.
She then realized that they were entering what appeared to be another cavern. A sense of unease washed over her when she caught sight of winged creatures before her. There was a mixture of both females and males with various colors and patterns on their wings. Some had white hair and white wings while others had colorful wings but the one detail that stood out was how tall they all were. Gerda felt claustrophobic when she realized how small her frame was compared to theirs.
The amount of fey only reminded her how difficult it might be for her to escape. As she followed Celtra into the cavern her eyes noticed that there was an opening at the end of it. That opening gave her a clear view of light and greenery from outside. Her hopes of it being a way out were diminished when she realized she was still far too high up for her to jump.
"Murderous bitch." A female voice hissed just loud enough for her and Celtra to hear.
Gerda felt her cheeks flush after hearing one of the fey call her such a vulgar name. She swallowed her emotions and kept her chin held high with a stoic expression to show that she was still above the creatures. She heard whispers and felt their accusing stares as she continued on following Celtra. She was relieved when they finally met their destination and sat down in a corner of the cave. Only then did she notice that half the room of fey were both staring and obviously whispering about her. She took note of the hatred in their eyes, especially from the females who glared daggers at her. Yet despite all the stares she kept her composure as blank as possible hiding all the emotions she felt. She needed to appear unphased by their behavior toward her.
"It seems that many of our women are bothered by you. Perhaps they feel somewhat threatened with you being Borra's prisoner especially since you will likely spend the most time with him." Celtra stated, causing Gerda to stare at her in confusion.
"Why would they feel such a way towards me? I am nothing but a disgusting human to him. He loathes my existence as I loathe his." Gerda said feeling annoyed by Celtra's words.
"Because despite you being a disgusting human to him, you're still a decent looking one. I'm sure that if you hadn't committed such atrocities against my people many of the men would like to have you for themselves." Celtra said with a smirk, allowing her eyes to roam around the room.
Gerda felt a wave of nausea and disgust when she thought of the filthy creatures lusting after her. She was thankful that they hated her because she much rather be hung than allow them to lay in bed with her. The sound of all the fey grunting made her glance up at them. Their attention was now focused on the opening of the cave that led outside. She anxiously blinked several times and her breathing faltered when a tall familiar horned creature came into view and landed.
His landing alone made the air around them wild from the flutter of his long brown wings. Her hands balled into tight fists when she realized that it was Borra. The other fey then cheered for him as he made his entrance, sauntering inside till he was in the middle of the cave. He raised one hand in the air signaling that he had to speak. Almost immediately the cave grew quiet with everyone refocusing their attention on him.
"We have all gathered here because it's time to celebrate our victory. We now no longer need to flee into hiding but simply embrace who we are. From this day forward we will permanently rule the skies. We will finally take our rightful place and show humans that we are capable of being their equal. With both their people and ours united we will create a prosperous future." Borra announced earning a round of praise and cheers.
Gerda frowned and rolled her eyes at such nonsense with the urge to stab a sword through his heart so that he would be silenced. The pride in his now golden eyes irritated her more and she wanted to banish it. As if the fey's cheers weren't enough he continued on with his insanity. She froze when his eyes suddenly flickered over to her.
"As a final exchange of trust, the humans have allowed me to take a prisoner of their very own." Borra said with a hint of disdain as he overlooked the fey before him.
The cave grew silent and almost immediately the fey then averted their attention to her. She blankly stared back at Borra feeling her breathing increase as he narrowed his eyes at her. She felt the deathly stares from the creatures around her as the silence alone added to the tension in the cave. Her nails dug into her palms when he nodded to one of the nearby fey guards who then pulled and dragged her over to him.
She intently glared at the ground with clenched teeth ignoring the sneers and whispers around her. She overheard several creatures call her various names. Some even surprised her by spitting at her but thankfully it never made an impact on her skin. She stiffened when the guard stopped dragging her and walked away off to the side, indicating that she was now in front of Borra. The wind blew his earthly scent in her direction causing her nose to crinkle in distaste. She nearly sneered at him when the sound of his voice spoke.
"Look at me human." He demanded, causing a rush of rage to flow through her veins.
After several seconds she looked up at him with haughty, cold narrowed eyes that she was so proudly known for. She kept her chin high and simply leered up at him ignoring the storm of emotions that were brewing up within. Her fiery red hair lightly flew behind her as the wind sent another breeze throughout the cave. Borra's jaw clenched as his golden eyes studied her face with what looked to be pure resentment.
She was able to make out more details on his face now that she was closely looking at him in natural lighting. There were a few faint scars that blended into his marble-like cracked skin. The texture of his large horns reminded her of claws but would make a wonderful trophy to flaunt on a wall if she ever succeeded in killing him. She mockingly smirked at him which appeared to have angered him in return.
"Here we have a betrayer. A worthless human scum who was charged with treason and banished from her kingdom. Not a single soul fought for her life as her king and queen eagerly gave her away." Borra brutally announced as he stared her down with a smudged face.
Gerda felt her heart drop at the mention of her very own queen giving her away. Her expression slightly faltered as she both blinked and flinched at his words. His smirk widened when he noticed the slight change in her composure and looked at the crowd of fey before him. He then snatched her arm and forcefully turned her to face the crowd that cheered and banged against their chest at his words. He brusquely let go of her arm and continued speaking.
"This vile human will spend the rest of her days serving me. From this day on she will not only become my slave but also a slave to you all. Let this be a reminder that she is nothing and will be remembered by all as nothing." Borra yelled out to the crown earning another round of loud cheers and hollering from the fey.
Gerda felt her body grow numb as she took in the scene before her. Borra's words festered through her mind like a plague slowly turning his words into her new reality. She will never be a free woman nor will she ever escape his presence. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt like it would burst at any given moment. She was brought down here to be humiliated in front of his people. She was practically his spoils of war and nothing more. Hot rage sizzled inside her body with a primal need to lash out.
"I will never be a slave to such an incompetent leader." Gerda boldly stated in a firm voice that brought the crowd down to whispers of shock at her show of disobedience.
Borra instantly stilled and slowly turned to her with a wrathful face and flared nostrils. His eyes burned yellow with his muscles tensing up the more he glared at her. She blankly stared back showing no emotions. There was nothing she could say or do to ease the growing display of fire before her and she didn't plan on stopping.
"What did you just say?" He asked in a low sinister voice with his hands clenched into fists.
"It appears that not only are you incompetent but also lack proper comprehension skills. Incompetent and slow-witted, such promising leadership qualities." Gerda responded in a condescending manner as she emphasized her words earning several gasps from the crowd.
His wings then frantically spread out and within seconds he roughly snatched her by the throat before gliding out of the cave till they were floating mid-air only several feet from the entrance. He gradually tightened his grip around her throat till he was on the verge of cutting off her air supply. She desperately squeezed onto his hands while her feet helplessly dangled around in the air. She felt petrified knowing that she was now at the mercy of the very creature who despised her.
"You dare openly make a fool of me in front of my people? I should snap your neck and let you plummet to your death. Must I remind you who you're speaking to pet?" Borra said in a voice filled with fury.
Dancing black dots slowly started to appear in Gerda's vision indicating that she was close to passing out. Borra took notice and soared back into the cave tossing her onto the floor. Gerda's back scraped against the jagged floor as she tumbled inside. She immediately sat up coughing in an attempt to catch her breath. Her hand rubbed her now sore aching throat while panting with red hair covering her face. It wasn't long before Borra snatched her by the back of her neck and firmly gripped her hair. He then yanked her up from the ground, forcing her to stand and face the crowd. She winced in pain when she felt his sharp nails dig into the back of her head.
"It appears my slave has to be taught some manners." Borra coldly said, causing a set of chills to travel down Gerda's spine.
He then pulled her close till her back was against his chest and in one swift movement tugged at her arm till the sound of a crack echoed throughout the cave. Gerda screamed out in agony with a blinding pain traveling throughout her shoulder indicating that it was either broken or shattered. She paid no attention to the crowd's cheers as she felt her body shivering from the pain. Borra lowered his head down keenly inhaling her scent before whispering into her ear.
"Let this be a warning for the next time you decide to speak out against me in mockery." Borra whispered in a threatening voice that only she could hear.
He then tossed her forward for a guard to grab who then led her back to her chair next to Celtra. Gerda shakenly sat down with her eyes focused on her pale bare feet. She cradled her shoulder as it continued to throb with pain waving in and out. She zoned out while Borra continued speaking and tightly closed her eyes.
"Now that their attention is off of you, would you like me to heal it?" Celtra asked in a quiet voice.
Gerda opened her eyes and weakly nodded at Celtra with a pleading expression. She then shakenly removed her hand from the damaged shoulder, trying her best to not make a sound. Celtra reached out to hover her hands over Gerda's shoulder until a snapping sound occurred allowing the pain to slowly dissipate.
"You are very foolish, why would you anger him knowing how ill-tempered he is? You're lucky he didn't do more to you for speaking to him in such a manner." Celtra said with disappointment in her voice.
"I'm not afraid of him and simply don't care. I would rather die than be humiliated in front of his people." Gerda said in a weak voice.
"If you want to live then it would be wise to ignore him and keep quiet." Celtra replied shaking her head in disapproval.
Gerda ignored Celtra's words and glanced up towards Borra who was now drinking from a mug along with the other fey. She yearned to return to her room and rest but it was clear she wasn't allowed to leave yet. One of the fey then lit a fire and some began dancing around it while chanting a tune.
"I'm leaving to join my people, I'll be back to fetch you when it's time to retire for the night." Celtra announced, standing up and heading over to the fey.
Gerda quietly studied the fey and their interactions with others. They were still very primitive as expected with no type of proper etiquette. No wonder they were almost wiped out of existence. These creatures were stuck in their old ways while the rest of the world advanced forward. Even the way they dressed was primitive. Many of the women revealed a lot of skin and were practically naked. Gerda immediately crossed her legs when she remembered that she had no undergarments. She only had a thin garment of clothing that managed to cover her female parts and upper thighs. She cautiously covered her chest with her hair when she felt the cave slowly become chilly as the sun went down.
She looked around until she found Borra at the other side of the large fire speaking to a female fey with small horns and blonde hair. The woman then reached out and slowly slid her hand down his chest. Her hand paused once it reached his trousers, earning a lustful expression from Borra in response. He leaned in and whispered something into her ear before they both turned and exited the cave into a dark passage.
Gerda felt a weight lift off her chest when Borra was no longer in the same space as her. Despite her dislike towards the dark fey, she was grateful for the female that managed to take him away. The sound of children giggling caught her attention. She was somewhat surprised that the children looked very humanlike.
She had never in all her years serving the queen came across fairies with children. It was unknown as to how their offspring looked or if they produced any at all. The dark fey must be able to reproduce in similar ways as humans. The children continued chasing each other around the cave just as human children would. She was intrigued when they suddenly dove off the cliff and glided around in the air like little birds.
As the night went on she noticed many of the fey seemed to be under the influence of whatever was in their cups. Many walked around in a drunken manner while others grabbed onto the women and danced. She was feeling quite tired wondering when she could go back to her room. Celtra was nowhere to be seen and the last time she did see her was when she was dancing with a male fey. Gerda felt the lower half of her body grow numb due to how long she had been sitting in her chair. Her stomach growled in hunger and her mouth was desperate for some water. She looked around until her eyes found a table not too far from her with refreshments and drinks.
It would be very risky for her to get up and grab what she needed but a risk she was willing to take. She studied the fey and they seemed to be distracted by either their drunkness or women. Without a single thought, she slowly stood up from her chair hissing when her numb legs started to regain some feeling. She quickly made her way over to the table feeling relieved that none of the fey had noticed so far.
Her instincts immediately took over and she went straight for the bread and fruits. She then sniffed each bottle of liquid until she found the one containing water. The sensation of water going down her throat was relieving causing her mind to briefly lose focus of her surroundings. She gasped when the bottle was suddenly snatched from her hands and thrown onto the ground.
"What do you think you're doing human filth?" An unknown male voice asked her in an aggressive tone.
Gerda felt her face pale when she noticed two other male companions standing close to her with both mocking and wicked grins. She backed onto the table until her hands bumped into the edge of it as she stared at them with caution. Celtra was nowhere around and she was now in a threatening predicament with two angry creatures. They slowly walked stalked closer to her till one of them was almost touching her with his chest. His clawed hands then reached up and yanked at her chin forcing her to face him.
"Perhaps Borra wouldn't mind if we borrow you for a moment." The threatening male said as he pushed her against the table until she was practically sitting on it.
"Remove your filthy hands off of me you disgusting beast." Gerda whispered in a low malicious voice that only seemed to excite the male.
"You have a witty mouth even after Borra nearly killed you. Maybe it's time to teach you a lesson through other means." The male said in a muffled cruel voice as his hands reached down and forced her legs apart.
Gerda whimpered when the male then lightly pressed his waist against her causing both creatures to laugh at her discomfort. Her heart banged against her chest while her hands gripped the table realizing that he had intentions of forcing himself on her and no one would care. She became utterly terrified and for the first time in years, tears blurred her eyes. She lightly yelped when his sharp nails dug into her thighs causing warm blood to drip down her pale skin. She grew sick when he sniffed the air before whispering into her ear.
"How strange it is for your scent to be so intoxicating despite what you are. I'm curious...how it would feel to fuck a human." He said in a thirsty voice that made Gerda freeze when she recalled having no type of undergarments to protect and conceal her private parts.
"What are you doing? Borra would be furious if he catches you touching his property." A voice hissed, belonging to Celtra.
Gerda glanced up at Celtra with pleading watery eyes but was unable to form words due to the terror she felt. Her whole body was trembling with fear in an almost frozen state. She had no idea how to react nor did she have the strength to fight back. Her body was still recovering from Borra even though it had been healed.
"No one cares about the fate of this human and it's within my right to enjoy her too. She is after all a mere slave to our people." He responded with his hands traveling up her bare thighs.
"Get off of her before I use force against you." Celtra sternly demanded with glowing orange eyes.
"Or you could join us? This human is softer than I expected so maybe I'll have her first. I wonder if the rumor is true about human women being so tight and tender inside...though I'm sure Borra would know." He hungrily said, causing Gerda to panic with tears threatening to flow down her cheeks.
His assumption about Borra made her nauseous and nearly caused her to gag at such an image. If this filthy creature has his way with her body then she will make it her mission to end her life. She'd rather die a thousand times over than allow any of the beasts including Borra to touch her. The thought of such an act possibly happening at the given moment only intensified her frantic emotions.