The Traitor Princess

I huddle in the bathroom all night.

I fled to it as soon as I heard his snores because I couldn’t bear to be in the same room as him.

I don’t dare sleep.

I’m too afraid of what might happen if I do.

My face hurts; it throbs so badly that I can’t even cry because it hurts too much.

When I hear movement, my heart starts beating so fast and I curl up in a ball behind the door.

Luxley walks in, looking for me, and when his eyes find me, I whimper. He grabs me, hauling me to my feet, and pins me against the tiles by my throat.

“If you breathe a word of what happened,” he snarls.

“If you tell anyone that I didn’t fuck you…”

“I won’t,” I gasp.

He releases his grip, letting me fall back down in a heap.

“Get dressed. A maid is waiting for you,” he says before walking back out.

I scramble quickly after him, not wanting to earn another beating. The sheets have been changed and I’m grateful I don’t have to see it, the smear of my blood across it.

He watches me as the maid dresses me and fixes my hair.

When she goes to cover my bruises with makeup, he tells her to stop.

“She deserved that beating. I don’t care who sees it,” he says.

I drop my eyes.

He’s just as bad as Emet; no, he’s worse because I’m married to him now. I have no escape. I wonder if my brother chose him knowing he was this cruel, if that was part of the appeal.

I wouldn’t put it past him.

He takes me down to the hall to eat breakfast and everyone is looking at me. I can hear gasps, whispers at my face, but I don’t look.

Every step I take hurts from the cut he made on my sole and I try my best not to wince.

And as we pass the courtyard, I see it, the sheet.

He’s hung it like a trophy for everyone to see.

My blood looks so vivid, so red against the stark white, I feel violated just from it being exhibited like that.

Like my virginity is some trophy he’s laid claim to.

He dumps me in a chair and sits beside me. Emet joins us immediately and takes in my face with interest.

“Lord Luxley,” he says.

“I hope your wedding night was satisfactory.”

“It was more than that,” Luxley replies.

“I take you enjoyed my sister then?” Emet says, smirking.

“King Emet, she is no longer your sister, she is my wife, and whether I enjoy her or not is no longer your concern,” Luxley replies and I can’t help but look at my brother to see his reaction.

He’s torn between anger and surprise. I doubt anyone has ever put him in his place before. If he didn’t need this warlord so much, I don’t doubt he would do something, say something, show him what it means to offend him.

I drop my gaze as soon as he looks at me. I knew he would hurt me given the opportunity.

I eat quickly.

Emet and Luxley start talking about something, and as I listen, I realize they’re discussing his army, Luxley’s army.

“…I have half the troops already on their way,” Luxley says.

“Already?” Emet replies, and I can hear he’s impressed.

“When I make a decision, I don’t hesitate,” Luxley states. “We made a deal, but I want my end of the bargain.”

“And you have had part of it,” Emet says, glancing at me, and Luxley looks too.

I look quickly down. I don’t want to make eye contact with either of them.

Luxley puts his hand on the back of my neck, pulling my head roughly upward, and I wince.

He smirks.

“I have, King Emet. I believe I have the best part of it too.”

I shut my eyes as they both laugh.

“Arbella, go back to the room,” Luxley says as he takes his godawful hand off me. “My servants will be packing our things.”

My eyes widen. “Where are we going?” I ask. I don’t want to leave, to be going anywhere with this man. I’d be completely at his mercy, and I already know he has none.

His face turns hard. “That is none of your concern. Do as you’re told,” he snaps, and I get up quickly before he or Emet can say anything further.

I don’t have guards, I realize as I walk back, tracing the steps. Luxley apparently isn’t even concerned that I might try to escape.

He thinks he has that much power over me already, that much control.

I glance around. Could I get away right now? There are a few people wandering about, but if I was quick, I might be able to make it.

The only problem I have is that I have no supplies, no cloak, nothing besides the thin dress I have on.

I doubt if I got away, I’d be able to survive for long without seeking help and there is no one in this land that would help me.

I’d either be captured and hauled back to my brother and my new husband or caught and taken to King Kaldan.

I’m not sure which outcome is worse, but my gut tells me it’s Kaldan, that no matter how cruel, how much of a monster Emet or Luxley is, Kaldan is so much worse.

I’m staring out the window, staring longingly at the mountains. They’re so far away, teasing me.

I hang my head and turn from the view because just looking at them breaks my heart.

I walk back quickly to the room.

I don’t want Luxley to return and find me not there because I’ve no doubt now that he would beat me for it.

When I open the door though there isn’t a maid waiting; there’s a man.

He stands when he sees me and the look in my eyes suggests he’s been waiting here for a while.

Waiting with a specific purpose.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“It’s not him you should be concerned about, Princess,” someone says behind me and I turn, half-jumping, looking up to see Tonath looming over me.

“What…?” I stammer, but the man behind me shoves something across my nose and mouth, something that stinks, and before I can think, before I can even cry out, my eyes go dark and I pass out.

***

I wake, confused, in a tent.

I’m tied to a pole in the middle of it. My legs are bound and my arms are wrenched behind me around the pole. I kick out, but it makes no difference.

“Don’t bother, Princess,” Tonath says, walking around and I glare up at him.

“What do you want?” I ask.

His lip curls. “There are a number of things I want, Princess, and all of them involve you.”

“You can’t seriously believe that you’ll get away with this? That my brother won’t come for me?”

He laughs.

“Your brother can huff as much as he wants; it won’t make any difference.”

I whimper because I know it’s true.

“Why?” I whisper.

“Why what?” he asks.

“Why would you do it? Kidnap me, you said yourself I’m already betrothed.”

“Think,” he says. “What would I gain from having you?”

I don’t know. I shake my head.

“You are worth a lot to me, Princess. Do you know the kind of alliance I can gain from you?”

“My brother will never—” I begin and he laughs.

“I do not care for your brother,” he states. “He is a fool, an idiot. He has no real power, he has no standing, no one recognizes him as king beyond his own insipid court.”

“Then who…” I begin, and my eyes widen. “No,” I gasp as my fear takes over.

“Yes, Princess,” he says.

“You, you entered that contest just to…”

He nods. “Do you think he wouldn’t know? Do you think he was just going to let you go like that?”

I shut my eyes, my tears threatening to fall, and I don’t want to cry. I don’t want this man to see me cry.

I try to conceal my face, but all I do is end up aggravating the bruise, and I wince.

“I take it Luxley did that?” Tonath says, and I glare at him.

“What do you care?” I snap.

“I don’t. You married the man, you deserve more than just a beating for it.”

“You act like I had a choice,” I say.

He laughs. “Don’t pretend you didn’t. You said it yourself, remember, you said you always do what your brother tells you to do.”

“And why do you think that is?” I say.

He just stares at me. “Save your pleas for King Kaldan. You’ll need them then,” he states.

I try not to cry at those words. I hang my head, knowing I’m in so much more danger now.

“I will have one of the soldiers bring some ice for it,” he mutters.

“Don’t bother,” I hiss, looking up to glare at him once more.

He narrows his eyes before walking out. Barely a minute later, a soldier walks in with a bucket.

I know I’m being stubborn, but I still shake my head, refusing to comply. He has to hold my head against the pole at an angle to get the ice pressed to the bruise.

When the ice melts and my face feels so numb it’s stopped hurting, they cut my arms and tie me to the back of a horse.

We ride for hours.

They’ve stuffed some fabric in my mouth so I can’t make any sound.

There’s nothing I can do but grit my teeth against the cloth and take every jolt, every movement, as we hike through the mountains I’ve been so desperate to reach.

We stop at nightfall only for some food and a few hours to rest the horses.

Tonath takes the cloth out of my mouth and force-feeds me.

He makes one of his soldiers put more ice on my face and then he tells me to sleep, like I can, like I’d even be able to.

We travel like this for what feels like days, but in truth, I’ve lost track of time and everything.

My body hurts so much from being tied to this horse, but I know whenever we get to our destination, it will be so much worse.

Tonath continues to pretty much force-feed me.

I bite his hand, and I can tell he wants to smack me, to hit me, but he refrains and it makes me wonder what the endgame is. When he doesn’t bother anymore, I know I’m in serious shit because it must mean we must be close.

He hauls me to my feet; my ankles are still bound, and he shoves the fabric back in my mouth.

I mumble at him, but the words are lost, incomprehensible.

He pulls the fabric back out.

“What was that?” he asks.

“I said I hope the gods make you suffer for what you’re doing,” I snap.

He laughs. “I don’t think you should worry about what the gods have planned for me,” he says.

“If I were you, I’d worry more about what King Kaldan has planned for you, Princess.”

I snarl. I don’t even form words. My fear, my panic, my rage too is consuming me.

I try to hit him. I try to kick.

My wrists are bound in front of me and I’m able to get a few good hits before someone puts a foul-smelling fabric over my mouth and I’m once again falling into darkness, into the abyss.

Tonath catches me before I slam into the ground.