The Fallen Prince

05

Ciaran's POV:

I cannot wait to never ride a horse again, and I cannot wait until I am safe in Rowan's kingdom so I can sleep without feeling on edge. My entire body is sore, my injured leg is throbbing, I'm dehydrated from vomiting most of the contents from my stomach...

I am not having the best time as of now, but I am grateful that with every passing moment I am moving further and further away from Vayl and from the people who ruined my life.

Rowan sits behind me today as we ride his horse toward Arlian.

It is early morning, so a thick layer of fog covers the ground and makes us appear as though we are swimming through the cool mist. Through the clouds, the sun is rising, making me squint as it gets brighter and brighter.

I was very comfortable when I woke up cuddled against Rowan for the second night in a row, his hand circling around my body and holding me against him. I could have laid there for much longer, but Rowan got up when I accidentally sneezed and said we should get going.

He is eager to get home, a feeling I will most likely never have.

"Father is not expecting me home so early," Rowan tells me as we ride, and I'm thankful for his words, as they are distracting me from the pain in my body. "He will be pleasantly surprised."

I am a bit afraid at the idea of meeting the king of Arlian. What if he thinks I am a gross slave and sells me off to someone worse than Master?

Rowan said they don't have slaves, but does that also mean they don't sell them? Slavery is still a common practice in some places; it is in Vayl, though that only started when Vladimir and Daliah took over.

"Will he like me?" I ask tentatively, nervous about what the king would think of his son bringing a former sex slave home.

Rowan hums, and since I am leaning against him, I can feel the vibrations of his chest. "Yes, he will. You not only freed me, but you saved me from certain death. He will admire you."

That is high praise, coming from a real prince. I cannot believe that he thinks a king will admire me, but Rowan seems to be correct most of the time, so it makes my heart and soul swell with pride.

"And, he will see you as helpful," Rowan adds as a group of homes comes into my view. "He will ask you questions about Vayl and how to defeat the king and queen so we can prevent a future war."

I like the sound of that. "I will do whatever I can to help, Rowan."

The sound of his name on my tongue is very appealing. I enjoy saying his name; it makes me feel equal to him, even though he is a true prince and I am a prince turned sex slave.

I will have to prove my worth to the king and Rowan or he may send me to a slave auction and I will be broken in all over again.

Rowan seems satisfied by my statement as we ride through the village and toward a draw bridge that overlooks a deep cavern with deep, cold, salty water that is straight from the nearby ocean.

When I was a prince, I studied the geography of the lands around my home, and I found the one of Arlian very fascinating. It is part of the reason their kingdom was able to keep the war at a draw from the savages of Vayl; the moat and deep crevice have such strong currents that anyone who falls in will sucked under and pulled out to sea, so the drawbridge is the only way in, unless a way to go over is discovered, but that is near impossible with the lack of tools and preparation the people in Vayl had.

The drawbridge is very wide and keeps me from being too anxious, since I cannot swim. I never got the chance to learn and I haven't left the palace except for my attempted escape many years ago.