Daughter of the Apple

Chapter 2: Sauce and Blood

The king laughed. It was a loud laugh, booming and heaving. Serilda felt as if it could shake the very foundations of the palace. The king was joined by the laughs of more men. The laughter rang throughout the palace. Serilda was sure the rest of Sparta could hear them. Musically speaking their laughter may have been a sweet sound, but to her ears they sounded coarse, vulgar and wild.

She studied the food on the table. The deer and boar had chunks torn off them, the fat and sauce oozing from assaulted areas like blood. The chicken was stripped of its meat. There where olives both black and light green. Cheese, fatty and white soaked in brine. There were grapes, apricots, figs, rare oranges and the pomegranates she had bought this morning.

There were female dancers and musicians and acrobats. Music laughter stories. The three things considered the best in the world seemed despicable to her now.

A hand shot out with a golden goblet. Serilda held on to the wine jug in her hand tighter as she poured wine into the goblet. The man was a fit young man with blond hair blue eyes and almost regal features. He was only wearing a himation, leaving his top half bare. He was slim, but well muscled. They were toned and shone in the candle light. He studied her fixedly as he took back the goblet and inhaled the red in it. His eyes, a piercing blue, that studied her every feature. He studied her hungrily taking in everything and apparently wanting more. Feeling utterly violated Serilda turned away pouring wine for another man.

From the corner of her eye she saw the blond man leaning over towards the king and whispering a few words and gesturing towards her. Serilda shuddered. What she had hoped would not happen will certainly happen tonight.

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She was led to room by a guard. It was well lit from what she could see at the bottom of the door. She vaguely remembered cleaning this room in the morning. Who knew that it was her who will raped in this very room.

The door opened and she was pushed towards the blond man who had studied her so fixedly during the banquet. The door slammed shut and he gave her a smile, but there was something disgusting about it.

"What is your name sweetheart?" he asked, one hand gripping her arm the other tracing her neck and collar bone.

"Serilda" she answered him.

"The name doesn't sound Greek...almost German" he said pulling her closer.

"I don't know what it is...it's the name I was given."

"No need to be feisty." he mumbled bringing her close to him.

His hands fingered the clasp at her shoulder then made its journey downwards towards her thighs. Her breath hitched. Had it been another man? Had she wanted this to happen would she have enjoyed it? Because the feeling of being violated was strong. The first thing he did was undo her sandals.

Her feet felt free once she stepped out of them.

"First time?" he asked her. She stood rigid unable to answer, none the less he seemed to understand that it was. He smiled that ugly smile again. "Don't worry it won't hurt much." He then looked her up and down with those piercing eyes of his.

As he was studying her she quickly glanced around in hopeless way of finding escape. Then she saw it the knife. But was she capable of doing it? Letting the red blood spray across her running down her body? It was the only way. The trouble was getting to the dagger.

 She let him touch and kiss her wherever he wanted so that he was off guard. But as soon as she found the perfect opportunity her fingers clasped around the hilt of the dagger. He was off guard, surrounded but a fog of heated sensuality, his hand reached the clasp on her shoulder. And in his base desire his ripped off the clasp on her shoulder and at the very she plunged the dagger diagonally in the soft spot between his shoulder and neck.

The blood sprayed out of his neck. It look so strange. Red against his pale skin. The deed finally sank in. Her mind and body screamed murder, for she had done the unthinkable. Strangely despite the realization of the blood in her hands, she thought of nothing but escape. She quickly got up.

Dagger still in hand she raced out of the room. It was really a sight, a young girl with torn red dress, knife in hand and covered in blood. Her body shook with a sort of fever. She was on the edge of delirium, she could feel it with everything drop of her blood. She ran for life, yet unaware of her surroundings.

"Oi!" some one shouted behind her. She turned to see to see a palace guard, staring her down making an offensive action with his spear. She spun around quickly.

She could kill him, but did she really want more blood on her hands? She decided, that it wasn't worthwhile to live with the guilt to of killing two men tonight. So she turned her back and ran.

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Another Admittedly short chapter. But they will get longer. Remember to vote and comment!