Blood Rose

26

I cried out a yelp of agonizing pain when I moved on the hard ground, the rocks digging through the thin fabric they gave me to wear. I could feel the dried blood crack with every movement, and when I moved in the slightest I could feel the wounds reopen and blood roll down my back.

The lashings from early this morning were sudden and random, but I took each whip as motivation. They could not hold me forever, and if I wanted to make it home alive then I'd have to allow myself to lose my mind. I'd have to become the psychopath I declared myself to be last night.

I knew who ordered the lashings. The queen felt a fool running away from a simple mutt that held no power in this kingdom. The whips were a warning to keep quiet.

I didn't react to the sound of the cellar door clanking open, the squeaks declaring an entrance of someone new.

"Get up." A guard grabbed my arm with a hard grip, and I obeyed silently by following his orders. Without another word he led me out of the cell and up the stone stairway, his footsteps echoing from his loud and heavy boots compared to my bare feet.

When we made it to the first floor of the castle he made a quick break to a narrow hallway that had one single dim light and stopped at the end. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as we stood in front of a wall, but the guard didn't bother to say anything.

I felt worry settle in my stomach at all the possibilities of what could be happening. Was he on orders to bring me somewhere, or was he disobeying the king and queen and taking me for himself for a sick fae game of his?

He raised his free hand and curled it into a fist, knocking the small wall in front of us in a pattern. I felt myself slowly start to try and wiggle my hand out of his grip, but with my small jerks his hand gripped onto my wrist tighter.

The wall in front of us opened slowly, sliding into the other wall and disappearing to create a door entrance. When it stopped moving he led us through to a dark room and the wall started sliding back into place. When it seemed we reached another end to another wall he swerved us to the right and stopped at a small room, a girl sitting at a makeshift bed positioned on the floor, sheets tangled together in a pile at the end.

"Lezabel," The guard spoke and the girl looked up. I nearly gasped at the sight of the princess, not taking her into account of possibly harming me. And now here I was, ready for her wrath that she seems to hide behind her mask of innocence.

"Elve, thank the heavens!" She exclaimed breathlessly before standing on feet, walking towards us.

The guard, Elve, let me go and I turned to look at the two as he stepped back to stand beside Lezabel. She folded her arms in front of her, her soft lilac blue hair coming down to her waist and moving with her arms. The guard standing next to her was far taller than her, Lezabel not even reaching his shoulders. I'll admit, he was really tall, but she was shorter than me too.

The princess looked at me with her light green-brown eyes, a desperate emotion hidden in them.

"Luna, we want to help you escape." She finally spoke, her eyes glimmering with hope.

"You're the fae princess, I can't trust you." I stated, although I sensed sincerity in her emotions.

"You can, I swear by my words. This room blocks everyone from smothering, you can smell my sincerity now, right?" I hesitated before nodding. How did she know all of these things about werewolves? When she sensed my confusion she tilted her head. "I'm the fae princess. I'm supposed to follow up on the simple things about enemies."

"Exactly, that's what I am to you. An enemy. Why help me escape?"

"I'm in love with a palace guard, but I'm set to marry a duke."