The next day I waited for Ivar outside the throne room, holding his breakfast at the table. One other girl was helping me set up breakfast for the boys. I wanted her to talk to me, instead, she moved about, placing plates and cups and fixing the chairs for the boys before they came. I wasn't used to the way the table was set up for them. I was different from the way they would fix the table back in England. Every time I would place something on top of the table the girl corrected me, I tried to take small notes like, what side the spoon goes or if the grapes were placed in front or behind the tray of fresh bread.
The first one to walk inside the room was Ubbe and he ignored me, Ivar came out of his room when Ubbe called for him. Hvitserk came in seconds after Ubbe and Ivar had sat at the table. Bijorn was the last one. I shot a glance at the girl who was making soft looks at Hvitserk and he was returning the gaze. None of the boys realized. Just like no one realized the way I tried to hide how scared I was. My heart caught at my throat and I tried to level my breathing again. Bjorn studied my body and I wanted to take off my shoe and throw at his face so he would stop staring at me so much. "So, brother, I see you have taken a liking for Nia," Ivar says rather bitterly as he reaches for a slice of bread in front of him.
Bjorn smiles at Ivar breaking eye contact with me. "I think she's rather soft on the eyes, don't you think? She has perfect skin for a girl who has been a slave all her life. You'd think she would have a few markings... burn scars... Something." Bjorn says with a satisfied smile. I looked down at my shoes and held in the tears that were threatening to come out from.. frustration? anger? fear? I felt a mix of those emotions. I was beginning to lose touch with my feelings for I have pushed them all aside in order to make myself feel nothing and look as though their words or actions weren't affecting me when they were. I closed my eyes and begged for something to suddenly come out so they would lose interest in why my skin was so perfectly colored. How was I supposed to tell them that my skin heals itself but I am not a God? I am everything so far from being a God. I don't have the answer that they wish I had. Then, Hvitserk said the worst thing possible. "Maybe its hidden under her clothing." The girls' eyes widen and she looked offended to Hvitserk after he said that. Finally, she decides to acknowledge me, but she barely even looked me in the eyes. She looked up at me for less than a second before she turned her gaze back to the ground.
"Take off your dress," Ivar says, kicking his feet on the top of the table and leaning back. He smiles while he chews on a piece of bread. Bjorn cocks a grin at me. They all stop eating and the girl looks at me in disgust. My hands were sweating and I didn't know how to protest.
"It's.. cold." I tried to say as an excuse. But, Ivars eyes grew inpatient. "You do not want to see me angry young, girl." He tells me and plays with a dagger as he motions me to start stripping. "Have you forgotten how to take off her your dress?" Ubbe says. I was sweating and I could feel my head throbbing. "Help her," Bjron tells the young girl and she begins to undo the knots of the dress from the back. The tight dress started to loosen itself around my chest, shoulders, and waist. I felt my shoulders finally relax. That feeling lasted for a second. After, the girl finished untying all the knots holding the dress she stepped back. The dress hung loosely on the edge of my shoulders. One slight movement and I was sure it would all fall to show mt undergarment. I looked away from them. I prayed so hard for them to stop me. For someone to walk in with news. Something. I can't let them realize or see my magic. I just can't.
I made a run for it. The dress fell to the ground and the only thing covering me was my nightgown. Thin fabric and dirty white. I ran and pushed the girl out of my way. Ivar threw his dagger at me. It hit my shoulder and I yelled in pain. Ubbe, Bjorn, Hvitserk were all running after me. They were throwing things to stop me from running but they missed every time. I was running down the town and I had a good distance between them and I. I thought this might have been a very bad idea as people tried to catch me but I didn't stop. Ubbe was very close to me and I was about to cross a small lake, but the water was so cold it slowed down my pace and Ubbe grabbed me hard from the arm and yanked me onto the ground. He dug the dagger deeper into my skin. The rest of the boys watched him do it. I cried into the ground and wished to die.
Instead, he sat me up and took off the dragger from my shoulder and then ripped my nightgown in half. The three boys hovered over my body and studied everything. I sobbed loudly and begged Ubbe to let go of my arm. Please, let me go. The wound from where the dagger had dug into my skin started to burn and I closed my eyes as I felt my skin sew itself together. I closed my eyes. I had no choice but to accept the fact that they know now. They gasped in amusement. Ubbe's grip did tighten around my hands. "What are you?" Hvitserk asked in a breathy voice as he watched the skin close and leave no trace of a stabbing ever happening.
"I don't know, I've always been able to do that." I cried and tried to cover myself with my free hand as the boys stood over me I felt embarrassed as I sat on the dirty ground. My gown half tore and the boys standing over me. Bjorn takes off his large coat and placed it over my body.
I wrapped it over my body and when I stood up he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me by it. He led me back to Ivars cottage where he waited, he was angry. He had knocked over the table and chairs. His chest was heaving and sweat was all over his face. "Who do you think you are?" he yells at me and I only flinch. "She can heal. She's a God." Hitverserk says and pulls the coat down to show where Ivar had stabbed me. "Look.." He says. Ivar only takes one look before he orders Ubbe to dress me and then to tie me from up so he figures out what to do with me. I stopped crying. I blankly stared at the ground. I stopped praying too. I accept the fate of my life with the Vikings. There is no getting out of this one. There will never be freedom and I will never know a day where I am not being owned by someone.
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Thank u for reading! Thank u for being patient. Thank u for commenting and voting and sharing this story. It really means a lot!!!
Love, Mia.
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The Healer And The Boneless
FantasyNia was born with the power to heal any pain. But Ivar doesn't know that, and he thinks Nia is a liar. Will he kill her before he finds out about her abilities?
