Safe

Chapter 1:

Dark room, surrounded by the lost souls of the people who have lost their lives in this very room. No light except for the two candles that barely lit up the large room. All that was heard was the dripping of rain water, leaking onto the concrete floor. The mice's squeaks echoed through the chambers as the sounds of chains from my leg dragged behind me as I paced the cage that I was put in for the time being. Focusing on my heartbeat and my breathing, I thought about the events that would happen today.

First, I would be let out of this cage, then I would be brought before my father, He would tell me the rules and what I am not allowed to do, and then he would send me off to my bedroom to get bathed and ready for tonight's gala for the night of the blood-moon. After the Blood-Moon Gala, I would be beat if I did something wrong that night, or I would be yelled at and then thrown into my chamber once again to be beat or tortured there until I finally passed out. Normally during those sessions, my brain will go co-conscious so that I am not focusing on the pain, or what is going on. 

If the feeling of knowing what might happen isn't enough, my abilities make it worse. I can sense when something is wrong, or when something is about to happen, or when a bad spirit or soul is in the room. I don't like to be in big crowds because of this feeling always being there to remind me that something is about to happen, whether it is right or not.

My guard, the nice one named James, came into my cellar and unchained me, telling me that it was time to go and get ready for the gala. I sighed and he put his hand on my back, causing me to flinch in pain, from last night's beating. James looked at me sorrowfully. He was a young guard with dirty blonde hair, snow white teeth, green eyes, and a tall, sturdy build. He never told me his age, but he looked to be around the age of twenty-five. James led me up the stairs and down the hall to my father's throne room, where I was to sit as his feet while he told me what was going to happen.

I was not allowed to look directly at my father, for he said that it was unbearable to see his daughter look so much like the witch he burned at the stake. I obeyed because I did not want my punishment to be any worse than it already was going to be. I saw my father's feet approach me. I could feel his cold gaze upon my bowing figure.

"Riverlyn..." He said with such hatred in his voice, "the rules are quite simple for tonight's gala." He said as he paced the floor in front of me. "One!" He yelled as he slammed his staff on the ground, causing me to flinch. "You will not tell a soul that you are living in the torture chambers or what the guards have done for me." He said sternly.

"Yes sir..." I weakly said.

"Two!" He slammed his staff on the ground once again. "You will smile and have a good time, but remember that I have eyes everywhere." He told me.

"Yes sir..." I repeated myself.

"Number three!" He said, not slamming his staff, but using the staff to lift my chin up to look at him. "No hints or ideas about what your life is like here. Got it?" He asked me. I didn't look at his face because I knew it would be a mistake.

"Yes sir..." I said one last time before he threw me down and ordered some maids to fix me up for the gala.

A few maids took me to my original room. They washed my hair and body before handing me a royal blue, silk robe then carefully fixed me up and made my bruises and scars look unnoticeable with makeup.They made my tan-pale skin look lively again, like I had actually been in the sun at least once this year. A maid curled my long, raven hair and then waved her hands through it to make the curls look natural. They put pearl pins and crystal barrettes in my hair to make me look formal, before bringing me over to the dress that I would be wearing.

The dress was a black, teul skirt dress with lace down the sides of where the leg slit is. It was off the shoulder and was studded with onyx beads all around the waistline. I smiled a faint bit and then the maids helped me put it on. I walked over to the mirror and I was actually shocked. I had only been to a party once before, but I was thirteen years old and had not matured yet. I looked just like a princess should look like. Black dress, curled hair, no bruises or scars were visible, and perfect makeup, and laced black gloves that went to my elbows. To go with it, a maid presented me with the crown that I had only worn a few times, being that I was not daddy's little princess. The crown was silver and obsidian, laced with diamonds and crystals. The jewels danced in the moonlight. I turned around and the maids smiled brightly at me. I gave a small bow to them, in thanks before my escort arrived at the door, waiting to take me down to the ballroom.

The doors opened and there was a guard standing there, waiting for me. I had never seen this guard before. He didn't look like somebody that my father would let in the kingdom. He had black, to-the-nose length hair that was only long on the left side, but then the right side, his hair was short cut. He wore a bandana that didn't keep his bangs out of his blue eyes. This guy almost looked like a thief or a pirate of some kind. He was tall, but not really tall and he had a muscular build, but not super muscular. However, he was dressed in a black and white suit with my family's crest on it.

"Are you here to take me to the throne room?" I asked in the most confident voice that I could, which sounded like something between a voice crack and a whisper, so not very confident. The man bowed at my presence and then offered his hand for me to take. He wore a black mask that covered the top half of his face, but I could still see his eyes. I hesitantly took his hand, not liking the aura that I was sensing from him. The man never said a word to me. He just kept looking at me from the corner of his eye as we walked to the ballroom.

As we approached the ballroom, the two obsidian doors opened and a guard announced my presence. I stood as straight as I could being that I wasn't very tall. My father gave me the death glare, yet he smiled at my presence, and a few guards urged me to go by him and stand. I did as told, and hesitantly stood by my father. After a while of meeting guests of the other three kingdoms and members of their staff, my father finally allowed me to go and dance or eat. I walked over to the desserts table and got a slice of chocolate cake with red and black icing. I walked over to the lounge area of the ballroom and ate my cake alone.