To Kiss a King

Chapter 26

“Eat.” The word was whispered forcefully. 

“Wake up.” Someone slapped her face. 

Fiora swam back into consciousness finding it difficult to lift her eyelids. She felt so tired. “Am I dead?” She felt herself croak. 

“Hush, you must eat. Quickly.” Fiora focused her attention on the woman standing to her side. She was beautiful, she had short raven hair with almond shaped eyes. Under one eye was a blue black bruise and Fiora cringed knowing the pain such a bruise brought.  

“Who are you?” Even in such a sick state Fiora couldn’t swallow her questions. 

“None of that matters now, you must eat quickly before he notices I am gone!” The woman held out a piece of bread to her mouth. 

She opened her mouth and accepted the soggy piece of bread, chewing slowly and painfully. The woman tore another small piece and dunked it in a bowl of soup. 

She must have know it would take too much energy to chew. She must have experience with this, Fiora thought vaguely. 

Next the woman lifted a cracked clay bowl filled with water to Fiora’s lips. She drank greedily until her stomach felt uncomfortably full. “Thank you.” she managed to whisper. 

“I will come again tomorrow.” The woman looked at her hard then fled from the room. 

And the woman did come back. On occasion she would tend to the wounds on Fiora’s arms and legs, rubbing a minty smelling salve to help them heal quickly. She would feed her the same soup soaked bread and some water. After what she assumed was four day she began to regain her energy. 

On the fifth day Fiora was restless. The wounds on her back felt hot and still stung with any sort of movement. She was slipping in and out of sleep when a scream resounded through the dank cells. 

Fiora’s heart beat out of control as she listened completely motionless. 

“No help me!” it was the voice of a young woman, she was crying frantically. 

“Shut her up dammit!” A cruel sniveling voice slithered through the air. 

There was more screaming, then a thud and rustle of fabric as if someone had hit the floor. 

“I sure hope you didn’t kill her.” The snake like voice hissed mildly annoyed. 

Footsteps sounded past Fiora’s cell, paused then returned stopping in front of the door. “Open.” The man said curtly. 

The door to her cell swung open and Fiora closed her eyes pretending to be asleep. She slowed her breathing as the foot steps came closer and closer to her. 

“Hmm...sleeping like a little angel.” His breath was hot on her face and neck. 

“Wake her.” At his command icy cold water was dumped over her head causing her to sputter and cry out. 

“How rude of you to sleep in my presence.” Her eyes found the hissing mans voice. He was large, bulky and hard extremely sharp features. His hair was dark and greasy, plastering to his forehead right above his arched dark brow. His eyes were dark brown, almost black in the flickering candle light. 

He looked down his sharp curved nose at her appraising with his beady eyes. “My my, you are quite the beauty.” Fiora was now painfully aware that the water made her dress cling seductively to her body. He licked his lips and began to reach out a hand to cup her face. 

“Don’t you touch me!” She screamed. 

“Such fire in you still! I thought I would have broke you by now....” He drawled out impressed. 

“No wonder Rafael likes you.” 

His name hit Fiora like a ton of bricks. 

“What do you know of Rafael and I? Who are you? What do you want from me?” The questions spilled out one after another until the man began to chuckle cruelly. 

“You do not know who I am? Well my dove, I am Clarence...King Clarence.” Fiora stared recognition slowly filtering in. 

“I am Rafael’s father.”