The Dragon Prince's Beloved

7.

The wind was harsh on my face as I brought my knees up and tucked them underneath my chin. It was only now that I noticed the bruises on my knee and elbow. But those were insignificant. Inside, I was a raging mess, the inferno burning in me wilder than a volcano. 

My frustration wasn’t directed outwards, but rather inwards at myself. I wasn’t angry with him for trying to save me. I was mad at myself for allowing myself to fall into a situation where I would require saving in the first place. And now here I was, sitting outside his tent while I trembled from head to toe. 

His blood was still on my hands, but figuratively and literally. I glanced down at the silver fluid, the color causing me to tremble even more. Perhaps, if it were in a better situation, I might have marvelled at the fact that his blood wasn’t the typical red I was so used to seeing. But I didn’t have time to wonder. I was still shaking, and my hands still ached from the effort of trying to lift his limp body and bring him back to camp. 

For some reason, after Maria found us and left to get help, I couldn’t stop staring at him. My eyes were moist with unshed tears, but in spite of that, I still watched him. The silence was what I remembered the most. 

Lady Dimera was the one who broke that silence. If I closed my eyes, I could still see her running through the trees, her voice hysterical as she shouted at someone to keep up. 

"Get away from him," she shoved me away angrily the moment she reached us before dropping to her knees beside him. Behind her, Lord Corbin, Maria, the physician and a few bloodied soldiers stepped out as well. 

"What have you done to him?" she asked, turning her whole body to face me. "What the hell did you do to him?"

I didn’t reply. Not that I couldn’t. There just weren’t any words left in my mouth. 

Her slap echoed through the trees, and I fell back as my cheek burned. 

"You witch!" she swore loudly. "You evil, twisted old hag. You tried to kill him, didn’t you? Is this why you ran off? So you could find him and try to kill him without anyone seeing?"

Lord Corbin ordered the soldiers to carry the Prince back to camp while the physician hurried after them, inspecting his wounds as they left. 

"You’ll pay for this," Lady Dimera said before hurrying after them. 

"Arrelia," I heard Maria's soft voice behind me, and then a soft tap of my shoulder, "let's go back to our tent. I'll tend to the bruises on your hand and everywhere else."

"No," I quickly shook my head. "I can't leave. I need to know that he's okay."

"He’ll be fine," she said, trying to reassure me. "He’s in good hands now."

"He took the bite for me." My voice was shaking. "He wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren’t for me. I ..."

"There was nothing you could do. You are not a warrior, and there was nothing any of us could've possibly done at that moment. The Prince is a warrior, and he's used to getting injured."

I glanced at the silver blood on my hands once again. 

"There were two boars actually," she said. "Not just one. When you and I ran off into the forest, the second one must have followed us. Lord Corbin says the Prince fought off the first one, and that was how he sustained his wounds. The boar must have been trying to run for its life when it fell upon our camp."

A few feet away, the first boar laid on the ground with a spear thrust through its back. Blood dripped from its open mouth, where a swarm of flies were beginning to gather. 

"Arrelia," Maria snapped her fingers in front of me, "pull yourself together. He’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time he’s lost consciousness, neither will it be the last."

"When was the last time?" I asked. 

She had to think hard. "About four years ago. I've been here for four years, but I've never witnessed him lose consciousness. Rumours had it that he did lose consciousness twice before I had been captured"

"So, in four years, nothing as terrible as this happened to the prince until now, all because of me."

"Enough of this," she said. "Come."

I allowed her this time around to guide me towards our tent, and we walked slowly because I just realized that my sprained ankle was getting worse. I had totally forgotten about it while I was running for my life.

"It is a mystical boar, you know," Maria whispered as we walked. "I made some research on it when the soldiers brought back its corpse."

"How did you do that?" I asked. 

"That's my own secret. Anyway, as I was saying, the boar was mystical. And around here, that is the kind of boar you'll always see. But," she paused a little and looked around the campsite nervously, "I noticed that there was a strange substance in the boar's mouth. Poison."

I gasped. 

"Yes." Maria nodded gravely. "It was poison. I think someone instigated this attack, and my guess is a witch had something to do with this."

"What?" I asked in shock, and Maria quickly placed both of her hands on my mouth.

"Shh...!" she whispered, turning her head quickly to survey the campsite once more. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"How did you know that?" I whispered back.

"Because I found this," she said, her head still turning this way and that. Taking a step back, she brought out a small piece of cloth with what appeared to be a vial in it. On closer inspection, I noticed small white crumbs, almost like crushed half-cooked rice in it. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Abalone," she said, as though that should explain it all. "It's a medical herb that can either cure or hurt the Dragon species, depending on how you choose to use it. As I said, I think this is the work of a witch. I couldn't find anything more, nor could I smell if there was something used to enhance its poison."

"So the boar ate something that is potent enough to harm a Dragon?"

Maria nodded her head in affirmation.

My head swam from everything she was saying. That was a lot to take in. 

"Do we tell the prince about this?” I asked. "Or do you have any idea who might have done this?"

"I don't. But this is only a wild guess of mine. I can't prove it to be right. Besides," she leaned a little closer to my ears and whispered, "I've heard rumours that the prince easily gets injured from time to time during fights. Even if we tell him this, no one would believe us."

"How's that possible? I thought mystical creatures don't get hurt easily? And I assumed they also heal a lot quicker than we do."

"The prince can't. He never has. I always see his injuries heal as though he's a human."

"That can't be possible,” I said, shaking my head. "He's a Dragon, Maria. He should be able to heal."

"I’ve said too much already," Maria said as her eyes shifted to something behind me. 

"So," the icy voice drawled, "when you’re not trying to get His Grace killed, this is what you get up to in your downtime?"

Lady Dimera stepped in front of me, her eyes narrowed maliciously. She was accompanied by two soldiers, while her handmaid remained behind. Of all the things I could endure right now, did it have to be her?

"Who are you plotting to kill this time around?" she asked. 

"We were just...,"

"Silence!"

Maria fell silent immediately, taking a cautious step back. 

"I told you I’ll deal with you later, didn’t I?" She turned to face me, the corner of her lips turning up into a twisted grin. 

"I don’t think you did," I said, staring up at her defiantly. 

"Excuse me?"

"You never said you’ll deal with me later. You said I’ll pay for it. You never said you’ll deal with me."

I was tired. I was tired of seeing her face, and hearing her stupid little voice accusing me of things I didn’t do. I was tired of being on the receiving end of all her insults. I was tired of it all. 

"Well," she bristled, "I see you still haven’t learnt to control your tongue. We’ll see just how well you can still use it when I’m done with you. Seize her!"

It took a second before her words registered in my mind. Before I could react, the guards stepped forward and grabbed my elbows, holding me in place. 

"What are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled to pull away, but their vice-like grip held me in place. 

Lady Dimera stepped forward while I struggled, reaching for a lock of my hair and twirling it between her fingers while she smiled wickedly. 

"You hurt him," she said, her voice sweeter than a predator’s right before it pounced on its prey. "You hurt my Prince. It should have been you. And yet you let him get hurt. Did you honestly think I’ll let you go scot-free?"

A long finger trailed slowly along my jawline, making my skin crawl with disgust. My attempts were futile against my captives. 

"You will have to be punished," she said. "For letting him take the fall for you, you must be punished."

Her hold on my chin tightened, and I winced as her nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. 

"Tie this animal to the tree and strip her.

The guards obeyed immediately. Before I could open my mouth, my dress was torn savagely from my body. I was left in only my drawers and the cup-sized clothes that held my breast in place.

I was angry at the punishment, not scared. I was angry that I had no power to stand for myself. Even more so, I was angry that I was getting punished for something I couldn't help. All because of him. I balled my hands into fists and vowed to myself that if I get out of this alive, I'll pay her back for everything. Twice over. 

I was tied tightly to a large oak tree so I was facing them, and I watched as a large whip was brought forward by the burliest man I’d ever seen. My heart was beating loudly against my ribcage, but I didn’t speak. I wouldn’t let her see my fear. 

"A hundred lashes should do," she said. "You may start whenever you’re ready."

The first stroke cut through my skin, just above my breast. I bit down on my lip hard, fighting back the tears. The second one came on the same spot, and I nearly screamed in agony. The third landed on my thighs, and that was when I screamed. 

The lashes came more quickly now, and I shut my eyes in agony as pain shot through every fibre of my being. 

At first, I was keeping count of how many lashes I'd gotten so far. But when he got to thirty, I slumped against the tree and succumbed to the darkness.

*

I opened my eyes slowly, only to shut them immediately as light flooded my sight. The single candle beside me was much too bright, and I had to turn away before I was able to open my eyes again. 

It took a moment before the pain returned. It started slowly, like the gentle touch of a lover. And then it spread throughout my body, like a vengeful fire that made me want to scream and run. My throat burned from the heat, and my lips were dry and cracked. A whimper escapes my lips, and I begged for the darkness to consume me once again. 

The little opening in the entrance of the tent showed that it was dark outside. Somewhere not too far from the tent, a fire had been lit and I could just make out a few voices around it. 

"She's awake!"

At first, I struggled to remember who it was. But then Maria’s face flooded my vision, her faint smile wet with tears. 

"Are you okay?" she said timidly. “How do you feel?”

I tried to speak, but no words came out. 

Tears rolled down the corner of my eyes at the pain itching through my body. Maria noticed, and she quickly brought some water to my lips. I drank it quickly, a small sliver of relief seeping into my agonized limbs. She lifted a small spoon to my lips afterwards, and I gulped down whatever it was, coughing at the bitter taste. 

"Easy there," she patted my forehead softly. "It's a potion I've been feeding you for the last three days. You'll be okay, Arrelia. Trust me, you will."

Three days? Was she trying to say that I had been this way for three days?

"Yes, you have. Who wouldn't lose consciousness after that beating?"

It was then that I felt the soft, fluffy bed beneath me, and wondered how Maria had gotten it. 

"The Prince is awake,” she said. "He woke up two days ago. He was the one that asked for you to be brought here because Lady Dimera commanded that you should be left there until she said otherwise."

That horrible, twisted, wicked piece of...

Maria chuckled, and I was sure she heard my curses. "We'll be moving tomorrow. The prince only waited this long so you could heal. I tried some of my powers to heal you, but I realized they didn't really work on you. It was as if you couldn't respond to my powers or...,"

The commotion outside stopped Maria from proceeding, and we kept quiet to listen to what was happening.

"I can't allow you to keep doing this, My Prince," the evil witch said. "How can you check up on a lowly slave every single hour? You can't keep embarrassing me this way. I punished her because that was what she deserved."

"Dimera," I heard the Prince’s voice, and I was sure I wasn't the only one that noticed the warning tone he used. "Be glad I'm holding back from hurting you. You deliberately disobeyed me. In front of my men, nonetheless. How dare you assume that I would allow you to do this?"

"I did what I felt was right," she said. "I did it because of you."

"Next time, think twice before you touch what is mine. Do I make myself clear?"

When did I become his? I couldn't remember ever agreeing to be his, but his egocentric brain was giving him the idea that I belong to him. How novel. 

"My Prince," Maria scramble to her feet when he entered the tent. I turned my head slowly and watched as she bowed her head, while the prince walked in slow, menacing steps.

"How is she?" he asked as he stood a foot away from where I was lying down. His injured hand was still healing, and I noticed that it was bandaged, and tied with a white piece of cloth around his neck to hold the hand in place. His silver eyes shifted to me, noticing for the first time that I was awake.

"She's better, Your Grace. She has just woken up."

"We set out tomorrow,” he said. "Make sure she eats and sleeps enough to be able to endure the remaining journey tomorrow."

I watched as he turned to leave, without me saying anything. Without me thanking him, despite how much I hated him.

"Thank you," I croaked softly, and watched as he stopped in his tracks, his shoulders stiff. He turned to look at me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. There was something entirely different with his eyes and the way he was looking at me that made me want to leap off the bed in spite of myself.

"For?" he asked curtly. 

"For saving me." 

He scoffed and strolled back to where I was lying down. "I own you, Arrelia. And only when I decide I want you dead will you be dead, not before. I didn't save you. I only showed you that your life belongs to me and me alone. You die only when I say so. Is that understood?"

Bile rose to my throat, and I felt my face redden with anger. "I do not belong to anyone," I grounded, in spite of the pain.

"Oh, but you do." His smile was wicked, and the glint in his eyes made me want to punch him in the face. "I own you, and I shall do whatever I deem fit with you. Now rest; we have a long journey ahead of us." And he left, leaving me with my hands balled into tight fists. I wanted to squeeze him and crush his soul, but I needed enough power to do that.

"Stop it!" Maria snapped as she wiped away on my forehead. "You shouldn't be thinking that way. The Prince is a nice person. Trust me."

I scoffed and tried to seat up, but the sharp pain in my lower abdomen held me back. "How bad are my injuries?"

Maria was quiet, and she was avoiding my gaze. 

"Can you help me up?"

"You need to rest..."

"Help me up, Maria."

She sighed and held me tenderly as she helped me sit up. The white sheet covering my body slipped away, and my eyes trailed the battered body before my eyes. There were wounds and blood on every part of my body, and I'm sure I'll be left with scars all over my body. I was a mangled mess, and the sight made my heart tighten even more. 

"I’m so sorry," Maria said, her voice faint and distant. 

Slowly, I watched the wounds on my body and traced the large gash on my right thigh. 

I will pay them back. One by one. For everything they’d made me go through. First, I’ll make Lady Dimera suffer. 

And then, the sweet little Prince.