The Broken Princess

A fear of men

"This is a bad look for you king Derrick." The Kale king said from his throne.

They were currently in the Kale kingdom and in the Kale king's throne room. The man was seated magestically on his throne as he stared down at Derrick. The man's crown sat heavy on his head, a crown of golden horns to go with his black ones. He was covered in gold from top to bottom, only the best for the most powerful king. "I leave your kingdom in peace and this is the thanks I get."

"I wouldn't have been forced to this if the king hadn't taken one of my own."

"You dare accuse me?" The man bellowed, those around him flinched but Derrick stood his ground.

"Until I can confirm that what I search for isn't here, that would be the case."

"You insolent fool."

"Loss has brought me to take such measures. I hope you can understand."

The guards that had their blades to Derrick's neck tensed to attack.

"And if what you search for isn't here?"

"Then the king is free to do as he pleases with me."

The Kale king made a hmmm sound and then called his guards off.

"Very well then. I trust King Derrick won't go back on his words."

Nora remained visible to only Derrick as she led the way to where Eliora was being kept. The Kale king followed in tow, eager to see Derrick come up wrong. Nora led them to a door and Derrick pushed it open with force.

It was a bedroom and someone seemed to be getting some action here. On the bed was the first prince with two naked females.

"Who dares interrupt me!" He yelled but went silent when the Kale king walked in.

"You can do that later, there is an issue on ground." The Kale king said. "As you can see King Derrick, there is no one here but my son and his lovely maidens. The child you seek is not here."

'There's a hidden room behind that shelf.' Nora said in Derrick's head.

He walked over to the book shelf and pushed it to the side. Just as she'd said, there was a hidden passage leading down.

"Stop right there!" The naked prince ran and grabbed Derrick's arm. One look at Derrick had him cowering away in fear.

Derrick rushed down the stairs and arrived in a dark room. There was only one window, giving the room a dim glow. As Derrick moved forward, his shoes made a sound against the concrete floors.

A bad feeling began to creep up on him.

There was a small cage in the room and on the floor of that cage was a small figure. She was curled into a ball, her body shivering from the cold in the room. She had no clothes on, her naked body covered in blood and dirt. The same went for her white hair.

He remembered how beautiful the locs were but now they'd been messily cut short. As he approached, her body tensed, fear oozing off her in waves.

Rage.

Derrick saw nothing but red. His head turned to the first prince as he made his way down the steps. Derrick sent a blow in the man's direction, feeling oddly satisfied when he heard a crack. The man felt to the ground with the impact and Derrick continued to pound at his face. The man struggled to get free, throwing pathetic blows in Derrick's direction. What a useless thing.

'Derrick get her out of there!' Nora's voice in his head made him cease his assault.

Derrick tore the cage bars apart and bent to pull her out. There was barely enough room in the cage for her to stand, they'd been keeping her like an animal all this time. When he reached out to grab her, she flinched away squeezing herself in the farthest corner of the cage.

Her eyes met his then. No longer were they the beautiful bright blue he remembered. Lifeless eyes stared back at him in fear. No sign of recognition appeared on her face.

He reached out to bring her out once again but this time she didn't resist. He tore the shirt he wore off his body and wrapped it around her torso once she was out.

'Nora put her to sleep.'

Soon Eliora fell against him unconscious. He scooped her up into his arms, making sure her body was fully covered. As the walked out of the cell, he stared at the Kale king with as much hatred as he could muster.

Eliora was light, she was but a sack of bones at this point. Her cheeks were hollowed and her bones stuck out. On his way out of the hidden room, he saw a man that stared down at Eliora in shock. Perhaps that was the second prince he thought.

He couldn't care less. All he wanted now was to take El back home.

"Derrick believe me on this, the boy acted on his own. I had no knowledge of this." Derrick stared back at the Kale king with disgust. He would think of the best course of action to take on Kale but for now he needed to get his daughter back home.

The journey back home was unbearably long and Derrick feared his daughter wouldn't survive the strain.

A stream of gasps flowed from the servants and passers by as their king walked in with an unconscious girl in his arms. The child was a pile of bones. It was only through her hair color they were able to recognize who she was.

The missing princess.

Derrick ordered a maid to prepare a bath for her and another to get her food. He was fighting off tears as he barked out the orders. If he'd found her sooner, this wouldn't have happened to her.

Those frightened eyes she'd given him, they would haunt him for years to come. Derrick handed her over to the head maid for her bath. The girl was still unconscious and he couldn't figure out if that was a good or bad thing.

After her shower, he'd gone to her room to see her. She was conscious now. Her eyes wandered around her bedroom like it was the first time she'd been there. When she noticed his presence, she flinched back in fear. Her body shook violently.

He tried to calm her down but she just got worse the closer he got to her.

'I think you should leave. She's reacted the same way to all the male servants but she's fine around the female ones.'

A fear of men. Derrick grit his teeth but obeyed his wife. He didn't want to startle El. At least she was alive. Hopefully she would heal with time.

Yes, she just needed time.

***

Derrick underestimated the amount of time she needed. She was better than when she first returned but it was beginning to seem that the Eliora he knew once was long gone. All that was left was the shell of the child she once was.

The daughter that ran around the castle laughing and causing trouble was no more. The girl that used to barge into his office whenever she pleased was no more. These days Eliora spent her time locked up in her room. She didn't even go to her garden anymore. Not many people could even go check up on her.

Hear fear of men remained the same. She froze up the moment one was near her. Derrick was the only man she allowed near her and even then she seemed uncomfortable. To think his own daughter would be afraid of him. This was all so wrong.

As a sort of therapy, Derrick paid her a visit at brunch each day. That way she would be able to get used to him again and maybe in time, other males. Derrick looked up at the antique clock across the room. It was almost noon.

He quickly brushed through the documents on his table, putting a signature where it was needed. Once he was done, he set the quill on the table and stood to his feet.

"You're going to see El?" Nora said as she materialized into the room. Her silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she adorned a white dress. She looked angelic.

"Yeah." Derrick grabbed his jacket that was draped over his chair and stabbed his hands into the piece of clothing. Nora assisted him, smoothing out the creases on the fabric.

Derrick smiled down at his wife but it was a weak smile. Nora quickly noticed his low mood.

"She'll get better." She tried to console him. "She's much better than when she first got back."

"I know. It's just so hard to see her like this." The man said, running a tired hand through his hair.

"It'll get better."

He really hoped it did. Derrick kissed his wife and then dematerialized. She didn't leave, just followed closely behind him. She was always around for their father daughter brunch. Because of the conditions on her life, she couldn't allow Eliora see her. So instead she watched her daughter from a distance.

They usually had brunch at El's balcony. A small round table loaded with things Eliora liked to eat was placed there. Two seats were placed on opposite sides of the table.

Nora floated above them, watching the awkward interaction between the father and daughter. To think this was what would become of their relationship. It was extremely sad to watch.

Whenever she saw them like this, she would remember the time before Eliora's kidnapping. How lively her daughter had been. Hatred for the Kale prince built once again.

Derrick did most of the talking while Eliora gave short responses. Whenever the girl felt antsy or uncomfortable, her hand would trace over the blue stone on the necklace she wore.