The Cruel Prince's Captive

Chapter 4

“Wait! Wait!” the prince called impatiently, Tolanda looked up to him suddenly and he looked to the Queen. “He is my brother, after all,” he said and Tolanda noticed the Queen go rigid and her face soured like she had just sipped gone off milk.

“He is not your brother because he is not my son!” she hissed.

“But he is my father’s son,” Ievos replied. “Release him,” the prince said and Tolanda felt relief wash over her once more and she looked over to Iefyr who was also looking back at her as he was freed from his binds. Prince Ievos forced Tolanda to look back at him and away from his brother.

“That is the only favour you get of me,” he said and lounged back in his chair with a satisfied grin on his lips and he watched Iefyr being led out of the courtyard. Gerenil cried in relief and mouthed thank you to Tolanda for saving her son's life, before the guards escorted her away now there was no need for her to be there.

“How dare you defy me!” the Queen hissed to the prince but quietly.

“He is my brother, whether you see it or not, mother, not that I care for him, but it just wouldn’t seem right if I let you execute him like that. After all he did rescue this lovely human woman for me,” he said and then leant towards her, Tolanda could see close up all the colours in his eyes, it would seem they were not simply ice blue but there were colours in his eyes that she could not even name. “What a prize you really are,” those beautiful eyes held excitement but a hint of malice and Tolanda feared when they were alone. Tolanda went to rise from where she had been placed on the ground, but the prince suddenly clasped a firm hand on her shoulder.

“No, that is your place, dog, you are my slave and you remain at my feet,” he said and she dipped her head obeying him closing her eyes as she fought back tears, her only solace was that Iefyr was spared.

“I will not have you defy me again, son,” the queen said.

“Oh, mother, really, it was for good reason. As much as you hate my father, he produced strong offspring and Iefyr is one of our best hunters, it would be a shame to just kill him. Death is too easy anyway, if he truly does have eyes for this human then it would be far more fun to torture him with the knowledge that she is and always will be… mine.” He drawled and Tolanda looked up at him once more.

                                                                                           ~~

Prince Ievos soon led Tolanda back to his rooms where he removed his top robe once again and then turned to her as she obediently followed him, fearing of his next move. His eyes ran over her up and down and then he stepped back as though pondering something.

“I have heard that human women are somewhat well-endowed than our elven women. It seems that is true, but I need to see more.” He said and she began to feel self-conscious once again being reminded of how sheer the dress she wore was. She curled her arms around herself and hunched a little, praying she would disappear into a little ball and fade into non-existence. He grinned at her discomfort. “Remove the dress, woman,” he ordered.

“Human women are all different, some come in slim frames just as your elven women, others are curved, and some are plump.” She said trying to disinterest him in seeing since human women are all different.

“And which one of those are you?” he hissed, “Remove the dress, I will not repeat it again,”

“Please I –“ he cut her off by marching to her and tearing at one of the ties which simply allowed the thin dress to fall to her ankles. She gasped and was trembling; it had happened too fast for her to even attempt to catch the falling material to keep around her. She began to whimper in fear as he circled her, moving his eyes over every inch of her naked body of which she tried to conceal as best she could, she certainly felt like prey and the prince was a predator.

“I see you are of the curved variety of human female; would that be accurate?” he asked.

“Please…” she whispered once more as he came back to face her. He took her chin in his hand forcing her eyes to meet his. The tears fell from hers.

“You do as I command, dog and your time here will be far easier,” he said.

“Please… just don’t… hurt me,” she whimpered, and he narrowed his eyes, she trembled before him, he could see her visibly shaking.

“You sleep over there,” he pointed to a small cot which did not look overly comfortable but it seemed her fears for his intentions just now were at least put on hold. “You sleep naked unless I give you nightwear, you are strong and bold, it is clear you must be broken. You will submit to me, woman, that I promise you,” he said and turned from her.

“Tolanda,” she muttered and he turned back to look at her, “that is my name, should you wish to use it,” she added trying to will away the cries that threatened to escape her. The prince said no words and proceeded to his balcony. It would soon be night and she had been told where her bed was, so she made way to it and curled into a ball. She could feel her body tremble and she watched the prince through the voile, contemplating pushing him over the balcony, if she ran at him with enough force, would he go over? She could not kill him; she could not kill anyone, but she could dream about it.

                                                                                                ~~

She awoke the following day no longer shivering and realised a blanket had been placed over her during the night. She was exhausted and thus had managed to find sleep that night despite being cold and naked and had not noticed when the blanket was put upon her. She looked about the room to find the prince was also awake. He was at a desk a little away from where she slept. He realised she stirred and looked over to her.

“It looks as though one of my servants gave you a blanket in the night, I will have to find out whom and punish them,” he said, and she shuddered. It seems kindness is punished in this elven kingdom. She remained silent and pulled the blanket around her, she intended to keep it for as long as she could. She watched as the prince was powdering a substance on the table and he popped it into some sort of slender pipe.

“You wonder what this is?” he asked her as he lit the pipe using an already lit candle. “I get headaches, this is purely a healing medicine,” he said, and she offered no words. “My mother says it is the dragon within me, my father was a dragon but still humans managed to kill him.”

“He was a dragon?” Tolanda found herself asking; her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Some do say,” he replied and stepped towards her. He sat beside her on her slave bed holding his pipe. He offered it to her, and she moved back a little pulling her blanket over herself more as she was still naked underneath it.

“I don’t have a headache,” she said.

“It will relax you,” he replied, and she shook her head. She did not want to take an unknown substance into her body; she had no idea what effects it might have on her. “If I force it into your mouth will you take some then?” he threatened, and she felt the pang of fear inside her chest. Despite being one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, Prince Ievos truly was terrifying, she had no doubt that he would do such a thing. His hair trailed down his bare back in a silver shimmer, falling like silk over his muscular shoulders. His eyes, fierce like Iefyr’s but the prince’s eyes burned with something different. Where Iefyr’s burned with passion and protectiveness, Prince Ievos had a burning cruelty in his eyes. Tolanda held those eyes for a moment and then slowly leant forwards to place her lips to the mouth of the pipe. He grinned as she did so. “Just breathe it in slowly,” he said, and she obeyed. The smoke caused her to cough and he laughed at her, she pulled the blanket up even more feeling vulnerable.

“I have a family, you know, they will be missing me,” she said to him.

“Yes, I imagine they will,” he said as he stood from her bed. “How old are you? In human years I mean?” he asked her.

“I…” she stammered, “I am nineteen,” she said.

“Quite young then, but to still be unmarried and a virgin?” he observed. “Eleven years are different but I suppose in my stage of life I would be just a little older than you,” he said, “I’m not entirely sure how it works but if I was human I believe I would be in my twenties,” he pondered.

“How old are you in elven years?” she braved.

“If I told you it would only confuse your simple human mind,” he stated matter of fact.

“I am not quite as simple as you believe me to be,” she boldly said, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Compared to us, you are,” he replied, and this angered her which he apparently noted. “Please speak your mind, Tolanda,” he used her name for once and this seemed to empower her.

“Your people are mysterious and magical with powers and abilities humans cannot understand that is true, but you think too highly of yourself and underestimate humans. To underestimate anyone and deem yourself untouchable is your weakness and will be your downfall.” She said boldly looking up at him.

“Is that a threat? I may have to start chaining you to your bed at night in case you try to kill me in my sleep,” he replied, and she kicked herself for taking his bait.

“I was not threatening you, merely pointing out the flaws of your people, from what I have so far seen,” she added.

“I have no flaws, dog, as you can see,” he bowed mockingly.

“Not on the outside,” she said coldly not allowing his revisit to the word dog when addressing to have an effect.

                                                                                        ~~

Iefyr awoke the following morning, his head resting on a table and he realised he had not left the tavern from the night before. They had welcomed him warmly in celebration of the prince granting him immunity from his execution. He had indulged heavily in their honey ale and now his head felt like a thousand horses had trampled over it in the night. All he could think about now was poor Tolanda and he wondered how her night had been in Prince Ievos chambers. He had drunk to try and put his concerns from his mind and for a little while through the course of his evening it had worked but now it was at the forefront of his mind. He lifted his head from the table and the tavern hostess popped a tankard in front of him. He grimaced and pushed it away.

“It’s water,” she said, and he then changed his mind and took it glugging down the fresh water. She then popped another in front of him. “Now this will also help, it is honey ale- “

“No,” he moaned interrupting her.

“It will help, just the one today though, I haven’t filled it all the way and it’s on the house,” she said. He reluctantly took the tankard and begun to nurse it. At first it made him feel a bit sick and then it began to help him.

“Thank you, you are good to me Baela,” he said.

“Well you keep coming in here with those dazzling green eyes of yours I’ll keep looking after you,” she winked at him and he laughed. The door burst open and in came two of Iefyr’s hunter friends Lerenis and Kendrel. They hurried to Iefyr’s side as he finished his ale.

“The Queen has just announced that the royals are holding a feast in two days time in honour of our brave hunters, that’s us!” Lerenis said and Iefyr exchanged raised eyebrows with Baela.

“This is Ievos doing; he wishes to parade his prize before me, to taunt me.” Iefyr said. “That poor girl is nothing to him, to me she was an innocent woman who seems to have awfully bad luck and I only wished to see her safely home.” Iefyr said.

“This innocent girl, who happened to be very beautiful,” Lerenis said nudging Iefyr with her elbow.

“I didn’t rescue her for her beauty; she was in trouble and needed help. It was only after I realised that yes, she was very uniquely beautiful,” he said. “My father… he did not revile humans as the Queen does, he wished for peace amongst us and an alliance,” Iefyr said.

“By your father you mean the king,” Kendrel said.

“Yes, before he was killed, he was king and I the forsaken son, born of infidelity. I care not for living in the palace nor for the Queen and my brother’s disdain, but that girl does not deserve whatever cruelties the prince has subjected her to. It makes me shudder to think…” he said and the anger on his brow was evident.

“Will we attend the feast?” Lerenis asked.

“Of course, we will,” Iefyr said. “I might even get chance to check on Tolanda, make sure she is holding up alright. I wish I could do more.” Iefyr said running his hands over his hair; stressed at his helplessness.