She enjoyed hearing tales of Kinfen so much that she began taking the stable lad with her on her rides. The poor boy had only been trying to entertain her and never dreamed that he had got her imagination so fired up that she started to plan a secret trip across the border, figuring that she could be there and back in one night without anyone ever discovering she had gone. Unfortunately her maid, Mia, heard noises from the bed chamber as she was passing on her way to her own room and quietly opened the door to investigate, spotting Selene as she was just jumping out of the window. Selene had to explain what she was doing and Mia, being young and adventurous herself, agreed to go with her.
They snuck down to the stables and managed to lead their horses out without waking anyone. By midnight they had reached the border and bribed the guards on both sides to let them pass. Once in Kinfen, however, the excitement of their adventure started to wear off as it began to dawn on them that the countryside here was no different to their own. Trees looked the same, farmers’ fields grew similar crops and the birds sang the same tunes. They had just decided to turn around and head back home when they were ambushed by bandits. All of their money and clothes were taken from them and they were tied up, naked, and thrown into a wagon.
They lost track of time as they were forced to eat and drink drugged food and water, only to fall asleep until they were next woken for more. Days, or was it weeks later, they finally arrived at Bedden and were taken directly to the slave pens. That night they were allowed their first bath since being captured. Finally being able to remove the dirt and grime of the journey made the simple tub of water and a bar of soap seem more luxurious that the vast baths of the palace. Slaves were sent in to wash their hair with scented shampoo then rub them down. After their first proper meal in what seemed like months, they were escorted to comfortable beds and instantly fell asleep.
The next morning, Selene apologised to Mia. Her guilt for getting the unfortunate servant into such dire straits was becoming unbearable. Mia would have none of it, pointing out that it had been she who had insisted on accompanying the Princess. Despite their treatment, neither of them was overly worried about their future. They were sure a ransom had been sent to King Allias and they would shortly be rescued. It never occurred to them that their kidnappers had no idea they were in possession of a Princess and her maid.
All thoughts of rescue fled their minds as they were led to the auction block and they realised that they were about to be sold. Both had heard appalling stories of how slaves were treated. Selene tried telling the head slaver who she was, but he just laughed at her, thinking she was lying. Mia, being the prettiest of all of the slaves at the auction that day, was the first to be sold, and the bidding became quite fierce between two gentlemen. Selene could only look on in horror as she watched her maid be led away, in chains, by Baron Fendling. It was a name that Selene would remember as long as she lived, and she made Sam promise to do the same.
All of the other slaves were sold, one by one, until Selene was left standing by herself. To her surprise, instead of being dragged from the viewing platform to the auction block, she was led back to her holding cell underneath. When she demanded an explanation, she was informed that she had been pre-purchased by Prince Tallon.
Dread filled her entire body and had she not been in shock, she would have screamed until her lungs burst. The stable lad who had told her so much about Kinfen had been from the countryside and knew nothing about the royal family, so everything she had heard about them came from her father, who never said a good thing about them. She now knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, that her life was about to become a living hell.
She prayed that she was to become a sex slave, though looking down at her body, she doubted that would be the case. At least as a sex slave she would just be constantly raped. From what she had heard, there was a lot worse that could happen to a female slave in Kinfen, especially one owned by the royal family. Thinking of the stories she had been told by her father, she curled into a ball on the floor of her cell and cried.
She was not left to cry alone for long. When her cell door was opened, she found the Prince had sent one of his officers to collect her. The man was old enough to be her grandfather and instead of putting her in chains or tying a rope around her neck, he removed his cloak and placed it across her shoulders, covering up her nakedness as best he could.
He spoke to her pleasantly the entire journey to the palace, though she never responded to anything he said. He did his best to make Selene relax, but nothing he said could break through the depression that had set into her. At the palace, she was handed over to the Prince, who took her immediately up to his suite, constantly looking around as though making sure nobody saw her. Once inside his rooms, with the door locked shut, he did not try to remove the cloak that she was hugging tightly around her. Instead he pushed her into his private bathing room, informing her that the tub was full of hot water and she could spend as long in there as she wished. He even closed the door to give her complete privacy.
Selene did not know what to think. This man was not behaving at all like the monster her father had made him out to be. She just stood for a while, staring at the bath and wondering when the torture would begin. The rising steam soon became too much of a temptation and she removed the cloak and immersed herself in the soothing hot water. If he had a spy hole in the door, she was past caring. She had been naked and stared at almost her entire time in Kinfen so another man watching her bathe was inconsequential.
She stayed in the bath until the water began to cool. At one point the Prince had knocked on the door and called out that he had placed clothes just outside for her to change into when she was ready. She was expecting something tight and revealing, or of such thin material that nothing was left to the imagination, but was stunned to find a pair of thick cotton pyjamas. They were probably the most unflattering thing Selene had ever worn, but looked warm and comfortable and the exact thing that she wanted to wear at that moment. She quickly grabbed them and closed the door again.
Venturing out of the bathroom, she found herself alone in a lounge. The room was huge, with a low table in the middle on a large rug, surrounded by the largest cushions she had ever seen. Apart from the one to the bathroom, Selene could see four other doors. The first one she tried led to what must be the Prince’s bedroom. It was surprisingly bare, containing only a four poster bed and a washstand. The next was the dressing room with wardrobes on both sides and a full length mirror at the end. She was just exiting the third room, another bedroom, though smaller than the first, when the last remaining door opened and Prince Tallon walked through, pushing a trolley. Removing a tray of food and placing it on the low table, he motioned for her to sit on the cushions. Seeing food made her realise how hungry she was and the simple fare of bread, cheese and fruit was inviting. She sat down, surprised at how comfortable the cushions were, and immediately started eating. Half way through her first bite she suddenly wondered if this was a test, that she was not supposed to eat before her new master, and quickly looked up. Tallon, however, took no notice of her pause and placed a goblet in front of her and filled it with chilled wine. Although not as good a vintage as she was used to, having had nothing but water for the last few weeks, it tasted fantastic.
Tallon pushed the now empty trolley outside the door then shut and locked it. Selene looked up when she heard the click of the lock, but relaxed when she realised it was to prevent people coming in, not to prevent her going out. Then again, that also meant that he could do whatever he wanted to her and nobody would be able to get in to rescue her.
That thought immediately took away her appetite and she pushed the food away from her. Tallon still had not said anything and just sat on a cushion, nibbling on some sliced apple, watching her. She, in turn, studied him. Though quite tall and muscular, without a trace of excess fat on him, he was not what could be called handsome. His nose was too big for his face, his eyes were a dull brown colour and did not match his blonde hair at al
l. His skin was slightly weatherworn, as though he spent most of his time outside, making his age hard to place, though Selene thought she remembered him being in his mid-twenties. The only feature on his face that she found her eyes wandering to was a scar which ran down his left cheek, almost connecting his ear to his chin.
Feeling rather than seeing what she was looking at, he unconsciously ran his hand across the scar and smiled slightly, though this did nothing to increase his attractiveness, or lack thereof. “A present from my brother when we were younger,” he explained. “I tried to stop him whipping his horse and got hit myself. He apologised profusely, of course, but we both knew he did not really mean it. He would have gone a lot further if father had not been around to restrain him. I wish I could say that his temper improved as he grew up, but unfortunately that is not the case.” He suddenly frowned at her, as though noticing something for the first time. Muttering something that sounded like “that will never do” he left his suite, not bothering to lock the door behind him.
In his absence, Selene found she was able to eat again. When he returned, he was carrying a hairbrush. Placing himself on the cushion behind her, with his legs spread, he began to gently brush her hair. While she was used to having her hair brushed by her maids, she had never had it done by a man and was unsure how to react. Exhaustion, along with the wine, soon took its toll on her and she found herself drifting off to sleep.
She forced herself awake when she realised that she was leaning back on him, but minutes later drifted back off, thinking how comfortable his chest was. She stirred slightly as she felt herself being picked up and carried to his spare bedroom. As he placed her in the bed, a sudden panic swept through her as she realised that she would never be able to fight him off, but within seconds of her head touching the pillow, she was asleep again.
When she awoke the next morning, it took her a while to realise where she was. Terror took hold of her as her memory returned and she reluctantly turned her head toward the other side of the bed. It was empty and, by the look of the pillows, had not been slept in. She was still in the pyjamas she had been given, which meant her abuse had yet to begin. The smell of fried bacon drew her from the room. She was just opening the door when Tallon walked in, ordering her back into bed as soon as he spied her. “Breakfast, Princess,” he said as he placed a tray on her lap. Bacon, mushrooms, eggs, bread and butter washed down with fruit juice was not something that could be turned down, no matter how uncomfortable she felt being in a strange man’s bed.
While she ate, Tallon spoke to her about growing up in the palace and his hatred for his younger brother. Selene found herself listening intently. His younger days did not seem to be that much different from her own. It wasn’t until he went quiet that she realised what he had first said to her. “You know who I am,” she stammered.
He suddenly seemed to go shy. “Yes,’ he acknowledged. “You are Princess Selene from Emvale. I recognised you the moment I laid eyes on you, which is why I pre-purchased you at the auction. I could not risk someone else buying you.”
Fear suddenly gripped her. “What do you plan to do with me?” she asked.
Tallon shrugged his shoulders. “I do not know yet. Obviously I cannot return you to your family. For now, it is best to hide you in my suite. If anyone in my family finds you I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Tallon lay down on the bed and continued to talk to her as she slowly finished her breakfast. He explained that she was in extreme danger and would not survive the journey back to Amenia if he tried to return her. As soon as word of her disappearance had reached the border, the Amenian guards that she had bribed informed her father. Though she had seemed familiar to them at the time, they had not immediately recognised her without her finery. It had become widely known throughout both countries that she had disappeared somewhere in Kinfen and both Kings had put up a substantial reward; her father for her safe return, Tallon’s for her delivery to his palace, dead or alive. As a result, every Lord, merchant and farmer would be keeping an eye out for her. Not sure if she really believed his story, she nevertheless agreed to remain hidden in his rooms for the time being.
Over the next few days, she saw only Tallon. His spare room became hers to do with as she wished. He even installed a lock on the door to ensure her privacy. He emptied one of the wardrobes and brought clothes for her to put in it. Although he showed her nothing but courtesy, spending as much time with her as he could without neglecting his duties, she soon grew bored and lonely. Eventually she could take it no more and asked to be allowed out of the room. She longed to breathe fresh air and feel the sun on her face. Tallon sympathised with her and together they worked out how to get her out of the room without placing her in danger. His family, and most of the servants, already knew that he had purchased a slave; a fact that surprised them immensely as he had always refused, stating that slavery was barbaric. All he needed to do now was disguise her. He spoke to the elderly officer who had escorted her to the palace, as he was the only person that Tallon knew he could trust. The officer spoke to his wife and the next day handed two bottles to Tallon. The first contained a mixture made from plant leaves that poorer women often used to dye their hair white. The other had been purchased from the local witch and, Tallon was assured, would change the colour of Selene’s eyes with just one drop applied daily. Tallon was sceptical, but agreed to let Selene decide.
The potions worked perfectly and an hour later Selene was unrecognisable. Tallon gave her a purse full of gold coins that she could spend on whatever she wished. She was about to leave the room when Tallon dropped the bombshell. Part of him was hoping that the disguise would not work so he would not have to tell her this. As a palace slave, she would be allowed to come and go as she pleased, unmolested by guards, soldiers or thieves, as long as she returned to the palace by nightfall, when it was no longer safe to be alone on the streets. The catch was that she would have to wear the correct identification. Tallon winced as he told her she would have to be branded. His anguish showed on his face. If there had been an alternative he would have told her. She reluctantly agreed, on one condition; he find her maid. She provided a full description of Mia and said she thought she had heard the name Baron Fendling mentioned. Prince Tallon went pale at the mention of that name, but agreed to investigate.
The pain of having the Prince’s personal brand burned into her upper left arm was unbearable. Tallon had rubbed plenty of ice on her arm to try to numb it before the procedure was performed, and held her hand throughout, but her scream of agony brought tears to his eyes. Ice was immediately reapplied and he had arranged for a healer to attend to her, though the only thing the poor woman could do was give her a sedative to make her sleep.
He took her straight to her bed and stayed by her side constantly for three days, mixing some of the sedative into her water whenever she awoke to eat or drink. Eventually, when he allowed her to fully awaken and get out of bed, her arm had healed enough to be tender to the touch, rather than painful. It was the first time his personal brand had been used on anything other than horses and he vowed it would be the last.
Seeing how distraught he looked, Selene felt sorrier for him than she did for herself. He looked like he had not been sleeping properly and she was positive the only food he had consumed was what he had eaten during those short intervals where she was awake enough to eat with him.
The next day she was allowed out of the palace. The Prince took the day away from his duties to show her around. He brought her new clothes, all of which were designed to display her branding, and showed her some of the best places to eat. From then on, she was allowed out on her own. She spent most of her time in the municipal library. It was huge and contained most of the books she had heard about, but had never read as they were banned throughout Emvale. The history books were exceedingly interesting as they told familiar tales of the disagreements between Kinfen and Emvale, but from Kinfen’s point of view. She was shocked by some of the accounts of atrocities the
soldiers from Emvale were alleged to have performed. She had heard similar tales about Kinfen soldiers, causing her to wonder if the history she had been taught was just as biased and untrue as what she was now reading.
When she found a book all about her family, she checked it out, in Tallon’s name, and took it back to her room to read. It was there that Tallon found her, a few hours later, crying. As soon as she saw him, she flung herself into his arms and buried her head in his chest. It took a while for her to calm down enough to speak. “They make me out to be a monster,” she wailed in despair, pointing at the book she had thrown on the bed. “How can anyone print such lies about me?”
“Ah, I see,” Tallon said, picking up the book and looking at the title. “Do your books in Amenia not say the same about me?”
His words instantly stopped her tears. He was right. Everything she had ever read or been told about Tallon made him out to be a perverse psychopath who only got pleasure from other people’s pain. She now knew that nothing could be further from the truth. Drying her tears with her sleeve, she looked into his eyes and realised that they were no longer dull and lifeless, but contained a sparkle she had never noticed before. Without realising what she was doing, she leaned forward and kissed him. She expected him to pull away from her, but instead he kissed her back, starting off soft and gentle, his tongue delicately probing for hers. When she opened her mouth slightly to allow him in, his passion swept over her. She had never been kissed like that before and she decided she rather liked it. That evening they spent more time kissing than talking, only stopping to eat. She fell asleep while lying in his arms in his bed, feeling relaxed and happy.
The Guide Page 16