ATTENTION! There will be a scene of mild abuse in this chapter. Please avoid if such things trigger you. There will also be “gutter talk” or “street talk” in this chapter so there will be some intentional spelling and grammar errors!

1 day earlier, (the same day Baine and Nadasia disappeared from the Duke’s keep)............. A splitting pain in her left temple woke Nadasia up.

“What in the Seven Hells happened to me? I've not felt like this since my first (and last) taste of ale.”

She wondered in confusion, struggling to recall what she could have done to cause her head to hurt so much. When she tried to raise her arms to rub her aching temples, however, she realized that they were bound. When she moved to lean forward she realized that she was bound to a wall, unable to move anything but her head. A quick attempt to move only her left leg proved beyond a doubt that she would not be moving anywhere anytime soon. She looked around seeing only darkness, with not a single lamp or torch anywhere.

A few moments later however she heard the sound of two sets of footsteps clacking against the floor. The light from a torch that a slim lad with a dark red mop of hair, was carrying dazzled her eyes, which had become accustomed to the darkness. Upon becoming used to the light, Nadasia realized that the boy could not be more than 12 or 13 summers. The lad’s eyes widened upon seeing Nadasia awake, and he quickly whispered to the other person. Thanks to the place in which Nadasia was bound, she was unable to see who the person accompanying the young boy was. She was not left wondering long though, as a few moments later the shadow detached itself from the dark space it had been occupying. The figure that revealed itself scared Nadasia much more than the young boy had. The tall man who strutted into her cell had pale blond hair, dark skin, and dark brown eyes tinged with cruelty.

Nadasia held her head up, defiantly locking her steady blue gaze onto his darker eyes. Noticing her lack of cowering, the man barked out a harsh laugh, “C’mere kid, you ain’t never saw a captive with this much spark.” He said, motioning to the young boy who was still standing quietly outside of Nadasia’s cell. Hearing the man talk, Nadasia summarized that he was a street rat turned soldier. The boy remained standing where he was, as though he were afraid of something.

“He can’t be scared of me........can he be?”

Nadasia wondered. Although she was projecting a confidant air to the older of the pair, she did not dare to speak up to reassure the boy. It turned out that she did not need to though, after a few more moments of hesitation, the young boy walked into the cell, careful to keep his distance from Nadasia. “Interesting. I wonder why he seems so wary of me?” Nadasia thought, keeping the majority of her attention on the blond-haired man. He looked at the boy, then back at her. His predatory intent was apparent in his eyes and Nadasia was terrified, though she did her best not to show it. The blond man grinned savagely at her as he told the young boy,

“It’s amusin to watch em for a little while when they’s all spunky......but boss don’t like that so we gonna have ta teach her a lesson.”

He advanced slowly, each step deliberate. The cell was small and he only had to take about 5 or 6 steps to reach the wall Nadasia was bound to. She looked him in the eye resolutely. Baring his teeth he said,

“Show some respect girlie, or I’m gonna beat some into ya.”

She averted her eyes wordlessly, relieved to have a reason not to stare at his ruthless eyes any longer. With a speed that should have been impossible, the man’s hand whipped out suddenly, striking Nadasia across the cheek. She gasped in pain, heat blooming across her face.

“I told ya to show some respect ya stupid girlie!”

He yelled, his face only a few inches from her. Nadasia sobbed softly, fear and pain rendering her speechless. Sneering, his hand flashed again, this time hitting her on the opposite side of her face. The young boy looked ill watching the man hit Nadasia and before he could hit her a third time said,

“Sir, I-”

The man rounded on the young boy, his face red with rage.

“Stay out of it ya little twerp!”

But the boy’s interruption had given Nadasia the information that she needed, and when the man turned back to her again, she cringed, keeping her eyes turned down submissively,

“P-p-please, sir, I’m s-sorry I meant no d-disrespect.”

She sobbed, tears running down her face. He narrowed his eyes at her but must have decided she was sufficiently cowed because he stalked out of the room.

“Come on Roy, I’ma give ya yer lickings soon as we get outta here.”

Before Roy exited the cell he shot Nadasia a sympathetic glance.

“An don’t ya worry girlie, I’ma be back to give ya some attention more to.” With that comment, he left, Roy, trailing behind him. Nadasia sagged with relief, as much as her cruel restraints would allow. Despite the dull throbbing in her face and the sharper pain in her temples, Nadasia tried desperately to remember what had happened.

“Lady Marie had just gone down to have lunch with her father and I was tidying up the room..... obviously something happened between then and now to get me here, but what? The guard that came walking by, offered me a little pastry, and insisted if he ate one more his stomach would burst! It must have been drugged or something because that is the last thing I remember.”