If August recognized her, she would probably be put to death. If he didn't, she would become a royal consort and be forced to fulfill his sexual desires. Neither option was desireable and made her sick to her stomach. 

At the very least, the trip back to Tora was better than her trip from it. The solider occasionally handed her a canteen to drink from and the wagon was covered so the sun didn't beat on her as it had the first time. Her skin was darker now and less prone to burn, but for extended amounts it would. 

And this time there were no dead children. 

Despite the heat Auriel shivered at the thought. Cassia had said the man who carted her from Tora had been put to death for his crime. That was little comfort for the pain he had caused to those other children. Auriel often wondered where the others were now, had they all been given second chances as she had. 

At night, the solider that sat in the back with her began to doze off. Auriel watched him carefully, and when she was sure he was well asleep and snoring, she moved. Her hands were bound together, but her feet were free. Crouching, she moved to the back of the wagon and peeked out the back. Soliders on horses rode on each side of the wagon, but other than that there was nothing behind them. The bulk of the army must've stayed at Cassia's palace.

Aureil jumped from the wagon onto the soft sand. She turned to make sure no one saw her, but the soliders all stared ahead. 

She ran, following the wagon and horse tracks. She looked around frantically hoping to find something to hide behind, but there was nothing but flat sands. A yell arose behind her, someone must've spotted her, or her guard solider woke up. She ran as fast as she could, but she was no match for horses. 

She was quickly surrounded by several riders. A couple dismounted and grabbed her arms, forcing her to her knees. The general approached on a horse. He sneered down at her.

"Looks like our wild horse needs some taming."

He jumped down from his mount and approached her. Her head was forced down and her clothing torn from her back. A loud SNAP rang out and searing pain flared across Auriel's back. She realized she was being whipped. She had seen whippings as a form of punishment before back in Tora, but at the time had never imagined it was something that would happen to her.

With each stroke, her vision got more and more blurry, the pain threatening to make her faint. But she grit her teeth and stayed consious. She would see this through, she would survive to see the face of August again just so she could spit in it.

* * * *

After her whipping, Auriel had been hauled back into the wagon like a sack of flour. She lay on the floor, barely keeping consciouness to the end of their journey. She could hear as they passed the main gates into the capital and again passed the gates of the palace. 

Her arms were gripped again, she was sure she had bruises on them from the constant gripping the past few days, and she was dragged from the wagon. 

She stumbled along down familiar hallways of the palace until they were just outside the throneroom. Auriel couldn't believe she was here again, in very much the same position as she had been years ago. A prisoner being dragged before the king. But last time she had been dressed in the finest clothing and jewels, healthy, and terrified to death. This time she was in torn clothing, she had to hold her arms to her chest to keep her breasts from being exposed, she was bloody and exhausted, but she wasn't terrified. She was angry. 

Someone announced their arrival, and the thone room doors opened. The general walked in front of her and bowed toward the front of the room. Auriel kept her head down, refusing to look at August on the throne. 

"Your Majesty. May I present a gift. A prized jewel from the Northern Tribes, a slave from the Palace of Cassia." 

Auriel kept herself from rolling her eyes. They were still telling people that Priyans were slavers when it was them who were illegally selling human beings.  

"Northern Tribes hmm." 

Auriel couldn't help but flinch at the sound of August's voice. She recognized the lilt of it, but it was much deeper now, harsher. She heard his footsteps approach and she saw his perfectly polished boots stop in front of her. Her fists clenched into the fabric of her torn clothes at her chest. 

Suddenly her hair was grabbed and her face was wrenched up so she was looking into August's golden eyes. He was shockingly handsom, the years turning his face from boyish with soft edges, to manly and sharp. He was dressed in dark blue and white, the color of the royal family of House Deveroux. His eyes were cold as they raked over her body, stopping suggestivly at the skimp fabric covering her breasts. 

She could tell he was aroused by his pupils dilating, but his face twisted with disgust. 

"This is meant to be a gift? She seems barely acceptable to be in my presence much less my consort. Are you sure she isn't riddled with disease?"

The general stammered, "Y-your majesty. Of course she isn't. She's a virgin, we made sure."

Auriel stiffened at the statement. Though she was a virgin, the general had done nothing of the sort to insure it, he was only saying it to save face. He would be embarassed if his offering to the king was rejected. 

August released Auriel's hair and she dropped her head to stare at his boots.

"She is stunning..." he mumbled. She was likely the only one to hear it.

"Can I have her?"

A murmer went around the throne room. Auriel's eyes glanced toward the voice, one she hadn't expected to hear. To the right side of the throne stood Alexander, August's half brother. They still looked similar, but age had separated their appearance slightly. Alexander had a smaller, sharper nose, August's eyes had lightened to honey while Alexanders were now impossibly black, and August's brown hair was long and tied in the back while Alexander's was short.

Alexander wore blood red and black, the colors of de Clare, the house of his mother.

August laughed.

"My dear brother... I have never heard you confess interest in a woman before. I was beginning to think you were a eunich."

Snickers came from the other nobels but Alexander ignored the statement.

"I think she's... pretty enough. You majesty wouldn't want to sully your bedchaimbers with a filthy slave now would you? You don't want to disrepect the general after his victory either though. So let me accept her."

August scowled at Alexander, an unspoken argument between them.

"You're right dear brother. And after your flawless war plan you provided, you deserve a reward. You may have the girl. With my... blessing."

August gritted the last word out through his teeth.

A new pair of men took Auriel by the arms- of course. She was stunned by what had just happened. Alexander was the last person she had expected to save her from August, however she felt she had just gone from the frying pan into the fire. She hadn't known Alexander well in her previous life, but what if he was just like his brother? What if he was cruel like Count Burgess? She hadn't expected to survive her reunion with August, but this alternative could potentially be worse.

The men threw her into a washroom and instructed her to bathe. They were replaced by two handmaids who tossed her torn clothing to the side and guided her to the tub. The water was warmer than she had expected and the handmaids gently combed her braids out and washed her hair. 

Afer being throughly scrubbed, the maids dried Auriel with soft towels and dressed her in a revealing nightgown. They painted her face with rouge and twisted her hair into waves around her bare shoulders. 

She caught sight of herself in the looking glass and had to admit she looked flawless. The light blue of the night gown contrasted with her tanned skin, but brought out the blue of her eyes. The dress hung low, showing off her cleavage, and rode high to show her muscular legs. Her hair was long and flowed like a dark river down her back. 

Her heart hammered as the reality of what she was about to do hit her. She was about to have her first night with the brother of the man she had loved. 

She was grateful she hadn't had anything to eat in two days, or she would've vommitted.