Several weeks later:Of course, Nathaniel brought me here today! It was the same rock cove that he had brought me to before. It was a place of peace for him and fond memories. I guess he knew that after the news I received from Edric this morning, I too needed a place of peace. His disgusting superior grin as he told me that King Lyon had sent word, that once his son has returned home from his travels, he will come to Northleye to wed me.Nathaniel wasn’t there at the time. He didn’t see what Edric did to me after he told me of the news. When he called me a ‘bastard burden from my whore of a mother.’ He didn’t see the blood I had to clean from my nose after Edric punched me to the floor. But he did see the bruising and the fact that my nose was swollen to almost twice the size. Poor Nathaniel was seething as he tried to refrain himself from finding Edric and hurting him in return. It took a lot of pleading to stop him from acting so foolishly. The only outcome from that, would have be

Six months later:As I sat, leaning against the cold hard wall with my moth-eaten blanket wrapped around me and my bottom now numb from how long I’d spent sitting on the hard floor and bits of loose stone and rubble poking into my thighs. I just stared emotionless at my fingernails, just calmly noting how brittle and dirty they were now. They were all chipped with engrained lines and patches of muck and old dust along my fingertips and on the palms of my hands. Every few days, a maid was sent in to bathe me. I never had the energy or the care to do it myself. I had lost all incentive. But even when the maids washed me and combed my hair, within a day I’d be back to looking like a poor and starved crazy woman. My hair, which was once long, silky and golden sleek, was now always matted, smelt like old rust and looked more of a dowdy old brown. My skin was paler with flecks of a faint purple, apart from the dirt that covered me, of course. My feet were the worst though. When I first came

I stood staring at Mallon, feeling as if it was a dream, that I’d wake up in a moment to find I had dreamed all of this and I’d still be stuck in that bleak cell room.The shorter man standing next to Mallon proceeded to remove his helmet. “Princess Aurelia”, King Aldrich spoke and I shook my head in disbelief.He put his hand up and motioned for some of his men to move forward and take hold of Edric. As they grabbed him by his arms and removed his sword from his clutches, they pushed him down to his knees and he held his stubborn expression, but you could see the bitterness of betrayal in his eyes and the way his jaw was clenching as he gritted his teeth together.With the shock of seeing Mallon and Aldrich, I almost forgot what I came in here to do! I looked at Edric in vexation , held up my sword and marched over to him, placing the tip of the place on his neck. We stared at each other, but his stare was cold and vicious, while mine was full of hatred and pain.“Aurelia” Mallon spo

All of yesterday seemed to have gone by in such a blur! I mean I remember it, I remember it all, but it was as if my whole body and mind were on autopilot. Every part of me took over and willed me to move and speak. I felt like a big part of me had sunk. Sunk deep within myself where the pit of guilt swam in my stomach constantly and I had been that way for so many months and all alone, I felt nervous and my throat kept closing up with each passing hour that I was here with people again. And being here now...I felt even more guilty. Knowing that we were all on the verge now of having a better life, a chance at happiness and it wasn’t just my younger self’s hopeless dream anymore.I woke up this morning in bed, and I just lay there for what felt like hours. I didn’t even recognize where I was at first, I had to keep rubbing my eyes just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming that I was here and not still in my cell. But once I realized, it was ok and I was safe... not to mention I’m actually the

Three days later:I had awoken with an ache in my back and a bottom numb from sleeping in the hard chair all night. I looked up to see Nathaniel sleeping soundly and my hand still wrapped around his. I stretched out my limbs then stood up, taking a cool washcloth and wiping it lightly across his forehead. He had been taking a few more spoonfuls each meal time and lugging down more water, but he still seemed unaware of where he was and who we were. Luckily, the doctor’s medicines and oils had helped to reduce the purple and yellow blotching around his eyes. I looked at him thoughtfully.. As much as I didn’t want him to hate me, his survival would be enough and over the last few days it was all that I had wished for.The day we had cleared the village, I had sent Matthias to see Nathaniel’s parents and bring them to see him. As soon as they talked into the room, his mother broke into tears, while his father looked at him with love and worry. I realized as soon as I saw them, that they w