Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Maine
They walked for hours, not stopping at any inn or to make camp, and she wondered if he was punishing her for her snappy behavior. Not like she couldn't take any punishment, she'd been through much worse...she didn't want to think about it a moment longer, and it completely disappeared when they arrived at an iron gate, with great white marble pillars that were carved into thorns and roses. The gates opened a little, only to let them in and shut behind them, making her jump a little.
As they walked down the cobble stone road, she couldn't help but feel eyes on her the whole time. She tried not to make it seem like she sought them out, but it was hard, especially when it felt like thousands of eyes on her. They stopped at a small white building, also with the carvings of thorns and roses. There were two guards standing outside, or men rather since they didn't have any armor on, save for the many daggers and knives strapped on their person. They seemed to cower at the sight of her captor, but a look of recognition flashed across their features. She found little relief that she wasn't the only one who found the man unfriendly and a threat. The doors opened and he grabbed her arm tightly, hauling her inside, and she stumbled a bit, but got her footing. The doors shutting behind her.
She looked to see a woman with long red hair, so red it looked like rich red wine, in green sparkling robes sitting at the desk, reading over whatever scrolls were in front of her. She didn't look up as she spoke, as if she knew whom she was speaking to.
"I've been expecting your turn up Freya Rivière," she said, her voice like bells, loud, clear and powerful.
"How do you know who I am?" she asked, pure shock masked her face.
"I know all my children," she said with a humorless laugh and looked up, her eyes were a striking gold color, a gasp loosing from her lips. The woman was utterly beautiful. Perfect in every sense possible. So perfect that she wished she at least had a bath before coming here.
"Thank you Prince, for bringing her here, although you didn't need to," she said to someone behind me, her captor.
"It was my pleasure my queen. But she was my charge," he mumbled to her. She turned her striking eyes back to her and stood from her desk, walking around it to stand in front of her.
"Your uncle hid you from the world...but he couldn't keep you from escaping," she said,"tell me, what is your power?"
"I-I don't know," she admitted.
"Very well," the queen said, and then reached with a finger, touching her forehead and then she felt claws penetrating her head, clawing at her, trying to uncover secrets that she may hold. Taking her back into her ten years of captivity and torture. Until she felt it, darkness and ice coating her body like a second layer of skin.
She pushed hard against those claws and slammed into a solid, hard body, not moving away because it felt much safer than being near this queen. Panting at the memories she just went through again.
"How dare you!" she snapped at the queen.
"I was merely looking...but you have an interesting power here...a combination. Quite rare, like our prince here," she said boredom in her tone,"your anger, it seems, triggers it. You need a lot of training, else you'd kill yourself trying to wield it...that's if you still want to go to Mereen."
"More than anything," she said softly.
"Good, here we only teach the basics, master those and you can go to Mereen, only if and when Seth says you're ready," the queen said,"since he found you, and you're his charge, he'll be the one to teach you how to control your powers." She felt him tense behind her, she didn't want to work with him as much as he didn't with her. Already she'd grown to wanting to kick his ass, and maybe now she'd get that chance. The queen turned her back and waved a hand.
"Dismissed," she said. The door opened and she was yanked out. He released her and walked forward, his walk turning into a prowl and then she spoke up.
"Prince? How did a prince end up here? Wherever here is," she said.
"That's none of your concern Freya Rivière," he snarled, mocking her. She hated her surname. Hated it because it was a reminder of what an evil man her uncle is.
"It's just Freya," she growled.
"Right, because being a Rivière is notorious. I wonder if you'll be like him," he said. She grabbed her dagger and launched herself at him with a vicious snarl, but was met with a blow to the gut, sending her against a wall, where he pinned her, and removed every single weapon she had on her, letting her drop to the floor.
"You'll get these back when you've earned them," he spat at her. She held her stomach and got to her feet, glaring at him.
"So tell me, prince Seth," she snarled lowly,"how does the queen make you serve her for you to be so head over heels to do anything for her, even train me?" He had one of her daggers at her throat, piercing her skin that blood dripped down.
"That is none of your concern. Now shut your mouth before I make you sleep in the stables," he said, and she did, but still glared at him, even as he moved the dagger slowly. He turned to walk again and she followed him, watching him intently.
They walked down a long hallway, and then he finally stopped at a single oak door, opening it. She stepped in, seeing that it was a small room, a single bed with a dresser, mirror and armoire. It may have looked sad, but at least she wasn't chained. She loosed out a soft sigh through her nose, looking at the small window that had a sheer curtain covering it, but she still spotted the moon out there, full and bright in the sky. She stared at it for so long that she hadn't realized that he had spoken to her, growled at her. She just nodded her response and then the door was shut and he was gone.
She was so exhausted that she didn't bother about bathing. So she stripped her clothes off, until she was stark naked and spotted her ruined back in the mirror. Memories...her back was shredded and lumpy from the amount of whippings she encountered...she touched them, remembering that she would never have to live like that again, that she survived and endured...and so she climbed into the cold bed. Crisp sheets and a soft mattress met her back, making her moan softly and she fell right to sleep, her usual dreams blessing her as it always did.
~¥~
By the next morning, she woke up by first light, redressed into her clothes and opened her door, glad to find that it opened and that she wasn't shackled. But outside her room, she found a hamper, of clothes, day and night time clothes, underwear, boots and soft shoes, and some soap and a towel. She suspected that Seth might have left it out for her, and by the way she smelled, she was in dire need of a bath.
So she trudged down the quiet hallway, making her way down towards the bathrooms that he'd told her about last night when they got to her room. She was thankful that there was no one around and slipped out of her old clothes and got into one of the large hot baths that was in the floor. She dunked herself under for a long moment, the heat of the water soothing her sore muscles and then she proceeded to wash herself, scrubbing hard and rinsed herself off before attending to her hair, which was so thick with mud and grease that she had to wash it several times before it was back to to usual softness.
She got out and dried herself and dressed, leaving her hair open, dripping wet at her waist, even as much as she tried to dry it with her towel. She brushed her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror for a long while. At a face she never recognized. Gaunt, hollow and too thin...just as she had always been. She deposited her old clothes in the laundry basket and went back to her room so keep the rest away. She walked out and made her way down to the kitchens, where she was told to start her day...being a scullery maid, until after breakfast and then she would spend the rest of the day with Seth, training.
As she descended the steps to the kitchen, her stomach grumbled and pained as the smell of food hit her hard. How long had it been since she last had a proper meal? As she entered the kitchen, she noticed that there were only three people in here. One was an old man, who stood over several pots and the other two were younger people, a boy, with white hair, who was slightly younger than her and a girl, with red locks, who seemed to be her age. She didn't bother smiling or introducing herself as she walked in and they stopped to look at her.
The old man surveyed her and the boy was the first to speak.
"Hello, you must be the new help, I'm Simon," he said a little too cheerfully and introduced the other two,"that's Urus, master chef of the kitchen and she's Lydia, best chopper here. I'm not so bad myself, but I do have a lot of accidents." The other two greeted, and she softly greeted them back.
"What's your name girl?" Urus asked, not harshly, but in a way that reminded her of a mother hen.
"Freya," she said.
"Well Freya, you can start off by chopping those vegetables," the old man said. She silently obeyed and picked up a knife, chopping the vegetables as well as she could. She felt them all staring at her, but she didn't say a word, only Urus spoke from behind her.
"Those are the most perfect slices I've ever seen, better than Lydia here," he said. The girl looked at her, but didn't snarl or snap as she expected, she merely smiled. She didn't say anything as she continued. The chef seemed to be quite good with his work, fast and efficient, and before she knew it, others had walked in, fetching the platters of food that was awaiting everyone in the great hall above them where they dined.
She noted how they came back for seconds and thirds and wondered how many people there were here in this place. She looked longingly at the food that was left over, her stomach growling so painfully and loudly that she thought they'd all hear it. But she continued on with the dishes she now washed. It was Lydia who looked at her and spoke to her.
"Go on, you deserve a break too you know," she said with a smile.
"Especially since Seth's going to train you. I suggest you eat whatever you can," Urus said.
"How do you know?" she asked softly, the first form of conversation she engaged.
"Everyone knows, but mostly because the sentries at Queen Evelyn's office are gossips. So word travels fast here," Simon said.
"Right," she said, and then finished her last dish before helping herself to what was left over. As soon as she bit the sausage, her tongue exploded with the flavor...exotic spices and unlike anything she ever tasted. So she indulged herself in the food, eating and eating so much that her stomach ached.
"When was the last time you ate a proper meal, Freya?" Urus asked, and she found that they all gawked at her as she ate like a pig, suddenly feeling full and ashamed.
"I'm sorry," she said, but answered the question mentally...her last proper meal was ten years ago, the night her parents were killed in their chambers. She picked up her empty plate and washed it before heavy steps sounded on the stone steps. Each step counted and calculated, as if he made himself known that he was here to fetch her. But it was his scent that told her who it was before she even turned to look.
No one spoke as he entered, his eyes were on her and she placed her now clean and dry plate on the others before turning to look at him. Stone cold expression as always, but more of not wanting to be the one to train her either. He raised an eyebrow at her and then turned to the door that lead outside, and she followed through, Simon muttering good luck under his breath.
They walked far away from the buildings, and entered a forest, neither of them bothered talking. Yet she felt like she should thank him for the clothes and hamper he sent for her. He stopped somewhere in the middle of the forest and turned to her, muscled arms crossed at his broad chest. Looking at him now, she saw what a warrior he was. Built to defend, and kill.
"Let's get some things straight before we start with your training. You're to do everything I say and one complaint from me means no going to Mereen for you. I'm not a man as you claim me to be, but a male, so don't defy me," he growled.
"Fine," she said, keeping her chin up.
"First things first, I want you to shift into your other form," he said.
"I don't know how," she said softly.
"Then learn!" he snapped.
"Show me how you do it," she said. He stared at her for half a heartbeat before light flashed, making her cover her eyes and then she peered over her arm at a large flaming bird, which flew around her and then landed on the ground, instantly turning into a large white wolf. Growling and snapping his teeth at her. But he seemed to stay that way since he made no attempt to turn back. So he stalked off to a boulder and sat down, violet blue eyes on her, glaring at her no doubt.
She closed her eyes, feeling for that magic that flowed in her once before, when she was just ten years old. She even pictured herself as the first thing that came to her mind...a snow leopard. Just that thought entirely made it hard to think, had her shuddering for breath and gasping for air. Beads of sweat forming at her brow. Too weak. She was still too weak and the tonics that were forced down her throat was still in her system. Hours...they'd been out for hours...
She opened her eyes and panted, looking at the wolf who still glared at her, snapping his teeth at her.
"I'm trying! Ok! It's still all too new to me," she said through gritted teeth. Anger...that's what the queen said triggered her power. So she dove right down into that pit of anger that built in her the past ten years...feeling the darkness encompassing her, like a second skin...rain started and came down fast. Drenching her entirely that she reeled back from that pit. He still sat there, but it seemed like the rain hadn't touched him at all, it was avoiding him altogether.
"Can we go somewhere covered at least?" she asked him, teeth chattering as the cold rain seeped through her clothes. He shook his head at her. Bastard she thought, and thought she saw him grinning at her. So she flipped him off, earning a bark from him, which was from behind, startling her that she slipped and fell in the mud.
"You asshole!" she yelled at him, getting back up onto her feet.
"How did you move so fast?" she asked him. He turned back into his human form and leaned against the boulder.
"Because I'm not human," he said,"try again, we're not leaving here until you've shifted."
"I'm tired, cold and wet...I've been trying to shift for hours," she seethed,"I need time."
"Trying and failing," he said,"you don't have time because time waits for no one. What would you do if an enemy attacked you right now? Run away like the scared little brat you are?"
"I know how to fight," she countered, and he snorted.
"Hit me. I dare you," he growled.
"With pleasure," she said, going towards him, her hand a fist at her side and then threw a punch for his face, but met hard rock instead, her knuckles and bones crunched and she yelled in agony. He moved again with inhumane speed. She sure had broken a finger or two. But she didn't let it make her seem weak, so she brushed it off, and then felt him behind her, grabbing her arms and pinning her hard to the boulder, her cheek grazed a bit against the rough stone. Her hand, now covered by his throbbed with pain.
"Always anticipate your opponents move," he growled in her ear.
"Let. Go. Of. Me," she snarled, trying to push him off, but he was like steel, so she bent her head forward slightly and still struggled against him, and then brought her head back with full force, only to fall back into the muddy ground, landing on her side and hands. The pain searing through her, making her grit her teeth in suppression. He laughed at her.
"Weak. Pathetic. Stubborn," he said to her as he circled her and stood in front of her as he said,"if you knew how to shift, you wouldn't have three broken fingers." The curse words were right at the tip of her tongue, so foul that it shocked her too. His eyes narrowed on her as if he could hear those words in her head. But the pain in her hand was too much that she remained quiet.
"Let me see it," he said, referring to her hand as she slowly got up.
"No, it's fine," she said, flexing her hand slowly, but couldn't help the wince.
"Stubborn brat! Let me see!" he snarled, taking her hand by force, eliciting a whimper from her as he grabbed her broken fingers. She shoved him as she pulled her hand away and walked back to the buildings. Cradling her hand.
She heard his vicious snarl and he was in front of her again, blocking her.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
"Away from you," she snarled back at him. He roared so loudly that she had to cover her ears. Next thing she knew, he grabbed her and bit her neck hard, drawing blood from her. She felt the humiliation taking over her again...seeing those guards sneering at her. She pushed him away and used her good hand to punch him square in the jaw, feeling ice coat her hand as she did so. Her blood was on his lips, dribbling down the corner of his mouth. What she felt right then was pure hate for the male in front of her...for everyone.
"Don't you dare touch me again like that! I'll make you wish you were dead!" she yelled at him and stomped away.
He didn't bother going after her, nor did she want him too. She made her way to her rooms, collected her clean clothes and went to the bathrooms, washing off whatever dirt she had on her body, but mostly...she cried. Cried because she never felt so helpless in her life. Cried because he was right. That she was weak and pathetic and stubborn. After her hot bath, she dressed and went back to her rooms. The rain still poured and she realized how late it had gotten, the sky was dark and the stars were shining bright in the night sky. She was feeling hungry, but she didn't want to see anyone, but changed her mind as she went down to the kitchens. It was empty save for Urus, and she sighed in relief. He must've heard her because he turned toward her and smiled.
"Come, dinner is ready...and you wouldn't want to miss dinner now," he said. He set a plate for her and for himself and they ate, but he watched her eat, and watched her uselessly use her broken hand.
"What happened to your hand dearie?" he asked her.
"Nothing major, just a sprain," she lied.
"Doesn't look like a sprain to me. Whatever happened, you should ask your mentor to heal it for you. He's good at healing anything and everything," he said.
"I'm fine," she said.
"Did he do that to you?" he asked.
"No," she said. She did it to herself. This was all her.
"Get it sorted, before it stays like that forever," he told her. She finished her dinner, washed her plate and left without a word.
She walked slowly down the hall, and then heard a familiar walk as she was going back to her rooms. She loosed a sigh, not wanting anyone's company.
"Freya," It was Lydia. She halted and turned to look at her.
"Urus told me that you broke your fingers, and that you refuse to get it healed," she said.
"I said I'm fine," she growled softly.
"Then why are you holding it like it's useless? Come on, I'm taking you to him," she said, gently hold her arm and lead her up a stairwell, and down another hallway and stopped outside and double oak door. His scent was full behind that door, and before Lydia could knock, the door opened and a blond haired girl-female walked out. Her face sad, and wearing a short sheer dress that left nothing to the imagination. Making Freya wonder what the female was doing here. The female looked them both over and snarled softly at Freya before leaving.
"She seems to like you," Lydia said, and Seth stood by the door, glaring at her.
"What do you want?" he barked at her.
"Prince, she needs healing," Lydia spoke.
"I'm busy," he grumbled.
"With all due respect, she's your charge, it's your duty to help her," Lydia said. He glared at the girl and then fixed his eyes on her hand.
"Fine," he said.
"Good. Then I shall leave you two alone," Lydia said and walked away.
"Well...come inside then," he said grunted.
"That female...who is she?" she heard herself ask as she stepped in.
"No one," he growled.
"Didn't seem like no one," she mumbled out loud. He stared at her and glared at her, before taking her hand and snapping the bones back into place, quickly but not viciously. She bit her lip hard to keep herself from crying out loud, feeling her blood coating her mouth. He held her hand in both of his and felt a healing warmth flow through her, and then he let go. She flexed her hand and felt as good as new. The pain was gone completely.
"Thank you," she murmured and then turned and left his room, going back down to her own, her mind on the blond, though she didn't know why...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone