Episode 10
(A Broken Whisper)
! Warning !
This episode contains strong language, violence and abuse which might be traumatizing for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
*
*
*
As I descended the grand staircase, my hand bound to His Majesty's by an unyielding grip, the banquet hall fell silent. The weight of his gaze bore down upon me, and I could feel the collective attention of everyone like a noose tightening around my neck.
Suddenly, A searing pain erupted in my wrist as His Majesty twisted it cruelly. His voice was a menacing whisper, sending shivers down my neck.
"Make no noise. Should you act foolishly here, you know the consequences. This time, there will be no brief reprieve. You'll rot there until I deem you useful again. Understand?"
"Yes."
I replied, my voice barely a breath.
"Smile now, and keep your eyes ahead."
Blinking back tears from the pain, I choked back a sob and forced a smile onto my lips, raising my chin in a pathetic display of regality.
The silence stretched on, suffocating. Each agonizing step felt like an eternity, his grip unrelenting until we reached the dais floor. My throbbing wrist, likely bruised and swollen beneath the gown's sleeve, throbbed in excruciating pain. Weakness washed over me, probably because I hadn't eaten much for the past 2 days.
With a final, cruel twist, he released my wrist and launched into a practiced welcome speech, his voice dripping with false charm.
"Welcome to tonight's banquet! We gather to honor our guests from the Fellmirr Empire and bid farewell to my beloved daughter. Let the festivities commence! Enjoy!"
Clap! Clap!
The silence shattered, and soon the aristocrats began murmuring amongst themselves.
Many gathered around us, and His Majesty engaged in conversation with a few of them. I stood behind him, acutely aware of the stares directed my way. This had happened in the hallway, too.
Sigh~
Suddenly, a chill crept up my spine. Instinctively, I turned around.
And there he was. A man, Tall and broad-shouldered, with obsidian hair cropped close to his head, and eyes like pools of cerulean blue that seemed to pierce the very depths of my soul. As he sipped from his glass, his gaze bore into me, sending shivers through my body. I quickly looked away, my heart hammering against my ribs.
'Who is he? I've never seen him before. Could he be from Fellmirr?'
I glanced back, but he was gone.
"Greetings, Emperor Mathias."
A voice cut through the air, smooth as velvet yet laced with an undercurrent of steel. I flinched and snapped my gaze forward, my breath catching in my throat. It was him.
"Greetings, Crown Prince Leonus Fellmirr. I hope you enjoy the evening." His Majesty greeted.
Without acknowledging His Majesty, he turned to me and said, "Greetings, Princess."
He bowed slightly and extended his right hand. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his. He bowed over it, frowning slightly, before lightly kissing it.
'Aghh~ He's the Crown Prince! He must know he was supposed to marry Rubena. He must despise me for it.' I forced a smile and replied, "Greetings."
Emperor Mathias frowned at the exchange but quickly masked it with an awkward smile. "You must still be tired."
"Oh, did you say something? Apologies, I didn't notice."
Leonus replied, his tone anything but apologetic.
"It's okay. Anyway, let the music begin!" Mathias interjected, eager to change the topic.
Music filled the air, and many aristocratic couples began to waltz in the center of the hall.
A low bow swept Leonus towards me, his voice a caress. "May I have the honor of this dance, Princess?"
I was taken aback. Roberto seldom danced with me at any ball. Now that I think about it, Rubena isn't here. Perhaps she didn't want to be seen.
It's customary for him to ask me, his fiancée, for the first dance. Likely, he's doing it to maintain appearances.
"It would be my pleasure."
His fingers brushed mine as he led me to the floor. His touch was gentle as we began to waltz.
When I looked at him, his deep blue eyes captivated me for some reason.
Ah! There's a mole under his right eye.
'Beautiful.'
"Princess..."
Leonus's voice was soft, his gaze steady on me.
I quickly looked away, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks.
Wearing high heels and feeling weak, I stumbled clumsily. Prince Leonus, however, moved with practiced grace, compensating for my every misstep, his hand at my waist a steady, guiding force.
Tch*
Ugh~ He must be annoyed. I don't want to cause any trouble today, especially with my wrist still throbbing.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me, and my legs buckled. Just as I was about to fall, Leonus's arm tightened around me, pulling me possessively close. He leaned in, his voice, a soft whisper against my ear, sent shivers down my spine.
"Are you feeling faint, Princess? Should we stop?"
His breath tickled my ear, and I felt even weaker. I nodded slightly, fearing his irritation.
"Forgive me, Your Highness." I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
"As you wish, My Princess."
Huh…? Did he just say My Princess? No, I must have misheard.
The final notes of the song sighed through the hall, and before I could react, Leonus grabbed my waist and lifted me effortlessly, dipping me into a breathtaking pirouette.
A gasp escaped my lips, from surprise, as the onlookers erupted in surprised applause.
Kyaa~
The ladies in the hall gasped and squealed in surprise. I clung to his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut.
"Chuckle* Princess… are you frightened?"
He chuckled, a deep, intoxicating sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Ahh. He's definitely enjoying my fear.
"Can you put me down?"
"Of course, princess."
Leonus said, his voice a husky murmur as his hand lingered on my waist.
As the music ended and applause filled the room, he took my hand and discreetly led me to the balcony.
The balcony was empty, draped with rich red curtains at the doorway. He let the curtains fall, ensuring our privacy.
The silver moonlight bathed the balcony, casting a soft glow. Two lanterns hung nearby, adding to the gentle illumination. The night air was cold, and faint music from the hall drifted through.
He led me to a bench in the corner of the balcony. As a playful breeze danced with my hair, he knelt before me and said, "Princess, give me your hand."
'I flinched. Had he noticed? But when?' I offered him my right hand.
"Not this one, Princess. Your left hand."
"What? Why do you want my left hand? And why would I grant you that request, Your Highness?"
I couldn't just comply. I need to stand my ground from now on.
His deep blue eyes locked onto mine, and I flinched under their intensity. "Is it true you weren't the one I was supposed to marry?"
My heart hammered against my ribs. 'He knows. Oh, what am I supposed to say?'
"What are you talking about?"
"Were you promised to another, Princess?"
"Tha-"
"Who is he? Do you love him?"
"Wai-"
At that moment, a servant abruptly entered the balcony. "Princess Isabella, His Majesty requests your presence." he said with a formal bow.
Relief washed over me.
"I see. Excuse me, Your Highness. I must go."
With a hurried word of farewell, I swept past Leonus. As I reached the doorway, I chanced a glance back. He stood bathed in moonlight, an enigmatic statue against the star-dusted canvas of the night, his deep blue eyes, burning with intensity, fixed on me.
*
*
*
His Majesty was in one of the private chambers on the second floor of the banquet hall, a space designed for nobles to rest or converse in privacy. Sometimes, couples would retreat there for some intimate moments. The royal banquet ensured strict privacy with soundproofing spells cast on these rooms.
"First Princess, Isabella Von Hagen Loire, is entering."
As I entered the dimly lit room, I saw His Majesty accompanied by healers.
Is he going to heal my hand? That's unexpected. He usually doesn't summon a healer until at least a week after my injury. Perhaps he's worried someone might notice this time.
"Get out."
A tense silence hung heavy in the air as the healers bowed their heads and took their leave. For some reason, a foreboding feeling swept over me.
"Give me your left hand."
Hesitancy gnawed at me, but trapped in his venomous gaze, I trembled and extended my hand to him.
A flicker of cruel amusement danced in his eyes before the world dissolved into a searing pain. He drove a knife into my hand, and blood began to flow freely.
"Aghh~~~"
A primal scream ripped from my throat, choked by agony. My already sprained hand felt like it was being consumed by flames.
"You b*tch!" He hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "Seducing beasts, are we? Clinging to him like a wh*re?"
Stab* Stab*
"Aghh~~ I didn't!"
My frantic denials became lost in the symphony of pain, dissolving into choked sobs.
"How dare you lie! You think you can get rid of me by seducing him!"
Each word was punctuated by another brutal thrust of the knife, the metallic tang of blood filling the air.
"Aghh~ Please stop! Sob* Please! Stop it already!"
"You think that monster will love you?" His voice echoed in the confines of the room, laced with a maniacal glee. "He'll treat you like the dog you are! A life of misery awaits you, same as here."
Stab* Stab*
"Aghh~ I was wrong! Sob* I shouldn't– Sob* I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me."
My desperate pleas for mercy dissolved into whimpers as the blows rained down mercilessly. The world blurred into a crimson haze, the taste of metallic tang heavy on my tongue.
In a moment of forced lucidity, a broken whisper escaped my lips, "I was wrong… I shouldn't have…"
A cruel chuckle was my only response before another blade found its mark. The room pulsed with the rhythm of my ragged gasps and his relentless assault. Just as abruptly as it began, it ended. Silence, thick and suffocating, descended upon the scene. Mathias finally left, and the healers rushed in.
Gasp*
The sight was ghastly. Blood poured from my mangled left hand, staining my dress and pooling on the floor. I lay crumpled in the corner, my body trembling.
The healers hurriedly began their work, knowing that any delay might make it impossible to save my hand. It took them half an hour to heal the damage. Eventually, I was carried to my room, my body and spirit broken.
*
*
*
In the Banquet Hall.
Mathias emerged from the secluded room, effortlessly dispelling bloodstains from his garments with a wave of magic. Stepping into the main hall, he addressed the assembled guests.
"The princess isn't feeling well and has retired early from the banquet. There is no cause for concern; she will recover soon. Please continue enjoying the night."
"He seems rather pleased for someone with an ailing daughter." remarked Randall to Leonus, who had returned from the balcony shortly after Isabella's departure.
Lorenzo's brow furrowed. "Indeed…" he muttered.
'I sense blood,' thought Leonus, his eyes gleaming like embers.
With a curt nod to his companions, Leonus rose from his seat. The festivities, for him, were over.
*
*
*
Consciousness flickered back like a dying candle flame. My hand throbbed with a dull ache, a constant reminder of a nightmare I couldn't remember.
Suddenly, a phantom touch lingered on my skin, sending shivers down my spine even though I was burning up. I tried to see who that touch belonged to, but exhaustion dragged me back into the abyss.
When consciousness returned, I was taken aback by a faint resurgence of strength. I actually felt good as new. Slowly, I pried open my heavy eyelids, light pierced through, showing me the familiar but gloomy walls of my dimly lit room. An oppressive silence enveloped me, broken only by distant murmurs of armored knights beyond the thick, imposing door.
'Was one of them the person who had been here earlier? How did I end up here?' My mind was foggy with confusion. Looking down, I noticed my blood-stained dress was gone, replaced by a simple nightgown.
H-Huh?
"B-Blood?"
In an instant, the memories flooded back, crashing over me like a tidal wave. I recoiled, reliving the horrors anew.
"Ah–"
A scream tore from my throat, raw and choked with fear.
How am I still sane? Why can't I just die? For how long will I be trapped in this hell?
"Why me? Wh-"
Ching*
Suddenly a surge of cool energy pulsed against Isabella's skin. Her sapphire ring, usually a silent companion, blazed to life, bathing the room in an ethereal blue light. A shimmering barrier materialized around Isabella, pulsing with unknown energy. Her breath hitched. Isabella froze, paralyzed by its sudden presence.
The barrier flickered and died as quickly as it appeared, the sapphire ring returning to its usual state.
Ah…
What was I doing?
I touched my face, feeling the cold dampness of tears.
Water… No, tears? Was I crying? But why?
As my mind cleared, I remembered.
Ah, yes! It must have been because the Emperor… … But he always does that. It's not something worth crying over.
I will leave this place tomorrow anyway. That nightmare will soon be behind me. I won't have to endure the Emperor's beatings anymore.
I wiped my face and moved to the window seat. The window was open, likely left that way by a maid. The cold air seeped in, chilling me to the bone. I gazed outside.
It was well past midnight.. The banquet hall below was still illuminated, distant strains of music barely audible. Leaning against the cold windowpane, I felt like a prisoner, watching a world beyond my reach. Tentatively, I extended my hand into the darkness outside.
A cold, white flake settled on my palm, followed by another. Snow. Soft and relentless, it whispered its arrival.
A soft murmur escaped my lips, a whisper lost in the vast, indifferent night.
"Cold…"
It was all I could manage, a single word that encompassed the numbness that had become my existence.