Arielle
As I shot up from the old memories, my body trembled in shock.
I had always known that I was cursed, but I didn't realize how grave the matter was, until now. I was certainly a walking time bomb everyone wanted to eliminate…
"Why?" I whispered out loud but warm hands soon held me, and I turned to find Riley, my only friend.
"It's okay Arielle, it's all over now. You are with me now," she comforted me.
I nodded, not because I believed her but because I didn't want to burden her with my problems.
"Thank you." My eyes slowly took in our environment, and I blinked in confusion, wondering how I got back to my room. The last thing I remembered was of me being flogged by that ruthless Damien.
I was going to ask her how I got here but her arm suddenly brushed my back as she withdrew from me. I winced as pain shot through me.
"Oh, sorry. I almost forgot about your wound dressing. Are you in great pain? Do you need anything? Water? Food?"
I was in slightly less pain than I had expected, but it was nothing compared to what I felt inside the emotional pain. Did I need anything? I needed my father.
I hated him for many years, but he did everything to protect my mom and me…
"Whoa, Arielle! Why are you crying? You never told me it hurt so badly!" Riley panicked and brought out painkillers from the first aid kit.
"It's not that, I don't need painkillers. I need my parents!" I sobbed.
Riley sighed and sat beside me. "It's alright. What happened?"
"My father… I shouldn't have hated him. He cared for me right till the end, I saw everything. He protected my mother and me when our enemies chased us."
Riley was confused, but I was grateful she didn't ask how I knew that. She just nodded.
"Okay, Arielle— it's okay. Crying won't solve anything; I think your father's happy that you are alive— and surviving." Riley scrambled for words.
"Nothing is fine with my life… I'm always getting picked apart by the Alpha and his family."
"Arielle—" She tried again to comfort me, but I was too broken.
"Riley, I can't take it anymore," I cried, as my body shivered with the pain. "I have no one— No one to fight for me! I am all alone."
Riley's hand gently touched mine. "You know, maybe that's not entirely true. You have me and I was surprised on my way here. You wouldn't believe who I met here, dressing your wounds."
I raised my head and blinked. "Who? Aren't you the one who did it— because I know for certain that the healer or Beatrice would never touch me— who dressed my wounds?"
My eyes went to the strange Medkit for the first time since I woke up and I frowned.
Riley grinned. "I met Alpha Damien dressing your wounds. He did the clean-up, the dressing, and everything."
My heart thumped but I refused to lose myself. Damien was a monster— just like the rest of them.
Oblivious to my state, Riley went on. "I was so shocked. He lifted you from the ground to the bed, and then he pretended as if he was disgusted. I don't know why he is playing around, but I'm sure he likes you."
"Nonsense. He flogged me, in front of the people. He always enjoys watching me suffer. How can that person help me?"
The excitement on her face dimmed. "He stopped as soon as you passed out, Arielle."
"No, that's a lie! Damien hates me! I know it. His family wants to kill me! He wouldn't risk his throne to dress me, except if he only wanted to do a greater evil."
The room fell silent as we both got lost in our thoughts until Riley broke it.
"Arielle, I think if we can find a way of removing the hex from you, the people will like it. Everyone's just appalled by the fact you live with it," she let out and my eyes found hers.
"Riley, if it was that, then why are you friends with me?" Her blue eyes darted around for an answer, but none came up. "Exactly, it is more than that."
"But still... You can't keep living like this." She sighed. "We need to find a way to take it off you."
"Riley, look. If it wasn't for the hex, I would have been dead a long time ago, I wouldn't have even seen my fifth birthday. My father, put the hex to protect me. If the hex is removed, I'm dead meat," I explained.
Slowly, I managed to push myself off the bed. I picked up a free cotton dress and battled the zip— which kept on brushing the wound dressing.
"Here, let me help you." Riley offered. "You know, you shouldn't be moving around much."
"My clothes felt uncomfortable, you don't want me in that…" I complained, suddenly grateful for the silence that settled between us, until she brought back the tension.
"So… the hex shouldn't be removed?"
"Yeah, it shouldn't. It's the only thing saving me from them, I wouldn't remove it. No matter what—"
The door suddenly slammed open, and Bailey walked in, her eyes burning with rage.
I stared at the door, and I pitied it. It rocketed for dear life against the hinges— Two more kicks and it would come off.
"My goddess, what is this smell?!" She coughed and waved her hand several times.
Riley held my arm tight and bowed her head. "I apologize for it—"
"I don't care. What did I come here to do— oh! You—" She pointed her finger at me so suddenly, I thought she wanted to poke a hole in my chest. "—You aren't to be served food again; you have been wasting our valuable food!"
I wasn't even surprised at this point. They would throw anything at me, because they knew I was protected, and they couldn't kill me.
"For now, Arielle, go and clean the kitchen! It's a mess, I want it cleaned now!" Bailey stamped her feet like a spoiled child.
Riley looked back at me in alarm. "My lady, she can't do any work. She has barely recovered from that lashing—"
"Oh, shut up, sewer rat! You don't speak when I'm speaking! Don't they teach you manners where you are from?"
Riley clenched her jaw but stared at her feet.
"You two sewer rats should clean the kitchen together! Make sure not to touch anything, I don't want you Infecting our food!" Bailey cussed. "Start moving. Now!"