Fractured Fairy Tales (27 page)

My mother used to say that, one day, I would grow up and meet prince charming. I would live in a castle of my own, and servants would bring me my every wish and desire. She would smile and say, when it came to comparison, my castle would be more superior then hers. Her eyes would suddenly light up, and her head would tilt back.

She was convinced I would rule with an iron fist and an open heart. She would lift my chin up with her finger and say “Princess Katia, you
will
be queen, my love, and roses will bloom as you walk past them. Your people will bow to you, not in fear, but out of respect.”

I dreamed about that very day when I was a little girl. Well mother, you were wrong, because
that
was a fucking fairytale.

“If you attempt to escape again, I will take this hot iron and press it into the side of your face. That way no man will ever want you. Do you understand, whore?” His last and final warning to me. His name was Terragon.

He is big, mean and ugly. This man I speak of is, unfortunately, my husband. The funny thing is, I had never even seen or met him before we wed. I don’t know how I got here, and I don’t know who he is. He seems to know a lot about me, nonetheless. Although, it appears he can’t recall my name, since he always addresses me as whore or bitch.

The last thing I can remember before I ended up here, in the care of this psycho, is leaving my family’s castle to take a short walk through the beautiful Orangewood forest. The next thing you know, I woke up groggy, on a cold, dusty wood floor, with this asshole towering over me.

I wish it had just been a nightmare, but it wasn’t. This is my life now. Chained, gagged and forced into marriage. When I say forced, I mean
literally
forced. I can’t believe he actually found someone willing to marry us. The minister could clearly see I was being held captive and had proceeded with the lovely union as if it didn’t bother him that I was screaming for his help. Nothing says love like tying up your soon-to-be wife and beating the shit out of her until she says her vows. Sick son-of-a-bitch. I can only imagine a hefty bounty was paid to the minister for complying. One day, I am going to kill them both. How’s that for a happy ending?

I look down at my clothes, and then at the ugly chain that had kept me prisoner here in this hell hole for so long. I have spent what feels like years in the same dirty, ripped dress, walking around this old cottage with a steel chain around my ankle. At first, my sensitive ankle would bruise and bleed, but now years later, the skin is tough and leathery. I can barely feel anything there anymore. Every time I walk, that chain rattles, and every time that chain rattles, I imagine me wrapping it around my husband’s throat.

Trust me, I have plenty of reason to. He forces me to do unthinkable things for his entertainment. He once made me clean the floor with my tongue while he touched himself. Punishing me turns him on. His eyes grow dark, and he forces himself on me. Most of the time, I close my eyes and pretend I am in a far-away place. Although, nothing I can imagine could bring me far enough away from here—not while he is grunting from behind me.

I am tired and hopeless, but I never give up on the idea of escaping. I have been working on this link in the chain for weeks, maybe even months now. I wait until Terragon leaves for the day, and I constantly bang the chain. At first, nothing, but over time it has become dented, worn and bent. As soon as he left today, I began to bang on it again, until a link snapped.

This is my second attempt to flee, and now the chain is broken, all I can feel is fear. I have my shaky hand on the door knob. My heart is racing and sweat beads have formed across my hairline. If he catches me, he will burn the hell out of my pretty face.

I throw open the old, wood door and run like hell down into the forest. This time I know there is no house or person around us. Not as far as the eye can see. I know this because the last time I escaped I ran around screaming for help, wishing someone lived near to hear my cries. It had taken seconds before Terragon found me and took me back home. That was darkest night of my life, because freedom was given and taken away within seconds.

I try not to think about that now, as I run, breathless, for my life. Every so often, my bare feet hit a rock or stick, and the pain shoots through my legs. I won’t let it stop me. I run as if there is no tomorrow. I have no idea where I am going, but anyway pointed to a better life.

I feel excited, and laughter erupts as I quickly look back to see that no one is following me. Everything is going as planned, until I hit the mud stocks. My feet feel them first, and then I quickly sink deep down, until my knees disappear. My body falls forward, and mud splatters across my already bruised face.

“There you are you, bitch.”

I hear his deep voice rumble from behind me, and a sick feeling comes over me as I close my eyes. I feel the pressure of the bottom of his boot hit my face. The sting travels across my cheek and tears fall down as I cry out in pain.

“I’m sorry, Terragon. Please don’t hurt me. Please,” I beg. I start to tremble. His punishment will be far worse than death itself.

“You know what I am going to do to you? Leave you right there stuck in the mud. In about two hours, this entire forest will be dark, and the wolves will be out looking for dinner. I am going to plant myself in that tree right up there and watch them rip you apart.” He looks at me with that evil grin.

I lay my head down into the mud. “Just kill me. Kill me now,” I cry out.

“As if I would let you off that easy, you stupid whore.” He walks over and grabs my hair with one hand and my arm with the other. He pulls me out of the mud and proceeds to drag me back home by my hair. I scream loudly, praying that if my prince charming is out there he will come for me.

From out of the bushes, jumps a hooded man wearing all black. He carries a bow and has it aimed at Terragon. Without hesitation, he shoots an arrow straight through Terragon’s heart. His heavy body falls with a thud to the ground, and I dropped to my knees in fear that the man will kill me too.

“Are you alright, miss?” the man asks.

I can’t respond. I slide back on the ground as he steps forward. The mystery man removes his hood, revealing his shaggy brown hair and blue eyes. He is as attractive as a man can be.

“I said, Are you alright?”

I watch him look me over. I am covered in bruises, blood and mud. He looks as if he wants to reach down and pick me up. I nod before he had the chance to. He turns to walk away but stops. I watch him stand there, with his back to me. He swiftly turns around.

“Do you have somewhere safe to go?” he asks.

I shake my head. He looks as if he is slightly irritated that I said no. Maybe he thought I would be a burden to him.

“Fine. Come with me. I wouldn’t feel right about leaving you alone out here. Not after what I just saw.” He sticks his hand out, but I hesitate to grab it. “Come on. I don’t have all day, you know.”

I reach up and accept his hand. He pulls me up with so much force, I land in his arms.

“What is your name?” he asks.

I am inches from his face and find myself breathless. I can’t respond.

“Your name, miss?” he repeats as he brushes back my brown hair from my face with his hand.

I look into his hypnotizing blue eyes. “Katia Vonderburg,” I finally reply.

His eyes widen and he releases me from his arms.

“Katia Vonderburg? I can’t believe this. I had given up hope of ever finding you.” He stares at me oddly.

My heart skips a beat. “How do you know me?”

“You’re parents have been looking for you for a very long time.”

“And you are?” I squint my eyes at him.

“My name is Hawk Graceland. I was hired to locate you. I have searched town by town and nothing. Now, here you basically fall into my lap.”

“I don’t know where I am, or how to get home. Will you take me to them please?” I plead.

A sad look washes over his face. “I can’t. I’m sorry. They were both killed about a year ago.”

I place my hand on my chest. It feels as if time has stopped. My surroundings become blurry. I start to cry, but I can’t. I can feel my breathing getting shallow. My knees buckle, and I plop down into the dirt.

He looks away for a second, before he bends down to me. I stare at an old rock sitting next to me as his words repeat in my head. My parents are dead. I think he is still speaking to me, but I can’t hear a word he is saying anymore.

“Katia? Are you okay?” He touches the top of my hand.

I flinch and snap out of it. I look up at him. I must look like a broken little girl sitting there.

“I’m sorry for your loss. They were good people. Their castle was ambushed and set on fire by Cagers. They refused to leave and died in the fire,” Hawk said.

“A fire? They died in a fire,” my voice is shaky. I place my head in my hands and try to take a few slow, deep breathes in before I pass out. My eyes water, and I imagine them screaming for their lives as the fire burned them to ashes.

“What is a Cager?” I choke out. My fingers grip the hem of my dress, and I avoid eye contact with Hawk. Instead, I look at the ground, waiting for an answer.

“That piece of trash lying on the ground is a Cager. Cagers are a barbaric clan. They take, they steal and they destroy families that have any royal blood, no matter how small or large. They despise the wealthy, and their only motivation in life is to kill the bloodline at all cost. It is a miracle you are still alive Katia. No one that has been taken by a Cager has lived to tell about it.”

I turn around and stare over at Terragon, my heart racing in anger and my breathing quickening. I pick up one of the heavy rocks that lie next to me, stand up and run over to bash Terragon’s head in. Before I can do it, I feel a hand grasp my wrist.

“Trust me. It won’t feel as good as you think it will. He is dead already anyway.” Hawk grabs the rock in my hand and tosses it aside.

I narrow my eyes at him and look at my wrist. He slowly releases his fingers and reaches his hand out for mine. I decline by looking away.

“Suit yourself. We have to start moving. It is getting late and the forest animals will want to come out and play—and I don’t mean in a good way.”

I nod and follow behind him. It is one of the longest walks I have made. I have nothing but time and thoughts to bite at me, and I couldn’t feel worse. I have come from nowhere and have nowhere to go. My sadistic, barbaric husband is now dead and my parents were killed. Being free is not at all what I expected.

My mother’s words haunted me. “Iron fist, Katia. Take any pain that life throws at you and lock it up, for only the strong survive.”

That’s exactly what I have done up until now, and I refuse to cry, no matter how much the death of them hurts. I will lock it up and never again think about this day.

After a long silent journey we make our way to a small cottage. Hawk points to it. “This is mine.”

He points again, over to a pond. “You’re more than welcome to bathe in there. You can’t come inside until you get all that mud off of you. I will get you some clean clothes. I don’t have any dresses, so you will have to wear my clothes. If that’s okay.”

I nod.

“Just stay here. I won’t take long.” Hawk scurries off.

I stand by the pond, looking around for deadly animals. The sun has almost set, and the forest is becoming scarier by the minute. Hawk comes out, places the clothes on a rock, and starts to walk away and back up to the house.

“Wait. Aren’t you going to keep watch for hungry wolves?”

“No. Not while you’re naked.” Hawk raises an eyebrow.

I almost feel offended by how fast he said that. I have always considered myself a beautiful girl, but looking like this, I can understand how no one would even look twice at me. Terragon had damaged me and he was right, no man would want me. He didn’t even need to put an iron to my face. Those years with him did enough.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll feel safer knowing you’re here. Just turn around.” I demand.

Once his back is to me, I strip off the hideous dress. I stand naked by the pond and dip my big toe into the cold water. I quickly run in and scrub the dry, hard mud from my body and face with my nails. I try to wash the mud out of my hair, but the tangles are so bad I have rat’s nests in several places. I can’t remember the last night I brushed my hair.

“So Katia, what does a Cager do with a princess when he has her?” Hawk asks with his back still facing me.

“He marries her first. Then he chains her up, rapes, and beats her. He humiliates her for his own enjoyment, and when the sun rises each morning, he does it again.”

Hawk turns around with importance and looks at me as if it pains him to hear those things. My arms quickly cross over to hide my breast, and he looks down when he remembers I am naked.

“I think we should go inside now. It’s getting dark.” Hawk turns around again.

I step out of the water and slip on his clothes. His shirt is big, and hangs down to my knees, but it will work for now. Anything is better than that damn dress. I try to put on his pants, but they refuse to stay up, so I take them off.