Forced to Love
Chapter 16
Annabell was desperately trying to escape the chains that restrained her to the big bed.
Her wrists were sore and swollen because of the previous struggle with the chains, and it wasn’t long before they started bleeding again.
She was overwhelmed by numbness as she watched the blood trickled down her wrists, making a way of its own down to her hand. She found the contrast between her white hand and the red, red blood immersive. The blood made its way all down to the very tip of her finger, where it then abandoned the hand and stained the white sheets on the bed.
A knock on the door woke Annabell from her obsession.
“Who’s there?” She answered hoarse.
“Your food, Miss.” A young servant, barely 13 years of age, entered the room. Annabell did not care to correct him that she was no longer a miss, but Mrs. Darshia.
The young boy handed her a plate with food, and surprisingly Annabell found herself famished.
“Thank you!” She replied the boy, and signalled for him to sit down. She was in desperate need for some company.
“Can you please keep me company while I eat?”
“Yes, miss. That’s no problem.” The boy answered with a grin.
“Please, tell me your name. Who do I have the honour of dining with?”
“It is Billy, miss. You don’t have to tell me yours. I already know who you are!”
“Oh,” Annabell smiled, “That’s awful nice for you then.”
“How old are you Billy?”
“Thirteen this may!” He said with a large grin.
“And just how long have you been working here?” Annabell asked.
“Since I was ten. I’m working down in the kitchen. My job is to watch the fire, and to help the chef with whatever I can.”
“It is a mighty important job, is it not?” Annabell asked, amused by the little boy.
“It sure is Miss! The chef often says that he couldn’t do without me!”
“Billy, where exactly are we?” Annabell asked while trying her best to sound normal, even though she was nervous. If the boy refused to answer her question she would be just as helpless as he was now.
“We are in Virona, in the prince’s castle, not far from the border to the duchy Tabitha in Avalon.” Billy answered.
“How far from Tabitha are we?” Annabell urged on.
“Not far at all. Probably a half days walk in that direction,” He said while pointing lazily in front of him.
“And it is just a couple of hours on horseback. Why?”
“Oh, no, it was nothing. I am just curious. That’s all.”
“’m sorry miss, but I see you have finished your food, so I have to return to the kitchen. The master will soon be back.”
With these words he boy picked up her plate and left the room. Annabell felt her tummy tighten in fear.
Once the door was closed, Annabell started desperately tugging in the chains again. The blood soon started to pour, but she kept on.
She was desperately trying to wrench her hands out of the steel grasp.
The blood seemed to make her wrist slippery, and she noticed that the chains little by little started to move.
With a last wrench the chains fell off and she was free!
Relief rushed through her, she could feel her feet tremble.
She was free! Finally free! She rushed to the door. Discovering that the fool Ezra did not even care to keep the door locked. Carefully Annabell opened the door and peeked out to the hallway.
There was nobody there.
As fast and quiet as she could Annabell moved towards what looked like the servants staircase, a big black hole that seemed to devour every last beam of light.
Annabell was listening after any sound that could indicate Ezra’s return.
The only thing she could hear was her own heart beating madly in her chest, and the blood pulsating in her ears.
Slowly Annabell started climbing down the stairs.
One step of the time, the stair was old and poorly maintained and every time Annabell reached a bad step, the whole stair creaked like there was no tomorrow.
When she reached the door in bottom she stopped carefully listening after any sound at all.
There was someone hustling with pans and jugs, so Annabell assumed she had reached the kitchen.
Annabell was waiting several minutes. She did not dare to open the door while there still were people in the kitchen, but was at the same time terrified that someone would open the door and find her.
After a time the sounds vanished and she made herself take a peek out in the kitchen.
There was no one there.
She grabbed her shirts and ran all she could towards the kitchen entrance. Right outside was a large ground before the stables. Luckily for Annabell, the ground was just as deserted as the kitchen and she spurted over the ground towards the stables.
Her mouth was dry and her breath unsteady.
“Just a couple of hours on horseback.” She whispered as she grabbed a bridle that was hanging by a gentle looking mare.
Her fingers trembled so wildly that she had big problems with saddling the mare.
“Just a couple of hours...” Tears were streamed down her face when her attempt on putting the bit inside the horses mouth failed.
“just a couple..”
Two big hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. Annabell could feel her whole body tense and start to tremble in fear. His lips trailed slowly down her neck towards her collarbone where they lingered for a moment before he sniggered and moved them up to her ear once again. “Love...” he whispered, “...it will take a lot more than two hours for you to leave this castle.”
Her wrists were sore and swollen because of the previous struggle with the chains, and it wasn’t long before they started bleeding again.
She was overwhelmed by numbness as she watched the blood trickled down her wrists, making a way of its own down to her hand. She found the contrast between her white hand and the red, red blood immersive. The blood made its way all down to the very tip of her finger, where it then abandoned the hand and stained the white sheets on the bed.
A knock on the door woke Annabell from her obsession.
“Who’s there?” She answered hoarse.
“Your food, Miss.” A young servant, barely 13 years of age, entered the room. Annabell did not care to correct him that she was no longer a miss, but Mrs. Darshia.
The young boy handed her a plate with food, and surprisingly Annabell found herself famished.
“Thank you!” She replied the boy, and signalled for him to sit down. She was in desperate need for some company.
“Can you please keep me company while I eat?”
“Yes, miss. That’s no problem.” The boy answered with a grin.
“Please, tell me your name. Who do I have the honour of dining with?”
“It is Billy, miss. You don’t have to tell me yours. I already know who you are!”
“Oh,” Annabell smiled, “That’s awful nice for you then.”
“How old are you Billy?”
“Thirteen this may!” He said with a large grin.
“And just how long have you been working here?” Annabell asked.
“Since I was ten. I’m working down in the kitchen. My job is to watch the fire, and to help the chef with whatever I can.”
“It is a mighty important job, is it not?” Annabell asked, amused by the little boy.
“It sure is Miss! The chef often says that he couldn’t do without me!”
“Billy, where exactly are we?” Annabell asked while trying her best to sound normal, even though she was nervous. If the boy refused to answer her question she would be just as helpless as he was now.
“We are in Virona, in the prince’s castle, not far from the border to the duchy Tabitha in Avalon.” Billy answered.
“How far from Tabitha are we?” Annabell urged on.
“Not far at all. Probably a half days walk in that direction,” He said while pointing lazily in front of him.
“And it is just a couple of hours on horseback. Why?”
“Oh, no, it was nothing. I am just curious. That’s all.”
“’m sorry miss, but I see you have finished your food, so I have to return to the kitchen. The master will soon be back.”
With these words he boy picked up her plate and left the room. Annabell felt her tummy tighten in fear.
Once the door was closed, Annabell started desperately tugging in the chains again. The blood soon started to pour, but she kept on.
She was desperately trying to wrench her hands out of the steel grasp.
The blood seemed to make her wrist slippery, and she noticed that the chains little by little started to move.
With a last wrench the chains fell off and she was free!
Relief rushed through her, she could feel her feet tremble.
She was free! Finally free! She rushed to the door. Discovering that the fool Ezra did not even care to keep the door locked. Carefully Annabell opened the door and peeked out to the hallway.
There was nobody there.
As fast and quiet as she could Annabell moved towards what looked like the servants staircase, a big black hole that seemed to devour every last beam of light.
Annabell was listening after any sound that could indicate Ezra’s return.
The only thing she could hear was her own heart beating madly in her chest, and the blood pulsating in her ears.
Slowly Annabell started climbing down the stairs.
One step of the time, the stair was old and poorly maintained and every time Annabell reached a bad step, the whole stair creaked like there was no tomorrow.
When she reached the door in bottom she stopped carefully listening after any sound at all.
There was someone hustling with pans and jugs, so Annabell assumed she had reached the kitchen.
Annabell was waiting several minutes. She did not dare to open the door while there still were people in the kitchen, but was at the same time terrified that someone would open the door and find her.
After a time the sounds vanished and she made herself take a peek out in the kitchen.
There was no one there.
She grabbed her shirts and ran all she could towards the kitchen entrance. Right outside was a large ground before the stables. Luckily for Annabell, the ground was just as deserted as the kitchen and she spurted over the ground towards the stables.
Her mouth was dry and her breath unsteady.
“Just a couple of hours on horseback.” She whispered as she grabbed a bridle that was hanging by a gentle looking mare.
Her fingers trembled so wildly that she had big problems with saddling the mare.
“Just a couple of hours...” Tears were streamed down her face when her attempt on putting the bit inside the horses mouth failed.
“just a couple..”
Two big hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. Annabell could feel her whole body tense and start to tremble in fear. His lips trailed slowly down her neck towards her collarbone where they lingered for a moment before he sniggered and moved them up to her ear once again. “Love...” he whispered, “...it will take a lot more than two hours for you to leave this castle.”