Chapter 3: A Princely Gift

Chapter 3: A Princely Gift

Judging by the dimness of the sunlight, it must have been late afternoon or early evening when they came for Serena. She had slept some but it was not a refreshing slumber, rather one filled with troubling dreams. When the door creaked open, she was aware of it but did not open her eyes. The cold and hard stone and harsh shackles had worn her down during the long day, leaving her a despondent woman with little hope. What the physical hardships had not done to her, her troubled mind filled in with numerous images of terrible things that might well happen to her. Truth was, she was mildly surprised that nothing had happened during the lonely hours. She had fully expected men to come in at any time to use and abuse her body.

The two men who entered said nothing but unlocked the chain from around her neck and the one connected to her ankle shackles. She was ordered to her feet but, with hands held behind her, she had to be helped up. Then there came a long, slow walk along stone corridors and up steps the short chain between her ankles almost made impossible.

She heard voices ahead before she entered the room, male voices and laughter. The room was large, larger than any she had ever seen in her young life. Tapestries lined the walls between the windows, displaying numerous coat-of-arms in varied colors and some vivid hunting scenes. The room was filled with a reddish tone cast by the setting sun through the slender windows cut in the stone walls. Two men in servant green were going around the walls, lighting candles set in scones. But what drew her immediate attention was the group standing around a large, carved oak chair, much larger than the other chairs around the long table. Three of them wore the dark blue of royalty while the other two were clad in the black of soldiers. Each man wore a sword on his belt, had long black hair and, save one, beards. She recognized the two she had seen earlier, the two who had inspected the lot of them upon arrival. They were chatting with a man seated in the large chair and who wore upon his brow a simple gold circle. Was this the King? she wondered. Sartra the Butcher himself? She had heard horror stories about how cruel he was. He was a big man with some gray woven among his hair. His voice was deep, and demanded attention.

“So, this is that one you mentioned,” he said, suddenly realizing that a naked and shackled woman had been brought up to the group. “Yes, Roy, you were right. She is exceptional. Quite nice, in fact.”

The younger man smiled, and said, “I hope you’re not going to claim her for yourself. You have more than you can handle now.”

“Aye, that’s true. But this one is particularly beautiful. And that body! I wonder if she’s a virgin?”

“Wench, are you a virgin?” the younger man asked her.

The eyes of all five were fixed upon her, a few turned downward to gaze at the patch of dark hair guarding her sex, almost as if they could see if she was indeed of that status.

Serena cast her eyes downward. Not sure if being a virgin would be better or not, she simply opted for the truth. “No, sir. I am not.”

“Pity,” said the King. “Would have been fun to... Well, never mind.” Giving her a good look over, he added, “Very well, you may have her. Reginald, got that? This slave is to be the property of Prince Royalswolf. Good luck with her.”

The Prince bowed his head in thanks. “I will have fun with her, father, even if she is no virgin!” he said loudly. The others laughed. One even went so far as to pat the Prince on the back good-humoredly.

“Well, I have a war to plan,” the King said. “And I see they’re ready to set up for dinner. Let us go to the library to make plans. Good King Walford will have to be taught a lesson not to grab lands that don’t belong to him.”

The two soldiers departed with the King, leaving the one addressed as Reginald. Coming up to the Prince, he asked, “Will you want her delivered to your apartment?”

“Yes, of course,” the Prince answered absently mindedly as he watched the group leaving. “I had better go with them. Father sometimes needs to be restrained or he would be fighting every kingdom in sight.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

The Prince started to leave but said back over his shoulder, “And make sure you secure her solidly. Last one got loose and was running naked through the castle!”

“Yes, your Highness.”

“And, Reggie, call me Roy. We’ve been friends too long.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Reggie said to his departing back.

For a long minute the man simply stood there, looking at Serena but with a blank expression upon his face. She could not tell what he was thinking. Usually men, upon seeing her naked, had some reaction.

Finally, he sighed and said, “Come with me,” and turned to leave himself.

One of the two guards who had brought her to that room took her by the bare arm and urged her along. Once again she was forced to hobble, trying to keep up with Reggie.

She tried to follow their path in her head to create a map of the castle in case she ever had the chance to use it, but there were twists and turns and up stairs until she was not certain she could follow the path. The room they arrived at was larger than her whole hut and decorated with a few tapestries. There was a large bed, a table, a couple of chairs and two large cupboards. A bear skin rug lay on the floor beside the bed, which was covered in fine cloth.

“You may go,” Reggie said to the guard. “She won’t be doing anything.”

The guard shut the wooden door as he left.