Tears of Raven

7

Raven knew that if she stopped to spit on the prince like she always wanted, he would get her. Instead, she lowers to the ground, fisting a hand of dirt only to throw it in the prince's eyes.

He grunts and falls back, heavy streaks of blood leaving his nose dripping in a lovely sound on his immaculate uniform.

"You whore." Raven's head jerks to meet the smaller soldier who is now charging just in time to take a step to the side, letting him go crush against the wall. Her eyes reach the cell door and the while shoulders of Baylor were in the way. There was no way she would take him down before the prince regain his footing.

Raven fists her hands and takes a long breath but stops as soon as the man lowers his head in a respectful gesture and simply steps aside.

Raven knows she that trusting human is a rookie mistake, yet I the eyes of this one, there is no lie, no trickery and most of all, no mockery for her. it's as if he almost respected her. or maybe she gained a free pass for being able to smash her head into the prince's nose. She was sure not many had that possibility.

she wouldn't be around to ask anyway.

In a crunch of pebbles, she's out of the prison cell and on the steps. The alarm hasn't rung so she has a small amount of time to think. There's not much she needs to evaluate, she knows this place, it still haunts her. Every corner, every door as much as it is disturbing, is familiar.

She steps on the main floor, turning right. She is careful to stay in the shadow, so no soldier would see her but she knows the time is precious. The prince will not stay stunned for long.

There a small window in the kitchen and if she could reach it, maybe she would be finally free. But hungry stops echo behind her and she knows she has no time to run to the other side of the castle.

She has one shot and her mother always told her, that her biggest quality was to be found in her legs and how fast she could run. So she goes for it.

Bells ring, meaning that the sun is only moments before touching the horizon but also means that the guards will change and she will have her opening. Luck was on her side when she headed for the door and found that it was pretty much free. The guards were probably on their way right now and running late by a matter of seconds.

Her bare feet were sliding on the polished surface, she could hear the squeak of them on the marble pavement. She held her breath, the light at the end of the main hall washed over her and when out, Raven discovered that she knew how to live. She was free again.

Not for long, she reminded herself not stopping on the pave.

The walls. She needed to reach the tall walls encircling the city and that would be the end of it. she would never set foot here again. Raven took the steps down the town square two at a time but barely made it to the small well when an arrow pierced her arm pinning her to the stone.

She suffocated a scream, not wanting to catch more eyes than already were on her. she could still make it. she put her hand around the head and snap it. If she removed it completely, she would bleed copiously and there would be no time to mend in this hostile landscape.

When she rose, another dart came for her in her left calf. There was no way to walk that out, the one that shoot it knew this very well. They were aiming at the right places so she would be slowed but not killed.

Raven turned, her teeth bared.

Just that moment of defiance, where her gaze looked for the source of her trouble, was enough. two soldiers grabbed her by the arm as the third, the little idiot she met in the cell only moments previously, grab her by the hair pushing her face against the rough concrete of the well, bruising her entire cheek.

"You dared disfigure my prince." He spits in between his teeth as he rubbed her skin rough. "I will flay you right on this piece of stone." And he seemed to maintain his word because Raven felt the blood cascading leaving smudges all over the edges of the well.

This was not how she would leave this world. Not on this land, not on this excuse of a pavement.

And mostly, she would not go as a slave like her mother did. She could still recall her last words.

"You have to live, Raven. I gave you life so at least a part of me could exist beyond this place and be free from them. I Saw it in my dream, your wings will spread wide if they never catch you. And you must never let that happen. Die if you must, but leave this world a free soul."

She was held by the arms from two guards and the asshole was hitting her on the other cheek knocking her balance off. She was barely at float. So, the only thing she could manage to think was those four words, repeated in her mind each time louder.

Help.

Help.

Help.

Help.

But it was no use.

Her ears were ringing and she was partially deafened by the continuous blows.

Yet her fingers found the ground and she was free again.

Her vision blurry, but she saw a silhouette, making his way from the red wings engraved in the main castle gate and he appeared.

He didn't rush.

Slow as death itself and as much relentless. Afterall, he had sworn, she would not leave after sundown. Raven's glare rose to the top of the buildings. She could tell it was just a matter of seconds before the sun would touch the horizon and the prince was simply keeping his promise.

She couldn't function, her whole body was covered in pins and needles, her skin crawling. Yet. She stood, facing her sentence right into those green must eye knowing that at least, the blood dripping from his chin, was her doing.

"I will not die a slave."

The prince with extreme sluggishness pulled his sword out, letting the blade run over his palm as to weight it out.

"You will not die a slave C1613. Slaves have a purpose, you are worthless."

Raven's chin flew up. "As worthless as I must be, they will remember me for being the only one brave enough to headbutt a pompous prince in the fucking nose."

Raven didn't feel her hands or her legs, so when the prince rose his sword that caught the last glimpse of sun before it drained behind the tall buildings, she closed her eyes. She had just one last thought and it was for the thing on this heart she cared the most.

She hoped that her beloved owl, wouldn't die of a broken heart once found her lifeless body, if they do not burn her first. Because that's what she would be if she had found his. Absolutely heartbroken.