Did I ever tell you about my father? What he's known for? Well its not something a girl or a wife can be proud about or talk about really. He brutal and emotionless and just plain mean, even to his wife.
"Get your ass over here Arsinyella!" Yeah, this is what I tried not to see last night. "Now!!" I sighed and got out of bed, staying in my night clothes and made my way over to where my father was waiting at the door.
"Alright alright, please calm down father before you wake up the entire forest." I said as I yawned.
"What you did last night, denying him and insulting him like that, is not what I expected out of you daughter. You know that when a guest such as his rank asks you to do something, you do it!" Wait...what? Did I miss something here?
"Dad what did prince Derek actually tell you?" I was alittle worried now. I don't think Derek told him the truth.
"He told me that he asked you to show him to his room and you were quiet rude to him, along with pushing him away and almost hitting him." Whoa there time out. I did WHAT!? Ok part of that is true, but I didn't almost hit him or be rude to him...
"What! I didn't even take a swing at him or be rude to him! I was polite!" I knew protesting wouldn't work, but I had to try.
"Whose word should I take Arsinyella? You? Who has lied to me many times over, or prince Derek, who has never lied to me. I think the answer is quite clear daughter, and you will be punished!"
"Please father, I did nothing he said I did!" Please don't make it public, please don't make it public...
"Enough daughter. In five minutes time you will be down stairs in a the open back white shirt. From there you will be escorted out." Crap it is going to be public, and from the sounds of it, a whipping.
I sighed. "Yes father." I turned and closed my door and got changed in a numb state. I wondered how many he would give me. Yes my own father would give me the punishment, expecting me not to scream or shed a tear, but I know I will do at least one of them. The whip hurts! Oh well, I might as well get this over with. I walked down the stairs and to the door like instructed and saw Faerin there. "Your....Your going to take me?" I was sad. I didn't want him to see this.
"Yes. I'm sorry Arya, your father told me to. I can't say no to him."
"It's fine. Just, can you leave or look away? I don't want you to watch this. It won't be pleasant."
He looked like I just smacked him. "I will be there and I will watch Arya. You are my friend, and I will be there for you when this is all over and done." Once again, I missed the flash in his eyes.
"Alright fine. Just make sure that when it begins, you stay away. Don't run to help until father gives the ok, or you might be punished too. That won't help either of us."
"Who said I was going to run and help you?" He grinned. I smacked his shoulder. "Ow. Ok ok sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
I laughed and finally looked around to where we were. We were only 50 yards from where I was to be punished. "Yeah, I know, and I think it was working too." We kept walking, but in silence now. They could hear us, and this trip was supposed to be made in silence. At the end of the trees, where the clearing was, I could already hear the noise of the people there, not to mention, see the crowd around the post in the ground. A guard came up around both sides of me, all stiff and serious looking.
"Come with us princess Arsinyella. Faerin you will stay here." I nodded and followed them, keeping my head held high and back straight. I had to do this without fear. We walked to my father who was waiting by the post.
"Get her into position." I went without a fight, I didn't have a choice, not with people around me. They took my wrists and tied them together with leather, then hooked them over the cross like post, my feet barely hitting the ground. I already had a open back shirt on, so they didn't have to rip that. "Princess Arsinyella has been charged with hitting prince Derek of the southern forest, for this she will be punished with 10 lashes." Your kidding me! 10 lashes!? I've never had 10 lashes before, only five, and when I got my five lashes, I was fighting a kid who pulled my hair. Fighting is one of the worst things here. "One." I heard the crack of the whip before I actually felt the sting of the pain. Five gashes, or, at least that's how many I left. Thats 50 Gashes total or more if I didn't count right, or if one missed. "Two." Another one came down and I cringed in pain. "Three." This one must have hit a nerve or something because I think I blacked out. "Nine." Thats what I woke up to. I arched my back in pain then fell, letting the rope around my wrists support me. "10." This one hit, it felt like white fire. I almost screamed but bit my tongue, no tears fell. "It is done. Everyone go home." I got helped down and almost fell, my back hurt to much.
"I got you princess Arsinyella." Faerin. Someone else came to my other side, put my arm over his shoulder and starts to help me back home. About half way through, I saw Dereks smirking face at me in the shadows and all I wanted to do was beat the crap out of him I was so angry. I tried to say something, but then my back started to hurt with intense pain before spreading through my whole body. Naracrah Poison. I can't believe he used that on me. All I know after figuring this out was nothing. I blacked out.
